“I’ve seen much bigger cruise ships. But I figure this one has more than enough room for our people.”
“Very good. Now think tactically. Security, access, and all that. Do you see anything else? Any deados?” Lou had coined the term deados, meaning the undead, a while back. It had stuck, and now everybody was using the term.
“Uhm.” Andrew had another long look. “I don’t see any movement on the ship.” He scanned around some more. “The ship is tied off at the front and the back, but the only way to board is up a steep stairway attached to its side. The approach is wide open. Oh! I see a few deados! They are congregated around a squat building, about a hundred yards from the ship. They’re frozen—”
It was then that Andrew realized his error. Deados don’t move unless they have spotted something to chase. He swung the binoculars back to the cruise ship.
“Ah. Shit.”
“Yes?” Lou urged him on.
“Yeah, we got deados on the ship too. I can see a couple of them now.”
“If you look to the front at the top, Andrew, you’ll see the antennas. There should be a radio array on that ship. It is our way of getting back in touch with the rest of the Order and finding out what happened to the rest of the world.”
“That will make Marge’s day,” Andrew agreed as he spotted the antennas.
“OK. Good.” Lou’s tone of voice indicated to Andrew that it was time to stop looking.
He lowered the binoculars for a second time, handing them to a third person, who had been flagged over by Lou as Andrew carried out his surveillance. A fourth person, the second Sword, had also joined.
Andrew nodded at his equal. Tomas was the only guy in their militia who actually looked like a soldier. He stood a full head taller than Andrew at six foot four, and Andrew guessed that he weighted in at well over two hundred pounds. Two hundred pounds of muscle, that is. The guy liked to keep his head shaved and his arms tattooed. On top of that, he had a huge scar that ran from his ear to below his mouth. He looked dangerous. Like he could kick some serious ass.
Andrew thought that it was equal parts funny and curious when he found out that Tomas was a mailman before all this shit went down. Was Tomas afraid of dogs? Or the other way around? And how the hell did he fit into those shorts they all wore?
Well, I guess he did wear a uniform. Just not the one I would have expected. Andrew was so lost in thought that he almost missed Lou’s instructions.
“Our first task will be to clear the surrounding area. There are no more than half a dozen deados at that administration building. More importantly, there are no other deados nearby. So, no way they can warn each other about our presence. We will have to do this silently — no guns. Use crossbows, and clubs.”
One look into those eyes and both Swords knew that there would be no arguing.
“Ten guys should be more than enough.” Lou looked from one of his two lieutenants to the other, before his gaze finally settled on Tomas. “Sword Tomas, pick nine men to go with you. Head straight out across this open field. Keep a shooter back, just in case. Head out on my signal. OK?”
The big man nodded. Andrew watched the scar deepen on his cheek as Tomas pursed his lips slightly. He did not like the hand-to-hand stuff. Andrew couldn’t blame him.
Andrew didn’t, either.
“When you’re done, you join back up with us in the ship,” Lou went on. “Put a couple of your men to hold that stairway. We might be wanting to leave in a hurry, so be prepared. Only use your rifles as a last resort.” He waited until Tomas acknowledged this before turning towards Andrew. “Sword Andrew. To us falls the harder of the tasks. We have to clear that ship.”
Andrew nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“I’ve never been on a cruise ship. Have you?”
“No, sir.”
“Ah.” Lou looked slightly disappointed at that. “Well, never mind. I’m sure they’re all laid out differently anyway. Say, how many people do you figure could fit on that ship?”
Andrew thought about it for a second. “Probably a thousand or so. That would be my guess.”
Lou nodded. “Yeah. That’s what I figured too.” He took a deep breath. “Well, only one way to find out.”
He signaled for his two lieutenants to follow him as he walked to the stairwell of the large warehouse facility. The fourth soldier had already run downstairs to join the rest of the group. Lou talked as he took the stairs leading down to their waiting militia.
“Pikes and clubs, Sword Andrew. Crossbows where possible.” He slowed down at the next landing. “I fear it will be close combat in there
Andrew had no time to dwell on that. Lou led them to the bottom of the stairs, where their militia of twenty-four fighters quickly came to attention.
LOU AND ANDREW LED a group of fifteen Shields in a silent charge. The only sounds were of heavy breathing and footfalls.
Andrew could hear Tomas and his men engaging zombies, about a hundred yards away. Some men could not keep from exclaiming as they struck with their weapons or cry out in alarm as a deado managed to get close.
Good thing they’ve got these. He thought as he appraised the pike he was carrying. The thing was at least ten feet long, with a wooden shaft that was affixed with a steel spearhead. The spearhead also had a
