Galindo tried to talk, but it came out muffled and he choked on his mouthful of fried potato, spitting crumbs all over himself.
“I think what my mis-mannered friend here is saying,” Barr piped up, patting Galindo on the back, “is that we should be on the lookout for runners as well.”
The Corporal nodded. “Potentially a lot of them, too,” he agreed. “The Captain said he sent a group of fifty this way, so it could be all kinds of trouble in there. If things get too hot, retreat and secure the front door. I don’t want to abandon anybody, but we aren’t in a position to take on that kind of threat.”
The soldiers nodded in agreement, and Korver turned back to the window. The route to the building was clear, so he raised his hand, waving for everyone else to join him.
The quartet filed out onto the side street, knives at the ready, looking towards the fields to make sure that the zombies headed in that direction were far enough away, most of the way down the block. With the distraction safely working, they moved swiftly and quietly towards the housing complex.
The building was on the corner of the next block, still with half a dozen zombies milling about, most of which were pressed up against the building, smacking on the side. Korver pointed to Galindo and Benton to cover the left side, and the four of them leapt into action.
The soldiers rushed the ghouls, jamming blades into the backs of their skulls all along the walls, dropping the corpses before any of them could even turn around to see what was coming. In a matter of seconds, they were zombie free, at least on the outside.
The Corporal approached the door carefully and stepped into the lobby. It was a large space, covering most of the first floor. The front windows provided a decent amount of light, allowing them to see completely across the room.
It looked like a war had gone down in there, blood and corpses covering every inch of space. Bullet holes riddled the walls and furniture, some even in the ceiling. There was some movement at the far end of the room, and Korver knelt down, smacking his knife on the marble floor.
A high-pitched ting reverberated through the room, and a dozen zombies emerged from the shadows. Two of them broke free of the group at a full sprint in crimson soaked military fatigues.
“Runner!” the Corporal cried. “Galindo!”
The two of them dropped their knives and readied their rifles, tracking the movement of the ghouls as they grew closer. At ten yards, they opened fire, both of them finding the target and dropping both runners immediately.
“Benton, get that door secure,” Korver barked. “Rest of you, on me, let’s clean this up.”
The three soldiers approached with their knives out, heading for the ten zombies shambling towards them. As they got close, Galindo stepped over to the side, picking up a lightweight wooden chair and tossing it hard, hitting several of them and knocking seven of them to the ground like bowling pins.
“Looks like a tough spare to pick up there, bud,” Barr quipped.
Galindo grinned and held up his knife. “Don’t worry, I got this,” he declared, and leapt into action. He went after the two still standing, quickly taking them down. Barr lunged and took out the ones of the ground, easy pickings.
Korver took out the last one standing and rejoined the duo, the room secure in a matter of moments.
“What in the hell were they doing over here?” Galindo asked, looking around.
The group headed over to where the ghouls had been, spotting the door for the stairs, which was shut and covered in blood.
Korver took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s see what we’re dealing with,” he said, and approached the stairwell door. He gently pushed it open, peeking inside through the crack.
Within seconds, several decayed fingers grabbed the door, trying to pull it open.
“Oh shit!” the Corporal cried.
Galindo and Benton grabbed the door release and yanked it towards them, and Barr pulled out her handgun and started firing through the crack. One by one, she was able to drop a few zombies, causing the hands to fall away. Once it was down to three sets, the boys were able to pull the door tight on them, the rotted fingers wiggling away against the door frame.
“Knife!” Korver barked.
Barr pulled out her blade and ran it down the frame, severing finger after finger until they were able to pull the door completely shut. Once it was secure, they backed off, staring on as the creatures inside pounded on it.
“Pretty safe to say we aren’t taking the stairs,” Galindo muttered.
Benton pursed his lips. “How the hell we getting up, then?” he asked.
“Elevator?” Galindo suggested.
Barr shook her head. “There’s no power,” she countered. “And even if there was, it would be a death trap.”
“I’m not saying hitch a ride in the elevator,” he shot back, rolling his eyes. “I’m saying let’s use the shaft. We should be able to get on top of it and get the next floor door open.”
Benton shrugged. “I’ve heard worse ideas.”
“Only because you’ve spent so much time with Galindo,” Barr pointed out.
“Facts,” Benton agreed.
Korver shook his head. “Still, I think it’s our only option,” he said. “Let’s find it.”
The group fanned out over the lobby, and finally Barr let out a shout. “Got it!” she called.
The four troops converged on the elevator. Galindo pulled out his knife and wedged it between the doors, prying it open. When it cracked apart, Barr and Benton grabbed and started pulling. As they did, Korver kept his gun at the ready for any surprises.
As the doors slid open, they stared down at the horrific scene before them. Four civilians lay dead on the floor of the elevator, covered in bite marks. One person, who looked to have been a middle-aged man, had a hole in the side of his head, a handgun laying next to him. The troops shook their heads.
“Not sure exactly what happened here,” Galindo mused, “but goddamn, it’s nothing good.”
Korver took a deep breath. “This isn’t going to be pleasant,” he said, “but we gotta pull them out.”
The soldiers begrudgingly started grabbing bodies and pulled them out of the elevator, clearing a path for themselves.
“Galindo, grab that chair over there,” the Corporal instructed.
Galindo grabbed a hard plastic high-backed chair, setting it in the middle of the elevator. Korver hopped up onto it and started working on the roof hatch. It took him a moment with the knife, but he was able to pry it open.
“Give me a hand up here,” he grunted as he wrapped his hands around the open hole. As Galindo got ready, Korver turned to the other two. “Once he’s up, get the chair out of the way, because we might be coming down real quick.”
They climbed up one at a time, and Barr moved the chair out of the way immediately. Korver and Galindo knelt in front of the second floor door, getting it pried open enough to dig their fingers in.
Before they pulled, the Corporal turned to his partner. “If there are more than three of those things on the other side of this door, I want you to go down first,” he said firmly. “That clear?”
Galindo nodded, and then they heaved the doors open all the way. They jumped back, just in case of a threat, but nothing was there. They cautiously stepped forward, peering into the hallway, and then climbing up onto the second floor and looking around.
The hallway was empty, clean, and appeared to have been spared any bloodshed or battle, which was confusing to both soldiers.
“Either those guys never made it this far, or they somehow managed to avoid every zombie and got to safety,” Galindo murmured.
Korver shook his head. “My guess is the former,” he said dryly. “Still, let’s work our way down the hall and see if anybody is home.”
Each of them took a side, heading down the hallway, inspecting each door and giving it a knock. When they got to each end, there was no response from anywhere. They doubled back to the elevator.
�
�Third floor?” Korver asked.
Galindo nodded. “Looks like,” he agreed with a shrug, “but how the hell are we doing this?”
The Corporal let out a sharp whistle, and Barr’s head poked up through the top of the elevator.
“Get up here,” Korver instructed, “we need some help.”
The two soldiers clambered up, and all four reconvened on top of the elevator car. Galindo reached over to the elevator cable and climbed up like a pro. The three soldiers at the bottom grabbed it and pulled the heavy cable towards the door side, so that he could reach. It took all three of them to keep it steady.
“Okay, when I get this door open, you be ready to let go,” Galindo reminded them.
Korver nodded. “Got it.”
The Private wrapped his legs around the cable, securing himself enough around the stiff cord so he could start working on the door with his knife. He managed to get the blade in and pried it open a bit. He took a deep breath before pulling it fully open.
As the doors gave way, he saw pools of blood, as well as corpses on the ground. Nothing jumped out at him, so he gave the others a thumbs up and then grabbed the edge, pulling himself up into the third floor hallway.
He drew his handgun immediately and whipped to the right at the sound of banging. There were a dozen zombies about twenty yards away down the hall, all congregating around one door. He clenched his jaw and leaned back into the elevator shaft.
“Dozen hostiles,” he whispered, “going to need some help.”
He continued to aim at the zombies tensely as Korver made the climb up to the door. It took the Corporal a few moments, but he finally hauled himself into the hallway. He looked at the situation and then motioned through the door for the other two to stay put.
“You feel comfortable shooting at this range?” Korver whispered.
Galindo nodded. “Yeah, I’m good,” he murmured back.
“Let’s light ‘em up, then,” the Corporal said.
They aimed, picking their targets, and then after a quiet countdown, squeezed their triggers simultaneously. Two zombies immediately dropped, and the bulk of them turned their attention towards the fresh meat in the hallway.
As they began to move, three runners in combat fatigues burst through, tearing towards them. The soldiers fired, having trouble finding their targets right away until finding foreheads.
Galindo took aim at the final runner, but missed, hitting it in the jaw.
“Move back!” Korver barked, and as the Private darted out of the way, the Corporal dropped into a crouch, waiting for the ghoul to reach him. When it did, he swung his arms up, catching the zombie under the armpits and shoving it into the elevator shaft, head first.
The ghoul’s head gave a sickening crack as it hit the far wall, and then the body plummeted to the car below with a sharp crunch.
“Hell of a move there, Corporal,” Galindo breathed.
Korver shrugged. “Wasn’t my first choice, but it worked,” he replied. “Come on, let’s clean it up.”
They resumed firing, quickly taking out the remaining zombies in the hallway. With the situation clear, the Corporal leaned back into the elevator.
“We’re going to check out the door,” he said. “You two hang right.”
At their nods, he led Galindo towards the room that the zombies had been so interested in. The Private grinned and did a playful shave and a haircut knock, and a moment later, the lock clicked.
The door opened, revealing a blood-soaked soldier, pallid and eyes wide. His face broke out into a giant smile when he saw the two soldiers standing there.
“Oh, thank you,” he croaked. “We didn’t think anybody would ever come.”
“What’s your name, soldier?” Korver asked.
The young man stood up straight. “I’m Private Casey,” he replied, and then motioned to two men inside, sitting on dorm beds snacking on some junk food left behind by the previous residents. “This is Private Ibarra, and Private Hartman.”
“Gentlemen,” Korver continued, “I’m Corporal Korver, and this is Private Galindo. Captain Clay sent us to rescue your team so we can push on to Freeway Park. Did anybody else make it?”
Casey swallowed hard and shook his head.
“Nah man,” Hartman said, standing up from the bed. “We’re it.”
Galindo’s eyes widened. “Christ,” he breathed. “I thought there were fifty of you. What the hell happened?”
“Shit hit the fan,” Hartman replied, tossing an empty chip bag on the floor. “That’s what happened.”
Korver nodded. “We’ll have plenty of time to hear the whole story once we get to Freeway Park,” he said firmly. “Let’s get a move on.”
The three Privates grabbed their gear, and Ibarra picked up a large duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder.
“What you got there?” Galindo asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ibarra grinned. “Party favors.” He gave him a playful wink and headed past him towards the elevator.
Galindo smiled. “This should be fun,” he quipped.
The group reached the shaft and everyone worked their way down to the bottom, one by one. The newcomers introduced themselves to Benton and Barr, and the newly formed group headed back out into the lobby.
Korver led the way to the front door and peered out front. There were a few dozen zombies staggering about, attracted by the gunfire, just enough to make life difficult.
“There another way out of here?” he asked, turning back to the rescued soldiers.
Ibarra jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Back entrance to an alley,” he replied, “but not sure we want to go that way.”
“Why not?” the Corporal asked.
“Fenced-in area leading to the street…” Hartman trailed off, shaking his head, “and not all of us made it inside.”
The others exchanged a look, nodding in understanding. Runners.
“We could always just shoot out one of the windows and go that route,” Galindo suggested. “Not like we have to worry about being sued for property damage or anything.”
Barr shook her head. “Noise is going to attract those things in our direction,” she replied. “Unless you want to stay behind and distract them while we make our getaway.”
“Not high up on my list of things to do,” Galindo admitted. He held up a finger. “Wait, Ibarra, you got any party favors that could help us out here?”
His new companion grinned and unzipped the duffel bag. “Thought you’d never ask.” He pulled out a small block of C4 with a detonator.
“Isn’t that a bit overkill?” Benton asked.
Ibarra shook his head. “Nah, overkill would be leveling the building. I’m just gonna…” he paused and smirked, “do a bit of rearranging.”
Korver chuckled and waved to him. “Get it set up,” he instructed.
Ibarra headed for the front reception desk, securing the explosive to the front wall facing the doors, and then attached the detonator. “We’re good,” he declared as he joined the group.
Korver led them to the side street window and shot it out. The group quickly jumped out, one at a time, and they took off running to the north towards the rally point.
Zombies staggered after them, arms outstretched, and a block up, the Corporal nodded.
“Hit it,” he said, and Ibarra smashed the detonator, sending an impressive shockwave through the air, shattering glass in several buildings.
Benton poked at his ear, shaking his head. “I thought you were just rearranging?” he asked.
“Job was a little bigger than I thought,” Ibarra admitted sheepishly.
Benton laughed, and clapped him on the back, and the soldiers picked up the pace to head back to the rendezvous.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The group of nine set up in some bushes across the way from Freeway Park. The target building, a ten story structure that overlooked the interstate, was two hundred yards away. There was a four-lane frontage road, an on ramp, and a large parking
lot standing between them and the front door, as well as fifty or so zombies.
On the interstate, which ran straight at the building before curving around it, there were thousands of ghouls, spread out with a few yards between each of them, most shambling slowly to the north, where there was faint gunfire in the distance.
“Great,” Galindo muttered, “so now what?”
Barr shrugged. “We get inside and get to where we need to get to,” she replied.
“Interstate’s raised a bite,” Bartlett mused, “so probably the third or fourth floor should give us a good vantage point.”
Galindo threw up his hands. “Again, that’s great, but then what?” he asked. “These three guys are the only reinforcements we have. There are thousands of those things on the interstate. How are we supposed to do anything to them?”
“One thing at a time,” Korver cut in. “Let’s get in there and secure, first.”
Galindo begrudgingly nodded his head.
“So, how are we getting in?” Sellers piped up.
Barr cocked her head. “Those Things are spread out pretty good,” she pointed out. “I say we just plow through right to the front door.”
“And if it’s locked?” Galindo asked.
She tapped her gun. “I got the key.”
Casey pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked towards the building, scanning the area until he spotted an underground parking lot. “Might have a better option,” he said, and handed the binoculars over to Korver, pointing.
The Corporal looked and saw that only one of the doors appeared to be open, and there weren’t too many zombies around the entrance. “Parking garage, huh?”
“Would make sense,” Hartman agreed, “those stairwell doors would most likely be unlocked. And I’m guessing it’s not too crowded if you’re suggesting it.”
Ibarra nodded. “I like that better than a suicide run to the front door.”
“Any objections?” Korver asked.
Galindo raised his hand, and the Corporal looked around.
“Good, let’s move,” he said, and the Private scowled, lowering his hand.
Dead America The Northwest Invasion | Book 11 | Dead America: Seattle [Part 9] Page 5
