She stated, "I agree. Also neither of Lindy's revolvers were drawn. She had to have been caught by surprise."
Kira entered and closed the door behind her. "Jeff's handgun had been fired and two bullets are missing from the magazine."
"Okay," I said, "it looks like Lindy unlocked the door and they entered. Since she had the key, I can only assume she entered first. We heard a scuffle from outside and then two shots. When Frances and I reached the front door, a big zombie had Jeff face down on the carpet biting him on the left side of his neck and down into his shoulder area."
Ira injected, "That would be the trapezius or the lavator scapulae muscles."
"It makes sense that Jeff got two shots off before he was attacked from behind. It's likely he was ambushed and knocked forward and down onto his stomach. Frances, there was a small coat closet built into the left side of the entry. If the other three zombies were beyond that they may have attacked Lindy and knocked her to the floor first. The big zombie that attacked Jeff must have been behind the door." Frances agreed with my assessment.
Shane said, "This is new behavior, totally out of character for the zombies we've dealt with in the past. You've indicated there were none of the typical zombie sounds we're accustomed to, and they apparently laid in ambush waiting for their victims to enter before attacking."
Ed spoke, “We did see that behavior before. When that Williams idiot and his bunch attacked us, the full bodied undead snuck up behind the people in the woods and attacked them. We just haven’t seen it since then.”
“And,” John said, “this explains what has been eating the free-ranging and wild animals. The new strain of zombies are feeding on them.”
Looks of consternation showed on all the members expressions.
I nodded at the dreary conclusions. "If we're finished, I'll ask Elsie to make notes from the recorder to use as a talking paper when you meet with the other members. As big as this news is, we should have all the meetings at the same time in different locations so rumors don't spread before everyone gets the info first hand."
Andrea spoke as I started to rise. "I want to propose that the members of the leadership committee not go on trips together from now on, unless there is a definite need for them to go. We can't afford to lose two or three of you." She stopped and turned to Morgan. "Stop grinning like that. Yes, you and the others are that important to us. We're the leaders here, and we'd all be lost without you."
After standing, I said, "I agree, and that will also apply to Ira and Shana. All of you are important parts of the team."
It was after eleven when we adjourned. I was ready for sleep, but Kira had other plans for the night. Since Paige was sleeping soundly, I quickly found the strength and endurance to carry on for another hour.
The five group meetings were held the following morning at ten. As I'd anticipated, the information scared the hell out of the attendees. Some cried and others looked numb, but no one remained unaffected. It was grim news, and I wondered what other developments in the zombies’ existence we'd be faced with.
For the next week, impromptu discussions cropped up that rehashed the same questions but yielded no new answers. As we adjusted to each phase of the zombies’ evolution, we were quickly faced with new and more startling changes. Some wondered if it would ever end or if this pattern would continue for the remainder of our lives and of our offspring.
Eventually, we all settled down and everyone reengaged in our previous routines. If anything, Kira became even more attentive and loving as her pregnancy advanced. The idea of being a birth father was new to me, and I truly looked forward to the birth of our first children.
Kira's fifteen year old daughter Paige slept in a small room next to ours, and she and I got along well. I felt totally surprised and flattered one evening when Paige called me Dad for the first time. After she used that endearing term several more times, I reciprocated by calling her Daughter. She grinned widely, and from then on we were a close-knit family anxiously waiting for our newest members.
We had good reason to anticipate more births at Deliverance over the next few years. Grace Abbot and Martin Radcliff Jr. had been observed spending a lot of time together, and the rumor mill said they'd been seen embracing and smooching on more than one occasion. I was pleased with Grace’s progress over the past year from being a trouble-making hard case to a caring and dependable young woman. Kira and Vivian Alverez played a major role in Grace's transformation by taking her under their tutorage and not backing off until they got the desired results.
Kira told me in the strictest of confidence that Vivian had her sights set on Shane, my best friend. His wife, Janice, died the previous fall during an attack by a group of paramilitary rogues who intended to wrest Deliverance from us. During a heated battle, we lost four good people but ultimately won the conflict in spite of the high cost. I knew from watching Shane's reaction when Vivian was around that he was attracted to her. Kira and I felt a relationship was soon to blossom and be acknowledged by the couple.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The second week of April, Kira and I made a trip to Cedar Rapids with two companions. We were looking for clothing articles for the entire group. Our plan was to accumulate clothing for all seasons including, shirts, pants, socks, shoes, underwear and outerwear. We weren't primarily concerned about
