by JT Sawyer
As Carlie got into the fray she yelled at the two men to slowly retreat. “Fall back to the escape tunnel. There are no more creatures behind us.”
Like dueling fencers, the three fighters kept slashing and backpedaling, moving a foot forward to attack and then shuffling three feet back until they were on the cusp of the pile of corpses to their rear. “I want us all to do a blitz forward and make a dent, then we’re all going up and over this pile of bodies,” Carlie said, removing her blade from the severed skull of a creature with lopsided spectacles.
They rushed forward shoulder to shoulder and lashed out with one final attack, their weary arms expending the last of their adrenaline. Three out of four creatures were killed, creating a temporary glut as the others behind them lost their footing and tumbled backwards. Carlie and the others quickly turned and dove onto the mass of slick bodies behind them with mortified expressions, elbow climbing over the disgusting glob of tangled limbs and torsos. When they reached the other side, they helped each other up and sprinted down the hallway with Carlie in the rear. With the shrieks of approaching zombies from behind, they made it to the metal door of the escape tunnel just as the remaining group of creatures rounded the last corner.
Jared slammed the reinforced door shut as Carlie made it through and collapsed on the floor next to the others. They lay there panting and unable to move, their dripping blades forming small puddles around them. Jared dragged his body up the wall and pressed his sweaty head back against the concrete. Carlie gave him a sideways glance and saw him rolling his eyes at her. In between breaths, he garbled out the words. “I fucking hate Alaska,” he said. “I think I’ll stick with being stranded in the tropics if given the choice again.” Then he let out a throaty cackle.
Carlie felt like her body was in the clutches of a large snake, as if her ribs were compressing. With the insanity of the battle and blood, sharp metal, and bullets painting their narrow world in the hallway, she thought she was going to cry. Instead, she started laughing. Matias joined in, lying on his side on the cold concrete while he giggled like a boy. Eliza just looked at the three of them with wide eyes and shook her head, muttering, “That’s messed up.”
Carlie stood up, resting her hands on her soiled legs, trying to catch her breath in between howling, unsure if the tears rolling down her cheeks were from joy or fear. After a few minutes, she arched up, listening to the faint pounding on the vault-like door as creatures vainly tried to gain entrance.
“Alright, let’s use what little arm strength we have and get the hell out of here,” she said, motioning to the ladder as she resheathed her ruby-red knife.
Chapter 46
The flight back to Fort Lewis was uneventful and everyone slept in their seats, immune to the jarring from the unrelenting turbulence along the west coast of British Columbia. Upon returning, Duncan handed off the KAD97 vial to Pavel, who immediately set to work in the main lab in D-Wing. The second vial containing the skin sample was placed in the lab’s refrigerated containment unit for later examination.
Lavine met with Duncan and his men in medical while Carlie waited outside, viewing the exchange between the two men through a window in the hallway. After much gesticulation and many red-faced remarks by Duncan and his men, Carlie was unsure of Lavine’s reaction as he kept his back to her the entire time. The man remained still with his feet firmly planted while he occasionally shook his head, but little was revealed from his body language.
Upon leaving the room, the sec-def whisked by Carlie, merely nodding at her and mumbling, “Fine job up there.”
****
Two days later, Carlie stood on the roof of B-Wing at Fort Lewis, scanning the dark clouds forming to the east of the snow-capped contours of Mt. Rainier. A thick band of precipitation was moving in on the region and the bonechilling breeze was stabbing through her thick coat. She heard footsteps on the asphalt surface behind her and turned to see Eliza walking up alongside her. The young woman pushed back her ruffled parka hood and blew a dark lock of hair off her face.
“There’ve been a few reports from our border outposts along Idaho and Oregon about large herds of the undead moving through towns by the thousands,” said Carlie, pulling her black wool cap further down over her pale ears.
Eliza’s gaze shifted around the landscape in the distance and then she looked out at the eastern horizon that still held a few daggers of orange from the setting sun behind them. “That’s the region I came from. There was some talk about a group out of the Walla Walla penitentiary. Some bad dudes who were corralling zombies and using them to clear out entire regions.”
“Does Duncan know about that?”
“Yes, I told him after I arrived here. Not sure what came of it though.”
“He’s thorough. Just the same, I’ll give him a reminder.”
Eliza let out a long exhale, her wispy breath spiraling upward a foot and then being erased by a sudden breeze. “So do you really have faith in this man Pavel that he can turn things around?”
“Not sure we’re at the point in the human population right now where we can turn things back in our favor overnight but with an antidote in our hands, he can provide the means of stopping the virus.”
“Six months is a long time to keep our fingers crossed, hoping he can formulate something.”
“This place seems pretty secure and a good base of operations for now. We’ll ride out the winter, focus on training more recruits, and assist with any regional missions for procuring supplies. I, for one, will relish not living out of a backpack and sleeping on the ground.”
“Yeah, that’d be nice. As long as you can stay warm and dry and have a full belly each day then life is pretty good.”
“You don’t need much to stay alive but those few things are damn precious, aren’t they?”
“What about Lavine—how did he react when you and Duncan presented the information about his potential involvement at the Annoric lab?”
“He didn’t flinch, not a facial tremor or a nervous twitch to indicate that he was involved. He suggested that Duncan and I personally head up an investigation to get to the bottom of the matter. I can’t tell what to make of him.”
“He’s had years of experience stonewalling congressional investigations. His poker face is well-earned.” Eliza shook her head and smirked. “My father didn’t like him, at least towards the end. He never cared to talk much about politics when we were together but when he did, it was usually to vent about Lavine. I don’t trust the man.”
“Well, someone or some group was behind that research at Annoric. Looks like our problems aren’t just about the masses of undead clogging the streets of the world.”
Carlie pulled her gaze away from the clouds and looked at Eliza. “I never could have imagined a day when we’d be standing in a blustery wind in Washington having a conversation about such things, did you?”
“You mean you didn’t wake up this morning and think, ‘What will I do today to fight off post-apocalyptic boredom?’”
Carlie emitted a partial grin and then looked at Eliza and grew solemn. “You have done well to come so far these many months when so many have been after your hide. Your father would be proud—I’m proud.”
The corner of Eliza’s lips quivered for a second, revealing a slight grin. “Yeah, well, you know that saying by Socrates don’t you?”
“I’m a little rusty on my Greek.”
“‘If I can see far it’s because I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants.’”
Carlie arched her back and scrunched her nose. “Not my shoulders—I’m feeling like a creaky old lady these days with all of my injuries.”
“Oh, you Secret Service types are all the same. You just can’t take a compliment—you always have to be so cool and collected.”
“Wait a minute—first you compliment me then you insult me. Is that how it’s gonna be? Have you been spending time with Jared?”
Eliza laughed and smacked her on the arm. “Let’s go downstairs. Th
e others are gathering for a terrific dinner of tuna and cheese flakes along with canned pudding and I told them you’d foot the bill.”
“Mmm—can’t wait. I might have to start with dessert first.” Carlie looked at the darkening horizon and forced herself to pull away from the approaching stormfront. They walked side by side along the rain-freckled roof to the stairwell, the drizzle increasing with each step. Carlie thrust her chilled hands in her coat pockets and felt the rush of wind over her neck. Time to rest for a while. Time to be with close friends and remember what it is like to live again. That’s all that really matters now.
Thank you for your interest in this book. Volume Four in the Carlie Simmons Post-Apocalyptic Series will be available soon. If you would like to receive updates on future releases or want information on survival tips, please sign up for my email notices at [email protected] or by visiting http://www.jtsawyer.com
About the Author
JT Sawyer is the pen name for Tony Nester. Tony is a fulltime survival instructor and the author of numerous non-fiction books and DVDs on survival. His training school is the primary provider for the Military Special Operations community and he has served as a consultant for the NTSB, FAA, Travel Channel, New York Times, Outside Magazine, and the film Into the Wild. For more information, visit apathways.com.
Post-Apocalyptic Fiction by JT Sawyer
First Wave
The Longest Day
No Place to Hide
Hell Week
Non-Fiction Survival Books by Tony Nester:
Survival Gear You Can Live With
Bug-Out Gear for Travelers
A Vehicle Survival Kit You Can Live With
When the Grid Goes Down: Disaster Gear and Survival Preparations for Making Your Home Self-Reliant
The Modern Hunter-Gatherer: A Practical Guide to Living Off the Land
Bushcraft Tips & Tools
Life Under Open Skies: Adventures in Bushcraft
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Thank you for your interest in this book. Volume Four in the Carlie Simmons Post-Apocalyptic Series
About the Author
Post-Apocalyptic Fiction by JT SawyerFirst WaveThe Longest Day
