Dawn of the Apocalypse: A Zombie Apocalypse Novel by TW Gallier Read Free Book Online Page A

back up to speed.  About half our men weren't even combat arms prior to their impressments back into service.  We had to teach every one of them how to fight as a unit as quickly as possible.
                "My wife is waiting for me to save her," I whispered.  "I promised her I was on my way, before I was swept up in this mess."
                "Where is she?" Charlie asked.
                "Georgia.  Up in the mountains around Blue Ridge," I said.  "We have a cabin.  I told her to take our two sons to the cabin, and that I was on my way to meet them there.  I can't even speak to her after the EMP."
                "That is truly messed up, man," Mike said.  "I don't have any family.  I'm an only child, and my parents died in a car accident two years ago.  I'm only twenty-two, so haven't married."
                "My family's over in Oregon," Charlie said.  "I'm just twenty-two as well.  I'm still having too much fun to settle down."
                I arched a brow.  "Oh, you find this fun?"
                "Actually, I kind of liked being in the Army," he said.  Charlie glanced around nervously, then caught and held my eyes.  "When you go AWOL, I want to go with you."
                That shocked me.  The idea of going AWOL was scary.  Good soldiers didn't do that.  Yet, he was right.  I couldn't stay.  I had greater obligations to uphold.  So it wasn't a matter of if I'd go AWOL, but when.
                "Man, that's crazy talk.  Don't let anyone hear you saying that, either.  There's already over a dozen men in the brig for just talking about leaving," I said.  "Colonel Humphries' not playing games.  This is serious shit."
                "That's not a no," Charlie said.  He leaned closer, voice dropping.  "Have you considered what kind of vehicle to commandeer, and how do we get our hands on some decent weaponry?"
                I glanced at Mike, who was leaning in, too.  He noticed my gaze.
                "Don't cut me out of the action.  I did my time," he said.  "Being a zombie border guard for no telling how long doesn't sound like anything I'd sign up for.  I live for action.  I want to go, too."
                I looked back and forth between them.  Was I that obvious?  Or was it my story that convinced them I was going over the fence at the first opportunity?  Also, there was no way to know if they were serious, or if one of them would be a mole and turn everyone involved in for some benefit.
                Thinking about how long and arduous the journey could be, I knew I'd have a better chance if I wasn't alone.  A small, highly trained team of soldiers might be able to cross the zombie dead-zone.
                "We'll need access to the armory, which we know will be guarded," I said.  "This place is filled with vehicles designed to cross hostile terrain.  One of the Humvees would be perfect.  It would hold a lot of food and ammo."
                We went for a walk around the camp.  The motor pools were guarded so we couldn't enter, but they were not individually fenced off.  Indeed, the entire camp was surrounded by concertina wire, with armed guards patrolling along the inside of it.  Then I spotted the headquarter tents.  Five Humvees idled outside them.  All were covered with desert camo paint, except for one M1113 still a solid tan.  It was completely open, and looked like one of the brand new vehicles.
                Drivers sat in all of them waiting for whatever senior officer they serviced.
                "We have transportation," I said.  "Provided they keep those Humvees ready to go at all times."
                "We can get a lot of guys in five Humvees," Mike said.
                Four of them had crew serviced weapons mounted on the roofs.  Yeah, it brought back memories of Iraq and