Deadlocked 6 (31 page)

Some of the Rollers looked scared, but none of them argued. They looked to me for guidance.

I gathered my composure to rally the troops. "You're not the type of people that need motivational speeches to do the right thing. And you're not the type of people that would end one person's life just to save your own. You're not the type of people that would give in to the demands of a man like that." I pointed at one of the mangled speakers. "I know that, because if you were I wouldn't be willing to call you my family. Today, we've been given an opportunity to show them just exactly what type of people the High Rollers are."

A hollow clang erupted from nearby. I didn't know what it was, or where it came from, but it echoed through the empty streets.

"The High Rollers are the type of people that fight for their families. They're the type of people that never stand down, and would never watch as an innocent person is hurt. The High Rollers are the type of people that will be there to help another in their time of need. They're the type of people that aren't afraid to stand up for those who can't stand for themselves. They're the type of people that would stand in front of the Devil himself and tell him to do his worst before they'd bow to his will."

Billy cheered after each sentence, and others followed his lead.

I continued, bolstered by the applause. "The High Rollers are the type of people that will listen to the demands of a man like that, a killer who's responsible for countless deaths, a man with hate in his heart and a shitty singing voice," the Rollers laughed as they cheered. "They'll listen to a man like that, and as he has his gun pointed at us, we'll scream out, so that God himself can hear our defiance. We'll scream out, 'Go fuck yourself.'"

The Rollers cheered as I turned and faced one of the cameras. "General Jerald Scott, let me say this loud and clear," I breathed in deep so that I could scream as loud as possible. "Go fuck yourself!"

Everyone followed my lead and we relished giving Jerald the finger. Dante was on the crow's nest above me and I laughed as he pulled down his pants to moon the camera.

I climbed down from the truck as the Rollers rushed around, preparing for whatever Jerald was about to throw at us. More of the hollow clanging sounds shook the ground and I assumed that Jerald was releasing his undead army.

Ben put his hand on my shoulder and shook his head. "You didn't have to do this."

"Yes I did. I don't know if I told you yet, but we're the good guys in this fight. This is what we do."

"Then at least give me a gun. Let me fight with you."

"You've got it." I looked for Abe and then waved him over. "Get our newest Roller a gun. It's time for his initiation."

"Sure thing, Captain," said Abe before running off to do as I asked.

"You did the right thing," said Billy as I walked past him, toward the church.

"Thanks. Hopefully everyone feels that way."

I saw Clyde and Jill at the open door of the church. "How's it looking in there? Do you have the equipment you need? We might have a lot of wounded here soon."

Clyde shrugged and sighed. "We'll make do."

I got up next to them and spoke quietly. "Are you pissed? I know you'd rather avoid a fight like this."

Clyde frowned. "No way, Laura. I would've been pissed if you sent Ben out to die."

"Oh thank God, I thought you were going to rip me a new one for this."

Clyde put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "I'd follow you through the gates of Hell, Laura. You know that." He paused and looked at Jill. "I'll leave you two to speak."

"I don't think this is the right time," said Jill.

"Yes it is," said Clyde before walking away. "Tell her."

"What is it, Jill?" I asked.

She took a deep breath and looked like she was about to start crying. "I don't know why he wants me to tell you this now. It's not that important. This doesn't seem like the right time to…"

"Just tell me what's going on, honey."

"I'm pregnant."

I stared in wide-eyed amazement at her. Hero and Jill had been trying to get pregnant for years, and the revelation that they'd finally been successful overjoyed me. "Oh my God, Jill! That's fantastic."

"I know," she said and couldn't stop smiling. She was so happy that she'd started to cry and was embarrassed as she wiped away a tear. "I'm so excited."

"Does Hero know?"

"No, not yet. I just found out." She wiped away another tear and apologized for crying.

"He's going to be so excited. Oh, Jill, he's going to make a great father. Honey, this is such great news."

"Thanks," she said. "I don't know why Clyde wanted me to tell you that now. It seems like a bad time to bring that up."

I glanced over Jill's shoulder and saw Clyde watching us. I knew exactly why he wanted Jill to tell me now, and I received his message loud and clear.

It was the right decision to protect Ben from Jerald, but it was putting families at risk. What Clyde was trying to tell me was that it was time for the High Rollers to disband. I'd been reluctant to let the group split apart because I didn't want to leave my daughters, but what I failed to realize was that I was a soldier too. Even if I wanted peace, I would never have it. By forcing the Rollers to stay together, I'd put innocent children into a situation that might kill them.

Clyde nodded, and I nodded back. Then I turned around to hide my tears.

Zack was at the church's entrance, silhouetted by the wildfire that blazed behind him. His thick frame took up most of the threshold, as if his very existence protected me from the war I had to return to.

"Hey beautiful," he said and held out his hand.

I reached out, set my hand in his, and watched it all but disappear as he held it. He was such a large man, but as gentle as a person could be when he needed to be. He gingerly pulled me into his arms, and didn't need an explanation for the tears. For years, he'd been the closest thing I had to a life partner, and he knew what I was feeling by the anguish in my eyes.

"We'll make it through this," he said and put his cheek down on the top of my head. "You and I'll be just fine, darling. I'm not going to let anyone kill either of us until I get you to finally break down and marry me."

I laughed and slapped his chest.

He chuckled, and held me tighter. "One of these
days you're going to say yes."

Kim Laporte

The Electorate's facility wasn't far from where Jerald had trapped the Rollers. I traveled through the foothills to what used to be a major highway that went through the center of Colorado. I saw smoke in the distance to the north, and I went as fast as I could towards it. Dusk was fast approaching, and the bike couldn't accelerate higher than sixty-five miles an hour, but I was determined to do everything I could to save my family.

I'd taken the clothes from the soldier that we'd captured back at the facility, but I was still caked with blood from the zombies. William had screamed that I was endangering everyone by leaving before sterilizing myself, but I didn't pay any attention. I didn't trust anything he said after discovering his role in developing the virus.

I could smell the stench of metal from the zombie blood on me, as well as the sticky residue of the pheromone that they'd been pumping into the facility. It seemed to intensify the longer it was on me, as if drying only made it more powerful. The stench nearly gagged me every time I slowed down to cross a crack in the pavement. I was driving as fast as I could, but couldn't afford to have an accident. I needed to get to the Rollers to warn them that they were headed into a trap.

Then the earpiece that I'd taken from the soldier chirped to alert me to an incoming message. "We have them in the center of town," said the familiar voice of General Jerald Scott. "I want the helicopters on standby, but I don't think we'll need them. If they aren't going to give us Courtland's experiment, then we'll just release the Undying we've got store
d there. We've got the one we need anyhow. Wolves, you're on standby for now."

"Check that," said a different voice. "We'll be here if you need us."

I was busy listening to them, and not paying attention to the road, when I passed a spike strip that had been laid out. I saw the rusty metal zip by to my right and then tried to hit the brakes before I ran over another strip in front of me. I narrowly avoided the second strip as my tires squealed. The bike leaned to the side as I tried to regain my balance. Then it pivoted suddenly to the other side and before I knew it I was skidding in the opposite direction as I struggled to stay upright. I finally came to a stop as my leg skipped across the pavement. The bike's rear tire skid to a stop just inches from one of the spikes.

My luck stunned me. I wasn't far from the fire now, and the wind was pushing the smoke out to the east. I ignored the scrapes on my leg and ripped pants as I got the bike back up. The road ahead was littered with spike strips, which was probably how Jerald had planned to herd the Rollers into the trap.

I heard organ music coming from the town, and then the low murmur of a voice singing something that I couldn't quite understand. Gunfire drowned out the music as I got back onto the bike and started to drive through the ditch on the side of the road.

It was difficult terrain to maneuver through, and I was forced to slow down much more than I wanted. I couldn't risk an accident. I'd been lucky with my last fall, and didn't want to chance another.

The gunfire ceased, and I could hear a man's voice that I thought I recognized. I was still too far to discern what he was saying, but as I got closer I knew it was Jerald. I remembered that he said he had cameras set up in the town and guessed that he'd also installed speakers so he could mock my family. I worried that I was too late, but prayed I could still save them.

There were five quick gunshots, followed by a sixth. Then the Rollers cheered, which gave me heart, and I continued to ride through the rough terrain. There was an access road that led off the highway towards the town and I hopped off the shoulder onto it, finally able to go faster. There were spike strips set up here as well, but there were fewer than had been on the highway. I was able to get to the main thoroughfare, which had been cleared of strips or had never been littered with them to begin with, and saw the Rollers set up around the church in the center of town.

I sped towards them just as I heard a loud crash near me. It sounded like something had slammed into a metal barrier, but I didn't have time to investigate. Dante saw me coming and started waving both arms in the air.

I held my fist
up and pumped it twice, signaling to him that I was friendly. He did the same, acknowledging that he was welcoming me in. That's when a shop door to my left burst open.

A zombie roared in anger as it appeared, but a rifle shot echoed through the streets at the same moment that the creature's face exploded. It slumped to the ground and I looked up at the steeple of the church where Annie was perched. She started to wave, but then focused back on the door that had opened. I looked back and saw that more creatures were appearing.

I pulled up to the side of the Roller's wall and heard Dante screaming out my name. The partition wall was built on the outside of the circle of trucks, and was designed to prevent anyone from getting over it. There was razorwire looped around the top, and the Rollers had built the circle without an entrance this time in preparation for a siege.

"Kim!" I heard my mother scream from the other side of the wall.

"Mom, I'm here."

"Hold on," she said. I could hear her climbing the ladder on the other side of the truck. Gunfire exploded above me as the Rollers gathered to fend off the horde. I got off the bike and stared back up the avenue that led to the fire in the fields past the highway.

Greys were bursting from the doors of nearly every building I could see. I took the soldier's F2000 assault rifle and quickly picked off the closest zombies.

"Kim, we'll get a rope," said my mother. I looked up and saw her through the looped razor wire above the partition. "We'll get a rope and get you up here. We'll save you, baby."

That's when I knew what I had to do. My eyes began to tear up as I stared at her. She was screaming my name, and turning to plead for rope, but I couldn't hear her over the gunfire. She turned back with a tortured expression as she cried out to me. She started to hang off the edge of the truck as she reached her hand through the razorwire. She pleaded with me to take her hand, and I could hear sporadic bits of her voice between the gunshots.

"Take my hand!"

I didn't.

"Tell Artie that I'm sorry."

"No Kim! Give me your hand."

"David has to stay safe. He's immune. He's the one that can save everyone. Tell him that I love him. I love him so much, and I'm so sorry. Tell him that I'll be waiting for him in heaven."

"Kim!" She nearly crawled off the edge of the truck as she screamed. Zack was there to hold her back as I walked away.

I faced the fire, and started to run towards it. I was doused in the pheromones that attracted the zombies, and tried everything I could to get their attention. I screamed at them, and fired the rifle indiscriminately into their ranks. The walls of dead closed in around me, but the Rollers were firing into them, trying to save my life.