“Thanks for the pep talk, Colt.”
Colt opened his mouth to impart some wisdom, but Jake came across again.
“Just make sure your aim is true,” Jake said.
Colt sighed and dropped his head. He didn’t know how he could offer more. Jake was a big boy, well-versed in combat. If he believed in this mission, and it was the only way, who was he to disagree? “Roger, that.”
Once the communication ceased between them, Bryan nodded and moved toward the elevator, but Colt cut him off with his words. “You make sure you look out for my brother.”
Bryan nodded and smiled as he disappeared behind the closing elevator doors.
Colt and Bald moved to the side of the roof and looked back toward the supply truck. Colt couldn’t believe the amount of infected still looking up toward the sky. As he watched, his mind went back to Amy. Something still felt strange about her. But again, if Bryan said she had saved them, and Jake was in such a rush to help her, obviously she had to be useful.
“What are you thinking?” Bald looked at Colt. Anyone could see he was deep in thought.
Colt shook himself from his trance, then looked to him. “Amy.”
“Yeah, what’s with that? Some teenage girl not on Beritrix can control these aliens? How?”
“My thoughts exactly. How?”
“Your brother seems to trust her,” Bald said.
“He hasn’t always been the best at judging someone’s character.”
“Yeah, but a teenager? What’s the worst she could do?” Bald suggested.
“I guess so, but . . . still,” Colt said.
Just as he finished his thought, the radio buzzed. “Colt, we’re at the doors. Shooting is the absolute last resort, but it’s nice to have you boys over our shoulders.”
Colt grabbed the handheld. “Copy that, Jacob. Be careful and give ‘em hell.”
Once he dropped the radio, he glanced over at Bald and said, “Here goes nothing.” Then he mounted the stock to his shoulder and peered through his sights, hoping he wouldn’t have to witness his only brother die at the hands of the infected.
Colt watched as Jake navigated his crew through the mass of infected. The group was thick, and it seemed the strike team was having difficulty finding their course. No way they wouldn’t bump into or runover a few infected that stood still. Colt just hoped if that happened, the infected wouldn’t wake from their trance.
“They’re moving fast,” Bald said.
Colt agreed but didn’t respond. His focus remained on his brother. No way he was going to take his eye away, not even for a moment. Then Colt saw Jake stop. He didn’t know why. He couldn’t tell from that far off, but there seemed to be a break in the group.
Colt hugged the rifle a little tighter and stared through his sight.
“What is that?” Bald asked.
“It looks like . . . an infected.” Colt stomach fell at the sight of him. He scanned quickly around. If one was awake, surely all of them had to be. And if that happened, the swarm would swallow Jake and the others like a sinkhole.
Colt watched the infected through his sights as he approached his brother. As he looked, what Jake said played on repeat in his mind. “Don’t shoot unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Colt felt the cold hard trigger on his finger. He was ready—willing to put his enemy down—but he didn’t. And it was a good thing too, because at that moment, Jake cut down the infected with a few simple swipes with his axe and continued on his path like nothing stood in his way.
“Well, that’s one way to do it.” Bald chuckled.
His humor went unnoticed when a chorus of shrieking erupted into the day. Colt shuddered at the noise, and his head fell out of instinct. Quickly, Colt regained sight of his brother and waited for his next move. What would he do? What could he do? Were the infected waking up?
“Damnit, Jacob, I knew you shouldn’t have gone,” Colt said to himself.
The shrill cries carried over the valley. The screams made Colt shoot upright, and his eyes bulged. There was no questing it: they were waking up.
9
Nearly deafened by the piercing screams, Colt moved his hands to his ears and momentarily lost sight of his brother and the others. Quickly, he recast his eyes back onto the group. His brother was leading the troop through the throngs of infected. Some infected began to follow. They were no longer in the trance, and they were closing in on his brother.
From the rooftop, Colt shot a man that was flanking his brother. From the looks of it, Jake hadn’t seen him coming. He had to be focused on what was ahead.
Colt followed Jake’s path to the supply truck. Aliens were inside now, and it looked as though . . . “Is that . . .?” Colt started. “They are. They’re getting ready to take that thing for a joyride.”
“Not if I can help it,” Bald said.
Colt watched as Bald took aim at the driver, but he knew a shot like the one he was about to make would take skill. Skill Bald did not have, not from that distance anyhow. Colt did. “No, Bald! Focus on the others. Take out the infected that are chasing them down. I’ve got the driver.”
Bald shot Colt a steely gaze. “You’re sure you can take him out?”
Colt leaned forward and cast his eye down his sight. “You’re damn right I can!”
When Colt had his target, he fired. The window shattered, and the driver flew back against the seat and the truck slowed to a crawl.
Colt looked up from his rifle to see more shots were being fired on the street. Jake and the others were forced into action themselves. More infected had returned from their dazed state and were eyeing their prize for an easy kill.
“Damnit, Jake, you’re surrounded. There’s no way they’re getting out of this alive,” Colt said.
“Just keep firing,” Bald said. “Give them a chance. We have our mission, they have theirs. Stick to it and keep shooting!”
One by one, Colt picked off a handful of approaching infected. But the swarm was coming fast and furious and showed no signs of slowing. Was this it? Was Colt going to witness his own brother die?
The truck rolled forward. “The truck . . . it’s moving again,” Colt noticed.
“Didn’t you take out the driver?”
“Damn straight!”
“Then there’s gotta be more inside.”
Makes sense. Colt saw more men and women standing on the side of the truck. There were probably a few in the back too—rummaging through the supplies. Colt gritted his teeth and aimed. But the way the truck was turned, he couldn’t get a clean shot at the driver.
Get them, Jake. You gotta take them out. Just as he thought, his brother raised his sidearm and fired on the truck. Colt waited for a moment to see what would happen next. Did he get him? He had to get the driver. But the truck was coming faster now and heading right for Jake and the others.
What the hell is he doing? Colt watched his brother mount the side of the truck, leaping onto the running boards. But just as Jake jumped on, an infected grabbed a hold of him and wouldn’t let go.
I’ve got you, brother.
With the supply truck maintaining its course, this was going to be an impossible shot for Colt, but Jake was in desperate need. And by the looks of it, Jake had either lost his weapon, or run out of ammo.
Colt spied the infected and did the math of the shot on the fly, taking the wind and the speed of the truck into account. By any stretch of the imagination, this wasn’t going to come down to pure skill . . . just luck.
Colt exhaled and squeezed the trigger. Then looked up from the barrel in time to see the infected go limp and fall of the truck and into a roll.
“Nice shot,” Bald said.
“Thanks.” Colt watched his brother climb inside.
But Jake wasn’t slowing down, even as the truck barreled over clumps of infected. C’mon, Jacob. Stop screwing around and stop that damn thing. Colt should’ve been concerned about the others in the group who had gone out with his brother, but he couldn’t be, no
t until he knew Jake was safe.
Colt saw the truck’s intended path; it was moving directly for a group of trees. Slow down, you idiot. Hit the brakes! But Jake didn’t. Damnit, Jake! Stop!
The truck collided with something Colt couldn’t see, and the force jerked the truck abruptly.
Colt hadn’t noticed because he was too worried about his brother’s safety and survival, but all the shrill shrieks of the infected had ceased.
“What in God’s name is this?” Bald said, standing from his squatting position.
Colt removed his attention from the scene of the accident. “What’s what?” Colt stood and looked to Bald.
Bald stared down at the road.
Colt’s heart pumped wildly. He could only think of the worst as he studied Bald’s expression. The infected killed Jake’s unit . . . they’re dead. All of them are gone.
But when Colt regained sight of the road below, he realized that wasn’t what Bald had stood for at all. He stood because, every one of the infected was moving away from the fight and walking toward the mountains.
“What’s making them flee?” Colt said.
“No idea,” Bald said. “But I’m glad they are, because otherwise your brother and the others would’ve never made it out of this fight alive.”
As Colt adjusted himself on the rooftop, his foot kicked the radio. Colt reached down to pick it up to call, but just as he did, Bryan’s voice came over. “Jake! You there? You okay?”
Colt saw Jake standing on the running board of the supply truck. He couldn’t help himself but tear at his brother’s ego. “He better be okay after the shot I made to save his sorry ass.”
Colt watched Jake turn toward the building and lift his middle finger in the air. “Right back atcha, brother.” Colt chuckled in the microphone.
“I was so good when the rest of those monsters saw me do my job, they literally ran for the hills,” Jake said.
Colt and Bald both chuckled at his sarcasm.
“Well, whether it was you or Amy, it sure as hell saved my life,” Bryan said. “I had one tearing at my throat when they all just up and walked off.”
Amy? There she is again.
But before Colt could ask about her, Jake came back over the radio. “Colt, get some men out here. Bryan, you guys get down here to the truck. We’ve got to see if everything’s okay in the back.”
“Help?” Colt spoke to Bald. “You got any ideas where we can find some help? All, I’ve got is my boys.”
“I’m sure we can wrangle up some men. I’ll talk to the colonel if we can’t find any,” Bald responded to Colt.
Then Bryan came over the radio. “Copy.”
“Roger that.” Colt shrugged his shoulders in response so only Bald could see. “Be down in a bit with some help.”
10
After splitting from Bald when they reached the bunker, Colt walked down the corridor and to his quarters. He needed to double check on his sons. He wanted to talk to them about what he was about to do with Uncle Jake. No doubt, Dylan would want to tag along, but in his current condition, it was far too dangerous.
When Colt reached for the door, he was careful not to burst in, still considering they may still be sleeping.
The light from the hallway lit up the dark room, and Colt quickly closed the door to block the light out. When he turned, he stared at the bunks stacked against the wall. His sons were mounds covered with blankets. Both remained asleep.
Colt shrugged. I guess I’ll have to talk to them while they sleep then. Just like old times. When they were babies.
Colt stood next to Dylan on the lower bunk and stared at him. He chuckled at the memory of watching Dylan sleep as a baby. For the first few weeks of his life, Colt would stand by his crib and watch him, thanking God for the miracle that Dylan and Anna had come out of their horrific labor relatively unscathed.
“You are my son. I love you, and I’m damn proud to be your father. There are times in your life that I’ve made mistakes—I’m a big enough man to admit that—but I’ve tried to do right by you. I’ve tried to raise you the right way. Give you a safe environment. Instill discipline when needed. Guide you as you become a man I know your mother and I will be proud of. When I see you—and your brother for that matter—I can’t help but think of me and your Uncle Jake.” Colt clung to his ability to stay strong in that moment, because the emotion of his parents’ death always remained fresh in his memory. “We were close to your age when . . .” Colt trailed off and stuffed the tears back down. “When the accident happened. So, I want you to know that I’ll be back after I make a run with Jake. I’m going, well, I must go, because scientists here think they’ve found a cure for this thing. A way to bring the people back. That means, a way to bring your mom back.” Colt couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, not while thinking of Anna. “I love her and miss her every minute that passes. But I’m filled with hope that we’ll be back in South Park in no time. We’ll be starting fires to warm our feet while watching football. Roasting smores and predicting the ends of movies. Damn, I miss that with you.” He let out a chuckle through his tears. “Movie night with Wesley and mom. What I wouldn’t do to have those days back. For normal to return to our lives. Kid, I promise you, once we fight these things—I mean defeat them and turn them back into humans again—we’ll be on the first flight out to get mom back. So, for now I need you to be strong and protect your brother. Stay here. Sleep as long as you like. But whatever you do, stay out of trouble, you hear me?”
No response came from Dylan, but there was a sound on the door behind him—a light knock. He spun around and looked toward it, but before he moved, he looked again at Dylan. He didn’t wake, but rolled over and faced the wall.
Colt walked over and pulled the door open—only a crack before he slid outside. “You ready?” Bald said.
“Yeah. Just saying goodbye to my boys.”
“How are they doing? You know, considering.”
“They’ve basically been asleep since we’ve arrived.”
“Lucky bastards.”
“Tell me about it. How’s the colonel?” Colt asked. “You run into him? You get more men?”
“No. I couldn’t find him. I think he’s still with most of the president and his cabinet. Maybe talking about what went down in Colorado Springs with the vice president and all.”
“Oh, yeah, I suppose that would be tough to talk about it.”
“I imagine it was, but . . . that man gave his life for your son. He’s first class in my book.”
“Mine too. I’m eternally grateful.”
There was a brief pause before Bald spoke again. “So, what do you say we go turn these aliens back to humans again?” He nudged Colt.
“Sure thing. Let me just go grab my rifle.” Colt spun and walked back into the room.
After lifting his rifle from the table, he waited and stared at the forms of his sons as they slept. I’ll see you soon, boys. He nodded, then walked for the door, but stopped as Wesley spoke. “Daddy? Is that you?”
Colt walked to the top bunk and rose on his tiptoes. “It’s me bud, I’m here.”
“Are you leaving again?”
“Again?” Colt had no idea Wesley had known he was missing.
“Yeah, bud, I’m headed out with Uncle Jake.”
“Okay, Daddy, be careful.”
“I always am, kiddo.”
Colt fell down on his heels and was just about to walk away when Wesley said again, “Daddy.”
“Yeah, buddy,” Colt whispered.
“Do you think Colonel Jenkins can find me any more ice cream? You know they kind they had at that other place, in Colorado?”
Colt grinned. Of course Wesley would only be thinking about ice cream at a time like that. “Sure, buddy, I’ll ask him. Now go back to sleep.”
Without another word, Wesley rolled over and took the covers with him. As Colt walked toward the door, he was filled with the childlike faith of his son. Even when life got as heavy as an a
pocalypse, there was always time for the little things. The pleasures in life meant to get through the daily grind of being human.
11
When Colt and Bald exited the elevator that travelled down to the street level, Jake was waiting for them. “Nice of you to join on us on this mission,” Jake said.
“Anything for you, little brother.” Colt turned his face into a smile.
“Come on, over here. The others are waiting for us.” Jake rolled his head to the side to suggest Colt and Bald follow.
Others? Who? Colt wondered if they were the same men who’d joined them on the mission into the field while he and Bald watched from the roof.
The room was dark, with only a few lights lighting their way. Colt looked ahead and saw five men standing around a black truck. Bryan he recognized, but others, he had no idea.
Just as they arrived, Jake nodded to Bryan who unfolded a map across the hood.
Jake leaned in close and said, “What are we looking at here, Bryan?”
He pointed first, then began speaking. “I just got done talking with a couple of ladies that have lived here around Mount Weather their entire lives. This is Bluemont. It’s only six and a half miles from here and sounds like the perfect place for our trial run. The population is only about 2,800, and according to the ladies, it’s mostly spread out on farmland. So there shouldn’t be too many clusters of those bastards.”
2,800? Colt thought and curled his lower lip. Not bad odds. Eight against 2,800.
“That’s assuming the hundreds that walked off the top of this mountain about an hour ago haven’t all congregated there,” Jake said.
Colt looked to Bryan. Not that he could know their whereabouts, but he agreed with Jake’s assumption. He then returned his attention back on the map. “This is the road down the mountain, it runs right into Interstate 7, and this here is downtown Bluemont.”
“Why the emphasis on downtown?” Jake said.
Colt thought the same thing.
Uncivil War (Book 6): Awakening Page 5