Yama heard the yell, and in the back of his mind he was astounded that the Nazarite would vent a cry of delight when they were being pressed upon on all sides by the walking dead. He arced the scimitar into the neck of a burly Automaton, then pivoted to slice his blade into the head of a deranged woman. As he tugged the scimitar loose, he found himself facing to the west.
And there was Blade.
“Back to back!” the giant shouted, and fought to their side in an awesome display of primal savagery.
“Glad you could make it,” Yama yelled.
Blade, Samson, and Yama formed into a triangle, their wide shoulders within two feet of one another, leaving just enough space for the giant and the man in blue to wield their blades effectively and for the Nazarite to employ his fists. They took on all comers, rooted in place, refusing to be budged despite the dozens who charged each of them. The Bowies, the scimitar, and those malletlike fists downed Automatons with staggering rapidity. The corpses formed into heaps around the triumvirate of death and destruction, and the walking dead who tried to clamber over their slain comrades found themselves at a fatal disadvantage. All the Warriors needed was the slightest opening and their enemies were doomed.
Stupefied by the sight, Melissa Vail knelt on the cool grass and witnessed a tableau the likes of which few mortals had ever laid eyes on.
She saw the trio slay Automatons by the score, saw them stab and thrust and punch until they were covered with crimson and bits of flesh and hair, saw them kill and kill until there were no more Automatons left to slay, until the Warriors stood triumphant on the field of battle, upright amidst a sea of vanquished zombies. Only then did she speak, an innocent, inadvertent comment that summed up all she had been through since encountering Yama, and at the same time a poignant question concerning her future.
“Dear God! What have I gotten myself into?”
Chapter Twenty
The Warriors had found enough explosives stored in a locked building on the north side of the campus to destroy the Technic Research Facility, and before departing Green Bay they set off a blast that rocked every structure in the city.
Melissa sat in the back of a jeep being driven by Blade, next to Yama.
She gazed at each of the men, reflecting on her decision to travel to the Home.
“It will be a long time before the Technics try a stunt like that again,” Blade predicted.
“I hope so,” Samson said from his position in the front passenger seat.
He stretched and stared at the road ahead.
“It’s unfortunate that the Director and the rest of those soldiers got away,” Yama mentioned.
“We’ll cross swords with Darmobray again,” Blade stated. “He’s not the type to take this loss lying down.”
“I can’t wait,” Yama responded.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” Blade commented.
“What’s that?” Yama asked.
“Why did you drive to Green Bay in a jeep? Why didn’t you use the SEAL?”
“Because you had the keys with you.”
The giant chuckled. “No, I didn’t. I left them in the transport. Didn’t you check before coming after me?”
“No,” Yama replied.
“It’s my fault,” Samson admitted. “I thought the keys were with you.”
“Too bad,” Blade said. “We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble if we’d had the SEAL back there. We could have mowed the Automatons down without working up a sweat.”
To their surprise, Melissa laughed and shook her head.
“Do you find that funny?” Yama asked.
“In a way, yes,” Melissa stated, snickering and giggling.
“How so?”
“It’s nice to know that you guys aren’t infallible.”
Blade looked over his right shoulder at her and grinned. “My wife could have told you that.”