Knight Terrors: A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Tale (17 page)

“Can we disable the other boat?” I asked Mike

“Already on it,” he replied.

Just then we heard a cry come from inside the fort and Tom’s gun fell silent.

Thank you Tom.

The doors inside the fort would take a minute to unblock in the dark. Tony was waiting on the pier to cover our retreat. He waited until we went past him then he turned.

We heard a cry of pain from inside and Mike laughed.

“I picked up a bag of marbles on a supply run recently. I didn’t know what I’d ever use them for. But I scattered them just inside the door we use.”

“Good thinking.”

“I also padlocked that door from the outside.”

“Damn, Mike. You really thought this through.”

Just at the end of the pier was Karen and Lois with their guns out. We ran by them as Justin appeared, jumping off the other boat. He was grinning from ear to ear.

“Done?” asked Mike.

“Done,” replied Justin.

“Then let’s go.”

The Beauregard was already running. Tony, Justin and Lois threw off the lines and the boat began to drift away from the dock with incoming tide. I gunned the engine throwing everyone off balance. A few shots rang out from the fort and everyone hit the deck. More shots kept us our heads down for the most part. Mike and Tony got off a few shots but I don’t know what they we’re aiming at. The fire from Rendina’s men intensified as they moved down the pier. We were moving away but the boat wasn’t built for speed. If Rendina and his men got the other boat moving we’d be in trouble. They still had better firepower than we had. I poked my head out of the wheelhouse and could see someone on the deck of the other boat shooting at us. I spied Mike on the deck and yelled out to him.

“Mike. Hey, Mike what was Justin doing on the other boat?”

Just then a bright light lit up the end of the pier as a loud “whomp’ washed across the Beauregard. The other boat was in flames. One person was blown into the water by the explosion and another fell into the water on fire. I only hoped that one of those was Rendina. That bastard. I should’ve made sure he was dead.

Mike, Karen, Tony, Tracie and Justin came back up on deck and into the wheelhouse. Justin was grinning again.

“I cut a fuel line in the engine room and lit a candle. I didn’t know what else to do,” he said.

“Well, I think it worked pretty damn good,” said Mike.

“Mr. Knight?”

“Yeah, Justin?”

“Thank you. For what you did back on the fort. I didn’t understand at first but Mom explained it to me. You sacrificed yourself so that I wouldn’t get beaten. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Justin.”

“How are you feeling?” asked Tracie.

“I hurt like hell. But, we’d all be dead if it wasn’t for you guys. Mike, Tony, all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It was excellent work.”

“No problem Boss Man,” said Mike. “Just another day in a world gone mad, right?”

I nodded and smiled at him.

“You’d have done the same for us, Ryan,” said Tony. “And have.”

“Let’s not forget Tom,” I said. “Rendina would’ve gotten us for sure if he hadn’t returned fire and sacrificed himself.”

“It was selfless,” said Karen.

“We owe it to him to go get his son and my daughter. Let’s see if this was all for nothing.”

I opened a drawer next to the throttle and pulled out the radio I’d been keeping in there. Next to it was a pack of fresh batteries. I turned it to channel three and pushed the button. C’mon Tabby be there.

“Tabby, copy. Tabby. It’s your father.”

Nothing.

“Tabby, Copy. Tabby.”

Nothing.

Tracie grabbed the batteries and opened the package. I changed the old ones out and tried again. C’mon Tabby. I can’t go on if I lose you, too.

“Tabby, Copy. It’s your father. Tabby.”

Nothing.

“Tabitha Knight, this is your father. Do you copy?”

“Daddy? Dad is that you?”

I burst into tears at the sound of my daughters’ voice. Karen nearly collapsed onto me as she began to cry. Tracie put her head on my shoulder.

“Yeah, Tabby. It’s me. We got out. We’re on our way to you. Where are you?”

“I’m in Roper Hospital somewhere. I don’t know where.”