Rocky Mountain Die by Jake Bible Read Free Book Online

snapped as soon as she saw me.
    “I’m incorrigible,” I said, giving her my best cute husband smile.
    “You’re an idiot,” Critter said as he walked up to us. “But since you’re here, have a look.”
    He pretty much dragged my ass about fifty yards away from the depot and handed me a pair of binoculars.
    “Uh, Crit, it’s kind of snowing,” I said. “Gonna be hard to see anything.”
    “Oh, you’ll see this,” he said.
    I lifted the binoculars and he grabbed me by the shoulders and pointed me in the right direction.
    Oh, shit.
    Yes. Tell me about the oh shit.
    “Who keeps saying that?” I asked as I lowered the binoculars.
    “See ‘em?” Critter asked as if I hadn’t said anything.
    Which I didn’t, because that isn’t what happened. This is getting all messed up.
    Just tell me what you saw.
    “Are those Zs?” I asked Critter. “How many? A couple thousand?”
    “Closer to a hundred thousand,” Lourdes said as she came up to us with Stuart, Reaper, John, and Stella.
    Stella was still giving me the stink eye.
    “I’m sorry, did you say a hundred thousand?” I asked Lourdes.
    “Close to it, maybe more,” Lourdes nodded. “But that’s not the worst part.”
    “Oh, it’s not?” I laughed. No one else laughed with me. “Oh, come on. What’s worse than a hundred thousand Zs?”
    “An army of the living,” Lourdes said. “Shots came back from recon and said we’re looking at about a thousand strong, fully armed and equipped for war.”
    How are they equipped? That would be helpful to know. Not that they can take me. They’ll never take me.
    “Anyone else hearing that?” I asked. No one responded. “Okay, so how are they equipped? Rifles? RPGs? Blowdart guns?”
    “Tanks,” Lourdes said. “Four of them.”
    Tanks? Hmmm, tell me about the tanks.
    Man, my head is killing me. Like really killing me. This migraine sucks balls. And who knew that phantom voices came with migraines? No one ever mentioned that to me.
    “Four tanks?” I asked. “They brought tanks to fight the Zs?”
    “They are pushing the Zs,” Stuart said. “They’re driving them towards us. Which means we have big herds ahead of us and an even bigger one behind us. Behind that is an army.”
    “With tanks,” I said.
    “With tanks,” Stuart nodded.
    “Tanks not for the killing of Zs,” I said.
    “Not for the killing of Zs,” Stuart agreed.
    “For the killing of us?” I asked.
    The looks on everyone’s faces told me I had hit that nail on the head.
    “A thousand armed soldiers could do that,” I said. “We’re good, but not fight an army good.”
    “The tanks aren’t moving fast enough to catch up to us,” Lourdes said. “We move now and we’ll have at least a day, or maybe even two days, head start. Depends on how well maintained the tanks are.”
    “They break down a lot?” I asked.
    “In this weather, yes,” Lourdes said. “And it’s been a few years since the Army was up and going. They probably sat for at least a year before the Consortium got a hold of them and put them to use.”
    “That’s what you’re hoping,” I said, smirking.
    No, that’s right. They just got them working. Helicopters were easy. Lots of helicopter pilots and mechanics. Not so many tank mechanics.
    The world swam about me a bit and Stenkler grabbed onto me. Stella dropped her pissed off face and hurried to my side.
    “Jace?” she asked.
    “All good,” I said. “Seriously, am I the only one hearing voices?”
    “He needs to get inside,” Stenkler said as if I hadn’t spoken. Maybe I didn’t. I don’t even fucking know anymore.
    Not yet.
    “Not yet,” I said. “Where’s Elsbeth? Has anyone asked her about this army? Maybe she knows something?”
    Call her by her name!
    “She’s over there with Charlie,” Critter said, pointing to a burned-out building a hundred yards off. “Been huddled up and talking with that boy a lot lately. Y’all don’t think she’s sweet on him, do ya?” He