“Car’s no good,” Gunner said, moving next to his boss.
He wasn’t looking forward to the two-mile trek back to the house but it looked as if he had no choice.
“Back to the house then,” Worthington responded. “We’ll wait for our ride there.”
As a response Gunner casually reached for his sidearm and pointed it in the direction of Benton and pulled the trigger. Benton flinched as the projectile whizzed by his head and into the skull of an infected coming around the north side of the Escalade. Holstering the weapon Gunner started walking toward the house.
Major Bradley peered out the porthole window as they were landing and saw no ground personnel. What he did see was plumes of smoke rising into the air from several different parts of the base. A feeling of dread soon overtook him. He had just overcome one obstacle in finding the Doctor, now he had a feeling another had been placed in front of him.
The touchdown was smooth but there was no one around to guide them in. Captain Bannon maneuvered the plane over to where he had parked it yesterday. He cut the engine and performed a quick checklist. Then he got up and met his passengers in the cabin who had already unbuckled their seatbelts and were very anxious to discover what the hell was going on outside.
“We’d better head out first,” Major Bradley said, referring to Captain Morris, Private Stevens, and himself.
Bannon nodded as he opened the hatch and lowered the stairs. Major Bradley went down first stopping about halfway, looked around, then continued onto the tarmac. Once on the ground, he drew his sidearm and slowly moved away from the plane; Captain Morris and Private Stevens behind him spreading out.
As it appeared from above, there was no one manning the landing strip. With nothing to see, he decided to listen. It was then he heard the gunshots. Several of them, off in the distance but definitely weapon’s fire. Smoke rising in the air off to the west and north as well as gunfire coming from all around them was a bad sign. He needed intel and needed it now. He scanned the area once again looking for a vehicle but saw nothing.
He turned to look at Captain Morris who was obviously as confused as he was but his expression told the Major what he was thinking. Somehow the base had been breached. To what extent he had no idea. All he could think of, however, was finding Malcolm. If it was the last thing he ever did he felt getting him to Dr. Sanderson was of the utmost importance.
He turned back around and faced the plane. He figured the safest place right now for everyone is on that aircraft. He would take his men into the base, grab Malcolm, and head back to the plane. They would be able to assess the situation once inside and plan their next move.
“It would be nice to have some idea what we’re walking into,” the Major thought. As he started walking back toward the plane he stopped suddenly and reached down to his belt and grabbed his walkie he just remembered he had.
The sound of gunfire enveloped them as they sprinted toward the Jeep. It was definitely getting closer. Stephen hopped into the driver’s seat with Nick and Katie helping Malcolm into the back seat. Nick rode shotgun while holding an AR-15 as Stephen punched the accelerator.
He was already on the lookout for a larger vehicle as he sped toward the housing complexes. If they had to leave the base they would need something bigger. As he drove past the motor pool, three soldiers were attempting to fight off eight or ten infected. Two of the infected had one soldier pinned to the ground next to a cargo truck. A second soldier was plunging a combat knife into the skull of one zombie while another was climbing atop his back. The third soldier was attempting to climb into the deuce and a half while two infected clawed at his backside trying to pull him back to the ground. Several other zombies were closing in on the truck. Stephen thought he recognized the third soldier.
Stephen slammed on the brakes causing the Jeep to fishtail before it came to a complete stop. In one motion he jumped out, grabbed the other AR-15, and ran towards the motor pool. Nick followed suit, pausing briefly to address the passengers in the backseat.
“Stay here,” he said.
Katie sat up a little more in her seat and raised the weapon she had taken from the barracks. She scanned the area as she watched the boys running toward the cargo truck. Malcolm sat quietly next to her.
Stephen approached the soldier on the ground first as he looked to be in the most trouble. He stopped about five feet in front of him and took aim. He was much better with the handgun then the automatic rifle but these soldiers didn’t have time for him to switch out weapons. He squeezed the trigger and blasted holes through the heads of both zombies, watching as they crumpled to the ground. He then quickly turned his attention to the soldier with the zombie attached to his back.
He was thrashing about trying to throw the infected off of him but the creature wouldn’t budge. They appeared to be engaged in some bizarre dance. It was difficult for Stephen to get a bead on the zombie. He thought about trying to grab the zombie and pull him off. As that thought crossed his mind he saw the infected’s mouth open wide and clamp down on the soldier’s neck. He was out of time. Stephen pulled the trigger and prayed he would hit his intended target and not the soldier.
Nick rushed to the aid of the soldier attempting to climb into the truck. But first, he picked off the other three infected that had come from the left side of the truck. He turned toward the soldier and fired one shot, dropping one zombie to the ground. The other was right on top of the soldier and nipping at his hand every time he reached for his combat knife. Nick fired once more but he was overly cautious and his shot went wide putting a hole in the door.
Nick ran to the truck, reaching the zombie at the same time Stephen did and they both grabbed the infected by the jacket collar and pulled it to the ground. They stared at the zombie at their feet, taking notice of the silver eagles adorning the infected’s shoulders. He looked familiar to Stephen but couldn’t quite place him. As he studied its face, Nick put an end to its squirming by putting a hole through the zombie’s left eye.
They both looked up into the relieved face of the soldier standing on the running board of the truck who Stephen now recognized as Corporal Sinclair.
“Thanks,” he said as he too looked down upon the former colonel.
“Colonel Jepson,” Sinclair answered the unasked question.
“What the hell happened?” Stephen asked.
“One of the gates was breached or left open last night. Infected got in, moved about unnoticed most of the night. Must have surprised the patrols. Most of the northern and western areas of the base are overrun,” he answered as he jumped down from the running board.
A groan from behind them snapped their attention around to the two soldiers still lying on the ground. They ran over to them, Sinclair bending down on one knee lifting the head of the first soldier, a private. Before he could ask how he was doing he noticed the large gash on the back of his neck. He saw the look in Sinclair’s eyes.
“Is it … bad,” he asked.
Sinclair didn’t answer, he looked over to Stephen who had gone to check on the other soldier. Stephen looked back and simply shook his head.
“Shit,” Sinclair mumbled.
The private knew he was done for. He tried to sit up, feeling for the wound in the back of his neck. He looked at his hands, covered in crimson blood.
“Ahhh,” he screamed, pounding the ground with his fist.
The other soldier, a sergeant, had actually passed out because of the wound. He was bleeding profusely and would likely bleed out shortly. Stephen looked over to Sinclair who sadly nodded.
Stephen pulled his sidearm this time and took aim. The bitter memories of their time on the road when this whole mess started came flooding back to him. The number of infected he was forced to kill at Fort Campbell, the deaths of Dave and Emma, the horrors he witnessed on the trip across half the country to get here. He had been fooling himself that this place was safe. That he could make some kind of life with Lucy. Unless someone found a cure or something, th
is was what the rest of his life was going to be like. He turned his head and pulled the trigger. It didn’t mean he had to like it, or for that matter, get used to it.
The private heard the gunshot and put his head in his hands, the blood smearing all over his forehead.
“My turn,” he said solemnly
Sinclair didn’t have a gun, just the combat knife. He removed it from its sheath but hesitated. He had used it many times on those who had already turned but never on someone still breathing. Especially someone he knew well. He hesitated.
“You want me to … uh,” Nick asked.
Sinclair looked at him, returned the knife to its holder and grabbed the AR-15 out of Nick’s hand. Without hesitating, he trained the rifle on the private and fired. With the deed done he handed the weapon back to Nick and turned around, facing the truck.
Stephen had returned the sidearm to its holster and approached Sinclair.
“Corporal, we need this truck. I don’t think it’s safe here anymore and I need to get Lucy, Kim and the kids outta here,” he said.
Corporal Sinclair stood for a second and then turned around, his eyes red, a pained expression covering his face. He studied the young men in front of him. He knew them to be good, honest boys. They had spent a month on the road together and proved themselves more than capable. He considered whether letting them take the truck would be considered a dereliction of duty. With Colonel Jepson lying on the ground next to him and Major Bradley’s whereabouts unknown, he was unsure what to do. After a moment’s pause, he walked briskly past the boys.
“One second,” he said as he disappeared around the side of the truck.
Stephen and Nick stood looking at each other, not sure what to do next. Stephen turned toward the Jeep to check on Katie and Malcolm. They seemed to be fine, Katie still sitting up in her seat holding her weapon ready for any trouble.
Corporal Sinclair emerged a minute later holding four jerry cans of gasoline, one under each arm and holding the other two. He stopped at the rear of the truck and threw them in the back. He walked to the driver’s side door, opened it and slid into the driver’s seat.
“Well, get in,” he said peering down at them through the open window.
Stephen ran around the front of the truck and climbed into the passenger’s seat while Nick hopped in back, sitting next to the cans of gas.
Sinclair put the truck in drive and pulled away from the motor pool.
“First,” Stephen said pointing to the Jeep, “we have to pick up two more.”
The truck came to an abrupt halt as Sinclair slammed on the brakes in front of Stephen’s house, or what was now formerly his house. Stephen jumped out of the truck and ran into the house, Nick right beside him. Private Sinclair hopped out and moved around to the rear of the vehicle where Katie and Malcolm still sat, his knife removed from its holder.
Stephen burst through the door and slid to a stop in the middle of the living room. He surveyed the living room and kitchen. No one was around.
“Lucy!” he screamed. No answer.
Nick tore off and checked the bedrooms, emerging a minute later shaking his head.
“Nobody home,” he said.
Stephen told himself not to panic. Kim had probably already left for the infirmary and Lucy had likely taken the kids out to play or work in the garden. He turned and went to the closet, opened the door, and removed his ax.
“Out back,” he said to Nick who was already heading that way.
Pushing through the screen door they ran down the stairs, stopping in the middle of the stone patio. No kids playing on the lawn. No infected either. The gunfire sounded like it was getting closer.
“Over there!” Nick shouted pointing across the street.
Stephen looked in the direction Nick was pointing, his eyes settling on a small group of people huddled under the shade of an elm tree near the garden. He ran toward them as fast as he could. Lucy’s face coming into focus as he approached, Jason and Danielle under each arm.
He reached for her they neared each other, dropping the ax he grabbed her and pulled her close, nearly squeezing her and Jason, who was caught between them, to death.
“Hey,” Jason said as he extracted himself from the embracing lovebirds.
“Are you guys ok?” Nick asked, taking the children away from Lucy.
“We’re ok,” Danielle answered.
“We were outside playing when we started to hear gunshots and screaming. The kids wanted to come to the garden … they felt safe here, like being with their dad. I didn’t know what was going on. Didn’t know whether being stuck in the house or being outside was safer. At least outside you can see trouble coming.” Lucy said.
She paused for a second looking into Stephen’s eyes.
“What’s going on?” she said, worry thick in her voice.
Stephen didn’t have time to explain everything that had happened this morning so he decided not to.
“This place isn’t safe anymore,” was all he was willing to share at the moment.
Turning slightly so that the kids were behind him he asked, “Where’s Kim?”
“She left for the infirmary just before we started hearing the gunshots, about an hour ago,” Lucy answered as quietly as she could.
The walk to infirmary was about twenty minutes. Unfortunately, it was in the direction of the gunfire. The thought of heading that way was not a pleasant one for Stephen. He had Lucy, a truck, and the kids. It would be foolish to head back toward trouble seeing how their escape window was closing rapidly. He would also have to convince Corporal Sinclair to either drive there or give up his keys, neither was likely.
Turning around and looking into the eyes of Jason and Danielle, he knew what he had to do. He had no idea, however, whether the infirmary was still operational, or perhaps had moved, turning itself into a MASH unit. Kim had no walkie. And if she had been displaced from the infirmary, or worse, she could be anywhere. But knowing Kim, she was either at the infirmary or on her way back to her children. That would mean less ground to cover.
He turned back to Lucy.
“Run inside and grab our emergency bags then get the kids out front, Corporal Sinclair has a truck. I’ll be right behind you.”
He kissed her and she grabbed the kids’ hands and headed toward the front.
“What are we doin’?” Nick asked.
“We gotta find Kim,” Stephen answered.
Nick stood for a second and then nodded. It was the right thing to do if not the smartest. His father was also on the base but he had been housed with the other members of the government, including the president. They were all the way over in Fort Carson, closer to the Cheyanne Mountain Complex. It would be easier to move them there in case of an emergency. Trying to find Kim would be dangerous, trying to find his father would be suicide.
He weighed the options of living with the regret of not having tried and being reminded every time he looked in the kid’s faces verses … well it was best not to think about that.
“We’ll try to convince Sinclair to take the truck, if not, we head out on foot … follow the shortest route between here and the infirmary,” Stephen said.
“The truck stays here until we get back,” Nick finished Stephen’s train of thought all the while thinking it would be a miracle if they actually found her or that the truck would actually be here if they made it back.
“We need to find out if the infirmary is still there,” Stephen said as he grabbed the walkie off his belt, picked up his ax, and started heading to the front. It was still on Channel 6 when he clicked it on. He was expecting a loud blast of chatter like he had heard before but it was eerily silent. He pushed the talk button as he rounded the side of the house.
“This is Stephen Russo, Civilian Army Core, I need intel on the Infirmary, please respond, over,” Stephen said. Nothing. He tried again and again nothing. He was about to try channel 4 when a familiar voice came through the walkie as he and Nick pulled up to the truck.
“Major! Where are you? … over.”
Major Bradley was surprised to hear Stephen’s voice come through on the walkie but maybe he could shed some light on what was going on.
“At the airstrip with Captain Morris and that doctor I told you about. What the hell is going on in there, over.”
“The camp has been breached sir, it’s bad. Preparing to evacuate now, over.”
“Copy that, any word on the MP barracks, I need that old man you helped yesterday, Malcolm, over.”
“We have him, sir, along with his daughter. Corporal Sinclair has them in a deuce and a half along with Lucy and the kids. Nick is also with me, over.”
“Stephen, I need you to get Malcolm to the airstrip ASAP, over.”
There was a slight pause as Major Bradley waited for Stephen to copy.
“Stephen, do you copy?”
“Be there as soon as we can, Major… we need to locate Kim but we’re not sure where she is. Do you have any info on the status of the infirmary? Over.”
“Negative, over.”
“I’ll let you know when we’re on our way, over and out.”
“Stephen …. Stephen,” Major Bradley shouted into the walkie but there was only static on the other end.
He never told them where he was or they would go get Malcolm. His only option now was to wait for Stephen to respond back and keep the Gulfstream secure. He turned and headed back toward the plane.
Stephen knew he had to get Malcolm to the Major but he couldn’t without looking for Kim first. The Major was probably pretty pissed off right about now but he couldn’t worry about that.
“Was that the Major?” asked Sinclair.
They were all standing at the end of the cargo truck, except for the Sharps, who were still sitting in the back peering out the rear opening. Lucy had just finished loading the last of the emergency duffle bags into the back of the truck. Stephen wondered if she remembered Kim’s bag.
The Zombie Principle II Page 12