I thought Ira was finished but he added, "This also indicates the full-bodied zombies, as we call them, have functioning digestive tracts. They may have evolved back toward being more human. At the first opportunity, I need to perform an autopsy on a recently killed specimen."
Shane said, "Does everyone agree we need to share this new information with the adults in the group? Good! We currently have thirty-seven adults, nine are here now. That leaves twenty-eight to meet with."
Ira cut in. "I feel we should include anyone over the age of ten. They're old enough to grasp what this is about. That adds seven more from the group sixteen or younger. Only two children are below the age of ten."
Andrea spoke, "I agree with Ira. In the world we live in, they need this information too. Who knows when we could be overrun by these human-looking zombies? This summer, the kids will be working outside the security fence at the gardens and they could easily be approached there. We want them to know some zombies look like us. I also believe they can handle the birth part. Growing up fast is the order of the day from this point on. Our ancestors managed it and so must we."
I looked around the table. Eventually everybody nodded. "Okay. I suggest we have Elsie split the thirty-five people into five groups of seven. I'd like Shane, John, Andrea, Morgan, and Ira to be presenters. If any of you want me to sit in on your sessions, I'll be glad to help, and I'm sure Frances will also.
The agenda dealt with, I moved to end the meeting when Francis motioned to me. A look of great concern clouded her face.
"Tom, I thought of something else that I think is important. Jeff, Lindy and her children were all bitten inside the house, yet we didn't see any hunks of flesh as we usually find lying around the bodies. Look at the photos; they're not near Jeff or Lindy. This picture shows Jeff was bitten at least twice. What happened to the flesh that was removed?"
Ira frantically shuffled through the photos. "Thank you, Frances. That's what was bugging me, and I couldn't put my finger on it." He stopped briefly several times before moving a picture closer to his glasses. He turned it to catch better light. For several long seconds, he studied the image before closing his eyes and laying the photo down on the table.
Everyone around the table waited expectantly. I asked, "What is it Ira."
His complexion went ashen. He laid his glasses on top of the stack of photos. "You approached quite close for the second picture of the baby. There's something laying on the floor near where its head had been in the first picture. I believe it's a chunk of flesh. The damn thing was being fed human flesh. Look closely in the later photos, I believe there is a ring of blood around the little monster's lips and smeared on its cheeks." Subdued murmuring circled around the table.
Morgan cleared his throat. "If you're right, then it follows that the other zombies ate the pieces of flesh they tore from Jeff and that other lady. That's why the flesh isn't anywhere to be seen. Is that what we're saying?"
Ira glanced around the table and stopped at me, then switched and stopped at Frances. "Someone argue with me, tell me I'm full of shit. Please find another explanation."
I motioned to Kira. "Will you go to the armory? I laid Jeff's .45 caliber Glock on the work table to be cleaned and put back in stock. It's the only one there. Will you check the magazine and see if it's been fired?"
I turned back to the others. "Let’s backtrack and start at the beginning," I said. "Frances, help me here, especially if I draw a conclusion you don't totally agree with. Close your eyes to concentrate on what we saw this afternoon, and I will, too.
"When Jeff and Lindy walked to the porch the front door was shut. She had her keys out to unlock it. I backed down the driveway no more than thirty feet and stopped. We both immediately jumped out. As my door shut, there was a commotion from inside the house, like someone hitting a wall hard and then two shots followed. All of that was close together. There was no moaning or screeching. We ran to the front of the house and stood at the open doorway. What do you see Frances?"
Her eyes were shut tight, her brow furrowed, and her fingers gripped the table's edge. "The room was dim, looking inside from the bright sunshine. A male zombie was on top of Jeff and three others were on Lindy. There—"
"Jeff and Lindy," I asked, "What were their positions, what were they doing?" I asked.
"Jeff was on his stomach, his right arm is outstretched. I can't see the left. His pistol is a few feet from his right hand. Blood is flowing from the back right side of his neck. Jeff's screaming and kicking his legs. The zombie on his back is biting on the other side of Jeff's neck. As it raised its head another chunk was ripped from Jeff's neck and blood spurted in the air. Jeff stopped screaming and kicking. The zombie chewed something as it sat on his back. We both shot the zombie and it fell forward onto Jeff."
Frances called my name and I opened my eyes. "It was chewing and the first chunk torn from Jeff's neck wasn't anywhere around."
Everyone stared at me or Frances as I said, "I agree with that. Now Lindy. She was on her back with the adult zombie and two smaller ones biting her. There were no pieces of meat nearby. The female who gave birth was in the middle of the room with her brain destroyed."
