“Oh my god,” Anderson’s voice was wobbly and his eyes were the size of saucer plates, watching the horde.
The boys snapped around and shushed the frightened soldier and even pulled or pushed the men back around the corner to keep from attracting attention. Baker slid back as well, keeping the furious hive in sight.
“What are we going to do? How the fuck are we gonna get those things the fuck out of here?” Torrez was gripping his Remington shotgun so hard his brown knuckles were turning white. He even started praying in his native tongue.
“Three of you start making your way to the tree line.” Baker turned his head and pointed out to the woods, almost two hundred meters away.
“Two of y’all go to the middle of the parking lot and be ready to push your horn when we come running,” Antonio added. “Y’all can give us cover fire too.” A nice addition to the planning if Captain Baker was being honest.
“We’ll go and get they attention. Antonio, me and Baker. Baker right? Captain Baker?” Miles remembered the captain’s name from hearing it so many times, but he still wanted to be sure.
These boys knew what they were talking about. Before Baker could issue the orders, it seemed Miles and Antonio already knew how this was going to go down. Baker nodded to his men and they nodded back. Lincoln, Castle and Torrez went jogging for the tree line, moving with the plan. But Anderson and Bates lingered, both for separate reasons.
“Captain, let me stay with you guys. I can help.” Bates moved closer. “I can help you guys. Let’s just fire into that crowd and blow ‘em all to hell.”
“Ain’t enough bullets to fight all them off.” Antonio pulled his clip out and checked his ammo.
Bates side-eyed the kid and shook his head. “C’mon captain. You can’t expect these kids to be able to help you.”
“Go out in the parking lot, Bates. Put at least fifty meters between us.” Baker took the safety off his weapon and hardened his resolve. He saw Anderson literally shaking in his boots and reached out to grab the man by his shirt. “Anderson, get your ass out there and wait for us.” He shoved the man away and Anderson took off in a clumsy jog. Then Captain Baker turned to the other man, “That’s a fucking order Bates!”
Bates was taken aback for a moment but followed after Anderson, nonetheless.
“Find cover somewhere,” Miles called out to the men in a whispered yell.
“That Anderson dude is gonna get himself killed.” Antonio snorted and spat.
Baker ignored the comment. “So, how are we gonna do this?”
“We gotta take out that siren. We can’t do anything until we take out that siren.” Miles took out his phone and feigned swiping up and down as though he was looking for a song. “If we don’t it could call the hive back.”
Baker took another look around the corner. “How the hell are we gonna do that? Those freaks are all around that… siren.”
Miles leaned out to look and saw the mosh pit of leaping and rolling crowds encircling the shrieking siren; the infected screamer’s mouth was stretched cartoonishly wide as it continued howling and going red in the face. The siren’s head was high above the sickening congregation. It was an easy target for the small boy.
“I can get it.” Miles pretended to scroll through his phone again then decided on the song, O.T. Genasis Coco, and it started playing in his head.
Antonio’s eyes narrowed on Miles and he saw the seriousness on his brother’s face. “What you listenin’ to?”
“Coco.” Miles lowered himself to one knee, softly singing the words
Antonio tossed Miles the berretta and he caught it without looking. “Eight shots. Four for you and four for me.” Antonio said and his brother nodded. Then Antonio turned to the captain, “Get ready to give us some cover fire. It’s gonna move fast.”
The captain’s eyes went back and forth between the two boys and he watched Miles line up his shot. Antonio took the knife and held up one of the airhorns he had. Seconds felt like hours and sweat started to form on Baker’s forehead. He looked out and saw Lincoln and the others just now reaching the tree line. Bates and Anderson were crouched next to a Prius, both with unsure expressions.
Miles was taking long slow breaths, one after another and held his arm out with the pistol trained on his target. Antonio’s finger hovered over the horn’s button and he licked his lips with anticipation. Captain Baker slapped himself and shook his head. When he raised his HK416, a loud bang exploded from Miles’ hand and a single shot took out the siren. Its screams were replaced by the shrill wailing of the air horn in Antonio’s hand.
***
Back in the monitor room, everyone there watched the screens on the table in front of Nadine with fevered intensity. Carver was leaning on the table, gripping the edge almost hard enough to break the wood. Julia was standing behind Nadine’s chair with a hand on the back of the seat. Ben was behind her with his arms crossed and a grievous look on his face. Chakrabarti was pacing a few feet away from them, unable to continue watching the madness on screen. The banging from the docks seemed to intensify and each new pounding blow sounded like the one that would break down the door.
The next loud bang at the shutter door made the doctor jump. “Are
