Fortress of Death
Chapter 06 - Free
Song from the original challenge for this chapter: "Now we are free" by Lisa Gerrard
The bridge leading over the Hale River was completely jammed. A bus had had an accident close to the middle, empty cars were randomly standing around, clogging the street.
They still could have turned around to find another way but according to the map they would have needed to accept a journey of miles through complete no-man's-land. A journey that would have ended after a few more hours due to the lack of fuel. Another time they had been so close to their destination only to see it recede into the distance.
"Well, looks like in the end all my work was good for nothing after all", Engineer said and gave the van a pat. "Would even be hard to manoeuvre a bike through that."
It was stupid to feel sad about it, Sniper exactly knew it. This was just an old car and at the beginning of the gravel pit wars he had even thought to get rid of it and buy a new one. But for so many weeks it had been such a loyal companion, crawling through the whole country with a cracked axle, giving them protection from attacks on the open road, serving as a lookout post, a carriage and storage for everything they needed. Also the blood he had dripped on the co-driver's seat when they narrowly escaped the town was a still clearly visible reminder of what they had been through with it.
"Don't be sad - should this crap ever be over you can go back here and will still find it on the same position. Who would want to steal an old van that smells like an unaired gym locker room and is full of blood stains?" Scout tried to cheer him up.
Yeah, who? They would probably only empty the fuel tank. With a last pat Sniper said goodbye to his old companion and followed the other mercs into the labyrinth of cars.
"Dell, you had the maps, can you take the lead?" Soldier asked. He was still slightly drowsy but else sounded as if his head was clear again.
Engineer only shrugged helplessly.
"They showed New Mexico and a bit of what was lying behind the borders. I know if we left the highway and crossed the forest along the river there would be another smaller street and some kind of settlement about twenty miles away but then..."
The roaring sound of a helicopter rising in the distance behind the forest drowned the end of the sentence and the silent curse that followed when he spun around. While the others stood like frozen in shock Scout ran towards it but the chopper continued its way up, rear end facing them, and it was unclear if the pilot had even noticed them. A few more steps then Scout broke down on his knees.
"No ... Fuck!" He slammed his fist against the ground.
Sniper had followed him, now sat down beside him.
"Bloody hell. We're buggered ... again."
"Well ... way to crush someone's hopes", Engineer silently said.
"No, we won't give up yet, boys", Soldier firmly said. "We have come way too far for this crap. The helicopter will return to this area. It freaking has to. It just can't be that the pilot believes he has already picked up every survivor here."
"Zhis is a deserted area if you haven't noticed!" Medic exclaimed. "Zhe pilot could have picked up zhe whole population in just one flight. No one will ever come back because no one could guess or would even care if zhere were still people left! Why don't we just stay here and starve or get eaten?" He sank down to the ground, buried his face in his hands. "Just let us finally die in peace", he mumbled.
Heavy put his hands on the doctor's shoulders.
"No one will die, not today, not on any other day. Or at least not until we are old and grey and sitting in wheelchairs. And if necessary I will carry you until the end."
"Oh just leave me here behind", Medic muttered. He still allowed Heavy to pull him back to his feet but then unless gently pushed forward he remained standing, head lowered, eyes in a straight stare at the ground. In the end he just let it happen to be picked up, only closed his eyes and leaned his head against Heavy's chest.
"I have the awful feeling if this is going on for even just a few days longer we're gonna lose our doctor", Engineer silently said when they continued their march. "Somehow I'm glad we're out of ammo or else it might have happened a lot faster."
Being out in the middle of nowhere had the advantage that they barely met any zombies, still they took extra security measures when they rested for the night. Instead of just one campfire they drew a ring of fire around them.
Lying close next to him Sniper wrapped an arm around Scout's body, just wanted to feel his reassuring near. It was night, the others were already asleep so who would see them. And even if, why should they care? To his relief Scout didn't move away but placed his hand on Sniper's, gently squeezed it.
The shades of the trees barely protected them enough from the sun the next day, let alone the heat.
Medic still felt downcast but at least he was willing to continue the march together with the others again. The mercs had grouped around him like his personal life guards. It might not really have been necessary because they hadn't seen any zombies since yesterday but if anything they wanted to show him they wouldn't leave him down in the dumps.
"Maybe it's just me but I really don't like the smell of where we are heading to", Sniper commented after they had been walking for a good while.
"Probably just the river", Soldier said. "On some hot days it already developed some strange muddy and fishy smell."
"Nah, that's not a river even though it's partially coming from it. Smells more like blood to me. And something that is dead for at least a few days. But it's still very faint."
"Zombies out here in the wilderness?" Demo asked. "Could they be from that small settlement or...?" His eye suddenly widened in realization. "The bloody bus... There must have been casualties. What if the whole bus turned because the survivors couldn't get away in time anymore? What if some from the cars were attacked and killed as well because they wanted to help the people from the bus instead of running? They might have scattered since until now we only have met and killed very few but sooner or later the scent of fresh humans will lure them back."
"Uhm ... how many people would fit in a bus of that countryside kind?" Scout asked staring at the river.
"Nearly fifty, when they all want to have a seat. Way more if some are standing", Engineer replied.
"Well, then we will at least have gotten rid of a quarter of the sitting ones when we are finished with the first wave."
A good dozen of walkers crawled up the slope leading up from the river. But they weren't alone. Several more of them neared from the depths of the forest. The mercs slowly moved closer together. They knew that with their melee weapons alone they were screwed but still they wouldn't give up their lives without a fight.
"Burn down zhe wood."
The voice was so silent they at first weren't sure if it had actually been there or if it had only been their imagination.
"You heard right", Medic silently repeated. "Pyro, burn down zhe wood. If we already are supposed to die zhen at least let us take all of zhem with us."
"Medic ... this is brilliant!" Soldier exclaimed. "Boys, eight of us should be able to get past those twelve at the water. Just charge at them, take one forceful blow and no matter what has happened to the zombie, get in the river. Pyro, on my command you will burn down everything you can reach. All of you ready?"
Everyone nodded, even Medic.
"Then light 'em up!"
Eight of the mercs stormed forward. Behind them the flamethrower roared and the nearest trees were consumed by fire. Some of the creatures near the river went down; the others which couldn't follow the humans into the water turned their attention to the only living being remaining on the land only to be swallowed by the flames.
The water wasn't deep, barely reached the chest of the smallest merc but the river flowed fast and they had to fight to keep their balance and not get dragged away by the current. The blazing fire only a few steps away burned hot on their skins but it was impossible to keep more distance to the shore. Clinging on to each other or to whatever reachable bit of the shore they slowly made it forward, step by step, metre by metre. And then they had finally left the forest behind and Pyro kneeling at the edge of the river stretched out both arms to pull them out of the water. Completely exhausted they remained lying on the riverbank just trying to catch their breaths. Beside them the fire kept roaring, behind them the riptide so it needed a few seconds until they realized there was still another sound. A chopper hovered over the area - it looked as if it had been about to fly off towards the east but the pilot turned it in the air to see why a forest had suddenly burst into flames.
With the last of their strength they tried to force themselves up again. Scout was back on his feet fastest, stumbled forward a few steps then started running, waving his arms at the helicopter, desperately tried to make the pilot see they were living beings not a bunch of zombies or corpses lying scattered on the ground. He let out a loud laugh when he saw the chopper make a full turn and fly towards them then ran back to the other mercs.
Sniper had just been able to stand upright but was nearly tackled to the ground again when Scout leapt into his arms and pulled him into a stormily embrace. Same happened to Engineer when Pyro suddenly jumped at him, only that the Texan actually lost his balance.
"If I could I would dance now", Demo said with a grin.
"Should we ever get our weapons back - of course with fitting ammunition - we will do the rocket jump waltz all over the place", Soldier promised.
"Hallelujah, it's raining men", Spy dryly commented. "Just remind me not to appear at work on that day."
Medic stood and stared at the helicopter. He was trembling and tears were flowing down his face but the same time he was smiling.
"We have made it. We have really made it out of zhis", he silently said.
Heavy wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Da, we finally are free."
(Comment: This is not the last chapter yet. Some kind of epilogue is still about to follow.)