we get the gate cleared, we’re in.” Henry looked around the group. No one moved. They sat silent in their seats.
“What do you mean ‘we?’ This isn’t our town,” Jessica said. “Dale, turn us around and get us out of here.”
“Like hell. Dale, stay put.” Henry looked around the group, turned to Jessica. “This is a nice, secure town. You can start over here and first sign of trouble you want to leave? I don’t think so.”
“Who do you think you are? These’re my people. They go where I tell them to. Dale, let’s go.”
Dale turned to look at Jessica and Henry brought the butt of his rifle down on the man’s nose. It blossomed red under the gun. Dale shouted as he grabbed his face. Henry snatched the keys from the ignition and stuffed them in his pocket. He swiveled the gun around, pointed it at Jessica.
“You bastard. You broke my fuckin’ nose,” Dale shouted.
“Be glad I didn’t shoot you,” Henry said. “You see that car and pickup up there about half a block? That’s a defensible position. We can shoot from cover there. I don’t need the whole group, but I need some of you to help me out.”
The two teenage girls stood from their seat. Both had AK-47 rifles. They slung two bandoleers of ammunition over their shoulders. The blond was obviously pregnant. Henry had heard it whispered she got that way paying for items from a band of nomads.
“We’ll go,” the redhead said. “We’re tired of living in shit. Anything’s better than it was back in Galva.” The two shuffled down the aisle.
“You can have the keys when we’re done,” Henry said as he stepped down.
“We’ll take them off your dead body when the zeds are done picking you over,” Jessica replied.
The doors swung closed. Henry crouched, darted for the vehicles. The girls were right behind him. So far, the zombies had paid them no attention. They were intent on getting through the gate. Shots came from inside and a deader would fall, but there wasn’t much outgoing fire. Henry braced himself across the hood of the truck. The girls stood side by side behind the car.
“Remember, head shots to kill. Put a bullet through their hips or break their spine to disable them. We’ll kill them later.”
Henry squeezed a round. His rifle cracked, a head exploded black gore. The deader went down. One of the girls fired, but pulled her shot. The bullet missed the brain box, but tore the jaw off the zombie. She cursed, adjusted her aim and put the next round between his shoulder blades. He dropped like a sack of wet cement. Not dead, but snarling in the dust.
They started picking their shots as the zombies turned their attention to the new threat. Sometimes there would be runners within the group of dead, but this looked like an older group of zeds. No one moved quickly. Shots started to ring out from behind the gate and above on the wall. Henry and the girls poured on the fire. The zombies, caught in the crossfire, fell in rotted heaps. Some of them made it to within twenty yards of their position, but no further. The blond switched her rifle to full auto and swept the group at head level. Decayed faces dissolved under the storm. It was over.
Henry stood from behind the truck. A few of the zeds twitched, a couple still moaned. He slung his rifle, pulled his pistol and began to walk through the fallen and put a final end to their unlife. The gate swung open and several people came out to do the same. They met in the middle of the mess as Henry popped an old woman who tried to bite through his shoe.
“Where you been, Long Tom?” Henry asked. “You could have had this mess cleared up before I got here.”
A tall, skinny man held out his hand. His dark ebony skin shone in the sun. Henry shook the massive paw. “Well heck, Hawk. We know how much you like killin’ zeds, so we saved you some.” They both turned to the girls, then the bus. “Besides, we didn’t know when you be getting’ here and we didn’t want to
“What do you mean ‘we?’ This isn’t our town,” Jessica said. “Dale, turn us around and get us out of here.”
“Like hell. Dale, stay put.” Henry looked around the group, turned to Jessica. “This is a nice, secure town. You can start over here and first sign of trouble you want to leave? I don’t think so.”
“Who do you think you are? These’re my people. They go where I tell them to. Dale, let’s go.”
Dale turned to look at Jessica and Henry brought the butt of his rifle down on the man’s nose. It blossomed red under the gun. Dale shouted as he grabbed his face. Henry snatched the keys from the ignition and stuffed them in his pocket. He swiveled the gun around, pointed it at Jessica.
“You bastard. You broke my fuckin’ nose,” Dale shouted.
“Be glad I didn’t shoot you,” Henry said. “You see that car and pickup up there about half a block? That’s a defensible position. We can shoot from cover there. I don’t need the whole group, but I need some of you to help me out.”
The two teenage girls stood from their seat. Both had AK-47 rifles. They slung two bandoleers of ammunition over their shoulders. The blond was obviously pregnant. Henry had heard it whispered she got that way paying for items from a band of nomads.
“We’ll go,” the redhead said. “We’re tired of living in shit. Anything’s better than it was back in Galva.” The two shuffled down the aisle.
“You can have the keys when we’re done,” Henry said as he stepped down.
“We’ll take them off your dead body when the zeds are done picking you over,” Jessica replied.
The doors swung closed. Henry crouched, darted for the vehicles. The girls were right behind him. So far, the zombies had paid them no attention. They were intent on getting through the gate. Shots came from inside and a deader would fall, but there wasn’t much outgoing fire. Henry braced himself across the hood of the truck. The girls stood side by side behind the car.
“Remember, head shots to kill. Put a bullet through their hips or break their spine to disable them. We’ll kill them later.”
Henry squeezed a round. His rifle cracked, a head exploded black gore. The deader went down. One of the girls fired, but pulled her shot. The bullet missed the brain box, but tore the jaw off the zombie. She cursed, adjusted her aim and put the next round between his shoulder blades. He dropped like a sack of wet cement. Not dead, but snarling in the dust.
They started picking their shots as the zombies turned their attention to the new threat. Sometimes there would be runners within the group of dead, but this looked like an older group of zeds. No one moved quickly. Shots started to ring out from behind the gate and above on the wall. Henry and the girls poured on the fire. The zombies, caught in the crossfire, fell in rotted heaps. Some of them made it to within twenty yards of their position, but no further. The blond switched her rifle to full auto and swept the group at head level. Decayed faces dissolved under the storm. It was over.
Henry stood from behind the truck. A few of the zeds twitched, a couple still moaned. He slung his rifle, pulled his pistol and began to walk through the fallen and put a final end to their unlife. The gate swung open and several people came out to do the same. They met in the middle of the mess as Henry popped an old woman who tried to bite through his shoe.
“Where you been, Long Tom?” Henry asked. “You could have had this mess cleared up before I got here.”
A tall, skinny man held out his hand. His dark ebony skin shone in the sun. Henry shook the massive paw. “Well heck, Hawk. We know how much you like killin’ zeds, so we saved you some.” They both turned to the girls, then the bus. “Besides, we didn’t know when you be getting’ here and we didn’t want to
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