Transformation: Zombie Crusade VI by J.W. Vohs, Sandra Vohs Page A

combat, simple bludgeoning weapons could crush infected skulls as fast as spearmen could kill. The troops also found plenty of grinders, and more importantly, a generator hidden under a pile of rubble that would power the tools they needed to make their weapons.
    Before leaving one of the stores, Terry had sidled up to Luke with a suggestion. “Uh, sir, I think I could make crossbow bolts out of wooden rods; there’re a lot of them in here.”
    Luke had been intrigued. “You can do that?”
    “I’ve worked on my own arrows a lot since the outbreak, and some of the guys who signed up with us did the same with their crossbow bolts. Those things have range and stopping power, and a ton of crossbows can be found in this part of the country.”
    Luke had briefly considered the value of range-weapons in his army; he could definitely envision situations in which crossbows could be useful. He told Terry to pick up whatever he needed.
    Not a motorcycle was to be found at the Harley store, but plenty of leather clothing, gloves, and boots were left behind by whoever took the bikes. Luke was especially happy to discover half a dozen pairs of mirrored motorcycle riding glasses, designed for both day and nighttime wear. A number of other stores in the area yielded up further items of clothing, as well as heavy fabrics that could be useful in creating armor to protect against bites from the infected. A leather tailoring and repair shop still held virtually all of its inventory, and within a few days every volunteer was supplied with a full set of armored clothing similar to that worn by Luke and the rest of his group. Enough material remained to outfit several hundred more soldiers, and most of it was safely stowed in johnboats that could be towed upriver where it would be used to equip future recruits.
    Training commenced as quickly as weapons were available, and everyone was soon able to form a circle with pikes and spears, and usually stick the sharp points into man-sized practice targets. Luke had selected fifty men and women who were eager to learn how to kill hunters while staying behind to care for their families, and they were equipped and instructed as carefully as the recruits who were to leave at week’s end. A variety of axes, sledge-hammers, and machetes were available to work with so everyone could find something they were comfortable using. In addition, all of the new fighters carried sturdy knives and daggers. Luke knew that the rookies would be unreliable until they experienced combat, but he was definitely pleased with their enthusiasm and work ethic. When the final day of training ended, goodbyes and well-wishes were dutifully exchanged and the new infantry unit headed west up the Red River under the command of a seventeen-year-old captain who never took his sunglasses off. 
     
     
    Andi still had nightmares about the night Barnes threw Karyn out of the helicopter. The woman had been a total idiot, but no one deserved that fate—Andi hoped that the fall had killed her before she was ripped apart by the pack of hunters below the chopper. Barnes had dangled Andi over them first, to torment Jack, and Kayrn was obviously killed to make Jack believe that he’d witnessed his fiancé’s murder. Barnes had gone to a lot of trouble to set-up the bizarrely malevolent scenario; he’d transformed an unsuspecting and loyal young woman into Andi’s double, from her hair color to the outfits they each wore. Andi had been sure that Barnes would kill her to spite Jack, especially when the power-hungry lunatic suspended her in mid-air above a boat loaded with the infected and told her to say her goodbyes. But he’d pulled her back into the Blackhawk and killed Karyn instead, and he’d laughed as the creatures tore her to pieces. Something snapped in Andi that night, and she soon realized that she had extinguished all emotions except one:  hate.
    Andi had lost track of how many days had passed when Thelma brought her news