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

She jumped when Jim addressed her, but she made eye contact and nodded her agreement. That’s a step in the right direction at least.

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Dinner came and Jim joined them in the common room. The meal featured tasty food, and everyone ate their fill. These people weren’t lacking for anything. He hoped they weren’t consuming their stores too quickly.

After the meal, Jim pumped them for more information. He needed to know if the girl and him were ok staying with this group. Jim wanted to find a group to help but didn’t want to make a mistake trusting the wrong people.

“What brought your group into town?”

Max spoke. “We have three solar arrays and the controller on one of the arrays is acting up. I thought the electronics store in town might have one, so I sent Isaac and crew in to retrieve it.”

“You saw the battle that broke out. We didn’t even get to look for the controller.” Isaac continued the story.

“If you tell me what it looks like, I can go get it tomorrow. There are a few things I’d like to grab back in town too.” Jim wondered if he could get the GTO back to the camp.

“That would be wonderful. Isaac can go with you and point out the part.”

He didn’t want Isaac going with him, but Jim saw no logical reason to exclude him. Isaac didn’t prove himself capable during today’s battle, and Jim didn’t want to travel with a weak link. Jim would have to worry about Isaac’s safety now, since returning without him would cast doubts on his intentions.

“Ok, sounds good. I’m going to retire and get some rest. We should leave early in the morning. Ok, Isaac?”

Jim noticed the quick glance Isaac gave to Max before responding. “Uh… Sure.”

When they returned to the suite, Jim spoke to the girl.

“If there’s anything you want me to grab while I’m in town, let me know. While I’m gone, stay in the room. I think we can trust them, but I’m not sure yet. Ok?”

She stood and stared at Jim for what felt like minutes, but only had been seconds. He thought she might speak for the first time since she swallowed several times. But in the end, she nodded her agreement before she turned and walked into her bedroom. Well, he tried to reach her. Guess she’ll respond when she’s ready to talk.

CHAPTER ELEVENDay 237

OVER THE LAST eight months, Big Jim had become the de facto leader of the group. Max still held the official position, but he ran all decisions past Jim before he took any action. A mob lawyer gave him a certain amount of power in the civilized world, but those skills held no weight during the zombie apocalypse. After being locked underground for the winter, Max appeared to be losing his mind. He forgot things often and repeated himself when he spoke. Max didn’t get around as well as he had only a few months earlier. Jim worried about him, but keeping everyone alive was his number one priority rather than worrying about Max’s mind and health.

A short time after Jim arrived in the camp, Max discovered his protégé’s son had survived and he spoke with him on the short-wave radio. Donald made it safely to a camp in Maine, and he had a small group of survivors with him. Jim rejoiced at Max’s happiness, but Big Jim felt something was off with this Donald guy after he spoke with him on the radio. He couldn’t put his finger on what the issue was, but something about Donald just seemed off to Jim.

The radio had been invaluable because it delivered news from the outside world. With the destruction of DC, the former head of HUD, Carl Stevens declared himself President of the New United States (NUS). President Stevens had settled the country’s seat of power around the CDC and declared a cure to the zombie plague forthcoming. Atlanta had suffered damage from a major hurricane and zombies had completely overrun it, so the new CDC occupied a secret location in Georgia west of Atlanta. Jim felt the biggest threat to their security centered on this new tyrant and the troops he assembled close to their camp. Carl wanted all survivors to bow to him and his regime and would use force to make it happen if you didn’t do so freely. Trips into town had been less frequent these days, but so far there had been no sign of the NUS Army.

April had helped Big Jim get the hydroponic systems working, and it had been one reason they hadn’t traveled into town. After their first week in the camp, that skinny, scared teen started talking and hadn’t stopped since. Jim loved her like a daughter and found out she was intelligent and good with tools. She took to the farming like she had been doing it all her life and had become Jim’s right hand. At 17 years old, April displayed a higher level of maturity than the other adult members of this group.

The main water pump had failed on their hydroponic farm, and Jim hoped to replace it or find parts to repair it in the electronics warehouse in Wheresville Valley. They currently ran on the backup pump and had a spare, but both pumps had a smaller capacity than the original main water pump. Their aeroponics system required a water pump to constantly mist the roots of the plants as they passed by the jets. No mist on their roots meant the crops would die within minutes, so they depended on a functional pump. A failed water pump would mean the end of their food supply.

Jim knew he needed to speak with Isaac because he required him to provide backup on this excursion. With Corinne seven months pregnant, Jim didn’t look forward to the conversation. She had been a bitch before she got knocked up and the hormones made her a nightmare to deal with now. Big