Free Rolling Thunder - 03 by Dirk Patton Page A

was heavy steel with a mesh
reinforced window set in the top half.  I didn’t have anything that could force
it.  Taking the opportunity I checked the windows and wasn’t pleased to note
they were marked as ballistic, or bullet resistant.  That meant they were very
tough and very hard to get through without making enough noise to attract every
infected in the state.
    I was startled and took an involuntary step back when one of
the guards slammed against the inside of the glass right next to me.  Soon the
other two joined him and all three were pounding away.  The sounds of their
blows was muted and hardly audible which was another indication of the strength
and thickness of the glass.  Well, there’s always a way.  Moving Rachel and Dog
under a small overhang to give them some protection from the rain I told them
to stay put and jogged the short distance back to where we’d left the truck.
    The Dodge started up as soon as I turned the key and I
quickly had it back to the guard shack, front bumper within a few feet of the
locked door.  Digging through the tool box in the bed of the truck, I found the
sturdy canvas tow strap I had seen when I’d first inspected the vehicle.  I
wrapped the strap around the door knob a few turns, tied it off tightly and
hooked the other end to one of the tow hooks hanging below the truck’s front
bumper.
    “OK, hop in.  When I signal you, put it in reverse and hit
the throttle and don’t let off until it either yanks the door off the hinges or
the knob out of the door.”
    “Just watch your ass.  I don’t need you getting taken out by
a flying door.”  Rachel said as she climbed behind the wheel.  I made a face at
her back which she somehow saw, turning and sticking her tongue out at me.
    A moment later the note of the engine changed slightly when
she shifted into reverse, holding the big truck in place with the brakes.  I
moved to the side away from the hinges, made sure Dog was clear and raised my
rifle to aim at the door.  Looking over at Rachel, I saw her watching me and
nodded my head then quickly turned my attention back to the rifle.  The diesel
engine roared and the four rear tires momentarily spun on the wet pavement then
grabbed the asphalt sending the truck backwards.  The tow strap uncoiled to its
full length in a fraction of a second, went taut, then the door popped open
with a screeching protest of metal.  Rachel did exactly what I told her and the
truck continued on to tear the door off its hinges and drag it 30 feet across
the pavement.
    The males wedged themselves into the fresh opening and I
gave them a moment to get outside so I wouldn’t have to drag the bodies out of
the way after I shot them.  The first one stumbled out and when he was clear of
the doorway I shot him in the head, quickly bringing down numbers two and three
as they cleared the opening.  I was about to step forward to clear the shack
when Rachel sounded the truck’s horn.  I snapped my head in her direction just
as I was tackled from behind and knocked to the wet pavement.

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    It was so dark and raining so hard that neither Dog nor I
had detected the three females that attacked us.  When the one in the lead
tackled me I flew forward and landed hard on the asphalt, rifle between my body
and the ground adding a few bruises.  My face hit hard and I was reasonably
sure my nose broke.  Not the first time and probably won’t be the last.  I
heard Dog go into his ‘savage’ mode and I pushed off the ground, trying to roll
over and pin the female under me.  I was halfway through the roll and almost to
the tipping point when another female slammed into us and slid in front of me,
face only inches from mine. 
    She screamed in my face, fetid breath turning my stomach,
and lunged at my throat with her teeth.  I was able to get the rifle barrel
between us which prevented her from biting into me, but didn’t stop her from
pressing her putrid lips against my skin.  While I