"The power is on in the house. I checked the solar generator and everything is in the green. I also started the water pump." He looked at Matt. "How long until they're ready to roll?"

"Rick said about an hour."

"I'll be at the tariff station by then. You three stay here. I don't need any help flying the chopper, and if our neighbors get nosy, or anybody besides us shows up, three of you could discourage them much better than one of you." Jenkins walked toward the chopper.

"David, I want you up on that third floor balcony, front and back." Mac said. "You see any thing, you let us know." For a moment David looked as if he might challenge the orders, but he turned and ran into the house without a word.

Jenkins climbed into the pilot seat of the chopper and buckled himself in. Within a few seconds the blades began turning and Jenkins fit the headset radio onto his head.

"It's just past 11:00, with any luck we should be back for a late lunch."

"That should give us plenty of time to drag those deadfucks out and burn them." Mac answered him on his radio. Jenkins gave a small salute and lifted the chopper into the air, over the house and out of sight...

Chapter 36.

Monday, June 25, 2001 Rainbow Lake, UT 11:14 AM.

Jenkins got clearing from the Park City Air Control to set down in the tariff station parking lot. He quickly shut the bird down and went inside the main station where he spotted Rick and Susan standing with the dock supervisor near a large floor scale.

"I've got something to tell you two." He led them away from the scale, out of earshot of the dockworkers. "We think the superzombie we saw was Zack. It didn't attack us. It just swam away."

"He did know where we were going." Susan said.

"I sure as hell hope my brother didn't turn into one of those." Rick said with a sad sigh. "If so he's probably still alive."

"And under the knife of that butcher doctor."

"That's that!" the dock supervisor exclaimed as he approached, cutting into their conversation. "You're making a quick turnaround." He said to Jenkins. They had bantered awhile yesterday while the freight had been inventoried. "Where are you headed?"

"Not too far." Jenkins said with a smile. "But don't worry. We'll be back."

"I'll be in the rig." Rick said, exiting the dock out a side door.

Susan walked across the dock to where the bus was parked and got in. Her mother and ricks family were all aboard, ready to go. "Next stop, Rainbow Lake..."

The drive up was uneventful. The rig took point in the convoy of two and they made good time. Jenkins told them over the radio about the zombie infestation in the towns of Wanship, Coalville and Upton, but they stayed on the highway and only a few zombies that had managed to wander up the exit ramps blocked their way and these were easily crushed underneath the wheels of the rig.

"I wonder if there are any survivors holed up in those towns?" Rick inquired over the radio.

"I doubt it." Jenkins responded. "But I guarantee there's some good salvage to be had; food, fuel, medicine, tools, lumber, spare parts for the vehicles...

As they came into the farm territory of Kittewa, Susan spotted several cows far out into a pasture and in another she saw a pair of horses. She wondered if the plague affected animals as it did humans? And if so, would they crave the flesh of their own species upon awakening from the dead? Those were questions for another time.

They took the exit for Kittewa, heading east towards the town, more farmland and pastures spread out to either side. To Jenkins in the helicopter above the two vehicles below looked like toys. As he passed over town he noticed there were several more zombies on the street than there had been this morning. Had their passing stirred them out from cover? He saw the rig mow a pair of deadfucks underneath its big wheels and send another three flying away like bowling pins as they passed through downtown Kittewa. Then they were through the town and Jenkins had to climb steeply while the two vehicles wound their way up the canyon road. They turned on the lake drive and Jenkins directed them by radio to the proper driveway. As they pulled into the circular drive with the wooden dolphin fountain in the center, Jenkins saw David waving at them from the third floor balcony.

Susan brought the bus to a stop and exited. Matt and Mac had come out front to greet them. She ran up to her husband and embraced him, kissing his face and head.

"We made it, we finally made it." Matt said into her neck, hugging her back even tighter. He looked around to see everyone had exited the bus and were congratulating one another. And in each of their eyes Matt saw hope. Hope of safety. Hope of a better tomorrow. He looked into his wife's eyes and he saw the same thing, burning brightly.

"I'm sorry about your friends." Susan said softly.

"At least now they are truly dead." He hugged her close once again, the pain of the losses they had suffered and his joy at being alive overcame him simultaneously. They had paid an overwhelming cost to finally reach this place and they had all lost loved ones in the struggle to survive. But now they were here...Alive. "But we are going to survive..."

Chapter 37.

Monday, June 25, 2001 Rainbow Lake, UT 1:07 PM.

They had just finished eating a meal of canned ravioli cooked on the spacious stove inside the kitchen when the word came over the radio that Park City was under attack by the living dead.

Jenkins had tuned his hand held radio through the military frequencies he had purchased from the Colonel who had sold him the chopper while lunch had been cooking. The kitchen had been fully stocked with dishes and appliances and within minutes they were all eating a nice hot lunch. Now it was churning in all of their stomachs.

They all listened intently to the military cross talk and with Jenkins and Mac there to decipher some military combat jargon they were able to piece it together. The attack began from the northeast just a few minutes ago when the Apache gunship out on patrol was shot from the sky with an RPG or missile. The remaining five Apache Gun ships of Park City were being scrambled and the alarm had been sounded throughout the entire city, putting everyone on alert. Now reports were coming in of hundreds, possibly thousands of zombies pouring out of the forest from the northeast. Then came the report of zombies in armor and armed with heavy weapons firing back at the city militia.

"Superzombies." Matt said. He had suspected as much when he heard of the Apache being shot down but now it was confirmed.

"Park City is well defended." Jenkins said. "If they keep their heads they'll be ok. Nevertheless, I think I should radio them. Tell them what we know about superzombies."

"We told them yesterday in our debriefing." Matt said.

"I don't trust that asshead Captain to have gotten the news to the frontline troops yet."

"Do we want them to know where we are?" Jennifer Black asked.

"They have more to worry about than where we are." Matt said. Jenkins wasn't waiting for approval. He tuned the radio to a restricted frequency, used only by Military Command.

"General Parker do you have a copy? General Donald Parker, do you have a copy?"

"This is Park City Command. You are using a restricted frequency. Identify yourself."

"I am trying to contact General Parker. I have important information about the zombies attacking the city."

"Identify yourself!"

"Sgt. Blake Jenkins."

"What is your location?"

"My location doesn't matter. I need to speak to General Parker. It is extremely urgent. I have information about the attacking zombies that the General will find most useful."

"What is this information?"

"The zombies that are carrying guns and fighting like soldiers can only be destroyed with fire. Repeat the zombie soldiers can only be destroyed with fire. Explosives will disable them but only fire will destroy them. Do you copy?"

"I copy Sgt. Jenkins. Please stand bye." A few moments later the radio crackled and someone new was on the radio.

"Now it's Sgt. Jenkins is it?" Jenkins recognized the voice of the afore mentioned asshead Captain that had interrogated them yesterday while in custody.

"We never did get your name, Captain?" Jenkins pressed.

"No you didn't."

"I requested to speak to General Parker."

"You'll have to settle for me." A pause... "Is that all the information you have to offer about the attack?"

"Yes. Fire and explosives are the only way to destroy an Alpha."

"You told me this yesterday during your debriefing. Are you sure that's all you know about them?" The Captains tone suggested he was holding something back.

"That's all. I just wanted to make sure the information got to the troops in the field." Jenkins tone suggested the information would not have been shared otherwise.

"You had no idea the attack was coming?" The Captains tone was accusatory.

Jenkins got a smile out of the Captain trying to taunt him. "None at all. Just trying to help out my fellow frontliners."

"You and your companions were in an awful hurry to get out of Park City. And not a moment too soon it seems."

"The only reason we stopped in Park City was to get medical help for our friend."

"Still no sign of him. It was a hunting party searching for him that tipped us off to the attack. They reported hundreds of zombies moving through the forest just a couple of miles from the city. It was rough, mountainous terrain so they must have been herding them there for some time. The Apache gunship in the area went for a look and was shot down by a missile fired from within the zombie horde."

"An Alpha." Jenkins commented.

"The latest report says there are at least six of them..."

"How are the perimeter defenses holding?" Jenkins asked.

"Solid. The terrain is not suitable for the zombies. The Alphas are doing most of the damage, trying to punch holes for the deadfucks to spill in."

"What about the troops at Kimball Junction? When we first encountered Alphas they were going really hard at the Tank's and APC's; commanding them for their own use."

"So you did have more information after all." The amusement could be heard in the Captains voice.

"Stop playing word games!" Jenkins barked into the radio. "I'm trying to help you save lives!" The Captain didn't respond for several seconds.

"Kimball Junction has not been attacked. But we will take what you said into consideration."

"We were well defended at the U." Jenkins said. "Air support, tanks, flame-throwers, mortars, grenades...But they still got in. Those fucking Alphas got into the base through the sewer system and started wreaking hell in our back yard."

"The sewer system? We hadn't considered that possibility. We didn't think them that cunning."

Jenkins got a good laugh out of that. "Cunning? They're predators, and we are their prey."

"What can you offer in the way of fighting men?" The Captain asked.

"Me and my people are tired Captain. Fighting is all we've been doing since this shit began. Fighting for our lives every single day."

"So you are a deserter." The Captain had called him that when they first met. It had angered Jenkins then and it angered him now.

"Like I told you before I'm a survivor. All of us are survivors. Besides, most the people with me are civilians, not soldiers."

"You are a soldier Sgt. Jenkins. A Ranger." Jenkins didn't answer, and Matt could see the Captains word's having an effect on Jenkins.

"Don't listen to that son of a bitch Jenkins. You did your duty. Your place is with us. We are partners, remember?" Matt said.

"You have first hand experience in battling these creatures," The Captain came over the radio. "You've seen the Alphas fight. You know something of their tactics. We need you here Sgt. Jenkins. Not out on the front line fighting deadfucks but here at Command."

Nearly a minute of silence passed, and Jenkins used this time to examine the warring emotions in his gut. He was Partner's with Matt. He was needed here. This was his future. Ron, Zack, and Susan and David's father, Sharon's husband, Frank, had died to get here. When he looked at the collected faces here watching him with hope and expectation to keep them safe he knew that this was his family. They had wakened within him something he though buried beneath all the horrors he'd witnessed in the past six months. But then when he thought about the Captains words, they too stirred him. He had sworn an oath of loyalty upon entering the Army. The military had been the wife and children he never had. How could he turn his back on that now? Especially when they needed him.

"Sgt. Jenkins? This is General Parker. Do you copy?" The Generals voice was deep and hard as nails.

"Go ahead Sir." Jenkins showed him the respect he hadn't shown the Captain.

"Soldier, I order you to report back here for duty at once! I know you have a helicopter so I'll expect you shortly." Something about the Generals tone of voice, as if he dared Jenkins to defy him sat with Jenkins wrong. In that instant, his loyalties were placed in priority.

"With all due respect sir I no longer take orders. As far as I'm concerned my military service ended when the U and Fort Douglas fell. I'm not a deserter General, I'm a survivor."

"I see. Well then perhaps I could appeal to your mercenary nature."

"I'm listening." Jenkins said.

"Name your price." The General said.

"Just like that?" Jenkins was surprised.

"We are in a desperate time Sgt. Jenkins. While I have no doubt about my Militia's ability to defend the city against an army of zombies the Alphas are a whole new enemy. We heard scattered reports about them during the siege of Fort Douglas but you and your companions are the only ones who can give us hard information about them. Your presence is needed here in Command Sgt. Jenkins. So I say again, name your price." Jenkins put down the radio and looked at his companions.

"What do you think?" He asked. Matt could see the indecision in his face.

"It shouldn't take more than a day or two." Matt said. "And you won't be in the fighting."

"And if anything should go wrong I can just jump in the bird and get the hell out of there?" It sounded too good to be true.

"Didn't you see enough back at the U?" Jennifer asked, amazed that he was even considering going back.

"I'm not just doing it for them I'm doing it for us." Jenkins said, gesturing to include everyone in the room. "If Park City should fall they'll get to us sooner or later."