Chapter 14

Diesel engines roared, jolting Marla awake. She'd fallen asleep to the music of .22 caliber rifles destroying the undead. The rifles still fired, but the machine guns mounted on the Hummers had joined in. The wide vehicles drove straight into the crowd, loosing short streams of bullets as they went. The sound wasn't like what they'd heard from elsewhere in the city, but had a purposeful, businesslike air to it. As they drove away, the bigger gun echoed authoritatively down the street, drawing the attention of all the dead that could hear it.

"Cease fire, Cease fire." Captain Hansen ordered. "Swap out the suppressors, and only fire at the ghouls if they have spotted us and are within five meters." He moved further to the back of the bus, and his voice lowered, setting the mood for everyone. "Real quiet now, Everything else goes into the truck until it's full. Pass it hand to hand."

Zoe sat in the drivers seat, listening to the radios set up in the front. She shifted from one side to the other, constantly checking the windows, and occasionally turning to stare at Marla. When she did, Marla smiled encouragingly at her.

All of the dead in the parking lot followed the rest of the convoy, Others continued to stream along the road, but by the time the truck was full, the flow had died to a trickle. They passed singly, and in groups of two or three. They'd stopped drifting in from the right as soon as the Hummers rounded the corner. None of them seemed to even look towards the bus, they just kept moving towards what had last captured their attention. Occasionally the big gun fired, just one shot, enough to keep the mob moving. Once, both of them let off several bursts ... Shortly after, they called in. They'd found two survivors, neither one bitten.

The captain came back to the front for the radio call. He arranged to meet up with the others, but the location was in code. 'Point Bravo-Three' could mean anything. He hung the handset up, and patted Zoe's shoulder reassuringly. "You're doing fine, want to go inside and see if we missed anything?" Zoe shook her head, and shuddered. "We're moving out in five minutes." he said. "How about you doctor?"

"No." Marla said, "But if you have something for me to do... ?"

"Just get some rest, we've got a lot for you to do back in town." He moved back to where the kids stood ready with their silenced rifles. "Pair up, you have five minutes to grab anything you think we need back in town. Take a weapon with you." He grabbed four others as they came in and put them in the firing positions and came back up front with Eckert. He sat Eckert down next to Marla and squatted down in the isle next to them. He pitched his voice low so only they could hear. "I'm not going to override a call made by someone in the field, but going into that shoe store was very risky. Think twice before you take a chance like that again."

Eckert closed his hand on Marla's leg possessively. "Yes sir, I sure will." Zoe stared at them, and when Marla looked at her, she turned away, eyes moist.

Neither of the men seemed to notice. "Sergeant, that shoe store, how many pairs of boots were there?"

Eckert thought for a moment, "Had to be at least a hundred." he said. "Probably more in the back and there were gloves too." He lifted Marla's hands to show what he meant.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do. I'll lead a team in to the store, You take command outside. If the situation gets untenable, pass the word. If there isn't time for that, just honk twice and we'll come running. Remember, we need supplies, but the real mission is 'Everyone comes back'."

The door slid shut, and Zoe wrestled the bus around onto the street out front. She pulled carefully through the gap between the cab of the semi and the storefronts, then shut down the engine. The farm truck pulled through behind them, then up next to the bus, blocking passage between the three vehicles.

Eckert took a quick look at the situation, then grabbed two of the boys. "Up on the roof and crawl to the back of the bus. Keep your heads down and don't shoot unless I tell you or they pass that fire hydrant." They scurried up the ladder, and he brought the other two kids up to the front. He untied Marla and and pointed down the street where a half dozen walkers staggered towards the bus. "When they get close, have them shoot, I'm going to watch the back. Ki ... guys, don't shoot unless Dr. Marla tells you to, got it?" The girl was perhaps twelve, and the boy only ten or so, but they nodded gravely and steadied their rifles on the metal, barrels poking through the welded-on chain link fencing where the front right windshield had been.

In the quiet, she clearly heard Eckert order the boys to fire, and two rifles coughed at once. She spared a glance to the rear, and saw the boy she'd examined sleeping on his father's lap. His eyes kept flickering to the open back door and back again. The older man sat on a bench opposite him, jaw clenched. He stared at the drugstore, not seeming to notice anything else. There was no sign of the woman.

The zombies in front of them had noticed the bus all right, but didn't seem to realize there were people in it, yet. Zoe squirmed in her seat, revolver in her hand. Marla leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Everything is going to be fine. Just do your job, you're going to drive us all out of here in a little bit. Remember, you're alive." She nipped Zoe's ear and moved next to the girl in the scout uniform. "What's your name?"

The girl didn't move, all her attention was concentrated on the zombie in her sights. The kid sized bolt action rifles had low power scopes on them as well as iron sights. The scope on her pink rifle was high enough the girl could see over the tube screwed on to the end of the barrel. "Private Stewart ma'am, Becky Stewart."

"You sure you can hit that one Becky?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Do it."

The rifle coughed once and Becky shifted to the next target before the first hit the ground. "Good job. How about you?"

The boy looked up at her with a grin. "Billy Johnson, and I can shoot better than her."

The girl didn't look up. "Can not."

"Can too, want to see?"

Marla smiled at him. "Go ahead, the one on the left." That one dropped with a single shot as well. She had them take turns until all the close ones were gone. There were more, way down the street, but those ones didn't seem to have noticed the bus. Occasionally one of those passing along the cross street heard the persistent cough from the rear of the bus and wandered over to investigate. The kids put them down easily. She'd expected more of them to come from her end of the street.

Zoe watched her furtively, but didn't seem to be afraid anymore. Embarrassed was more like maybe a little angry too, she blushed every time Marla looked her way. Marla laughed to herself. "You're doing great guys. Zoe, take over. I'm going to see how they're doing."

They almost had the store empty, but the dead were closing in. The two kids on top of the bus couldn't keep up with the approaching horde. Their rifles fired five times in as many seconds, but only three of the front rank fell. Accuracy was only part of the problem. These zombies could see the soldiers clearly as they moved in and out of the store. They moved faster than the others and the hunting moans encouraged those behind them. She hurried back and grabbed Becky. The old man glared angrily at her when she passed. Marla ignored him and put the girl in position to shoot out the open door over the heads of the soldiers on the ground behind the bus. Marla pointed to the front of the truck. "They'll have to come around there, or crawl under the truck. Shoot if you see one, don't wait for me to tell you."

The captain came out of the store with a stack of boxes, lifted them into the bus and turned to face the oncoming dead. "Mckay, Johnson, see if the keys are in that truck. Can you drive it?"

"I can sir." Eckert said from his position on top of the bus.

Captain Hansen looked up. "Good man, go with them. If you can get it started, follow us. Use channel five for commo."

Eckert hurried down the ladder on the back and dropped to the ground in a crouch. The younger boy, Jeremy, checked under the truck while Alex covered him, then they changed position and Alex opened the door. Alex turned around and gave a thumbs up "Keys are in it."

Eckert climbed into the cab and she lost sight of him. The truck whined, but didn't start. The captain climbed the outside ladder to the roof, and Private Jenny made sure everyone else got in before climbing in herself. She stood by the door, ready to shut it.

The cough of Becky's rifle came as a surprise. The girl worked the action and fired again dropping a second one right in front of the semi. The Semi whined a third time, weaker than before, but this time it growled to life, belching black smoke from its exhaust. The boys on the roof dropped two more, and Billy's rifle coughed up front. Marla was sure he'd dropped one as well.

Eckert revved the engine then hopped out on the running board and helped the other two in. The gears of the semi ground together briefly then it lurched into motion with a squeal of tearing metal. The cop car crashed to the ground, back on its wheels as the truck pulled forward, then Eckert muscled the wheel around, bumping the big front tire up on the sidewalk as he turned away from the other vehicles. The big rig roared away from them and turned the corner headed towards the car dealership. The sound got the attention of the zombies and most of them hurried after it as best they could.

Jenny slid the door shut, then hauled up the plywood so it wouldn't drag. Marla followed the captain back to the front of the bus as it roared to life. The old man grabbed his arm and pointed to Marla. "How come she isn't tied up? You made my wife stay behind because she wouldn't let you do it to her, but this, this ... person gets to walk around loose?"

Captain Hansen shook him loose. "Go on up front Doctor." He pushed the old man back into his seat. "The doctor was doing a job and has no symptoms. Your wife is infected and lied about it. Thats why."

The boys slid down the inside ladder and hurried to their places. Billy's rifle coughed again. Another zombie collapsed on the road. Zoe's knuckles were white from clenching the steering wheel. "Relax Zoe," Marla whispered "just drive. Enjoy the road, the roar of the engine. You're in control of tons of metal moving much faster than you can run. Doesn't it make you feel alive?"

Zoe gave her a weak smile. "Yeah, but ... I'm terrified."

"So am I, isn't it great? Doesn't it make your heart pound? Can't you feel the blood rush through your veins?"

Zoe shifted into gear, leg stretched out to push the clutch. "You're not going to bite me again are you?"

Marla moved her mouth right next to the smaller womans ear. Zoe's hair smelled like shampoo. "Only if I think you need to be reminded that you're still alive ... or if you really want me to."

A warm hand came down on her shoulder. "Doctor," Captain Hansen said "we're moving out, sit down and I'll be with you shortly." He grabbed the metal bar by the windshield and squatted down next to Zoe. "Head north, up this street to the next major intersection, there should be a stoplight, and turn left. Then bring it up to thirty, or if you feel safe doing it thirty-five, but no faster. Don't be afraid to slow down if you need to and stay as far away from any wrecks as you can."

He came back and sat next to Marla. "Doctor, you did the right thing pulling Becky back to the rear. Don't take this the wrong way, but I do need to restrain you."

Marla laughed. He looked into her eyes, searching. "It's ok captain, really. I'm kind of used to it now. Go ahead." she handed him the cord and leaned forward so he could attach it to the collar.

He looked at her with knowing eyes. "I can guess what happened to you from the little Sergeant Eckert put in his reports. If you need to talk it out with someone, I think First Sergeant Corbett is the right woman to help you."

Marla giggled. "I'll talk to her if you like, but I'm alive. People care what happens to me, and I don't have to be alone ever again." He didn't look convinced. "Look captain, you care. You care about everyone on this bus, even that nasty old man. These kids ... they care too. I know I'm ... It's like part of me broke inside, but Eckert put me back together again. I don't know how, and I don't really care. I'm ... different than I was two weeks ago, changed, but this me ... the new me ... None of this," she spread her cuffed hands wide and pointed to the dead city around them. "None of this bothers me anymore. I can live this life. I'm happy just to be alive, grateful for each new breath. Everything is for the best, in this the best of all possible worlds. I thought that was idiotic, but I understand it now. This..." She gestured school playground as they passed. A pack of zombie children pushed at the low fence, trying to follow the bus. "This is the best world of all, because it's the only one we have." She shrugged and looked into his eyes. "You're going to get a lot of people with problems, some of them real bad off. Don't worry about me. I may be damaged, but I'm functional."

He nodded slowly, eyes distant. Whatever he was going to say was interrupted by the crackle of a radio. They had the radio working in the truck. The captain called the Hum-Vees and arranged to meet them at a code named point. He diverted the little convoy north along wide streets where they could move faster. They were doing nearly fifty along a nearly deserted five lane road. They passed business parks and skirted a hospital. When they passed it, Marla saw dead in many of the windows, pressed against the glass watching them hungrily. She shivered thinking what would have happened if she had been at work. Was anyone who worked in any hospital still alive?

Billy came up from the back. "The truck's stopping." Marla looked, it had fallen far behind. It swerved into a zombie and then away, stopping about twenty yards past it. The bark of Eckert's rifle was audible over the bus engine.

Jeremy called in on the radio. "We'll catch up, Sergeant Eckert spotted something we need." He was tiny in the distance as he swung down from the cab and ran back to the broken corpse.

Captain Hansen took the handset from Jenny. "When he gets back, tell him to call in first before stopping, and explain to him the two man rule." He gave the handset back and moved up next to Zoe. "Slow it down to twenty until they catch up." She nodded and let the bus coast for a long time, then cruised while they waited.

The truck caught up to them about three blocks later. Eckert flashed his lights and called over the radio. "Six-Actual this is Two-Three. I have a bundle ready for transfer. Just stop when ready and we'll pass it over."

The transfer took only seconds. From the passenger window of the truck through the side emergency exit of the bus and run up to Marla by Billy. "They said this is all for you, Doctor Marla." He told her as he plopped the black leather bundle into her lap.