The Fall of Bangor (Part 1)

Posted on Mon Feb 5th, 2024 @ 5:37pm by Hale Stratton [Major, United States Army] & Alonzo Blazevic & Reuben Baptiste
Edited on on Mon Feb 5th, 2024 @ 5:41pm

1,891 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Bangor or Bust
Location: Stratton/Blazevic/Thompson Quarters, Safe Zone, Bangor, Maine
Timeline: 4 September 2010 - 06:00 p.m.

Bangor belongs to the dead now.

An unwelcome thought that hopped of its own accord from guards on the barricades to those quartered nearest the gates to those like Hale Stratton who had been going out on supply runs every day since his arrival.

Drawn by the sounds of light and life, the dead came. At first singly or in pairs but soon, in larger groups, moving slowly in awkward shuffles, feet dragging, mouths open, toward the safe zone.

Toward laughter and firelight and meals cooking and being consumed. Toward people who forgot for a moment that the dead could hear. People who forgot that the world was ending and chose instead to celebrate the moment.

The dead were coming.

Danforth and Stratton understood the reality. Lived with the numbers. Injuries were becoming more frequent as scavengers fought with makeshift weapons for what little food they could find. And because they didn't have the numbers to police the safe zone, those who were desperate enough went out on their own.

The death toll climbed. Shelves were emptying out. Gate guards fought back to back to clear a path for stragglers running and limping toward shelter. Toward civilization.

---

Hale's job, as ever, was to make sure that there was plenty of wood for the fire, that there were candles set around the dining room, and that both he and Ethan were on hand to do whatever chores Alonzo required for dinner. After talking it over with Alonzo earlier, Hale had invited Vic, whom he knew from Millinocket, and Reuben, who was living over the garage. He was stacking up firewood in the box near the fireplace when he heard a knock on the door.

"Someone's here," he called out as he headed for the door.

Reuben had cleaned up as best he could and then placed his eye patch over his eye. He then brushed Kenny's coat out and placed his vest on him. "Okay buddy, you and I need to be on our best behavior, going to meet the major, guess he wishes to discuss the 'safe zone' with me and some other individuals." He then picked up Kenny's lead and headed toward his neighbor's door. At the door he took a deep breath and knocked. Looking down at Kenny "Normally one would bring a gift the first time they visited someone in their home, guess we'll be forgiven for not doing so."

Hale opened the door and stood back so the first of their guests could enter. "Vic's not here yet but the food's nearly ready. Come on in and relax for a bit." He grinned cheerfully. "You're in luck. I'm not doing the cooking."

"Glad to hear that. Army food is the worst. Though I have been doing a lot of experimenting in my cooking, love to watch those cooking challenge shows like Iron Chef of America or Guy' Groceries Game" said Reuben in jest. "Sorry I don't have anything to give as a first-time guest to your house. This here is Kenny my service animal, hope you don't mind."

"Dog's fine. I actually love dogs. As for the rest, never watched television myself," Hale said, "which meant endless jokes at my expense and a whole host of cultural references that entirely escape me. Like now. What's an iron chef?"

Reuben smiled and replied "Let's say we could use one now. Some of the best chefs in the world, who compete in cooking. They are given a must have item, say a type of fish or different types of cheese or what not, and must prepare five courses of meals with it in a set time. Then three judges sample their meals and score it. The one with the best score wins."

"Well, we have Alonzo," Hale said, smiling in return, "and he managed to make cookies in the fireplace. Almost as good."

Reuben smiled, "Cookies. Well, I do love cookies. I am a decent cook; I just dabble in it. My friend Autumn though, well she definitely knows her way around a kitchen. Guess it is because she is Basque, and Basque women take pride in taking care of their families." Reuben seemed to get a faraway look when he spoke of Autumn. "So, you're a major, which branch?"

"Army," Hale answered. "Fifth Special Forces Group based out of Fort Campbell in Kentucky." The words rolled easily off the tongue, said many times over the years, but then his brain caught up to the new reality and he grimaced. "Or was any way."

Alonzo walked out and into the thick of it mid-conversation. "Cookies, breads, cakes..." he looked at the dog. It was nice seeing an animal around. "Bake and cook. I do both and am learning to do a lot with very little" he explained.

"My mom always used cast iron cookware," Hale said. "Heavy and all but for a good home-cooked meal ..." He pretended to ponder the thought. "Anyway, come on in and have a seat. Please."

"Thanks." replied Reuben. "Guess you know I was enlisted Air Force. I worked with some Fifth as their weather advisor." Reuben looked about Kenny gently nudging his leg to prevent him from running into things as he found a seat.

Hale followed Reuben into the living room and found a seat of his own. The service dog's actions were not lost on him but it didn't seem polite to ask. For about the thousandth time in recent days, he reminded himself that the people he had brought here, other than Alonzo and Ethan, were not his responsibility or his concern.

"And Vic is Navy," Hale said. "Active duty like me."

Reuben noticed the major's look of concern, brief as it was., and nodded when the major spoke of their other guest. Reuben decided to be up front right away with the major. "Well let's address the elephant in the room. Yes, I have a service dog. He is trained to assist me in a couple of areas. First, I have what the doctors call bitemporal hemianopsia, fancy way of saying I have lost the outer half of my visual field. Gift from Afghanistan, caused by a TBI. Second, I have photophobia in my right eye, again a gift from the 'Stan. Both are corrected by special eyewear..." here he took out both sets of eyeglasses and showed them to the major, "which I generally wear, but this evening I felt it better to wear my eye patch. Finally, I suffer from severe PTSD which leads to me having night terrors. It's Kenny's job to babysit me." With that he sat back in the chair and stroked Kenny's head.

"Appreciate your honesty," Hale said. "And it sort of leads into why I asked both of you to come over tonight." He sighed quietly. "There's no easy way to say this so I'm going to blunt. Bangor is going to fall. Not a question of whether it will happen but when. And my guess will be soon."

"Now having said that," Hale said as he leaned forward in his seat, "am I correct in thinking you're capable in a fight against the not-nearly-dead-enough?"

Reuben quietly tapped his left shoulder; above the Air Force master sergeant stripes was a patch that said SERE and above that SOWT. He then tapped the three badges above the U.S. Air Force and the Retired name tapes. A master parachutist badge with two bronze stars, one on each wing indicating combat jumps, a military freefall parachutist badge, and an Air Force combat diver badge. He then tapped the right side, above his last name tape were two flashes a USAF SERE crest and a Special Operations Weather crest. "I certainly hope you know what those mean, Air Force has an issue discussing SOWT's and our operations. I've killed more than my share of men, and I am still capable. Spent my first six years training folks like you how to survive and evade in combat, then became a 'special' weatherman. Been to Afghanistan twice and Iraq once, second tour in the 'Stan vehicle I was in was hit by an IED. Only myself and the other back seater survived."

Hale nodded but refrained from commenting further. Ribbons and medals had never mattered to him particularly. His own were back in Kentucky waiting for him to return from leave. What he'd been trying to ask was how the man's vision problems would affect his ability to fight if the need arose. Time will tell, he thought.

"Now, I suppose what you really want to know is how my vision will affect my fighting abilities. I currently do not have a firearm on me, yet I made my way from Millinocket down the Penobscot river here to Bangor with just me and Kenny. Along the way I have had the unfortunate task of dispatching ten of those infected 'zombies' with just my survival axe. In one instance I had to fight off three of them at once." replied Reuben. "Kenny and I are an effect fighting unit. One of my friends helped train him to my needs, all his commands are in Basque to ensure my safety and to ensure he complies immediately versus the normal commands he follows."

"That helps," Hale said. "Thanks."

Vic had given Jasper a much needed bath and cleaned out the Shepherd-Malinois’ fur to get rid of all the dead and loose fur. She had obtained a new uniform and transferred all of her patches and such that were worn with a combat uniform over to it and had pulled her ribbons and metals out for the night, securing them proudly across over her breast and she and Jasper jogged to Hales residence. When she arrived she gave the typical short, abrupt knock that was common amongst military members and fell into an easy but still somewhat guarded stance while she waited for an answer.

Alonzo took a sip of his beverage after listening to everything, especially to Reuben. "You've seen war, you've killed people. That's wonderful" said the journalist not the least bit comfortable with what had been said and so openly. He was in this place with Hale and others like him, but Alonzo was not part of that exclusive combat club. "What's out there aren't people, not any more. Sadly, I wish I were just referring to those god damn things tearing flesh from animals, people, and each other. I am not."

Reuben looked at Alonzo with an eye that could bore through a diamond "I take no pride in having killed. As for the infected, it is a mercy to put them down. For the other 'MONSTERS' that you refer to, they have always been there, but now the conditions are in their favor, therefore it is best to eliminate that threat. So yes, I am very aware of the tactical situation." he said in a flat, steady and calm voice.

"Excuse me," Hale said as he rose from where he was sitting and headed over to the door. There was a baseball bat in the umbrella stand within easy reach. That combined with years upon years of mixed martial arts training and the SIG attached to his belt gave mute testimony to his determination to defend Alonzo and Ethan.

Continued in Part 2

 

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