“Oh, Christ!” Bill yells while pointing out my window.
A ghastly gray figure emerges from the fading darkness and charges the Jeep in a dead sprint. I flinch and lean away from the window as the rawboned corpse smashes into the steel body of the Jeep.
Duke barks at the enraged chaser who hammers the window with clenched fists. The noise draws the other chasers from their current meals. They stand up, and stare at us. They swallow what morsels are caught in their mouths and rush the Jeep.
Bill punches the gas and bulldozes through the incoming infected. Their scrawny frames smash into the grill of the Jeep as we plow over the dead bodies in the road. The chasers hold on for a brief stint before disappearing under the vehicle.
The steering wheel shifts from side to side as the Jeep rolls over the bodies. We’re tossed about in our seats from the dead under us.
I scan the sides of the road, but don’t see the other SUV. “Looks like it was just the one SUV. I’m not seeing the other which means they kept moving.”
That’s good for us, seeing as their numbers have been sliced in half.
“I guess it’s every man for themselves, now,” Cassie observes.
“That’s generally Hives M.O.,” Bill adds while skirting around the few vehicles that sit in our way. “From this point forward, we don’t stop until we get to the base. We’re running low on fuel, and I don’t think anyone here wants to walk the rest of the way on foot.”
“Agreed.” I grab my rucksack from the floorboard.
We enter the outskirts of the dismal city as night dissolves. I catch flashes of the buildings and other structures we pass by as I dig inside my pack.
“Everybody, hold on,” Bill growls through clenched teeth.
I look up from the pack and find the street ahead swarming with infected. They stagger about, blocking our way through. Several mangled bodies lie motionless on the pavement. They appear to have been crushed by something of considerable weight. The other SUV must have charged down this way.
Bill jerks the steering wheel to the right and out of the way of the bodies that are scattered over the road. He sends the Jeep climbing over the center median. We hit the grass and race for the other side of the street.
The infected search for the source of the sound. They lock onto the Jeep in a blink, and sprint after us. The tires bounce over the curb and hit the pavement. The backend sways back and forth as Bill fights to regain control.
The wave of infected charge across the median in a mad dash. More emerge from the buildings to our right as Bill straightens us out.
The skeletal frames of the chasers slam into the Jeep without care. Bill tries to swerve out of the way, but tags the infected none-the-less.
“I’m not sure how much more this thing can take,” I call out.
Bill maneuvers around the rest of the chasers and breaks away from the advancing horde. “It just needs to hold up a bit longer until we get through them.”
Cassie holds Duke tight in her arms as we’re thrashed from side to side. Bill skirts the scores of abandoned cars in our way. The tires screech as the tread fights for traction.
I check the sideview mirror, and spot the chasers sprinting after us.
“How much farther to the base?” My voice is strained and thick with worry. I know we’re close.
Bill breathes heavily through his nose. His nostrils flare as he works through the maze of streets.
“Not much, but we may not make it. Not in this tin can, at least,” he grumbles. “I’m getting a ton a feedback in the steering column.”
“What does that mean, in English?” I counter.
The engine rattles and sputters which doesn’t sound promising. Bill stares at the dash with a concerned gaze as he pumps the gas pedal.
“It means that we’re probably going the rest of the way on foot,” he clarifies.
The smell of asphalt funnels into the Jeep through the vents. I wave my hand in front of my face, trying to divert the terrible stench from my nose.
“What is that smell?” Cassie grumbles from the backseat.
“Trouble,” Bill responds.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
The Jeep sputters its last, dying breath and rolls to a stop in the middle of the street. Thin trails of smoke seep through the narrow slits of the hood and grill.
Bill pumps the gas pedal twice, then turns the ignition over. The lights on the dash flash, but the engine refuses to engage. “Time to bail. Grab your stuff, and let’s go!”
He slings the Jeep door open and hops out onto the street. He pulls his seat forward and tilts the backrest toward the steering wheel.
“Come on, come on,” Bill urges as he keeps a watchful eye on the chasers.
I grab the Glock from the dash, and throw my door open. I slip out of the bucket seat and drop to the pavement. The yowls of the infected rushing down the street sends a wave of panic crashing into me. I’m more confident against the chasers in a two-ton vehicle than I am on foot.
Cassie and Duke slip out on Bill’s side. He reaches down into the floorboard of the backseat and retrieves his pack and sniper rifle.
I secure the rucksack to my back, and hold onto the Glock like my life depends on it.
Duke barks, going ballistic from the other side of the Jeep as the infected charge this way. I race toward the front of the Jeep and skirt the bumper.
Cassie and Duke barrel around the other side with Bill flanking them. He’s got his rucksack strapped to his back and sniper rifle secured across his chest.
“Here!” Bill shoves a silver-plated pistol in Cassie’s hand as he moves past her.
We bolt from the Jeep in a mad dash, and chase after Bill through the early morning murk. Our boots hammer the pavement in rapid succession. Quick, strained breaths escape our mouths as we run for our lives. I peer back over my shoulder to the horde that blows past the Jeep.
“They’re still coming!” I yell out, warning the others.
Bill points to the street we’re approaching. He moves off to the right and looks back to us. “I’m going to draw them away. You two haul ass down that street. It’s two blocks over, and you’ll run right into the base.”
“I thought you said no more splitting up,” I say, winded.
Cassie and Duke skirt the corner of the building without stopping. Bill continues pounding the pavement straight ahead as I follow behind them. We slip behind a parked car in the middle of the street to hide from the infected. Crouched down behind the white hatchback, I heave like I can’t catch my breath. My lungs hurt, among the other points on my body that throb without pause.
Bill’s thunderous voice roars at the mass of chasers. I peer over the hood of the car as he gives me one final look. “Come and get some, you sick bastards! I’m right here! There’s plenty to go around!”
The taunt only stirs the crowd of infected into more of a frenzy. The shrills boil to a fever pitch. I want to yell at Bill, and scold him for doing the opposite of what he said. We were supposed to stick together. Damn him.
Bill vanishes down the street. The chasers charge after him. Focused on him, the mob of infected don’t look our way.
Anger swells inside my gut. I ball my fingers into fists and punch the side of the car multiple times. “Damn it!”
Cassie grabs my forearm. She shoves it down while staring at me. “Stop it, James!”
I pull my arm away, and cradle my hand. The knuckles are red and throb with a dull pain. “We were supposed to stick together.”
Cassie leans against the driver’s side door and peers through the window. “The coast is clear. I don’t see any infected. We need to move while we can, though. Come on.”
I grumble under my breath as we slip away from the hatchback. We run down the street as fast as we can. I listen for any reports of gunfire, but hear none. Either Bill has escaped the clutches of the infected, or he is being torn apart.
His decision to draw the chasers away gnaws at the back of my mind. He did it
to buy us some time. For that, I am grateful.
Not too much farther. We’re almost to the military base.
That’s what I keep telling myself as we hit the next block and sprint along the sidewalk. Cindy is within reach, and I’m not going to let her slip away from me. Not ever again.
The road up ahead branches off in either direction. Beyond the street is a thicket of tall verdure and dense trees that is still cloaked in partial darkness.
Cassie points at the T in the road and looks to me. “Which way did he say to go again?”
I’m clueless and can’t think. I try to remember what Bill said, but can’t. My mind is a mess. “I don’t think he actually said!”
It’s a fifty-fifty shot of getting it right, or wrong.
The building next to me blocks my view of the street. Same for the other side of the road. We slow down as we approach the blind corners with weapons up and ready.
Cassie holds Duke back by his collar as I creep toward the building’s edge. I crane my neck and glance down the street in the opposite direction. There are no buildings or structures that I can see that would hint at a military base.
I toe the edge of the building, and peer around the corner. A tall chain link fence, with barbwire coiled along the top, spans the length of the sidewalk. Set off within the interior of the secured area is a large building. Multiple smaller units reside toward the back half of the property. That has to be it.
“This way.”
We make our way down the street. I take point while Duke and Cassie flank me. A handful of dead chasers lay in the middle of the road. Their bodies have been crushed by something of considerable weight. A vehicle perhaps? I’m willing to bet that Ranger had something to do with this.
I sweep both sides of the road for any threats. More infected lay motionless on the pavement and sidewalks. Pools of blood stain the concrete. The chasers do not respond to our presence.
We slip through the narrow gap between two cars, and hop up to the curb. We move at a good clip down the sidewalk next to the fence.
There’s a sign up ahead that is partially covered by the tall blades of grass growing unchallenged. The closer we get, the more I’m able to make it out.
United States National Guard Armory.
Bingo.
“This has to be it,” I say.
Cassie peers at the sign and nods. “Agreed.”
I step away from the fence, and look it over. Three rows of razor wire run along the top of the fence. “How the heck are we going to get inside? I don’t think we’ll be scaling this thing.”
Cassie taps me on the shoulder, then points past the guard station near the entrance of the base. “There. Looks like the gate is open.”
It’s worth checking out.
We sprint down the sidewalk. I stare off through the diamond-shaped links of the fence at the guard station. It looks empty from here, but I can’t be sure. The large window on the front of the small building is busted out. The broken pieces of glass litter the base of the structure.
We skirt around the outside of the fence, and step out onto the pavement.
Side by side, we approach the guard’s station. Duke and Cassie take the right as I approach from the left. The exterior of the building is riddled with bullet holes. Shards of the busted window crunch under my boots.
Duke lowers to the ground. His ears stand on end and twitch. He stops, then sniffs the ground.
Cassie trains her sidearm at the open door. She leans to the right and cranes her neck. She looks to me, then points to the interior of the station.
I nod in return and approach the door. I grab the handle, and pull it open. The hinges squeak. I peer inside the cramped space. Sprawled out on the floor, a soldier lays prone on his back with a chaser draped over his chest.
The top of the soldier’s head has been gnawed on. Fragments of his skull are busted and missing. Copious amounts of dried blood cover the desk and surrounding walls.
Cassie peers inside at the ghastly scene, then turns her head in disgust. Duke sniffs at the decaying bodies, then backs away. I push the door shut and move on.
We follow along the drive toward the open gate. Both sections of the fence are damaged. The gray steel bars are bent and contorted.
Fragments of busted plastic lay scattered about. One of the broken pieces looks like it may have come from a headlight.
“Guess they came charging through here in a hurry,” I state. “Come on.”
We follow along the driveway that opens up into a parking lot next to the main facility. A handful of cars are scattered among the grounds. Their steel bodies are covered in holes, and the windows are shattered. Uniformed personnel and infected lay spread out over the area.
Toward the rear of the base is another fenced off area that doesn’t appear to have been breached by the infected, or the living. What scant few military transports and other armored vehicles remain are lined up in nice, neat rows.
“There,” Cassie says while pointing to the rear of the main building. “I think that’s their ride.”
A black SUV is parked on the curb with its doors wide open. They didn’t even bother turning off the lights, which still shine against the cream-colored wall of the building. Although, with the sun dawning a new day, it’s not as bright.
A half dozen hostiles could be all that’s left for us to contend with. Judging by the size of the SUV, at least from here, I’m inclined to think it’s going to be less than that. Like my dad used to say, “Plan for the worst but hope for the best.”
I dart across the parking lot with my Glock trained at the interior of the vehicle. I skim over the dead bodies we pass by for any signs of life. Despite them being covered in blood and gaping wounds, I’m still mindful of them.
Cassie leaps up onto the sidewalk with Duke glued to her side as they scope out the front entrance of the building. A dinging sound plays from the SUV, indicating that a door hasn’t been shut.
My fingers reposition over the grip of the Glock as I scan over the interior of the vehicle. The front seats are clear. So are the back.
I spot something that looks familiar tucked under the passenger seat.
Wait. What is that?
It looks like a, doll. Cindy’s doll. Her favorite.
“What’s wrong?” Cassie inquires as she her and Duke walk up to me.
“Cindy’s doll. It was left behind.”
I push the back-passenger door open farther, and peer into the rear of the SUV for any threats. I retrieve the stuffed toy from under the seat, and hold it in my hands.
A wave of memories floods through my head as I stare at the dingy toy. Cindy playing in her room, speaking to her dolls that she had set up around a table while serving them tea. Then she’d act like a monster, and stomp through them like a hungry beast.
I shake the fond memory from my head, then stuff the doll inside my coat. I back away from the SUV, and glance over to Cassie.
“Can we get in through the front, there?” I ask.
Cassie shakes her head, then nods at the shattered glass doors that are boarded up with plywood.
“It’s locked or something. They wouldn’t budge.” She points to the thick pane windows on the lower level that are tinted and hard to see through. “Worst case, if we can’t find a way in, we can always shoot out one of those windows there. Not the best idea, I know, but we may not have any choice.”
There has to be some other access point. I skim over the structure from right to left. Aside from the front entrance, I don’t see any other ways for us to get inside.
Cassie walks past me along the sidewalk.
“What is it?” I ask while turning to see where she’s going.
“The fence down here,” she retorts without breaking her stride.
I slip around the bumper of the Jeep, and follow after her and Duke.
“We’re not going to be able to climb that fence,” I advise, stating what I figured would be an obvious observation. “Even if we
could, Duke wouldn’t be able to, and I’m not leaving him out here alone.”
“Well no duh, James,” Cassie hisses. “I wasn’t talking about climbing over the fence.”
She moves to the edge of the building where the fence curves and meets the outer wall. There’s a smaller gate that is unlatched and ajar.
“How the heck did you spot that?” I ask bewildered.
Cassie points to her eyes, then smirks. “Good vision, plus I’m pretty observant.” She swings open the chain link fence and brings her pistol to bear. She heads inside the fenced off area that spans the length of the sidewalk.
Duke follows along by her side. I check the parking lot one last time for any chasers before following along. I secure the gate. We don’t need any infected flanking us.
I jog after Cassie down the walkway. I peer out through the fence to the military transports stationed in the expansive lot. Through the gaps among the armored vehicles, I stare at the outer buildings for any signs of infected, or unscrupulous heathens.
From what Cassie said, it looks like the base is abandoned. After those bombs drop, there won’t be anything of use here anymore.
I spin around and check the way we came in. At this point, I’m a mixture of cautiousness and paranoia. I always feel like there’s something watching me.
Cassie stops on a dime, then holds up her hand. She turns to face me and places her finger over her lips. She points toward the building and what looks to be an entrance.
I move up alongside her, and check it out.
There’s a single black-steel door with a large hole where the handle should be. It looks like it may have been shot out.
Cassie advances toward the door and stoops down. She leans in close and peers through the hole. She cocks her head to the side and trains an attentive ear.
“I think they’re in there,” she whispers. “I can hear people talking.”
I tap her shoulder. “Here. Let me have a look.”
Cassie moves off to the side. She pats her leg which brings Duke to her.
Dead State Box Set [0-5] Page 86
