zombies already, even before the girls broke out, so I think they were going to hit Vineyard anyways."
"What are we going to do?" asked Kim, and then answered for me. "We have to save her. We can't let them take her."
"What can we do?"
She glared at me, but understood I was right. It was suicide to run over this hill with nothing but our pistols to fight a squad of armored soldiers carrying assault rifles.
Then she scowled and said, "We're not letting them take her."
"God damn it, Kim." I grabbed her hand to keep her from crawling back up the hill. "You're going to get yourself killed. Think about David."
I brought up her son to strike a cord with her, and it worked. She turned around and anger blazed in her eyes as she glared at me. I'd pissed her off, and I knew better than to try and fight with her anymore.
She paused, filled with anger that waned as reality forced her to reconsider her desire to fight. I understood that she wanted to save Celeste, but there was nothing we could do. "I can't let them take her, Hero. I'm not leaving her."
She started to crawl back up the hill to spy over it. The wind from the hovering helicopters pulled her hair into the air and it thrashed against the tall weeds. I followed behind, ready to fight alongside her if she was determined to do this.
I got to the top of the hill just after Kim, and pushed aside the weeds to peer down at the soldiers. Celeste was still covered by her blanket, her arms draped beneath it, as one of the soldiers examined her with a handheld device. The machine emitted a green, horizontal laser in an arc that spread the width of her frame and moved up and down rapidly. When it stopped, he turned to look at another one of the soldiers and gave a thumbs up.
A soldier that was behind Celeste grabbed onto the blanket and pulled it away from her. This lithe girl, who should've appeared frail and vulnerable amidst the sea of armored soldiers, was a vision of fury and strength instead. Hidden beneath the blanket, she'd been holding two sticks.
Celeste's assault was too fast to see, and by the time I realized she was fighting, two soldiers had already hit the ground. She took one man's rifle and pressed the muzzle against his chin before forcing him to pull the trigger. Another man tried to grab her, but she spun away from his grip and then tripped him. The men were screaming, but none of them tried to shoot her. She was too valuable to them for some reason, and they were intent on subduing the whirling girl.
"Come on!" Kim was already up, and started to run down the hill.
"Fucking hell," I said as I scrambled to join the fray.
A gunshot blared from above and the dirt beside me exploded as a sniper's bullet struck the earth. I looked up and saw the glint of the assassin's scope, and I blindly took a few shots at him.
"Get to the truck," said Kim. "I'll get her."
Kim started firing at the men around Celeste, and they were surprised by the attack. Some of them tried to draw their weapons, but Celeste quickly dispatched them. However, there were too many of them for Celeste to handle, and I expected to be shot any second. I tried to aim into the ruckus, but I didn't fire in fear of hitting Celeste. Kim was more confident in her aim and was already yelling at me that she needed to reload.
I was close enough now that I didn't need to shoot anymore. I tackled the first soldier I reached and we collapsed to the ground together. The collision was exhilarating, and brought back memories of playing football a lifetime ago. The man in the suit of armor was puny in comparison to my bulk, and I heard his breath escape him as we fell over. A tube on the back of his helmet snapped and air whistled out of it, kicking up dirt in my face.
I pressed my gun into his side and fired off a few shots. I could feel his body jostle beneath me as the bullets ripped through his innards.
"Hero," said Kim, "the truck!"
She was on the other side of the soldiers, and Celeste was beside
"What are we going to do?" asked Kim, and then answered for me. "We have to save her. We can't let them take her."
"What can we do?"
She glared at me, but understood I was right. It was suicide to run over this hill with nothing but our pistols to fight a squad of armored soldiers carrying assault rifles.
Then she scowled and said, "We're not letting them take her."
"God damn it, Kim." I grabbed her hand to keep her from crawling back up the hill. "You're going to get yourself killed. Think about David."
I brought up her son to strike a cord with her, and it worked. She turned around and anger blazed in her eyes as she glared at me. I'd pissed her off, and I knew better than to try and fight with her anymore.
She paused, filled with anger that waned as reality forced her to reconsider her desire to fight. I understood that she wanted to save Celeste, but there was nothing we could do. "I can't let them take her, Hero. I'm not leaving her."
She started to crawl back up the hill to spy over it. The wind from the hovering helicopters pulled her hair into the air and it thrashed against the tall weeds. I followed behind, ready to fight alongside her if she was determined to do this.
I got to the top of the hill just after Kim, and pushed aside the weeds to peer down at the soldiers. Celeste was still covered by her blanket, her arms draped beneath it, as one of the soldiers examined her with a handheld device. The machine emitted a green, horizontal laser in an arc that spread the width of her frame and moved up and down rapidly. When it stopped, he turned to look at another one of the soldiers and gave a thumbs up.
A soldier that was behind Celeste grabbed onto the blanket and pulled it away from her. This lithe girl, who should've appeared frail and vulnerable amidst the sea of armored soldiers, was a vision of fury and strength instead. Hidden beneath the blanket, she'd been holding two sticks.
Celeste's assault was too fast to see, and by the time I realized she was fighting, two soldiers had already hit the ground. She took one man's rifle and pressed the muzzle against his chin before forcing him to pull the trigger. Another man tried to grab her, but she spun away from his grip and then tripped him. The men were screaming, but none of them tried to shoot her. She was too valuable to them for some reason, and they were intent on subduing the whirling girl.
"Come on!" Kim was already up, and started to run down the hill.
"Fucking hell," I said as I scrambled to join the fray.
A gunshot blared from above and the dirt beside me exploded as a sniper's bullet struck the earth. I looked up and saw the glint of the assassin's scope, and I blindly took a few shots at him.
"Get to the truck," said Kim. "I'll get her."
Kim started firing at the men around Celeste, and they were surprised by the attack. Some of them tried to draw their weapons, but Celeste quickly dispatched them. However, there were too many of them for Celeste to handle, and I expected to be shot any second. I tried to aim into the ruckus, but I didn't fire in fear of hitting Celeste. Kim was more confident in her aim and was already yelling at me that she needed to reload.
I was close enough now that I didn't need to shoot anymore. I tackled the first soldier I reached and we collapsed to the ground together. The collision was exhilarating, and brought back memories of playing football a lifetime ago. The man in the suit of armor was puny in comparison to my bulk, and I heard his breath escape him as we fell over. A tube on the back of his helmet snapped and air whistled out of it, kicking up dirt in my face.
I pressed my gun into his side and fired off a few shots. I could feel his body jostle beneath me as the bullets ripped through his innards.
"Hero," said Kim, "the truck!"
She was on the other side of the soldiers, and Celeste was beside
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