“Eli says it’s okay, but to be more careful next time,” Arely replied, translating Eli’s gestures.
“I promise, Eli. Pinky swear,” Rikke said.
They drove in silence for a bit before Arely asked, “Where are we going?”
Rikke glanced at the younger girl. “Well, you remember that couple we ran into at the last town?”
“The ones who were going to that fort or something?” Arely asked. “They were nice. You don’t get many nice people anymore.”
“Yeah, you’re right, kiddo. Nice people are scarce nowadays,” Rikke said. “Anyway, I thought we could also give that fort a try.”
“You mean, we stay there?” Arely asked.
“Only if it’s safe,” Rikke added. “And the people have to be good people.”
“I don’t know. The last bunch we ended up with looked like good people, but in the end…” Arely trailed off, her expression pained.
Rikke sighed. Arely was right. The previous group they teamed up with seemed nice at first but quickly turned nasty when the supplies ran low. Then it was every kid for him or herself while the adults took everything. “I won’t allow anything like that to happen ever again. I promise.”
“I know, Rikke. You’ve always looked after us,” Arely said.
“It’s been my pleasure, kiddo,” Rikke said, remembering the day she first found Arely and Eli. They were stuck in a car by the side of the road, surrounded by a group of infected. Their mother was one of them, killed, and turned when she tried to gather fuel for their empty tank.
At first, Rikke didn’t know what to do. She had no weapons besides a butcher’s knife stuck in her belt, and the zombies were fresh. Fresh meant uber fast, mean, and strong. She stood no chance against them at all. Then she thought of a plan. Draw them away from the kids.
In the end, the rescue attempt was both simple and successful. She set off a couple of car alarms further up the street before biking around the block. After gathering up the children, she took them to her hidey-hole in a church attic. There were plenty of food and water on-site thanks to a recent food drive for the poor. Enough to last them a couple of months.
They stayed there until winter set in, and the infected left for warmer climes. She should’ve known they’d come back, though. That was her mistake. Now, she could only hope that Fort Detrick was everything the couple had claimed it to be. A safe haven where they’d have a fair shot at survival and a decent life.
The only problem was that the fort was a myth. A magical place spoken about by people who heard about it from other people: and those people heard about it by radio. There was nothing concrete—no solid news.
Now that the zombies were on the move, every Tom, Dick, and Harry were making their way there. Both the good and the bad. Rikke wasn’t at all confident that it was the right place to take young Arely and Eli.
Especially Eli.
Despite his intelligence, or perhaps because of it, Eli was a sensitive kid. He was kind and caring. The type who’d give someone his last bite to eat if they were hungry, or his jacket if they were cold.
At that moment, Arely shifted forward in her seat and pointed at an object lying next to the road. “What’s that?”
Rikke squinted into the distance. “I don’t know.”
As they drew closer, she shifted gears and slowed down until the object revealed itself as a person. Not far away lay a mangled motorbike crashed into a tree. “It’s a person, and it looks like he or she had an accident.”
“Are you going to stop?” Arely asked, her expression anxious.
“I don’t know. It could be dangerous. Or that person could be dead,” Rikke reasoned.
“Please, stop. Let’s just take a closer look,” Arely pleaded.
“Fine, but don’t get out. Either of you,” Rikke said, pushing the brakes. She had to use her injured foot to do it and even taped up like it was, it hurt. It hurt like mad.
The RV rolled to a stop next to the motionless figure on the ground, and Rikke got up. With her gun in hand, she hobbled toward the door and opened it. With the barrel pointing at the person in the dirt, she said, “Stay back, Arely and Eli. I’m warning you.”
“Okay,” Arely said, her voice somewhat breathless.
Rikke used her free hand for support as she climbed out of their vehicle and walked toward the stranger. Each step was agony. The cut in her foot was deep and needed medical attention. That was another reason she considered going to the fort. If she were lucky, they’d have a doctor or nurse who could help her.
As she drew closer, Rikke took in the finer details of the person and realized it was a girl. More than that, she was hurt. A small puddle of blood had formed beneath her helmet, and her jeans were ripped, torn, and bloody.
Two things stood out to Rikke. Things that made no sense. First of all, the girl wore no shoes or jacket. Secondly, neither her socks, shirt, or the flesh of her arms were torn, dusty, or scratched. “Someone took her stuff after she fell.”
She dropped to her haunches and pressed two fingers to the girl’s wrist. The pulse was there. Strong and regular. “She’s alive.”
Outrage filled Rikke’s heart. How could anyone rob someone when they were down like that? Hurt and injured? Exposed and vulnerable? What if a zombie found her like this?
“Is she okay?” Arely asked, and Rikke looked at the kid over her shoulder.
“No, she’s hurt.”
“Are we going to help her?” Arely asked, hovering in the open doorway of the RV.
Rikke hesitated for a brief moment, but her decision was made when Eli joined Arely, his dark eyes pleading silently. “Yes, we’re going to help her. Eli, get a blanket and pillow for the couch. Arely, you’ll have to help me carry her.”
Between the two of them, they managed to carry the girl into the RV. They laid her out on the bed Eli had prepared for her. With infinite care, Rikke removed the helmet, which revealed a girl of roughly the same age as her. She was tall, too, and her feet hung down over the edge of the couch.
Her hair was dark and cut in a pixie style. Easy to manage, Rikke supposed. Numerous rings adorned her fingers, and she carried a man’s wallet inside her pocket. Inside, there was a photo of the girl and an older woman. They looked alike, and she guessed it was family of some sort. Maybe her mom.
Setting the wallet aside, she examined the girl for injuries. She found a shallow cut on the scalp, numerous scrapes and bruises, and a hot and swollen left knee. Nothing appeared to be broken, but there was no way to tell if there were internal injuries.
After cleaning the cuts and abrasions with bleach, she wrapped up the knee with strips of cloth. It was the best she could do without any more medical supplies.
With a sigh, she sat back and surveyed her handiwork. “Well, I guess we have no choice now.”
“What do you mean?” Arely asked.
“She needs a doctor, and so do I. We’re going to this fort. I just hope it’s everything that the couple claimed it was.”
With supreme uncertainty, Rikke got the RV back onto the road and headed toward their new destination. “Fort Detrick, here we come.”
Chapter 14 - Alex
Alex wiped the sweat from his brow with an oily rag. His armpits smelled rancid, and he wished he could take a bath. There was no time for such luxuries, though. Or even sleep. There was far too much work to be done, and the grounds buzzed with activity.
“It looks like someone kicked a hornet’s nest,” Jesse, one of his fellow mechanics, commented.
Alex grunted. “I’m just glad the last scouting party has gone. If I have to work on another motorbike today, I’m going to scream.”
“You and me both. What’s next?” Jesse asked.
“We have to sort out all the junk cars, strip them of anything useful, and push them up against the chain-link fence over there,” Alex said.
“Push them with what?” Jesse asked.
“That tractor over there,” Alex replied, pointing to th
e yellow monstrosity Nick had gifted him. “I don’t even know how to drive the thing.”
“I do,” Jesse said. “Let’s get to stripping, and I’ll push them up against the fence as we go.”
“Deal,” Alex said, not looking forward to the mammoth task.
He couldn’t complain, though. Everyone on the base was either working their fingers to the bone or risking their lives. The scouting parties were out searching for the horde, and he expected them back within the day. The same went for the extra raiding teams.
Davis and his team set up barricades out in the city, digging trenches, demolishing buildings, and shoring up their defenses. They’d already rerouted the power and water to the inner sanctum Nick had demarcated as their last bastion. Now, Mandy was pulling in all available supplies and either storing it in the warehouses or sending out crates to supply points. The same applied to Mac and their munitions.
Richard and Missy were readying the decoys along with a few volunteers. A dangerous mission, for sure. Saul was setting up the fighting teams, grouping them into squads of three each, and making sure they knew what was expected of them. Jackson had organized several observation points to provide them with advance warning of the horde.
In the meantime, Dylan had taken charge of the incoming survivors. Those willing and able to fight were equipped and assigned a post while the vulnerable women and children were sent to the community center.
He knew Amy and Jenny were at the school for the moment. She was helping to look after the kids under Andrew’s supervision. Tara was at the lab, overseeing the manufacture of extra vials of the cure, and Amanda was at the infirmary. They were getting ready for an influx of patients, and he didn’t envy them the task of looking after the sick and wounded.
Lastly, the soldiers were fortifying the inner sanctum and its buildings. To Alex, the walls of stacked sandbags and razor wire looked inadequate. All the more reason to get this makeshift car-fence up.
Several hours later, he was distracted by an RV that rolled up in a cloud of dust. A girl exited the vehicle, one foot wrapped in a balloon of duct tape. She half-dragged, half-carried another girl who looked dazed, and two children flitted about in their wake.
The girl’s eyes fell on him, and she hobbled over. “Please, help us. We need medical attention.”
Alex rushed them to a nearby bench. “Here, sit down.”
The girl heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Alex straightened up and spotted Jesse. “Can you take these kids to the infirmary, please?”
“With what?” Jesse asked.
“Use their vehicle, the RV, and make sure they get helped straight away at the hospital. The poor things look like they need it,” Alex said.
Jesse bobbed his head. “Alright. I’ll make sure they’re taken care of properly.”
Alex turned back to the girl. “Miss…”
“It’s Rikke,” she replied.
“Okay, Rikke. Jesse here is taking you all to the infirmary. Once you get there, stay there. Don’t wander around unless it’s to retreat to the community center.”
“Why?” she asked with a frown.
“We’re expecting an attack from a horde of zombies. The infirmary or community center is the safest place for you to be,” Alex explained.
“The horde? Yes, I know. We encountered it in Jacksonville,” Rikke said. “It’s not far behind us. Maybe a day or two.”
“Jacksonville?” Alex repeated. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. We were trapped by the zombies and had to circle them as we made our way here.” She pointed at the younger boy and girl. “You can ask Arely and Eli. They were with me when it happened.”
“Uh, huh. There were so many of them, Mister. Thousands,” Arely replied while the boy simply nodded.
“Savannah,” the other injured girl muttered, her eyes still glazed over. “They nearly got me in Savannah.”
Alex frowned. None of it made sense. Jacksonville? Savannah? By all accounts, the horde was coming up from the south-west, not the south-east. Unless…
“I’m sorry about your troubles, but don’t worry. You’re in safe hands now. We’ll look after you,” he said.
“Thanks, Mister,” Rikke replied.
“When you get to the infirmary, look for Amanda and tell her Alex sent you,” he added. “She’ll do right by you.”
Rikke nodded, and Alex helped her and the rest back into the RV. Jesse got into the driver’s seat and tossed them a salute. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“Off you go,” Alex replied, slamming his hand on the hood.
The RV drove away, and Alex went in search of Nick. He found him inside his office, along with Dylan, Saul, Tara, Richard, Jackson, and Mac.
Nick looked up when he entered and smiled. “Alex. This is a pleasant surprise.” But one look at Alex’s expression caused his grin to fade, and he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know how to say this, but I think there’s a second horde, and it’s almost upon us,” Alex blurted out.
“What?” Nick cried. “A second horde?”
“Oh, crap,” Dylan gasped, pressing one hand to her lips.
“If that’s true, then we’re in deep shit,” Richard stated with blunt pragmatism.
“More than that,” Mac said. “We’re dead men walking.”
“Well, I can’t have that. Not with Amy, Jenny, and all my friend’s lives at stake,” Alex said, folding his arms. “I suggest we come up with a plan.”
“A plan to kill a couple of hundred-thousand zombies?” Mac asked with more than a hint of disbelief.
“You heard me. If we work together and don’t panic, we can do this,” Alex said. “Besides, we don’t have a choice. If we run, we’re just delaying the inevitable.”
“Alex is right. We do it here, now, or not at all,” Nick said.
Dylan inclined her head. “Alright. Let’s get cracking.”
Chapter 15 - Nick
“They say the second group is coming up from the south-east? Jacksonville and Savannah?” Nick asked, staring at the map on the table. He traced a rough route with his finger.
“That’s right,” Alex replied.
“We need more information,” Nick said. “Saul, can you reroute a couple of the scouting teams?”
“Of course,” Saul said.
“But, don’t let them stay out too long. I want everyone back inside by the end of the day, if possible. The same goes for your raiding teams. I don’t want anyone to be caught outside napping when the undead arrives,” Nick added.
“I’ll make sure of it,” Saul replied.
“The only people on the outside by tomorrow morning must be the soldiers handling the defenses and those up in the observation posts,” Nick said.
“I’ll set up more posts in the rest of the city to warn of this second horde’s arrival,” Jackson said.
“Good. How are the outer defenses coming along?” Nick asked.
“Davis and his team are almost done inside the city. After that, they can focus on the inner barriers,” Saul said.
“Those still need a lot of work,” Alex said. “If the hordes breach the outer defenses they’ll wash over us like a tidal wave.”
“I know. We’ll have to speed things up. Especially now,” Nick said with a grim nod.
A knock on the door interrupted the proceedings, and Nick looked up to see a group of people led by Grissom. Among them were several familiar faces, including Big Joe, Wanda, and Mike Hansen.
“What do you want, Grissom?” Nick asked.
“I’m here to talk,” Grissom said in a placatory tone.
“Then talk. I have serious matters to attend to, and zero time to waste,” Nick said.
“Yeah, I thought you were leaving?” Dylan added with a fierce look.
“I was, but Saul dissuaded me,” Grissom said. “At least, not until I talked to you first.”
“Really?” Nick said, his eyebrows raising. “What�
�s this I hear, Saul?”
Saul raised one hand in the air. “Just hear him out, Nick. We need every single gun we can get, don’t we?”
“Yes, but I don’t have time for cowards and dissenters,” Nick growled.
“I’m neither a coward nor a dissenter,” Grissom said. “I want to fight, but as an equal. I think after all this time, I’ve proven my loyalty.”
“All he wants is his old spot in the ranks, Nick,” Saul said. “It’s not too much to ask, is it?”
Nick hesitated. “We’ll see, but what about the rest of you? Why are you here?”
Big Joe stepped forward with Wanda at his side. “We’ve talked it over, and we’d like to stay. I cannot fight, however. If I die, my family is left alone and vulnerable.”
“Same here. My Tom is half-blind. Without me, he’s helpless,” Wanda said.
“What do you want then?” Nick asked.
“We’d like to ride this out in the community center,” Big Joe said. “But we also want to help. Both of us know how to drive school buses, and we can fight if it gets to that. If you lose, we’ll make sure the women and children get to safety.”
“Along with anyone else you assign to that job, of course,” Wanda said. “We’ll also throw in our supplies. All of it.”
Nick thought it over. “Deal. You know where the center is, right?”
“We do,” Big Joe said.
“You can take all your supplies to Mandy and ask her to assign you posts in the center. Tell her I sent you,” Nick said.
“Thank you,” Wanda said.
Nick waited until she and Big Joe left before turning to Mike. “Hansen? What can I do for you?”
“My team and I would like to fight,” Mike said. “Only those who can’t wield a weapon will sit it out in the community center.”
“Of course. You’re more than welcome. Saul can assign you to those parts of the defenses that still need to be guarded,” Nick said.
“No, not like that. I don’t want to be bogged down behind a wall,” Mike said.
“What then?” Nick asked.
“I’d like to meet the horde head-on. Pick off as many of them as possible before they reach the city,” Mike said.
Rise of the Undead (Book 6): Apocalypse Z Page 10
