Free Surviving The Dead: Heartland Zombie Apocalypse Vol. 1 by Marty Brockschmidt

crews out.  Crystal needed these people to follow her.  The only way she could think of to do that was to show them she was willing to take the same risks she was asking them to do.
     
    “Okay let's head back in we're clear here.  Hannah don't let the wood crews spread out to much.”, Crystal warned.
     
    Heading in to the now security headquarters Crystal found Blade and Amy.  Technically they were hers now to command, but Crystal couldn't help but feel a little inferior, “I'm nervous about all the noise of the saws.  Take the jeep out to the main road and keep watch until the crews are done for the morning.”
     
    “Right away Captain.”, Amy replied instinctively snapping to attention. 
     
    A couple of hours later and Mick was preparing to take Mac and Tobin out in hopes of taking some free range cattle.  Crystal would have preferred it if they would have waited a couple of days when all of the logs were dragged in behind the fences, but with all the mouths they had to feed adding to their food stores was imperative.
     
    Crystal gave a word of warning to her patrol leader taking the group out, “Justin, make sure they don't push you around out there.  Your in charge of security on this jaunt and I expect you to bring them home safe.”
     
    Justin looked at three men he was charged with protecting, “Yes Ma'am not a hair will be harmed.”
     
    Crystal nodded in approval and went to say good bye to Tobin, “Toby, this is starting to be a habit me saying good bye to you.”
     
    “I'm coming back.  You never will be rid of me for long.”, Tobin smiled.
     
    Before Crystal could speak to Mac her radioed crackled and Amy's voice came on, “Cap we got dead on the march here.  They'll be knocking on our gates in twenty.”
     
    “How many.”, Crystal asked hoping her voice didn't show her concern.
     
    “I dunno a lot.  We can only see so far, but I would guess a thousand or more.”, Amy answered  back. 
     
    “Appreciate the heads up.  Haul ass back here, we'll be ready for them.”, Crystal replied trying hard to show confidence.
     
    “Alright then, we practiced for this.  Mick sound the alarm.  Mac get everybody inside and that means you too.”, Crystal directed.
     
    Five minutes later Percy had the militia lined up along the fence.  Sgt. Andrews took a detail of the best riflemen and went to place them on the roof's of the two buildings nearest the oncoming herd.  Another five minutes and Blade and Amy pulled in through the gate, followed by a truck carrying in the wood crews and their guards.  Bill began checking to make sure everyone had returned inside the fence.
     
    “Captain we got one group still out there.”, Bill called out.
     
    “Grab Justin, meet me at the jeep.”, Crystal answered back.
     
    Crystal raced the jeep towards the droning sound of the saw, skidded to a stop and raced ahead of Bill and Justin. When Crystal got closer she saw Doug Myers attempting to hold off several of the dead with his chainsaw, but the two militia assigned to watch him were nowhere to be seen.  Doug had already hacked off the outstretched hand of many of them, as he backed away. 
     
    Crystal began firing at the advancing dead, but too late caught sight of a Dee, Doug had cut in half.  Its intestines had caught up on the brush, but pulling itself forward with its arms it ripped out its own entrails.  It crawled up to Doug and took a bite out of his calf.  Kicking the creature away from Doug, Crystal shot it.  Bill and Justin arrived, giving Crystal the opportunity to care for Doug.
     
    Crystal thinking quickly had Doug give her his belt and sit down, “I'm sorry I got to take the leg.”
     
    “I know”, Doug answered through clenched teeth.
     
    Crystal fixed the belt as a tourniquet and propped Doug's leg on the log he had been cutting.  Then she ran the chainsaw into the  log to clean off bits of the dead before severing Doug's leg just below the knee.  Doug's screams