“Stop! You sonofabitch, stop!” Colonel Jenkins yelled out.
But the car didn’t. It gathered speed as it came closer to the entrance of the gate.
Colt stepped backward, shuffling his sons behind him, expecting the worst. Bald raised his rifle. “Get behind me, sir.” Colonel Jenkins pushed the vice president behind him, likewise expecting the worst.
Bodies of the infected bounced off the cars bumper as the driver proceeded.
“Colonel,” Bald started.
“What is it, Bald?”
“You recognize that car?”
Colonel Jenkins strained to see. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “No way. You’ve got to be kidding me. Is that?”
“I believe it is, sir.”
“Redding.” Colonel Jenkins shook his head from side to side.
“Apparently he wasn’t too happy with me shooting his buddy Gunderson. Or the fact we didn’t make room for him on the chopper.”
“And now what? He wants to get back at us? Become a meal for the infected? That sonofabitch! Can you take him out?”
Bald stared through his scope. “Negative, sir. Not from here. I’ll have to wait until he gets closer to the gate.”
Colonel Jenkins floundered for Colt’s regard. Shock hung on the colonel’s face. Shock and despair.
The car bowled through the masses, but as it proceeded, a swarm of infected formed behind the car and followed behind its bumper, chasing him down.
“Take the shot! Now, Bald!” Colonel Jenkins yelled.
Bald squeezed the trigger and as the shot spiraled through the air, Colt stood high on his toes to watch the bullet’s path. The shot contacted the windshield and shattered it, but the car didn’t slow, not nearly enough. The front end pierced the gate and rattled it inward, but it didn’t break.
Frozen in place for the moment, the group stood still. But only until the upsurge of infected climbed the roof of the car and, with their momentum and strength, pushed inside the fence. When the first infected dropped from atop the car and onto the roadway that led to the main entrance of the complex, Colonel Jenkins turned around and yelled, “Run!”
30
At Colonel Jenkins’ command, Colt lifted Wesley into his arms. His first step was back toward the gate, but he stopped when Colonel Jenkins yelled, “Can’t go that way, Mr. Maddox. The gate is sealed. We need to make for the chopper.”
Colt altered his path and spoke down to Dylan. “Follow them, and hurry!”
Dylan did as he was told. Colt was quick on his heels and didn’t dare look behind him. He couldn’t, not if he wanted to make short work of the ground they needed to cover to reach the helipad.
As they ran, Colt heard the booming screeches from the infected. Men, women, and children leapt from the roof and hood of the car. One by one the infected chased after Colt and the others as they made their way toward the waiting chopper.
Colt saw Colonel Jenkins hop into the pilot’s chair. He was the first to enter, followed closely by the vice president and chief of staff. Bald stood guard, aiming his rifle toward the gate, back at the infected who were closing in on their position.
Bald squeezed the trigger of his automatic rifle and fired numerous shots that whizzed past Colt and the boys as they ran. Dylan reached the chopper before Colt, and he didn’t hesitate. He leaped into the cargo bay and turned for his brother. After unloading Wesley from his arms, Colt joined Bald, spinning his rifle that was slung across his chest.
Bald witnessed Colt come near and nodded to him. In between shots, he heard the rotors begin to churn overhead.
Finally! Let’s get this thing airborne and get out of here, Colt thought. Quickly, though, he realized Bald wasn’t moving from his position. Why isn’t he moving? How long does this thing take to warm up? Colt didn’t know that Colonel Jenkins would need at least sixty seconds to get the chopper airborne.
With each passing second, the infected multiplied. Once Colt’s rifle was empty, he had the sinking feeling they would be overrun. Bald couldn’t have many shots left in his magazine either. Sure, he had multiple extra magazines, but he’d have to reload, and the infected were gaining ground.
“I’m out,” Colt said.
“Do you have a sidearm?” Bald looked up from the stock and asked.
Without responding Colt turned to Dylan. “Grab the Glock from your bag.”
Dylan ripped his bag open and handed the handgun to his father. Colt stared down the sight as he held the weapon away from his body. With his right arm almost fully flexed, he got an infected in his sights and pulled the trigger just as Bald’s magazine reached empty. Colt glanced at him as he dropped the magazine from the rifle, reached for his side, and shoved in another. In awe of his professionalism and extreme skill, Colt thought of Jake’s face again. But his thought quickly faded when he saw an approaching infected. A woman. She was close, nearly ten feet away. Colt lifted the Glock and put her down.
“Uh, Colonel, they’re getting closer. We need to get out of here,” Bald’s voice shook, but with the reverberating rotors, there was no way the colonel could hear him.
Colt found another target. They were getting close now, within six feet. That was when Colt felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun to see fear in the vice president’s eyes as he waved Colt inside. Colt hopped on the side of the chopper, as did Bald, both still aiming over the edge and firing into the crowd of swarming infected.
With each dropping body, they got closer.
Five feet.
Then three.
Then two.
Finally, as the helicopter lifted from the ground, an infected man leaped for the skid. He held on tight and flailed his feet. Colt looked down to see his gnashing teeth and the pus dripping from his open mouth until Bald aimed and fired a round through his head. Colt watched the infected man fall into the awaiting arms of the swarm below.
Colt sighed and pushed himself into the cockpit. He put a headset over his ears and caught Bald’s eye. “That was close,” Colt said.
“Nah, we had ‘em all along.” Bald chuckled.
“Great shooting, gentleman,” the vice president said.
“Man’s a natural,” Bald nodded to Colt.
“Just got lucky, I think.”
“Luck or not, you boys saved our lives,” the vice president said.
Colt nodded to the vice president, then sat down hard next to his son’s. He wrapped them close in his arms, knowing once again the hardships they continued to endure with each passing minute of this new world.
Once airborne, Colonel Jenkins pointed the nose north and said. “Sit back and enjoy the ride, fellas. We’ll be in Kansas City in no time.”
As Wesley and Dylan pressed into their father, Colt’s thoughts returned to Anna. Would the infected breach Cheyenne Mountain? Could they? But then he felt a momentary moment of calmness wash over him when he remembered what he’d heard about the city in the mountain. Cheyenne Mountain Complex was a fortress. Nearly, impenetrable.
Then, the calmness faded. From everything he’s seen, these infected were able to test their limits. Adapt and evolve. One way or another, they’d find a way inside.
UNCIVIL WAR: EVOLUTION
Book Three
Wright & Dudycha
AVAILABLE NOW!
Sample: Uncivil War: Evolution
Chapter 1
The hum of the boat’s motor was loud in their ears. The river was black in the dark of midnight, and the wind pushing against Jake Maddox’s face felt warm. Though his girlfriend, Jess, his best friend Tyler, and their VIP package—thirteen-year-old Amy—made it without injury, his heart was heavy. The short but hellacious run from the University of Cincinnati to the Rivertown Marina had already claimed the first member of their team. Jerry may have been their weakest link, but he was still part of the chain all the same. A mission is always a failure when a team member is lost. No matter if the desired outcome is reached or not.
The infected had been everywhere on their tri
p to get to the boat, or at least that was how it seemed. Just four days ago, before they were infected, every one of those black-eyed aliens had been a normal human being just like Jake and everyone else on his team. Now they were all hunters. Looking to take everyone in their path down with them. For what reason, or to what end, was still unknown. But what was certainly clear was that they were getting smarter and more cunning by the day.
Moving from the safety of the small compound under the library at the university at night had been the only thing that saved them. That and they were able to drive to Rivertown Marina with their lights off thanks to the night vision goggles Professor Reed had procured before the fall of earth. Jerry lost his life because a group of infected had been standing guard at the marina, waiting for anyone to come their way. They had waited until everyone was well clear of the RV to make their move. And they came fast. In the end, they had killed every one of the dozen infected that had jumped them, but not before they claimed one of Jake’s ten.
Jake had gone over the risks with everyone who decided to leave the university for the emergency operations center in Mount Weather, Virginia. They knew the risks, but that didn’t make the loss any easier. However, just like any of his many missions with Delta Forces and in the Army, Jake knew the objective must still be reached. They had to keep their minds moving forward, and that was what he was doing now as he stood at the bow of the boat, staring at the black in front of him.
The boat was stocked with enough weapons and ammunition for a small war. If the trek from the university to the marina was any indication of what was to come, that amount of weaponry still wouldn’t be enough. They had plenty of medicine. Yesterday morning Jake led Bryan Hall, the only other survivor with military experience, and two other men that were also on the boat now, out on a Beritrix run. Beritrix is the medicine Jake has been taking since he was an infant when he was diagnosed with WD17, a disease that completely strips the immune system, affecting approximately 1% of the world’s population. But more important for Jake and others that had this disease, it also just so happened to be the medicine that kept them from getting infected. The medicine had been created to restore and amplify the immune system in those who had WD17. Apparently, it restored the immune system in a way that whatever the aliens were releasing into the air to infect people, Beritrix kept those aliens from making hosts out of whoever had been injecting it. “A dose of Beritrix a day helps keep the aliens away”, Tyler had joked. So far, it had continued to be true. And everyone on the mission to Mount Weather would have to have that daily dose to keep from being turned.
What the rest of the population had been turned into was still a point of contention, but with Amy being able to translate the alien conversation, and that conversation being all about taking over humanity, it was hard to argue, even for Jake, that it was anything other than an invasion. What they wanted, and why they wanted it, was still a mystery. And it would remain so, at least until Jake and company got Amy to Mount Weather, where they could begin investigating and running tests as to why she was immune from being infected even though she hadn’t taken Beritrix. The real reason to get her to Mount Weather, other than Jake’s carnal instinct to protect the innocent, was that the thirteen-year-old could actually understand these invaders. Whatever they were. Jake and Jess also believed Amy was what the aliens had referred to as Element Zero. In the conversation Amy was able to translate, these aliens mentioned Element Zero was their only weakness, and that they must find it. They both thought it too big of a coincidence that Amy was immune without medicine and could translate this alien language. Then, of course, there was also the fact that on multiple occasions, the infected, who had never spoken anything before, said the name Amy. One said it to Jake, and one said it to Dr. Emily Fraser at Mount Weather. The coincidence was too strong.
So what did that mean for Amy? Jake had no idea. But if Amy was in fact this Element Zero, and it was the invaders’ only weakness, he was certain they would be coming for her. Therefore he had to get her to Mount Weather alive so maybe the small number of humans left on the planet could possibly learn how to survive this invasion, and in Jake’s mind, find a way to fight back.
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Acknowledgments
First and foremost, we want to thank you, the reader. We love what we do, and no matter how many people help us along the way, none of it would be possible if you weren’t turning the pages.
To our family and friends. Every creative person is neurotic as hell about their creations, and we just want to thank you for always helping to keep our heads on straight. And for indulging all of our ridiculous ideas.
To our editor, Josiah Davis. Thank you for your hard work in making our story sound better, and for helping our writing become sharper.
To our advanced reader team. You are our megaphone in helping spread the word about each new novel we release. You all have become friends, and we thank you for catching those last few sneaky typos, and always letting us know when something isn’t good enough. Jake and Colt appreciate you, and so do we.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
B.T. Wright and Jonathan Dudycha are the authors of the Uncivil War series. They found common ground in 2016 because they discovered they are adults still playing make-believe, and they had a similar background playing college baseball. Because they have penned novels in similar genres, it made sense to collaborate on a project just for the sheer fun of it. B.T. lives in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife and son. Jonathan hangs his hat in Ponte Vedra, Florida with his wife, son, and daughter. Though they are “blue steel” in the photo, in reality, serious is a rare occurrence.
Join the online family:
www.wrightanddudycha.com
[email protected]
Also by Wright & Dudycha
Both B.T. and Jonathan write thrillers under different names.
If you enjoy espionage and crime thrillers B.T. writes under the name Bradley Wright. Here are his other novels:
Bradley Wright
Xander King Series:
Whiskey & Roses
Vanquish
King’s Ransom
King’s Reign
Scourge
Vendetta (prequel novella)
Lawson Raines Series:
When the Man Comes Around
Shooting Star
If you enjoy espionage and sea adventure thrillers Jonathan writes under the name J.D. Dudycha. Here are his other novels:
J.D. Dudycha
Gage Finley Adventures
Scavengers
Dark Descent
Buried Secrets
Deep Blue
Hurricane
Niki Finley Thrillers
First Shot
Second Best
Third Degree
Baseball Stories
Paint the Black
Sitting Dead Red
Chasing the Dream
Inside the Dugout: A collection of Baseball Stories
For information on upcoming releases, contests, freebies, and deals on future novels, head over to-
www.wrightanddudycha.com
-and join the reader team. We don’t write often, and we will never spam you or share your information. Thanks for being a part of the team. Talk to you soon!
Uncivil War: Infected Page 15
