The Redemption Trilogy

by A. J. Sikes

  “I think—” Sergeant Kuhn started to say, but the SAW gunner opened up and the man’s words were lost behind the chatter of gunfire. Another pack of the monsters crawled from beneath the roadway and began pouring over the sides in jumbled piles of pasty-white skin and ugly yellow eyes. Jed popped one with a burst to its chest. The SAW gunner lit up the pack on the right side, and Jed heard the guys over there taking shots just like him. Short bursts, quick and clean.

  Jed let out a quick sigh of relief when Sergeant Kuhn yelled something and the SAW gunner got his shit under control. Now he just sent bursts at the monsters coming over the sides of the roadway. Jed went between firing at those and trying to pick off the ones that still dropped from above. They’d got most of the ones up there, but a few kept trying to come down on them. Between him and Rainey, though, they’d nearly cleared the monsters off the girders.

  “Gonna get ’em, Welch. Gonna get ’em. Yeah!”

  Those were the last words Jed heard from the corporal. A monster landed in the truck behind them and everyone seemed to spin at the same time to try and take it out. Two of the guys on the other side of the truck opened up on it, sending a spray of blood into Rainey’s face and mouth. He wiped at it and spit. Then he screamed and dropped his weapon and started digging his fingers into his mouth, trying to scrape the blood out.

  Sergeant Townsend put a hand on Rainey’s shoulder, like he’d hold him together, but Jed threw a butt stroke at Rainey’s face, knocking the man backward and almost out of the truck. He went down on the truck bed and was still spitting and trying to claw his own tongue out.

  “The fuck is wrong with you, Welch?” Sergeant Townsend yelled. Jed heard the guys on the other side of the truck still firing and taking out monsters up top. The SAW gunner was rattling off bursts at the front of the truck. Jed heard Sergeant Kuhn up there shout Townsend’s name.

  “Your man okay?”

  Jed looked down. Rainey had gone still; his eyes were closed and his fingers still jammed into his mouth. Spit and blood covered his lips.

  “Welch,” Sergeant Townsend said, stabbing a finger into Jed’s shoulder.

  He looked ready to kill, and he probably would have put Jed down if Rainey hadn’t grabbed his lower leg and bit into it. Rainey’s face was twisted into a snarl and his teeth dug into the NCO’s uniform until they drew blood. Sergeant Townsend screamed and smashed the butt of his rifle at Rainey’s face, but he only struck the side of the corporal’s helmet.

  Another monster dropped from above and landed in the truck, raking its claws down Sergeant Townsend’s back as it came down.

  Jed watched as the NCO was ripped apart by the thing behind him while Rainey kept grabbing at his legs and trying to bite into them. Sergeant Townsend dropped his weapon and arched his back, flailing as the monster tore into his flesh with its clawed hands.

  Shrieks and howls echoed under the El tracks, and the truck still raced forward. Jed brought the butt of his rifle around in an arc and put Sergeant Townsend down and out of the truck. The monster behind him went out, its claws still embedded in his back. They toppled to the pavement and were instantly run over by the bus.

  Rainey was lying in the truck bed with a crazed look in his eyes and blood dripping from his mouth. He puckered his lips like he wanted to suck on something.

  One of the guys on the other side of the truck shouted at Jed. “Kill it!”

  Jed lowered his weapon to point at Rainey’s face. In the second before Jed fired, whatever was left of Rainey seemed to understand what was happening. He lifted a hand to hold the muzzle steady while Jed squeezed the trigger.

  Jed shoved Rainey’s body off the truck and kicked Sergeant Townsend’s weapon out. Blood coated the truck bed and flowed steadily from the wounds in the dead thing that had nearly taken Jed and Rainey out together. Sergeant Boon was just a sack of dead meat underneath it.

  The other two guys in the truck were watching the tracks above them. Jed shook himself and did the same. It looked like they’d made it through the worst of it. Nothing else crawled around up there. The SAW gunner had cleared their path from the ones coming over the sides of the road. Sergeant Kuhn nodded at Jed before he told the other two to keep their eyes open. They both acknowledged the order, and Jed had his mouth open to say something. But Kuhn had his back to him already.

  ***

  The convoy rolled through the city, still moving as fast as they could. The driver had to slow down to navigate around a mess of tangled-up cars at the first intersection after the rail yards. Finally, they were into the next neighborhood and following the boulevard out to Queensbridge. They still had to get through a maze of girders and bridges and shit, but Jed knew they’d make it. The things weren’t crawling up top anymore. They got through. And that boy on the SAW, he knew how to do it.

  At the ramp up to Queensbridge, the bus behind them roared forward and nearly crashed into their truck.

  “The fuck?”

  Jed waved the driver back. The man flipped him the finger and kept trying to get around the truck.

  Abandoned cars up ahead gave them only one lane to use.

  “Sergeant,” one of the other guys said. Kuhn looked over his shoulder. He slapped a palm on the truck cab and leaned down to shout in the passenger window. They sped up and got through the single-lane path. The SAW gunner kept his eyes on the road and Jed tried to do the same on his side of the truck.

  But the damn bus kept revving up and coming closer like it was going to ram them.

  Sergeant Kuhn leaned down to holler at the LT again. The bus driver picked up a walkie-talkie. Whatever he said, it didn’t have much effect. Jed’s truck stayed at the same speed and would swerve to block the bus when the driver tried to get around them.

  “What’s that about, Sergeant?” Jed finally asked.

  “It’s about an asshole who doesn’t know when to shut up and do his fucking job. He a friend of yours?”

  Mother—

  Whatever Jed did to get these guys pissed at him, he was through with it. Fuck ’em. He’d keep an eye out and do his job, sure. And once this truck stopped, he’d move out with a purpose.

  Just like before. It’s the Jed show now, 24/7 and 365.

  The truck passed a bunch of industrial places coming up to the river. That’s what Jed got to look at anyway. He turned his head to see what was coming up for the guys on the other side of the truck. Nice high-rise apartments and some parks and shit. And probably all of it crawling with them things.

  A second later, they were on the bridge, on the bottom deck, and it got dark as night around them.

  “We got any lights, Sergeant?” one of the other guys asked. Jed was glad he didn’t have to open his mouth.

  “Just the ones on the front. Eyes out and mouths shut unless you see something.”

  They crossed over a park right at the river’s edge and Jed was looking at some kind of power plant. Two smoke stacks sat quiet and cold next to a yard full of pylons with power lines. Then he spotted the barge in the river hugged up against the edge of the yard like it had run into the shore. Bodies littered the area down there, hanging off the edge of the barge and lying around the yard. Spatters of blood and other shit were everywhere.

  He should say something. That’s what they’d want him to do, right? Report signs of enemy movement. He had his mouth open, but the bus driver was at it again, and Jed couldn’t resist the urge to put the guy in his place. First, he threw him the finger with a smile and then he aimed his rifle in the dude’s direction.

  That got the guy’s attention, but not the way Jed wanted to. The bus roared up and came alongside them before their driver could push over and block the lane.

  People inside the bus were screaming like crazy and banging on the windows. Every face was wet with tears, but Jed didn’t see any blood.

  Sergeant Kuhn shouted something at him, and Jed turned to see the SAW gunner aiming at the bus.

  “Get back, Welch. If they’re infected, we have to t
ake ’em out.”

  As the bus passed them, Jed knew the people inside were going to die. Nobody looked infected, at least not that he could tell. They all still looked human anyway. But at the back of the bus, the emergency exit was open, and a spray of blood coated the inside of the door.

  “Shit,” Kuhn said.

  The SAW gunner followed with a question. “Where’s their Marshall?”

  “Marshall?” Jed asked.

  “The guy with the LAW rocket. He’s supposed to be at the back of the bus in case anyone inside is infected.”

  “In case?”

  “He takes the infected person down,” Sergeant Kuhn said. “Or takes them all down if he has to.”

  Jed couldn’t believe it. They’d had a guy in there with a fucking LAW rocket to put the whole bus down just in case—

  A spray of blood coated the windows inside the bus, and then another. A guy in a Yankees hat was leaning up against the glass coughing out blood. He tried holding his ball cap on as he shook and spit. A lady a few seats back was doing it, and then another guy. They were all sitting near the back of the bus.

  The SAW gunner went to work and Jed felt his world fall apart.

  Those are people. They’re not all infected.

  The bullets kept flying into the bus. The gunner aimed for the ones that were going all crazy first. A couple of people ran for the back of the bus. Sergeant Kuhn dropped them before they got to the door. Everyone else was up at the front. The driver tried to get them away, but the SAW gunner shifted his aim and then the bus went off to the side, grinding against the concrete divider and sending sparks all over the place until it screeched to a stop up against a wrecked pickup truck.

  — 23 —

  Upper East Side, Manhattan

  Meg had her axe in her hand as soon as the barricade fell away from the wall. One of them sat crouched in the doorway staring at her. It was much bigger than any of them she’d seen so far. This one looked like it might have been a boxer or a wrestler when it was human. Thick veins crossed its pale white skin. And blood stained its sucker lips and clawed hands.

  Rachel shoved the boards up so she could roll out from under them just as another creature came in behind the first. They seemed to trade looks. Meg couldn’t believe it.

  They’re communicating?

  Jason rolled under Meg’s guard and came up beside her. He helped Rachel to her feet and they both lifted their axes from where they’d set them down. For a tense moment, Meg and the others faced off with the monsters through the doorway.

  The big one leaped straight for Meg. She swung as it flew toward her, but her aim was off. The axe head slid off the thing’s shoulder, barely slicing into its flesh. It rolled away from the blow and came up in a crouch against the shutters.

  Meg heard Jason and Rachel shouting behind her.

  The one in front of her made a hesitant step forward. Meg held her axe across her body, ready to swing or shove the thing if it came for her.

  It tilted its head and let out a hiss, then a fast shriek.

  Jason shouted from Meg’s right, but she didn’t dare turn to look. She heard axes impacting on bodies and sometimes the wall or floor. Rachel yelled, and Meg finally caught what they were saying.

  “Rex! Help!”

  The one in front of Meg tilted its head upward and sniffed. That’s when she recognized it. This was the one from outside, the one she’d seen when she was nailing the barricade together upstairs.

  Is it the leader? My god, do they have leaders?

  She stepped forward, passing by Eric’s still and silent body. He was dead. They’d been too late and he lost too much blood.

  She’d be damned if she’d go down without getting some revenge.

  Meg readied herself for the leader to charge her. But it seemed to be waiting for her to make a move, like it wanted to give her a chance before it killed her.

  “Well fuck you, too, then,” Meg said. She gritted her teeth and raised her axe for a swing right as she heard the sound of shattering glass from upstairs.

  Shit!

  The leader jerked its head up and shrieked again. Meg swung as it was lowering its head. She thought she saw a hint of recognition it its yellow slit eyes just as her axe came down into its skull.

  Meg wrenched her axe out of the monster’s shattered head and spun to take in the floor behind her. Rachel and Jason had the doorway covered, taking turns swinging axes at the monsters as they tried to get in. They held them off pretty well, but eventually one would get up onto the wall and crawl along the ceiling, out of reach of the axes.

  If they could get another hose connected…

  Rex shifted from one foot to the other at the back of the bay, in front of the survivors. He had an axe in his hands and looked at the staircase. One of the monsters had come down, and sat crouched on the bottom step. It turned its head around halfway, looking at the dead one Jason had thrown there. As the new one turned its head and rolled its shoulders, a sickening echo of cracks and pops came into the bay. Then the monster leaped out and raced along the floor to the far wall. Meg watched Rex track its movement, turning to face it as it hung on the wall and approached him and the survivors.

  “Rex!” Meg shouted just as another one launched from the stairs and landed in the middle of the survivors.

  Screams and shrieks echoed around the room. Meg raced for the back of the app floor. If Rex could hold them off—Meg cringed inside as she watched Rex swing his axe half-heartedly. The one that jumped into the survivors was tearing people apart and all Rex could do was back up against the wall beside the stairs.

  Another one came down the steps just as Meg got there. She missed with the first swing and had to swing upward quickly. Her second blow landed, and caught the thing in its throat. Blood sprayed out, covering Meg’s face shield.

  Screams and cries of pain surrounded her. Meg swiped at her shield with her jacket sleeve. That only smeared the blood. She could see better, but still not well enough to fight.

  “Rex! Help them!” she screamed. Somewhere nearby she heard someone grunting, like they were fighting. She had to hope it was Rex and that he’d finally grown a spine.

  Jason roared from somewhere behind Meg. She spun in time to see him swinging his axe into another big creature, like the leader Meg had killed before. It fell to the ground with the axe in its chest. Blood poured from the wound as Jason yanked on the axe handle to dislodge his weapon. Rachel had her back to him and swung her axe back and forth to fend off two of the things that crawled from the doorway along the walls.

  Meg wiped at her face shield as she ran to help Rachel. She could see enough to swing now and brought her axe down on a monster’s head. Rachel bashed the other one with the flat of her axe, knocking it from the wall. It reared up to strike when Rachel swung back to sink the blade into its face.

  Meg wiped a glove down her face shield over and over until her vision was clear. She had a good view now. The app floor was a bloody mess. She heard people behind her cowering, whimpering, and sobbing. Rex was still near the remaining survivors. The one that leaped into them had taken down Abeer and her child. They lay on the floor in a heap next to the pink-sweater lady and at least five others. Dayone and the punk girl were alive, though, and hid in the corner with the remaining survivors. Dayone’s little girl cowered behind them all.

  “Where’s Mrs. Cannady?”

  Rex took a step to his left, revealing the woman lying on her back with her blouse covered in blood.

  “It moved too fast,” he said. “I couldn’t—”

  “Meg!” Rachel yelled.

  Meg turned in time to see Eric staggering across the floor toward the other two firefighters.

  He launched himself at Rachel and tackled her. Jason moved fast, knocking Eric aside, but he rolled with the blow and got his legs under him just as Rachel jumped to her feet. She and Jason held their axes ready and circled around so they had Eric from both sides. His face was already changing. His lips pushed o
ut and he made a sucking motion with his mouth.

  Eric reared back and lifted his face to the ceiling to scream. Then he doubled over and began gnawing on his own arm.

  “Eric!” Meg called to him. He lifted his head and looked at her. She watched as his eyes narrowed and yellowed, with blood leaking from them. Jason and Rachel approached him, ready to strike. But Eric flicked his head to the side, eyeing them. He dropped to all fours and scrambled away from their swinging axes.

  More shrieks and howls came from the doorway as another group of the creatures raced into the chief’s office. Jason filled the doorway and swung like a man possessed. His axe moved in a blur, left and right, and blood spattered onto the app floor with every strike.

  Rachel went after Eric, tracking him along the far wall. Meg wanted to join her, to help.

  They both need me. But Eric—What the hell is happening?

  Eric had gotten around Meg on the wall while she stared at him, tears dripping from her nose and chin.

  “Meg,” Rachel said, prodding her in the shoulder with her fist. “You need to kill it. That’s not Eric anymore. That’s not your friend up there.”

  He was getting closer to the back of the floor now. Meg and Rachel moved with him, axes up. They had to kick the cots aside to reach the area where the survivors were hiding. When they were only feet away from the survivors, a scream to Meg’s left startled her and she had to move her attention from Eric.

  Some of the people who had been attacked were standing up as monsters. Three of them were up on their knees with blood streaming from their eyes. Their fingers curled into claws as they pulled and then tore at their own skin.

  Mrs. Cannady was hunched over like a grotesque football player hell bent on killing anything that got in her way.

  Rex finally got his axe over his head and managed to swing down into Mrs. Cannady’s back before she could step toward Dayone and the others. The punk girl pressed herself back against the people behind her. Dayone’s little girl grabbed her mother’s hand. Their screams were agony in Meg’s ears.