CHAPTER THREE

SNIPERS ON A HOT TIN ROOF

 

“Damn, I just had’em!”

The voice crackled through the military radio strapped to Sarge’s waist.  He was busy scanning the streets for the bogey too; propped against the air unit on top of the building, high above the streets.

“Radio silence, soldier.  Only what’s necessary.”  The Sarge spouted not moving but studying his scope closely.

He and the Lieutenant had been camped up on the roof tops for about a week now.  They had come from two different units entirely, but fate had driven them together.  He and his men spent a week before preparing for the worse.   Well, this was the worst…he didn’t feel prepared.

“He just disappeared.”

Sarge tried to hide his irritation, “Eyes on the streets.  He couldn’t have gotten far, Lieutenant.  We need to pinpoint.  It may mean his life.”

They had met in the streets when hell broke loose in Atlanta, both just trying to survive. So it made sense to stick together.  They were, after all, part of the same Army; even if the young soldier on the other end of the radio had no idea what Sarge was doing here.  Better that way, the weathered veteran thought.  Right now, his orders were to hold position and gather survivors.  Not much to gather, unfortunately.


“Got action, Sarge!  Marietta and Fairle!  I got an explosion!”

Sarge wastes no time.  He’s up and changing position to the south side of the roof.  After a short run, he spots the Lieutenant and takes up a parallel position.  After scouring the streets he spots the area and follows the movement of a pickup truck racing through the streets.

Sarge reports, “I got a vehicle racing toward that position.  West bound on Marietta and closing.”

“Got it!”  The Lieutenant spouted.

“Keep a bead on them.  I’m following the slouchers.  They’ve spotted something.   My bet it’s our bogey.”  

Sarge smiles a bit, so close to acquiring target.  He always loved a successful end.  That’s when an alley way lit up with an amazing green lightning.

“Bingo.”

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Donavan wasn’t sure what to do.  They had the drop on him and it would be a while before he had another surge of power.  And there was the dame to think about.  He couldn’t leave her defenseless.  The rednecks started shooting, but not at them.  Instead, they were picking off the remaining undead.

As the shooting stopped, he looked up and got his first real look at these idiots that had been chasing him and Uncle most of the day.  The rednecks were about three in number.  One was driving, and two were armed and ready to fire from the back of that old, beatup pickup.  All of them were grinning wildly.

“Well, whatawe got here, Barker?  We finally caught up to one of dem coons and he’s got himself a girlfriend!!”  The first idiot spouted.

The other gunman cackled, “Yeah, a two for one, far as I can tell, Johnny.  Makes fer a good day.”

The driver wasn’t smiling now, “how about you getting’ offa the woman, black boy?  Real slow and easy.  We got a ride ahead of us and it’s a getting’ dark.  The boss don’t like us a bein’ late.  But a new woman might put a smile backa his face!”

The woman pinned to the ground had had enough, “I ain’t NOWUN’S woman!!”

Suddenly, the woman that Donavan had been protecting pushed him off and raised a shotgun and unloaded on the guys in the truck!  The two in the back never had a chance.  Her aim was impeccable!  Her targets flipped backwards and hit the street hard.  The Driver got big eyed.

“Holy Shit!”

He suddenly pulled out a shotgun of his own.  There were two shots and Donovan just knew he was dead.  As he opened his eyes, he could see that the young woman was still standing; reloading her shotgun.  The guy in the truck was hanging out of the pickup cab window.  

“Damn girl!  You are something else!”

As she finished loading, she muttered, “Wasn’t me, sport.  Now, just keep yous distance!!”

Donovan wasn’t listening though.  HE got up and walked past her to investigate the dead man in the driver’s seat.  He had two perfectly placed holes in his forehead.  The truck was still running and the radio was still on playing some of that crappy country music.  Suddenly, there was static and a voice burst from the truck speakers.

“You need to get a move on!  Take the truck to the west to the next street.  It’s Spring Street.  Take it north to the Weston Hotel.  You can’t miss it.  It’s the tallest building on the block and it’s a cyndrical.   We have you covered from the roof.  There’s an access door on the south side.  We have one of our people there to open it for you.”

Donovan stands there stunned as Rachel walks up and looks up the road.

“Der dey be!  That big buildin’ up da road.”

Both stand there for a minute, unsure what to do next.

Suddenly, over the radio, “Don’t worry sir, miss.  This is the United States Army.  It is safe here.  But you have to hurry.”

He didn’t have to say it twice.