by C. M. Fick
"Trouble," was Jenkins reply. He turned to Aisha, "Now, what's causing this delay?"
Rudy stepped forward, eying Jenkins. "We need to know how far apart you want the barriers on the next two levels."
Giving Aisha a withering look, Jenkins snapped, "I told you that we need only enough space for the gun barrels."
Tiny stepped in front of Aisha, crossing his barrel arms over his huge chest. "Does that mean an inch or a foot?" the big man growled. "Construction is pretty precise and we're not going to half-ass our work just to save time. If we aren't precise, and something goes wrong, it'll be on us." Aisha suppressed a smile when the sergeant's face paled.
"Uh... Um..." he stuttered, glancing down at his hands, measuring out approximately four inches. "About this big?"
Tiny snorted, not backing down.
"Four inches it is." Aisha placed a hand on Tiny's arm. The big man looked down at her with a raised eyebrow as if to say, 'you're going to let him off that easy?' She nodded almost imperceptibly and Tiny dropped his arms, stepping back behind her. "We'll get back to it and hopefully have this done within the hour." The men dispersed, returning to their work.
"ETA in one-point-two-five hours," the radio on Jenkins’ belt squawked; he immediately turned down the volume, cutting off whatever the responder said. "Just get it done before dark," he sighed and walked away.
By the time they'd completed their task the sun had set, the last of its rays still illuminated the horizon in gold's, red's and oranges; it appeared as if the sky was on fire.
So beautiful, and yet, somehow ominous. Pushing her apprehension aside, Aisha smiled at her team. "Thanks for all the hard work guys." They'd all come together and worked quickly and efficiently, completing the barricade before dusk.
"When this is over I'll buy you all a round of drinks." Jenkins' offer was rewarded by cheering from the men. He turned to face Aisha, smiling sheepishly, "I'm sorry for questioning your ability to get all this done in time. You've done a great job in motivating your people and coordinating their work." She waved his comment off, but inside she knew she'd made a breakthrough, finally gaining the respect and loyalty of her crew.
"Look there." Kev pointed down the I10 towards western horizon.
They all turned and a collective gasp went up from the group. On the hill, less than a mile down the road, a black line began to form on the horizon, contrasting with the bright skyline.
Jenkins whipped out his radio. "Command, I have a visual; they're earlier than expected. Over."
"Get the construction crew behind the barrier, and we'll move onto the next phase. Over and out." The radio crackled back a moment later.
A cold chill crept up Aisha's back as the faint, eerie chorus of moans reached her ears.
"What the hell's all of that?" Rudy whispered to Aisha, so the other wouldn't overhear. She only shrugged in response, unable to take her eyes from the growing line of dense shadow.
"What is that smell?" Kev said, covering his nose. "It smells like death." The others around Aisha sniffed the air, making disgusted faces at one another; whispers rippled through the group.
"We've got to get behind the barrier," Jenkins barked, pointing to the exit ramps.
"Wait!" Aisha grabbed Jenkins arm, holding him back as the others quickly made their way across the grassy expanse between the highway and exit. Jenkins’ jaw tightened, but he remained silent. "We've blocked off the underpass, but the ramps are still open. Do you think that whatever this is will simply ignore the easy off-ramps?"
Concern crossed Jenkins strong features and then resolve. He nodded curtly, "You don't know what we're up against, but you're right. They'll push up against the barrier and spread out, eventually finding their way over the guard rails."
"There isn't anything I can do about a proper blockade, but I can at least push the rails so Pin Oak isn't as easily accessible as it is now."
Jenkins shook his head, pulling out his radio. "Come in command."
The radio hissed, "Go ahead Sergeant."
"I'd like to request that the tanks be repositioned to the ramp exits; the crew lead has pointed out the oversight and I agree with her assessment. Over."
"Copy that; Lieutenant Howard has acknowledged and will take your suggestion into advisement. Command out." The radio hissed again then fell silent.
"You have tanks here?" Astonished, Aisha gazed at Jenkins with wide eyes. "Can I look at them afterwards?"
The rumbling sounds of engines were soon followed by the appearance of two tanks - one at either exit. Aisha gaped and Jenkins chuckled. "You know, given your obsession with heavy machinery and obvious talent, I think you'd like being in the army. We have some pretty big toys."
Aisha snorted, but didn't take her eyes off the tanks, watching as the massive barrels swung westwards. "I don't think the army can handle me." They stood in silence, watching the tanks adjust their angles. She peered up at Jenkins, unsure if he'd give her answers now that the threat was upon them. "What's really happening here Sergeant? I've never seen anything like this before." Bright spotlights suddenly illuminated the highway, blinding them both.
"Here." Jenkins handed her a set of binoculars, turning to face away from the bright lights.
After a hesitant moment, Aisha took the binoculars. In the dim light, she could make out tiny, shadowy figures walking down the highway in a clumsy, staggering line. The line spanned the width of the east and west bound highways as well as both access roads. "What's going on?"
Jenkins cleared his throat. "It's a horde from San Antonio."
Aisha lowered the binoculars, confused by the sergeant's words. "A horde of what?" A sick feeling started in the pit of her stomach as she took in the approaching group, their moans and the intensifying smell of rot.
After a long pause, Jenkins sighed, "there is no oil spill in San Antonio." He scrutinized her for a moment before continuing. "Earlier, when you joked about us preparing for an army of undead, you were actually right on the money."
A small gasp slipped past Aisha's lips and her stomach clenched in fear. It was a dream... it was a drill... it couldn't be real... shit like this only happened in movies and zombies sure as hell didn't exist in real life.
Jenkins went on, oblivious to Aisha's inner turmoil. "Several days ago, we lost contact with our barricades surrounding San Antonio. We sent out three helicopters to investigate and quickly realized that we had two hordes on the move - one is approaching Houston and the other hit Austin yesterday. We don't know why they're moving in herds out of San Antonio, nor do we know why they're traveling along the highways to the major cities. We do know that the horde has swelled in numbers as it's traveled down the interstate - that the one headed here is approximately two hundred thousand strong."
They stood in silence for a long moment, neither sure what to say next. Jenkins radio broke the silence, "Sergeant, we need you behind the barrier. Our eye in the sky has just informed us that the horde's speed has increased. It appears they've caught the scent of fresh meat and are in a bit of a frenzy. We have reports that members of the horde have broken ahead of the large body and will make contact within the next ten minutes. The Lieutenant wants the area clear, so we can begin launching mortars. Over."
"Roger," Jenkins said, keying the radio. He turned, jerking his head to the newly constructed barricade. "Let's get behind the line of fire."
"I think that you need to talk to your Lieutenant, and convince him to let me in front of the barricade with the tandem roller and a bulldozer," Aisha called after Jenkins.
He jerked to a halt, glancing back with a thoughtful expression. "We have enough firepower; sitting in those machines in front of the barricade will only get you killed."
"Think about it." Aisha caught up to him but went on knowing she had to give him a reason his superior couldn't refute. "You'll have all those bodies pressed up against the barrier and it won't hold forever - not with how little time we had to put it up. Besides, the ones who fall will just begi
n to pile up. The bulldozer can easily clear away the bodies."
Chuckling, Jenkins shook his head, "and the tandem roller? Where does that fit in?"
"That's the best part," Aisha smiled, "a tandem roller won't leave much more than a smear behind."
Long night...
Gunshots rang out from the barricade as mortar rounds exploded in the distance; Aisha dialed her cell phone. She sat in the tandem roller with Tiny in the bulldozer beside her, surrounded by the moaning undead while waiting for the order to clear the road.
The phone rang once, and her friend Sarah answered with a perky, "Hey Aisha, I thought you were staying in tonight."
"Change of plans," Aisha half shouted.
"What? I can barely hear you. Are you watching an action movie?"
"I feel like I'm in an action movie," Aisha replied, rubbing her weary eyes with the back of her hand. "Listen Sarah, there's something going on at the construction site. The army's here..."
"The army?" Sarah shouted back to be heard over the loud boom. "What's the army doing there?"
"Listen to me." Aisha didn't have time to answer inconsequential questions. "You need to get as many supplies as you can and however many people you can gather and head for Curt's place on the gulf. Something really bad is about to hit Houston and you need to get out."
"What are you talking about Aisha?" Sarah snorted, not understanding the gravity of the situation. "Curt just got back yesterday from being out on the water for a month and Heather doesn't want any company for a few days."
"Just fucking do it," Aisha snapped, her patience running thin. "Gather who and what you can. Make sure everyone has enough food and water to last at least a month and get to Curt's. I'll try to get there within the next twenty-four hours."
"Whoa, hold on a minute." Sarah sounded irritated by Aisha's outburst. "Why do you want me to do this?"
"There's a horde of fucking zombies headed into Houston and if you don't get out now, you may never be able to."
Sarah snorted, "Zombies? Make sure to bring some of whatever you're on next time you come over."
"I'm not on anything Sarah. Please just do as I say." A grenade exploded a little too close to the roller; shaking the vehicle. Aisha grabbed the radio and shouted into it, "Whoever just threw that fucking grenade is going to lose their balls."
The cellphone clutched in Aisha's other hand buzzed faintly; she put it back to her ear. Sarah was shouting on the other end of the line. "Aisha... Aisha!"
"Please, please just do as I ask," she pleaded with her friend.
"Okay fine," Sarah huffed, "but if this turns out to be some kind of sick joke, you can be the one to explain it to the others."
"I wish it were a joke." Another grenade, this one further away, exploded. Dismembered limbs and miscellaneous body parts showered the cab; the thwack of flesh hitting metal turned Aisha's stomach. "I've got to go Sarah but please do as I ask."
Sarah's voice began to shake, "This is real isn't it? It's not a joke."
With a sigh of relief, Aisha said, "No joke. Get friends, get supplies and get to Curt and Heather's. Tell the others I'll meet them there as soon as I can."
"You better show up." Now Sarah sounded like she was crying.
"I will," Aisha promised, before hanging up. She sat for a long moment, staring blankly at the cellphone clutched in her hands; the buzz of the radio pulled her from her dark thoughts.
"Aisha? Tiny? We're going to cease-fire while you guys take care of the mess out there. Over."
"We should be less than five minutes," Aisha responded, glancing over to Tiny who nodded his agreement.
Putting the roller into gear, Aisha crossed the highway just in front of the barricade they'd erected only hours earlier; it was standing up surprisingly well. The zombies pushed against the side of the big machine but it didn't stop moving forward. The dead zombies, which lay piled at the base of the barricade, crunched and popped as they were crushed beneath the rollers weight. When the walking corpses who were trying to climb over the pile of bodies disappeared from view, Aisha couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction. The grinding of metal on pavement echoed above the zombie's moans as Tiny cleared the road of the pulpy debris behind her.
"As soon as you're clear we're opening fire again," Jenkins said through the radio, but Aisha didn't bother to respond.
Once clear of the barricade, Aisha turned back to see their handiwork, but the zombies had already filled in the space they'd cleared, once again pressing up against the concrete divider between the living and the dead.
The zombies were hideous, she'd decided early on. Some of the zombies no longer resembled human beings but at least those ones were easy to kill. For the most part, they still looked like people with only bites and small chunks of flesh missing. Every time she watched one of the more human looking zombie's heads snap back or one explode into pieces, she couldn't help but think that she'd just watched someone die. Regardless of what they looked like, whatever had made them human was gone, leaving only a monster in its place and she continually had to remind herself of that.
More than an hour later, Aisha realized the tandem roller was running low on fuel. She was about to radio Jenkins when her radio burst to life with shouts and gunfire.
"The northern side of the bridge has been breached and we're unable to hold them off much longer." There was more gunfire and Aisha watched in horror as a ball of fire lit the night, illuminating the flood of zombies streaming onto the bridge.
"Don't throw any more grenades," someone was shouting into the radio; Aisha thought it might have been Jenkins but wasn't sure. "We have men beneath and don't have the manpower to deal with a collapse. Fallback to the south side and reinforce the teams there. We cannot lose both sides of the..." The radio cut off when the screams began.
A fire, started by the grenade, created macabre backlighting to the death scene unfolding atop the bridge. The zombies fell onto the soldiers, devouring all in their path. A flaming zombie hit the rail and toppled into the crowd below; several others in the vicinity quickly became walking torches. New zombies, dressed in fatigues, appeared on the overpass, quickly turning on those who'd once fought alongside them. Anyone witnessing the massacre now understood the unwavering determination of the undead.
The bridge exploded and the lights flickered out. Aisha threw her arms protectively over her head and tucked her chin to her knees, her mind reeling with what had just happened. Confused and disorientated, she groped for the radio. "Tiny!" She shouted over the ringing in her ears.
"We need to get the fuck out of here and far, far away." She heard the big man reply.
"I don't have enough fuel."
"I'll come get you." It wasn't a question - Tiny was coming for her.
Thank god, I'm not going to die in here. Looking at the zombies pressing against all sides of the roller, however, she wasn't sure she'd make it to the cab of the bulldozer even if he get to the roller. "There are too many," she said, resigned to waiting until the crowd was thin enough for her to make a break for it.
"Then I'll go get fuel and come back for you." She began to protest but Tiny cut her off, "it's not a question Aisha. Shut down the engine and conserve what you have left. I'll try to get back as soon as I can." The radio fell silent and the bulldozer pulled away.
Aisha killed the engine and stared out at the sea of zombies surrounding her.
Early morning...
The zombies moaned all through the night and those trapped in the rubble of the collapsed bridge screamed while they were devoured. Aisha hadn't dared to sleep. Dead hands continuously banged against all sides of the roller, but thankfully, the zombies didn't appear to have enough dexterity to climb on top of it. They shuffled around moaning and clawing at the sides of Aisha's tiny refuge, in an attempt to get to the living within.
The night seemed to drag on forever. With the barricade destroyed, the bulk of the horde continued their march into Houston. Unfortunately, some of the zombies lingered
around the construction site, hoping to find more of the living stuck in the debris. Trapped in the tandem roller for what seemed like an eternity, Aisha watched the gradual lightening of the eastern sky. From further within the city, she could see smoke lazily drifting skyward; an unnatural hush had fallen over Houston. The cities residents hadn't stood a chance of survival. She only hoped that Sarah and her friends had made it out of the city in time. Throughout the night, she'd tried to use her cell phone to confirm her friend's safety, but only received an automated message saying that all circuits were busy and to try her call again later.
The sun, having risen just above the cityscape, began to heat the cab and Aisha knew she couldn't linger for much longer - she needed to make a decision and get on the move. Being short on fuel and having no supplies, a change in transportation would be necessary. Scanning the top of the collapsed overpass, Aisha noticed a small grouping of army trucks on the southern side of the bridge. If she could make it there, then she should be able to make it to the gulf, and hopefully, locate her friends before it was too late.
With new determination, Aisha started the engine and realized too late that its loud rumble drew the attention of all zombies in the area. They swarmed around the roller with rotting arms stretched out; thankfully, the engine drowned out their moans.
The radio on the floor squawked. "Is someone out there? Can anyone hear me?" It was Rudy. She reached down, searching the floor for the abandoned radio. "We can hear the engine and if anyone's out there, we desperately need help. We're trapped in the trailer on the east side of the bridge and there are too many of them outside for us to make an escape." There was a long pause. Aisha's face pressed against the controls as her fingers frantically searched the floor beneath her. "Please, if you're out there and can hear us, we desperately need assistance. One of our men was injured last night and we need to get him to a hospital."
Aisha's heart sank, but only for a moment; her fingers brushed against plastic and she snatched up the radio, quickly depressing the respond button. "Rudy, its Aisha. Thank God you're still alive!"