I knelt behind a large trash dumpster so I could survey the back of the store. There were two large bay doors for unloading trucks and two smaller doors for employees to use. One had a warning placard on it labeling it a fire door. That ruled that door out since it didn't have a handle on this side. I had no way of knowing just what had been used to barricade the doors, but I felt that the pedestrian door would be blocked more solidly than the bay doors. For one, the bay doors were four feet off the ground, designed to fit up against the back of a box trailer of freight. It would be tough for the dead to reach them enough to force their way inside. Before I could decide where I was going to start, I heard a voice above me.
"Hey," he called softly. "Up here."
I glanced up and saw him leaning over the edge of the roof waving his arms. He was still just a kid, barely out of his teens. He didn't look malnourished, so I assumed that he hadn't been going without food. There was probably quite a bit of it inside the store.
"I see you, kid," I replied, trying to keep my voice low. "Let me in."
"Who are you?" he asked.
"The guy that just risked his ass to get to you," I replied. "Either open the fucking door or I'm out of here."
"How do I know you aren't here to rob me?" he asked, clearly just considering that.
"Look, kid," I replied. "I was safe on that boat. I saw you waving and trying to get our attention. I can only assume that meant you wanted my help. Either let me in or I'm getting out of here. I can't wait all day."
Indecision clouded the kid's face as he mentally struggled for an answer. I knew two things for certain, though. One, the sun was going down and it would be dark soon. I didn't want to be out on these streets when it was. The second was that the explosion wouldn't keep the dead's attention forever. They would lose interest soon and go back to prowling the streets looking for a meal. I had no plans to be that meal.
"For fuck's sake, kid," I said. "If you weren't going to let me in, then why the fuck did you flag me down?"
"You'd better not be a crook," he said and disappeared from view.
I assumed that meant he was heading for the back door. I stayed concealed behind the dumpster and watched the alleyways that led this way. I didn't see any movement, but the shadows were lengthening and the light was fading fast. I could still see the bright orange glow that lit up the skyline back near the remains of the gas station.
Just as I was about to give up and head for the water, I heard the sound of something being dragged away from the other side of the fire door. Seconds later, it opened and the kid's face appeared in the crack.
"Get inside, mister," he said, motioning for me to move quickly.
I didn't wait for another invitation and headed for the door. As soon as I was inside, he slammed the door and started replacing large boxes in front of it. I could see that the room was lit up by several candles, giving the room an eerie glow. I waited for him to finish before I spoke. Around us, I could smell produce that had gone bad and the lingering stench of rotten meat. I didn't think that one person would be able to eat all of the fresh meat and produce before it went bad.
"Thanks for coming," said the kid as he turned back around. "My name is Rich Baxter. You can call me Rich."
"I'm Wylie," I said, not extending my hand.
"Are you a soldier?" he asked, gesturing at my military Interceptor vest.
"No," I said. "Used to be. Not anymore."
"Cool," he replied, looking nervous. "Are you here to help or are you looking for a safe place to hide from the dead."
"Neither," I said, frowning, "or maybe both. I'm not sure that any place is truly safe, anymore."
"Uh…yeah," he stammered.
"Look, kid," I said. "I'm not here to rip you off. I saw you waving at us. Do you want to come with me or what?"
"That depends," he said, scratching his head.
"For fuck's sake, kid," I barked. "Knock off the bullshit and say what you're going to say. I don't plan on spending the night here."
"Well…we…uh, I just want to be cautious.”
I blew out a breath and closed my eye. There was more than just him. This was turning into a bigger operation than I had planned for. If there were too many of them, there was no way that we'd all fit on the boat. Depending on how many of them there were, they might be nearly out of food, too. This just kept getting better and better.
"How many of you are there?" I asked, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
"I didn't say there were others," he said, defensively.
"You didn't have to," I replied. "Look, I'm not sure how much room we have. Tell me how many of you there are and I'll know whether or not we can take you with us."
After a moment's hesitation, he sighed and lowered his head in resignation.
"There are four of us," he said. "Me, my sister and her two kids."
Aw, shit, I thought. Please tell me that they're not small.
"How old are the kids?" I asked, dreading the answer.
"Katie is six and Kyle is eight," he said, biting his lip.
Well, it could have been worse. At least they weren’t infants or toddlers. Not only was this going to be a difficult rescue, but keeping them safe afterwards was not going to be easy. If they were going to come with us, it was going to be a long and dangerous road before we found our way back to our base at Bennett Springs. They needed to decide quickly if they were even going to try.
“Look, kid,” I said, trying to sound less gruff. “This isn’t going to be easy. Even if we make it back the boat, I can’t promise that I can keep you safe.”
“We don’t have any choice,” said Rich, dejectedly. “We’re running out of food and don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Let’s go see the others,” I said, feeling sorry for them. “They might not want to go.”
We headed into the front part of the store. I could see up the aisles to the front entrances and big bay windows. They had piled up sacks of what looked like dog food, cat litter, charcoal and anything else that was heavy enough to stack, covering over the doors and windows. So long as the dead didn’t see anyone inside, there would be no reason for them to try to force their way in. They were lucky that they hadn’t run into any Stalkers.
Sitting in some lawn-chairs that were placed around a display table, I saw a woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She had two small children with her, a boy and a girl. Other than looking like they could use a good shower, they looked healthy. I would guess that they hadn’t really rationed the food that they had or they would have had a much leaner look about them.
“This is my sister, Rachel and her kids are Katie and Kyle,” said Rich, smiling at the kids. “This is the man who’s going to help us get out of here.”
Now, I was committed. I couldn’t tell these kids that they had to stay here, although it would probably be more humane to leave them here instead of exposing them to the dangers ahead of us. If they were going to come with us, we’d have to get some things straight before we tried.
“Are you sure that you want to come with us?” I asked, looking carefully at Rachel. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“We understand,” said Rachel. “If we stay here, we’ll starve to death. We only have enough food for a few more days. You are an answer to our prayers.”
Suddenly, I felt like a real jackass. I couldn’t let myself become so callous that I forgot what it was like to be human. I was going to have to accept them into my kindred and protect them as if they were my own. There simply wasn’t any other way I could do it and feel right about it.
“Alright,” I said, hesitantly. “If you’re going to come with me, you need to understand a few things.”
I explained to them about the different types of zombies. I warned them just how much danger we would be facing once we left the safety of the grocery store. I even tried to give them a basic understanding of the situation we were in. They listened with wide eyes and didn’t interrupt. Finally, I told them that
in no uncertain terms, they would listen to what I told them to do or they would be on their own. They seemed to take it all in and process it, but didn’t complain.
“If no one has anything to add,” I said, frowning, “then we need to get moving. I don’t want to be here all night. Grab what you need. Remember whatever you bring with you, you’re going to have to carry. Keep it to the essentials.”
Everyone began to grab their gear. I noticed that no one in the group had a firearm. I thought that was a little strange, but didn’t press the issue. They also had no camping gear or backpacks. This was going to make our escape all the more difficult. If they had to carry everything in sacks, then they wouldn’t have their hands free to fight. If they couldn’t fight, then the entire defense was squarely on my shoulders. Yeah, this couldn’t possibly end badly.
“Don’t any of you have a weapon?” I asked, glancing around.
I noticed that Rich and Rachel exchanged glances before turning back to me.
“We…uh…we don’t believe in fighting,” said Rich.
“What?” I nearly shouted. “Are you fucking crazy?”
“We don’t approve of your language, either,” said Rachel, defensively.
“Well, whoop-ti-fucking-do,” I snapped. “In case you haven’t noticed, there are things out there that will eat you. They’re already dead. If you don’t want to fight to protect yourselves or your kids, then maybe you deserve to get eaten. And if you don’t like my language, then so fucking what. I couldn’t give a shit less. I didn’t come here seeking your approval.”
“It’s our religion that forbids us from cursing or fighting,” explained Rich, holding his hands up between us.
That calmed me down a bit. I was in no place to knock someone else’s religion, much less insist that they give it up. I would fight to my last breath to defend my own religion. I just couldn’t fathom a religion that wouldn’t allow you to defend your children. But then again, I belonged to a warrior’s religion. I didn’t believe in turning the other cheek. To me, there was just no excuse for a coward, religion or otherwise.
“Then maybe you should just stay here,” I said, through clenched teeth.
“We can’t,” said Rachel. “We’ve prayed for a way out of here and the Lord has sent you to us.”
“Look lady,” I said, trying not to sound angry, “I’m not a Christian. I don’t believe in pacifism. I believe in fighting to protect what’s mine. Not to mention the fact that if my wife couldn’t get me to watch my language, then I seriously doubt that you’re going to get the job done.”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe,” she said, trying to sound beatific. “The Lord has sent you to us to deliver us from this place.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” I said. “I’m on a mission of my own. If you want to come along, you’re going to have to accept a few things. For one, you’re going to have to pull your weight.”
“I can cook,” said Rachel.
“And I’m an excellent fisherman,” said Rich. “I can keep us fed if we can find a place for me to fish.”
“So, you’re leaving all of the fighting up to me, then?” I asked, unhappily.
“That is why you were sent to us,” said Rachel, smiling serenely.
“This definitely won’t go well,” I said, under my breath.
I was torn between my desire to respect another person’s religion and the nearly overwhelming desire to shoot them both. Not the kids, though. They didn’t deserve that. Just because the other two were morons wasn’t the kids’ fault. Despite my sudden urge to just say fuck it and leave, I couldn’t let them starve. However, my patience would only extend so far. I wasn’t about to get myself eaten for them. Fight for them, yes. Die, no. They were willing to die for their religion, and I was willing to let them. If I could save them, I would, but I wasn’t going to die for their religion.
“Fine,” I said, shaking my head. “You can come with me, but get this straight right now. I’ll defend you, but I’m not going to die over your convictions. If I have to choose between you and me, you’re going to lose.”
“That’s fair enough,” said Rachel. “But anytime you want to hear the word of….”
“Stop right there,” I said, darkly. “I don’t want to hear about your religion. I have one of my own and I’m not going to debate it with you. Believe what you want, but give me the same courtesy and we’ll get along just fine.”
“But…,” she began, pleadingly.
“I don’t think he’s kidding, sis,” said Rich. “Leave him be.”
“Now, if you don’t mind,” I said, sourly, “we need to get moving before it’s too dark to see out there.”
Both Rich and Rachel grabbed bags of food and other supplies and started to follow me. Each of the children was given one bag to carry. I didn’t waste time asking what it was. If they wanted to carry it, it was on them. I already had enough to worry about without that on my mind, too. Like getting us back to the boat alive. That was my main concern, right at the moment.
Moving to the back door, I began to shove the boxes out of the way. Once it was clear, I readied my M-4 and quietly opened it. Peeking around the edge, I didn’t see any signs of movement in the alleyway. The area was clear, for the moment.
“Alright folks,” I whispered. “It’s game time. Stick close to me and don’t fall behind. We’re going to need to move quickly. We’re making for the dock at the end of the street. If we run into any of the dead, I’ll engage them and cover you.”
“Cool!” said the little boy, speaking for the first time.
“Listen to the man,” said Rachel. “He’s going to get us out of here.”
I only hoped she was right and I wasn’t leading us into a killing zone. Just because I hadn’t seen any of the dead between here and the dock before, didn’t mean that they weren’t there now. I just hoped that fortune was smiling on us, because I already had enough of the deck stacked against me.
“Let’s move,” I whispered, slipping out the door.
There was still enough light to see by, but the sun was almost set. We had maybe fifteen minutes before it was completely dark. The shadows were long and deep, but they would work to our advantage. It would help to mask the signs of our movement. At least, I hoped that they would. They could also hide the dead from us, as well.
I brought my M-4 to my shoulder and headed down the alley. Glancing back, I saw that the kids were right behind me, leaving Rich and Rachel to bring up the rear. At least they had some instinct to defend the children. That was something, anyway.
When I reached the end of the alleyway, I flattened against a wall and waited for the others to do the same. When they had all stopped, I leaned out and glanced around the corner looking for anything that might be a threat. I couldn’t see anything, but I could see the dock that we were trying to reach. It was a straight shot down the street and we were home free. Well, so long as we didn’t run into anything along the way.
I could still see the glow of the raging fire that had consumed the gas station and seemed to be slowly spreading to all the surrounding buildings. If the wind picked up just right, it might just burn this entire town to the ground. Oh well, I guess you can add a town to my list of destruction. Spec-4 would be giving me Hel right about now.
“Stay close,” I hissed, and slid around the corner.
I continually swept left and right as I headed down the street as fast as I dared to go. As we passed the glass windows of what looked like a hardware store, I saw movement behind the glass. I spun that direction and saw three zombies head for the window, accelerating to frightening speed.
“Sprinters!” I called. “Run!”
I started shoving the kids past me, pushing them towards the dock. Next I pushed Rachel and motioned for Rich to hurry up. Just as he was almost to me, the Sprinters hit the glass. The heavy plate glass was no match for that much mass in motion. They came right through the glass and took Rich to the ground in a shower of glass and
mangled flesh. Then the screaming began.
I snap fired and shot the first one, spraying the contents of its skull across the sidewalk. The second one was savagely trying to bite into Rich’s face, but it didn’t look like it had reached him. That would soon change. Rich was frantically holding it back and struggling against the fetid creature’s weight. The third zombie was pierced in several places by large shards of glass, which were pinning it to the window frame. It was desperately trying to free itself enough to attack. I put a round through its head and it ceased moving.
Just as the remaining one was about to sink its teeth into Rich’s face, he frantically reached out in a panic and his hand grasped a large shard of glass. Picking it up, he struck upwards and drove the glass into the creature’s neck. Black gore and flesh erupted as the throat came completely open. I could see red blood dripping from Rich’s hand where the glass had cut into him while he held it. Before it could do any more damage, I shot the creature in the head, and then kicked it off of him.
Rich had numerous cuts on his arms and face from the glass that had erupted around him as he fell. He was also covered in the gore from the creature. I didn’t know if he could become infected from getting it in his wounds, but I knew it wasn’t good. Reaching into my cargo pocket, I grabbed my hip flask. It was full of bourbon, but it was better than nothing.
“Hold on kid, this is going to hurt,” I said, then began to pour the alcohol onto his wounds.
To his credit, he didn’t scream. He only gasped and shook his head. I gave him a second to recover and yanked him to his feet by the front of his shirt.
“Let’s move!” I snapped.
I shoved him roughly towards the dock and brought my weapon back to my shoulder. Rachel and her kids were now almost half a block ahead of us. I kept my weapon aimed down, but continued to follow as fast as I could. I wanted to try to keep everyone in sight to avoid anymore mishaps. When they crossed a narrow alley, two Sprinters emerged and started to chase after them. I knew that it wouldn’t take long before they overtook them.
Ragnarok Rising Page 9