For two hours the trucks rumbled and shook with those inside just waiting for everything to get started. This time they were facing a whole new enemy. The hostiles were able to think and use weapons. It was far different than simply keeping an eye out for zombies, and just shooting them in the head. Payback and rescue, Cameron kept telling himself so he wouldn't loose his resolve. Those bastards were the same people that intended to have their way with Becky. They needed to be dealt with.
The convoy then came to a stop. Outside the snarls and banging of zombies were heard, but weren't much cause for concern. The two snipers that were in their truck then stood up and used power tools they brought along to start cutting a long rectangular slit through the right side.
Harry Galt, who was in charge of Bravo, was a person that Cameron really only knew by reputation. The man was stock, with wisps of gray hair, and had a booming voice when he stood up to address them. "Okay, people, listen up. A quarter mile to our west is a patch of trees that contains snipers. I need everyone flat on the floor."
Caught off guard by this announcement, the people inside did as they were told. Once the snipers made a slit wide enough, they laid out ladders so that they could lay their rifles on top of them to take aim. Needless to say it was a tight fit on the floor.
For over a minute the snipers stood there, aiming out of that slit they created.
"Gotcha you piece of shit," one of the snipers said with malice, as he pulled the trigger. "Tango down!" he declared, while reloading. And with that Cameron heard, as the other snipers in the other trucks started to fire at will.
Soon enough, it seemed that the hostiles began firing back. A bunch of holes were made on the side of the truck, as the enemy snipers tried to get kills of their own. But each shot missed, doing nothing more than puncturing more holes. It wasn't until one of those bullets hit the spot where he was sitting only a few minutes ago that Cameron realized how important it was to stay down.
The exchange of gunfire lasted for at least fifteen minutes. Bullets were penetrating the side of the truck at a much slower rate.
"How cute, they're trying to get away," the same sniper said with a falsely sweet voice. Both of them trained their guns to the left and kept on firing. After a minute the firing stopped, and both snipers stepped away from their rifles looking pleased.
"Well," the other sniper said with some satisfaction, "one car did managed to get away, but the other had its tire blown off. Shit heads tried to make it on foot."
"Is it clear?" asked Harry.
"We'll keep an eye out, but you should be safe. Count on us."
"Okay. Marsh, Doug, and Kat. I want you three with me," he ordered, climbing up the rope to ladder to the hatch.
Becky squeezed Cameron's hand anxiously. "Be—"
"Careful?" he finished for her. "There should just be zombies out there now, nothing much." He gave her a good, wet kiss before following up Harry.
Unlike every other time he climbed up through that hatch, this time there was only open farmland around, with only a scant amount of zombies. Using the usual stick with sharp object at the end, everyone conserved their ammo and dealt with the zombies.
"Alright!" Major Kyle announced, as he called everyone that had left the confines of the trucks to attention. "Alpha through Charlie, go deal with that land mine up the road. Delta through Foxtrot, make sure those trees over there really are clear. And I want some more people on the trucks to perform zombie watch."
The road that they were traveling on linked up to a larger one just up ahead. Walking the few hundred feet there, Cameron noticed what a feeble attempt it was. Straight ahead along the entire length of the road were land mines that were two feet apart. What bandits were probably planning on doing was let a vehicle take damage, forcing the occupants to get out and be picked off by the snipers in those trees.
Even Harry shook his head at the stupidity. The team fell back a few yards, and Harry raised his rifle to shoot and blow up those land mines. The explosions left a quite hole in the road, but the trucks should have little problem getting over that. Another man on the team put a pair of binoculars to his eyes, and said that he saw no more land mines up ahead.
Militia: 1 Bandits: zip
When they got back to the trucks, they found Major Kyle pacing back and forth anxiously. When Delta through Foxtrot made it back in one piece he was still pacing. Finally, somebody had the sense to ask for orders.
"It's those limp dick bastards that got away," Kyle said, still pacing. "By now hostile command knows we're coming. We have to wait."
After ten minutes, the CB radio in Alpha came to life. "Recon to Militia. Recon to Militia. Do you copy? Over."
"This is Militia. We copy," the Major answered, picking up the mouthpiece.
"Sir, the hostiles have been warned of your presence. They are mobilizing as we speak."
"Roger that. Keep us posted on all activity. Out." After getting off the radio, he began barking orders again. "I want a change in formation! No more single file—I want it two by two, with snipers on the roofs of each truck. I want them ready to fire the second that the trucks come to stop!"
Cameron got back in Bravo, the snipers did as they were told, and the trucks started up again. Well, he got what he wished. He and everyone else were now at the front, one of the first ones into battle. In retrospect only a fool would want to put him or herself in danger, but the need for revenge was welling up inside them once more.
They drove on for a few more miles when suddenly the truck began turning to the right. At that same moment the Major's voice sounded through Harry's radio.
"I want everyone to turn up your radios so that I can address all of you," he ordered. Harry did as he was told and held up the radio so the sound could travel through the truck. "We are about a mile from Monroe, and these hostile fucks set up an ambush point inside of a quaint little neighborhood. Bravo, Delta, and Foxtrot have broken off to maneuver behind them." The truck then banked to the left. "The rest will be taking them head on!"
In no time the sounds of gunfire were heard in the distance, and it began getting closer. When it sounded as if the bullets were hitting the trucks, the movement started to become more erratic.
The truck then came to a stop all together. "We are zombie free," the Major said over the radio. "Get out there and do what has to be done!" At once an immediate scrambled began for extra ammunition. Cameron was able to grab three fresh magazines, which he stuck into different pockets.
The back doors were swung open, and everyone inside began jumping out. Once it was Cameron's turn he squeezed Becky's hand before leaping outside.