By early evening, the group were simply exhausted, the limited visibility and morose emotions draining each individual considerably, Benjamin staring across into bloodshot eyes, Brad’s youthful weary figure virtually slumped across the handlebars of the motorbike as yet one more brief stop was accomplished.
The older experience of a combat veteran came to the fore, the middle aged man considering that an early night stop was now required to refresh spirits and to prepare for another day of anguish. Sipping from a metal military water flask, he raised a scarf across his mouth as he lowered the driver’s window, the motorbike helmet drooped as Brad struggled to keep his eyes open behind the visor, Emily grinning with tired vision as the two German Shepherd dog heads rose inquisitively in the narrow rear seats.
Benjamin coughed as the dust caught in his throat, indicating to the swirling dirt ahead and then glancing down at the map on his lap, ‘There is a truck stop a few kilometres ahead…what we will find there I don’t know, but it would be a safe place to spend the night…easily defendable as I recall it has shutters and only one main door. There are outbuildings and fuel pumps, so we can get some extra supplies…’ He grinned beneath the scarf in fond remembrance, ‘Even if they have lost power, the burgers will still be relatively fresh and so should the cheese and buns…we can feast for a night. If you don’t like my wife and I’s cooking, the dogs will and they have a log fire and barbecue as I can remember, so we will be warm and have beer at least.’
Benjamin drew a sharp breath, lifting the sniper rifle from between him and his wife to place it on the wide front dashboard, ‘We must realise that the dead will be all around us from now on…we need to keep moving and help very few of those we meet. The more that travel with us will draw attention, the dead behind us show that…many travelled together for comfort, it is basic human nature, but can draw the attention of the enemy. We travel fast and light…that is the only tactic that will get us to safety…there is no room for any more unless we all agree?’
Brad seemed to stiffen, Emily and Katherine nodding solemnly as the older army veteran sniffed, his eyes straining against the biting dust as he stared at the motorcyclist, ‘Stop just short of the buildings as they appear on the right. I will scout the premises and then bring you all in…we need to be careful, any survivors have or will have become desperately frightened…they will shoot first.’
The motorbike slowed, engine note rising as Brad dropped a gear, his eyes straining through the scratched visor and billowing dust towards the darkened silhouettes of buildings ahead highlighted in the bright front headlight and flickering illumination from two burning vehicles. The wider rear bike tyre skidded sideways across the tarmac as he drew to a dramatic halt, a smile flickering across his lips. Excitement rose briefly within his rising chest, a liking for the powerful pulsing bike growing as his nerves had seemed to finally settle, an increasing hunger and longing for a burger and perhaps fries adding to the heightened emotion, a brief escape from grim reality into the fond taste memories of old beckoning.
The helmet slowly turned with the handlebars, examining the shadows of several deserted vehicles, their doors still open from a hasty terrified departure by the owners and occupants, one closer white hatchback on the other side of the raid drawing a watchful eye as adrenalin once again surged through an exhausted system, the car with blood smear marks along the side…a body slumped on the road across the front bumper, the head lolled forward lifelessly.
Dropping the stand and slipping his right leg wearily over the seat of the motorcycle, Brad reached for the strap of the assault rifle, pulling the weapon over the helmet and brandishing it in both hands as he gritted his teeth, a head turning from side to side warily. The dust and embers swirled around his half crouched figure, his head lowering briefly as he pulled the bolt back on the rifle, just as Benjamin had taught him ‘to check the breech’ and ensure the weapon was ready to fire.
Glancing cautiously round once more, Brad stepped uneasily towards the white, blood smeared car, lifting the weapon to chest height, his eyes narrowing as he approached the vehicle, the helmet moving from side to side as his nervousness rose. Rounding the side of the car, he looked down, the injuries on the corpse of a man in his late twenties causing him to draw breath, the victim’s stomach cut wide and deeply open, exposed dust coated bloodied severed intestines spilled onto the tarmac between the prone spread legs.
Stepping back aghast as he glimpsed the blood soaked shirt and broken, bone perforated leg, he swallowed hard, acidic bile rising almost uncontrollably from an empty stomach. The helmet turned briefly as he briefly heard approaching engines, then back to the corpse before him.
His eyes strained as he saw the blood trails from the bowed head’s mouth and deep crimson shoulder injury, realising the male casualty had died in excruciating agony, but also concluding that the final wound had been delivered after the man had struggled painfully to his current position…the dreaded merciless enemy was perhaps no longer only in the air.
Chapter Twenty: The Eastern United States
Long Island, Boston Harbour
The two soldiers had been running southwards for some time and were now drenched in sweat, their bodies drained as they stopped in a
