The Zombie Virus (Book 2): The Children of the Damned (42 page)

He keyed the mic and ordered Murchison to
have Hernandez get her Stryker warmed up, then turned to Reese and
told him to go find McCully and for both to get geared up to go
with Corporal Hernandez.

Pickeral gasped. “I think this day is about
to get much worse, First Sergeant!”

They saw them before they heard them. The
ground was alive with movement, as if a dam had burst in the
distance and the flood waters were surging toward them, through and
around the neighborhoods that extended beyond the avenue that
paralleled the Armory. The three men and the woman stood in shock
at what their eyes were registering.

“This ain’t good,” Carroll stated
unnecessarily in a low voice.

The enormous swarm poured over a retaining
wall that lined the road like a waterfall of flesh, racing in a
jabbering chorus of madness toward the 29th’s position. At the head
of the swarm, Reese spotted one of the four crazies he had seen
surveilling the armory yesterday.

“We’re going to be fucking overrun,” Shavers
stated, taking an involuntary step back from the edge. He made a
snap decision. “Everyone to the Stryker’s! We’re vacating!” he
ordered with a shout. “Go! Go! Go!”

He keyed the radio and calmly gave the orders
to Murchison to evacuate the Armory and have the Ready Stryker
prepared to get the hell out of here.

As Carroll and Pickeral disappeared down the
ladder of the roof access, Reese grabbed the Remington near the
watch station and ran back to the edge of the roof.

“What the fuck are you doing?” the First
Sergeant asked as he passed Reese on the way to the ladder.

“Trying to cut off the head of that snake!”
Reese yelled as he ran past, cycling a round into the chamber.
“I’ll be right behind you!”

Shavers shook his head as he watched the old
Marine throw himself prone at the edge with the rifle resting on
the building’s raised ledge.

That
old
man
has
got
some
big
brass
ones
,
I
only
hope
he
can
buy
us
enough
time
! he thought as he dropped
through the opening and deftly climbed down the narrow ladder into
the building’s interior.

The swarm was crossing the pool parking lot,
250 meters away from Reese’s position when he spotted the man
again. He appeared to be in his 20’s with long shaggy brown hair
and beard. What set him apart from the swarm was the stained and
ragged white dress shirt with a tie still neatly knotted around the
creature’s neck and a pair of shredded khaki slacks that he still
wore, unlike most of the other creatures who were pantless. The man
stopped at the tracks of the kiddy railroad and while the swarms
surged around him, looked up toward Kyle’s position.

He’s
looking
for
me
, Reese thought. He put the mil-dot reticle corresponding
to the distance on the crazy’s chest. There was no appreciable wind
and even if there was, at 200 meters it wouldn’t significantly
affect the bullet trajectory. He took in a deep breath and let it
out halfway, his finger tightening on the rifle’s trigger. The
3-pound trigger broke right where he expected it to and the rifle
kicked into his shoulder. He saw the puff of red as the round tore
through the man’s chest and watched him collapse within the
stampede raging around him only to be smothered by the river of
creatures as they pushed mindlessly by. The swarm hesitated
momentarily, unsure of their direction, but then the masses behind
forced those in front to continue their relentless pace. At least
they were moving slower now.

Where
are
the
others
?

He moved the 10 power scope’s view along the
leading edge of the advancing swarm, however, they were now too
close and moving too unpredictably to focus on the individual
members. Kyle cursed silently and pushed himself up off the ledge
and, leaving the rifle where it lay, sped off for the roof opening.
He felt some sense of satisfaction at killing one of the presumed
leaders; he only wished he had had the chance to do the same to the
other three. He knew there was no stopping the racing tide of
creatures as they flocked toward the walls and fence of the
compound.

I
just
hope
it
slows
them
long
enough
for
me
to
jump
on
a
Stryker
before
it
leaves
!

He jumped through the hatch and almost missed
the ladder, sliding down several feet, the friction burning the
skin on his hands before a foot finally found purchase on a rung.
Within seconds he was on the floor of the second story and racing
for the staircase. He was pleased to see that at least this level
was deserted of personnel. At the bottom of the stairwell in the
hallway was a ready weapon rack that each member kept a firearm
secured in for just such an occasion. The rack was now empty except
for Kyle’s M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. He had only the night
before torn the light machinegun down for a cleaning and lubing and
had placed it back in the ready rack with a 200 round box magazine
attached and already loaded into the feeder. The rifle was in
condition one and ready to rock and roll. There was nothing like
belt-fed hotness to warm the soul. He grabbed the rifle as he sped
by the rack, switching off the safety with his thumb then rammed
the release bar for the exterior door with his hip and burst out
into the daylight.

The first of the crazies were already
climbing the fence.

The Strykers were moving, Hernandez had hers
aimed for the gate and, with the engine screaming at full throttle,
rammed the chain-link and it folded and collapsed around the heavy,
speeding vehicle as it shot out onto the road. The Ready Stryker
was right on its tail with Nantz poking out of a deck hatch with
another SAW. Nantz took a quick look at the older man and yelled
something to him as the private opened up with the loud weapon.
Kyle glanced over his left shoulder just as the main body of the
swarm slammed into the fence. The structure bent inward
precariously, throwing those who were climbing near the top to the
ground like rag dolls. More bodies piled into the fence, mounding
up like drifting snow until they began to pour over the top of the
teetering chain-link, the first to reach the top getting tangled
and cut to pieces in the rolls of razor wire lining the summit.

Nantz’s Stryker slammed to a stop halfway
through the demolished gate and Shavers’ head appeared out the
commander’s cupola hatch, yelling and motioning for Reese to run
for it. Kyle heard the fence behind him topple to the ground over
the chaotic noise of the crazies and the loud pounding of the M2.
He glanced back over his shoulder as he sprinted for the Stryker.
He was barely going to make it. Then he saw that the Stryker
wouldn’t. Already the swarm was flanking the Armory and would be at
the front gate in seconds. The Stryker would be overwhelmed and
mobbed by the multitude of bodies before it could turn onto the
street if it didn’t leave now. If it waited for him it would be too
late.

He knew what he had to do. Kyle Reese glanced
back one more time at Shavers and shook his head. Shavers’ eyes
grew round and he yelled some order at him that was lost in the
cacophony of the frenzied uproar coming down on him. He had to buy
the vehicle some precious seconds. He opened up with the SAW from
the hip, mowing down the front line of crazies as they were leaping
for him in their killing lust. He laid down a thick wall of
suppressive fire that slowed the lead elements of the crazies.
However, the numbers were overwhelming and the monsters
relentlessly pushed through the devastating fire, oblivious to the
weapon that shattered their ranks.

Hell
,
I
never
thought
I
would
live
this
long
, he thought as one of the creatures bounded over the
gun and slammed into his chest. He staggered backwards as the thing
clasped his head and bit off his left ear. He gritted his teeth at
the pain and threw the creature off of him while continuing to fire
his weapon.

“Let’s dance motherfuckers!” he screamed,
spitting 5.56 rounds from the barrel of his gun, slowing the
advancing wall enough to allow the Stryker the few extra seconds
needed to escape.

He squeezed the trigger on the M249 for the
last time and tore apart more of the filthy beasts, before, like
bounding animals from Hell, they unstoppably swarmed over him,
blotting out his sight. He heard the Stryker behind him gun its
engine down the street and away from the compound. A lopsided grin
creased his tired-looking face one last time as, cigar stub
clenched tightly between his teeth, he was crushed to the ground
where he screamed a muffled “Semper Fi!” while the wave rolled over
him. He disappeared into the moving turmoil of the enraged horde, a
ripple in the sea of death.

Shavers watched as the man was lost to view
beneath the charging river of raving-mad creatures. “God bless you,
you brave, stupid old Marine,” he whispered under his breath as the
Stryker sped away south. Rushing south along the lake, he spotted
two of the crazies, standing by themselves near the tennis courts,
impassively observing the fall of the Armory. Something about the
two creatures’ disposition disturbed and frightened him. They both
turned their heads and watched the two Strykers race past, their
eyes momentarily locking with the First Sergeant’s.

His last view of the Armory was the swarm
piling up along its walls and overflowing around it, spilling out
into the roadway after them. With the loss of all of their supplies
and ammunition, they were now back to square one. There was plenty
of ammo and arms at the annex, but using that place as a refuge was
now out of the question. As easily as this swarm had torn through
the Armory’s defenses, the OMS annex couldn’t be trusted as a
defensive position, especially as exposed as it was and located so
close to the other swarms.

They were headed to the refugee compound
where the first disaster of the day should have portended the fall
of the Gypsy Hill Base. There they could at least lick their wounds
and determine what their next step should be. They had lost this
battle, although the war was far from over, and with God’s grace he
would live to fight it another day.

Jeremy listened sadly as Kera relayed their
adventures to him since they had become separated all those months
ago. It was a double blow to him, losing both his mother and father
in one day. Kera put her arms around him and they both cried into
each other’s shoulders. He peeked over her shoulder at the body of
his father. It just wasn’t fair. Not right here. Not so close to
finding each other again. How could God let that happen? The sorrow
in his stomach soon turned cold and anger replaced it. He pushed
away from the girl and stood up off the floor where they had been
sitting cross-legged. He gritted his teeth and resolved in his mind
that crying time was over. He would make his papa proud, he swore
this to himself.

I
have
a
job
now
,
a
job
to
wipe
out
these
monsters
from
the
face
of
this
Earth
,
both
human
and
Loony
.

He swiped at his tear-stained cheeks and set
his lips into a tight, bloodless grimace.

I’m
part
of
the
29th
now
and
they
don’t
want
any
crybabies
fighting
for
them
.

Whether he realized it or not, the last
vestige of adolescence in his ten-year-old body died at that moment
and he became a hardened man-child long before any kid should ever
have to give up the joy and innocence of their youth. He stepped
over to the window and stared out with thoughts that would never be
the same again.

Kera watched him walk away and sensed the
change that had taken place within him. She didn’t dwell on it
long. She was too consumed by her own sorrow. Her lover, the father
of her unborn child, now lay cold and lifeless on a table, killed
by another of the human monsters that were all too common in this
world gone mad. She would never love anyone like she had loved that
man. A lonely hollowness echoed inside of her and she realized the
only things she would ever be able to fill it with were hate and
anger. She concluded that love for any other man was gone from her
life forever. She had her own two charges now, Jeremy and the baby.
Steven would have wanted her to look after the boy and she knew
that was what she must do. There would be time for sorrow later,
now was the time to be strong for all of their sakes. She knew she
could love Jeremy like he was her own and hoped that he would be
able to love and accept her. She already felt the love for what was
growing inside her belly, that part of Steven that was all her own.
That would have to be sufficient for her, as she had already loved
a man enough for a lifetime in the past four months and now knew
that he had loved her too. She steeled herself and stood. It was
time to tell Steven goodbye and that she would love him, for the
rest of
her
life.

Katherine sat in a chair with Angela sitting
next to her, grasping her hand in a death-grip, shock evident on
her small, pretty face. At least Angela was talking, asking a
multitude of questions in her frightened, little-girl voice. To
Katy, this was a good sign. The girl wasn’t withdrawing any further
into her shell after experiencing another loss. When would it end:
the killing and the loss of friends and loved ones? It just seemed
that with the way things had become since the pandemic had hit,
people should be trying to help each other survive, protecting each
other, not this… this, shit! She was beginning to realize that the
world wasn’t really full of rainbows and unicorns at all, and that
people couldn’t be grouped into one category or another. Ying and
Yang. There would always be bad with the good, beautiful with the
ugly, loved ones and hated ones. That was the reality of the world.
There was no Kumbaya. She winced in pain as Dontela tended her
leg.