Can't Have Shit in Kentucky (Project Zomboid) ch.9 (Patreon)

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The bus trudged along the road, each distance travelled cutting into terrible roads. Jackie had to admit that the way they were going didn't exactly settle the worry in her stomach but the confidence on Elis's face offered some measure of comfort. The bus had been travelling for awhile now, far too long for her liking. Delays had come from road-blocks, refugees trying to flee, the chaos of panic. So it was that the sun was now threatening to lower in the horizon and plunge the world into night. 

Elis for his part, spoke freely and cheerfully, as if day wasn't about give way to darkness. "So, one time, my buddy Keith and I, we found this cat, right? It was this here fat cat that the size of a raccoon. It like, snarled at Keith, but he just picked it up by the scruff and held it. We also found out that this cat was-" 

"We're at a T on the road. Where next?" Roy interrupted. Beyond them, the road had formed into a fork. Blinking, Ellis leaned in.

"Go left," Elis said. 

Roy glanced outside. "That leads deep into the forest woods, son." His voice was both a statement of fact and caution. 

"I told ya'll, it's a castle deep in the woods, by the Ohio. It is safe, it is secure, and I worked for the fellas there. We will be fine!" Elis insisted. 

"What makes you so confident that he'd let us in the compound in the first place?" Roy asked, turning the wheel around. "Judging from what you're telling me, this fella and whoever he's riding with doesn't sound welcoming." Roy had heard much from Elis about this compound and its owner. Gasmasks, highwalls...they don't exactly sound welcoming to him. 

"Well..." Elis thought about it. He really had no reason to say as to why the Buyer would let them in the first place. He might as well just consider it a gut feeling that that was the right place and besides, where else where would they go? "He was a pretty okay boss. He supplied us with plenty of them safety tools, paid us on time and with real nice bonuses. Like, even above Union rates. If that doesn't sound like a good man to me, I don't know what is." 

"So let me get this straight, you are betting our chances for finding refuge on the fact that this fella is a decent man?" Roy deadpanned, disbelief in his voice. 

"Yup!" Elis chirped happily. "My momma always said that fellas who treat people good, like waiters and such, are fundamentally good people. He'll let us in, surely." 

"That's..." Roy trailed. 

"Trusting," Jackie offered. 

"Cute," Rachel called out, winking at Elis who stammered and turned away from the woman. Roy and Jackie glanced at her, faces blank. Clearing her throat, the woman spoke up. "Some people are just asking where we are going. We've been driving for hours and the sun's going down." 

"Uh, don't worry, Ma'am. We're going to a nice and safe place. I promise ya'll, we'll be fine." Elis swore, nodding up and down. Rachel listened patiently, looking at Elis intently. It seemed as if she was looking into him until eventually, she nodded. 

"Alright. I'll make sure to tell the others," Rachel said, turning back into the bus. Elis smiled at her sheepishly, looking a little bit like a proud puppy. Jackie would have found the scene amusing if it wasn't for the fact that they were in the middle of a zombie-infested hell. And speaking of zombies, the loud booms in the distance weren't exactly a sign of comfort for Jackie. Every now and then, air force planes and helicopters streaked across the sky, all armed with bombs and such. 

Despite the warnings that the backroads were watched, the air force was content in ignoring them, clearly having bigger fish to fry at the moment. 

And as day slowly by slowly became swallowed by night, the thunderous sounds of battle joined the moon in lighting up the sky. Like the flashing of lightning, the distant skies of Knox light up. Orange-yellow, baleful red. She could scarcely imagine what those battlefields were like. No one made a sound, the internal light of the bus Roy had switched off and left them in total and utter darkness save for the bus's headlights. The government hadn't lit up the road they were in or even paved it. 

It was totally and utterly isolated. 

"I don't like this darkness," Roy whispered. "I can't see what's ahead." 

"Just a little bit more," Ellis promised. "We'll be there." 

Jackie sighed and returned to her seat, glancing out, into the sky. She wondered how Kentucky must look like right now from up there. Or even what the other states were doing. She took in a breath. These were just dead bodies, or infected, or whatever they were. She simply could pray that the government would deal with it quick and not fuck around. They had tanks and helicopters, and drones, and whatever. Surely, they could deal with it. 

"You alright there?" a woman quickly asked. She turned to her right and saw a couple. The speaker was a woman with medium-length brown hair, a shawl over her head, a traditional styled dress covering her petite form and brown boots that reached her knees. Her eyes and demeanour was gentle, motherly in a way. Her partner on the other hand was perhaps one of the most bulky men she had ever seen. With broad shoulders and with a thick bushy beard. He wore jeans and a blue lumberjack's shirt, a thick wool beanie atop his head. Unlike his partner, he was quiet and stoic, the very air around him gruff and unwelcome. 

"Yeah," Jackie answered. "Just, uh, tired. And I'm eager to get the hell of the streets." Jackie answered the woman. 

"Us too," the woman agreed with a nod. Her voice did not disappoint, just as gentle as her looks. "My husband and I were living in the woods when all this happened. We ran as fast as we could." 

Jackie took a note of their attire and choice of home. "Ya'll woods enthusiasts?" 

"Rangers," the gruff man said simply, his voice a deep basso. 

"Rangers?" Jackie repeated. 

"Yep!" cheerfully chirped the woman. "Well, more of a mix of between. Woodsfolk, Rangers, Firewatch Operatives." She blinked before chuckling awkwardly. "I nearly forgot to to introduce ourselves. Name's Joan and this is tub of beef is my husband, Samson. Say hello, baby." Joan said, pinching the bigger man on the cheeks.

"Hello," Samson said simply, his arms wrapped around his wife. Jackie awkwardly waved her hand at them. 

"I'm sorry. My husband's a man of a few words," Joan said. Jackie could see that. 

"It's alright," Jackie insisted. "At this time, it's understandable if people are gonna be a bit shy." 

"Oh, he was like this ever since I met him," Joan scoffed. She glanced up at him, eyes sparkling with love. "Isn't that right, Sam?" 

"Mm," he grunted. 

"Anyway..." Joan chuckled, turning back to Jackie. "We're-" 

"Oh my god, look! To the right!" someone cried out. Jackie did not know who it belonged to but it was enough to get her attention. She turned around to the right, wondering what the fuss was about. 

And it was there she saw it. 

Blinking lights were in the sky, going closer and closer until the shape of something became clearer. A plane, Jackie could make out. In the night, she couldn't see much on it save for the fact that sparks of fire were on it, the cabin windows were bright but it was too far for her to clearly see. Then, the plane drew closer and closer, towards them. 

"Roy! Plane!" Jackie cried out. 

"Tell me if its close!" Roy yelled out, intent on keeping his eyes on the road. 

And so it was, drawing closer and closer. Jackie's ears registered the shrill crying of its engines, like the very air was getting sucked and spat out. People screamed as they ducked in their seats, Jackie following suit. Then her ears were beheld to a crash. It was as if the sky had fallen as bright-red light engulfed the air, metal screeching against the earth. On and on it went until there was no more. Jackie slowly brought her head up and was beheld to the sight of hell. 

The plane had been split in three, chairs and fires producing choking smoke littering the ground. 

"It's blocking the fucking road ahead," Roy muttered, putting the bus to a stop. 

"What the ell was that!?" Elis cried out. "Are planes falling out of the sky now?" 

"Or someone turned in while that thing was flying," Roy said grimly. That image chilled Jackie to the core. She was supposed to catch a flight. If she was there while...

She turned sick.

The bus shook quickly as a jet screamed past them, banking right into the distance before disappearing. Jackie blinked at that. "Was that...an air force jet?" she asked quietly. 

"Shot down the plane. A correct call. I wouldn't want this spreading to other states either," Roy said, pragmatism always in his mind. 

"You're missing the point, Mister Driver," Rachel spoke up. "If the military are shootin down airplanes, that means they really do mean it when we're quarantined. No one goes in, no one goes out." 

"The Government's gonna kill us all," someone sobbed out loud. Roy took in a breath and glanced back. "Whoever said that, shut up. The soldiers at the checkpoint could have shot us all if they were really intending to scorch this place dry, infected or no." 

"Erhm, are people supposed to go and shrug off a plane crash?" Elis suddenly asked aloud. Roy and the others at the front turned to where he was looking. Shadows were moving among the fires of the crash, stumbling and shambling. 

"No, son. I don't think they do," Roy whispered. 

More and more shadow walked out, snarling. 

People don't snarl. 

Elis stood simply, transfixed as one of the shadows became clearer. It was a woman, or what was left of her. Her stewardess's dress was torn, blood dripping from her shoulder. And she locked eyes with him. She let out a bloodied cry before sprinting towards the bus with bared teeth. "Jeezus Christ!" Elis yelled out. "Where's my bag!" 

He yelped as he was forced down, a bear of a man standing over him. A loud gunshot rang from the inside of the bus and the shattering of a skull echoed in the distance. Loud snarls followed. Samson loaded another round into his rifle, a Remington lever-action, and aimed. "Kid. The place we're going, it's right in the distance, correct?" 

"Uh, yeah," Elis blinked. 

"Then we fight," Samson said simply, before firing. 

The smell of gunpowder, the firing of the gun seemed to knock something in the Kentuckians there. They had been tired, hungry, exhausted for the whole day, afraid for their whole lives. Some were already tired of it, sick of running. Promised salvation was ahead of them and they were going to stop at nothing from reaching it. Weapons were unslung and revealed. Rounds were chambered, locked, and loaded. Long Rifles, shotguns, revolvers, pistols. Blades, bats, all gleamed. 

Roy quickly flipped the switches of his bus, making sure that the doors were locked and secured. With that off, he released his seatbelt off him and reached for his revolver. There was another shot as Samson fired his rifle again. It arced forward, finding the skull of a zombie. The shadows had now turned into a wave, rushing and reaching for the bus. "Open fire! Aim for their heads!" Samson bellowed, chambering new round. 

With his deep voice, his stature, their relative high ground, the Kentuckians found courage to stand and fight. They opened fire, rifles clacking and bullets arcing through glass. As the fusillade began, Elis  crawled underfoot, making his way to his duffel-bag he had carried with him. He reached for it, unzipping it open. "Rifles! I got rifles here! And ammo too! Don't touch the Colt Commando, though! That's mine!" 

Jackie, hiding in her seat, watched his bag. "Fuck, Ingelman. Were you going to arm a militia? How the hell did you keep all that in there?"

Elis grinned. "This is America," he answered, as if that explained everything. He reached for his Colt, smashed a fresh magazine in and cocked it. "C'mere for your rifles, ya'll! Revolvers and some pistols too!" 

And so the battle began, rifle fire clacking as the horde rushed towards them. The zombies, some flaming from airplane fuel, others not quite, snarled as they rolled over them. But as some drew close, they found their heads shattering as buckshot and slug-shot cracked them open. Bone, brain, fluids splattered the earth. Their aim wasn't precise but it was true. Those with revolvers and pistols joined in, other zombies close enough for them to hit. Jackie screamed as the bus shook, the infected crashing against it. 

"Step away from the windows!" Roy bellowed, stepping back. "From the doors too!" 

The Kentuckians huddled together, the butts of their weapons against their shoulders. The bus was relatively high and granted them some advantage but the front view window wasn't so fortunate. It cracked and strained against the pressure but that was what Samson and the riflemen needed. The undead piled up, close enough that most didn't even need to be precise, just accurate. "You are not entering this bus!" Samson roared, his voice carried across the fusillade of fire. 

"Ain't biting me!" Elis cackled. He was supposed to be afraid, he was supposed to hunker down and cower. But with the others fighting on, shooting and hollering, he wasn't going to let them all down. And besides, he had a Colt Commando, a 5.56 death machine in his hand, no way in hell was he going to waste his chance to shoot the damn thing. He calmed himself, giving his mind totally to just aim and shoot. His breaths were smooth, his aim smoother, and shooting slicker. 

For Jackie, the world was a flash of yellow as the armed men and women fought, held their own. Her ears rang, assaulted with each weapon discharge. She hugged her knees, her hands desperately covering her ears. As the fighting continued, gunfire mixing with the snarling of the undead, she blinked as a revolver fell before her. Quickly, she reached for it and hugged it close. Looking into it, it was obviously loaded. She had never ever shot a gun before and now, surrounded by the dead, she was going to have to. 

She blinked as the sound of glass shattering echoed in the bus. Turning to the front entrance, the dead had crowded at the front door, fervently and desperately trying to reach inside. "Fuck off from my bus!" Roy hollered, planting headshot upon headshot on the zombies trying to enter in. This continued on and on. Gunpowder, smoke, blood and sinew choking the air. Time seemed to slow down, hollering, and cursing echoing in the air. Jackie glanced down at the revolver in her hand, her fingers shaking as she made sure to keep it close. 

She stared into it, losing herself into it until...

She screamed as a hand touched her. Her eyes went wild as she looked up. Roy looked down at her, amused. "Fuck, Jackie, you scared the shit out of me." he chuckled. "You okay there?" 

She calmed herself, breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. "Y-yeah. I'm fine." It was then she registered the lack of gunfire and snarling. "Is...is it over?" 

"Yeah. Come up," Roy nodded, offering her his hand. He was wet with sweat, soot and some blood on his face. Shakingly, she accepted it and got to her feet. The front glass windows had totally shattered, bodies slumped over. Samson, Elis, the rest were seated and resting, weapon barrels still smoking. She took in a breath, glancing down at the gun in her hand. 

"I....I found this. I...I didn't shoot." she confessed. She was relieved, that she didn't. But she felt guilt too. While everyone fought, she froze. Roy shook his head however, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

"And it's always a soldier's hope that ya'll and people like ya'll never will. But don't worry. I'll teach you how to shoot, when we get to that compound," Roy offered. 

"Everyone, heads up!" a voice called out. The Kentuckians turned as loud snarling echoed in the distance. Samson stood up, taking a man's hunting rifle away and looking at the distance. 

"There is a field right across us and forest in the distance." Samson mulled. "Infected by the trees." 

"We have to fight again?" Jackie asked fearfully. She didn't want to fight. She wanted to sleep. 

"Tine to pucker up," Elis sighed, glancing at his carbine. But before he nor anyone could do anything, the low thumping sound of a helicopter's blades echoed in their eyes. Then out of nowhere, a helicopter showed up, flashing down searchlights at the forest below. From it, flashes of guns echoed. It was different however, compared to the light cracking of their long rifles. 

It was long consistent staccato boom of machine guns. 

Then, the headlights of a car drew closer and closer. Tires screeched to a halt as twin military style jeeps halted before them. The Kentuckians crouched, most not really knowing the intentions of who had just arrived. Jackie's heart pounded as heavy boot steps echoed on the gravel road. Roy stepped closed next to her, his revolver trained at the bus doors. On the front view mirror, Jackie saw the outline of a man about to climb the bus stairs but halted. 

He instead pounded the size of the bus with a closed fist, calling out. "Anyone in there?" His voice was muffled. Whoever he was, he wore a gas mask.

Jackie and Roy glanced at each other. Taking in a breath, Roy breathed out. "Yeah!" 

The man snapped up. "Friendly?" 

"Depends!" Roy cried back. "Are you here to shoot us or help us?" 

"We're here to help! You have my word!" the man promised. Taking in another breath, Roy made a decision. 

"I am going to stand up, with my hands up!" Roy announced. Jackie looked at him in alarm but Roy was already doing it, his revolver hanging limply on his finger. 

Then, boot-steps echoed as the man from the outside climbed the stairs, careful to avoid the slump bodies by the window. It was there, Jackie had a good luck at him. Olive uniform, heavy black gasmask. He glanced at Roy, at Samson and Elis and Rachel, then to the people in the back. He turned his attention away, towards Roy. "You the driver?" 

"Yeah." Roy answered. 

"Then better get driving. Lumiere ain't far ahead." 

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A/N: They're here, finally. Hope ya'll like slice of life stuff.