by Steve Kuhn
Hicks’ eyes turned red with rage. “The mission is fubar. Target is still active. Our forces have been decimated, and if you have any bright ideas, now would be a good fucking time to make a move. We are well and truly fucked. I got one man ill, one injured, one child, and six able-bodied.”
He went on to spew some coordinates that made no sense to me to pinpoint our position before Thigpen told him, “Listen up, Hicks. Something has come to light in the last day or so that you need to be very aware of. Now, you may not like what I’m about to tell you, but if there’s any honor left in your old bones, you’ll trust me just one last time. Can I count on you to do that?”
Hicks scoffed off the mic then keyed it up. “Well, that depends wholly on what it is you’re about to say now, doesn’t it?”
Thigpen’s voice was firm as he replied, “I got an interesting call yesterday, and I’ve been trying to get hold of you to pass this along before you even made it to the target. I want you to stay where you are. Don’t move an inch from that spot. A recent turn of events has gone in our favor thanks to an old friend of those people you’ve been runnin’ with. The cavalry is on the way. We’re coming to extract you.”
Relief washed over us, and Seth and Nick shared a hug with Lilly. Kylee squeezed my hand and offered an encouraging smile as she forced herself to her feet.
They’ve been waiting in silence for their salvation while I continue to wait for an entirely different end altogether. I’ve said my good-byes now, and these will be the last words I write.
Entry 164
The cavalry came.
I initially thought the day was coming to a close as the sky began to darken and the sun found itself blacked out. The darkness crept across the landscape miles below us, spreading like a spilled glass of water.
Kylee looked to the east, and her lips parted. “Oh, God. What is that?”
I squinted to make it out as a familiar sound worked its way into my ears. It was heavy and loud, but soothing just the same because I recognized it immediately. It was music—a song playing on a loop over and over again, a song I knew well.
An old metal tune called “Raining Blood,” courtesy of Slayer.
Hicks raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glare, and he muttered in disbelief, “Holy… fucking… shitballs…”
The music was getting louder now, pounding into my chest as I spotted a single vehicle in the distance—a huge flatbed truck, spurting dust behind it as it sped towards Fort Bragg. It was loaded with enormous loudspeakers and blasting the sounds as a call to battle. To the rear of the truck, the sky was filled with birds, black as night, as far as the eye could see. And below it, blurred by the dust from the truck leading them and the flies that swirled around their putrid heads, was an army of the dead—a quarter million of them mindlessly following the loud music that blasted from homemade speakers. As they grew closer, their moans threatened to drown out everything on earth.
The Pied Piper had arrived.
The men of Bragg could be seen rushing around like ants and firing uselessly into the horde that was bearing down on them, so wide and so thick that escape was virtually impossible. Two figures tumbled from the truck and rolled across the dirt, running in our general direction as rounds smacked the ground and puffed dirt around their feet. They ran with every ounce of speed they had to reach the steep hillside, leaving behind the dead, who now paid them no mind because the music continued to blast. The gunfire that was being laid down only helped them make their way as the two hundred fifty thousand bernies fell upon the colonel’s compound, eager to feed.
The mines exploded at the feet of the horde, and the Abrams fired feebly into their numbers. Neither could even make a dent. They flooded past the gates and toppled what was left of the fence as they began to feed. Even all the way up here, we could hear them scream as they were torn apart one by one. As the herd halted, having now found the warm flesh they had trekked all this way to feast upon, so did the birds. Like a storm cloud overhead, they cast their morbid shadow solely on Fort Bragg—the shadow of death.
Seth and Nick, along with Hicks, aided the two strangers in their climb to the top of our peak, and once there, Hicks asked, “Just who the hell are you?”
Lilly pushed past them and trilled, “Murphy! Alyse! You guys made it!”
It still feels like a dream. Murphy beamed at us and said, “Sometimes you gotta think outside the box, ain’t that right, Sally?”
I had noticed Alyse looking around curiously as she took mental notes of who was and wasn’t here with us. She gave me a silent look of hope as if to ask if Hook was all right. I shook my head at her solemnly and watched the tears fill her eyes.
Murphy gingerly hugged Kylee and knelt by my side. “Sorry it took so long, kid. You wouldn’t believe the shit we’ve been through.”
I was happy just to be able to say good-bye to them.
Kylee filled Murphy in on her wound and my impending end, after which we had some final words. He said that a chopper, a big one, was on its way to scoop them all up.
That makes me happy. They’ll be safe now, except me, of course. I think I’ll just watch one last sunset over the ocean. It’s beautiful, ya know. After that… well… Kylee will click my teeth for me one last time.
– Dext
Entry 165
We watched the sunset, Dext and I. The others left us alone, and I’m grateful for that. He held my hand and spoke of our time together. It was enough to make me forget about the pain. It was enough to make me forget the world.
He was special, you know. I’ve known a lot of men throughout my life, especially with my upbringing, but there’s only ever been one man like Dext.
I watched him write in this book every day from the first time I met him. I always wondered what kinds of things he scribbled in here. Now, as I page through it, I feel sorry for you. You read his words and see the things that we’ve gone through. You think you know him, but you don’t. You don’t have a clue.
The man I knew said a lot more than he put on these pages. He recorded our events and told you the story as accurately as he possibly could, but he always sold himself short. He always doubted himself, and he never gave himself the credit he deserved. Dext didn’t survive because of us. He may have said otherwise, but I know he would’ve been fine. The truth is that I survived because of him.
It’s my fault. It’s all my fault that this happened.
No one can fathom how deeply my feelings for him go, and you’ll never know how truly sorry I am. I just didn’t know. I didn’t know I was a carrier. What I do know is that I can’t take it back, and I’ll have to live with this for the rest of my life.
His last wish was that I tell his story to the end—the real end, that is. So, that’s why I’m writing this now as we await our ride out of here.
Dext remained committed to our survival even in death, and although he turned, he somehow kept his promise to me. The last thing he said to me before he drew his last breath was that he was going to try not to turn. He also told me that if he did turn, he was going to try not to be like the others.
Dext was never like the others. I think you people know this by now.
His breathing stopped, and I kissed his forehead one last time. I gave him a chance to fight it. I waited several minutes, and he didn’t come back. I was hopeful. Then, all at once, he gasped and crackled and opened his eyes. I backed away and gave him some space, but I knew if he bit me it wouldn’t matter.
He made it to his feet, but the others were far enough away that it didn’t startle them. I don’t even think they noticed. He faced me, standing there, laboring to fill lungs that were no longer of any use to him, and parted his lips slightly. His brow furrowed, and he looked pained and sad. It broke my heart. I said, “I love you, Dext.”
Then it happened. He didn’t come for me. He didn’t snarl and gnash his teeth like the others do. He simply turned his back on me. Slowly and somewhat clumsily, he turned and faced the sea once more
as if to gaze at the sparkling water and the idly floating navy vessels.
I pulled the trigger.
– Kylee
About the Author:
Steve Kuhn is a former professional musician turned writer. Raised in Baltimore, Maryland and with a deep seeded passion for horror, he brings a refreshingly raw and witty style to his work. He has been featured in countless online publications as a critical reviewer and has spent the last three years crafting the epic zombie series, Dext of the Dead.
Also Available from
Books of the Dead Press:
Steve Kuhn - We Are The Plague: Dext of the Dead, Book 1
Dext is a regular man in an irregular situation. The undead plague has decimated the population, but pockets of survivors still remain. A battered military search for survivors while scientists work frantically to control the spread. The clock is ticking… if he can keep running.
Steve Kuhn - We Are The Infected: Dext of the Dead, Book 2
Dext and his crew are reeling from the losses incurred during their stay at The Haven and are on the run. A military unit known as Kilo Company appears to be the group’s best bet for survival, but they are miles ahead and the gap is widening. Everything is not what it seems.
Steve Kuhn - We Are The Entombed: Dext of the Dead, Book 3
The dead have permeated every square inch of the country, leaving the survivors desperate for commodities. Roving bands of raiders and small, independent communities pose serious threats to one another, much like the increasing numbers of ravenous, shambling corpses.
Steve Kuhn - We Are The Extinction: Dext of the Dead, Book 4
Tensions mount for Dext and his crew as they travel west in search of the elusive military unit known as Kilo Company. Characters, both good and evil, affect the course of events. Threats wait around every corner. A truth has been revealed: mankind is more monstrous than the living dead.
Steve Kuhn - We Are The End: Dext of the Dead, Book 5
The battle for Vegas is done, but not without heavy casualties and broken loyalties. Dishonesty within the group and mental instability weakens the bonds of family, making them vulnerable. One member will break an unspoken rule and thrust the entire group to the brink of self-destruction.
Duncan McGeary - Death of an Immortal: Vampire Evolution Trilogy 1
The most powerful and feared vampire disappeared at the height of his powers and passed into legend. Most vampires think he’s dead. He is not dead.
Duncan McGeary - Rule of Vampire: Vampire Evolution Trilogy 2
Jamie is on the run. Nobody taught her how to be a vampire; no one told her the Rules of Vampire. How was she supposed to know her limits? Now the vampire hunters want her dead.
Duncan McGeary - Blood of Gold: Vampire Evolution Trilogy 3
Terrill was the most ruthless vampire, but he evolved into a Golden Vampire, renouncing violence. He didn’t know that the evolution was directed by forces bigger than himself.
Justin Robinson - Undead On Arrival
Glen Novak is a dead man. Unfortunately for the scumbag who killed him, Novak will keep on cracking skulls until he finds the piece of trash that set him up, or is turned into a walking sack of rotten meat.
Duncan McGeary - Led to the Slaughter
Trapped in the Sierra Nevada without food, The Donner Party are led to the slaughter. After being manipulated into a string of bad decisions, the travelers, frozen and abandoned, are preyed upon by werewolves in their midst––the very people they thought were friends.
TS Alan - The Romero Strain
A group of New Yorkers is chased into the city’s underground by a zombie horde. Along their subterranean journey, they gather survivors while traveling to Grand Central Terminal, where they believe help will be found.
John F.D. Taff – Kill/Off
When David Benning is blackmailed by a shadowy organization known only as The Group, he’s thrust into a world of guns, payoffs, and killing unknown, seemingly ordinary people. As he becomes more enmeshed, he begins to grasp The Group’s true motives.
J.C. Michael - Discoredia
As the year draws to a close, a mysterious stranger makes a proposition to club owner. It’s a deal involving a drug called Pandemonium. The good news: the drug is free. The bad news: it comes with a heavy price. Euphoria and ecstasy. Death and depravity. All come together at Discoredia.
James Roy Daley – Authors & Publishers Must Die!
No punches are pulled in this nonfiction title, which is filled to the rim with straightforward, practical advice for writers while exploring what it’s like to be on the other side of the desk. A must read for every author.
Weston Kincade – A Life of Death 1 - 4
Homicide detective Alex Drummond is confronted with the past through his son’s innocent question. Alex’s tale of his troubled senior year unfolds revealing loss, drunken abuse, and mysterious visions of murder and demonic children.
Weston Kincade – A Life of Death 5 - 8
Alcohol claims another life close to home. Alex and Paige set out to discover the truth, but who would believe a troubled teenager who claims to have visions?
Weston Kincade – A Life of Death 9 - 12
Struggling to hold onto his suspicions of Irene Harris, Alex heads to the DC Metropolitan Police Department. There, his suspicions are finally put to rest, and Alex is forced to start his search again.
Julie Hutchings - Running Home
Death hovers around Ellie Morgan like the friend nobody wants. She doesn’t belong in snow-swept Ossipee, at a black tie party––but that is where she is, and where he is: Nicholas French, the man who mystifies her with the impossible knowledge of her troubled soul.
John F.D. Taff – The Bell Witch
A historical horror novel/ghost story based on what is perhaps the most well-documented poltergeist case to occur in the United States. The Bell Witch is, at once, a historical novel, a ghost story, a horror story, and a love story all rolled into one.
Justin Robinson - Everyman
Ian Covey is a doppelganger. A mimic. A shapeshifter. He can replace anyone he wants by becoming a perfect copy; taking the victim’s face, his home, his family. His life. No longer a man but a hungry void, Ian Covey is a monster. Virtue has a veil, a mask, and evil has a thousand faces.
Mark Matthews - On the Lips of Children
A family man named Macon plans to run a marathon, but falls prey to people who dwell in an underground drug-smuggling tunnel. They raise their twin children in a way he couldn't imagine: skinning victims for food and money. And Macon and his family are next.
Bracken MacLeod - Mountain Home
Lyn works at an isolated roadside diner, where a retired combat veteran stages an assault. Surviving the sniper’s bullets is only the beginning. She establishes herself as the disputed leader of a diverse group that is at odds with the situation. Will she––or anyone else––survive the attack?
Gary Brandner - The Howling
Karyn and her husband Roy had come to the peaceful California village of Drago to escape the savagery of the city. But the village had a most unsavory history. Unexplained disappearances, sudden deaths. People just vanished, never to be found.
Gary Brandner - The Howling II
For Karyn, it was the howling that heralded the nightmare in Drago… the nightmare that had joined her husband Roy to the she-wolf Marcia, and should have ended forever with the fire. But it hadn’t. Roy and Marcia were still alive, and deadly… and thirsty for vengeance.
Gary Brandner - The Howling III
They are man. And they are beast. They stalk the night, eyes aflame, teeth flashing in vengeance. Malcolm, the young one, must choose between the way of the human and the howling of the wolf. Those who share his blood want to make him one of them. Those who fear him want him dead.
James Roy Daley - Into Hell
Stephenie Page and her daughter Carrie pull off an empty highway at a gas station. Carrie enters the building first. When Ste
phenie steps inside she discovers that the restaurant is a slaughterhouse. There are dead bodies everywhere. The worst part is… Carrie is suddenly missing.
James Roy Daley - Terror Town
Hardcore horror at its best: Killer on the warpath. Monsters on the street. Vampires in the night. Zombies on the hunt. Welcome to Terror Town. The place where no one is safe. Nothing is sacred. All will die. All will suffer.
James Roy Daley - The Dead Parade
Within the hour, James will witness the suicide of his closest friend, be responsible for countless murders, and become a fugitive from the police. In the shadow of his mind, a demon lurks. Bloodlust is a virus and it’s infecting his logic. Survival is not an option.
Tonia Brown - Badass Zombie Road Trip
Jonah has seven days to find his best friend’s soul, or lose his own, dragging a zombie across the country with a stripper who has an agenda of her own, while being pursued for a crime he didn’t commit… and dealing with Satan. Two thousand miles. Seven days. Two souls. One zombie. Satan.
Matt Hults - Husk
When Mallory moves to a small town, her new home won’t be as boring as she’d feared. Who is the dark figure watching her? What is the shape hanging in the shadows of the barn? And why has someone begun digging up graves? In the end, one night will decide if the dead will rise.
Tim Lebbon - Berserk
On a dark night Tom begins to unearth the mass grave where he hopes––and fears––that he will find his son’s remains. Instead, he finds madness: corpses in chains and dead bodies that move. And one little girl, dead and rotting, who promises to help Tom find what he’s looking for…