I shot a glance at Southard and Spec-4. They had their weapons ready, covering me. I nodded and turned back to the door. Then I started slowly pulling it open. Much to my relief, the door didn’t make any noise as it swung slowly open. It was a heavy door like on a safe and it took quite a bit of exertion to swing it open.
Inside were two zombies. One was dressed in ACU’s and the other in hospital scrubs. The one in ACU’s had been a woman and was missing an ear and a part of her cheek. The jawbone was clearly visible. The one in scrubs had been man. His right calf had been chewed down, leaving less than half of the muscle. He was also missing most the left side of his throat. They were completely oblivious to my presence as they feasted on the entrails of a fallen National Guardsman. To my complete horror, his eyes were still open and his mouth moved like he was trying to speak.
“Holy shit,” I whispered.
Slowly, he reached out a hand to me, his eyes pleading with mine. At first, I thought it was the reaction of a zombie that was turning, but it struck like a physical blow that he was still alive when he silently mouthed, “Help me!” It killed me, but there was absolutely nothing I could do for him except to put him out of his misery. Gripping my MP-5, I slowly raised it to aim at his head. I could see understanding in his eyes as I took careful aim. Then, he slowly closed his eyes for the last time.
Tears flowed unchecked down my cheeks for this man that I didn’t even know. I whispered a silent prayer and squeezed the trigger. I barely registered the shot, but watched it as if from a great distance. The bullet struck him in the forehead, right between the eyebrows. Instantly, he was gone and just for just a second, I swear I saw him smile. It wasn’t much, but it was the only mercy that I could give him.
As soon as the shot was fired, the woman in the ACU’s turned and snarled at me. It reminded me of a predator snarling at another one as it tried to defend a kill. It was terrifying to look into the dead, milky eyes and see nothing human there. Then, she began to turn towards us when she seemed to sense that we were another meal instead of another zombie. Then instinct took over and I fired twice more, ending the existence of the two zombies that had ended his. No one said a word. There simply wasn’t anything to say.
After a moment to regain my composure, I shook my head to clear it.
“Ok,” I said. “Let’s get this stuff loaded, ASAP.”
We’d hit the mother lode. There were twenty four M-16 assault rifles, another fifty Berettas 9mm handguns, an M-60 heavy machine gun and two M-249 light machine guns. There were numerous crates of ammo. We even found a couple crates of fragmentation grenades. It took four trips using a mail cart and a dolly, but we got it all out to the trailer. Spec-4 covered us while Southard and I did all the heavy moving. It might have gone faster if all three of us had lugged the gear, but I wasn’t crazy about the idea of not having at least one gun ready in case zombies showed up.
Once we’d emptied the gun locker, I had Southard mount the M-60 on the turret. It was about time we had something mounted up there. Spec-4 climbed on top of the Humvee and helped Southard get it in place, then loaded it like a pro. I was happy with the haul, but there would have been ten times that amount had the armory been full. However, I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the magazine well. We’d need the guns, but from what I had heard so far we had more guns than officers to use them.
I snagged myself an M-16, with an M-203 mounted under the barrel. Then I loaded an ACU rucksack with ammo for them both. I was collecting quite the arsenal for myself. I was going to need it when I went to the lake to get my family. I had obligations to fulfill here first, but I could relax a little knowing that my family was safe. At least, I prayed that they still were. Going after them was going to be a major undertaking, if the dead were truly everywhere. From what we’d been hearing on the news, it was safe to assume that they were.
Once the weapons and ammo were secured in the trailer, we moved to an out-building where they stored the MRE’s[6]. I didn’t see the point of going with only half a load. We quickly filled the rest of our empty space with MRE cases. As we finished up with the loading and closed the trailer doors, I noticed that there were now about ten zombies at the chain link fence, near the old Pythian Castle.
The old Pythian Castle was a Springfield landmark. It was built back around the turn of the twentieth century by an organization called the Knights of Pythius. The beautiful stone façade made it a relic of an age, long gone. It was originally built as an orphanage, but was commandeered by the military to house Prisoners of War during World War Two. Local legend held that the place was haunted. I can’t say that I knew for certain that it was, but it sure was creepy. I had to suppress a chuckle when I thought of that. I mean, here we were surrounded by the living dead and I was wondering about the existence of ghosts.
At least the dead couldn’t get through the fence. It was ten feet high and topped with razor wire. They were shaking it, but didn’t have the intelligence to look for a gate. That was good because it meant they weren’t coming through any time soon. It also meant that it was time to get the heck out of here and get our butts back to the jail. We were overdue to rendezvous with what was left of the department. I sincerely hoped that there were more left that I suspected.
As we piled back into the Humvee, I could hear the sound of a helicopter. It didn’t sound very close, so I dismissed it. As I started to pull out of the lot, I saw the Blackhawk helicopter come into view just above the tree tops across the street. It began hovering over the treetops and I could see the pilot and co-pilot looking right at us and pointing. There was also a gunner on the side, manning the min-gun. I really didn’t want to test our armor against it.
“Can you raise them?” I asked Spec-4.
“Maybe,” she said, “if they’re on my frequency. Hand me the SINCGARS[7] handset.”
I handed her the radio handset that was mounted in the dash. She reached up between the seats and started adjusting the set. It crackled and hissed for a few seconds before we heard a partial garbled signal.
“…..dent….sel….” it said.
“Say again, last call sign. Say again,” she said into the set.
“Unidentified Humvee, this is Missouri National Guard helo Viper 2-1. You are trespassing on US Army property. Please identify yourselves, over.”
“This is Corporal Christina Wilder, 1138th MP Battalion,” she replied. “I am assigned duty at this facility.”
“Copy that, Corporal,” replied Viper 2-1. “Just making sure. We lost all contact with your chain of command hours ago. What’s your current mission status?”
“Right now, I’d have to say survival. I haven’t found anyone else left alive.”
“Understood,” replied Viper 2-1. “If you can make it, all units are regrouping at the AVCRAD[8].”
“Copy,” she replied. “I’ll try and get there as soon as I can.”
“Good luck, Corporal. Continue to monitor this frequency for additional orders. We will advise Command that we contacted you.”
“How many of us are left?”
“Not many,” replied Viper 2-1. “We’re only holding out for an evac. We’ll hold until transport arrives, but you better get to the AVCRAD unless you want to stay here. This area is being reclassified as the Springfield Containment Zone. No one will come in or out once the word comes down.”
Spec-4 looked at me and Southard with resolve in her eyes.
“I won’t leave you guys,” she said to us.
“Just tell them that you’ll try and get there, but you may be bringing additional personnel,” I said.
She nodded and relayed the word to the hovering helo.
“Bring any survivors you can,” said Viper 2-1. “If they’ve ever been in the military, they can consider themselves on recall status. That comes directly from the President.”
“Understood, Viper 2-1,” she said.
“Command now designates you as call-sign Rogue-6. Use that call-sign for all future communication
s.”
“Rogue-6, copy.”
“Rogue-6, be advised we are seeing a large number of hostiles approaching your position from the South-West. Do not, say again, DO NOT attempt to go to the southwest of your current position.”
I looked to our left and saw the beginnings of the group that Viper 2-1 was talking about. It was the usual assortment of zombies, but from the glimpses I was getting between the trees there had to be a couple hundred of them. This was the largest group we’d seen yet. It had to be from the two college campuses that lay directly in our path back to the jail. Things were about to get really interesting.
“Crap,” I mumbled. “We need a new route back. Those things are right in the damned way.”
“Viper 2-1,” said Spec-4. “Can you assist? Over.”
“Affirmative, Rogue-6. We are seeing Zulu Tangos in excess of one hundred approaching your position. We will engage while you evac the area. Are there any other survivors in the armory?”
“Negative,” she replied. “We’re it.”
“What the hell is a Zulu Tango,” mumbled EMT.
“Military speak,” I said. “Zombie Targets.”
At that point, I punched the accelerator and turned back to the north, heading back for the way we came.
“Good luck, Rogue-6. See you at the AVCRAD.”
“Thank you. Rogue-6, out,” she said.
As we headed off down the road, I could see Viper 2-1 begin a sweep of the area with the mini-gun. They were raining steel jacketed death down into the crowd of zombies. Within seconds, I was out of sight and could no longer see the helo, but I could still hear the loud growl of the mini-gun.
“Someone get on that 60,” I said.
Spec-4 nodded and slid back into the turret. As we turned back west, I could see a group of about twenty zombies in the road. They were crowded around something or someone, tearing it to pieces. I couldn’t worry about what it had been. I had to worry about getting us through this alive. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and pushed harder on the accelerator. Right then, the M-60 started chattering away.
The big 7.62mm NATO rounds were devastating to the zombie ranks. Even shots that weren’t in the head were effectively eliminating their targets. Spec-4 expertly swept the 60 from side to side and cut a path through the middle of the group. I stole a quick glance back at her and smiled. The girl was good. I shot through the opening she’d created and continued on towards the intersection by the Stop ‘n’ Rob. I never did see what they’d been eating. Actually, I was kind of glad for that.
“Southard, I need another belt,” yelled Spec-4.
“Got it,” snapped Southard.
Southard handed up another belt of ammo as we cleared the intersection and bounced across the railroad tracks. Spec-4 snapped the new belt into place as we sped towards the hospital. All along the street were signs of hastily abandoned houses and the massive damage that had been done by the rioting. I couldn’t help but think that not all of it was caused by zombies. We weren’t exactly in the best neighborhood in town.
I knew that there had to be looters out there, too. Up ahead, a city bus was on its side in the middle of the street. Fire was licking up the underside of it. Blood covered the windshield and a zombie was crawling out through a hole. It wore the uniform of a city bus driver and it was missing most of its lower half. Everything was gone from about the hips down. I clipped him with the bumper on the way by.
As I approached a brick church on the left, I could start to see the back side of the hospital. The entire area was crawling with zombies and the streets were clogged with vehicles. Some were even burning. There was no way that we were getting through that. I slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. Fortunately, this area was mostly clear. I pulled a wide u-turn, careful to avoid an overturned SUV. I hoped that the zombies at the hospital didn’t notice us.
“Did they see us?” I yelled.
“Looks like a few did,” said Spec-4. “They’re coming our way, but they’re a few blocks behind us. Do I shoot?”
“Save your ammo. I’m gonna take a side street and try to get around them.”
“Got it, boss,” she replied.
I took a hard right on the first street past the church. I didn’t catch the street name. My goal was to follow this street north until we were past the hospital, then headed back west. I didn’t want to take this street all the way to the university because I figured the place would be crawling with zombies. If I timed it right, we’d slip between the university and the hospital and come out within a couple blocks of the jail…just as easy as pie. Yeah, right.
I was getting ready to take another right, when I saw movement up ahead. There were two people running from a mob of zombies. It appeared to be a man and woman. They were young and dressed like students from the university, in jeans and college sweatshirts. The mob was gaining ground and I could tell it wouldn’t be long before they were caught.
“Aww, shit,” said Southard. “Wylie! Don’t do it, man! We’re almost home free.”
I ignored him kept going straight towards the students. I completely missed my intended turn and there wasn’t another street between us and the on-coming horde. There wasn’t enough room for us to turn around, either. I had no idea how we were going to get out of there, but I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try to save them.
“Damn it, Wylie,” said Southard. “We can’t fucking save everyone!”
“But we can save them,” I said. “Wilder, give those kids some covering fire.”
“On it,” she replied, lining up her sights.
The staccato beat of the big machine gun started in immediately. I hit the horn to get the attention of the two kids, but I got more than I bargained for. More zombies came pouring out of an apartment complex on our left hand side. We were stuck in the middle of the block, on a narrow street with nowhere to go and no chance of another u-turn. There were just too many parked cars.
My mind began to race as Southard jumped into the back seat and got ready to open the rear door. He gave me a grim nod and pulled out his Glock. I scanned the area quickly and didn’t see any options. With no other ideas at hand, I hit the brakes and turned the wheels to the right. I screeched to a stop in the driveway of an older Victorian-style two story house with a well-manicured lawn and lattice work along the porch.
The young couple made right for us as fast as they could run as Southard opened the back door and started shooting into the crowd of zombies. Spec-4 was cutting down waves of zombies, but couldn’t get the ones closest to the young couple for fear of hitting them. She was devastating the ranks, but there were just too many to stop them all. It seemed like no matter how many they shot, more just kept coming from almost every direction. There had to be hundreds of them…maybe thousands.
The two kids ran as hard as they could and were within twenty yards of us when the zombies overtook them. The last, brave act of the young man was to shove the girl to safety before they bore him to the ground. The young man’s anguished screams pierced even the heavy gun-fire. The young woman dove into the back seat. Before closing the door, Southard snapped one more shot and ended the suffering of the young man. Spec-4 dropped back down inside and frantically sealed the hatch. Then we locked all the doors and watched in horror as the zombies swarmed over the Humvee.
“We’re dead,” screamed EMT. “You dumbass, you’ve killed us all! Why’d you have to play freakin’ cowboy?”
He was yelling at me. The young girl lay in the floorboard and sobbed hysterically. Southard climbed back up into the front seat and reloaded his Glock.
“You should have left them!” screamed EMT, nearly hysterical.
Then I heard a wet smacking sound from the backseat, followed by a thud against the door. Spec-4 had finally heard enough out of him. She leaned over and punched EMT in the face.
Ragnarok Rising: The Awakening (Book One of The Ragnarok Rising Saga) Page 11
