Serrano worked with Sarah to make sure she was comfortable with the gun he’d loan her, while Phillip and Aaron worked with Jennifer to teach her the ins and outs of the newfound gun.
While they worked with the women, Richard tried to relax in the back of the big truck, willing his back to loosen up as he lay there. Nothing was helping. It’d likely be hours before he’d be able to feel his legs again, which meant he’d be completely reliant on the women to protect him, just like the children.
When Serrano and the two Marines felt confident that the women could handle the weapons without injuring themselves, the group gathered again at the back of the truck.
“Shit,” Serrano began.”
“What is it?” Sarah asked.
“I don’t suppose any of you grabbed the map.”
“Here, Richard said, from his position on the floor.
“Thanks,” Serrano replied, taking it and unfolding it on the deck. “Alright, we’ll head up to Willow Road, then take that towards the water. When we reach Bay Road, I’ll head north, towards the other bridge, while you two head towards the Dumbarton.”
Both men nodded in understanding.
Looking at the five who would stay behind, Serrano said, “Stay low, stay quiet. We should be able to do this in a couple of hours, then we’ll be back. If anything happens, anyone comes, lock this bad boy down.” He patted the thick steel of the truck. “There’s not a bullet on the streets that will penetrate this thing’s skin.”
Sarah and Jennifer nodded in understanding.
“Okay,” Richard said, turning his head from where he lay on the floor to look at Serrano. “I’ll just stay here, then.”
Serrano smiled. Looking at Aaron and Phillip, he said, “Alright, let’s do this.” Putting his rifle over his shoulder, he turned to lead the men away.
“Wait,” Jennifer said, moving to Aaron. She pulled him close and hugged him tightly, then planted a kiss on his lips, surprising him.
“I - “ he stammered.
“Gotta go,” Phillip growled, pulling the man by his elbow. Together, they joined Serrano, heading North towards Willow Road.
“I didn’t expect that,” Aaron explained.
“I know,” Phillip replied. “Just remember what I said and don’t get yourself killed.”
Five miles away, Graham Walker breathed heavily as he and Trent McConnell walked east, out onto the Dumbarton bridge. Sommer had dropped them off a few blocks from the entrance to the bridge, loading them up with weapons and supplies before he, Hank, and Randall left for the medical building a few miles north.
Once he and Hank were set up there, Randall would head out onto the San Mateo-Hayward bridge, where he would be visible from the building’s rooftop. If the man needed backup, Sommer and Hank could be there quickly.
When Sommer went over the plan with the group earlier that morning, both Graham and Trent were relieved. The distance they’d have to cover on foot was considerably shorter than what Randall would have to cover, which was good, since neither man was built for speed. Graham would definitely be classified as ‘burly’, while Trent was, well, chunky. Always had been, and probably would be, regardless of how hard it was to find a good burger these days.
Sweat ran down each big man’s face as they worked their way between the abandoned cars and trucks, carrying rifles over their shoulders, pistols at their sides, and grenades in the cargo pockets of their pants.
There was no way anyone would be getting to San Francisco from this direction.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The Salt Ponds, South San Francisco Bay
Deon Harris couldn’t believe it.
Being part of Skull Crusher’s crew had given him everything he’d ever wanted: money, drugs, alcohol, and women. He’d lived better than he’d even dreamed of, enjoying the finest foods, most expensive alcohol, imported cigars, and the company of numerous, random women who sought a chance to become a permanent part of his luxury-filled life.
And that was before the outbreak.
Since then, as the police slowly faded from existence into a distant memory of an annoyance that kept them from doing what they wanted, when they wanted, Skull Crusher and his men (women weren’t allowed to hold leadership roles in his crew) had taken more and more, concentrating their wealth and status while eliminating any resistance quickly and with maximum brutality.
No one stood in their way.
The Scorpion’s days were numbered, too. She just didn’t know it.
Soon enough, she’d slip up, testing the military forces to the north one time too many, and when she did, they’d hammer the shit out of her and her crew. When that happened, the door would be open for the Skullcrusher.
They’d strike while the Scorpion’s crew was weak, overrunning their defenses and taking over before they had a chance to regroup. Once they’d done so, they’d make a point of publicly executing her and her bitch of a girlfriend in front of those who’d been under her rule.
Everything had been planned out perfectly. They just had to wait for the right moment.
But now he wouldn’t be part of it.
Not with the hole in his chest that made it impossible to breathe.
Not while an impossible amount of blood pooled on the dirt road underneath him, growing rapidly as it left his body.
What exactly had happened?
Who attacked them, killing T.J. with a knife from twenty yards away before shooting him from behind a split second later?
More importantly, how had he missed him?
Try as he might, he couldn’t move, though he knew he had to. He needed to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, if it could be stopped, but no matter how much his mind told his arms to move, they refused. He was just so...tired.
Maybe he just needed to sleep for a bit.
Rest his eyes….
Crunching sounds nearby made him refocus momentarily.
“Shit, man, this muthafucka’s dead. T.J., too.”
“Unhh…” Deon managed.
“Damn, hold up. Deon’s still alive!”
“Not for long, though. Look at dat hole.” It was Skull Crusher’s voice.
“Help…” Deon said weakly.
“Ay, turn him over.” Skull Crusher ordered.
Deon felt a hand roughly pull against his left shoulder, turning his body over so that he was on his back.
‘The sky is so blue….’ his mind told him as his eyes struggled to stay open.
Skull Crusher’s face came into focus, hovering above him. “What da fuck happened?”
“Chased man here…” he muttered, struggling to force the words out. “Had...little girl...with him….”
Deon wanted to rest. He closed his eyes.
Slap!
A hand rocked his face, jarring him awake again.
“Tell me more. Who the fuck did this over a little girl?” Skullcrusher asked.
“Girl…” blood spewed forth from Deon’s mouth as he choked. “...immune.”
“Shit…” one of the other men said from behind their crew’s leader.
“Shut up.” Skull Crusher ordered. Reaching down, he took firm hold of Deon’s chin and forced him to look into his eyes as he asked, “Where is she?”
“Other...man….to-to-took her…” he spat out blood, trying to clear his airway. “Help...me…” he pleaded.
Skull Crusher’s face pulled up and away, leaving Deon’s rapidly diminishing field of view. A dark circle came into focus above his head.
Skull Crusher pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into Deon’s brain.
“Let’s find that fucker,” he said, turning away from the man’s dead body. “Get the girl. She’s gotta be worth something.”
Together, he and his men walked back to where they’d parked the black Cadillac Escalade he favored.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Palo Alto, California
“Honey, I’ve got a plan.”
Looking at her husband’s face,
Serafina could tell right away that she wasn’t going to like whatever he had in mind.
“What is it?” She asked cautiously, before stealing a glance towards the windows at the front of the bank. Of the five large windows, three had cracks, spider webbing outward from impact points.
“I’m gonna lead them away. Get them to chase me.”
“No fucking way,” she responded, shaking her head firmly.
“Sera, if we wait, they’ll overwhelm us in here. There’s no way - ”
“No. We stick together.”
“Listen, we don’t have enough ammo, and don’t have the right weapons to fight off that many of them.”
Serafina looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “So what, you’re just going to run and have them chase you? What if they catch you?”
“They won’t.”
“You don’t know that!”
Daniel shook his head. “I know, but look, Ashley can barely walk. I’m the best runner out of all of us, and with the weight I’ve lost over the last two weeks, my endurance will be even better. I can run, lead them into somewhere they’ll have a hard time getting out of, and then come back and we can get away.”
“Like what?”
“What do you mean?”
Serafina’s eyes, filled with intensity, held his. “I mean, where would you lead them to?” Pointing to his pocket, she said, “Show me the map.”
Pulling it out quickly, Daniel found the area they were in and showed it to her.
Looking down at it, Serafina studied the map as the crazed beings at the front of the building continued to pound on the glass, screaming in rage as they broke their hands and feet on the plate glass.
“Here,” she said, pointing. “The community center.”
Daniel frowned in response, not following her thinking.
“Lead them across the fields. You know how the baseball fields have that opening near the dugouts, where you have kind of zig zag to get to the other side of the fence?”
Daniel nodded, understanding now. “They’d never be able to figure it out.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel looked down and used a part of his finger to measure the distance to the park. “Looks like just over a mile. I can easily reach the park in under ten minutes. I get across it, leave them there, and come back. Altogether, it should take me about twenty-five minutes.”
Serafina looked up and him, tears in her eyes. “Are you absolutely sure you can do this?”
“Nothing’s certain, but I’m sure that if we stay here and let them keep throwing themselves against the glass, they’ll eventually get in. If they do, we won’t survive. This,” he said, pointing at the map, “is the best chance we’ve got.”
Serafina nodded, closing her eyes as she tried to hold back tears.
“I’m coming with you.”
Looking over at the sound of the voice, they saw Paul standing there, a resolute look on his face. Before they could question him, he continued. “You need back up, and someone that can see beyond twenty yards. I’ve been running cross country for the last three years.”
The young man took a deep breath, swallowed, and looked at each of them in turn.
“Let me do this. I owe all of you.”
Hugs and kisses were exchanged between Daniel and his family before each of the women hugged Paul, telling him to be careful and to take care of Daniel.
When one of the windows cracked even louder, Daniel knew they were out of time. Taking his rifle off his shoulder, he passed it to Ashley. “I can’t run with this. If you have to use it, remember your lessons.”
Turning quickly, he rushed over to the business loan area in the bank and found what he needed. He grabbed four clipboards and passed two of them to Paul.
“Alright, it’s time, he said, heading for the back door to the place. Using the keys he’d taken from the security guard, he found the one that unlocked the rear door. Passing them to Serafina, he nodded and said, “I love you,” before stepping outside, followed by Paul.
As the door closed and latched behind him, he nodded at Paul, took a breath, and whispered, “Let’s go.”
The two of them quietly snuck along the edge of the parking lot to the front of the bank, staying behind cars, trucks, and the small bushes that lined the business property, until they reached the street.
The dozens of infected fought with each other as they tried to break through the glass at the front of the bank, solely focused on those contained within.
Until Daniel and Paul began beating the plastic clipboards together.
CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!
The infected screamed nearly in unison as they looked and turned towards the sound of the noise. Without hesitation, they burst into action, fighting to move away from the bank in pursuit of the two men.
Daniel and Paul dropped the clipboards and ran.
The chase was on.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
The Salt Ponds, South San Francisco Bay
Inside one of the warehouses used by the Cargill company for packaging and shipping refined salt, Logan pulled the long strip of cotton that he’d taken from his t-shirt around Isabella’s shoulder, tying it tightly to hold folded pieces of the shirt in place on both the front and back side of her shoulder.
“Is that okay? I have to make it tight, otherwise the pieces of cotton will slide down.”
Isabella nodded, blinking back tears as she looked at his chest.
“Hurts a lot, hunh?” he asked, turning his head in an effort to make eye contact with the young girl.
Isabella nodded. “Yes, but I just…” she turned away briefly, swallowed, then turned back and lunged forward, wrapping her left arm around him. “Thank you for saving me,” she said as tears flowed from her eyes.
Surprised by the gesture, Logan brought his arms up and gently wrapped them around the girl, being careful not to touch anywhere close to her wound.
“Of course,” he said, simply. “You’re…” he wanted to say family, but felt it might not be well received. “Part of Daniel and Serafina’s family. They’re good people.”
Slowly back out of the hug, Isabella looked up at him hopefully. “Are they with you?”
Logan shook his head. “No. Daniel was hurt pretty badly when Joe hit him.”
Isabella’s eyes widened upon hearing the news. “Oh no...Is he okay?”
He nodded slowly. “He’ll be okay. He and the family are headed towards San Francisco. I’m supposed to use the radio in the Prius once I’ve...rescued you.”
“We left it back there,” the girl said, gesturing back in the general direction they’d come from.
“Okay,” Logan replied, nodding. “Maybe we can hike back there and - ”
His words were interrupted by the sound of a single gunshot, coming from close by.
He reached out with one hand, placing it on the girl’s left shoulder, indicating that she should remain silent. Loud voices came from somewhere nearby on the roads that ran between the mounds of refined salt.
Probably near where he’d killed the two men, he reasoned. Lowering his voice, he whispered, “Listen, we have to get out of here, okay?”
The girl nodded.
“I need you to stay absolutely quiet and stay right behind me. Step where I step, walk when I walk, and stop when I stop, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered.
He thought for a second, then said, “Going back for the Prius is too risky. We’ll head towards the little moped I left just outside this area. We’ll have to catch up with the others in San Francisco. As a matter of fact...” he closed his eyes and thought about the area they were in. Having grown up northeast of San Francisco on the outskirts of the small city of Vacaville, he had a pretty good knowledge of the area, and if he was right, there was a bridge just north of where they were. One that would take them across the southern part of the bay, towards San Francisco.
‘Dumbarton bridge,’ he said to himself.
“We’ll head nor
th, towards the bridge,” he finished, looking at Isabella and nodding.
“Okay,” she said. “That’s where Joe was headed, too.”
Standing up, he moved to the door, motioning for her to remain where she was with his hand. Opening the door a few inches, he peered through the small gap, looking for signs of movement. He saw none, but heard the voices close by.
They had to move.
Now.
Using his hand, he urged her to join him where he was. She rushed to his side, moving with a graceful athleticism he hadn’t expected. Where most kids her age were awkward and clumsy, she moved with surefooted smoothness, placing one foot in front of the other quickly and silently.
“Okay,” he said, looking into her wide, dark eyes, “Stay close to me. We’re getting out of here.”
She nodded.
Opening the door, just wide enough to slip through, he moved outside, keeping his eyes fixated in the direction of the voices as he held the door open with one hand. When Isabella was through the door and standing behind him, he felt the door slip out of his hand. Panicking, he looked for it, desperate to stop it from slamming closed and giving away their position.
Isabella’s eyes met his as she carefully guided the metal door back into its frame, taking every precaution to make sure it closed silently. When she was done, she looked at him and gave a slight smile.
He smiled in return, then pointed in the direction they’d be going. Stepping forward, he glanced down at the dirt surface of the road, making sure there was nothing that would make noise.
He led her away from the warehouse, heading towards the road east of the salt ponds, where he’d left the scooter. As they moved, he became more and more confident that they’d make it to the small motorbike without being spotted while at the same time being distressed.
The voices were moving in roughly the same direction as they were, only along a parallel path.
Though he’d managed to park the little scooter behind a small bush, his attempt at hiding it had been rudimentary at best, and if the men nearby hadn’t seen it when they’d arrived, they’d surely see it when they headed back in that direction.
Surviving Rage | Book 4 Page 18
