Tech: Zombie Effect Chapter 9

Title: Tech: Zombie Effect Chapter 9
Characters: Logan/Carter
POV: Robert


Robert sat on a chair with colored folders spread out before him. These two boys had organized everything they thought they’d need. They were what Robert thought of as book-smart but lacking in common sense. They had printed out gardening tips, how to butcher a deer and other animals, and several survival prepper manuals, but he knew that in order to survive a community had to be built. Not too many people, but enough that certain skills would be included.


“You boys have got an excellent start here.” Robert set a red folder aside.


“Start? We’ve more than you!”


Robert sighed. Carter appeared to speak before thinking. Robert wondered if it was a personality trait or if a reaction from pain and shock.


“Carter!” Logan’s shocked reprimand convinced him that Carter’s words were not normal for the boy.


Robert held up a hand. “No. You’ve got different things than I do.” He knew he’d gotten their attention when they looked at him with their jaws hanging open.


“Like what?” The surliness was out of Carter’s voice.


“First, I have firepower.”


Logan’s brows furrowed. “We’ve guns. I bought the two from you.”


“Yes. And they are good guns for beginners. And for personal home protection. But they are shit for hunting. If things get as bad as I’m beginning to think, then this is a long-term issue. You’ll need to hunt for meat. The two little guns I sold you won’t get you too far.” He could all but see the two smart men’s wheels turning in their brains. “I have some other more unconventional weapons as well.”


He didn’t explain further, but he figured they understood what he was saying. Maybe they didn’t know exactly what he had. They’d think of grenades and assault rifles. And he did have those, but he also had a couple of rocket launchers and land mines. Deciding to sweeten the pot a little further, he told them of the communications he had.


“Besides firepower, I have a couple friends who are survivalist. They held unusual jobs after leaving the military. I have some intel that could come in right handy.” Robert didn’t explain what the intel was, he knew once he showed it to the two brainiacs, they understand how invaluable it was.


“So what are you thinking?”


“I’m thinking we team up. Help each other. Once we have everything together, we can help other survivors.” He didn’t use a lot of words. But what he did say made sense.


“What would it look like? Us teaming up?” Logan asked.


Robert was glad the two were starting to understand the benefit of working together. “Sharing with each other. Pooling our resources. Sticking together. Make a home base.”


“But not one person in charge,” Logan stated firmly. “Decisions made as a team. Not one person dictating to the others.”


Nodding, Robert was in full agreement. He didn’t want to take orders, but he sure as hell didn’t want to be put in a leadership role alone.


“That’ll work with the three of us. But if we help other survivors, then there does need to be strict leadership.”


Robert was a bit amazed that it was Carter who brought that up. The boy was right, they would need to set rules, but that could wait until they actually did bring others in. “I agree. But I think for now, with just us three, we make decisions as a team. That work for you?”


“Yes. So where is home base going to be?” Carter looked at him and then at Logan. Without waiting for them to answer, he gave his opinion. “I think here is where it should be. Not a lot of people around. I can get us back on well water so we have that. The river runs behind us so that’s a natural barrier. We are right by the forest, so we’ll have hunting grounds. And there’s a ton of building equipment just laying at the subdivision that was being built.”


Thinking of his small one bedroom house that sat on the edge of their little town, Robert agreed. This place had better potential for surviving. But he wanted to get his own cache of supplies here. “Yeah. I think you’re right. Here is better. We just need to get my stuff here.”


Logan turned to him. “Thinking we get a good night sleep and head out in the morning?”


Shaking his head, Robert argued. “I think we go tonight. Once it’s dark. Fewer people out and about seein’ what we’re up to.”


Carter gave him a look. “You don’t think they’ll see that big monstrosity of Logan's?”


“He means the truck. I just bought it,” Logan explained.


He shook his head again. “We’ll take your truck to the feed store, leave it there, and take my jeep.”


“It’s going to be damn cold. The clouds are clearing out so the temp is going to drop like a rock.”


Meeting Carter’s eyes, Robert said, “That’s why we’ll need you to stay here. Keep this place warm. I don’t know how long the power will stay up.”


“No! I’m going with you!”


Logan walked over and took Carter in his arms. “Car, listen. You’ve been shot-”


“It’s nothing. You even said so!”


“Shh. Let me finish. It’s nothing big, but your body still has had a shock. Your adrenaline is high, but once it starts to go back to normal, you’re going to crash. It’s safer for you to stay here.”


Robert watched as Logan pulled Carter closer. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he suspected Logan was trying to reason with the other man. He watched for a few minutes and then sighed in relief when he saw Carter’s nod of dejected acceptance.


“Alright. What do we need? We have a couple backpacks to carry supplies in.” Logan was ready to go.


“I’ve carrying cases that’ll be bigger than a backpack. I’ll have everything we need there. We need to dress in layers. That temp is going going to be colder than a witch’s teat. But nothing bulky, we need to be able to move.”


“I’ve some long-johns you can borrow.”


Knowing the thermal underwear Carter was offering would be too small, Robert still accepted them with a thank you. The kid was trying to be helpful, he wasn’t going to squash that. In the coming days, they needed to be on solid ground with each other.


“Ok, boys. Let’s get this mission going.” Robert saw both men’s shoulders square with determination. They were going to be alright, he thought. They just needed to work together.


On to chapter 10