"Run," Theo muttered to the girls. Theo swung his crowbar at the leader, but the leader sidestepped him, and grabbed the back of Theo's shirt, throwing him down to the ground.
The other two masked men drew their weapons on the ladies. "Don't you move!" Shorty yelled.
Tall guy lifted Theo back to his feet, "That was a really stupid move, you know that, right?"
Like a scolded child, Theo nodded slightly. Tall guy punched Theo in the mouth, splitting Theo's bottom lip. Theo wound back, preparing to throw a punch of his own when everything just went black. The last thing that Theo remembered was a sharp pain on the back of his skull and hearing Erica's faint screams.
Chapter 18
Theo awoke on hard, cold, concrete. His head was awash in pain. Every time Theo moved, his skull ached. He opened his eyes to try and see his surroundings, but his vision was blurry. His mouth was dry, but he tasted blood. Theo tried to call out for Erica, but he couldn't say a word. He wasn't outside anymore, he knew that much. If he were, he would have been devoured by the corpses.
"Maybe I am one of them now," He thought to himself. "Is this how the rotters 'live?'"
Theo moved his hands, touching the concrete, it was painted cement, like that of a basement floor; he was in a house, but where? Theo was having a difficult time remembering much of anything. At that moment, all Theo knew was that his head was screaming in agony.
"Don't do anything stupid, Theo." But he did just that, trying to stand up. All Theo could muster was lifting his right shoulder up from the ground. As soon as he did so, his head began to throb. "Dummy."
It was quiet in the room. Theo couldn't hear anything at all. Even the sounds of the rotters were absent. Theo then drifted back into unconsciousness. Theo was back at the house in his old neighborhood standing inside the kitchen. Erica, Macey, and Silvia were all huddled together on the living room floor, hunched over. Theo didn't know what they were doing there, so he inched closer to three of them. Erica's head shot up, her eyes were bleach white, and the flesh around her mouth had been eaten away. Erica had a mouthful of bloody flesh, as did Macey and Silvia. Theo looked down and saw that they were eating a body. Theo looked closer and saw that it was him being eaten.
Erica smiled at Theo, her mouth was full of blood and chunks of skin and meat. "Come on Theo, have some."
Macey tore into a section of the dead Theo's neck. The wound in his throat sprayed her face with blood. "Yeah Theo, dig in!" She said to the living Theo. The entire right side of Macey's jaw was exposed, and the skin on her fingers had been eaten away.
"What's wrong Theo? Aren't you hungry?" Silvia asked, looking up from her meal. Silvia's skin was a light green hue. Most of her teeth had been broken away at the gums.
"N-N-No thanks, I'm not-" Theo tried to reply.
Then the carcass the girls were tearing into and eating sat up from the living room floor. For Theo, it was like staring at his reflection, only this version of Theo had his sunglasses on.
"Eat up!" The dead version of Theo shouted.
The Theo that was standing there mortified spun around and tried to run from the home. Mel, Mike, Joanie, and Thomas were standing right in front of him, only they weren't the undead, they were normal.
Theo didn't know what to say to them. A timid, "Hi guys," Was all he could muster.
His friends didn't say anything, they looked Theo up and down, and they pushed him backward, right into the undead Erica, Macey, and Silvia. Erica went right for Theo's jugular while Silvie and Macey bit down into both of Theo's arms. Theo tried to wrest free from their grasp, but every time he moved, the girls just clamped down on his throat and arms that much harder.
The sound of a door being opened and footsteps on wooden stairs roused Theo, his eyes darted open and he tried to look around the room. He heard some type of yelling, but he couldn't decipher what was being shouted. Sounded like instructions of some type.
"Get down!" Or. "Stay put!" Or something like that. Theo didn't try to lift his head. Theo quickly shut his eyes and laid there perfectly motionless. His head still hurt too much to even think about moving. He drifted back off into nothingness, hoping he wouldn't dream this time.
Theo opened his eyes, his vision wasn't blurry anymore. He was greeted by cobweb filled floor planks, right then he realized that he was indeed in a basement. Theo tried to sit up, but the pain came rushing back to his head.
"Oh son of a bitch," He managed to spit out. "Where in the hell am I?"
"The floor," Was the response.
"Erica? Is that you?"
"No. Sorry."
"Who are you?"
"My name's Alan, what's yours?"
"Theo." Theo began to remember what happened, and how he wound up on the floor. "Are you one of those masked scumbags?"
"No, not at all. They stuck me down here too."
Theo extended his hands, "Hey Alan, you think you could help me up?"
"Sure."
Alan grabbed Theo's hands and pulled Theo up to his feet. Theo almost fell backward, but Alan stopped him. Theo was woozy and felt as though he would collapse at any second. Theo's vision had returned all the way. He looked at Alan; Alan was a short guy wearing a navy blue jacket, khakis, a skull cap, and eyeglasses that he constantly adjusted.
"Whoa, you okay there?" Alan asked.
"Not really," Theo answered. Theo turned around, "How's the back of my head? It hurts. Bad."
Alan examined the back of Theo's head, brushing aside the flakes of dried blood. "Well there's a small cut, but it's healing up nicely."
"Really? It's not infected or anything?"
"Well I'm no doctor, but it doesn't look like it. Man, those guys must've hit you hard."
Theo looked around the room, he and Alan were trapped inside an empty basement after all. They were surrounded by plain white walls and a gray floor, nothing else. No furniture or appliances whatsoever.
"Damn, how long was I out?" Theo asked.
"You were out cold when they tossed me down here. I've been here for at least a day."
Theo hobbled over to the basement steps and sat down, putting his head in his hands. "You wouldn't happen to have a Tylenol or anything like that would you?"
Alan chuckled. "Ironically enough, I just picked up a bottle, but it's in my pack upstairs."
"And those fuckers took your pack I'm guessing."
"Yep."
"Great." Theo listened for any noises coming from the upstairs, but he heard nothing. "Alan, have you heard anything going on up there?"
"I did hear some footsteps earlier this morning, sounded kind of frantic actually. Lots of running. I did hear something that sounded like a gunshot too. But it was pretty muffled."
"I wonder if my friends are up there. Did you see anyone when they brought you in?"
Alan shook his head. "No, sorry Theo. They brought me in through that door up there anyway." Alan was pointing up the basement steps at the back door to the home which was bolted shut at the top and bottom. Beside it was a tall wooden door, Theo assumed it was the door that led to the upstairs.
"What happened to you?" Theo asked. "How did you run into those pricks?"
"I was on my way back home with some supplies when I cut through a few backyards and I ran into all three of them. They jumped me and took my pack."
"You live around here?" Theo asked.
"Yeah, about five or six blocks. What about you, Theo? How did you and your group get caught?"
"We were driving along some side street. A bunch of those rotters were chasing us and I got all turned around trying to lose them. We drove down a booby-trapped street."
"Yeah, those masked guys do that."
"Do what?"
"They've been doing this since it all began really. I'm pretty sure that they trap people and take their supplies, and then turn them loose with no supplies or weaponry. I tried to avoid them whenever possible."
"I guess your number finally got called the other day huh?"
&nbs
p; "Looks like it. You said you were driving somewhere with your group? Where were you guys headed?"
"Trying to get to the River Rouge. I dunno if it was a good idea or not, but we had this plan that we could get on the river somehow."
Alan rubbed his chin, thinking about it. "Might not be a bad idea after all. I haven't been by the water in a long time, so I don't know what it's like there."
Theo got up and began walking around the basement. The windows were small rectangular glass block windows, making it difficult to see outside. Theo reached up trying to pry a block free, but he wasn't having any luck. "I got an idea," he said to Alan.
"What's up?"
"I'll give you a boost, you see if you can pry some of these blocks free and we can get out of here, and I can try and help out my friends."
Alan examined the windows, "Oh man Theo, I don't think that'll work. Neither one of us can fit through those holes."
"Shit."
Theo walked around the basement, searching high and low for anything that he could use as a weapon. There was nothing but an empty room.
"What are you looking for?" Alan asked.
"Something to defend ourselves with."
"There's nothing," Alan's tone was solemn.
"Dammit. We've gotta get out of here. I've got to help my friends."
"Theo, even if we made it out of here, those guys are armed to the teeth. That tall one, he had an AK-47 on him."
Theo scoffed. "Maybe we can beat them to death with our boots."
"They're keeping us alive for a reason. I mean, they could have offed the both of us by now."
Theo's head began to hurt once more. He sat back down on the steps. Alan sat down on the floor across from Theo. Theo could see the sun start to set outside, he watched and wondered what was happening with the girls. If they were okay or even alive.
The basement door swung open, tall guy and short guy were standing on the top step. The two of them had changed out of their camo jumpsuits. Tall guy wore a light gray jacket and blue jeans while short guy had on olive fatigues, jungle boots, and a plain white t-shirt. Both of them were still wearing their ski masks, however.
"What the hell are you guys going to do with us?" Theo asked the two captors.
"Hey, we're in control here asshole," Shorty replied.
"Where are my friends?" Theo demanded to know. "Are they still alive?"
Shorty brought his hunting rifle up to his face, "What did we just tell you!" He shouted down the steps to Theo.
Tall guy pushed shorty's gun down, "Ryan, calm down."
"No names!" Ryan shouted back.
"Too late now, Ryan," Theo said.
Tall guy looked at Theo. "Relax, the girls are okay. We haven't hurt them or anything."
"That tall brunette sure is a feisty one though," Ryan said, referring to Erica.
Right then, Theo wanted to charge up the steps and beat the piss out of Ryan. But he knew better.
"Just let us go," Alan said. "You got our things, just let us leave. We'll never come back."
The two masked men chuckled and laughed at Theo and Alan. "You're gonna do whatever we tell you to do, got that?" Ryan barked at them.
"You know, what's with the fucking ski masks? I mean seriously. What the fuck are you guys? Terrorists or something?" Theo said. "If you let us go, what are we gonna do? Run to the nearest sketch artists? Give it up."
Alan turned to Theo, "Theo, instigating things with them, not a good idea."
"Listen to your little buddy there Theo," Tall guy said. He brought his AK from around his shoulders and aimed it at Theo and Alan. "Now, you two put your hands up, and walk up these steps, slowly."
Theo and Alan did as they were told. Ryan and Tall guy pushed the two of them into the kitchen. Sitting on the kitchen table was all of their gear spread out. Theo saw his crowbar resting beside Erica and Silvia's pistols. The two captors pushed Alan and Theo into the living room area. The front windows were heavily boarded as was the front door. Sitting atop a plastic milk crate was a large gas powered lantern. And sitting on a ratty old couch up against the far wall, all huddled together was Erica, Macey, and Silvia.
The two captors forced Theo and Alan down to the floor. "Stay here, and shut the fuck up," Tall guy ordered them. He and Ryan walked out of the living room and into a room that was down the hall, slamming the door behind them.
Theo went right over to the girls, "Are you all okay? Did those fuckers hurt you?"
"We're fine," Erica replied. "They tried, but we fought them off. That short little shithead has it for Macey, bad."
Theo looked at Macey who nodded nervously. "There were three of them, what happened to that quiet guy? You know, the one with the pistol?" Theo asked.
"I think he got bit," Silvia replied.
"Yeah they let some other people go, and a few hours later, those people came back looking for retribution. There was a scuffle, and that guy got bit I guess," Erica said. "I think it happened out in the backyard."
"Serves them right," Macey whispered.
Theo turned to Alan, "Guys, this is Alan. Alan, this is Erica, Silvie, and Macey."
Alan waved at the girls, "Hello."
"Kinda weird giving formal introductions, I know," Theo said.
The five of them could hear their captors down the hall, it sounded like they were arguing. The group could hear their voices getting louder and louder.
"I don't like the sound of that," Alan muttered.
"Screw this, let's get the hell out of here," Theo said. "Our stuff's right in the next room. We grab our weapons and make a run for it."
Everyone agreed, but just as the girls were getting up from the couch, the door at the end of the hallway swung open and Ryan and the Tall Guy emerged. They both had their ski masks off.
"Well I see you guys took my advice," Theo quipped.
Ryan looked just like Theo expected; little brown beady eyes, a thinning mustache, and short dark brown hair. The tall man had a thick head of auburn hair and green eyes and a long face.
Tall guy spoke first, "Okay, here's the deal. We were going to let you all go."
"Good," Erica replied.
"Not so fast, I said 'were' we 'were' going to let you go."
"And now you're not?" Theo asked.
"Nope," Ryan replied.
"So what are you going to do with us?"
"Kill you," Tall man replied matter- of- factly. "See, after that last little incident with the other people, and us losing our friend Tim to the dead creatures, we can't risk letting you five go back out into the world. You might come back with some reinforcements."
Alan tried desperately to reason with the captors, "No we won't, we swear."
Tall guy shook his head at Alan, "Too risky."
"Yeah, we're taking you all out. All except blondie over there," Ryan said, pointing to a trembling Macey on the couch. "We're keeping her around."
"No, please!" Macey cried.
Ryan and Tall guy raised their guns and aimed their rifles at the group. There was nothing more for Theo to do but close his eyes and wait for the inevitable. After all they had been through, this was how it was going to end; in some crappy living room while being held hostage by two assholes.
Alan, however, was not ready to go out so easily. He reached out and grabbed the lantern and flung it as hard as he possibly could at the two captors. The lantern hit tall guy's midsection, shattering and setting his jacket ablaze. Alan leaped from the floor and rushed towards the two captors. Before Theo could assist, Erica was already up from the couch, tackling Ryan to the ground, and punching him in the face furiously.
Theo and Silvia popped up and pulled Erica off of Ryan. Erica snatched Ryan's rifle up from the floor and ordered Ryan back to his feet. Alan had picked up Tall guy's AK as well. Theo, Silvia, and Macey ran out of the room and into the kitchen to gather up their things.
"You scumbags," Erica said to the two captors. "How could you do this to people?"
Tal
l guy just stood there staring at the ground like he was some kind of scalded dog. Ryan smirked at Erica, "Fuckin bitch," He said under his breath.
"What was that you little shit?" Erica asked.
"You heard me."
Tall guy glanced over at Ryan, "Ryan, just let it go, man. They got us. It's over."
"No, screw them," Ryan answered. "I'm not gonna let some broad take my gun and our stuff."
"Just let them get their things and they'll be gone."
"Not so tough now?" Theo asked the two captors from the kitchen.
"Oh yeah, big badass now that the tables have turned huh?" Ryan asked.
"Damn straight!" Theo yelled back.
Ryan looked at Erica once more, "Damn shame. I wanted your little blonde friend. She would have-"
Erica fired the rifle, hitting Ryan right in the middle of his forehead. The back of Ryan's skull splattered on the wall behind him. Tall guy cowered to the ground and covered his head.
"Please don't! I'm sorry. You guys just get out of here!"
Theo popped his head around the corner and looked at Ryan's lifeless body splayed out on the living room carpet, "You do not mess around Erica, do you?"
"Fuck him," Erica replied. "I should have shot him in the gut, or in the neck and watched him turn into one of the rotters just so I could kill him twice."
Theo didn't say a word, he returned back to the kitchen to finish gathering the last of the groups' supplies.
Alan kept the AK fixed on Tall guy. "Now, we're going to leave, are you going to try anything stupid?"
Tall man shook his head, "N-no," He stammered. "Just go."
"We're keeping your guns. See how you like it," Erica replied. "Ryan over here won't be needing his anyhow."
"Guys, we've got everything, let's get a move on," Silvia said from inside the kitchen.
The five of them ran out of the house and into the backyard. Leaving Tall Guy all by his lonesome in the living room. As soon as they set foot outside, they were greeted by a rotter; it was the third captor. He was tied up to the clothesline in the backyard by his neck. No longer wearing his black mask but still in his camo jumpsuit, his mouth was full of red viscous blood. The dead thing rushed towards the group, but the rope yanked him back.
Urban Decay Page 17
