Escape The 1st Omnibus: WTF Books 1-3 Read Online Free Page B

of armored vehicles; several of us were able to board two MRAPs, but because of the mass of people we could provide little to no covering fire, instead we fled like cowards. As we left we could see our brothers fighting hand to hand, but they had little chance when up against 100 to 1 odds. We pushed our way out of the perimeter and into the desert with at least twenty of the things holding onto our trucks. We took turns shooting at each other’s vehicles through the firing ports until we lost the clingers.
    We drove for several hours before stopping and resting for the night. Within a couple hours our guards heard the mob approaching, but this time we were ready and we opened up with our 50 cal and the light machine gun on the other truck. The mob went down but they didn’t stop, soon they closed to within one hundred meters and we were forced again to run. It appears that this enemy can take several hits, and is immune to pain or exhaustion. They do bleed out and die, but they are hardened and don’t quit until dead. Head shots work best.
    We drove through the night until we hit the Hairatan road. We decided our best chance was to get to the Afghan Army base at the border so we traveled north. This truck is out of fuel and instead of splitting the precious fuel we have left we have decided to abandon this vehicle and use what we have to get to the border. We have almost no water left, and only a little food. We haven’t seen anyone or heard anyone on the radio for at least 24 hours.
    If you find this note please give it to the nearest NATO ISAF military units for a reward.
    Signed,
    SFC Turner
     
    Brad read the note and walked back to Méndez and Eric. He handed the note to Méndez and watched him read it silently.
    “Oh shit, this is bad, man,” Méndez mumbled.
    “Let’s get back in the truck. I need to think,” Brad said. They mounted the MRAP and sat quietly while Brad stared at the note.
    “Sergeant, there is a haboob coming from up the road,” said Cole.
    Brad looked up. Seeing the large gathering sandstorm, he ordered Cole to close the hatch.
    As the sandstorm got close, Brad looked at it through his binos and saw that it wasn’t a storm at all, but a mob of at least a thousand coming down the Hairatan road.
    “Shut off the engine, Henry, everyone lock the doors and get down,” Brad yelled.
    “What are we doing Sergeant? Why don’t we run?” asked Henry.
    “We don’t have time. I think if we are quiet they will go past us. They didn’t touch the abandoned MRAP. If we are lucky and keep our mouths shut, they will go right by.”
    The mob hit them, but not with the violence of their first encounter. They didn’t seem to move as fast when they weren’t chasing prey. They walked quickly but not at the speed they’d seen earlier. They were clumsy, and Brad could hear them bumping against the heavy armored vehicle. A couple even climbed up and over the truck, but none looked inside the darkened interior. It took fifteen minutes for the herd to pass and another twenty minutes for the stragglers to go by.
    Brad slowly lifted himself from the vehicle floor. The inside of the truck had gotten extremely hot with the windows closed and the AC turned off. He raised his head up and looked as best he could in a 360 to make sure they were alone. When he was certain, he gave the all clear and told Henry to fire up the engine as he opened his window. He looked outside and saw that the mob had made a wide path in the sand. The area surrounding them was littered with pieces of clothing and shoes. They seemed to march with purpose and didn’t quit. Gazing around, Brad found himself wondering how they decided where to go.
    He got out of the MRAP and walked among some of the things dropped by the mob. He leaned down to pick up a shoe when he heard the shuffling sounds of something approaching. He looked back at his truck and saw his crew signaling for him to get to cover. But it was too late. The thing had already