Mercy raised her eyebrows. A smile ghosted her lips.
It’s good to have you back Flynn. So good—
They squeezed into the driver’s cabin and watched as Flynn explored the controls. He pushed a large button on the control panel. A loud horn sounded on the train’s roof.
Flynn swore, “No… that’s was not what I wanted—”
Shit, that will bring the dead down on us—
Mercy kept quiet.
Don’t say it. Give him time—
Flynn’s hands hovered over the control panel. “Here, press this to forward and—” Flynn pressed a knob and pulled a lever back. The engine responded and the train moved forwards.
“Good job Flynn, keep it up,” Tawny said.
The train left the siding shed and merged with the main track.
“Shit,” Mercy said, her voice tense. “Trouble ahead—”
A flood of undead was pouring onto the platform from the station building. “How fast can this thing go Flynn? Those stiffs will reach the tracks in—”
Mercy stopped talking. The undead spilled over the platform and onto the tracks ahead.
“Christ,” Flynn muttered. He pulled the power lever back. The train responded, gathering speed.
We’re doing about… twenty miles an hour—
Barnes opened the door, “I’m going to make sure none of those things grab onto us. I could use some help—”
Barnes and Tawny stood on the narrow walkway on the right side of the train. Mercy went to the walkway on left side of the train. The train struck the leading alphas, they disappeared under the engine wheels. Mercy struggled to see in the dark. She had one hand on the guard rail, the other clutched her M4 carbine. A series of gunshots came from the far side of the train.
Stay put… Barnes and Tawny are old hands, they’ll do it right. Keep your eyes peeled. It just takes one alpha to get on board to turn this into a Class A clusterfuck—
Mercy moved up and down the walkway, her eyes glued to the side of the train and the tracks below. The seconds ticked by as they pulled away from the station. Behind them more alphas spilled out over the platform onto the tracks. They ran after the train.
Come on Flynn, give it more juice, push the pedal to the metal—
Mercy’s eyes widened.
Jesus, there’s… hundreds of them—
The train started slowing.
Shit, Flynn what’s wrong—?
Mercy raced back to the driver’s cabin and wrenched the door open. “Why are we stopping? They’re behind us—”
An electronic alarm was sounding from the control panel.
Flynn was frantic, his hands hovering over the controls. “What the actual fuck? What did I do? Shit—”
Gunshots came from outside.
Mercy stared at the control panel, a look of concentration on her face.
Remember that TV programme? About the railroads? That… yes, the dead man’s switch—
Mercy leaned in through the door and yelled, “Flynn, look for the dead man’s switch... it might be a pedal on the floor. It’s a safety thing… stand on it to keep the train going, you might need to keep hitting it—”
Flynn stamped on the floor, “Found it.”
The train shuddered and started to gain speed again. Relief swept over Mercy.
All the crap I used to watch on TV, thank you Documentary Channel—
Flynn adjusted the controls, “I think this is as fast as she’ll go… twenty, maybe thirty miles an hour.” He glanced back at Mercy, “I’ve got this, leave it to me, watch yourself—”
Mercy turned back to the narrow walkway, her eyes focusing on the tracks behind. They were pulling away from the undead horde. She stood at the handrail, her eyes on the side of the train. They passed under a footbridge, shapes fell from above. Mercy counted three alphas landing on the tracks behind them. She looked up, three more alphas were rising to their feet on the mid-section of the train.
It’s raining the bastards now—
The nearest alpha turned towards Mercy, its form just visible in the dim light.
Mercy yelled, “Barnes, Tawny watch your backs—”
The alpha launched itself at Mercy. She lifted her bayonetted M4 carbine and squeezed the trigger firing a burst into it. Three rounds hit the alpha before it crashed on top of her, impaling itself on her bayonet. Mercy’s back ground against the handrail, the alpha’s weight compressing her chest. She struggled for breath, trying to push the alpha away. The train juddered and slowed, then picked up speed. Gunfire erupted on the other side of the train.
Oh. My. God—
The alpha’s stench was overwhelming. Mercy held onto her M4 as the alpha squirmed on the bayonet, its fingers raking her chest and arms.
Get. It. Off—
The alpha craned its neck forwards and snapped at Mercy’s face, its yellowed teeth inches away. Mercy extended away from the alpha, leaning out over the handrail into the speeding darkness. A blur reached out beside her. Mercy jerked her head to avoid the swift movement.
“Look away—” Flynn’s voice.
Intense light erupted in front of Mercy’s face. She closed her eyes and turned away. Flynn thrust the burning emergency flare into the alpha’s mouth, up through its rotten hard palate into its brain. The flare lit up the alpha’s skull from the inside. Its eyes burst, exploding in a wet spray of blood-filled light. Its body jerked as its mouth spewed sparks and flame.
Mercy felt the alpha’s weight leave her chest as Flynn lifted it by the legs. He threw it over the handrail. The impaled M4 was wrenched from Mercy’s hands as the incandescent alpha disappeared over the side of the train.
“Mercy move—”
Flynn—?
Mercy’s eyes snapped open. The tunnel wall raced towards her head.
What—?
Mercy froze.
Chapter 17
Barboursville VA
Mercy blinked.
This is it—
A distant scream. Pulling at her waist. Her legs buckling. Her hair brushed by the dark stone of the tunnel. Falling. Her cheek pressing against the harsh cold of the engine walkway. Wet. Tears.
I’m still alive. Why am I still alive? I should have died. I wanted it all to end. I wanted to die—
“Mercy, it’s OK. It’s OK, you made
