Juan threw the van in reverse and back away from the gathering of destroyed bodies while Billy leaned out doorway waving his arm.
“Gotta go boss!” He called out.
Juan made a tight U-turn and headed around the circular drive toward the residence. He clipped two infected sending them away from the front fender of the driver’s side.
Brian glanced at the door one last time then crossed the drive just ahead of the van skidding to a stop in front of him. He jumped in the vehicle and grabbed at the door, and then changed his mind. He pulled his handgun and yelled at Juan.
“Push the gate opener on the dash and get us outta here!”
Brian watched the infected stumble toward the van. One reached out as the van passed by but fell when the prey slipped from its grasp.
“We got a problem!” Shouted Leon. “The gate is not opening. The freaks have stuck their arms through the fence and now it’s isn’t moving.”
“Don’t we ever get a break?” Billy whined.
Juan slowed the van at the entrance, Brian led Billy out of the van calling over his shoulder. “Leon, cover our six. Rest of you stay in the van! Juan, be ready to roll when the gate opens.”
“Let’s try to do this quiet, Billy.” Brian ran to the fence pulling the machete from its scabbard on his belt. He raised his arm and slammed the blade through the fence into the head of the first infected. He kicked out at the same time and body fell back only to be replaced by another.
Billy copied Brian’s actions and dispatched one of the infected himself. Again the monster was replaced by another infected. This first had been a woman with most of her face gone, but the second was a child of ten or twelve. His arm fell to his side. “Ah, man. I can’t do this.”
Brian glanced at Billy “Damn it! Billy, the kid is dead. Do it!”
Billy raised his arm and swung the blade. The child fell. A bear of a man in a white shirt stepped on the small tattered body and reached through the bars for Billy. He stumbled back, tripping over his own feet. Brian swung out and amputated two of the arms holding the gate closed. The gate began to move turning the body aside as Brian grabbed for the back of Billy’s vest.
“Get up!” Gotta move, kid. The gate is opening, they’ll be stumbling in here faster than we can kill em.”
Billy stumbled to his feet. “Sorry sir.” He raised the blade and charged for the first infected tripping into compound.
One by one, Brian and Billy dispatched seven more undead bodies. Finally, the gate opened enough to allow the van through. Brian grabbed the first body and drug in to the side.
“Help me. We can’t leave the old man with the dead stumbling around here if we can help it.”
Billy grabbed a body and pulled it out of the way.
Juan slipped the van in gear and accelerated toward the gate. With the last body moved and out of the way he slowed enough for Billy and Brian to jump in the side door then accelerated again.
“Close the gate.” Brian ordered.
With a press of the button the gate began its slow roll back to the closed position. Brian glanced out the back window one last time.
“Good luck, old man.”
“Which way Señor Brian?” Juan asked.
Charlotte Hoaks. . . .(C. A. Hoaks) 