As soon as the boat draws into position, Judd leaps off, onto the dock and races towards the others, hoping to be able to offer help in climbing down off the building if needs be.
The haze of seemingly random gunfire and abject chaos lifts as the Z-day crew begins catching sight of each other.
Just as Hank glides past Rae-Ann’s bay and cuts back on his motor a rumble worthy of a drag strip stirs up a Doppler wave of silt across the floor of the Mosquito Creek Marina sending a thousand fingerlings scurrying for the embrace of seaweed. Not just one, but 2 Evinrude 200s stir from their midsummer slumber, defining in Sarge’s mind the word excessive.... for now anyway. At that moment Sarge and Judd catch each other’s eyes, Judd crouched on Hank's bow deck like a battle-hardened commando ready to beach and Sarge fingering smooth, glowing buttons like an dope-addled audiophile riding with a seriously b1tching deck. As a laser edged guitar pings an opening riff, Sarge reckons that whoever owns this boat must be dead, because this is exactly the place he would want to be at the end of the world.
Albert, Mike and Johnny shimmy, tumble and slide off the upper roof as Sam coolly walks up to Eddie and puts him down. The other eyeball falls out. Crossing the balcony looking a little too alarmed for a dead-eye sniper, Albert pushes the G3 off into Mike’s hands and hustles over the edge of the balcony patio to the ground level. As if in explanation of Albert’s unease, the roof walkers hear something scraping at the north-west ground level gate of the clubhouse, the gate that was installed in 1995 to keep the kids out, the gate that this particular evening keeps the ghouls from running out onto the pier and eating live human liver.
Hank swings his baby in alongside the trunk of the pier and Judd hops off, running up the ramp as Albert flops to the ground. Johhnny and Mike follow, not gracefully, but fast enough to keep the cannibals hungry. At the head of the ramp Judd looks along the sidewalk at the west end of the clubhouse down to the north west gate, which by the looks of the splintering and collapsing must be balsa wood.
Snapping back to the task at hand Judd stands below ready to catch Sam like the gentleman he has always wanted to be while Sam slides down a drainpipe with amazing grace for someone lugging prodigious firepower. DMPC -- Climb: (1d20+2=20)(-2 bulky equipment)
At the head of the ramp Sam brushes herself off and Judd, pointing north and gape-mouthed, wonders how many seconds will pass before the gate collapses. In the middle of the ramp, Johnny and Mike run like freshman on frosh day. And in the pilot’s seat, Sarge is caught in a fishing daydream as Rae-Ann massages him like a cheap motel bed.
Johnnie says a short prayer, "... Amen."
He then wipes the copious sweat that has broken out of his forehead.
"I hope that's the last I run the 100 meter dash with Zs."
Albert dives onto Hank's boat and looks back at you, readying his rifle.
Hank shouts at Mike and Johnny, shaking his finger like a TV evangelist.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
Patrick revels in the boat's power, and the intrumental music coming from the Blaupunkt. He hasn't had a lot of chances to hit the open water in the past few years, but his days fishing out on Cape Cod's waters start coming back to him.
Before he backs out of the slip, he reflexively checks the fuel gauge and looks for either some gas cans or a marine fueling pump he can get topped off at. He trips the WT again
"Dave's been saved, where the fnck are you guys! I got's the smokin' ride ready to leave the Zs far behind!"
As if on cue, the Blaupunkt burps out another tune
Before he backs out of the slip, he reflexively checks the fuel gauge and looks for either some gas cans or a marine fueling pump he can get topped off at.
You have 3/4 of a tank. You spotted a fuel pump at the end of the creek promontory that Dave ran, in fact, now that you think about it, the arch he crossed probably carried fuel.
Everyone but Sarge:
He trips the WT again
"Dave's been saved, where the fnck are you guys! I got's the smokin' ride ready to leave the Zs far behind!"
Sarge's voice crackles over a heavy beat, as if Sarge is calling you up in the middle of a rave. When he cuts out you can hear the same song playing on a seriously amped stereo 8 slips down, accompanied by the rumble of serious horsepower.
And just at the moment, to the horror and disbelief of both Judd and Sam, the gate collapses....
RUH ROH!
Before pulling out Patrick checks the shed for any cans of gas, or whether the boat had any. He casts about to see if there is a flare gun in the shed or on the boat as well. If there are any gas cans, empty or full, he will get them into the boat as quick as possible. Ditto for a flare gun or anything else useful that might be hanging around.
The Blaupunkt wails on ...
I wan I wan I wan I wan I wan I wan I wan I wan I wanna leave you far behiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind.
Sam looks on with horror as a swarm of ravenous Zombies come streaming through the hole left by the collapsed gate. She spots Pat, but he's way to far a way to help, so she starts to run down the pier towards the waiting safety of Hank's boat yelling, "sh!t Dave we need to haul arse right now, we have some serious company!" The Backpack full of ammo and the Beowulf slung over her back make it hard, but her training comes in handy and she finally reaches the boat and, accepting a hand from Hank, climbs aboard.
“Guys!” Judd yells as Mike, Johnnie and a guy with a sniper rifle run towards him. “I saw Sarge – he’s got a boat. And that guy,” he gestures with the crowbar towards Hank’s boat, “is cool. Well, he’s a good guy anyway…”
With that he’s past them, running up the pier towards Sam, but she climbs down nimbly without his help … seconds before the gate splinters under the horde of zombies.
“Sh#t, I think you’re right,” Judd mutters in response to Sam. But as the lead zombie begins forcing its way through the remnants of the gate he turns back, raises the Glock and fires, aiming for the head.
And misses, badly.
Then turns tail and runs like hell down the dock.
The Backpack full of ammo and the Beowulf slung over her back make it hard, but her training comes in handy and she finally reaches the boat and, accepting a hand from Hank, climbs aboard.
Before pulling out Patrick checks the shed for any cans of gas, or whether the boat had any. He casts about to see if there is a flare gun in the shed or on the boat as well. If there are any gas cans, empty or full, he will get them into the boat as quick as possible. Ditto for a flare gun or anything else useful that might be hanging around.
A few empty gas cans sit on a shelf by the door.
Sarge:
<This tiny man's calm voice carries potently above the shouting and boat engines.>
"... And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."
Johnny:
Patrick grins as he collects all that Providence has set before him.
"SCORE!"
He throws the empty gas cans into the Rae-Ann, then loads and places the flare gun at the dashboard of the boat. He finds a place close to the steering wheel to put the other flares where he can access them in a hurry. He puts the medical chest in a secure place and
Patrick, having finished his inspection, gets the Rae-Ann out of the slip and ready for the open seas.
The impressive stereo switches tunes, the electronica beats echoing down the docks.
Judd gestures to Sarge in the boat at the end of the dock, and beats feet towards the music.
Sarge:
Didn't the Big Day Out sell out really fast too? I was thinking of going last year, but dithered about it, and it was sold out by the time I decided to check out tickets.
Didn't the Big Day Out sell out really fast too? I was thinking of going last year, but dithered about it, and it was sold out by the time I decided to check out tickets.
If there are any good bands on again next year then I might be interested again if you're up for it? =D
Sarge:** spoiler omitted **
GM:
Judd gestures to Sarge in the boat at the end of the dock, and beats feet towards the music.
Patrick swings the boat towards Sam and Dave, gettting as close to the docks as he can to enable them to jump.
"C'mon folks, you gotta run!"
Sam and Judd reach the docks just as Sarge brings the savage fish interceptor around to the main pier. Hank reverses and pulls back giving Rae-Ann some space.
Zombies start boiling around the corner of the clubhouse onto the ramp, howling fiercely, snarling and trailing blood and mucous -- several carry half chewed dog legs as clubs.
You are all looking up at them across a 50 foot span of ramp that leads up from the pier itself to the clubhouse and solid ground.
Everyone can get their shot in and then a DC 15 jump onto Rae-Ann's bow deck to make good the escape.
Hank cries out "For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Patrick takes aim at the zombie horde, but the motion of the boat throws his aim off
He slings the submachinegun and concentrates on holding the boat steady for his mates.
<Looks over at Sarge.>
"Open your heart and let the Lord be your wrath, brother!"
<He reached into his box and pulls out a bible, tossing it across into the Rae-Ann.>
"Read and you can't deny!"
Jump onto Rae-Ann. (1d20+3=22)
Sam takes a shot at the approaching horde but doesn't wait to see if it hits, she just turns and jumps onto Rae-Ann's bow. Quickly sliding around ito the main area, she pulls up the Beowulf to cover everyone's escape.
"Sweet ride", she says to Pat by way of a thanks.
Patrick looks over at the strange man driving the other boat.
"Praise God and pass the ammunition!" He yells back
Dave already missed with his shot, so he concentrates on running and humping onto Sarge’s boat.
"Let's get the fnck out of here, yeah?" he says, after a quick mental head count to make sure everyone is in one or the other of the boats.
Mike pulls his knife from his boot.
"Hey, remind me whose plan this was. 'Cause I'm gonna f-f+$+ing kill 'em. I got no radio, no guns, and no F~&@ING SHIRT."
He rubs his head vigorously with both hands.
"F#@#in' hell..."
Judd raises his hands. “Hey man, don’t look at me. I said from the start we should just stroll down and try to talk to the guys in the boat. And I definitely didn’t think there should be swimming involved.”
"Sweet ride", she says to Pat by way of a thanks.
Patrick grins
"She is huh? Hopefully we can find some spare gas somewhere."
Patrick turns the Blaupunkt up as a remixed movie techno song comes on.
Judd raises his hands. “Hey man, don’t look at me. I said from the start we should just stroll down and try to talk to the guys in the boat. And I definitely didn’t think there should be swimming involved.”
Mike points at him with the knife.
"Right. You're cool. Yeah."
Somehow, miraculously, his voice carries over the hammering bass, the gunfire, and the lyrics "Smack my b1tch up" ... as if he were a hundred feet tall.
"Turn not your backs on the axeman, brothers, but the falcon brings with it the gates of hell!"
<Now almost growling. Pointing right at you... every one of you.>
"And not even God can help you then if you don't run!"
"f*!!in' hell..."
Hank pulled back. Everyone is making a DC 15 jump roll to hit the deck of Sarge's fish raping hot rod and come up standing.
Sam makes sure everyone gets on board OK and then takes a look around the boat to see what she can find that might help them out.
“Thats Hank,” explains Judd quietly to those who haven’t met him. “He’s kind of … yeah. But we should go over and talk to them. They might know something about the Z situation on the south bank.”
“Thats Hank,” explains Judd quietly to those who haven’t met him. “He’s kind of … yeah. But we should go over and talk to them. They might know something about the Z situation on the south bank.”
"Good plan. I'll take a creepy Chinese dude over Zs any bloody day."
Gunfire erupts the zombies begin boiling out onto the pier ramp. With everyone firing into the narrow column it’s hard to tell who hit what, and once the red mist builds up it even gets hard to get a fix on a zombie.
Stan, Gord, and Albert’s guns roar from Hank’s boat, finally drowning out his preaching… although if anyone glances across they’ll see Hank has pulled out an aged, dog-eared bible in leather binding and he’s waving it around as he shouts out what are no doubt scriptures and prophecies of apocalypse.
Judd, Sam, Johnny, and Mike all take their shots as they take turns hopping onto Rae-Ann… she shifts and wiggles a bit as Sarge fiddles with the controls left handed (he has a gun in his right hand) and gets a feel for moving her at trolling speeds.
The first 6 or 7 zombies that get blasted fall twitching: some dead, some still kicking, some fall onto the rocks below, some twist on the ramp. Even with a good non-slip coating the ramp gets covered in so much blood that when the halfbacks break through many of them tumble off the ramp onto the rocks.
Some continue on, pulling themselves, crawling, or staggering over the rocks into the water, where they either stop and gnash their terrible teeth at you or stumble and choke through the deepening water, reaching for the boats. The others on the ramp continue their charge, leaping over the bodies of their cannibal buddies and the crossfire continues to rip them to pieces.
With everyone safely aboard the boats Hank guns his motor and brings his little fishing boat, The Holy Spirit, about and out toward the barges that serve as breakwaters for the marina.
You hear him admonishing his friends that "wisdom is greater than weapons of war..." as they pull away... his voice finally fading into the thrum of Blaupunkt.
DMPC Sarge:
Sarge spins Rae Ann's wheel and puts the balls to the wall, sending everyone sliding across the floor deck.
Mike, still perched on the bow deck clutches to a windlass as his legs dangle out over the spray thrown up by Sarge's gut wrenching maneuver.
Perhaps now.
“Yeah, so let’s go talk to Hank and those guys,” Judd looks up at the sky. “I reckon it might be an idea to try to be done with the south side by the time the sun sets…”
... by the time the sun sets…”