The sounds of branches snapping and things passing through trees startled them. “Let’s move,” Murphy ordered. “And Tyree… slower this time.”
Stephens grabbed the younger man. “I got him, Sergeant,” he said, directing Tyree to his to his front and then moving them out.
Murphy looked over his shoulder as he turned away from them. “Go on; I’ll be right behind you.”
Jacob peeled himself from the damp grass and forced his exhausted legs forward. He clutched the rifle in his sweaty palms and listened to the sounds of the Others closing in from behind. Not wanting to lose sight of Tyree and Stephens ahead of him, Jacob moved quicker. Soon they were back at the wall, and they turned alongside it so that they were running parallel to the street. They worked their way north in the direction of the lakeshore while gunfire erupted from behind. It was more sporadic than before—quick shots of one and two rounds with long pauses in between, mixed with the explosive crack of fragmentation grenades.
Ahead of Jacob, Tyree and Stephens picked up the pace as Stephens looked over his shoulder. Jacob saw the look on his face. Stephens’ eyes showed fear, his mouth opened wide, and then he turned away and sprinted as the noise from behind got louder and closer. Jacob saw bark explode, wood splinter, and tree leaves rip apart as bullets tore through them.
Murphy overtook Jacob from behind and, breathing hard, said, “Pick up the pace; they’re all around us.”
Ahead, Stephens and Tyree had stopped near a section of a low four-foot wall. Tyree was pulling back the wire as Stephens snipped it with a small pair of cutters. Tyree dropped the wire and pulled himself up and over the wall while Stephens turned back, firing to cover Murphy and Jacob’s approach. The rounds were so close to Jacob’s head that he could hear them zip past.
Jacob continued running, aiming for the breach in the wall. He hit it fast; without pausing, he outstretched his arms and thrust himself over the wall. He flew high and clear, sailing over the top edge and crashing hard into the pavement on the other side. Landing in a darkened area, he saw rows of railroad tracks that ran parallel to the wall. Beyond the tracks, he spotted another high fence.
Murphy cleared the wall next, and then turned around to fire over the wall into the mob. “A little help, guys!”
Tyree had his pistol up and was firing over the wall as Jacob scrambled to his feet and fell in behind him. He brought up the rifle and fired until his weapon was dry. He pressed the magazine release button the way Murphy had shown him then fumbled with his vest for a new one. He gripped the top and slapped it home, pressing the bolt release. Jacob heard the clunk of the rifle and, feeling satisfaction that he’d done it right under fire, he brought up the rifle and squeezed the trigger. Stephens pulled himself over the wall between Tyree and Murphy then took the loose strands of wire and quickly twisted the ends back together.
The mob hit the wall just as Stephens pulled back his hands. The wire screeched and stretched as the things slammed against it and more attempted to climb over them. Jacob stepped back when he spotted a shotgun-wielding, heavyset man with empty eyes trying to scramble over the mob pressed against the wall. Jacob leveled his rifle then fired into the man and the Others below him. The pile collapsed, but more quickly filled the space.
Stephens pulled the pin on a grenade and held it up. “Run!” he screamed as he tossed it rows deep into the mob on the far side of the fence.
Following Tyree, Jacob turned and bolted. Rounds zipped past their heads just before the grenade exploded. They were running across rows and rows of railroad tracks that ran into the city. Moving east now, they crossed the last set of tracks and came to the tall wall at the other side. Looking back, Jacob could see the things had already rebounded from the grenade blast and were pouring over the fence to charge toward the tracks.
Just beyond Murphy’s reach, the wall had a deep shelf where maintenance workers could shimmy along the top. Murphy boosted Jacob up to where he could reach a high handhold. He held it tight to allow Murphy to climb his back like a ladder. Stephens and Tyree were similarly working together to scale the wall. Once they were all at the top, not wasting time, they dropped into deep brush on the far side. They were in a dark and empty residential area lined with tall duplexes and apartment buildings on both sides.
“It’s not far now,” Tyree said. “The golf course is just ahead, past that the harbor.”
Jacob could see that beyond the low wire fences was a long row of duplexes. Murphy directed them forward and into a backyard behind the duplexes. It was a tight-fit neighborhood where buildings stood close together with narrow strips of grass and parking structures between them. They now moved quietly, taking their time and trying to catch their breath as they traveled. Jacob focused on controlling his breathing; his heart was racing and sweat ran down his forehead and into in his eyes. He wiped his brow and looked up at Murphy who nodded back at him. Murphy then stopped and knelt near an overturned trampoline.
He surveyed the backyard while his team rested. Murphy pointed toward an old, weatherworn one-car garage. The structure was pushed back against a clapboard fence; overgrown weeds and grass poked around the edges of the building. Normally not a welcoming spot in anyone’s backyard, this morning the forgotten and neglected structure would be a haven.
Murphy patrolled ahead, allowing the men to follow close behind as he guided them into the narrow space between
