by Gillian Zane
“You and Lani can crash in my room,” Murphey said and motioned for us to follow her. She had a room on the first floor to the back of the house. It was down a hallway, past the kitchen and breakfast bar, so most likely where a full-time servant had lived, but the room was large and carpeted, which was perfect. I threw my pack down on the ground and sprawled out.
Lani tried to do the same, but it was obvious she wasn’t used to sleeping on a hard floor. She couldn’t hold still. She squirmed and sighed until Murphey relented.
“Shit. Take the bed,” she grumbled and yanked her blanket off and threw it down on the floor by me.
“I can sleep on the floor, I’m fine,” Lani whined.
“Just take the bed, Lani, Murphey and I are used to sleeping on the ground,” I tried to reassure her but her frown in the dim room told me I had done the opposite.
“I know you guys think I’m soft, but I’m not, I can handle this,” she said but her voice was high-pitched and whiny not sounding capable, only child-like. I knew exactly how she felt. My first two years in the military were a constant battle against men and other women who thought because of my size, how I looked, and my voice, that I couldn’t do the job. It wasn’t until my first tour, even after going through Ranger school, that I finally began to earn the respect I deserved. It wasn’t until after I had taken out nearly a dozen enemy combatants in one of the most horrendous fire fights I’d ever experienced that I became one of the “guys.” I still had nightmares about that day. I didn’t want Lani to have to go through something like that.
“I think it’s more that we want you to be soft, or to stay soft,” I argued.
“That’s unfair. I don’t want to be soft, soft people die. You and Romeo think you’re protecting me by shielding me, but I don’t want to be shielded.”
“Give it time, Lani, you’ll be as fucked as the rest of us,” Murphey yawned. “Might as well enjoy not having PTSD while you have the luxury.” She laughed, her dark humor too close to the truth for comfort.
“Y’all aren’t, fu–fucked,” she stumbled over the curse word as if she wasn’t used to it.
“Yeah we are, we just know how to hide it well. Get some rest, Lani, we have a neighborhood to invade and some bikers to kill, gotta be well-rested for that,” Murphey joked again and Lani took the hint, throwing herself on the bed with a sigh.
I couldn’t let myself slide over into sleep until both of their breaths evened out and I knew they were out.
THIRTEEN | Going in Hot
It was dark as fuck as I got into the back of the vehicle. We had one of the troopers driving, an older man by the name of Nigel. He had his partner in the passenger seat and Murphey and I took the backseat. We were packing M4s and had them converted to fully automatic.
We were going in guns blazing.
We were flanked on both sides by two crotch rockets, with modified mufflers to suppress the sound, and one four-wheeler. They had mounted a rifle on the handle bars of the four-wheeler with a shit-ton of duct tape. It looked ridiculous and dangerous. If that came loose, he could do some serious damage to himself or the soldiers around him. Glad I wasn’t on that post.
“We’re going in hard and fast. Team One is going up Robert E. Lee and taking out the watch at the Orleans Canal, Team Two is going up Filmore and taking out that watch there. Three is coming up the rear behind One after they take out the first watch, and Four is coming up from the Jefferson side and taking out the watch at Bucktown,” Poche reiterated the plan we had gone over a million times.
Team One was Zach and Blake’s team, Team Two was Romeo’s team and ours was Three. There was a fifth team which was basically clean-up and manned by the civilians and Poche who was acting as our Napoleon. Isaiah, our compound’s doctor, and Lani were also in the fifth team, their job was to help secure the females and children. They wouldn’t come in until we gave them an all-clear and were ready to go in and get the hostages.
Nigel started the vehicle and we pulled out, following closely behind Blake’s vehicle. We weren’t using headlights, we wanted to surprise them.
We pulled onto the main street that would take us into Lakeview. The street was a two-lane expanse separated by a wide neutral ground with overhanging trees that were being overtaken by bush killer vines. There was a full moon tonight but the area was still pitch black and I could barely make out anything in front of us. The anxiety from not being able to see had my palms sweating.
Nigel and Blake, the drivers, were sporting night vision, so they could see where they were going. The rest of us were blind.
After a few moments I noticed a glow in the distance. It was the bikers stationed at the Orleans Canal floodgate. Our intel told us it would be two of them. They were using road blocks, nothing more than large plastic bins filled with sand and water, to stop people from plowing through.
We neared the canal and the glow became brighter and I could make out the shapes in the distance. We were at an advantage, we could see them, but they couldn’t see us, blinded by the light of a campfire they had started. They had also parked their trucks close and were using the headlights to illuminate their area, instead of the area around them. It was a novice move, but it showed they were more worried about zombies than a human attack.
Nigel pulled off his goggles as one of the men stood up in the first vehicle, it looked like Zach. The sound of our engines had the bikers jumping to their feet and raising their guns, peering into the darkness, but unable to see anything.
“Party’s over gentleman, hands in the air and come out slowly,” Zach called. The biker closest to us raised his gun and fired.
Zach didn’t flinch, he opened fired and two bodies fell to the ground, as our vehicle came to a stop.
Far off in the distance I heard another burst of gunfire. Another team had taken out an entry point.
The bikes came screaming around us, their sound muffled, but not enough for stealth. The riders jumped off and went straight to the road blocks. It took two men to move the water-filled impediments, but they got them out of the way and were back on their bikes in seconds.
Team One clicked on their high beams and tore into Lakeview, our vehicle close on their tail. They would know we were coming now, alerted by the gunfire and the sound of the bikes. There were no surprises from here on out. We were going in hot, how I liked it.
FOURTEEN | Shotgun Morning
An explosion of gunfire had me shooting up to a sitting position and reaching for my piece. Two more shots and I was surging to my feet and yanking on my boots. I had gotten into the habit of going to bed in my jeans and at least a t-shirt since this whole end of the world thing. Couldn’t be caught with your pants down, you might trip, fall on your face and get bit.
It took a moment to orient myself. My head was throbbing for some reason and I still wasn’t used to being in the gym with the kids. I had to stop and take a deep breath before I took a step. My positioning was off, but soon my inner compass kicked in and I realized where I was and where the shots had come from. I found a bottle of water on my makeshift nightstand, and I guzzled it down. My throat was on fire like I had slept with my mouth open and it had dried out.
Another round of gunfire rocketed through the air, it was loud and close. It was coming from Robert E. Lee. I heard the children crying and the sound of small feet heading in my direction, fast.
“Rebel, something’s happening,” one of the younger kids, Tina, an eight year old, whined at the entrance of my sleeping area.
“Come here,” I said and exited my berth. I pulled her close to me and reassured her by holding her hand.
“Let’s all get behind the counter, get down and stay quiet,” I shouted. More little feet on the carpet came toward me. It was dark in here, only one lantern was still lit, but it was on the counter I wanted them to hide behind. It would be easy for them to find their way.
The sniffles of a child crying had me gritting my teeth. I had no idea what was going on. Were we under attack by
the biters? Or by humans? There was no way to know, unless I went outside. I couldn’t go outside. I couldn’t leave the children. I was in charge and no one was going to come in and relieve me. If I left there would be no one here to watch them.
FIFTEEN | Shoot to Kill
I held on as the vehicle powered through the crumbling streets of Lakeview. This was an all-terrain vehicle so it wasn’t an issue, but it did throw you around a lot. The roar of the engines and the screaming of the bikes that surrounded us had my adrenaline jacked up. This was what I lived for. This was it. This was war.
The lead vehicles squealed into the parking lot of the strip mall, fishtailing and shining their lights on figures rushing from the building.
“Morning, boys!” I laughed a bit maniacally.
There was no “stop or we’ll shoot,” or announcement of who we were. Zach opened fire on the armed men from his position on the roof. They dropped in the street, their guns useless. They hadn’t even fired. Three down.
Our vehicle screamed to a stop and Murphey and I used the roof shield and pointed the M4s at the door. The soldiers and troopers on bikes jumped off them and took cover behind the doors of the bigger vehicles.
Now it was time to let them know who was here. Who was going to kick their ass.
The third vehicle rolled in carrying Poche and the civilians. He got out of his vehicle, fully visible in his uniform, and raised a bullhorn. When he had taken the third vehicle I thought he was being a typical officer and leading from the rear. But he was the most vulnerable of us right now. My respect went up.
“Southern Clan, this is the United States Army, you are surrounded. You will come out now and give yourself up, or we will come in and take control, by force.”
An unnatural silence settled over the area.
I could almost hear Murphey’s heartbeat.
Three shots rang out. Crack. Crack. Crack. I saw the flash of a muzzle, high and to the south. The shots came from above us and in what felt like slow motion one of the troopers fell. I thought they would try to take out Poche, but they had gone for a trooper who had been trying to take cover behind the four-wheeler. It was a head shot, their sniper was a good shot.
“Sniper. On the roof,” I called into my communication.
“Get ready to go in,” my com buzzed with Blake’s voice.
“I’m going up there to take out the sniper,” Romeo’s voice crackled through the com.
“Roger,” Blake replied. “Cover Romeo, I need Chaillot with him. Then we’ll breach the main building. Just like we planned, people. We’ve got these assholes. Only take prisoners if they’ve got two hands in the air or their dirty faces pressed in the ground at your feet. If not, shoot to kill.”
SIXTEEN | Taking Chances
The squeal of tires and a sudden burst of headlights shone across the yard, illuminating the civilians as they gaped through the chain-link fence. These vehicles were coming from the Jefferson side of the base. We were getting overrun from both sides. Who was in the vehicles? Was it us or someone else? I couldn’t tell. I wanted to go to the fence to see what was going on, but the children were more important. If it was a horde of biters, or something else, this supposed army, I was the only one armed that could protect them.
A hail of gunfire exploded and I fell back and crouched low.
Those weren’t our guns.
“Southern Clan, this is the United States Army, you are surrounded. You will come out now and give yourself up, or we will come in there and take control, by force.”
I turned and ran back to the gym, almost falling into the room as I pushed the glass doors open and ran across the slick tile.
“Tennis shoes, pants and jackets on now, kids!” I shouted from the center of the large area. Heads popped up from behind the counter. It was dark, but from the lantern that burned low, I could see the fear in their eyes. If it was the Army, they wouldn’t attack the children, but I doubted this was the actual Army. If the United States Army was still functioning we would have heard something. We would have seen some sign of them. Right?
“Hurry up,” I urged them with my hands. “Nick, Felicity and Pete, help the younger ones, we have to move fast.” We were going to get out of here. In this room we were sitting ducks. If they came in and shot first, we could all be killed. I had to make sure the kids were in a safe place. The Clan wouldn’t give up easily. It was going to be a bloodbath.
Sure enough, the sound of gunfire exploded through the air. I didn’t know what side had fired, but it meant the Clan hadn’t surrendered.
The kids were quicker than I expected. In under five minutes they were in front of me dressed in warm clothes and tennis shoes. Some of them clutched little bags, the older kids had packs on their back. I had grabbed mine, stuffed with the food I had been stashing. If this succeeded and we got out, it wouldn’t be only me now. It would be me and eighteen kids. I didn’t want to think about those implications.
I led them to the back door and held my hand up for them to wait. I went to the door and kicked it hard. The door shook, but held. I kicked it again and it still held. Two more kicks and the door shook in its frame and finally busted open. It was early morning, maybe four or five. The sun had not risen over the horizon, only a slight lightening of the sky indicated it was in the early hours of morning.
The crack of gunfire ricocheted through the air again. It was the clackety, clackety, clack of automatic gun fire. I knew the Clan didn’t have automatic weapons. The most we had were a couple of rifles from the National Guardsmen, which could only shoot semi-automatic fire. This was a bigger, deadlier sound.
“We’re going to run across the parking lot into the houses across the street,” I said in a low voice, loud enough so all the kids could hear.
“We’ll hole up in the houses until it’s all clear,” I said. “Then we’ll find a safe place, okay?” Their small heads nodded.
“What about my mommy?” Tina, the youngest, sniffled.
“Your mom will be fine, it’s the Army, they protect women and children,” I said to reassure them. I hoped to God it was true. But it made me pause. What about the women? I was going to take their children into the unknown. Leaving could put everyone at risk. Was it a chance I was willing to take?
SEVENTEEN | Down Girl
Shots rang out again as Romeo raced across the parking lot to the access ladder on the side of the building. I fired suppressive fire in the direction of the roof where I had seen the telltale flash of muzzle fire. Romeo and Chaillot were quick. They crossed the lot and were climbing the side of the building in a flash. The two were dressed from head to toe in black, and Romeo pulled his mask into place before he went in, so all you saw were his eyes.
Gun fire erupted the moment he threw his leg over the side of the roof and I held my breath and fired in the direction of the shooter again. I couldn’t spot the sniper, so my firing was to make the shooter take cover.
Two more shots and then Romeo’s voice over the com, “Shooter is down.”
“Good job, we’re going in. Drouet and Lambert, get up to the roof with Romeo. Find the access hole into the women’s room and go in that way,” Poche ordered.
Team One raced across the parking lot, Blake in the lead. They spread out around the door and then motioned for our team to follow them in. I ran across the parking lot and joined my team as we fell into a half circle pattern around the door. I pulled my mask down over my face and adjusted my weapon. I would be switching to a handgun if things got dicey inside, but right now I needed the rifle.
“One, two…” Zach’s voice counted over the com and in real life. On three, I emptied a few rounds into the glass door and it shattered. As the door crashed down into a million pieces, I fell back out of the line of fire.
Shots erupted from inside. They were firing at us.