Free Winter Apocalypse: Zombie Crusade V by J.W. Vohs, Sandra Vohs

Deb nearly wept with relief when she heard Carter’s voice come over the receiver. “Hey sweetie, this is yer husband speakin’.”
    “Did Hiram tell you what’s going on up here?” she asked as calmly as possible.
    “Yeah, and I got here as fast as I could. Been any changes in the last few minutes?”
    “Nothing new that I’m aware of—the evacuation needs to move faster though,” Deb responded. “We gotta take the river-route, Carter, in this weather.”
    A brief silence ensued before Carter gently explained. “This is a military operation now, babe. You can’t focus on the people you might lose along the way; you gotta complete the mission. You understand what I’m sayin’?”
    “Yeah, but I don’t know how well I can do that; what about the old people and the kids? Some people just can’t move fast enough, and I don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
    “Ya save the group, Deb, as many people as ya can. Kids come first, if ya can manage it, but ya can’t endanger the group. I know that sounds harsh, but war ain’t ever fair. Ya just do the best ya can.”
    “So I leave the elderly behind?” she sounded horrified.
    “No,” Carter carefully continued. “I’m sayin’ that even the old folks would want ya to make sure you get every single kid to safety. Deb, I wish to hell I was with ya right now, but ya always know what needs to be done, with or without me. I never met nobody with more common sense.”
    “I just wish you here, Carter. And tell David that Christy is out at the ranch with her mom. They’re in lockdown mode. Redders and everybody at the Castle secured themselves underground in the bunker. There was a helicopter and the Castle was overrun about the same time we were. I think the whole area is under attack, but if the folks out in the county can stay quiet and out of sight . . .”
    “I don’t know ‘bout that, babe.”
    “I don’t either, but it’s what I have to believe right now. I’m also going to believe that Chuck and his pilots can fly our Blackhawks out of here. I’m going to send them your way as soon as they’re ready to go.”
    Just then, Ted Simmons, chief railroad operator for the settlement, burst into the small radio room and gestured to Deb for the microphone. “Carter, I have three troop cars hooked up to a locomotive about half a mile west of here. The river bank’s only twenty or thirty meters from the tracks there. You want me to try to get the kids on that train and head to you guys or Utah?”
    Carter didn’t reply for a long moment, trying to consider the feasibility of the suggestion as he pictured the terrain Ted was describing. Before he could say anything, he heard Deb in the background.
    “You wanna take ‘em up there by boat?” she asked.
    “Just what I was gonna ask,” Carter added.
    “Yep, and I’ll take some of the parents along as guards, and as many Utah soldiers as we can scrape up too. We can use those mini-barges we’ve been using to transport grain. If the area’s overrun by hunters, we’ll just stay on the water, turn around, and rendezvous with the other evacuees. But I’m hoping we’ll have easy access to the trains.”
    “Okay,” Carter decided, “give yer plan a try unless Deb has any objections. And Ted, if ya get ‘em safely on that train, bring ‘em to Vicksburg. I’m purty sure we’re gonna have some worried parents down here.”
    “Will do, amigo. Here’s Deb again.”
    “Carter, your mom has Greta and Cassandra, I’m gonna send them on the train with Ted—I know Andi will appreciate that. I need to sign off now and help get these people on the boats. I love you, and I’ll try to get a message through after we get to our destination.” She knew not to mention Middle Bass by name over the radio; Carter knew where they were going.
    “Debbie, yer the strongest person I’ve ever known. Get our people outta there. And make sure my momma goes with Simmons on that train. I love ya too,