Deadland's Harvest (24 page)

“Yeah, you! Come and get me, you dumb fucks!”

It was irresistible bait, and I wanted to run to Clutch and yank him away from danger. The zeds moaned as they changed direction to head back down the bridge toward Clutch. The West team crept up around the edges of the bridges and started pouring gasoline across the bridge, just like the East team had.

Clutch waved at the zeds and gave them the bird. “Come on, you slow shits!”

I had to remind myself to scan the entire area, not just the bridge, with the noise Clutch was making.

Behind me, the gas truck’s big engine started, and I turned to see Kurt pull the truck out and back it toward the bridge. Joe was on top of the tank holding the hose. When Kurt approached the bridge, Clutch stepped to the side with Bryce and held up his hand. Looking in the side mirror, Kurt stopped the truck.

Clutch and Bryce climbed up on the back of the HEMTT, and I could hear them take position around us.

“You’re up, Speedy,” Clutch said.

Jase held up a lighter. “I’m way ahead of you.” He got to his feet, climbed down from the HEMTT, and sprinted toward the bridge.

Movement in the tree line caused me to adjust my aim. I fired.

“Nice shot,” Bryce said after the lone zed fell.

While I continually scanned the landscape, out of the corner of my eye I saw Joe stand on top of the truck and started spraying gasoline over the incoming herd as the truck pulled slowly away from them. They continued until they reach the end of the bridge.

Joe waved frantically. “I can’t get the hose to turn off!”

The zeds were nearly to the truck.

“Leave it! Get out of there!” Clutch yelled, motioning them to us.

Joe continued to work with the hose and then finally tossed it away. Gas continued to spray out. With the engine still running, Kurt jumped just as Joe was climbing down the back. A zed grabbed Joe’s leg, but Kurt shot it several times until its gripped relaxed enough for Joe to tumble onto the ground. He regained his footing and took off at a sprint along with Kurt toward us.

As soon as Kurt and Joe passed Jase, he lit a small, weighted rag and tossed it onto the gasoline-soaked bridge. Fire erupted down the line, forming a wall of flames across the western end of the bridge. Jase ran back toward us and was back up on the HEMTT in a couple seconds flat.

Even though they weren’t smart, zeds tended to step back from fire. That was, if they weren’t preoccupied with trying to get to us. These zeds stepped right into the flame, like we were counting on. As each gas-soaked zed touched fire, it went up in a whoosh.

Garbled hisses came from deep within the flames. Human-like shapes writhed and moved in a macabre dance in the fire. The zeds that passed through the flames made it several feet, sometimes even more, before they finally collapsed into abstract, angled shapes as their bodies cooked and brains melted. Zeds smelled horrible, but barbequed zeds smelled even worse. Burning rot and flesh made my eyes water, and I swallowed back bile to keep from throwing up.

Clutch put a hand on my back. “Don’t look.”

I hadn’t realized I’d been staring.

Clutch and the others climbed down to dig up the ground to prevent the fire from spreading. As they frantically worked, I forced myself to scan for zeds coming at us from other directions. But my gaze kept going back to the charred zeds burning at the edges of the flames. Another memory to haunt my sleep.

We couldn’t see the flames spread from behind the wall of fire, but it didn’t take them long to reach the gas truck. A massive explosion blasted us and rocked the HEMTT. I clenched my eyes closed, but the heat nearly cooked us. My eyes watered and my cheeks felt seared, and I leaned my face against the cooler metal of the HEMTT. Once my tears slowed, I looked back up to the fire. Heat still tingled against my skin though we were a couple hundred feet away. Even when we were confident the zeds were all dead, we still had to wait until the flames died down before we could return to the
Aurora
. Not that we had any way of putting out the fire. We could grab buckets of water from the river, but it wouldn’t make a dent on the searing flames that hadn’t yet died down.

An hour passed, and the flames still didn’t die down, even though the bridge was made of steel and concrete. Dread filled my gut, and looking at each of the men up there with me, they were thinking the same thing. I didn’t understand all the science behind fire, but my lack of knowledge didn’t change the fact that the bridge was burning.

A screeching sound of bending metal made me jump to my feet. My mouth opened. I pointed, and yelled out, “Did you see that?”

Clutch’s jaw clenched. “I see it. The bridge is going to collapse.”

There was nothing we could do as fire-tortured steel made horrendous cries. The northern edge of the bridge gave way first. When the arch’s cables snapped, the pavement curved before setting off a chain reaction of concrete and rebar porpoising down the bridge. An avalanche of fire, steel, and dusty concrete plummeted into the Mississippi with a sonic sizzle. Much of the bridge sunk, sending up waves down the river. Many huge chunks of debris still littered the surface and burned while the current grabbed at it.

“Oh, shit.” I could no longer watch for zeds. I stood and helplessly stared as the burning debris floated directly toward the
Aurora
. My hand flew to my heart and I clutched my shirt. My stomach churned as people ran out on the deck, screaming and shouting. When the first debris slammed into the towboat, I gasped. Someone fell off the edge and screamed the ten short feet down to the water, where the sound was abruptly cut off. As debris piled up against the boat, both it and its barges rocked.

The two barges that had been barely hanging onto the rest of the group broke away with a dr
awn-out metallic screech. Embers on the grain in barge Number Eight erupted into dark clouds of smoke.

I jumped off the back of the HEMTT before remembering to take a cursory scan for zeds. I stopped, found none, and ran up to Clutch, whom everyone had been gathering around. “What do we do?”

“They need our pontoons to speed up evacuation. Bryce, Kurt, and Joe, you’re with me on the pontoon to help with rescue at the
Aurora
.”

“How about me?” Jase asked.

He pointed to where I’d spent the last couple hours. “You and Cash need to keep this area clear of zeds, so Camp Fox can safely land. Make sure none of these grounded zeds can endanger people as they get to the dock.”

“Okay,” I said.

Clutch and the three other men took off running toward the woods and back to the pontoon. “Be safe,” I called out, but I had no idea if he’d heard me.

Griz’s pontoon was already in the water and halfway back to the
Aurora
, but they were having trouble zigzagging through the debris and kept having to back up and go for a different route.

I swapped my rifle for my machete and made a winding path through zeds on the ground. I stopped at each one that still had life in it and swung. Jase and I carved a path to the boat ramp in ten minutes. We spread out to make a wider path.

“Hey,” Jase called out. “Three tangoes at my eleven o’clock.”

I jogged back up the eastern bank and followed his finger. I saw the shapes exit the trees across the road. “I’ll start on the right.”

I had my rifle out and had taken two shots by the time Jase took the last one. After making sure no more emerged, I turned around and headed back toward the ramp. I lifted my rifle and looked through my scope at the
Aurora
. Clutch and his team had made it onto the towboat. People were running at him like a flock of sparrows. Against the rail, Clutch was shoving people back who couldn’t take the ladder. Many were weighted down with bags, and I could see Clutch was yelling and motioning at them to drop their things. No one seemed to be listening.

When the smoke blocked my view of Clutch, my heart clenched. “Be safe,” I whispered, suddenly knowing in my heart that I didn’t care if anyone made it to shore as long as Clutch made it back safely.

“What?” Jase asked.

Anger at the stupid fire hardened my features. “Nothing.”

The flames had engulfed the outer four barges and were already spreading to the four closest to the towboat. All of our grain…gone. My heart pounded, and I found it hard to hold my rifle. At least the fire hadn’t overtaken the closest barges or towboat yet, but smoke was shooting out from everywhere. I could still make out barges Four and Three through the haze, where Kurt was taking a crate of ammo from another scout who’d just emerged from our armory. Smoke bled through where the bay doors met in the middle. “Hurry,” I whispered as they carried out our irreplaceable supplies.

A fire shot up, and Kurt disappeared. I squinted to see smoke and flames pour out from a hole where Kurt had been standing a second earlier.
Oh, God.

“The fire—” Jase didn’t finish.

The sound of automatic gunfire drowned out the sound of everything else, and we both ducked. I quickly realized it wasn’t automatic gunfire but the sounds of ammo going off in the fire. My legs were suddenly wobbly and I leaned against our Humvee that still sat next to the boat ramp.

We were about to lose everything. Our food, ammo, everything. And there wasn’t a single fucking thing we could do except watch Camp Fox quite literally go up in flames.

Embers showered down like glitter around the
Aurora
while ammo continued to go off in barge Three by the box-load. Clutch’s team was already on board the towboat and helping with the evacuation. Joe brought over the first pontoon packed shoulder-to-shoulder with coughing, crying people. Joe’s face was covered with black ash as he pulled the pontoon up to the dock on the eastern bank by what was left of the bridge.

Jase and I looked at one another, and then we both ran toward the pontoon. Other than smoke inhalation and shock, no one looked seriously injured. Jase and I helped anyone who seemed to be struggling off the boat and onto the bank. Once it was clear, I jumped on the pontoon to where Joe was curled over the steering wheel. “What do you need help with?”

Joe’s reply was smothered by a cough, although he eventually looked up with tearing, bloodshot eyes and gave me a thumb up.

I held my rifle out to him. “I can take the next trip. Can you cover the people here?”

He nodded, still holding his chest.

“I’ll drive,” Jase said as a matter-of-fact and set his rifle down next to him.

I sat down just as he throttled full forward, and the pontoon cut through the water. Midway, we met Griz’s boat, also filled with people. All of the barges were covered in flames, and the towboat was covered in smoke. Someone plummeted into the water to our right as we headed around the boat to the boat dock. I couldn’t make out who he was because as soon as he surfaced, something yanked him right back under. I searched but could find no one under the murky water.

I swallowed and sat back. As we approached the dock, a zed was chewing on Hugh, while his daughter Hali was trying to pull him free. He looked unconscious, which was small consolation. I grabbed Jase’s rifle and fired two shots: one into the zed and one into the doomed victim. Hali stood back, stunned, her big blue eyes and mouth opened wide. Jase cut the engine and jumped out. `

He wrapped his arm around Hali and led her back to the pontoon. “I’ve got you. It’s going to be okay now.” She went with him like she was a robot, seemingly oblivious to his presence.

On the other side of the dock, the deck boats were being filled, with Deb leading the effort. I searched for Clutch but didn’t see him anywhere. I handed Jase his rifle back. “I’m going to find Clutch. Can you keep it clear down here until we get back?”

He looked at me directly and gave a single firm nod, still holding Hali with his other arm. “Hurry.”

I ran for the ladder and waited for two scouts to climb down. Both were laden down with olive drag duffles. As soon as they were on the ground, I grabbed onto the ladder. “Just about everyone is down, and this is the last of the supplies we could get to,” one of them said with a hoarse voice. “The final team is wrapping up on deck now.”

I didn’t wait. The metal was warm under my palms, and I climbed as quickly as I could. As soon as I reached the rail, I pulled myself over and stood. There was fire shooting up through the deck everywhere. Smoke burned my lungs, and I coughed on the black air. The bow was engulfed in flames. Two charred bodies lay hunched over in the fire, and I prayed neither was Clutch.

Frantic, I searched for anyone alive on the chaotic deck. Then I saw them. My heart leapt and air shot from my lungs. Clutch was helping a man down the edge of the deck onto the lift. Right behind him, Tyler was carrying Maggie who was quacking on about something. Even in this hell, I couldn’t help but smile in relief at seeing Clutch and Tyler. Keeping a hand on the rail, I hustled to meet them, careful to avoid burning or smoking deck boards. I reached out and grabbed his arm, just to feel him and know he was real. “Is that everyone?”

Clutch, his face blackened, frowned in shock. “What are—”

“Is this everyone?” I asked again. “Can we leave now?”

“I think so,” Tyler said.

I noticed the unconscious man Clutch was dragging was Don. But his daughter wasn’t with him.

My stomach dropped. “Where’s Alana?”

Clutch and Tyler looked at each other.

“Shit,” Clutch said. “I didn’t see her.”

“Where’d you find Don?” I asked.

“The bridge,” Tyler said.

I patted Clutch’s chest. “Get to the ground. I’ll see you guys below!”

His eyes widened. “No! It’s too dangerous!” Clutch yelled.

I pursed my lips. Every nerve in my body was shouting to stay with Clutch, but I couldn’t leave a child behind to burn. My bottom lip trembled. “Get those two to safety,” I said and then burst away before I changed my mind. Clutch yelled after me, but I kept going.

“Alana!” I shouted and coughed. To my right, flames licked at the varnished wood and I flew up the outside stairs, taking the steps two at a time. When I saw no one outside the bridge, I jumped inside. “Alana!”

I could barely hear her whimpering above the noise of the fire, but I heard her. Jesus. Why did kids always have to hide? I bent over and found her hugging herself under the navigator’s station. “Come here. I’m bringing you to your daddy.”

She didn’t move, and I didn’t plan on taking the time to encourage her to come out on her own accord. I grabbed her arm and yanked her out. She cried, but I didn’t take time to console her. A crying kid was a hell of a lot better than a dead kid. I lifted her into my arms, and ran outside and down the steps. The heat was excruciating. Alana kicked and squirmed, and I nearly dropped her. Suddenly, Clutch was there, and he took the girl from me.

“You’re supposed to be on the boat!” I yelled, angry that he was still in danger.

He ignored me, and I followed him down the steps. It was hard to move fast when trying not to breathe. Alana continued to wiggle in Clutch’s arms, but he was able to keep a hold on her. By the time we’d reached the deck, fire lapped at the deck boards all around us.

“Catch!” Clutch called out to Tyler, and then tossed the girl.

She flew several feet through the air. Her scream stopped abruptly when Tyler caught her. She sobbed in between coughing fits. He put her down next to her father on the already full platform and she clung to him. Tyler looked up. “We’ll see you on the ground.”

Tyler worked the pulley system that Wes had built, and the platform lowered. I glanced over the edge to see the hull around the aluminum ladder smoking. I bent over and touched the ladder with a gloved hand. It hissed like a hot iron, and I yanked back. “It’s too hot.”

Clutch frowned and then squeezed the pulley’s ropes used for the platform. “We’ll rappel down the ropes once Tyler’s down.”

Heat seeped through the rubber soles of my boots. I nodded quickly. “Got it.”

The wood cracked beneath my feet. I grabbed for the rail, but was too late. The floor gave away, and I found myself falling into a furnace. My hands scrambled to grab onto anything. Clutch gripped my wrists, and pulled me up. The heat sizzled straight through my clothes, and I clenched my teeth against the oven temperatures.

When he pulled me to my feet against him on the deck, my breath came out and I leaned my forehead against his hot neck. I looked up at his burned red face. “You caught me.”

His frown was overcome by his intense gaze, and he squeezed me hard against him. “I’d never let you go.”

A tear escaped my eyes and I squeezed him right back. “Good” was all I managed to get out.

Flames licked up from the hole. Clutch twisted us around and before I knew it we were sliding down the outside of the hull. I made myself as small as I could and clung to him like a koala bear. I fought to keep from coughing, trying to keep completely still so that he could more easily handle both of our weight. I didn’t know how he managed to support both of us, but he did. As soon as I felt his legs hit the wood dock, I stood but refused to let go.

“Come on, guys!” Jase yelled out.

Clutch and I looked around at the same time to see Jase standing alone on the dock. When I didn’t see the pontoon, I frowned. “Where’s the pontoon?”

“Tyler’s driving it back,” he replied. “Come on.”

Clutch grabbed my hand and we hurried behind him across the island. Zeds reached out to us, but we ran past them. The speedboat came into view behind a thick bush. The motor was already running. We tumbled onto the floor while Jase backed us away from the bank.

As Jase navigated through the debris- and zed-infested water, I looked down at Clutch. He brushed his thumb across my cheekbone as he looked into my eyes. I mean, he
really
looked into my eyes, as though I was the only thing in the world, and it was perfect. His warm breath tingled my lips. After a while, he smirked. “There’s not a single thing I could say right now that wouldn’t sound completely idiotic.”

I smiled, closed my eyes, and rested my head on his chest. His heart, still pounding from our narrow escape, beat strong. My head rose and fell with each breath he took. “Try it.”

He didn’t.

“Hang in there, guys,” Jase said. “We’re coming up on the dock.”

I grudgingly rolled off Clutch and sat up. Clutch pulled himself onto a seat. It took several long minutes while we waited for boats to be moved before we could get to the ramp. When we stepped onto the rocky soil, Tyler was waiting for us with a hard look. “Take ten to regroup and load into your Humvee. We’re heading out to the first house we find and staying there tonight.”

None of us replied or acknowledged. We simply trudged up the rocky bank. At the top, I turned around to see the
Aurora
lit up like its namesake.

After I reclaimed my rifle from Joe, I headed back to our Humvee with the Charlie Coyote on the hood. Jase already had the engine running.

Two hours later, after the sun had long since set, we lay on the living room floor of an old two-story farmhouse with nineteen seventies decor. My eyes burned from smoke, and my skin still felt hot, even in the cold house. Exhaustion forced me into a sleep that I don’t think my mind would have otherwise allowed. Not with all the fresh images of flames, lost friends, and burnt corpses filling my head.

When I awoke some time later, I found Clutch and Jase awake, one sitting on either side of me and leaning against the wall. I pulled myself up, squeezed in between them, and wrapped an arm around each of them. With my “family,” I felt safe. But the devil was in the details. Sure, I felt safe right now, but we had no home, no food, and no weapons. Nothing except for what we had on our backs, and outside it was snowing.