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anywhere in the world.   Steve thought he could figure out how to use the shortwave radio so we took that along with its antenna.
    Kate, Steve and Jake each took an M4 and a .45 and left their weapons in the truck.  We wanted to have similar weapons so we could share ammo and magazines.  The motorbike was light so I threw that in the back as well.
    We made a quick run back to the house and got everyone to help us unload then went back out.  I asked Mike to take the wire and set up a tripwire around the entire perimeter of the house, about eight inches off the ground.  I told him to set up a second tripwire a few feet inside the first at twelve inches off the ground.  I figured that would delay any zombies coming through the woods and also give us a warning.  I made a mental note to try to find barbed wire and add that to the barrier. 
    Julie agreed to cover Mike while he ran the wire.  This would leave the driveway as the only way in or out.  I parked our truck across the driveway with the keys in it until we could create a better gate.
    The next two houses in from Chestnut Street were the DiMartinos and the Cliffs.  The DiMartinos had clearly gotten out without telling any of us.  No cars in the garage, house empty, no weapons and only a few supplies.  They had left what I really wanted, which was their old backhoe.  I had borrowed it a bunch of times and knew how to use it.  I was thinking of digging some trenches to protect us and the backhoe was crucial.  It had a full tank, but I knew we’d need lots of diesel fuel.  I drove the backhoe down to my house and left it there and returned a few minutes later.
    The Cliff’s house was dark, shuttered, and locked.  I listened carefully at the front door for a few minutes and heard nothing.  I knocked loudly and listened again.   Nothing.  I took my crowbar and jimmied the lock.  As the door opened, a gun went off and I felt a bullet part my hair.  Luckily, I had crouched down a bit or I would have been dead.
    I called out:  “It’s Jack. Don’t shoot.  Who is in there?”  Again, silence.  A few moments later, I heard Ronnie Cliff, the father, groan in pain.  I yelled “I’m coming in to help; don’t shoot.”
    When I opened the door, I saw Ronnie lying on the floor in a puddle of blood.  He had a small handgun in his hand but the slide was locked open. He had been attacked and ripped open.  “What happened, Ronnie?”
    He groaned:  “We hid out from the start.  I saw what you did over at the Snows, that was great.  I decided to go out this morning to look around.  I made too much noise and two zombies followed me back.  I ran downstairs to warn Carol and the kids and they must have gotten inside.  I locked the door and grabbed my .32.  I told Carol and the kids to stay in the basement, where we were hiding.  The zombies grabbed me and bit me.  I shot them but it did nothing.  Carol screamed from the basement and they left me and went down there.  Please, go see if you can save them!”
    “Ronnie, you know that you’re going to become a zombie.  I need to take care of that before I go down there.”
    “Do whatever you have to, just get down there.  Save my family.”
    I ended Ronnie with the crowbar and went looking for the zombies.  Rather than charge into the basement, I decided to close the door again and make some noise, see if I could draw them up.  It worked perfectly.  Two minutes later they started shuffling up the stairs.   I gestured to Jake, who killed the first with a framing hammer, which got caught in the skull.  As he struggled to pull it out, the other almost got Jake and I just had time to knock it down with the butt of my M4, which gave Jake time to free the hammer and end it with a blow to the temple.
    Now it was time to check the basement.  I called down to Carol:  “Carol, it’s Jack.  Are you okay?”  She quickly responded:  “Jack, we’re okay but we need help getting out.  Please