***
Jake and his men were in a lot of trouble. He has already lost two to sniper fire, and he had seen the hotel go up in flames down the street. He was pinned down behind a car which continued to be riddled by sniper rounds. Two other bikers and his friend Vance were hiding behind the cars, trying to figure out exactly what they were up against.
One of his men sent more rounds towards the building where the snipers were hiding. “Those motherfuckers killed Frank!”
Vance hunkered down. “Geez man, we are fucked!”
Jake’s anger was growing. “Stop being a fucking coward, and keep firing!” Jake peered out down the street, and he could see several people moving their way. Figures most of my men would have been drunk last night. Another biker popped his head up for a quick moment, but took a sniper round in the top of his head, which exploded in a spray across the car he was hiding behind. Jake sent more rounds towards the top of the building where the snipers were, but he had more to worry about now that the figures he saw were getting closer to him. The residents had scattered away from the park and there were groups of them huddled around other cars or had gone into buildings to hide from the gunfire. Through the clatter of gunfire, he heard a voice call out to him.
“You’re fucking surrounded. We have snipers trained on your position. Give up now and no one else has to die!”
“Jake, man, what do we do?” said Vance. “I don’t wanna die out here.”
“Hey,” yelled Jake. “Maybe we can work something out!”
“I don’t think so, after what you did to that constable. There’s no bargain. Surrender now.”
“We surrender,” said Vance. He dropped his rifle and stood up with his hands over his head “Don’t shoot. Call off your snipers!”
The other men around Jake dropped their guns and did the same as Vance.
Great, surrounded by cowards. Just what I need. It gets tough, and they cry like little babies. “Alright you win, were coming out.” Jake stood up with his men. He put his rifle down. He walked up behind Vance. “So disappointing. I thought you were tougher than that.”
“Shit man, put your hands up. They’re gonna kill you,” said Vance.
“Perhaps, but you’ll die, too.”
“Hu—“
Before Vance could finish, Jake took his knife out and shoved it through the back of Vance’s neck. He twisted the blade, and Vance gurgled as blood poured out of his mouth. Jake withdrew the knife. You stupid little fuck. He put his boot into Vance’s back and shoved him over. He sheathed the knife, then put his hands on the top of his head.
Several men and one woman came out from behind a building. The woman wore tight jean shorts. They walked over to Jake and his remaining men.
Jake smiled at her. “Damn darlin’, you’re so fine.”
“Shut the fuck up,” said Trevor, as he slugged him across the jaw.
Jake rubbed his jaw. “Nice to meet you, too. Welcome to Rawlings. Might say I’m the town mayor, now.”
Trevor pointed his gun at Jake’s head. ‘You’re gonna pay for what you did here.”
“Pay? Shit man, I was just helping these fine folks.” A crowd began to gather around them.
“Fucking kill that bastard!” screamed a woman.
“Seems you have a lot of new friends, Jake.”
“Ah, word gets out around here. I see you know me.”
“I know enough.”
Phillip went through the crowd. “Janice!” he yelled.
“Your sister?” said Jake. “Oh, she was sweet, let me tell you.”
“Fuck you.” Erica drove the butt of her rifle into Jake’s guts, and the biker bent over as he puked.
Trevor and Steven used rope to tie up Jake and his remaining men.
“Such a hero,” said Jake to Erica. He smiled though the vomit on his chin.
Several more sniper shots went off in rapid succession, but nowhere near them.
“What the hell? You got more men I don’t know about?”
“Not me,” said Jake. “Maybe your boys are trigger happy.”
“Steven, watch them.” Trevor took off down the street towards the building his uncle and Billy were located in and then he heard the screams. Several of the town’s residents ran past him in a rush. He grabbed a woman’s arm. “Slow down, we got more bikers up there?”
“No,” she sobbed. “They’re everywhere. Those things are coming. You got to run and get the fuck out of here!”
Trevor took a few more steps and then he saw the wall of figures. They had reached the building where Billy and Galen where. Behind the main mass, he saw even more of them. Trevor lowered his rifle.
“Shit.”
Chapter 37
“They’re gonna overrun the town,” said Steven. “We can’t get to Galen even if we wanted to.” He fired his rifle towards one of the dead that had broken off from the main group and headed their way.
The dead made their way through the streets of Hope. Several of the residents had been unable to escape them and were now being torn to pieces in the streets. Others ran to the relative safety near Trevor and his group. A few residents had decided to fight and brandished shovels and pipes from a local hardware store. Trevor knew it would be no use. They couldn’t run and he wasn’t gonna abandon Billy and his uncle to the horde.
“Erica,” said Trevor. “Get these people back. Go down the highway. We’ll catch up to you as soon as we can. We have to save as many as possible.”
Erica put her hand on his shoulder. “You can’t save them, the building is surrounded. We can make our way through the mountains and double back to the cabin to get Ian and your wife.”
Trevor looked at her. “No, I’m not abandoning them, understand?” He turned and forced his rifle again the growing horde. “Now get them the hell out of here!”
The main horde had stopped and were concentrating on the building where Galen and Billy were. They slammed on the glass doors trying to the inside. The two men sent rifle rounds down upon them. Dropping several of the dead in the group, but there were too many of them to make much difference. Several began to break away from the building as they heard the gunshots coming from Trevor’s direction. They shambled down the street towards the park.
“Pull some of them away from the building,” said Trevor to his group. “Maybe we can get to them.”
The residents of Hope who had decided to stay behind and fight brandished whatever they could find from the hardware store. They began to fight with the dead that had moved away from the main building where the snipers were. One man swung a length of pipe at one of the dead, and it tore into the thing’s head. He used the end as a spear and thrust it into the left eye socket, dropping the ghoul in heap. A young woman brandished a crowbar and beat on the head of another one until it was a bloody mass of pulp. Another man screamed as several dead descended upon him when he missed one with a shovel. They tore into his arm and neck, sending hot blood rushing everywhere. Jason and Trevor stood their ground near Jake and his men, who were still tied up on the ground. Trevor dropped a magazine and loaded a fresh one into his rifle. Uncle, how in the fuck am I gonna get you out of this? He looked down the street There are so many of them. This is it, Trev, you’re finished. Sorry, hon, I failed. They all continued to fight. Another man, who reminded Trevor of Ian, swung an axe like a wildman and took the heads off several of the ghouls in quick strokes. Dammit, I should have listened to Erica. There’s no hope, they keep coming.
“Well shit. Looks like you’re in a whole heap of mess. Why don’t you untie me, so I can lend a hand?” said Jake.
Trevor looked over at Jake. “I don’t need your fucking help. You helped these people enough. Your buddy back there tied to the tree, remember?”
“The constable? Yeah, I did some bad things, I’ll grant you that, but ya need me now.” What are ya doing, Jake, helping these people for? You going soft?
“Got a brilliant plan?” said Steven.
“Yeah. I do.”
Trevor fired his rifle at another one of the dead. “Alright, I’m listening.”
“Down the street, past the main group of them is a gas station. You passed it coming down here. We were hoarding gas from the vehicles around here. There’s a pickup-up truck there full of gas cans.” Jake pulled put a pair of keys put of his pocket. “It’s their only chance, bro.”
“Great,” said Trevor.
“More are coming this way!” hollered Jason
“That truck would make a good bomb,” said Jake.
“I’ll do it,” said Trevor.
“Thing is,” said Jake. “That’s a one-way trip. You’ll have to drive it into the main group and light the gas. Only way to clear that mass of dead.”
“With me inside,”” hollered Trevor. He fired his rifle again dropping another one of the dead.
“Stay here. Give me some cover. I’ll go,” said Steven.
“No ma—”
“Hey, I live here. I’ll make it. It’s the only way to save them.”
“You can’t.”
Steven put his hand on Trevor’s arm. “My mind’s made up. You gotta make a stand sometime in this life. My time is now.”
“Steven, no.”
“Hey, I can still move fast for an old man. I was on the track team in my youth. The fuckers will never even touch me.” He handed Trevor his rifle and extra ammunition. Then he checked his pistol. “Here take the rifle, it will only slow me down. Anyone got a lighter?”
Trevor reached into his pocket. “Yeah, this will do. What you’re doing, I—”
Steven smiled. “It’s alright, buddy. Now let’s go and give me some cover, will ya? It’s gonna get hairy out there.”
Trevor turned to Jason and the other men and women. “Let’s go send those motherfuckers back to hell where they came from!”
***
The group of survivors marched down the street brandishing whatever weapons they could carry. Trevor raised his rifle and sent a round towards another one of the dead. On the rooftop ahead of him, he could see Galen and Billy still firing their rifles at the massive horde of dead that had congregated by the building and were blocking the road. There was no way to get them out of there. Trevor had a couple of men stay behind to watch over Jake and his surviving bikers.
You’re still gonna pay for what you did. Don’t think you’re going to get way Scott free, you bastard.
The group took cover by the side of another building, away from the main group of dead pounding on the glass, trying to get into the building where Galen and Billy were. They needed to clear a path so Steven could get around them and up the street to the truck.
Trevor yelled to the rooftop. “Uncle, just stay there, we have a plan to get you out!”
Galen aimed at one of the dead below him. “Not like we have much choice, do we? Get the hell out of here, before you bring them down upon you!”
Several dead broke away from the building and began to shuffle towards Trevor and his group.
“Let ‘em have it,” said Trevor. “Keep them occupied!”
Trevor and Jason fired into the horde of dead and dropped several of them. Others attacked with shovels, axes, tire irons, and whatever else they had on hand. The tide of dead forced the group to back up away from the building, which pulled several more dead towards them, but the main building was still surrounded by them.
A ghoul moved towards Jason. He slammed the butt of his rifle into the thing’s head and caved in its face. He shoved his pistol into the mouth of another one and blew its brains out the back of its head, which smeared the wall.
“Is it clear on any side around you?” hollered Trevor up to Galen.
“Yeah,” replied Billy. “On the right side, it’s almost clear, there aren’t many of them. They are concentrating on the doors.” Billy raised is rifle. “Look out!”
Trevor looked to his left as one of the dead had tried to move toward him. The head blew apart as Billy’s round exited through its skull.
“Thanks,” said Trevor.
Steven fired his pistol into the head of one of the dead, which exploded out the back and sprayed brains in all directions.
“It’s now or never,” hollered Steven. “I’ve got to get to that truck.” He fired again and dropped another ghoul onto the pavement.
One of Trevor’s men got too close to the main horde and this preoccupied them for a brief second. The man swung his shovel, but they surrounded him quickly. He screamed as the dead tore into his arm. Trevor cursed and dropped the two that had attacked him. The man tried to get away, but they pulled him into the crowd. The dead pulled away from the right side of the building for a moment and went over to feast on the unfortunate man. This gave Steven the chance he needed.
“Go!” Trevor yelled. “Get that truck, we can’t hold them forever!” Trevor cursed and swung his rifle at one that tried to clamp its jaws around him.
Jason sent streams of bullets towards the dead with his automatic rifle as more of them moved towards the group from the building. Another man slammed his tire iron into the eye socket of another one and pushed it back with his foot.
Steven wasted no time watching the group battle the dead as he raced around the right side of the building, he passed several of the dead and one of them reached out to him in a lazy fashion, but he ignored it. His old legs were slower than they were in high school, but he still had some speed. He ran as fast as he could around the building and saw an opening. The dead were still feasting on the man and weren’t paying much attention to anything else. Just ahead of him he could see the gas station and the white truck there with the back full of gas cans. Several dead were near it, and Steven knew it would be difficult to get into the truck without them getting near. He ran towards the station and fired his pistol at two of them. One round slammed into the shoulder of one, while the other round tore off the top of the other’s head. This attracted more of the dead from the main group near the building, as well as several shuffling around near the station.
“Shit,” said Steven as he dropped his magazine and loaded a fresh one into his gun. He fired again and dropped another one. He approached the truck and went to the back of it to grab a gas can. Several dead came around the front of the truck, and he fired his pistol until the magazine was empty, dropping them to the ground. As he tried to load the pistol again, he didn’t see the one coming up behind him. The thing reached out and clamped down on his shoulder. Steven screamed as hot blood rushed out of the wound, and he dropped his pistol. He managed to push the ghoul backwards as he slammed the thing with the back of his head, trying to pry it off of him. As it let go, he swung the gas can around and clubbed it over the head with it. He ignored the pain in his shoulder and reached for the door to the truck he slammed the truck door shut just as several more reached the window. They pounded hard on the on the glass and left streaks of grime across it as they fought to get in the truck. One of them jumped on the hood and tried to crawl up to the window, but Steven found the keys in his pocket and started the truck’s engine. He flung the gas can to the passenger side. He slammed it in reverse and hit several dead, toppling them over, then put it in drive. He smashed through several more dead and put the pedal to the metal as he drove the truck full speed towards the building and the horde there. At full speed, the truck barreled into the group of dead and his head slammed against the steering wheel as the truck stopped. Ahead of the truck, a mass of bodies were on the ground and blood flowed out of several of them. Even then, a few tried to get their mangled bodies up. One that was cut in half crawled along the ground and put a hand on one of the truck tires.
Trevor looked out at the truck in the horde as they tried to get in. “Get back, everyone get back!”
Steven lifted his head up and fought through the blackness. He laughed to himself. So this is how it ends. Blood poured from both his shoulder wound and the severe gash across his eyebrow. He coughed as the virus invaded his body. He pulled the lighter out of his pocket. You
fucks are gonna get a big surprise soon, I hope you know. It’s been nice knowin’ ya. He put the lighter on the dashboard and grabbed the gas can. He opened it up and poured the gas throughout the cabin of the truck. The sick smell made him want to wretch. He grabbed the lighter, then lit the gas. To hell with ya.
Steven’s suffering ended in an instant as the gas ignited and along with it, the gas can in the cabin. The truck went up in a huge fireball as the rest of the gas cans, along with the gas tank, erupted in a geyser of flames, shattering several nearby windows.
The explosion tore the dead to pieces, ripping bodies apart and spraying blood and remains in all directions. Several dead staggered around on fire, but eventually fell over as their bodies were consumed. On the roof, Galen and Billy had taken cover on the ground once they had seen the truck. The front of the building was destroyed and there was a small fire raging.
Trevor and his group came out from their position. They fought through the remainder of the dead that were still lingering near the building, but for the most part it as now clear.
Trevor hollered up to his uncle. “We’ll get a ladder and get you down, just hang on!”
Chapter 38
The main group went back and picked up Erica before they headed back up to Galen’s cabin. Although they had lost Steven in the battle against the dead, they had managed to save both Galen and Billy from the horde. Now they would go and pickup Samantha, Lauren, and Ian. The town of Hope was theirs now, but how long they could stay here was a question no one could answer. The dead were out there, and it would only by a matter of time before another herd of them made their way to Hope. For the time being, there was a bit of safety there, as well as fresh supplies that everyone desperately needed. They proceeded in a pick-up truck up the mountain to Galen’s cabin. Along the way, they ran into several of the dead, but they ignored them as they walked along the side of the road and weren’t much of a threat.
Age of Decay (Book 1): Contagion Page 19