We are almost ready to take off for HE again. We are taking the 4 wheel drive blazer and the van. Roger, Matt, Harry from the farm, Kenneth and Charlie from the last HE run (since they know where the stuff is hidden) and myself will be going this time. We have the 2-way radios, some power bars, water, 3 guns and a crossbow. We are traveling light so we have room for the stuff we are bringing back - also we wanted to leave the bulk of the firearms and ammo with those staying behind so they can defend themselves.
We have left Grey and Corey in charge as Shawn is still not ready for active duty yet. They have already put together a really great guard rotation so we feel confident they will be able to handle whatever zombie nonsense comes along.
Even though the weather has been good and the snow is melting the roads are still pretty deep in places so the blazer does have a plow on the front. The going will be slow, but we should be back by tomorrow afternoon.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Walking in a Zombie Wonderland
This was a weird and surreal trip. The melting snow has been forming all kinds of cool icicles all over the place, the snow is still fairly deep and undisturbed in most places, and their are clusters of zombies on every corner like some kind of apocalyptic Christmas carolers. Ever since the zombie surge that drove us out of the compound the first time (when was that, October?), we haven't been able to move without killing at least a dozen of them. I miss the good old days when we could sneak out to the store. Now we fight our way out and fight our way back.
We pretty much got what we needed. The knee brace is one of those cheapo deals that 50 year old men put on when they play softball so that they can convince everybody that they suck because of some really horrible knee injury that they're playing through, not because they're old, out of shape and generally not good at the game. I'm not sure how much it's going to help Shawn, but he seems encouraged, anyway. He's at least trying to move around more now. I would have liked to have hit the medical supply place, but the zombies were just too thick out there.
We grabbed a few more band aids and some chapstick (it's the little things that you start to miss in a zombie apocalypse). We even filled a special request from one of our group for some condoms. I'm not going to name names, but all I can say is good luck to him and godspeed. Beyond that, there wasn't much left of the old drugstore. We'll have to find a new place to scrounge.
The next trip is to get the ammo. Originally it was going to be me, Heidi, Corey and a couple of her friends from up north, but with all those zombies we ran into this time, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to bring Matt along this time. Maybe we'll thin out the herd a little on our way down and back. Why don't these things just rot away and die?
We pretty much got what we needed. The knee brace is one of those cheapo deals that 50 year old men put on when they play softball so that they can convince everybody that they suck because of some really horrible knee injury that they're playing through, not because they're old, out of shape and generally not good at the game. I'm not sure how much it's going to help Shawn, but he seems encouraged, anyway. He's at least trying to move around more now. I would have liked to have hit the medical supply place, but the zombies were just too thick out there.
We grabbed a few more band aids and some chapstick (it's the little things that you start to miss in a zombie apocalypse). We even filled a special request from one of our group for some condoms. I'm not going to name names, but all I can say is good luck to him and godspeed. Beyond that, there wasn't much left of the old drugstore. We'll have to find a new place to scrounge.
The next trip is to get the ammo. Originally it was going to be me, Heidi, Corey and a couple of her friends from up north, but with all those zombies we ran into this time, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to bring Matt along this time. Maybe we'll thin out the herd a little on our way down and back. Why don't these things just rot away and die?
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Out And About
Roger and some of the others left for CVS today and are hoping to be back later tonight. The weather has been really nice and the snow is continuing to melt so Roger figured now would be a good time to get stuff. The plan is, once he gets back, to go back to Hoffman Estates and pick up the ammo that was hidden there.
The rest of us have been busy - we got our hands on a backhoe and one of the guys actually knew how to work the darn thing! We have been burying the zombies, we had to do something, the smell is horrendous. Something we learned today is that depending on the condition of the person when they turned zombie depends on what kind of corpse we are dealing with. For example - let's say a person is desperately trying to avoid a zombie and they fall down a flight of stairs, they are going to have broken bones and probably some nasty internal damage. Okay, so, the zombie gets them and they turn into a zombie and now they are up and moving around again. Once they get killed, for real this time, their broken body is sort of like moving a water balloon. Also, zombies don't get rigor mortis. It was all really disgusting and taking a shower was number one priority when we got done.
The rest of us have been busy - we got our hands on a backhoe and one of the guys actually knew how to work the darn thing! We have been burying the zombies, we had to do something, the smell is horrendous. Something we learned today is that depending on the condition of the person when they turned zombie depends on what kind of corpse we are dealing with. For example - let's say a person is desperately trying to avoid a zombie and they fall down a flight of stairs, they are going to have broken bones and probably some nasty internal damage. Okay, so, the zombie gets them and they turn into a zombie and now they are up and moving around again. Once they get killed, for real this time, their broken body is sort of like moving a water balloon. Also, zombies don't get rigor mortis. It was all really disgusting and taking a shower was number one priority when we got done.
Friday, February 24, 2012
More Foraging Runs
Well, apparently my obsession with zombie defenses is driving everyone else here nuts, so I'm going to try to do something proactive and go get more supplies. The first run is going to be to CVS or Walgreens--I want to see if there are any knee braces or anything that might at leat help Shawn to get mobile again, even if he is in pain. If we strike out there, I seem to recall that there's a couple of medical supply shops in the area, on Dundee Road, I believe. Maybe the drug store will have some Yellow Pages so I can confirm that, if we need o go that far. It might not be a bad idea to visit, anyway--I'm sure they've got medical gear we can use. Speaking of that, we've been kind of tossing around the idea of hitting a hospital. We wouldn't have even considered it six months ago because when the zombie apocalypse hit, everybody went to the hospital and the hospitals became the centers of infection. Now that the zombies seem to be on the move, though, 'm wondering if it might be worthwhile to go and see hat kind of medication we could liberate. If other survivors thought like we did, they've been avoiding hospitals like the zombie plague, so the loked med cabinets may still be locked. Something to think about for the future, before all those meds expire.
The other immediate run I have to do though is to get the guns and ammo our sort-of-new friends left behind when they ran for their lives in Hoffman Estates. It sounds like they got most of what we left behind in Cabelas and they only blew through about half of it. I think I'm going to stop at Cabelas again, too. The last time we went, I was looking for guns, ammo and survival gear, which was of course gone, but there might be something else we can use. I've been talking with some of the new crew, the cheeseheads Heidi brought with her (no offense--they're good people), and one of them was talking about loading his own shotgun shells. It brought back memories of my dad (an original Arkansas redneck) loading his own shells. I believe they've got all the materials for self-loading in the store, assuming nobody has thought that far ahead yet. It could give us a virtually unlimited supply of ammo and, if I can get him into it, it will give Shawn something to do while he's incapacitated that makes him feel like he's still helping out.
The other immediate run I have to do though is to get the guns and ammo our sort-of-new friends left behind when they ran for their lives in Hoffman Estates. It sounds like they got most of what we left behind in Cabelas and they only blew through about half of it. I think I'm going to stop at Cabelas again, too. The last time we went, I was looking for guns, ammo and survival gear, which was of course gone, but there might be something else we can use. I've been talking with some of the new crew, the cheeseheads Heidi brought with her (no offense--they're good people), and one of them was talking about loading his own shotgun shells. It brought back memories of my dad (an original Arkansas redneck) loading his own shells. I believe they've got all the materials for self-loading in the store, assuming nobody has thought that far ahead yet. It could give us a virtually unlimited supply of ammo and, if I can get him into it, it will give Shawn something to do while he's incapacitated that makes him feel like he's still helping out.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Warmer Weather
The weather has gotten warmer in the last couple days. The snow is starting to melt. Unfortunately that means the smell of rotting zombie flesh is going to get unbearable if we don't get rid of the bodies soon. Do we bury them, move them to another location or gas and a match? The only thing Roger has on his mind right now is making a trip to where he has the extra ammo hid. The last attack depleted our resources and he really wants to be stocked up.
I have talked to him about everyone coming back to the farm with us and learning other survival skills for awhile, but I'm not sure he's in the right frame of mind. It's all still about trying to stay one step ahead of the zombies. All I know is having that break was really good. It's not like I was going to stay there forever, but I learned a lot of things that can only help me in the future.
Crossbow training is going pretty well. Some people have really got the hang of it and like it better than the guns and some are still more comfortable with the guns. Either way, it's good to have options. Roger is taken with the idea of fishing with it.
Shawn has made attempts at moving around a bit - but the pain is still really bad. I wish there was something we could do for him, but since we don't have any medical staff he's stuck. This has been one of the nightmare scenarios come to life. We are all just trying to keep him from getting too depressed.
I have talked to him about everyone coming back to the farm with us and learning other survival skills for awhile, but I'm not sure he's in the right frame of mind. It's all still about trying to stay one step ahead of the zombies. All I know is having that break was really good. It's not like I was going to stay there forever, but I learned a lot of things that can only help me in the future.
Crossbow training is going pretty well. Some people have really got the hang of it and like it better than the guns and some are still more comfortable with the guns. Either way, it's good to have options. Roger is taken with the idea of fishing with it.
Shawn has made attempts at moving around a bit - but the pain is still really bad. I wish there was something we could do for him, but since we don't have any medical staff he's stuck. This has been one of the nightmare scenarios come to life. We are all just trying to keep him from getting too depressed.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Everything I Thought I Knew About Zombies Was Wrong
Well, this has been a humbling few days. I thought having survived technically over a year of the zombie apocalypse, I was now an expert on zombies. Wrong! I thought they would just stand around outside and not try to push their way into a building. Wrong! I thought they would not be able to break through even a makeshift wall. Wrong! I thought they would freeze up and not be a threat in the winter. Wrong! I thought they couldn't move through snow. Wrong! Most importantly, I thought being out in the open was the best way to fight zombies. Wrong! Nice tight corridors are our friend. Zombies are travelling in packs now--we never see just one. In a tight corridor, you shoot two or three zombies and you've created a blockade to stop the other 10 or 12.
I've got to rethink our whole defensive strategy. Maybe when the spring thaw comes we need to find a new place, or maybe start digging tunnels and fortifying this one. We spent too much time surviving this summer and not enough time preparing. I never even met those people who died the other day, but their faces are haunting me (or at least how I picture their faces). They died because we weren't prepared, and that's on me. That can't happen again. I'm glad Heidi and Matt are back and I'm happy to meet our new friends and have real food and all that, but now I know it can all go away instantly. We could wake up with a thousand zombies at our door. We need to get the rest of that ammo from Hoffman Estates. We need better defenses. We need an early warning system.
I've got to rethink our whole defensive strategy. Maybe when the spring thaw comes we need to find a new place, or maybe start digging tunnels and fortifying this one. We spent too much time surviving this summer and not enough time preparing. I never even met those people who died the other day, but their faces are haunting me (or at least how I picture their faces). They died because we weren't prepared, and that's on me. That can't happen again. I'm glad Heidi and Matt are back and I'm happy to meet our new friends and have real food and all that, but now I know it can all go away instantly. We could wake up with a thousand zombies at our door. We need to get the rest of that ammo from Hoffman Estates. We need better defenses. We need an early warning system.
Don't know if this was from a zombie or one of the six we lost. It creeps me out because the tracks keep on going out of the compound. Whoever or whatever it is must still be out there somewhere.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Home Again
It's funny being back in this building where I have spent a year of my life. When we left so abruptly a few months back I felt glad about being rid of the place, but now that I'm back I feel sort of like it's home.
Everything was such a jumble and hectic once we finally got back in the building with Roger, Shawn, Corey and the others we just grabbed all the supplies we brought and dumped them everywhere. We have finally been able to set up sleeping areas with the cots and sleeping bags we brought. We have a kitchen/food area set-up, we built shelving and a really nice work table for putting meals together. Roger was really pleased with everything. Our post-zombie life has been so trying it's been nice to introduce a few comforts.
We have been getting to spend time visiting with the new people - those that joined Roger after we left and those we brought with us. It's been snowing a lot, we've gotten a least a foot so far since we got back in the building, so we have not ventured out at all. The look outs continue on the roof. We have spotted zombies in the area but since we have been quiet the last 2 days they haven't come very close to us. The snow has helped cover our tracks so that's been a plus.
Shawn is still not doing very well with his knee - we really don't know what else we can do other than make him comfortable. I'm hoping that in the next day or two we can wrap it in an ace bandage and get him moving around again. Everyone else seems to be on the mend physically and emotionally.
We want to set-up a target practice area at one end of the building so we can get everybody working on their crossbow skills. As we've discovered the noise of the guns attracks zombies so if we have killing power with something quiet it will definately be to our advantage.
Everything was such a jumble and hectic once we finally got back in the building with Roger, Shawn, Corey and the others we just grabbed all the supplies we brought and dumped them everywhere. We have finally been able to set up sleeping areas with the cots and sleeping bags we brought. We have a kitchen/food area set-up, we built shelving and a really nice work table for putting meals together. Roger was really pleased with everything. Our post-zombie life has been so trying it's been nice to introduce a few comforts.
We have been getting to spend time visiting with the new people - those that joined Roger after we left and those we brought with us. It's been snowing a lot, we've gotten a least a foot so far since we got back in the building, so we have not ventured out at all. The look outs continue on the roof. We have spotted zombies in the area but since we have been quiet the last 2 days they haven't come very close to us. The snow has helped cover our tracks so that's been a plus.
Shawn is still not doing very well with his knee - we really don't know what else we can do other than make him comfortable. I'm hoping that in the next day or two we can wrap it in an ace bandage and get him moving around again. Everyone else seems to be on the mend physically and emotionally.
We want to set-up a target practice area at one end of the building so we can get everybody working on their crossbow skills. As we've discovered the noise of the guns attracks zombies so if we have killing power with something quiet it will definately be to our advantage.
Friday, February 17, 2012
A Little Help For Our Friends
So yesterday morning we arrived on time, we had allowed for having to get rid of the zombies that had surrounded us. We stayed in a motel and knew they had been gathering during the night. We crawled out the bathroom windows in the back of the rooms and ran around to the front from either side, one group stayed low against the wall and the other group ran out further into the parking lot - then we started firing. It went well so we all felt good about going back to Roger and the others.
As we got close to the building we could hear gunfire so we knew they had a start on getting rid of the menace. Matt had some Slayer CD's, so we came in making a lot of noise (plus it got us all in the proper frame of mind for what was about to happen.) We drove close to the fence and just kept making passes as fast as we could so we wouldn't get stuck again. Once we got about half a block away we parked the trucks and got out. We had spread out into a half circle figuring that as the zombies came towards us they would naturally group into the center - those that didn't would get picked off by the group on the roof of the building. It was overcast, which was good, but it started snowing. The really cool thing was that with no communication we all instinctively knew to just stay focused and get the job done - it was this amazing calm that came over me, later on the others mentioned the same thing. As the zombies started thinning out in front of us we were able to send a group to the front of the building to help with the ones that were getting pushed out by the gunfire from inside. At around 10 am we saw the white flag waving from the roof, we finished off the few remaining zombies that were staggering around the front of the building and waved our white flag.
As much as we wanted to just stop for a while and enjoy the victory we still had a lot of work to do - mainly fixing the fence. So while Greg took a group to go get the other RV that was parked down the road another group of us took care of the RV that was stuck in the snow. Once we got the vehicles in the garage we started dragging the dead zombies outside of the fenced in area. We were only partially finished when Greg and the others showed up with the RV. They all jumped out and helped us get the rest out. We pulled Greg's vehicle and the RV inside and started unloading the supplies from the RV. As we moved all the food, cots, sleeping bags, cooking gear and weapons into the building another group started working on fixing the fence with the fencing we brought. With all the noise we created we knew it wouldn't be long before more zombies started showing up.
By 3 pm we were in good shape, so we were able to take stock of injuries. Shawn was still the worst off from blowing out his knee the day before so we got him on a cot, elevated is leg, packed it in ice and gave him some pain pills. We wrapped up some sprains and took care of what we think is a broken ankle - snow had covered up uneven ground so Neal had taken a bad fall so we got him set-up next to Shawn. Once that was taken care of we started setting up a kitchen and made a really great dinner of chicken, potatoes and corn all fresh from the farm. It was pretty emotional as none of them had seen any decent food for almost a year.
Well the others are starting to wake up now so I will need to get the coffee on. It's still snowing so all the dead zombies look like snow covered hills which definately improves the view outside.
As we got close to the building we could hear gunfire so we knew they had a start on getting rid of the menace. Matt had some Slayer CD's, so we came in making a lot of noise (plus it got us all in the proper frame of mind for what was about to happen.) We drove close to the fence and just kept making passes as fast as we could so we wouldn't get stuck again. Once we got about half a block away we parked the trucks and got out. We had spread out into a half circle figuring that as the zombies came towards us they would naturally group into the center - those that didn't would get picked off by the group on the roof of the building. It was overcast, which was good, but it started snowing. The really cool thing was that with no communication we all instinctively knew to just stay focused and get the job done - it was this amazing calm that came over me, later on the others mentioned the same thing. As the zombies started thinning out in front of us we were able to send a group to the front of the building to help with the ones that were getting pushed out by the gunfire from inside. At around 10 am we saw the white flag waving from the roof, we finished off the few remaining zombies that were staggering around the front of the building and waved our white flag.
As much as we wanted to just stop for a while and enjoy the victory we still had a lot of work to do - mainly fixing the fence. So while Greg took a group to go get the other RV that was parked down the road another group of us took care of the RV that was stuck in the snow. Once we got the vehicles in the garage we started dragging the dead zombies outside of the fenced in area. We were only partially finished when Greg and the others showed up with the RV. They all jumped out and helped us get the rest out. We pulled Greg's vehicle and the RV inside and started unloading the supplies from the RV. As we moved all the food, cots, sleeping bags, cooking gear and weapons into the building another group started working on fixing the fence with the fencing we brought. With all the noise we created we knew it wouldn't be long before more zombies started showing up.
By 3 pm we were in good shape, so we were able to take stock of injuries. Shawn was still the worst off from blowing out his knee the day before so we got him on a cot, elevated is leg, packed it in ice and gave him some pain pills. We wrapped up some sprains and took care of what we think is a broken ankle - snow had covered up uneven ground so Neal had taken a bad fall so we got him set-up next to Shawn. Once that was taken care of we started setting up a kitchen and made a really great dinner of chicken, potatoes and corn all fresh from the farm. It was pretty emotional as none of them had seen any decent food for almost a year.
Well the others are starting to wake up now so I will need to get the coffee on. It's still snowing so all the dead zombies look like snow covered hills which definately improves the view outside.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
And It Was Good
The zombies are dead. We got the other RV back. We fixed the fence. Now we need to pass out for a while. Will write more tomorrow.
Counting and Thinning the Zombie Herd
Heidi, in case you check this before you get here, we're ready. Nate and I are on the roof and everybody else is down by the doors, front and back. We've been counting outdoor zombies and it looks like we're down to about 70, but I see more outside the fence. We're going to start sniping at about 7:30 to try to clear you a path. Once you're in, we'll try to keep them from closing in behind you. If we get the outside under control, I say we go with my original plan--you park a couple of shooters in front of our collapsed wall and fire into the gap, we open the door and fire down the hall and waste the zombies in the crossfire. When we start doing that, have somebody watch the roof--I'll wave a white flag when I get the word that hall is clear so that you guys don't shoot any of us coming out to greet you. Maybe you could wave something white at us to acknowledge that you saw the signal, assuming you get this in time. I really wish you still had that radio. See you soon!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
REVENGE
We don't want to wait - we have 6 great people who lost their lives to those freaking zombies and we want them all dead. For Jeremy, Dan, Eric, Sue, Ann and Mark we are going to get them. We lost a really good group of people who were going to make a fine addition to our survivor search. Jeremy, Dan and Eric were from the farm and were so patient showing us how to use the crossbow. They were all in their early twenties, had spent all their lives on the farm and were looking forward to traveling with us. Sue, Ann and Mark were from the Gander Mountain store and had really looked at us like their saviors - they didn't think they would ever be able to get out of that store.
Roger we will be back at 8 am tomorrow and we are going to take care of that zombie problem. We want to drive the 4 trucks we have around the front of the building packing the snow down which should draw the zombies out. Then we are going to park the trucks, stand in the beds and start firing. Whatever you can do on the roof to help would be great. (we really hope Shawn is feeling better.)
Get ready because it's going to get loud!
Roger we will be back at 8 am tomorrow and we are going to take care of that zombie problem. We want to drive the 4 trucks we have around the front of the building packing the snow down which should draw the zombies out. Then we are going to park the trucks, stand in the beds and start firing. Whatever you can do on the roof to help would be great. (we really hope Shawn is feeling better.)
Get ready because it's going to get loud!
Outsmarted by zombies
We didn't fare too much better here. I had the roof when you arrived. When I saw your RV get stuck in the snow, I called Shawn up to help me, thinking we might be able to provide enough cover fire to give you time to get out. Unfortunately, he rushed it and blew his knee out on the way up the ladder. He eventually got up and firing, but he wasn't 100 percent and he's still in bad shape now. I don't suppose you have an orthopedic surgeon in your group, do you?
About half of our outside zombies went after you guys and it looks like most of them didn't come back (be careful--since these things seem to track pretty well, it means they will probably show up on your doorstep eventually). It didn't look like a lot of them came out of our hall, so we never tried opening the doors to start firing into the hall. In short, we still have zombie problem and now you do, too. I don't know what to do from here. I'm open to suggestions. Maybe we try again when snow melts a little bit, if you have anybody still willing. I don't know. I guess we'll just sit back, try to heal a little bit, and try to rethink this.
Just as an aside, did you notice how well those things move through the snow? I can't figure it out. Ihad always expected them to slow down in the cold and I thought a foot and a half of snow would have immobilized them completely, but you saw how they moved out there. Weird.
About half of our outside zombies went after you guys and it looks like most of them didn't come back (be careful--since these things seem to track pretty well, it means they will probably show up on your doorstep eventually). It didn't look like a lot of them came out of our hall, so we never tried opening the doors to start firing into the hall. In short, we still have zombie problem and now you do, too. I don't know what to do from here. I'm open to suggestions. Maybe we try again when snow melts a little bit, if you have anybody still willing. I don't know. I guess we'll just sit back, try to heal a little bit, and try to rethink this.
Just as an aside, did you notice how well those things move through the snow? I can't figure it out. Ihad always expected them to slow down in the cold and I thought a foot and a half of snow would have immobilized them completely, but you saw how they moved out there. Weird.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
V-Day Massacre
In theory the whole blocking the hole in the fence with the RV was good, unfortunately the RV got stuck in the snow 8 feet from the hole. To make matters worse we weren't able to come in as quickly as we should have because of the snow so they were starting to surround us before the tires stopped spinning. I was in the RV with 6 other people, some from the farm and a couple from the Gander Mountain store - they all rushed out firing, but they got swallowed up by the zombie horde. Luckily the 4 other trucks saw what was happening and they started driving by the other side of the RV. I blew out a window and started throwing all the guns and ammo I could out to the trucks going by, then I grabbed the laptop got myself on the edge of the window and when Matt drove by I jumped into the back of the truck.
We saw you and Shawn shooting from the top of the building trying to help us but we totally lost it and took off to regroup. We took off in the opposite direction from were we came in because we left the other RV about a mile down the road with 3 people in it - it's loaded with all the food, extra clothing and gear we brought for you.
So anyway, we got away from your mob of zombies and ended up driving into another group that was about a mile away. Everywhere we turned we were screwed. With 2 of us in the back of each of the 4 trucks we just started firing away. It unfortunately wasn't too effective because of the speed we had to go so we didn't get stuck. We ended up bouncing around a lot so most of the bullets went straight up in the air.
We are looking for a place to spend the night. I lost the radio so you will have to let me know what to do via the blog. Matt is really pissed right now and if it weren't for the darkness he'd be out there on foot blasting away. For the others that haven't had a zombie experience like this before it's, well, let's just say they aren't talking like it's deer hunting season anymore.
We saw you and Shawn shooting from the top of the building trying to help us but we totally lost it and took off to regroup. We took off in the opposite direction from were we came in because we left the other RV about a mile down the road with 3 people in it - it's loaded with all the food, extra clothing and gear we brought for you.
So anyway, we got away from your mob of zombies and ended up driving into another group that was about a mile away. Everywhere we turned we were screwed. With 2 of us in the back of each of the 4 trucks we just started firing away. It unfortunately wasn't too effective because of the speed we had to go so we didn't get stuck. We ended up bouncing around a lot so most of the bullets went straight up in the air.
We are looking for a place to spend the night. I lost the radio so you will have to let me know what to do via the blog. Matt is really pissed right now and if it weren't for the darkness he'd be out there on foot blasting away. For the others that haven't had a zombie experience like this before it's, well, let's just say they aren't talking like it's deer hunting season anymore.
Monday, February 13, 2012
As if zombies weren't enough...
You'd think with the world as we know it destroyed by a zombie apocalypse, the last thing you'd have to worry about is carjackers. Anyway, I'm glad you're alright (I assume you all made it through unscathed? You didn't mention any injuries). Glad to hear you're close.
We're still okay. The doors are holding and we've a constant two person watch on each set of doors. Also, after the way the zombies crashed through when I was yelling the other day, I'm starting to wonder if sound might not be a major part of how they hunt. Just in case, our sentries are being very quiet at the doors and it seems to be working--there's just a little scratching and bumping; no pounding like they're really trying to break through. It may be my imagination, but it seems like their activity does increase when we talk or make noise.
Okay, so I imagine you'll be in radio range soon. Here's my thought--you don't want to try to come in here too close to dark. If the fight drags out, we really don't want to be hunting zombies without light. I say you park down the street, maybe a mile or two away and radio us when you're there. If you've got enough juice in the batteries, just leave your radio on all night in case we have an emergency. Then tomorrow at 10 AM, you roll in. Below is a photo of my map--I am neither Picasso nor Patton, so please excuse the crudity of the drawing and the simplicity of the plan.
You drive into the break in the fence and park an RV there to seal it. You won't be able to run down the zombies like I hoped--the snow is too deep and the zombies aren't helping us to shovel. Start shooting or clubbing everything that comes at you. We'll put a sniper on the roof to pick off the ones on the edges (the sniper will be me or Shawn and we will only fire at targets far from you guys) If you are able to secure the outside area, put a couple shooters by the big X outside the building and start firing in through the break at the zombies inside. Meanwhile, we'll open the doors (by the indoor X) and start firing down the hall, creating a nice crossfire that should wipe them out quickly.
The only thing that will screw this up is if the zombies all come out of the building to attack you. We won't be able to pursue because then we'll be shooting at each other. The best we could do would be to sneak some guys out the back through the garage, assuming the zombies on the backside clear up, and come around to the corner to create an outdoor crossfire. In any case, it will be dangerous. I hope you've still got plenty of ammo--our rough count is 135, and that doesn't include what's in the hall. Can't wait to hear your voice again. Happy hunting!
We're still okay. The doors are holding and we've a constant two person watch on each set of doors. Also, after the way the zombies crashed through when I was yelling the other day, I'm starting to wonder if sound might not be a major part of how they hunt. Just in case, our sentries are being very quiet at the doors and it seems to be working--there's just a little scratching and bumping; no pounding like they're really trying to break through. It may be my imagination, but it seems like their activity does increase when we talk or make noise.
Okay, so I imagine you'll be in radio range soon. Here's my thought--you don't want to try to come in here too close to dark. If the fight drags out, we really don't want to be hunting zombies without light. I say you park down the street, maybe a mile or two away and radio us when you're there. If you've got enough juice in the batteries, just leave your radio on all night in case we have an emergency. Then tomorrow at 10 AM, you roll in. Below is a photo of my map--I am neither Picasso nor Patton, so please excuse the crudity of the drawing and the simplicity of the plan.
You drive into the break in the fence and park an RV there to seal it. You won't be able to run down the zombies like I hoped--the snow is too deep and the zombies aren't helping us to shovel. Start shooting or clubbing everything that comes at you. We'll put a sniper on the roof to pick off the ones on the edges (the sniper will be me or Shawn and we will only fire at targets far from you guys) If you are able to secure the outside area, put a couple shooters by the big X outside the building and start firing in through the break at the zombies inside. Meanwhile, we'll open the doors (by the indoor X) and start firing down the hall, creating a nice crossfire that should wipe them out quickly.
The only thing that will screw this up is if the zombies all come out of the building to attack you. We won't be able to pursue because then we'll be shooting at each other. The best we could do would be to sneak some guys out the back through the garage, assuming the zombies on the backside clear up, and come around to the corner to create an outdoor crossfire. In any case, it will be dangerous. I hope you've still got plenty of ammo--our rough count is 135, and that doesn't include what's in the hall. Can't wait to hear your voice again. Happy hunting!
It Was Bound To Happen
We have been lucky that we've come across survivors that are basically good people - some of them have been annoying and some have stolen things, but nobody has caused physical harm. The flashing lights we came upon were survivors who attempted to carjack us.
As we approached the lights we saw that their vehicle had gone in the ditch so some of our guys got out to help. The next thing we saw was them pulling guns on us and demanding we get out of the vehicles. There were 7 of them and 18 of us so giving in to their demands wasn't going to happen. Then the idiots started firing on us - this might be a good time to explain that it was clear these people were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The level of paranoia and rage was pretty scary, anyway, we had to fire back before they hurt us or the vehicles.
I could say that it was survival of the fittest and a bunch of other crap like that, but the truth is none of us felt good about taking out survivors. The reality is if there were bad people before zombies, there will be bad people after zombies.
Roger, I figure we are about 15 miles away and should be reaching you tomorrow.
As we approached the lights we saw that their vehicle had gone in the ditch so some of our guys got out to help. The next thing we saw was them pulling guns on us and demanding we get out of the vehicles. There were 7 of them and 18 of us so giving in to their demands wasn't going to happen. Then the idiots started firing on us - this might be a good time to explain that it was clear these people were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The level of paranoia and rage was pretty scary, anyway, we had to fire back before they hurt us or the vehicles.
I could say that it was survival of the fittest and a bunch of other crap like that, but the truth is none of us felt good about taking out survivors. The reality is if there were bad people before zombies, there will be bad people after zombies.
Roger, I figure we are about 15 miles away and should be reaching you tomorrow.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Back In Illinois
We crossed the state line about 2 hours ago. We are coming up on Grand Avenue. I'm in the back of the RV but I can't sleep. Your situation has me very worried. Matt, Greg and I have explained why we are going back to the 5 from Gander Mountain. They were not real happy about going into a full on assault, but there are 18 of us and we have plenty of fire power.
Matt and I have been doing some work on how to approach you. We want to put 12 of us out front and draw the zombies to us while the rest help you fix the fencing with the supplies we brought. Granted we haven't been there in a while and are trying to piece together what is and isn't still secure - so we will do whatever you think is best.
I gotta go now, the lead truck just saw a flashing light up ahead so it seems we may be coming up to some other survivors.
Matt and I have been doing some work on how to approach you. We want to put 12 of us out front and draw the zombies to us while the rest help you fix the fencing with the supplies we brought. Granted we haven't been there in a while and are trying to piece together what is and isn't still secure - so we will do whatever you think is best.
I gotta go now, the lead truck just saw a flashing light up ahead so it seems we may be coming up to some other survivors.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Hanging in there
Glad to hear you're still coming. We had a scare last night. Mothball trade with me--he was watching the patched hall last night (note to self--don't trust your life to a guy who calls himself Mothball). He fell asleep. How the hell anyone can fall asleep with two hundred of those things on the other side of a poorly patched wall is beyond me, but he did it. I found him in curled up on the floor in the morning when I came on to take my shift. I tore him a new one.
So I'm screaming at this guy. Everyone comes running to see what's going on--you know me, I never yell at anybody. Suddenly the wall crashes in and we've got like 50 zombies in the hall behind us. I don't know if it was the sound of the commotion, or the sense of that many live humans in the room or what, but whatever it was, they got that extra push they needed to break through the patching and get in. Now the newbies are screaming and panicking and running. Fo me and Shawn and Corey it's like "Here we go again--just like last time." Except I'm the only one with a gun on him (besides Mothball, who is now crying and running upstairs).
Corey went and got his gun while Shawn picked up a bat (my old blunt object in every room idea doesn't seem so dumb now, does it?) and handled the close quarters work. I didn't have enough bullets to drop enough zombies to clog the doorway like we did last time and I wasn't going to wait around for Corey. I just dropped a few to slow them down and fell back to the interior doors. We bulked those up a bit when we came back, so now they're actually a semi-effective barricade, but I don't like betting my life on it. The other end of the hall has a more serious door, but it still need to be watched. Anyway, the doors are secured as well as they can be and the zombies are stuck in the hall, but they're in the building.
Now we've got two people watching each door at all times. And I thought we were paranoid before. I'm thinking when you get here you can probably just run over the outdoor zombies to save bullets, but it's going to be a bloodbath inside. We need to come up with a plan so we don't start shooting at each other while trying to hit the zombies in the middle. Let me know when you're close--I'll put the radio on so we can coordinate.
So I'm screaming at this guy. Everyone comes running to see what's going on--you know me, I never yell at anybody. Suddenly the wall crashes in and we've got like 50 zombies in the hall behind us. I don't know if it was the sound of the commotion, or the sense of that many live humans in the room or what, but whatever it was, they got that extra push they needed to break through the patching and get in. Now the newbies are screaming and panicking and running. Fo me and Shawn and Corey it's like "Here we go again--just like last time." Except I'm the only one with a gun on him (besides Mothball, who is now crying and running upstairs).
Corey went and got his gun while Shawn picked up a bat (my old blunt object in every room idea doesn't seem so dumb now, does it?) and handled the close quarters work. I didn't have enough bullets to drop enough zombies to clog the doorway like we did last time and I wasn't going to wait around for Corey. I just dropped a few to slow them down and fell back to the interior doors. We bulked those up a bit when we came back, so now they're actually a semi-effective barricade, but I don't like betting my life on it. The other end of the hall has a more serious door, but it still need to be watched. Anyway, the doors are secured as well as they can be and the zombies are stuck in the hall, but they're in the building.
Now we've got two people watching each door at all times. And I thought we were paranoid before. I'm thinking when you get here you can probably just run over the outdoor zombies to save bullets, but it's going to be a bloodbath inside. We need to come up with a plan so we don't start shooting at each other while trying to hit the zombies in the middle. Let me know when you're close--I'll put the radio on so we can coordinate.
Kenosha
We finally made it to Kenosha. We stopped off at the RV place and picked one up for you then we went to Gander Mountain and loaded up your RV with crossbows, arrows, cots, sleeping bags and a really sweet outdoor camp oven with 2 burner range. The store did have some problems initially - as we broke into the front of the store there was gunfire going on in the back. We went to the back of the store and found 2 girls and 3 guys shooting like crazy at about 40 zombies. We jumped in and helped finish them off. Their story is they have been holed up in that store since day one as they were employees. They were scheduled real early that morning to do inventory and when nobody else showed up they locked themselves in and watched the carnage from the office windows. They did a real good job keeping the store safe and are grateful for a chance to finally move on. (We are going to fill them in on the real mission once we get closer to you.)
Traveling was real slow today as we were struggling through blizzard conditions. It's lucky we are on I-94 since it's 3 lanes wide - we had plenty of room to maneuver around abandoned vehicles.
We are taking turns driving and sleeping so we can keep moving, we are really hoping the weather gives us a break soon.
Traveling was real slow today as we were struggling through blizzard conditions. It's lucky we are on I-94 since it's 3 lanes wide - we had plenty of room to maneuver around abandoned vehicles.
We are taking turns driving and sleeping so we can keep moving, we are really hoping the weather gives us a break soon.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Are you still coming?
I got your last post, but then after the storm yesterday I wasn't sure if you were still coming. We're not doing so good, here. The storm piled snow up on our solar panel--I had to go up and clean it off. You know, it's a whole different ball game going up there when there's a sea of zombies below you all looking up like you're a giant ham sandwich or something.
The zombies are driving us crazy. We can't sleep at night because we hear them scratching on the walls. I can't describe the sound--it's the most disturbing thing I've ever heard and it's constant, day and night. If we didn't know you were coming, we would have tried blasting our way out by now--I think most of us are willing to take our chances. It's not just the lack of sleep--it's the lack of rest. We're all on edge, all the time, expecting to see the break through a wall.
When you get close, be careful. There's a lot of them--they seem to be growing every day. I was going to try to count them when I was up on the roof, but I was just too...I just had to get out of there. It's my job to watch the hall tonight--I hope I'm up for it. I'm not letting anyone else read this for awhile...I'm trying to be strong and be leader to these people, but I'm scared. For the first time since this whole zombie apocalypse thing started, I'm scared. When stuff like this happened before, I would get mad and want to go out and start kicking some zombie ass, but right now I just want to crawl away and hide somewhere. I just...Well, anyway, please hurry. We're going to hang on as long as we can.
The zombies are driving us crazy. We can't sleep at night because we hear them scratching on the walls. I can't describe the sound--it's the most disturbing thing I've ever heard and it's constant, day and night. If we didn't know you were coming, we would have tried blasting our way out by now--I think most of us are willing to take our chances. It's not just the lack of sleep--it's the lack of rest. We're all on edge, all the time, expecting to see the break through a wall.
When you get close, be careful. There's a lot of them--they seem to be growing every day. I was going to try to count them when I was up on the roof, but I was just too...I just had to get out of there. It's my job to watch the hall tonight--I hope I'm up for it. I'm not letting anyone else read this for awhile...I'm trying to be strong and be leader to these people, but I'm scared. For the first time since this whole zombie apocalypse thing started, I'm scared. When stuff like this happened before, I would get mad and want to go out and start kicking some zombie ass, but right now I just want to crawl away and hide somewhere. I just...Well, anyway, please hurry. We're going to hang on as long as we can.
Monday, February 6, 2012
We're On The Way
Matt and I were discussing your post this morning, some of the others heard us and it was decided that we should come back and help. So we loaded up on things you would need and headed out. Matt, Greg and I are the only ones from the original group, plus we have 9 guys from the farm that wanted to come too. They haven't seen much action here and are really looking forward to killing some zombies. We'll have to see what happens when they find themselves out number 30 to 1.
The going has been slow, the lead truck has a plow, but it's not been too effective since there is at least a foot of snow on the roads. We have been keeping an eye out for tracks - vehicle and walkers, whether human or zombie, so far nothing. We are currently on Hwy 50 heading back towards Kenosha. Since the evening is clear we are going to keep going through the night. There has been concern about using the headlights, but I figure it will be daylight before we get to Kenosha where the heaviest population is so we should be okay.
Roger, hang in there - I hope it won't take any longer than 3 or 4 days.
The going has been slow, the lead truck has a plow, but it's not been too effective since there is at least a foot of snow on the roads. We have been keeping an eye out for tracks - vehicle and walkers, whether human or zombie, so far nothing. We are currently on Hwy 50 heading back towards Kenosha. Since the evening is clear we are going to keep going through the night. There has been concern about using the headlights, but I figure it will be daylight before we get to Kenosha where the heaviest population is so we should be okay.
Roger, hang in there - I hope it won't take any longer than 3 or 4 days.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Homing Zombies
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse. We were about halfway through our cleanup and repair activities when another wave of zombies showed up. They came from the southwest and the prevailing opinion is that they were the same ones that were harassing our new friends in Hoffman Estates. It appears that they followed us. How the hell they tracked us across 10 miles and through two blizzards is beyond me, but we're pretty sure they're the same. Shawn even did his naming trick, where he names the zombies after celebrities that they look like, kind of like from one those zombie movies. Well, he saw one in Hoffman Estate who looked like Alec Baldwin. He's leading the pack here.
We had barely patched the fences and hadn't reinforced them at all when the zombie horde showed up. The broke through pretty easily--we didn't even have time to get the trucks into the garage. Luckily, we didn't lose anybody, but we're pinned down pretty good. They're right up against the outer walls, and we're sure our patch job is going to cave in on the wall that was breached before. We've put a sentry on that hall, but to be honest, when the sentry isn't me, Shawn or Corey, I have no confidence. We've braced it with everything we can, but building supplies are limited--we can't even make it to the outbuildings, much less the hardware store. It's not a ton of zombies, maybe 100 or 150, but they're too close to get a good angle to pick most of them off and we don't have unlimited ammo here. I'm almost hoping they break through so we can start capping them. More cleanup on aisle three.
I wish the news was better, but really, what do you expect in a zombie apocalypse? I'm glad you've found a home up north and I hope everything stays secure up there. We've got food and heat, so we're not in a terrible hurry to resolve this thing, but waiting definitely does not seem to help a zombie problem--we get weaker while they get stronger. We'll have to do something soon--I'm just not sure what as of yet. As I heard in some bad movie a long time ago, "We're going to get bloody on this one."
We had barely patched the fences and hadn't reinforced them at all when the zombie horde showed up. The broke through pretty easily--we didn't even have time to get the trucks into the garage. Luckily, we didn't lose anybody, but we're pinned down pretty good. They're right up against the outer walls, and we're sure our patch job is going to cave in on the wall that was breached before. We've put a sentry on that hall, but to be honest, when the sentry isn't me, Shawn or Corey, I have no confidence. We've braced it with everything we can, but building supplies are limited--we can't even make it to the outbuildings, much less the hardware store. It's not a ton of zombies, maybe 100 or 150, but they're too close to get a good angle to pick most of them off and we don't have unlimited ammo here. I'm almost hoping they break through so we can start capping them. More cleanup on aisle three.
I wish the news was better, but really, what do you expect in a zombie apocalypse? I'm glad you've found a home up north and I hope everything stays secure up there. We've got food and heat, so we're not in a terrible hurry to resolve this thing, but waiting definitely does not seem to help a zombie problem--we get weaker while they get stronger. We'll have to do something soon--I'm just not sure what as of yet. As I heard in some bad movie a long time ago, "We're going to get bloody on this one."
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