Free Wormwood Dawn (Episode IV) by Edward Crae Page B

rifles stacked in their places; two of them having good scopes that he could use. He took one and climbed onto the Hummer’s roof, perching himself near the sunroof, and began scanning.
    The entire city was pretty much the same. Buildings were crumbled, the streets were clogged with abandoned cars, and numerous bodies lie rotting in the open. He kept picturing Saigon for some reason. He wasn’t sure why. But he picture attractive little Vietnamese girls riding around on bicycles, posing as prostitutes so they get to enemy troops and blow the shit out of them as they gathered around for a piece of nummuh one fucky.
    He chuckled to himself. Full Metal Jacket.
    To the east, he saw the university. Its buildings were pretty much the same as the rest of the town, but some of them seemed to be fairly intact. They were those just on the edge of town; the tech buildings, he knew. There, students ran server farms, and learned all of the fun stuff that would eventually turn most of them into hackers and basement-dwelling, liberal dipshits.
    But now, it seemed, they had a new use.
    What a perfect place for a base, he thought. The surrounding dorms could be converted into prisons, and the technology departments would be good places to set up communication centers. They could be rigged up using the nearby solar arrays—arrays that were meant for education purposes.
    The university was definitely his goal. Now, he wondered, how could he get there? There would no doubt be cameras, patrols, and probably thermal imaging UAVs in the area. Gephardt didn’t fuck around, and they had a higher budget than the actual military—thanks to bleeding heart dipshits.
    He lowered the rifle, sadly thinking of Drew, Jake, and Vincent locked up in some shit hole. He hoped that Jake was at least being given the meds he needed to live. If not, then the poor guy was probably in a diabetic coma; if they were even feeding them.
    Helpless, he slid back into the sunroof and sat quietly in the back seat. He opened another beer, popped another Vicodin, and munched on some jerky. There were still plenty of daylight hours left for him to do a little scavenging, and some real food was in order. He could leave the Hummer here and go down on foot—that was probably the safest bet.
    The Hummer would be alright here.
    He got out, looking at the cars that were parked around. Though he knew none of them would have the keys in them, they were mostly small cars, and he could easily push them across the ramp as a barrier. Anyone who attempted to drive up onto the roof would be blocked and would have to get out. Then, he could shoot them.
    “Fuck it,” he said.
    It was pointless. Zombies didn’t drive cars, and they were the biggest concern. There was no reason for any human to actually drive up here, even mercs. They probably knew he was here anyway, and were scoping him out, waiting for him to stand still so they put a bullet through his head.
    Dan turned to the east, displaying his middle finger to anyone who was watching. He held it up for several seconds, moving it left and right for all to see. He ended it with a scowling crotch grab, and started down the ramp. He could scavenge for a few hours, then return and sleep it off in the Hummer.
    He kept the M4A1, deciding it would be the best all-purpose choice. He checked it over as he descended; making sure the bolt was nice and lubed. It wasn’t sighted for him, but he hadn’t planned on doing any sniping.
    The staircase to the ground level appeared to his right. He decided to take it, as it would be easier than staggering down a long ass ramp. The door was torn off its hinges, and Dan approached it cautiously, peering down the stairwell and listening for any movement. It seemed clear, so he quietly padded down the stairs.
    The landing on the ground floor was covered in dried blood and shriveled flesh. He stepped around the carnage, holding his breath as he pushed open the exit door. Whatever happened here, the