Tandem of Terror (36 page)

Goddamn bastards! "I'm too smart for you! You
hear me?" I hiss at them, laughing as I dash through the parking
lot.

I run like a man possessed, leaping over
puddles of various sizes, small and large, black holes of death and
evil, keeping my eyes fixed on my car in the distance.

Before I could reach my car and find the
solace I so desperately need, I hear a terrible roar fill my ears.
I had no choice but to take my eyes off my car as a delivery truck
comes barreling towards me

It nearly took me out, plowing straight
through as if I wasn't even there. I twist and turn, contorting my
body and losing my balance. I fall onto the lot, my hands out in
front of me, scraping them hard as I tumble face first, blood
coating my lips. A surge of pain washes over me and I just lay
there, eyes closed, head spinning, unable to pull myself up. I feel
something wet trickle against my face...what on Earth is---

I open my eyes and see myself, God almighty I
see myself. They got me...tricked me, took advantage of my situation,
moving in when I'm at my most vulnerable. Why did I look? Damn it
why did I look!

I scream like a madman, louder and louder,
the most horrible sound in the world. I am screaming just like that
day...just like the day Billy...until it reduces to whimpers then
crying...I am a child again, crippled with terror and fear and I am...I
am...

Looking at myself in the puddle, its dark,
black waters slithering around my face, its filthy, poisoned waters
trying to consume me, snatch my life just like the other men in my
family

"
Buddy are you alright! God
I am so sorry." The delivery driver runs to my aid, bending at the
knees and putting out his hands. "I didn't even see you. You just
ran out in front of me. Calm down now, calm down I can get you some
help."

I am afraid to move; afraid to stop screaming
but then I realize something. I can hear his voice and if I can
hear him that means I'm still alive. I'm not dead. I stop screaming
and stand up. I look down at the puddle and spit into it. "You're
nothing!" I scream, a feeling of liberation filling me.

"
I'm okay." I turn to the
driver, rubbing my scratched hands on my pants and smiling widely.
I must look like a nutcase to him but I don't care. He pats me on
the back, apologizes again and returns to his truck.

I laugh and laugh, loud and raucous, my belly
hurts I am laughing so hard. "You can't touch me!" I yell at them,
all of them. "You're pathetic! You've met your match this time you
bastards." It's finally over. I did not die and they have no more
power over me. No more fearing the rain, no more living in terror.
I am free.

I decide it best to go home, to rethink
everything that's happened to me and perhaps even celebrate. I
climb into the car giddy as a schoolgirl and tear out of the lot. I
am exhilarated beyond description. I can barely recognize my own
face with the smile on it. My laughter is so loud it drowns out the
radio in my car. It is like my life is just beginning, as if I can
start the entire thing over. Wait until I tell my mother, wait
until I tell Sandra. They'll be so happy for me.

It my state of newfound euphoria I forget to
stop for the glaring red stop sign in front of me and hear the horn
of one angry trailer truck driver. I glance to my left to see the
massive 18 wheeler charging straight at me like an unchained wild
animal...Goddamn puddles.

Freak

Eric S. Brown

"
Hey Sarge, what's his
deal?" McNeal asked pointing at the newbie. The Sarge took a swig
from a bottle of beer he'd liberated from the town the squad had
just passed through. He looked over at Clark who sat alone at the
edge of the camp and smiled. "What's wrong, McNeal? He creep you
out?"

"
What? No freaking way! I'm
just saying, he doesn't seem right in the head okay?"

The Sarge snickered and finished off his
bottle. "He was a desk jockey up until a few days ago when he got
transferred to us. Seems he creeped people out there too. He was
too bloody good at his job. Made the brass worry he was finding out
things he shouldn't know."

"
Frag, man. He got sent out
here for doing a good job? That's screwed up."

"
Don't I know it," the Sarge
said, "Now I'm stuck with the bastard. Hope he knows which way to
point his rifle."

Without warning, Clark stood up. "They're
coming. The Germans are coming!"

The soldiers in the camp hopped to their feet
at Clark's screams. McNeal shot the Sarge a look as if saying "What
the...?"

Before the Sarge could reply, a German
grenade flew out from the tree-line and lit up the camp with its
explosion. The Sarge watched Leo and Frank get torn up from the
shrapnel of its blast.

"
Get down!" the Sarge
bellowed dropping to the ground and opening fire on the direction
it had came from. His squad was sorely depleted and with this
latest loss they were down to five men. If the Krauts had a full
squad out there in the trees, they were royally
F.U.B.A.R.-ed.

Clark came bounding over and hit the dirt
near him, training his own rifle on the trees. "Don't worry Sarge.
There's only three of them. They're more scared than we are."

The Sarge stared at Clark wide-eyed as the
man actually aimed his shot into the darkness of the trees. Clark
pulled the trigger and a German scream echoed in the night beneath
the sound of gunfire.

The flashes of bullets being exchanged
flickered cutting the blackness of the night. Clark leapt to his
feet again, tearing a grenade off his belt. He ran toward the trees
ignoring the gunfire and tossed it at the enemy. The ground seemed
to shake as the grenade detonated and the night fell silent.

"
Medic!" Andy was yelling as
he held George's thrashing body against the dirt of the field.
George had taken a round in the throat. The Sarge knew he was dead
as soon as he saw him besides The Sarge himself was the closest
thing to a medic the squad had and was no darn doctor.

The Sarge laid a hand on Andy's shoulder.
"He's dead man, let him go."

Andy looked up at the Sarge with tears in his
eyes but backed off and left George in the hands of the reaper.

"
McNeal, Forrester! Get out
there and make sure there are no more surprises for us in those
F-ing trees!" The pair darted out into the darkness as the Sarge
whirled on Clark. He could feel the anger and the adrenaline from
the fight raging within himself and fought hard to keep them in
check as he addressed the newbie. "How the Hades did you know they
were out there?"

Clark looked stricken. "I'm sorry sir. Did I
do something wrong?"

"
Clark, I am warning you
right now, cut the 'BS". I've read your file. You're as messed up
as they come. How did you know?"

Clark swallowed. It was time to fess up again
for better or worse. There was no other choice. "I hear things,
sir. That's all."

"
What? What do you
hear?"

"
Words, sir. Words in the
air," Clark admitted. "I don't try to. They're just
there."

The Sarge stared Clark in the eye for a long
moment. Clark nervously waited for the hammer to drop like it
always did but the Sarge smiled. "Crap, Clark. You may be F-ed up
but you just saved our asses. Welcome to the front." The Sarge held
out his hand and Clark took it shaking it firmly. "Thank you,
sir."

Clark turned to go help the others but the
Sarge grabbed him. "Just one thing Clark."

"
What's that sir?

"
I know what you are. Stay
out of my head or I'll kill you myself, understood?"

"
Yes, sir," Clark nodded
fiercely. The Sarge watched him go and wondered how he always got
stuck with the freaks. His laughter was loud and
booming.

Slipping in the Snow

Eric S Brown

The needle crept past the empty mark as the
truck's engine sputtered and died. Sergeant Williams guided the
vehicle gently to the side of the gravel road. He didn't really
expect anything else to come along but old habits die hard.
Williams climbed out of the truck's cab. Robby followed him,
reluctant to get out into the cold night air.

"
Well, boys, I guess we walk
from here on out," Williams laughed.

Clay, Simon, and Nick sat in the pick-up's
bed in varying states of chill. Nick shivered openly, his breath
visible in the pale starlight. He seemed on the verge of
collapse.

"
To hell with that!" Clay
said, "Why don't we just camp here?"

Williams glared at him. "When I want your
opinion, private, I'll ask for it."

Williams slammed down the truck's tail gate,
gesturing for the men to join him and Robby on the road. Clay and
Simon helped Nick to his feet and down from the truck. Williams
watched impatiently.

"
How ya holdin' up, Nick?"
Williams asked.

"
I... I'm fine... Sarge."
The young man mumbled through chattering teeth.

Williams put on his most encouraging smile.
"Good."

Robby had wandered ahead while the others
prepared to move out and now he returned. "There's a house up
ahead, Sarge. I swear it even has lights on in it."

Electricity had became even more rare than
gasoline over the past few weeks as the nukes and bio-warfare of
the enemy pounded America back towards a pre-technological age and
the infected ran rampant.

"
Then by all means, Robert,
lead the way," Williams urged. The five weary men did not have far
to walk. As they approached the house, there were indeed electrical
lights on inside it and smoke poured from its tall rock
chimney.

"
It's a freaking miracle,"
Clay muttered under his breath.

Robby walked straight up to the house's front
door and knocked loudly. When no answer came, he turned frowning
towards the Sarge. Williams scowled at his second in command and
nearly kicked the door off its frame. It slammed inward and the
commandos entered, their guns held ready.

The house appeared to be empty but a fire
crackled in the living room fireplace and the smell of real coffee
emanated from the kitchen. The Sarge helped Clay get Nick inside.
They sat the young man down in a recliner beside the fireplace and
found a blanket from the nearby couch to drape over him.

Simon and Robby dashed off into the kitchen.
The Sarge looked over from where he stood by Nick as Robby poked
his head back into the living room. "All clear." Robby informed
him. "No infected here!"

Clay walked cautiously towards the door and
opened it. All that awaited him however was a four post bed which
looked recently slept in.

"
S-Sarge!" Nick cried.
Williams whirled to glance at the sickly solider. "Out there!" Nick
pointed through the open main door. Whatever he'd seen, Nick seemed
terrified by it. Williams cursed himself, he should have known his
luck could never be this good. The house's owner was most likely
out there and not very happy that five armed men had just broken
into his house. Surely if it were one of the infected, it would
have made a move against them already. The creatures weren't
exactly known for their patience and intellect.

Nick seemed to be struggling to draw his
sidearm but his trembling hands which burned with the sensation of
a million pins and needles didn't seem to be up to the task.
Williams reached over and took the gun from Nick as the young man
finally managed to get it out of its holster. Williams held the gun
as he stared out the doorway into the night. The first few flakes
of an early winter snow drifted on the light breeze outside but he
didn't see any one. He walked over to the front door trying to
close it as best he could. As he worked, he asked, "How many?"

A bit of color was actually beginning to
return to Nick's cheeks as he answered, "Only saw one Sarge.
Couldn't even tell if he was armed. From the way he moved, I would
say he was human and not one of them."

"
Damn it!" Williams
swore.

The others had rushed into the room at the
sound of the commotion, though Simon carried a cup of steaming hot
coffee rather than his rifle. They all watched Williams
expectantly.

"
Don't matter who it is,"
Williams said finally, "The F-er ain't gonna mess with the five of
us if he's alone."

"
So what's the plan, Sarge?"
Simon grinned, sipping his coffee.

"
Ain't nothin' changed,
Simon. We press on for the shelter at first light."

"
We don't even know if it's
still there." Clay said.

"
This is a pretty sweet
set-up." Robby said gesturing at the surrounding walls. "Who ever
owns this house sure stocked up before things dropped into the pot.
There's enough oil for the furnace to last out the entire
winter."

"
And there's a cellar below
the kitchen," Simon grinned, "It's got enough food to keep us
eating well for quite a while. There's a generator down there too.
It's working for now but I don't think it'll last more than a
couple of days if we use it constantly."

"
We ain't staying here,"
Willaims snarled, "Our last orders before we lost the radio were to
head for the shelter and that's where we're going,
understand?"

"
The world is dead," Nick
said and everyone turned to stare at him snuggled under his blanket
in the chair by the fire. When he noticed he'd became the center of
attention, he continued. "It's true. Think about it. It doesn't
matter which side won the war, between the radiation and the virus,
we're all dead."