The Corporal stopped them at the entrance and let out a whistle. A few moments later, a handful of creatures stumbled out of the woods, shambling by the cars in their direction.
“Conserve your ammo,” he instructed.
Galindo, Sellers, and Benton stepped up, drawing their knives. They waltzed over to the zombies and quickly dispatched them with direct headshots, dropping the corpses to the pavement. Once the immediate threat was dealt with, they took up defensive positions just in case more ghouls arrived.
After a moment, with no more of their friends showing up, Korver took point and led the team through the first set of trees. When they reached the opening, they all stopped short, staring wide-eyed at the devastation before them.
“What the hell happened here?” Sellers breathed.
They stared at the complete destruction ahead. Bodies and their severed limbs covered the entire area. Trees had been completely uprooted or just outright destroyed. Blood and guts covered the ground as far as the eye could see. The only exception to the unmoving carnage was a handful of zombies at the far end of the park, emerging from the opposite tree line.
Galindo clapped his hands together with excitement. “Oh shit!” he exclaimed. “You remember yesterday when I said I heard something big, and all of you said I was crazy?” He pumped a fist into the air, and didn’t wait for a response before continuing, “This must have been it! Because if this wasn’t a bomb of epic proportions, then I don’t know what the hell it was.”
“In our defense,” Barr replied, holding up a hand, “who knew this would be the one time you weren’t full of shit.”
A chuckle rippled through the group, and then Korver straightened his shoulders.
“Watch your step through here,” he said firmly. “These things may look dead, but they may still be kicking. A bite to the ankle is just as deadly as a bite to the jugular.”
The troops nodded and began the move across the devastated park. They cautiously stepped over charred bodies, making sure not to get too close. Sellers let out a high-pitched scream and leapt a couple feet back, knife high in the air.
“You alright there, bud?” Bartlett asked, eyebrow raised in amusement.
He nodded, pointing to where he’d been standing. “Got a live one, there.”
Bartlett moved over slowly and leaned over to have a look at the mangled corpse. The blast had blown off the bulk of its body, leaving only the top foot of its torso and head. When it seemed to realize a meal was near, it gnashed its teeth in a fruitless attempt to get a bite.
“Put it out of its misery and let’s keep moving,” Korver instructed.
Barlett turned and playfully motioned to Sellers. “Might as well get your revenge,” she offered.
He shook his head and knelt, jamming his blade into the top of the ghoul’s head.
The group continued moving and stopped about thirty yards away from the zombies coming out of the woods. There were a dozen of them, spread out several yards apart from each other.
“Teams of two,” the Corporal instructed, “let’s knock them out.”
Everyone drew their knives and paired off, moving in a wide arc towards the line of ghouls. It was a textbook demolition of the dead, forceful kicks knocking the front line to the ground before moving on with head strikes on the back line. Each duo made quick work of the zombies in their path.
When they reached the end of the park, they paused next to a large tree so that Korver could consult his map.
“So, where we headed?” Galindo asked and leaned against the trunk, crossing his arms.
The Corporal pursed his lips for a moment. “Well, no real good options here,” he mused. “It’s solid civilization for the next mile or so until we get to the park. The stuff near the interstate looks more like storefronts, with more residential stuff to the east.”
“I vote residential,” Sellers put in, raising his hand. “Lot more open spaces.”
Barlett nodded in agreement. “And fewer cars for them to hide under,” she pointed out. “With any luck, Sellers here won’t scream like an eight year old girl.”
“You aren’t going to let me live that one down, are you?” he asked, rubbing his forehead.
She smirked at him. “Not for a long time.”
“All right,” Korver cut in. “Residential it is.” Before he could move, his radio chirped, and he sighed. “Surely this is good news,” he deadpanned, and raised the radio to his lips. “This is Corporal Korver.”
“Corporal, this is Captain Clay,” a distinguished voice sounded on the other end. “I believe you are the one clearing the path to Freeway Park for my boys.”
Korver nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said. “We are en route to it as we speak. Making good time.”
“That’s good to hear,” Clay replied, “however I need you to divert course. A situation has arisen.”
The Corporal sighed before clicking the radio button. “Sir, my orders are to take the Freeway Park building so you can come in and hold the horde at bay,” he explained. “I don’t know what they told you about us, but we’re only half a dozen strong.”
“I appreciate the fact that this is putting you in a difficult spot,” the Captain replied, “but there’s more information that you aren’t aware of.”
Korver nodded. “Of course, Captain,” he said quickly, “please continue.”
“The bulk of my forces are bogged down less than half a mile from the eastern bridge,” Clay explained. “At first, we thought we could push through, but we have been swarmed. We’re in a fast spot, but it’s going to take too much time for us to fully break out. When this became evident, I sent an advance team of fifty to make a play for the target at Freeway Park.” He paused for a beat. “Corporal, I lost contact with them fifteen minutes ago. To put this bluntly, unless you want to tackle the interstate horde on your own, I’m going to need you to mount a bit of a rescue operation.”
Korver dropped the radio down by his side, making a deep noise of disgust. It was a stretch for the team to be doing this mission in the first place, and now they’d have to go into full-on rescue mode. He looked around at his team, seeing the same discouraged looks on all of their faces.
“What do you think?” he asked.
Galindo looked around at everyone and then cleared his throat. “I think I speak for everyone when I say this is a shit sandwich,” he declared. “But under the circumstances, I think we’re going to have to choke it down.”
Korver sighed and raised the radio to his lips. “Captain, where are they?” he asked.
“There’s a small college about a mile east of the park,” Clay replied. “Last I heard, my men were retreating into the residence hall. The leader of the group, Sergeant Salinas, was in a stairwell firing his weapon. Last thing I heard was him screaming, “they’re everywhere!” Only sounds after that were moans.” He paused, clearing his throat. “I don’t know how many are left, or if any of them are. All I know is that they are the only reinforcements you’re going to get before nightfall, which will probably be too late to do much good.”
The Corporal took a deep breath. “We’ll get your men, Captain,” he promised. “Or, at the very least, give it all we’ve got.”
“You have my thanks, Corporal,” Clay said sincerely. “Good luck.”
Korver put the radio away and pulled out his map. Everyone clustered around, and he pointed to the park.
“Okay, we’re here,” he murmured, “at the park.”
Galindo clucked his tongue. “What’s left of it, at any rate,” he quipped.
“Here is our target by the interstate,” Korver continued, following with his finger. “Now we just have to figure out where the hell the college is.”
Everyone leaned over the map, the Corporal slowly moving his finger east of the target.
“Wait, that’s gotta be it,” Bartlett said, reaching over to point at a few blank areas to the east. “Those have to be sports fields, right?”
Sellers nodded, star
ing at the area. “I think she’s right,” he agreed. “Everything else in the area is completely developed.”
“I don’t see any other potentials, so that’s my vote unless anyone has a viable objection,” Korver said. He glanced over at Galindo.
The Private shrugged, shaking his head. “Hell, we’re going to be walking into trouble no matter where we go,” he said. “Does the specific location really matter that much?”
“Let’s get moving,” Korver said, folding up the paper and putting it back in his pocket, “it’s going to be a hell of a hike.”
CHAPTER FOUR
The bulk of the team sat in the living room of a house, everybody but Benton, who stayed low and out of sight. Korver studied the map, seeing they were still a mile and a half away from what they thought was the college.
Barlett peeked out the front window and saw a few dozen zombies in the front yard, just milling about aimlessly, completely unaware that fresh food was right near them. She chuckled under her breath.
“What’s so funny?” Barr asked.
She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m just finding it humorous that there was a time in my life when I actually enjoyed hide and seek,” she explained.
Barr laughed, rubbing her forehead. “Yeah, the apocalypse does suck the fun out of a lot of this stuff, doesn’t it?” she asked.
“Could be worse?” Sellers suggested.
Barr raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“We could be outside playing tag instead,” came the reply.
Bartlett and Barr nodded in approval, sharing a shudder.
“Man, what is taking Benton so long?” Galindo muttered. “He should have had those things moved already.”
Korver cocked his head. “Why don’t you go upstairs and help him out, then?”
Galindo sighed. “Should have just kept my big mouth shut,” he muttered under his breath, and got up in a huff. He walked up the stairs to the back bedroom, spotting his companion standing by an open window with a stack of hardcover books. “What’s the deal?” he demanded. “Does it really take you that long to cause a diversion?”
“Fuck you, man,” Benton snapped, pursing his lips. “You come try to hit that shed with a book. See how well you do.”
His comrade took it as a personal challenge, and waltzed up to him, snatching a book from his hand. He licked his thumb and playfully flipped through it, a smug expression on his face.
“Looks like a real page turner,” he said dryly. “Now, where am I throwing this?”
Benton smirked and pointed to the neighbor’s backyard, a good thirty yards away from the house. Galindo looked out, seeing the collection of books scattered throughout the yard. All trace of smugness fell from his face, dissipating like smoke.
“Well hotshot,” Benton said, waving his hand like a game show host, “have at it.”
Galindo nodded, psyching himself up for the throw. He motioned for his companion to back up.
“All right, get out of the way,” he drawled. “Let me show you how it’s done.”
Benton stepped out of the way, crossing his arms, eyebrows raised skeptically.
Galindo moved back to get a running start. He raised the book, did a few practice heaves, and then darted forward. He picked up momentum and swung his arm with everything he had. Unfortunately for him, he let go a little too late, and the book smacked into the window frame, barely clearing the threshold and landing on the roof.
Benton bit back his laughter, keeping a straight face as he approached the window. He put a hand to his forehead, as if looking far into the distance.
“Holy shit,” he declared, “I think you completely cleared it! I don’t see it at all!” He dropped his hand and looked out the window. “Oh, wait… it went four feet.”
Galindo rolled his eyes, clapping his hands sarcastically. “Yeah yeah,” he drawled. “It’s a tough throw. Now, how the hell are we going to hit it?”
Benton tilted his head back and forth as he appraised the steep incline of the roof. “I think one of us is going to have to go out on the ledge while the other holds on so they don’t fall off,” he said.
Galindo raised an eyebrow incredulously and then waved him forward. “Well, I don’t want you thinking I stole your idea,” he said, shaking his head, “so the honor is yours.”
“Normally I would have a witty comeback to explain why you are such a pussy,” Benton replied, holding up a finger, “but I’ve seen you throw. So if we want to leave this house anytime soon, I’m going to have to do the throwing.”
Galindo grimaced, finding it physically painful to not quip back hard at his friend. But he held fast, knowing he could jeopardize his safe spot inside the house.
“All right,” he finally said, “I’m ready when you are.”
Benton nodded and picked up a stack of books, setting them on the windowsill. He stuck a leg through the hole, keeping a tight grip on the window frame.
“Get a good hold of me,” he instructed, “and I’ll start chucking.”
Galindo reached out and grabbed his companion’s belt firmly from the back. He made sure he had a good grip and then nodded. Benton picked up a book, making sure his stance was secure. He reared back and lobbed the book over his head.
It sailed in a high arc, landing a few feet short of the metal shed. He grunted and then adjusted his aim, throwing the book with everything he had.
The second one finally hit the roof of the shed with a loud smack, piercing through the quiet moans that filled the air. Galindo quickly helped him back inside, and the two of them watched with bated breath as the zombies from the front yard shambled towards the shed.
“Nice throw,” Galindo admitted.
Benton grinned. “Thanks,” he replied. “Come on, let’s get downstairs.”
They headed down, finding the rest of the team getting geared up.
“You boys finally hit the target?” Barr teased.
Galindo nodded. “Yeah, he had a hell of a throw,” he commended.
“Good for you,” Barr said dryly. “Now get your shit because we’re on the move.”
The two soldiers grabbed their gear as the group waited by the front door for the zombies to leave the front yard. They scanned the neighborhood, seeing that it was mostly empty, just a few stragglers down the road a bit.
When the coast was clear, Korver opened the door quietly, leading them outside in single file. The soldiers followed, as quickly and quietly as they could.
The Corporal thought that the bomb from the night before in the park was what was to blame for the neighborhood being so eerily empty, and it also could mean trouble ahead, like the eye of a hurricane. Before he could even finish the thought, his fear was soon realized.
A steady stream of deliberate gunfire echoed towards them, and the team of six stopped, not wanting to attract any attention to themselves. The shots weren’t panicked, just several shots in a steady stream.
Korver motioned for the group to get closer together, so they could move as a single unit. They reached the next block, and the gunfire intensified. The Corporal ducked down beside a house and peered across the street.
There were dozens of zombies, all moving in the same direction towards the house. Korver waved for Galindo to sidle up beside him.
“What do you think?” the Private whispered. “Civilian?”
The Corporal shook his head. “More likely a diversion spot,” he whispered back. “Regardless, it’s putting a crimp in our plans.”
“What are you thinking?” Galindo asked quietly.
Korver chewed his lip for a moment. “The college is another mile or so due south of here,” he explained, “so I don’t want to go too far to the east, but we might not have a choice.”
“Vehicle?” Galindo suggested.
The Corporal shook his head. “Too risky, too noisy,” he replied. “We gotta stay quiet.”
As they contemplated, there was a scuffle from the back of the group. They turned and saw Bartlett fighting with
half a dozen zombies that had wandered around the corner. She let out a soft yelp as one of them grabbed her arm.
She wrenched it free, narrowly avoiding the gnashing teeth and losing a chunk of flesh to a man-eating corpse.
Sellers, Barr, and Benton leapt into action. Sellers rushed forward, lowering his shoulder to plow right through the group, not stopping until he was all the way through and several of them were on the ground. Benton and Barr quickly followed him, stabbing the fallen ghouls in the head.
Galindo reached over and grabbed Bartlett’s shoulder, forcing her to look at him. “You okay?” he asked.
She inspected her arm, finding no bites. She nodded shakily, and he helped her up. They watched the other three finish off the last few zombies, and the trio sauntered over, Sellers in the rear.
He suddenly stopped short, eyes going wide, and took off at a run, skidding behind cover next to the Corporal. “There’s fifty of those fuckers headed our way,” he hissed, “we gotta get inside.”
Korver thought for a moment, looking across the street to see that the zombies headed towards the noise were starting to get backed up, staying in the yards instead of moving ahead. He cocked his head, the thought dawning on him that those creatures may be the pack of the pack.
“If we go inside now, we may never get out,” he murmured. “Look.”
Sellers peeked out and cursed under his breath, but nodded in agreement. “Well, we can’t stay here,” he replied.
The Corporal waved for everyone to huddle in. “Okay,” he whispered, “we’re moving quickly and quietly. Two blocks to the east. If we get separated, rendezvous in the backyard of the third house on the left after the second intersection.” He waited for everyone to nod and then raised his hand. “Move.”
The group leapt up and ran to the east, away from the gunfire. Two houses up, Korver darted in between two houses as several zombies emerged from the next one up. As he made the turn, he came face to face with a duo of ghouls.
He grabbed one by its bloodied and tattered shirt, and drove it into the backyard, shoving it to the ground. Galindo threw down the other next to it. They turned quickly towards the east, not wasting any time killing the creatures. They made it across a few backyards, but on the last house on the block there was a privacy fence that stood six feet high.
Dead America The Northwest Invasion | Book 11 | Dead America: Seattle [Part 9] Page 3