Read Online Zombies! (Episode 6): Barriers Collapse by Ivan Turner - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ivan Turner
Tags: Zombies
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zombies were strong but slow and the firemen were in excellent physical shape. Trapped on all sides, they pushed their way toward the staircase. It was the most viable way out. They threw fists and elbows, hitting the zombies with blows that would have taken down any normal human being. But zombies didn't feel pain and they were resilient. Still, it was nearly impossible for them to bite through the firefighter's heavy coats and other gear. They weren't really in any danger of infection.
" Come on! " Lemmon yelled when Grant began to falter. " We're almost there!”
They weren't. They hadn't even reached the first apartment yet. But they couldn't know that. The hallway was completely choked with smoke and the vile creatures. The zombies clawed and bit and grabbed and pulled. If either of the men lost his footing, it would be the end of him.
"What's that?" Grant shouted.
"What?" Lemmon answered.
"I thought I heard…"
All at once, the floor beneath him erupted into a jet of flame. He screamed as the boards peeled away. Lemmon felt the heat and retreated, pushing a group of zombies back with him. All of those surrounding Grant were engulfed in fire. Some fell through the hole after Grant. Others tumbled back and burned. Lemmon screamed Grant's name once but in vain. His gear might protect him from the heat but the fall… It might not kill him.
Doubly motivated now, Lemmon fought doubly as hard. He grabbed zombies by their arms, their clothing, and their heads, and tossed them this way and that. He pushed them into fire and down toward the hole. He struggled his way forward inch by inch, body by body. At last, the staircase was in front of him and most of the zombies were behind. The smoke was so thick now that he couldn't see the floor or the area just ahead of him. With the hoard coming up behind him, he didn't have time to be careful. If the steps were compromised, he would fall. Lemmon's brain allowed him to just accept that as fact and he charged forward.
There were a couple of more zombies on the stairs. Apparently they'd been on the second floor as well as the third. They were no problem, though. He ran into them and through them, charred and blackened things. What kept them going, he couldn't know.
At the landing he stopped up short. Through the plumes of smoke, he caught a glimpse of a blackened glove. A moan reached his ears. The moan of a live person. It was Grant, Lemmon knew. He'd managed to grab hold of a stray support beam and was dangling between the second and first floors. A terrible part of Lemmon's brain told him to just go and save himself. That terrible part argued that he would wind up killing them both if he tried to help Grant. But Lemmon wasn't just a firefighter by trade. His was the heroic nature. It was why he'd rushed into the building in the first place. Batting aside a recalcitrant zombie, he went into the corridor, got down on his knees and grabbed hold of Grant's hand. Hanging from the remnants of the floorboards, Grant looked up at him and smiled through his foggy mask. He reached up with his other hand and Lemmon pulled. As large as Lemmon was, Grant was no small affair. Add on seventy five pounds of equipment and you have slow going. Despite all, though, it looked as if they were going to make it. Grant got his leg up over the side and Lemmon heaved with the best of his strength. Then three zombies appeared from the haze and set upon them. Out of instinct, Lemmon let go of Grant and fought the zombies. Grant struggled for a moment then fell. Then the floor collapsed and Lemmon and the three zombies tumbled after.
As they hit the bottom floor, the rest of the squad was rushing in, ready to fight fire and zombies to rescue their friends.
***
AFTER Grant and Lemmon had been pulled out of the building, the rest of the firemen went to work on fighting the fire itself. Both Lemmon and Grant were badly hurt and had been rushed to the
" Come on! " Lemmon yelled when Grant began to falter. " We're almost there!”
They weren't. They hadn't even reached the first apartment yet. But they couldn't know that. The hallway was completely choked with smoke and the vile creatures. The zombies clawed and bit and grabbed and pulled. If either of the men lost his footing, it would be the end of him.
"What's that?" Grant shouted.
"What?" Lemmon answered.
"I thought I heard…"
All at once, the floor beneath him erupted into a jet of flame. He screamed as the boards peeled away. Lemmon felt the heat and retreated, pushing a group of zombies back with him. All of those surrounding Grant were engulfed in fire. Some fell through the hole after Grant. Others tumbled back and burned. Lemmon screamed Grant's name once but in vain. His gear might protect him from the heat but the fall… It might not kill him.
Doubly motivated now, Lemmon fought doubly as hard. He grabbed zombies by their arms, their clothing, and their heads, and tossed them this way and that. He pushed them into fire and down toward the hole. He struggled his way forward inch by inch, body by body. At last, the staircase was in front of him and most of the zombies were behind. The smoke was so thick now that he couldn't see the floor or the area just ahead of him. With the hoard coming up behind him, he didn't have time to be careful. If the steps were compromised, he would fall. Lemmon's brain allowed him to just accept that as fact and he charged forward.
There were a couple of more zombies on the stairs. Apparently they'd been on the second floor as well as the third. They were no problem, though. He ran into them and through them, charred and blackened things. What kept them going, he couldn't know.
At the landing he stopped up short. Through the plumes of smoke, he caught a glimpse of a blackened glove. A moan reached his ears. The moan of a live person. It was Grant, Lemmon knew. He'd managed to grab hold of a stray support beam and was dangling between the second and first floors. A terrible part of Lemmon's brain told him to just go and save himself. That terrible part argued that he would wind up killing them both if he tried to help Grant. But Lemmon wasn't just a firefighter by trade. His was the heroic nature. It was why he'd rushed into the building in the first place. Batting aside a recalcitrant zombie, he went into the corridor, got down on his knees and grabbed hold of Grant's hand. Hanging from the remnants of the floorboards, Grant looked up at him and smiled through his foggy mask. He reached up with his other hand and Lemmon pulled. As large as Lemmon was, Grant was no small affair. Add on seventy five pounds of equipment and you have slow going. Despite all, though, it looked as if they were going to make it. Grant got his leg up over the side and Lemmon heaved with the best of his strength. Then three zombies appeared from the haze and set upon them. Out of instinct, Lemmon let go of Grant and fought the zombies. Grant struggled for a moment then fell. Then the floor collapsed and Lemmon and the three zombies tumbled after.
As they hit the bottom floor, the rest of the squad was rushing in, ready to fight fire and zombies to rescue their friends.
***
AFTER Grant and Lemmon had been pulled out of the building, the rest of the firemen went to work on fighting the fire itself. Both Lemmon and Grant were badly hurt and had been rushed to the
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