Apocalypse Notebook 4

"Mr Fallam, please have a seat. This is Mr Grell, the truck driver."

"Please to meet both of you. Time is of the essence, so if we could complete our transactions and ensure the container delivery."

"Of course, of course."

The manager beamed.

This young man had placed an order the day before with the intention of future deliveries. Luckily, when he informed the higher-ups, they diverted some containers to the branch. Now his warehouse was overstocked and ready to handle the Monday order.

"Mr Grell has already delivered a container to the site as requested. If we could just get the paperwork signed and the payment complete, we can proceed."

Mr Will said while handing over some copies to the young clerk. Qin exited the office to complete the transactions.

"Wonderful. It's good to do business with understanding compatriots."

Jason replied while receiving the inventory order from the Manager.

"Two crates of matchbooks,"

"A crate of MRE Heaters,"

"Four crates of freeze-dried chicken nuggets,"

The list went on and on.

"I take it you have enough to supply the following weeks?"

"We have enough on this floor and the basement warehouse below to feed a small army for a year. As for the solar and equipment you ordered, it has been filled. In the event you require additional supplies, no problem. The chief of delivery called this morning to inform me that the vessel Gota Bir has docked in the east port. The cargo is to supply the entire chain of stores in three states."

The manager boasted proudly. He mentioned the name of the vessel solely because his nephew was its captain.

Unfortunately, the young man seemed to have no interest in inquiring about the ship.

"Oh really."

Jason nodded. This was information he could definitely use.

He signed the invoice and turned to leave. The grizzled truck driver rose to follow.

At the same time, the clerk entered the office and made a beeline for the manager. He whispered something to the man before standing at the side.

"Ah, Mr Fallam, sir. There seems to be some sort of discrepancy. The payment did not go through."

 "Is it an error perhaps? Something that needs to be sorted out by the bank on Monday? I need this delivery at the site before midnight."

"Not of the kind. Young Qin here says your account is showing up as flagged?"

Jason twisted his face into a scowl. Nothing else but his old man butting in at the critical moment. He checked the time.

11:30 pm

Barely enough time to hitch a ride with the truck, dispose of the driver, and hunker down till morning.

He turned to the frowning manager,

"Are you certain there is a problem?"

"Yes. If you will, we can try again, but if the payment fails, I have no choice but to retrieve the container already sited."

"I see. I hoped it wouldn't come to this. Time is of the essence."

Jason replied while pulling out a handgun from under his cloak.

Waving the three occupants out of the office, he threw a stack of tie straps toward them.

"Hands and feet. Secure them or else. Glasses bind the two of them, and then secure yourself. Play hero and you die." 

With the trio bound, Jason walked out of the loading bay to view the alley. The truck appeared ready to go.

"Do you know what you are doing?"

Manager Will shouted.

"Robbing you, of course. Where are the keys?"

The grizzled man answered the robber,

"In my pocket. Take it."

Jason walked to the driver and fished out the keys to the truck.

"You'd better hope it's an automatic. I don't want to be driving a bucking truck in a street full of zombies."

Mr Will shouted again,

"You can't escape. Qin had already called the police when the deposit check bounced. They'll be here anytime now."

Qin shook his head. From observing the steady hand and remorseless eyes of this sophisticated thief, he figured this man had no issue with taking a life.

Manager Will was about to continue when the bullet punctured his heart.

He cast an unbelievable look at the shooter before slumping to the ground.

"The next one is you, tattle tale."

The young clerk sat with his ankles bound and hands tied at the wrist.

He watched the muzzle swerve toward his head.

"Shots fired, shots fired. Put down your weapon, put down your..."

Bang

Bang

Qin opened his eyes to see the young man lying on the ground.

Blood pooled from the hole in his forehead.

"011 Respond. Two down, critical condition. I repeat two down."

"Hey, hey!"

The clerk refocused his eyes. The officer squatted down and deftly cut the straps with a knife.

"What's the situation?"

"I called for help. It was for a bounced check. I never knew this would happen."

"Take it easy. I'm going to check on the two. Help untie that guy."

Moving towards the slumped manager, the officer checked his pulse.

Shaking a head, and moving to the shooter, the response remained the same.

Qin stood up on shaky legs. He might not have known Mr Will for long, but the man treated him fairly.

Looking at his dead boss, he struggled to comprehend the events of the night.

He stepped toward the truck driver when a loud bang shook the warehouse.

"Outside."

The officer responded, rising and striding to the open dock door.

Qin followed, forgetting the cursing driver.

Outside, a patrol car smoked as it blared with its front end crashed into a pole.

Qin chased after the uniformed officer

"OMG, It's Harold!"

"011, Officer injured, requesting emergency response, officer down."

Qin retreated a few steps as the uniformed officer checked the pulse of the one in the crashed car.

This night just kept getting weirder by the minute.

He glanced at his watch.

12:05

Did Mr Will get killed at midnight on the dot? What witching madness.

"Damit! Harold, Harold! Hey! Help me move him out, I'm not getting a pulse. Hurry."

Together, they struggled to get the portly man out and onto the road.

With both of them covered in sweat, the officer kneeled to administer CPR. She shifted the jaw open for the lips to touch.

A hand on the shoulder stopped the action.

Qin answered the questioning glare by pointing down.

The officer followed the chest to notice the heaving chest.

"But I checked. Harold had no pulse."

What was it about driving a stalling truck in a street full of zombies? Midnight deadline?

Qin stared at the heaving chest that seemed to pulse more violently by the second. Retracting his steps, he turned toward the entrance of the loading bay.

Peeking inside and thinking about the impossible, he was greeted with the improbable.

The driver, bound with bloodshot eyes, snarled and jerked his arms as if having a fit.

Mr Will snarled and wormed around on the floor with his bound hands and feet. A few paces away, the young man twitched and spasmed on the concrete.

Qin walked back to the officer who was trying to raise the dispatch and tapped the shoulder.

"Amm, I think you should see this."