by W. J. Lundy
He set his bag next to the shell of an older model station wagon and put Ella on top of the pack. He poked a hole in the top of a can of fruit and encouraged the girl to drink the juice. Ella took the can and sipped while Shane used a rag to wipe the dirt and grime from her face and cheeks. Chelsea moved in behind him and took a seat next to the bag. Leaning against it, she removed a bottle from her pack and took a long drink of water. Chelsea lifted her hand and pulled the girl’s bangs from her eyes. Ella smiled at her and took another sip from the fruit juice. Shane took the can back, completely opened it, and then used an MRE spoon to feed her the fruit cocktail.
“You’re good with her. Do you have kids of your own?” Chelsea asked him.
Shane grinned as he gave Ella the last of the fruit and set the can under the car. He wiped her face and put the rag back in his shirt pocket. “I’d say she’s good with me. No, never been married, never had any kids.”
“You don’t talk much do you, hun?” Chelsea said as she stroked Ella’s hair.
“She will; when she has something to say,” Shane said, winking at Ella.
Brooks gave the signal to move out. Shane tucked their belongings back into the pack and got Ella to her feet. He loosened the improvised parka’s front and allowed her to walk beside him. Chelsea moved next to Shane, keeping Ella between them. The highway was quiet and void of life as it rolled on straight ahead. According to Meyers’ map, they were less than thirty miles from the base. It would be possible to cover thirty miles in a day if they weren’t carrying the pack and escorting the girl. Even then, that pace would make it impossible to stay alert and still able to fend off attacks. Twenty miles was more likely but still would mean setting a grueling pace.
Shane could tell by the way Brooks set off that he had no plans of reaching the base in a single hike. He moved slowly and methodically, keeping the team spread out. He walked point far ahead and kept Joey staggered to the left behind him. Howard walked alone in the middle while Meyers was some distance to the rear, ensuring they were not being followed. They walked on the inside shoulder near the median where they would have the greatest warning to oncoming threats. The farther they traveled, the less damage they saw to the vehicles; the fire hadn’t spread beyond the city limits.
Brooks put up a hand and motioned them into the tall grass of the median and down to the ground. Shane held Ella close and crouched behind the tires of a large cargo van. He tucked her in beside him as he pulled up his rifle. He turned his head to the side and watched under the vehicle as the pack of Primals passed by on the opposite side of the road. A small group of five, they staggered ahead in a straight line toward the city; probably attracted by the activity of the previous night.
Brooks waited for the Primals to pass then quickly got the group back on their feet and moving again. Chelsea moved closer to Shane and spoke just above a whisper. “How long has it been since we heard Gunner’s rifle?”
Shane looked at her then down at his watch. “Three hours… if he hasn’t turned yet, it’ll be soon.” Shane saw her expression change and he immediately regretted his words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I know what he did for us, what you all have done,” he said turning back to the road.
“Do you really think the Rangers will be there after all this time?” Chelsea asked.
Shane looked ahead, pondering the answer. “If not, then we’ll just find something else. Keep going till we find a safe place.”
“It seems like that’s all there is anymore: moving, finding places. I don’t think we will ever rest again.” She stopped and pointed ahead; Brooks had moved to the median and called the others in. Howard was standing in the center of the group waiting for them, holding his leather satchel. Shane and the others increased the pace as they walked to meet up with Brooks. Joey stayed on the flanks, providing security.
Brooks pointed far ahead at a small red vehicle on the shoulder. He signaled for them to join him. A small import hatchback, two bucket seats in the front and a bench in the back. Brooks had the rear hatch and a back door opened.
Meyers approached from the rear, letting his SA80 hang limp in his right arm. “Ayup?” he asked.
“I found one that runs and it’s small enough to get around the traffic jams to get you to Savannah,” Brooks said walking around the car. He reached into the hatchback and removed two suitcases, setting them on the ground to make room for the team’s packs.
“It’s too small, we won’t fit,” Chelsea said.
“We’re not all going. I’m taking Joey and going back to look for Sean and Brad,” Brooks said as Meyers walked up.
“No… no way. We all stay together,” Chelsea argued looking at the small car.
Brooks nodded at Meyers and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll be in good hands and you all will make better time in the car.”
Shane walked to the vehicle, looking down the highway. “Maybe we could hold off until we find something larger.”
“Doesn’t matter, you could find a tour bus, I won’t be continuing on. I’m going back for Chief,” Brooks said, lifting Howard’s bag and dropping it into the back.
Howard walked around to the driver’s door. “We need to continue on; the girl is what’s important. “
Meyers shrugged. “He’s right, lass; load your gear, we should get going.”
“We can’t just leave! How will we find you again?” Chelsea argued.
Shane walked to the hatch and dropped in his pack. He removed the rifle and walked Ella to the back seat. “Come on, they’ll meet us at Savannah. If not, once the girl is safe, I’ll help you find them.”
Chelsea walked to Brooks and grabbed the front of his shirt. “Make sure you bring them back!” He nodded a silent response before taking her pack and loading it in the car. He escorted her around to a passenger door and reached down to open it. Shane slid in on the other side with Ella ahead of him and closed the door, waiting. Howard entered the driver’s side and started the engine. Before Shane knew what happened, the car was in gear and racing ahead.
“What the hell are you doing?” Shane yelled.
Howard looked at Shane in the rearview mirror. “It’s okay, I have it from here,” Howard said before reaching over the back seat as the car whipped away. He aimed a small Browning pistol at Shane and fired, hitting him in the chest. Shane bucked hard, slumping back in the seat. Struggling to move, he fell against the door, and then toppled to the bench as the car veered around obstacles. Shane sighed deeply, gasping for air. Ella screamed. Shane tried to sit up, but couldn’t feel his body. He fought the darkness closing in on him as he struggled for breath. He felt his warm blood running down his side. Ella leaned over him pulling at his hair, her tears falling on his cheeks; he knew she was calling his name but it sounded far away and muffled.
Shane struggled to move, to speak. “Relax, soldier, enjoy the time you have left,” Howard said, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove down the shoulder of the highway.
“Damn, you all made it awful easy for me. I thought we would have a harder time getting away from the CNRT. Hell, when they captured Aziz I thought we were finished, but this girl… yeah, she’s important to the cause. Well… not all of her, just her blood. But don’t you worry, soldier, I know how important she is to you. Once I get my sample, I’ll make sure you two stay together. I’ll find you a nice spot in a ditch to spend eternity.”
Shane lay on his back staring at the ceiling of the car struggling to keep his eyes open, barely comprehending Howard’s words. Ella was leaning over him, screaming. He rolled his head to the side, staring into the sun. He saw his team gathered around the Humvee; he wanted to walk to them, to be finished with the pain. Ella’s cries clouded his thoughts and brought him back. Shane forced everything to his right arm and let it drift to his belt, his thumb glanced the .22 pistol in his belt clumsily. His hand grasped the grip of the Walther pistol. He struggled to remove it but didn’t have the strength. Ella grabbed his wrist and tugged, helping him rem
ove the weapon. Without straightening his arm, he aimed up at the back of the driver’s seat. Ella guided and steadied his aim as he pumped the trigger.
CHAPTER 36
A loud explosion ripped through the night air far to the south. Sean threw up a fist, halting Brad. They ducked into the cover of an overhanging roof as they heard the sounds of small arms fire.
“That’s got to be the team; let’s go,” Sean whispered.
He stepped off quickly, crouching low through the alleyways, the residential neighborhood quickly turning commercial. The gunfire became random and the location scattered; the sounds echoing off the buildings made them hard to track. Sean set course for the sounds of the initial explosion. They veered into a warehouse district filled with sheet metal buildings and concrete loading docks. The farther they moved, the more the water began to rise. They slogged through until it hit their knees then climbed to their waist.
Sean continued, pressing forward, holding his rifle above his shoulders and pushing through the water down the center of the street. The gunfire stopped and the sounds of the Primals' moans faded. They rounded a corner and saw an elevated railroad bed. Sean pointed and then moved quickly in that direction. The water almost reached their necks before it began to recede near the embankment of the railroad tracks. The duo climbed to the top and knelt down beside the rail.
Brad looked up and down the tracks in both directions. Ahead, the ground was churned with twisted rails and upturned railroad ties. Behind them was a lone rusted freight car. The embankment area where they rested was covered with spent shell casings and Primal bodies.
“They definitely came this way,” Brad whispered.
Sean rolled his eyes. “Nice tracking skills, Tonto.” Sean looked up and down the tracks picking up the spent brass and rolling it in his fingers.
“Do you think the men in black will be following?” Brad asked as they climbed back to their feet.
Sean looked behind him, scanning both sides of the railroad embankment. “By air maybe, but the SUVs won’t make it through that flood water. They’d have to cut all the way around to the highway. Our guys would do the same. Okay, let’s go. Stay close to me.”
In a bend, they spotted a uniformed body. The two men held up and looked at it from a distance, not wanting to approach. Not speaking, they slowly stepped forward together. They spotted the M249 strapped across the soldier’s back and the M203 on the crushed limestone just in front of him. Brad froze and took a step back. Sean moved forward and knelt next to the man’s body. Carefully he removed the machine gun and leaned it against the railroad track. Sean looked back at Brad who was standing quietly, he shook his head slowly.
“It’s Parker, isn’t it?” Brad mumbled.
Sean nodded. “’fraid so.”
Brad turned around, not looking at the body. “Do we have time to bury him?” he asked.
“Not properly, but if we hurry, we can at least wrap him in his bedding and cover the body with limestone.”
Brad took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. He turned and walked to the body, grabbed the man’s rucksack, and removed a blanket. “I’ll carry the SAW if you take the 203,” Brad said, lifting the M249 and leaning it against his own pack. He then reached in the man’s shirt and removed his dog tags. Brad laid out the blanket so it was flat. Not speaking, Sean helped Brad move the body to the center of the blanket where they tightly wrapped it.
“Let’s get this done,” Brad said grabbing handfuls of the loose stone from the railroad bed.
***
They traveled slowly now, staying in cover, sinking into the high grass of the embankments when they sensed movement. A small group of Primals sloshed through the water next to them as Sean chose to hide rather than fight them. They encountered more small packs scattered about the city that were not following their normal pattern of disappearing during the day.
“The action last night seems to have stirred them up… dragged them far from home,” Sean whispered, pointing to a small cluster standing on a loading dock trapped by the flood waters. A tall female stood by the steps leading to the loading dock, looking out. Her clothing was soaked to the chest and the others gathered behind her, some sitting, but most standing in the shade of an overhang.
“They look lost, like they got turned around in the storm,” Brad observed.
“Let’s go,” Sean whispered getting back to his feet, walking crouched while trying to hide his silhouette from the stranded Primals.
As they approached the highway, Sean picked up the pace. They saw less and less shell casings and Sean was concerned they’d lost the trial. When they approached a cross street with a rolled over bus, there was an empty water bottle with a label from the submarine. He pointed it out without speaking then followed the bus around to the muddy slope leading up the highway. There were obvious signs of boot prints and drag marks where the team climbed the muddy rise.
“I’ll go first,” Sean whispered clipping his weapon to a harness and grabbing clumps of grass as he made his way up the hill. Once reaching the highway, he assumed a lookout position and signaled for Brad to follow him. At the top, Sean pointed to an empty fruit can and muddy boot prints. They turned and headed off, not wanting to waste any time knowing the trail was hot. Sean moved them at a quick pace, only stopping to duck below or under vehicles to let wandering Primals pass by.
They patrolled beyond the destroyed hulks of vehicles and out of the city limits. Sean climbed on the hood of truck to see farther over the horizon. They heard it at the same time, a loud engine noise coming from behind. Sean spun on his heels while Brad climbed the truck and saw it—a column of four black SUVs racing down the median of the highway; sometimes having to weave between vehicles or using their winches to make a path.
“They’ll be on us soon. What do we do?” Brad asked.
“We can’t let them pass,” Sean answered, taking the rifle from his pack.
“But the man, he said— “
“Doesn’t matter, we can’t trust anyone. We need to get the girl to Savannah. How do we know they won’t kill us on sight?”
“So… that’s it then?” Brad asked.
“Trust no man but God,” Sean said setting up his rifle. “Don’t worry. I’m not killing anyone; I just want to delay them.”
Brad jumped off the truck and ran to the front where he set up the SAW on the bipod, aiming across the hood of the truck. He attached a plastic box holding 200 rounds. He yelled up at Sean, “I’m set, just suppressing right? Not killing anyone.”
“That should work for now. Be ready to haul ass when I say,” Sean answered.
Brad watched as the vehicles moved onto the highway and squeezed between the stopped vehicles. Sean waited for them to drive around a blue van then into a narrow lane—a solid bottle neck. Sean rapidly fired into the lead vehicles engine block, steam and spray exploding into the air. The lead vehicle stopped dead; the vehicles behind, trapped in the column, attempted to back up. They bumped into each other and tires squealed as they attempted to push free. The second vehicle slammed forward, trying to push the first disabled SUV ahead and out of the way. Brad aimed low and let out a twelve-round burst, skipping rounds across the road and into the surrounding vehicles.
The trail SUV stopped pushing and reversed, looking for a way out. Sean switched his angle as the last vehicle in line attempted to maneuver around the blue van. Sean took more well placed shots and exploded a front tire to prevent the SUV from turning. It cut at a sharp angle and collided with the van as the third vehicle spun back and pinched it in, effectively blocking the entire convoy. Sean held his fire. Brad stayed on the SAW observing. A man opened a truck door and dove out to cover.
“They’re on the move!” Brad yelled.
“Tracking,” Sean called out firing another round into a fender to keep the man’s head down. More doors opened and they started taking return fire. A round hit the windshield over Brad’s head; he spun, let off another burst of machine gun fire, and h
it the vehicles around the SUVs, trying to back the men off.
“Okay,” Sean yelled, “let’s haul ass before I kill someone”.
Brad pulled the SAW off of the truck and turned to run down the highway. He stopped dead in his tracks and leapt back into the cover of the panel truck. “Oh shit!” he yelled.
Sean dropped off the top of the truck landing next to Brad, “Wha—“
Ahead in the road was a swarm of charging Primals. More were coming out of the woods on all sides. Rounds impacted the panel truck, trapping them. Brad leveled the SAW and cut down the first line of Primals, but more filled the void as they poured in and over the abandoned cars. Another salvo of rounds pinged off the body of the panel truck.
“Wow, are we screwed or what?” Sean laughed raising his rifle and firing, knocking down a fast runner before shifting and hitting another.
“You’re fucking nuts, man!” Brad replied as he fired an extended burst into the charging crazies watching them get closer. Brad pulled a grenade and tossed it ahead; they didn’t duck for cover, firing through the blast instead. Quickly tossing another, Brad turned to look around the corner and fired at the SUVs. “You got to be joking, they are moving up on us,” he said as he watched the men in black bounding forward, firing at the panel truck as they moved. Brad leaned around the corner to fire again as a round cut into the truck and hitting the M249’s hand guard. Brad tossed it away as plastic bits and metal exploded, hitting him in the face.
Brad spun back behind the cover of the truck. Sean had the M203 out, pumping 40mm grenades and firing the rifle at the approaching Primals. A round skipped off the pavement, clipping Sean’s boot and knocking him to the ground. Another round tore through the corner of the truck hitting Sean in the shoulder, spinning him around and forcing him to drop the rifle. Brad dropped beside him, firing his M4 in an attempt to slow the advancing mob. The world exploded with the sounds of heavy machine gun fire. Vehicles on all side of the duo exploded. Brad crawled over Sean to shield his body as more explosive projectiles impacted the ground all around him.
