The Last Colony

Part 30

Mark didn't slow down, he just focused on the road in the headlight. Mari must have been watching his back for him, because she shouted over the roaring engine. "They're coming!" Mark glanced back quickly to see two Death Stalkers on bikes gaining on them. Unlike him, they were much more confident with their bikes. Mark's heart raced. He couldn't focus on driving and on them! Yelling over the engine, he told her in a panic. "Mari! I can't see them in the mirrors! It's too dark!" Mari hugged him tightly, shouting out. "They're flanking us!" Mark looked to his right as a Death Stalker landed from a jump right beside him. The Death Stalker removed his scythe, swinging it around menacingly as he adjusted it in his hand. Mark drifted the bike to the left, until Mari yelped and raised her sword to block a swing from the Death Stalker approaching on the left. Mark revved the engine to give it more gas, pulling away from them a bit. Mark caught movement in his headlight and shouted back to Mari sternly. "Hang on!"

Within seconds, they whizzed by a few zombies standing confused on the road. The Death Stalkers broke from him to dodge a few scattered along the road. After passing a few, others began to dash after them with loud cries of excitement. Mari swung her katana to decapitate the ones he passed too close to in order to keep them from grabbing the bike. One of the Death Stalkers risked rushing up behind them, taking a swing at Mari. Mari screamed ducking into Mark and forcing him to lean over the tank. Mark tried to shake him, but the guy was relentless. They only seemed to be aiming for Mari. Mark saw a zombie coming up on his left with an arm in its mouth and took a risk of his own. Snatching the arm from its mouth in passing, he held onto it. The hand moved and flexed trying to grab at anything it could. Passing the arm back to Mari, he told her loudly. "Use this! Get him off our ass!" Mari took the arm by the elbow without flinching and turned to look back at the rider. The Death Stalker swung at Mari again, which caused her to flinch back into Mark, before jabbing the hand out toward the tire.

The hand latched onto the tire with a death grip. The second the frame met bone, the tire jerked to a stop and sent the bike spiraling into the dirt. The Death Stalker's sharp screams broke over the roar of the engines as the pursuing zombies descended upon him. Mari let out an excited cheer and Mark chuckled to himself. Mark's smile faded though as he raced right past a zombie mountain lion that had a zombie vulture resting on its back. Mark glanced back at it, his heart leaping from his ribs as the mountain lion dashed after them with impressive speed! Mari hugged him, yelping out in fear. "HUNTER!" Mark revved the engine harder, watching the speed gauge climb up to seventy miles per mile and the mountain lion was still gaining! Mari let out a scream as the vulture on its back spewed a green liquid across the back of the bike. Mark was at a loss at what to do. He didn't dare slow down and he could barely keep his nerve going this fast. The Hunter sprinted up beside him, snarling at him with its one good eye. Panicking, Mark hit the brakes. The Hunter speed passed them, then tried to skid to a stop that resulted in it sliding into a three-sixty-degree turn.

Mark stopped the bike, panting from the rush of his own adrenaline. The Hunter in front of them slowed enough to start walking straight toward them with deep throaty growls. While the vulture on its back spread its wings menacingly and screeched at them hungrily. Mari clung to Mark, asking very worried. "Mark...? What are do doing?" Mark swallowed, unable to answer. He wasn't sure himself. He couldn't think of anything to do, until a loud gunshot rang out over the open plain. Both Mark and Mari flinched, ducking over the bike. The vulture suddenly took to the air with distressed cries, until another BANG shot it down. Silence fell for just a moment, before an engine approached quickly from behind them. Mark turned to see the second Death Stalker, rushing straight for them with his scythe raised. Mari fell off the back of the bike and Mark prepared to duck... when a flash grenade went off. The Death Stalker yelped as he jerked his bike too fast and sent it tumbling across the grass. Mark's ears were ringing, and he was slightly blind for a few minutes. What the hell was going on?