“How do you know who is going with you and who is staying here?” called out one man from the crowd.
“I need a hundred men to come with me tonight that is about a third of you. I have your names on file and took the liberty of printing them all off onto sheets of paper and thrown into the box over there by your cell phones. I am going to call for volunteers first, if I do not get a hundred of them, I will start pulling names from the box until I have my men. The rest of you will be in the local militia and will be required to show up here tomorrow morning at eight sharp.”
“Why aren't there any women here?”
“That decision was made by the governor. He did not give a reason for only calling up men.”
“How long will we serve for?”
“Until it is over, initially you will be pulled in for ninety days, once we reach the end of that time, we will see.”
“Will we get paid?”
“Yes, standard military rates for now. With the collapse of the economy, and if you couldn't tell from the videos, the United States, or even the world economy no longer exists. The currency and money situation will be worked out by the civilian authorities, for the moment we will continue using and paying in good old fashioned dollars.”
“What if we don't want to go? What will happen to us?”
“It is not optional.”
“No, but what happens if we don't go?”
Looking ill at ease the lieutenant said, “Who wouldn't go? You saw the videos. Do you want to sit in your homes waiting for them to come for you? We cannot allow that. No single man can stand against what is coming, we need to be organized and work as a group. No one will refuse.”
“What about conscientious objectors?”
“There are none. There are no clauses to get out of serving, we are dying here. The only chance….the only one we have is to work together and destroy the hordes that are coming here.”
Bill found himself rising to his feet, “Lieutenant, I notice you still haven't answered the question. We are facing destruction here at the hands of these things and I think I know exactly what is going to happen to anyone who doesn't do as he is told. I don't care about that, if my name is pulled I will go willingly and I think most of us here will. But I don't want you taking my thirteen year old to front lines. He is too young.”
“I understand, this is not a popular decision at any level of the military or government. However I would stress again to remember what you viewed tonight. Your thirteen year old is capable of killing these things, the age chosen was not arbitrary, setting it so low was…difficult. But the governor chose it and we will follow his lead on who we take. Believe me as an organization we will be making every effort to keep the younger soldiers in the militias and off the front lines.”
“But if their name gets draw you will take them?” the question came out of Bill's mouth before he could stop himself.
“Yes. If their name is draw we will take them. Any boys in my unit will fill supply duties first and only in extreme circumstances would I consider using them as soldiers. I cannot speak to how any other officers would assign them and not all of the people here tonight will be assigned to my unit. Next question.”
“So, if we say we are not going to go, what are you going to do with us?” called out another man. Bill, still standing, just shook his head from side to side and sat down.
Sighing the lieutenant said, “Sergeant Stack, what are our orders for men who refuse to comply with us?'
The sergeant came into the room carrying a military rifle. “Sir our orders are crystal clear. We will bring the objector to the front line with the other men from their town. The men in his unit will be responsible for talking some sense into the objector and getting him to co-operate.”
“And if he does not Sergeant, what are the orders, as signed by the governor?”
“We are authorized to use any means necessary, up to and including lethal force as a compulsion method.”
“Would you do this sergeant? Would you kill a man for refusing to come to the aid of his friends, neighbors and country?”
“To defend my friends, neighbors and country I would do what was needed as would any men serving under your, sir. However if I may speak on the matter a moment sir?”
“By all means sergeant.”
“Thank you sir.” Stack turned to address the men in the bleachers, “You men are smart enough to be scared of what you have seen here tonight, which means you are smart enough to see the threat we are facing and that everyone bears the burden of protecting our innocent women and younger children. No one is exempt from this call to serve in a crisis like this. I expect there will be some who resist, but if you get to the front line you will understand the threat more clearly and you will give us all one hundred percent of your effort. The enemy is unthinking, uncaring and relentless. It doesn't sleep, it doesn't have emotion, it never tires and can take great amounts of damage to destroy each and every one, when you understand that, and I think most of you already do, then you will know you are doing the right thing by fighting them.”
“Thank you sergeant, that was well put and I agree wholeheartedly.”
“Another thing sir?”
“Certainly sergeant.” the lieutenant said on cue.
“Could we bring out the zombie sir? That alone should motivate more them more than even my own poor words.”
Lieutenant frowned, “I was hoping to avoid that, these men seem to realize the level of the threat.”
“Then let's sink it home to them sir.”
“Very well Sergeant, bring her out.”
“Bordner! Linebaugh! Bring out the zed!”
From the back of the gym, where the men's lockers were came two men, each had both hands on a pole, one pole in back one pole in front, where the two met was a metal collar. Wearing the collar was an almost normal looking teenage girl. The girl appeared to be about seventeen, had brown hair and was tall enough for any woman's basketball team in the country. She was wearing a blood stained t-shirt and male boxer shorts that left very little to the imagination as they were shredded into pieces over her crotch. The thing's skin was pale, but had been sun browned before she died, giving it an unhealthy pasty color with mixed blotches of tan. Her right hand was badly wounded, with just stumps for her fingers, although her thumb on that hand was intact. Her eyes were solid gray cataracts, but she seemed to be quite aware of her surroundings as she was led in, her head swiveled around as the men in the crowd reacted to her. Bill and John did not recoil as the rest of the crowd did and he found himself staring right into Ericson's eyes after glancing at the girl being led in. The two soldiers stepped to either side of the girl, maintaining their grip on the poles and holding her at an angle to the bleachers and their superiors.
“Does anyone want to kiss this beauty?” called out Stack, “No? Does anyone doubt she is not alive? If you do, just come down and examine her closely.” No one moved from the bleachers. “Okay, this is what we are facing. Lieutenant?”
Ericson drew his pistol from his belt holster, and approached the woman.
“What are you going to do?” was shouted out from the crowd.
He paused and looked up, addressing the crowd in general, “Do? I am going to prove to you that this thing is not human. This is the thing some of you want to sit in your homes and wait for. This very stupid creature is toxic when it bites you, we believe that it's blood could pass the disease along too, but we don't know yet. In fact what we don't know could fill books right now. But we do know how to kill them. I am not going to waste this example, I am going to show you what happens when you don't kill them.” stepped forward and lowered the pistol towards the girl, shooting her in the torso. The bullet passed through her and hit the back wall of the gym, leaving a bloody pock mark. The girl was not affected in the slightest. Ericson fired five more times, each shot hitting her in the chest and passing through her.
“Walk her around men, show them she is still just as ready to kill us as she was when we started.”
The soldier's complied and the girl dribbled a bloody path around the gym floor. When she stepped close to
