As soon as the craft was uncovered, the two men leapt aboard and dropped the outboard engine into the water. The boat was coated in a non-reflective black paint, the bottom made of a soft aluminum covered in rubber skin. Marks ran up behind them with Stephens and Jesse in tow. “Okay, let’s get this thing moving. We have a rendezvous to make.”
Jacob moved along the dock and prepared to jump onto the small inflatable when a gunshot echoed from the main street.
Chapter Thirty
“Aww shit, they’re in it now,” Rogers gasped, looking through the scope on his rifle. “Not much I can do from here; they're out of range.” He was positioned high in the bow of the inflatable, standing so that he could see beyond the marina and into the main street.
Marks moved ahead to look past him. “What do you see?”
“Looks like those fools attracted some unwanted attention. I got Delta movement coming on to the main drag, less than ten for now. Those fools better move before more show up or they’re gonna get cornered,” Rogers reported. A woman’s ear-piercing scream put emphasis on Rogers’s statement.
Marks looked down then toward James sitting over the controls; his eyes were locked on the town, his gloved hands pumping into fists hungry for action. “It’s not our mission, James. Come on, let’s start the boat and get us out of here.”
James, instead of starting the engine, raised his hand. “Sir, if I may?”
“Go on, but make it quick.”
The pace of the gunfire from the main street picked up, as did the screams. The sound of the battle was terrifying but still far away. Suddenly, the chaos was joined with the howls of the Deltas. “Sir, just let me put some fire downrange, help pull some of them Deltas back in our direction and give those fools a fighting chance at least. Hell, sir, we got time and distance on our side. We can get in the water before them things get anywhere near us,” James said calmly, yet failing to hide the urgency in his voice as he continued to look back.
Marks shook his head. Gunfire raged behind them. “Fine… make it happen. Take one of the cherries, but don’t go far, stay in the marina… if you fuck up, we won’t be able to wait.”
The bearded sergeant smiled and backed away from the controls, turning and jumping back to the dock in a single leap. Pausing, he looked back at Jesse then turned to Jacob. “You ready to get your dick wet, rookie?”
Jacob looked up at him with shock in his face. Showing confusion and fear, he shrugged; he then nodded, knowing what he had to do.
James laughed. “Good, then drop that pack like a set of college girl panties and come run with me. You ain’t lived 'til you’ve had some alone time with Sergeant James,” he said, offering a hand to Jacob.
Jacob dropped his rucksack and pushed himself forward. Reaching out, he took James’s hand and was yanked out of the boat and nearly across the far side of the dock. James took off at a light jog, not waiting for Jacob to steady himself. Explosions, mixed with the sounds of the gunfire, ricocheted across the marina.
“We’ll have the engine ready to go; don’t be late,” Marks called out after them.
Jacob leapt forward. Keeping his rifle tight to his chest, he struggled to keep up as James rounded corners looking for the end of the docks and searched for the perfect position. James turned left and moved toward a wooden boathouse structure. Near the boathouse was a flimsy wooden barrier with a gate and a large concrete planter blocking vehicles from driving onto the docks.
James dropped in close behind the wooden barrier next to the planter then signaled Jacob to find a position near his side. Jacob watched as the bearded soldier removed a pair of hand grenades and set them on the wooden barrier to his front. Jacob reached for his own grenades, but the soldier reached out a hand, stopping him.
“Nope, this is just insurance; two should be enough—save yours for later,” James said before looking back to the front.
Jacob could see the mass building far ahead, gathering on the sidewalk across from the pharmacy. Whoever was in the building was putting up a fight, keeping most of the Deltas in the street. The things were standing, using the abandoned cars for cover as they fired into the empty storefront. If they charged, the fight would be over.
“I’ve never seen them fight like that,” Jacob whispered.
James spit on the dock as he raised his right hand to make adjustments to his optics. “Yeah, they get smarter every day. Most still run at you, but every now and then, we find a group like this that knows how to fight.”
“Once I start firing, they're going to change direction and come at us. You need to be quick and make your shots count. Don’t let your rifle go empty, but call out if you have to reload; I need to know what you are doing at all times. Stay close to me,” James said with excitement in his voice. “Understood?”
Only hearing every other word, Jacob nodded his reply, causing James to spin and grab his shirt collar. “I said, understood?”
Jacob backed away. “I got it!”
“Then fucking say so; this ain’t scout camp—you need to sound off!” James lifted the rifle back to his eye. “We’re wasting time, let’s go to work.” Eager to join the fight, he swiveled, quickly found a target, and pulled the trigger.
Jacob raised his own weapon and searched the street to the front, looking for targets. As he searched, he watched the Deltas drop to James’s rifle. Others stopped firing into the pharmacy, turning in the direction of the new threat. Jacob looked at a tall male through his scope; the creature turned and faced him, its mouth open and ready to scream. Jacob flinched and squeezed
