A World Apart (Part 1): 8,000 Miles Page 10

  John and Shelly continued backwards, all the while engaging the approaching mob. “Five.” Shelly said as she took down another one. “Six.” John shot back with a wink. They were in view of Damien and George now. “WE SEE YOU JOHN.” Damien reported.

  “ROGER.” John replied on the radio. “Reloading.” John told Shelly.

  They soon drew the first pursuers into the view of the roof. “WE ARE ABOUT TO START SHOOTING JOHN.” Damien said.

  “I KNOW.” John replied.

  “YOU TOLD ME TO TELL YOU.” He came back.

  “THANKS DAMIEN.” John called back, smiling in amusement.

  John and Shelly stopped their retreat and started taking down targets from their current position. At the same time, George and Damien let lose a barrage from above. The creatures were going down so fast that they actually had to wait for some of the slower ones to come into view. Then, almost as soon as it had begun, the pursuit seemed to be over. “I THINK WE CAN TAKE IT FROM HERE.” John called to Damien. “THANKS FOR THE ASSIST.”

  “YOU GOT IT BROTHER.” Damien replied.

  John and Shelly reloaded their rifles and moved forward again. This time when they moved back into view of the gate, the zombies were all but gone. The only remaining monsters were the ones that were so messed up, they couldn’t walk. These were still trying desperately to crawl towards them. They were pulling themselves across the dirt and rocks with their arms, and pushing with their legs. Shelly took aim at the closest one. John stopped her by placing his hand on top of her rifle. “No need, we can move around them.” He said.

  “You’re just afraid I will beat you.” She said with a laugh.

  “You’re probably right.” John replied with a smile.

  They circled around the crawling zombies and made their way to the closest two Humvees. John went to the one in the lead and Shelly to the one behind it. They both inspected the area all around the trucks to ensure that no additional zombies were lying in wait. The vehicles were clear of any additional threats. John yanked open the door of his truck and turned the ignition lever, to activate the glow plugs. Once the indicator showed that the truck was ready, he turned the lever and the truck started up. He inspected the fuel gauge and was happy to learn that his guess was right, the tank was full. He looked back to see that Shelly had her truck running and was waiting patiently in the driver’s seat, ready to move the trucks back to the headquarters building. John motioned for her to wait with an upheld finger, then ran to the gate and dropped the red and white pole to the closed position. It wouldn’t be much of a barrier, but it might be enough to stall any additional zombies outside, they didn’t strike John as very smart, after all. He ran back and jumped into his truck, put it in drive, and pulled around slowly to move back towards their building.

  Shelly followed John closely. She honked the horn and John was worried that something was wrong. He looked in the side view mirror just in time to see her swerve to run one of the huge tires right over a crawling zombie. The thing’s head exploded from the weight of the truck. Shelly looked up at John, stuck her left arm out the window, and flipped him off with a smile on her face. John was shocked, I think I like her, he thought, then smiled and shook his head. “ED, THIS IS JOHN.” He called over the radio. “WE ARE ALMOST BACK TO YOUR LOCATION, GET READY TO LET US IN.”

  “ROGER THAT JOHN.” Ed replied. “WE WILL BE AT THE DOOR BEFORE YOU GET HERE.”

  John pulled his truck parallel to the headquarters building, just past the door, and Shelly pulled up right behind him. They both jumped out of their respective trucks and rapped on the door to let Ed know they were ready to come in. Ed opened the door to let them in. “Welcome back.” Ed greeted them. “No problems I hope.”

  “Easy peasy.” John said with a smile.

  “Alright.” Ed nodded. “Let’s get this stuff loaded up before we lose the light. We got all the food and water in the building and plenty of ammo.”

  Damien and George stayed on the roof to provide them cover, just in case, while they loaded up the vehicles. A short time later everyone was safely back inside the conference room.

  “Good job everyone.” Ed said happily. “The trucks are both loaded up, minus our asses in the seats. Are we forgetting anything?” He asked.

  “My truck has a full tank of gas.” John reported.

  “Mine too.” Shelly added.

  “Great.” Ed said. “We’ll get a full night’s rest and head out first thing tomorrow. Don’t forget to bring any personal items you don’t plan on leaving in Afghanistan. Make sure you bring all your weapons and any additional ammo you may have. John, Shelly, and Damien will take the first truck, and the rest of us in the second. I think Damien and George should man the gunner’s hatches in each one. Anyone object?” He asked.

  Damien smiled and eagerly said, “no objection here.” He seemed happy that he was contributing so well to the group. George simply nodded.

  “Alright.” Ed began again. “John and I will drive the trucks. Let’s spend a little while going over the route on the map before we go to bed.” They all nodded in response.

  CHAPTER 16

  The sun was low on the horizon when Jerry got the section of sheet metal free enough for them to crawl out. The other captive didn’t really help much, not because he was unwilling or unable, but because it turned out to be a one-person job. Jerry had taken his time with the task to avoid making too much noise. His methods were not sophisticated, but they were effective. He simply pushed against the sheet metal with the bottom of his boot, right next to the stud, until it popped off the screw that held it. After each pop, he paused and watched Derek, to see if the guard outside had reacted to the sound. He repeated this until a section of the sheet metal was free from the stud up to about three feet off the ground. He did the same thing across the bottom stud until another three feet or so was free. The next part was trickier and had to be done carefully. He bent the sheet metal out and then back in on itself, creating a triangular hole in the wall that they could crawl out of. He had to take this part slow, because each give of the metal was accompanied by a popping sound. He had to be sure that the guard didn’t hear it.

  Once the task was done, he popped his head through the hole and peered around to make sure the back side of the shed was clear. It was. Several feet behind the wall was a depression. He figured they could dip in there and use it for cover as they moved to the side of the factory. He looked to the right and saw that the corner of the factory building was about 100 feet away. He retreated into the shed and motioned for the others to come close.

  “It’s clear behind this building, for now.” He laid it out for them. “I think we should wait about twenty more minutes, let the sun dip below the horizon, then make our move. It’s about 100 feet to the edge of that big building and there is a ditch or something behind this shed that we can use for cover. Once we move into that ditch, or whatever it is, we’ll leave Sam to hide there while we move on.” He looked at Sam then. “Sam, I need you to stay put and stay quiet once we get into that ditch. You understand?”

  “I will Grandpa, I’m good at being quiet.” Sam told his grandfather.

  Jerry smiled at him, proud of how brave the young boy was being. “Ok, Derek, keep an eye on that guard until I signal.”

  “Got it.” Derek replied.

  Jerry then poked his head back through the hole and watched as the sun went down. Derek was at the door, watching the guard and looking back at Jerry every few seconds. A few minutes later, the sun dipped below the horizon and the natural light dimmed considerably. Jerry popped back in and whispered loudly, “Now!” Jerry was out of the hole in a few seconds, then he squatted next to it to help the others out. He was facing the corner of the building, to keep an eye out if someone wandered around. Sam came out next, helped by the other captive. Jerry grabbed him and moved him protectively behind his back. The other guy came next and then was shortly followed by Derek. Jerry motioned to the depression and they all moved in a crou
ch to the edge and jumped in.

  What Jerry thought was a ditch, was actually an excavation pit. Thankfully it was only about six feet deep and provided them with great cover. There was a workstation a few feet from where they landed that consisted of a table that was littered with tools. There were some barrels and a tool cart next to the table. Jerry motioned for Derek and the other man to wait, then led Sam over to the work area. He inspected the barrels and saw that one of them was empty. He picked up Sam and dropped him lightly inside the empty barrel. “Remember Sam, stay quiet and don’t move from here until I come back.” Sam nodded. Jerry then grabbed a board that was sitting on the table and placed it over the top of the barrel. He looked at the table again before he left and considered some of the tools.

  Jerry quickly joined the others. He handed Derek a hammer and the other man a long screwdriver, he had taken the tools from the table. He then took the lead and guided them towards the large factory building. Once they passed the corner of the building, Jerry gestured for the others to help him out of the pit. As they lifted him up, he peered over the edge to make sure it was clear. He didn’t see anyone. Jerry climbed out of the pit then reached down for the young man that was with them. He lifted him up and then they both pulled Derek up. They moved as a group to the corner of the building and Jerry peeked around. The guard was still in the chair. It was too dark to tell for sure, but Jerry though the man might be dozing in the chair. He turned back to the others and whispered. “Derek, give me your knife, I will do it.” He said. “Your shoulder might not allow you to struggle if it comes to that. I need both of you to jump him if I can’t get the drop on him.” They both nodded.

  Jerry took a couple of tentative steps around the corner and towards the guard, watching to see if the guard would react to their approach. It seemed that he really was asleep. Jerry continued his approach slowly, with the other two men in tow. He stopped a few feet away. Jerry readied the knife in his right hand and took a deep breath. Then he exploded into action. He moved quickly behind the guard and grasped his mouth with his left hand. The man started to struggle, but Jerry quickly came around with his other hand and stabbed the man in the temple. The guard thrashed a bit, but then his body went limp. Jerry had never killed a man before, and he felt guilty, but he knew it was what had to be done. He pulled the knife out of the man’s head, wiped the blade clean on his shirt, and pocketed the knife. He then retrieved the man’s rifle. The three men moved along the wall of the building towards the next corner, leaving the dead guard slumped in the chair.

  Jerry poked his head around the next corner. He saw his truck parked out front of the building. He looked towards the entrance to the factory and saw that there were at least two armed guards out front. He could also see two more men walking from the road that led into the factory, it was a roving patrol. Jerry popped his head back around the corner and told the others, “There are at least four guards out there. We only have one gun. It’s too many.” Jerry sighed and tried to desperately think of a plan. He didn’t know how much time Angie had left.

  ***

  The men inside the factory hadn’t bothered Angie at all since depositing her inside the cage. It had been a couple of hours, she knew, because it was starting to get dark outside. She was in a single cage of four. The cages were crudely constructed of rebar that had been welded together. The doors to the cells were crafted of the same materials and locked with heavy chains. It probably wouldn’t take much effort to escape the cage, but the number of men right outside couldn’t be ignored. She had taken note of the other two captive women as well. They both seemed like they might be dead, as they hadn’t moved at all, but she could see that they were both breathing from the slight rise and fall of their chests. The leader, Joshua, had left the building shortly after she was thrown inside the cage, and she hadn’t seen him since. Several of the other men had thrown random, lascivious looks her way, but none of them approached her in the time she had been in there. That changed soon enough though. One of the men had been eyeing her repeatedly and he finally stood up and approached the door of her cage. Angie scooted to the back of the cell as he started undoing the chain that locked her door.

  She was afraid of what this man might do to her, but when the chain was almost free, another man came up from behind and flung the first man away from her cage by his shoulders.

  “Get away from her!” Her rescuer yelled at the first man.

  “Fuck you!” The first man shot back, then started towards the cell door again.

  The second man punched him in the jaw as he drew near and knocked him flat on his back. He stood over the fallen man and pointed a finger in his face. “You know the boss gets to taste the new ones first.” Angie was thankful for the save, but didn’t like the implications of the man’s comments. The man on the ground started to get up, but the other man wouldn’t allow it. Then the man on his back said, “Fine! Get out of my way.” The standing man moved to let the other man get up, but kept in between him and Angie’s cell. The defeated man got up and proceed directly to one of the other cages that held one of the unresponsive women. He undid the chain quickly and pulled the door open. The man went inside to the prone woman and grabbed her by the hair. The woman screamed and begged. “Please-please don’t, not again.”

  The man ignored her pleas and dragged her out of the cell and to one of the beds in the floor of the room. Without regard for Angie or any of the other men in the room, the man raped the woman right in front of them. She screamed and wailed the entire time. Angie diverted her eyes and cried into her palms.

  As it got darker, Angie heard some generators start up, then the lights inside the building came on. The man that had raped the other woman was laying on the same bed where he had committed his heinous act and his victim was back inside her cell. She was laying on the floor with her face in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Shortly after the lights came on, Angie spotted Joshua, the leader, coming back inside the building. The man that had rescued Angie earlier ran up to him and whispered into his ear. Joshua nodded and stepped out into the middle of the floor.

  “Let me have everyone’s attention.” He announced. Everyone stood up and focused on Joshua. “You all know that we have rules. When those rules are broken, there are consequences. One of you broke a rule today. I can’t have that.” He looked at the man that had raped the other woman before. He pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed it at the man.

  “Joshua, hold on a second.” The man pleaded with his arms up. “I was just…”

  The sound of the gunshot echoed off the walls. Joshua had fired his pistol before the man could finish talking and the bullet hit him right in the head.

  “Get that piece of shit out of here.” He ordered the others. Several men ran to the body of their comrade and proceeded to drag him out of the building. Joshua moved to Angie’s cell and started to undo the chain. Angie again retreated to the rear of her cell.

  “I’m terribly sorry for the behavior of my man there.” He told her as he opened the cell door. “As you can see, he won’t do it again. I need you to come with me now.”

  “What do you want with me?” Angie asked frantically.

  “Don’t you worry sweet heart.” Joshua answered her. “I just want to get to know you a little better.”

  “No!” Angie screamed as she grabbed the rebar bars on the back wall of her cell. Joshua ignored her and just wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled. He was very strong and had little issue removing her from the cell wall. He pulled her out of the cell and flung her over his shoulder. Angie was fighting the whole time, pounding his back with her fists and kicking her legs in the air. Joshua seemed oblivious of her fighting and kept moving towards the back of the factory where there was an area separated from the open room by curtains.

  ***

  Jerry was studying the guards intently. He saw another man approach from the other side of the building. The two guards near the entrance seemed to lower their heads as he passed, as if t
hey were intimidated by him. The man disappeared inside the building. Jerry diverted his attention to the area he had last seen the roving guards, but could not see them anymore. He was afraid they might have moved around to an area where they might spot him and the others. As he was considering this, he heard a gunshot. It startled him at first, but then he feared the worst. Had someone just shot Angie, he wondered. He looked around to the door guards and noticed that they barely reacted to the gunshot. He was studying the guards for a little while, trying to think of a way to get past them and look for Angie. Suddenly he spotted movement coming from the far side of the building.

  There was a person approaching from the darkness, then another, and another. There were several figures approaching. They were walking very stiffly and kind of veering off-balance like. Jerry recognized that they were zombies almost immediately. The guards at the door noticed them at that moment too and started pointing and shouting out alarms. The guards took aim and started firing their weapons in the direction of the approaching zombies.

  ***

  Joshua stopped and turned suddenly at the sound of the men outside shouting, followed quickly by rapid gunfire. He was still grasping tightly onto Angie as he barked at the other men to go check it out. All the other men ran to the door to investigate the disturbance and Joshua turned back towards the curtain and continued his march. He seemed completely unconcerned. As he got within a few steps of the curtain, a man emerged from inside. Without a word, the man lunged at Joshua and plunged a long knife right into his forehead, killing him instantly. Joshua went limp and fell to the floor, taking Angie down with him. Ignoring Angie completely, the man raised a rifle that he had slung over his shoulder and began firing towards the entrance of the building as he walked that way. Angie struggled to her hands and knees and watched the scene unfold. She could see that several of the zombies had made it to the entrance of the building and were swarming over the guards that were there before. The man that had just killed Joshua continued to shoot and was dropping Joshua’s men left and right. Any of the men that were still alive were panicked, not knowing which threat to face off against. In short order, all of them were dead. Two zombies tore into one of the remaining men, the mysterious vigilante took down two more of Joshua’s men, then it was over.