“I hear you. Luckily, most of ours are either older models, or they’re brand new from the dealership and don’t cause any trouble.” Breytenbach patted the school bus on the side. “How strong is she? Can she carry a full load all the way to the coast?”
“She can. I’ve been working on her for weeks now, and her engine’s in good condition. The only thing I needed was a new battery. The old one was shot.”
Breytenbach nodded. “Could you take a look at the rest of our vehicles as well? We can’t afford breakdowns during the evacuation. Not with so many women, children, and injured people on our hands.”
“Sure thing.”
“I’d need you to safeguard them too. Cover the windows, at least. Maybe put bull bars on them too. All except Tallulah. She’s bulletproof.”
“How long do I have?”
“Today and tomorrow.”
“What? Two days? That’s impossible,” Jonathan asked, scratching his face with a greasy finger. It left a smear of black oil on his cheek, lending him the air of a real mechanic, overalls and all.
“Ronnie and Lenka will help you. They’re fair hands when it comes to cars, and I’m sure your teammates can pitch in with the reinforcements.”
Jonathan hesitated. “I suppose.”
“Look Jonathan. I’ll be straight with you here. I need you. We need you. Without proper vehicles, we aren’t going anywhere.”
“But two days―”
“Is enough if you can get all your friends working on this. Make them understand how important it is. Our lives depend on this convoy of vehicles, Jonathan, and I’m putting my trust in your hands.”
Jonathan drew himself up and nodded, his expression somber yet proud. “I’ll do my best, Captain. You can count on me.”
With a sense of satisfaction, Breytenbach left the boy to his work and went in search of Max. He believed he’d boosted Jonathan’s ego enough that the boy would want to show what he could do. Go above and beyond what he normally would in such circumstances.
If there was one thing Breytenbach had learned in all his years as a military leader, it was how to motivate people into doing things they would never have believed themselves capable of otherwise.
It was why Max had put him in charge of the evacuation. Though with an enterprise of this scope, Breytenbach relied on the help of others to coordinate everything properly.
He turned a corner during his musings and spotted Ronnie. “Hey, Ronnie. I’ve got that new kid Jonathan working on the cars. It seems he knows a thing or two.”
Ronnie frowned. “Is that wise?”
“I think he’ll be an asset. Him and his friends. They did great work on the school bus. Even so, I want to put you and Lenka in charge. Make sure everything is ready to go the day after tomorrow.”
“All right, Captain.”
“We’ll need extra fuel too. Spare tires, tools, that sort of thing. All easily accessible and ready to hand.”
“I’m on it.”
“Great, see you later.”
Breytenbach strode past the site of the fire. The blackened grass and cracked walls were a blight on the land; a place of loss and sorrow. Most of the rubble had been picked through and shored up already. The little bit that could be saved from the mess was saved, but in the end, they had lost almost everything.
Julianne and Elise had already gathered up all possible supplies left in the camp and packed it for the trip, setting aside only enough to keep them going these last few days in their old home.
Joseph and Lucas were stripping the buildings, taking everything of value and loading it. Sadly, they’d have to abandon the excavator. The goats and wildlife would be set free too, let out through a gap in the fence when the time came.
Phillip and Abraham were gathering up the crops, saving seeds and cuttings from the plants while Dave did likewise in the orchard and vegetable plots. Jonathan and Dr. Lange were packing up the infirmary and their research, while Hannah was outfitting Tallulah to act as an ambulance of sorts.
Most people had recovered from their injuries on the night of the fire except Erica who had a concussion. Still, Breytenbach thought it would be a good idea to have a mobile medical unit secure from the undead and nothing was safer than Tallulah.
Every few seconds a muffled whap sounded above his head, a shot fired from either Liezel or Kirstin’s rifles. The fire had drawn every infected for miles around, and the camp was effectively under siege. The sound had now become part of everyday life. It was white noise, always there in the background just like the occasional shots coming from the outer fence.
The two women rarely left the watchtower anymore except to eat and sleep, and their stellar aim provided much-needed support to Lisa and her team. Though their numbers had swelled with the addition of all remaining hands, they were hard-pressed to keep the undead from filling the moat and plowing over the fence.
He finally found Max at the outer gate, patrolling for zombies who’d fallen into the moat alongside Martin, Jed, and Josh. They no longer bothered to remove the corpses, leaving them where they lay, and the stink was incredible.
“How are we holding up, Max?” Breytenbach asked, noting his pale face.
“Not well. For every one we kill, three more show up. We won’t last long, at this rate. How are the plans for the evacuation coming along?”
“The day after tomorrow. Is that soon enough?” Breytenbach asked.
“I don’t know, Captain. We’re all exhausted. Can’t you speed it up?” Max said, moving forward to spear yet another zombie clawing at the earthen walls.
“Not really. I’ve done all I can for now. I will send over more people to help with the defenses once they’ve finished their tasks. We just need to last two more nights,” Breytenbach said, eyeing the trickle of shambling figures that stumbled across the open field toward them.
“If you say so, Captain,” Max said.
At that moment, Breytenbach spotted a thick plume of dust rising above the horizon. “What’s that?”
“I don’t know,” Max said shading his eyes.
As they gathered together to watch, a silver sedan burst through the treeline and zig-zagged toward them, bouncing over tussocks of grass. It swung to a stop kicking up rocks and earth. The driver jumped out and ran toward them, heading for the barrier that blocked the only entrance.
Several zombies honed in on him, converging from all directions. Two rifle shots sounded, and two infected fell with bullets in their skulls. Max added his fire to the fray, dropping two more with his sidearm. This gave the stranger enough of a lead to reach the barrier.
“Michael!” Breytenbach cried, recognizing the man at once. “It’s him.”
Without waiting for assistance, Michael clambered across the steel and wood contraption, putting it between himself and the infected who scratched at it with futile longing. A few impaled themselves on the spikes and hung like rag dolls, moaning all the time.
Max helped him down, and Michael paused in front of them, sweating and out of breath. “Fuck, that was close. What’s going on here? Where are all the zombies coming from?”
“It’s a long story, and I’ll fill you in later,” Breytenbach said. “If you’re here to stay. that is.”
“I am. For now.”
Breytenbach studied him with shrewd eyes.“Something tells me you have news.”
“I do, and it’s not the good kind.”
“What is it?”
“Hiran. He’s coming for you.”
“Hiran?”
“Yes, and this time, he plans on wiping out each and every person here, and he’s got the means to do it.”
Breytenbach sucked in a breath. “That throws a spanner in the works.”
Max nodded. “It does.”
“Tell us what you know, Michael, and leave nothing out,” Breytenbach said.
For the next few minutes, all was quiet as Michael told the tale of following Hiran and his trail of destruction all the way to Naval Hill. He told t
hem of the refuge and what happened to it once George wormed his way inside. He relayed the conversation he’d overheard, and his decision to return and warn the camp of the impending attack.
Breytenbach absorbed it all, forming a vivid picture in his mind of their new enemy, one far more dangerous than Ke Tau had ever been. “You’ve come back just in time, Michael. We’re on the verge of evacuating, and our route would have taken us right through Bloemfontein and straight into a trap.”
“Thank God, I came back then. Why are you evacuating?” Michael asked with a frown.
Breytenbach allowed Max to get Michael up to speed while he mulled over the problem in his mind. How to sneak dozens of women and children past Hiran without him knowing they were there. Once in St. Francis, they’d be safe, but until then they were vulnerable. “I think it’s time to take the fight to the enemy.”
“What do you mean, Captain?” Max asked.
“I mean, we get our people loaded up and on their way to St. Francis where they’ll be safe while a separate group attacks Naval Hill.”
“A distraction,” Max said.
“Yes. It’s the only way to ensure our people’s safety. We cannot risk them falling into Hiran’s hands.”
“Why not bypass Bloemfontein altogether?” Max asked.
“Because we don’t know what awaits there. It’s unknown territory while we know exactly what to expect on the route Martin took. It’s safe and passable. We know it is.”
“Except for Hiran,” Max pointed out.
“If we catch him by surprise, we can take him down before he knows what hit him. We’ve got Michael who already knows the layout, and we’ll have the advantage.”
“It’s risky,” Max said.
“Nothing comes without risk,” Breytenbach replied.
“Besides, Hiran must die. A monster like that can’t be allowed to roam free,” Michael said. “Even if I have to go alone, I’m going back.”
Max considered this before he nodded. “All right. The plan is solid, and the benefits outweigh the rest. Let’s do it.”
“Excellent,” Breytenbach said. “I’ll get on it straight away, and work out the details. This time, we’ll see justice done and our families safe.”
“Amen to that,” Max agreed.
As Breytenbach walked away, he had the feeling that the puzzle pieces were coming together. The chicken killer, the fire, the infected growing hardier with time, and the camp’s failing defenses; it had all pointed them in one direction. St. Francis. All they needed to do was get there safely. And if we can stamp on that cockroach Hiran on our way there, so much the better.
Chapter 18 - Michelle
Michelle glanced at the digital display of her watch, noting the time.
Four in the morning.
Time to go.
She stood up from her spot on the couch and smoothed a hand over her clothing. Everything was in place. Both she and the children had bathed, eaten, and played games the night before until ready for bed.
At three, she’d awoken to the soft beep of her alarm. Within the hour, she was dressed and ready to go, their belongings packed while the children still slept. They didn’t have much. According to Breytenbach’s orders, each person was allowed one pack or bag of medium size. All other belongings and supplies had to be surrendered the night before and loaded onto the supply trucks.
As quietly as she could, she lifted the bundled up figure of Jenny from her bed and carried her outside through the front door of their cottage. The child stirred and uttered a brief moan before settling down again, and Michelle sped up the pace. They needed to hurry, and time was of the essence.
Torches lit the grounds, and people rushed around, carrying out their final tasks and inspections. It was bitterly cold, and within seconds her fingertips were frozen, and her breath fogged out of her mouth in puffs of white cloud.
In the parking lot, other people were already loading their personal belongings into their designated vehicles. Whispered instructions were passed along, and Breytenbach waved around a clipboard as he and Julianne oversaw the evacuation.
Tallulah, newly pimped out as an ambulance stood ready to go, was staffed by Hannah, Dr. Lange, and Jonathan. The only other occupants were Erica and Tumi with their young babies, while Mike acted as their driver.
Michelle spotted the big school bus and hurried over. She clambered up the steps and found Nombali tucking a sleepy Meghan and Anne into their seats underneath a warm blanket. Each had a toy backpack at their feet.
“Morning, Nombali,” she said, hurrying over to prop Jenny into a chair across the aisle. “Can you watch her, please? I need to fetch Mark and the dogs.”
“Sure, no problem.”
She rushed out again, nearly ramming into Cat who herded another group of children toward the bus. With a brief hello, she slipped past and ran back to her bungalow where Mark still slept unawares.
Two more trips saw both children installed on the bus with their personal belongings, as well as Princess and Buzz. Ruby and Lonny were there too, and Michelle exited the bus to see if her help was needed elsewhere.
It wasn’t. The evacuation was well underway. A couple of trucks loaded with the camp’s supplies stood ready to go already. They’d be driven by Dave and Abe respectively. Phillip was just about done loading his own vehicle and trailer with their crops and gardening supplies, while Joseph drove one filled to the brim with various materials and Lucas as his sidekick.
“Are the kids inside the bus?” Julianne asked, walking over.
“Yes, all of them.”
“Good. We should be leaving shortly.”
“Is everything okay? Do you need help with anything?”
“No, we’ve got things in hand, thank you,” Julianne replied. “You might as well get out of the cold.”
Michelle nodded. “All right.”
Julianne left her then, intent on finalizing the preparations.
Michelle lingered, watching the people split up into their designated groups.
All the cars looked a bit different with their windows covered in mesh, and bull bars on the front. Each one also carried a small cache of fuel, water, food, and weapons.
The team chosen to carry out the diversionary attack would drive in their own armored vehicles. With Breytenbach at the helm, Ronnie, Lenka, Lisa, Kirsten, Liezel, Donya, Dee, Aiden, and Michael formed a respectable fighting unit, and Michelle prayed there’d be no losses.
Two other cars besides Tallulah would follow the bus through town, ready to lend support in case of trouble. The first was a minivan carrying Max, Sean, Peter, Thembiso, Ryan, and Jonathan. The second was Logan’s Land Rover. Martin, Josh, and Jed were accompanying him, and all were armed to the teeth in case of trouble.
The attack itself would happen at dawn, and the rest of the convoy would wait for them to catch up at a designated spot.
When it seemed departure was imminent, Michelle turned to leave but paused when a voice called out to her. “Michelle, wait!”
She turned in the direction of the sound and saw Lisa running toward her. “Hey, Lisa.”
“Before you go, I wanted to give you something.” Lisa fumbled at her belt and produced a pistol in a holster. “Here. In case you need it.”
Michelle eyed the gun with reluctance. “I…no thanks, Lisa. You know, I don’t like guns.”
“I know. But I also know you’re in charge of a busload of kids, Michelle. Children who rely on you to protect them.”
“Yes, but there are others on the bus too. People who are better fighters than I am,” Michelle protested.
Lisa reached out her hand and grabbed Michelle’s wrist. “You can’t always rely on others. Besides, you’re not a victim anymore. You’re a strong, capable young woman. Take it.”
Michelle stared at the pistol. Maybe, Lisa was right. Perhaps, she wasn’t that scared young girl from before. Can I do it? Can I shoot someone to protect Jenny or Mark?
The answer was yes.
&nbs
p; “I believe in you, Michelle. You’ll do the right thing when the time comes,” Lisa said before turning away. “See ya!”
“See ya,” Michelle repeated in a faint voice, cradling the pistol like a newborn baby before buckling it onto her belt. “For Jenny and Mark.”
She boarded the bus minutes later and immediately smiled. It felt like home, filled with the chatter of overexcited kids and the smells that accompanied them. The scent of baby powder and candy.
Liz sat at the wheel, her stern gaze flitting over Michelle before softening into a half-smile. “Hi, there.”
“Hey.”
Julianne sat behind Liz with an open map while Elise sorted out a box filled with water, fruit juices, and snacks. Cat, Nadia, Vera, Danielle, and Nikki occupied the back seats and watched over their younger members; Lucy, Kerry, Tessa, and Juan.
Michelle gave them a friendly wave before making her way toward Mark and Jenny. Nombali was there too, keeping an eye on Meghan and Anne while cuddling the mewling Samantha.
She sat down and pulled two dog treats out of her pocket. Each contained a sedative, and should be enough to keep them calm on the trip. After feeding the treats to Buzz and Princess, she settled them onto a blanket with a bone each to chew. After a few minutes, the meds kicked in and the animals fell asleep.
Michelle sighed with relief. One less problem to deal with. “Thank you, Jonathan.”
With everyone in their spots and taken care of for the moment, Michelle turned her gaze outward. Liz started the bus with an audible roar of the engine, and its lights lit up the scene in a bright yellow glow.
Dawn was still far off, though Michelle could see a slight lightening in the sky on the distant horizon. She looked back at the place they’d called home these past months, and a sense of sorrow filled her. She didn’t know what awaited them at St. Francis, but she did know what she was leaving behind.
“I’m going to miss it too,” Nombali said, accurately guessing her thoughts.
“Yes, I was happy here for a time.”
“We all were.”
One by one, the vehicles switched on their engines and moved into position. The two fighting trucks first, followed by Tallulah, the school bus, minivan, supply trucks and finally, the Landie.
Seize Another Day (Dangerous Days - Zombie Apocalypse Book 4) Page 13