Green Fields (Book 4): Extinction by Adrienne Lecter

could happen.

Chapter 4

    I didn’t sleep well that night, but when Taylor leaned in to shake me awake for my morning shift I still didn’t want to leave the cozy confines of my sleeping bag. Nate was snoring softly, stretched out in his reclined seat. It was still dark outside, but in the east the sky started to lighten already. Late spring definitely had its perks compared to the endless, long winter nights.
    I checked the radio before I left my cocoon. No new alert, but then it was still very early for anyone to be up and about. Clark was up for rotation, greeting me with a nod, but that was it. I didn’t mind. Even less so after my talk with Nate last night. Lots to think about—and I had a certain feeling that whatever we would get up to today, I’d be too tense, expecting zombies to come at me from every direction at once, to relax enough to let my mind wander. I’d never been one for meditating, but guard duty was a great stand-in for that—with the added bonus of actually doing something useful.
    The sun rose over the plains, welcoming a new day that looked as if it was about to be as bright and hot as the one before. So far we’d managed to avoid the few storms and tornados that the new season had brought with it—another reason why I was happy to be in a car most of the time. Some things you could simply drive away from. Others, not so much.
    People all over the camp started to rise, and I was on the way back to the Rover when Nate hailed me, drawing the attention of the others, too. As I approached, I could already hear Mike’s voice coming over the radio, sleepy after spending the night at the mic.
    “Code red for northern Missouri and southern Iowa,” he repeated. “We have confirmed reports that Harristown, Missouri has been surrounded. We’re still waiting to hear from them but their coms seem to have been fried by the storm last week.”
    Pia was the first to voice what I figured all of us were thinking. “How do they know if they don’t have radio contact?”
    As if to answer her, Mike went on with his report. “Luke’s Chargers have been shadowing the streak for the past week. I’ll let Jason himself tell you what’s going on.” A pause followed, then a somewhat less clear male voice took over when Mike patched him into the main feed.
    “Jason Luke here. This is the most fucked-up thing I’ve seen so far. At least this month.” He barked a brief laugh that was deep enough to make me think of him as a tall, buff guy who didn’t take shit from anyone. “We came over from Illinois and stayed east of them all through the Ozarks. Part branched off toward St. Louis but the main horde went north. We followed them, losing track for a day when we had to find a different river crossing. Then we found them again north of Columbia, turning west to northwest. All looked steady again and like they’d head toward Bethany and the interstate, but then part split off, going east again. We thought they’d pass by the dried up river valley going by the settlement, but they didn’t. Fuckers don’t have sentries, but it was as if they’d known there’s plenty of food up there. Sped up. We had to fall back when it got dark, but I sent my men out with first light. They’ve swarmed the entire river valley. Mass is thickest around the town. So far their barricades are holding well, but that’s a shitload of zombies out there. I give them maybe a week, probably closer to three days. And that’s only if the main streak doesn’t join these. It’s impossible to give a headcount, but we think at least fifteen hundred, maybe closer to two-K.”
    Andrej whistled through his teeth, but except for that, everyone remained silent as they continued to listen.
    Mike took over again. “Thanks, Jason. Make sure you guys don’t do anything stupid and get yourselves killed.”
    Jason’s laugh was a loud one. “Sure thing on the second, but if you’ve met us, you know that we always get in trouble, wherever we