Joseph Talluto - Taking It Back

We stood stock still for a moment, getting our bearings. I knew there was a small cafe on the other side of the center, but I wanted to make sure we were alone. Hearing nothing, I slung my carbine over my shoulder and drew my SIG. Anything that happened here would be extreme close quarters. Charlie followed suit, but pulled his twin tomahawks rather than his Glock.

I moved over to the historical section and shined my flashlight around, giving myself a small start when the light played over the mannequins dressed as French explorers. Charlie checked out the book section, then walked back. His foot struck a walking stick on the floor and sent it clattering across the hall.

I looked at Charlie and he shrugged sheepishly. I was about to comment when I heard something. I raised a hand and pointed to my ear and Charlie nodded. He had heard something, too.

The sun was higher in the sky, allowing for more sunlight to stream in the doors and filtered skylights and I moved through the center on silent feet. Getting closer to the heavy wooden doors that separated the cafe from the information center, I heard more clearly what I thought I had heard before. There was muted whispering and what sounded like whimpering. I tried to look through one of the panes of glass in the door, but could only see tables and chairs. I pushed the door open slightly and the noise suddenly stopped and I heard scuffling. Somebody was alive in here.

I pushed the door wider and whispered, “Hello? Is someone in here?” I stepped back to the side in case whoever was in there wasn’t friendly.

Nothing happened and I waited for a second. “Hello? Anybody there? We’re here to help.” Charlie cocked an eyebrow at me but I ignored him.

Suddenly the door flung open and a large bearded man burst through, pointing a handgun all around. He didn’t immediately see us, which allowed me to step up to him and put my SIG against his temple. “That’s enough. Put it down.”

The man breathed heavily, then lowered the gun. Charlie stepped up and took it from his hand. I stayed on the side, keeping an eye on the man’s hands. I took in the man’s appearance and he looked like he had been through the ringer. His clothes were filthy and matted and his hair was long and unkempt. I expected the man to react, but I never expected him to drop to his knees, cover his face and start to cry.

I stepped back, fearing a trick, as the man sobbed into his hands. “Take what you want, but please don’t hurt my family. Please.”

The voice, while raspy, was familiar. I holstered my SIG and squatted down in front of him. I didn’t worry about him trying anything since Charlie was there.

“Hey,” I said, looking hard at the man.

He looked up and I found myself looking into my mother’s eyes. Only they didn’t belong to my mother. They belonged to my brother. I had found him. By all that’s holy, I had found him.

“I found your note,” I said. “You were supposed to be looking for me at Eagle Cliff.” I took off my goggles and balaclava and at the moment of recognition, threw my arms around my brother. Charlie stepped back and I had a hard time keeping the tears from my eyes as I held my baby brother.

Mike drew back, wiping his eyes. “Thank God. You came. Oh, thank God,” he kept saying over and over.

We stood up and Mike motioned us to follow him. We went through the doors and into the gift shop. There, hiding in the corner, was Mike’s family. Nicole was there, holding a whimpering Annie, and Logan was bravely standing in front of his mother, tears down his cheeks, trying to protect her from the bad guys.

I knelt down in front of Logan and said, “Hi, little buddy. Your cousin Jake misses you.” It took a minute for him to recognize me, then he threw his little arms around my neck and hugged me tight. I held on to him as I stood and gave Nicole a hug as well.

I put down Logan and introduced Charlie to everyone. Logan was as impressed as a three year old could be and asked to touch Charlie’s gun.

I spoke with Mike and Nicole for a few moments and realized that they had holed up in the visitor center when the cougar first came stalking. After that, it was touch-and-go as they finished their supplies and worked their way through the stores kept in the cafe. Once those ran out, Mike had been making runs to the lodge, bringing back what he could from the restaurant. Those runs became more dangerous as zombies from the town across the river began to cross the bridge and realized food was nearby. They had actually run out of food three days ago and were on the brink of collapse. When they heard us, they thought we were zombies at first, but when I had opened the door, they thought we were looters. Mike was actually out of bullets, so he had been hoping to surprise whoever had come in. When that didn’t work, he had just reached the end of his string.

I took off my pack and handed out the food and water I had in there and Charlie did the same. The family gratefully accepted the stores, making sure their children ate first. We had more in the boat, so I wasn’t concerned. Besides, we were going back to Leport as soon as possible.

I spent the next several minutes talking about what had happened to me since the Upheaval and Charlie jumped in as necessary. When we had finished, my brother looked at me with new eyes. “When did you become such a dangerous person?” he asked.

“‘Bout a year ago, give or take a month,” I said. “Believe me, if I had a choice, I’d have kept things the way they were.”

After the family had assuaged the worst of their hunger, I started to head for the front door, nearest the parking lot, when my brother grabbed my arm.

“What are you doing?” he hissed, looking furtively out the window. “There’s at least six zombies out there!”

I shook my arm free. “I just found my brother after thinking he was dead for over a year. I’m taking you home and if you think six zombies will stop me, you have no idea what your brother has become.” I signaled to Charlie and he came over, standing on a chair and looking out of a high window overlooking the parking lot.

“There’s seven by the front door and five more out in the parking lot. Two just disappeared around the corner, so I’m guessing they’re checking out the back.” Charlie stepped down. “How do you want to play it?”

I thought for minute. “Let’s wait for the two to get to the back, deal with them quietly, then we’ll hit the front like we did with the trailers at Coal City.”

Charlie nodded. “You want to go first again?”

I shook my head. “You can this time.”

“What about the ones in the lot?”

“One on one, I’ll take the left side.”

“Deal.”

My brother just stared at me with an open mouth as I readied my gear. I topped off my carbine and loosened my pickaxe in its holder. Charlie checked his gear, then signaled he was ready. I repositioned my balaclava and goggles.

I motioned to Mike to come over and Charlie handed him his gun back. “It’s fully loaded now, so you can defend your family if it comes to it. If something happens to us, take the trail to Horseshoe Bend. The boat is beached there. Take it and get your family to Leport. Don’t stop at Joslin, and don’t hesitate. Clear?”

Mike just nodded and Nicole just stared at us with wide eyes.

“Ready?” I asked Charlie.

Charlie nodded.

Pushing open the door to the information center, I headed towards the back door. The two that had headed that way from the front were just ambling past the doors, not finding anything of interest to them. I stepped to the back door and nodding to Charlie, burst out onto the sidewalk. The two zombies turned as one and came at us.

I didn’t waste time and planted my pick into the skull of the first one, a heavy man with grey skin and deep gashes on his shoulders. Charlie crushed the skull of the other Z with a well-placed blade to the temple. We wiped off our weapons and split up with me taking the left side and Charlie taking the right. I unslung my carbine as I moved, making sure I stayed close to the walls to avoid having my shadow reveal where I was.