Knowing that the light would attract the Stalkers, we sat there in the darkness. We stayed below window level so we wouldn't be seen. Everyone breathed deeply and tried to relax. Most of the group was exhausted from the climb up the dam with all of our equipment. Ramirez, Heather and I were still recovering from our near death experiences.
“Ramirez, how long do we have until the batteries on the detonators fail?” I asked quietly, leaning over close to him.
“Hard to say,” he replied. “I don’t know if the water will affect it or not. Probably not very long.”
"What kind of range do we have on the detonator?” whispered Spec-4.
“Ordinarily, I’d say quite a ways,” he said, shaking his head. “But through that much concrete and steel, it’s going to be a lot less.”
“How much less?” asked the First Sergeant.
“Again, hard to say,” whispered Ramirez. “Not very far. Maybe a hundred meters, if we’re lucky.”
“Damn,” I muttered. “That’s pretty fucking close to all that C-4.”
Ramirez just nodded.
“Will the flooding cause the dam to break?” asked Spec-4.
“Unlikely,” said Heather. “It’s full of water, now. If it was going to break, it would have done it already.”
“So, we stick to the plan,” I said, sitting up. “We blow the dam and get the fuck out of here.”
We had maybe an hour left until daylight, but thankfully the storm had passed. There were still a few clouds in the sky and the moon was mostly obscured, but we could see stars above us. There was still enough ambient light to see fairly well. There weren’t any Stalkers moving around on the dam, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t any nearby.
Reaching for my pack, I dug out my binoculars. They didn’t have a low light function, but there was enough moonlight that I should be able to see well enough. McDonald saw what I was doing and unpacked his rifle. I knew he had a low-light option on his scope and he might see something I wouldn’t. We started scanning the area, looking for anything we could use.
The dam littered with burned out vehicles and would be impossible to drive across. If we were going to find a usable vehicle, it would have to be on the other side of the dam. I began sweeping the area, hoping I would find something big enough for all of us to ride in.
I could see lots of vehicles that had been abandoned, but nothing that would carry us all. Then, like a beacon of hope, I found what I was looking for. It wasn’t ideal, but it would work under the circumstances. An ambulance parked in the parking lot of a store about fifty yards from the end of the dam. We might be able to make it, if we stayed quiet and didn’t run into any Stalkers.
“There’s our target,” I said. “We’ve got an ambulance a few hundred meters from here. If we can get there without attracting attention, we might just get out of here after all.”
“We need to move soon,” said Ramirez. “If we wait too long, we won’t be able to blow the charges.”
“Alright,” I said, putting on my armor and bucking my gear back into place. “You heard the man. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Everyone looked nervous, but determined. We’d come too far to give up now.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The Crossing
“Walk away me boy, walk away me boys
And by morning we'll be free
Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear
And raise what's left of the flag for me”
- Flogging Molly
- What’s Left of the Flag
We crept out of the Control Room and back down the stairs to the maintenance door. We divided up the extra equipment among us. Checking our weapons, we made certain our silencers were in place. Snake and I went out first to check the immediate area. It looked clear.
Motioning for the others to come on out and to keep low, I headed for the nearest vehicle. I noticed that the bodies of the dead that I had taken out last time were gone. The Stalkers were certainly efficient at clearing out anything that they could eat, including each other. They didn’t bother with the ones that had been burned in the explosions. I guess they didn't like their meals cooked.
When I reached the burned out police car, I knew I was close to the halfway point across the dam. Inch by painstaking inch, we moved from vehicle to vehicle, making our way towards the other end of the dam. I could see the cracking in the pavement and along the railing where the heat from the explosions had caused significant damage to the top of the dam.
I froze when we neared the front end of the burnt out fire engine. It was charred almost beyond recognition, but I could still make out the lettering on the front end. Up ahead, near the remains of the mini-van I had set on fire, I thought I saw movement. I held up my hand for everyone to stop and remain motionless while I checked it out. The last thing we wanted to do was to stumble upon a group of the dead.
Bringing my rifle to my shoulder, I began scanning the area near the van. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly to steady my nerves. I waited for the span of a dozen heartbeats before I saw the movement again. It was a lone Shambler. It was shuffling slowly between the cars, oblivious of our presence or to the fact that the Stalkers would eat it just as fast as it would us. Either way, it had to go before we could move on.
Taking careful aim, I centered my sights on the thing’s head and gently took up the slack on the trigger. The suppressed weapon bucked slightly in my hands and made a soft coughing sound. Instantly, the creature’s head erupted and it fell over backwards. Unfortunately, it fell right into the group behind that I hadn't seen, setting off a Shrieker.
“Fuck!” I hissed, as the piercing wail shattered the stillness of the night. “Let’s move!”
I stood and advanced on the spot where I could hear the Shrieker and kept my weapon at the ready. Snake came up next to me with the big war hammer held in his hands. He was ready to let loose the full fury of Brjótanir. In his powerful hands, it would certainly live up to the name Destroyer.
Spec-4 came up on my left and Snake fanned out to my right. From father down the shore, I could hear another Shrieker taking up the call. Soon, every undead in the area would be coming down on us. We had to get to the ambulance and get the Hel out of here, quickly. Time was running out.
As I swung wide past the end of the wreckage of the mini-van, I saw a small knot of the dead coming towards us. When the first four saw us, they broke into a sprint and shot towards us at phenomenal speed.
“Spinters!” I called, and opened fire.
I clipped the first one in the side of the head, but it didn’t fall. My second round took it through the forehead and it fell to the ground, momentum making it twist and roll. The flopping caused the next one in line to trip and go sprawling to the ground a few yards short of our position. Spec-4 shot the third one, flipping it over backwards, never to rise again.
Snake took two big strides forward and swung the hammer, striking the remaining Sprinter in the face. The force of the impact knocked it flying over backwards in a crumpled, mangled heap. Spinning the hammer around, he swung it around him and then downward, crushing the skull of the fallen Sprinter before it could rise again. It’s head ruptured like an eggshell. Blackish ichor and brain matter erupted like a massive bug hitting the windshield of a car.
Moving forward, Spec-4 and I continued to engage the remaining dead. First Sergeant Gregory and Sergeant McDonald joined in and we eliminated the group in seconds. The last one fell to the ground, twitching and spasming before going still. The Shrieker collapsed and slowly stopped screaming, like letting the air out of a balloon. In the silence that followed, we could hear more approaching from off towards the old arcade at the end of the road.
“Let’s move!” I called out to the others.
Everyone began moving as fast as they could go, considering the weight that we were all carrying. We were less than thirty yards from the ambulance when another Shrieker took up the call. The dead were closing in from a
lmost every direction and we were about to be in a lot of trouble.
“More coming on our nine!” called Sanders.
Instantly, his M-249 kicked in and started raining death and destruction down on the oncoming horde. I glanced in that direction and saw close to fifty of them heading our way. Sanders was cutting into them with devastating effect, but most of them were getting right back up.
“Get to the ambulance!” I called, and engaged another group that was coming at us from farther down the road.
We all ran as fast as we could go, firing as we went. Even Heather was getting into the action by shooting at the crowd. I was impressed yet again, at how good of a shot she was. Her accuracy was almost as good as mine. We were rapidly thinning out the horde.
There was a line of cars between us and the larger of the two groups of zombies. First Sergeant Gregory and Sergeant McDonald both lobbed grenades under the nearest of the cars. The resulting detonation set the cars ablaze and quickly began to engulf other vehicles, as well.
“Blow the fucking dam!” bellowed Snake.
Spec-4 swung the back doors to the ambulance open as I fished the detonator out of my pack. There was a zombie still strapped to a gurney in the back. We didn’t bother to put it down. We just yanked the gurney out the back, extended the legs and shoved it off down the hill. If the situation hadn’t been so intense, I would have laughed as a zombie rode a hospital gurney down the parking lot, completely restrained and flailing it’s head around while trying to bite something. I couldn’t help but smile, anyway.
Activating the detonator, I flipped the switch and tensed up for the coming explosion. Nothing happened. I unclenched my eyes and looked at the dam. It was still standing and nothing had changed. Taking a deep breath, I clicked the switch, again. Nothing happened.
“Fuck!” I swore.
“Let me try,” said Ramirez.
He dug out his detonator and flipped the switch. Again, nothing happened.
“I told you we had to be close,” snapped Ramirez. “There’s too much concrete between us.”
“I’ve got to get closer!” I snapped, reloading my M-4.
I took off the bulk of my gear and dropped it into the back of the ambulance. I would still have my guns, my rucksack and armor, but none of the extra gear that had been weighing me down since we left the dam. I wanted to be able to travel lighter, but I still wanted the extra ammo in case I had to fight my way back.
“Get everyone inside and get ready to get the Hel out of here,” I shouted. “I’ll be right back.”
I turned and headed back to the dam at a trot. Spec-4 and Snake fell in beside me and matched my pace.
“You’re not going alone,” said Spec-4, grinning.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied, and nodded my appreciation at the two of them.
Snake just grinned and hefted the hammer.
“Let’s blow this bastard to Hel and get the fuck out of here,” he said, smiling.
I kept the detonator in my hand and tried the switch every ten yards or so, while Spec-4 and Snake covered me. When we reached the burned out mini-van, I noticed that there was a large number of Stalkers coming at us from the other side of the dam. There had to be over fifty of the damned things. If we didn’t detonate the explosives, we’d never get away from that many of them.
I hit the switch again, cringing because I knew we were getting dangerously close to the blast zone. I wasn’t sure how far the explosion would go, but I was fairly sure it would be pretty damned far. Ramirez had planted a lot of explosives. I just hoped it didn’t bring the entire dam down, since we were going to have to be on it to get the stupid charges to go off.
We were approaching the front of the overturned fire-truck when the light on the ignition switch began to flicker. It indicated that it was picking up a signal. I smiled nervously, knowing that this was going to explode less than thirty yards away from us. The Stalkers were now on the dam and closing fast. If I timed it right, I could take out the entire group in the explosion. That would leave less of them to deal with in the future.
I crouched down behind the front of the truck and motioned for Spec-4 and Snake to do the same. The Stalkers were less than fifty yards away now and rapidly eating up the distance between us. The indicator light on the detonator was now glowing constantly. The signal was good.
“Hang on to your butts,” I said, smiling.
Then I hit the switch, turning the night sky crimson.
The explosion lifted us off of the ground and threw us about ten yards back. The fire-truck flipped into the air and crashed back down right where we had been hiding. The center of the dam vanished in a flash of light, fire and smoke. The entire area was shaking like it had just been hit by a massive earthquake and my ears were ringing like the bells of Notre Dame.
As my vision swirled around me, I could see that Snake was on his back, trying to steady himself enough to get up. Lolling my head, as if in slow motion, I found that Spec-4 was on her hands and knees, slowly shaking her head. I found myself up against the front of the mini-van and could feel warm blood running down my face where something had struck me in the explosion. I put my hand up gingerly, but only found a cut. Nothing was sticking out of my skull, so I knew it would be fine. Bloody, but fine.
In the center of the dam, a section about eighty yards long was crumbling and falling into the river below. I couldn’t see the group of Stalkers that had been coming at us, except for the bodies of three of them laying on our side of the gap in the dam. The rest were either vaporized or beneath tons of debris at the bottom of the dam. Either way, they were no longer a threat.
I got cautiously to my feet and looked around. Spec-4 was being sick on the pavement and Snake was getting slowly to his feet. Through it all, he’d never let go of Brjótanir. He was battered, but not broken. Movement caught my eye and I turned to see the three Stalkers were getting to their feet. Unlike us, they didn’t feel pain. They were already snarling and looking for their prey. Unfortunately, we were it.
With a lurch of speed, they rushed at us. I instinctively grabbed the old revolver on my hip and fired. The echoing boom split the night again and struck one of the Stalkers in the center of the face. It flipped around and collapsed, sprawling lifeless to the ground. The second one ran straight at Snake.
It slashed its claws at him, but he danced back out of the way. Swinging the hammer in a wide arc, he looked shocked when the creature leapt backwards to avoid the big hammer and began to circle him. Snake spun the hammer around and kept facing the circling creature. The two of them were beginning the steps of a deadly dance that would only end with the death of one or both of them.
Before I could move to help Snake, the third one ran right at Spec-4. She was still on her hands and knees and couldn’t defend herself. I had to do something or she would be cut to ribbons. She didn't even know it was coming for her. It came at her rapidly, bounding on all fours and leaping into the air, like a predatory cat.
I leveled the old Colt and fired but it twisted in the air and avoided my shot. My next shot clipped it in the leg, but it kept moving. At the rate of speed that it was moving, it was hard to track and shoot accurately. I fired again and hit right where I thought it would be, but it changed direction just as I fired and my shot went wide.
I was moving towards it, angling to intercept it before it could reach Spec-4 and firing as I ran. I saw flesh burst where another round scored a groove across the creature's back. It was now three or four leaps away from landing on Spec-4. Looking up, she saw what was bearing down on her and wasn't going to have time to react.
I fired again and missed cleanly when it ducked its head and slid to the left. Taking one more big lunge, it went down low to spring the distance. I fired again and the hammer clicked on an empty chamber. In the heat of the moment, I lost track of the shots I'd fired. I didn't have time to reload or change weapons. Spec-4 had mere seconds left before it would be tearing into her flesh. I would not let that happe
n.
Dropping the pistol, I ran full-on into the creature just as it jumped. I slammed into it with all the force I could muster, feeling my shoulder catch it just beneath the right arm. I drove it into the railing on the edge of the dam with enough force that I heard something crack. Unfortunately, the explosion and cracked and loosened the railing. We held there for a brief moment, before the railing gave way completely. Then panic gripped me as momentum carried us both over the edge.
I managed to grab hold of a piece of steel rebar that was sticking out of the side of the dam, nearly losing my grip with all of the weight that was now suddenly on my arm. I felt a heavy weight pulling on me. I glanced down and realized that the Stalker was dangling from my feet. I couldn't keep my grip, much longer, it was just too much weight. I could feel my fingers slipping away from the bar.
Spec-4 lunged over the edge of the dam, managing to grab my hands, just as I was losing my grip. The morning sun was just starting to crest the horizon behind me and I could see it reflected in her eyes. Our gaze locked and she was screaming something that I couldn't really make out. Despite the lack of clarity, her anguish and desperation rang through with every word.
"Don't let go!" she seemed to yell.
I could barely hear her. Everything seemed so surreal as time seemed to slow to a crawl. I tightened my grip on her arm and tried to pull myself up, but the weight was too much. I had to get loose from the grip of that hellish beast before we both fell into the raging water below.
"I've got you," she seemed to mouth, although I knew she had to be screaming.
Searing pain began radiating from my legs. The Stalker was slashing into the muscle of my calves. I lashed out with my left foot desperately trying to kick it off of me. It held fast with a grip like iron as it continued to slash deep gashes into my flesh. The pain was agonizing, leaving searing trails of torn flesh in its wake.
Ragnarok Rising: The Crossing (The Ragnarok Rising Saga) Page 42