Priest saw it and what he thought was all fours turned out to be both legs ripped off right at the knee. This thing was running on its hands and the stumps, but was still incredibly fast and moved out to throw itself in front of Priest’s bike. “What the fuck?” he yelled in surprise. As he leaned to the right to maneuver around it, another figure shot out of the tall grass on the right side.
Priest had just enough time to jerk the throttle back and narrowly shoot by the figure reaching for him. He then braked and whipped the bike around in a 180-degree slide. He dropped the throttle and rode back toward the infected now running his way, reaching for him.
Priest shot by him again and then slowed down. As he had hoped, the infected came after him. Priest stayed just ahead of the infected, leading it back toward Shaw.
The infected following Priest was actually quite fast, but not fast enough for the Ninja. Priest kept looking back to make sure it was following and noticed it was a young man who looked college age. He had on an Appalachian State hoodie, and Priest wondered if maybe he had been a track star in the college. It brought on feelings of sadness thinking about who this young man was. Who were his friends and family? Did he have a girlfriend? What were his plans after college?
It made Priest think about how much would have been possible in this young man’s life if not for the virus. He thought of the young man getting a job, settling down and raising a family, but all of that was gone now.
Priest felt for the man, and it made him sad to think about everything this young man lost. Now he was about to become a guinea pig and dissected like a class room biology experiment.
Priest saw Shaw heading for him and slowed so the infected could catch up. Priest rode to the opposite side of the Jeep as Neville hung out the rear window and took aim, POP! His first shot blew out the infected right femur and it fell and Shaw slowed a bit as they approached.
The infected struggled to stand for a brief second. POP, Neville’s second shot shattered its left femur, and it went down. Shaw stopped just short as the infected was crawling for them. Priest circled back and came up behind the infected.
Shaw ran over and mounted the thing’s back grabbing both arms allowing Neville to slap on the handcuffs. Shaw then grabbed its legs and brought them up toward its handcuffed arms, and Neville looped one of the zip cuffs around the handcuffs and secured its legs.
Priest was there putting a belt on the thing’s face, but it kept moving its head trying to bite him. He finally attached the belt and cinched it tight. There was a crack sound before he finished securing it.
Priest went to put the mask on when they heard a distant sound. It was faint but getting louder and definitely the sound of vehicle engines.
“Shit, we got company,” Shaw yelled.
“Stow that fucker in the back and let’s prepare for our guests,” Priest ordered. He got on the radio, “HQ, this is Father, do you copy?”
“Go ahead, Father.”
“We are about 5 miles east on 421 and we have company driving up our way. Don’t know if they are friend or foe, but could use some backup in case things go sideways.”
“Copy that Father, we’re mobilizing.”
Shaw set up his M48 in the open window of the open Jeep door and Neville set up on the other door.
Priest looked over at Neville as he set up his sniper rifle, “What do you got, Neville?”
“Two pickups with 5 occupants a piece and they look to be armed. Small weapons, a couple M4’s, an A-K and some shotguns. They are not infected, so they could be the ones who have been hitting the CDC facility?”
“Probably so,” Priest replied.
“I don’t see anyone in the truck’s bed, sitting up at least. They could be hunkered down, ready to spring an ambush.”
“Okay, we’ll let them get about 75 yards and see how determined they are,” Priest ordered. The trucks kept coming at a decent speed, “Ok Shaw, put a couple rounds across their bow.” Priest said as they were within 100 yards.
Shaw let off a three-round burst right in front of the lead truck, but both stopped and sat there. Priest raised his hand to stop and walked out into the road where he could be seen. He glanced over to Neville.
“Don’t w
orry Sarge, I got the bead on them. If they so much as scratch their ass, I’ll push their off button.” Priest nodded. The driver and passenger got out of the truck and walked to stand in front of it. They both had M4 rifles, but were pointed down.
The driver was an older man with a potbelly, salt and pepper beard and had on a baseball cap which had a logo that Priest couldn’t make out. His passenger was a young, skinny man with slicked back hair gathered into a ponytail. Both sides of his head were shaved, and he sported a sleeveless t-shirt.
The older man addressed Priest, “You boys ain’t from around here. I know that because I know everyone around these parts.”
“No sir, we’re not,” Priest answered.
“You the ones that have moved into that underground bunker on the hill?”
“Yes, sir, we are.”