Surviving an Endless War

I can't believe how this firing range has flourished in the last 4 years. Each class I've had in these short years, have graduated and are now members and coming to the place very often and every new class that comes in, I take one of the best students from my graduated class to talk about some of the things they will expect when I teach. I've maybe had 2 people not come back to the classes but I brushed it off as they didn't want to really learn anyways. With all the memberships and applications for classes that come through Jerry's store and the money that's given to him for the sign ups, I've halfed the money and put it towards the Wounded Warrior fund I started and...wow. There are hundreds of wounded soldiers in the state of California that have benefit from it. I had gotten several hundred letters from the families I've helped telling me how much they appreciated helping them out so they could get their homes accessable to their husbands, wives, sons, and daughters. It gives me a good feeling when I get a letter from a family. I feel like I'm still serving my country even though I'm no longer in uniform.

Right now I'm getting the firing range ready for my first class of the day. Zacky's at the house taking it easy since he doesn't have to go to the studio today. Sometimes he comes out to the range and watches my class and helps me keep an eye on the members that come throughout the day to make sure none of them are letting anyone under 21 shoot a gun. He had caught 3 people handing their weapons to their children and letting them fire it and when he told me, I stopped the class and went right over to them and informed them that their membership is terminated and to vacate the premises. One of them put up a fight and argued that they weren't going anywhere and we had to call the police but the others left willingly. 2 of the people who violated the contract have come back but the one who made an argument was not allowed to come back.

I watched the cars of my students pull in the open gate and park in the grass. I checked my watch before calling each person off the roster to make sure everyone was here. Now to start the first class of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an hour of showing them how to clean their weapon and making sure they put them back together the same way, I led the group over to the range. So far this years class are chopped full of sharp shooters for beginners. It quite impressed me and anyone who knows me it takes a whole lot to impress me on something. I watched over my class as well as keeping an eye on the members. I watched one of my pupils as he was having a some what difficult time in hitting the target just mere feet away. I got up from where I had taken a seat to watch and went over to the young man.

"Mr. Bradyson, are you having trouble?" I asked leaning up against one of the posts.

"A little ma'am...well more like frustrated. I can't seem to get aimed up right to hit the target."

"Can I show you something?" I said in an offering tone. He nodded and relinquished his weapon into my hands. It was standard .45 Caliber handgun. I took aim at the target and watched the signs before pulling the trigger and hitting it spot on.

"How did you do that?"

"I'll let you in on a secret that helped me time and time again when I was in the service. You see how the wind is slightly blowing?" I said and he nodded.

"What you do is aim a little bit into the wind and the wind will carry the bullet right to the target. Now you try." I gave him back the handgun and I watched as he took aim before pulling the trigger. The bullet struck the target just on the outside corner.

"Not bad. Take your stance." I said nodding my head. Steve took his shooting stance as I stood behind him to see where he was pointing. I gently pushed down on his arm and slightly over to the right.

"Okay now shoot." He pulled the trigger and hit the target dead center. His face lit up with the brightest smile the young man could muster.

"Keep doing that and you'll always hit the target."

"Thanks Major." he said taking his stance again and doing everything I showed him. Steve once again hit the target in the center. I walked back over to my seat seeing that he needed no more help. I get a sense of pride when I help out one of students. I try to help each one individually and show them the ways the military have done but there's just not enough of me to go around sometimes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cease fire!" I yelled over the sound of the gun fire. I watched my students put their weapons on safety before laying them down on the woodened platform in front of them.

"You all have done one hell of a job today. Everyone's shooting has improved greatly but there are many more lessons to be taught..." I started saying but I was cut off by a blood curdling scream and a woman running towards us with blood dripping from a wound on her collarbone. I ran the best I could to meet the woman with my whole class following right behind me.

"Ma'am are you alright?" I asked the woman as she breathed heavily from running.

"You've got to get out of here! There's something going on all over town! People are attacking each other and ripping their bodies apart!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked unsure.

"People are killing each other and the people who are dead rise up from the ground and start attacking other people!"

"Ma'am you're not making any sense." I said trying to comprehend what she was saying. What the hell did she mean dead people were killing the living?

"Here just watch this and you'll understand." The woman pulled her phone from the pocket of her jeans and a newscast popped onto the screen.

"We have some disturbing news to report. Officials are getting strange calls saying that people are attacking others and killing them but the strangest part about the whole situation is that the ones killed are rising up. We're going live to Los Angeles where news reported Angela Sparks is on scene. Angela what's exactly happening out there?"

"I have no idea Kristin. Police officials are trying to get the situation under control but these deranged people are not backing down as they use force." I watched as the news woman screamed as the camera man was brought down by one of the people. The man's skin was a pale color and the bloody wound from his neck was on gruesome sight I've seen one too many times. The scene was cut off by going back to the station's anchors.

"I'm sorry folks but I don't know what just happened. While we were live one the scene, the police chief in the surrounding area are telling residents to stay in their homes and not to get out of anything. We'll have more on this...threat throughout the broadcast. Please stay tuned." The news cast ended and I coudn't believe what I had just heard.

"Class get to your homes and stay there. Arm yourselves if necessary." I said walking away and towards my home as more screams rang out among the atmosphere. I watched Zacky fling open the door as I got onto the porch and I shut the door.

"Baby you need to hear what's on the news and what's all that screaming going on outside?"

"I've already heard about it. I need to call Payge and tell her to stay in the house." I said picking up my cell from the counter in the kitchen and dialing her number. Hopefully she's already seen the news and I won't have to explain what's going on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Payge's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I looked out the window after hearing the strange news report. I could see exactly why the police wanted everyone to stay in their homes. People with bloodied bodies were taking the lives of others. What the actual fuck is going on? I need to call Payge and see if she's seen this shit. I picked up my phone and Blaze's number came up on the screen and I quickly answered it.

"Blaze?" I questioned as I placed the phone to my ear.

"Payge, thank God. Have you see what's happening on the news?"

"Yeah but I can look out the window and see it. People are running around everywhere getting attacked and ripped to shreds. What the fuck is going on out there?" I asked her. I was frightened as hell.

"I have no idea. I was about to end a class when some woman came up to me screaming her head off about what was going on."

"Hold on there's a another broadcast coming on." I said turning up the TV as Matt came into the room.

"We've just gotten word that the President is declaring a State of Emergency for every state in the US. He released a statement a few minutes ago stating that the citizens should stay in their homes until they have a more in depth look on what's going on. From the looks of it...I hate to say but it's like a horror movie coming to life." The news anchor woman put her hand up to her ear before speaking again.

"Breaking news...the President has just recieved word that other countries are experiencing the same events and many of those country's militaries have fallen including our own. Another statement from the President has been issued. In the statement it's stated that it's a sad day for our country and other countries around the globe. Militaries have fallen to this unknown plague as well as our own. The citizens of the United States need to arm themselves and take action against anyone who are infected by this. May God bless this great country. We'll have more on what's to happen as more information is provided."

"Blaze....what are we going to do?" I asked more in a frightened panic.

"Payge calm down. I want you to call the others and have them pack up their things along with food and anything that can be used as a weapon. Tell them to get over to your home and wait until the next broadcast comes."

"What happens if there isn't another one?" I asked fearing the worst.

"If there's no other broadcasting...I'll send Zacky to get you all out of there and over to my place. Then we'll hold up here since there's more room here."

"Alright. I'll start packing as I call the others." I said giving Balze a quick goodbye. I dialed Michelle's number and told her what Blaze had said to me as I packed up as much clothing as I could while Matt was boxing up food and drinks. Please let there be another newcast telling us what to do...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Blaze's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I could tell by the sound of Payge's voice that she was scared out of her mind and I have to admit...I am too. I sat on the couch flipping through channels looking for some kind of news but nothing was showing on the screen. The only thing all the channels had in common was the static.

"Have you found anything on TV?" Zacky asked sitting down on the couch beside me.

"Just channels full of static. I don't think there's going to be another broadcast. Zacky, I want you to go over to Matt's and bring everyone over here."

"I'm not going to leave you here alone with those things out there." he said shaking his head no.

"Baby I'll be just fine. You've got to remember I'm a soldier and I won't go down without a fight. Please go get them."

"Alright but please don't go outside. I'll be back in a few minutes." He said and Zacky kissed me sweetly before getting up and leaving the house. I heard his car crank up and I watched him leave. I got up from my seat after turning off the TV and I closed the curtains in the room. I went upstairs and started packing mine and Zacky's clothes. Once all of our clothing was packed, I went down to the Marine's Cave. I pulled weapon after weapon down from the wall and loaded them. I made sure my field pack was full everything we would need and I strapped it to my back. I carried the harness and vest that had both extra ammunition and my handguns before going back upstairs and laying all the weapons down on the large kitchen table. I went back down to the cave and grabbed a few ammo boxes and once again went back up to the kitchen.

I grabbed some empty boxes from the garage and started filling them with bottles of water and canned food. In a cooler I had also grabbed from the garage, I took every piece of ice we had and poured it over the packaged meat and I sat some of the bagged vegetables and fruit on top of it. I looked out the window and I could see Zacky pulling up into the driveway and being followed by 6 other vehicles. I watched as they parked beside my car. I grabbed my M14 and went out to help them bring some of their stuff in. I went over to Zacky first.

"Did they pack up everything they would need?'' I asked but my question was answered when Payge came over to me carrying a backpack in one hand and another on her back. Zacky and I pulled box after box out of the cars and put them into the kitchen.

Once everything was in the house, I heard the TV come on. I went into the living room where Payge was flipping through the channels like I had done. There was still nothing but static but she soon hit a channel that was working.

"We've learned that several stations have cut off their networks and will not be coming back on until this whole thing is over. Our station is going to do the same after this special broadcast. The President didn't give us another statement on what's happening but some people are calling it a Death Plague. It seems fitting with these times. Please everyone listening to this message...keep safe and may God bless you." I watched as the woman on the screen was replaced by static. Payge looked over at me unsure of what to say. Hell I didn't even know what to say but I know that I have to do all I can to keep everyone here safe.