Outbreak (Book 1): Emerald City (33 page)

TASHA

Tasha sat on the floor of the bank truck and watched out the back as Ortiz drove them through city streets in the pouring rain. It was storming hard and Ortiz was driving fast. Tasha could feel the truck shift from side to side as Ortiz drove them around abandoned vehicles and debris in the road. Every once in a while, Tasha would feel the bank truck crush into something, what she guessed was a creeper standing in the road. As Tasha watched, she saw more creepers coming out of hiding and chasing after the truck.
There are so many of them still,
she thought.

“Heads up people,” Williams called through the tiny window between the cab of the armored car and the back. “We’re around the end of the Sound and less than a mile out.” Tasha could not believe it. The last couple of days had been hard.
Hell, the last few months have been hard
, she thought. All she wanted now was a chance to feel safe. She had not truly felt safe since the apocalypse began and wondered if she would ever be able to relax and feel that way again. Tanner crawled over to her and they sat next to each other. Just having him close gave her a feeling of security. Cleveland stood near them and they all looked out the back and into the storm. Tasha felt the truck come over a rise and Ortiz let off of the accelerator. “I see something,” Williams said as Ortiz brought the truck to a stop.

Tasha and Tanner got up and along with Cleveland crept over and looked through the open space into the cab. Tasha could see out through the windshield. “What in the hell is that?” she asked. Lightning flashed and she saw what looked to be a large brown delivery truck on its side in the middle of a mob of creepers. The road was a mess of cars. Obviously there had been a huge pile up at some point and the creepers were like ants clawing and fighting to get to the top of the hill.

“Not good,” Tanner said from next to Tasha as they both looked through the window.

“How do we get past that?” she asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Williams replied.

“Incoming,” Ortiz said. “Left side.”

“Get us out of here, Ortiz. Go around it,” Williams said.

“How? There isn’t room,” Ortiz said.

“Plow through the damn zombies if you have to,” Williams ordered and Ortiz stomped on the gas. The bank truck lurched forward as Ortiz accelerated down a slight slope in the road. She drove wide to the left, toward a center barrier in the road, trying to get around the pile up. She slammed into a group of creepers, crushing them between the barrier and one of the cars. Bodies either bounced off or were crushed under the truck. The wheels slipped in the gore and slid sidewise. “Watch out for the car!” Williams yelled and Ortiz yanked hard to the right on the steering wheel. She plowed the truck into another mob of creepers before she corrected and turned them back to the left. One of the creepers held onto the grill and swiped at the windshield. The creeper’s hand caught in the windshield wiper and ripped it off of the truck. Another zombie landed on the hood, blocking Ortiz's’ view through the glass.

“Son-of-a-bitch!” Ortiz said. “Get this damn thing off. I can’t see shit.”

“Look out!” Tasha yelled and they sideswiped an abandoned car. The bank truck went up on two wheels and held for a moment before it came bouncing back down on all four. Ortiz hit the brakes and turned hard to the right to avoid another collision. The rear wheels locked up and the truck slid on the wet pavement. The driver’s side slammed into the center barrier. Ortiz’s door caved in and the truck threatened to stall but Ortiz saved it by throttling the gas.

Creepers swarmed at them from all directions and one tried to scramble into the back of the bank truck, but Cleveland gunned it down with his rifle. Tanner picked up the SAW machine gun. Tasha could not find her rifle, so she pulled out her pistol, the nickel plated six shooter she had carried with her since the cannery. She aimed it with both hands out the back of the bank truck and looked for something to shoot.

“Get us moving, Ortiz!” Williams ordered and Ortiz drove the truck forward. Her door caught on the concrete and came open. Two creepers were immediately in the door’s opening. “Down!” Williams yelled and Ortiz ducked low in her seat, her foot still on the gas. Williams fired over her head and killed both of the creepers. Ortiz sat up just as the armored truck plowed across the road and straight toward the center of the pileup. It slammed into yet another car and the truck engine choked and died.

Williams threw open his door. “On foot!” he yelled through the viewing window at the three of them in the back. Williams scrambled out with Ortiz following after him. Tasha, Tanner, and Cleveland jumped out of the back, but Tanner stumbled on his ankle and fell, the rain pouring down on him. Tasha reached to help him while Cleveland shot down a creeper which was charging at them from across the street. At the sound of the gunfire, more of the creepers broke away from the mob around the delivery truck and began to sprint their way. Tasha threw Tanner’s arm over her shoulder and helped him stand up.

“Leave me!” Tanner cried. “You need to run! You’re the important one! Find somewhere to hide!”

“No!” Tasha said. “I’m done running and I’m done hiding. We have to get everyone to safety.”

“Tasha,” Tanner pleaded.

“Shut up,” Tasha replied and pulled him hobbling around the truck where they met with Cleveland, Ortiz, and Williams.

“A whole bunch are coming fast,” Tasha said to Williams.

“Keep moving,” Williams said and took the SAW machine gun from Tanner.

“Sergeant!” Ortiz yelled in the pouring rain, jumping over the center barrier. “Come on! We have to get off of this road!”

Tasha and Cleveland helped Tanner to the center barrier and looked back at Williams, who stood in the rain. He held the machine gun on his hip. A wall of creepers were storming straight at him and he opened fire. The weapon roared and the creepers were cut down. Tasha turned away and climbed over the barrier after Tanner. She saw two more creepers sprinting at them from across the street. “Heads up,” she said and aimed one handed with her pistol. She pulled the trigger as fast as she could and had to fire five times to put them down in the road.

Ortiz jumped back over the barrier. “Hey!” Tanner yelled. “Where are you going?”

“To help Williams,” she yelled back and ran over next to Williams where she stood and shot at more of the creepers.

There are just so many
, Tasha thought and then looked at the delivery truck on its side in the center of the pile up.
Is there someone sitting up there?
“Hey!” Tasha yelled and pointed at the truck. “I think someone is up there.” Suddenly, the person started waving for them to look up the road. Tasha looked past him and saw two enormous military vehicles rolling toward them. They were huge and black, each with six wheels and a cannon on the top. The cannons began to fire and shells began to explode around them. “They’ve come for us!” she yelled. Suddenly, Tasha knew what to do. “Come on! Just like that guy. We need to get on top of something. We need to get up on the bank truck. Cleveland, help me!”

Together they helped Tanner back over the barrier. With a grunt, they boosted him up onto the hood of the bank truck where he scrambled up and onto the top. Cleveland climbed up next. He turned and held a hand out to Tasha who shook her head.

“I’m going to go help Ortiz and Williams,” she said.

“Behind you!” Tanner screamed and Tasha turned to see a creeper sprinting at her.
One round left
, she thought and took a knee. She aimed with both hands and fired. The shot hit the creeper square in the face and it sprawled forward, dead on the sidewalk. Tasha stood back up just as Williams and Ortiz came running.

“Come on!” Williams ordered as he boosted Ortiz up and then Tasha. He climbed up and they all grouped together to watch from the top of the bank truck as the military vehicles came down the highway. They roared through the storming rain and headed straight toward them. The creepers went insane from the sound and charged at the vehicles but were plowed down by the enormous wheeled machines. One of the vehicles stopped just near the delivery truck and the back lowered down to make a ramp. Soldiers poured out into the rain and gunfire erupted as they shot at the creepers. The guy on top of the truck waved at them and the soldiers made a circle to shoot out at the creepers as more soldiers worked together to help the man down. Tasha saw the man had a big red backpack and was obviously injured.

Lightning flashed brilliantly in the gloom of the downpour and was followed immediately by the crash of thunder. Tasha crouched in the rain and watched as the second of the six wheeled trucks stopped next to them. The door in the back lowered down before soldiers poured out and immediately began to fire at creepers which came at them from all directions.

“Let's move!” Williams ordered and jumped down from the top of the bank truck. He helped Ortiz and then Cleveland down as the soldiers made a perimeter and ushered them toward the back of the closest rescue vehicle.

Still on the roof of the bank truck, Tasha turned to Tanner. “Your ankle,” she said, worried he would not be able to jump down.

He smiled at her through the pouring rain. “I sure as hell ain’t staying up here!” he yelled as thunder boomed. He rolled over onto his stomach and jumped down from the back of the truck. Tasha watched him land hard on his good leg, but he stood up straight and put his hand out to steady himself. Tasha glanced over and saw the man with the red backpack as he was helped into the back of the first truck.
Who is he?
she wondered.
Did these soldiers come to save us or him?
She hoped she would have a chance to meet him and find out. She looked away and jumped down onto the hood of the bank truck before she slid off and down to the asphalt.

“Everyone inside!” one of the soldiers ordered and they hurried Tasha inside. She took a seat next to Tanner and watched as the other soldiers walked backward through the rain, toward the ramp, firing as they moved, until everyone was inside and the rear door closed. The first soldier spoke into a radio on his shoulder and Tasha felt the vehicle turn around in the street.

“Listen up!” the soldier ordered. “Check your buddy and report any injuries or signs of infection. We’re five minutes out and I don’t want any surprises once we’re inside.” Tasha leaned her head back and watched as another soldier with a medic insignia on his uniform, went from one person to the next, quickly looking them over to make sure no one was injured. Everyone was wet, but other than that, spirits were high and the soldiers talked of a successful mission. Williams leaned across the small aisle in the back of the tank to the soldier with the radio. “How did you know we were here?” he asked.

“We didn’t,” the soldier answered. “It was the other guy, the civilian on the other truck. He called us. Said he was working on a cure and had some priority documentation. We didn’t know you guys were even out here.”

“No shit,” Williams said with a laugh.

“Yeah. We could hear him on the radio. He said that he was waiting up there for a convoy to come along and save him. Was that you guys?”

“Who the hell knows,” Williams said.

“Sounds like he is the one who saved us then,” Ortiz said and leaned against Williams.

A moment later, a voice came through an intercom informing them they had passed back through the gates in the blockade. A quick round of cheers went up. Tasha was safe. Tanner was safe. And now, maybe her blood could finally be used to help find a cure.

The medic came over to Tasha. “How you holding up?” he asked.

“I’m good,” she replied.

“Nice job out there soldier,” he said. “What’s your name?”

Tasha looked at Tanner and then the other soldiers around her. “Winters,” she said.

THE END