“It looks abandoned,” Poncho said.
Cliff sighed then motioned for Poncho to drive forward to the next house when he caught a single, glowing ember at the back of the house.
“Hold up,” he whispered. “There’s someone there. They’re smoking; I see the red cherry on the cigarette. Back up slowly and hide behind that row of trees we passed.”
Poncho backed the truck up. She grimaced when the brakes squealed to a stop. She hoped it wasn’t loud enough signal their arrival.
“I’ve been meaning to get those fixed,” Cliff whispered.
Cliff reached up to the dome lamp and removed the bulb. He worried the light would come on when they opened the doors. He exited the truck and quietly closed the door. Jake and Jethro followed Cliff’s lead. Poncho left her door ajar then walked to the rear of the truck. She retrieved the SW24 rifle case, laid it on the road, and opened it. She pulled the sniper rifle from its case and threaded the silencer onto the barrel.
“I need to go alone,” Cliff began.
“No. It’s too dangerous,” Poncho protested while kneeling at the rifle case.
Cliff held up his hand. “No. It’s best if I go alone. You guys need to be my look out. Poncho, you have the rifle. If I get in trouble, you’re my insurance policy. You have my back on this one,” Cliff explained.
“You’re going to need help, Cliff,” Jake argued.
“It’s too dangerous. It’s easier to snoop if there’s only one of us.”
Jake threw his hands up.
“You sure about this?” Poncho asked again.
“Yes,” Cliff replied, then darted off toward the house with his rifle and night-vision goggles.
“Man is stubborn as they come,” Jethro stated.
Jake turned to Jethro and said, “Yeah, but he’s kept us alive this long.”
“Follow me,” Poncho instructed leading Jake and Jethro into the tree line.
Cliff reached the side of the house and put his back to it. He crept to the rear corner of the house and peaked. The smoker was still there. Cliff’s hand shook in anger, he wanted to kill everyone in the house. He tightened his jaw as he tip-toed around the corner.
Poncho gasped when Cliff disappeared around the corner. She held the rifle’s grip tight, anticipating a threat would appear any moment. Her eyes scanned across the house, looking for any signs of activity from Cliff. She pictured gun flashes from inside the house or a sound, but nothing materialized.
“He’s ok,” Jethro whispered.
“How can you tell?”
“He just walked back to the corner and gave a thumbs-up.”
CHAPTER FORTY FOUR
Cliff didn’t know what overcame him. The rage was alive and well in him; its presence frightened him. He had never killed anyone with his bare hands. The snap of the man’s neck would be a sound he would never forget. He wiped the sweat from his face and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
He raised the night vision goggles above his head and looked through a small opening between two wood planks nailed to the rear door. There was a single candle burning in a room at the end of the hallway. Cliff opened the door a few inches and listened. Nothing. He took a step in. Cliff paused when the floor squeaked.
He readied his bayonet in hand and slung his rifle over his back. He took another step. The floor protested against his weight. Cliff realized there was nothing he could do about the floor. If the man he killed had returned, the floor would have squeaked as well. Cliff moved forward. A dilapidated kitchen was to his right. The house reminded him of a horror movie. Cliff swallowed; he had no idea how many people were in the house. His allies were the element of surprise and darkness.
Pass the kitchen, the hallway led to the living room. Cliff peaked around the corner. He saw a man snoring on the sofa. He fought the urge to stab the man in the heart, thinking there might be other able bodies in the house. He needed to be quiet and leave without anyone knowing he was there.
He backed from the room and saw another short hallway that led to a single door. A light flickered from underneath the door; someone was inside. Cliff tried the door knob; it was unlocked. He pushed the door open at a snail’s pace and paused.
Cliff brought the bayonet’s grip up to his chin and pushed the door open. The corner of his eyes crinkled when he saw Jennifer tied to a chair.
“Those bastards,” he cussed.
He rushed in and knelt in front of her. “Jennifer,” he whispered. He held her head with a light touch and raised her chin. She had bruises on her cheeks and a dried blood at the corner of her mouth.
She moaned.
“Jennifer,” he whispered and pulled duct tape from her mouth.
She moaned again.
“It’s okay. I got you now.”
She blinked a few times.
“Jennifer, it’s me, Cliff. Wake up.”
“Huh? What?”
“Baby, I need you to whisper.” Cliff knelt, cutting the rope that tied her ankles and hands.
“Cliff?” she blurted in excitement.
“Shhhh! I need you to be quiet while I get you out of here. Can you walk?” he asked after freeing her wrists.
“I think so,” she nodded. “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe you’re here. Am I dreaming?”
“No, honey. I’m really here.”
Cliff bent over in front of her, looking into her blue eyes and studying her face. He brushed her hair over her ear and cupped his hands around her jaw. He leaned and kissed her forehead. “Come on, we got to go.”
“Who are you?” a voice bellowed from behind him.
Cliff recognized the voice: the same one from the pharmacy. He began to see Jennifer shake in fear; her eyes focused on the man in the doorway. Cliff kept his focus on Jennifer. “Stay with me. Don’t look at him.”
“I said, who are you?” David repeated.
Cliff looked down at the floor. He shifted his eyes to the door where the man stood. He spotted the man’s boots and judged the distance. He needed him to take a step closer. He looked back at Jennifer. She had fear in her eyes. Her watery eyes darted back at David. Cliff cupped her jaw again and smiled.
“I asked you, who are you?” David screamed. He took a step toward Cliff with his hand ready to grab.
Cliff spun on his heels. He reared his right arm back, balled his hand into a fist and struck David in his right eye socket. David tumbled into the hallway and slumped to the floor.
Cliff stated as he grabbed Jennifer by the hand, “Let’s get out of here! There’s no telling how many are left.”
He rushed her from the room. She kicked David in the groin as she stepped over him.
“What was that?” a voice asked from somewhere in the house.
“Go check on the woman!” a second voice demanded.
“We got to move!” Cliff commanded.
Cliff led Jennifer pass the kitchen and out the back door. He stopped at the corner of the house and gave a thumbs-up salute at the corner. He didn’t want Poncho to get anxious behind the trigger and shoot at him fleeing across the lawn.
“Poncho and Jake are in the woods somewhere. I don’t want them to think we’re the bad guys and shoot us,” Cliff said.
He peaked his head around the corner and spotted the trio behind the tree. “Come on, this way.”
He led her across the open lawn. They were halfway to the row of trees when a gunshot rang out. He saw Poncho fire the sniper rifle in return. He kept looking forward, putting his hopes on Poncho and Jethro. Poncho fired again. Cliff heard the bullet whizzing through the air. He knew she wasn’t shooting at him, but the last shot made him think twice. He looked at Poncho and shrugged his shoulders.
“Get ‘em!” a voice called out from behind him.
Cliff reached the tree line when Poncho fired a third shot.
“Time to go,” he said passing the trio.
“Move!” Poncho commanded as she stood. She sprinted toward the truck with the rifle in both hands, Jethro and
Jake on her heels. A volley of gunshots rang out from the house; bullets sped past them, hitting nearby trees. Splinters showered over them. Poncho ducked when a bullet struck a tree she ran past.
“These guys are serious! Holy Cow!”, Poncho stated as she ran. “Now, I wished I aimed for their heads!”
Cliff rounded the truck and opened the rear passenger door. He helped Jennifer to her seat, then jumped in behind the wheel and started the engine. He slid his rifle to his side, barrel facing the floorboard. He spotted Poncho running toward the truck. Jethro and Jake were right behind her.
The rear passenger window shattered. Jennifer screamed.
“You okay?” Cliff asked. He turned to see the fright in her eyes.
“Yeah, it’s just glass.”
Poncho jumped into the front seat with her rifle. Cliff slid the gear into reverse while Jethro and Jake were entering the rear seat. He let off the brake before Jethro closed his door.
“We’re in! Let’s go!” Jethro announced.
Cliff backed the truck up a few yards before he turned the wheel sharply. He slid the gearshift into drive and sped away.
“You all right, my dear?” Jake asked Jennifer.
“Yeah. I’m okay now.”
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
“They wanted all of us,” Cliff answered. “Those are the same sick bastards we ran into at the pharmacy and who tried to kill us that night at the house.”
“Well, they’re relentless. They’re coming!” Jethro declared as he looked behind the truck. “I see a pair of headlights coming this way.”
Cliff looked in the rearview mirror. He spotted the pair of lights coming toward them at a high rate of speed. “Geez! These guys won’t give up.”
“What do we do?” Jennifer asked, her voice cracked.
“We can’t have them follow us back to the warehouse,” Poncho stated. “We need to lose them.”
“I agree. It would be nice if we didn’t have taillights on this thing; we could lose them while driving with the night vision goggles.”
He turned right at the intersection from the twelve-fifty road without slowing. The rear end of the truck skidded across the asphalt. His heart raced when he thought the rear wheels were going into the ditch.
“Jesus! That was fast,” Jennifer complained.
“Sorry.”
Cliff stepped on the gas pedal, trying to distance himself from the pursuing vehicle.
“Dang, Cliff,” Poncho exclaimed as the truck rushed passed a car parked on the side of the road.
Cliff ignored her. He looked up at the rearview mirror. The pursuing vehicle just turned from 1250 road.
“We need to lose them!” Cliff stated. “Where’s the grenade?”
Jake held out his between Poncho and Cliff’s shoulders hand holding the grenade, “Here ya’ go.”
“Poncho, throw it!” Cliff said.
Poncho grabbed the grenade and leaned out the window, “Slow down some.”
Cliff shot her a look.
“I need to make sure it explodes under them, not before.”
“Hope you’re right,” Cliff said as he slowed the truck.
Poncho leaned further out the window and adjusted her grip on the grenade.
“Throw it!” Jennifer yelled.
“I have to pull the pin and throw it from a moving vehicle…at another moving vehicle. I only have one shot at this,” she countered.
“Throw it!” Jake repeated.
“Not yet!”
Jennifer grumbled as she looked at the approaching headlights.
“Poncho…,”Cliff said.
“Fine!” Poncho returned. She pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it over the truck’s tailgate.
Cliff looked in the side mirror to see the grenade explode in front of the pursuing vehicle. The vehicle swerved but didn’t slow. He looked over at Poncho who was shaking her head.
Poncho turned around and shot Jake and Jennifer a look. “Told ya’!”
“It’s fine, Poncho. We tried,” Cliff said patting Poncho on the arm.
“The hell it is! We only had one!”
“It’s fine! We’ll find another one. Trust me,” Cliff said.
Poncho signed and narrowed her eyes.
A shot rang out hitting the tailgate of the truck.
“Jesus!” Jennifer cried as she ducked.
“Stop the truck!” Poncho commanded.
“What?”
“Dammit! Just trust me! Stop!”
“The hell I am!”
“Stop the truck!” Poncho argued.
Cliff thought better of it, but relented. He stepped on the brake and stared at Poncho.
“You better be right about this,” Cliff said.
She opened her door and stepped out with her rifle in hand before the truck came to a complete stop. She rushed to the side of the truck bed and aimed the sniper rifle. She pulled the trigger. The driver of the vehicle swerved, but continued. She aimed between the headlights and fired again. The vehicle’s tires screeched as it swerved a second time. A smile etched across Poncho’s face as the vehicle slammed into the ditch. She flipped her hair behind her ear and picked the rifle up off the truck bed.
She carried the rifle to the rear of the truck. She swung the butt of the rifle into the truck’s brake light, smashing it. She took two steps to the other side and slammed the butt of the gun into the left brake light.
“You don’t have to worry about the tail lights now,” she stated when she climbed back into the truck.
Cliff smirked and shook his head.
CHAPTER FORTY FIVE
Cliff rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed. His mind was filled with thoughts of marauders roaming the countryside. He looked over his shoulder at Jennifer in a peaceful sleep. He smiled and climbed out of bed. After a hard stretch and throwing on clothes, he walked to the general area for coffee. His muscles ached. He tried to stretch, but it wasn’t any relief.
In the kitchen, he found some ibuprofen and swallowed four pills. He was surprised to see Poncho and Jethro sitting at the table, engaged in conversation.
“I thought you guys would be in bed,” Cliff yawned.
Poncho smiled and shook her head. “No, I couldn’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about those guys that tried to follow us last night. We’re being watched.”
Jethro nodded.
“What time is it?” Cliff yawned again.
“Almost six,” Poncho answered. “Jethro’s shift just ended and I was going to take my turn. He’s been on watch since three.”
“Brian had the shift before him?” Cliff asked.
“Yep, they’re good at it, too.”
“They’re good men,” Cliff said. “I’ll take watch tomorrow night, give you guys a break. I’ll work on a schedule for everybody.”
Cliff poured a cup of coffee then took a seat next to Jethro. He stretched in his chair and yawned. It was a long night, and three hours of sleep wasn’t enough for his aching body. “Yeah, I can’t stop worrying about them, too.”
“Did you say these same guys attacked you before?” Jethro asked.
“Yeah,” Cliff answered, swirling the coffee in his mug. “We were staying at my parents’ farm. They let loose some infected on the property, set the house on fire, and when we tried to leave, they shot at us.”
“That’s evil,” Poncho returned. She looked at Cliff and stretched her hands across the table and touched his.
“Yeah,” Cliff confirmed, then took a sip of his coffee. He studied the silky, black liquid in his cup. “They’ll be back. We can’t let our guard down.”
“I think that’s safe to say,” Poncho replied, pulling her hands back. She watched Cliff stare into his cup.
“How many are there?” Jethro asked, breaking the silence.
“Five or six of them.”
“That means they don’t have the firepower to take us on in a gun battle,” Poncho said leaning on the table. “They’ll probably use t
he same MO as before. They’ll use the infected as a weapon, as an ally, if you will.”
Cliff listened. If she was trying to make him feel better, she was failing. “That’s not very comforting.”
“I know. I’m not trying to make things look rosy. It’s reality. We have a threat out there that’s seething through its teeth trying to kill everyone in here … for whatever reason that may be,” Poncho explained.
“Do you think I don’t know that?” Cliff asked raising his voice and locking eyes with Poncho. He knew what they were facing and didn’t need to be reminded. He wished they just had to worry about the infected. The stress of keeping everyone safe weighed heavily on him. The four hours of sleep didn’t help, either. He wished he had a drink, but fought the desire. He didn’t need to compound the issue.
“If he used infected last time, he’ll do it again. Right here,” she argued pointing at the table. “There’s a chain link fence surrounding this building we call home. What’s to stop him from crashing through the gates and unleashing hundreds of infected? We need to expect that from these guys.”
“This place is just a target with them roaming around out there,” Jethro stated.
“If we don’t prepare, we could have hundreds of infected inside these walls. Are you ready to give this place up and leave?” Poncho asked, her voice firm and direct.
Cliff’s eyes glanced up from the table. “If we have to.”
“You can’t be talking about giving this place up, can you?” Jake blurted. His tone caught Cliff off guard. “We just made this our home!”
“We’re sitting ducks, Jake,” Cliff returned.
“I can’t believe we’re discussing giving this place up. We invested a lot in this place. Sure, it’s not a home, but it’s all we have. There has to be a better plan,” Jake returned.
“Do you have a better idea?” Cliff asked.
“Take the fight to ‘em,” Jake responded.
“Get some sleep, Cliff. When you’re rested up, we’ll discuss further,” Poncho suggested.
“I don’t need to rethink it.”
“What the hell was that?” David yelled.
Dane and Montgomery stared at the floor.
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