“Zora are you okay,” I asked looking at her arm.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Zora said as she jerked her arm away from me.
I could see the concerned look in her eyes as I grabbed her arm and brought it closer to me. I lifted her sleeve and saw a bite mark swollen with blood on her right arm.
I looked at Zora and she began explain why.
“When we were standing off against those suits and the box shattered, one of things got too close to before I realized it. I didn’t want to say anything because I knew you would worry.”
“Zora, why didn’t you just run? You know I can’t defend this world without you, I need you with us,” I said while tears began run down my eyes.
“I’m so sorry Atlas. You are just going to have to continue without me. I will fight alongside you guys until I feel the turn. But once I do start to feel it I want you to put a bullet in my brain.”
I hear a gunshot come from a far distance and the glass shattered on a car that was parked next to us. We ran to the other side of the car and ducked behind it.
I looked at the group and asked, “Did anyone see who in the hell that was?”
They were all searching around looking at the top of buildings and couldn’t see any person.
Mark, Riley, Chase and Justin appear behind us out of breath and exhausted. I look at Mark and see a terrified look on his face.
“What happened over there,” I asked as he caught his breath.
“Your nieces weren’t in there. It was an ambush. There are lines of soldiers walking from that building heading this way. There was nothing there.”
“Okay. We need to get out of here before they get too close.”
Zora grabbed my arm to get my attention.
“I will lead them away from you guys. As soon as I get near them you make a run for the garage.”
Mark stood next to Zora and asked, “What are you talking about? We all need to get home.”
Zora looked at Mark and raised her sleeve for the bite mark to be shown.
“I’m not going to make it back home. I’ve done all I can in this world and the last thing I want to do before I’m completely gone is make sure you guys make it home. Atlas, I need you to do something for me.”
I look at Zora and I see her beginning to cry. I can honestly say I have never seen this strong woman cry before in the entire time I’ve known her. She was one of the strongest women I have ever known and she never shed a tear. She pulled a small box out of her pocket and placed it in my hand.
“I bought this for Piper six months ago. I was going to take her to Niagara Falls and propose to her on a Friday and we get married on a Sunday. Piper always wanted to get married on a Sunday in a big church. I was going to ask all of you guys to go with us to be our witnesses and Atlas was going to be my best man. I won’t be able to have that chance now. Can you please tell her she was the last thing on my mind before I leave.”
We all gathered around her and placed a huddled hug.
“I love you guys so much and I’m going to miss you. Riley, I know we just met and I know you’re a decent guy so please help protect the Z.E.D.S. as we have protected you.”
Although Riley hadn’t known Zora as long as the rest of us I could see sadness in his eyes. I placed the box in my pocket and gripped my gun. She stood to her feet with her head held high and her gun gripped tight. Her war scream was of similarity to Davy Crocket in The Alamo. It will be something written down in a history book if one will seem to be created when this is over. Zora ran towards the military personnel and began shooting. The rest of the group ran down the alley way behind us and I stayed to watch Zora fight her final battle. Some of them fell before she had fallen herself. She used her gun until the last bullet exited her barrel. I placed bullets into the soldiers the closer they got to her but I couldn’t stop them from taking her life. Before she fell I could hear her scream one final time.
“I hope you all burn in Hell!”
Bullet after bullet entered and exited her body while her gun slipped from her grip. Zora pulled her handgun from her side and fired more shots before another bullet rendered her incapable of firing another time. Zora fell to her knees and her handgun hit the pavement. I don’t know if it was the sight of my friend dying or if it actually happened but the entire time she fought it was in slow motion. She turned her head and smiled at me before the last bullet to ever be fired towards her entered her skull and exited the back. Her entire body went limp and she fell backwards onto the road. I had one last grenade left attached to my belt so I pulled the pin and tossed it into the crowd. I turned around and started running towards the alley way as the grenade went off. I caught up to the rest of the group and we ran to the main road across from the parking garage. We stopped at the edge of a building to survey the area.
“Mark, Chase and Brock will run first. As soon as you give the signal on the other side Riley, Justin and Shaun will run behind you. I’m going to cover you guys until you get there and I’ll trail behind you.”
Mark, Chase and Brock peeked around the corner of the building and sprinted across the road. They stationed at the entrance of the garage and motioned for the others to join. Riley ran first as Justin trailed behind him. Shaun was a couple of feet behind Justin when gun fire appeared on us. Shaun fell to the ground as a bullet entered his leg.
“Shaun,” I yelled as he grabbed his leg on the ground.
I began firing towards an enemy that I could not see. The others began looking around for the gunman and shooting in the direction where the bullet came from. I ran to Shaun and kneeled in front of him incase another bullet tries to journey towards him.
“Can you run,” I asked as he gripped his leg.
“Yea, just help me up,” Shaun replied with pain in his voice.
I helped Shaun to his feet and placed his arm around my shoulders. The others were still shooting the wind as we tried to make it to the garage. Another gun shot came from the distance and a sharp pain entered my side. We fell to the ground and blood began to flow from the entry wound.
I saw Mark and Brock run to aid us and I yelled, “Get Shaun out of here. I’ll cover you!”
I started shooting towards an unknown direction until I see a slight glare come from a three story window. My gun pointed to the gunmen and I began shooting to block his vision of Mark and Brock grabbing Shaun off of the road. I place my hand on the pavement and raise myself to my feet while reloading my gun. Before I placed the clip into my gun there was a final gun shot. The force of the bullet took me back to my knees and I placed my hands on my chest. The blood was oozing through my fingers and I could hear my team screaming from the garage.
“Atlas!”
My name being shouted in the terrifying voices that came from my team frightened me. I couldn’t handle that sound again. At that moment I thought it was going to be the last time I heard my name. My knees hit the asphalt and I felt someone catch me before I hit the ground. I saw my team covering for whoever was dragging me across the road. I was laid down on the floor of the garage when I could hear Chase yelling.
“Atlas! Hang in there. We will get you out of here. Stay with us.”
Brock ran up beside me and gripped my hand, “You’re not dying here today Atlas. Not here and not now.”
An unfamiliar face appeared in my sights of a woman with brown hair. I couldn’t tell who she was or why she was here but she kept trying to talk to me.
“Stay with me Atlas. Stay with me.”
I tried to find something to focus on instead of fading into the darkness but I couldn’t. The buildings were disappearing and Brock’s grip seemed to fade. I look beside me and I see another woman slicing zombies with a long sword. She was blurry with her movements but I noticed she was there. The other woman trying to save me moved my head to her and was trying to talk to me but I couldn’t hear anything. Before the darkness completely settled in I looked to the street. Logan was standing in the middle of the road staring at me. He was
trying to say something to me. His lips were moving but no sound. Then as I slipped completely into the darkness I hear one last remark before I went.
“Not yet Atlas. Not yet.”
This isn’t the end for me
My vision was still blurry but the darkness still had a grip on me. A loud beeping sound surrounded my hearing along with footsteps and distant chatter. I could remember my thoughts from the moments that passed before I fought for the light. Was this it? Was I going to be stuck here for the rest of the days hearing people around but unable to speak? The machines I was hooked up to be my only friend that I understood what was actually going on? I was terrified lying in a bed not knowing where I was or what was going to happen. Before I lost hope of ever returning my eyes opened and the lights from the ceiling shined down on me. I looked all around me and I saw a figure of a woman looking at my machines. She was the same woman who had shown up during my untimely death on the road. Her hand was resting on my bed rail tapping away as she studied my vitals. I found it in me to move my arm and grabbed her hand. As my fingers brushed up against her flesh she looked down at me and smiled.
“Well good morning Atlas. I’m glad to see you are awake. You gave us quite a scare for a couple days. Your friends said you were strong so I knew you would pull through.”
I pointed to my throat trying to signal her for water. She understood what I was trying to tell her so she placed a straw in my mouth attached to a small pink cup. As the cold water slid down my throat I felt my body welcome the guest liquid.
“Let me go get your friends. They haven’t left since we brought you in.”
She placed the cup down on the table and walked out of the room. My hearing isn’t where it should be, but I know I heard her say a couple of days. How long had I been in this bed I wondered? Did Aurora or anyone at home know what had happened? I was scarred for everyone because I haven’t been able to do what I am supposed to do.
Brock, Chase and Shaun ran in the room followed by Mark and Riley. They all had big smiles on their faces. Shaun ran up next to me and gripped my hand.
“Dammit brother, don’t you ever do that to us again. Next time I get shot in the leg on the street just let my ass get up myself.”
I cleared my throat before my raspy voice was shown.
“How is everyone? How long have I been here? Does Watch Tower know?”
Mark walked to the other side of my bed and explained what has happened.
“Take it easy Atlas. Justin went back to Watch Tower yesterday to explain to everyone what happened.”
I rose up in my bed worried,
“Justin went alone? Why did he go alone?”
Mark knowing I was terrified replied, “He didn’t go alone. Mara went with him.”
Confused with the name I asked, “Who is Mara?”
Brock standing at the doorway replied, “Mara was one of the people who showed up with Amelia and helped us. She’s a skilled woman with a blade.”
Still confused with the names I ask, “Whose Amelia?”
The doctor walked in and replied, “I am Amelia. You were almost gone when Mara and I found you guys. We were out looking for my supplies to go into the hospital when we heard all kinds of screams and gunfire. She knew you guys needed help so we ran to you.”
I looked at the doctor and asked, “I’m at an actual hospital? What hospital?”
Amelia smiled and replied, “You are at the University of Louisville hospital.”
With astonishment I asked, “You guys are still operational? How is that possible?”
Amelia stood next to my IV pole and explained, “When the infection started we were almost over run. We had patients dying on every floor and coming back to life. We even had people trying to steal medicine and supplies from us. Most of the other doctors either ran away were killed by the zombies or the virus itself while the others just took their own lives. We went completely under infection protocol. Almost like what the CDC would do in an event like this. The doors shut and luckily Mara was here to help us. She took care of most of the looters and the roamers before it became completely out of hand,”
The guys were looking at me smiling from ear to ear and I didn’t know why.
“What is it guys? Why are you so happy?”
Brock replied, “We have a surprise for you. Riley go ahead.”
Riley walked outside the room for a moment and what he showed me when he came back made my heart beat so fast I thought I was having a heart attack. In each hand he had my nieces’ hands standing next to him.
“Uncle Atlas,” they yelled running to my bed.
They jumped into my arms and I hugged them tightly. My beautiful nieces were with me safe and sound.
“How did you guys find them?”
Shaun pointed to Amelia and said, “Amelia had them here since the beginning.”
Amelia began to explain, “I saw a yellow bus going towards the buildings close to where we found you guys. The driver of the bus was feasting on young kids when Mara and I showed up. We only saved a handful of them and your nieces were two of the eighteen we were able to bring here. They kept mentioning their home back in Tompkinsville and how their dad and Uncle Atlas were going to come and get them. Then when I heard your name on the street the other day I knew it wasn’t a coincidence that you had the same name as the uncle they always talked about. So once you were stable enough I mentioned to your friends here about these two girls and they said that’s who you guys were looking for.”
I began to cry as they hugged me tightly.
“Thank you Amelia. Thank you so much.”
As I laid there in bed I kept picturing the man in the building. I kept thinking about how he should have instantly died when Shaun’s bullet entered his skull but he didn’t. He laughed.
“Hey doc, can you please take my nieces in another room for a minute? I’d like to put some clothes on.”
Amelia smiled and said, “I don’t recommend you moving too much but from what I’ve heard when someone tells you not to do something they might as well be talking to a brick wall. Come on girls, let’s go see if my stash of ice cream hasn’t been touched.”
“Thanks doc.”
Amelia exited the room with my nieces and I knew my team and I had to talk about what Shaun and I had seen.
“I don’t know if Shaun filled you guys in on what happened in that building but something isn’t right.”
Mark walked over to the door and closed it the rest of the way making sure no one could hear us,
“Shaun told us what happened. We honestly don’t know how to explain it either. We are messing with an entire different level of supernatural here. No matter what happens when you deactivate a brain the body doesn’t move. That’s how it is supposed to be.”
“I don’t know how to explain it either guys. That was one of the scariest things I have ever encountered. I don’t think we can blame it on the virus because we’ve seen what the virus does. It reanimates people to be roaming cannibals. It doesn’t allow them to survive a point blank shot to the brain.”
I stood off of the bed and began getting dressed.
“There is something not right about all of this. The general we took out at the crossroads base camp told me we are being targeted. Specifically the Z.E.D.S. are being targeted. The unnatural man in the building said we are supposed to die with the rest of the world and now that we are going to everything is going as planned. I don’t know why they are specifically after us and frankly the asshole wouldn’t give me a straight answer.”
I reached into my pocket and grabbed the flash drive.
“This right here will explain a lot of things for us. There is footage on here that has no business being in anyone’s hands and it has complete profiles on each of us. We need to access the entire file and figure out what is truly going on.”
Brock stood there wondering what we were going to do.
“When we get home and look at what all is on this flash drive what then? What ca
n we possibly do with this to make the world right again?”
I stood there pulling all of the wires off of my body and unhooking my IV.
“I don’t know exactly what we are going to do, but it is a head start on something much bigger than what we have tried to understand. With this we may have a better shot at surviving this.”
Amelia knocked on the door and poked her head in.
“Are you decent? They wanted to come back as soon as we ate the ice cream.”
I smiled as I waved them in.
“We don’t speak of this until we get back,” I whispered to the team.
Amelia walked to me and asked, “So I guess me saying you need to rest a couple of more days isn’t going to do any good is it?”
I finished placing my holster to my belt and replied, “I have to get back home. I have important people waiting on me. I’d ask for you to come but I know you have important things to do here.”
Amelia smiled and said, “I have too much work to do here and a lot of people to take care of. If something was to happen where I need to find you I’ll make sure to find you.”
Mark walked over to Amelia and handed her map.
“If anything were to happen where you needed to find us, here is our safe house. This map will lead you straight to us.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure and miss you the most Mark.”
Amelia places a kiss on Mark and I look away astonished.
“I must have missed something when I was unconscious.”
Amelia handed me a duffle bag from the side of the room.
“Here are some bandages, antibiotics and other things to keep your wounds clean. Make sure you tell Mara I’m going to miss her being around.”
I grabbed the duffle bag and handed it to Shaun.
“We will check in with you from time to time. We will find out a way to establish communications with you in case you ever need us.”
“Don’t worry about us. We will be fine. Don’t be strangers though. I enjoyed having you guys around.”
Z.E.D.S. Series (Book 1): Z.E.D.S. Rising Page 12
