“They were going to kill me. Eat me.”
“I believe you,” he said, reaching out one hand again. “Come on. We have to go. The Fort is under attack.”
With carefully placed steps, she picked her way through the gore until she reached his side. Up close, she looked even worse, her hair matted with blood and chunks of unidentifiable matter.
“I…uhhh, you are…” Alex mumbled, searching for words. He didn’t know what to do with her in the state that she was in. He was rescued by Amy, who stepped forward after she’d brought up the last remaining bit of her supper.
“Let me help,” she said, though her skin bore a greenish pallor.
“Are you sure?” he asked with raised eyebrows. “She might be dangerous.”
“She’s my friend,” Amy said with admirable determination. “She’d never hurt me.”
“Alright. Then take this,” he said, unslinging the duffel bag from his back. He rummaged inside and produced a shirt. “She can’t walk around like that.”
Alex turned his back while Amy helped Dylan out of the messy hospital gown and into the clean shirt. She used the bloody gown to wipe the worst of the mess from Dylan’s face and body, though there wasn’t much she could do. Not without a hose and a ton of soap.
He picked among the corpses and found a belt which he wiped down on the carpet coupled with a pair of flat shoes that used to belong to a nurse. Or so he thought judging by the uniform that remained on her torso. It was a disgusting job, but with the shirt belted in place and something on her feet, Dylan was semi-dressed, at least.
“Ready to go?” he asked, itching to move. They were sitting ducks in the infirmary, and he wanted to get out of there.
“Yes, we are,” Amy said, taking Dylan’s free hand.
Together, they exited the waiting room and ran down the deserted corridors toward the exit. Alex paused just outside the doors to take a look at their surroundings. Things inside the base were going from bad to worse.
Several buildings were on fire, explosions rocked the night, groups of people ran around like headless chickens, and gunfire drowned out the wail of the sirens. A couple of armored trucks raced past, manned by a group of surviving soldiers. They were followed by a tank, its ponderous bulk crushing everything in its path.
“What now?” Amy asked, shouting to be heard over the chaos.
“We follow the tank,” Alex cried, believing it might afford them some protection. “It’s headed the right way.”
“Okay,” Amy said, and Dylan nodded her assent.
Alex prepared to run after the tank but stopped when a group of infected swarmed the machine. They climbed over it like ants, beating against its armored side with raging fists while it continued along its path unhindered.
One of them spotted Alex and his group.
With an eager howl, it charged. The rest of the zombies noticed and abandoned their iron bound prey for an easier meal. In a solid mass, they sprinted across the distance.
Alex paled as he faced the incoming zombies. There were too many to fight, but he had to try. Reacting on instinct, he raised his carbine and fired. He fanned out his shots, cutting down as many as he could before the gun clicked on empty. “Shit!”
He dropped the rifle and pulled out his sidearm. With measured shots, he killed two more. Then another and another. Still, they kept coming, more than he could count. A tight knot of insane humanity intent on rending the flesh from their bones. “Amy! Dylan! Get inside.”
The distance closed, and he kept shooting until he ran out of bullets. With a muttered curse, he dropped the gun back into its holster and unsheathed his knife. Flexing his fingers, he backed away. The infirmary was their only hope of survival.
Suddenly, a Humvee appeared out of nowhere. The formidable truck hit the mob of zombies with explosive force. Several went flying while others were crushed beneath its wheels. It performed a tight turn, taking down two more stragglers before sliding to a halt in front of them.
Alex stared at the driver with shocked recognition. It was that scientist woman’s sidekick: the South African soldier, Saul Dhlamini.
The back door to the Humvee opened, and Tara leaned out, waving at them. “Come on.”
Alex jerked his head at Amy and Dylan. “Go, go, go!”
They rushed past him, but at that moment, an infected came raging around the corner of the vehicle. Amy blasted it with her shotgun, and it fell in a shower of blood and dirt. Alex smiled with pride. “Way to go, Sis!”
Amy scrambled into the back of the Humvee with Dylan right behind her. Alex followed, reaching up with one hand to grip the frame and lever himself up. As he leaned forward, Dylan appeared in front of him. With a savage cry, she raised her ax, and he froze with shock. “What are you doing?”
The ax whistled past his shoulder, and he turned to see a zombie crash to the ground mere inches away. Without pausing, Dylan grabbed him by the collar and hauled him inside the vehicle. The door slammed shut as the Humvee roared away.
Alex lay across Dylan’s lap and blinked up at her, his heart still racing after his narrow escape. She raised a single eyebrow. “Well?”
“Uh, I’m sorry. I guess I owe you one,” he said with a rueful smile.
“That’s twice I’ve saved your life, and I’m not crazy,” she said, pushing him away from her with a grumble. “I lost my ax too.”
Alex grabbed his duffel bag and unzipped it. “I’ve got something even better,” he said as he produced her old machete. The one she got in Louisville.
Dylan grinned and reached for it. “You still have it. My lucky machete!”
“Lucky?” he asked with a puzzled frown.
“I’m still alive, aren’t I?” she said with a shrug.
He couldn’t fault her logic. She was lucky. They all were. The question was: For how much longer?
Chapter 5 - Saul
Saul sped away from the infirmary in a cloud of dust and gravel, heading for the nearest exit. He swerved between buildings and banked around a tight corner. Tara and Amy screamed when the Humvee tilted sideways, two wheels spinning in the air. For a few precious seconds, they hung suspended, their lives dependent on his driving skills. With a deft twist of the wheel, they fell back to all four tires and raced ahead without pause.
“Where are you going?” Tara cried, clinging to her seat.
“I’m getting us out,” Saul answered with barely a glance in her direction. His concentration on the vehicle was complete. He changed gears at the speed of light, his feet working the gas and brakes with smooth efficiency.
“What about Mary?” she asked. “We need her.”
“No, we don’t. You’ve got Dylan and me. That’s enough,” he answered.
“But—”
“No buts. With your research and the samples of the cure, you’ll be fine.” He dodged around a group of soldiers running toward a warehouse, twisting the wheel with the finesse of racing driver. This wasn’t his first rodeo. He’d driven many a high-speed obstacle course in the past. Besides, if you could hold your own in the streets of Johannesburg, his old home, you could make it anywhere.
“But—”
“I said no, Tara. The base is overrun. Mary is either dead, or they’ve escaped to one of the evacuation points. You’ll never find her now, and I won’t risk all of our lives on a maybe.” Saul spoke with deliberate harshness to drive his point home.
Tara stared at him in the rearview mirror for a second, her eyes ablaze. Finally, she nodded. “Okay, Saul. I trust you. If you say it can’t be done, it can’t be done. Get us out of here.”
“He’s right. We’ve just come from the civilian quarters, and it’s a madhouse,” Alex said.
Saul grunted. “That’s what I thought. It’s too close to the breach. You were lucky to make it out alive.”
He took another tight turn, clipping an infected with the Humvee’s front wheel. The zombie disappeared without so much as a bump in the road. Ahead, the route opened up, an
d he pushed the vehicle as fast as he could. For several minutes, they drove unhindered by either people, zombies, or traffic.
As they neared one of the gates, Saul slammed his fist on the dashboard. “Damn it. We’re not getting out that way.”
Alex leaned forward. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s blocked.” Saul pointed at the mass of vehicles thronging the exit. It was mostly army trucks, with a couple of civilian buses and cars mixed in between.
“Now what?” Alex asked.
“I don’t know,” Saul answered, spinning the Humvee around with a squeal of burning rubber.
“Ow,” Tara cried as everyone in the back seat went flying.
“Watch it,” Dylan said.
“Sorry,” Saul muttered, though he hardly paid attention. His entire focus lay on getting them off the base, and he didn’t know how he was going to manage that.
“Most likely, all the exits look like that,” Alex said.
“I know,” Saul said with gritted teeth.
“And the base is fenced in,” Alex continued.
“You’re not helping,” Saul answered with growing frustration.
“What about the breach?” Dylan asked, and the two men stared at her with surprise.
“The breach?” Saul repeated.
“The zombies broke through, right? That means, no fence,” Dylan said.
Alex glanced at Saul. “She’s right.”
Saul nodded. “It’s a plan. Better than nothing.”
“Do you think we can make it?” Alex asked.
“We’ll make it,” Saul said with grim determination. He swerved in the direction of the civilian quarters, jerking the wheel to the left and right as he dodged people, traffic, and other obstacles.
The sirens’ wail grew louder, and the number of infected in their path increased. They roared past the kitchen and common room to find it in flames. Billows of black smoke obscured their view, and it took every ounce of Saul’s concentration to get them through.
The air cleared, and he pointed them toward the fence. It wasn’t easy navigating the rows of tents set up for the civilians, and everyone hung on for dear life. A woman appeared in his path, her face contorting into a frightened scream as she froze in the headlights.
Saul yanked the wheel, narrowly missing her. The Humvee plowed through a tent, its contents scattering to the four winds. The canvas stuck to the hood, covering the window. “Shit, I can’t see!” Saul screamed, easing his foot off the gas.
“Let me,” Alex cried. He wormed his way to the front and wound down the window. Leaning out, he grabbed the tent and pulled. It came partially free, granting Saul a small gap through which to see.
“I need more,” Saul said, speeding up again.
“I’m working on it,” Alex replied, yanking at the canvas.
“Work harder!”
Dylan clambered through to join him, and together they freed the tent. It flew off the truck, its ropes and steel tent pens scraping against the paint job.
Saul breathed a sigh of relief as the way forward became clear. Just in time too. The fence loomed right ahead, and he swerved to the side to avoid ramming into it. Alex and Dylan crashed together in a heap, their bodies entangled in the front seat.
He ignored their cries, focusing on finding a way out. At last, a gap in the wire came into view, and he took the opening. Alex and Dylan went flying again, their enraged screams ringing inside the enclosed cabin.
“Oh, come on!”
“Really?”
“Hold on,” Saul said as the Humvee raced across the open field. It was about a mile to the nearest road, and the ride was as bumpy as hell. With only his headlights to light the way, he had to try his best not to crash into a tree.
The truck bounced across the vegetation like a jackrabbit, and it took quite some time for Dylan and Alex to extricate themselves from the footwell. Finally, Dylan sank into the seat with a disgruntled huff while Alex clambered into the back.
Minutes later, they reached the road, and Saul turned onto it, heading for the nearest town. Radcliff.
As the ride smoothed out, Saul glanced around. “Everyone okay?”
“Yeah, no thanks to you,” Dylan said, folding her arms.
“You’re alive, aren’t you?” Saul raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, fine. You saved our asses back there. Thanks,” Dylan replied though she still didn’t look pleased about it.
“We all owe you one,” Alex said, shooting Dylan an annoyed look.
Tara didn’t say a word, but she didn’t have to. Her shining eyes said it all, and a look of understanding passed between them.
“Thanks, Saul,” Amy said, her smile wide and genuine. She leaned forward, her blond ponytail hanging over one shoulder.
Saul grinned at her. It was impossible not to respond to her sweet innocence. “My pleasure, young miss.”
“Call me Amy. And this is my brother Alex.”
“I know,” Saul said. “I’ve seen you at the hospital visiting Dylan. My name is Saul. I’m a friend of Tara’s.”
“Now that we’re all acquainted, can anyone tell me what happened back there?” Alex asked.
“A couple of thousand infected stormed the fence. The soldiers tried to stop them, but there were too many, and they were too spread out.”
“Thousands?” Alex said. “Where did they come from?”
“My guess is all over. They were probably drawn here by the constant activity,” Saul answered.
“I’ve heard reports that they’re swarming, forming groups,” Tara said. “That must be what happened here.”
“Why?” Alex asked with a frown.
“Pack mentality. They stand a better chance of taking down prey together than alone. They’re learning,” Tara said in a grim tone of voice.
“Then what chance do we stand on our own?” Amy asked, her cheeks pale. “If Fort Knox couldn’t make it, nothing can.”
Saul shrugged. “They’re drawn to noise and movement. The more people you have in one place, the more zombies you’ll draw.”
“So, what are you saying?” Alex said.
“If we can find an isolated spot, somewhere away from the cities, preferably high up, we might be able to escape their notice,” Saul said. “Note that I said, might. Nothing is guaranteed.”
“Where are we going now?” Alex asked.
“I planned for something like this a few weeks ago,” Saul replied. “I scouted the nearest town, Radcliff, and found an abandoned house on the outskirts. I’ve been fortifying and supplying it every chance I got. It’s our only option.”
“Is it safe?” Amy asked.
“Nowhere is safe, but it’s the best I can do right now. Besides, most of the zombies are at Fort Knox. We’ve got time to figure out our next move.”
“Okay,” Amy said, leaning against Alex, who placed his arm around her shoulders.
They drove in silence until Saul glanced at Dylan. “What the hell happened to you? It looks like you got dunked in blood and guts. And what’s that smell?”
Dylan shook her head and looked away. “You don’t want to know.”
Saul shrugged. “If you say so.”
“I want to know,” Tara said.
Dylan sighed. “Fine. I got attacked by zombies, and I kind of lost it.”
“Lost it?” Tara asked. “Define that term for me.”
“I hacked them apart with an ax. I didn’t even know what I was doing. It was all a blur,” Dylan admitted.
“You had an episode,” Tara said. “Exactly like I warned you. Saul’s had a couple, and Mary too.”
“Mary?”
“The little girl I cured. She didn’t go nuts like you, but her mother reported a few extreme tantrums that weren’t usual for Mary.”
“Why do we get them?” Dylan asked.
“I believe the virus had an effect on your brains, heightening aggression. Times of extreme stress appear to bring them on. My theory is that adrenaline has something to
do with it,” Tara explained. “It’s just a theory, however. I can’t prove it.”
“I see,” Dylan said, not thrilled with Tara’s explanation.
“Did you have any control at all during the episode?” Saul asked.
“No. I killed one, and I was still me. Then two more came at me, and I blanked out completely.”
“Extreme stress,” Tara affirmed.
“I once killed two with my bare hands. Smashed their heads into the ground,” Saul said. “But I knew what I was doing. I was angry, but I had a modicum of control.”
“I chopped them into little bits,” Dylan said. “I couldn’t help myself.”
“Gross,” Amy said with a shudder.
“Come on, guys. Easy on the gore factor,” Alex said. “She’s just a kid.”
“Sorry,” Saul replied.
“Me too,” Dylan said.
“Maybe you’re worse off because the infection was more advanced when I cured you, Dylan,” Tara said.
“What do you mean?”
“Both Saul and Mary were on day one when I administered the cure. You were only a few hours away from the limit. It stands to reason that the virus did more damage to your brain.”
Dylan groaned. “Great. That’s just great.”
“Anyway, we’re here,” Saul said, ending the conversation.
He turned the Humvee into the driveway of a country house. The headlights shone onto a solid metal gate set into concrete walls at least eight feet high and topped with iron spikes.
“This is it?” Dylan asked.
“Home sweet home.”
Chapter 6 - Dylan
Dylan stared at the two-story house in front of them. It was cast in darkness. Neither the moon nor the stars were shining, their glory masked by cloud cover. She felt like she was part of that shadow. Shapeless, amorphous, and without any hope to light the way. For a few precious days, she’d felt safe tucked inside her hospital bed and looked after by the competent staff, however grumpy. The virus that had threatened to turn her into a monster was a thing of the past. She could look forward to an actual future, however uncertain.
Rise of the Undead Box Set | Books 1-3 | Apocalypse Z Page 18