For the Fallen Read online

  Zombie Fallout 7– For The Fallen

  Mark Tufo

  Electronic Edition

  Copyright 2013 Mark Tufo

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  Edited by:

  TW Brown

  Cover Art:

  Shaed Studios, shaedstudios.com

  Electronic Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

  or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,

  please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book

  and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase

  your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  Dedications:

  To my wife: a thank you seems such a simple way to express my appreciation but it

  is all encompassing. For everything you do for my mind, body and soul - thank you.

  I honestly can’t thank my beta-readers enough, Vix Kirkpatrick, Joy Buchanan and Kimberly

  Sansone. That they give of their time (willingly) to help me put out a better book

  is mind-blowing. You three will always have my utmost appreciation.

  To David Knuth, he gave an idea for a particular mode of transportation, I just wanted

  to give credit where it was due.

  To all my readers who have sent me communication over the last year hoping this book

  would come to its fruition, I hope you enjoy it!

  As always to the first responders and men and women of the armed forces, you have

  mine and my family’s admiration and respect for all the sacrifices you endure to keep

  us all safe.

  Acknowledgement page for all those who so kindly helped when I asked for a favor!

  ‘Louise Thostrup, Aaron Altman, Amanda Burns-Austin, Amanda Felix, Amanda Perez,

  Amber Cichon, Ami LawLess, Amy McNea, Andrew Cross, Angel Campbell Welch, Angela Crabtree, Angela Gomez Ritchie, Angie Zuver, Anne-marie Stephens, Anthony Hoahng, Anthony Morley,

  Ariel Alvarez, Armand Rosamilia, Barbara Friskey, Barry Hruby, Becky Usherwood, Bill Allen, Bionicgargoyle

  Grrarg, Bob Simister, Brenda Spears, Brian Forsythe, Brian Kelly, Brown Lawrence,

  Bryan Shrove, Chris Decoteau, Christine Kelly, Christopher Dorrell, Christopher Scott

  Caldwell,

  Claire Rees, Combat Johnny, Consuelo Delgado, Dan Modzik, Danielle Dorsey, Dargan

  Franks,

  Darrell Dutton, Darren Bailey, Dave Heron, David Bain, David Marble, David Quincy,

  Debora N. Derr, Deborah Brayshaw, December Maglior, Diane Long, Diane Paster, Dieter Wheatley, Donald Fuchs,

  Elijah Wilson, Elizabeth McCurry Wilson, Emma Keogh, Felicia Braden Wahl, Finlay Grant,

  Gayle Davidson, Gem Preater, Ginger Dailey, Gypsy Rose, Heath Stallcup, Heather Willingham,

  Hector Cervantes, Honey Rand, Irene Dawn Guerrero, James R McCain Jr, Janet Dugas, Jason Blocker, Jason Wylie, Jay

  Parthenopaeus, JCastillo Lando, Jim Bouque, Jody McLee, John Kenkel,

  Johnn E. Houston, Joseph Fleischman, Joshua Kessler, Joyce Scott, Julie Greig, Kai

  Pao, Karl Adams, Kate Carlan, Katie Cadena, Katina Henderson, Kelly Rickard, Kim Corona,

  Kim McClellan Meyers, Kimberly Munsell, Lana Sibley, Lauren Worley-Coleman, Leann Brackney, Leigh Windridge,

  Lillian Patterson, Lisa Evans, Lisa Harper, Lisa M Jennings- Friloux, Lisa Marie Williams,

  Lisa Snyder-Phillips, Lisa Swarm, Lori Lynch Fontanez, Lou Miller, Luci Tomaselli-Steffensen,

  Maria C Farber, Mark Heath, Marrah Goodman, Matt O'Shields, Matt Santiago, Melissa Joy Broderick, Michael Chance, Michael Gunn, Michelle Thrasher, Nadine Price, Nathan King, Nick Anthony,

  Nicky Barnes Jones, Ozymandias Von Gimmiesome, Pamela Hosford, Pat Bryant, Patricia

  Brower,

  Patrick Marshall, Philip Spencer, Phillip Lawlor, Rachel Temple-Storm Watkins, Randall

  E. Atha, Rebecca True Wilson, Renee Nene, Rich Taylor, Rob Moffitt, Robin Mahaffey,

  Rogue Tomato,

  Roz Stanley, Ryan Bilbo Colley Garland, Sandra Byrd, Sandra Tufo, Sara Smolarek, Scott Stanley,

  Scott Wehde, Sharon Berghorn, Shaun Thysse, Sherry Ballentine Barton, Simon Tran,

  Spencer Richardson, Stephanie Dagger, Steven Thornbrugh, Suzy Wegner, Tammea Gaunce

  Tooley, Tanner Proctor, Tez Leaver, Tim Kremin, Tina Hutchinson, Tina Mcleod, Tom

  Hall, Tom Lambert,

  Tom Perry, Tony Devonshire, Tracy Carlson, Tracy Carlson-King, Travis Jorgensen, Trey Smith,

  Truls Fundingsrud, Veronica Costa Smith, Vikki Marsh, Wayne Sanford, Wednesday Corey,

  Wendy Betancourt, William Joe Roletter, Zac Dobney, Zach Rocha

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 - Mike Journal Entry 1

  Chapter 2 - Mike Journal Entry 2

  Chapter 3 - Mrs. Deneaux

  Chapter 4 - Mike Journal Entry 3

  Chapter 5 - Mrs. Deneaux

  Chapter 6 - Mike Journal Entry 4

  Chapter 7 - Stephanie and Trip

  Chapter 8 - Mike Journal Entry 5

  Chapter 9 - Stephanie and Trip

  Chapter 10 - Doc and Porkchop

  Chapter 11 - Mrs. Deneaux and Dennis

  Chapter 12 - Doc and Porkchop

  Chapter 13 - Mike Journal Entry 6

  Chapter 14 - Doc Baker

  Chapter 15 - Mike Journal Entry 7

  Chapter 16 - Stephanie and Trip

  Chapter 17 - Mike Journal Entry 8

  Chapter 18 - Dennis and Deneaux

  Chapter 19 - Mike Journal Entry 9

  Chapter 20 - Doc

  Chapter 21 - Mike Journal Entry 10

  Chapter 22 - Captain Najarian

  Chapter 23 - Dennis and Deneaux

  Chapter 24 - Mike Journal Entry 11

  Chapter 25 - Lieutenant Barnes

  Chapter 26 - Mike Journal Entry 12

  Chapter 27 - Talbot Family

  Chapter 28 - Mike Journal Entry 13

  Talbot-Sode #1

  Talbot-Sode #2

  Epilogue 1 - Deneaux - Pre-Zombie Apocalypse

  Epilogue 2

  Epilogue 3

  Prologue

  Fuck death, it’s not the enemy, zombies are.

  Chapter 1 – Mike Journal Entry 1

  We stayed a few more days. There was a somber remembrance for my dad, and really for

  all those who had fallen. The patriarch of our family had died defending his legacy.

  Something we were all proud of; we all knew that was the way he would have wanted

  to go out.

  A warrior to the end.

  It was with mixed feelings that we left Ron’s house. Sadness for the losses we had

  suffered, but that was intermingled with the thought that perhaps we had finally turned

  the corner on the zombie apocalypse. I couldn’t have been any more wrong if I tried.

  Who knew? At some point Azile had slipped into the night, not to die like Erin at

  least I hope not. She’d done something to BT while he was on guard duty and she’d

  just vanished. Tommy and I tried to hunt her down for a couple of days, never found

  a trace. I missed the girl she had played an integral part in Eliza’s demise, now

  she was another of the fallen and an added spot upon my blackening heart.

  Ron wouldn’t give up the Gatling gun to save his life, and I thr
eatened him enough

  to know he meant business. He already wrote off his truck when he decided to lend

  me another one. I caught him stroking the hood and apologizing to it softly.

  “I haven’t even got in it yet,” I told him.

  “What’s the last thing you haven’t destroyed?” he asked. “And now you’ve even set

  an example for your kids.” Ron was referring to the ripped up deck.

  “What will you do, Ron?” I asked. “Are you going to stay here?”

  The levity ceased. The damage to the basement was extensive; the foundation to the

  house had suffered a serious blow.

  “I’m going to see if it will be possible to brace the house. This is still a safe

  place, and I want to try and give the kids as stable of an environment as possible.

  Are you coming back?”

  “I’d like to think so, but I haven’t received my warranty paperwork in the mail yet,

  so I’m not sure how long I have left.”

  “Funny.”

  BT was carrying a big bag of supplies out to the truck. “Stop,” Ron told him.

  “Huh?” BT asked.

  “Open the bag.”

  “Mike said it was canned goods.” BT bent down to unzip the bag.

  I was moving quickly away from the truck.

  “Son of a bitch!” BT and Ron said in unison.

  “I knew he’d try.” Ron grabbed the bag containing the Gatling gun.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I shouted. “Blame the black man carrying

  it.”

  “Oh, it’s always the black man’s fault…right, Talbot?” BT asked my retreating back.

  “Look at the evidence,” I replied and then I was gone.

  “The bastard made me a mule.” BT shook his head as he placed the supplies in the truck.

  I could see him smiling; that was a good thing. The alternative was him twisting my

  head off. Although he still might; he may even be wearing that smile while he did

  so.

  Ron made sure the gun stayed by his feet as we finished loading supplies. When it

  was all said and done, it was approaching noon. As I looked around at the serenity

  of this place, I wanted to change my mind, BT and Justin still needed help…but oh

  how I wanted to.

  BT, Tracy, Travis, Justin and Tommy got in the truck. The rest of my family, new and

  old lined the roadway waving as we departed. When I was sure we were far enough away

  to avoid retribution but still within sight, I stopped the truck and got out.

  “You should have let me have the gun,” I yelled to Ron.

  “Not a chance,” he yelled back.

  I drove off the road a ways, scraping the front fender against a large oak and leaving

  a large swath of white paint.

  “You little fuck!” he yelled, looking to chamber some rounds into his gun. I floored

  the gas.

  “You’re such an asshole,” Tracy said from the backseat.

  “What? It was an accident. I’m innocent,” I pled.

  “You don’t have an innocent bone in your body,” BT added.

  “Listen…if that’s the worst that happens to this thing I’ll consider it a victory,”

  I said.

  BT contemplated for a moment. “Agreed.”

  “See, hon, I was just getting the bad part out of the way.” I turned to face her.

  “Uh-huh.” She answered warily. I don’t think she was buying it.

  “So what’s the plan?” BT asked.

  “Really?” Travis asked back.

  I smiled wanly. I actually did have an idea. Odds were good that the doc was somewhere

  along the route Eliza had taken. Sure, that left a lot of land to cover; however,

  there was no alternative. BT and Justin needed help. I would not – I could not – dwell

  on the impossibility of this mission. Doc was alive; I was staking their lives on

  it.

  We’d gone a few miles, the overall mood in the car was guarded excitement. Team Talbot

  had scored a major victory. Eliza was dead, and nothing short of a good old-fashioned

  resurrection was going to bring her back. Now, normally that would have been a laughable

  proposition, considering the last one had happened close to two thousand years ago

  – depending on your beliefs. But since the zombies had made ‘coming back’ commonplace,

  I’d had the wisdom to burn Eliza.

  I thought I’d get more enjoyment out of the event. All I really felt was sorry. Her

  first years were marred with all manner of brutality inflicted upon her. She, in turn,

  had wrought that on the world in spades. It was all she knew. She looked so at peace

  as she laid upon that funeral pyre. Tommy had carefully combed her hair and placed

  her hands over her chest, nearly covering the twisting knife wound Tracy had inflicted.

  Nothing short of new clothes was going to hide the blood that had dried to a brown

  thickness across her upper half though.

  Tommy kissed his sister lightly, struck the match, and lit her lighter fluid-doused

  body up. He watched for a second as the flame took hold before he walked away. We

  were all out there to witness the event. I stayed to the bitter end; I felt that I

  owed her that. The flame had burned hot enough to be felt over twenty-five feet away.

  The pyre collapsed in on itself after a while, sending plumes of sparks skyward. Eventually,

  after many hours, the flame had died out.

  As if on cue, a light rain had started blotting out the final embers; soft smoke drifted

  up. I almost can’t believe that we won, I thought as I approached the ashes. She had seemed so strong, cunning, and vicious.

  What chance did we have?

  I kicked over a small, blackened log. A glint of gold caught my attention. It was

  what remained of the Blood Locket. I had been tempted to grab it as some sort of memento

  of the occasion – proof that we really had succeeded. After further reflection, I

  booted ash over it. It was hers; it always had been. And, in retrospect, I wanted

  nothing to do with it.

  ***

  “It’s always road trips,” BT said, looking through the window.

  I had been lost in thought. “What?”

  “Who knew that the zombie apocalypse would be one road trip after another?”

  I was still holding on to visions of a burning Eliza and her hand falling from her

  breast, her pointer finger extending out towards me. Possibly in accusation or as

  an invitation to join her.