Operation Z by Szepanski, G.D. (well read books .txt) 📗

“Shit!”

Jim raced toward the door and before he could get there a zombie emerged from the tree line and tackled naked Nancy, pushing her to the ground. It bit down on her neck and pulled a chunk of flesh from her body. The zombie’s buddy joined him for the feast of Nancy. She was beyond saving now, so Jim grabbed his stuff and drove away from the log cabin. This once peaceful retreat had become the place of nightmares.

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The rest of the day passed with no other drama. Jim wasn’t sure how much more death he could handle. He came to a large town which sat in a valley surrounded by mountains. With no clear destination in mind, he decided this would as good a place as any to stop. A two-story house sat on an elevated lot overlooking the entire town, and Big Jim made it home base. At least for now. It provided him the ability to observe any activity taking place in the empty community below. There had to be other survivors out there Jim could help. He just had to find them.

An oversized three-car garage occupied the back corner of the lot. After Jim cleared the house, he parked the F150 in the garage in the one open bay. The other two bays held a newer Honda SUV, and a restored 1967 GTO Convertible. Jim’s eyes lingered on the GTO, but there would be time later to check it out.

Electricity had gone off here, but someone had equipped this house with solar panels and a battery bank to provide power overnight. Jim would have to be careful since turning the lights on would be an invitation to trouble. He wanted to find a group of survivors to help, but he knew human nature. Humans are naturally evil, and this base motivation will drive them to do terrible things to each other with the fall of civilization. Big Jim might be a giant, but he couldn’t take on the world.

After being awoke by intruders early this morning, Jim took a page from Home Alone and left some surprises for any would be visitors. Good thing Jim wasn’t a sleepwalker, or he would have gotten a painful wake up call.

The home’s master bedroom had a walk out balcony overlooking the town below. It provided an excellent perch for him to view any activity on the streets below. He moved the bed so he could see outside while still laying in the bed. Being surrounded by death had exhausted him. Sleep claimed him quickly and Jim slept soundly until dawn.

CHAPTER SEVENTwo Years Earlier

BIG JIM HAD never planned on becoming a farmer again, but here he was a year after his retirement. His brother Judd grew corn on all of his 350 acres on his Iowa farm. Jim’s plans had been to stay and visit while he got his head and life together. Lily leaving him and the end of his service in the Problem Solvers left an unexpected hole in his life.

If he told the truth, the farm hadn’t kept him in Iowa this past year. His time in the Problem Solvers left him with the resources to do anything or go anywhere he wanted. Jim loved his little brother, but Judd’s presence didn’t hold him here either. Hard work recharged and strengthened the body, but physical training could be found anywhere. Jim spent most of the last year restoring his Dad’s old GTO, but Jim’s hobby didn’t lock him in Iowa either.

What kept him on his brother’s farm was Melody. When he had been a senior in high school and the starting quarterback, Melody had been the awkward junior high school girl who crushed on Jim. He enjoyed her company at the time, but thought of her as way too young. A star quarterback should think about all the college women he would soon date.

In the time of Jim’s absence, Melody had grown into a beautiful woman and the four-year difference in their ages didn’t seem quite so large now. Judd had given Melody a call during Jim’s first week in Iowa and she had been a fixture at the farm ever since. An electricity flowed between the two when their eyes first met and now, they were engaged to be married.

Jim didn’t understand Melody’s desire to be a vegetarian, but he respected her for it. You didn’t get to be Jim’s size, being too particular about what type or amount of food you ate. She didn’t criticize Jim for eating meat, but he kept the meat lover’s pizza night for him and Judd during one of their rare evenings alone. He honored her desires and didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable in his presence. What they would eat once married would be a different story.

This was one of those meat lover’s pizza nights that Jim and Judd enjoyed together. Two large pizzas decked out with peperoni, sausage, meatballs, and veggies sat before them along with their ice-cold beers.

“So, when are you going to make Melody an honest woman?”

“She wants to wait until after the harvest two years from now. Her parents will retire by then, and that will finish their time on the farm.”

“I love having both of you around and you can stay as long as you both like. However, the corn is my responsibility. You don’t have to worry about it. I’d be happy to buy her parents out and let them get on with their retirement.”

“You know them, Judd. They have a lot of pride and feel like they need to put the time in. I’m sure you’ll eventually get all the land, but they won’t retire early.”

“Yes, some generations had pride in a job well done. Let them know my offer is serious and they could get a jump start on shuffleboard in Florida.”

Jim laughed. “Could you imagine those two actually playing shuffleboard in Florida?”

The image of two retired corn farmers from Iowa