Eastern Front: Zombie Crusade IV (16 page)

The young man
looked miserable, “ I know you got no reason to believe me, mister, but as soon as we got to the Ohio River I was gonna find me a boat and go lookin’ for my people. My friends here can’t run away, or their families will get hurt. Larry was an asshole, but we were just doin’ what we were told till we could come up with a better plan; none of us wanted to be General Barnes’ slaves the rest of our lives. Hell, if I track down my old group, and Barnes’ people find us again, I’ll die fightin’ next time. I got some scores to settle for my granny.”

“Well,” Luke wondered, “w
hat do you suggest that I do with you?”

“If you’re headin’
north, take me with you. We gotta string of good horses tied outside. Get me to the river and you can keep ‘em. These fellas can say I shot Larry and ran away.”

The other two prisoners nodded their agreement with the plan and Luke
realized that the youngster was no dummy; he had made a sound proposal. Whatever they were going to do needed to be done in a hurry; there were still a lot of cowboys rummaging through the neighborhood. He decided to trust his instincts, which told him that the kid was telling the truth.

“Maddy, Zach,” h
e quietly called, “come in here.”

Luke quickly told his
partners what he had learned, and what he’d decided to do. They trusted their friend’s intuition and readily agreed with the plan. The two other prisoners handed over their coats, and the dead man lying in the kitchen was stripped of his as well. The three scouts were going to take the young captive with them, tying his horse to Maddy’s since she was the best rider of the three. Luke clearly explained that the teen prisoner’s hands would be tied in front, and if he tried to escape or call out he was to be shot immediately. Of course, they were all betting their lives that the kid wouldn’t do that.

Before t
hey gathered in the kitchen for last-second planning, Luke decided to leave the other two young men only loosely tied up in the bathroom where they would quickly be able to free themselves.

“Listen carefully to me, guys,” Luke addressed the prisoners. “
You can wiggle out of those zip ties in a few minutes, but wait until you hear explosions before you leave this house. Zach here is gonna wait outside until we come back for him, and if you try to leave early he’ll have to shoot you. We don’t want to do it, but a lot of folks are counting on us back home. I just can’t risk the possibility of one of you trying to warn the others.”

“My cousin is out there somewhere,” one of the captives whispered. “Are you planning on killin’ anybody else?”

Luke shook his head, “I promise you that I’ll do my best to not hurt any other cowboys. Can you two promise me you’ll stay in here so I don’t have more blood on my hands.”

With huge, frightened eyes, both of the prisoners nodded with sincerity. Then they wished Jared
good luck before Luke gently placed the duct tape back over their mouths.

As they closed the bathroom door and walked toward the kitchen Zach quietly asked, “You really leaving me here to shoot those guys?”

Luke snorted, “Hell no; I just wanted to scare them into staying in the house till we get the stampede started.”

“So now you’re a liar and a killer,” Maddy prodded. “Wait till I see Gracie again.”

“He’ll probably just lie about where he hid your body,” Zach offered.

“Judge not, lest ye be judged
jerks. Now focus on the mission.”

With
a rough map of the area imprinted in his mind, Luke quickly explained to Zach and Maddy what he wanted to see happen to the cattle herd. The ground north of Rineyville was open and clear for more than a mile, where a small stream called Otter Creek ran east to west through the countryside. Luke wanted to try to stampede the cattle toward the waterway, hoping that many of the animals would be injured as they tumbled into the creek bed in the dark. He hated the thought of deliberately hurting the livestock, but they were doomed anyway.

When Luke asked for ideas
, their young prisoner spoke up, “With this many cattle you can’t really control the direction they’ll stampede in. You can probably eliminate one direction though, which is the place you’re scarin’ ‘em from.”

Zach agreed, “Let’s set some of these houses on fire and toss that dynamite you brought into the herd. That should get ‘em moving.”

“There’s cowboys in a lot of these houses now,” their captive explained, “but most of the garages probably still have cars in ‘em. We set those on fire and they’ll eventually blow up, I think, and that’ll give the men inside a chance to escape without gettin’ killed.”

L
uke liked that idea. “What’s your name?” he asked.

“
Jared Ferriss, sir.”

Luke snorted, “Do
n’t call me sir; you’re not that much younger than me.” Jared nodded, and though the boy was doing a good job of hiding his fear, Luke could see it in his eyes. Luke softened his voice and tried to reassure the young captive. “All right Jared, if you help us stampede these cattle we’ll get you to the river as soon as possible.”

The boy
smiled for the first time as he nodded his acceptance of the offer, “Mister, you gotta deal!”

Luke returned the smile, “But don’t call me ‘mister’ either. My name’s Luke.”

Wearing the hats and coats they had taken from Larry and the two cowboys left behind, Luke, Maddy, and Zach led Jared out a side door in the garage to find eight horses tied to a couple of small trees. Four of the animals were still saddled and ready to ride.

“
Each of us rode with a back-up mount at all times,” Jared quietly explained. “If we don’t take ‘em along, we might draw attention we don’t want.”

Luke shrugged before whispering, “Fine, everybody lead two for now. We’re gonna walk through the streets like we own this place.”

The four teens were quickly moving toward the row of houses nearest the herd, never even challenged by the few cowboys they encountered along the way. Finding a small copse of trees near the targeted homes, the group slipped into the modest cover and finalized their plan of attack. Luke briefly rummaged through his pack before producing three sticks of dynamite.

“Ev
erybody bring their lighters?” he asked with a grin.

“
Do you actually know how to use that stuff?” Zach sounded skeptical.

“
I hope so. These are one-minute fuses; well, at least that’s what I was told by one of Greenburg’s men back at the bridge.”

“What do you want us to do with it?” Maddy asked.

Luke smiled, “All of these houses have side doors leading into the garages. One of you will stay here with the horses and our new friend, and two of us will break into those garages and put a stick of dynamite in the gas tanks of the vehicles.”

Zach and Maddy immediately began to argue about who
would go with Luke, until Jared interrupted them.

“Uh, your plan will work good enough, but I just realized somethin’ that might do better at spookin’ them cattle.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Well, all these houses have propane tanks.”

Luke quickly turned to look at the homes and immediately saw that the closest two did indeed have fuel tanks outside. He shook his head and sighed, “You’re starting to make me feel like an idiot, Jared.”

“Naw,
I just know Kentucky better’n y’all do.”

Maddy sounded disgusted with herself as she explained, “I know we used propane back home
, but I didn’t even think of using it here.”

“
It’s a great idea,” Zach added. “Those tanks will make really big explosions, especially with dynamite attached. You have any more duct tape, Luke?”

“Of course
.” Luke scanned the horizon before issuing his orders. “Maddy, you’re with me. Zach, we’ll only be outta sight for a few minutes while we locate and rig up the third tank. You’ll be able to see us working on these other two. When we have the sticks taped up I’ll send Maddy back here and you all get mounted up and meet me over by the closest tank. Then we ride like hell to the south.”

Zach scratched his head.
“South? I thought we’d be heading back to the bridge once we stampeded the cattle . . .”

“We are
going back to the bridge,” Luke explained. “But as I understand a stampede, the safest place to be is on the opposite side of whatever scares the cattle.”

As Jared nodded his agreement
, Luke declared, “Let’s blow some stuff up.”

After
living through the hours of tension as the horde of infected passed by the house they’d been hiding in, immediately followed by the cattle herd and the cowboys with it, the setting of explosives seemed very anti-climactic. Three propane tanks were ready to blow in less than five minutes. As soon as the dynamite was in place, Luke was able to light all three fuses in less than thirty seconds. The group galloped several hundred yards away before the first explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet.

The horses jumped with fright as the next two tanks blew up i
nto huge, orange fireballs. Luke quickly jumped from his mount to avoid being tossed. The others managed to stay in their saddles, and within a matter of seconds the horses calmed down enough for Luke to remount and everyone to set off toward the south at a quick trot. Behind them they could hear the cries of thousands of panicked cattle, as well as occasional human screams and shouts.

After putting several miles between themselves and the conflagration they’d left behind, the group slow
ed their horses to a walk as they continued their course to the south.

Maddy spoke first, “Good Lord
! I had no idea it would be that loud.”

Even Luke seemed more amazed than horrified at the damage they’d wrought. “I’ve never seen explosions like that in my
entire life.”

“We definitely need to remember the propane tanks all over the countryside,” Zach added. “The military used up all their bombs trying to stop the outbreak, but we can make our own with those tanks.”

“I want to be farther away the next time we blow one of those things up,” Maddy stated decisively as the first rays of light began to creep over the eastern horizon.

“Well, I don’t think you’ll get an argument from any of us.” Luke agreed. He squinted at the sky. “Let’s stop for a minute so I can radio our guys, and then we’ll head directly west.”

They gathered together beside a group of pines nestled between a dying oak and a broken down fence.
As they hopped down from their saddles, Jared asked, “So did I help y’all out back there?”

Luke whipped out a knife in response, quickly cutting through the teen’s bonds before handing him the blade. “We kill the
infected. We’re part of a settlement in Indiana with hundreds of survivors. You can follow us or head out on your own, but if you go with us you’ll have to follow my orders until we reach the Ohio.”

“I’d follow you folks anywhere.
” Jared sounded a bit awestruck, “Y’all really know how to raise hell with those bastards.”

CHAPTER 10

Jack and Chad were both riveted
as they listened to their relay team report in at noon. The soldiers had actually seen the explosions and subsequent fires in Rineyville before dawn, and not long after the sun came up they had witnessed hundreds of cattle wandering throughout the countryside. Some of the animals were limping badly or showed other signs of trauma, and the scouts even saw one poor cow being eaten by two scrawny-looking infected that they assumed hadn’t been able to keep pace with the previous day’s round-up. They had yet to see a single cowboy on the horizon, and were fairly certain that Barnes’ food-on-the-hoof had been thoroughly scattered in the stampede. Jack and Chad agreed with the assessment that the general would need to spend at least several days reforming the herd before he could be certain of his food supply. The relay team also reported that Luke and his group were on their way back to rejoin the forces at the bridge.

The time that Jack’s forces had gained since capturing the bridge had been put to good use. Now there were three walls on the bridge, each about fifty meters away from one another. The concept of layered defense was ancient, but many soldiers trained in the asym
metrical combat tactics being employed in the War on Terror thought Jack’s ideas were new and brilliant. The former history professor smiled to himself as he thought about any soldier from World War I walking up on the scene and offering his perspective on the bridge’s defenses.

“Decent enough job, Yank,” h
e imagined one of the famed
Tommies
from the British Army declaring, “but you better scoop a few trenches on both sides of the span.”

Of course, machine gun emplacements and pre-targeted artillery would have been next on the soldier’s list, both of which Jack wouldn’
t have minded appropriating for the coming fight. But in many aspects the tools of war mankind had available a hundred years after the slaughter on the Western Front had regressed more than half a millennia. Any walls protecting an important bridge in fifteenth century Europe would have bristled with cannon capable of cutting a deadly swath through the massed-infantry formations employed by Barnes. Now, Jack and his soldiers were reduced to using small-arms with a precious, limited supply of ammunition, and the stabbing, slashing, and crushing weapons that hadn’t decided the course of a western battle since the English longbow-men dominated the combat of the Hundred Year’s War.

Jack’s musing had been interrupted when Chad came to get him for the scheduled
radio report from the soldiers manning the relay station. The scouts had explained that at last word, which had come just before sunrise, Luke and his team were on horseback and working their way back to the bridge. The only bad news of the day was that Jack had sent a long-range patrol upriver toward Louisville a few hours before dawn and had yet to hear a word from any of the men. They were supposed to go ashore every few miles as they approached the city to look for signs of Barnes’ main force, and the continued radio-silence wasn’t a positive sign regarding their well-being. With the Louisville bridges destroyed, Jack expected Barnes to move toward Brandenburg, and he didn’t want to get caught by surprise.

After ordering the two scouts to return to camp as quickly and safely as possible
, Jack turned to Chad. “The fiasco with the herd will only be an uncomfortable distraction for Barnes.”

Greenburg nodded, “Yep. Those hunters can go a damn long time without food. May not be operating at peak efficiency without regular protein, but still deadly all the same.”

“And the hunger may cause them to attack us even more desperately.”

“Well,” Greenburg added, “Barnes is still going to have to allocate resources to food-gathering that could have helped with his push north. The kids did good.”

“They did, but I told Luke to avoid unnecessary fighting. Dangerous little bastards, aren’t they?”

The sun was just sl
iding below the horizon when the teenagers returned to the bridge, still wearing their stolen cowboy hats and coats to impress their elders. Soldiers not working on the defenses gathered around the triumphant scouts, helping the exhausted youngsters climb out of their saddles and offering enthusiastic congratulations for their achievement. After allowing the teens to bask in the adulation for several minutes, Jack finally stepped forward and led his weary warriors, and their new friend, into a large camper he was using as his headquarters on the Kentucky shore.

After the young team had a few minutes to fill up on water and
snacks, Jack got down to business. “Anything you need to add to the radio reports you sent back to me?”

Maddy and Zach deferred to Luke, who shrugged and explained, “We had an uneventful ride back to the bridge after leaving Rineyville. Ran into a few packs as we came closer to the river
, but nothing we couldn’t handle easily enough. No sign of Barnes or any of his men from there to here if that’s what you’re asking, so we seem clear to the west right now.”

Jack pursed his lips for a moment as he seemed to be carefully considering his words. “You three did amazing work out there. Who’s your new sidekick?”

Introductions were quickly made, and Jack asked Jared to stick around camp for a while so he could pick his brain about the attack in Tennessee. Jared readily agreed, and Jack sent him out to find a real meal with one of Chad’s men. Once the boy was gone, Jack asked for a complete briefing on the mission. As soon as he was satisfied with their report, he asked if there was anything they needed.

Madd
y glanced over at Luke, remembering how he was prepared to go off on his own when they’d first spotted the hunter pack. “Nothing really, maybe just a clarification . . .”

“Of? ” Jack wondered.

“Well, as I understand it, we all need to stick together.” She sounded uncomfortable as she continued. “So nobody goes off on his own, no matter what, right?”

Jack thought he could see where this was going. “I would say, in general, that’s true. I would also say there may be circumstances where one person may need to make a tough decision.” He looked at Luke. “How would you answer that?”

“Well,” Luke began, “I think we also need to follow a chain of command . . .”

Zach jumped in, “I’m not sure that you’re answering the question.”
 

An uncomfortable silence descended on the group for a moment before Jack continued. “Luke was supposed to call all the shots o
ut there. I thought you both understood that.” He paused for a beat. “And nobody was supposed to go rogue. I thought Luke understood that.”

The three teens shifted uncomfortably before Luke finally spoke. “We did understand, I mean, we do unde
rstand. Any conflicts we had got worked out, and I just need to learn how to be a better leader.”

Maddy was quick to disagree. “No way, you were
great—look what we accomplished! I am sorry I said anything. We really didn’t have any conflicts. Nobody went off on his own, and Zach and I will be more respectful of the chain-of-command in the future.”

Jac
k explained, “A military mission is no time for democracy. As far as I know, every military force since the dawn of civilization has had a chain of command. The American Founding Fathers gave the president extraordinary powers during times of war, for good reason. Soldiers debating actions during combat die. You can argue all you want once the mission is complete, but not during the operation.” Jack reached over and rested his hand on Maddy’s shoulder, “I’ve tried to make it clear to you since our first battle together at the fire station that you are destined to be a leader. When it’s your job to lead, you’ll make your decisions firmly and confidently. I suspect that’s just what Luke did out there.”

He looked over at Zach, “Same goes for you.
Sargent Greenburg and I were just talking about how being a soldier in today’s world is more about experience with the infected than any sort of pre-outbreak military training. You all get on-the-job training, and I think you’re all doing just fine. Now, Zach, Maddy, you two go make sure Jared gets squared away with a place to sleep and any supplies he might need. In fact, tell Chad to prepare a canoe and a week’s worth of food for the kid.”

The tired young soldiers
tried to sound official, “Yes, sir,” they replied as they shuffled out of the trailer.

After the door closed
, Jack turned his full attention to Luke. “You were sent out to gather information about Barnes’ progress, not to engage the enemy.”

Luke started to object, but Jack raised his hand before continuing. “Once you were trapped in that house in Rineyville
, it sounds like your hand was forced, but the fact that you didn’t tell me you were taking dynamite along indicates that you were thinking about something crazy from the moment I gave you the mission.”

Luke knew he couldn’t deny keeping important information from Jack about his intentions when he found the enemy. “I’m not being a smart-ass, but in the future you might want to send others out to just gather information. Every time I even think about the infected and General Barnes, I want to hurt them. I’ll charge into any fight you order me into, but I’m not sure I’m the person to just observe those bastards.”

Jack’s eyes hardened, “Tell me, Luke, what’s your goal in life?”

“To kill every infected in the world, and the people who made them that way.”

“H’mm,” Jack responded, “And how many infected are in the world these days?”

Luke shrugged, already seeing where this was leading. “I don’t know, at least hundreds of millions.”

“How many people are still alive?”

“A lot less than that,
” Luke admitted.

Jack
nodded. “All right, you want to kill infected with your own hands, head on out there and get to it. I want to kill ‘em too; mind if I come along?”

“The people need you
here,” Luke almost whispered as he stared at the floor. “You’re leading this entire war.”

“So are you suggesting that I can kill more of the infected by wielding an army than
with my halberd?”

Luke didn’t even respond to what he knew was a rhetorical question.

“Look at me, son,” Jack commanded. “You’re not the easiest person to understand; you’re young, but you don’t act your age, at least not most of the time. I’ll admit that you’re probably the most talented soldier I have when it comes to killing the infected, but there’s something else about you . . .” He cocked his head to one side and seemed to study Luke for a moment while the silent young man shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. “I’ve heard the whispers around our settlement,” Jack finally continued. “People look for answers, for comfort, in times of crisis. They want hope.” He leaned forward, and Luke held his gaze. “A lot of our people think you’re touched by God or something. I’m not saying I believe all that, but anyone can see that you have abilities that can’t be easily explained away.”

Luke started to speak
, but Jack held up his hand. “Just listen. I’m not the kind of man to try to tame a wolf, especially the most deadly wolf in the world. If you want to run wild out there, by all means, go do your thing.”

Luke looked downright miserable
. “May I speak now, sir?” Jack nodded and Luke continued, “How do you do it? You have the same attitude as I do about these monsters. How do you keep from going crazy just keeping everything organized instead of fighting?”

“I think if you charted my daily activities since the outbreak began you’d find
that I’ve been involved in more combat than anyone you know, yourself included.”

“Yea
h,” Luke agreed, “I know, but . . .”

“But nothing,” Jack retorted. “I will always lead my soldiers into battle, except for the times when I can’t be there. Then Carter will lead, or John, or Tina, or even you. Four months ago I was trying to save as many people as possible in Noble County, Indiana. Now I’m trying to stop Barnes from destroying the survivors in the entire Midwest.
If we live through this fight, the next step will be North America. After that, the world. Even in Noble County I couldn’t be everywhere people were fighting under my leadership, so what do you think it’s like now?”

“I think you have to trust other people,” Luke replied, “and put up with the occasional teenager who lets his ego get the best of him.”

Jack smiled. “You know, I have a knack for killing the infected too. Even during the battle against them in Afghanistan, I slaughtered them. Carter followed my example that night, and we both lived through a fight that killed almost every other soldier involved. Before you arrived at The Castle, our leaders were on my case all the time about going into so many lopsided fights without backup.

“At first I would agree with them, and promise not to do it again, but deep down I thought they were worrying too much and I wasn’t going to stop. Then I saw people armed and equipped and trained by me start to die as the fights evolved into battles, and I realized that any of us could be killed i
f we got cut off from our group.”