Jarvis raised a hand. “I can attest to that,” she said proudly.
“Yeah, what the hell was that, anyway?” Rollins asked.
Burch grinned. “Just your local gas station.”
“Wonder what Captain Odom is going to have to say about that?” Stein raised an eyebrow.
Jinx shrugged. “As long as we complete the mission, not much,” he said. He tossed in another handful of firecrackers before hopping over into the back of the truck. “So let’s get a move on, and we won’t get chewed out.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jarvis revved the engine as Jinx, Rollins, and Davila clambered up into the truck bed, laying down on top of the explosives. The Corporal smacked the side of the truck to let her know she was good to go. She peeled out of the parking lot, Stein and Burch jostling to the right as she turned onto the road leading to the bridge.
There were easily a hundred zombies standing between them and the target, and she stopped, opening up the window behind her. “What do you think?” she asked.
Jinx sat up and looked out, cocking his head as he studied the densely packed horde. “This thing got some juice to it?” he asked.
“Oh yeah,” Jarvis replied, nodding. “Could probably clear one of those hybrid cars if I picked up enough speed.”
Jinx gave her a thumbs up and laid back down. “Lead on, then!” he called, and they held onto the side of the bed tightly.
Jarvis revved the engine, prompting everyone to be ready. She floored it, picking up speed quickly, and within moments the truck smacked into the front edge of the pack, sending zombies flying every which way.
The men in the back watched bloody rotted limbs sailing around, corpses and crushed bodies landing on other zombies, creating a total mess. The momentum of the truck slowed as they pushed through, but the lift kit kept the vital components of the truck out of harm’s way. Soon they were through the other side, driving onto the bridge.
Jinx raised his head to look through the back window, watching the daylight between them and the next batch of zombies at the head of the bridge. There were a few dozen spread out across it, all shambling towards them.
“Hold up here,” he called.
Jarvis stopped the vehicle and Davila sat up.
“Yo, we’re not drawing that big of a crowd back here,” he reported.
Jinx looked back and saw that the zombies they’d plowed through were mostly turning and walking away, with only a few coming towards them. “Well, why don't you do something about it?” he asked. “Just don't blow us up.”
Davila grinned, looking around through their stash for something to use. He finally settled on a large mortar device, a two-foot tall metal tube with balls of explosives in the package. He grabbed it and jumped down onto the bridge.
“Cover me, guys!” he declared, and then knelt to get set up.
Jinx and Rollins each took a side of the truck, readying their handguns. As they did so, a few corpses staggered by, headed towards their friend. They both aimed down, firing at near point-blank range to drop their respective enemies.
Davila gleefully opened the package like a kid at Christmas, positioning the mortar tube at a low angle, almost horizontal to the ground. He propped it up with his foot while he lit one of the explosives and shoved it in.
“Fire in the hole!” he barked, and a few seconds later the mortar went off, rocketing across the bridge just a few feet above the pavement.
The aim was true, striking a zombie directly in the back, exploding in a grand display of colorful flames. Davila let out a celebratory whoop before loading up another one. The second shot was on target as well, striking a turning zombie in the chest and knocking it back, setting a small fire on its blood-stained shirt. The noise and the fires attracted most of the zombies that had been wandering away from them.
Davila glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Rollins fire off a few more shots, taking out the last of the would-be attackers.
Jinx grabbed a large brick of firecrackers. “All right, saddle up,” he said. “I think that’s as good as we’re getting with those.”
Davila tossed the mortar device back into the truck and climbed up as Jinx lit the firecrackers and tossed them out onto the asphalt. He smacked the roof of the truck, and Jarvis took off again.
As they picked up speed to ram through the next batch of zombies, the firecrackers went off, loud sustained snapping filling the air.
“Hey Jarvis, once we’re through,” Jinx called through the window as he exchanged a fist bump with Davila, “stop at the next safe area so we can keep this up.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jarvis drove the truck around slowly as the boys were on the ground, setting up fireworks to go off. There were a few hundred zombies on the main road headed towards them, but nearly a football field away.
Rollins aimed his assault rifle down the side street, firing off a few shots and taking out some nearby zombies that were attracted to the noise.
Davila and Stein set up a row of mortars on the roadway, lighting them up at the same time to send up a barrage of explosives, hoping that the combined noise would draw more zombies in.
Burch found a metal dumpster in an alley, running up to it and throwing in a brick of firecrackers. A few moments later, there was a loud metallic echo reverberating through the alley. When he looked back, he saw smoke rising from the dumpster, and Jinx approached, chuckling.
“Well, if that isn’t a metaphor for the last month,” he said.
Burch snorted. “No shit.”
Jarvis honked the horn to get everyone’s attention, coming to a stop. “All right, really starting to draw a crowd up here,” she announced. “Let’s get moving to the next site.”
Jinx walked up to the
