J. Knoll - Zoe, Undead

Baker walked around Zoe and toward the stairs, and her heart sank a little as she saw him leaving.

"Where are you going?" she asked in a loud voice.

The Corporal looked over his shoulder and replied, "I need a beer or two. If I'm doing this, I ain't doing it sober."

Other soldiers exchanged looks. Many were still apprehensive about going, but one said, "I've got a bottle of Scotch I've been saving. May as well crack it open." He also walked toward the stairs, following Corporal Baker. Many of them began to filter toward the stairs.

In a few moments only a few remained, those few who were checking weapons and gear, those few who were quiet, those few who still intended to go, and who knew the likelihood of their return was slim.

Zoe folded her arms and quietly scanned the room, and finally she looked up at Zachary.

He was staring at her, then he glanced around and asked, "So, who do I ask?"

The Strykers, two humvees, a four door pickup and one of the buses they had used to rescue people from the school were parked front to back right outside of the hospital when Zoe and Zachary walked out the front door. Looking around them, they only saw Colonel Halstead, who stood beside the closest Stryker with his hands folded behind him and a very hard look on his face. He was back in that black commando gear that Zoe had first seen him in, a black helmet strapped to his head, and his weapon slung over his shoulder.

Nobody else was there.

The two strode hesitantly to the lone soldier, and Zoe stopped in front of him, looking up at him with confident eyes as she softly said, "You can just drop us off if you want, Sir."

He turned his eyes down to her, and smiled. "Nobody gets dropped off, Princess. Just wait a minute."

She looked around her and observed, "But nobody's here and it's time to go."

The door of the hospital burst open and fully armed and equipped soldiers began to file out, led by Corporal Baker, who had two weapons slung over his arms. Civilian volunteers were with them, also heavily armed and many of them also wore black ZRT vests and helmets or caps.

Zoe absently counted them, and a little smile found her lips as the last of them—the sixty-third—left the hospital with a rage in his eyes, a determination, and a shotgun in his hands.

Baker walked right up to the zombie girl and took one of the weapons from his shoulder, offering it to her as he informed, "This is an M-4 assault rifle, twenty round magazine and a little more range and hitting power than that revolver you have." When she hesitantly took it, he went on, "Use it first and fall back on your revolver when your ammo's spent. I'll give you a few more magazines when we mount up."

She looked down at it and nodded, offering in a meek voice, "Thank you."

The Corporal looked to Zachary and raised his chin slightly. "You up to the SAW?"

"Saw?" the boy asked, drawing his head back.

"Squad Automatic Weapon," Baker clarified. "We already have one on the Stryker and you seem like a stout guy. We thought you might like to try it out."

Zachary smiled slightly and breathed, "A machine gun?"

"Belt fed," the Corporal confirmed. He looked to the Colonel and raised his chin, offered a salute and reported, "We're ready to board, Sir."

Colonel Halstead saluted back, then he looked around to the people who awaited his orders, and loudly he gave them. "Okay, listen up, people! Same drill as last time. Ranger One, that's the Stryker behind me, will drop Private Princess and a squad of five across the road from the plant, then both Strykers will put fire on any moaners we see out there and then execute a fighting retreat away from the plant for two miles. The Hummer will move in next and draw off more. The bus will attack from the back of the plant to draw off any from that side. While this happens, Princess here will take ammo into the besieged squad and relieve them. They will fight their way out back toward the front. The Strykers will relieve the bus, which will move to the front of the plant to extract the team inside, covered by the Hummer. Everybody comes back from this one, boys and girls, everyone! Do not take unnecessary risks out there. If you run across one of those new mad-dog moaners and you can't score a quick kill then get away from it and bring it into someone else's sights. Any questions?" He looked around him, looking for hands, then he ordered, "You have your assignments. Mount up!"

A cheer went up and everyone ran toward their assigned vehicles.

"You're with me, Princess," the Colonel ordered as he turned toward the first Stryker.

The power plant they meant to assault was right on the outskirts of town. Fed by both coal and gas, it was silent for the first time in many years. Surrounded by a hurricane fence that lay almost completely on the ground, the front of the plant was almost entirely parking lot, most of which was abandoned. The front of the main building was encased in red brick and the many windows made it clear that this was the office complex of the plant. Stacks behind this building betrayed the location of the power generators and many thick power cables were strung from high metal towers and heading away from the plant in three directions. There was little landscaping, and what there was had been neglected for some time.

Even two hours before sundown, this was an eerie looking place. As the Strykers pulled into the parking area, only a few zombies could be seen milling about inside. Many windows were broken out, the front door was gone and there was some movement inside, and this told them that most of the zombies were within the structure and would have to be flushed out. The first Stryker charged the front door, then turned hard to bring its side to bear on the doorway. A few rounds were fired into the building, through the doorway and some of the windows, and the zombies outside were also fired upon and felled. No more of the zombies emerged and it was clear that they would have to be flushed out the hard way. Both Strykers opened at the backs and ten soldiers ran toward the building, their weapons ready as they neared. The assault vehicles turned away from the building and then backed up toward it to give their soldiers the best chance of reaching them in a hurry.

Half of the soldiers charged in while the other five set up a perimeter, and one fired at movement he saw in a window. More fire could be heard from within and in a moment the five who had gone in ran back out, one of them shouting, "They're right behind us!" Those who had set up the perimeter backed away, toward the waiting vehicles as the first of the zombies ran out after the first soldiers, and these were cut down by weapons fire as soon as they got out. More charged up to the windows from within, some of those climbing out of them. The retreating soldiers fired at them until they were back aboard their vehicles. As scores of zombies emerged from the doorway and from almost every window, the last man boarded and the backs of the Strykers closed, and they took off in different directions and at a slow speed. The zombies they got to follow them were running after them and moans and yells were sent toward their departing quarry.

With most of the zombies now out of the building and chasing the Strykers, the Hummer charged in from the right side of the building somewhere and the big machine gun on top of it tore into those that were still making their way out. The gunner raked over the building with the heavy machine gun as the man in the passenger's seat also fired on them with his assault rifle. Those zombies not killed outright took off in pursuit of the fast moving Humvee and soon no more of them emerged.

A few moments went by.

Zoe, Zachary and four soldiers walked almost leisurely toward the front entrance of the power plant, and the men and one woman with her held their weapons ready. There was no movement around them, none at all, and they all seemed rather at ease as they approached. Zoe's weapon remained slung over her shoulder as she strode with purpose toward the plant's office complex.