by TW Gallier
"What are the Canadians going to do with us?" Kate asked.
"Take you to their containment camp over Mackinac Island."
Before I could comment, someone out front shouted into the house, "Walt. Soldier boys are here."
"Get up, boys and girls," Dave said. "You're going away, and you ain't coming back."
The men began yanking us to our feet. I resisted until my kids reached my side. Sookie pressed up against my left, with Harlan and Timmy on my right. The first of our group began filing outside as I heard more vehicles turning off the road and stopping.
Chapter 39
Jenny
I stopped and lifted my hand. Everyone froze in mid-step.
Cocking my head to listen, I heard trucks on the road and heading our direction. It didn't sound like small trucks, either. Military trucks? Or worse?
Waving everyone behind me down, I dropped to one knee and looked toward the highway to our right. I could just make it out through the trees and underbrush. It was starting to get lighter after the rain stopped. Sunrise wasn't far off, but the heavy cloud-cover would keep it darker a little longer.
The approaching trucks started to slow down. I dropped lower, stomach clenched. Had they seen us with some high tech thing I didn't know about? We all slowly turned our weapons toward the road.
I carried the only rifle with a grenade launcher, so had two bandoliers over my shoulders full of the 40mm grenades. That along with my combat loadout of M-4 ammo and the pack left my legs tired, with more than a little burn in my thighs. I couldn't complain, because Vince and Jake were both carrying SAWs with a lot more and heavier ammo. The rest of the women all carried M-4s. Everyone bore a heavy pack, with more ammo inside.
"What do we do, Jenny?" Haley asked.
She was next in line behind me. Jake followed her, with Vince bringing up the rear. I could see everyone from my position, though Leslie and Vince were almost lost in the darkness.
"Shhh. Wait," I replied.
I tried to project confidence. Haley looked terrified. My heart ached for her. The poor thing was just a girl, who should only be worrying about boys and makeup and music, but the world was forcing her to grow up too soon. Her prospects weren't too good at the moment, either. It looked pretty grim for us all.
A set of headlights appeared, then another and another. Three military vehicles, painted camouflage. The first and third vehicles were small, four man trucks. The other was a cargo truck. I didn't really know cars that well, so didn't know if they were the same as the US military or not. I assumed their stuff was different, but with a similar look since they had to do the same thing as their American counterparts.
Before they passed by, I heard shouts on the side of the road to my left. So we were headed straight toward more Canadian soldiers? My heart began hammering wildly. Talk about disaster averted.
"Haley, pass it down," I whispered. "Soldiers ahead of us, so we have to go round."
I watched the message being passed down the line. When Leslie turned to tell Vince, I started to turn around and lead us deeper into the woods to bypass the soldiers' position. But it wasn't to be. Vince immediately stood up and came toward me.
Jesus. If you want to be in charge, then take charge.
It was frustrating. He wouldn't take command, but challenged my decisions more often than not. The expression – Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way – came to mind.
Vince dropped to a knee beside me. "We can't just go around them, Jenny. I'll take Jake and go scout them out. Sean and Roger will want to know about them, their numbers, and such."
Of course they would, but we weren't trained soldiers. Roger and the other vets could do stuff like that and not get caught. I wasn't so sure anyone in our group could pull it off. Vince was not exactly a subtle man. And Jake was even younger than Haley.
"No," I said. He tensed. "I'll go with you." Lowering my voice, "I'll not send a child into that kind of danger."
He hesitated, and then nodded. So I turned back and waved Jake up.
"Vince and I are going to check out those soldiers. I need you to be extra vigilant since you have the biggest gun. Okay?" He nodded, eyes huge. "We'll try to come back on the same trail, but don't shoot us."
He released a little laugh, nodding. "I won't. Promise."
"If you hear gunfire, that means they spotted us. I'll need all of you to get to the beach as fast as possible, and then head west to the rally point in Brevort. Understand? Don't worry about me and Vince. Save yourselves."
He looked horrified, but nodded.
I fought the need to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. First of all, I seriously doubted anything would be okay in our lives. Fighting for every breath and step seemed to be our lot. That wasn't going to change in the near future.
"We won't be long," I whispered, and turned to lead Vince toward the sound of talking men. The arrival of the trucks really stirred them up. I could hear shouts and laughter. Maybe the cargo truck had supplies or breakfast. "They're making a god-awful lot of noise. I don't think we'll have a problem sneaking up on them."
"I know. Canadian soldiers aren't much on noise discipline."
I glanced at him. That sounded like something Roger or one of the other vets would've said. Maybe Vince was learning a thing or two. Hell, we all were. Who would've guessed a month ago that I'd be sneaking through the woods to scout out an enemy position?
I really missed my old life.
When I noticed the outline of a house through the trees, I stopped Vince and we crawled the rest of the way. The three military trucks were parked in front of it, along with four pickups with automatic weapons mounted on poles in their beds. It looked like two M60 and two .50 Cal machine guns. There had to be a dozen civilians in hunter camo milling around out front, all heavily armed.
My first thought was they were special ops of some sort, since the bearded soldiers in the army were all Special Forces. They dispelled that thought quickly enough, since they looked exceptionally dirty and undisciplined. And they carried a mishmash of weapons, half military and half hunting rifles. The Canadian soldiers gave the impression they didn't like them.
"What's going on there?" Vince whispered.
Sean stumbled out the door. His arms were tied behind his back. For a long second I couldn't breathe. Roger was in Sean's boat, so did that mean he was inside? A prisoner? And what about the other boat and my children?
Chapter 40
Roger
The bounty hunters seemed preoccupied and spoke among themselves after Sean was taken out to the Canadian Army Captain. I caught the eyes of Terrel, Brett, and Fred, and then studied the others. They looked utterly miserable. I was a little afraid people were tired of the constant struggle and danger, so would welcome confinement. At least in the Canadians' containment camp we'd be safe from other survivors and zombies, and we'd probably be fed regularly.
That scenario had its allure even to me.
It would be safer, but not better. I couldn't get over the fact that we'd be prisoners. Prisoners of war, in my mind. The very thought of confinement set my teeth on edge. And I found it astonishing it was the Canadians doing the deed. They must truly be terrified of the infection spreading northward.
I sat up straighter when two Canadian soldiers came inside. They looked us over with more than a little hostility.
"Are you the ones who attacked our camp and stole the boats?" a sergeant asked with an odd accent.
He was tall and slim. His only weapon was a holstered pistol, upon which he rested his hand. The name tag on his uniform said he was "Poulin," so I assumed he was from Quebec.
"Surely that's happened more than once, Sergeant," I said. "After all, you aren't exactly letting us travel freely in our own country."
"Who are you?"
"Roger," I said. "An American citizen."
His face twisted with fury as he stepped closer. I watched him warily, but tried to maintain a brave face.
"
What are you going to do? Kick me?" I taunted. "Has Canada truly slipped into barbarism? Has hate and fear consumed your country?"
"You best shut up," he growled. "My cousin was wounded in that unprovoked attack."
"Funny. I would think Canadian troops on American soil would be considered an unprovoked attack as well," I said.
His hands curled into fists. I stared straight into his eyes, watching his face redden. Oh, he wanted to pound the shit out of me.
"And now you come in here all full of piss and vinegar to terrorize children, and find cause to beat on helpless prisoners," I sneered. "You are pathetic. You are a coward and a – "
"Enough!" another soldier shouted from the door.
Sergeant Poulin and the other soldier came to attention. The newcomer didn't have any rank visible, but I had to assume he was an officer. He moved to the middle of the room and looked us over with emotionless eyes.
"We're professional soldiers, Sergeant," he said. "We don't beat or torture prisoners. And I'll be damned if I'll let you terrorize children. Get out."
The sergeant didn't hesitate. He stomped out. The other soldier remained.
The officer caught my eyes. "He's angry, and for good reason. His wife and children were killed during the attack. You, on the other hand, are just fucking stupid. I suggest you keep your thoughts to yourself."
"What attack? We didn't attack him or his family."
"All of our cities on the American border were hit by the same terrorist attack," he said. "All of us were in that unfortunate region, so Sergeant Poulin is just as infected as you. Hell, we all are."
"Is that why you're the first Canadians we've seen not wearing gas masks?" Charlie asked.
"Yes. It's too late for us," he said. "And if we cannot go home, then we damned sure aren't going to let you people into Canada."
"We understand that," I said. "We're heading west, to Wisconsin or Minnesota to start new lives. We've given up on entering Canada."
A few in our group showed their surprise at my words, so the officer wasn't fooled. He shook his head and turned toward the door.
"We'll be leaving soon," he said. "When a cure is found for the zombie infection, then we'll all be allowed back into Canada. Until that happens, you'll be our… Guests."
Walt stepped up next to the officer and looked around with a satisfied smile.
"On your feet!"
Chapter 41
Jenny
Vince stayed behind to ensure they didn’t take our families and friends away. I hurried back to the others. We huddled in the cold, wet forest.
"It appears everyone in the other two boats was captured by the Canadians," I whispered. "I've only seen Sean, but I think the rest are inside the house."
Using a stick, I sketched out what I'd seen around the house. There were seven vehicles in all, three of which were military. I'd only seen a front and back door into the house. The woods were cleared back about twenty free from the house, with no trees in the cleared area for them to hide behind.
"There are eight of us," I said. "So I'll leave three of you with Vince on this side of the house." I indicated Leslie, Willa, and Ally. "And I'll take the rest to the other side. We'll have them in our crossfire."
"We're just going to kill them all?" Ally asked, eyes wide. "Just like that?"
"Of course not," I said, giving her shaking hand a squeeze. "We've not descended to that level yet."
I paused, thinking of all the times we shot first and then never bothered with questions afterwards. Maybe we hadn't become complete savages, but we weren't much better. It was a kill or be killed world more often than not, which made me want to reach civilization more than ever.
"We're going to wait for them to start loading the prisoners up in their cargo truck. I'll yell for them to halt, at which time everyone will fire a single burst over their heads," I said. "If they still want to fight it out, then we do have to kill them. I don't want to kill anyone, but we have to protect our families and friends first and foremost."
They nodded agreement, though they all wore grim looks. I might understand how they felt, but those bastards were holding my husband, children, and friends. I wouldn't hesitate killing them if they didn’t release them.
"I need you to be strong and resolute," I said. "All of our lives depend on it. If you can't shoot them, tell me now."
"We're fine," Leslie said, though she was the avowed pacifist before the world went crazy. "We've all killed before."
I glanced at Ally. Had she killed before? We'd gotten into firefights since she joined, but I wasn't sure she'd actually killed anyone. The sickened look on her face said she hadn't.
"Are you all right, Ally?"
"No," she said with a tiny voice. "Don't worry about me. I'll be there for you."
I gave her a brief hug. "I have complete confidence in you. Let's go."
Suddenly, the level of noise we made moving through the woods filled my ears. The rain made the leaves and ground cover soft, so intellectually I understood we were actually pretty quiet. Yet, I couldn't get the fear we'd be heard out of my head.
I stopped everyone as soon as I spotted Vince's hunched over form, behind his weapon that was being supported atop a low branch. I had to whisper his name three times before he looked back. That made me feel better. If he didn't hear us approaching, neither did the bad guys.
"Sitrep?"
"What?" he replied.
I couldn't believe he didn't know what that meant. Was that only common around military families?
"Anything going down I need to know about?"
I motioned his wife, Willa, and Ally up and pointed to where I wanted each of them to position themselves. Vince and Leslie shared a moment, clashing hands and staring at each other sadly. Being pacifists, this all had to be doubly hard for them.
"All they've done is turn the cargo truck around," he said.
The cargo truck was backed up to the house, leaving only about ten feet between it and the front door. The tailgate was down and soldiers were standing to either side. The civilian looking men were gathered to either side of the big truck.
"I briefed them on our plan," I continued. "Remember, it's my signal to fire one burst in the air when I shout 'halt.'"
"You better hurry," he said. "I think they are going to start loading them up any minute now."
That was all of the encouragement I needed. Leading Jake, Haley, and Selma, I circled behind the house and came up on the other side. We crawled through the cold, wet underbrush to the very edge of the vegetation. And then I settled down and sighted in on those sorry bastards.
I only had to wait a few moments. Kate was the first to come out, looking battered and angry. My shoulders tensed upon seeing blood on her face. Then Terrel, Sonya, and their son came out. They were all forced to climb into the back of the truck. I almost fired when one of those dirty looking hunters grabbed little Terrel and threw him into the back of the truck.
Even the Canadian soldiers shouted angrily, and he was forced to back away.
I counted my friends as they came out. Roger was last, with Harlan, Timmy, and Sookie. Heat flushed through my body, and I felt a moment of relief. They were alive, but still in danger. My hands tightened on my weapon.
One of the four man military trucks was off by itself, closer to the road. I took aim with the grenade launcher's sights, and fired.
Poof.
I saw heads lift and look around.
Ka-boom!
"Halt!" I shouted.
Both sides of the house exploded with automatic gunfire. It only lasted a few seconds, but every one of those scumbags dropped flat to the ground.
"The next volley will be into your fucking heads if you don't throw away your weapons and surrender!"
One of the men in hunter's camo jumped up and ran to the back of the cargo truck. He thrust an Uzi forward, aiming at my family and friends. I took aim and pulled the trigger so fast it surprised me when he dropped like a rock. Two more men
jumped up and raced toward him and the back of the truck, so I shot them, too.
"If one more stupid motherfucker jumps up we're going to kill every fucking one of you!" I shouted. I was shaking so hard it was impossible to keep my weapon steady. Whether it was anger or stress, I didn't know or care. "We're all on full auto now, and are going to mow your fucking asses down if you don't throw away your weapons right now!"
No one moved. They remained still and prone.
"I bet it was the F-bombs that did it," Jake said. "Kinda scared me, too."
I had no idea what he was talking about. Hell, it took a second before I understood what he meant by "F-bomb." I was more concerned with the fact that no one had thrown away their weapons.
"Are you bastards listening?" I shouted. "You're fucking with my children, so you know I want to kill someone."
I took aim at the other four-man military vehicle. I kind of missed, but the grenade went under the truck and blew it up anyway.
Ka-boom!
"I don't see anyone tossing their weapons away!" Vince called from the other side. "I'm about ready to start the slaughter."
A rifle was tossed into the air, toward Vince. Then an Uzi was thrown my way. Slowly, the men began divesting themselves of weapons. It went painfully slow until Sean stood up near the house door, and started ordering them to disarm.
"He's pretty good for a guy with his hands tied behind his back," Jake said. "Maybe I'll join the Marines some day."
I nodded, but had a bad feeling he'd never have that chance. Everyone was against us.
"There are more men inside the house," Sean said. "Stay under cover."
He turned and spoke to someone on the ground, who rose up on his knees and cut Sean free. He took the knife and jumped into the back of the truck. A moment later Roger, Charlie, Mike, Fred, Terrel, and Brett came out and started arming themselves.
"Watch the back door," Roger shouted. "We're going in."
I had just enough time to see four men charge out of the back door. They didn't slow down, but ran straight into the woods at full speed.