"Hank told me that some of the soldiers are dangerous." Nick patted the handle of the katana. "What do you think?"
"I think some of us could be dangerous." Tina wanted to run out and hug Warrant Smith. "Girls, we're safe now. The soldiers are here to protect us."
The twins looked up at Tina, and her heart nearly broke when she saw how scared they looked. Ted walked over to Jessica and Katie, and gave them the first bit of attention he had shown them in hours. "What’s your problem?" Ted looked up at Tina. "Just deal with those two, would you." Anger contorted Ted's face.
"Jason said to stay put." Nick blocked Ted's way. "Besides, you should spend some time taking care of your daughters."
Ted lashed out at Nick. "Who put you in charge!" Ted thrust his finger into Nick's face.
"Sit down." Nick pushed Ted back into the stretcher, the jolt waking Calvin from his deep sleep. Calvin started to moan in agony. It seemed that the pain meds had worn off.
"Dana, I need Calvin’s medication," Jack called out, ignoring the pissing contest between Nick and Ted.
The pills rattled inside the bottle, only half full with meds. Jack attended to Calvin while Ted grabbed a hold of Nick's jacket. The two men wrangled with each other, each man tugging and shoving the other to gain the upper hand. A dark shadow crept over the survivors. A large black stallion trotted into view carrying someone in its saddle, but the beast was so large Tina couldn't see who sat atop the majestic animal. The horse must have been seven feet tall and the Viking that rode the beast was every inch as impressive. The man's fur boots and brown tunic pants were all that was visible of the savage outside the ambulance. The ambulance doors slammed shut with such force, Tina couldn't believe the doors never fell off the hinges. Nick and Ted fell backwards, moved by the sheer power of the Viking’s thrust. Calvin grunted as the stretcher rocked backwards, the sudden movement straining the muscles in his back. Another shadow fell over the ambulance, this time a noble white colt who shouldered another brawny barbarian rider across the front of ambulance.
"Where are you going?" Dana yelled at Officer Humber as she opened the passenger’s door and exited the cab.
Who were the savage Viking riders? What were they doing trapping them inside the ambulance? The twin girls snuggled into Tina again. The black stallion joined the other mare and the two gargantuan creatures blocked everything from view.
"Deputy Jones, what happened back there?" Despite the fact that two heavily armed guards surrounded Warrant Smith, he seemed perfectly composed.
"The horde flooded down from the hockey arena once the fire died down," Officer Humber explained.
"The place was overrun within minutes -- one moment it looked like everything would be fine, then the fence was overcrowded. There were too many of them, we couldn't keep them off the fence." Eric recounted the events that led to the downfall of the military base.
Warrant Smith had a look of disgust on his face. "That plan was doomed to fail, we gathered those undead freaks right in the heart of the city." Warrant Smith shook his head. "I orchestrated our own demise."
"You can't blame yourself, Warrant. We all believed in your plan." Officer Humber tried to reassure her commanding officer. The two guards were on edge, the sight of the brutish Vikings making them uncomfortable.
Warrant Smith took notice of the colossal men riding atop the majestic steads. "Who the fuck are they?"
Warrant Smith didn't need to point in their direction, Eric knew exactly who he meant. "I'm not sure, but they are with us." Eric didn't have a chance to find out who the savages that accompanied Hank were. There would certainly be an unprecedented backstory to accompany these remarkable brutes. Eric couldn't wait to sit down somewhere and hear their incredible tale, preferably near a roaring fire with some food.
Hank rode over on his remarkable stallion; despite the brutal chaos around them, the white and brown coat was well groomed. Its large bulging muscles rippled as the horse trotted towards them. The stead waved its long, shaggy tail back and forth, neighing loudly while steam rose from its jaw. The horse appeared to be showcasing its tremendous strength and dominance.
Warrant Smith stepped forward to pat the beast on its snout. "Aren't you a beautiful animal." The warrant seemed completely enthralled by the phenomenal beast. "Hank MacDonald. What the fuck are you up to, filming another Hollywood movie." Warrant Smith’s voice was exuberant and jovial, as if the sight of the horse made him forget all of his worries.
Hank let out a hardy laugh, motioning for the other Vikings to approach. "These are the Viking warriors of St. Anthony. They saved my life last night and have marvellous news for us: they have somewhere we can live and be safe from those freaks." The horses’ hooves broke through the crust, puffs of snow flicked up into the air in a mist of white powder. Vapour bellowed out of the beasts' snouts.
"Gentlemen." The warrant greeted the brave souls with a salute.
"Har! Gentle men we are not." A large, brute of a man spoke for the group.
Eric figured that this man was probably the leader. His garb was much more extravagant than the others, and the furs that cloaked his body were much cleaner and more radiant than his brethren. The chainmail armour underneath the pelt glistened in the sunlight, while the others wore mail plates that were dull and worn. The shield he bore on his back looked to be newly forged, or at least there were fewer dents and most of the blood on the shield hadn't dried on yet.
"Figure of speech. I didn't mean to offend." Warrant Smith didn't seem to be intimidated by these men like everyone else.
Hank looked over his shoulder at Eric, shooting a sly wink in Eric's direction. "If we all pitch in, we could survive on the northern shores of Newfoundland. They have built a safe haven for all; the only price of admission is hard work." Hank sounded like he was making a sales pitch for a timeshare.
"The northern shores are barren and unforgiving, you won't last through the winter. I'm going to the old American army base in Argentina." Warrant Smith sounded sure of his plan.
"Wouldn't you rather live above ground, breathe the fresh air, and taste the salty sea air on your tongue?" the lead Viking boomed, his course voice tearing through the silence in the forest.
"I'd rather live; what happens if the zombies overrun your little communities? You'd be safer in Argentina, it was built to protect people from outside threats." Warrant Smith didn't seem too impressed by the Viking’s wild claims.
Jason walked over next to Eric and gave him a concerned look. "What about Tracy? I have to get to Buchans. Both of those places are too far away from her."
Eric turned his back to Hank and the others, and walked away from the ongoing futile argument behind them. "I'll talk to Warrant Smith, he has to pass by Howley to get to Argentina. Maybe he can get us there and I'll get Dana settled in Howley with Frank. Then we can rescue Tracy."
"But what if these places are as safe as they're claiming? You should take Dana someplace safe." Jason looked back at the ambulance.
"She'll be safe enough in Howley for a few days. Once we rescue Tracy, we can talk about where we will head to afterwards." Eric couldn't imagine leaving Dana alone, but they had to act fast. The sooner they attempted to find Tracy, the better chance she was still alive.
"Thanks, man. I can't thank you enough. I know you don't want to leave Dana behind again." Jason looked rejuvenated at the prospect of reuniting with his wife.
"Frank can keep her safe, I have to trust him." Eric wouldn't bring Dana on such a dangerous journey, which meant he had no other choice left but to trust Frank. There was no way he was letting her go with either group alone, and at least he knew Frank would keep her safe or die trying. "I'll tell the others, everyone can make up their own mind about what they want to do. The choice is their own, I'm going to make sure everyone understands." Eric walked back to the ambulance, trying to break the news to Dana that he was about to infiltrate the Pharmakon base with Jason. She wasn't going to like this one bit, especially the part where she wasn
't invited.
David awoke suddenly to find the room was damp and frigid, the fire all but burnt out. Sweat dripped from his body from the visions of his wife that had haunted his dreams last night. White embers in the hearth struggled to battle the cold air. David couldn't stand the feeling of weakness, and forced himself out of bed. He realized that he didn't feel quite as sore as he had the night before. Splinters of wood from the shattered chair rested on the floor, and David gathered them up first and tossed them onto the coals. The dry wood crackled as the embers ignited the flints.
David grabbed another chair from the table and smashed it against the brick fireplace; this time, David felt his full strength as he demolished the chair. David tossed the scraps of wood on the fire, noting that the warmth from the fireplace felt nice against his skin. Scavenging the room, David found a package of beef jerky in the old nightstand next to his bed. The meat was salty, with a hint of teriyaki for flavour, and David savoured every morsel of the dried beef.
Things were finally looking up for David; last night was only a rare occurrence. Maybe David's mind had been playing tricks on him. He checked the bite mark from last night and found that it had nearly healed over. The mark had nearly faded so that only a few reddish brown scabs remained to remind David of the pain he had experienced last night.
A pile of clothes had spilled out of an old dresser near the bed. David was pleased to find the previous owner had been a large man. The thick blue and red plaid jacket fit David snuggly -- the zipper wasn't able to go up past his bulging chest, but the new attire was a much welcomed change to his black t-shirt. The black snow pants were much too big for David, with the waist at least twelve inches too big. David kept searching through the clothing, trying to find warmer clothes for the journey to Buchans. An old Russian style hat and a pair of grey mittens were the only other items of use to David, so he tossed the rest on the fire and finished chewing on the last of the beef jerky.
Once the sun rose a little higher in the sky, David would make his way towards Corner Brook. He had no intentions of walking the rest of the way, but he feared that his tiny car wouldn't be able to get very far in this deep snow. David decided to check out the surrounding area for a more suitable vehicle to drive through the snowy apocalypse. He didn't feel the need for sleep, but found himself much more comfortable than he had last night. Pulling the blanket up to his neck, David dozed off, and more nightmares tormented his sleep.
"You need to kill Jason Cook or everyone will realize what a weakling you've become."
"So, what do you want to do, Ted?" Tina asked after Eric's speech was finally over.
Ted couldn't believe his luck; everything was falling into place for him. Jason would soon be away from the military and even more promising was that he hadn't seen David lurking in the shadows. Ted would have Tina to warm his bed and look after those brats for him. Tina expressed interest in taking the girls with the military. The soldiers had shown they could keep them safe. Ted wanted to be as far away from David Steele as possible, and Ted knew that David would steer clear of the militia at all costs.
"We should go with Warrant Smith, sounds safe." Ted put on his warmest smile.
"I was hoping you would say that." Tina hugged Ted briefly before turning to the twins. "We are going to be safe, girls."
Both twins nodded in agreement -- they didn't seem to understand it all, but they would follow Tina anywhere. Almost everyone in the group agreed to go to Howley. Ted was glad to finally be done with this group. No one respected Ted, and that fucker Calvin could rot for all he cared.
"Great, I'll talk to Eric and let him know to inform the warrant." Tina stepped outside into the falling snow.
Ted was the last to decide their course of action as everyone else had already expressed their interest. Hank and Sasha were heading to St. Anthony. Nick, Jason, Eric, Jack, Stella, Calvin, and Dana were going to stay in Howley.
The stranger had passed out last night and still hadn't woken up. The beating he took would require serious medical attention, and while Officer Humber did the best she could with the meagre resources, there was very little she could do for him. Nick vowed to take him to Howley, the paramedic acting the hero once more. Jason had rescued the man from a savage beating, and insisted that he would be a valuable asset. Apparently he had developed a deterrent from the dead, a way to keep them from seeking you out.
Ted looked over at Calvin; how did they think they were going to manage to drag that huge, hopelessly damaged sack of shit around? They should discard Calvin like the dead weight he was. Ted wanted to walk over to Calvin and end his life. There was a deep, insatiable desire to choke the life from his rival's limp body. They were all alone in the back of the ambulance, how much fight did Calvin have left in the tank?
"So, I guess this is it, Calvin." Ted tested Calvin's wits; he wanted to see how his antagonist would respond.
Calvin laboured to sit upright. He looked uncomfortable as his muscles tensed in his neck, and Calvin choked down a cry of pain. "I always thought you'd end up dead long ago, I guess cockroaches can survive anything."
"I guess they can." Ted clenched his jaw and his hands formed fists.
Calvin looked down at Ted’s fists. “You know what I really hate about you?”
Ted rolled his eyes and shook his head. “What’s that?”
“It’s not that you’re a terrible person. It’s something that any man should be ashamed of.”
“What are you getting at, Calvin? Out with it already!” Ted felt his patience wearing thin.
“It’s that you’re so self-centred that you can’t even see what a terrible father you are.”
A burning raged seethed through Ted's veins, a deathly venom sweeping over his conscious. Ted erupted in a volcano of fury and hatred, pouncing on the helpless man -- but Calvin had been prepared for the outburst. Countering Ted's eruption with calculated action, Calvin used Ted's own momentum against him. Calvin threw Ted headfirst into the metal shelve wall of the ambulance with a sickening thunk. Ted felt wet warmth forming under his winter cap, a throbbing pain radiating from the hard bump. Before Ted could react, Calvin had toppled on top of him, pinning him to the floor. Ted could hear footprints rush towards them through the snow before the doors whipped open.
Tina was the first person to try and break up the fight.
"HELP!" Tina cried out as the two men continued their vicious scuffle. Ted kicked Calvin between the legs, toppling Calvin to the floor. More footprints raced towards the ambulance, and Ted managed to gain the upper hand before anyone could intervene.
"Stop it." Tina wailed to no avail. Calvin had exerted all of his remaining strength countering Ted's first effort. Now his awkwardly contorted body immobilized him, allowing Ted to land blow after blow uncontested. Ted lost control and everything else faded away: there was only his fists and Calvin's unprotected face. Nothing else registered in Ted's mind but each crippling, crushing strike thrown at his defeated adversary.
"Somebody help." Tina begged for help.
Ted could taste the blood in the air as droplets of blood seemed to move in slow motion after every jab, splashing against Ted's face. Each strike brought Calvin closer to the brink of annihilation.
Tina had tried to intervene, but Ted brushed her away like a fly. Ted wrapped his hands around Calvin's thick throat, his eyes bulging out of the sockets. Ted looked down with glee as he strangled the life from Calvin.
"Daddy?"
Ted turned around to see his daughter, Jessica, staring back at him with a frightened look in her eyes, but he still wouldn't relinquish his grasp on Calvin. As he locked eyes with Jessica, a powerful pair of hands grabbed Ted by the shoulder and he was ceremoniously tossed out of the back of the ambulance by one of the soldiers. Ted crashed into the snow near his daughter -- he reached out for her, but she ran away from him. Ted felt like he couldn't control himself, his murderous rage was coursing through his body, turning him into some demonic demon. Two soldiers seized Ted, p
inning him to the ground and tied his arms behind his back before dragging him towards the warrant.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
SEPERATE WAYS
After Warrant Smith secured Ted in the back of the eighteen-wheeler's cab, he warned Tina that one more outburst like that would cost them the security of the base in Argentina. Then the warrant spoke to the Vikings and together they decided that the Vikings would follow behind the truck until they reached the split in the highway. The military would then continue towards St. John's, and the Vikings would head down the Viking Trail. Eric and his group would be escorted to Howley before Tina and Ted would make the rest of the journey to Argentina.
"Thanks for everything, Hank." Eric shook the celebrity's hand, admiring his bravery for rescuing Nick and himself.
"You should come to Lanx Aux Meadows when you are ready." Hank had a firm handshake. "Why are you going to Howley?"
Eric couldn't tell anyone the truth. Ted warned him that if Pharmakon saw the military approaching, no one would make it inside that underground base. Eric would welcome Hank's help, but was afraid too many bodies would attract unwanted attention and put Tracy's life at risk. "I just need to see Frank, warn the survivors about what's coming their way. Let them know all of their options." It wasn't a complete lie, but Eric hid the full truth from Hank.
Hank helped Sasha up into the saddle as the horse towered over her timid height. Sasha's golden curls shimmered in the sunlight, and she smiled at Eric from above. "You take care of yourself, Deputy, I hope to see you soon." Hank spurred the stallion towards the rest of the Vikings, the horse trotting down the road with long strides.
"Crazy bastard," Eric muttered to himself.
Everyone else had made their way into the back of the ambulance, ready to follow the army towards Howley. The giant plow attached to the front of the eighteen-wheeler would plow the way, making the trip back in less risky than the trip they had made out. Warrant Smith had sent the members of his regiment out siphoning gas from wrecked vehicles scattered along the side of the road. The soldiers had returned with three full gas cans, and they gave half to Nick to add to the gas tank, bringing the gauge just below half. The warrant warned Nick to honk the horn if he was running low on fuel and they would find him more.
Zombies on the Rock (Book 2): The Viking Trail Page 19
