by Damon Hunter
He was turning to go back to the Hummer when he saw Clay. He also saw a vampire rotter come over the roof of the Hummer headed straight for Clay.
They both yelled lookout at the same time as from the cars piled to the side of the path cut by the TMRT vehicle’s plow, a vampire rotter looked to pounce on Vance from behind. Vance dropped as it went over him. He jabbed the blade end of the SSS upwards. The blade pierced the rotter’s stomach and the cut a gash all the way through until it exited around the infected man’s hip.
Despite nearly being cut in half when the vampire rotter hit the ground it sprung back towards Vance without hesitation. He swung the ball end, but it caught the staff before he could crush its head.
It yanked on the weapon and Vance let it go. It had expected resistance and Vance just letting go had it off balance for a second. Vance used the time to draw his knife. It was getting ready to lunge when he put the black blade of his combat knife through the rotters eye.
Even with a combat knife stuck through its face the rotter reached out and grabbed Vance by the throat. Vance stuck out his arm to keep it back and tore the knife from the rotters pulsating yellow eye. He brought the blade back down through the top of the rotters head and delivered a wound it could not recover from.
He looked up for Clay, but what he saw instead was the Hummer backing toward him quickly. He jumped out of the way and as it passed him he heard a loud thump. Fan stopped the SUV and Vance saw the mangled body of the vampire rotter which had been sneaking up behind him while he fought the other one. It was still alive, but the Hummer’s steel bumper had broken both its legs and possibly its back. It waved its arms and tried to rise but could not. Vance could see it working its mouth. He realized it was making the sound they made which could bring the horde to them. He stepped around the Hummer as best he could with his damaged leg and jumped on the rotters head with his good one. He brought the heel of his boot down until he was standing in vampire rotter brains. He hoped he had destroyed it before the signal for the infected had gotten to any of the hordes ears, but feared it had not.
Fan leaned out the window and said, “You got him. Help your friend I can’t run that one over.”
Vance saw Clay on his back. The vampire rotted was impaled on the blade end of his sick slaying stick and he was doing all he could to keep it out of biting range. Vance grabbed his own sick slaying stick on the way and after giving the staff a spin around his wrists stepped forward and decapitated another rotter.
As he helped Clay get up and remove the headless rotter from his SSS Fan leaned out the window again and said, “Hurry up. It is not going to get any clearer.”
He looked up to see Fan was right. He also saw the people from the Militia were still standing there firing into the horde, which despite taking some losses was getting dangerously close. The only good news was it appeared their continuous gunfire had kept any of the horde from answering the vampire rotters call.
He and Clay could not do much for them. As they got in the Hummer Vance hoped Ana saw them driving into the stadium as the signal to head for the highway.
The shiny chrome box out by second base was easy to spot and Fan drove straight to it. Looking around they could see more infected both in the stands and on the field. Most were in the outfield so they had a clear path to the bomb.
“It takes two to lift it,” Fan said, “I can open the back from here and keep the car running.”
Clay and Vance jumped out and grabbed the nuclear device.
Looking at Vance’s leg, which had started to bleed through the bandage, Clay said, “You should drive and let Fan do the lifting.”
“I’m out here now, he can do it next time,” Vance said as he lifted his end of the heavy chrome box.
“It won’t go off if we drop it, will it?” Clay asked as they moved as quickly as they could to the open trunk of the Hummer.
“I don’t think so,” Vance said, “But that might be wishful thinking. Let’s not drop it just to be safe.”
Clay nodded in agreement as they put it in the trunk. After muscling it inside they set the heavy object down as lightly as they could manage.
When they did not set off a nuclear firestorm they turned to see an ambler reaching for Vance. Vance put a hand on the inside of the trunk for balance and kicked it in the chest with his good leg. He knocked it back and gave himself room to draw his knife. Vance grabbed the ambler by the top of the head and stabbed up through the infected man’s chin. The upper cut took out enough brain when he pulled it free the ambler dropped to the outfield grass.
Clay slammed the trunk shut and they climbed back in the Hummer before anymore infected could get near. As Fan was swinging the Hummer around Vance was grabbing the radio to make sure the others had gotten out of there. The gunfire he still heard in the distance made him nervous they had not left yet.
He looked up from the radio when Fan hit the brakes. The hole in the wall they had used to get in was thick with infected and the stands were filling up as well. It appeared the vampire rotters call had gotten through to a large portion of the horde after all.
Chapter 18 - Cam Carson’s Compound - Fallbrook, CA
Ben saw a couple of the militia posted on the wall pointing and aiming their guns into the avocado groves surrounding the compound.
“What are you assholes doing?” he asked.
“Mind your own business kid,” the older of the two in the glorified deer blind which served as a guard tower at the compound told him.
“You pull the trigger and it is my business.”
“Why? You going to tell me infected lives matter or some shit like that? Until there is some kind of cure they are dangerous predators who need to be put down. Last I checked there is no cure, so I get one in my sights I’m pulling the trigger.”
“Good for you, but you do know gunfire attracts them, don’t you? You might kill one but draw a thousand.”
“We’ve got the high wall and plenty of ammunition.”
“That wall don’t mean shit,” Katelin said as she joined them with Jennifer by her side, “I’ve seen them climb an elevator shaft by piling on top of each other.”
The older one looked skeptical, but his younger partner said, “That’s Killer Kate. I saw her on YouTube. She’s the real deal.”
“That so?”
Katelin nodded adding, “Ben’s right. Gunfire brings them, every infected person within earshot will be headed this way as soon as you pull the trigger.”
“So you want us to just let them wander around without doing nothing?”
“Pretty much,” Katelin said.
Instead of answering her the younger one pointed at something by the wall.
“He’s probably lost and hungry,” he said as he climbed down from the platform and moved to the gate.
“Where you going?” the older one asked.
“Get the dog. We can’t leave him out there.”
“Wait,” Jennifer said but he kept moving.
“He can’t help himself,” the man still on the platform said, “Devin has always loved himself some dogs.”
“Shit,” Katelin said. She and Jennifer turned and chased after the guy in the camouflage gear.
“What is the big deal about a dog?” Ben asked as he followed them.
No one answered as they hustled to catch up with Devin.
He was getting ready to open the front gate when Katelin yelled, “Wait.”
Devin stopped and looked back at her, “What?”
“You can’t let it in.”
“Of course I can. It’s a dog. I can’t leave him out there.”
“Don’t do it unless you want to infect this compound.”
“How? it’s a dog.”
“She’s not kidding,” Jennifer said, “Don’t let it in.”
“Look, I believe you on the gun shot thing, but dogs don’t get the rot.”
“The hell they don’t,” Jennifer said.
“You girls are crazy,” Devin said a
s he reached to open the gate.
Kate drew one of her pistols and put it behind Devin’s ear.
“Touch that gate again and it will be the last thing you do.”
“You serious?”
“I look like I’m kidding?”
“No, you don’t, but didn’t you just say not to fire guns?”
“I like my chances better with that than I do with you letting in some rotter dog.”
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” one of the militia said as he came out of the house and started walking towards them.
Katelin kept one gun pressed against Devin’s ear while she drew another pistol and pointed it at the man approaching the gate.
“It may not look like it but I’m saving all of us,” she told him
“You’re right about one part. It sure as fuck don’t look like you’re saving us.”
“You need to listen…” Jennifer began but was interrupted when two more militia came into the area with guns raised.
They leveled their aim at Katelin.
“Put down the pistols little girl,” one said, “or we drop you.”
“Then I drop you,” Ben said as he drew his own gun.
“You do know we have snipers on the roof don’t you?” the other gun man said.
“You confident in their ability to take us down instantly? Because otherwise we are taking some of you with us,” Ben said.
“Look,” Devin said, “this is ridiculous. I just wanted to feed the stray dog sniffing around the gate.”
“And we are trying to tell you dogs can get the rot. We’ve seen it,” Jennifer said.
“You think I would do this if we hadn’t seen it happen,” Katelin said, “Until he got it in his head to bring a dog in here I thought Devin was kind of cool.”
“She tell you this?” one of the militia gunmen asked Devin.
“That she thought I was cool?”
“No you moron. Did she tell you about the dogs?”
“Yeah, but…”
“But what? You thought she was kidding?”
“No. I just never heard of a dog with the rot.”
“Me neither, but right or wrong they believe it. Unlike you and me they have been out there. I’m thinking we ought to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
“What if he’s hungry? I bet he’s lonely and scared too.” Devin said.
“You mean the dog?” the other man facing the wrong end of one of Katelin’s guns asked.
“Yeah.”
“How about me? I’m scared right now with that hand cannon aimed at me. Come to think of it I’m hungry too.”
“Why don’t you lower the gun. He isn’t going to open any gate,” one of the gunmen told her.
Katelin lowered her guns. She looked at Devin and said, “Sorry. I wouldn’t have done it if this wasn’t serious.”
Devin nodded and said, “No worries. Did you really think I’m cool?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t get too excited kid, she’s only like fourteen,” Ben told him as he put his pistol back in his belt.
“Almost fifteen,” Katelin said.
“I’m only seventeen myself,” Devin added.
Before anyone could reply to that, Jennifer made a worried face before saying, “Did anyone else hear that?”
“Hear what?” Ben asked.
“Quiet,” she told them, “Listen.”
They were all quiet for a few long moments. Devin was about to say she must be hearing things when they all heard a distorted guttural voice say, “Jennifer.”
There was a long pause before the voice beyond the wall spoke again saying, “Come to me.”
Chapter 19 - Interstate 5 - Anaheim, CA
Novak worked his way to the back of the transport. There was no reason to stay in the cockpit. They were not driving anywhere anytime soon. He found Talbot dazed from being bounced around, but alive, and all things considered in good condition.
The major without a name had a sprained wrist and a knot on his forehead but was otherwise okay.
Novak messed with monitors and was able to get enough of them to work to let them see what was going on outside, though from the pounding sound getting louder on the outside of the hull he had a good idea what they were going to see.
A growing army of amblers was gathering around the transport. The ones who had reached the upside down transport began methodically pounding on the outside with their fists. Perched on some of the wreckage were four vampire rotters observing the scene with interest.
“They will never get in,” the major said as he put an ice pack to his head.
“No, they won’t,” Novak said. He pointed at the vampire rotters watching them, “I’d say they are waiting for us to come out.”
Talbot looked at the monitor and nodded in agreement.
“I’ll see if I can get us an evac,” Novak said, “The Escondido checkpoint is fucked, but maybe one of the others can spare a chopper or something.”
“They made Vance wait for days,” Dr. Talbot said.
“We have supplies for a week,” Novak told him, “Besides they delayed an evac so you could get him for yourself.”
“True,” Talbot replied.
“No one is calling anybody,” the major without a name said.
Novak looked back to see he had drawn his sidearm to put some emphasis on his command.
“We aren’t in position to get out on our own,” Talbot told him. “Look around. We need help.”
“Doesn’t matter, we are maintaining radio silence with the exception of General Doctor Thompson and his staff.”
“Why?” Dr. Talbot asked.
“This is a radio silent mission.”
“There is no mission if we don’t get out of here,” Novak said.
“He’s right,” Talbot added, “No mission, no radio silence. Put the gun away and let him call for an evac.”
“The mission was to set off a nuke. Last I checked we still had a nuke in place.”
“We only have one in place. And we happen to be still well within the blast radius,” Novak replied.
“Two would be ideal, but one would work.”
“Did you miss the part about blast radius?”
“The mission came with risks.”
“Go ahead and shoot me then,” Novak said, “I’m calling it in.”
“Officially we don’t exist. They won’t come.”
“Excuse me?”
“This is off the books, and it needs to stay that way.”
“You’re crazy.” Novak said.
“Welcome to black ops.”
“I didn’t sign up for this.”
“Sure you did. You think a guy like Thompson is going to tolerate disrespect? We wanted someone with experience and you put yourself on top of the list.”
Novak had nothing to say to that.
“Sit down and say a prayer if you are into that. I need to detonate a bomb and I need you to stay out of my way.”
Chapter 20 - Stadium Lofts Condominiums - Anaheim, CA
“Hold your ground boys,” Chase Sr. was shouting as he slapped a fresh magazine into his AR-15.
Ana was watching the Hummer, which finally drove into the stadium. She knew they had already stayed longer than Vance intended for them to.
Cletus was nearest to her, she reached out the window and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned she said, “We need to go.”
Cletus nodded and tapped his brother on the shoulder.
Chase jr. nodded to say he understood while Cletus got in the Cherokee. Chase tapped his dad and went to get in himself.
“Where are you going boy?” Chase Sr. asked, “I said hold the line.”
“It’s time to go,” Chase Jr. replied.
“Says who?”
“This is the plan. We did our part. We need to go, now,” Ana told him..
“Whose plan? I ain’t taking orders from no chink, or some rogue TMRT, and I sure as hell ain’t taking orders from you ei
ther,” he said to Ana. He turned to his boys, “Now get out here and help me take out some infected.”
The two boys didn’t look like they wanted to, but both felt compelled to obey their father. They were about to get out when something came over the roof of the Cherokee from the side opposite the stadium.
Chase Jr. was out of the Jeep quickly as the vampire rotter jumped on top of his dad. He raised his gun but did not fire. He did not see how he could shoot the rotter without hitting his dad as well.
Cletus jumped out next drawing his knife. He was about to stab the rotter when it rose up with a mouthful of Chase Senior’s face in its mouth. It swung an elongated arm and knocked Cletus back into the Jeep. His head snapped back and connected with the window before he pitched forward and did a faceplant on the pavement.
Chase Junior pulled the trigger and shredded the vampire rotter on top of his father. With it down he saw the horde was just about on top of them. He moved the rifle left to right taking out as many as he could before the magazine ran dry.
As he pulled the empty free to slap in a fresh one he looked to his left to see an old lady ambler was nearly on top of him. Before he could react its head exploded and he looked to see Ana standing next to him with a glock in each hand.
“I’ll cover you,” she told him, “Get your brother in the Jeep.”
Chase threw his empty rifle in the jeep and picked up his unconscious brother as best he could. Thankfully Cletus came around enough Chase was able to guide him into the back seat. Chase looked over to see Ana alternating firing the pistols in each hand. An ambler fell each time she pressed the trigger.
She fired her last bullet, turned to Chase and said, “Get in.”
“What about my dad?”
Ana just said, “Get in.”
She looked back after she said this to see Chase Sr. toss the dead vampire rotter off him and rise to his feet. He looked at her and she saw that the rotter had taken off half his face. The right side of his skull was clearly visible through his missing cheek. He gazed at her with yellowing eyes as the sores growing on what was left of his face began pop and spray thick green pus.
His jaw was beginning to elongate when she drew a hatchet from her belt and planted it in his forehead. She pulled it free and kicked him away before turning to get in the jeep. She risked a glance back to see the horde was nearly on top of them. By the time she pulled the door shut amblers were pounding on the windows.
