Hank nodded. “So, we know at least two of them survived.”
She sighed. “They didn’t follow your trail. When they hit the intersection, they turned back east.” She shook her head at Roger. “Unless your friend Simon decides to send out a larger pack, they won’t see the bonfire you left.”
Roger blew his breath out hard and sat on the ATV. “Well, that could still be good.” He turned solemn eyes to her. “They must suspect there are survivors. We just won’t have the opportunity to broker a peace with them.”
She raised a brow. “I’m still not convinced his kind can be bargained with.”
Hank stepped closer and patted her shoulder. “You gotta have faith, Candy. Otherwise, is what’s left of humanity even worth fighting for?”
She looked to him and shook her head. “Not if what’s left is only people like Simon.”
Chapter 10
The rear window shattered as a body flew through the glass. Hollis brought his rifle to bear on the target and began firing before the creature had stopped rolling. Hatcher turned back to the front of the house and spotted something moving quickly across the yard. He brought his own rifle up, but the target was gone before he could get a bead on it.
“They’re swarming!” Hatcher followed another target and loosed three rounds. He continued to track it until it was beyond his view. Sounds of rifle fire from the roof became almost a background noise as the sentries opened on targets that made themselves visible.
Hollis threw himself against the wall of the house and checked both angles of attack outside the broken window. “I’ve got nothing!”
Weapons fire from the roof above his head had Hollis double-checking. He could see shadows in the woods, but nothing had broken into the clear again.
“Hey, check this.” Buck stood over the body in the living room.” He pointed to a wooden stake shoved into the creature’s chest. “They threw a dead body through the window.”
Hollis stepped away from the window long enough to glance at what Buck was showing. “What’s the point, kid?” He stepped over the body and went to the front window with Hatcher.
“Don’t you think it odd they’d kick up their activity outside and distract us just to throw a body in here?” He reached for the wooden stake and paused, his hand hovering just above the grip. “I need light.”
Hollis verified the front clear and worked back across the room. He flipped on his LED torch and flashed it onto the body. Immediately he saw what Buck had spotted.
It wasn’t an infected. It was one of his own men, his uniform ripped away and chunks of flesh missing from his shoulders and thighs. “Son of a…”
Buck stood and turned worried eyes to the captain. “I think this is their version of staking a dead body for the other clans.”
Hollis shook with rage. He keyed his coms. “Put down the bait. Two to the chest, one to the head.”
Hatcher bit his tongue to prevent an I-toldja-so from escaping. “What good will that do now?”
Hollis spun on him, his face painted with anger. “I’ll feel better.” He growled as he stomped out the door.
Hatcher sighed and settled into a wooden chair. “We’re losing ground here, aren’t we?”
Buck sat on the edge of the table and crossed his arms over his chest. “There’s no way to know for sure what they’re going to do next.” He pointed to the body. “That could be their way of saying Get off my property or it could be some kind of warning of what’s to come.”
Hatcher turned tired eyes to the young man. “You think they’d be happy with us just leaving?”
“Who knows? I’ve seen them wage full-out war on each other and I’ve seen them face off only for the whole thing to die out once one side walked away.” He took a drink from the canteen that Hollis had given him and stared out through the front window. “Watching them, I was reminded of some documentaries I saw about great apes.”
“Animalistic then?”
Buck shrugged. “Who could possibly know what goes on inside their heads?” He craned his neck to peer outside, then stood from the table. “What the hell is he doing?”
Hatcher stood and the pair went to the window. Hollis was dragging the dead Zed to the front of the house. One of his men had strung a rope from the tree in the yard and Hollis tied it around the body just under the arms. He motioned to the soldier and the body was hoisted up into the air.
“He’s hanging the dead. Just like he said he would do.” Hatcher sighed and leaned against the counter. “I’m afraid, though, it’s too little too late.”
Buck turned and stared at the soldier’s body in the floor. “I think they beat him to it.”
“I couldn’t tell who it was, but whoever it was saved our bacon.” Savage took a long pull from the white lightning Simon had put aside. “I’ve never seen so many ragers in one place at one time before. Not since this whole thing started.”
Simon paced, tugging at his beard. “Even then, they didn’t work together. There was just a shit ton of them.” He turned and cast an inquiring look to the large man. “And you’re sure they were working together? The ragers?”
Savage nodded. “No doubt, boss. You can ask Salty if you don’t believe me.” He took another long pull then handed the quart Mason jar back to Simon. “It’s like somebody had taught them to work together.”
Simon shook his head. “Even wild dogs will run in packs. Eventually, they learn to hunt together.” He took a pull from the corn whiskey and screwed the lid on tight. “I want to know who it was that saved your ass.”
“Me, too. I want to shake his fuckin’ hand.”
Simon turned a surprised stare at him. “I want what’s his.” He stepped closer to Savage and cocked his head to the side,
