by Lee, Damien
“I thought you said he was dead?” Razor demanded, turning on the Polish inmate.
“He was!” Zielinski said. “His heart stopped. He wasn’t breathing.”
“Well, he’s tickety-boo now isn’t he?” Razor snapped. He turned to McAllister. “Are you going to shoot him or what?”
The guard aimed the shotgun as Craddock got to his feet. Blood oozed out of the gaping wounds on his face, rolling over his beard as he staggered down the steps. His mad eyes roamed over the group. He let out a shriek as he ran towards them. McAllister fired, striking the prisoner square in the head. Craddock stumbled and rolled onto the ground, only to be met by a barrage of kicks from the other inmates. Frank joined the assault, aiming at Craddock’s head, stamping viciously until the corpse lay motionless.
“I still can’t believe you’ve only got that little pea-shooter.” Gus sneered, wiping the underside of his shoes on Craddock’s trousers. “You’d be better off using your baton.”
An eerie silence descended over the wing, a stark contrast to the cries of pain and terror echoing previously. Frank made to walk down the rest of the stairs, but was stopped by Razor’s grasp on his elbow. He turned as the man subtly pulled him closer.
“Follow my lead, Frankie,” he mumbled. His lips barely moved, reminding Frank of a ventriloquist. He watched as Gus and the others convened around McAllister.
“Right lads, are you ready?” The guard looked from face to face. “What are you doing?”
Before he could react, the prisoners attacked. Frank stared open-mouthed as the guard was dragged to the ground. Gus pried the shotgun from his hands as Tony and Zielinski rained a series of kicks into McAllister’s midriff.
“Gus, what the fuck are you doing?” Frank snapped, clearing the remaining steps.
“We’re getting out of here, Frankie.” Razor beamed. “That’s enough, lads. Tony, take his helmet.”
The assault ceased as Tony pried McAllister’s helmet off. The guard chanced a look up.
“You’re gonna regret that, Razor.” McAllister coughed as he got to his knees.
“Suck it up, buttercup. You’re wearing riot gear. It won’t have hurt much.” He aimed the shotgun at McAllister’s face. “But this will.”
“What do you want?”
“The keys.”
McAllister reached down and unclipped the keychain from his belt. He tossed them towards Zielinski.
“I’ll take those,” Gus said, snatching the keys from the Polish inmate. “You got shot the last time you tried to open a bloody gate.”
Zielinski remained silent, shaking his head as Frank spoke.
“We’re just gonna walk out of here?”
“Why not?” Gus grinned. “This place has gone to shit. Now is as good a time as any to spread our wings.”
“Where will you go?” McAllister asked from the ground. “If this is happening outside, nowhere is safe. No town, no city. You’d be fucked.”
“The army base,” Zielinski suggested. “We could go there.”
“Don’t be a tit all your life, Zielinski,” Gus said, turning on the man. “How do you think it would look if a bunch of high security prisoners came waltzing up to their front door?”
“He’s already said it’s empty,” Zielinski replied.
Gus looked back down at McAllister. “Will there be anybody there?”
The guard shook his head.
“Zielinski, you’re a fucking genius.” Gus beamed. “We’ll all go there.”
“No,” Frank replied.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, it’s a stupid idea. If this thing is happening outside, chances are you’ll barely make it a mile before you’re killed. And that base borders Doxley. If the folk there are being eaten as we speak, what’s stopping them from venturing out of town looking for more people to eat?”
The men looked at each other as Frank continued.
“And, suppose the base is empty. It’s a military base. How are you going to get in?”
Gus eyed him angrily. “You’re pissing on my parade, Frankie. Do you have any better ideas?”
Frank glanced from face to face. Looking back at Gus, he slowly shook his head.
“I didn’t think so. We do it my way. Besides, it’s been a long time since we’ve had any fresh air. A brisk twenty-mile walk in the countryside will do us good.”
“You can walk, but I wouldn’t advise it,” Frank said. “It’d be best to look for a prison van.” He watched Gus as he contemplated the option.
“Well, I suppose driving with the windows down is enough fresh air for me.” Gus snorted. “Where do we find one?” He aimed the shotgun at McAllister again as he struggled to his feet.
“Down there,” McAllister replied, pointing down a corridor. “The garages are straight ahead. Go through that door, through the two gates after it, and there should be some vans in the garage.”
“Thank god they deprivatised prison transport.” Gus chuckled. “The government finally got something right!”
A distant screech caught their attention. The group looked around for a threat as Frank stepped toward the guard.
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?”
“You mean after you beat the shit out of me?” McAllister glared at the three men behind Frank. “You don’t. I guess you’ll have to trust me.”
“You’re not leaving?”
“Are you kidding? We’ve got over six hundred men trapped here. I need to evacuate them.”
“Leave the nonces, mind,” Razor said, pointing a finger at the guard. “They can die in agony.”
“Where are the keys to the vans?” Frank asked. McAllister looked away before the barrel of the shotgun pressed against his face.
“Tell us.” Razor snarled.
“There’s an office in the garage, the keys should be in there. I doubt you’re going to get far though.”
Another shriek sounded, closer this time.
“We’ll be fine.” Gus retorted. “We’ve got this shooter and we’ve got Tony.”
They all looked at the large inmate who was raking his face with a clawed hand.
“What’s the matter with you?” Razor snapped. His query was ignored as Tony continued to scratch at his skin. “Behave man! You’ll give yourself a shaving rash.”
A shriek sounded as a distant door was thrown off its hinges.
“We need to go!” Zielinski urged as the sound drew closer.
“Good luck,” McAllister said. He turned and jogged down the corridor, leaving the quartet behind.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Razor muttered. He led the inmates down the corridor and through the door McAllister had advised. It revealed a long corridor, divided by two gates, one at each end. Frank closed the door behind him and held it in place as Razor tried to unlock the first of the gates that obstructed their route. Frank held an ear to the door, trying to determine how close the crazed inmates were.
A series of wails grew louder. They were closing in. He kept his palms pressed against the door, certain it would be struck. Seconds passed and the crescendo of shrieks began to pass. It seemed they had followed McAllister. An advantage, yet he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guard. He looked back as Gus opened the first of the locked gates.
“Aha,” he yelled triumphantly. “That’s how you get through a gate, Zielinski.”
“Hey,” Frank said, still pressed up against the door. “What about these guys?”
Gus turned back. “Sounds like they’ve gone after McAllister to me. Quit messing about and get over here.”
Frank sighed and left his post to join the others. “At least lock this gate behind us.” He motioned to the first gate as he walked past.
“Tony, lock it,” Gus said.
The giant didn’t respond. Instead, he clawed at his arms, scratching feverishly as the others looked on.
“What’s the matter with you? Have you got fleas or something?” Razor snapped. The ma
n didn’t hear the remark as his attention turned to his crotch.
“Looks like cock pox to me,” Zielinski said as the man raked at his lower body.
“Tony!” Gus yelled, hurling the keys at his bodyguard. The key chain bounced off his chest with no response.
“Tony?” He stepped back as tremors rocked the giant’s body.
“Oh, shit, he’s turning into one of them,” Zielinski cried, swiping the keys off the ground and rushing over to the last gate.
“Shut up, Zielinski! He’s right as rain, aren’t you, Tony?”
The man stopped shuddering and looked up, fixing the gangland boss with a crazed stare.
“Oh fucking hell, he isn’t!” Gus stammered, whirling round to where Zielinski tried in vain to find the correct key. Frank watched from the rear of the group as Tony threw his head back and emitted an ear-splitting roar. The two men yelped in fear, dropping the keys through the bars.
“Zielinski, you tit. Get this gate open!”
Tony stared at the two men with wide eyes, a delighted grin spreading across his face. Frank watched them struggle with the keys. They were cornered and about to die. He knew he had to act fast. Propping the shotgun against his shoulder, he fired at the man. The rubber bullet bounced off his back. Tony stepped forward, oblivious to the bullet’s impact. Zielinski cried out in terror as the deranged prisoner drew close.
Frank exhaled as he dropped the weapon and sprinted forward. He leapt high, landing on Tony’s back and wrapping an arm around his trunk of a neck. The zombie roared, bucking and spinning.
“Keep it up Frankie, you can do it!” Gus cheered.
Frank held on as Tony’s bucking and jerking threatened to throw him off. The volume of his roars increased. Frank wrapped his arm tighter around his neck. The ordeal seemed to last forever. After what felt like an eternity, Gus and Zielinski got through the barred gate before locking it behind them.
“Gus!” Frank yelled, barely audible over the roars of the undead giant.
“Don’t worry Frankie, this is just a safety precaution,” Razor replied. “We’ll let you in once you’ve got rid of Tony.”
“And as long as you haven’t been bitten,” Zielinski added.
“Yeah. A bite off one of these things looks nasty. Try to avoid his gnashers.”
“Shut up and do something!”
The giant slammed Frank into the wall. The impact forced the air from his lungs. Frank held on, gasping for breath and tightening his grip until Tony could no longer shout out.
“Break his neck,” Gus called as Frank was slammed into the wall for a second time. He felt his strength wane as the raging man continued whirling around the small corridor. Using all his weight, he lunged to his right, snapping Tony’s head sideways. There was a clicking sound, but the zombie’s frenzy continued. He tried again, forcing all of his weight on the other side. This time a sickening crack sounded as Tony crumpled to the floor.
“Good boy, Frankie.”
Gus unlocked the gate as Frank rose to his feet. His body ached, protesting further as he stooped to pick up the shotgun. With a groan, he turned and walked towards the pair. Once within reach, he grabbed Razor by the throat.
“Easy, Frankie!” Gus raged, trying to push him away. Frank shoved him against the wall.
“You left me to die, Gus. Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you.”
“Touch me and you’re dead.”
Frank dragged him closer. “Yeah? Well, it seems like your bodyguard won’t be much help to you now.”
He looked over at Tony’s corpse. His body was motionless, yet he watched the pair with longing eyes. Frank released the gangland boss and took a step back.
“Fuck me, he’s still alive.” Razor gasped, following Frank’s gaze. “I thought you snapped his neck?”
“I did. He isn’t moving.”
“No, but he’s still alive.”
“Maybe you need to destroy the brain,” Zielinski offered, peering through the bars at Tony’s motionless form. “It’s what they do in all the zombie films.”
“Oh, don’t you start with all that film cobblers!” Razor spat.
They fell silent, all staring at Tony. His eyes remained fixed on them, his face twisting into a snarl.
“Go put him out of his misery,” Razor said, nudging Frank’s arm.
“Fuck you. As far as I’m concerned, my debt is paid, Gus.”
“Fine, we’ll leave him,”
They made to turn but stopped as a noise reached them.
“Do you hear something?”
The trio listened as the sound of approaching footfalls grew louder. They looked on as the door at the rear of the corridor swung open, smashing against the wall.
“Lee!” Henderson bellowed, sprinting down the corridor towards them.
The sound of his pursuers echoed as the guard got near. Zielinski swung the gate shut, hurriedly looking for the key.
“No, keep it open,” Frank muttered.
“What? Are you crazy?”
“Do it!”
Zielinski opened the gate as Henderson jumped over Tony’s corpse.
“They’re behind me,” he gasped.
“Good.”
Frank aimed the weapon and fired as Henderson reached the doorway. The bullet struck his thigh, snapping his legs from under him. He screamed in agony as he hit the ground. Frank handed the shotgun to Zielinski and stepped forward.
“I’ll get you for this, Lee.” Henderson stammered as Frank crouched down beside him.
“No, Henderson. This is one thing you’re not gonna get out of.”
He unclipped the guard’s baton from his belt and kicked him in the ribs. Henderson wheezed as Frank returned to the two men.
“Ready to go?”
“Not yet.” Razor approached the downed guard as a high-pitched shriek came from the next room.
“Well, well, Henderson, it seems we have a bit of a situation here.” Gus chided as he reached into the guard’s pocket. “You must have what? Ten? Twenty grand on your person? You can’t walk around with that amount of money; you might get hurt!”
He took the wad of bills and rose to his feet triumphantly.
“Gus.” Henderson pleaded. “Help me out of here and I’ll make you a deal.”
“Sorry Henderson, no more deals.”
Razor turned and jogged back through the last gate as a horde of undead cons and guards spilled through the door at the end of the corridor. Frank locked the gate as Henderson began to crawl.
“No!” the guard cried out.
He staggered to his feet, limping back to the first gate. He slammed it shut before collapsing in a heap on the floor. Frank watched as the horde of zombies reached through the gaps, their snarling faces pressed against the solid bars.
“Lee,” Henderson cried, desperately trying to rise to his feet. “Open the door, please! Be the bigger man.”
“Oh, I am Henderson! I’m being the bigger man. I’m letting you choose how you die. Do you want to be eaten alive? Or do you want to starve to death? The choice is yours.”
“You can’t do this!”
“Sorry, Barry. But like you said; karma’s a bitch.”
He turned and made his way into the garage. The guard’s pleas became muffled as he closed the door behind him.
13
Five minutes had passed. The murmuring zombies wandering beneath Amy unsettled her. She could see from her perch some of the disfigured men and women passing underneath the gap in the ceiling. Their expressions were blank as they shuffled about the ward, gently bumping into desks and chairs as if they were not there. They had been that way for the last five minutes, almost as if they had forgotten about their potential meal behind the elevator doors. Terry had been silent for the same length of time. Amy longed to shout out to him, to ensure he was still conscious, but doing so would alert the zombies to their presence. Tearing her gaze away, she concentrated on Ben as he tried to manipulate some of the pipes.
&nbs
p; “Any luck?” she whispered.
“No, we’re gonna have to squeeze through.”
Amy watched as he carefully shuffled back along the pipe.
“You wanna go first?”
“Not really,” she said, looking back down at the wandering corpses. “Do you think I can fit through that gap?”
“You’ve got more of a chance than me. Just take it slow and you’ll be fine.”
She was not convinced, but knew they had no other choice. She nodded and wormed her way past him towards the intersecting pipes. The first gap wasn’t a problem, and she shuffled through easily. It was the second gap that she found to be troublesome. A thick pipe ran straight across her path, giving her the option of climbing over or crawling beneath it. She chose the latter, assessing it to be the bigger opening.
“Be careful,” Ben whispered as she wriggled onto her front, wrapping her legs around the pipe. She looked down at the foam tiles below her. One wrong move and she would fall straight through them. She slowly shuffled along the pipe until she reached the gap. Her head fit through the space fine, but it was her shoulders that obstructed her passing. She wriggled as much as she could until her upper body finally squeezed through. With a sigh of relief, she wormed her way over to the last obstacle and shimmied past.
“I’m through.”
“Can you see the vent?”
She looked ahead and saw the metal grating.
“Yeah, but it looks pretty sturdy, I don’t know whether I’ll be able to open it.”
“For fuck’s sake, it isn’t locked!”
Terry’s outburst echoed up the elevator shaft. As soon as the words left his mouth, the zombies were at the lift door once again.
“Shit.” He snapped as the pounding resumed. “Hurry!”
Amy tried to find Ben, but the darkness and complex pipeline restricted her view. She looked down at her wristwatch and found they only had three more minutes to escape. Her heart started to race.
“Ben?” she said, her eyes scouring the concealing gloom.
“What?”
His voice was close.
