The Dead War Series (Book 2): Desperate Times

by Simmons, D. N.

  “Fucking 9-1-1 is busy. How in the fuck is that number busy! No one is picking up!” the young man replied.

  “That's because I'm sure all of the dispatchers ran like hell. The fucking cops can't help us. I saw just a handful of those fucking things take out like twenty cops. The bullets didn't even affect them, they kept running towards the cops. That's when I got the fuck up out of there,” said Mr. Every-Man-For-Himself.

  David couldn't help himself, he had to ask. “Do you have any family?” He directed his question at the dubious gentleman.

  Mr. Every-Man-For-Himself shook his head. “Not anymore. My wife couldn't keep up, they got her.”

  “You left her?” David's wife, Lisa asked. The pitch in her voice rising an octave as she grimaced at the man in disgust.

  Mr. Mr. Every-Man-For-Himself, huffed. “Don't look at me like that. There was nothing I could do and I wasn't about to lay there and die with her.”

  David snorted, shaking his head. “Damn dude, you're all heart. Don't you even care that she's dead.”

  “Fuck you, asshole, of course I care! I wouldn't have wished what happened to her on my worst enemy. We weren't in a good place, she and I. Divorce was on the way, but still, I loved her,” the man said defensively.

  “Until death did you part,” David retorted.

  “David, stop,” his wife, Lisa cautioned, placing her hand on his chest.

  “Listen to your wife, David,” Mr. Every-Man-For-Himself warned. His nostrils flaring along with his heaving chest as his rage began to mount.

  A primal part of David wanted to rise to the challenge. It was out of character for him to even want to submit to something so savage. He wanted to brawl, to feel flesh under his knuckles as his fist made impact. He wanted to see blood pouring, to hear screams of pain and the very imagery sent chills down his spine. Why? Why did he feel that way? Was it because of their circumstances? Having been reduced to the most barbaric need for survival? He closed his eyes, breathing deeply to clear his mind.

  “I'm sorry, darling. You're right. I'm just wound so tight right now. I'm not thinking straight,” David said.

  “You're doing great. You've got us this far,” Lisa said, Leaning upward, she pressed her lips to David's. Their mouths parted and tongues explored as they shared this intimacy openly with strangers' eyes regarding them.

  David planted two kisses on his wife's forehead. “I won't be happy until we're away from those damn things out there. Maybe some military base or even the CDC.”

  “I think I see something!” a woman blurted out as she rose to her feet. “Yeah, I see a helicopter!” She began jumping up and waving her hands over her head.

  Instantly, the others joined her, careful not to make as much noise, but to use vigorous body movements to capture the attention of the pilot. All but one of them was jumping and waving arms. One person lay on the rooftop, eyes closed. That person caught David's eye and he studied the person harder, his eyes trying to focus without getting too close. He looked to see if there was any movement of the chest or diaphragm, he saw none.

  “Oh wait, I think that person is dead!” David shouted, trying to gain the attention of the others who were now yelling in their heightened excitement and waving the helicopter over. No one was paying him any attention as all of their focus was on the aircraft. He pulled on the shoulder of Mr. Every-Man-For-Himself, but was ignored as the man shrugged his hand off.

  The aircraft had noticed them as well as two other groups of people on different rooftops. One of the men traveling in the helicopter waved at them and made a hand motion for them to remain calm and stay put. With some relief that someone else knew they were there, the rooftop refugees begin to calm down.

  “Hey, listen to me, I think that guy is dead!” David yelled just as the man's eyes opened, black and lifeless. “Oh shit!” The only thing David could think of was to snatch up his son, grab his wife from the group and make his way to the rooftop door. The newly reanimated corpse rose from the tar-covered roof, lunging for the nearest person. It buried its face into the crook of the crystal-blue eyed woman's neck. She screamed as it bit hard, rearing its head back ripping out her throat. Blood gushed from the wound, alerting everyone to the very real and present danger. Screams erupted as everyone rushed towards the rooftop door. It all happened in a matter of seconds and David had found himself struggling with the barricade that was put in place at the bottom of the stairs. Thick metal workout bars were pressed against the door and several steps.

  He looked up in time to see a horde of panicked people charging towards him. He had two more bars to go and didn't think he'd be able to get them out of the way before he and his family were crushed by the crowd. Lisa held her son tightly in her arms and his little arms were wrapped around her neck for support. He was crying now, unable to be the good, brave boy his father wanted him to be. Not now, not with death looming so near. Even at five years old, he knew when shit was getting real.

  “Hurry!” Lisa pleaded.

  “Fuck! I'm trying,” David said, kicking the last bar out of his way.

  “Move!” yelled Mr. Every-Man-For-Himself, and he shoved David out the way, knocking him against his wife. She fell back against the crowd as more people pushed against her.

  “David!” Lisa screamed as something latched onto her arm.

  David shoved someone out of his way, the teenage boy as he fought towards his wife. Out the corner of his eye, he saw a zombie, the female who'd been worried about the door. She was now ripping into the chest cavity of middle-aged female. He knew he didn't have much time, if any to get his wife to safety. Pushing the last screamer out of his way, that was when he saw her, blood covering her trampled-over and broken body and face. Her eyes were empty as they stared forward, void of all that made her beautiful and alive. Her throat was being ripped apart by the once dead man who started it all. Blood still pumped out of the gaping wound like a tiny fountain as it sprouted over the zombie's face.

  David's heart leaped into his throat as his breath seized in his lungs. Desperately, his eyes searched for his son and found him by the bottom step near the corner. During the stampeding rush, his son had been crushed like a bug under so many pairs of heavy feet. He looked down at his five-year old child, noting the shredded skin, bruises already forming on the tender flesh. Blood seeped from numerous wounds and his head hung loosely at an awkward angle as he lay crumpled on the floor. David's heart sank like an anchor and his will to live evaporated like mist. Behind him, a hand reached out, grabbing his arm and pulling him through the door.

  “Come on, man, you can't help them,” said Mr. Nike-Track-Suit as he continued to drag a dazed David down the hall. “We have to get the hell out of here!”

  “I... I... can't...” David stammered. His legs started to feel like lead and every step he took was becoming more difficult.

  “I know, man, I saw. We have to keep moving and find a way to get out of here.”

  “No,” David said. He seemed to gather what was left of his wits about him and snatched his arm away.

  “You stay, you'll die!” the man warned.

  “What else do I have to live for?” David asked, shaking his head. His legs finally gave out from him as his body began to shake with the tears that poured from his eyes.

  The other man looked down the hall, knowing the monsters would be coming soon. He knew he couldn't waste any more time in the stranger, even if he felt sorry for him. “May God keep you,” he said before running off down the hallway toward the other stairwell.

  David barely acknowledged the man leaving him. He leaned his back against the wall, his sorrow erupting from him in a torrent of snot, slobber and tears. He heard the sound of a door opening and didn't bother to look up. He knew his death was inevitable and he welcomed it. Through the veil of tears, he saw two pairs of black boots standing near him, it forced him to look up at the two blond identical twins towering over him.

  “Have you been bitten?” one of them asked him, his s
oft Italian accent lacing each word just enough to be distinctive.

  David heard the words, but his mind wouldn't process their meaning. He stared upwards at them as if they were foreign... an enigma.

  The other twin reached down, snatching David up with astonishing ease. He leaned in, taking a deep sniff of the blood that was splattered over David's clothes. “It's not his,” he said. “He comes with us.”

  “Let me die,” David managed to plead as they began to drag him down the hallway.

  “Not a chance, we were looking for a veterinarian,” the first twin said. He looked at his brother. “Alexias, you take him back to the compound. I'll join you shortly. Just going to grab two more humans.”

  Alexias nodded and lifting David, he hoisted him over his shoulder.

  David pounded on his back, screaming in a rage. “Let me die!!! No! Lisa, oh God, No! No, no, no, Zach...” He began to cry so hard, he started to gag right before he vomited.

  “Fuck!” Alexias said, sliding David off his shoulder and letting him fall to his knees as he continued to purge onto the burgundy carpet.

  “Ugh, he got you.” Alexis pointed to the foul, slimy bile clinging to his twin's shirt.

  Alexias removed his shirt and tossed the garment to the floor. “Just go, I've got this one.”

  With a smirk, Alexis nodded, then left.

  “Are you done being disgusting?” Alexias asked David.

  David retched, but nothing else came up.

  “I guess so,” Alexias said, grabbing David by the back of his neck and lifting him to his feet. He took hold of David's chin and forced him to look at him. “I want you to sleep.”

  David stared into the man's eyes, as he did, he began to feel a darkness come over him. His body felt sluggish, exhausted and before he knew it, everything had gone dark as he slipped away into unconsciousness. Alexias once again, hoisted David over his shoulder and made his way down the hall. He opened the door seeing the zombies he and his brother killed, their heads completely severed from their bodies. He took note of the child and woman with the matching wedding ring on her finger the same as David's. He now knew why the man had a death wish. Well, that was going to have to wait, maybe indefinitely. He stepped over the bodies and made his way to the roof. Once outside, he took flight, heading back towards their stronghold.

  ~*~

  Alexis could hear the footsteps of over a dozen people running back up the stairs towards him, so he decided to wait to see which humans he was going to take with him. The lucky ones. From the sound of the screams coming from below, it would seem that the zombies were now inside the building and chasing the survivors. The screams became more deafening along with the snarls and hungry growls. Seconds passed and the footsteps approaching were fewer, soon he began to see four humans struggling to run up the last few flights of stairs. They rounded the corner and stopped when they saw him.

  “Got... a safe... place.... to hide?” one of the men asked, panting heavily.

  “In fact, I do, but I can only take two of you,” Alexis replied.

  “Move! Shit!” growled another man, shoving a female out of his way.

  “You asshole!” she cursed as she leaned against the wall, catching her breath and balance.

  The man labored as he climbed the last flight of stairs and stood directly in front of Alexis. “Take me. I've got money, I can pay you.”

  Alexis snorted. Money... as if he needed this human's money. Still, food was food and the human was strong and his blood smelled fresh pumping rapidly through his veins.

  “Please, take us all,” cried the female who had been shoved aside.

  They listened as the snarls from below started to sound closer along with the footsteps.

  “We have to keep running,” panted the female. She forced herself off the wall and holding onto the bannister, weakly climbed the last flight along with the other three. Alexis held the door open for them and when the last person walked past him, he pushed the door close, hard, jamming it shut in the frame. He didn't know how long that would hold, but it would be enough for him to make his decision.

  “Where's your apartment, can we hide there?” asked the female.

  Alexis looked her over, she was very attractive, young, and her mocha-colored complexion was enticing. “Follow me,” he said, leading them back towards the other stairwell.

  They walked past the decapitated dead bodies at the foot of the steps.

  “Oh no! That poor child,” the female gasped at the grisly sight. Her hand covering her mouth as tears flowed from her eyes.

  “Better that than gnawing at your ankles,” said the insensitive one in the three-piece suit.

  “God, do you even have a soul?” the female hissed.

  “What I have is a need to survive and I'm willing to do anything and everything to make sure that I do. Look around you, honey... this is war. We're staring death in the face at any given moment and I ain't going out without a fight,” the man replied.

  Alexis studied to two before interrupting. “Are you finished? I'd like to be away from this place before the next round of zombies figure out there's another stairwell.”

  The two nodded silently and followed him up to the roof.

  “Do you have a helicopter?” the female asked.

  “No,” Alexis answered. He opened the door and stepped out. The others right behind him. Everyone looked around seeing two decapitated corpses lying about. Their eyes journeyed back to Alexis and they really began to look at him and it was the first time any of them had noticed the sword he wore strapped to his back.

  “Did you do this?” One of the other men asked.

  “Yes,” Alexis replied.

  “How are we going to get out of here?” the female asked.

  “That's what I'm trying to figure out,” Alexis said. He was debating on taking them all and wondering if it'd be worth the trouble.

  Mr. Insensitive, also known as Mr. Every-Man-For-Himself huffed. “What the fuck do you mean, you're 'trying to figure it out'? You led us up here like you had some kind of fucking escape plan--”

  Alexis' hand tightened around the man's neck, cutting off his air supply and tirade. “I should rip out your fucking tongue and shove it down your throat!” he snarled.

  Alexis lifted the man off the roof, holding him a foot from the surface. The man's feet dangled and kicked as he struggled in the vampire's grip. With little effort, he walked over to the edge, holding the human over it. The man's eyes bulged in their sockets as tears leaked down the sides on his face. The other humans stood, mouths agape, too shocked to say anything at all about what they were seeing. The display of strength and malice took them completely by surprise.

  Alexis watched the fearful expression of the man he was holding and he smiled. “Do you see what I am capable of?”

  The man nodded.

  “Are you going to have the audacity to mouth off to me again?”

  The man shook his head. His face was turning blue by this time, his tongue protruding past his teeth.

  “Understand that you are beneath me. You don't question what I do, you obey.”

  The man's eyes squeezed shut, but he still managed to nod as much as Alexis' hand around his throat would allow.

  “Excellent.” With that Alexis tossed him toward the others. He landed with a hard thump, what little wind he had in him was immediately knocked out upon impact. He groaned as he rolled over onto all fours, coughing and gasping for fresh air. Alexis approached the four humans, looking down at the one still trying to regain his baring. “Get up.” he ordered.

  Keeping his mouth shut, the man rose to his feet. The color was slowly returning to his face as he wiped the tears from his cheeks and eyes. All four stood in front of him, their eyes glued to his face, just how he wanted them to be. He captured their minds with his powers, exerting his mental control over them.

  “Now, I'm going to fly you out of here. The four of you will wrap your arms around me as tightly as you can and don't
let go. Not until I tell you to and you will remain calm and quiet the entire time, do you understand?” Alexis asked.

  They nodded absently, remaining silent.

  “The female will ride in front,” Alexis said. His lips widened in a leering smile as she approached him. He pulled her close, lifting her up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. Under different circumstances, that position would have been more pleasing to him, but now was not the time. Next, one of the men climbed onto his back, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Alexis took hold of the other two men, the loudmouth and the leisurely dressed one. Once he felt they were secure enough, he took to the skies.

  Chapter Eight

  “Master, the lab is complete,” Madison said, giving Ovidius the update.

  Ovidius nodded as he looked out over the ledge of the roof down at the crowd of zombies surrounding their stronghold. “I'm not a religious man, Madison, but this scene does appear to be the beginning to the end of days.”

  “When the dead walk the earth? Wouldn't we have a monopoly on that?” Madison asked, her gaze on the zombies as well.

  “I've never considered what we are truly dead. Our souls and are bodies are one. Blood ignites us, warms us, fills us. Our hearts—however slowly—still beat. There are no souls left in those things down there, only hunger. Mindless, raging, unending hunger. There is no reasoning with them, no mercy that they can show, no passion that they can express. They are empty beasts, true monsters.” Ovidius stared forward, transfixed by the zombies scratching at the thick metal of the trailers, trying to get in. The barrier was strong, stronger than their combined effort. And even if they somehow managed to break through the trailers--which Ovidius hoped would never happen—they would find it impossible to penetrate the building itself. Of that, he was certain.

  “Master, are you all right? I can't recall the last time I'd seen you this... introspective, I suppose,” Madison asked. Her brows were furrowed as she studied her maker. A slight frown marred her pretty face.