Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)(99)

“Objective one accomplished,” Nerit said with satisfaction.

She watched as the Hummer continued on its mission.





***

Katie listened to Peggy's voice, her stomach tightening. “Turn on Madison, Nerit says.”

Travis was gripping the dashboard with both hands, watching the road anxiously. Behind him, Lenore and Ken were armed and ready.

Katie twirled the steering wheel and the Hummer ripped around the corner, nearly cutting off the first bandit truck as it headed down Madison. There was a great crash behind them as one truck barreled into the back of another. Glancing into the rearview mirror, she watched the last two bandit trucks veer around the fender bender and keep coming.

“Just like Dallas traffic,” Travis decided with a lopsided grin.

Katie laughed, then turned sharply down another side street. The town wasn't very large and a lot of the downtown streets were narrow red-bricked affairs that ran in all sorts of weird directions. Some were diagonal and others looped around. Nerit had sat with Katie for hours going over a map of the town. It was paying off in a big way now. Katie knew where she was going. The bandits did not.

The two battered trucks from the fender bender appeared distantly behind the other pursuing vehicles.

Lenore sat silently, watching out the back window. Her jaw was set and her dark eyes were blazing. “All ugly crazy white men.”

Ken glanced back into the truck right on their tail. “I was praying for a man, but those guys are so not the answer. I may be hard up for a man, but not that hard up.”

Lenore high-fived Ken. “Amen, sistah.”

Katie didn't have time to study the men behind them and make any judgments. She was busy trying to make sure they didn’t die as they distracted the bandits from the mini-van going into the fort. She whipped the Hummer around another corner. The mini-van needed to get into the second lock before the Hummer could make its run for safety.

Peggy's voice came through the static. “Hate to say this, but shadow number five has arrived. It's a huge ass 4 x 4 truck.”

“Where is it?” Travis asked.

“Heading straight up Main Street,” Peggy answered.

“Let's go play chicken,” Katie said with an evil grin.

“Damn,” Ken sighed. “I'm going to die without ever getting laid again.”





***

Katarina lay perfectly still on top of the newspaper building's roof. Covered in a bed sheet spray-painted to look like the roof, she blended in perfectly. Her sniper rifle was poised, ready, and warm in her grip. Her eye was just as cold and just as deadly. Her long hair was braided down her back. The wind whistled in her ears.

“We have a change in plans. Another truck has arrived,” Nerit's voice said in her ear piece.

“Same dance as before?” Katarina asked.

“No. Let Katie play with them, and then we're going to drop our surprise on them. Then we continue as planned.”

“My dance card has empty slots,” Katarina answered into her headset.

“I have a feeling they'll be filled.”

Katarina smiled and watched the spread of road before the gates.





***

Katie led the four trucks straight down Main Street, toward the new truck. It didn't see the Hummer until it crested the hill. Katie didn't swerve an inch.

“Shit,” Travis muttered.

The oncoming truck did a sharp swerve to the left and clipped a street lamp. It shimmied, then came to a sharp stop. Meanwhile, the four bandit trucks slammed on their brakes and nearly piled up.

Wrenching the wheel to the left, Katie turned down a side street then hit Morris St. “Fuck the gate. Let’s ditch the Hummer.”

“I am all for that,” Lenore agreed.

“We're taking the side door,” Travis said into the mouthpiece as the Hummer roared up to the hotel.

“Understood,” Peggy answered. “I'll let them know you have a delivery.”

Travis was sure that Peggy's years as a dispatcher was coming in handy today.

The Hummer drew up to the service entrance. The heavy iron door slid open. Jumping out, the four of them made a run for it. Two guards emerged from inside and watched the road.

“Hurry up!” Bill was just inside, waving at them.

After scrambling up onto the dock, Travis reached back and pulled Katie up. She spun around her heel, looking back to make sure Ken and Lenore were following.

Ken easily pulled himself up onto the dock and turned around. He promptly began to wave and urge on his best friend.

“I’m coming. I’m coming. Hold on!” Lenore, being quite large for her height, huffed behind the rest. She was almost to the loading dock when a truck came squealing into view.

“Lenore!” Ken sounded frantic and almost jumped back into the street. Travis barely caught him in time.

The young woman turned and fired with seamless grace. The arrow drilled into the front tire, blowing it out. The driver lost control and slammed into the Hummer. The screech of metal and the smell of burnt rubber filled the air. The Hummer groaned as it was shoved a few feet over. Lenore jumped out of the way with more agility than one would think.

A huge man, disgustingly dirty, staggered out of the truck, bleeding fiercely from a wound on his forehead. Lenore seemed to use this as a target. The man fell back, the end of the arrow protruding from between his eyes.