The Dead Walk The Earth II (37 page)

“Wait! Mr. President!”

“Come on,” one of the guards yelled. “Hurry up.”

Nick ran, now being covered by two of the guards as the other two climbed into the truck with President Ames.

He covered the space in less than ten seconds, running alongside the trail of fire the guards were laying down. Nick heard the dry sound of lifeless rambler bodies hitting the ground all around him.

“Get inside,” one of the guards demanded when Nick was standing by the truck.

Nick did, helped by a brutal push from the guard.

Both guards quickly leaped into the truck. The driver took off, peeling up patches of grass even before the guards could close their doors.

“Mr. Blackburn,” President Ames said. “It’s a miracle that you made it.”

“Yeah, it kind of feels that way,” Nick agreed.

“Sir,” one of the guards said, “Who is this?”

“Nick Blackburn. I believe he can play a huge part in getting us all to safety.”

The guards seemed more than satisfied with this and said nothing else. The driver had curled off the White House grounds and was on the pavement of Pennsylvania Avenue with a series of jerks and jolts. The truck was rocked several times as the driver struck ramblers and sent them under its heavy frame.

“I’ve heard good things about you and I won’t waste your time,” the President told Nick. “You tell me what you need and we’ll make sure you get it.”

“Good,” Nick said.

He brought his gun up and placed it squarely against President Ames’s head.

The guards moved in a flurry, screaming and drawing their guns up.

“Don’t be stupid,” Nick said. “Anyone touches me and I’ll blow his head off.”

“What the hell is this?” President Ames said, his eyes filled with alarm and confusion.

“You just now asked me to tell you what I need,” Nick said. “And right now, I need this truck to take me to my family.”

“Where?” Ames asked.

“Bethesda.”

“Can’t,” the driver said, clearly nervous. “We’re headed in the opposite direction.”

“You will,” Nick said, “or I’ll kill him.”

“We’ll shoot you as soon as you pull that trigger,” one of the guards said.

“Look outside, asshole,” Nick said. “You think I care if I die?”

“Let’s talk this out,” one of the guards said.

“Who is this guy?” one of the other guards said.

The truck fell into a thick and awkward silence for a while, eventually broken by the President’s shaking voice.

“Head to Bethesda,” he said, defeated.

Nick felt a momentary relief sweep through him, but didn’t let it show. He said nothing else, keeping the barrel of his gun pressed firmly to the President’s temple.

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