by Damon Hunter
“You do realize places like stadiums were evacuation points? Odds are the stadium will be infested.”
“Yes, that’s why we need a man covering us.”
“Assuming we make it out of Anaheim, I don’t believe San Jose has a baseball team, or football.”
“They have soccer though.The field is right behind the airport.”
“Speaking of airports wouldn’t a runway work just as well?”
“Sure, but I like the idea of blowing up stadiums.”
“I think the stadium will not escape if we go to the airport.”
“Not the same.”
Talbot shook his head as the locomotive like transport began clearing out the mass of stalled vehicles between them and Angels Stadium. Talbot figured the parking lot would be a mess as and he was right. Thankfully the powerful transport with the heavy plow could knock aside most obstacles. They cleared a path all the way to the front of the stadium.
As they made their way both Talbot and the major noticed there were a lot of infected roaming around.
“I don’t see any of the vampire strain out there,” the major said, “We should be good.”
“It’s the ones you don’t see who will be the problem,” Talbot told him, “they are sneaky and clever, don’t forget it.”
The major shook his head, “Good point Dr. Talbot. This is why I was glad when they forced Novak on me at the last minute. Experience cannot be underestimated.”
Talbot went to the intercom, “Can you get us inside? I don’t want to carry this damn thing more than a couple feet?”
Novak answered by slamming on the accelerator and pushing through the fence. Once on the concourse he found a drive way marked field level. He still had to bust through a set of heavy doors but soon enough they were making tire tracks through the infield.
“Outfield grass?”Novak asked through the intercom.
“How about second base?” Talbot suggested, “The sooner we are out of here the better.”
Novak stopped just beyond second base and said, “Let me get in the turret before you open the door.”
“No problem,” Dr. Talbot said.
The major pointed at the monitors, “Looks completely clear. I don’t even see anyone in the stands.”
Talbot nodded, but the stadium was still making him nervous.
Both Talbot and the major put on helmets as they watched Novak climb into the middle machine gun turret. The major hit the red button on the wall and the back end of the transport opened up.
Talbot and the major went to the box nearest the door and each grabbed an end. It was heavy but they managed to get it out. They did not go far before setting it down.
“Cover me,” the major said as he knelt next to the shiney chrome box. He pressed a button Talbot could not see and the top opened.
“Make it fast, amblers are moving in,” they both heard Noval say through the headset built into the helmet.
Talbot drew his gun as the major did something with the device inside the box. He could see the infected start to wander into the stands. Climbing over the wall separating the stand’s from the field was beyond them, but once they toppled over the wall they just got up and kept moving like nothing had happened.
No one fired, knowing the number of infected bearing down on their position could double or triple if they filled the air with gunshots.
“You may want to hurry,” Talbot said as more amblers tumbled over the wall on the first base side. There was an eight foot wall surrounding the outfield and amblers began to drop down over it as well. One landed wrong and clearly broke his leg, but it kept coming, dragging the fractured leg along.
Talbot noticed one of the infected in outfield bleachers did not fall onto the field. “You really need to get this done,” he said to the major as a vampire rotter jumped over the rail and landed on two feet. It crouched and ran on all fours toward Talbot and the major.
The major was telling Talbot, “You don’t hurry something like setting up nuclear ordinance unless you are cool with getting vaporized.”
Instead of answering Talbot took aim as the vampire rotter came at them. It zigged and zagged as it charged, like it somehow knew how firearms worked. It’s serpentine approach was working, Dr. Talbot could not get it in his sights.
“Save your ammunition,” Novak told him through the helmet.
Before Talbot could reply, the twin machine guns on the roof roared briefly. The short burst of .50 caliber slugs turned the vampire rotter to a pile of blood and bones.
“It is time to get in now,” Novak said into his headset. “They are going to be surrounding us any minute.”
Talbot looked at the major who rose to this feet and said, “One down, one to go.”
The machine guns barked again as they went inside. The amblers were maybe ten feet from them when the major shut the door.
“Get us out of here Novak,’ the major said into his helmet communicator.
Noval had already climbed out of the turret and was almost to the cockpit when the major called to him. He didn’t reply, instead he headed straight for the drivers seat. The infected were pounding on the outside of the transport as he stomped on the accelerator and got clear of the growing horde looking to get inside the transport. Once clear he spun the transport around and went back the way they came in.
The infected who dared get in his way were no match for plow and wheels of the transport. He burst back onto the concourse and went ahead and made a new hole in the fence as he drove into the mass of abandoned and junked cars left behind during the failed evacuation of Anaheim.
“Well that was easy,” the major said as Novak guided them onto the freeway.
Dr. Tabot didn’t think what they just did seemed all that easy, but he was in no mood to argue. Besides he knew better than most while what just happened was not necessarily easy, it could get much harder.
They had not gone far north before Novak stopped the transport.
“Why are we stopping?” the major asked through the ship’s communicator.
“Cars ahead,” Novak told him
He and Talbot looked through the monitor showing the front of the transport. Novak wasn’t lying, there were quite a few junked cars in their way, piled up in between them and an overpass completely covered in abandoned vehicles.
“Can’t you go through them?” the major asked.
“Yes, but that’s not the point.”
“It’s not? Then what is the point?”
“Talbot and I have been here before.”
“So?”
“We cleared the path.”
“Yes, and you can clear it again.”
“You’re aren’t getting it,” Dr. Talbot told the major.
“What aren’t I getting? There are obstacles in our way, but we are in a vehicle built to overcome these obstacles. Yet, we’re not moving.”
“We cleared the road before. Someone, or something, put those cars back.”
“Why would anyone, or anything, want to do that?”
“I would guess it’s a trap.”
“You think they could do that?”
“I don’t think it,” Novak said.
“He’s right,” Talbot said, “They are more than capable.”
“Every intelligence report I read had them being no more intelligent than the average animal,” the major said.
“A lot of guys who believed those reports are either dead or running around trying to bite people,” Novak told him.
“Okay,” the major replied, “We should be moving then. No need to wait for them to show up.”
“That’s the other thing that’s bothering me,” Novak said.
“The lack of vampire rotters attacking us concerns you?”
“Yeah, if this was a trap they should have pounced on us by now.”
“Now you don’t think it is a trap?”
“No, I think there is trap. I think we may not have sprung it yet.”
“Perhaps,” the ma
jor replied, “but we are still in a vehicle designed for this kind of thing. I’m not sure how sitting here will get us closer to completing our mission. In case I am not being clear: I am ordering you to drive.”
Novak took an extra second to look in the monitors to see if he could see anything to give him a clue to the nature of the possible trap. The major could be right. If they were looking to trap anyone but them the stacks of cars would be more than enough. He looked at the overpass, it still seemed in good shape, thankfully the rot did not affect infrastructure.
“You might want to keep your gear on until we get clear. Probably should buckle up as well,” Novak said as he backed up a little so he could get some speed. He looked into the video monitor for the hull of the transport and saw they were taking his advice. Once they were strapped in, he accelerated into the stack of glass, plastic and metal in front of them.
The transports massive plow did what is was designed to do and moved the obstacles in their path with relative ease. The road cleared somewhat as he neared the overpass. He could see the path they had cleared before was just ahead. Novak was feeling good about their chances when he heard a loud noise above them. He looked to the monitor and saw a semi-truck with a massive fuel tank hitched to the back tumble over the side. Novak tried to accelerate, the transport was tough and durable but was not built to take a hit from a three ton fuel tanker.
He almost made it but the truck struck his tail end with a glancing blow before he could get clear. The force flipped them backwards, causing them to land upside down on top the tank which had just smashed into them.
Even strapped in it took Novak a minute to get his bearings. On the plus side the transport was still intact. They could have been crushed. On the negative they were flipped over and had no way to get back upright. Though the monitors he could see the vampire rotters lining the edge of the overpass. It became clear they had somehow pushed the tanker truck over.
Some of the monitors, including the one to the back of the transport, were blank. He pounded the one for the road ahead of them. It was fuzzy but it came to life to show that more vampire rotters, as well as a growing horde of amblers was coming their way.
Chapter 17 - Interstate 5 - Anaheim, CA
Fan made good time taking back roads and winding through Camp Pendleton. The abandoned Marine base had been cleared out with typical Marine Corps precision. No wrecks and abandoned vehicles clogged the roads through the base. They made it to Interstate 5 and were able to pick up the path the TMRT’s locomotive on wheels had made.
“They stopped here for a long time,” Fan said as he looked at the tracking device mounted on the dashboard while driving through the section of highway cleared by the TMRT.
“Why don’t you watch the road and I’ll check the tracker,” Vance said.
“That must be where they dropped the first nuke,” Fan said.
“Or they just stopped for lunch,” Clay said from the back seat.
“No, they would not stop for lunch,” Fan replied.
“I was just fucking with you,” Clay said.
“I’m not a person you fuck with,” Fan responded as he stole another glance at the GPS.
“You have a thing called humor over there in Korea Fan?” Clay asked.
“I don’t know about Korea, but where I am from we have an excellent sense of humor. The big difference between our humor and the American humor is we like things to be funny,” Fan said, adding, “It appears they turned just ahead.”
“Did they seriously just plant a bomb at Disneyland?” Clay asked.
“No,” Vance answered as Fan took the exit, “They went the other way.”
With the road cleared they made good time and soon found themselves looking at Angels Stadium. The TMRT vehicle left a trail all the way onto the abandoned major league baseball field.
Fan stopped the Hummer in the parking lot and both he and Vance grabbed binoculars to check out the stadium. Neither liked what they saw.
“It’s heavy with infected,” Vance said as he handed his binoculars back to Clay to let him have a look.
“They brought in a horde before they left,” Fan said.
“I don’t see us getting through there,” Clay said, “We don’t have near the firepower.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Fan replied.
The two way radio they brought crackled as Chase Sr. contacted them from the other vehicle.
“Are we fighting our way inside?” he asked.
“He certainly has the right attitude,” Fan said, “Perhaps we can use that.”
“One of my people is in that Jeep. We aren’t sending her on a suicide mission,” Vance said as he picked up the radio and told Chase, “Hold your position.”
Once they knew Chase could not hear them, Fan said, “The horde is attracted to gunfire and Chase and his boys love to fire guns. They could draw the horde away. We could get in and get the bomb.”
“What part of I don’t want to sacrifice them did you miss?” Vance asked.
“We will still have one more bomb to get after this, I don’t want to sacrifice anyone either. At least not yet,” Fan replied.
“Yet?” Clay said from the back seat.
“This is a military operation, people get hurt during military operations. I didn’t think I had to explain this to you two. I want everyone to make it out alive, but recognize the realities. In this case they draw the horde to them. They don’t have to stay and wait. Once a horde gets going one direction they are slow to turn around. Once they are going towards them we go in, pick up the bomb, and get the hell out.”
“Did you say pick up the bomb?” Clay asked.
“Yes. I would rather deactivate it at my relative leisure than try to do so while surrounded with infected.”
“I’m not sure I like riding around with an armed thermonuclear device in the trunk of my car,” Clay said.
“If it is detonated chances of instant death if we were eight kilometers away are about same,” Fan told him.
“Yeah, I guess. Still makes me nervous.”
“I’m not thrilled about it myself,” Fan said. “Anyone have a better idea?”
Vance shook his head, picked up the two way and opened a connection, “Here is what we are going to do. You need to go about a block away and find a spot with clean escape routes.”
“With all due respect my boy’s and I are ready for action. We don’t need to sit this one out,” Chase Sr. replied.
“Trust me, this is not about you sitting anything out. You are going to fire rounds at some point I promise. It can be in the air or you can pick targets, it doesn’t matter. I need you to do it until the horde starts to come for you. Once they are committed to going for you I need you to get out. We will meet you back on the interstate.”
“Shouldn’t we stay and fight them?”
“Staying to fight will not go well. We don’t need to kill them, we can’t kill enough to get in and out anyway. We need something to draw them out of the stadium. If you can give us five minutes we can get this done.”
“All right, we can do this,” Chase Sr. said, “See you on the freeway.”
They watched as the Cherokee left and found a clear path into the parking lot for some nearby condominiums. They went in deep enough so if the horde went at them in a straight line Fan would have a straight shot to get into the stadium. They turned the Cherokee around so they were facing the exit.
The father and his sons got out while Ana moved from the back seat to behind the wheel. They did not have to wait long to open fire. A stray ambler came out of one of the condo’s and started towards them. All three fired on it.
Vance got on the radio to Ana and said, “Remind them to watch all directions. Just because the majority are coming from the stadium doesn’t mean they won’t be coming from the other side.”
“Already done it boss,” she told him, “Don’t worry, the second you head into the stadium I’m out of here.”
“Good, though yo
u don’t have to wait for us to do anything,” Vance told her, “the moment things look like they could get froggy get the hell out.”
“Will do,” she replied.
Vance looked to see infected pour out of the stadium and move in the direction of the gunfire.
The father and sons militia made sure there was no confusion by firing into the infected emerging from the stadium. Waves of infected dropped, but many more kept moving their direction.”
“Seems to be working,” Vance said to Fan.
Fan nodded and kept his eyes on the hole in the stadium wall made by the TMRT vehicle. Currently it was filled with victims of the rot compelled to move toward the gunfire. Once it was clear he was going in. They all hoped it cleared before the horde began to reach the militia men and Ana.
Clay pointed, “That asshole does not seem to be with the program.”
Vance and Fan looked to see a vampire rotter veer out of the pack and come loping on all fours straight at them.
“If we shoot him this whole distraction thing goes straight to shit,” Clay said.
Vance grabbed his Sick Slaying Stick and said, “I’ll be right back.”
Clay pointed at Vance’s bad leg, “Maybe you should let me do this one.”
Vance pretended not hear him and got out of the Hummer. Clay had a good point, but from what Vance had seen even on one and half legs he was still the better of the two of them with a sick slaying stick and taking on a vampire rotter without using a firearm required all the skill Vance could muster. Throw in the fact Vance knew he could survive a bite without catching the rot and to him the choice was clear.
“Is that a good idea?” Fan said to Clay as Vance limped out, but Clay was already out of the Hummer with his SSS in hand.
“I need at least one of you to help carry the bomb,” Fan said, but there was no one inside the Hummer to hear him.
Vance stopped and waited for the fast approaching Vampire rotter to leap. It did not leave the ground, instead it came in low. Vance hit it with an uppercut swing of the spiked ball end of the Sick Slaying Stick. His blow raised it to a standing position and he finished it off with a swing from the blade side which left it headless.