Alex pulled open Christa's door and grabbed a hold of her jacket. "OK, kiddo, release that harness now, I've got a hold of you. The water's a little deep and the ground is mucky, but you should be OK."
Christa grabbed a hold of Alex's arm with one hand and released the harness with the other. They both pulled towards each other as Christa swung her feet around to the open door. Alex grabbed her under the arms with both hands, and lowered her into the water."
"Ahhh, this is cold. They don't have leeches or anything in here, do they?"
"I'm not sure, but we need to keep moving. I hear voices coming from around that tank. Head over to the shore, but over here away from that tank. I'm just going to grab Chaz."
Alex slowly closed her door, and Christa started making her way to dry land. Alex grabbed a hold of Chaz while he released his harness. Chaz was just at the right height to be thrown over Alex's shoulder. Thanks for minor miracles, thought Alex. At least I don't have to throw out my back lifting the old bastard from the ground. With Chaz over his shoulder, Alex started making his way towards Christa, already on shore. Going was slow slogging through the water with Chaz's weight, and the muck trying desperately to hold him in place. Christa was hiding from the tank behind some trees. Alex caught up with her, and set Chaz down, leaning him up against the tree.
"I think I can see the depository, Alex. Just through those woods. We're closer than I thought."
"Those helicopters do cover a lot of ground pretty quick. Too bad I wasn't psychic enough to dodge that last missile. We'd be safe and sound on the roof of the depository by now."
"Or the depository soldiers would have shot us down into a pack of crazed zombie freaks. Probably just as well we got shot down here. I suppose it would be better if the grumpy old bastard could walk on his own."
"Kid, you have a very strange sense of optimism. But I can't say I totally disagree. Things can always be much worse."
Just then, the low rumble of the tanks idling changed pitch, and the rusty old treads could be heard grinding against one another. The tank was on the move.
The 18th Hole
"Christa, we need to keep out of sight if we're gonna get there in one piece. Chaz will slow us down, but if we use those trees for cover we may have a chance."
"That tank can't knock down trees, can it?"
"I'm not sure, maybe not the bigger ones, but these smaller ones for sure. They should slow them down, but the problem will be crossing the fairways. They're so wide and open. If they get a bead on us, then we're done."
"Maybe they'll just stay away from me, like the zombies on the bridge."
"They might; there's only one way to find out. Let's get going."
Alex threw Chaz over his shoulder. Chaz mumbled something about being able to do things for himself, but then passed out again.
Christa gave Alex a concerned look. "Is he going to be alright?"
"I think he was weak from blood loss, and the copter crash sent his body into shock. He's shutting down while his body tries to repair itself. Once we're inside the fort, they should be able to fix him."
The sounds from the tank were getting closer as it skirted the edge of the water hazard.
"See that hill over there?" Alex pointed it out. "It's just past the trees. The tank can get over that pretty easy, but we'll get some temporary cover to scout ahead."
They headed through the trees towards the hill, relying on the dark to conceal them. Christa moved faster than Alex, who was slowed down by his extra load. They moved slowly at first, through the tree roots and scrub brush. Soon though, they were in the fairway rough and heading for the hill. Christa picked up the pace but kept looking behind her as Alex did his best to keep up. Christa stopped and looked back a few times to let Alex catch up.
"Don't wait for me, just keep moving. I'll get there. I don't want you out in this open for any longer than necessary."
Christa picked up the pace again, and this time it was Alex looking over his shoulder. The rumble of the tank grew louder. There was nothing to slow it down here, and if it saw them before they reached the hill, things would get ugly. Alex was breathing harder as the gap between him and Christa widened. He could just make out her small profile in the light rain running up the hill. Chaz mumbled more about how he could walk himself. Alex could feel the burn in his legs, but kept on pushing. It wasn't that much further. The steady rumble from the tank’s engine suddenly got much louder. Did they see him? Alex looked back once again, and thought he saw the dark body of the tank changing direction. The sweat in his eyes, the rain, and the dark all made it difficult to be sure. Alex's right foot slid out from under him on the wet grass when he was halfway up the hill. He fell backwards, already top-heavy from carrying Chaz. They both tumbled, losing ground, and ended up at the bottom of the hill, still out in the open. The tank was closing in, and much easier to see. It was heading towards him. If he stood up now, the tank would see him for sure. Christa was over the hill, but if they spotted him, that would give away Christa's position as well. Alex crawled towards Chaz, who was still breathing, but no longer mumbling incoherently. He wasn't mumbling at all.
Alex sweated the situation out in his head. If they've spotted me, and I lie here, we're as good as dead. If they haven't spotted me, but keep driving at me, we're as good as dead. Either way, lying here is going to get both of us killed. Standing up will give us away, so we're going to have to do this the hard way. Alex flipped Chaz onto his back, then crawled along the flat ground to the right, getting out of the tank’s path. He crawled up the hill, then reached for Chaz, and pulled him up beside him. He repeated that a few times. Move to the right, then up, dragging Chaz behind him. The tank slowed to a crawl. They've lost sight of me, he thought. Moving this way was actually easier than running full tilt with Chaz's dead weight draped over him. Easier, but a hell of a lot slower. Now the tank came to a dead stop. He could see the outline of it, but only because it was so big. Alex crouched even lower, trying to remain inconspicuous. The tank was either scanning the area, or had run out of gas. Wouldn't that be sweet, Alex thought. Way too easy though. Then, the tank hit its headlights where Alex and Chaz had been lying just a few seconds ago. The tank slowly rotated to its left, illuminating the length of the hill.
"Damn! We need to move faster there, Colonel! Any chance you could help me out here?"
Alex looked to Chaz, but Chaz never made a sound.
"Here's hoping you've only got the wind knocked out of you, sir. Don't worry, I'll get us out of here."
Alex started crawling, dragging and throwing Chaz's dead weight over the ground as far as he could. If we can just make it a little further, we'll be out of their lights. The lights were scanning now in their direction. Chaz frantically crawled a bit higher, dragging and throwing his commander as far as he could. Then the lights scanned within inches of Chaz. Alex stopped moving, and held his breath. Were they high enough up the slope? Chaz started to move and mumble again.
"Now you want to move! Damn it, Colonel, don't move," Alex whispered under his breath as he draped one arm over the colonel and held him in place. The tank’s light scanned past their position. Alex held his breath for a moment longer, then looked at Chaz.
"Sir, if you can move, now would be a good time. You don't have to talk, but we need to make it to the other side of this hill. If you can crawl a bit, that would help."
Chaz started to get to his knees, but Alex pulled him down. "No, sir, don't stand, you'll give away our position. Just crawl, it's not far."
The light from the tank now slid well under their position and back the other way. The tank began moving away from them. Alex climbed, and waited for Chaz to catch up. He could have pulled him faster, but preferred to let the stubborn old bastard make his own ground. At least they seemed to have avoided the tank. Alex could still hear the rumble, but at least the ground wasn't shaking and the smell of diesel had dissipated. The made it to the top, then slid down the wet grass, landing in the sand trap.
"Christa! Christa! Where are you?" Alex spoke at half volume.
Her voice came from the opposite side of the sand trap. "I'm here. Over here."
Alex moved in a half-crouch to her position. Chaz tried to get up, but instead opted for crawling across the sand. Alex kept an eye on him as they moved to Christa's position.
Christa could see them moving towards her. "He's moving; Chaz is moving again."
"Yeah, not too quickly though. We've still got ground to cover, and I can hear that tank moving down the fairway. Sounds like they're between us and the fort now. I'm not sure if they're looking for us, or have other plans. If they do, us hijacking that helicopter wasn't part of them. Whatever their intentions are, I intend to stay way off their radar. Let's keep moving."
Chaz tried to stand, but struggled. Alex crouched down next to him. "How you feeling, Colonel? I can help you stand if you're OK with that."
"That might be a good idea. How the hell did we get here? Where's the damn chopper? Last thing I remember was you playing dodgeball with some missiles."
"We crashed; see that glow coming over the hill in the distance? That's the copter on fire. I lost the dodgeball game, and ended up landing on that tank."
"Tank, oh yeah. I do remember a tank." Chaz looked around. "That's what I hear. It's up in front of us."
"Yep, in front of us. Actually it's between us and right where we need to be. Somehow we have to get past it."
"Without the helicopter? You remember why we needed that thing, right? The grounds are swarming with those freaks. Shit!"
"I realize that, Colonel, but it's dark now, and the rain should cover our approach."
"Are you kidding me? Did you forget where we're going? It's fucking Fort Knox. This is not some Saturday-night convenience-store holdup. We're gonna need a better plan."
"I may have something better, sir. The tank could help."
"Oh, so now you want to hijack a tank? The helicopter wasn't enough. I've never driven a tank before, have you?"
"No, sir, I haven't, but ..."
"Great, then what's this plan?"
"Well, it seems that the tank is no longer interested in us, and they have other plans. I think they're trying to get into the depository as well. They're headed in that direction, and why else would a bunch of zombie freaks and their freak leaders want a tank? It's obvious from what we both saw driving by the fort that the zombies want in. They're swarming the place. I'm thinking, the tank will make for a good diversion."
"OK, a diversion. Sure, having a tank banging on your door might be a bit distracting. What we don't know is how they plan to use the tank."
"We just need to get close. Close enough for the depository soldiers to see us, and realize we're on their side. That's all I want. I'm thinking the loading doors around the back. I know they're heavily guarded, which means it shouldn't take much to be spotted. What I really want them to see is you. You’re Colonel Chaz Sheperd ... war hero. Someone inside will have to recognize you."
"Is that the only reason you didn't leave me to die back there?"
Alex managed a smile, and shook his head. "Yeah, pretty much. There's no keeping secrets from you."
"Alright, it's not a bad plan, considering the circumstances. But I need to go in alone."
"Colonel, you can barely move. How are we going to get you there? You want us to stay here?"
"I'll move. I've still got breath in me. I'll get there. They should know me, you're right. Even if no one recognizes me, they can check their security database. But you and the girl are wild cards. Especially her. I don't know how they're going to react to you two, especially if they see her do anything strange. If they think for even a second she’s with these freaks, their snipers will take you both out before you get five feet inside their fence."
"But we have to get in there somehow. We can't just stay out here."
"Well, you could actually. The freaks stay away from the girl, so you should be safe."
"The freaks might, but I'm not sure about the other ones. The ones that look human. I don't know what they'll do if they find us."
"Look, I do want you both inside, especially the kid."
Christa looked up. "I'm not just a kid. I saved your butt once already."
"Yeah, sure, Princess. Look, there's something different about her, and the human freaks. For the moment, she's on our side." Chaz caught a glare from Christa but carried on. "We have to learn to deal with these others, and she's our best chance to do that."
"I'm not some lab rat. You're not strapping me to some table and cutting me up."
Chaz didn't answer. Alex looked at Christa. "That'll never happen. I promise you. You're not one of them. You're more human than most people I know. Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen."
Christa uncrossed her arms and looked to Alex. "You're just saying that. You can't make those promises. You don't even know who's in there, and what they'll do once they get a hold of me."
Chaz closed his eyes and shook his head. "You want to stay out here? You want to take your chances with these things? We're done making promises here. We're going to do what we have to to get into the fort." Alex and Christa were both silent.
Chaz continued. "Here's what we have to do. First thing is, we need to get closer to that tank."
Tanks & Banks
The tank was inching its way to the perimeter of the depository, like they were testing the fort's defenses. Each pass they made along the fence moved it a little closer to the perimeter. What they were also doing was getting a good lay of the land. All three of them mirrored the tank’s movements, always keeping the tank between them and the fort. Biding their time, and waiting for the tank to make its move. Eventually, it did. Halfway down the perimeter line, the tank turned a full ninety degrees and faced the fort head on.
Christa looked up to Chaz. "Is this it, are they moving in?"
"Patience, girl." The old colonel continued to survey the scene. "Stick to the plan, and stick with Alex."
"Great. Great plan. Plain old follow the leader. We don't even know what the leader is doing."
Chaz glared her down. "Quiet! Just watch."
The engines of the tank got louder as it accelerated. The ground shook, and the smell of diesel filled the air. The tank pushed forward through the first perimeter fence with ease. There was movement on the roof of the depository, but it was hard to tell exactly what the soldiers were doing. Before Chaz had a chance to look through his binoculars, the tank raised its main gun, and fired a shell at the top of the depository. It hit the uppermost corner of the depository's northern side. The soldiers on top fell and scattered for cover but the depository held. No one had ever dreamed that US tanks would attack the depository, but this was no ordinary building. It would take more than one old tank shell to bring it down. The guards on the rooftops regained their positions and fired back.
With the fort focused on the tank, Chaz passed through the hole in the fence, then moved north along the fence line. While the tank attacked the west wall, Chaz intended to make his way to the back doors. The challenge for Chaz in his weakened condition was evading freaks still wandering the property. He distanced himself from the tank action, then cut across the main open area, heading towards the loading doors. Hopefully, the fort’s attention would remain on the tank before he breached the next fence perimeter.
There was no cover for Chaz to hide behind. This wasn't like moving through a dark forest, where trees and bushes provided cover. As stupid as these freaks were, it didn't take a lot of cunning for them to spot him moving across a barren field. Even the tank’s commotion wasn't enough to distract them all. Stealth was no longer an option. Speed, and efficient killing, were going to be his best friends for the next few minutes.
The first freak went down quickly, with a knife through the eye. Chaz kept moving, but whenever one freak found him, it attracted another. Chaz moved fast and low, keeping his center of balance strong like a running back focused on the goal line,
the goal line in Chaz's case being the rear loading doors. With a knife in one hand and his pistol in the other, Chaz continued moving through the growing crowd. He didn't have time to kill every freak. Some he simply out-maneuvered and ran past. The problem was, every freak he left behind increased the mob chasing him. He didn't want to draw attention with pistol fire, but the group behind him was gaining. He stopped long enough to turn and kill the fastest three chasing him. As he turned to resume running for the doors, he found himself toe to toe with one big ugly freak. This guy had to weigh at least two-fifty, and stood tall at six foot four. At one time in his life, he would have been solid muscle. He blocked Chaz's stab to the eye with his left arm, forcing Chaz to waste two bullets firing into his midsection. That was enough to get the freak to drop its guard, allowing Chaz’s knife to pierce its skull with his second blow. Keep moving, he thought.
* * *
Alex and Christa continued to follow the path of the tank. An occasional freak would come close, but they mostly backed off once they caught sight of Christa. Some didn't back off. Alex had to take one particularly quick freak out with his pistol as it snuck around the side of the tank. Several more tried, and although Alex was able to take them down, it unsettled him to think they were using intelligent tactics. The tank continued to bombard the fort. They fired another shell at the facing wall, and this time there was real damage. Big chunks of the concrete fell away, and the rebar underneath was exposed. The tank was winning the game of attrition. If the fort couldn't stop the tank soon, then it was just a question of time before its walls were breached. Alex was surprised how accurate the zombies were with their shelling. He had to wonder how long they had been planning this.
Revealed: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction Page 9
