heads down, which was exactly what I accomplished as my rounds punched into the sides of the police vehicles.
Fighting the vibrating wheel I steered for an opening between two of the parked cars, a few heartbeats later slamming into the sides of each and blasting them out of my way. Unfortunately the already damaged Suburban, riding on a flat tire that was shredding itself to pieces, didn’t survive the impact. The wheel was spun out of my grip a moment before the airbags deployed, then we ground to a halt with the back half of the vehicle wedged tightly between the two cruisers.
I popped the door open and leapt down, Dog on my heels, changed magazines and started sending covering fire in the direction of the cluster of cops. Still firing, I held the rifle with one hand and reached out for the rear door handle, jerking it open so Rachel and Martinez could get out. They were quickly at my side; all of us ducking as the police finally got organized and began returning fire.
“What the fuck do they want?” Martinez shouted when she paused to change magazines.
“Don’t care,” I shouted back. “They’re in my way.”
I fired another burst at our attackers then spared a glance at the closest SUV. It was a Ford Explorer; painted black with tinted windows and plain, steel wheels. Definitely police issue and I wanted it to replace the now defunct Suburban.
“I’m going for the Explorer,” I shouted to Rachel and Martinez, pointing the vehicle out to them. “I’ll swing around behind and pick you up. Keep giving me covering fire!”
I didn’t wait for them to acknowledge my instructions, just fired off several more bursts as I dashed across fifty feet of open asphalt. At the Explorer I came to a stop by slamming my back against the rear door on the driver’s side, startled when I realized Dog had come with me. Fortunately neither of us had any new holes in our bodies so I yanked the front door open and told him to get in.
It was running with the keys hanging in the ignition, facing away from the firefight. Throwing the transmission into gear I stomped on the gas and spun the wheel to pick up Rachel and Martinez. When I completed the turn I cursed and jammed on the brakes. Three men stood behind them, two of them pointing shotguns. The third held a large revolver that he pointed in my direction when I screeched to a stop a few feet away.
Anger washed over me like a breaking wave. Enough is enough. From a pocket on my vest I pulled out a fragmentation grenade, gripped it in my left hand and pulled the pin. If I let go of the spoon, which would trigger the fuse, someone would have a bad night. Kicking the door open I stepped out and drew my pistol, targeting the head of the man with the revolver as I walked around the nose of the Explorer. Dog stayed right with me, welded to my leg.
“Back the fuck off!” I said to him. “Look at my left hand. The pin is out. We can all die here tonight, or you can back the fuck off and we’re on our way.”
By the time I finished speaking I was standing within fifteen feet of the three men. The man with the revolver, presumably the man in charge, looked at me with wide eyes. The two with the shotguns exchanged nervous glances.
“I’m not fucking around,” I said. “We didn’t do a damn thing to you or anyone else. You jumped us. We’ve got more important things to do than play hide the salami with you idiots. For the last time, lower your goddamn weapons and back away.”
“You’re from the base,” revolver man said. “We need the vaccine or we’re going to turn into one of the infected. Give us the vaccine. That’s all we want.”
“Do I look like someone who’s carrying vaccine around with him?” I snorted. “Now I’m getting seriously pissed off. Back off. Now!”
My pistol was steady on his head, my focus on him, but I made sure I had my body shielded from the other cops by the Explorer. I was starting to get worried about a sharp shooter. No one could sneak up on me with Dog standing there, but a scoped rifle from a hundred yards away could cause a problem. The man didn’t look like he was going to give, and I was out