Dodge," Dale said.
One by one, we stepped from the porch into the front yard, still staying close to the house. Brian led the way again, crossing at an angle into the neighbor's yard toward Miner Street. Brian, perhaps relieved that we had chosen to head back, carelessly stepped into the road, then froze. Heading north on Miner, straight toward us, was another group of about fifty infected, ambling along. Until they saw Brian. Then they let out a chorus of unholy shrieks and charged in unison in our direction.
We were trapped between two hordes. I guess we'd be cutting through those back yards after all.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Friday, 7:45 a.m.
Simultaneously, the five of us turned and ran, cutting behind the house where we'd deliberated on the porch, through the back yard, and into the next yard up. I could hear the swarm behind us, but I couldn't tell if they had alerted the horde that was waiting in the street ahead. Surely they must have heard, but if they did, I would've expected them to be filling the lawns in front of us.
As we ran, I tried to see what was happening on the road in front of the houses, but the homes were so close together I couldn't get a clear view of Price Street. We hopped wooden fences and metal fences, separating nearly every yard. Rob threw the bag of ammo over each fence before jumping it himself. Dale, the old man, had a difficult time with some of the higher wooden ones, but Brian slowed to offer him a hand.
As I pulled myself up onto a four‐foot high stone wall, I stood at the top and looked behind us. The fences seemed to be slowing the approaching infected. They didn't have the wherewithal to lift themselves over, so they'd pile up in front of each fence until there was enough height for the infected behind them to use the ones closest as an inhuman ramp. There was a whole hell of a lot more of them than before, though. It seemed like the horde from Price Street had merged with the group we'd run from.
I considered telling Rob to toss a grenade at the pile of infected, but realized he'd likely blow the fence, as well as attract the horde on the other side of the houses that so far hadn't thought to inspect the back yards.
Four more fences and we were standing behind the last house on the block.
"That's Bradford," Matt said, referring to the street on the other side of the tall wooden fence. "Two more blocks to my parent's, if that's still an option."
Brian leaned into the fence and peered through a slit between posts.
"There's a few in the street, but not nearly as many as the other street," Brian said. "I'd say maybe thirty that I can see."
Behind us I heard the infected spill into a yard about three houses down.
"Alright ladies, time to get those trigger fingers ready," Rob said, checking his magazine and rifling through the bag. He pulled out a grenade and held it in the air. "Whatcha think? A little distraction for the fuckers on the other side of this fence?"
"Make sure you give it a good toss," Brian said. "Draw them away from our position."
"You got it, Captain," Rob said before pulling the pin and lofting the grenade over the fence and into the street.
I instinctively ducked and covered my ears. The explosion rattled the wooden slats of the fence and a cloud of dust and debris erupted toward the sky.
Rob jumped to his feet and looked through an opening where one of the slats had become loose.
"Rock and roll, fuckers," Rob shouted, tossing the duffel bag over the fence before hoisting himself.
I heard his rifle begin firing the instant he fell to the ground on the other side.
Dale, then Brian, then Matt all went over the fence. I checked behind us again and saw the infected beginning to flood into the next yard over. I really hoped my buddies were cutting a path through the infected in front of us, because the ones behind had nearly caught up.
I took a running start, jumped, and grabbed the top of the fence with both hands, then flung my lower half over and onto the
One by one, we stepped from the porch into the front yard, still staying close to the house. Brian led the way again, crossing at an angle into the neighbor's yard toward Miner Street. Brian, perhaps relieved that we had chosen to head back, carelessly stepped into the road, then froze. Heading north on Miner, straight toward us, was another group of about fifty infected, ambling along. Until they saw Brian. Then they let out a chorus of unholy shrieks and charged in unison in our direction.
We were trapped between two hordes. I guess we'd be cutting through those back yards after all.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Friday, 7:45 a.m.
Simultaneously, the five of us turned and ran, cutting behind the house where we'd deliberated on the porch, through the back yard, and into the next yard up. I could hear the swarm behind us, but I couldn't tell if they had alerted the horde that was waiting in the street ahead. Surely they must have heard, but if they did, I would've expected them to be filling the lawns in front of us.
As we ran, I tried to see what was happening on the road in front of the houses, but the homes were so close together I couldn't get a clear view of Price Street. We hopped wooden fences and metal fences, separating nearly every yard. Rob threw the bag of ammo over each fence before jumping it himself. Dale, the old man, had a difficult time with some of the higher wooden ones, but Brian slowed to offer him a hand.
As I pulled myself up onto a four‐foot high stone wall, I stood at the top and looked behind us. The fences seemed to be slowing the approaching infected. They didn't have the wherewithal to lift themselves over, so they'd pile up in front of each fence until there was enough height for the infected behind them to use the ones closest as an inhuman ramp. There was a whole hell of a lot more of them than before, though. It seemed like the horde from Price Street had merged with the group we'd run from.
I considered telling Rob to toss a grenade at the pile of infected, but realized he'd likely blow the fence, as well as attract the horde on the other side of the houses that so far hadn't thought to inspect the back yards.
Four more fences and we were standing behind the last house on the block.
"That's Bradford," Matt said, referring to the street on the other side of the tall wooden fence. "Two more blocks to my parent's, if that's still an option."
Brian leaned into the fence and peered through a slit between posts.
"There's a few in the street, but not nearly as many as the other street," Brian said. "I'd say maybe thirty that I can see."
Behind us I heard the infected spill into a yard about three houses down.
"Alright ladies, time to get those trigger fingers ready," Rob said, checking his magazine and rifling through the bag. He pulled out a grenade and held it in the air. "Whatcha think? A little distraction for the fuckers on the other side of this fence?"
"Make sure you give it a good toss," Brian said. "Draw them away from our position."
"You got it, Captain," Rob said before pulling the pin and lofting the grenade over the fence and into the street.
I instinctively ducked and covered my ears. The explosion rattled the wooden slats of the fence and a cloud of dust and debris erupted toward the sky.
Rob jumped to his feet and looked through an opening where one of the slats had become loose.
"Rock and roll, fuckers," Rob shouted, tossing the duffel bag over the fence before hoisting himself.
I heard his rifle begin firing the instant he fell to the ground on the other side.
Dale, then Brian, then Matt all went over the fence. I checked behind us again and saw the infected beginning to flood into the next yard over. I really hoped my buddies were cutting a path through the infected in front of us, because the ones behind had nearly caught up.
I took a running start, jumped, and grabbed the top of the fence with both hands, then flung my lower half over and onto the
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