The Horror Squad (Book 3) (7 page)

Bo got in on the passenger side.
“Now home?”

 

I got in and lit a cigarette. “Yep,
now we go home.”

I backed up far enough to turn
around. I was worried about the pits
falling out, but they didn’t budge as I
took the turns from being so stuffed in
there.

CHAPTER SEVEN
PULLING UP to the gate, we

stopped. I could see a mass of people
actually helping unload the deuces
and even beginning to skin out the
rest of what we had brought home and
could see Donald jogging over to
open the gate.

Donald opened the gate and we
drove in with him closing the gate
behind us.

I drove straight over to the crowd
and parked. We got out and I walked
over to find my wife.

“Damn, I wish we had this much
help on doing everything. Where are
you having them put it?” I asked her.

She was directing everyone with
Karen. “We’re storing it in the
cafeteria walkin fridge.”

“Sounds good.” I responded to her
and then stepped up on the deuce. “I
need about ten people to unload the
truck. The condiments can go in the
cafeteria, but the barbeque pits need
to go outside in front of the school…I
know everyone is eager to dig into
these new meats we’re bringing in
and you will be able to. Tomorrow,
we’ll be closing the cafeteria and
barbequing for everyone.”

Everyone cheered and several
people ran over to the truck to unload
it. By the time I made it back to my
truck, there was only the back seat
that had anything left and it was
cleared in the matter of minutes. I was
impressed.

I turned and looked at Bo. “Guess
we should go hunting at the zoo more
often.”

“Fuck that, ever
ything will be
tainted from the rotters or ripped apart
from all the predators you turned
loose.” He stated.

I shrugged my shoulders. “At lea
st
we got everyone out and were able to
take ourselves off the dinner list.”

“What are you talking about?”
Gizmo asked while only catching a
small portion of the conversation.

“He turned loose the wild cats and
bears to buy time for everyone to get
out.” Bo stated.

“Shit happens.” Gizmo responded.
“Where’s Steven?” I asked.

“He said he was going to go rack
out. He was looking pretty pale.”
Gizmo answered.

A scream broke out and silenced
the crowd. The three of us took off
running toward the commotion. I
flung the school doors open and ran
inside. At the end of the hall I could
see Sandra beating the shit out of
someone with a bat.

“What the fuck!” I called out while
still running.

I ran up and snatched the bat from
her and looked down as she went in
for another hit. Hudson laid
motionless on the floor up against the
wall with huge chunks taken out of
him. Steven’s head was completely
crushed in from the bat with blood
flowing and his brain matter was
spread over the hall and walls. I could
only tell it was him from his missing
arm. As if things couldn’t get any
worse, I turned to ask Sandra what
happened and could see blood soaking
her shirt and rolling down the front of
her out of her collar bone and chest
area.

Gizmo slid across the floor
grabbing Hudson up and pulling him
to his chest. He pulled him in close to
him and squeezed, trying to shake him
to life. Even as a man, you never get
used to the chills that you get when
hearing a grown man cry.

Hudson’s body started twitching a
bit. Gizmo pulled him in tighter and
stood up walking him outside. By the
time that he hit the front doors
Hudson was flinging around
furiously. His arms and legs whipped
around Gizmo’s stout frame and
almost looked to be coming out of his
grip. Gizmo couldn’t go far out of the
school because of the crowd. Tina
started running over when Gizmo
dropped Hudson to the ground and
quickly pulled out his pistol and
emptied the clip into his own son’s
head.

Sandra walked outside drowning
herself in tears that she couldn’t save
him. Before anyone could question
what had happened, I walked out and
stuck my knife into the side of her
head. Her body instantly dropped. I
placed my foot on her neck and pulled
my knife back out.

Tina was crying so hard that no
words could surface. She was barely
taking in breaths when she flipped out
and started slapping Gizmo across the
face and chest. Gizmo stood with
tears streaming and was only able to
block a few of her hits.

I walked out to the storage passed
Karen and grabbed a shovel.
Everyone was standing still watching
everything going on in shock of the
events.

I walked out into the back field and
started shoveling dirt. It didn’t take
long before I felt the presence of
others. Kris, Bo, Howard and Gizmo
walked over with shovels and started
breaking surface as well.

Gizmo didn’t say a word, but still
had tears falling from his face, a sob
would be heard throughout his
digging and he would stop to wipe his
face. I wanted to be a good friend and
comfort him, but I thought back when
Sidnie was taken from me and how I
felt. I didn’t have to witness it all like
he just did. I didn’t have to pull the
trigger on her. I could only imagine
the pain that ran through his soul.

It took about an hour for us to dig
all the holes. We all went back to the
school to gather the bodies. Gizmo
carried Hudson that he had to pry
from Tina as she screamed for him
not to take him, and dropped her
whole body to the ground as he
walked away with him. I threw
Steven’s body over my shoulder and
carried him and Bo and Kris carried
Sandra.

For the first time ever, no gate was
manned, no cooks were cooking, no
one was working the power plant, and
we all joined the funerals that were
happening.

I laid Steven’s mangled body down
as gently as I could. I could feel the
blood trickling from my fallen brother
down my back and shoulder blade.

I stood at the front. “I didn’t know
Sandra well, but we were lucky to
have her…Steven, my friend, my
comrade, I hope the heavens take you
into their arms and lead you to your
wife and kids again…. Hudson, you
were like a son to me. I watched you
grow up and you were taken much too
young. I hope God leads you into
heaven better than he’s let the world
go to hell.” I walked off so everyone
else could say their goodbyes.

Kris jogged up to catch up with me.
“Where are you going?”

I never missed a stride. “I’m going
to check on the meat and start
throwing some marinade on some of
the things for tomorrow.”

“Do you really think a barbeque is
a good idea right now?” She
suggested.

I stopped and looked at her. “I
think a barbeque is something that
everyone needs. We don’t need to sit
around and mope no matter how hurt
we are. I didn’t get to mope for my
losses either and I’m glad that I
didn’t. You either get on living or you
give up while dying.” I continued
walking.

Kris stayed standing there trying to
wrap her mind around it all.

 

Gizmo walked by Kris with tears
still going. “He’s right.”

Kris turned around to see Cloie and
Tina dropped to their knees still out
by Hudson’s grave. Tina was
brushing her hands across the top of
the dirt gently as if she was combing
his hair back with her finger tips.
Cloie had her hand on Tina’s back
trying to comfort her crying for her
brother.

I walked into the cafeteria and into
the back to look at what all the meat
we had. Meat almost fell out of the
walk-in we had so much packed in
there. I pulled out one of the alligator
tails. Before I could make my way out
of the walk-in with it, Gizmo was
standing there with his hands held out
waiting for me to hand it to him.

“You should be with your family,
brother.” I recommended.

He wiped the tears from his face.
“You’re probably right.” He grabbed
the tail and sat it on a table behind
him.

I stepped out and hugged him. “Go
be with your family, brother.
Tomorrow is another day.”

I could hear the front door open
and Howard, Bo and Kris walked into
the back. Gizmo looked at everyone
and walked out.

“Can we help?” Howard asked.

I cracked a small half smile to the
thought of complete strangers
becoming family. “Sure.” I opened
the walk-in and went back inside. I
grabbed a couple slabs of deer and a
couple of slabs of hog and handed it
over to each of them.

I stepped back out of the walk-in
and started looking at all the meat that
covered all four stainless steel tables.
I grabbed a cleaver from off the wall
and started with the alligator tail,
slicing it into one inch cuts.

“What are you going to make with
those?” Bo asked.

 

I continued slicing. “You ain’t ever
had alligator steaks?”

 

“I guess I can’t say that I have.” He
answered.

“What are you wanting to do with
the rest?” Howard asked as Milissa,
Bobbi and Chelley came walking
through the back.

I
turned and looked at them. “I
want all the back straps sliced into
one inch steaks. The pork butts I want
left as is. Everything else just cut
down small enough to throw onto the
pits.”

We all started working together to
get it done. I started pulling the spices
and soaking them down. The rest I put
in the marinade, then covered
everything in aluminum foil. We had
to place everything back into the
walk-in once it was ready since we
didn’t have enough room for it
anywhere else.

Everyone started leaving once we
had the meat put up. I stayed behind
and cleaned all the knives and
cleavers.

Once I was finished washing, I laid
them out on a white kitchen towel
next to the sink. When I walked out
Milissa, Bobbi and Chelley were
walking back inside to start their shift.
I held the door open for them and
walked out.

Tina was standing there taking
deep inhales from a cigarette. I could
see she had a decent grip on it seeing
as how her hands were trembling
uncontrollably. I wasn’t sure what to
say, so I decided to just walk on by
her, but she stopped me.

As soon as I felt her hand on my
arm, I dropped my head and closed
my eyes, not wanting to see the grief
in her face, she threw her hands
around my neck and gave me a hug.
“Thank you for always being there for
my family.”

That’s all she said and released her
hug and walked into the cafeteria.
Gizmo walked by and patted my back
and followed her inside with Cloie.

I continued to the school to find my
bed.

 

“TJ!” I heard someone call from
behind.

 

I turned to see Tiffany and Robin
standing there.

 

“What’s up?” I asked.

 

“Do you have a place we can catch
some “Z’s”?” Tiffany asked.

 

I turned back around. “Yeah,
follow me.”

We walked into the school and to
the end of the hall. I walked into
Steven’s old room. It was a mess. I
guess from when Steven turned. Bo
was already there cleaning things up.

“Hey brother, do you want some
company?” I asked.

He looked up at me from picking
things up from the floor.
“Sure…what’s up?”

I stepped inside. “Not much, but
they need a room to crash out in.”

He had his knife in hand and
gestured to all the room that was
available. “There’s plenty of room.”

“One of you can have Steven’s old
cot and I’m sure Bo can help you
locate another one.” I stated while
walking in and grabbing my cot and
walking it back to my own room.

Kris was sitting on the end of the
cot talking to Daltin and Shianne
when I walked in.

I set my cot back up next to my
wife’s and gathered some clothes.
“I’ll be back in a few. I need a
shower.”

I walked out and went down the
hall to the shower. I turned the water
on and stripped down before entering.
I stepped into the water stream and
placed my hands flat on the wall
letting the water beam off of the top
of my head and down the spine of my
back. I tried my hardest to relax and
let the hot water steam up a bit and
inhaled deeply and let out a sigh
feeling the tension release just a tad
from my back.

“Nice butt.” Tiffany stated as she
walked passed my stall followed by
laughs.

I removed my hands from the wall
and turned my head to see Tiffany
walking by and could feel my body
tense a bit with the strange feeling of
her there.

I continued taking my shower. I
could hear her shower turn on a few
stalls down.

“So I’m sure now’s not the best
time to talk about it, but what
positions would you like for us to do
around here?” She questioned.

“We’ll figure all that out in the next
few days. However, you’re a medic,
so be a medic.” I responded with the
water rolling down my face.