Dead America The Northwest Invasion | Book 5 | Dead America-Seattle [Part 3]

by Slaton, Derek

  Several quick shots rang out, and they looked to see the job was done.

  “Hope they’ve squirreled away some shrinks,” Murphy said, “because a lot of us are gonna need some time on the couch when this is through.”

  Bretz shrugged. “Well, we are invading Seattle,” he pointed out, “maybe Frasier Crane survived.”

  “One can only hope,” the Sergeant replied with a dark chuckle.

  They watched two of the men climb up onto the roof and scanned the other four coming back to the formation. They looked at the other building and spotted one of the men waving at them, prompting Murphy to pull out his walkie-talkie.

  “What you got for me, soldier?” the Sergeant asked.

  “Sarge...” the soldier’s voice came back hesitantly, “I don’t know how we’re handling this.”

  Murphy sighed. “Well spit it out son,” he barked, “what are we dealing with?”

  “There’s probably a thousand of those things in the parking lot,” the soldier replied, “and there’s another couple hundred up the road about half a mile.”

  The Sergeant lowered the radio, shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He finally lifted it and held it to his mouth. “Standby,” he said firmly.

  “Yes sir,” the soldier replied.

  Murphy turned to his VIPs. “Well, if the other squad wasn’t shitting the bed, we could clear this out no problem.”

  “We can still clear it out,” Bretz assured him. “You got the six of us in addition to your crew. If we’re smart, we can do it.”

  The Sergeant shook his head. “My orders are to get you to the trucks, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

  “With all due respect Sergeant,” the Corporal declared, “as soon as we fire up those trucks, we’re going to be sitting ducks. And those back alleys are narrow. If we don’t get a handle on the situation before we start those up, this mission is over before it begins.”

  Murphy pulled out his map. “You’re right,” he conceded as he spread it open. “So, we have a thousand zombies in the lot, and more up the road there.”

  “As soon as we start shooting, everything is going to converge on us,” Bretz pointed out.

  The Sergeant nodded. “The shamblers are slow,” he said, “so we got what, ten minutes before the ones on the road join the battle?”

  “About that,” the Corporal agreed.

  “So we need to clear the lot and get men over to the other side to fend them off,” Murphy mused.

  Bretz nodded thoughtfully. “I think if we send a few more men to the smaller building, they can provide enough of a distraction to buy us a little more time,” he suggested.

  “Agreed,” the Sergeant replied.

  “And if I’m overstepping my bounds, Sergeant, just say so,” Bretz said firmly. “This is your operation, we’re just along for the ride.”

  Murphy shook his head emphatically. “Your input is Welcome, Corporal,” he replied. “Especially after your actions in Spokane.”

  Bretz nodded. “So how do you want to play it?”

  “We get a few more men on top of each building, and pull as many of those things to the far end as we can,” Murphy explained. “Put the bulk of our force straight ahead in the driveway, using the buildings as buffers.”

  Bretz handed back the binoculars. “I would also leave a few men on either side covering the back of the buildings,” he suggested. “These things are sneaky, and the last thing we need is to be ambushed.”

  “Agreed,” the Sergeant said, putting the binoculars back into his pack.

  “I think once we set up the perimeter at the entrance, our focus should be clearing out the front of the main building,” Bretz added. “That will give us more real estate to deal with the reinforcements.”

  Murphy cocked his head. “But if there’s only a couple hundred coming up, wouldn’t it make more sense to clear them out, first?” he asked.

  “There are only a couple hundred that they can see,” Bretz warned.

  The Sergeant nodded thoughtfully. “Valid point.” He whistled and pointed to six soldiers nearby. “Get up to the line, three on each building,” he instructed. “Set up at the far end and start drawing them to you. Go.”

  They tore off across the parking lot, and then Murphy crossed his arms, turning back to Bretz.

  “Okay Corporal,” he said firmly, “here’s the deal. You stay in the center of the action with me.” He pointed a finger at him. “Understood?”

  Bretz nodded. “Understood, Sergeant.”

  “Let’s move out, then,” Murphy said, raising a hand and whirling it above his head. “Those things aren’t gonna kill themselves.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  The gunshots from the rooftops went off at a steady clip. As Murphy led his team towards the shopping center entrance, they stared at the effects of it.

  Most of the zombies that had been visible from their vantage point had since wandered in either direction, headed towards the far end of the buildings. This bought the group some significant space, fifty yards at a minimum, to set up their firing line.

  They set up in a semicircle, no more than a yard apart from one another, one group kneels with the back row standing. They used the walls of the building for protection, fanning out to cover the entirety of the road.

  “Okay men, listen up,” Murphy said. “We’re about to unleash hell on these things, and they’re going to try to do the same to us. When you feel comfortable taking the shot, do so, but not before. The last thing we need today is to run out of ammo. Everybody ready?”

  The soldiers murmured in the affirmative, and the Sergeant gave a sharp nod.

  “Let’s get it started, then,” he said, and aimed towards a zombie fifty yards away, shambling towards the crowd at the far end of the smaller building. As he zeroed in on it, he squeezed the trigger, the head exploding in a spectacular fashion.

  Soon after, several more soldiers joined in, firing off well-placed shots that dropped an entire line of zombies in both directions. The noise drew the attention of a lot of creatures on the fringes of the main horde, who began working their way back towards them.

  The firing stretched out over the next few minutes, more soldiers joining in as the zombies got closer to their range. At twenty-five yards, the ghouls were thick, hundreds of them piled together shoulder to shoulder, swarming over their fallen, all headed towards a fresh soldier buffet.

  The fire on the line became more erratic as some of the men began to panic at the closeness of the undead.

  “Three-round bursts!” Murphy yelled, and the soldiers switched to a barrage of bullets, unleashing bursts of shots that ripped through the ghouls. While the fire rate increased, the additional zombies falling weren’t enough to stem the tide.

  Bretz glanced back as he heard gunfire coming from the teams guarding the back alleys. “Baker, on me!” he cried, and the two broke from the line, running back to the alley behind the main building. They found two soldiers standing there, frantically firing towards a group of monsters several dozen large.

  The two men stepped up and immediately opened fire, sending single placed rounds downrange, dropping zombies one after the other.

  “There’s too many of them!” one of the soldiers cried.

  Bretz shook his head. There were too many of them, and they were moving too quickly. As the other three men continued firing, he spotted a rolling full-sized dumpster about ten yards away, right in the middle of the no man’s land between the zombies and the soldiers.

  Without hesitation, he broke from the line, sprinting for the dumpster. It took Baker a moment to realize what was going on, and then he broke rank and joined him.

  “Come the fuck on!” he yelled over his shoulder, and the other two tore after him. The trio helped Bretz move the large metal dumpster into the center of the alleyway, covering about a quarter of the area.

  “Give me a boost!” the Corporal barked, and Baker linked his fingers together to make a step out of
his hands. He propelled Bretz up on top of the canister, and the Corporal immediately opened fire, flipping into three-round burst mode and unloading on the enemy. The other three men set up on the sides of the trash can, opening fire as well.

  The center of the zombie mass pressed up against the canister, moving it slightly back. Bretz widened his stance to keep his balance, still firing mostly at the zombies on the fringes, making sure they didn’t make it around the barricade.

  Once the threat of zombies making it around was gone, he focused on the creatures at his feet, making short work of them.

  When the soldiers stopped firing, the gunfire coming from the main line was intensifying, with a lot of panic fire. Bretz hopped down and then opened the lid of the dumpster, finding it mostly empty. He contemplated for a few moments and then glanced at Baker.

  “What do you say buddy,” he said, tilting his head, “you want to go for a ride?”

  Baker’s brow furrowed in confusion before his eyes widened at the insinuation. He laughed and then shook his head. “Okay, but this is your one creative maneuver for this entire mission,” he said playfully.

  Bretz chuckled. “Fair enough, now hop in.”

  The two of them hopped into the dumpster, and the two other soldiers stared at them blankly.

  “What…” one of them trailed off. “What are you doing?”

  Bretz pointed at them. “You two are going to push us through the firing line,” he said. “Get us as far out into the parking lot as you can.”

  The soldiers glanced at each other nervously.

  “Do it now, that’s an order,” Bretz demanded, and when they still hesitated, he slammed his fist down on the edge of the dumpster. “Do it now, before their position is overrun!”

  The two soldiers snapped out of their doubt and immediately began pushing the trash can. Baker knelt down, pulling the lid over himself. Bretz remained standing, holding up his side. As they grew closer, the Corporal yelled and fired twice into the crowd of zombies ahead, which were now within ten yards of the firing line.

  Murphy whirled around and spotted the rolling force headed their way. “Clear the path!” he bellowed, and grabbed a few of his comrades to pull them out of the way.

  The soldiers scrambled to make a hole for the dumpster to fit through, and Bretz lowered his lid, taking a knee. The duo pushing them gave a great heave as they pushed just past the line, stopping just a few yards shy of the front edge of the horde before retreating.

  The heavy metal container rolled fast, slamming into zombies and knocking several of them down and out of the way. As soon as their momentum stopped, about five yards into the horde, Baker and Bretz popped up, throwing open their lids.

  They took aim and opened fire in three-round bursts, sweeping the front line of zombies quickly at point blank range, spraying blood and rotted skull fragments everywhere. They pinned themselves at the back of the dumpster, using the lids as cover since the metal had landed on top of zombies, preventing them from being able to reach up and grab the soldiers.

  They switched to single fire, taking deliberate aim and clearing out monsters one by one. Murphy nodded as the bulk of the zombies that had been headed towards them turned their attention towards Bretz and Baker, giving the firing line a little bit of breathing room. Several of the men stared, mouths agape, amazed at the sight.

  “What are you waiting on them for?” the Sergeant barked. “Start shooting!”

  Everybody took up arms again, firing into the mass, taking special care to aim clear of the two men in the dumpster. The added cushion allowed the soldiers to get a handle on the situation.

  The battle was swift but brutal. With the bulk of the horde distracted, the firing line was able to inch forward, switching to single fire and clearing out the creatures with precision. Within several minutes, all the creatures in the main horde lay motionless on the ground, leaving only a nominal force in front of the anchor stores at the far ends of either building.

  Murphy immediately began pointing at groups of soldiers. “You men, main building,” he bellowed. “Rest of you, clear out the stragglers and then set up a fire line on the road.”

  A chorus of “Yes sir!” erupted before the majority of the soldiers ran off, leaving only Bretz’ team with the Sergeant.

  Murphy stalked towards the dumpster and crossed his arms. “That was a hell of a maneuver there, Corporal,” he said dryly.

  “Appreciate it, Sergeant,” Bretz replied as he clambered out of the bin, reaching in to help Baker out.

  “That wasn’t a compliment,” Murphy snapped, and then took a deep breath. “Okay, it was,” he admitted, and then pointed a finger at him accusingly. “But I’m not exactly thrilled with you at the moment.”

  Bretz shook his head. “Sorry Sarge, didn’t really have time to get the okay.”

  “That was some quick thinking, I’ll give you that,” Murphy replied. “Saved us from getting overrun.”

  The Corporal shrugged. “I’m just glad it worked.”

  “Me too,” the Sergeant admitted, and then he raised his chin. “But from now on, until I personally place you inside one of those big rigs, you are not to leave my side. Is that clear?”

  Bretz nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said firmly.

  “Good,” Murphy replied, satisfied. “Now, let’s go see about getting you a ride.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  With the last remnants of the zombie mass laying dead in front of the store, Murphy had a few men pry open the doors before carefully walking inside. The air was stagnant, the building having been sealed shut for nearly a month.

  Bretz turned to head for the back, but Murphy put a hand on his arm.

  “Not leaving my side remember?” he asked, and the Corporal nodded, halting.

  The Sergeant let out a deafening whistle, and the team remained silent, listening for movement or moans. When nothing happened, Murphy motioned for the team to follow him and a trio of soldiers leading them through the store.

  They made their way to the back, the other soldiers doing a quick sweep of the back storeroom, finding nothing.

  “It’s clear, sir,” one of them reported.

  Murphy nodded. “Good, hang tight for a minute,” he said, and then turned to Bretz. “We’ve gotten you this far. What do you need from us?”

  The Corporal motioned for Baker and Mason to investigate the back office, hoping that they would find some keys. “Hold that thought, Sergeant,” he said, and then pointed at Kent, motioning for him to check out the back.

  Kent jogged over to the door and peered out. “Got four trucks out back here, Corporal,” he said.

  “And what do you know, we have keys!” Mason declared as he and Baker emerged from the office.

  Bretz raised an eyebrow. “Four sets?”

  “Four sets,” Mason replied with a grin, holding up the rings and jingling them.

  The Corporal pointed to the door. “Get out there and get the trucks started up,” he instructed, “make sure there’s gas, at least a quarter tank.”

  Mason tossed two sets to Baker, and they headed outside with Kent and Short to get things up and going.

  “For starters, we still need two more trucks,” Bretz said, turning back to the Sergeant.

  Murphy pointed to one of his three soldiers. “You, take a few men from outside, go to the other store across the lot, and make sure the route is clear,” he said. “If you can locate the keys, even better.”

  “Before you go…” Hess piped up.

  The soldier stopped, and everyone turned to Hess, surprised at the interruption.

  “Yes, Private?” Murphy asked.

  Hess looked to Bretz. “Corporal, we had talked about the necessity of acquiring more provisions,” he said.

  “I think we’ll be okay, Private,” Bretz replied.

  Hess took a deep breath. “If it’s all the same sir,” he said politely, “wouldn’t you rather change that think to a know?”

  Bretz thought for a moment, a
nd then finally nodded. “He’s right,” he admitted, turning to Murphy. “We could use some more food and water.”

  “We’ll take care of it,” the Sergeant replied, and motioned to the departing soldier. “Before you go, make sure each truck has a package of bottled water, as well as a large assortment of goods. Focus on trail mix, jerky and other long lasting proteins.”

  Hess grinned. “If they have any, perhaps some chocolate tasty cakes.”

  Both Bretz and Murphy cracked a smile.

  “Well, you heard the man,” the Sergeant said, “chocolate tasty cakes.”

  The soldier nodded and headed out as Mason jogged back inside.

  “Corporal,” he said, “we got all four running and there’s plenty of fuel.”

  Bretz smiled. “Good deal,” he said. “Make sure the truck containers are secure, and there’s nothing int he back that’s going to trip us up. Once that’s done, we’ll go inspect the trucks at the other site.”

  Mason gave him a thumbs up and headed back outside.

  Murphy let out a low whistle. “So, you boys are really headed into the shit, aren’t you?” he asked.

  “That we are Sarge,” Bretz confirmed, “that we are.”

  “Based on what I’ve heard about you and witnessed with my own eyes,” Murphy said, “those dead fuckers aren’t going to know what hit them.”

  The Corporal barked a laugh. “Let’s hope you’re right, Sergeant.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The trucks were all lined up in the shopping center parking lot, in an area clear of zombie corpses. Bretz fired up his truck before looking out the window at Murphy, who gave him a thumbs up.

  “You have everything you need, Corporal?” the Sergeant asked.

  Bretz nodded. “Food, water, and weapons,” he replied, “everything a growing boy needs.”

  “My men said they threw in some books as well,” Murphy replied, “give you something to do while you wait on us to come get you.”