“Run for the Humvees!” I screamed. “Don’t stop for anything!”
Elliott fired a shot at a zombie that emerged from behind a trash dumpster, striking it in the face. It was knocked over backwards, and didn’t get up. Spec-4 and I were both firing into the crowd of zombies that were coming at us. I could see that it was a losing battle. There were just too many of them. For every one we shot, it seemed like ten more took their place. I knew we couldn’t get them all, but I prayed that we could get enough of them to buy us enough time to escape. My heart nearly sank as more and more of them just kept coming.
There had to be a couple hundred of them or more. The front rows were mostly Sprinters, and they were coming at us fast. I sized up the situation in my head and came to the realization that we weren’t going to make it. I could see it clearly, as if in slow motion. We were going to be overrun just about the time we reached the Humvees. The little kids might make it, but the rest of us didn’t stand a chance. Spec-4 must have realized that, too. She met my gaze and her eyes widened with fear. We only had seconds left before we would be swarmed.
“Get them out of here!” I bellowed. “I’ll buy you some time.”
Before she could protest, I grabbed her shoulder and gave her a shove towards the Humvees. For just an instant, our eyes met and I could tell she knew exactly what I was planning. Then I turned and ran directly at the Sprinters, firing as I ran. I had to slow them down, no matter what. That feeling in the pit of my stomach was almost nauseating, now. There wasn’t any alternative, if the others were going to make it out of here alive. What else could I do?
“DAD!” I heard Elliot screaming.
“Wylie, don’t!” screamed Karen.
“Get to the Humvees!” I heard Spec-4 screaming.
I caught a glimpse of them as she shoved them on as fast as she could go, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. I tried to keep an eye on them, but had to concentrate on shooting as I ran. My sister-in-law reached the second Humvee and dove inside the back seat with her youngest daughter. Erik and Evan made it to the lead Humvee with the other girl and climbed into the back seat with Thor right behind them. The rest of them were still ten yards or more away.
I aimed into the on-coming crowd of zombies and let fly with a round from the M-203. Then I felt the CRUMP of the explosion. The blast sent bodies flying into the air and pieces scattered in all directions. It wasn’t enough to stop them all, but at least a dozen of them were now out of the equation. I closed to within ten yards of the lead Sprinters. Then I turned hard and sprinted towards the dock, firing into the crowd as I ran.
Karen reached the lead Humvee and helped Amanda Newberry into the back seat. Thor climbed onto Amanda’s lap, taking up the entire seat. Elliott was still shooting at any zombie that got too close. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Odin broke loose and ran after me. He put his head down and ran full out. For a big dog, he was amazingly fast. He was quickly eating up the distance between us. Elliot shut the back door before Thor could follow after Odin.
I fired as quickly as I could pull the trigger, aiming at about head level. I knew that the M-16 didn’t have the power to take out legs. I had to try for kill-shots. My weapon clicked empty and I dropped the magazine without hesitation. Then I yanked a full one out of my cargo pocket and shoved it into the magazine well. I reloaded while I was running and continued to fire into the crowd of zombies, screaming as I ran.
“Come on you ugly pieces of shit! Come and get me!”
I didn’t bother with controlled fire anymore. I flipped the switch on my M-16 to full auto and cut loose into the crowd. Then the truly miraculous happened. The crowd of zombies turned and followed me towards the dock. I had done the impossible. I had gotten their attention off of the others. I felt like Sir Lancelot when he got his miracle. Now, I was trapped on the dock with more than a hundred zombies in close pursuit. There was no where for me to run to.
I could see the others out of the corner of my eye. They were close enough that I could still hear them calling after me. I had to keep the zombies attention on me or they didn’t have a chance in hell of getting out of here. I was NOT going to let that happen. The realization hit me that there was no way I was getting off of that dock alive. If I was going to die anyway, then I was going to make it count. I just hoped that it would mean something. My death would mean nothing, if the others didn’t escape. I had to make it count.
“DAD!” screamed Elliott, starting to come after me.
Spec-4 had to grab him by the arm and stop him.
“No!” she shouted. “You can’t help him!”
“I won’t let him die!” he screamed, anguish in his voice.
As I was running down the dock towards the boat slips, a pair of Sprinters were about to overtake me. Just as they were reaching for me, Odin bounded out of the crowd of zombies and slammed into them at full speed. It’s amazing how much force a dog that big can generate when he hits something. Both the zombies and dog disappeared into the water and I didn’t see them resurface. Just as I had been willing to give my life for the people I loved, Odin had been willing to lay down his life for mine.
“I guess Odin’s going to Valhalla with me,” I thought, tears stinging the corners of my eyes.
Spec-4 was screaming something, right then. I’m not sure what it was, or even if it was words at all. Time seemed to slow down as I ran. I felt like I was watching it happen, not participating. Then it hit me, I could at least take some of the pressure off of them. Karen had just pushed Elliott into the back seat and climbed inside when Spec-4 dove into the front passenger seat. Then she scrambled into the turret, popping open the hatch.
She worked the bolt on the SAW and started to swing it around into firing position. I couldn’t let her open fire, or she’d draw the zombies’ attention back on them. If they got swarmed, they’d never make it out. Just ahead of me, there was a large rack of propane tanks and a set of gas pumps for refilling the boats. Instantly, I got an idea. If I was going to die anyway, then I might as well take as many of these sons-of-bitches with me as I could. Before she could open fire, I slowed down and tossed a grenade into the propane tanks.
“I love you,” I whispered, glancing back at the people I cared most about in the world.
“GRENADE!” screamed Spec-4, and dove inside the vehicle and dropped the hatch.
The blast shook the dock so hard that I thought that it was going to flip over. The blast knocked me to the ground and forced the air from my lungs. Before I could move, a second explosion shook it again. This one was even bigger than the first. The gas pumps had gone up, too. That wasn’t exactly one of my better ideas, I had to admit. I felt the explosion pick me up and toss me into the air like a rag-doll. I felt a searing hot pain in my legs and the back of my head. As the fireball roared around me, the flames enveloped me like the gossamer wings of a great fiery bird. I saw the sky above me and a thought ran through my head.
“I wonder if the Valkyries will come for me.”
It was the last conscious thought I had before the blackness took me. I bought them enough time to escape, and that was enough. I knew Southard, John and Spec-4 would get them to safety. Even if I didn’t make it to Valhalla, I could rest easy knowing they made it out. I could go to whatever end knowing I had saved them. What more could I possibly as for?
At least I got my blaze of glory.
Author’s Bio: D.A. Roberts
D.A. Roberts was born in the small town of Lebanon, Missouri. Growing up on the farm gave him plenty of opportunities to cultivate a fertile imagination. Encouraged by his mother, he dreamed of one day becoming a famous writer. An avid reader, D.A. enjoys reading more than watching television.
A diverse career path has given him a unique view of the world. From soldier to factory worker, from bouncer to lab technician, and from Security Officer to Corrections Officer. Having worn many different hats evolves a very different perspective. He draws on all of these experiences to bring his writing to l
ife on a very human level.
He married Annette in the summer of 1993 and has been happily married, ever since. Three teenage sons keep them both busy. Nathan, Nic and Noah are his pride and joy. They have an English Mastiff named Xander, who is a big part of their lives.
D.A. loves to camp, hunt, fish, hike and Geocache. He also enjoys old-school pen and paper role-playing games. When not writing or on duty as a Corrections Officer, he enjoys spending time with his family. A good cup of coffee, a warm fire and a good book are his guilty pleasures.
Find D.A. on Facebook at:
DARobertsAuthor
Or on Twitter at:
@DARobertsAuthor
Coming Soon From
D.A. Roberts!
Ragnarok Rising: The Reckoning
Ragnarok Rising: The Reckoning picks up where Ragnarok Rising: The Awakening ends. In the roller-coaster events of book one, the survivors of the Nathanael County Sheriff’s Office dealt with hordes of undead as they tried to rescue comrades and other survivors. In order to save his family, Wylie Grant was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
He didn’t expect to survive the final events of The Awakening. When he finds himself alive and alone in zombie infested territory, he starts making his way back to the Nathanael County Jail. Through miles of dangerous ground, Wylie returns to find that nothing is as it was. Betrayal rocks the survivors as they are forced to fight against some of their own in order to pick up the pieces.
New faces as well as familiar ones join in the struggle to survive in the days that have come to be known as “The Reckoning.” Struggling with the loss of friends and loved ones, they must make some harsh decisions that will take them back into the fray among the living dead. Danger looms from every direction as each step they take brings them closer to destruction.
Wylie discovers that other survivors may be a bigger threat to their survival than the zombies ever were. Finding their lives in jeopardy, they must decide if they will find a new place away from the others or if they are willing to go to war with a group known only as the Freemen. In the darkest hour of the Zombie Apocalypse…there is a storm coming.
Who will survive the Reckoning?
* * *
[1] An AT-4 is a shoulder fired anti-tank rocket.
[2] An Asp is a collapsible baton that officers keep on their duty belts.
[3] Charlie Mike – military slang using the military phonetic alphabet. It means Continue Mission.
[4] Smith and Wesson produce the M&P or Military and Police pistol.
[5] Hemmits, LMTV’s and Deuce and a Half’s are all heavy duty military cargo vehicles.
[6] MRE’s – Meals Ready to Eat. Military Rations.
[7] SINCGARS is the standard US Army radio. It stands for Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System.
[8] Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot. There are four in the United States.
[9] Army slang. Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services.
[10] An e-tool, or entrenching tool, is a collapsible shovel issued to soldiers. You can fold them up and store them in a rucksack or on your equipment belt.
[11] Close Quarters Battle
[12] A Gothi is a spiritual leader, like a shaman, in the Norse Tradition.
[13] Situation Report
[14] Armored Personnel Carrier
[15] The HK-PDW, or Heckler and Koch Personal Defense Weapon is a smaller version of the HK MP-5.
[16] Rocket Propelled Grenade
[17] US Army slang meaning Continue Mission.
[18] AN/PRC stands for Army/Navy Portable Radio System.
[19] That’s an Armored Personnel Carrier or Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. Hemmitt for short.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter One - Dark Clouds on the Horizon
Chapter One - Dark Clouds on the Horizon
Chapter Two - The Gathering Storm
Chapter Two - The Gathering Storm
Chapter Three - Rude Awakening
Chapter Three - Rude Awakening
Chapter Four - To The Rescue
Chapter Four - To The Rescue
Chapter Five - The Gauntlet
Chapter Five - The Gauntlet
Chapter Six - Storming the Castle
Chapter Six - Storming the Castle
Chapter Seven - A New Sheriff in Town
Chapter Seven - A New Sheriff in Town
Chapter Eight - Serve and Protect
Chapter Eight - Serve and Protect
Chapter Nine - Filling a Prescription
Chapter Nine - Filling a Prescription
Chapter Ten - Bushwhacked
Chapter Ten - Bushwhacked
Chapter Eleven - Ghost Town
Chapter Eleven - Ghost Town
Chapter Twelve - Overdue at the Library
Chapter Twelve - Overdue at the Library
Chapter Thirteen - The Long Way Home
Chapter Thirteen - The Long Way Home
Chapter Fourteen - The Place with the Helpful Hardware Zombie
Chapter Fourteen - The Place with the Helpful Hardware Zombie
Chapter Fifteen - Yard Farming
Chapter Fifteen - Yard Farming
Chapter Sixteen - Once More Into The Breach
Chapter Sixteen - Once More Into The Breach
Chapter Seventeen - Gunfight at the Golden Corral
Chapter Seventeen - Gunfight at the Golden Corral
Chapter Eighteen - Get Out of Town
Chapter Eighteen - Get Out of Town
Chapter Nineteen - Breaking Containment
Chapter Nineteen - Breaking Containment
Chapter Twenty - Going To Ground
Chapter Twenty - Going To Ground
Chapter Twenty One - Reunion
Chapter Twenty One - Reunion
Author’s Bio: D.A. Roberts
Coming Soon From D.A. Roberts!
Ragnarok Rising: The Awakening (Book One of The Ragnarok Rising Saga) Page 58
