Caldera VIIThe End is HERE
Heath Stallcup
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
About the Author
Also by Heath Stallcup
Also From DevilDog Press
Caldera The Series
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Caldera VII – The End is Near HERE
©2018 Heath Stallcup
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living, dead, or otherwise, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.
Printed in the U.S.A.
ISBN—
Created with Vellum
To my twin girls.
You both love zombie stories and this is a different twist on the genre for you.
It may not be what you’re used to, but if the “zombie apocalypse” ever really does come, it most likely will be some kind of rage virus versus the slow, shambling, walking dead.
Rule #1: Cardio…
Chapter 1
Hatcher didn’t need to look where the sentry was pointing. He saw the three large, yellow machines lumbering their direction, black smoke pouring from their stacks. “What the hell?” He walked slowly toward the gates and squinted as the sunlight beat down on the slow, yellow earth movers. He keyed his radio again. “All security personnel muster at the front gates. Lock and load, men! Lock and load.”
“Who is that?”
He didn’t have to look to recognize Candy’s voice. “I have no idea.” He pushed her back slightly. “Secure the interior. Get the women and children as deep inside and under cover as you can.” She turned to rush back inside and he yelled to her, “Direct every able body to the front gates!”
“I’ll tell the tower to watch our flanks!”
“Go!” He waved her off and stepped aside as men baring weapons rushed to the perimeter.
“Are we sure they’re hostile?”
Hatcher turned and gave the man a “duh” look. “There are four hundred million abandoned cars in this country and they choose bulldozers to come and visit? You tell me.”
“Oh yeah…sorry.”
Hatcher pushed the man further down the wall. “Get on the platforms. Look for a shot but don’t waste ammo!”
Roger slid to a stop and handed Hatcher an M4. “Full auto if you need it.”
“Too hard to control.” Hatcher slipped the lever on the side to semi-auto and braced against the side of the adobe wall. “Choose your shots, boys!”
The staccato of gun fire echoed off of the packed clay walls and Hatcher groaned as he watched the shots spark off of the hardened metal of the dozer blades. “We have to flank them.”
Roger turned and gave him a smile. “I can head for that stand of trees.”
“You’ll need something more accurate than an M4.” He glanced down the line and spotted a man holding a sporterized Glenfield 30.06 bolt action. “Trade him,” Hatcher pointed. “Take extra ammo and be careful out there. That’s a bolt action so…”
“Right.” Roger patted his shoulder as he rushed past and swapped weapons with the man. He stopped beside Cooper but Hatcher couldn’t hear the conversation. A moment later both men broke away from the wall and rushed back through the courtyard.
Hatcher yelled at the shooters to stop wasting ammo and noted one of the dozers breaking away and turning to the left. A moment later the other outside dozer broke right and angled away. “They’re gonna hit us from three sides…”
Hatcher brought the M4 up to this eye and tried to focus on one of the dozer drivers. The angle was too steep to line up the operator and he cursed. “Somebody tell me they have an RPG under their bed!”
He froze when the dozers stopped, one by one, and the middle one shut down. Next, the dozer on the left shut down. His mouth went dry and all of his fears were realized when the middle dozer opened its door and the squawk of a bullhorn was heard.
Whoever was operating the middle dozer yelled something through the bullhorn but it couldn’t be heard over the revving diesel engine of the third. A moment later all three machines sat idle in the field across from them.
“As I was saying,” the horn squawked. “You fuckers got one chance! Surrender and we’ll only kill whoever is in charge.” Hatcher groaned. He knew that voice. “You are squatting on MY property. You’ve been eating MY food and you’re holding MY women. I want it all back.”
Hatcher ground his teeth and stifled the curse that fought to escape his lips. “I should have killed you when I had the chance, Simon.”
Hatcher didn’t think. He leveled his rifle on the lead dozer and fired a round. “Come and get it, asshole.” He waved a man over with binoculars and stared off toward the stand of trees. “Where are you, Roger?”
The other two dozers fired up their engines and Hatcher felt his heart drop. “On the ready, boys! Save your ammo, but if you see an opening, TAKE IT!”
He spun back around and fired toward the advancing machine.
“Record everything. No matter how trivial.” Broussard pointed at the door. “No one else in or out but we two until we know that he is no longer a risk to others.”
“Understood.” Carol suddenly stood straighter and squared her shoulders. “Watch his door while I gather my stuff.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get him some fluids and anti-inflammatories…and something to record my notes in.”
Broussard watched her walk away and lowered his eyes to the deck. “God forgive us.”
He waited until Carol returned; she gave him a knowing look before pulling her mask back up and slipping into Kevin’s room. “I’ll be back to relieve you in a few hours.”
She nodded then pulled
