Live Another Day by Baileigh Higgins (reading in the dark .txt) 📗

clouds of dust as their wheels spun out clods of grass. More gunfire came their way, and once more people ducked. Sniper fire was less effective against the drivers in their armored vehicles, and for a moment, things looked bleak.

Max had an ace up his sleeve, though, and the first grenade took out two trucks. Explosions rang through the air, the vibrations running through the ground and up the walls to shake the foundations.

Screams rang out, and the remaining undead were only too eager to descend on the wounded attackers stuck in their broken vehicles. Michael nodded with satisfaction and waited for the next attack to come.

Something bothered him, though. The attacks, while attention-worthy, lacked any hint of cunning. More than that, they were missing a particular scar-faced warrior. Where is he, and what's he up to?

“Mpho, do you think this is it?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t. This isn’t like Ke Tau. He always tries to get inside. He rarely attacks from the front.”

If I was Ke Tau, what would I do?

He blocked out the noise around him and the frantic movements of the men and women fighting for their homes. The sun now hovered above the edge of the earth, its last light illuminating the struggle occurring beneath its rays. A chill breeze stirred the hair on his head and cooled the fire of combat burning within him. His mind cleared.

He always tries to get inside. A flash of insight hit him, and he ran along the wall toward the other side of camp. A diversion. I’d create a diversion then attack where least expected.

“Mpho, Lisa, Abe, follow me,” he cried to those nearest him. His feet carried him along the side of camp and toward the back where the place was most exposed. They ran past more incoming attacks, repelled by Max, Logan, Martin, and their team. Ronnie and Lenka likewise were dealing out death on an impressive scale to both the dead and the living alike.

The further away he ran, the quieter it grew until it felt like a world removed. The shouting, explosions, and gunfire grew distant, becoming pure background noise. The walls here were deserted, with only Ben and Sean stationed at the back. Ke Tau's diversion had done the trick, drawing all the others to the front.

Michael spotted the figures of Ben and Sean and hoped he was in time. But even as he ran, a dark head appeared above the wall by Ben’s feet followed by two hands and arms clambering over the edge. “Ben, watch out!”

Michael waved his arms, but Ben just stared at him with a perplexed frown. The head and torso of a man emerged behind him and rose to its feet on long legs. White teeth set in coppery skin grinned at Michael over Ben’s shoulder. Carlito.

“Behind you, Ben. Behind you,” Michael screamed at the top of his lungs. His legs pumped, but it felt to him like he moved in slow motion.

Comprehension dawned on Ben’s face, and he began to turn. Carlito slid his foot long blade into Ben’s chest with one swift motion. It went in as smoothly as a hot knife through butter, and the point pierced the older man’s heart. Instant death followed as the organ ceased to beat, and warm blood spilled from Ben’s lips.

Carlito flung him aside like a rag doll and backhanded the stuttering Sean with such force that the boy flew off the wall. He landed with a hollow thud inside the compound where he lay unmoving with his limbs splayed in doll-like fashion.

Rage bubbled up inside Michael, and he threw himself at Carlito. “Today, you die!”

“We shall see.”

Michael thrust his spear at Carlito’s abdomen, but the man stepped aside with effortless grace. He evaded two more stabs with equal ease before swiping sideways with his weapon. The point raked across Michael’s stomach and drew blood. A backhanded thrust cut across his bicep and another blow nearly impaled him through the neck.

Hurt and bleeding, Michael lashed out with his foot and caught Carlito a glancing blow on the knee. The man was as swift as a snake, though, and stabbed downward into Michael’s thigh. The blade left a deep cut along the inner flesh, and more blood spattered on the ground.

Michael staggered back, and the two paused to consider each other. Behind Michael, Mpho gasped when she saw who it was. Carlito laughed when he recognized her. “There you are, my sweet little dove. Come to greet me, have you?”

“Drop dead, Carlito,” she said.

“Not today, my love. Tonight, you’ll warm my bed again, and I shall have my fill of you. Tomorrow...tomorrow I’ll feed you to the zombies.”

Carlito’s words cut through the anger clouding Michael’s mind and brought about a clear state of mind. The man was quick and strong. Clever too. He was a tough opponent to beat, but not impossible.

“The only bed she’ll be warming tonight is mine,” Michael taunted. “You couldn’t please a real woman if you tried.”

Carlito’s face flushed with angry blood. “We’ll see.”

Mpho caught on and added. “It’s true. I’ve seen the size of your little worm, Carlito, and it’s nothing to be proud of.”

“You bitch,” Carlito growled.

Michael chuckled. “See? You could never satisfy her as I do.”

Lost in rage, Carlito stepped forward and thrust at Michael’s head. It was an ambitious move, one which left his side exposed. Michael ducked and pushed the point of his spear between Carlito’s ribs angled upward. The long weapon sank to the hilt, and crimson blood spurted from the wound.

Fixed in place, Carlito hung until his eyes glazed over and a thin stream of spit drooled from his lips. A long exhale was followed by silence as he slackened into death.

With a flip of his hand, Michael tossed the corpse over the side where two zombies shuffled past. They descended on the still warm body like locusts, ripping apart the bloody flesh with relish.

Mpho hurried to his side. “You’re hurt.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Further along