it's go time
So where was I? I think Lanky and I were still on the roof.
We went back down to the Minuteman warehouse, where they had already begun making the weapons. The paper cutter has a large blade on it, and we had one spare. They're nice and heavy, nearly two feet long, and super sharp. The problem is that they're hard to wield because there's no good place to grip them.
That's where the shelving comes in. Our warehouse has those sturdy, utilitarian shelves that are basically steel L-shaped bars with steel crossbars, on which the wooden shelf sits. We decided to dismantle one and use the vertical pieces as handles. They have lots of holes in them and the blades have holes in them. They don't line up perfectly but they're close, so we figured as long as the bolts are tight they'd be fine, albeit a little wobbly.
I always wondered why there was a pile of tools in the front corner of the warehouse that never got used, but they've certainly made themselves useful today. Frank Jr. had cut two pieces while we were on the roof and was working on the third when we came down. We found some nuts and bolts and attached the bars to one of the blades. The result was funny-looking, but definitely deadly. It was pretty heavy, especially at the blade end, but someone with strong arms could wield it. The bars were long so you could hold it two-handed, like a halberd.
Lanky picked it up and swung it around to get a feel for it. As skinny as he is, he sure is strong; I never would have thought. When the second one was finished Frank Sr. took it and practiced swinging. As they got used to them they started to look pretty badass, and the tension eased a bit.
Once they got comfortable with their weapons, we were ready to go. Terry moved the van so it blocked as much of the back door as possible while Lanky and I went back up on the roof, he with a steel bar and I with a few small squeeze bottles. The rest of the gang each grabbed a bar in case anything got in.
We filled the squeeze bottles with developer. Lanky held the bar while I hung a shirt on the end of it. He swung it around so it was hanging off the edge of the building for safety, and I soaked it. He tried to throw it on the ground at the end of the alley, but it didn't go far enough. We tried again, and that time it was more successful. We put several shirts in a line across the end of the alley, and when it was done he stood at the edge of the building with a book of matches. I waited at the vent.
Lanky looked at me, kissed the book of matches, lit one, and dropped it off the edge of the building. The first shirt caught fire immediately and the rest followed pretty quickly. The zombies started to move away from it. It worked! I gave the signal to the gang inside and they threw open the door...
We went back down to the Minuteman warehouse, where they had already begun making the weapons. The paper cutter has a large blade on it, and we had one spare. They're nice and heavy, nearly two feet long, and super sharp. The problem is that they're hard to wield because there's no good place to grip them.
That's where the shelving comes in. Our warehouse has those sturdy, utilitarian shelves that are basically steel L-shaped bars with steel crossbars, on which the wooden shelf sits. We decided to dismantle one and use the vertical pieces as handles. They have lots of holes in them and the blades have holes in them. They don't line up perfectly but they're close, so we figured as long as the bolts are tight they'd be fine, albeit a little wobbly.
I always wondered why there was a pile of tools in the front corner of the warehouse that never got used, but they've certainly made themselves useful today. Frank Jr. had cut two pieces while we were on the roof and was working on the third when we came down. We found some nuts and bolts and attached the bars to one of the blades. The result was funny-looking, but definitely deadly. It was pretty heavy, especially at the blade end, but someone with strong arms could wield it. The bars were long so you could hold it two-handed, like a halberd.
Lanky picked it up and swung it around to get a feel for it. As skinny as he is, he sure is strong; I never would have thought. When the second one was finished Frank Sr. took it and practiced swinging. As they got used to them they started to look pretty badass, and the tension eased a bit.
Once they got comfortable with their weapons, we were ready to go. Terry moved the van so it blocked as much of the back door as possible while Lanky and I went back up on the roof, he with a steel bar and I with a few small squeeze bottles. The rest of the gang each grabbed a bar in case anything got in.
We filled the squeeze bottles with developer. Lanky held the bar while I hung a shirt on the end of it. He swung it around so it was hanging off the edge of the building for safety, and I soaked it. He tried to throw it on the ground at the end of the alley, but it didn't go far enough. We tried again, and that time it was more successful. We put several shirts in a line across the end of the alley, and when it was done he stood at the edge of the building with a book of matches. I waited at the vent.
Lanky looked at me, kissed the book of matches, lit one, and dropped it off the edge of the building. The first shirt caught fire immediately and the rest followed pretty quickly. The zombies started to move away from it. It worked! I gave the signal to the gang inside and they threw open the door...