Alive (Sundown Series Book 3)

by Courtney Konstantin

  The sound of screeching tires and brakes sounded behind the horrific scene. The noise attracted some of the infected near the back of the mob, but the others pushed forward as healthy people fell beneath the attack of too many infected to fight off. Patient Zero was just about to dig into a leg that was near her when a mesh hood fell over her head. With no desire to comprehend she continued to try to fall onto the meal at her feet. Instead, she was lifted off the ground.

  Patient Zero fought and tried to claw into the hands holding her. A collar was fit around her neck, controlling her head easily. She had no desire to save herself, only thought of eating. The men were so close. The sounds of the attack happening nearby made her go into a frenzied state, growling, and hissing coming from her mouth. Her teeth were bared but when she tried to attack the hood prevented her teeth from reaching anything. And she was yanked by the collar, attached to a thick chain.

  At the end of the chain was a man in all black, his face covered in a hood and night vision goggles. Around Patient Zero a group of heavily armed men fought off the infected that were coming toward them. They cut down every dead thing that was within reach. But Patient Zero was controlled and led to the black armored vehicle that was parked in the street. The back door was open, and she was lifted and drug into the interior of the truck. Metal shackles were attached to the ankles and wrists. One of the men gagged at the feel of her broken ankle as he secured the shackle.

  “Straighten up, Bradley,” another figure said, talking to the man that almost threw up his stomach contents.

  “Its ankle is completely snapped, it feels like jello in there,” Bradley answered.

  “That’s no concern of ours. Callahan wanted Patient Zero and we found her. Let’s get her transported.”

  The black truck disappeared into the night, no headlights giving away it’s position. They headed East, to deliver the goods as requested.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  An alarm tore through the house. Rafe was on his feet before thinking and was shoving socks and shoes on. Pulling a shirt over his head he ran down the stairs, almost tumbling from the lack of being awake. Charlie, with Storm on her heels, was just coming out of her room when he was about to throw open the door. Rafe ran past her and went to the monitors he had on one wall. The alarm that was showing was from the top of an outside wall. Something or someone had tried to come over the rock barrier.

  Rafe scanned the cameras, all equipped with night vision. It took a moment, but he finally found them. Five men, in black, wearing night vision stalking toward the house. They all had what looked like government-issued weapons. Rafe opened the gun safe immediately to get out the shotgun and his rifle. He threw the rifle over his back and loaded the shotgun while watching the men. They were trying to surround the house. He knew it was impossible for them to know exactly where everything was, they never filed any sort of plans for this property with the county. This was exactly what his father assumed would happen if anyone knew about them.

  “Who are they?” Charlie breathed.

  “My guess? Whoever was after you. They found you and now want what you have,” Rafe said.

  That sent Charlie running from the room. Rafe took one more long look at the camera feeds to figure out their best options and he followed. Charlie was shoving the external drive she had into her bug out bag that was left in the kitchen. She then turned and started grabbing Storm’s canned foods and throwing them in another pack they had scavenged. Without Rafe saying a word, Charlie already knew there was imminent danger. Rafe had to approve of how she was catching on.

  Rafe strapped on his throwing knives and grabbed a flashlight. The first man to breach the house was getting a face full of light and a shot to the head. He wasn’t playing around. These men came on his property to do him harm. He wasn’t waiting to ask for any explanations. Rafe brought Charlie to the front door he rarely used and had her crouch down behind him. As long as he kept her behind him, he could protect her. Storm was next to him, growling. The noise was making it hard for Rafe to concentrate and he told Charlie as much.

  “Storm, you’re a good boy. But shhhh,” Charlie said to the dog.

  He didn’t look back at the woman, but his ear twitched and he silenced the growling. As a team, Rafe and Storm waited. Rafe knew the house better than anyone. He knew every creak, every door hinge that squeaked and every entrance point. He waited to hear where they were going to attempt to enter first. The creak of a step outside of the mudroom had him moving slightly so he would have a clear view of that entrance. They wouldn’t have known that Rafe never used the front door. They would assume the back door was the easiest entry point.

  The door slowly opened and Rafe waited until he could see the man in the dim moonlight. As soon as his face was visible, Rafe hit him with the flashlight, causing the man to yell and step back. Rafe then sighted his 9mm and shot the man in the neck and shoulder. If he was wearing something bulletproof, which was likely, Rafe hoped his shots landed on flesh. The intruder went down hard into the mudroom. Rafe stepped slightly to the side to see around the kitchen counter that blocked his vision of the floor. All he saw were boots. And they were moving.

  “Time to go,” Rafe said to Charlie.

  He stood and spun to grab the bags he had brought next to them. One was his bug out bag. The other was the med bag they had brought from the facility. He opened the front door carefully and looked around. Seeing no one, he stepped out with Storm and Charlie following him. He knew the shot at the back of the house would attract the team to their fallen member. Rafe turned the opposite corner of the house, hoping to put enough distance between the attackers and them before they realized they had fled the house. Storm launched himself forward just as a quiet shot rang out.

  The burning pain that lanced through Rafe’s side was immediate. It wasn’t nearly as bad as he would have expected, being that he had never been shot before. He folded to one side for a moment, as Storm jumped landing his front paws on the chest of the shooter. The shot had been close to silent. Silencers, Rafe thought to himself. They would have wanted to attack quietly. Maybe they thought they could take Charlie without Rafe even knowing. They were clearly not prepared for the security system Rafe had set up.

  Storm was tossed to the side, his teeth never making a purchase into flesh. Charlie cried out as the dog skidded. Rafe had to grab her from running after him and leaving the safety he provided.

  “Stay back,” he quietly growled at her.

  Rafe sprung forward, catching the man in the chest with a front kick, sending him sprawling back. The recovery was quick, and he was back on his feet moving toward Rafe to strike out. The man’s first blow went wide and Rafe crouched to strike out with two sharp punches to the man’s abdomen. The second punch from the attacker connected with Rafe's shoulder as he tried to pivot away. The man then tried to throw a knee at Rafe’s face, that barely missed, as Rafe moved back to allow himself more room. This created an opening for the man to raise an additional weapon Rafe didn’t know he had.

  Noises from inside the house caught Rafe attention. The men had come to find out about the shots inside. Quickly and not wanting to draw additional attention, Rafe pulled a throwing knife and hurled it at the shooter. It impaled the man in the neck and he immediately dropped his weapon to reach up and grab at it. With the blood flowing, the handle was slick, and the man couldn’t pull it out on his own. Rafe moved forward to grab the dropped gun. He checked the magazine finding it full. He then patted down the attacker to pull any additional magazines. He loaded them into his cargo pants pockets.

  The dog was back, and he was pissed. Rafe thought he almost lost a finger as Storm locked down his jaws on the man’s arm and began to shake. Charlie whispered to the dog to stop him, but he was full on in attack mode and he wasn’t hearing the woman. Rafe pulled the knife from the man’s throat finally. He was too far gone and wasn’t feeling anything the dog was doing at the moment. The pain in Rafe’s side flared and he put his hand to the w
ound area. It came back covered in blood.

  “Oh my god, Rafe! You were shot,” Charlie exclaimed, trying to yank his shirt up.

  “Charlie, quit. We don’t have time for this. There are still at least three more. Probably in the house looking for us. We need to move and fast,” Rafe said.

  She didn’t immediately remove her hands from his shirt. He could barely see her face in the light of the moon, but she was pale and beautiful. He had no idea where the word beautiful had come from as it crossed his mind. He gently pushed her hands away and handed her the shotgun.

  “Do not use this unless I expressly tell you to. I haven’t taught you to use it and I don’t need you killing me or the dog,” Rafe said. Charlie didn’t answer, just nodded.

  The attacker at their feet was clearly dead. Storm, realizing this and knowing his job was done for the moment, finally let go. He stepped away from the body and panted harshly. Rafe let out a low whistle to get his attention and Storm immediately was at Charlie’s side again.

  “I always wanted a dog,” Rafe said as he began to walk away.

  “I knew you liked him,” Charlie whispered.

  Rafe would have laughed if they weren’t in such a precarious position. With the M16 pushed against his shoulder, Rafe led them away from the house. He was aware of Storm in a constant state of unease as the dog would let out low growls every few moments. Once they reached the greenhouse, Rafe stopped so he could look back around the corner toward the house. He could now see flashlights in the house. Still only counted three, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t out hiding waiting for them to run for it. Their next target was the barn. Rafe instructed Charlie to stay low and run straight to the far side of the building.

  A shout sounded from the house just as they reached the barn and moved behind it. Rafe realized there were a number of reasons for this but didn’t feel the need to stick around and find out. They moved along the barn wall, when another shout sounded, closer this time. Rafe assumed they found the dead man next to the house. They didn’t have much longer before their route was easily discovered.

  “Charlie, listen to me. There is a door, hidden, at the back of the compound. My father installed it for this exact reason. We will go straight to that and into the woods. They will have a hard time tracking us from there,” Rafe said.

  “The woods? Can’t we just kill them and go back in?” Charlie asked. Rafe was slightly surprised by her cutthroat attitude.

  “If these guys don’t report back, more will come. We need more help.”

  “Your sisters?”

  “Hopefully,” Rafe said quietly.

  He pointed her in the right direction of the door and she and Storm ran for the wall. Rafe waited a moment longer and followed. As he ran he heard a bullet whiz by his head. Pivoting quickly, he knelt and turned with the gun. He had only shot an automatic rifle a few times. Finding two of the three men running toward them from the barn, Rafe opened fire. One dropped almost immediately, from a shot or to get cover, Rafe didn’t know. The second began to stagger his running pattern realizing he was taking fire. But he wasn’t shooting back while out in the open.

  Rafe realized he had to slow these guys down, or they would be on them too quickly to get away. The grounds beyond the barn and pasture were mostly long grass and weeds. Until Rafe decided to put something in, he let nature do its thing. Rafe decided to use this to his advantage and found a patch of fairly long grass. He crouched near it, hoping he could hide long enough to ambush the next mercenary that ran their way. His breathing was ragged and harsh. The pain in his side radiated throughout his chest and abdomen. He had no idea how much blood he was losing, but his side was hot and wet with the blood that was seeping from the wound.

  He didn’t have to wait long for the mercenaries to follow. They didn’t come as a group, making Rafe believe he had hit at least one with the M16 fire. The two left alive came and Rafe was sure they were trying to flank them at the door. Knowing it was unlikely they were aware of the door, the men probably believed they were going to catch them at the far wall with no issues. Rafe waited until they had passed his position. He pulled two knives from his sheath and threw one deadly blade at the nearest man. He fell heavily, pulling the attention of his partner, who swung his view toward Rafe.

  Rafe dove back into the grass before popping up slightly to the left of the aim of the M16. He threw the second knife at the man’s thigh, wanting to maim and not kill. The injury had the desired effect as the men started to fall to one side, trying to hold his gun up but having a hard time keeping his body straight. Rafe stalked to the man who was trying in vain to pull the knife from his leg. With a foot on the mercenary’s injured leg, Rafe reached down to grab the handle of the knife. He turned it harshly a quarter turn, causing the mercenary to cry out, before yanking the blade free. Taking the M16 from his hands, Rafe threw it into the grass.

  Staring into the man’s face, Rafe wiped the blood on the man’s pants before replacing the knife. He pulled his 9mm in a smooth motion and pointed it at the mercenary’s face. Rafe leaned down and yanked the night vision goggles and mask off the man’s face. He was surprised to find a man that couldn’t have been older than himself. Not a seasoned killer like Rafe was assuming. Despite the pain in his own side, Rafe stepped down on the wounded leg harder and the man’s face screwed up in pain.

  “Who are you?” Rafe demanded. When the man didn’t answer, Rafe clicked off the safety on his 9mm. That little movement was clearly a warning and the man knew it.

  “Just kill me. I can’t tell you anything,” the mercenary gasped.

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t kill you. I asked who you are. Who sent you and from where?”

  “You can’t fight them forever. More will come,” the man said.

  “I figured that already, genius. I don’t think your boss knew much about me when he sent you here to die. What was the plan?”

  “We weren’t supposed to come near you. Just take the woman and leave,” the man admitted.

  “So, it’s about Charlie. You’re from the government. How can our own government send mercenaries in to kill its own citizens?” Rafe demanded. His anger caused him to push down harder on the leg.

  “We aren’t mercenaries,” the man said, reaching up to his shoulder to pull on a piece of his black shirt. A patch came down and the US flag showed.

  “You’re a soldier?” Rafe asked, incredulous.

  “Yes.”

  “When did the military start conducting black-op operations on their own land?”

  “When the dead stopped being dead,” the man replied, his voice sarcastic as if to say Rafe should have known this already.

  Rafe thought for a moment. He knew he couldn’t bring himself to pulling the trigger and killing the soldier, defenseless on the ground. He also figured that if he left him living, he would follow them as far as he could and report back to whoever was commanding him.

  “When you come around, you let your boss know Charlie is off limits,” Rafe said.

  “Come around?” The man asked just as Rafe brought the butt of his gun down on the side of the man’s head, knocking him out.

  Charlie was at the door, but she didn’t have the code, so she had crouched to one side waiting for Rafe. Storm stood in front of her, defending against any unknown threats. When Rafe arrived, she stood up quickly, relief on her face.

  “What took you so long?” She demanded.

  “Didn’t want to be followed,” Rafe said.

  “You scared me. I thought they had gotten you.”

  “Well you have the dog now, you don’t really need me,” Rafe said sarcastically. Charlie shoved his shoulder a little in frustration and Rafe hissed in pain.

  “Crap, I forgot. Are you ok?” Charlie asked, again trying to reach for his shirt. Rafe pushed her away.

  “Yes. Let’s get out of the compound before anyone comes looking for these guys.”

  Rafe entered the code quickly and the door swung out. As soon as
they were through, Rafe slammed it shut and put the M16 to his shoulder again. He surveyed the area and found nothing moving. The attackers had probably parked near the entrance road and just entered from that side together. There were no roads behind the compound, nothing but trees and nature.

  The forest was dark and ominous at night. The moonlight only made it through in patches through the towering trees. Rafe picked his steps carefully to not jostle his wound. Now that he wasn’t running and being immediately chased, the pain was getting deeper and more vivid. Charlie followed him silently, lost in her own mind. He wanted to tell her something to reassure her. But there was nothing to make the situation less dangerous.

  “Where are we going?” Charlie asked some time later.

  “I know these woods like my home. There are a few places we could hide,” Rafe said.

  “Ok. Hide in the woods. I like it,” Charlie commented wryly.

  “It’ll be roughing it, princess, but I’ll make sure you’re fed and have some sort of roof over your head.”

  “I’m not a princess,” she said stubbornly.

  “Well, you better not be. We might be out here for a while,” Rafe said. He stopped and checked his direction by the moon and stars that he could see through the opening of trees. He adjusted course and Charlie followed.

  “Why awhile?”

  “I talked to one of the mercenaries. Well, they weren’t mercenaries actually. Soldiers.”

  “Soldiers? Attacked your house?” Charlie asked, surprise lacing her tone.

  “Well, I don’t think they knew what they were getting into. I wasn’t the target,” Rafe said, as he stopped and turned to look at Charlie. He wasn’t sure how she was going to take the news that she was in someone’s crosshairs.

  “I don’t understand,” Charlie looked at him, neither of them completely illuminated.