by Dan DeWitt
Lena managed to giggle.
"Aw, Hell, just go," German said. "I already hate your stupid inside jokes."
The Jeep moved toward the mob slowly. Tim kept expecting to have to turn around in a hurry, but he kept getting closer than he would've thought possible. "This is weird. It's almost like they're in sleep mode."
Lena said, "Maybe it's because they haven't seen anyone alive since we -"
And then, the closest one heard their approach. It turned, and the occupants of the Jeep had just enough time to register that its right arm was missing before it broke into a full sprint.
Tim hadn't known what to expect, but he was still taken aback by how fast it had "woken up."
And by how fast the rest followed suit. There was a visible ripple in the mob as each zombie was alerted to their presence.
They came for the kill, if not simultaneously, close enough to it.
Even though the Jeep was moving only a few miles per hour, Tim hit the brakes hard enough to throw everyone forward. "Hold on!" By the time he began to reverse, the first few zombies had caught up and threw themselves at the Jeep. They all felt the impacts and screamed in unison, but then they were fully in motion and began to pull away. Tim threw an arm around Tino's headrest and just drove that way, not wanting to waste the time it would take to turn around.
He saw what he wanted to see. Each command center had armed men posted on top, and each SUV had two ready to fire from their positions on the roof.
The most reassuring thing that he saw, in the center of his field of vision, was Orpheus. He stood a few paces in front of the vehicles with an arm raised. The other arm pointed at the approaching vehicle and motioned for it to peel off to the left. Tim obliged the order, and as soon as he did, Orpheus dropped the other arm and then hustled back to his Jeep.
The shots began, and the rapidly approaching bodies began to get thrown around. Parts flew off, but most kept coming.
"Jesus," Tino said. "Why aren't they dropping?"
"Need headshots, or to just blow them apart," Tim said as he slammed on the brakes again and parked next to the last command center. "That shit was in the briefing. And every zombie movie ever." He opened the moon roof, grabbed his rifle, and added his own firepower to the effort.
German said, "I'm getting some of this!" and joined Tim up top.
Tino mentally kicked himself for acting like a rookie. He grabbed his rifle, but there wasn't any room. Instead, he rolled down his window and fired from there. Lena did the same, though she was more tentative.
The bodies began to drop.
Tim looked at his teammates in between shots. German fired quickly and accurately. He seemed to be able to put it pretty much anywhere he wanted it to go. Tino was firing from a slightly more awkward position, but still scored center mass hits, which allowed others to finish off zombies with headshots.
Lena, on the other hand, was technically tasked as civilian emergency-combat support, but Orpheus expected everyone to be able to handle a weapon if necessary. Tim looked for her muzzle flashes. She fired much more slowly than the trained soldiers, but if he was tracking her accurately, she was doing pretty well.
Satisfied, Tim turned his attention back to the oncoming horde, having completed his role as bait for hopefully the last time.
O
Once the vehicles had stopped, Orpheus scrambled up a ladder and stood atop a Rhino. He held up a hand, wanting the din to quiet down. When most of the soldiers didn't immediately comply, he yelled, "What the fuck are you celebrating? We're not even at the school yet!" That got their attention. When he was satisfied that they were listening, he continued in a lower, but no less commanding, voice. "What did I say about never letting up?" He pointed at the writhing mass of zombies who still advanced, despite their crippled bodies. "Look at them. They're not done. And more are heading for us right now, drawn by the shots. They will never stop unless you stop them. WE. ARE. NOT. SAFE. HERE. Understand?"
A chorus of yessirs rang out.
He continued to scan the faces and said, "Lieutenant?"
On cue, Tim got out of his SUV and twirled his index finger in the air. "Three guys on top of each Rhino acting as lookouts. Everybody else out." Soldiers streamed out of the vehicles. "Let's finish them. Don't assume anything. Hey, Fish?"
"Yo."
"What's that saying you came up with?"
"Saying?"
"I thought you had something catchy for this, like 'Two in the crown keeps them down'?"
Fish looked at Ethan. "You know what he's talking about?"
Ethan shrugged. "No idea. But that's terrible."
"I hate you clowns." He addressed the soldiers on the ground. "Just shoot all of them twice in the head. Even if they look done."
The soldiers did as instructed, and the stillness that had descended on the area as the first fusillade had died down was once again interrupted by sporadic two-shot bursts. Orpheus, who had maintained his elevated position, couldn't help but be reminded of a bag of microwave popcorn that had just about finished popping.
His eyes darted from man to man, looking for any signs of hesitation or other red flags. They'd handled themselves well, and Orpheus patted himself on the back for introducing them to the zombies from the safety of the vehicles. That had no doubt shocked most of them, but they were fortunate that they'd been able to engage so soon after. In his experience, once there was a clear target, nerves tended to settle down.
The first true test came when a smaller pack of zombies burst from the woods. Orpheus thought he was the only one to notice (he considered it his job to notice everything), but the soldiers watching the perimeter handled the threat quickly and efficiently. The zombies never got within thirty yards of anyone.
Orpheus didn't let himself relax, but he did unclench his teeth.
He was never worried about his family or friends. They were as professional as he'd expected. They'd moved cautiously, logically, not willing to advance until they were sure it was safe to do so. The new arrivals soon fell into the same sort of pattern.
While they worked, the air was thick with real and unmistakable emotion. The soldiers were clearly warring with anxiety and a healthy fear, whereas he sensed a familiar melancholy coming from his lieutenants.
He knew exactly how they felt.
The shots became less frequent, and soon died down entirely.
Everyone stood awaiting the next order while he scanned the pile for movement, but there wasn't any. The team had done its job well.
Tino said, "Road's blocked."
"No problem," German answered. "The trucks can get up and over if they have to."
"Good enough for me."
They all began to walk toward the vehicles when Orpheus said, "No."
They all stopped and looked at him.
"They've suffered enough. We can take two minutes to clear a path." To prove his point, he climbed down the ladder and joined the group. He registered the apprehensive looks and said, "It's only contagious if they bite you. So cowboy up." He grabbed the nearest zombie, a female who must've been slight in life and was now grotesquely gaunt, by the wrists and dragged her as gently as he could to the grass on the side of the road.
Rachel was next. She picked a zombie that must have outweighed her by fifty pounds, even in its ravaged state. The pairing stood in sharp contrast to him and the zombie he'd just moved, but he knew that wasn't her intent. If he hadn't made the decision to move the bodies, she would've made it for them.
She turned her head slightly and smiled at Orpheus. It had a tone of gratitude to it. I think I just made her proud.
Some of the others followed suit while the rest stood watch. The road was completely cleared in a matter of minutes. Once the vehicles were occupied again, Orpheus led the way to the school. They encountered more zombies along the way, but the groups were small and he ordered the vehicles to just drive on through. Orpheus figured that they'd had enough excitement for the first day, and he just wanted to get
settled in before starting the reclamation proper.
Fish chose that moment to say exactly what Orpheus didn't want to hear. "Guys, I've gone over the shit show at the school in my head a million times. The more I think about it, the more I think there might be some left in there."
Orpheus thought back to his insane (and ultimately futile) run to save Mutt in the baseball field press box. "Tim drew most of them off. Some may have wandered back, but we should be fine."
Fish shook his head. "Not there. I think they might be inside."
"How sure are you?" Rachel asked.
Fish didn't answer for several seconds. A quick look in the rearview mirror showed that Fish had his eyes closed and was mumbling to himself, doing everything he could to bring his memory into full focus.
Orpheus had a sinking feeling he knew what the meant. "Fish?" he prompted.
"I could be wrong, but pretty sure."
Ethan asked, "How many?"
"How many did you trap in the bomb shelter?"
Ethan looked at his fiancée. "Seventy? Eighty, maybe?"
Rachel nodded her agreement. "It felt like a thousand."
"Then, uh," he paused and scratched his temple, "two dozen left inside?"
"Awesome," Ethan sighed. "You want me to spread the word?"
Orpheus nodded.
He cleared his throat and transmitted. "All units, this is Lieutenant Holt. We have good intel that there may be targets inside the school. The number is believed to be four dozen. Stand by for further instructions." He ended the transmission. "Better to overestimate."
"I'm impressed," Orpheus said. "You sounded like you've been military for years."
Ethan theatrically dusted off his lieutenant bars. "Gotta play the role, Captain. Gotta play the role."
School's Back in Session
The caravan arrived at the high school. Less than a dozen zombies were waiting at the front. Orpheus ordered all of the vehicles but Zulu 2 to stage in the cul-de-sac and hold tight. The zombies scrambled over and beat ineffectively against the vehicles. The occupants of the Jeeps were safely behind reinforced glass. And the Rhinos? Unless the undead had a rocket launcher, they were set. "I know it's going to be real tempting to shoot them or just run them over, but it's not necessary. I want to attract as little attention as possible right now. If more show up, and you think there's any risk, kill them and we'll figure it out later."
"What about us?" Tino asked over the radio.
"Let's do a sweep of the perimeter. Head counterclockwise and we'll meet in the back. If you see any hazards ... a big herd of zombies, a downed tree, mud ... anything that may impede your progress, pull back."
"Copy."
Zulu One and Two headed in opposite directions. Orpheus eased over the curb and onto the school lawn. The zombies were still massed around the other vehicles. The grass, now nearly knee-high, was the only obvious indicator that it had been abandoned. There was only one broken window, right by the front door, and Orpheus had been there for that. Otherwise, the school had been spared the fate of nearly every other abandoned building he had ever seen. The windows were intact, the walls were free of spray paint, and the grounds were free of the detritus of squatters and partiers.
"Doesn't look any different than when we left," Rachel said.
"We should be able to take it back without too much of a problem," Orpheus said. "I'd just be more comfortable if I knew how many are inside, and where." The Jeep drove along the side of the school and passed the external fire escape.
Ethan said, "Dad, stop for a sec."
Orpheus brought them to a stop and sat, waiting.
"The people in this car are four of the five people in the world who have the most experience with the zombies. So here's a stupid question: Has anyone ever seen a zombie just wander up a set of stairs? We've all seen them go up when there was something to chase, but randomly? Never seen it myself."
"You're suggesting clearing the school from the top down?"
"Hey, that sounds familiar," Fish added.
"He's got a point," Rachel said. "We're not sure how many are on the first floor, but we can be reasonably certain that few, if any, are on the second."
"Let's finish our sweep, and if nothing pops up to make us change our minds, that's the play."
Nothing that they saw on their reconnaissance made Orpheus think of a better plan. They met up with Zulu 2 at the back of the school. Orpheus put his window down, and Tim did the same. He said, "Nothing much to report. We couldn't really make out if anything is going on inside, though."
"Neither could we." He filled Zulu 2 in on the proposed plan.
Tim thought for a second and said, "Nope, I can't say that I've seen any of them go up a set of stairs just for funsies. The plan sounds solid."
Orpheus addressed the group. "Downsides?"
German was the first to vocalize his opinion, and his was that he didn't have one. "I'm going to go with the experience on this one. So will he." He pointed to Tino, who nodded.
"All right." He glanced at his watch. "We're burning daylight." He put his window up, pulled a U-turn, and led Zulu 2 back to the cul-de-sac.
When the rest of the force came in sight, Orpheus noticed that the amount of zombies had nearly doubled in their absence. The vehicles still weren't in jeopardy, but the zombies could create a problem for him when he breached the school. He looked at Ethan. "Give the order."
Ethan held the mike to his mouth, then dropped it a few inches. "Are we getting some of this?"
"No, we're hanging back. Tell the Jeeps to stay sealed up, too."
"Should we -”
Orpheus anticipated his son's concern. "The team leaders can handle it."
"Got it." Ethan cleared his throat and went through the call signs. He ended up with, "Romeos One and Two, engage when ready."
No movement came from the Rhinos. The team leaders were no doubt going over the instructions and safety protocols. After about a minute, the first of the hatches opened. Soldiers clambered onto the roof and took up firing positions. Ethan looked at each man and confirmed that each one had a safety tether attached. The tethers only had two feet of give and would prevent any of them from falling off the roof. The team leaders motioned to the soldiers in turn, and each one responded with a thumbs up.
A single word came over the radio. "Engaging."
Everything was quickly drowned out by the rapid reports of men who were shooting at will. Zombies shook and danced as non-lethal shots racked their bodies, until the headshots put them down for good.
Ethan, once as carefree as a young man could be, kept a wary eye on his surroundings, looking to see if any more mobs had been attracted by the gunfire. A few stragglers found their way to the kill zone, but they posed no threat to the overwhelming firepower.
It was over quickly.
Ethan cast a sideways glance at his father, who was smiling as he said, "Our turn."
O
Orpheus ordered the Jeeps to be parked at the base of the fire escape. They were arranged so that they would block any approaching zombies from ascending the stairs if they managed to spot any of the team, but would allow for easy access for the team if things went wrong inside the school and they needed to beat a hasty retreat.
The eight of them climbed out. "Whoa, whoa, not you two," Orpheus said to the two newest members. "You wait here and get ready to drive if we need you. Lena, start mapping it."
"Gimme one sec." She took a reinforced laptop out of her bag and booted it up. Once the map of the school was loaded, she gave him a thumbs up.
"What? Why?" German sounded indignant, demanding a response, which came in the form of more than one angry glare.
Tino was wise enough to take up residence on one of the vehicle hoods. He grabbed his friend by the arm and pulled him backwards. "You got it, sir."
Satisfied, Orpheus led his people up the fire escape. The last thing he could make out was Tino asking, "Have you lost your fucking mind?"
Tha
t made him chuckle.
They reached the top of the fire escape. As expected, the window was locked from the inside. Orpheus brought his arm across his body, intending to break the glass with his elbow.
Ethan pulled out a glass cutter and smirked. "Seriously?"
Orpheus dropped his arm and moved aside. "Since when are you the subtle type?"
Ethan attached a small suction cup to the glass and made several revolutions with the cutter. He popped out the cut piece with only a modest effort. Tim shined his light through the hole and surveyed the hallways, while the remaining three trained their weapons on the window.
All of this happened with no cues from Orpheus, no talking at all. Now that's a team, he thought. I wish I could take credit for it.
Tim rapped on the glass several times, not loud enough to carry to the first floor, but it would attract anything close. After a moment, he said, "Nothing," and flipped the lock. He slid the window up and nimbly vaulted through.
Fish, who had been uncharacteristically quiet during the entrance, stage whispered, "Ninja!" and followed him.
Rachel went next. Ethan said, "You go last, Cap. It'll take all four of us to help you through, anyway."
Orpheus found that he had no witty retort chambered. God, getting old sucks.
He climbed through the window, no assistance necessary, thank you very much.
O
Orpheus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coil of neon orange rope and duct tape of the same color. During their strategy session, they went over how to clear the school as a group and still be sure that no zombies had gotten behind them. Ethan and Rachel had proven to be a tremendous resource, especially regarding the school. They'd come up with answers for things when Orpheus hadn't even known some of the questions.
He tied an end of the rope to a fire extinguisher and ran it across the hall, where he attached the rope to other wall via duct tape. He repeated the process several more times, making a net. By the time they'd completed clearing the top floor and came back to the starting point, there would be no chance of them missing a random zombie due to nothing more than bad luck or timing.
