by Marie Lanza
It was a Landing Craft Air Cushion vehicle, complete with truck and Humvee transport loaded on top. The hovercraft was for transporting, ship-to-shore and across the beach, personnel, weapons, equipment, and cargo with air cushion underneath,allowing it to land easily on the beach.
The infected surrounded it in no time as it landed on the beach, but it was too big for them to reach the military on board. Gunfire rained down on the infected that surrounded the craft.
When they were clear of the immediate threats, the air cushion was deflated making it easier for the military to jump down to the beach; opting out of lowering the loading platform. They moved in tactical formation up the beach, killing the infected as they made contact.
“They’re looking for survivors. Maybe they haven’t completely given up. Hey! Hey, over here!” Ricky began jumping up and down, waving his arms in the air still not having much hope they would be seen or heard.
“Hey!” Nic followed his lead.
“Do you think they can hear us?’ Melody asked Jason.
“Let’s hope so. We can’t stay up here for much longer.”
The men on the ground separated into two groups, moving in different directions. A group of three moved into the outpost.
“This looks like it’s going to be our way out.” Jason pulled at Melody. “Honey, this is it.”
The group moved towards the ladder. Jason made his way down first, stopping at a few steps down, looking back to Melody, “When we get down, we run for that boat.”
Melody didn’t like the thought of getting on another boat. She positioned Aubrey on her hip, resting her head over her shoulder, but Aubrey whimpered. “It’s OK, it’s OK,” Melody soothed her. “We’re going on another boat ride.” She looked at Jason before stepping down the ladder. “Jason, are you sure about this?”
“I’m not sure about anything anymore, but we have to run. Honey, it’s our only hope.”
Ricky and Nic were right behind them.
Nic looked back at the other two still huddled in their corner. She thought for a moment about asking them to follow, but it was a mere thought that quickly passed. In her mind, they were better off being thrown over the side with Vic.
“I’ll take lead,” Ricky said as he moved forward.
They moved swiftly down the aisles of temporary buildings, Ricky out front, Jason staying by Melody and Aubrey’s side, with Nic following in the back. The exit to the shipyard that would lead them to the beach was near, but as fast as it came into their sights, it disappeared behind a throng of infected that jammed the gates, drawn to the sound of the gunfire on the beach.
Jason slowed his pace, holding on to Melody and Aubrey.
Ricky steamed forward. “We can make it. We can make it!” he shouted back.
“It’s too late! We have to find another way,” Nic called out as she turned around making sure nothing was behind them.
A group of infected moved towards them.
“It’s too risky!” Gunfire spilled over Jason’s words.
The first infected’s head exploded, its body collapsed to the ground, as two more had their bodies shredded by bullets.
Ricky flinched back, but held his ground.
The soldiers they had seen enter the outpost made their way to them. Firing at the infected as they moved, plunging bayonets into the skulls of those that they missed. “Infected?” a soldier shouted.
“No,” Jason replied, “we’re all OK.”
“Great. We gotta go, let’s go!”
They didn’t waste another second. The soldiers surrounded the small group, two moved to the front as one dropped behind Nic. “Is that everyone?” a soldier asked Nic.
“There’s no one else,” Nic said as she continued moving, staying close to the group.
The other small group of military was still clearing the beach, searching for survivors, and killing any infected that came in close contact. It seemed they were firing their weapons more than calling for survivors.
When they hit the sand, Melody’s pace slowed. The sand pulled on her legs with every step, making carrying Aubrey even more tiring than running on hard ground. Jason noticed her fall back, so he turned around, and swept up Aubrey into his arms. Melody stayed close behind.
The beach was strewn with infected. Many had fallen to their second deaths, others were occupied eating the bodies of their unfortunate victims. As the waves rolled in, bodies from the ocean were swept onto the shore and sucked back out again. Most of the infected didn’t stand a chance against the waves, caught in an endless cycle of the tide washing them up and sucking them back out. Others crawled with determination as the waves folded over them and made it to the sand where they gained their footing to pursue the living.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” a familiar voice shouted from the hovercraft.
The voice caught Jason’s attention. It was Beck, lowering the platform, and waving over his men to get back to the craft. It was a small relief over all the chaos.
There was a sense of safety feeling the steel platform under their feet.
“Oh my God! Beck, you made it!” Melody shouted out.
“Not yet! Go get in one of the trucks. You’ll be safe there.”
Jason helped Melody and Aubrey jump in the back seat of the Humvee. Melody cuddled Aubrey, hoping the warmth inside would ease some of her discomfort from being wet, no longer being hit with the cold chill from the ocean breeze. Jason shut the door behind them but stayed close, always visible from the framing of the window.
As the last of the crew made it on board, it didn’t seem as though there was success in rescuing many other civilians. Melody took notice of an older couple huddled together with a young woman in the back of the vessel.
The craft shifted as the air cushion was inflated once again and backed into the water.
Melody watched everyone gather together through the dirty Humvee windows, but she wasn’t able to hear anything over the engines. They talked and began handing off weapons to those who didn’t have any; Nic, Ricky, and another guy in military attire. When the group broke up, Beck approached Jason, who was still standing outside the door. He handed him a gun, then opened the driver side door, bringing the roaring of the engines and a gust of wind inside as he got in.
Jason walked around to the passenger door, sitting in the passenger seat.
“How you doing back there?” Beck asked Melody.
“We’re fine. Just a little damp and sticky.”
Nic opened the door to the back seat of the Humvee. “Here, hopefully this will help.” She handed Melody a green wool blanket.
“Thank you.” Melody unfolded the blanket, wrapping it around Aubrey.
“Let me know if you need anything else.” Nic shut the door and walked away from the vehicle.
“What the hell happened back there?” Jason asked.
“The Antietam was overrun, not just by infected but civilians. The fear and hysteria was as bad as the infection, and it spread to our ship. My guys were on security detail over general population in the hangar when shit hit the fan. Paul didn’t make it. Mike and I got to this bad boy with a few others.” Beck shifted in his seat, “We picked up that guy over there,” Beck said, pointing. “He was on board the Antietam. Says everyone is wrong about the infection. Said, not everyone shows the same signs of illness. When the riot broke out, there was no more telling infected from healthy. Then some asshole blew himself up with a grenade.”
“We were hoping for an easy landing on the beach until we realized we’d never make it through the barricades. That turned into a quick search and rescue, and get the hell out.”
“Well aren’t we the lucky ones that you didn’t give up.”
“What’s the plan now?” Melody asked.
“We have about less than an hour of fuel. We figured we’d head up the coast until it’s clear and land. But we shouldn’t move until daylight, so I hope you don’t get seasick. The trucks are fueled so that’s good.” Beck didn’t sou
nd confident.
“So what you’re saying is to get comfortable,” Jason said with a sarcastic smile. He reached his hand out to Beck, which he accepted. “Damn good to see you, man.”
A soldier at the front of the craft waved his arms, grabbing Beck’s attention. “Let me see what’s going on,” he said as he exited the vehicle with the open and close of the door.
Jason stared straight ahead, watching Beck talk to the soldier. Melody assumed he was trying to figure out what they were saying, maybe by reading his lips.
Melody looked out the window, anxiously rocking Aubrey who babbled softly, every once in a while hitting an actual word. Melody had an unsettled feeling that she knew was mostly from frustration of the unknown, but didn’t think it was the right time to air her concerns. She sat quietly, and continued to keep Aubrey occupied. Her thoughts lead her to Harmony and the question of what happened to her and Dan; hoping they were somewhere safe.
“I don’t even have a picture of them,” Melody said out loud mostly to herself, but catching Jason’s attention.
“What’s wrong?” Jason asked as he turned around to face her.
Melody met his stare, “I don’t even have a picture of them. I don’t have anything of our families. Harmony, Dan, your parents.”
Jason didn’t know what to say. His eyes drifted away from her as he took a moment to take in her words. They hadn’t had a moment to process since being ripped from their home; every step was staying in survival mode. Even during their short, unfortunate stay on the carrier, he was distracted with work, focusing only on what was in front of him. But here they were, in a Humvee, on board a landing craft, traveling up the coast, instead of running for their lives.
“We have to find them. No more getting dragged around by these guys,” Melody continued.
Jason nodded in agreement. “And we will. But my priority is keeping you and Aubrey safe first, and right now, these men can help do that.”
“I know,” Melody replied, feeling defeated.
The tension in the vehicle was broken by the opening of the driver’s door. Beck jumped back in, bringing the wind and engines’ rumblings with him until he shut the door.
“Well, we got good news and bad news,” Beck said as he made himself comfortable in the seat. “The good news is, there’s a beach about ten minutes from here that’s outta the way from population. So we’re hoping it’ll be nice and clear from infected.”
“What’s the bad news?” Jason asked.
“The bad news is we’re running lower on fuel than we thought and may not make it to the original planned landing site. So, if that’s the case, we hope to find another beach where our vehicles aren’t useless.”
“What’s the plan after that?” Jason said, sounding unimpressed with all of the news delivered.
“Find shelter and work on a plan,” the officer replied with a tired smile.
“Oh my God, that’s it.” Melody lit up. Beck’s words were the trigger she needed, sparking the memories she was looking for. “How did I not think about this before? Harmony and Dan are on their way to your parent’s place. Jason, before we lost contact that was our plan. That’s where we need to go!”
“If the military picked them up…”
“No. No, Harmony wouldn’t have let that happen,” Melody cut off Beck. “She’s too stubborn. My sister, Jason, you know this. Harmony and Dan are on their way there, if not already. Jason, that’s where we’re going.”
Jason thought about it for a moment. “I bet you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.”
“Where are your parents?” Beck asked.
“Summer Springs. Just three or so hours north of here. Obviously longer in the current circumstances,” Jason said.
The craft pulled as the engines slowed, catching everyone’s attention that they were approaching their destination.
“Let’s see what’s going on.” Beck exited the Humvee.
“You should go too, honey,” Melody suggested.
Jason nodded. “You good?”
“Yeah, we’re fine.”
Jason exited and followed Beck.
Melody thought more about Harmony, and how certain she was that they were heading to Summer Springs. Melody kicked herself silently that she didn’t think about it before. If she had, maybe they wouldn’t be in the situation they were in. They would have never ended up on that ship. They would have never been running for their lives and jumping off a Carrier with their two-year-old daughter into an ocean of infected. They never would have been in that outpost with a lunatic. But here they were, not able to go back, only able to move forward. Everything was clear now: get to Summer Springs. That has to be the plan. She could only hope that she was right, and Harmony remembered the plan.
Outside, Jason gathered with the group of military. It was a mixed match group of Army, Navy, and a Marine. All in somewhat damp clothes thanks to the sea spray coming over the bow, being silently tortured by the nagging cold air on the ocean.
Mike held a large map with grid lines, sealed in plastic. “The closest safe zone is Fort Mesa.” His finger glided across the map from where their current position was to Fort Mesa.
“No, no.” Beck paused for a moment. “That’s a small medical unit. They won’t be taking survivors; besides, that’s where they were keeping a lot of the infected. Camp Glen is our best bet.” He pointed farther along the map.
“An underground rat maze. Great,” the Marine said sarcastically.
“Jason, where did you say your parents’ place is again?” Beck asked.
“Summer Springs.” Jason squeezed closer in, pointing to the small town on the map. “They’ve got a lot of land, fences, big house.”
“My grandparents retired up there. Populations are small in those parts,” Mike said.
Beck nodded his head as he listened. “Good. We head to Glen. If Glen’s still standing, we’re gold. If not, we head farther North to Summer Springs and hope for the best.”
They all looked out as the craft pulled closer to land. With the limited lights on the craft, land looked like a large dark mass creeping closer to them. The driver beached the vessel onto the beach and deflated the vehicle, lowering it slowly until it settled on the sand. The roaring hum from the engines was replaced by the serene sounds of the waves hitting the shore. The drivers stepped out of the cockpit and joined the group.
“Nice work,” Beck acknowledged.
“Thank you, sir,” the young enlisted said.
“Well, let’s get comfortable. We move at sunrise.”
“Hooah, Oorah, Hooyah,” the group responded in a chorus of unique battle cries.
* * *
Sunrise.
There was an eerie peacefulness on the beach in the early morning hours. The fog blanketed the land, not allowing much visibility past the vessel. A cool ocean breeze kept the air wet and carried the smell of salt and fish. The waves rhythmically curled over, crashing against the shore, then stretching out over the sand only to ease back to sea with a calming hiss.
Melody sat on a metal box on the deck of the landing craft and watched Aubrey, who stayed close by, explore the various equipment around the vessel. Melody smiled to herself as she thought about any other day, she would have stopped Aubrey from getting her hands dirty, or worse, stain her clothes. Now, sitting on a box, their clothes sticky from the ocean water, sand, and grime, and running for their lives from infected, Melody thought how silly all that worry seemed only just a week ago.
Jason made his way over and sat next to Melody, leaning in close. “Normally, a morning on a beach would have been romantic.”
Melody smiled at the thought, as Jason kissed her softly on her forehead.
Jason handed her a bottle of water “Sorry it’s not a cup of coffee.”
“One can pretend,” Melody said as she took the cap off and had a sip.
Aubrey made her way to them.
“There’s my girl. Come see Daddy,” Jason said with
an over-sized smile as he lifted Aubrey off the ground and onto his lap.
Melody gave Aubrey the bottle of water, helping her take a few drinks.
“We’re gonna be heading out of here in a few minutes.”
“What’s the beach look like?” Melody asked. She had avoided looking over the edge, too afraid they would be surrounded by the ugly sight of infected. The waves rolling on shore had so far covered up any growls and snarls of infected that could be lurking.
“Nothing to be concerned about. Only a small handful so far. We’ll drive right through them when we leave.”
“Let’s load up!” a soldier called out.
“Here we go,” Jason said as he stood up with Aubrey.
“Are we sure about this, babe? Tagging along with them?” Melody asked as she got to her feet.
“Yes, there’s a lot of firepower with this group. Like I promised, we’ll go to the end of the line with them, gather enough supplies, and continue the rest of the way to Mom and Dad’s house.”
Melody’s only choice was to trust Jason, but she didn’t trust the military. She was still leery after everything they had been through. The only thing keeping her going was staying focused on their goal – Get to Summer Springs.
Everyone loaded in the vehicles; Jason, Melody, Aubrey, and Beck packed in the Humvee, while Ricky drove one of the cargo trucks with the Marine, and Mike drove the rest of the soldiers and civilians in the second cargo truck with canvas covering.
As Beck fired up the engine, the back passenger door opened, and Nic climbed in.
“Are you riding with us?’ Melody asked.
“Looks like it.” Nic smiled.
Melody didn’t know what it was about Nic that was so comforting, but she was happy about her presence. She thought maybe it was a nice relief to have another woman there, a friend she could possibly lean on and an extra person she knew would watch out for Aubrey.
Beck sat on the brake for a few seconds as they waited for the loading dock to lower down. Then, as he put the Humvee in drive, it jerked momentarily and rolled into motion as he pulled slowly forward. Ricky and the Marine led the convoy out, followed by the truck carrying the other civilians, then the Humvee. As they rolled off the loading dock, they were met with the faces of infected that had gathered around the vessel overnight. Their bodies thumped and banged against the vehicles as the vehicles plowed past them. Jason was right; it was a small group, so no one wasted their bullets.