Nurse Alissa vs. the Zombies | Book 4 | Hunters

by Baker, Scott M.

  South of Bretton Woods, the pack encountered a horde of deaders several hundred strong staggering east. Upon seeing the pack, the horde became agitated and surged forward. The closer they approached, the more they settled down, realizing they were dealing with their own kind.

  When both groups were within several yards of each other, Alpha ordered his to halt and stepped forward to meet the newcomers. Several paid no attention to Alpha and his pack, viewing them as other deaders like themselves. Most sensed something different, something special about Alpha, though they could not understand what. When they stopped, Alpha raised its hand for the five Betas to step forward, signifying Alpha was in command. Many within the horde moved back, some confused, some in awe, some wary of the power of this unusual deader.

  Alpha pointed to itself and to the Betas then, holding its fingertips together, tapped its mouth. The horde moaned, some deep part of their memories associating the gesture with food. Alpha raised both hands, silencing the horde. Moving back a few paces to join the Betas, Alpha pointed toward the horde then spread its arms to the sides. Again, the horde moaned, understanding they were being asked to join the collective and accept these deaders as their leaders. As one, the horde merged with the pack, most willingly agreeing to serve their new master, several oblivious to the event and merely following the others. Alpha turned and moved to the rear of its pack, the deaders spreading to make a path. Once through, Alpha continued east along Route 302, the horde falling in behind it.

  Alpha headed back toward the humans they had encountered earlier today. With a few dozen deaders, the chances of overwhelming the humans were slim. With the increased numbers, victory was certain.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “It’s a beautiful day,” said Miriam.

  “It looks cold out.” Diana bit into some sausage.

  “Right now, it is. I went outside before I made breakfast and the thermometer read thirty-eight degrees. Once the sun crests the trees, it’ll probably be in the mid-fifties.”

  “Still too chilly for me.” Rebecca wrapped her hands around the coffee mug to keep them warm. “I’m a summer girl.”

  Kiera made an exaggerated expression of disgust. “I don’t mind the heat but the humidity sucks.”

  “That’s what I loved most about living on Nahant,” Nathan chimed in. “No matter how hot and humid the day was, at night you got that ocean breeze that cooled things off. Right, Alissa?”

  Alissa smiled and nodded, reminiscing about the good old days.

  “What’s on the agenda today?” asked Steve. “Are you going to find a dam to burst and then fight deaders in the flood?”

  Nathan chuckled. “Don’t give Chris any ideas.”

  Connie’s face lit up. “We should have a picnic. Isn’t there a spot not far from here where we can see Mount Washington?”

  “There is,” said Alissa. “It’s only a few miles from here.”

  “Can we do it, mom?” Connie nearly bounced out of her chair.

  “I don’t know. It could be dangerous.”

  Connie pouted.

  Alissa shook her head. “If we all go, it should be safe. In fact, I think it’s a great idea. It’ll be nice to get out of the cabin and not do a supply run.”

  Connie’s eyes popped open and she pleaded to her mother, “Please?”

  “Okay, I give in.”

  “Then it’s settled,” said Miriam. “I’ll make sandwiches after we pick up and we’ll have lunch there.”

  Nathan took a sip of coffee. “I’ll radio Chris later and see if he wants to join us.”

  “Then I’ll make two more sandwiches.”

  “One for shithead?” asked Kiera.

  “Of course.”

  Steve stood, picked up his coffee mug, and limped toward the front door. “You all have everything well in hand. I think I’ll finish my coffee outside.”

  Miriam flashed him a loving frown. “You could help with the dishes.”

  “But all that movement would hurt my leg.”

  “Don’t worry, gimpy,” teased Nathan. “I’ve got this.”

  “Thanks.”

  As the others finished their breakfast or cleaned up, Steve headed outside to the front porch.

  * * *

  Chris sat on the back deck of his cabin, relaxing in a lounge chair while eating his breakfast. He had made himself scrambled eggs and bacon, preparing a few extra strips for Shithead who sat beside him, his eyes constantly moving between the plate and his master. Every few minutes, Nathan held out a piece of bacon that the dog gently took from his mouth and barely chewed before swallowing, then went back to begging for more. When Chris finished breakfast, he placed the plate on the deck and watched as Shithead spent several minutes licking it clean.

  It was too nice a day to sit around doing nothing. Once he finished his coffee, he and Shithead would head off and explore the woods beyond the cabins before dropping by Alissa’s for dinner.

  * * *

  Alpha gathered the horde of deaders on Route 302 in front of the access road leading to the cabin where the humans dwelled. The anticipation amongst the deaders was palpable. Rustling and moaning permeated throughout. Thanks to Alpha, they would soon be feeding on warm flesh and tissue.

  Alpha raised a finger to its lip, ordering the horde to be quiet so as not to warn the humans. They quieted down. It then summoned two of its Betas, the National Guard officer and the sheriff’s deputy. Alpha pointed to the pack and then stretched out its arms, indicating the woods on either side of the cabin. The Betas understood the most basic rule of the hunt. Set up an ambush behind the prey in case the prey ran. The two Betas did not mind leaving the rest of the horde because they knew that once the humans had been captured, all would join in the feast. The two Betas summoned twenty-five deaders each and proceeded into the woods on either side of the horde.

  Fifteen minutes passed. The horde grew restless, wanting to eat. Alpha turned to them. They settled down. Raising its left hand, Alpha motioned for them to march. The deaders surge forward, nearly two hundred moving up the access road. When they reached the chain link fence, Alpha gestured for them to push against the gates. The horde obeyed. As expected, the gates bent against the combined weight of the deaders, straining until the padlock could no longer withstand the pressure and snapped. They withdrew a few paces.

  Alpha and the three remaining Betas took the lead and led the pack toward the cabin.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Steve sat on the front porch enjoying his morning coffee while the others cleaned up. It was an exceptional warm day for late February – low fifties with a warm, pleasant sun. Which in New England meant next week they could expect a blizzard or sub-zero temperatures. One of the joys of living in the northeast. If you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes. Part of him understood why so many snowbirds went south—

  The clanging of metal from down the access road interrupted his mental ramblings. Placing his mug on the wicker table, Steve left the porch and headed out to see what caused the sound. Most likely some dumb ass deer or bear head butting the fence. Probably nothing to worry about but better to be safe than sorry.

  As he approached the end of the compound, a horde of deaders shambled up the road. A deader in an EMT uniform, a large chunk of flesh ripped out of its right cheek and its left arm stripped clean, leaving the bones dangling lifeless by its side, held up its hand as if telling him to stop. Fuck that. Steve limped back to the cabin.

  He burst through the front door, locking it behind him. “There are a couple of hundred deaders coming up the access road.”

  “Fuck!” Alissa ran for the front windows, grabbing her Mossberg from the rack near the door. Nathan and Miriam followed. The others stayed in the center of the room.

  The horde approached to within twenty-five yards of the cabin and stopped. They let out a collective moan until one of the deaders raised its arm. The others stopped.

  “What the fuck just happened?” asked Nathan.


  “I don’t know.” Alissa turned the knob on the front door.

  “Are you nuts?” asked Miriam.

  “I need to see this for myself.”

  Alissa opened the door and stepped onto the porch. The ravaged deader in the EMT uniform took three steps forward. Alissa raised her shotgun. The horde groaned in unison. The deader pointed to the weapon and then to the ground.

  “What’s going on?” Nathan asked from inside the cabin.

  “I think it told me to disarm.”

  The EMT deader repeated the gesture and the horde groaned again. Alissa lowered the barrel. The commotion ceased. The EMT deader pointed to the cabin and then waved its hand toward itself.

  “It… it wants us to come outside.”

  “No fucking way.” Nathan pulled back the bolt to his FAL.

  When Alissa did not respond, the horde groaned again. The EMT deader held up two fingers.

  Nathan stepped up behind Alissa. “Did that thing tell us we have two minutes to respond?”

  “I think so.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Fight!” Alissa raised her middle finger to the deader and went back inside, locking the door behind her. “Miriam, check out back and see if there are any deaders there. Diana, get the kids and be ready to evacuate when I tell you. The rest of you, arm up. Where’s the radio?”

  Kiera took it from the mantle and brought it over. “What are you going to do?”

  “Ensure we survive.” Alissa keyed the talk button. “Chris, are you there?”

  An agonizing few seconds passed before he answered. “What’s up?”

  “No time to chat. We have a couple of hundred deaders about to attack the cabin. We’re going to make a break for it. Get out of there while you can. Take the Humvee to a safe location and wait for us to call you. We’ll need you to pick us up. Don’t call again until you hear from us. Out.”

  Alissa shut off the radio and stuck it under her shirt. She peered out the window again. The EMT deader had rejoined the horde.

  Miriam raced up. “Nothing out back that I could see.”

  “Good. Let’s get ready to bug—”

  As she watched, a deader dressed like a college professor raised its hand and dropped it. The horde snarled and attacked, breaking into three waves, each led by a Beta. The main wave followed the EMT deader onto the porch while the other two broke right and left, commanded by the New Hampshire State Trooper and female biker Betas, respectively. Within seconds, they had surrounded the cabin.

  “No time to chat. We have a couple of hundred deaders about to attack the cabin. We’re going to make a break for it. Get out of there while you can. Take the Humvee to a safe location and wait for us to call you. We’ll need you to pick us up. Don’t call again until you hear from us. Out.”

  “Alissa! Alissa!” No use. She had turned off the radio.

  Shithead stood by him, sensing the tension.

  “Come on, boy. We gotta move.”

  Chris grabbed his AK-47 and a bag of spare magazines and raced out of the cabin, with the dog close on his heels. He opened the Humvee’s passenger door. Shithead jumped into the seat. Chris placed the AK-47 and the bag of magazines on the floorboard then shut the door. Heading back inside, he gathered up the five cases of belt ammo and placed them in the back seat of the vehicle. Going back once more, he retrieved the .50 caliber machine gun. Chris attached the weapon to the ring mount, lifted the cover, and loaded the first belt of ammunition into the feed tray. Pulling back on the bolt, he fired three rounds. Thank God, it worked. He closed the cover over the belt.

  Chris slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

  “Get ready, Shithead. It’s slaughtering time.”

  Diana reached the top of the stairs and burst into their bedroom.

  Brian pulled on a pair of pants. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re being swarmed by deaders. Two hundred of them.”

  “How are we going to fight that many?”

  “We’re not. We’re abandoning camp. Hurry.”

  “Shit.” Brian slipped on his sneakers without bothering with socks.

  Diana glanced around the room. “Where’s your sister?”

  He pointed to the room beside them at the far end of the hall. “Playing with Little Stevie,”

  Diana barged out of the room and down the hall, startling the kids when she rushed through the door.

  “Mom, you scared—”

  “Come with me. We’re under attack and have to get out of here.”

  Both children obeyed without argument. They met Brian by his door and rushed to the landing.

  “Wait!” Connie spun around and ran back down the hall.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting Archer.”

  Diana tried to grab her arm but missed. “We don’t have time.”

  Little Stevie took off after Connie. “We’re not leaving Archer behind.”

  “Fuck!” Diana kicked the wall then spun around to face her son. “Don’t you move from this spot.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Diana ran after the children.

  Chris reached the end of the access road to his cabin and swung the Humvee so fast onto Route 302 that the back end fishtailed. Shithead barked excitedly. Chris eased his foot off the gas until the vehicle corrected itself and then accelerated, hoping he was not too late.

  Alissa and Nathan opened the door and stepped onto the front porch. Kiera and Steve unlocked the windows at the corners of the living room, lifted the pane, and punched out the screen with the stocks of their weapons. The four blasted away at the horde, taking down a dozen deaders, not nearly enough to stop the onslaught. When the first deader reached the porch, Alissa and Nathan headed inside and closed the door. Kiera and Steve slammed shut their windows.

  A second later, scores of dead hands pounding on the front façade echoed through the room.

  Miriam joined them. “They’ve surrounded the cabin on both sides.”

  “Fuck,” said Nathan.

  “What about the kitchen door?” asked Alissa.

  “It’s blocked by deaders.”

  Kiera scanned the room for another means of escape. “How are we going to get out?”

  “Is there an attic?” thought Steve.

  Alissa shook her head. “Even if there was, we’d still be trapped in here and surrounded on all sides.”

  The windows along the front of the cabin shattered. Dead hands reached through, oblivious to their skin being shredded, groping at the food inside. Nathan and Steve headed for the windows, shooting every deader they saw.

  “Then this is the end?” Kiera seemed ready to cry.

  Alissa refused to go down without a fight. “We’ll distract them on the porch and hopefully attract the ones on the sides. Miriam, you and Diana get the kids to safety. We’ll follow once you’re in the clear.”

  “Gotcha.” The expression in Miriam’s eyes indicated she knew they would not survive the next few minutes.

  A large crack snapped its way down the length of the front door. The hinges strained under the weight of the mass of dead and gave way. The door tumbled onto the floor, allowing deaders to swarm inside.

  Chris gunned the Humvee up the access road to Alissa’s cabin and hit the brakes once inside the compound.

  “Jesus fucking Christ.”

  Shithead whined.

  Shifting into park and leaving the engine running, Steve crawled up through the opening. He swung the machine gun to face the horde. Firing straight into them meant stray rounds could go flying through the cabin, so he lowered his aim and squeezed the trigger. A stream of .50 caliber rounds tore through the rear line of deaders, ripping off their legs. Their crippled bodies fell to the ground. He slowly moved the machine gun back and forth across the line, dropping more and more of the living dead. Once the deaders to the rear had fallen, he took out the second, third, and fourth line. By the time he had expended the ammunition in the first c
ase, nothing but a mass of moving flesh remained in front of the cabin.

  To his horror, he saw that the front door had collapsed and other deaders staggered into the cabin.

  Alissa and the others fired at the deaders, dropping the first twelve that came through the shattered door. They created a mound of dead flesh that slowed the others behind it. A few pushed through and tripped over the pile, falling to the floor. Nathan and Steve stepped forward, finishing them off with a double tap to the head. Flies and wasps displaced by the gunshots swarmed through the living room.

  They heard the kitchen door break off its hinges accompanied by the groans of deaders. Alissa and Miriam raced over to the doorway. Deaders rapidly filled the kitchen. The two women fired into the pack.

  “Someone get the dining room table.”

  Kiera ran over, threw the chairs aside, and pushed the table across the hardwood floor until it blocked the door. Pressing their weight against the table, the three fired at the deaders in the kitchen but could not stem the tide. The pack reached the table and started to push it out of the way.

  Alpha moaned at the Humvee in anger, an emotion it no longer recognized. It had not counted on this human having so much firepower. It remembered others in similar vehicles using such weapons with devastating results on others of its kind. This human needed to be taken out quickly.

  Raising its head, Alpha issued a loud, prolonged groan, ordering the State Trooper and female biker Betas to bring their packs into the fight.

  On either side of the cabin, the less experienced deaders heard the commotion out front, their primitive minds associating it with food. Most turned and stumbled back toward the noise.

  To the left, the female biker Beta heard its master’s command but ignored it. The deaders that broke rank would satisfy the need. It refused to allow this prey to escape. It groaned, attracting the attention of the experienced deaders. They faced their leader. The female biker Beta directed half to form a line along this side of the cabin and the rest to go around back.