Knight of the Dead (Book 4): Realm

by Smorynski, Ron

  He throttled the bike just a bit and gave a slow quiet push to get going up the street a short distance. They had blocked off the next block too, so it should be clear. Tom and Stu jogged up and moved the next dumpster, removing the bricks and easily letting it pivot down the street in a rolling manner. They controlled it and kept it close, holding it from hitting anything.

  Dad and Randall drove through. They turned right. This was the length of street where Dad had made his first group rescue several weeks ago, where he saved Randall, Sean, Nick, Katrina and her daughter Sofia, Steve and Tom. Odd, he thought, after losing so many of them on that day, the ones that made it were all still alive and well.

  A block further past their last blockade of cars, a sheet was out with “Need water” scrawled on it, just as Benjamin's map marked. This final blockage was the edge and Dad could see zombies beyond. They were definitely aware that Dad was there.

  “We should have gone out in the morning,” Dad thought. But there was so much other stuff to do and he didn't want to wait another day to at least to try to deliver them some water.

  Randall stayed back as part of the plan. Tom and Stu were the dumpster gatekeepers. Dad was going alone. Randall wasn't much of a fighter, at least not in the up close and furious way. Dad wanted him to stay back and help lead the zombies to Howie if needed. He could run over them on the playground.

  Howie waited quietly in his Hummer by the playground gate. Cory and Jake were there at the gate to open it if needed. A system of options in this fight were being created. A team of warriors, each with their ability, their task, was coming together.

  Tom and Stu got the next dumpster pushed aside. Zombies definitely noticed. There were a dozen or so around the block. There weren't many but the growling bark would cause the chain reaction and more would come. It still did not feel as bad as it used to.

  Dad drove through. He took them on immediately swinging from his mount. He sliced monster after monster. They were still the slow stiff ones. Some were a bit faster, but not fast. He got all of them to focus on him as Tom and Stu quickly closed the gate and hid, waiting for his return.

  He easily killed a dozen, giving him time. He drove up to an apartment building and saw survivors above staring down, waving.

  He threw up a few water bottles to the lowest balcony. “Don't get them till I lead them away. I'm delivering water to survivors, then I'll come back for you!”

  They waved from three stories up. A little girl smiled and waved. Her mother cried over her.

  A man was with them and he yelled a bit too loud. “There's some zombies below! Please! We can't!”

  Dad gritted his teeth. He quickly glanced beyond, wanting to deliver more water to others. He could see several on apartments beyond, watching from above, hidden in their sheets and windows. But he couldn't leave these since there were zombies inside. His plan was already getting messed up.

  “Let's do this,” Dad said to himself. He got off his bike brandishing his regular sword. He walked to the apartment entrance. It was bashed in.

  “What's he doing? Saving them?” Stu asked, peering from behind the cars. “Is that the plan man?”

  “We might need help,” Tom hissed.

  Stu nodded, patting Tom, then hurrying back, running past Randall.

  “What's going on?” Randall asked quietly.

  “Boss is rescuing, we think. I'm gonna ask others to come up and help us,” Stu said, scurrying over the cars and back to the school gate.

  Randall shrugged. Tom shrugged. They waited.

  Dad burst into the small lobby. Nothing. He lumbered to the stairwell and went up the stairs. No one was there. He went to the first floor, to the apartment where he tossed the water bottles. He kicked the door open. The apartment was clear. He went to the balcony, opening the sliding door and grabbing the bag. He saw a few zombies outside run into the area. They immediately spotted him above. They ran under to the apartment entrance. Were they ghouls, the smart ones?

  He walked back to the corridor. He knew they'd find him if he went up. Everything echoed loudly. He heard their growls as they rushed in over broken glass and dirt on tiled floor. They came rushing up the stairs. He met their charge with immediate swings, slicing heads off, cleaving skulls, and severing limbs. He waited. There were more out there, but they lost the direction of the alert.

  Dad turned and went up the stairs. He got to the third floor and opened it. Down the hall, he saw a head poking out from a door.

  “Thank God, thank God, a knight!” the man sighed.

  Dad walked through the corridor and handed him the bottles. “How many are alive?”

  The man immediately opened a bottle and chugged the water.

  Dad grabbed his weak arm with his gauntlet, “Get water to the child now! And ration it!”

  The man nodded, taking the bottles in as the woman and child came up. He shared the water with them.

  “Not too much,” Dad grunted. He looked inside. It was a mess. “Any other survivors?”

  “No, just us,” the man cried. “Oh my God, just us, but how? How'd you get that armor? What are you?”

  Dad noticed how weak they were. It wasn't far. He'd risk it. “Can you come now? To the school?”

  “Yes, yes, we can. We saw you before. Some of us tried to get to you but,” the man sobbed a bit, trying to hold it in.

  “Get a blanket, cover yourselves. Cut a hole in it to see through,” Dad said.

  “Okay,” the man and woman frantically got dirty blankets, cutting holes in them with dull knives. They tore at them. They were quivering, shivering, convulsing. They must be dehydrated and starving, but as frantic as ever. The girl looked up at Dad, but was fearful nonetheless. She sobbed as they got ready but she had no tears. They were dirty and scrawny.

  Dad could tell they were not a couple, just a mix of people. He realized as well, the woman was not the girl's mother. He didn't ask or speak of it, but it just seemed so. Their stories fell heavy upon him and he knew he must help them.

  He lifted his visor and bent down a bit, closer to the girl. “Hey, I am a father. I have three daughters waiting at the school. There are other children there waiting for you.”

  The girl was coy, but it helped. Dad stood up again and slammed his visor down.

  The lady comforted the girl, “See. We'll be safe. And you'll have friends. Okay. Just be brave. We'll make it.”

  The girl, maybe eight, nodded. She grabbed the blanket with the woman, grabbing it like it was steel and was going to protect her.

  “No fast movements. Stop when I stop. Move only when I motion for you to come. It isn't far,” Dad said.

  They nodded under their blankets, shaking a bit too much.

  Dad turned and stomped down the narrow corridor. They followed. He went down the stairs. He stomped through the lobby of broken glass and crunching dirt. He walked out to the street.

  A score of zombies roamed about and immediately saw him. They ran up. The woman screamed under her blanket and caused the girl to scream. Both ran back in hysterics.

  Dad wasn't sure that's exactly what happened but he visualized that due to their panicked sounds. He had to focus and engage the zombies. He quickly hacked at them as they converged. It was a tight space. He walked out and was between trees, bushes, a short metal fencing and a walkway where he had to deal with more damnable zombies.

  He flicked out again and again, slicing heads, arms, legs, whatever to drop them. He slammed up against two grabbing at him. His focused power broke their black nails and fingers, ripping them as they were thrown off. He stomped the head of one as he pushed forward. He did not have his shield for rushing about and fighting in small places. His gauntlet was solid enough against festering teeth and gums. He punched any that got close. He swung mightily as they tottered.

  “Ronan needs help!” Stu yelled, running down to Duanne, Marcus, and Steve, who were hammering out post holes in the asphalt. Ray and Nick were at another hole setting a metal pole with cem
ent.

  Howie peered from his Hummer. He was listening to some classic rock at low volume. Cory was guarding the area.

  They looked at each other.

  “Let's go,” Duanne said. They gathered up their armor pieces that were placed under the school slide in the shade. They hurriedly helped each other put them on and got their weapons.

  “What's up?” Ray asked.

  “Ronan needs help!” Stu blurted. “I think he's rescuing.”

  “I thought he was just dropping water off?” Duanne asked.

  “Don't look like it man,” Stu said.

  “You guys stay here,” said Steve to Ray and Nick. “Watch this side, armor up.”

  They nodded and stayed with Howie and Cory.

  Duanne looked to Howie, “You stay as ordered. Randall may be bringing'em back to you.”

  Howie saluted and slunk back down in his driver seat.

  Cory came up to Howie chilling in the Hummer, listening to some rock via a phone. "Hey, maybe I can guard from here?"

  "No sir, you gotta watch from the gate!" Howie replied.

  "Ah come on man, nothing's going on," Cory huffed.

  "Get," Howie pointed.

  "Boring old man," Cory huffed again.

  "Boring old man yourself Indian boy," Howie huffed, but not till Cory was too far to hear him.

  Dad pushed out, twirling amongst them. He growled as he turned around and around, swinging, punching, shoulder bashing. None of them could withstand his prowess, the edge of his sword, his hardened steel ferocity. He barked and yelled, getting them to turn from the survivors and come to him.

  “Get back here! Get the girl!” he yelled. He wasn't sure what they were doing in the lobby. He saw the blankets flutter and flail. Were they running? He stepped back to them, hacking a zombie completely in half. Its upper half plopped as its bottom toppled. The man, in his panic to flee, yanked the blanket off the woman and child. They were in hysterics as the blanket fell off. The man had his own but was now gripping theirs as well.

  Dad stomped back in, blocking the doorway. “Come on now! It's now or never! Follow me and live!” He spat in his helm, yelling as loud as he could. It came out booming and commanding. “Help them! Or I'll kill you!” Dad yelled at the man. He was trying to flee but heard Dad quite clearly.

  Zombies leapt on him from behind but fell back. He immediately turned and stabbed one in the eye, killing it immediately, retracting and circling down upon the next, cleaving its weak skull. He stepped forward kicking the bottomless zombie as it crawled around under him. He found the head through his helm's bottom holes and quickly jabbed into its head ending it.

  “Follow me now!” he stepped out. There was a lull. Zombies were coming but they were not fast. Dad could see beyond the cars the fast movements of ones further out. There was time. “Hurry!”

  “Come on! Come on! We can do this!” the man sobbed.

  “No! No! Nooo!” the woman cried, but came, tottering on weak legs. The girl hugged her as the man haphazardly got their blanket over them.

  Dad waved his blade. The man's cut hole, shredded, exposed his face through the blanket. Dad could easily see the distraught look. He waved his blade and hurried along the sidewalk. He pointed with his free gauntlet the way to go.

  The man hurried along, keeping a hold of the woman's blanket. They scuttled past him. “See the dumpster! Get to it now! Run!” Dad saw the fast ones coming. Were any of them ghouls? He knew ghoul ones were more aware. He could not tell if they were ghouls. He stepped back, but remembered not to step back too much or he'd trip over something he couldn't see.

  The zombies leapt at him. He swung to and fro.

  “I thought he was dropping off waters!” Duanne yelled, rushing up to Stu, who, dog tired was rushing back to Tom. Marcus and Steve ran past Randall who sat up on his bike, watching above the cars.

  “He’s got someone,” Randall said as they passed.

  Tom was getting ready to push the dumpster. He nodded for Stu to help. “Get ready!” he yelled.

  Duanne saw the blanketed people rushing to them. They looked like dirty scrawny ghosts. “Are those zombies?”

  “Survivors!” Steve said, standing next to him. Both looked like brutal warriors, yet both moved in hesitating, scared manners.

  Tom waved them in. They rushed through the small opening, screaming in relief yet still frightened.

  They saw beyond as Dad fought the zombies trying to rush after them. They stood and stared a moment. Dad swung speedily left and right, back and forth. His blade seemed to dance as zombies spurted, splatted, split and flailed apart.

  Duanne looked at Steve, “Badass.”

  “Let's help!” Steve rushed forward. Duanne and Marcus followed. They hurried through the opening. Tom was unsure whether to push it back or not.

  Stu helped the survivors who scrambled in. “You okay?”

  “Anyone bit?” Tom asked.

  “No! No! No! Oh God, oh God, are we saved?” the man cried, pulling off the blanket and hugging the girl and woman.

  “No,” Stu said, trying to toss the blankets back on them.

  “Take them back!” Tom punched his shoulder.

  Stu nodded, “Come on.”

  Dad killed another wave of fast ones. He stared beyond and saw a small mass of slow ones coming through the cars. He marched to his bike, then realized there were some behind him. He twirled about to see a massive zombie in some kind of armor. He swung his blade fiercely realizing too late it was Duanne.

  The armor worked. Dad twisted his blade, hitting Duanne with the flat of it. Duanne felt a blade almost slice his shoulder but instead it bounced off the shoulder pad then smacked his helm.

  “Holy shit!” he coughed.

  “That was your neck!” Dad snarled, retracting the blade immediately. “What are you doing?”

  “Helping you!” Steve said.

  “Here they come!” Marcus readied the naginata given to him by Lena. He stepped up onto a car and started swinging as zombies hit the car then tried to climb up. He easily swung large swipes hacking off skull caps.

  “What are you doing!?” Dad growled. He stepped back as Duanne and Steve lined up and took on limping zombies. A crowd of them was forming around the cars and down the street.

  Steve was becoming more efficient. He quickly sliced back and forth, hacking into heads and necks.

  Duanne was still swinging wide and had to use his arms to block zombies as they grabbed at him, biting his armored limbs. Once there, he jabbed more than swung and lost his initiative.

  Dad had to help him. He saw that Duanne was hindered by his fancy assault rifle. It was slung on his back but was snagged by zombies as they grabbed. Dad swung to clear them, freeing Duanne as best he could. The zombies were swarming now. They had no defense to fall back to, not in the open.

  Marcus may have had a mighty swing, but he still wasn't ready for this. Zombies surrounded him as he stood on the hood of a car. Several easily grabbed at his legs causing him to stumble. Dad saw he was going to fall any moment as he struggled to stay standing. In that pull, he lost momentum and the zombies began to climb up and grab him.

  “Get back! Damnit, get back!” Dad lurched toward Marcus hoping Duanne heard and was free enough to retreat. He rushed over, hacking at the zombies around the car as Marcus fell into them. He fell frozen in fear, not ready for such a fight.

  Dad thought of Lena, of her losing him. In his sermon on marriage, he talked of God making us man and woman, expecting a young man to leave his parents and join with a woman, to become one flesh. They had discussed that joining, and now he saw Marcus, the love of his daughter, her future husband, fall.

  16. Fall

  Dad roared as he slammed into them. He saw the zombies focused on their kill gnawing at Marcus' limbs. He could see Marcus squint in pain, gritting his teeth.

  “Get up! Get up!” Dad yelled as he sliced over and over, grabbing many and throwing them off, slicing off their grabbing limbs. M
ore piled in. The mass of slow ones were upon them.

  He knew Lena and Lisa had come running when he heard their screams. They swung viciously and quickly pushing into the hording zombies.

  “Marcus!” Lena screamed in fury and fear. “Marcus!!!” she swung, carving out a path with her short blade, quickly beheading and severing, pushing back headless bodies.

  Lisa used her naginata, holding it steady, not swinging it in wide circles as much as floating it in front of her, then jabbing quickly. She either jabbed through a head, dropping a zombie, or sliced off grabbing hands. If they were faster, they might get past her pole arm. She knew to push them off balance with her quick two handed pole arm punch. They're totter gave her enough time to step back and swing her blade. Something fell off, dropping the zombie one way or another.

  Steve realized they were being overwhelmed and retreated haphazardly. He helped Duanne who was not yet an effective fighter.

  “Damnit!” Duanne yelled, acting disappointed in his performance, even in the midst of the converging swarm. Steve glanced in disbelief at him but only for a moment. He was too busy fighting for their lives.

  Dad, amongst zombies, tried to pull Marcus up, but he was too heavy and lay in shock. It was literally like a huddle, and Dad was pushing through. He saw rotting zombie heads twisting around Marcus' limbs, gnawing and gnawing. He saw them gnashing as Marcus lay with dead eyes, gripping his naginata. Was he going into shock?

  Lena slammed into them, nearly falling on him, screaming. She lay amidst the horrific huddle. Dad realized they were all exposed. There was no time to save Marcus if Lena was about to be surrounded and eaten away too.

  “Get back!” he yelled.

  “No! No!!!” Lena screamed with a high pitch. As she swung like crazy, her blade hitting skull after skull.

  Dad already saw the hands and mouths grabbing onto Lena. Dad immediately turned and swung around her, killing all he could. He could not save both. He swung again and again. He saw Lisa swing, helping as more came in.

  Then Randall suddenly burst out, roaring his bike. He drove right by them. The zombies in mass turned to him as he yelled and gunned it.