by Stephens, L.
“Bullet proof glass?” Jake said looking at his gun. “Get the fuck out of here!”
Jake turned back to the zombies again, and this time there was no escape.
“Fuck!” Jake said under his breath. “Not like this.”
Jake stepped back. His shoulder blades were flush with the door, and he felt it move.
“Huh?” Jake said, turning his head sharply to the door.
He stuck out his butt and the door moved more.
“Fucking, push!” Jake screamed as he hurtled himself backwards into the door.
Jake fell through the doorway and quickly closed it, reaching up and hitting the little latch under the handle that he hoped and prayed locked the door. When he heard the click, he scampered away before collapsing. He held his breath as the zombies barreled into the closed door. The undead that led the pack bounced off the glass only to be pressed back against it by the slower zombies. Like a slide under the microscope the glass door was smeared with blood and gore, and Jake lay on his back and breathed heavy breaths as he recovered from the journey he had just done from a mere four city blocks away. He raised both his hands and gave the zombies clawing at the door a double middle finger salute, gun and all.
@KillingJake apparently I’m the coolest person in all of downtown LA right now everyone is on my jock and it fucking sucks. #CoolGuyProblems
CHAPTER 115: MISSED CONNECTIONS
As the afternoon had slowly evolved, the sirens and screams that had once filled the air were now giving in to an eerie silence. There were still patches of gunfire and the occasional scream for help, but for the most part the city had given up or died, most likely the latter. The helicopters, be it police or television or army, just buzzed around not offering anything to those trapped in downtown Los Angeles but misguided hope and something to look at.
There were more than just six people stuck on a rooftop; there were thousands of people still in their apartments, offices, restaurants and store fronts. Apartment life was especially problematic. False alarm after false alarm left you jaded by the warnings. You decided just to stick it out and weather the storm in the safety of your own home than to head out onto the piss-soaked streets at three in the morning. Most of these people fell back to sleep thankful their building wasn’t on fire, only to wake up to find they were stuck in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. Definitely not ideal.
† Fuck all of them. They’re not part of our story, just the victims. †
The roof of the Formica Talent Agency was empty. The only reminders the six survivors had been there at all was the empty assault rifle, that lay on the large “HELP” sign near the makeshift tent.
“Sarah!” Jake’s distant yell emanated from the street below. “Sarah!”
A light breeze blew through the vacant rooftop and closed the door that led from the roof to the inside of the building. There was no one to hear Jake. Sarah, Daryl and the other survivors had charged through the door fifteen minutes earlier. Two gun shots rang out from the street below, but again, there was no one there to hear them.
HTTPS://LOSANGELES.CRAIGSLIST.ORG
LOS ANGELES > COMMUNITY > MISSED CONNECTIONS
MESSAGE FOR GISELLE
You, beautiful, smart, witty, confident like the first time I met you at that cheesy ass nightclub. Me, asshole, wearing a shitty shirt and jeans with Vans plus that razor blade pendant that you hate with a passion but never said anything about. I wish I had told you earlier but I’ve wasted every second of my life not having you in it. So here I am, outside the car which I last saw you in as I ran away being chased by a group of zombies. I really hope you’re still alive because I have so much to tell you, so much to share with you and if you’ve turned into a zombie, nothing would give me greater pleasure than letting you devour me alive.
Love always, Jake.
• do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers
CHAPTER 116: AIN’T EASY BEING KING
Daryl wasn’t a military general. He had no experience in organizing a group of soldiers and taking them into battle. He was just a guy from Long Beach who had sold some sneakers and sold some drugs. He had always been a one man operation, so for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why the fuck he was now trying to prepare a bunch of Angelenos, who had never lifted a goddamn thing in their lives, to storm a building and kill some zombies. His plan was to bring the zombies to the rooftop and do battle with them there. That way they had a little room and could close the door if they needed to.
“Here, zombie! Zombie!” Daryl called as he opened the door and banged on the doorframe.
Everyone moved away from the entrance to the building and stood in silence. Their breathing coupled with their heartbeats were the only sounds.
“Come on, mother fuckers! Let’s do this already!” Daryl yelled impatiently.
They had expected zombies to be waiting for them at the door, but over the course of the afternoon the zombies must have found more interesting things to look at and had drifted off to other parts of building.
“Looks like they’ve gone,” Ryan whispered. “Maybe we should.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Daryl spat. “Just be ready to start shooting that pussy little gun of yours.”
Shutting down Ryan was more than just instinct. Truth was, Daryl didn’t know what to do. He had just assumed there would be zombies waiting for them and that all hell would break loose as soon as they opened the door. One thing was for sure, he didn’t want to hear Ryan’s advice, because it might be a better idea than what he had, which was to continue into the building and fuck shit up. The last thing he wanted to be thinking as he lay there dying, was that maybe he should have listened to the rat face weasel’s advice.
“Okay, looks like we’re going to have to go in there and meet them head on,” Daryl said looking to the others. “I’m just going to shoot whatever I see, so just follow me, and if you see something behind or to the side just let me know, because if I die, you’ve been dead for the last five minutes.”
He didn’t think stealing a line from the TV show The Office was going to form the final crescendo of his commands, but he hoped it might lighten the mood and remind them they were a team, rather than the one-man band it felt like to him.
The journey back into the belly of the beast that was Formica Talent Agency was a disaster. Daryl realized all too quickly he didn’t have a team, he had a group of individuals who were easily swayed by what was in front of them, not the common goal. At the first sight of a zombie, Daryl began firing. The sounds of the gunshots were deafening as they echoed around the corridor, and Ryan saw his opportunity to make good his escape, running straight down a hallway away from Daryl and the rest of the group. Daryl saw him go but there was nothing he could do. The zombies were coming and he was the only thing stopping them. Once again, he knew he should have nutted up and done it himself. He knew he could rely on Sarah but if it came down to Jake or him, she would leave him in the dust as well. He turned around to see Jill drop her two by four and bustle past Lynne and Ava, almost knocking them over as she ran after Ryan. With only Sarah, Lynne and Ava left, he knew the whole plan had gone south. He was better off without them and vice versa.
“Go!” Daryl yelled as he let off a round into the head of an approaching zombie. “I’ll be right behind you!”
Without hesitation, Sarah grabbed Lynne and Ava and charged down the hallway after Ryan and Jill.
CHAPTER 117: FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY
Ryan’s desire to get to his office and to his money was growing stronger with every step they made into the building. All the money he had been shaving off the top from Jessica Raven and the other members off his stable’s extra-curricular activities was in his top drawer, two floors below. He just had to find the right moment to ditch the group and, most importantly, Daryl. It wasn’t a lot of money, not exactly the fifty thousand he had promised Daryl. Probably somewhere in the range of thirty thousand, but it was all in the crypto-currency Bitcoin, and
dollar signs were rolling in Ryan’s eyes because he knew the U.S. dollar was about to take a ginormous dump, especially after the mess Los Angeles and California were in now. After all, the state of California alone had been the fifth largest economy in the world ahead of the United Kingdom prior to the zombie apocalypse. Ryan just hoped he had enough time to cash out, so he could buy sex and drugs and a little bit more life at the end of the world. It was an insane thought, but it was all that was keeping him going. He wasn’t going to give up. Thoughts of heading back to Jessica Raven’s house were also circulating through his mind. If he was going to be a rapist, he might as well be a full fucking rapist, not just the guy who had a few thrusts in a zombie without knowing what was really going on.
As Ryan turned the corner, he almost ran face first into the boney spinal column of a tall zombie. Even though the zombie was covered in blood and bite marks and was not facing him, he recognized him instantly. It was the lanky, social media kid who had been in charge of getting Jessica Raven into the internet spotlight the previous night. He was also seven feet tall, and you don’t easily forget a kid like that. The Zombie Giant didn’t notice the walking meat popsicle behind him, which gave Ryan time to raise and aim his poor excuse for a gun at the back of the Zombie Giant’s head. Ryan had never fired the gun. He had found it in his mother’s closet when he was clearing out her Pasadena condo after she died. He kept it in his glove box to use if anyone fucked with him in traffic, but just like his dick he only flashed it at women. The point being, he was a massive pussy with or without the gun. His arm was almost vertical when he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger but nothing happened, not even a click.
“Fuck!” Ryan hissed, regretting it instantly.
The Zombie Giant turned quickly, but Ryan was already running back down the corridor away from him.
He saw Jill as he approached the corner. She was jogging along not sure what exactly she was doing, so he decided she would be a great distraction for the lumbering zombie right behind him. Ryan thrust his shoulder into her. He wasn’t expecting to knock her out, just knock her down and give the Zombie Giant something to eat while he made his escape, but for once he did something right. His shoulder made contact with Jill’s face, and she was unconscious before she even hit the ground. Ryan gave a quick little giggle as he looked behind him, admiring his accidental violence. He turned back to see Lynne had seen the whole thing, and his eyes lit up. Now, with Jill acting as a buffer he had time to grab those massive tits and treat her like the whore she was, before discarding her like day-old meat to the zombie horde coming down the corridor. Ryan was out of control. He was lusting for anything living, and it was like the zombie disease spreading through him was taking over. As he was about to rip Lynne away from Ava and do ungodly acts to her, Sarah pushed them to the side. Ryan dodged her metal pipe that she had swiped at him and kept running.
“You fucker!” Sarah yelled.
He was manic. He didn’t know what he was going to do, and the feeling running through him was like this weird mix of drugs and endorphins. One moment he was going to get his money, the next he was going to get a car from the garage and go to Jessica Raven’s house, and then finally, his next impulse was to go back to the rooftop to jump off the building and make peace with the world. He snapped to his senses as he heard Daryl’s heavy footsteps coming towards him. His instinct to duck served him well, as Daryl’s tree trunk like arm swung for him. Ryan skidded on his knees, feeling the air between Daryl’s closed fist and the top of his head. He cackled as he got to his feet, feeling like he was running from the schoolyard bully. The gunshot whizzed past Ryan’s ear, and he ducked again, but it would have made no difference. Daryl’s shot had already missed, but if it was on target, Ryan would have been dead. He didn’t look back as he turned down the corridor where he had left the others originally and thought he was home free until he saw three zombies stumbling over their fallen brethren.
“Fuck!” Ryan yelled as he threw his gun at them.
He heard more screaming behind him and noticed Lynne and Ava were coming down the hallway, and he made his choice. If it was just her and him on the rooftop, the rest of his life would be perfect.
“This way!” Ryan called to Lynne as he headed towards the rooftop.
CHAPTER 118: THE JEALOUS BITCH
In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher
― Dalai Lama XIV
Sarah could see Ryan coming at Lynne and Ava. He had a crazed look on his face, and his tongue was extended out of his mouth as it led the way. She managed to shield Lynne and Ava as she swung the metal pipe at him. He dodged out of the way, glancing off the wall on the other side of the corridor.
“You fucker!” Sarah yelled as Ryan ran off.
She surveyed the situation, and it was bleak. Jill was unconscious, blood pouring from her face, and there was a giant zombie headed her way.
“Lynne! Follow him! Find Daryl!” Sarah commanded. “I need to get Jill.”
Lynne and Sarah exchanged eye contact, and Sarah made sure her expression made it clear that there would be no arguing. Sarah didn’t have time to check whether Lynne heeded her instructions. She just ran to Jill, who lay motionless, ten yards away.
Sarah dropped the metal pipe next to her and knelt down with Jill’s head in between her knees.
“Jill!” Sarah said, slapping the side of her face hurriedly. “Wake up!”
Sarah saw the light in the hallway dim and a long shadow moved up Jill’s body before she looked up. The Zombie Giant was trudging up the hallway towards them, taking his time like he was savoring his last meal. The choice was simple: try to take on the Zombie Giant with the metal pipe or drag Jill to safety. Even though everyone viewed her as a badass, the fact remained, she hadn’t even had combat with one of them. All she had done when they had come into the building the first time was hold the door open for Daryl and alert him to any zombies he might not have seen. Hell, her last physical altercation had been in kindergarten, and she had lost miserably.
Sarah grabbed Jill by her armpits and began dragging her away. She only made it a few yards before the weight of Jill bested her and she fell backwards onto the ground. The sudden movement of Sarah and Jill falling in a heap excited the Zombie Giant, and he seemed to forget about savoring the meal and began galloping towards them. In that moment, she could have left Jill and no one would have thought anything less of her, but that wasn’t who Sarah was, and she frantically kept trying to pull Jill away. This time Jill wouldn’t budge, Sarah didn’t have the right grasp and Jill felt like she weighed three hundred pounds, even though in reality, she probably weighed a hundred. Sarah removed Jill’s purse from her arm and threw it towards their attacker. It barely made it halfway, but it worked to an extent. The Zombie Giant stopped for the briefest of seconds to inspect it before continuing towards them. With her eyes closed Sarah didn’t see the tear that fell onto Jill’s blood smeared cheek as she cowered above her, their faces inches apart.
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you,” Sarah whispered as she closed her eyes. “We’re in this together.”
Sarah wasn’t sure if she felt the splatter of blood or heard the loud burst of gunfire first, but by the time she looked up, the Zombie Giant was lying on his back a couple yards away and the smoking barrel of Daryl’s gun was above them.
“Get the fuck up!” Daryl bellowed.
Sarah looked up. A small group of other zombie nerds was clambering down the hallway, lured by the sound of gunfire and fresh meat. She got to her feet, still trying to lift Jill up.
“Fucking leave her!” Daryl screamed as he let off another couple shots down the hallway.
Sarah didn’t budge until Daryl’s large hands grabbed her by the tank top and yanked her behind him.
“I said go!” Daryl screamed over his shoulder at Sarah as he bent down and effortlessly picked up Jill.
CHAPTER 119: IT WILL COME OUT IN THE WASH
I’m not cut out for this
life, Lynne thought. I never was. I deserve all of this. I’ve lied, cheated and gone back on every promise I’ve ever made. I’m not cut out for this life. Never was.
The door to the roof swung open, making a loud bang as it connected with the wall, and the neatly stacked barricade fell down like an avalanche. Ryan scurried out of the darkness and Lynne with Ava clutched tightly around her torso followed into the sunlight a few seconds later.
“Help me!” Ryan screamed. “We have to put up the barricade.”
“Wait!” Lynne yelled. “The others are coming!”
She put down Ava on the other side of the rooftop and ran over to Ryan who was reaching for the door.
“Mommy!” Ava yelled.
Lynne turned back. She was stuck in two worlds, but she knew she had to keep Ryan from closing the door. Being stuck on the roof with him alone was worse than being stuck with a zombie.
“Stay there!” Lynne shouted to Ava. “Mommy needs to help!”
She ran to the door and battled Ryan from closing it. She knew she was going to lose the battle but she had to hold on for as long as she could. Just as Ryan was about to take control and close the door, Sarah came running through the opening with Daryl carrying Jill on his shoulder right behind her.
“You made it!” Ryan exclaimed awkwardly as he closed the door behind them.
Daryl dumped Jill on the floor like trash at the curb, and Lynne grimaced at the bone crunching sound Jill’s body made when it hit the concrete.
“Little help?” Ryan said, using his shoulder to brace the door.
“I got the door!” Daryl said as he practically threw Ryan out of the way. “Put the barricade up!”
Lynne knew he was talking to Sarah and Sarah only, so she got out of the way and ran over to Ava. Their previous efforts with the barricade had made them old hats at securing the door, so it was back in business in no time. Lynne wiped the tears from Ava's face and kissed her forehead no less than ten times while she squeezed her tight. After she was done with the barricade, Sarah scrambled over and put Jill in the recovery position, making sure she hadn’t swallowed her tongue. Daryl gave the door a final push to make sure it was solid before he swung on his heels and stormed towards Ryan.
