They Came With The Storm (The Effacing)

by Clark, T. Anwar

  I began shooting for the head of anything that moved with blood oozing out its flesh.

  Mike let off his magazine and tossed his rifle. He went for a dead enemy soldier's M16, picked it up and discovered a grenade pouch that he confiscated as well. "Let's see how they react to grenades!" he yelled through the battle instruments’ loud crackle and pop sounds.

  I looked back toward the hospital. Someone was waving their arms like crazy in a fourth floor room window. Were they signaling for help? Was it someone infected trying to get in on the flesh buffet? What or whoever it was really didn't matter. We went to the hospital in search of survivors with the plan to take out any and every opponent while doing so, and since the infected already handled most of our dirty work, it was time to complete that stage of our mission.

  I clicked the flashlight attachment on my rifle a few times to acknowledge their signal. "Mike," I called out through the hail of gunfire, pointing to the window once I grabbed his attention, "In the fourth floor window! There’s a survivor up there!"

  Mike seen the figure in the window and acknowledged my plea, and then let off a couple rounds into the horde of infected before yelling through the shot-bursts. "We got wounded." He said, then taking another shot into the horde. "We need some guys to get George on the other side of that barricade and in route to the girls. We can use the other armored truck to get whoever that is inside the hospital off the property safely."

  I asked, "And what about the infected?"

  "What about 'em?"

  George was inside the tank; silent.

  As our resistance made their way, Mike stopped Bane and Mac and told them what we needed to do. I signaled the figure on the fourth floor using my flashlight attachment for a second time. I knew getting in was going to be the easy part; getting out was going to be another obstacle.

  "Everybody hasn't made it out the hospital yet!" Mac explained. "It's like they knew we were coming—"

  Bane cut him off and said, "Or maybe the infection spread through the hospital before we got here."

  "They're creating parasites for combat..." Mike included with a direct and hardened tone, "And we’re the hosts. We need to clear this area of all civilians and get the fuck out of here ASAP. These guys don't work for the government, they're a private organization hired by someone else to decimate the population and use the storm as a cover-up. That's why the guards aren't here. They were never called in; nor FEMA or the WHO. No one knows what's going on here, and the only way they will is that we make it outta here alive. So we need to get everyone we can and get the fuck out of here..."

  My instincts were right about trusting anyone in a game of Cut Throat, and others agreed with me unknowingly. The only person in the world I thought I could trust was starting to make me think of what else he could have known and wasn't telling. "This is just the beginning stage of something far worse to come." I entered the conversation through a brigade of gunshots.

  "Not if we can stop 'em, lil bro..." Mike advised. "Mac, load up the tank and head to the docks as quickly as possible to get George stitched up, and that leg looked at. You should meet up with the others if you stay clear of Sworn's siren." Then he turned to Bane, "Take the jeeps and get everyone else out of here... Dale and I'll go back inside, rescue any survivors and catch up."

  Bane said, "Hopefully your other team is still alive, but if those things pop up you'll need another experienced gunner... I'll have one of my men take the jeeps and I'll go with you two."

  "I won't refuse the help." Mike replied before heading to the other Knight.

  "Where's Conrad?" I threw the open question.

  Mac just shook his head with a look that said 'Bleeder Bait' as he made way to the driver’s seat of the Knight.

  Bane instructed his men while Mike and I entered the other urban assault vehicle. Then, as he hopped into the rear of the truck with us, he questioned, "How you boys wanna handle this?"

  Mike turned the truck around and stared into the remaining horde of Bleeders and hit the gas. He rammed a few of them as we cascaded through the white tents. The Knight flew through the wet and bullet-riddled entrance and shattered what was left of the emergency exit glass as we entered. Then, Mike hit the brakes and cut the wheel hard, the truck slid into an 180 degree turn before coming to a stop with its fat ass staring down the corridor.

  Bane popped open the back door and we all vacated the vehicle hearing the moans, war cries and gun shots still humming from just outside. The cries slowly faded into the night as we made our way past the Runner-demolished and electrical-spark-flying elevator door, making our way in route toward the stairwell, weapons hot.

  "You three sure made a mess back there." Bane confessed about our homemade Water Country fun-ride.

  "Not compared to the mess that Runner made in the bathroom." I tried to slip in a funny.

  "Kill it, Dale." Mike commanded. "There's no telling what else is hidden away in this death trap."

  "Where'd you kill it?" Bane asked.

  "Back there with the soldiers." Mike revealed.

  "Are you sure? All I seen was a lot of dead mercenaries and steel shields on our way in."

  And if killing that damn thing two times wasn't enough, it was too intense knowing we had an indestructible opponent.

  We carefully trooped up to the fourth floor. I had the plans on filling that things ugly ass face with a couple magazines full of hot lead, and wishing I would have took advantage to seize the axe when I had the opportunity back in the emergency room.

  CHAPTER XVIII

  "What if they're already infected but just haven't turned yet?" I said, looking at Mike and Bane, who were prepared for battle.

  My question went unanswered. Instead, all I got from Mike was, "Open the door and shoot anything that looks hungry enough to eat a Daleburger."

  "On three?" Bane entered the rambling.

  Mike and Bane raised their weapons; I did the old one-two-three and slung open the door. And the three of us rushed out the stairwell and into the fourth floor corridor.

  The hallway was clear and well lit, split into four directions with the nurses’ station in the center. The air was clean and fresh, and the only sound was the stairwell door shutting behind us.

  "Be careful, Dale." Mike said as I walked in the direction in which I witnessed the patient.

  Still quiet and no sign of life, the lights suddenly began to flicker, and the entire hospital violently shook as if a bomb had exploded somewhere nearby. I hustled to the nearest window to just barely see our convoy's tail lights becoming one with the flames and looming smoke of a torn city damn near at its end, desperately in need of a makeover. It looked as if when lightning lit up the night, the sky was on fire; or the sky was bleeding down on us. The remaining infected marched in the direction our men traveled; however, there was no sign of the massive Runner, nor the chill feeling of its vibrating howl.

  "What the fuck was that?" Bane questioned. "If there are survivors still up here, they better show themselves... And fast."

  "Hey!" I called out to the survivors. "Hey, we're here to get you out! We gotta hurry!"

  "Let's move." Mike urged when I didn't obtain a reply.

  The lights continued to flicker as we carried on through the hall, opening doors and calling out for anyone. Even a Tracker or Bleeder acknowledging our calls would have satisfied me at that moment. By the time we made it close enough to the nurse's station, anyone alive on the 4th floor should have heard three grown men that were hollering to save their lives. That's if they wanted to be saved.

  That's when I had seen her. She was crammed up in-between a soda machine and a snack vending machine, trembling, wearing a sky blue hospital gown. Her eyes enlarged and watered; her teeth were chattering. Her fragile knees were at her chin and her arms were tightly wrapped around her legs. An innocent child no more than twelve years of age; she was definitely not the person I saw flagging like crazy.

  "Hey!" I said, speeding toward her, "What's wrong."
>
  "Don't!" Mike quickly asserted, grabbing my arm.

  "Stand guard." Bane insisted.

  The girl pointed to her left, down the split corridor; with all that we've been through, one Bleeder couldn't stop me from saving one lone and frightened little girl; I'd be able to take it out with the first shot if it appeared. I just had to be cautious for the child’s sake.

  I peered around the corner. "Come on," I told her.

  She shook her head refusing to budge.

  "I'm going down the hall," Bane prioritized. "Cover me."

  "Keep talking to the girl, Dale." Mike insisted, "I'll cover Bane."

  I watched as Bane and Mike took turns slinging open room doors, looking for whatever the girl was afraid of. When they were half way down the hall, I looked to the girl and lightheartedly promised her, "Everything's going to be alright..." hoping it would calm her nerves. And with a smile and whisper, I asked, "What's your name?" hoping I didn't sound like some creepy old man in a custom-made van with a hand full of hard candy.

  She still didn't talk. Instead, she blinked twice and forced herself to look past the machines to get a glimpse at Mike and Bane.

  "Everything's going to be okay. We're going to get you out of here." I reassured her. "Are there any more people up here?"

  She looked me in the eyes and nodded her head up and down.

  BANG! BANG!

  The girl immediately jumped, and sunk deeper in-between the machines. She screamed as if I was the creepy old man offering candy from a van. I stood tall and aimed down the hall, praying nothing was rushing toward me.

  "He's down." Bane confirmed.

  Mike's M16 was raised as he walked in a room. "Are you bit or infected?" I heard him say. Then he reappeared back in the hallway and said, "Clear! Sending you two, Dale!" he finished, as they continued to clear the wing.

  The first patient that came from out the room was a short and chubby female with short red hair. She was running as fast as she could, tripping over her own two feet and slamming into the hospital tiles with a solid thud. She was more shaken up than hurt, scrambling to get back up before being assisted by a thin, dark-skinned female who was equally eager to reach safety. Both appeared to be in their late teens to early twenties.

  "Get up, get up..." the thin dark-skinned female encouraged.

  "What's happening to everyone?" the ginger questioned.

  I flagged the girls in, saying, "We all stick together. Is there anyone else up here?" I threw the open question, looking at both young ladies.

  "They were separating us, but I passed the younger kids on the third floor when they brought me in." the thin girl reported.

  "Me too." the red head co-signed.

  “How long ago was that?” I asked.

  “It’s hard to tell. I’ve been going in and out of consciousness since I’ve been here.” The thin dark-skinned young lady reported.

  “Same here, but I’m sure they were on the third.” The red head agreed and confirmed.

  "So it was you in the window?" I asked the thin girl.

  "In the window?" she shot back, confused, "Not at all. Wrong patient—"

  I looked to the red head and asked, “Was it you?”

  “Nope… I was with her.”

  "Clear!" Mike yelled from the end of the corridor.

  "Well then there has to be someone else up here." I finished.

  Then, from out of nowhere, the frightened girl finally spoke, and whispered, "It was the monster."

  I lowered my tone, "Okay. Well the monster is gone now. You have to come out so we can get you out of here?" I held out my hand.

  She shook her head side-to-side.

  I heard Mike and Bane's heavy boots hitting the tiles as they hustled back. And as they approached, I said, "They're holding the children on the third floor. Sharon's got to be there." And as I finished my sentence, an earth-moving thunder cracked through the skies, scaring the little girl out from in between the vending machines and right into my arms, screaming, once again as if she was being attacked.

  "Do you girls know if there’s anyone on any of the other floors?" Bane questioned.

  "They were clearing out patients. I overheard one of the doctors say the 5th floor was empty. This floor was nearly empty—" the thin girl explained.

  "No one was infected. They were sticking people with antidotes who haven't yet contracted whatever virus it is they're saying that’s infecting us—" The redhead pushed in the conversation.

  "They rushed out of here saying they had everything they needed. They loaded up dozens of people into a couple of big rigs with cages and shipped 'em out somewhere beyond the checkpoint." the thin girl finished.

  "Let's get the kids and get out of here before we don't have that option!" Mike exclaimed.

  We all ran for the stairs.

  Mike walked ahead. The girls followed him while I held onto the girl; Bane secured the rear.

  "My name's Diana."

  Diana? I knew I heard that name just a few days ago, but where? When she said it, Mike turned to look at her, and then he introduced us.

  "I'm Cat." the chubby redhead inserted.

  "I'm Beth. Where's my mommy?" the young girl asked softly.

  It hit me like a speeding dump truck; Sworn included children in his sadistic plot. It was sad to think of it for the fact everyone that would make it out alive would be mentally scarred for life; the children would be hit the hardest. I also knew deep down inside, the younger the child, the easier to brainwash if needed. And third, if Sworn was to use them as the host to his DNA-mixing monster formula, he would have all the time in the world to train those children who he would plan on infecting, to become his unstoppable army of blood sucking, flesh-eating, bullet-absorbing, lab rat hunters… and I couldn't let that happen.

  "We'll find her," I answered Beth with confidence, hoping in the back of my mind that her mother was with the rest of the ladies, or maybe back in Centre City. "But for now, I'm going to need you to be a big girl and walk with Cat and Diana, okay?"

  Beth slowly nodded her head up and down before I let her feet touch the hospital tiles; and she immediately rushed to grab the hands of, both, Diana and Cat, as we all continued down the stairs.

  Mike whispered, "You girls stay out the way but stick close." as he reached the door.

  "On three?" I asked Mike.

  Instead of answering, he bounced a finger off his lips a few times with his eye brows slightly lowered. Sweat ran down the side of his face. Then he cracked the door and peeped through it, with the nose of his M-16 leading the way.

  The lights flickered through the door, setting the already illusive and creepy vibe to an epic high as I walked in ahead of the girls and Bane. I heard the sparking noises that a loose positive and negative cable makes when it connects with each other, sort of like jumper cables being banged together, but much louder.

  "I'm scared." Beth whispered.

  "It's okay." Diana shuttered back.

  A shadow raced across the wall in the distance.

  "Stay here with the girls, Dale." Mike turned to say, signaling Bane to assist him further through the wing.

  I held my position with no problem, hoping it was going to be a quick in-and-out situation considering all of Sworn's troops and scientists had either evacuated or became a product of their own experiment. Mike and Bane went through each room like they did on the fourth floor, only without the loud 'Clear' looking for survivors; and they quickly lowered their weapons and looked back to the girls and I when they reached the nurses’ station,

  Then Mike called out, "Guess who we found?" with a loud grin.

  Seconds later, our eleven missing resistance fighters appeared from both the East and West wings. They carried children in their arms that were too small to keep up with the pack. The other children followed them, ranging from 5-15 years of age in hospital gowns, ready to escape their captivity and reunite with their families. There were forty-five children in total.

  I ga
zed through the bundle of adolescents in search of one. I didn't spot the one I was searching for in particular, but Mike went through the cluster, knelt down and came back up holding her in his arms.

  Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, and her head ducked down into his shoulder. She was most likely in tears. She was Sharon.

  I relaxed for a brief moment, knowing that she was safe and unharmed.

  "This is everyone," I heard one of the bigger and more fit assault rifle wielding resistance fighters say. "We thought you all abandoned us." he finished.

  "We came in together, we leave together." Mike assured him. "Let's get these kids out of here."

  Everyone sprinted in my direction, and I led the group back down into the emergency room.

  CHAPTER XIX

  "Okay kids, hop inside." I ordered, scooping up the smaller ones, helping them in the back of the Knight.

  There was enough room in the truck for just about all of them; with the younger children sitting on the older kids laps.

  "We need someone in that driver's seat," Mike began to say, Sharon still in his grips. "The rest of us will have to hump it till we can get outside and into the transport."

  From the far end of the corridor, the sound of Sheetrock, wood and pipes slamming to the hospital tiles drew everyone's attention.

  "Speed it up," Mike insisted, quickly putting Sharon down, turning with his machine gun raised in the direction the noise erupted. "We're running outta time."

  The kids were packed like sardines in the armored truck, from front to back. The remaining eighteen eagerly waited to be escorted out of the hospital. Then, the roar of a Runner echoed through the corridor, and Mike instructed the driver to take the kids to meet up with the rest of the resistance immediately.

  “Okay Sharon… I’m gonna need you to get in the truck with everyone else.” Mike said.

  Sharon shook her head. “Noooo.” she cried. “I want to go with you.”

  “It’s okay. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”