Even Zombie Killers Get the Blues zk-1 Read online

  The helo came to a hover at the end of the dock, and I risked a quick glance behind me to see Doc and Mya throw Redshirt into the open doors. Mya climbed in next to her, followed by Doc, but the LT came running back to us, firing and charging into the melee, swinging his plastic-stocked rifle at the closest Z. I saw him go down as I smashed one in the head, swarmed by a dozen who immediately started tearing him apart. Ahmed ran backwards, firing his pistol until the slide locked back, then turned and jumped in through the open door.

  Jonesy had been separated by more Zs and there was no way for him to get to us. He swung his bar again, clearing a space around himself, and yelled, “I’LLSEE YOU IN HELL, NICK!” and started moving away from the helo, swinging hard, smashing them down, leading them away from us. One grabbed his ankle, and he started to fall. A shot rang out from the helo, and Jonesy collapsed to the ground, shot through the heart by Ahmed.

  Brit was bleeding from the stomach, blood staining her uniform where her stitches had ripped open. She flung her crowbar at the head of the nearest Zombie, then turned and ran, clutching her side. I followed close behind her, the Zs right behind us, howling and screaming. A gust of wind pushed the helo away from the dock just as Brit jumped for it and the door gunner opened up with his 240. I saw her fall into the water, slipping down between the helo and the edge of the dock.

  In front of me, the door, and salvation, gaped wide open. Ahmed and Mya reached for me, hands held out, while Doc fired over my head, knocking Zs back from me.

  I dove off the dock, and the cold river water closed over my head.

  Chapter 38

  Even with the full moon shining on it, under the surface was black as hell until a bright light stabbed downward. I could hear the thump of the helo blades coming down through the water. I unsnapped my gear and dropped my weapon as I sank towards the bottom, shrugged out of my body armor, kicked for the surface. Taking a deep breath, I turned over and dove for the bottom, trying to feel for where the current was running. Next to me another figure splashed into the water, and Doc dove down with me.

  Fortunately, in the shelter of the point, the water was almost still and only about fifteen feet deep. I could see the bottom in the glare of the powerful spotlight on the helo, and after three dives I saw Brit’s body. I slapped Doc’s leg, and he turned and followed me over to her.

  She had struggled half out of her armor, but floated unmoving, her eyes and mouth open, red blonde hair hanging in front of her face. I started pulling at her armor, my head starting to hammer for oxygen. Doc pushed me aside and cut it off where it had caught on her uniform. We each grabbed an arm and kicked for the surface.

  The crew chief of the helo directed the pilot to set the tail end into the water, and we struggled up onto the lowered ramp, pulling Brit’s body with us. Doc pushed me out of the way, listened to her heart, then started to perform chest compressions. I pinched her nose and started forcing air into her lungs.

  The helo rose in a smooth arc and headed north. Ahmed leaned out of the side door, firing steadily into the crowd of zombies until we were out of range. Mya was wrapping Redshirt in some blankets while holding up a new IV. The crew chief was hurriedly working on the wiring, where a short had sent sparks arching onto the floor. It smelled of blood, cordite and aviation fuel.

  Brit suddenly coughed. A ton of water shot out of her mouth, then she vomited on me and started making choking sounds. Doc rolled her on her side and cleared her mouth out with his fingers, then started tying a bandage around her waist where her gunshot wound had opened up.

  I sat on the deck of the helo and cradled her head in my lap as we thundered up river to Fort Orange. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and said something I couldn’t hear over the roar of the twin turbines. I leaned closer.

  “If you wanted to kiss me that bad, all you had to do was ask, you stupid ass.”

  The End.

  Or maybe not…

  ---------------------------------------------------

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I would like to thank K for her editing and medical advice, and unwavering support. I’d also like to give thanks to every fan of EZKGTB who sharpshooted (sharpshot? Sharpshotted?) the chapters and waited patiently as each was published.

  If you have enjoyed reading about Nick, Brit and the guys, please follow their further adventures on Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/EZKGTB

  Also check out Power Point Ranger comics at www.pptranger.net and www.facebook.com/powerpointranger

  Last, drop by and check out the guys at U.S. Army Zombie Combat Command!

  Glossary

  11B Infantryman

  1SG First Sergeant, usually the highest ranking NCO in a line unit

  1st CAV 1st Cavalry Division

  40 MM 40 Millimeter Grenades, fired from a grenade launcher

  5 Ton Unarmored Cargo truck

  9 Line Request for MEDVAC

  ACU Army Combat Uniform, the grey camouflage fielded by the Army in 2005

  AFN Armed Forces Network (military television & radio)

  AIT Advanced Individual Training, where you learn your job skill after basic training

  Allah Akbar (sp) "God Is Great", shouted by the enemy as they attacked Americans

  AO Area of Operations

  Apache / AH-64 Helicopter Gunship

  ARCOM Army Commendation Medal

  BAH Basic Allowance for Housing (non taxable money soldiers get for living off base)

  BC Usually Battalion Commander, a Lieutenant Colonel

  BCT Basic Combat Training

  Blackhawk / UH-60 Transport Helicopter

  Bronze Star Medal

  CAS Close Air Support

  Chinook / CH-47 Transport Helicopter

  CHU Containerized Housing Unit, basically a 10 x 20 trailer that housed up to 8 soldiers at a time.

  Company 3 to 4 (or more) platoons

  COP Combat Out Post, a smaller version of a FOB

  Cordon Enclose an area

  CQ Charge of Quarters - A desk manned 24 hours

  CSH Combat Support Hospital. The first place a casualty goes to be treated

  CSM Command Sergeant Major, the senior enlisted soldier in a large unit

  DFAC Dining Facility

  DOW Died Of Wounds

  FA Field Artillery

  Fart Sack Sleeping Bag

  FOB Forward Operating Base

  Fobbit A soldier who does not engage in combat

  Gerber Multi tool (pliers, knife, etc.)

  Green Beans A popular coffee shop on the FOBs

  Grunt Infantryman

  Haji GI slang for Iraqis

  hesco Dirt filled barriers

  Hummer, Humvee 4 wheel drive Armored Truck

  IDF Indirect Fire. Mortars or Artillery

  IED Improvised Explosive Device

  Kevlar Helmet

  KIA Killed in Action

  Landstuhl Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany. First stop for serious casualties.

  LZ Helicopter Landing Zone

  M-14 Semi-automatic 7.63 assault rifle, usually used as a sniper rifle

  M-16 5.56 mm assault rifle

  M-1A1, M-1A2 Abrams Tank

  M2, aka Ma Deuce 12.7 mm machine gun, mounted in a turret

  M-203 40mm grenade launcher mounted under an M-4 or M-16

  M24 7.62 mm sniper rifle

  M240B 7.62mm machine gun, either carried or mounted in a turret

  M249 5.56 mm machine gun, usually carried

  M2A1 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle

  M-4 5.56 mm assault rifle, a shorter version of the M-16

  M-9 9mm pistol carried by many soldiers

  MEDEVAC Medical Evacuation (usually by helicopter)

  MEPS Military Entrance Processing Station where you join the military

  MGS Mobile Guns System, a 105mm cannon mounted on a Stryker

  MI Military Intelligence

  MK-19, Mark-19 Vehicle mounted automatic 40mm grenade launcher />
  MOS Military Occupation Specialty

  MP Military Police

  MRAP Mine Resistant Armored Patrol vehicle

  NCOIC Sergeant in Charge

  NVG Night Vision Goggles

  OIC Officer In Charge

  OP Observation Post. Usually a 2 or 3 man position in front of the main defensive position

  OPCON(ed) When one unit is placed under another unit not normally in their chain of command

  PA Physicians' Assistant

  PAX Passenger Terminal at a military airbase

  Pisser latrine

  PKM Russian made medium Machine Gun

  PL Platoon Leader (Usually a newly commissioned officer)

  Platoon 4 to 5 squads

  POG (or Pogue) See Fobbit, usually anyone not in a combat MOS

  PSD Personal Security Detachment

  PSG Platoon Sergeant (Usually a Senior NCO)

  PT Physical Training

  PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  PX Post Exchange, the base shopping center

  R & R Rest & Relaxation, either two weeks home in the States or a three day pass in Qatar

  Rear Detachment Parts of a unit that remain behind at home base for administrative services.

  RPG Rocket Propelled Grenade

  SAW (M-249) Squad Automatic Weapon, a light machine gun firing the same ammunition as an M-16/M-4

  SFC Sergeant First Class, senior NCO in a Platoon

  Shi'ite. One of the two main sects of Islam. Majority of the Iraqi population

  SITREP Situation Report

  Squad roughly 8 to 10 soldiers

  SSG Staff Sergeant, leads a squad

  Stryker Armored, wheeled Infantry Carrier, carrying an Infantry Squad

  Sunni One of the two main sects of Islam. Minority of Iraqi population, held power under Hussein.

  TAC SAT Satellite Radio

  TBI Traumatic Brain Injury, usually from an IED concussion

  The Wire (outside) Going outside the relative security of a FOB

  TOC Tactical Operations Center

  Tree Line area where fields stop and trees begin. A preferred firing position

  WIA Wounded In Action

  WRAMC Walter Reed Army Medical Center, located outside Washington DC

  Wrecker Tow Truck

  WTF What The Fuck

  Copyright

  Look for new chapters, and discuss the story, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EZKGTB

  [email protected]

  All work copyrighted 2013 Think On Productions and John Holmes

  Editor’s Comments

  1

  ß she punches in the shoulder a LOT.

  (<< back)

  2

  ß who said this?

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  FB2 document info

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  Document version: 1

  Document creation date: 25.12.2013

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  Document authors :

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