“They have this building surrounded.” Cristian announced
once David and Liz rejoined them in the lobby.
“What? How? We were being careful,” Liz replied, taking a
peek out of the windows to confirm what she’d heard.
“My guess: it’s the same thing that happened when we went to
the fire station and corner clinic. Someone is doing this,” Cristian replied.
“There is no other explanation.”
“Who would cause a horde of zombies to come after us? Why?”
she continued, trying to figure out how they would get out of this mass of
undead.
“Have you not been paying attention? The world is a
different place these days. Any number of survivor factions could be after us
to loot our stash. It’s a competition for survival. If you don’t beat the
others to the last remaining can of peaches then prepare for war.”
“Keep moving,” David said, “We have to make it back before
night.” Nina and Lucky followed close behind him as he rushed through the dark
theater with Liz and Cristian pulling up the rear. Another night out in search
of supplies yielded a small case of bottled water, a few bags of popcorn, soda
syrup, and some bags of stale nacho chips. Still, it was a much better haul
than the week before.
As they made it through to the next hallway, Liz stopped and
turned her attention to the utility closet. “Shh,” she said causing the others
to halt in their tracks and listen. “Do you hear that?” Gesturing toward the
closed door, she silently made her way forward. David moved in behind her while
Cristian stayed put beside Nina.
Liz tried the handle but, it was locked. Keeping her voice low,
she knocked lightly and whispered “Hello. Is someone in there?” The group listened
and could hear a frantic whimpering coming from inside.
“They’re walking into their deaths. We need to stop them!”
Elise exclaimed, but Natalie was already running forward.
“MATT!” she shouted, frantically waving her arms as she
called his name, “MATT!!” It wasn’t his name that made him freeze, it was the
sound of her voice. A voice he thought he’d never hear again.
Matthew glanced towards the cluster of trees. She appeared
through the forest, arms outstretched and a smile on her face. Tossing Dominic
his weapon, he rushed forward. They met halfway, his arms instantly enclosing
her in a warm hug as she bounded into him. “I can’t believe it’s you,” he
whispered against her ear before their lips met. He could feel the moisture on
her cheeks as her hands slipped around his neck.
Edward scratched at the bandage on his arm. That damn
mongrel really did a number on him and now his skin felt like it was on fire.
He eyed the animal as it trotted along beside Nina, playfully nudging her arm making
her rub her head. It was bad enough he was forced to wear a dead man’s clothes
but now he had to deal with that mutt; and he hated dogs. Five minutes along
with that animal and he’d send it to doggy heaven where it belonged. Sensing
the man’s eyes on her, Lucky looked back with a happy expression as the group
continued down the road.
“It’s just up ahead,” Matthew said. The group had been
walking for nearly an hour, heading to the rendezvous. Upon arrival, they could
see no one was waiting, but it appeared someone had been here recently. Tire
tracks, two distinct treads, were imprinted in the soft dirt. One appeared to
belong to a large vehicle of some kind while the other, possibly a truck. The
wide wheel base gave Matthew the impression that it could have been one of the
pickups from the compound.
Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe Location: School
The door wouldn’t budge. JC tried putting all of his weight
into it, but it gave resistance. Lucky sniffed the ground, her head lowered to
the floor as she followed the scent around the side of the building. She was
onto something. Giving up on the barred entrance, JC followed the dog. Directed
by her keen sense of smell, Lucky led him to another point of entry. She
whimpered and clawed at the bottom frame. JC immediately pushed against the
door. It inched away a tiny bit. Placing his gun in the waistband of his jeans,
he pressed both hands to the weather-beaten wood and shoved. The door swung
open with a whirling gust of air, and out with it the smell of rot.
Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe Location: School
The group walked in silence, some breathing heavily, others
taking quick shallow breaths, all trying to keep their calm which was growing
increasingly hard to do. Blood dribbled through Mike’s fingers as he tightly
pressed his hand against his side. They’d been running for several blocks and
he felt himself growing weaker with every step he took. The shirt he wore was
drenched in his own blood. He’d closed his jacket to keep the others from
noticing, but it wouldn’t be long before the exhaustion made him collapse. “How
much farther to the school?” he asked out of breath as he stumbled along behind
them.
“Not much,” Jake replied, keeping his eyes on the road
ahead.
JC had made it a point to watch their rear, ensuring they’d
all made a clean get-away. “We need to get off the street,” he said,
redirecting them off road and through the trees.
Mike could barely lift his leg to get across the guardrail
and a grunt escaped his lips. “Are you ok?” Nina asked, stealing a peek at the
man and the heavy sweat beading on his forehead.
“Fine. Just tired,” he replied, trying not to exert too much
breath on his reply.
Lucky trotted between them, her attention flitting between
all the movements of the trees as wind caressed bare branches. Leaves rustled
to the ground around them with every step they took. If she let herself, she
could imagine being back at home and playing in a freshly raked pile of leaves
with her mom. The sound of her mom’s laugh always made her smile and brought with
it a sense of warm comfort. But those carefree moments seemed so long ago. Nina
sighed and ran her hand over the soft fur on Lucky’s head. The dog returned the
gesture with an affectionate lick and carried on with her excited exploration.
“Wait,” Jake instructed as they began to emerge through the
other side of the forest. He took a quick look at the building across the
street. He could see several dark alcoves and barred doorways. Someone had
secured the location…or at least tried.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out, and everyone ducked. Instincts
took over and JC whirled around, faster than he’d ever moved before. Likewise, Lucky
snarled, her brown eyes shining brightly. They both bolted out of the woods
towards the building.
“No!” Jake snapped as Nina took off after Lucky. “Stay down
and try not to make a sound. Mike, stay with Nina.” He gave a nod watched as
Jake hurried after the others.
Reacting entirely on impulse, JC reached for the handle. The
door wasn’t locked and he found himself stepping in a pool of blood. Lucky,
too, pushed her way inside, sniffing the air with furious concentration.
There was someone alive upstairs and they were fighting to
keep it that way.
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Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe Location: School
“Mike!” Chloe yelled as she saw him fighting one of the men
who’d attacked them. The man lunged at him with a knife and Mike quickly
sidestepped. The blow glanced his side. The sharp edge of the blade sliced into
his ribcage and his hand immediately went to his injury.
The knife-wielding fiend grinned watching the blood drip
from Mike’s wound. Feeling confident, he again tried a forward attack, but this
time, Mike was ready for him. The moment the razor-tipped stiletto started
towards him, he leaned back, kicking his feet out fast and hard in a leg sweep
and knocked his assailant to the ground.
Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe Location: School
“It was here,” Chloe announced as she, Sara, Jake and JC
made it to the corner where she was attacked. There was blood on the pavement
and scuff marks in the sand, all signs pointed to a struggle; so far it seemed
she was telling the truth. But no matter the amount of evidence, Jake remained
wary.
“So what happened exactly?” he asked, keeping himself
distanced so Chloe remained in front of him at all times.
“Like I said, Mike and I were trying to find another vehicle
when this woman…she looked so desperate. She came running up to us, begging and
pleading for our help. She said her son had been hurt. Right away I thought something
was up. If he was hurt, why wasn’t she with him? But Mike wanted to help. He fell
for it hook, line and sinker; and I followed him.”
Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe Location: School
“You wanna explain why you’re bleeding? Or should I just
eliminate the possible risk of infection right now?” Jake asked, still aiming
his weapon at the woman’s head.
“The fridge fell,” she replied, matter-of-factly. “I jumped
out of the way to keep from getting smashed and landed on some broken glass.”
“And you’ve just been trapped in here this whole time?” Jake
asked, looking around the room. “Are you alone?”
“Yes. It’s a little hard to make friends when everyone’s either
dead or trying to kill you. In speaking of which, do you mind pointing your gun
somewhere else?” She asked, breathing a sigh of relief as Jake holstered his
weapon.
“Sorry about that. Have to be sure these days. I’m Jake. What’s
your name?”
“Sara,” she replied and glanced over at JC who completed the
introductions. “Now, if we done with that, do you mind telling me…”
Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe Location: School
The creature leapt out. Nina ducked just as the flash of fur
lunged above her. Falling to the ground, she covered her face, waiting to feel
the sharp teeth of the animal tear into her flesh. But when the pain never
came, she slowly opened her eyes to find the dog had tackled a zombie ambling
towards her from the other end of the alley. Nina sat up and watched as the
animal ripped and snapped at the monster’s throat until it stopped moving and
its head was separated from its shoulders.
Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe Location: School
Cold, hard, autumn
winds brushed harshly against Jake’s face as he and JC sprinted as fast as they
could through the forest behind the compound. Left with very few options once
the reserve tanks went up, they grabbed what little they could find and huffed
it over the back fence. They had been surrounded instantly by trucks but
somehow managed to get away before the men fired upon them. But now it would
seem, their luck was running out.
His breathing was
labored, panicked, and seemingly short. They were still being chased. That much
he could tell. The sound of footsteps echoed through the woods around them and
every now and again he would see the beam of a flashlight bounce in the
darkness behind them. His heart thumped wildly sounding like one long, hard
beat nearly drowned out by heavy panting. They were running with no real idea
to where.
The lights could be seen from the highway. At night, the
place lit up like the Rockefeller Center at Christmas. For the last two weeks, he’d
been watching and planning. He’d gotten to know the ins and outs of the place
rather well and everyone was set in a routine. He shut the walkie-talkie off
and retrieved his binoculars from his bag. Adjusting the focus, he gave a look
out over the compound, watching as his unknowing prey went about their day.
In three minutes, the two he’d come to know as ‘Spirited
Redhead’ and ‘Annoying Jock’ would be making their patrol. They’d pat along the
outer edge of the gate, keeping their backs to one another. When they reached
the rear of the mountain path they would split up, searching opposite ends of
the forest. It would take less than five minutes to make the trek around the
compound before they called it and headed back inside.
Three vans poured into the center of Fairhaven, all of them
with the BioCore logo embossed on the side. Residents went on about their
normal routines, unaware of the dangers that lurked nearby. A hose was shoved
through the sliding door of one of the vehicles aimed at the park where several families
had gathered for the Fairhaven Round-up. It was an annual event that hosted
competitions ranging from bull riding to pig wrangling to ‘roping’ or lasso
techniques. There was even a petting zoo for the kids and a mechanical bull for
adventurous adults.
Several charities were on hand hoping to rouse a few new
donors for their cause. There were even booths set up for Girl Scouts to peddle
their cookies and homemade friendship bracelets. The sun shone above like a
radiant gem in the sky. For the middle of summer, the day was cooler than usual.
The slight breeze fanning through the mix of maple, oak and fir trees provided
a level of comfort that made the day absolutely perfect for this event.
Stopping just at the edge of the square, the driver put the
vehicle in park and waited. The canister concealed in the back of the bed
whirred to life, choking out a thick, odorless, tasteless liquid into the air. The
mist fell down like rain. Several people ran for cover while others, children mostly,
played beneath it in sheer delight. It lasted for a few minutes before the
spout recoiled back inside the vehicle and the BioCore vans drove out of the
area.
**Warning: Picture heavy. Um...oh and it’s long. (Info dump?)**
It was the gunshots—not the nightmare—that woke her.
Veronica had slept long past it, though not without
considerable effort. Her sheets were in a ball around her feet, well below the heavy comforter, and Dominic’s
pillow was between her thighs. Raising her head, she inspected the room she was
in, barely blinking at the sound of more gunfire.
“Hey has anyone seen Fadil?” Liz asked, glancing around the
room. Richard screamed and the sound of falling objects exploded from the back
room.
“Shit,” Matthew cussed and quickly rushed to the stock room.
The door wouldn’t budge. Something had fallen and was blocking it shut. “Give
me a hand here,” he said. Josh and Dominic stepped forward and together, the three
men forced the door open.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones under attacked,” Troy
said, motioning towards the bodies. “This place got wrecked!”
Matthew continued up the stairs, stepping over blood and
detached limbs. “Hey! Is there anybody in there? Let us in,” he shouted,
banging the shutters fiercely, hoping to get the attention of someone inside.
An odd humming sound was coming from behind them and Natalie
glanced back over her shoulder. At least two dozen zombies were heading their
way, groaning and hissing as they gathered closer. “Oh my god, they’re coming.”
“Open the door!” Matthew shouted again with Troy and Natalie joining in. The metal began to
shake and pretty soon the three of them were staring blankly at a large group of
people inside the store. Moving Natalie into the door first, Matthew turned and
fired off a couple rounds at the incoming group. Three zombies fell before he
jumped backwards inside the store and watched the shutters fall into place.
“Thank you,” he said, as JC helped him stand. “The world’s gone to shit. It’s a
madhouse out there.”
“Oh my god! Someone just crashed into the car where Dom is
hiding!” Veronica shouted. Soon after, something that sounded like firecrackers rattled off
outside and she quickly stepped away from the door. “And now someone’s
shooting!”
“Shooting? Shooting what?” JC carefully stepped closer and
peered out. “I see a truck…someone’s pulling into the station.”
“Who’s shooting?” Jeremiah asked.
“I don’t know. There are two…three people with guns; two
guys and a girl and another girl is carrying a few bags with her. Whoa,
wait…wait a second, they see Dom! They’re getting to Dom!”
“Where are we going?” Liz asked as Johnathan sped down the road.
She and Nina took over the backseat and she held the little girl’s hand as they
watched the scenery go by in blurs of green and gold. The occasional zombie
would stray out in front of Johnathan’s bumper and he’d plow them down without
hesitation.
“I don’t know. Anywhere we can find life.”
“Well, it’ll have to be somewhere with a gas station. You’re
almost on E,” Fadil replied.
“Damn it, you’re right. This is why Nina and I ended up at
the Roadhouse in the first place,” Johnathan said, kicking himself. “Great. Now
what are we going to do?”
“There’s a station coming up soon, turn here,” Fadil
directed.
“Are you going to explain yourself or should we throw you
outside to that creature?” Reggie asked, taking a closer step towards
Johnathan.
“No! You can’t hurt my daddy!” Nina exclaimed and rushed
into Johnathan’s arms. “Please. He’s all I have left.”
Johnathan kissed her cheek and bowed his head with a sigh.
“You’re right, Reggie. I haven’t been completely honest with you,” he started
as Fadil entered the room. “I told you all that I was the projects supervisor.
What I didn’t say was there were several projects happening over the course of eight
years.” He took a seat as the others gathered around him. “The original working
project was to find a cure for cancer and other diseases that manipulate cell
structure and DNA and we were close…at least I thought we were.”
“Liz, hand me that shovel,” Fadil groaned as he struggled to
keep the doors shut. She rushed over to the wall and snatched the gardening
tool from the rack. Fadil shoved it between the handles of the door and quickly
backed away. “We have three maybe four minutes tops before whatever’s out there
gets inside. Look for something, anything that can be used to fight them off.”
“What about the riding mower?” Liz suggested. Fadil took a
look at the gas gauge and sighed.
