While they drove, Saul took stock. His rifle was ruined, the stock splintered in half. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, and he reached beneath the seat for bottled water.
“Here,” he said, passing the reviving liquid around.
Jason and Raymond accepted with grateful smiles. “Thank you, Sir.”
When everyone had sated their thirst with deep gulps, he set about arming himself with a new rifle. This time, he tucked two grenades into his pocket for good measure and added an extra pistol to his belt.
Once they reached the second line of defense, he sucked in a deep breath. “Are you ready for round two, boys?”
“Yes, Sir!”
“We’re ready!”
“Good. Let’s teach those undead monsters a thing or two,” Saul yelled as he jumped out, ready to fight or die for those he loved.
Chapter 19 - Missy
Missy chewed on her thumbnail, her stomach churning until she wanted to hurl. She sat with her legs sticking out the car door, the back seat loaded with speakers. Richard lounged behind the wheel, his manner far more relaxed than hers.
They were one of two decoy vehicles ready to lead the horde to the west and east along the Interstate 70. It was a simple job in theory. Wait until Corporal Parker and his soldiers fall back to the last and final line of defense at the fort. Then split up the remainder of the infected into two directions leading away from the base.
Easy peasy.
So, why was she so nervous?
Because of Dan. Up until Dan’s death during the failed attack on King’s hideout, Missy had felt invincible. Like most young people, she thought she was bullet-proof. She thought her team was untouchable. Then Dan died.
She longer thought death was reserved for someone far away and unknown. It could come at any time, in any place, for anyone—even her.
However, that wouldn’t prevent her from doing her job, even though she was scared of dying. People depended on her and Richard.
She sighed. “How much longer?”
“Not too long,” Richard said. “They’re almost here. Listen to the sounds.”
Missy did. “You’re right. It’s getting closer.”
Twenty minutes later, the radio crackled to life.
“This is Corporal Parker. Over.”
“Richard here. Over.”
“We are falling back. I repeat we are falling back. Ready the decoys. Over,” Corporal Parker said.
“You heard the man. Get in and get ready to blast the music,” Richard said.
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Missy said, climbing into the car.
Minutes later, Corporal Parker’s convoy raced through the middle to the safety of the fort. Richard started the car, and Missy prepared herself for what was to come.
As the first of the horde appeared through the dust and smoke, she pushed play on the radio. Once the music blared from the speakers, she upped the volume until the entire car vibrated with the thunderous beat.
On the far side of the block, the other decoy waited, also blasting music from its open windows. Earplugs protected them from the worst of the noise, and Missy shouted, “Go!”
The infected sped up when they heard the sounds emanating from the vehicles. Two big groups peeled off in either direction, east, and west along the Interstate 70. With eager hunger, they chased their prey down the road.
Missy lost sight of the other decoy and focused on the zombies following them, instead. Richard set a comfortable pace. Not too fast and not too slow, and she soon relaxed into her seat. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d thought it would be. The way ahead was clear, and they were too fast to catch.
After a while, she even began to hum beneath her breath. It was a catchy song, though she failed to remember the title or band. Warm air streamed through her open window, and she tipped her head back to enjoy the feeling.
The ride took her back to the past when she and her girlfriends used to cruise around during summer vacations looking for fun. Or trouble. Or both.
They’d wear the latest fashions, blast music from the radio, and flirt with every boy within a ten-block radius. Life was fun and easy.
Until the dead started coming back to life. That changed everything, and Missy was the only survivor among her friends. She credited her survival to sheer obstinacy. It wasn’t that she was smarter or tougher than her friends. Nope. I was just too stubborn to die. Or dumb. Maybe both.
The thought brought a smile to her lips. Whatever the reason might be, she was still alive, and she had Richard to look after her. He was both her friend and her protector. The uncle she never had.
A terrific bang yanked her back to the present, and she jerked upright. The car zigzagged across the road while Richard fought with the wheel. “Missy, hold on!”
Missy grabbed onto the dashboard as the car careened toward a lamp post. She shrieked and closed her eyes seconds before impact. The force whipped her forward, and her head crashed into the windshield. White-hot pain shot down her spine, and she crumpled into a ball.
Seconds later, rough hands dragged her out of the car onto the asphalt. Her head lolled around on her neck while her eyelids fluttered. Nothing seemed to work right, and the music was gone. Not even her hearing functioned properly. Everything sounded so distant like words shouted through a hollow tube.
“Missy, wake up!” The words were frantic, but they failed to reach her.
A stinging slap across both cheeks caused her to gasp with shock, and she shot upright. “Hey!”
“On your feet. Now!” Richard commanded.
“Okay, okay.” Missy obeyed and stood swaying next to the wrecked car.
In front of her stood Richard, one hand pointing up the street. “Run as fast as you can. Get to the fort.”
Missy looked down the street, and her insides liquefied. The zombies were coming straight for them, the front-runners howling like crazed hyenas. There
