She turned her attention back to her own team. “What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation? Move out.”
* * *
Batchelder felt relief when he saw Pandelosi and the others jump onto the walkway. He especially appreciated the order to move out and get the hell off of this death trap.
“Follow me, and leave ten feet between us,” he said to Sandy and Doreen. “Stay low so you don’t attract attention.”
* * *
Backtracking to where the bus accident blocked the bridge, Amy and Sarah jumped the guardrail and crossed over to the western side.
“Wait up.”
They stopped. Kim was following them.
Amy smiled. “I thought for a minute there you were going to head off on your own.”
“Screw it. This is safer. The lieutenant can court martial me if we make it through this.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll make it,” said Amy. She hopped the guardrail onto the pedestrian walkway. “We’ve seen worse.”
“Really?”
Sarah joined her friend. “Yeah.”
“Wow.” Kim vaulted the guardrail and followed the two women.
A few seconds later, he heard gunfire. Off to his left, one of the leather-clad women sat on top of a propane tanker truck firing into a swarm of revenants massing around the vehicle. He admired her courage, and thanked God it wasn’t him stuck up there.
The three raced toward the southern bank.
* * *
With so many rotters surrounding the tanker, Emily could not possibly miss. Still, she lined up each shot, the mental exercise taking her mind off the throbbing in her leg. So far she had fired ten rounds and achieved ten head shots. Pulling out the empty magazine, she dropped it in the bag and removed a full one. That left her with six remaining. At this rate, she would expend the rest of her ammunition in half an hour, which should be more than enough time for the others to escape. Then she would wait for them to rescue her.
Emily did not notice that several of the rotters at the back of the truck kept bumping their arms against the distribution valve on the back of the propane tank, a metal fixture that had been corroded by nine months of exposure to the wind and salt air. The repeated jostling broke the valve, allowing propane to escape. Emily didn’t see the spreading cloud of gas, nor could she smell it because of the stench of the living dead. She slammed the magazine into her M-16A2, pulled back the charging handle, and aimed at a rotter in a jogging outfit with its bottom jaw missing. When she fired, the muzzle blast ignited the propane cloud. Flames engulfed the rear end of the tanker, incinerating Emily. It also set ablaze the first few rows of rotters. The fire followed the cloud through the valve and inside the tank.
Ten thousand gallons of propane ignited.
A giant fireball billowed into the sky and spread outward. Those rotters not vaporized were ripped apart by the blast. The shockwave spread down the bridge, wrecking nearby vehicles and scattering them in every direction. It also blasted through the span, tearing it free from its suspension cables. The section of bridge underneath the tanker collapsed, plunging more than two hundred feet into the frigid water below, and ripping loose several of the spans on either side of it. One by one they broke free, some twisting off and plummeting into the water, others dangling for a few moments before breaking free. Vehicles and rotters rained into the Bay. The last section to separate was four to the south of the initial blast. The southern and eastern supports broke loose first, and it dropped vertically, spilling its contents. It swung back and forth for several seconds before its weight tore it free. It fell into the Bay, pulling a lengthy section of the western pedestrian walkway with it.
* * *
Sandy had no idea what had happened. For a split second she thought the world had ended. The shockwave had dissipated by the time it reached them, having been absorbed by distance and the surrounding vehicles. However, the concussion and the collapse of the center sections set in motion a chain reaction throughout the rest of the structure. The span swayed several feet in each direction, accompanied by the unnerving sound of straining steel. Someone screamed. Sandy was so terrified she couldn’t be certain if it was her or someone else. She fell onto the walkway, her fingers clutching the wood, praying it didn’t give way beneath her.
* * *
For Kim, it was the end of the world. One second he was rushing toward the southern bank, and the next everything around him exploded, knocking him off his feet and deafening him. He felt the bridge swaying. Rolling onto his side, he saw the center sections break away and drop into the Bay. When the last piece of bridge collapsed, it pulled several additional sections of walkway with it, like a piece of yarn being unraveled from a sweater. Kim scrambled to his feet and raced forward as the section under his feet gave way. He plummeted two hundred feet into the Bay, his body splattering when it impacted against the chunks of walkway underneath him.
Sarah’s section of walkway collapsed beneath her, but did not break free. She had the presence of mind to drop her weapon and grab the outer guardrail. It stopped her fall, nearly yanking her arms out of their sockets. Sarah hung on tight and kicked her legs forward until she got a foothold on the slats in the outer guardrail. Pausing to catch her breath, she climbed the guardrail like a ladder. With each movement, the dangling piece of structure gave way a little more.
Amy was ahead of the last section of walkway to collapse. She continued running until she noticed that neither Kim nor Sarah were behind her, and went back to check. Cautiously approaching the end of the walkway, she leaned forward. Sarah clutched a dangling piece of guardrail ten feet below her.
“Climb up. I’ll pull you to safety.”
“I can’t. Every time I move, this thing loosens up.”
Amy lay prone on the walkway. Holding on to the guardrail with her left hand, she stretched her right as far as possible toward her friend.
* * *
The explosion threw Natalie off her feet, flinging her to the right. She hit the outer guardrail and bent over the top, staring down into the dark gray waters of the Bay. As the bridge swayed, she experienced the sensation of falling. Natalie closed her eyes and clutched the railing tight, praying the end would be quick. After a few seconds, she realized she was not plummeting to her demise. She was not going to die, at least not at this moment.
Turning behind her, Natalie gasped. A major portion of the center span had collapsed, including the section where Emily had been. She also saw Amy prone on the walkway, talking to someone. Natalie called to the others. “I need help!”
“I’ll go,” said Pandelosi. She caught Duncan’s attention. “Get these people off this bridge. Now!”
The two women ran off to help Amy.
* * *
The explosion disoriented the mass of living dead. One minute they were shambling toward the sound of gunfire, which they now associated with food. The next, their primitive senses were overloaded with loud, unusual noises and strange motions. Many of the rotters close to, but not destroyed outright by the blast, had been knocked over by the shockwave. In the eerie silence that followed, every rotter on the bridge looked around aimlessly, not knowing what to do. Then they heard yelling and screaming, sounds associated with food. The horde tried to get their bearing, until a female rotter in a gore-encrusted “Keep calm and leave your heart in San Francisco” sweatshirt realized the noise was coming from the edge of the bridge. It staggered toward the sounds. The rest of the living dead followed it, maneuvering between the four lanes of stalled vehicles, swarming toward the western pedestrian walkway.
* * *
Duncan stepped between the members of his team. “Let’s move.”
Ari knelt on the wooden walkway, her eyes closed tight and her arms clutched around a lamppost. “I’m scared.”
“We’re all scared, ma’am. You need to move your ass.”
Opening her eyes, Ari could only focus on the Bay more than two hundred feet beneath them. “I can’t.”
“Then give me the backpack.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“You’re not important. What’s in that backpack is. If you want to stay here and be revenant bait, go ahead. Just give it to me.”
“No.”
Duncan grabbed the shoulder strap. “That backpack is coming off this bridge. Either you carry it or I will. I don’t care.”
“Asshole.” Ari’s fear of being left behind overrode everything else. She stood up and secured the backpack on her shoulders, and then met Duncan’s eyes. “Thanks.”
He smiled. “You can buy me a beer if we live through this.”
* * *
When Natalie and Pandelosi reached Amy, they saw her trying to save Sarah. Sarah saw Natalie and smiled, knowing everything would be all right now.
Pandelosi knelt down and called out to Sarah. “Come on, kid. Climb up.”
“The guardrail will give way if I move.”
Without hesitation, the lieutenant stepped over to the guardrail and clasped the last rung of the uncollapsed section. “I’m going to lower myself down. When I do, climb as fast as you can and grab my hand. Got it?”
Sarah nodded.
Pandelosi swung her body over the edge of the walkway, planting her left foot on an exposed metal beam for support, and leaned as far to the right as possible and stretched out her hand. Three feet separated her and Sarah.
“Now.”
Sarah climbed. The steel groaned and twisted. As Sarah wrapped her right hand around Pandelosi’s wrist, the guardrail snapped free and spiraled into the water. The lieutenant still had a hold on the woman, who dangled in the air, kicking and screaming.
Pandelosi felt her grip loosening. “Hold still!” she yelled to Sarah. Then to Natalie and Amy, “How about a little help?”
The two surged forward. The excess weight caused the section of walkway to buckle, and it tilted at a thirty degree angle toward the Bay. Instinct took over, and Natalie and Amy rushed back.
“Natalie, don’t leave me!” Sarah cried, a heartbreaking plea in her voice.
Pandelosi knew she had a chance of saving herself if she let go of Sarah, but refused. She tightened her grip and pulled the woman up. Sarah let go of the lieutenant’s arm with one hand and used it to grab for the rungs of the portion of guardrail. When her fingers wrapped around it, she let go of the lieutenant with the other hand and began to pull herself to safety. Pandelosi felt her muscles loosen with the excess weight gone. She also grabbed hold of the rungs and climbed.
They had made it only a few feet when the section underneath them broke loose and tumbled into the Bay.
* * *
Sandy got to her feet and looked behind to see what happened. Her mouth fell agape when she saw a huge portion of the bridge missing. She spotted two of the other teams farther down the walkway, and wondered who they had lost.
A hand grasped her shoulder. She yelped and spun around. Batchelder stood behind her.
“We have to get moving.”
“What about the others?”
“If this bridge collapses, there’s nothing we can do to help them. Our best chance of surviving is if we all get off as fast as possible.”
Not waiting for a response, Batchelder turned and headed for the southern bank. Sandy and Doreen followed.
* * *
Natalie reached out for Sarah, but Amy held her back. She watched helplessly as her friend plummeted through the air and crashed into the water, creating a small geyser in her final resting place.
Amy nudged her. “Come on. We have to go.”
Without a word, Natalie raced off to join the others.
* * *
Stephanie followed a few paces behind Duncan. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Natalie and the others were all right. A pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her toward the inner guard rail. A rotter in a fire fighter’s coat was pulling down on her, threatening to topple her onto the highway portion of the bridge. Half a dozen other living dead closed in from different angles. With her right hand, she punched the rotter in the face. Since it felt no pain, it didn’t release its grip.
Stephanie heard a burst of gunfire and felt a splatter of gore across her face. A second pair of hands grabbed her by the collar. Rather than drag her into the horde, it yanked her back onto the walkway. Ari held her by the collar, and Josephine stood to her left, firing into the horde.
“You okay?” Ari asked.
Stephanie nodded. “Thanks.”
“Don’t ment—”
“Fuck.”
The Angels turned to see what Duncan was swearing about. Swarms of living dead pressed along the guardrail. Even more filled the spaces between the vehicles. In several places, the mass pushed those closest to the guardrail over the top and onto the pedestrian walkway, where they crawled to their feet. Within a few seconds, a dozen rotters converged on them from both sides.
“Should we make a run for it?” Josephine asked.
“We’ll be swarmed before we make it a hundred feet,” Stephanie responded.
“We need maneuvering room if we’re going to get out of here,” Duncan said. “Have you ever been in a running gun battle?”
The Angels shook their heads.
“You’re about to be.”
Duncan scanned the area. Ten feet down sat a Dodge Ram parked close to the outer lane. He ran down and vaulted over the guardrail into the bed of the pick-up. A dozen rotters grasped for him. He stayed far enough away that they couldn’t reach him and waved for the Angels to follow. Stephanie joined him in the bed.
“What do we do?”
“Make your way to shore by going from car roof to car roof.”
“You’re joking,” she said.
“If any of you have a better idea, now’s the time to let me know.” Duncan climbed up onto the roof of the Dodge and hopped over onto the roof of a Prius. The horde turned to follow him. He raced off the Prius, jumped the gap onto the hood of a BMW, and stopped on its roof. Twenty sets of dead hands clutched at him.
“Just keep going and make sure of your footing before you jump,” he called back. “And don’t shoot them unless you need to clear a path.” When none of the women moved, he prodded, “Go! Now!”
Stephanie followed Duncan’s path to the Prius. From there, she continued straight ahead, jumping onto the roof of a Forester and then again onto the roof of a Camry. Most of the rotters turned their attention to her.
“Come on,” Ari said, tapping Josephine on the shoulder. “Now’s our chance.”
* * *
There were at least thirty rotters on the walkway in front of Natalie and Amy, with the number increasing by the second. Duncan led the other Angels onto a pick-up truck and into traffic. She and Amy found a Charger that had swerved left, the hood at an angle to the lane and flush with the guardrail. A single rotter stood in the apex of the angle. She fired one round into its face, dropping it. With the path clear, she and Amy vaulted onto the Charger, up onto the roof, and split off to separate vehicles.
* * *
None of the rotters spotted Batchelder, Sandy, or Doreen, partly because the team stayed low and quiet, and partly because the attention of the living dead was drawn to commotion near where the bridge had collapsed. By the time the others had moved onto the highway portion of the bridge, Batchelder and the Angels had passed the southern tower and were less than two thousand feet from shore.
* * *
Duncan led the way, bounding from vehicle to vehicle, pausing just long enough to make certain of his footing, and occasionally to turn around to check on the others. He pre-planned his next three or four moves, wanting to make certain he didn’t trap himself and have to fight a last stand against the living dead from the roof of a Mini Cooper. The horde grew thicker, the living dead shoving their way between the vehicles to get at him. If one blocked his way, he would shoot it in the head and jump over the corpse. Never did he stay on any vehicle more than four seconds.
Stephan
ie followed Duncan, reasoning that he would find the best path to safety. That plan worked for about a minute before she realized that rotters swarmed around him and, as he made his way from car to car, he left the mass of living dead in his wake. Since Duncan made his way straight down the center of the abandoned vehicles, she veered to the left. For a few minutes the strategy worked, then the rotters from the unobstructed lanes moved toward her, forming several rows along the line of traffic and pushing their way through the vehicles. Stephanie was about to be surrounded.
She emptied an entire magazine into the heads of the rotters to her left, clearing a path of escape. Jumping off the car onto the unobstructed lanes of highway, she wove her way through the horde and hurdled the guardrail onto the eastern pedestrian walkway. Over a hundred rotters stumbled after her. Knowing she only had a minute at best, she broke into a run and headed for shore.
Ari stayed to the right, following the vehicles lined up closest to the western pedestrian walkway. There were fewer of the living dead here, most having turned back to go after Duncan and Stephanie. Carrying the backpack with the vaccine slowed her down, forcing her to spend more time on each vehicle. The delays gave the rotters a chance to gather around. Shifting to the left, she jumped onto a Hyundai that Duncan had passed over earlier, turned right, and hopped over a rotter corpse onto the hood of an Outback. Because of the brains and blood splattered on the hood, Ari slipped. Her legs went out from under her, and she smashed chest first onto the windshield.
Half a dozen rotters descended on her. Ari tried to get up, but four sets of hands grabbed at her legs, making it impossible to get her footing. She kicked and thrashed, reaching out for the roof rack, hoping to pull herself to safety. Her fingers clasped around it, and she pulled herself up. Suddenly, a pair of dead fingers grabbed her hand. Teeth dug into her knuckles, piercing the skin and muscles and grinding against the bone. Ari yanked her hand back, tearing away a chunk of flesh. Another set of hands grabbed her backpack, trying to rip its way through the material to get to her. The hands around her legs threatened to pull her off the hood.
Rotter World (Book 2): Rotter Nation Page 31