Dave quickly turned and rushed back over to the desk when he heard Michelle begin to speak again.
“This is Michelle from over at the 911 Dispatch Center,” she said. “I am calling to get an update on a few patients that were brought over to the hospital earlier tonight.”
Michelle stopped talking and Dave could hear a woman’s loud voice coming through the ear piece and it sounded like she was shouting at Michelle.
“I realize that you are busy, but this is very important,” Michelle replied.
Michelle was again listening as the sound of the woman yelling at Michelle continued to sound through the phone’s ear piece.
“No, please don’t hang up on me,” Michelle said.
“Let me talk to her,” Dave said and grabbed the phone and held it up to his ear.
“Ma’am, this is Dave Matthews, in charge of the Kingsland Police Department,” he said sternly. “This is matter of great importance. I need this information now. If you don’t want to give me the information, put your supervisor on the line.”
The woman sighed, “About what time were these patients brought to the hospital?”
“There were two ambulances from Medic One,” Dave replied. “One should have arrived around 1:30 this morning. The other ambulance should have arrived at the hospital around 3:30 this morning carrying an injured police officer and a very badly injured civilian.
I need to check on the condition of these three patients and if possible, I need to speak to the doctor that treated the injured civilian to find out what was wrong with him. It is extremely important that I obtain this information.”
“Hold on for a minute and I’ll check our logs,” the woman replied then Dave was put on hold.
“She isn’t a very pleasant woman,” Michelle said.
“No she isn’t,” Dave replied. “I thought she was going to hang up on me too until I threatened to speak with her supervisor.”
Dave held on for another minute before the woman came back on line.
“I’m sorry we don’t have any record of an ambulance from Medic One bringing anyone to the hospital tonight,” the woman said.
“That can’t be right, I sent them over myself,” Dave replied.
“I don’t know what to say,” the woman said. “There were no arrivals from Medic One. Look, it’s busier than hell around here tonight, I don’t have time to sit around talking on the phone. We have ambulances lined up around the block bringing people in to the emergency room. It must be a full moon out tonight. Maybe they are out there waiting in line. You can come over to look for them if you want. You can even go over our arrival logs if you want and you can talk to my supervisor as much as you want but it won’t change a thing. So if you don’t mind, I have work to do,” the woman said, then the phone clicked in Dave’s ear and went dead.
“I don’t understand it,” Dave said. “That lady said they never arrived at the hospital.”
“Maybe she was lying,” Michelle said.
“I don’t think so,” Dave replied. “She was a pain in the ass, but I don’t think she would lie about something like this. Besides, she could lose her job for doing something like that.”
“Maybe they went to another hospital,” Michelle suggested.
“Maybe that could have happened on one of the trips,” Dave replied. “But not on both trips.”
“What do you think happened to them?” Michelle asked.
“After what I’ve seen tonight, I’d be afraid to even take a guess,” Dave replied as he walked back over to the window and stared out at the street.
“Michelle, get the State Police on the line and hand me the phone,” Dave said.
Michelle picked up the phone, dialed the number for the State Police and held the phone out for Dave.
“It’s ringing,” she said.
Dave grabbed the phone and held it up to his ear.
“Georgia State Police Barracks number 10, Sergeant Thompson speaking,” the voice said.
“Sergeant, this is Dave Matthews at the Kingsland Police Station,” Dave said. “We have a crisis and need your assistance.”
“Sorry Dave,” Thompson replied. “If your calling for assistance we can’t assist you at this time. I can put you on the list and send out a car when one becomes available, but we have been overwhelmed tonight. We have even called the morning shift to come early due to the volume of calls.”
“Sergeant, we have what I can only describe as a major killing spree in Kingsland. I have lost three of my people and the hospital notified me the two ambulances that we dispatched never made it to the hospital. I have numerous crazed individuals roaming the streets killing people,” Dave said. “I’m about all that’s left. I don’t know what the hell to do next.”
“All I can say is get somewhere secure and try to ride this out,” Thompson replied. “We have received about a dozen calls just like yours over the last two hours. We’ve sent out everyone we have and the reports we have been getting back have not been good. We can’t figure out what is going on either. The Captain has a call in to the Governor to discuss declaring a State of Emergency so we can get some help from the National Guard, but of course the Governor isn’t available until tomorrow morning.”
“Do you have any idea what is happening?” Dave asked. “I’ve seen people eating and tearing their victims apart, this is a damn nightmare.”
“I’m getting the same reports from everywhere,” Thompson replied. “I agree that something insane appears to be happening tonight. But all I can say is do the best you can until all of us get some help. You might want to call us back in the morning to see if we have learned anything. If we do have a car available in your area, we’ll give you a call.”
“Thanks,” Dave replied. “If you do call us, call us over the radio or at our 911 Dispatch Center. The police station was overrun an hour ago and I’m working from the Public Safety Building.”
“I’ll make a note,” Thompson said. “Good Luck.”
The phone went dead in his ear and Dave handed it back to Michelle.
“According to the State Police, whatever this is, it has spread all through the area,” Dave said. “It looks like we are on our own for now.”
Michelle looked uncomfortable and walked over to the window.
“Do you think that they might try to get in here?” Michelle asked.
“From what I’ve seen tonight, I’m sure eventually they will try to get in here too,” Dave replied. “But I think we should be fine until help arrives, this building should be secure.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Michelle asked.
Dave thought for a second and tried to run down the mental check list he had formed in his mind earlier tonight.
“There is one other thing we could try,” Dave replied. “Find the number for the Naval Base and dial it for me. Tom Jeffries, the man that owned the house at 81 Sunnyside Drive, his last employer was the U.S. Navy. I was meaning to call them and see if they could tell me anything about what he was involved with. It’s just a hunch, but maybe he was involved in some kind of project that went bad.
If nothing else, maybe they could send us some reinforcements.”
Michelle pulled up the number on the computer and dialed the number of the base for Dave.
Dave listened as the phone began to ring.
“You have reached the U.S. Naval Base at Kingsland Bay, Georgia. Our phones answer to the public from 0500 to 1700 hours each day. Please call back during those hours and we will be happy to help you,” the recorded message said.
Dave handed the phone back to Michelle then looked at his watch.
“They won’t answer for another hour,” Dave said.
Dave walked over to the window and watched the mass of staggering bodies move down the street between the Public Safety Building and the Police Station and Medic One across the street.
“Why are they out there and where are they going?” Dave asked out loud.
“I don’t have the
least idea,” Michelle replied.
“Sorry,” Dave said. “I was just thinking out loud. “I was just thinking about what happened over at Sunnyside Drive. Something changed some of the people in that development and then they began to go out and attack their neighbors, attack the people that weren’t changed. I was just wondering why all these people that have been changed are now out on the street.”
“Maybe they don’t have any neighbors so they went looking for people somewhere else,” Michelle replied then added, “but what do I know.”
“You probably know as much as I do at this point,” Dave smiled. “Your reasoning makes as much sense as any other possible explanation, probably more sense, than anything I was thinking.”
“What were you thinking?” Michelle asked. “Why else do you think they are out there?”
“I don’t know, confusion, random movement, no reason in particular,” Dave replied. “In fact, from the look in their eyes, I don’t even know if they have anything going through their minds.”
“If they are out there killing people, there must be something going through their minds telling them to do that,” Michelle said.
“I suppose you’re right,” Dave replied. “When that animal that was out in the hallway heard the phone ring and then heard your voice answering the phone, it turned and started to move towards your door. The ones outside turned in my direction when I yelled. But I wonder why they attacked all those houses on Sunnyside Drive?”
“Maybe they attacked the houses because they heard the people inside,” Michelle replied.
“But is was late at night, most of the people in those houses were asleep,” Dave said. “How did they know Carrie was in the police station? Her office was in the back of the building, a person could scream their lungs out back there and no one would hear them out in front of the building.”
“Maybe they have really good hearing,” Michelle replied.
“I some how doubt that, half of them don’t even have ears any longer and those that do, their ears are filled with blood and other shit that I hate to even think about,” Dave replied.
“Maybe they just know,” Michelle said. “Some kind of intuition, they can just sense where people are.”
Dave looked at the buildings across the street.
“That could explain why they broke into the police station but didn’t bother with Medic One, there isn’t anyone left over at Medic One,” Dave replied.
He tried to recall if there were any buildings left untouched on Sunnyside Drive, but is was dark there, he wouldn’t have known which houses were broken into and which ones weren’t. He had only known about the houses that had been attacked because they had called 911 to report a disturbance.
Dave had been too busy to pay much attention to any of the other houses.
“I don’t know,” Dave replied. “I’m not saying you’re wrong because I just don’t know. I’m thinking that it would have to be something simple. There has to be a simple explanation for everything I’ve seen tonight. If the answer is supernatural or something complicated, I think we’re in deep shit.”
“I don’t have any idea what is going on,” Michelle said. “But I’m pretty sure we are already in deep shit.”
Dave almost broke a smile at the way Michelle said “deep shit”, almost.
He looked at his watch to check the time.
“Michelle, give the Naval Base another call, it’s a quarter past five, they should be answering their phones now,” Dave said.
Michell picked up the phone and dialed the number for the base.
She held the phone to her ear for a moment then set it down on its base.
“They are still playing that recording,” she said. “I wonder why they aren’t answering yet, it’s after five.”
“Why?” Dave replied. “That seems to be a repeating theme tonight.”
Dave got up and started to walk back over to the window but suddenly stopped, “Where the hell is my brain tonight!
Dave grabbed the mic attached to his shirt collar and spoke into the device.
“Bill, Ted, can either of you guys respond?” Dave asked. “Bill, Ted, come in please.”
Dave spoke again, but there was no response.
“Maybe they are out of range,” Michelle said.
“It’s possible, this unit barely reaches the police station,” Dave replied. “Michelle, give the hospital another call and see if either of the ambulances have finally made it into the emergency room.”
“OK, but if that bitch yells at me again,” Michelle started.
“If she starts to yell at you again, you give her to me,” Dave replied.
Michelle smirked, picked up the phone and again dialed the hospital.
After a few minutes she turned and looked at Dave as she continued to hold the phone to her ear.
“No one is answering,” she said.
“Hang on for a few more minutes,” Dave replied. “She did say they were really busy. She claimed that they had ambulances lined up down the street trying to get into the emergency room.”
A moment later, Michelle looked at Dave, “It stopped ringing.”
“Did they hang up on you?” Dave asked.
“I don’t know,” Michelle replied.
“Call them again,” Dave said.
Michelle dialed the number, then looked at Dave.
“I’m getting a recording that says we are unable to complete your call at this time, to try again later,” she said.
“Thanks,” Dave replied. “I should have been expecting this with everything else that’s happened tonight.”
“Maybe the phone system has been overwhelmed,” Michell said. “Now that I think about it, did you notice that our phones haven’t rang in over an hour?”
“I haven’t noticed, but your right,” Dave replied. “How about trying the Naval base again.”
Michelle picked up the phone and held it to her ear but set it back down.
“We don’t have a dial tone anymore,” Michelle said. “the phone is dead.”
“Shit!” Dave said as he began pacing the floor again, trying to think.
He stopped in mid stride when he heard the sound of a window breaking.
Dave stopped and listened.
“Did you hear that?” Michelle said as she sat up straight and began to look nervous.
“Yeah, I heard it,” he replied. “You wait here while I go check it out.”
“I’m coming with you,” Michelle replied. “I’m not staying here by myself.”
“OK, but stay behind me and be quiet,” Dave said.
“You don’t think someone is trying to get into the building?” Michelle asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” Dave replied.
“Do you think it is one of them?” Michelle asked.
“I hope it is only one of them,” Dave replied.
“What do you mean you hope it is one of them?” Michelle asked sounding startled.
“I said I hope it is only one of them,” Dave replied as he started for the door. “You see how many of those crazed animals are out front. If we only have to deal with one of them, I can handle that. I’m not sure what would happen if all of them decided to break in.”
“Shoot them in the head,” Michelle said.
“I only have one clip left,” Dave replied. “If there are more than nine of them we wouldn’t have enough ammo.”
“But you said they couldn’t get into this building?” Michelle asked.
“I said the building is secure, I didn’t say they wouldn’t be able to get inside,” Dave replied. “I also said if you were going to come with me that you need to be quiet. From what I’ve seen, those things are attracted to sound. So, unless you changed your mind about coming with me, or you are volunteering to be the bait, I suggest now would be a good time to be quiet.”
Dave turned and opened the door and moved out into the hallway.
He heard Michelle’s footsteps following cl
osely behind.
Dave began walking down the hallway, stopping briefly in front of each of the closed office doors and listening.
After a few seconds he moved to the next door.
Each of the offices had at least two windows that overlooked the small grassy area around the one-story building.
All of the windows were within reach of a determined intruder. Unfortunately, unlike the police station, none of the windows had bars for protection.
In the past Dave had questioned why the windows weren’t secured with bars or unbreakable glass.
The answer was simple, with the police station across the street, a person would have to be crazy to attempt to break into the Public Safety Building.
Apparently the County had never anticipated the possibility of being attacked by mobs of the insane.
Dave and Michelle had checked the offices half way down the hallway when they heard the sound again.
It sounded like someone pounding against a broken window, causing pieces of the glass to fall into the building, shatter and spread across the floor.
The sound appeared to be coming from the end of the hallway, directly in front of him.
Dave pulled his club with his right hand and his flashlight with his left hand.
He slowly took a few more steps then switched on his flashlight, aiming it down towards the end of the hall, towards the door he had entered the building from the parking lot.
When his light beam shined on the window, a reddish glow reflected back at him.
The door had one window that was separated into four panels by thin wooden strips.
The lower right panel had been broken and now laid shattered on the floor.
The other three panels were smeared with something red, making them translucent.
Dave could see the shadow of someone standing on the other side to the smeared glass.
When the light shined against the window, something began to strike the glass again.
The top left panel cracked then fell into the hallway shattering on the floor as a bloody bony arm pushed in through the broken pane.
Apocalypse- the Plan Page 43
