Read Online The North: A Zombie Novel by Sean Cummings - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sean Cummings
Tags: Zombies
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than a two-minute ride away. I felt a .50 caliber shell casing hit the back of my neck as the twin guns in the turret opened fire in a short burst of loud pops that I could feel in my fillings.
“What are you shooting at, Sid?” I shouted into the headset.
“Just a trio of creeps in the bushes along the river, no probs.”
“Conserve your ammo! Three creeps aren’t a threat to this boat and we have to take the long view. You’re our eyes and ears – you’ve got a three-hundred-sixty degree traverse. Can you see Cruze?”
I heard the turret spinning and then Sid said, “About thirty meters behind us – they’re being chased by a mob of about two dozen.”
“That’s not a problem,” I said, eyeing the river bank. “The current is pretty damned fast and the rocks are slippery as hell. Once we ford the river, they’ll be swept downstream.”
“Roger that,” said Sid. “We going to head to the crossing we’d planned? There’s a few good spots I’m seeing about ten degrees to the northwest. The north bank of the crossing is just crab grass and dead brush.”
I glanced down at my map. We were about two kilometers short of our planned crossing site and the contour lines for the north bank showed a gradual slope that stretched west for about four clicks. We’d have little problem climbing the forward slope and then we could coast westward until we were out of the city, assuming there weren’t any major obstacles.
It looked too easy, and that gave me a slightly sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Still, it was a way out of the city core and it didn’t vary too much from our original plan. I tapped Doug Manybears on the shoulder. He glanced back at me and I signaled to drive another hundred meters. He gave me a thumbs-up and I pressed the PTT switch.
“Ark Two – we’re going to halt on the forward bank of the river – prep your section and seal up the back doors and firing portals with gun tape. The river should be shallow enough to cross without going into amphibious, so keep your props off and use your trim-vane only if necessary.”
“Roger, Ark Two,” Pam Cruze replied.
I removed my headset and climbed to the back of the APC. Jo was still hunkered down in the corner with her poncho liner pulled up over her chest.
“All eyes on me!” I shouted as the APC came to a squealing halt. “Seal up the doors and firing ports, we’re going to cross the river as soon as you’re done.”
Kate Dawson immediately went to work, pulling long strips of dark green tape off of a pair of rolls that had to weigh about five pounds each. She stretched each strip across anything that looked like it might let in water as Jo scrambled across a case of ammunition to get out of her way. I motioned for Jo to come up to the crew commander hatch, so that she’d be clear of Dawson, and then I crawled around the turret and sat down in my crew seat. Jo hopped onto my lap and threw her arms around me. “How are you holding up, kiddo? Do you remember what your job is for now?”
She nodded amiably and said, “I’m in charge of bullets for Sid an’ Kate. Oh – an’ I’m in charge of passing out water and food.”
“And what are you
not
supposed to do?”
“Leave the carrier or go anywhere by myself,” she said flatly. “Don’t worry too much cuz I know you have other stuff to take care of, but I do have a question.”
“What’s that?”
Her face turned beet red. “What if I have to pee?”
Well crap. How could I have forgotten something as simple as that? I hadn’t taken into account how long we’d be hatches down as we exited the city. It could be as long as a day or more until we’d be out in the open where we could actually get out of the vehicles and stretch our legs.
“Um – canteen cup, Jo,” I said, as my face reddened.
“But I can’t go if people are watching!” she protested loudly.
I smiled at her and nodded slowly. “Remember that poncho liner?”
“Yeah.”
“Just
“What are you shooting at, Sid?” I shouted into the headset.
“Just a trio of creeps in the bushes along the river, no probs.”
“Conserve your ammo! Three creeps aren’t a threat to this boat and we have to take the long view. You’re our eyes and ears – you’ve got a three-hundred-sixty degree traverse. Can you see Cruze?”
I heard the turret spinning and then Sid said, “About thirty meters behind us – they’re being chased by a mob of about two dozen.”
“That’s not a problem,” I said, eyeing the river bank. “The current is pretty damned fast and the rocks are slippery as hell. Once we ford the river, they’ll be swept downstream.”
“Roger that,” said Sid. “We going to head to the crossing we’d planned? There’s a few good spots I’m seeing about ten degrees to the northwest. The north bank of the crossing is just crab grass and dead brush.”
I glanced down at my map. We were about two kilometers short of our planned crossing site and the contour lines for the north bank showed a gradual slope that stretched west for about four clicks. We’d have little problem climbing the forward slope and then we could coast westward until we were out of the city, assuming there weren’t any major obstacles.
It looked too easy, and that gave me a slightly sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Still, it was a way out of the city core and it didn’t vary too much from our original plan. I tapped Doug Manybears on the shoulder. He glanced back at me and I signaled to drive another hundred meters. He gave me a thumbs-up and I pressed the PTT switch.
“Ark Two – we’re going to halt on the forward bank of the river – prep your section and seal up the back doors and firing portals with gun tape. The river should be shallow enough to cross without going into amphibious, so keep your props off and use your trim-vane only if necessary.”
“Roger, Ark Two,” Pam Cruze replied.
I removed my headset and climbed to the back of the APC. Jo was still hunkered down in the corner with her poncho liner pulled up over her chest.
“All eyes on me!” I shouted as the APC came to a squealing halt. “Seal up the doors and firing ports, we’re going to cross the river as soon as you’re done.”
Kate Dawson immediately went to work, pulling long strips of dark green tape off of a pair of rolls that had to weigh about five pounds each. She stretched each strip across anything that looked like it might let in water as Jo scrambled across a case of ammunition to get out of her way. I motioned for Jo to come up to the crew commander hatch, so that she’d be clear of Dawson, and then I crawled around the turret and sat down in my crew seat. Jo hopped onto my lap and threw her arms around me. “How are you holding up, kiddo? Do you remember what your job is for now?”
She nodded amiably and said, “I’m in charge of bullets for Sid an’ Kate. Oh – an’ I’m in charge of passing out water and food.”
“And what are you
not
supposed to do?”
“Leave the carrier or go anywhere by myself,” she said flatly. “Don’t worry too much cuz I know you have other stuff to take care of, but I do have a question.”
“What’s that?”
Her face turned beet red. “What if I have to pee?”
Well crap. How could I have forgotten something as simple as that? I hadn’t taken into account how long we’d be hatches down as we exited the city. It could be as long as a day or more until we’d be out in the open where we could actually get out of the vehicles and stretch our legs.
“Um – canteen cup, Jo,” I said, as my face reddened.
“But I can’t go if people are watching!” she protested loudly.
I smiled at her and nodded slowly. “Remember that poncho liner?”
“Yeah.”
“Just
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