by Tony Baker
At that moment both Harry and Derrick heard a shot from the rear door of the truck. Both men looked back in time to see another body fall at their feet. Frank was at the open door with gun in hand, looking to the right of the truck.
“One of those things was just about on top of you guys,” Frank called out to the startled men.
“Good shot, Rookie!” Derrick said to Frank, giving him a quick thumbs up. Frank retuned the gesture, then resumed careful watch for further threats.
Harry leaned into Derrick so he could be heard over the water and said, “Get back in the truck, Derry. Help Frank keep watch while I get this gate open.”
Derrick nodded once, then climbed back up into the rear of the truck. Since Frank was watching the right area, Derrick took the left side.
Harry pulled the bolt cutters from his belt and approached the gate. Realizing he had forgotten which way the gate swung, he silently cursed. He knew that if the big gate swung out they would have to move the truck again. Their luck could not hold out indefinitely and they had to get behind the relative safety of that fence soon.
With the water continuing to inundate the area, nearly blinding him, Harry was able to locate the single padlock that secured the gate. The padlock was fairly hefty but the short-handled, sharp bolt cutters made quick work of cutting through the shaft. Harry removed what was left of the lock, dropping it to the ground, and moved the latch on the gate upward. He was vastly relieved when the gate moved away from him as he pushed it.
Harry heard several shots in rapid succession behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he was able to make out more figures on the ground between him and the truck. What was more disconcerting were the Zs he could not see but knew were there. The ones that posed the greatest danger. He suddenly realized that trying to move Wanda and her granddaughter from the truck was going to be too risky. Leaving the gate ajar, he quickly made his way back to the truck and climbed up.
“Change of plans,” Harry began once he was inside the truck, water dripping from him and creating a large pool at his feet. “Frank, get back up front. We are going to back the truck through the gate entrance. Derry, you and I will get out and stand guard on each side of the entrance as Frank backs it up. Once the truck is through that gate, we close it and Frank will pull the truck right up to it. We will probably have company come through with us, so we clear the area before this truck is opened again. Questions?”
Frank did not hesitate and quickly moved back to the cab and back into the driver’s seat while Derrick clipped his AR onto his tactical vest. Harry picked up his own rifle from the wall bench. As both men checked their weapons, Derrick looked at Harry.
“Listen, Harry,” Derrick said, “if something goes wrong, I want you to know …”
Harry interrupted him. “Save it, brother. You and I still have a lot to do with miles to go. This shit is deep and I think it’s only going to get deeper before it’s over. We need to take care of these people and I sure can’t do that alone, so keep your head in the game, Sergeant,” the last said with a mock authority.
“Copy that, LT,” Derrick replied with a lopsided grin.
Harry turned his attention to Wanda. “Have you ever fired a weapon, Wanda?”
Wanda looked at him with some surprise and replied, “That’s out of left field but yes. A shotgun, but that was years ago.”
“I should have thought to ask before now, but I think it might be best if you have a weapon. Do you think you could handle one of those?” Harry asked while pointing to a Mossberg 590 shotgun attached to a wall mount just behind the passenger seat. This particular model Mossberg had an over length of forty-one inches and weighed only about eight pounds, so he thought that Wanda might be able to carry and fire it easily enough. With a slight grin Harry briefly wondered if that particular weapon happened to be the same shotgun Frank had been carrying when they’d first met in the police station.
Wanda looked at the weapon a bit dubiously and said, “Yeah, I think I can handle it. I used to go skeet shooting and duck hunting with my grandfather. The shotgun I used then was a lot longer than this one.”
Harry nodded, then said, “Derry, please show the good lady the finer points of the Mossberg operation, if you would.”
“My pleasure,” Derrick said as he moved forward and removed the shotgun from its mount while Harry kept watch from the open rear doors of the truck. Derrick quickly unloaded the 12-gauge double-aught shells from the weapon and gave Wanda a very quick overview of the operation. Wanda listened carefully, asking only a few questions, then took the weapon from Derrick. She exclaimed at how lightweight it was compared to what she had shot in the past.
Derrick showed her how to load the weapon using one shell. Wanda then took the remaining five shells and with what appeared to be practiced ease finished loading the shotgun. She racked the first round into the chamber, as Derrick had shown her, checking to make certain the safety was engaged.
“You handle that like a pro, Wanda. Just remember it has a kick, so be prepared if you have to fire,” Derrick said approvingly.
“Thanks, Sergeant, but I do have one question here; which end do I point at the target again?” Wanda asked. She then burst out laughing at the expression on Derrick’s face. “Only kidding!”
“Wanda, you had me going there for a second,” Derrick replied with a laugh. “You do fit into this little group quite well!”
Harry had been listening to the exchange between the two and smiled while keeping his attention focused on the activity outside. He was continuously amazed at the ability of this group to remain calm and maintain their sense of humor in the face of such dangers. He knew all too well this could have gone in a completely different direction.
Derrick moved back to stand by Harry at the doors. “She is one tough person, Harry. I think she’ll be okay with the Moss,” he said.
“Yeah, I think so, too,” Harry said, then suddenly fired his AR into a face that had appeared at the open doors.
“Damn, I am seriously getting tired of those things,” Derrick said with a disgusted expression after he watched Harry’s round remove most of the upper portion of the thing’s head.
“Miles to go, buddy, miles to go,” Harry responded.
With Derrick now at the rear doors, Harry moved backed to Wanda and Nevaeh. “Okay, Derrick and I are going out and shutting the doors. You two do not open them until you hear me pound on them twice. There may be some shooting outside while we get things in order, but I need you to understand that those doors are not to open until you hear the signal. If things don’t go well, Frank is going to head out of here and find you ladies a safe location.” After which he glanced up to Frank, who was looking back over his shoulder toward Harry. Speaking directly to Frank, Harry then said, “You do not leave the cab until the truck is on the other side of that fence back up against the gate. If we can’t secure the area I want you to drive this thing through the gate and out of the area. Is that clear?”
Frank continued to look into Harry’s eyes for a moment. It was clear that the guilt and grief he felt over losing his training officer still laid heavily on his soul; Harry could see that Frank did not want to even think about losing two more people he had come to know not only as fellow officers but friends. However, Frank took a deep breath, then said to Harry, “I understand, Harry. I’ll get them somewhere safe.”
Harry smiled at Frank and nodded. He knew that Frank would do the best he could to keep Wanda and her granddaughter safe, but also knew that alone his chances would be slim. Harry had no doubt that their survival depended on them all staying together. This infused new determination into his resolve. Once again he was reminded that their options were few.
“We understand, Harry,” Wanda said in a reassuring manner, forcing Harry’s attention back to the moment. “We’ll be ready when you and Derrick get things in order out there. You two just be careful.”
“We will,” Harry replied, giving Wanda a reassuring nod.
&nbs
p; 29
Moving toward the open rear doors again, Harry said over his shoulder, “Okay Frank, fire this beast up and let’s go to work. Give it a slow five count then start backing up!” With that he placed a hand on Derrick’s shoulder momentarily, signaling they were to exit the truck.
As the two men jumped down and closed the rear doors, Harry heard the Bearcat come to life again as Frank started and put it into reverse. The brake lights came on along with the backup lights which helped illuminate the area. Harry saw several bodies of the infected, all dead, lying between the truck and the gate. He hoped that they would not impede the truck but he knew they did not have time to clear them. The sound of the truck engine would become a beacon, and the Zs were sure to hone in on it so they needed to move fast.
Harry and Derrick immediately rushed toward the gate, with Derrick taking a defensive position at Harry’s back. Harry pushed the gate open enough to allow the slowly moving truck to clear the gate. Harry remained on the right side of the truck with the gate, and Derrick took up a new position to the left. Derrick began firing his AR almost immediately. Some of the infected were finding their way through the open gate.
Frank continued to maneuver the truck in reverse until he could see Harry by the gate. The water flow on this side of the fence was not as intense, so both men could see each other fairly clearly. Attempting to keep an eye out for unwelcome guests, Harry directed Frank back until the front end of the truck cleared the gate enough to allow it to be closed. Using one hand, he pulled the gate back to the fence line, then motioned for Frank to pull forward again. Once the front bumper was against the gate, Harry waved the fingers of his hand under his chin, indicating to Frank to stop and shut down. Harry then walked over to the truck and stepped up on the side running board of the driver’s side, and Frank opened the door enough so Harry could talk to him.
“Radio the Phoenix and have them kill the waterworks,” Harry instructed Frank. “Derrick and I will check the area inside the fence once we can see what we have to deal with.”
Frank gave Harry a nod and closed the door. Within a few moments a single short blast from the fireboat’s air horn was heard, then the water flow ceased. The silence was almost deafening. Harry realized that the fog had completely covered the marina now and was fairly thick, but he could still see about twenty feet in all directions. Much better than it had been just a moment ago with all the water flooding the area.
Once the water from the fireboat had stopped, the infected surrounded the fence line in front of the gate almost immediately. Their moaning was almost as loud as the roar of the water had been. Most, if not all, still showed signs of being disoriented by the fog, but Harry could tell they were still aware enough to know that something – or someone – was in the area. Harry wondered for the thousandth time since this all began what drove the infected. What made them pursue those not infected? Was it to feed, or were they simply driven to spread the infection that consumed their own bodies? How were they able to so easily hone in on those not infected, even while being apparently blinded by fog? These questions and so many more haunted Harry, although he realized the answers might never be known. If this was in fact happening around the globe, humanity was in serious trouble.
Harry had removed his radio after they’d picked up Wanda and her granddaughter, as it had been cutting into his side. He didn’t remember seeing one on Derrick recently either. He walked back to the driver’s side door, motioning for Frank to open it again.
“Can we talk to the fireboat on our hand units?” Harry asked, indicating the portable radios they had brought from the police station.
“Sure, no problem. Give me a second and I’ll hand you one out,” Frank replied, closing the door once again.
Several seconds later, Frank cracked the door and handed Harry a hand radio. “You’re good to go. I programmed our handhelds with the fireboat frequency on Channel 3.”
“Thanks, kid,” Harry said as he accepted the hand-held radio, snapping it into place on the clip of his tactical belt. “Make sure you have one of these and hand me another for Derrick.”
Frank tapped his shoulder, indicting the mic attached to the shoulder epaulette of his jumpsuit. He then handed Harry another radio and closed the door. Harry walked over to Derrick to give him the unit, then continued to the opposite side of the truck closest to the water line.
Depressing the transmit button on his own shoulder mic attached to the radio, Harry said, “Phil, this is Harry, do you copy?”
“We’re here, Harry. Frank told me you were alright. We couldn’t see a thing through the water we were laying on you! Glad that’s over.”
“Yeah, it was intense,” Harry replied. “But we’re all good. Can you please have Jimi maneuver the fireboat to the other end of the harbor? I have no idea what we are going to find down there, but we should be ready for anything. And Phil, I really want to thank you guys for helping us!”
“No problem on both, Harry. We look forward to meeting you guys in person! We’ll get going now and see you on the other end.”
“Copy that, Phil. See you soon,” Harry said, and with that clipped the mic onto the tab of his jumpsuit.
“We have company, Harry,” Derrick said, gaining Harry’s immediate attention.
Harry glanced over to Derrick, then turned his gaze past him. There were a small group of forms emerging from the fog in front of the two men.
“POLICE, IDENTIFY YOURSELVES!” Harry shouted while bringing his rife into firing position. He could make out at least six people approaching. Or what he hoped were ‘people’.
There was no response from the group which was now only about twenty feet in front of him. Harry shouted again, “IF YOU DO NOT STOP AND IDENTIFY YOURSELVES WE WILL FIRE UPON YOU!”
Harry finally received a response to his demand. That all too familiar moaning. Except this time Harry was shocked to see two of the forms break into a run, arms outstretched and seemingly headed directly toward him. Harry fired his weapon into first one then the other runner, taking them down instantly. Derrick followed seconds later, firing into what remained of the group. Harry adjusted his position and added to Derrick’s fire and between the two of them the group was taken out within seconds.
“Well that was interesting. That’s the first time I’ve seen those things actually run. That explains why those folks on the boats didn’t try to come ashore. With the gate closed and locked, this would have made a fairly decent area to regroup. But with those things running around I get it now,” Derrick said from his position to the left of Harry while pointing to the bodies lying on the ground.
“I wondered the same thing when we first saw them. But if they don’t have weapons I can understand why they didn’t want to risk going hand-to-hand with those things. I’ve seen the infected move fairly quickly but not in a full-out run. That’s not good at all! Let’s do a sweep, get Frank and the ladies and get down to the boats,” Harry concluded, turning his attention to the fringes of the fog for further threats.
Harry and Derrick spent the next ten minutes or so checking for any infected that might have been in the area before or after they’d opened the gate. They did not feel it necessary to enter the few buildings that were on their side of the fence, the large structure housing the San Francisco Yacht Club being one of those. The men hoped that if there were any of the infected inside those few buildings, they did not have the ability to open doors, although they kept a wary eye out just in case.
Satisfied that the immediate area was secure, Harry and Derrick returned to the truck. Harry grew more concerned as he saw the number of infected that were gathering on the other side of the gate in front of the truck. He knew that sooner or later the sheer weight of all the bodies pressing against the fence would bring it down. He did not want to be there when that happened.
Harry pounded twice on the rear doors of the Bearcat and they almost immediately opened. Harry found himself looking straight into the business end of a shotgun, with Wan
da on the other end.
She immediately raised the weapon and said, “Oh my God, Harry! I’m so sorry! I just wanted to make certain one of those things wasn’t ready to jump in!”
“Damn, I wish people would stop pointing guns at me!” Harry said, but took the bite out of the remark with a halfhearted smile.
“What do you mean by that?” Wanda asked, a bit confused.
“I’ll tell you later, Wanda,” Frank said with a laugh from where he was standing behind her. It didn’t go unnoticed by Harry that Frank also had his Glock in hand. “Harry seems to attract a lot of suspicion lately.”
“Yeah, whatever, kid. You’re lucky there are ladies present!” Harry replied.
Harry jumped up into the truck and helped Frank gather up some supplies into two tactical bags that were empty, concentrating on ammunition, emergency ration energy bars, and a few bottles of water. He noticed a few wrappers from energy bars laying on the bench where Wanda and Nevaeh had been sitting, along with two empty bottles of water. Harry realized that he had eaten very little since leaving the apartment building. He actually could not remember the last time he’d eaten, and he was hungry.
“Frank, please toss me a couple of those energy bars and waters,” Harry asked.
Frank passed Harry the bars and water. Harry thanked him, then stepped back out of the truck and walked over to Derrick.
“You hungry?” Harry asked, handing him one of the brick-like bars that passed for emergency rations, along with a bottle of water.
“Now that you mention it, I could eat,” Derrick said as he readily accepted the food and water. “I think I can even eat this crap!”
Harry and Derrick ate in silence while continuing to scan the area for any unwelcome surprises. After consuming his bar in a couple of bites, Derrick commented, “That was extreme back there. You know we have all been damn lucky so far, right?”
Harry knew that Derrick was not just referring to their recent adventure, but to all of their experiences from the beginning of the insanity up to this point: each person starting out on their own, facing and overcoming their individual challenges, all of which had brought them together to this point in time – behind a flimsy wire-link fence that threatened to collapse at any moment.