by Kuhn, Steve
I told him that he still had a place with us if he wanted it. I really tried to convince him that we needed him, because when he was on his game, he had the chops to keep us all safe. He just needed to learn how to draw the line. I don’t think he was listening, though. Matter of fact, he pretty much just kept on doing push-ups while I talked. When I was through, he asked me, “We done here?”
I walked out of the tent to find the men breaking camp and everyone hurriedly loading vehicles. I managed to catch Parker on the way by, and I asked him, “What’s goin’ on?”
He said over his shoulder as he rushed past me, “Thank God we got Boyd’s eyes back. Massive herd incoming from the east, and we gotta blow the bridge!”
I shouted to him as the distance between us grew, “Everyone?”
He called back, “Yeah! We never split up anymore—too dangerous. We all go! Get your people in that rig right now!”
Just then, Lilly and Kylee came running up with Don shortly behind them. I filled them in quickly before Nick and Seth appeared together again and approached us from the tents. I told Don to get Lilly and Kylee in the truck and do it quickly as Nick said, “Ah, shit, I forgot! I guess we’ll find another ride.”
I tossed Nick the keys to D-Prime and told him, “You’re driving. Now help me get Seth in the cab. We don’t split up anymore—too dangerous.”
Nick grinned widely and exclaimed, “You got it, man!”
The bridge they spoke of was only about a mile past the edge of the field, and we were towards the rear of the line of vehicles. By the time we had come to a complete stop, the Kilo trucks had already emptied, and the men had taken up firing positions in preparation to hold the line. The sky was blacked out with birds as the stench of the approaching horde wafted around us.
It wasn’t a pretty demolition by any stretch due to the rationing of explosives and the hurried setup, but when that fucker blew, it went up big! Chunks of concrete and clouds of dust rained down into the ravine below before the mass of the bridge collapsed on itself, cutting off the approach of nearly four hundred of the wandering dead that packed the other side. I’m sure if this were a movie, the bernies would have been already packed tightly on the bridge and it would’ve blown at just the right second to save our asses. To tell the truth, though, we were dealing with professionals. We had plenty of time before the bernies got there. In fact, we were already backing up the vehicles when the first of many began tumbling over the side and splatting onto the train tracks below.
We began our return to the field, now with D-Prime just behind the lead vehicle since we had all just turned around where we were parked. That was when Nick made his move.
Something on the other side of the highway caught his attention, and he yanked the wheel hard to the right, taking the first exit and nearly getting us rear-ended by the vehicles behind us. I was like, “Nick! What the fuck, dude?” and Seth winced as the whipping of the truck made him bump his injured arm. Nick snapped, “I figured it out!”
The trucks behind us reacted quickly enough to follow us down the ramp, and I watched the lead truck back up once they had all cleared. It fell in behind the rest of us. When we came to a stop, Hicks came running up to us, and he was pissed! He got up in Nick’s face and was like, “Just what in the fuck do you think you’re doing? This is my fucking command, and you will never pull that shit again. Am I making myself clear?”
Nick raised his eyebrows as if to say, ‘Watch me,’ and simply banged on the side of D-Prime, causing Lilly and the others to bail out and approach us. Many of the marines also began popping out of their vehicles and doing little minisweeps of the area. They signaled that all was clear.
Hicks was still jawing to an oblivious Nick as he turned to Lilly and said, “Hey Lilly, wanna see something cool?”
Lilly shrugged and replied curiously, “Sure. Whatcha got?”
Nick pointed to the giant store in front of us and said, “Ever heard of this place?”
Lilly wrinkled her nose and read the huge, multi-colored sign. “Toys… R… Us? Toys? Tooooys!” she chirped and clapped her hands merrily.
Hicks protested and told Nick, “Oh, hell no! This is not fucking happening…”
With a smirk, Nick told Kylee and Don, “This is happening. This is happening right now!”
One of the marines piped up and said, “Aw, c’mon, Hicks! Have a heart! Let the girl play for a minute!” Soon, there was a chorus of cheers and playful ribbing from the men directed at Hicks to the tune of, “Yeah, ya grumpy, old man! Let the girl have some fun, will ya?”
Hicks huffed and looked to the sky as if asking for help, calculating the will of his men and the puppy eyes that Lilly was shooting in his direction. He sighed and said, “Oh, fuck me,” before raising his voice and calling out the orders. “Masters, Gentry! Take Big Stank and sweep the loading dock! Boyd, Claren! Cover the road and watch for anything circumventing the bridge! Parker, Moses, and the rest of you take point. Clear the store! We got one hour! Move your asses!” He turned to Nick and lowered his voice, saying firmly, “Once! Just this once! But don’t fuck with me again, savvy?”
The men of Kilo gave a cheer to Hicks, and we spent the next hour in the toy store. We let Lilly go apeshit. Hell, even some of the Kilo boys went crazy in there, too. Some were joking and playing around with the Nerf guns, while others were wiring up the video games and trying to play football and shit. It was a blast. We smiled. We laughed. Lilly looked like a child again, not a soldier. Shit, we all looked like children for that short time.
I approached Nick and put my hand on his shoulder. “Nice job, man. I think everybody needed this.”
He shook his head and pointed down the aisle at one person and one person only. I watched as Seth sat beside Lilly, setting miniature furniture up inside a huge, plastic mansion. Lilly was holding a mommy doll, and she was pretending to feed a little baby. She spoke quietly and gently to the child, saying, “Heeeere comes the airplane… Good boy! That was a big bite!” Seth glanced up and saw the two of us watching them. He smiled softly and winked at us.
Nick leaned in and told me, “Now he has something to fight for… He just had to see it.”
We have about fifteen minutes left by Hicks’ watch. After that we’ll return to the field and make contact with Thigpen. We’re about to take back our country, one tough motherfucker at a time.
Entry 156
Hicks briefed the men after his conversation with Thigpen, which he took in private. I would have given my left nut to be a fly on the wall during that little chat. The briefing was concise and to the point, but the contents scared the shit outta me. I suppose I have to relay it even though I’m not that into the ‘mission.’
First, let me explain a little geography, as told to us by Hicks. Fort Bragg in California is not a fort. It’s not even a military base at all. Sure, there’s an actual fort called Bragg. It’s a huge army installation in North Carolina. Almost everyone has heard of it at some point or another. We’re talking about something completely different.
Fort Bragg in California is a town, a tourist trap. A long time ago it was indeed used by the military, but it was just a garrison. I guess they needed a point of power in the area while we raped and pillaged the Native Americans of what was rightfully theirs. Some things never change. It was abandoned in 1867 or some shit. I’m terrible with history, which is hilarious when you consider that I’m more or less writing history at this very moment. When the second wave of the plague really settled in, the colonel dug his men in there because of its strategic position.
To the west of the town is the Pacific Ocean. That offers a great escape route. Rumor has it that there are a number of warships and a carrier still anchored off the coast in case the need arises for a hasty retreat to sea. Thigpen said he’d been in contact with the navy on that end, and they’re willing to play ball. They have refused to attack the town or aid us with regards to the colonel, but they have agreed to turn away any escapees from Bragg under the
false pretense that they have quarantined themselves due to an outbreak aboard the vessels. It’s a bullshit story, but I couldn’t care less.
To the north and northeast is mountainous terrain. Anything coming from that direction is gonna have a helluva time gettin’ by. Not only is it hard as shit to navigate, but it’s also full of its own threats. Everything from the indigenous wildlife to falling rocks and landslides pose a serious problem for both the living and the dead. Hicks said an approach from that direction isn’t impossible, but it’s stupid because no vehicles could come with us. We’d have to hump all the gear ourselves on top of the crap I’ve already mentioned. Therefore, it’s out.
The Noyo River is to the south and runs parallel to the town. The colonel destroyed all the bridges and used heavy explosives to tear up the land near the shallow sections. This has been confirmed by the last scouting reports from the F-15s. The last-known flights were more than a month ago, and there’s no reason to assume that anything has changed with regards to the terrain. That leaves one way in and one way out. No doubt it’s heavily guarded, too.
But wait, it gets worse. We’ll be approaching from the east, using the only known roadway left these days. Hicks called it “The Gauntlet.” It runs past two townships that are completely infested, and it funnels into a large valley dubbed “The Choke Point.” The valley itself is home to the largest-known herd on the books. Rumor has it that the dead number well into the thousands there, and the pilots doing the flyovers described it as a literal “dead sea.” There will be no air support. There will be no reinforcements. It’s just us.
Not one single man or woman in the entire bunch raised an eyebrow. Not one person took issue with the details or paled with the same fear I was feeling. Shit, even Lilly was like, “Gonna kill a lotta them…”
So, I did it. I raised my hand and asked Hicks flat out, “Why are we not saying, ‘No, nope… noooooope… no fuckin’ way’? The odds are just silly. And provided we get through it at all, we’ll prolly take more casualties than it’s worth. I bet we won’t even have enough men to put up a fight by the time we get there—if we get there at all.”
Hicks listened to my concerns quietly and attentively. He nodded as I made my points, and when I was finished, he raised his voice to the group and said, “Anyone else share Mr. Baxter’s concerns?”
Not a peep.
He turned back to me and said, “You’re welcome to stay behind if you like.”
I shook my head and said, “When we leavin’?”
Hicks told everyone that we would leave at dawn and encouraged those that pray to do so now more than ever. When he was through discussing some load-out details with Parker, he pulled me aside with Lilly, Kylee, and Don. He told us, “I have some good news for you.”
About fuckin’ time!
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
He continued with, “You remember that little whirlybird that saved your asses at Nellis?”
We nodded.
“She’s comin’ back for you—Well, not exactly all of you. Kylee, Don, and Lilly are outta here. What we’re about to do here is gonna be a mess. Apparently, my superior feels that Don and Kylee are far too important to the cure effort to be put at such risk. And Lilly, pardon my use of the term, is a kid. Kids got no place in a fight like this. I suggest you say your good-byes and make your peace. The bird’ll be here in about four hours.”
Kylee balked at the thought and snapped, “You can’t do that! We’re all together in this. If Dext and the others can’t go, then I’m not going anywhere either.”
Don expressed the same sentiment, and Lilly said forcefully, “This is bullshit!”
Hicks shrugged and told us flatly, “Not an option. The bird seats four people including the pilot. I have my orders, and now you have yours. We’d prefer to do this the nice way, Staff Sergeant, but we’re prepared to treat you as hostiles if we have to. Too much is riding on you two. It’s not about you anymore, I’m sorry to say.”
Kylee stood there dumbfounded as Hicks stalked off to begin breaking camp. Her lip quivered a bit, and she ran off toward the mess tent. Don told me, “I’ll go talk to her. She’s just upset. We’ll catch up shortly.” He took Lilly by her hand, and they followed in Kylee’s footsteps.
Wasn’t long before Seth and Nick came popping around the side of D-Prime to have words with me. Seth started by saying, “I heard the whole thing. Sorry to hear you’re assed out, but you can’t argue that it’s for the best.”
Nick agreed. “Still sucks a big bowl of dicks, though. We don’t have to do this, ya know. We can just ride off into the sunset in this big-ass truck and let these guys do their thing. The important shit is done. Kylee and Lilly are safe.”
Seth added, “Don, too. They’ll be all right now.”
“Fuck Don.” I shocked myself as the words left my mouth. It was true, though. I honestly gave zero shits about Don. The only reason he meant anything to anyone was this cure business. Even Kylee was over it. I mean, he was a nice enough guy and all, but he wasn’t even on my radar. “I’ll be alone.”
Seth shook his head. “Nah. You ain’t alone, man. We got yer back, Jack.”
I snickered and told him, “Shit, man. You sound like Lilly. Speaking of which…” I glanced over at Nick.
Nick shook his head and told me, “It’s fine. Just because she isn’t around doesn’t mean he’s gonna lose his shit again. Ain’t that right, Seth?”
Seth shrugged. “I’m not stoked about it or anything, but Nick and I talked. It’s bigger than that. We’re about to do something that’ll be remembered forever so long as we don’t fuck it up. We can fix this shit a little at a time. It’s not just about Lilly. It’s about making a better place for any kids that are left—the ones that made it.”
Nick punched Seth in his bad arm and said, “Don’t make it sound so faggy! We’re about to go fuck some shit up! That’s what’s about to happen.”
Seth howled as the pain shot through him, and he growled, “Ouch, assfuck! That shit isn’t funny!”
Nick grinned and told him, “Put your tampon in, and let’s go figure out how to make you useful with that arm.”
They gestured for me to join them, but I waved them off politely. “No, thanks. I’m gonna go spend some time with the others before the chopper gets here. I’ll catch up in a few.”
I don’t know what I’ll say to them, but I better make it count. Might be the last time I ever see them.
Entry 157
At first Kylee wasn’t ready to talk. I found her with Lilly and Don in the mess tent, and no one else was around. Don said he kicked everyone out and told them they could break it down later. Kylee was still sobbing a little, but I could tell it was turning to anger. I tried to say something to them, but it was just diarrhea of the mouth. Don asked for a few more minutes with her and suggested I take Lilly out so they could speak privately. I begrudgingly obliged.
Lilly and I chatted on the way across the field to Seth and Nick. I asked her how she was feeling, and she told me, “I don’t know. I’ve never been happy and sad at the same time—and mad, too, ya know? Like all together?”
I remember sighing, because I knew what she meant. Must have been tough for a kid her age, though, having never felt those mixed emotions before. She was growing up so fast. (Hmph… I must sound like an old man.) I told her maybe it would be helpful if she explained why she felt each one of those things.
She wrinkled her nose, like she always did when she was thinking carefully, before saying, “I’m happy because I think we’ll be safe when they take us away from here. They must have a pretty good hiding spot. But I’m also sad because you can’t go with us. I don’t wanna leave you and the other guys here. It sounds like there’s gonna be a lot of trouble, lotta fighting. You guys need me to keep you safe. I’m good, ya know?”
I smiled and gave her an encouraging nod of approval. “Yeah, you’re good all right. We’re sure gonna miss you, too, Lilly, more than words can describe. W
hy do you think you’re mad?”
She huffed and stopped her walking, crossing her arms defiantly. “Because I wanna kill some Goddamn bernies. That’s why. And I wanna be the one to shoot the colonel. I wanna tell him how much we hate him and how mean he was, then boom, right between the eyes.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. She was just too damn cute sometimes. I spotted Seth and Nick a few yards ahead and suggested to Lilly, “How about we go and take it out on Seth? Sound good?”
She eyed me up and said, “Better than nothin’, I guess.”
We found Nick and Seth just about to start another round of sparring. Nick was wielding his blade in his right hand, but the sheath was lashed tightly onto it, preventing any actual slicing and dicing. In his left, he gripped his pistol. It was unloaded, and the chamber was clear.
He barked at Seth, who was wearing one of his gauntlet things on his good arm with his other arm lashed tightly to his body by the sling. “C’mon, man, you gotta move smoother than that! Every time you block with your right, you’re still acting like you can retaliate with your left. That shit is no good. You’re not boxing anymore. You gotta block, then move the hell outta there so you can wind up and strike.”
Seth was frustrated—not at Nick, but at himself. He knew Nick was right. Nick swung his kukri once more with an overhand slash, which Seth blocked easily.
Bam!
Nick pistol-whipped the shit out of him. “See! Told you!”
Seth spat on the ground, shaking his head to clear it. He got his bell rung on that one. I almost chided Nick for being so rough, but Seth shouted, “Goddammit! Again!”
Another swing. This time Seth blocked it and backed away quickly, leaving Nick swinging the butt of the pistol at nothing but air.
“Good! Again! This time, if you fuck up, I’m knockin’ you out. Got it?”