SurvivorZ: Grave Harbor

102

MIKE

There was no time to waste. The ghouls pursuing them were tireless and relentless. Outrunning them would be a challenge with a good lead. By rights, they should be halfway to the boat already, not dilly-dallying on the wrong side of the wall.

Mike stared at the oncoming rush of monsters. They were closing in on them fast, bobbing and weaving in that way they had that made it virtually impossible to kill them from a distance.

He checked on Eve. She stood on the other side of the downed wall, waiting for them.

"Go," he shouted to her. "Don't hang back."

She hesitated, looking uncertain. The sight of the monsters coming fast convinced her. She bolted after Tommy and Sam, who wisely had decided against sticking around. They were already a fair distance from the wall.

The only ones foolish enough to still be stuck out in the open were him, Sergeant Lowe, and the reason they were both dragging their asses. Graves brought up the rear, splashing gasoline all over the place as he came.

"Hurry!" Mike shouted, taking aim at a speeding ghoul zeroing in on the hitman. His bullet merely punched the monster in the chest, momentarily breaking its stride. "Would you leave that?"

"Why are you both still here?" Carl growled. "Don't wait for me. Run."

"And let you get killed before we see whatever it is you hope to achieve by pouring gasoline everywhere? Fat chance."

"Are these things even afraid of fire?" Sergeant Lowe asked between potshots. One of her bullets struck a ghoul in the forehead, knocking the running monster back so rapidly that its feet flew out from under it. "Ha! Got one!"

"I don't know, but like any smart animal, I'm hoping they'll think twice before running into the flames," Graves said. He dropped the can of diesel at the broken wall, allowing it to pour out all over the grass.

"I guess we'll find out," Mike said. "Sergeant, go. I'll be right behind you."

Lowe jumped through the gap and ran after Eve. Mike took another shot at the remaining five ghouls nearing them. His bullet sliced his target's ear, but didn't stop it. Not waiting for Graves to fish out his lighter and gun, he followed her through the wall.

"I hope you're right about this," he said.

"Me too," Graves muttered behind him.

Despite the distant reports of gunfire and inhuman howls from the fort, Mike still caught the faint click of Graves' lighter and the soft FWOOSH as the fire ignited. He couldn't resist stealing a peek over his shoulder. Graves ran for all he was worth, his aged frame a silhouette against the flames filling the break in the wall.

The hitman's plan seemed to be working. Mike spotted movement on the other side of the smoke. The fire appeared to be holding the ghouls back.

However, as usual with these monsters, there was a catch. The downside revealed itself a moment later.

The ghouls had quickly chosen to ignore the burning fissure and opted for climbing the wall instead. The dockyard fence was a tall barrier crowned with rows of medieval-looking, white spikes jutting outward. They were specifically designed to deter trespassers, but that didn't stop one monster from trying to jump over them. The defenses left it impaled through the chest, struggling to free itself from wounds that should have been fatal.

Learning from its mistake, the remaining ghouls exercised greater care. They used the spikes as handholds to climb over the fence. It still came at a price. The sharpened points collected their share of torn cloth and skin in the process. Mike prayed their injuries would slow them down. He wasn't inclined to bet on it, though.

"Shit! I guess I was wrong," Graves said.

He took aim at one of the ghouls as it started coming over the wall. With a loud crack from his revolver, the creature flew off the fence in a spray of black blood. The one pinned to the spikes noticed this and hissed venomously at the hitman.

Recognizing that Graves might have bought them their best chance for survival, Mike stopped running and turned back to help him finish off their pursuers. A second ghoul crested the fence. This time, it was a toss-up as to whose bullet put it out of its misery. As before, the trapped ghoul expressed its anger and frustration, punctuating its rebuke with a desperate attempt to shake itself free of its barbs.

"At least this makes our job easier," Mike said.

Graves popped another bullet in the skull of the trapped ghoul. Its dead body slumped forward on the spikes impaling its ribcage. Black blood gushed down the bricks.

"Could've used a wall like this around the DiMarco estate."

"You see the last two?"

They both scanned the fence, searching for the remaining ghouls chasing them. They didn't find them climbing the wall, but Mike did notice something else. "Carl, the fire."

The flames had burned through the last of their fuel, leaving a horseshoe pattern of scorched bricks behind. The only deterrent keeping the monsters from tearing through the breach after them had dwindled down to embers.

"I got it covered," Graves said. "Keep an eye on that wall."

Mike scrutinized the barrier, ready to target any sign of movement. Graves spotted them first. The enemy wasn't where either of them expected them to be.

"Fuck!" Carl broke into a dash for the others collecting around the fishing boat.

Mike watched him go, shocked and puzzled by the man's reaction. He frantically searched for the creatures. It took a moment, but he finally saw them.

The deaths of their comrades must have discouraged the remaining two ghouls from scaling the wall to the right of the burning gap. They instead followed the barrier closer to shore, scaling it a safe distance away from the bullets awaiting them on the other side. By the time Graves detected them, both creatures had already cleared the fence and were sprinting across the harbor – towards the others.

"God, no," Mike moaned.

The ghouls were too far away and moving way too fast for a headshot. He darted after Graves, pushing himself to the limit. It was a different kind of race now. They weren't fleeing imminent danger this time, but trying to beat the threat speeding straight for their unsuspecting friends.

It was obvious from the start that they didn't stand a chance.