Collusion by Paul Z. Ford

Author:Paul Z. Ford [Ford, Paul Z.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Zombies
Published: 2019-07-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

- Bounty

Bounty

“You, and you,” Colonel Dimitri Luca shouted over the diesel engine. “Patrol the outside perimeter.” His icy Russian accent cut through the noise of the mercenary’s chatter and the two men he indicated jumped out of the back of the truck immediately. The others followed, watching the nearby buildings carefully.

Luca indicated for several of the men to follow him, and he clicked the safety of his submachine gun off. He and three others tramped through the dried out landscaping toward the outer gate of the abandoned business. They stepped off the brown grass onto the wide driveway and walked in formation toward the open gate.

Shadows draped across the asphalt from the setting sun and the building was nestled in shadow. The heat of the day was subdued from the overcast sky and Luca predicted a summer rain storm soon. He planned to be inside this building and in possession of his promised payment before the weather turned.

“Sir,” one of his soldiers whispered. The colonel glanced at the man, a young kid with an upturned nose and bulging, frightened-looking eyes. He was pointing his rifle forward at a figure staggering out of the shadowy edge of a box truck. Luca tapped the kid twice and a single shot rang out, downing the creature.

Six more hidden figures turned and moved toward the gunfire. Their instinctive reaction to the noise brought their outlines from the shadows and made them clear targets. For a moment, he listened to their breathy growls and shuffling steps. He allowed the closest to get within a few feet before Luca ordered the men accompanying him to open fire. Measured, single shots fired from each weapon and the half-dozen walkers fell to the ground.

A crack of semi-automatic fire erupted from behind the commercial building and the small group raised their weapons in alarm. One of the perimeter guards, Luca thought after a moment, waving his hand for his soldiers to continue. Only one fired, he pondered. Only one of the dead?

Several more shots and a quick shout sounded from the faraway corner of the long building. The sound came from along the far edge of the perimeter fence and the chain link shook and filled the air with a jingling sound. Luca looked to the perimeter in alarm, thinking for a moment they had been betrayed before his eyes adjusted to the movement. He turned to his men and smiled as he pointed and barked orders.

“Check the entrance, wait in the lobby. You, get the truck inside the gate and close it. Get rid of the bodies.” The leader threw the SMG over his shoulder so it hung from his back by the sling. He stepped quickly into the growing darkness on the edge of the property and saw what he expected.

There were easily twenty corpses lined up on the outside of the side fence. He chuckled and called out to the two soldiers he had sent to check the perimeter.

“Startled you, da?” he questioned. The growls of the dead intensified as they struggled to move.

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