On the first floor, still walking quickly backward, I glance over my shoulder toward the entrance. Strobes light the hall where Greg’s team is engaging night runners coming from the far stairs. Greg has arranged his small team on the far side of the entrance hallway and is directing the soldiers and kids toward the waiting Stryker. Gonzalez, McCafferty, and Bri are just in front of Robert and me as they make for the armored vehicle and safety. They aren’t racing but hanging back in case Robert and I need assistance keeping the night runners off our backs.
A short distance down the hall, with no sign of night runners emerging from the stairwell, I turn and begin picking up the pace when I hear Robert say, “Cover me.”
I turn around and see a little girl standing in the hall just outside the opening of the stairway. She is standing there looking in all directions, obviously confused and scared. I have no clue how she managed to get there or where she was previously. Robert, without waiting for an answer from me, races down the hall toward her.
The push into the building and up the upstairs has been one scary scene after another. The sight of the hordes of night runners sent a surge of adrenaline and fear through him that was almost overwhelming. The sights, sounds, and intensity just about overcame his senses, especially when the night runner slammed into and then fell on him and his dad. That was terrifying, yet, they managed to extricate themselves with the help of Denton. Through it all, Robert managed to maintain a very fragile grip on his fear. The sheer intensity of it all helped keep his mind occupied.
The sight of a little girl emerging from the stairwell startles him. He stares in disbelief.
“Cover me,” he yells to his dad, and, without thinking, he races back down the hall toward the confused and stationary child.
As he runs toward the little girl, he sees her start down the hall in his direction and then slumps to the ground, obviously unsure where to go. Just before reaching her, night runners emerge from the stairwell behind her. He slows his run and begins delivering short, controlled bursts into the closest ones attempting to keep them from the crying girl on the floor. His rounds streak over her head and impact forcefully into the lead night runners, sending them to the ground or into the ones behind. Step…fire…step…fire…
Reaching the girl ahead of the night runners, and with them scant feet away, he goes to his knees and scoops up the girl with one arm while continuing to pump rounds into the horde with his M-4 held in the other. Amidst the shrieks, he hears feet thumping down the stairs just around the corner. More night runners will soon be joining in the fray. His heart races as he starts dashing back down the hall, his progress slowed by having to both carry the child and keep the night runners at bay.
Having to fire one-handed and behind him causes his aim to be off. A night runner launches out of the pack and slams into him, sending him flying to the ground with the creature falling heavily on him and wrapped around his legs. He hits the ground hard, jarring his senses, and loses his grip on both the carbine and the girl. The M-4 clatters across the floor out of reach. The girl falls in front of him and stares at him wildly with wide, frightened eyes.
“Go,” he shouts, pointing down the hall toward the others and safety.
She must have seen him somehow and understood as she quickly gathers herself and rushes off. Robert feels a moment of satisfaction as he watches her sprint away. That feeling is short-lived, however, as he becomes aware of the weight on the back of his legs. The night runner on him is pawing at his lower legs. He kicks out at it in an attempt to clear himself and feels a red, searing pain shoot up his leg as teeth sink into him. He screams as white-hot agony fills his mind.
He frees a leg and kicks again, connecting with the night runner, but its grip is too strong and it doesn’t let go. Survival mode kicks up a notch. He reaches down and withdraws the Beretta at his side. Pushing through the burning sensation in his leg, he shakily points the sidearm at the night runner and pulls the trigger.
The creature goes limp and becomes dead weight as the 9mm round enters the top of its head. The bullet tears through the skull and enters the soft tissue beneath. Shards of bone follow in its path doing even more damage. The extra damage, however, is moot as the bullet does its destructive job. It drives through the brain and slams into the base of the skull, punching out of the lower back of the night runner’s head with a clotty spray of gore.
Worried about the other night runners, he pushes the pain aside and begins to extricate himself from under the body when he feels something grab his vest and begin pulling. He feels himself being dragged along the floor and registers light flashing off the walls around him.
Before I can react, Robert takes off down the hall.
“Gonzalez, get her to the Stryker,” I yell, pushing Bri in that direction.
Without waiting for a “hooah” or whatever response she might make, I turn and race after Robert. The girl, perhaps sensing which direction to go, begins walking toward him. She only makes it a few steps before collapsing to the floor. My heart almost leaps out of my chest when I see night runners emerge from the stairs behind the girl. I see Robert slow and start delivering rounds into the mass. He’s in the middle of the hall so I’m not able to get a clear lane of fire which increases my fear beyond measure. I shout after him to stop but my call falls short due to the screams of the night runners that pack the hall like a physical presence.
I watch helplessly as Robert fights his way to the crying girl and scoops her up in his arms. He then begins making his way back, firing behind him one-handed. With horror, I watch as a night runner crashes into his back, sending him to the ground. Time slows. I watch his fall in slow motion. The small girl falls from his arms to land on her rear and slides a short distance. Robert loses his grip on his M-4. It sails through the air, impacting the floor with a clatter and scoots across the linoleum, coming to rest against one of the walls. My mind goes blank as I see a night runner on the back of his legs. Reaction takes over with no thought or feeling other than intense fear.
The night runners pouring from the stairs are just feet away from Robert and it’s only a matter of seconds before he is engulfed by them. Flipping the selector switch to semi, I begin firing rounds into the night runners threatening my son. I can’t get a clean shot on the one on his legs, but that will change as I draw closer. Right now, I have to keep the other night runners from tearing him apart.
Continuing to run forward, I line up head shot after head shot. Night runners fall with each one. I see Robert point down the hall and see the girl take off, running quickly by me toward the entrance. Paying her little heed, I continue to deliver rounds and make my way toward Robert. I feel like I’m walking through water as the distance closes far too slowly. I then hear what I dreaded the most — Robert screaming in pain.
With my focus on both Robert and the horde just behind him, I watch as he takes out his handgun and fires into the top of the night runner’s head that is clamped securely to his leg. It drops in a heap. I continue firing into a group of night runners quickly approaching down the hall with more shrieking behind. He begins to clear the night runner off of his legs as I reach him. I quickly change mags, then grab his drag handle and begin pulling, firing one-handed into the mass of night runners filling the hall.
Clearing him from the dead night runner, I’m thankful for the smooth floor as it’s easier to pull him. I keep firing to keep the separation between us and the night runners. It’s slow going and I only have a limited amount of ammo remaining. Once that’s gone, there is little chance of me holding the crowd off. Robert fires his Beretta while being dragged. The slide soon falls back in the open position indicating he’s out of rounds. The night runners are gaining ground on us.
“I can walk,” he yells and begins to rise.
I sense others beside me and see night runners begin to fall
“Go, sir! We’ve got this,” Gonzalez yells.
Robert rises to his feet. I throw my arm around him and help him limp to the entrance hall. As we depart, Henderson and Denton fill the gap we left and begin firing volleys into the night runners closing in. I notice Greg’s team heavily engaged with night runners on the other side. Rounding the corner, I see Greg hurry in our direction
