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We didn’t know why they’d come or what they’d wanted, other than the obvious—our deaths.And we hadn’t had time to ask.The world had fallen apart fast.
The dogs had started the sickness, and the undead humans continued to spread it like wildfire.
One week post-earthquakes, we’d bombed our evacuated cities in an attempt to control the spread of the infection.The bombs had sent the dogs running back to the ground zero crater in Irving, Texas.However, a week later, satellite images had shown a mass exodus of those grey creatures leaving it.Once again, the dogs had followed.The grey creatures had continued north, and the dogs had spread out, searching for humans.
As my thoughts circled, I watched another undead join the first and scanned the surrounding buildings for signs of traps.
If we had any hope of saving what was left of humanity, we needed answers, and we needed them fast.Our mission was to locate the grey creatures and figure out how they and their pet dogs could be stopped.However, after the way the grey creatures had crushed our weapons, stopping them from doing anything seemed laughable.
The impossibility of our task didn’t change anyone’s determination to see our mission through, though.We’d volunteered for a reason, and I knew each member of this team would give their life to find the key to stopping the infection.We all had people we wanted to save.
Rather than thinking of Zion, I focused on what I’d witnessed.
Those grey-skinned creatures had all been huge, easily surpassing Jackson’s impressive six-foot-four-inch height.And they weren’t only tall.They had strength, speed, intelligence…
I recalled the look in the big one’s eyes and shook my head to dislodge the image.
There had been way too much intelligence there.
Why would creatures that smart want us dead?Was it a superiority thing?
If so, what was up with the woman with them?Why save one of us only to kill the rest?It didn’t make sense.
Not that she had acted saved.Sure, she’d called them friends and claimed they were helping her find her baby, but what was up with all the looks she’d been giving them?It reminded me of a kid looking at their mom for permission.
A captive maybe?The only reason to take a prisoner would be for information or bait.I wasn’t sure what information she could possibly have that they’d want.Then again, no one had any clue what they wanted, so maybe she did.
More likely, though, she’d been bait.
We’d seen some of the undead do the same thing with a small dog a few days ago.The animal had been barking like crazy inside the open bay door of a warehouse.If the lack of undead drawn to the noise hadn’t been a clue, the rope tied around its waist would have been.
Since Patrick hadn’t ordered us to stop, I’d kept my foot on the gas and my eyes on the road.Kevin had watched the warehouse, though, and given me a play-by-play.Once the last vehicle drove past, a rotting corpse missing half its arm had appeared in the opening and stared after our convoy.
So were the grey creatures hoping that we’d follow the woman?It didn’t make much sense when they had been steps away from us and had knocked out half the team.Why not just take us?
None of it made any sense.
I thought of the bigger grey again.The one who had crushed the tank’s weapon.The same one who’d watched me with an intense focus that made my hands shake.Not that I’d let it show.Patrick had been clear before we’d set up our own trap.Stay in character.Pretend we were the ones who created the fence channel if someone showed up, and above all, don’t panic.Ever.People made stupid mistakes and died when their fear got the better of them, and we’d lost too many people in the last three weeks to lose more.
However, Patrick had been thinking we would likely run into raiders when he’d given that order, not the greys.I wondered what he was thinking now.Would we continue to Whiteman, the place the woman had mentioned?Or would we find backup first after seeing what we were up against?
My thoughts continued to whirl, and the number of undead slowly increased as we traveled the length of the fence channel.
It took forty minutes to reach the trucks.My ass felt bruised by the time the tank’s engine cut and I could climb down.
The five-person team assigned to watch the opening quickly eliminated the dozen undead we’d attracted, and the rest of us packed up anything useful the Wichita platoon had left behind.We moved quietly and efficiently, and once we had everything, I headed toward the Humvee.
“What about the rest?”Tommy asked, gesturing at the three trucks stocked with fencing supplies.
The MRAP and Humvee we’d used to get here would fit the fourteen of us.We didn’t have any need for more transportation when the rest of our crew waited with the bulk of ours a few miles outside of town.But Tommy wasn’t asking because of that.
No one wanted to leave anything behind that might be used against us.
“We have company,” Tamra said from her position on top a truck.
I followed the direction of her gaze and saw six of the grey creatures running our way.The hodgepodge mix of human clothes they wore barely fit them.Cotton t-shirts that stretched impossibly thin couldn’t do much to keep them warm.They didn’t seem to mind, though.I watched the ridges in the big one’s chest move as he approached.Cotton molded to his top half, and leather hugged the bottom.
Dear Lord, his thighs…
