“The gymnasium is in the back,” Cole says.

We gather our weapons and I make a final attempt to contact Erwin back at base. The com units can only transmit so far but I give it a shot. If we make it through the day, we’ll need reinforcements to get everyone back to Arnold safely.

Another explosion rocks the ground, rattling the truck windows. Everyone flinches. Jude curses and adds, “They need to watch out or they’ll blow a hole in the side of the building, screwing everyone.”

“Incoming,” Cole says pointing out the back window. The freshly infected followed us in, their intensity and rage growing with each fumbling step. We spring into position; Paul and Jude push through the opening on top of the truck, guns ready. I wiggle out the window until I’m sitting on the edge. We’re too far away to get a good shot.

“Keep moving—fast,” I tell Davis, squashing the growing feeling that this was a terrible idea. “Let’s go help the others.”

*

My ears ring from gunshots and the blast of exploding grenades. I hear nothing as the Eater charges, teeth bared and nails ragged and sharp. I’m thankful for the temporary deafness, because I hate the way they sound, and when she’s inches away I pop her square in the forehead with the butt of my hatchet before running to the building and pressing my back against the wall.

“This was a freaking awful idea,” I mumble to myself, checking my bullets. Half a clip, which isn’t enough. Two more infected catch my scent and I reach for my hatchet again to save the bullets for later.

“God, you smell,” I tell one, gagging and swinging the ax at the same time. His head droops to the side, although not unattached. I kick him toward the other one, who’s looking at me like lunch, and make him trip. He falls forward and I split his skull in two, like a melon.

“There’s too many,” Jude says as he runs past. He sounds like he’s underwater.

“Less though, right?” I shout back optimistically.

He makes a face but doesn’t answer, instead stabbing a howling elderly woman in the eye who ran in our direction in a way she probably hadn’t been able to in years. Jude blinks at her body and whispers something under his breath.

“What?” I shout.

“Just saying a prayer for my grandmother. I hope she’s dead, you know?”

A streak runs past us, kicking an Eater in the face and using him and an air conditioning unit as momentum to scale the side of the building parkour-style. At the top, Paul’s face peeks over the side, with his rifle directed on the fight behind us. He fires and I spin to see the target and come face-to-face with my own problem.

“Shit,” I breathe, not feeling sorry about cursing but mentally apologizing to my mother anyway.

My words are drowned out by the all-too-familiar howling scream filtering through my recovering hearing. I stumble backwards, falling over the bodies of the two Eaters I just killed, before this one gets his hands on my arm. Jude is already battling his own set of monsters, unable to help.

“You can’t hurt me,” I tell him with false bravado, twisting to get away. Sure, he can’t infect me—but he sure as hell can kill me. His black eyes don’t acknowledge me anyway, but his mouth does and his teeth chomp dangerously close to my face. I fall backwards over the bodies and land hard, cracking my head on the pavement, and my teeth snap together.

The fall does get me out of the Eater’s grip and looking to my left and right, there’s no out. Just the dead, glassy-eyed bodies of the ones I just killed. He screams again, bony arms and fingers gripping my arms. I level the hatchet between our heads, the cold metal pressing down on my face—the sharp side facing out.

“Jude!” I scream.

Two more bony, desperate hands grab my ankles, tugging at my boots.

I scream and scream and scream.

The Eater in my face hisses through clenched teeth, drool dripping from his jaw onto my chin. I just keep screaming, even when his head snaps back and a dark hole appears in his forehead. The one at my feet grows still, heavy against my boots.

I struggle to get up and away from the dead body that lays heavy over my torso, and watch as two more fall before Jude makes contact. We look at one another and then glance upward. Paul gives us a nod.

I’ve never been so glad to have a super soldier on my side before.

I spy a break in the fighting, through the dust, and spot an alcove connecting the buildings. I need a minute to catch my breath and I know Jude does as well. I gesture to the space and make a run for it.

“It’s not over yet,” Jude says when we’re inside. It’s a small back entrance of some kind, and I lean against the wall, dizzy, and touch the back of my head. It’s pounding from hitting the pavement. He notices my condition and says, “Let me see.”

Blood appears on my hand and I promise, “It looks and feels worse than it is.” But I’m not sure. My vision is blurry and I really feel like I need a nap.

“You can’t go back out there, Alex. I think you need to step back,” he says, worry lines next to his eyes. “I’ll find Cole and send him your way.

I nod, or at least I try to, but everything feels thick and heavy. “I’ll wait here.”

Tags: Angel Lawson Death Fields Horror
Source: readsnovelonline.net