Kozz saw the spark of the rifle a split-second before he heard the blast. He initially thought someone had fired it from inside one of the buildings, but now he saw the tripwire Freddy had walked through and found that the rifle was perched inside one of the smashed windows, hooked up to a device that was connected to the wire.
Freddy's face was splattered with specks of blood that had exploded out of his shoulder when the bullet bounced off of his collarbone. It was not a life-threatening injury, but it rendered his left arm useless and he wailed out in pain when he tried to lift it. At first everyone thought Freddy's life had come to an end. The man had dropped like a rock when the loud gunshot shocked the group, but it had been more due to Freddy tripping over the wire rather than being taken down by the bullet.
Freddy was lucky to escape with his life. If he had not tripped forward the bullet could have hit him in the neck or head as it likely was intended. When the group realized that Freddy was going to survive they discussed exactly who would have set up such a trap.
“Prolly somebody set 'er up to kill them diseased freaks,” said one of the men.
“Coulda been someone trying to defend themselves,” said Richard. “It'd be smart to set traps. The infected people probably don't have enough going on in their heads to look for traps before they walk into one.”
“I think someone set it up to catch us,” said Daryll as he bandaged up Freddy's shoulder. “That wire would've been tripped long ago by one of the infected. Someone must have set 'er up recently. Today, maybe. Must've known we were comin' this way.”
“No way!” shouted one of the men.
“Couldn't have been,” said Freddy, wincing as Daryll tightened the medical wrap. “Who would attack us?”
“Could be someone else is holding out at the surplus store,” said Luciele. “Maybe they want to keep others out.”
“They did it,” yelled Kozz from down the street. He ripped the rifle off of its contraption from inside the window.
“They who?” asked several people.
“The demons,” replied Kozz. “The damn infected. They set this trap for us. They knew we were coming, just like Daryll said.”
“Not a chance,” said Richard. “They're not smart enough.”
“Yes,” said Kozz, “they are. Luciele and I saw one try and set a trap for us back at an old farm we came across on the way to Siletz. Old man made a distraction at one end of the building and then attacked from another.” Everyone turned to Luciele, and she nodded in agreement. “They know we're going to that surplus store. They haven't attacked us yet, and I think it's because they're trying to set us up. That rifle blast was a warning shot, and they know we're closing in on our destination. They don't expect us to be prepared for their attack. We need to outsmart them.” Kozz pumped the rifle and held it across his body. “We need to prepare for battle.”
The faces of the group looked back and forth at each other, trying to make sense of the reality and gravity of the situation.
“How do yeh know that they're planning to ambush us, Kozz?” asked Daryll. From the tone of his voice Kozz could tell that the man believed his words.
“It's in my blood,” said Kozz. “My life has been one war after another. I've hunted men and learned how to read them from the trails of violence they leave behind. I can smell the bloodshed that lies ahead, I can feel the heat of conflict that surrounds us. There is a big gunfight in store for us.”
Daryll considered Kozz, then he nodded to himself. “Alright everybody, you all heard the man. There'll be no turning back now, so prepare yerselves for a fight. We'll move slower. Keep yer eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. If yeh see something, anything where it shouldn't be, let the rest of us know right away.”
Daryll took Freddy by his good arm and led him forward. The rest of the group followed, some toughened by the knowledge of what waited ahead, some more timid. Luciele swapped her shotgun for Freddy’s rifle.
"It keeps bringing me back to when I shot my husband," said Luciele. "I'd rather be rid of it."
"Th-thanks ma'am," said Freddy, stammering through the pain.
"I'll help you reload it if you ever need to. Still hard to aim it with one arm, but better than this long rifle.” Luciele looked over her new weapon. She liked the feel of the rifle. It had good balance and weight, and there were no upsetting memories tied to it.
Freddy was able to hold the shotgun in firing position with one hand comfortably. He managed to prop the butt of the gun against his hip so that his good hand could grip the gun and pull the slide back and cock it. At least he'll be good for one shot, thought Luciele.
Thick patches of fog formed in the streets as it clustered together to fight off the morning sunlight. Tension was high as nobody knew what would be waiting inside the fog or the clearing beyond. The lack of any commotion in a town that size was frightening for some, and down-right odd for everyone else.
The sensation of hearing her own footsteps echo in the streets as she walked by broken buildings, destroyed vehicles, and the occasional dead body sent chills up Luciele's spine. She was thinking about her son and began to worry about her decision to leave him behind. She trusted Kelly to look out for him, but what if something happened at the camp while she was away? What if something happened to her out in town and she was never able to see Caleb again, leaving him all alone, fatherless and motherless. Moments earlier she had been as unyielding as a rock, ready to risk the danger to get the supplies everyone needed, but now she found herself at wits end and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her thoughts grew wild about what waited ahead and what might be heading for her son at the camp. Luciele fought to calm herself before she made a scene in front of all of the men, and it was then that she realized the truth in what Kozz had said. Something had changed, and she had not realized that she felt it as he did until now.
Trepidation had not consumed her after she saw the mass of dead bodies strewn across the intersection, nor did she feel it after witnessing that man run out of the office building and die in the street at her feet. It was the trap that was set. They're trying to catch us off guard, she thought, they're trying to trick us. The infected are smart, maybe smarter than us, and it wasn't only the tripwire trap they set, it's the fight ahead that they're leading us in to. A gunfight Kozz had said. He put the pieces together before anyone else had. The group hadn’t been attacked by anything in town yet. The infected are waiting for us to get to the surplus store. They know where we are heading and they are probably gathered at the warehouse to launch a full out attack. And if they know about our group and where we are going, Luciele pondered, then that means—”
“They are going to attack the camp,” shouted Luciele. “They know we left them nearly defenseless!”
Caleb put away his comic book just as Tim approached.
“What've you kiddies been up to?” asked Tim.
“Nothing, sir,” said Samuel.
“Caleb was just reading us a story,” said Kelly. “We're trying to pass the time.”
“You not talkin', boy?” said Tim, kicking a puff of dirt at Caleb. “Ya're not gettin' sick again, are ya? We don't need you turnin' infected again.” He made sure Caleb could see the rifle strapped to his back and the pistol in his holster. “If trouble pops up, I'm the one in charge of seein' that it's taken care of.”
“Leave Caleb alone,” demanded Kelly. She stood up, her thin frame as tall as Tim's stout body. She walked over to him and stood on her toes, forcing her face close to his and staring down at him from above. “He's just a boy and he's done nothing wrong and I will not let you bully him you immature little weasel. Now get on out of here and leave us alone.”
Tim stood solid as Kelly yelled in his face. He grinned the whole way through and patiently waited for her to be done. “Alright miss,” he said with the smile still on his face, “I'll leave ya children alone for now. Just checkin' in to make sure everything was under control. Y'all have a good time now. Keep readin' ya storie
s.”
Kelly did not move until Tim was far enough away that she felt comfortable enough to sit back down in a huff. “Now I know what Kozz was saying.”
“Thanks for scaring him off, Kelly,” said Caleb. “But what was it Kozz said?”
“Oh nothing,” she replied, “just about how he thinks Tim and Daryll are trouble. I didn't really see it until now. I know they were freaked out when they first heard about what happened to you, but I didn't think they were holding any hostilities after finding out you were just as healthy and not infected as they are.”
Caleb was about to speak, but behind Kelly he saw a man appear from beyond the bank building and start running towards the camp. Caleb stood up. Kelly and Samuel turned to follow his gaze and together they rose to their feet as well. The man held a gun in his hand, raised it towards the camp, and fired.
Kelly grabbed Caleb's arm and pulled him to cover. The man with the gun ran towards them. Caleb tripped over a rock and fell.
"Mom," he cried to himself. “Come back.”
“Well we better get a move on and get what we need so we can head back as soon as possible,” said Daryll. He told Freddy to stay back in the crowd, then he volunteered himself to lead the group forward and warned the others to keep an eye out for any further traps.
"We're already walking right into one," Kozz mumbled.
The crew traveled down the center of the ominous roadway. Daryll took the lead on his own, but right behind him was Freddy and the other men, and lagging in the back were Kozz, Luciele, and Richard with the mules. The separate groups lost sight of each other as they pushed through thick patches of fog where they saw each other drop in and out of visibility. A soft breeze pushed the dense clusters of fog through the streets, adding an eerie presence to the ghost town.
After some time Richard learned to avoid noticing the dead that littered the town, but the occasional glimpse still sent shivers up his spine and produced a sinking feeling in his gut. He was supposed to help look for traps set along the way, but could not make himself turn his head to peer into the windows of the lifeless homes and down the alleyways where bodies were sure to lie. He tried to walk silently, but the footsteps of his companions echoed against the buildings and he felt like they were as conspicuous as a holiday parade marching down the streets, warning whatever was waiting for them of their imminent arrival. Trash tumbled in the breeze, Richard's nerves causing him to jump at the sight of it. Broken windows creaked in the breeze and more small shards of glass fell every now and then, crashing to the ground like cannon fire in the muteness of the air.
Bursts of sunlight penetrated the morning mists, burning spotlights through the water vapor. Richard turned his head and met Luciele's eyes, eyes which were full of tears of motherly concern. They shared a comforting moment with each other in that look, saying more than they dared to speak. They both knew that they should not have separated from their loved ones, but it was too late to turn back now.
“We're nearly there,” said Freddy, his voice aching with the pain he was feeling in his shoulder, “should be just left down the next road.”
Daryll stopped and turned to face the group. “There's a sea of rigged explosives in our way,” said Daryll. Dozens of small piles were scattered about on the road ahead. “We'll have to find another way around.”
“No we won't,” said Kozz. “We can just shoot them from here and blow 'em up without risk.”
“They'll know we're here if we do that,” said Daryll. “Don't be a fool. We can just walk around the block and approach the surplus warehouse from another direction.”
“They already know we're here, slick. Blowing up their shit won't warn them of nothing. And if they've got this road blocked, I'm pretty damn sure they'll have the others ways in blocked as well. I told you they were smart.”
“We can't waste time arguing about this,” said Daryll. “What you propose is stupid. The sensible thing to do is turn around and find a different route. They can't have every way trapped, at least not as well as this. Now let's go and try another street.”
“What we can't waste our time doing,” said Kozz, “is walking around like idiots for another couple of hours. We need to get back to that camp A-sap because I have a feeling that they're gonna be needing our help.” Red had slipped out of hiding and risen to face level, her barrel staring down the road towards Darryl. “Now you best get out of the way, I'm in a hurry.”
Darryl stood in shock. Freddy and the other men parted to hide away from the path of any bullet that would be fired. Luciele was unsure whether to try to stop Kozz or not, but remembered that she had told him that he had her complete trust. Richard found himself confused and moved forward to stop Kozz, but was held back by Luciele's hand. Darryl reached for his rifle, and Kozz fired.
KABLAM!
Daryll lurched forward as an explosive blast lifted him off his feet. He fell to the ground with his rifle in his hands as the burst of flame behind him was quickly consumed by smoke. Fragments from the explosion flew in all directions. Daryll cursed as he lifted himself to his feet, but several more explosions were triggered by the flying fragments and he was knocked down again by the concussive blasts. It looked as if a barrage of mortar fire erupted in the road. Flashes of white flame burst from the pavement like lightning strikes, and black smoke billowed into the sky. Each explosion sent a booming quake that rocked the ground underneath everyone's feet. All stood unsteady in the disorienting shock waves, all except for Kozz who stood tall like a sea captain on his ship with a lifetime spent learning the motions of the undulating ocean waves.
The explosions ended and Daryll rose to his feet once again. Behind him was a war zone. Nearby buildings on either side of the road had taken damage from the blasts, their rubble falling into the newly formed craters in the street. Smoke lifted from the burnt tar and was taken away with the wind.
“You fucking moron,” shouted Daryll. He reached for his rifle again and aimed it at Kozz. “You might've killed me! You might've killed us all!” Kozz stood where he was, unmoved. Daryll shook with anger, but he looked at the faces of everyone around Kozz and saw fear and disapproval in their eyes. He lowered his weapon with a raging sigh. Daryll was in visible turmoil, everyone able to see him fighting his own emotions. He pushed his rage aside and put his weapon away. “I suppose the way is clear now. Yeh all prepare yerselves. If they're waiting for us, they know we're here now. I suggest Kozz lead the way from here on out, just in case any of those explosives weren't triggered by his idiocy.”
“I agree,” said Kozz. He walked to the head of the pack, and stepped right past Daryll. “Let's move. We're in a hurry.”
Luciele and Richard were the first to follow and they hustled to catch up with their friend. Everyone else came after, Daryll and Freddy taking their places behind all the others. Kozz marched onward through the smoldering street and made it through without trouble. An older man behind him tripped over a crumbling pile of tar and sprained his ankle, but Daryll acted as a crutch and helped the man get through the uneven throughway.
Kozz found Red in his hand once again as the warehouse came into view, her satin finish sparkling in the sunlight. Bold letters reading “SURPLUS” hung outward from the building over the sidewalk. The street seemed as lifeless as all of the others, and Kozz did not see any traps laid in their way.
They walked toward the building, everyone else falling further behind Kozz as he approached the warehouse. The surplus shop itself was only two stories tall, but it was wide and stretched quite a way behind the taller apartment buildings which surrounded it. A chain-link fence with barbed wire separated the yellow-brick building from the street, but the gate was broken and had been tossed out into the road. Across the street from the warehouse were more apartment buildings, and at street level was a pub that took on the look of an old time saloon, equipped with rustic lettering on the unbroken windows, weathered columns that ran across the front deck, and a pair of double-arched swinging doors which looked as
if a man with stirrups and a ten-gallon hat could walk right through them at any second.
Kozz scouted for signs of trouble in the windows of the apartments and down in the alleys between the buildings, but he could not find anything. Still, he knew that something would be waiting for them inside the warehouse. He stopped in front of the chain-link fence and turned to the others as they caught up to him. “Get your weapons ready, people. We're gonna have to fight before we can get to those supplies.”
“Go on ahead Kozz,” said Daryll. “Knock on the door, they're waiting for yeh.”
“Hush yourself,” said Luciele. “Act like a man or I'll start whooping your behind like the child you're behaving as. This is serious and you better take it so.”
“I'm scared,” said Freddy. “I don't know if I can go in there after all I've seen.”
“I'm scared too,” said Richard. “But we have to do it. I have to do it for Kelly, you have to for your son. We all have to for everyone at the camp, or we won't be surviving the days ahead. You can do it, man.”
“Alright Kozz,” said Daryll. “You and me. We'll go in first. I'll open the door and you take the first look inside.”
“Sounds as good as any plan I can come up with. Let's move quick, there's multiple storms brewin' and I don't want any of us to get caught in the rain.”
Daryll walked through the crowd and made his way to Kozz. Together they moved towards the front of the building. Kozz placed his ear on the door. “There's something in there alright.” Daryll moved to the side of the doorway and Kozz stood straight in the entrance way. He nodded to Daryll. Everyone else stood scattered in the street behind them as Daryll turned the doorknob and pulled open the door. Inside Kozz could only see darkness, and all he heard was quiet. He took a step forward and a dozen pair of eyes lit up in the blackness. “Shit.” Red reacted as soon as she saw the glow.
KABLAM!
One pair of eyes was gone in an instant, but the rest retaliated. Inside the floating eyes fired their weapons and Kozz dove to the ground behind the brick wall. Laser shots beamed out of the open doorway and burned holes in the brick. “Run,” yelled Kozz and was repeated by Daryll. Everyone in the street ran into the saloon and down the alleys on either side of it. Richard grabbed the reins of the mules and led them down the wider of the alleys. Daryll ran with the others and Kozz kicked the door shut before getting back on his feet and turning down the side of the warehouse. Holes burned through the door, the laser fire melting the metal. Daryll found cover down one of the alleys as the door burst open and out ran several of the infected with guns drawn.
Frostarc Page 14
