by Tony Baker
“Good thing for us. I’m not sure what we would have done if those things had decided to come after us!” Wanda replied with a visible shudder. “We got as far as the street where you found us, and were able to get into a house. Found some warmer clothes and something to eat. There was also a battery-powered radio that we listened to. I couldn’t believe what was happening! The world seemed to be going mad. Like something straight out of a horror movie.
“We’ve been there for almost a week. Lots of those zombies, things, infected, whatever you call them roaming around. Saw some pretty bad things happen to some folks, too. But there was nothing I could do to help them.” Tears had once again formed in Wanda’s eyes. “I just stopped looking out of the windows when I heard the screams. That is, until I heard your truck. When I saw you were the police I figured that if we didn’t run out we wouldn’t make it much longer. That’s our story in a nutshell.”
Wanda took a deep breath and leaned back, closing her eyes. Harry could only wonder what she had left out of the story for her granddaughter’s sake. Regardless, he knew she was an extremely strong woman who had faced nearly impossible odds, and all for the sake of this child. Harry could understand that bond quite well. Thoughts of his own nephew, Eric, popped into his mind with clarity so strong that tears of his own formed. “No time for this right now,” he muttered to himself.
“Harry, we need to move soon,” Frank said.
“Right,” Harry replied, shaking the unbidden emotions off as he reached for the radio mic. “Phil, this is Harry. Do you copy?”
“We’re here, Harry, go ahead.” Phil’s voice came through the speaker almost immediately.
“Are you guys ready to roll?” Harry asked.
“Good to go,” Phil replied. “Jimi said it would only take a few minutes to get the boat started and in position. He said the water is deep enough around the docks that he can bring the boat almost to the shoreline if necessary. We are still not real clear on what you have in mind, though.”
Harry thought about that for a moment, then said, “Copy, Phil. Ask him to get the boat to the breakwater side nearest the harbor entrance. I need you close enough that when the monitors are turned on the water stream will reach at least twenty-five to thirty feet onto land and maintain a width of about fifty feet. We are going to be coming from the west side of the marina on Yacht Road. As soon as we clear the parking lot we are going to head directly for the gate that leads to the boat slips. I need you to make certain you are flooding the area around that gate. Once we have the truck in position, I need you to maintain a steady flow on and around us. We are going to walk right through the gate. Do you copy all that, Phil? It is extremely important that you do not allow that water stream to stop until I give you the word!”
Harry released the transmit button on the mic and waited for Phil’s acknowledgment. Several seconds passed, and Harry began to wonder if something was wrong on the other end.
“We understand, Harry. Jimi just said that would be no problem, but are you sure this is going to work?” Phil finally asked. “I mean, there are dozens of those things around the fence and gate. Jimi said we will be too far away if you are thinking that we can use water pressure to knock them down long enough for you to get through!”
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” Harry said with a slight chuckle. “I think if the fog is heavy enough and we can get enough water flowing in a concentrated area, the Zs are going to part like the Red Sea. They really don’t like water.” With that said, Harry quickly outlined what both he and Wanda had observed. He followed off by telling Phil what he had in mind to get those people on the other boats out of the marina.
Phil responded much more quickly this time once Harry had completed outlining his plan. “That sounds kind of dicey for you guys. Although now that you mention it, I’ve seen how those things react to water … but this still seems damn risky.”
“We don’t have much choice,” Harry replied. “We have to do something, not only for those folks on the boats, but ourselves.”
“Here’s to luck, then,” Phil said. “We’re maneuvering the boat into position now. Give us the word when you want us to start the waterworks.”
Although not in line of sight, Harry heard the big diesel engines of the fireboat start in the distance – a distinct rumbling sound followed by a brief plume of black smoke rising from the exhaust, which was quickly carried away in the brisk wind that had picked up. He then heard the boat’s engines as they revved, indicating it was moving.
Harry’s anxiety was beginning to mount. He knew they would soon be past the point of no return but he did not, in fact, see any other options. With that thought he took a deep breath and said, “10-4, Phil. The party starts in a few minutes. We are heading toward your location now. Be ready with the monitors.”
Harry turned around and faced the occupants in the back of the truck. “Okay folks, you heard the plan. Everyone get ready to move when I give the word. We are going to drive the truck right up to the entrance and into the water being sprayed by the fireboat. It might be hard to see and hear with that much water pouring down on us, but I want you to remain calm.
“Frank, once we’re in the water I want you to get this big bastard turned around and backed up to the gate. Leave enough room so the rear doors can swing open.
“Wanda, I want you and your granddaughter to stay near Derrick. Do not move unless he does.
I’m going to get out first and go around to the rear. I don’t want anyone to move until I give the word! I would assume that gate is secured somehow, so grab me a pair of bolt cutters, Derry.”
Derrick reached over to a wall-mounted cabinet, opened it and removed a short-handled set of bolt cutters. He handed those up to Harry.
“Thanks,” Harry said, speaking directly to Derrick as he placed the cutters on the floorboard in front of him. “Hopefully that is all I’ll need. Derry, once that gate is opened, get Wanda and her granddaughter to the nearest boat while Frank and I stand guard. We’ll move as much of the equipment and supplies out of the truck as possible once the ladies are secure. If things turn ugly, we leave whatever we can’t carry. I don’t want to lose the supplies, weapons, or ammo, but we won’t worry about that. Our lives are more important. When I say leave, we leave. Everyone clear?”
Although there was great concern in Wanda’s eyes, she gave Harry a single nod, indicating she’d understood. Neveah was obviously frightened but gave Harry the thumbs up sign.
“We’re good to go, Harry,” Derrick said while giving both Wanda and Nevaeh a reassuring smile. “These ladies are going to stick to me like glue and everything will be just fine.”
Harry hoped Derrick was right.
“Okay, Frank, you heard the man. My rear end is numbing up from all this sitting, so let’s go so we can stretch our legs a bit,” Harry said while he snapped his AR onto the tactical harness and once again dropped the clip to make certain it was full.
As Frank started the truck, he simply said, “Copy that.”
Saying a silent prayer to whoever might be listening, Harry said, “Let’s get this done. Phil,” he said into the radio mic, “let me know when the boat’s in position, and as soon as it is, start pumping water.”
“We’re almost there now, Harry. Good luck, man!” Phil replied.
Harry glanced toward the west end of the Bay and saw a large fog bank rapidly making its way toward them. He fervently hoped that he was not leading his people to their deaths. “Don’t start second-guessing yourself now, Harry ole boy,” he murmured to himself while looking at the throng of infected directly across the street.
“Did you say something, Harry?” Frank asked
“Nothing Frank, just talking to myself,” Harry said in a distracted tone, still staring out the windshield.
Derrick, who had squatted down behind the center console between Frank and Harry, said, “Yeah, remember, Rook, the elderly do that sometimes. Let’s just hope he isn’t talking to his imagi
nary friend again!” Harry glared at Derrick for a moment before all three men broke into laughter, breaking the tension if only for a moment.
“Some of the best conversations I’ve had are with myself, you know!” Harry replied after recovering a bit. “You’ll understand in a year or two, Derry.” With a large grin on his face, Derrick reached forward and patted Harry on the shoulder.
“There’s the fireboat,” Frank interjected.
Harry looked back out of the windshield in time to see the front end of the Phoenix come into view. It was coasting along slowly. Harry could see about a quarter of the bow beyond where he was certain the gate to the harbor was located. The rest of the boat was covered from view by the San Francisco Yacht Club building.
Moments after the boat came to a stop, Phil’s voice came through the radio speaker. “We’re in position, Harry. The pumps are ready to switch on and we have two of the heavy monitors pointed toward the gate area. There sure are a lot of those fucks around. I know I’ve said this several times now, but you guys be careful!”
28
“Copy that, Phil. We’re ready out here and this should be a cake walk,” Harry replied in a tone he hoped sounded confident. “No sense in keeping the good folks on those boats waiting any longer. Activate the monitors and let’s get this done.”
Harry had just replaced the mic on its dash clip when he watched a huge bloom of water suddenly engulf the gate area that led into the harbor proper: a wall of water that blocked out the front portion of the drive, the gate, and the infected.
“Oh my God! That’s awesome!” Frank said, staring raptly at the waterworks display a few hundred yards from the truck’s position. “Look at the Zs though! They sure don’t think much of the show!”
Both Harry and Derrick saw very clearly the effect the water was having on the infected. They were scattering in all directions to get away from the flow. It was obvious that those in the rear of the group were not cooperating well with those in the front. Or they didn’t comprehend what was happening. Those in the front of the pack were knocking those in the rear over like bowling pins in their haste to create some distance between themselves and the water that was flooding the area.
The leading edge of the fog bank, which had been working its way inland, finally reached the harbor. It was moving fast and quickly covered the area in a blanket of greyish mist. This further added to the chaos within the ranks of the Zs. The infected that had been lining the outer fringes of the harbor near the shoreline started to scatter, arms flailing about as if to ward off the offensive cloud of the fog that was engulfing them. Their reaction to the fog was not as dramatic as it had been to the stream of water being poured onto shore from the fireboat, but the fog was nevertheless effective in getting the Zs’ attention.
“Go, Frank!” Harry said urgently.
With that, Frank put the Bearcat into gear, stepped down hard on the accelerator and raced across Marina Boulevard and onto Yacht Road. He could not help running into bodies as they shambled about in their attempt to escape the water and fog, but he kept the momentum of the truck moving forward. The impact of the bodies was hard to ignore but he knew if he slowed, they could be surrounded and bogged down, forcing the truck to a halt.
Harry had seen the reaction of the infected to fog during his foot journey to the police station, but had been too busy at the time to really take in the effect it had on them. He watched in rapt astonishment as the infected walked into obstacles they apparently did not see in their path. This included other Zs, fences, or vehicles. Some actually appeared to be covering their heads while others simply stood, waving their arms about. But something else he observed concerned him a great deal.
“Guys, those things are still running through the stream of water. We need to be very careful when we get out. They might be unable to see us, but if they run into one of us we might be in serious trouble,” Harry announced.
“I was noticing the same thing,” Derrick said with evident concern in his voice.
Frank was still concentrating on driving but added, “Yeah, I agree. It looks like the ones doing that are from the outer edges and don’t yet realize what’s going on.”
Moments after Frank concluded his remark, the truck was in front of the gate. Water cascaded around it as if they had driven under a natural waterfall. Frank maneuvered the truck around so that the rear was facing the gate, then slowly backed up using the side-view mirrors the best he could. Harry was intently watching the monitor on the dash which displayed the rear camera view. He could make out shapes passing behind the truck but could not see the gate yet.
“Derry, how wide are the back doors?” Harry asked without taking his eyes off the monitor. “We need enough clearance between the gate and the truck to open them.”
“Three foot six inches each,” Frank answered absently.
Derrick was halfway to the doors when he stopped in front of Wanda. Looking at her with a smile, he said, “Now why am I not surprised he would know that.” Wanda returned his smile and shrugged her shoulders.
The infected continued to run into the sides of the truck with loud thuds both heard and felt within. This did not serve to ease the mounting tension of the occupants, but everyone remained calm. Even Nevaeh sat quietly albeit with her eyes closed, and clung to Wanda.
Harry finally saw the gate come into focus on the monitor and said, “I see the gate! Slowly now, Frank!”
Frank had not been backing up fast but now he brought the truck to a near crawl.
“Okay, stop here,” Harry said calmly. “I need to see how close we are. Get ready to back up a bit more if necessary.”
“Copy,” Frank replied.
Harry reached down and picked up the bolt cutters that were resting by his feet. He then removed himself from the passenger side seat and quickly made his way to the rear of the truck. He gently placed a reassuring hand on Nevaeh’s head as he passed her and Wanda. Harry was rewarded with a smile from the girl.
Derrick upholstered his Glock and quickly checked to make certain he had a full magazine, then positioned himself just behind Harry. Wanda moved toward the front cab of the truck, with Nevaeh in tow, to get out of the men’s way.
Harry tucked the short-handled bolt cutters in his duty belt, then repeated Derrick’s motion, pulling his handgun and checking the mag. Glancing back to Derrick to ensure he was ready, he reached for the right-hand door of the double set. Slowly pulling the latch handle up to disengage the lock, he pushed the door open and waited a moment to see what would happen. Other than the inundating flow of water, the area seemed clear outside.
He slowly pushed the door open further and stepped down onto the running board of the rear bumper. He was just beginning to step out of the truck when one or more of the infected collided with the open door with such force that Harry was knocked back onto his butt. To his immense relief, whatever had hit the door appeared to continue on, since nothing appeared in the doorway.
“Damn, Harry, be careful!” Derrick said from behind as Harry recovered.
“I think I’m going to need a change of clothes after all this and not just because I’m going to get wet here,” Harry replied with a brief chuckle, still aiming his Glock at the gaping opening in front of him. The amount of water being pumped had forced the door back and open. He was half expecting a monstrosity to jump in at him at any moment. “Okay then, let’s try that again.”
Harry pulled himself up one-handed, still holding the Glock in the other, and carefully peered out of the open door. Not seeing anything in the immediate vicinity, he slowly climbed out of the truck and was instantly drenched with water. It was difficult to see clearly but the outline of the gate was still in front of him. Harry guessed the truck was about five feet from the gate and he wanted to close that distance a bit.
“DERRY! HAVE FRANK BACK UP SLOWLY UNTIL I GIVE THE WORD!” Harry had to shout over the roar of the cascading water. He guessed Derrick had heard him as the truck almost immediately began to r
everse toward him.
Just as Harry thought everything was going smoothly, he took a heavy impact, as if he’d been hit by a freight train. It was a Z who had run squarely into him, knocking them both to the asphalt between the moving truck and the gate. Harry was on his back with the large male Z laying on top of him. Harry thought that if the infected were capable of emotion, this one would be expressing complete surprise. The Z was only inches from Harry’s face, bearing what might have been a confused look. The thing recovered fairly quickly, however, once it realized what it was looking at.
Harry heard the thing emit a low, guttural groan, then saw its mouth slowly open. The mouth continued to open to an almost impossible width and it began to lower its head. Harry was certain its intention was to chew his face off. Since he was not keen on that action, Harry raised his right hand, still holding the Glock, and shoved the end of the gun into that gaping mouth. Without a moment’s hesitation he pulled the trigger, removing the back of the thing’s head. Instant panic hit when he realized the full weight of the thing was still on top of him, making it difficult to move.
Derrick had seen a dark shape take Harry down and out of sight below the rear of the truck. “STOP!” Derrick shouted to Frank as he headed toward the door.
Frank brought the truck to an immediate stop and threw the gear selector into park. He then climbed over the center console and into the rear compartment. “Are we ready to go?”
“NO!” Derrick exclaimed. “Something hit Harry. I’m going out.” Just at that moment Derrick heard a muffled shot.
Looking out of the rear door, Derrick could see a body lying on top of Harry. He quickly jumped down and pulled the thing off.
“Damn it, Harry, we don’t have time to play around here!” Derrick yelled while Harry grasped his outstretched hand to be helped to his feet. “Are you okay?”
Although still a bit shaken, Harry replied with a trace of angst in his voice, “Yeah, I’m good, but I am too old for this shit!”