Reaching a large metal sliding door, Tom pulled on the brass handle.
From behind him Eddie shouted, “This only goes to the main floor.”
“I don’t care.” Tom said while sliding the door open. Beyond the outer door was an accordion gate. Tom thought those were only in the old movies. The rickety contraption clinked and rattled as Tom slid it open. Just as the gate slammed to the side there was a loud grunt directly behind Tom. Turning to see what had happened, he saw with horror that Eddie had been tackled to the floor by a man in flower print swim trunks. Tom could hear more demented in the hall behind him.
Eddie let out a loud scream.
Not having time for a better option Tom pointed his revolver at Swim Trunks and gave the trigger two rapid pulls, hoping neither shot would find Eddie. The demented no longer moved. With a grunt, Eddie rolled the lifeless body off.
Tom was just turning back toward the elevator when he sensed someone rushing him from behind. He started to hunch down, bracing for impact. The demented lunged for him, desperate to rip him to pieces. Hitting Tom, its momentum carried him up and over Tom’s crouched form. Tom was nearly knocked off balance, but was able to regain his footing.
Eddie got back to his feet just in time to yell, “Look out!”
Spinning around, pistol raised, Tom pulled the trigger as soon as he saw a large form directly in front of him. The shot hit the young man in the chest at point blank range. He crashed into Tom, sending both of them sprawling to the floor. The weight knocked the wind out of Tom’s lungs. He gasped, straining to suck in oxygen. An image of dozens more demented racing down the hall toward them flashed through Tom’s head.
Eddie kicked the limp body off of Tom and reached a hand out to help him up. Tom quickly took it and got to his feet, still working to catch his breath. The hall in front of them was packed with demented racing their way. The sounds of utter chaos filled the narrow space. Running for the elevator, Tom raised his pistol to take out the demented that led the charge. All he got was an ominous click. He had speed loaders in his utility belt, but knew he would never reach them in time.
Tom followed Eddie into the dark confines of the service elevator. Not seeing the handle to the outer steel door, Tom instead grabbed the accordion gate’s handle and slid it closed. Just as it slammed up against the metal frame, the first few demented crashed into it from the outside. Their arms thrust through the openings, trying desperately to get a hold of their prey. They growled and screamed in rage.
“Hit the button, hit the button!” Tom shouted.
Eddie desperately searched in the darkness.
Tom reached out, holding the gate in place to keep the demented from sliding it back open.
Finding the buttons, Eddie hit the one labeled ‘2.’ Nothing happened.
“Hit it!” Tom screamed.
Eddie continued to pound on the unlit button. “I am!” The button clicked rapidly, but the elevator remained in place. Eddie screamed out in anger and kicked the panel.
Dozens of demented pressed up against the gate. Faces pressed and squeezed into the holes, trying to get closer to Tom and Eddie. Their arms reached through, making the gate look like some grotesque demon wall straight out of hell. The hall light was nearly blotted out by their grotesque bodies. The weight began to bend the steel gate inwards. Tom let go of the handle to get further away from the reaching hands.
“Service elevator’s not on e-power.” Tom shouted over the loud growls. He looked up to make sure there was a ceiling access. Holstering his revolver, Tom pointed up and said, “Boost me.” With sudden realization he added, “Zeus...crap, we lost the dog.”
“Haven’t seen him since the shooting started.”
Tom hoped the dog made it out.
With Eddie’s help they were able to flip open the hatch, allowing it to swing down on a pair of hinges. The opening stared back at them, pitch black, but a beautiful sight in their current predicament.
The accordion gate groaned loudly.
Tom hoisted himself up through the opening. Immediately reaching back down, he grabbed Eddie’s outstretched arms and helped him through the hatch. No sooner did Eddie get out of the elevator than there was a loud crash as the gate snapped and the horde of infected came spilling in.
The hatch door still hung open. Tom wished he could get it closed if for no other reason than to block out the furious shrieks and growls of the demented. Fumbling with his utility belt, Tom was finally able to get a hold of his flashlight. He clicked it on and the space was immediately filled with wonderful, white light. Steel cables, black with grease, extended up into the darkness.
“We can’t climb those.” Eddie said.
Shining the flashlight around, Tom found conduit and metal bracing along the walls and the door that led to the next floor. It was only a few feet above the top of the elevator. “We don’t need to climb.” Tom aimed his flashlight a little higher and could see a small window with checkered security glass. No light spilled through the opening. Tom wasn’t sure what that meant.
Using the cement door sill, Tom stepped up so he could peer out through the window. Tom could see nothing through the window; it was blocked by something on the other side, explaining the darkness. “I can’t see a thing. We’re going to have to just go for it.” Tom said.
Eddie glanced down and said, “Has to be better than here.”
“We’ll see.” Tom said before grabbing the handle to slide the large door out of the way. He hesitated and then said, “Let’s load up.” He drew is revolver, flipped out the cylinder, and emptied out the spent brass. The casings clanged to the metal roof of the elevator. This angered the demented and they roared their protest with loud growls. Using one of his two speed loaders, Tom filled the cylinder and locked it back into place. Tom noticed Eddie was just slapping a fresh magazine into his pistol. Preferring more capacity, Tom holstered the revolver, and grabbed the AR15 off of his back. “That’s better...let’s rock.”
Once the door was out of the way they found a large desk had been stood on end and shoved up against the door to the elevator. Someone had built a barricade and it was likely done when they first fortified the hospital. The elevator did not function anyways. There was a loud screeching noise as Tom tried to shift the desk to one side of the hall. Tom peeked around the desk. Surprisingly the hallway was empty. He could only see a small section of hallway before it split to the left and right out of sight.
“Anything?” Eddie whispered from behind him.
Tom shook his head. His heart pounded in his chest. Entering into the unknown was so much more stressful than being thrown in the chaos of battle. The surge of adrenaline was wearing off and now he had to go back out into the midst of the infected. Choices like these were a nightmare, but they had no other options.
Tom looked back at Eddie and whispered, “How do we get to the O.R.?”
Eddie stared at the wall next to him. He continued to look at the wall like he had x-ray vision and was checking the path through all the corridors and stairways. After a bit he pointed to the wall on his left and said, “We’ll have to use the left hallway and then jog to the right. It will snake around, and then cut over to a main hall next to the entryway. From there it’s down a large hall to the stairway near the end.”
It sounded like an absolute death trip...large hallways all the way through the main level of the hospital. “Any other way?”
“Not without going outside.” Eddie said while shaking his head. Then he stopped and raised a finger. “Wait, there is one more option, but I’m not sure it will do us any good.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“There’s a large admitting area for the clinic.” Eddie started while pointing to the left. “Through there, through a waiting area is a door that leads to the laboratory’s draw room and eventually to the far hall after cutting though an office area. Once past the cubicles we’d be almost to the stairs once we popped out in the hall. It’s a bit of a maze.”
&nb
sp; Tom nodded his head thinking. “We might be able to stay out of sight...avoid another firefight.” Tom looked back at the hallway. “I haven’t seen any...think demented are on this floor?”
“They were flooding down the stairs. Entrance to those stairs is right around the corner.”
Nodding, Tom said, “So we drew the closest ones. Ready?’
“No.”
“Me neither, but let’s get this over with.”
With his rifle out and ready, Tom squeezed between the desk and the wall. Eddie followed with his pistol drawn. As they neared the stairway door the sounds of the demented faded from behind them and escalated in front of them. They both hoped the demented would not figure out that their prey was just a flight of stairs above them.
Gun tight to his shoulder, Tom worked heel to toe along the wall. Reaching the corner, he kept his rifle trained down the left hall, while Eddie worked his way along the other wall to get an angle to the right.
Eddie reached the corner and could see the stairway that led down to the service elevator and angered horde. The door hung open, revealing only empty cement stairs disappearing out of view. He gave Tom the all clear nod.
Moving quick and low, Tom crossed the opening to get to the far wall and begin working toward the clinic admitting area. Eddie followed by swinging around the corner, staying tight to the wall the entire time. Both men crept along the hall as quietly as possible. It was difficult to hear anything with the growls and shrieks echoing up the stairs behind them, but neither had seen any movement so far. At the same time they both reached the corners where the hall split to the left and right.
Tom eased his head out, spying down the hall past Eddie. A few demented milled about at the far end of the hall, none of them noticed Tom. Past them stood a set of glass double doors that led to the parking lot. Through the glass, Tom could see dozens of infected staggering around outside. A pair of emergency lights shined down on them like they were the main attraction at a circus. Tom looked at Eddie and raised four fingers.
Eddie gave a zero signal back toward Tom.
Tom lowered his rifle and raced across the hall in a half crouch, angling away from the demented down the hall. Getting to the other side, he quickly shifted along the hall until he could duck into the next opening. Raising his rifle, he surveyed the dark area for movement. Finding none, Tom turned to signal Eddie across the open space.
Eddie took several steadying breaths, building up his nerves, and then he hunched low and scampered over to Tom. There were no howls of rage or loud huffs to call reinforcements. First step down.
The clinic admitting area had chairs lining the walls and a large ‘U’ shaped reception counter in the center of the open space. There were no lights on within the space so it was only lit by what spilled in from the hallway. The darkness made it difficult to see, but there was no movement and had anything been in the room with them, they would have known it by now. Between rows of chairs stood the door that Eddie said led to the laboratory draw room.
Tom gave a chopping motion with his free hand to signal Eddie that they should move to the door. The two of them swiftly moved between rows of chairs. Growls from the demented slowly faded away as they distanced themselves from the stairway and service elevator. Surrounded by deep shadows and a strange stillness, both men arrived at the stout wooden door.
Tom looked around, a sudden creepy feeling coming over him. He glanced back toward the reception desk. His heart was pounding. A shortness of breath nearly overcame him. Listening, he heard nothing but distant shuffling, but the panic still threatened to overtake him. Panic attack or a premonition he wondered to himself.
Eddie stared over at him. He reached out and rested a hand on Tom’s shoulder, trying to get Tom to look back at him.
Tom flinched and shook off Eddie’s hand, never looking back. He slowly raised his rifle, pointing it out into the hall. Working hard, he worked hard to slow his breathing and steady his shaking hands. The jitter in the scope eased.
Eddie suddenly raised his pistol and pointed it toward the hall as well. He must have either sensed something or was feeling Tom’s paranoia.
Both men remained frozen, weapons targeting the hall, for what seemed like an eternity. Nothing moved.
Whispering, Eddie said, “What’s up?”
Tom remained in place. After a hesitation he whispered, “Not sure...just a bad feeling I guess.” He slowly lowered his rifle, turned and looked at Eddie. “Sorry...about lost it there. Let’s keep moving.”
The door in front of them was solid wood without a window like the previous doors. They would have to enter the next room blind, hoping there was no threat waiting for them on the other side. Tom pressed his ear to the door but could only hear the distant thrum of the generator below them. Amazing how a structure could carry sound within its walls, unheard until you listen right up next to them. He looked over at Eddie and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess we go for it.”
Tom took another glance over his shoulder, half expecting a horde of infected racing toward him. Instead it was only the same empty hall. He still could not shake the feeling of imminent danger.
Easing the door open, Tom peeked through the opening to see what lay beyond. The room was almost completely black, only lit by the meager light that he was letting in. There were no windows, no emergency lighting, nothing to reveal the contents of the room. The sliver of light cut an ever growing swath of details, but only directly in front of the door.
Tom heard something from within the room. It sounded far off, maybe on the other side, but without knowing how big the room even was made it difficult to guess. He slow blinked a few times, trying to increase his night vision and gets his eyes to focus into the darkness. Hearing the shuffling noise again he tried to turn his head to the side, using his peripheral vision to eke out every bit of vision his eyes had. There were shapes in the room, maybe tables or patient chairs. There was movement beyond those, nothing he could make out, but something was back there.
By the way Eddie cocked his head to the side, it was clear that he heard something as well. He looked over at Tom and pointed to one of his ears. Tom nodded his head in agreement.
Whether it was a premonition or just being plain chicken and paranoid, Tom did not want to go back out through the snaking corridors. If this was only a single infected it should be manageable. It seemed likely that one had stumbled their way into the room and once the door was closed they were thrown into complete darkness and unable to find their way back out. No gunfire would be key.
Tom quietly slipped into the room with Eddie trailing behind. They eased the door closed, blocking out the meager light. Tom closed his eyes, forcing his mind to focus on fewer senses. Taking a few calming breaths, he felt along the wall to the sides of the doorway, hoping there would be a working light switch. The wall was smooth and switch free. Shuffling noises continued on the far side of the room. Tom kept a mental image of the layout and general placement of the objects he had seen. The shuffling noise was slowly working its way across the room from left to right. There was no acceleration in its movements, which hopefully indicated Tom and Eddie had not be noticed.
Eddie bumped into Tom. He then reached out with a hand that worked his way up Tom’s back, until finally coming to rest on Tom’s shoulder. They would move across the room as one.
Tom held his rifle sideways out in front of him and began slowly walking across the room. He used the rifle in front of him as a bumper and slowly shuffled his feet, never taking them all the way off the floor.
Partway across the room, Tom felt something with his rifle barrel. It was solid and unmoving. Tom took a few slow movements to the side. The urge to open his eyes was nearly overwhelming, but he knew it would only cause him to lose focus. No longer bumping anything, Tom continued to move forward, locking in on the noises that were now just a few yards away.
The shuffling suddenly stopped. It began sniffing at the air. Whatever, or whoever it was must have heard or
sensed them in the room.
Tom froze in place, waiting. He had hoped to get close enough to bash the thing in the back of the head with his rifle. Standing still, his mind raced, flashing between Kelly, Hank, hideous demented, Sam...Lincoln, anger.
The sniffing suddenly stopped, and with terrifying speed something slammed into Tom, knocking him to the floor. Hot, fetid breath washed over Tom. He used the rifle to keep the thing from ripping into his throat. Struggling, he tried to push the thing off, but it was amazingly strong...and heavy. The thing let out a loud growl followed by a huff, calling for reinforcements. Tom had to shut this thing up. Where was Eddie? Tom bent a knee, planted his foot on the floor, and used it to push and twist his body. Lifting one hip off the floor, Tom thrust out with the rifle and managed to roll his attacker off.
Eddie made a grunting noise. This was followed by loud thrashing.
Tom kicked out with his foot, making contact with something. Whatever it was rolled away from Tom, out of reach. There was a muffled scream and then a loud thud as something hit the floor. Emanating out of the darkness were sounds of exertion. Grunts, growls, and the moans of strained breathing were just some of the noises Tom could hear. In the pitch black it was impossible to tell what was going on. He couldn’t even see who was who.
Tom leapt back to his feet and raised his rifle up, ready to slam the butt into some demented’s face.
There was a loud scream of pain.
Tom kicked out again, catching something solid and there was no shout of pain. Using the butt of his rifle, he slammed it down where he had felt flesh. With a loud crack the rifle made contact. Showing no mercy, Tom continued to pound the rifle into the one sure thing he had found.
The demented released Eddie and rolled out from under the beating it was taking. Unprepared for the movement, Tom was knocked off his feet and fell to the floor. Hitting hard, the wind was knocked from Tom’s lungs, and his rifle went flying out of his hands, skidding across the floor.
The Demented Z (Book 2): Desolation Page 11
