Uncivil War (Book 6): Awakening

by Wright, B. T.

  Bald led them forward, but just as sound came through their earpieces, there were more explosions from the tree line that masked the communication.

  Damnit, Jacob, you better not die.

  When Bald reached the doorway, he stopped. He was looking out in the final light of the day. A group of infected was running up the road, heading directly for the same cabins Jake had intended to clear. Colt scanned the tree line for any sign of Jake. He knew his brother and the others had to fall back into the deep cover of the trees, but there was no telling how many more infected could’ve been waiting there.

  “I say, we make a run for it. Follow that group up the road. Take out as many bastards as we can,” Bald said.

  Colt watched Franks and Phillip’s shoulders sink. They weren’t excited about that plan., but Bald was right. Movement was life. If they stayed put, they’d be overrun.

  “I’m with you, Bald. I go where you go,” Colt said.

  “Good. Franks? Mooking?” Bald asked as both had failed to respond.

  “Uh, sure, yeah . . . I guess that works,” Franks said.

  “Decisive. I like that,” Bald mocked. “Got anything else to add, Mooking?”

  He remained silent.

  “Strong and silent.” Bald curled his lower lip. “Good. On my mark, we move. Three. Two. One.”

  But before Bald pushed the door open, an infected woman jumped in front of the doorway and screeched.

  Colt’s heart leapt, and all the men fell back in fright.

  Now what? Colt thought. They couldn’t take a shot, that would draw the attention on the back door. But they couldn’t linger either, because the front door had just burst open, and a rush of infected poured in like a group of charging wildebeests.

  Colt breezed by Bald and the others, who stood shocked. He lunged at the door, forcing it outward, drilling the infected woman square in the head. She was thrown off balance, but only for a moment. Bald didn’t wait, he put two trank darts through her eyes and watched as she fell hard to the ground.

  They sidestepped the woman as she flailed blindly.

  Above, on the hillside, they could see a flashlight beam inside the trees. “There!” Bald said.

  Colt saw it too. That had to be Jake.

  “We’re gonna have to make a stand here,” Bryan said. The words were quiet but came through clear in the earpiece.

  Bald walked slowly forward. Colt wanted to talk to his brother. To tell him they could add support. But honestly, without knowing their exact location in the dark, how could they possibly do anything but get them killed? All he could do was wait, walk, and listen.

  “What’s this?” Bryan said.

  Not being able to see his brother was scratching at Colt. Anxiety built inside of him and was about to boil over. If only he could run for him. Run to help.

  “Hold them off,” Jake said.

  “You’re going to go around and come up behind them, aren’t you?” Bryan said.

  Damnit, Jacob, don’t be stupid, Colt thought.

  “Yes,” Jake said more, but Colt didn’t hear him. Instead, he shook his head in disgust.

  “Be careful,” Bryan said.

  Be careful is right, you idiot.

  “How will we know when you’re in position?” Bryan said.

  “Trust me, you’ll know,” Jake said.

  “Copy,” Bryan said.

  Colt felt helpless. There was literally nothing he could do to help him.

  “Now make a little noise so they don’t hear me in the trees,” Jake said.

  “On it,” Bryan said.

  Bald moved toward the side of the roadway. There was a three-foot embankment of stone that was pushed against the hill as the roadway rose up the side of the mountain. A perfect place to take cover while they waited for Jake and Bryan to make their move.

  C’mon, Jake. C’mon. Do something. Say something. The moments of silence were agonizing. The only thing to see were random flashlight beams swaying in the night.

  Then Bryan shouted. “Come on, you bunch of pussies! You’re not afraid, are you?”

  There was more noise. Crackling footsteps followed by hard thuds into the earth.

  “Jake, hit the deck, we have to shoot!” Bryan said.

  Shots rang, and out of reflex, Colt dipped his head low, remaining at eye level with the road in case any stray bullets made their way out of the forest.

  After the last shot, Jake called through the earpiece. “Colt, can you hear me? Are you there?”

  But before Colt could answer, he and Phillip were ripped from their position. Both were being dragged by their feet into an open field and toward a garden.

  “Colt!” Bald yelled. Then fired his trank gun, but it missed the mark. The man who was dragging Colt didn’t even flinch.

  Colt floundered for the sidearm he’d stuffed into his holster when they waited on the roadside. Colt couldn’t see in the darkness, but he could hear heavy breathing. More infected were there and they were only feet away. Colt’s right hand brushed his weapon, and he lifted it free. But in the darkness, it was difficult to lock onto his target, especially as his body swayed, and bumped over the undulating ground.

  He thought he found his target but could only be certain when Bald sparked his flashlight from behind. In the beam of light, Colt pulled back on the trigger and fired. Immediately, the infected man pulling him fell forward and let go of his leg. Colt scurried across the ground, trying to find his feet as he ran back for the embankment.

  “Holy shit,” Bald said.

  Colt’s mouth gaped too when he witnessed the sight before them. There were infected just standing there, waiting to be recognized. Bald scanned over the group of infected with his flashlight. When he came to the end of the line, there were two infected ripping Phillip to shreds.

  His screams of pain echoed in the night.

  Frozen, no one moved. They couldn’t. Unless help came in the form of his brother, Colt and the others were dead.

  14

  The foulest smell Colt had ever experienced emanated from the group of infected standing in front of them. It was so pungent, Colt had to cover his mouth and nose. He had no idea why the smell was so foul, but he gagged once, before lifting his hand upward and over the embankment. His fingers danced along the asphalt of the roadway. He could get a good hold and pull himself up.

  “Bald,” Colt whispered.

  Bald still trained his flashlight on the group of infected. They were waiting to move forward. Still some of the group devoured Phillip, tearing him limb from limb.

  Colt wondered why Bald hadn’t said anything back. Maybe he had but it was because he was too quiet. Nevertheless, he should’ve heard him through his communication device. Out of instinct, Colt reached for his ear. There was nothing. His earpiece must’ve fallen out as the infected had dragged him.

  He grabbed for Bald’s arm and got his attention. “Our only hope is to climb back onto the roadway and back to the truck.”

  “You really think that will work?” Franks’ voice went up.

  “Shh! Damnit, man,” Bald reprimanded him. “I don’t think I should take my eyes off the infected. If we turn the flashlight away for even a second, those bastards could run us down.”

  Colt had to think for a moment. “Fine then. Franks and I will climb first, then you can give us the light and we’ll pull you up.”

  Bald nodded, and Colt climbed. The ascent wasn’t high, or that difficult, but they moved further down the roadway, and as the road climbed, so did the length of the embankment. Once Colt’s feet touched the road, he bent down and reached for the flashlight. Bald handed it to him. Colt grabbed the light and passed it off to Franks, who was kneeling next to him.

  In the shadow of the light, Colt watched Bald reach for him, but Bald slipped on his first foothold and let go of Colt’s hand.

  He stretched with his arms and put his toe into the bank.

  “Uh, guys . . .” Franks started. “They’re coming.”

 
; Colt raised his head and saw the crowd charging Bald.

  “Move your ass!” Colt said.

  Colt and Bald grabbed hands and Colt lifted. His forearms burned as he struggled to lift him free. But then there was more weight. Then more. The infected gripped Bald’s legs like a vise and were pulling hard against him.

  Bald screamed, then turned around and thrashed blindly with his fists.

  “Your gun!” Colt yelled to Franks.

  “Shoot the bastards!” Bald yelled.

  Franks fired his weapon into the horde, but when he stopped, a rising hum grew near the lodge. The infected who had been trapped inside the building broke through the doors and windows and began to mount another attack.

  The sound of teeth chomping through Bald’s flesh redirected Colt’s attention. “Let me go, Colt! Let them take me,” Bald said. “Get out of here, now!”

  Colt clenched his jaw. He didn’t want to let go. After all they’d been through, Bald was . . . his friend.

  But Bald loosened his grip, and slid from Colt’s hand.

  “Come on, we gotta go!” Franks bent down to help Colt up.

  With the flashlight’s beam still on the infected, Colt glanced one more time at the infected who were devouring Bald’s body. His throat tightened, and emotion struck as he ran away from the scene toward the cabins.

  Through misty eyes, Colt saw the cabins ahead and knew he had to find Jake. But with no means of communication, Colt would just be wandering aimlessly. The cabins were the closest, and right then there were no infected left on the road between them and there. The cabins could act as a haven and offer them a sense of security while being indoors. Besides, maybe Jake would think Colt would go there to seek his own shelter.

  “Shut that light off.” Colt grabbed the flashlight from Franks and pushed the on/off button.

  The cabins weren’t too far off. When they came to the side of the pick-up truck Jake had originally driven from Mount Weather, Colt and Franks used it as cover.

  Once beyond the hood and bumper, they climbed the staircase to the first cabin. Before Colt could open the door, he was reminded of both the warning when Corporal Stephens went running off, and the crying baby he heard while inside the lodge.

  He tuned his ear for any unsanctioned noise.

  “We should . . . uh probably get inside,” Franks babbled from over his shoulder.

  Colt nodded and reached for the handle. There was a screech from an unoiled screen. Colt held the door and allowed Franks to enter first. Otherwise he knew Franks would allow the door to screech again, or let it bang shut.

  Once inside, Colt squinted, but it was dark—inky dark. If he didn’t want to be surprised, he had to do something. There needed to be some light, but he didn’t want the fullness of the flashlight beam to be unleashed, so he hid the wand beneath his shirt, then flicked it on.

  The muted yellow circle only allowed the beam the appearance of candlelight. “Jake,” Colt said in a forced whisper.

  No sound. No response.

  Colt fell deeper into the cabin. It wasn’t large and it wouldn’t take long to see if anyone was inside, but as they continued, Colt remembered something.

  “Stay aware. My brother dropped two infected with trank darts in here. If we find them and they haven’t turned, they might be pissed. Or they might be human again and scared out of their minds. Either way, be aware. Don’t shoot unless absolutely necessary, or you might be killing innocents,” Colt said.

  “Roger that,” Franks said, but there was fear behind his voice.

  As they continued to sweep the cabin, Colt wondered why Franks had volunteered for this mission. Then again, maybe he hadn’t. Maybe he’d been forced to come along. Whatever it was, Colt didn’t know if Franks would be up to the task.

  When they came to the hallway, there were two doors. He looked at Franks, then pointed to the first door. Then he nodded to the second. When Colt breezed past, he second-guessed his plan, maybe thinking they should’ve been working together, but that was where his lack of experience shined through. Colt didn’t even get to reach his door, before Franks jumped back in fright.

  Colt whipped around, and his eyes bulged. He followed the subtle glow of the light and into the room. Part of him expected Franks to be curled up in a ball on the floor in the fetal position, but he wasn’t. When Colt arrived, Franks was standing over two bodies, lying stick-still on the bed, passed out.

  A woman and a child.

  They were the two Jake had left behind.

  “What do we do if they’re still unconscious?” Franks said. “That wasn’t one of your options.”

  Wise ass.

  Instinctually, Colt looked through the doorway. “We bring them outside.”

  “Say what, now? Franks said. “Did you not see the amount of infected that killed Bald and Phillip?”

  “Sure I did, but . . . the scientists need these people. To see what effects the tranquilizer darts had on them.”

  “Screw them,” Franks said.

  “Listen to yourself, soldier. You signed up for this. To protect your country against enemies, foreign and domestic, remember?”

  “That was before there were aliens taking over our planet.”

  Is this guy serious? “What are you, a coward?” Colt said but wished he hadn’t. Not in that situation. Not when fear was driving him. The last thing he should have done was goad him.

  On Franks’ first move, Colt clenched his fists, thinking he was looking for a fight. But he wasn’t. Instead, he dropped his shoulder and breezed by, walking directly out of the bedroom and out the front door of the cabin.

  “Franks,” Colt said. “Franks!” This time louder.

  What the hell is he doing? It was clear when Colt heard the door of the truck open and slam.

  Moron. Colt looked down to the woman, then the child. The child was young enough and wouldn’t be that heavy, but the woman was full grown. He would have to start with her.

  He came to the side of the bed and saw the woman was lying face down. Colt squatted and backed into the mattress. Then he took her arms and put one on each side of his shoulders to carry her on his back.

  She wasn’t a large woman, but the dead weight was difficult to carry. He dragged her through the living area made it to the door. He reached out, but just as he did, the woman slipped from her position. He reached back quickly to grab her and keep her from falling hard onto the floor.

  Colt tried again, but again the same result. He had to set her down and somehow pry the door open. He turned on his flashlight again and looked throughout the room. His gaze stopped on a metal bucket in the corner.

  He pushed the bucket into the door and wedged it perfectly. Carrying her again, he waddled through the door. Once outside, still there wasn’t a single sign of infected.

  Colt walked to the back side of the truck and opened the tailgate to set her inside. Once she was in position, Colt walked around to the passenger side door and opened it. Franks was sitting there with his head bowed.

  “Watch her, you worthless pile. Don’t let any infected come near her. Do you understand me?”

  Franks gave a subtle nod.

  Colt jogged back inside to retrieve the child. The child was maybe five or six, and Colt lifted him with ease. Just as he took his first step away from the bedroom, shots rang out in the distance. A collection of shots—one echoing from below the cabins, and back down near the garden. Then there were more from separate location nearby. And as the shots continued, Colt could only think of one thing.

  Jake was in trouble.

  15

  After laying the infected child next to the woman in the bed of the truck, Colt moved to the driver’s side door and pulled it open. Without saying a word to Franks, Colt frantically searched for a set of keys. With no way of communicating with his brother, Colt knew he had to make his way down to the firefight.

  The keys were nowhere to be found, but then Colt remembered to look up. He flipped down the mirror, and the
keys dropped onto his lap.

  Like a book, Colt thought, remembering Jake had always left them there.

  Then he remembered something else. Franks had an earpiece too.

  “Have you heard anything from my brother?!”

  Franks eyed him as shame hung on his face. He wore it like a curse as he reached into his pocket and showed him the communication device.

  Colt scrunched his brow, wondering why he didn’t have it in his ear. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I . . . I put it in my pocket after I came out of the cabin. I couldn’t take it anymore. It was all too much to bear.”

  “What was?”

  “This. The aliens.” Franks looked outside.

  Colt had no words. He wanted to reach over and beat him bloody, but what would that solve? He couldn’t worry about Franks, now, he needed to find Jake.

  He lifted the keys and brought them to the ignition, but once he slid the key into the slot, a radio crackled. The sound was low but heard easily enough. “Okay, stay behind me. Keep your head on a swivel once we get to the garden. They’ll have walls to hide behind, and as we’ve learned, they’re smart enough to use them.”

  Colt’s face lit up, and after the transmission was finished, Colt scavenged for the sound’s origin. The radio was at Franks’ feet. Reluctantly, he reached down and handed it to Colt.

  “Jake!” Colt yelled into the microphone. “Don’t go near that garden! It’s a trap. Turn back to the cabins, now! We’re in your truck. Hurry! We gotta go!”

  Colt set the radio onto his thigh and spun the key. The engine was revving to life when he picked up the radio again, “Jake, run! There’s hundreds of them over there.”

  Colt stared at the garden, and when a bolt of lightning danced across the sky he could only see the outlines of people running up the hillside.

  “Move your ass,” Colt said to himself.

  They were gaining, now, and Colt pulled on the lights of the truck. He waited until they got closer, unwilling to give away his position to the surrounding infected.

  His brother and the others were in the middle of the field. He had to turn the truck around and make his way down to pick them up as they ran. He’d have to head them off toward the exit.