“Get the fuck back!” Trinity shouted as she pulled back on the trigger once again. The bullet sailed a long through the air rushing past a jagged tooth old woman, who had two gold teeth in the very back of her mouth, which you could easily see due to the bloody hole on the left side of her face, from where the flesh was torn off. It continued past a blonde haired man, who’s body was laying in the middle of the hallway. Stomach ripped open by the frantic hands that were rushing in and out of him, some coming up with dark bloody organs, others just ripping away more flesh with every pull. The bullet continued through the madness till it found it’s mark, right in the middle of Kurt’s head. His body flew back into the wall and finally after three shots he was down for good. Head shots, just like the movies Trinity made a mental note of that as she started backing up.
“Trinity.” Christian said. Waves of black twisted through the air as she turned to look at him. It was for only a moment but there was an unspoken sense of relief.
“This way!” Trinity shouted and she sprinted through the service doorway. Christian’s eyes followed her till she was gone, then all he could see was the gray dead glares that fell upon him from the mob.
“Fuck,” Christian said softly. He took off running for the service door, he wasn’t sure if it was just they’re need to devour or they understood Christian’s plan of escape, but they began sprinting as well. Both racing towards the open doorway. Christian only a foot closer than the pack. He ran through the threshold and Trinity slammed the door only to have it barred from closing by a bloody brown arm. Trinity’s back was rested on the door and she did her best to hold the door in place, digging the heels of her bare feet into the floor.
“Christian!” She shouted and Christian turned, he sent one kick into the door and they heard the bones crack in the arm. Another kick, followed by another, and then with on leap he slammed his shoulder into the door severing the arm at the elbow of the monster. The door clicked shut and the pack began banging on the metal. Christian and Trinity sat on the floor at the base of the door. Their backs pressed against the cool metal, staring down at the severed arm. “Enjoying the party?” Trinity asked softly. Christian turned to look at her and he smiled,
“I’m having a blast. Party of the year.” He said. The two started laughing and Trinity rested her head on the door. “What are you doing here?” Christian asked.
“Saving your ass, what does it look like?” Trinity said with a smile. Christian nodded and looked at the door, Trinity looked over and rolled her eyes, “That wasn’t my fault, some idiot let those things into the stairwell.” Christian’s eyes quickly went towards the severed arm once again. “We got to get Hector and Vince.” Trinity said as she walked over towards the trash can that held the elevator doors open. “You guys alright?” She asked into the darkness.
“Hector’s okay?” Christian asked. Trinity looked over at Christian and sighed,
“He’s gonna be okay, as long as we get out of here.” Trinity replied.
“Did you get the rope?” Vince shouted.
“What’s wrong with Hector?” Christian asked.
“He got bit.” Trinity replied.
“Did you get the rope?” Vince shouted.
“When?” Christian asked.
“At the party, but he’s strong.” Trinity said. Christian shook his head, “We’ll get him to the hospital and-“
“There’s no cure for what they got.” Christian said softly.
“Did you get the fucking rope!” Vince shouted. He stood staring up at the light that poked through the crack of the elevator doors. The battery in the flash light was dead and Vince was surrounded by a cold, suffocating darkness. The doors pushed open and the light got brighter. He could see Christian and Trinity staring down into the darkness at him. “You found your boyfriend, I’m so fucking happy for you. Now the rope!” Vince shouted.
“We’re gonna tie some sheets together and pull you guys up okay?” Trinity said. The elevator shaft echoed with her voice and Vince’s head turned towards the edge of the elevator. He nodded and looked back up from the darkness as he said,
“Okay.”
Chapter 10
“A terrorist attack! “
“This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening!”
“Has someone called the police? Does the President know? I’m gonna tweet him.”
“The phones are down.”
“Fuck the phone. The wi-fi is down!”
Neil stood among the screams, the questions and for the first time in the past year, he longed for the quiet of space. Before they were running for their lives, trying to avoid a zombie captain, it was quiet and beautiful. Earth was never quiet, because it was filled with people and at their core, people were far from beautiful.
“Everyone calm down.” Neil said. Yet, the crowd continued to scream and shout, each voice trying their hardest to drown out the last. The gun went up and Neil pulled back on his trigger and sent a bullet flying into the air. White dust slowly danced down around him from the bullet hole above, it was like the sweet winter Austin always wished for but never received. “I said shut the hell up!” Neil shouted. He looked around at the shocked faces and then shoved his gun back into his waistband. The floor was now his. Not another word was said and no eyes dared break away from him. “A virus has be unleashed on this hotel. One far more deadly than anything we’ve seen before.” The hallway grew extremely quiet. Enough that the guest could hear the screeching and moaning coming from Neil’s room. His eyes darted towards the open door, where Jeremy stood.
“So what the fucks going on in there then?” A large man in a tight white tank top asked. He stood well over six feet tall with dark black tattoos that ran along his deep brown skin. He hung most of his upper body over a small pretty dark haired Asian woman. His arms crossed over her and drowned her soft fair cream color within them.
“Yeah, there’s been screaming coming from over there all day and I’m not talking the good kind.” The woman said.
“Well Ms.-“
“Oh, her name is Mrs. None of your Goddamn business white boy.” The man said with a grin. The woman laughed and kissed the man’s forearm.
“Easy daddy.” she said. Her eyes went over to the back of Jeremy’s head and she raised an eyebrow, “You and the little man got some alter boy thing going on?” she asked.
“That’s sick! You one of them to catch a predator bitches?” The man shouted. Neil shook his head and slowly put his hands up.
“That’s my son Jeremy and I’m Neil.” he replied.
“Well Jeremy and Neil, who the fuck is doing all that damn screaming?” The large man asked.
“That’s my wife, she’s-“ Neil closed his eyes and Jeremy shook his head,
“She’s sick and if we stay in this building, we will be too.” Jeremy said.
“No shit? Sick with what?” The woman asked.
“We’re not exactly sure, but it’s spreading throughout the hotel. My son’s right we need to go.” Neil said. He looked around at the faces in the crowd and then locked eyes with Jeremy.
“The lobby is full of them. But-“ Jeremy looked around and then down at the ground.
“But what little man?” The tattooed man asked.
“The parking deck is right next door. I think we can jump to it.” Jeremy said. The man’s arms slowly came off his wife and then his fingers rubbed along the black stubble on his chin. His eyes cut from Jeremy to Neil and then to his wife,
“How y’all know all this?” The woman asked.
“My dad works for the government.” Jeremy said.
“How do we know they aren’t just after him.” Someone in the crowd shouted.
“We don’t.” Neil said, “They just might be after me, but they have no problem killing all of you to get to me. You all remember ISIS?” The people started to nod slowly and Neil sighed, “Well these people are worse. They’re here and they will kill us.” The words that fell from Neil’s lips were lies wr
apped around a little grain of truth. There was a virus in the building. But no terrorist and people were after him. People that wouldn’t think twice about killing everyone he’s ever come in contact with. Harsh truths that could only be swallowed with sugar coated lies, just like the ones he feed his crew that fateful day.
We’ll be fine. Everything will be fine.
“What do you think Dad?” Jeremy asked. His son’s words pulled him from the horror show that was his internal guilt and back into the horror that was now his life. Neil looked over at the tattooed man and then back at the others.
“Me and my son are gonna head to the parking deck. If you wanna live, then you need to come with us.” Neil said.
“What you think babe?” The tattooed man asked softly. The woman ran her black finger nails along her husband’s arm and then quickly spun around, smiled and pushed up on her tippy toes to whisper into his ear,
“I think you need to get the bag, Victor.” She smiled and Victor looked past her at Neil for a moment before walking back into the darkness of the room. The woman turned around and folded her arms over her chest. She watched as Neil explained his roof top savior plan to the rest of the guest on the floor. He made it sound easy, like anyone could just leap from one building to the next. The woman counted five people who didn’t look like they could make it up the stairs much less jump to another building. Yet, Neil was selling them a tale of survival anyway, he was presenting himself as an all American hero. Victor came back with a large black duffle bag.
“I ain’t jumping off no roof, Aliyah.” Victor whispered. Aliyah smiled. She looked over at Jeremy who was walking back into his hotel room, their eyes lock for a moment and Aliyah softly said,
“No one is.”
Chapter 11
“Bullshit!” Christian shouted. He grabbed a fistful of Vince’s shirt and tossed him into the mesh cage that held the hotel’s summer items. Vince took a quick jab to Christian’s jaw breaking his hold, but then Christian came back with an even harder blow to Vince’s ribs, sending the short man bouncing back into the cage and then down onto the floor. Trinity grabbed Christian doing her best to pull him back, before he could kick the living shit out of Vince. “Hector would never kill himself!” Christian shouted.
“Well, never came, once he knew what he was turning into.” Vince said as he started to pick himself up off the floor, “You think he wanted to be one of those things? You think he wanted to risk hurting us?” Vince asked.
“Hector would have eaten all of us before jumping to his death.” Christian replied.
“He was in bad place, Chris” Trinity said softly. Her hold on Christian was broken as he tugged free of her hands.
“You believe this?” Christian asked.
“I don’t know, but right now isn’t the time to be fighting each other. We need to get out of here.” Trinity said and then she looked over at Vince, “Everything else we’ll deal with later.” she said. Vince laughed,
“Anything to save your little boyfriend some heartbreak huh?” Vince said. Trinity closed her eyes and shook her head,
“Shut up Vince,” she said.
“What’s he talking about?” Christian asked.
“You wanna tell him or should I?” Vince asked. The banging on the door grew louder as their voices continued to attract the infected. Trinity stared at the metal door as it shook from each battering ram of a hit.
“Fuck this.” Trinity said. She pushed past Vince and unlashed the little silver door by the elevator. Inside was darkness, a long shaft of darkness with just a bit of light at the end. “Christian come on.” Trinity said and swung her leg into the shaft.
“Down the laundry the shoot?” Christian asked. Trinity sat on the frame of the laundry shoot, one leg over in the darkness the other on the floor,
“You got any better idea-“
“We had sex!” Vince shouted. All eyes fell upon the short man, Christian raised his eyebrow and pointed back and forth between Trinity and Vince,
“With each other?” Christian asked. Trinity closed her eyes and rested her head back on the wall.
“Yes,” Vince replied, “It was a few weeks ago.”
“While I was out mourning my father?” Christian asked.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” Vince said softly.
“How the fuck are you sorry?” Trinity asked.
“She was never gonna tell you.” Vince said. Trinity rolled her eyes and looked at Christian.
“You slept with Vince?” Christian asked. Trinity let out a deep sigh, she was beyond defending any of her life choices to anyone, no matter how bad they seemed, but Christian wasn’t just anyone. She had ran into the gates of hell for him, and now his eyes were just glaring at her. Trinity closed her eyes to avoid the tears that were sure to come.
“Yes?” Trinity said. Christian walked over to her slowly and shook his head, his arms wrapped around her and he softly said,
“You poor baby, I’m so sorry.” Trinity pushed him away,
“What? You’re not mad?” She asked. Christian laughed,
“No I didn’t sleep with him.” he said, Christian looked over at Vince, for years the little man had made it his mission to drive a wedge between Trinity and Christian. Why, was never a question Christian thought about, because it didn’t matter. Some people just want to watch other people suffer, but Christian always did find himself wondering how Vince would try and mess with them today, and for once, the little man pulled off something Christian didn’t see coming. “I’m mad, about a lot fucking things, but…” Christian shrugged and looked back over at Trinity, “You’ve suffered enough.” He said. Trinity stared at him for a moment, her hand rested on his Christian cheek. There was so much pain behind his green eyes, her thumb rubbed along the stubbed on his cheek and in that moment it was just them, until she heard,
“Fuck the both of you!” Vince shouted, he started walking towards the banging metal door. “Everything is always a fucking joking.” Vince said to himself.
“Vince?” Christian said softly. Vince didn’t turn around. His eyes stayed fixed on the metal door.
“Vince!” Trinity shouted. Vince stood in front of the door watching as the metal jumped with every bang.
“Well I’m sick of it and I’m sick of you two!” Vince shouted.
“Run mijo!” Jorge shouted. Christian could see his father standing by the doorway to the right of Vince, “Run!”
“Fuck both of you!” Vince said as his hand slapped onto the door handle,
“Go!” Christian shouted and Trinity swung her another leg into the shoot and went flying down into the darkness. Christian watched in horror as Vince pulled open the door wide enough for him to hide behind it as the infected stormed through the doorway. “Fuck!” Christian shouted as he leaped through the laundry shoot and went sliding along the metal through the darkness. The screeching echoed behind him and then a loud thump was heard, but before Christian could look up, his ride was over, he came crashing down into a large hotel laundry basket filled with sheets. He leaped from the basket and kicked it. The squeaky wheel of the basket sang a soft song until it hit a wall and then a loud smack followed as one of the infected crashed head first into the dirty green tiled floor. Blood exploded along the floor as the man’s spine ripped through his back. He laid there in a bloody heap. The impact crushed his head, leaving no clues to who he was.
“What the fuck!” Trinity shouted.
“You’re boyfriend tried to kill us.” Christian replied, before Trinity could even raise her hand to reply with a slap, another body came crashing down on top of the first. This one seemed to snap in half, it’s legs touching it’s head. Yet it was still alive or undead. It’s hands were clawing at Christian and Trinity, but it was unable to move forward. The metal shoot twisted and banged as another zombie took the suicide dive for a chance at another meal.
“Come on,” Trinity said as she grabbed Christian’s hand and the duo began to run through the
maze of laundry baskets and carts full of table cloths, to make it to the front door of the laundry room. Trinity ran through the doorway and Christian followed. The door slammed and Christian rested his back on the warm metal. “We gotta get out of here.”
“No,” Christian said softly. Trinity pulled at Christian hand,
“What you mean no? Come on.” She said.
“No, we can’t just run.” Christian said. He pulled his hand back and sighed, “That astronaut guy, the one you told me to apologize to. This is all because of him.”
“What are you talking about?” Trinity asked.
“He’s infected with something and he’s trying to make to Mexico and I can’t let that happen.” Christian took a step forward and lightly rested his forehead against Trinity’s. “I can’t let him leave this hotel.” He walked past her and started down the hallway,
“We.” Trinity said softly.
“What?” Christian said. Without turning around he could feel her eyes on him and he could sense that smile,
“We can’t let him leave.” Trinity said. She walked up beside him and took hold of his hand once again. “If you wanna go play superhero, the least I can do is make sure your dumbass doesn’t get killed in the process.” she said with a grin.
“I think I love you.” Christian said with a laugh.
“Think? Bitch I know you do.” Trinity replied, but we need weapons because…” She pulled out her handgun and dropped the clip onto the floor, “This is just a paper weight now.” Christian stared at the gun and then looked at Trinity,
Patient Zero Page 8
