Free Only the Dead Live Forever by W. J. Lundy

sound of my voice,
I’ll tell you where I want you. Too easy, right?”
    “Too easy,
Sergeant, we got this,” Swanson answered for the others.
    Brad looked up
and nodded to Brooks, who unlocked the doors. Bill and Tony helped him push
hard on the doors to ease the pile of broken and twisted bodies piled against
it from the previous night’s battle. The right side opened just enough to allow
the teams to exit. Brooks moved out with his team in tow and cut right; Brad,
moving at the same time, took his team to the left.
    Once outside,
Brad moved just beyond the blind corner where he had been surprised by the
giant primal days earlier and took a knee. The walkway was covered with corpses
and the smell was horrible. They had been living with it for weeks now, so it
didn’t hit him as hard as it had in the past. Swanson took a knee across from
him, the two Marines just behind and facing in the opposite direction.
    Sean’s team
moved down the walkway towards the helipad stairs. Brad waited for them to get
to their location and set in position. He sent Swanson and Wilson forward and
then followed behind with Craig. Each team moved in concert, leapfrogging each
other so that at all times six of the eight fighters were covering while two
moved. Moving slowly, they overlapped their sectors, bounding and covering each
other’s movements, until they reached the storage deck.
    Brad’s team was
on line just off the walkway looking down the right side of the storage deck. Sean’s
group had taken up positions to the left. The deck appeared clear other than
some tossed-about crates and torn tarps flapping in the subtle ocean breeze. The
sun was in full effect, heating everything up. Brad could see bodies lying on
the ground in various states of decay, but so far there was no movement.
    Brad looked to
Sean, who pointed at his own shirt collar indicating he wanted Brad to move to
his position. He told Swanson to take charge and keep her eyes on the
surroundings, then ran at a low hunch to Sean’s position and took a knee.
    “What’s up boss?”
he asked.
    “Okay, let’s
clear this deck in line. Eyes on everyone at all times. It’s pretty hot and
bright out here so I don’t suspect we have any hiders, but let’s not take any
chances. If anything, we can at least work out the kinks with the new guys. You
take the right side, we got left, don’t get in front of us, keep the firing
lanes open, and we’ll meet at the stairway,” Sean whispered.
    “Got it, Chief,”
Brad answered and turned to return to his group.
    Brad’s people
moved slowly, clearing every corner and obstacle as they moved on line with
each other. The deck held pallet after pallet of MREs, cases of water,
ammunition, and fifty-gallon barrels of different assortments of fuel. Most of
the heavy stacks appeared undamaged. The most they found was sheathes of ripped
plastic, flapping from crates, that had probably been blown loose in the storm.
    They stepped
over downed bodies while taking note of the weapons on the ground. Slowly they
navigated the piles until the stairway came into view. Pallets and crates had
been hastily pushed in front of the stairs in a worthy, although unsuccessful,
attempt to barricade the entrance. The stairs opened up to a double-wide mouth,
reminding Brad of the entrances to a subway tunnel.
    Brad’s group
found cover to the right of the stairs just as Sean’s team was dropping into
position on the left. Sean signaled for Brad to get eyes on the target while
Brooks and one of his Marines crept forward toward the barricade. After several
tense minutes, Brooks came to his feet and indicated the area was secure.
    Brad brought his
team forward and they moved to the stairs to gather near Sean. Sean quickly put
them to work re-enforcing the barricade. The Marines dropped cases of spare
parts and anything else they could lift into the stairwell until it was
completely congested. It wouldn’t keep out a raging mob, but they also wouldn’t
be