... by the time the sun sets…”
Patrick guides the boat out to deeper water, relishing the salt spray despite the situation
"This is what I missed while being stuck in the Land of Two Rivers."
The Rae Ann's Blaupunkt spits out more techno music
Sam waves cheerily at the guys on the other boat and tells Patrick to follow them back, so we can find out if they know what's going on on the other side of the river.
Hank pulls out of the breakwater into the inlet, back to the same position they were at when you first spotted them.
Sarge pulls up alongside and kills the motor so thank Hank won't have to use his preacher voice when he's prophesying.
You all look around... What looks like a research ship, Edgewater Fortune is anchored at the entrance of the marina and is currently part of the string of barges that enclose the marine. It looks well maintained. A lot of the barges have small huts on them, or are being used to store small boats or materials. Some men, women, and a few kids stand around on some of them, waving to Hank and his crew as they motor by. Some of them are armed.
Johnnie wipes the sweat off his brow and he reloads the ammo on his weapon.
He waves to the people on the other boat.
“Thanks again for picking me up back there Hank, guys,” calls Judd, easily balancing his way across the small boat’s upper deck to the edge, within easy hailing distance of Hank’s boat. “And was it you with the rifle? Thanks man,” he adds, nodding towards Alfred.
“So what’s all this?” he asks, gesturing towards the flotilla. “You guys planning on staying here, or moving on elsewhere? We’re trying to pick up some friends who are stuck over there,” he gestures towards the southern shore and the main part of the city beyond.
“Anyone been over that way in the last few hours? Tell us what we might expect? Our friends are in Devon Gate and at Vancouver General Hospital respectively. From checking out the street map, I was thinking of putting in at the Marina at the end of Denman street for Devon Gate, then either try to pick up some cars and head over to the hospital, or else get back in the boat and try to put in at Charleson Park … of course, as you might tell from my accent, I’m not a local, I’m not that familiar with the lay of the land – particularly now that its complicated by the whole cannibal zombie situation … any suggestions?”
"These folks are waiting for friends, trying to group up small but still big enough for safe, you know?"
"You go downtown I think back in boat good idea. Either that or fly. And pray lots you don't get eaten."
"These things look for you when you move, when you make noise, and we think maybe smell too, but when lots of them maybe they no smell and no hear so well. After they eat up they go hide in dark. Trees, rooms, buildings. Real careful in buildings."
"And pray lots"
“And was it you with the rifle? Thanks man,” he adds, nodding towards Alfred.”
"No problem. Learned to shoot hunting with my old man. Never thought it'd come in handy."
<Holds up his rifle... it has a huge scope.>
"Bighorn sheep. Rocky mountains."
Fires burn across the Vancouver skyline to the south. Sporadic gunfire and flashes between the towers.
Patrick breathes a sigh of relief.
"Okay, are we going to Vancouver Genaral?"
Checks his cellphone for any messages. If none, he texts to Aunt Terri's phone:
R U OK? WE GOT AWAY FROM ZS. ON BOAT. CAN U GIVE ME UPDATE?
Johnnie checks his cell if it has a signal.
It reads a signal.
Sarge's phone rings. After 36 hours of sporadic cell phone service everyone looks at it nervously, as if it might be a bomb.
Patrick answers the cell. He glances at the number first.
"Hello? Hello?"
Turns down the Blaupunkt stereo.
Sarge
"Patrick it's your Aunt, are you okay, are you still in Vancouver?"
"Hey, ah, anyone got any weapons? I've got a feeling my knife isn't gonna cut it if we run into any more deadheads. No puns intended."
Everyone looks at Sam.
Everyone looks at Sam.
<Hank pulls a bible out of his cardboard box and throws it across to Mike.>
"Here kid, try this."
“The rifle was mine actually,” comments Judd. “You can hang onto it for a while if you like – I’ve got some more ammo in my pack. Or you can use the Glock instead if you prefer.” He flips the pistol and offers it grip first to the other man.
Patrick looks up from his cell
"My aunt's still alive!"
He turns his attention back to the phone.
"Aunt Terri! I am so glad you are OK. I am on a boat now, safe for the moment. Me and some folks are going to try and get to you. Are you OK? Is the hospital overrrun? How many zombies are there?"
“The rifle was mine actually,” comments Judd. “You can hang onto it for a while if you like – I’ve got some more ammo in my pack. Or you can use the Glock instead if you prefer.” He flips the pistol and offers it grip first to the other man.
"Yeah, Johnnie had my Sniper Rifle, but he must have dropped it when he helped me with my little 'Eddie' problem." She sighs. "Oh well, at least I still have this baby to keep me warm at night." She pats the Beowulf and gives it a little hug.
She looks across at the other guys in the boat next to them and smiles. "Oh and by the way, my name's Sam and thanks for the assist back there. Dave's a big lug, but I like having him around." She tousles Daves hair like he's a kid. "So yeah, thanks."
“Hey, it was a good plan,” protests Dave. “It just didn’t survive contact with the zombies…” He shrugs. “Anyway, we better get moving – sounds like Aunt Terri’s still waiting for us. Hope Anna is too.” He quickly checks his own phone.
“Thanks for the advice on staying clear of buildings Hank,” he adds. “Unfortunately … we kind of need to head into a few. Maybe you can pray for us … after all, we’re trying to rescue people; that aughta be worth a few points with the man upstairs, right?”
Johnnie sends a text message to Mary Anne asking about her situation. He informs her that he is presently on a boat, headed for what appears to be a medical ship.
"Aunt Terri! I am so glad you are OK. I am on a boat now, safe for the moment. Me and some folks are going to try and get to you. Are you OK? Is the hospital overrrun? How many zombies are there?"
Sarge
Mike had Dave's Sniper Rifle.
The rifle is sitting on the bow deck. Judd, I assume, has some ammo packed into the pockets of his combats.
“Or you can use the Glock instead if you prefer.” He flips the pistol and offers it grip first to the other man.
"Thanks, bro. Sorry for being a f!~+ing moron back there. I got your back."
Mike jams the Glock into the waistband of his jeans.
Everyone looks happy. Time to move on.
The Glock’s got about 10 rounds left in it. Judd also hands Mike two spare clips for it, and reloads the sniper rifle for himself.
Everyone looks happy. Time to move on.
Let's go.
<In a voice deeply tinged with unimaginable confidence:>
"May the Lords will be done, face the coming tribulations with Jesus in your hearts, my friends!"
Mike:
<Hank tosses a Bible to Johnny.>
"Keep the faith, Brother."
Sarge talks quietly on the phone for a minute, complaining about static a few times.
As Hank finishes calling down the power of Jesus, everyone bids the little zealot and his merry band goodbye.
Sarge punches the volume on Blaupunkt -- the randomizer brings Anarchy. He triggers the Evinrude twins, sending another doppler of infernal power out through the deep... then rams the throttle forward hard.
Sure, in an 18 liter Mack MP10 415 horse power isn't much, but when you put it's kind down into a floating arrowhead and open up the fuel, even with a mere 400 hp, it feels like you've been dropped kicked into your seat by Kirk himself.
On the calm surface of the inlet, Rae-Anne is the Lord.
"Sayonara, brothers!"
Level up, goonies.
Patrick talks into his cell
"Stay in the room. The zombies are attracted to noise. They are relentless, and they run fast. We are coming to try and get to you, stay calm. You are in room 475, yes?"
Sam sits in the cabin, going over the guns and making sure they are all fully loaded and ready to go. She also pulls out the half-full Bacardi bottle and offers everyone a drink before having another quick swig and stowing what's left in the cabin.
Rae-Anne doesn't really have a "cabin" per se, it's more of a little room with bunks where you can't stand up straight, although you can sit.
And it will keep your guns dry.
Yes, a gun-checking cabin it certainly is...
"Stay in the room. The zombies are attracted to noise. They are relentless, and they run fast. We are coming to try and get to you, stay calm. You are in room 475, yes?"
Sarge:
Getting to Anna's father's apartment is a quick sprint across the inlet.
The line on this map takes you to the Westin Bayshore.
The shadows that sat quietly in the nooks and crannies of buildings begin stretching their claws across the roads and streets as you pull away from the north side. You wonder if the lights will come on tonight.
Crossing the inlet gives you a good view of the Lion’s Gate Bridge as flashes of gunfire erupt from its northern arc where you stopped earlier today. Since your visit a coastguard cutter has anchored just on the other side of the bridge and a cluster of Police boats mill around it as if in a panic; a search and rescue helicopter lifts off its deck.
A conflagration has almost finished consuming the Westin Bayshore, almost exactly where you’ve planned to disembark and move to the condos on Denham where Anna was when she last sent a text, and the ink black cloud trailing eastward smothers the north bank towers of downtown Van.
The former centerpiece of Vancouver, Stanley Park, now looms menacingly on your right as you pull into Coal Harbor.
“Steer us around this way Sarge,” says Judd, looking up from reloading his sniper rifle and checking his equipment. “Lets stay well clear of that headland there – if I remember the map right, that’s part of Stanley Park, that the army guys at the bridge said was packed with Z’s. There should be a couple of Marinas around the other side, in an inlet – we want to dock to the south, then head down to Denman Street.”
Judd:
The Lift Bar Grill is in the open and near Anna's place. As you pull in near the Bayshore it looks like a good place to get out. You can walk along the pier to the head of Denham street and then it's a two block sprint to Anna's.
<Hank pulls a bible out of his cardboard box and throws it across to Mike.>
"Here kid, try this."
"Yeah, I don't think a f~%$in' bible is gonna help me waste Zs, man."
Sam sits in the cabin, going over the guns and making sure they are all fully loaded and ready to go. She also pulls out the half-full Bacardi bottle and offers everyone a drink before having another quick swig and stowing what's left in the cabin.
Mike politely declines.
Judd checks his phone, and begins rapidly texting.
Kruel:
“Hmmm, looks like we can still land there – hey, with the hotel on fire, at least there shouldn’t be any zombies lurking inside.
“So, my friend’s place is a couple of blocks over that way, corner of Denman and West Georgia. We need to figure out how best to get from there to the hospital – jack another car and drive across town? Its not that far … or get back to the boat and sail around the park to land closer to the hospital? Let’s start thinking about it while we get going.”
Judd hefts his rifle, makes sure his gas mask is in place and ammo is to hand, and gets ready to jump off onto the pier.
I'm sure you could fit the UBC women's volleyball team in a pinch.
A - Lift Bar Grill
B - Anna's Condo
C - Westin Bayshore complex, burning like a mofo...