As the first zombie fell over its friend, it landed clumsily on the first step. It then tried to claw its way up the steps, again as if standing would add too much time. This allowed Drew to push in his stick once again, just as the pining creature looked up at him.
Liam did nearly the same thing when the other zombie was on the step looking up. Liam's stick got stuck in the zombie, and broke.
Liam was embarrassed to be the one with a broken spear, but the feeling only lasted a second. He turned around in time to see one of the young boys lunge with his own little spear, but he missed the head of zombie poking over the side rail. Instead, he sunk it a little way into its shoulder. As his arms were extended, the zombie grabbed him and pulled him whole hog over the railing.
Liam looked up, trees all around were rustling with new arrivals.
That guy.
Liam threw down his useless stick and jumped down the small flight of steps to solid ground. He was on the run while pulling the gun out of his waistband. He only had his original nine rounds.
Five seconds and he was running full speed.
Seven seconds and he was around the corner.
Eight seconds and he was decelerating to a stop, thumbing the safety.
Ten seconds, he was taking aim at the zombie now wrestling the Scout.
Eleven seconds and he pulled the trigger.
Twelve and thirteen, he pulled two more times. At least one of those went through the zombie's head.
It tumbled over.
Next to him, the boy was still holding firm to his unbroken spear.
Liam grabbed him, pulled out the spear, and they both climbed over the railing closest to them—putting themselves into the safety of the little wooden platform once again. There was no time for celebrating. Drew was screaming for Liam to get back to the steps.
The forest was alive with the sound of rustling leaves.
5
As Liam ran back next to Drew, he recognized he had just saved the life of his young companion. Even if Hayes somehow heard the shots and knew where to look, it was worth it to save a life. It felt pretty good.
He was still carrying the spear he pulled from the zombie he'd shot, and he decided he would stick with it unless it broke again. He needed it more than the young boy, for now. Using the gun would be easier, but the sound and lack of ammo made it a tool of very last resort.
The two kids working the stretcher poles were still at it. The ends of their poles were just starting to get rounded with the blades of their knives. They were still out of the game, and the group was already a spear short.
Still no sign of Mr. Lee.
As he resumed his position next to Drew on the steps, Drew gave him a chuck on the shoulder. “Nice work, man. That was some fast thinking!”
“Thanks.” It was all he could muster amidst the rising and falling adrenaline bursts.
More zombies were coming into view. Several were indeed coming up from the open valley below them, but more were coming along the ridgeline.
“It's like they've been waiting out here for something to do.”
Liam couldn't disagree. Could they have all been alerted by the sounds they'd made earlier on the tower? Did they all get lost in the woods, only to awaken at the sounds of the small battle? None of it made any sense.
As the forest continued to spit out the dead, Liam took stock of their situation. The six of them could easily run down the mountain and be safe within a few minutes. But Grandma was on the second floor. He wasn't going to leave her. “Guys, things don't look too good here. If any of you want to escape down the hill, I wouldn't blame you. This may be your last chance.”
The two kids working on spears never looked up. They reaffirmed they were staying. Liam wondered if they just wanted to try out their new weapons.
Kids!
The young boy who was pulled over the railing looked much more hesitant, but he also said he'd stay and fight with everyone else. The last boy, still with his spear in hand, said he would fight until the zombies got him.
He decided to give the frightened boy something to do. “You—what's your name?”
“Bobby.”
“OK Bobby, I want you to sneak up to the third level and tell me what you see. Look down into the valley on this side. Also, if you see Mr. Lee, yell like your life depends on it. Sound like a plan?”
He nodded and started up the steps.
Preston was the other boy with a small spear. Liam told him he was responsible for the three other sides while he and Drew took care of the side with the steps. He also advised him to allow the zombies to come up to the railing and stand there, rather than kill them. When the boys were done with the long spears, they could use those to dispatch any that remained.
He didn't want to risk another boy getting pulled over the sides.
The first of the second wave of zombies was now up to the steps. The time for running had passed.
Drew and Liam became adept at slaying the zombies at the stairway. Since they had to crawl over their predecessors, the zombies became easy prey to pounce on with the little spears. They realized they didn't have to sink the weapons very far into the zombie heads, making it easier to pull them back out. They were able to dispatch another four or five in a row before things started to get serious again.
The recommendation to allow the zombies to park themselves outside the railing seemed like a good one, but the agitation of being so close to their prey drove the zombies mad with rage. Four of them began thrashing themselves against the railing. A slat broke inward, making a sound that caused all the boys to look where it came from.
“Uh oh!”
To Drew, he said, “One of us is going to have to go push those zombies off the railing.”
“I'm on it.” Drew left the steps, leaving Liam alone in the breach.
“Spear ready!”
One of the kids with the pole from the stretcher was ready with his crude weapon. He stood up with it and realized how unwieldy an eight-foot spear could be. Instead of heroic slaying, he was more likely to knock down one of the other boys.
“Two boys to each big spear! Little guy in back to hold it, bigger guy in front to guide it and lunge it in. Go!”
He thought about taking the big spear for himself, but he was finally getting adept at using the smaller spear. No sense messing with a good thing.
Soon the second big spear was done, Bobby came back down, and the four younger boys were learning on the job how to properly execute an attack with the crude weapons.
The stronger kid in the front would call out what zombie he was aiming for, and then the pair would run a few paces while the spear was guided home by the person in front. Because the spears were large and smooth, they seemed to go in and come out with relative ease. It was also more forgiving on where it impacted, as it would severely damage the zombie's head wherever it hit.
Back. Forth. Zombie skewered.
Back. Forth. Zombie mushed.
Some cheers.
Back. Forth. Zombie drilled.
Hooting and hollering.
Back. Forth. Zombie hollowed out.
Trash-talking and high-fiving.
The kids were starting to enjoy the task. This did not make Liam feel good. In all his reading, he couldn't remember too many instances of bloodlust in young kids, but he had to believe it was better to be overzealous in battle than crying in the corner. Right?
He wondered if anything was going to be “normal” again in these turbulent times? Certainly growing up wasn't going to be the same anymore. Victoria had wondered if killing was going to be a requirement in the new era of zombies. Before she herself was killed...
That's irony right there.
He looked around and was pleased to see they'd done away with all the zombies trying to attack them over the past ten or fifteen minutes. Most lay dead or incapacitated in the close semi-circle around the tower. Some had stumbled off to expire deeper in the woods.
They were taking i
t all in, celebrating amongst themselves, when Mr. Lee coughed from a little ways down the hill behind them. He was trying to get their attention without scaring them, or getting shot.
He was with six older Boy Scouts and two adult men, all carrying rifles.
More irony. The battle had just ended.
Chapter 13: Maskirovka
After arriving at the watch tower, Mr. Lee and his team set up a perimeter to wait for more zombies. There were still many lurkers in the next valley, but none were on their way up. For now, the group had some time to think.
“I'm sorry it took us so long to get up here. Your friend Hayes caught me while I was in the administration building getting a couple of extra guns. He wanted to talk to the whole committee, and since I was in the building...”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“So, this is what I know. Obviously, it was the guy you thought it was. By coming up the road, he showed us he has the MRAP and at least two Humvees under his command. And that MRAP has that sophisticated Gatling gun up top. Wow. He seemed positive you were in the camp, Liam. He didn't come out and say it, but he might as well. For instance, he knew the approximate time you arrived. He said you were a Boy Scout. He knew, or at least assumed, you'd find friends here. I think he suspects someone was hiding you, but he never accused us directly.”
Lee sat down on a step to the second level so Grandma could hear.
“The odd thing is, he said he didn't have enough manpower to sweep the camp, but he would be back tomorrow with the force he needed. He was very friendly about it, but there was a threat there too. The rest of the committee was thankfully tight-lipped, but I'm not sure how long they'll mind their tongues if a serious military force arrives and starts ripping up tents looking for you. He didn't stay long, and he seemed unnaturally happy. He bade his farewell for the day, and then got back in his Humvee and took off. Once he left, I was able to collect my guns, grab a few boys, and head into the woods.”
Liam knew Hayes had a plan. Could he know for sure they were in the camp? Was he using a drone? A tracking device of some sort? He had visions of tiny homing beacons being placed on their clothing, or in a pocket, but when could they have done it? It seemed very unlikely. Unless...
Liam ran upstairs to find Grandma lying prone on the hard wooden planks, in tears.
“Grandma, what happened, are you OK?”
He had to be quiet as he didn't want to alert the zombies.
“I'm fine, Liam. My back was in such pain while I was sitting. I just had to roll over and take the weight off. I didn't want to call down for fear of bringing more of those things here. I could hear what you did down there though. Good work getting your friends through the worst of it. I'm very proud of you.”
Here she was lying in pain, and she was thinking of him. He was humbled by her perseverance. He helped her sit up again while he continued. “Thanks, Grandma. I have to ask you a question. Back at the camp when they took your blood. Did they give you anything? Something to hold, maybe. Or put in your pocket?”
Then, Liam saw it. How did he miss it before? A thin clear elastic band was around her ankle, and on that band was something that appeared as a flattish-round metallic object. About the size of a dime, but a little thicker.
The oldest trick in the book. The Trojan Horse.
“I don't remember them giving me anything, Liam. I was already lying down and they drew my blood right there on the spot.”
Liam got out his pocket knife, quickly cut the band and pocketed the beacon. She didn't seem to notice. “Will you be OK for a couple minutes? We're going to leave soon. I'm going to get you somewhere more comfortable.”
“I'll survive.”
Liam ran downstairs and showed the tiny object to Mr. Lee. “We have to get rid of this thing, but where do we put it? They could be using this right now to surround us.”
How long had it been since Hayes left the camp? Half an hour? Plenty of time to get men up on this hill.
“We could do like the cartoons and put the homing device on a rabbit or something.”
“Or on a zombie.”
“We could put it on a snake so he'll take it underground.”
“What about a bird?”
All the kids seemed to want to offer better and better suggestions.
Mr. Lee considered, and came up with the only rock-solid course of action.
“We'll break into two groups. Liam, you and Drew and your brave team can take Grandma back down the hill to your campsite. It's getting late in the day and you two need to get some rest. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to bring some hard challenges for us all.
“As for the second group, I'll carry this thing with my team to a point bordering our forest and try to put it on a zombie or something so it continues to move. That will keep Hayes busy tonight.”
“Tomorrow, we have to get you two out of this area—at least for a while—so Hayes no longer can claim this camp is harboring a fugitive. Even if he tears the place up looking for you, we'll be safe. If the committee spills the beans, they won't be able to give you away, either.”
Liam looked around at Mr. Lee and the dozen or so boys trying to help him. He was suddenly caught up in an emotional moment. He had to look down when he said it. “Why are you guys helping us like this? We're just a couple of nobodies passing through your turf.”
Mr. Lee didn't miss a beat, “Everybody is somebody when the big D—Death—is chomping at all our heels. I'd help anyone who stumbled out of this forest like you did, although it helps that you're a Scout yourself and that your grandmother is such a sweet lady.”
The other boys piled on, explaining in a dozen different ways why they found helping people to be its own reward. But one of the new, older, boys had a response which stuck with Liam for a long time.
“Because doing good things for living people beats killing the dead again and again.”
Liam was overcome. He refused to tear up, but he nearly drew his own blood biting his tongue to keep from doing so. After accepting he and Grandma had to leave, he knew this was exactly the type of place he wanted to end up.
If anything good and decent could survive the new type of world skulking around its borders.
That was very much up in the air.
2
Grandma perked up after she was off the floor and they started back down the hill.
Two boys led the procession, toting their little spears. Liam was carrying Grandma with Drew; He was on the high side, closest to her head. Two more boys were behind him, protecting the back.
“Liam, you can leave me here with these good people and you can go back home to find your mom and dad. I hate slowing you down so much. Promise me you'll think about it.”
“I told you, it's you and me the whole way.” As it came out of his mouth, he knew the time was coming when that couldn't hold true. He couldn't take her everywhere with him. Eventually she'd need a home. A place where she could be comfortable. Reasonably safe.
“Now Liam, you know Hayes is going to find us. There are fewer people and more zombies every day. It won't take him long since we can't get very far on foot.”
She was right. But he wasn't ready to leave her. If Hayes did come back, she'd be a sitting duck. No, he needed a way to get her home where Mom and Dad could help him make the right decisions for her. His mind was searching for the elusive solution as they descended the hill.
As they rounded a corner of the trail, the two boys in the lead practically skidded to a halt. One of them had enough time to raise his spear, but the other did not. That boy was knocked over by a zombie who had been standing in a particularly dense section of trees. Two more zombies poured out after their leader.
Fight or flight? His Biology teacher would be proud he remembered that.
“Grandma, Drew and I are going to set you down here on the path. We need the poles again to use as spears.”
They didn't wait for an answer. Grandma was on the ground and they were sliding out the
poles.
Their task completed, they looked ahead again. Both boys were dead. Just like that.
I should have just shot them.
He remembered he didn't have to be silent anymore.
“Drew, hold up.” He pulled out his pistol and made short work of two zombies, but the third was lucky. He did get a shot off, but it glanced the side of the zombie's skull rather than pierce it. Drew was off balance from complying with Liam's commands. The zombie was able to take him down, sending them both tumbling off the trail and into the brush. Liam looked at Grandma and ordered the other two boys to look after her while he jumped into the bushes to help his friend.
“Liammm!”
Drew and the zombie had rolled together for ten or fifteen yards. They landed up against a large pine tree. The zombie was on top, but in a weird angle. He was sideways, but was regaining his bearings and moving for the head.
Liam was running full speed down the hill and he found himself looking down on the two fighters. He realized he couldn't shoot the zombie in the head because it was right over the top of Drew. He used precious seconds to get a better angle.
“Hold him off for just a second, Drew!”
The zombie was an average-sized man, though larger than its prey. Drew was fighting, trying to keep the man's head away from his. He was able to lock his elbow on his own chest and hold his opponent's neck, but he cried out in pain as the man's weight started to bear down.
Liam was right there. He only needed a few more seconds.
Drew let out a painful scream just as Liam loosed his first shot. He hit the zombie square in the temple. For once, there was very little blood. The zombie just stopped moving.
Together they were able to push the dead—deader—zombie off to the side, and it careened a few more yards down the leaf-covered hillside. It came to rest in some thick undergrowth.
Drew showed he was all right and un-bitten, but he seemed to have strained something in his arm and he could no longer bend it properly. They both reacted to more screams from up the hill, where they'd left Grandma.
Liam pulled Drew to his feet, put his gun back in his waistband, and together they began struggling back up the slope.
Since The Sirens Box Set | Books 1-7 Page 51