Adrian Smith - The Rule of Three

“How much further? These bastards are gaining fast!” Jack yelled, throwing his voice over the constant rat-ta-tat of Ben’s carbine.

“About half a click. It’s just up over that rise,” Ben said as he let off another shot. “This is going to be tight. Chopper is still ten minutes out.”

Jack nodded, reached down into the ammo bag and reloaded his shotgun. He crammed extra shells into his pockets, filling them as much as he could.

After another minute, they pulled into the small airfield. Long grass surrounded it, baked dry by the hot sunny days. A small tin shed sat next to a couple of larger buildings. Jack could see a concrete pad with a big capital “H” painted in bright yellow. He scanned the sky to the west for the chopper; he could just make out a tiny speck flying out of the clouds.

Dee slammed on the brakes, bringing the 4x4 to a skidding halt between the buildings. She looked back down the road and saw the mass of Variants charging towards them, already down the other end of the runway. Their screeches and howls filled the air. Raising her rifle, she sighted one through her scope. Pulling the trigger, she watched as it stumbled, fell, picked itself up and kept on charging.

You’ve got to get these things in the bloody head!

She looked over at Ben, firing into the mass. Dee could see the odd one staying down. In that moment she realised this was it, their last stand. Unless the chopper arrived in the next few minutes, they were dead.

Dee grimaced at the thought and glanced at her husband, searching out his eyes. She wanted to look in to them and feel the love of his soul one last time. She had fought through loneliness, anger and frustration to find him. She had battled Variants, killed them, watched people get torn apart. Almost got raped.

For a few glorious moments, she had held him again.

She saw Jack grinning at her. Covered in grime, mud and Variant muck, he still looked handsome.

She could see the little red-haired boy, George, peeking out the car door, his ice-blue eyes staring at the oncoming mass. She looked over at Boss as the wisecracking teenager loaded shells into his shotgun.

Dee turned back towards the mass of monsters.

So be it, but I’m going to take down as many of you bastards as I can .

Raising her rifle back to her shoulder, Dee spotted a stack of red tin barrels off to one side, next to a large tank with a bowser attached. Of course! AV gas! Do we have time?

“The fuel!” Dee said, pointing. Not waiting for an answer, Dee ran over to the barrels.

Seeing what she meant, Jack and Boss followed immediately.

Dee reached up and unhooked the bowser, then depressed the trigger. Fuel started pouring out onto the grass. She sloshed it around as far as she could and watched as Jack and Boss rolled some barrels out onto the grass, straining with the weight.

“Soak the grass between the buildings. We’ll burn the bastards as they funnel through.”

Jack and Boss grunted with exertion.

“Monster meat is back on the menu, boys,” Jack said. He unscrewed the caps, letting the high-octane fuel soak into the grass.

“Ben, how close are they?” Dee asked, sweat glistening on her forehead.

“Back in the truck everyone; they’re coming up fast. We’re going to have to make a run for it,” Ben said, firing his rifle in short bursts.

Dee pivoted and gasped at the sight of the Variants charging towards them. Monsters as far as she could see. Howling and screeching. She pushed Jack and Boss into the 4x4 and slid behind the wheel. Thankfully she’d left it running.

Ben leant out the window and cracked open a flare. As Dee pulled away, he threw it into the pool of fuel.

The AV gas ignited instantly, spreading outwards and into the mass of Variants as they funnelled into the gap. Many were caught in the firestorm, screeching. The smell of burnt flesh reached Dee as she glanced in the mirrors. She sneered at them twisting in pain. Burning. But for every Variant caught in the fire, dozens more were flowing around the buildings, chasing, snarling and desperate to reach them. Dee groaned and gunned the engine.

Jack could hear Ben yelling into a handheld radio, but he wasn’t paying too much attention. He focused on the spreading fire and the rolling black mass of monsters. The fire did its job in slowing down the vanguard, giving them the precious time, they needed. Dee had driven them out into the middle of the runway. He heard Ben tell her to head for the fence surrounding the bush-clad mountain. Jack dared to have a little hope again. Having volunteered on the mountain, he knew it well. The whole mountain was surrounded by a three-metre-high pest-proof fence. Several New Zealand flightless birds, such as takahe and the North Island brown kiwi, had been reintroduced inside with great success.

The 4x4 bounced over the rough farmland towards the fence. Jack spotted the service road running along it.

“Dee, head left. There’s an entry gate on that ridge.”

He watched, mesmerised, as another mass of the monsters closed in from below the gate.

This is going to be close.

Jack tapped Ben’s shoulder. “There’s a shed next to the gate. That’s where they keep some quad bikes.”

Ben nodded as he gripped the door handles. “Just take your guns. We have to hightail it up to the summit. The boys in the chopper are going to meet us there, okay?”

Everyone murmured understanding.

Jack lifted George onto the seat next to him. “Stay close to me, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Don’t look at them. Just run.”

The mass of monsters flowed ever closer. They had perhaps a few minutes to get the bikes and go.

A chance is better than no chance at all.

Dee drove the 4x4 as close as she could to the gate, sliding the vehicle sideways as she stopped. She could see a small enclosure built through the fence with doors at either end. She remembered coming here with Jack when they were first dating. It was designed so only one door could be opened at any given time, a pest prevention safeguard.

Dee jumped out and, grabbing George by the hand, headed for the enclosure. She could hear the howls and screeches getting louder.

“Hurry!” Dee said, her voice full of concern.

Ben raised his rifle and fired off a few rounds. “Go! Go! Inside.”

Dee didn’t hesitate and pulled George through the first door. Boss and Ben followed. She could see sweat dripping off Boss as he watched the thundering mass of Variants getting closer.

“Boss. Stop gawking and move it,” Dee shouted.

“All right. I’m moving,” Boss said, slamming the enclosure door shut with a clang. Dee searched around for Jack. He was still near the 4x4, struggling to get his pack over his shoulders.

“Jack! Leave it.”

He looked up at her shout and turned. The Variants were only a few metres away now and closing fast.

Dee swung her rifle up and shot the first target she could. Thankfully Jack dived inside the enclosure and Boss slammed the door. Jack reached down and wedged a piece of timber through the handle as Dee and Ben continued to fire the carbines.

Dee glanced over to her husband. “Get the bikes.”

Jack frowned and ran to the shed, Boss keeping close as he held onto George. Dee shook her head and refocused. She raised her borrowed rifle.

Looking through the scope at the Variants, Dee couldn’t help but admire them a little. The Hemorrhage Virus had changed humans. Modified them into something else. Something almost beautiful, in an evil way. Killing machines. Perfect killing machines. The great white shark of the new world order.