Even Zombie Killers Get The Blues (Zombie Killer Blues) by John Holmes

may
have wounded with them. Judging by the shape those others were in they are likely
to be overfed and out of shape. They are also probably following the main road
back to the prison. We can get ahead of them here …” he pointed to a spot just
south of the prison, where a road crossed over the canal “…and ambush them. If
we continue to chase them down we may run into an ambush ourselves.”

“OK, Ahmed, you’re a better strategist than I am. Let’s go for it. If we haul
ass up through the woods on this azimuth we can get behind them. But we have to run .”

And run we did. Weapons at the low ready, we pounded along, maintaining a
steady pace that ate up the ground. The woods were free from undergrowth but we
still took a chance. Out here in the countryside, the Zombie presence shouldn’t
be that much. What I was worried about were others from this cannibal group who
heard the sound of gunfire, and who might be heading this way. Chance we had to
take. We rotated taking point, going by compass bearing in a straight line
across overgrown fields and stands of trees.
    At one point off to our left, through a break in the
trees, we saw them moving up the road. We stopped to count and get a better
estimate of their numbers. There were seven left. Two were carrying Brit slung
up on a pole. One had fallen behind, obviously wounded. As we watched, the tail
man turned and shot the one lagging behind. Six left.
    “Well, I guess they’re going to be moving faster
now.”

We got into position just a few minutes before they got there. We went to
ground on the north side of the road junction, just inside the tree line. Doc
scanned for Zombies in our back area, pulling security.

“Ahmed, this is going to be on you, mostly. Our Z guns aren’t going to have
much range and we can’t risk hitting Brit. It’s up to you with the sniper
rifle.  Let them get close so Jacob and I can get some too. Drop the two
carrying Brit, Jacob will work in from the left, me from the right.”

They came up in a gaggle. No security, just moving quickly down the road. I
figured they felt safe, being only a few miles from their home ground.  We
waited until they had turned toward the bridge and were strung out in a line in
front of us.
    I heard Ahmed’s rifle utter a loud cough next to me,
and the lead guy carrying Brit fell to the pavement. The other one carrying her
dropped a second later, still staring at his partner. I fired two rounds into
the lead man. Jacob opened up on the rear. My target went down firing wildly
into the ground, emptying his rifle into the dirt. Jacob shifted aim to his
next target, but rounds started coming back at us, zipping overhead, firing
high in panic. Ahmed shot once more, The last man knelt and aimed a pistol at
Brit, who lay trussed on the ground.
    “Let me go or the bitch gets it!” He cocked back the
hammer. It was quiet for a moment.
    “Fuck it, I know you ain’t going to let me go! I’m
damned anyway!” he yelled and shot Brit from five feet away. All three of us
hit him just as he fired, spinning him around.
    “BRIT!” I yelled. “DOC! GET UP HERE!” And before
anyone could stop me, I was up across the road and running to her. As I ran up
I put a three round burst into each of the figures lying on the ground. I
dropped onto the ground next to Brit and ripped open her armor, searching for a
wound.
    Above her knee was a bloody hole where she had been
hit in our initial firefight. It had clotted over but blood was seeping from
under her shirt, just under the edge of her armor. She was breathing really
fast through her nose, Duct tape was slapped across her mouth. I ripped it off
so she could breathe better, but her face was white. She was going into shock.
    Doc shoved me aside hard and got to work, ripping
open his aide bag and cutting away her shirt.
    “Anything else?” he asked me as he rolled her onto
her side to look for an exit wound. Nothing. He stuck a tampon in the entry
wound and pressed