Chapter 86 The Obstruction
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The bulldozer and cab pass the connection and stop a little further on and wait for the signal.
Joss leans forward and taps Tania, who is sitting next to the driver, on her shoulder. "It is four-o'-clock and it is time. We can't wait any longer. Now that guy is on his own. You did warn him and he knew. I hope he finds us via bush paths on the other side of the blockade. Maybe he is already waiting for us, just maybe. Are you sure our ten guests are safe with us and no one has been left behind?"
Tania nods. "Five is here at the back with us and the rest is in the cab right behind us. I especially made sure they get into the first two cabs."
Satisfied Joss nods. "Good, you and the men did well in very difficult circumstances, Sergeant. It was wise to get the cannibals away and pick us up elsewhere. Now give instructions on your radio and remind our colleagues that we will have to cover Recce thoroughly while he cleans up the road with the bulldozer. He will have his hands full and won't be able to defend himself."
Tania shakes her head in awe: "That guy is as mad as a hatter, Joss. He always wants to make the most dangerous tasks his own."
Joss grins. "You are so right, Sergeant. There is only one Recce and he is far beyond crazy. Sometimes I wonder if he doesn't yearn a gruesome death for himself. Come now, give the instruction!"
She takes the radio and gives the instructions and then leans forward and lightly taps the horn twice as signal for Recce. The bulldozer starts to move and the rest of the cabs follow it up to the blockade only a few kilometres away around the corner.
Tania wonders: "Hundreds of them attacked us where we have slept over and they have now been led far away from here. I wonder. Maybe there might be a few or none of them in the vicinity of the blockade. Maybe we will be lucky."
Leo, sitting at the back next to Joss, disagrees: "No, I think the blockade is their favorite spot where they wait for their prey and probably there will be many of them waiting there."
Joss agrees when they take the turn and see the blockade in front of them. "I think you are right, Leo. Be ready! Turn down your windows and make sure your weapons are ready!"
They scrutinize the bushes and takes up their positions. They are ready to open fire at the first sign of monsters while the bulldozer, at its highest speed, slowly nears the blockade.
The bulldozer has just reached the first vehicle when Leo sees something in his mirror and looks back. Two groups of monsters have come out of the bushes far behind the cabs from both sides. They run across the road and drag something behind them and then leave it on the road. They disappear as quickly as they have appeared.
Leo's voice reflects his astonishment: "Joss, the monsters have just come out of the bushes and dragged something over the road. It looks like chains with booby traps for our wheels. I think they are making sure we don't turn around and flee. How did they become so intelligent all of a sudden?"
Joss frowns while Tania enlightens them: "I haven't told you yet. There is a guy amongst our guests who believes the monsters become all the more intelligent and I must say, the way in which they had attacked us earlier, let me believe he talks sense."
Joss looks despondent: "Sergeant, we have been sitting here the whole fucking day in the cab and you only tell us now! Where are they now, Leo?"
"They have vanished into the bushes."
Joss is worried. "Our only hope is that the bulldozer will be successful or else we are trapped here."
The bulldozer starts to lift the first vehicle on one side and they are relieved to see how easily he removes it. Joss airs his relief: "That thing is going to remove the vehicles easily. As soon the wheels are lifted there is no resistance against the dozer. Good work, Recce!"
Suddenly they hear a sound like that of a bugle and immediately groups of monsters burst out of the bushes on both sides and charge at them. They advance in groups of three with metal shields in front of them. The soldiers start to fire through their open windows. It seems as if the shields are bulletproof and their bullets ricochet with sparks from the shields. The gunfire has no effect on the monsters and they advance all the quicker.
Overcome by fear Leo screams: "Joss, those metal shields neutralize our firepower!"
Joss yells at Tania: "Sergeant, stop firing and give instructions. They must follow my and Leo's example and with automatic fire shoots under and in front of the shields. So we will hit their feet and bullets that ricochet upwards might find openings and so wound them. Return to normal fire as soon as we have success. Quick! Give the instruction!
Tania stops firing and screams out Joss's orders while Joss and Leo already are trying the strategy. It works because all the monsters they target hit the ground and expose the rest. Joss and Leo go back to normal firing and the rest of the monsters are cut down one by one. They also now see how the rest of the soldiers follow their example and the devastation it has on the monsters. Eventually, the last monsters are killed while Recce has, in the meantime, removed more vehicles. Slowly all the cabs move forward.
Recce is now pushing a bus out of the way and there are only two cabs left. Joss excitedly yells: "We are nearly through the blockade. Only those two left!"
He has scarcely aired his joy when monsters come out of the bushes ahead of them on both sides and drag the same type of chain in front of them over the road and then vanish into the bushes.
Anxiously Leo screams: "Oh hell, what are we going to do!"
Joss isn't worried. "Recce's dozer will remove it, don't you worry!"
Again the bugle sounds and now a row of monsters from both sides appear with the same type of shields while others are hiding behind them. Again the soldiers shoot at them and here and there one goes down only to be replaced with one at the back picking up the shield. It is a wall of monsters now nearing quickly while Recce pushes off the last two cabs and drives to the chain obstructions with the bulldozer's blade lowered.
Suddenly Joss yells: "Take care! Lower your windows!"
They see how articles from behind the wall of shields coming from the monsters behind, fly through the air towards them. Spears bang against the cabs with some of it very near the still open windows. They stop firing and close all the armored windows. Luckily Recce sits high up and is somewhat safe from the attack but his windows are not bulletproof. Anxiously they watch whether he would be able to lift the chain effectively before the monsters are up to them or maybe hit him through the windows of the dozer.
The blade of the bulldozer scrapes over the surface of the road. It picks up the chains with the triangular, sharp objects, lifts it quickly high into the air, moves the dozer out of the way a bit, and let the cabs quickly pass under it. Recce stops the dozer in front of the first cab, jumps out of the cabin, and lands just in front of it. The cab swerves and as it slowly passes him he plucks the door open and jumps in.
The cabs pass the removed vehicles while they are peppered with all sorts of flying objects. Chains, spears, stones, hammers, axes, and what have you, rains on the cabs while they chase away and leave the monsters eventually behind.
They are jubilant and Joss screams: "Fuck it! It is good we didn't know how dangerous these monsters are now. Probably we won't have dared to pass today but thanks to Recce and his bully, we are well on our way!"
The radio crackles and they hear a driver anxiously speaking: "Echo here! Stop, please. Delta has a problem and has stopped in front of me. I think he has a flat. I think one of the spears penetrated his back wheel. We'll have to change the wheel."
