Without looking back, Dean fought his way back to his SUV and set out for his new home, fighting tears all the way.
Since that day, Dean had poured all his energy into making the Crenshaw campus as safe as he could make it. They all moved into a single building which had a clear view of the entrance gate, and Dean selected a room for himself on the first floor. If required, it would give him an elevated firing position over the open killing ground from the front gate to the admissions building at the forefront of campus.
Lower windows were reinforced with lumber from the wood shop, and all the food was stored in the small canteen of the dorm building. Each of the four large dormitories had their own mini-canteen, multiple bathrooms, kitchen and dining area, and communal space for socialising. Dean took the room reserved for an adult dorm supervisor and stored all the weapons and ammunition in what was essentially a small, self-contained apartment. It had its own tiny bathroom with shower cubicle, toilet, and sink. In the main space there was a desk and chair, two-seater couch beneath the window, and a single bed in the corner. This was home now.
Graham took one of the larger single rooms, and Sarah did not have to move. Final year students had the luxury of their own dormitory room in whatever hall they resided in, and this was her dorm, so she had no need to move. The only addition to her room were her newest possessions; a light Kevlar vest, a dark Glock 17 with holster, two spare magazines, and two boxes of 9mm ammunition.
Zain also had his own room as a last year student, but he was forced to move his possessions from another building, and JJ was upgraded to a single room as she was the only other girl and needed privacy. The three remaining mid-teen boys all moved into a shared room that once would have housed six, but now there were just the three of them.
The four halls were each named for the elements to give them more of an identity rather than just letters or numbers, and their small band of survivors had taken residence in Fire. He was not sure why, but that name just seemed appropriate to Dean.
Dean had done numerous supply runs, clearing houses of undead and useful resources, but after hearing the thundering war in the distance back in August, supplies were harder to come by. For safety purposes, he was only striking at isolated clusters of housing, but they weren’t generating the supplies they needed to keep a balanced diet and their immune systems strong. They desperately needed to supplement their vitamin intake, and Sarah had pointed out that both she and JJ needed sanitary products, something a mid-forties man would never have considered.
Their small band of survivors sat in the communal space on comfortable seating, each nursing a hot chocolate, the instant kind made by adding hot water to powdered mix. Dean mourned the lack of milk, as he would give his right foot for a good cup of tea right now. The October night outside was cold, and it had been raining hard for a couple of days, keeping them all housebound. Dean thanked God again for the welcome advantage of solar power and heating, and the hot beverage was comforting. He counted their small blessings.
It was October 31st and there would have usually been Halloween celebrations at the school for those living on site. The remaining children were older and did not think to celebrate it, and Dean felt no desire to push them. The world beyond their walls was infested with the walking dead, so it was time to focus on the living.
“I think we’re going to have to take a chance, and go to a pharmacy,” announced Dean when everyone was seated. “We need vitamin supplements, the ladies need specific products, and any medicines we get will be vital. The cold snap will be coming, and we’re likely to pick up colds and sniffles along the way.”
“Do you have one in mind?” asked Graham, smacking his lips after sipping from his cup.
Dean nodded. “There’s one I know at the very top of town, that’s down a side road, just enough off the beaten track that it can’t be seen from a main road. It’s not massive, it’s out of the way, and I’m hoping any looters won’t have thought of that one, instead going for the easier access ones. In truth, it’s also the closest. I don’t want to go any deeper into town than I have to.”
“It sounds risky.”
“It is,” agreed Dean. “But we can’t survive without some element of risk, which means I need hands to help while we provide security.” He turned to Sarah. “Time for your first test out in the field with a live weapon. You up to it?”
To her credit, Sarah remained perfectly calm. “I’ve got your back,” she said with a single nod.
Dean grinned. “We’ll need two more, just for speed of moving any goods out of the pharmacy and loading up, so Zain and Alex, you’re coming too as our elbow grease.”
The two boys shared a surprised look that was half excitement and half fear at venturing out into the land of the dead.
“Don’t get carried away,” warned Dean. “You do what I say, when I say, and don’t mess around. This is serious business, you hear me?”
“Yes sir!” both boys intoned with eager nods.
“Shall I bring my bow?” asked Alex tentatively.
“Yes, but only as a last resort. This is a test as well, Alex, to see if you’ve got the temperament to let me consider you using that skill on the regular in the field. Skill is only one part of being on active duty. Attitude is just
