Zombie Battle 4: War

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Oh God.” Irma groaned in a whisper. She looked up.

  Lil did to. Three or four tails dangled down, and from another hole, tooth filled mouths worked hard to eat a way in.

  “There’s got to be a way to cover them.” Lil looked around.

  “If they ate through that, they’ll eat through anything.”

  “But it buys us more time.”

  “And when we’re out of time, Lil?” Irma asked. “Have we thought about that? Have we thought of a better way to meet our maker?”

  Lil’s head dropped, she looked at Jerry.

  “I don’t want him eaten. I don’t want rats crawling on my baby. I can’t …” Irma paused and a single sob escaped her. “I can’t watch him die. I can’t watch him die like that.” She cradled Jerry closer. “He’ll cry and scream and I won’t be able to do anything. If they get in here …”

  “If they get in here, if we lose the battle,” Lil said. “We’ll cross that bridge. I promise you from the depths of my being that child will not suffer. Nor will you, Irma, nor you.” Lil eyed the pistol sitting on the table. “But I’m not giving up hope. Not at all.” She took a step toward Irma. “That little boy is my primary focus. We are not out of options.” Lil paused. Her eyes widened.

  “What? What is it?”

  Slowly Lil looked down. She stood on a small throw rug and the floor beneath it moved and shook. Within a second, it bounced Lil.

  “Oh my God,” Irma gasped. “Are we out of options?”

  Lil only looked back down.

  <><><><>

  Jack wasn’t worried, not at all. He knew the fortress and he knew how much work Garrick put into it to make it safe and strong. They just had to get in, get them, and get out. He couldn’t wait to see Lil. Hold her, know for certain she was safe. And she would be with him.

  “The only weakness is the roof,” Garrick told him loudly as they neared the compound. “And I don’t think those things can climb up there. And if they did, there’s the safe room.”

  “They called from a landline. Saul was certain.”

  “Then they’re in the safe room. Sealed in.”

  “So, we get there, things are all around. Can we use the pellet? Is that room air tight?”

  Garrick nodded. “Dodds said they should be fine.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe we should just shoot them all.”

  “Holy shit!” the pilot called out. “I don’t think you have enough ammo. Or even if you two are that good of a shot. Take a look at that!”

  Jack wished he hadn’t looked but then, he didn’t have a choice.

  He saw a dozen or so deer, obviously infected, running around the perimeter of the property. But he couldn’t see the fortress. There had to have been tens of thousands of rats on the property, covering the house so much it looked like an ant hill from the sky.

  “Are they in there?” the pilot asked.

  Garrick murmured. “Unfortunately.”

  With a hard swallow, Jack reached into his front pocket and pulled out the pellet. “Let’s drop it. It’s our only hope.”

  According to Dodds they had to drop the vapor pellet, fly off and stay high and at a distance for at least five minutes. It proved to be the longest five minutes of Jack’s life.

  The chopper had to hover high up and even then, Jack wasn’t certain the pellet would fall correctly.

  When they returned they saw that it had. Outside the perimeter, a single deer remained, it struggled to run with its hind legs gone and with half of its abdomen nothing but guts. It dragged itself on the ground, pulling apart with each foot it moved.

  But the fortress was clear. The vapor totally eliminated all the rats. All that remained as a black tar looking substance that painted the walls, roof and grass.

  There was nowhere for the chopper to land, so the pilot hovered.

  “We have to watch fuel. You have five minutes. Get your people and get out!” the pilot hollered.

  Jack and Garrick acknowledge the instructions and both lowered quickly to the ground. The chopper took off.

  They had five minutes and not a second to spare.

  “Lil!” Jack called out. “Lil!”

  “Irma, Steve!” Garrick followed.

  They rushed to the door, still calling out. Garrick didn’t hesitate, he opened the door. It barely moved. The sluggish remains of the rats thickened the opening motion.

  Jack’s hand shot to his mouth. “Garrick, please tell me that room is sealed.”

  Garrick moistened his lips. “Yes, yes, Jack. It is. This way.”

  Jack’s feet slipped and sloshed through the remains as he followed Garrick to the door of the safe room. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door.

  Garrick froze when he opened it.

  “Lil!” Jack shoved by Garrick, burst in and stopped.

  “What now?” Garrick asked.

  “I don’t know.” Jack’s heart sunk in his breathlessness. He tossed his hand in defeat. “I just don’t know.”

  A few drizzles of black liquefaction remains darted about. But there were no rats. There were no signs of a struggle, no blood. Nothing but a lone cell phone lying on the floor.

  Absolutely no sign of Lil, Irma, Jerry or Steve.

  The room was empty.

  They were gone.