Outbreak (Book 1): Emerald City

by Jay K. Anthony

  “I don’t think that’s the best idea,” Ortiz said.

  “You are probably right,” Williams replied and let go of his radio.

  Ortiz looked at Tasha. “I’m going to get back to work,” she said. “Keep an eye on him for me and let me know if he looks like he is going to do something stupid.”

  “You got it,” Tasha replied and looked back at Williams. Past him, the sky was an ugly gray with some serious storm clouds coming in. Tanner limped over to Tasha. “How’s the ankle?” she asked.

  “Never better,” he joked. “But I think I’ll pass on my two mile run tonight.”

  Ortiz slammed the hood of the truck. “Well,” she announced. “I think we have a few problems. First, the starter’s a piece of shit. Both of them actually. The first one is dead and the second one isn’t powerful enough for this size of truck or it just plain doesn’t work. But who the hell knows, I’m paid to drive these things, not fix them.”

  “What else?” Tanner asked.

  “Battery is dead. I figure between these rednecks trying to start it and then us trying to start it, the battery is out of juice. Thoughts?”

  “We could use the battery in the truck we were driving yesterday,” Cleveland suggested.

  “That’s not bad,” Ortiz said. “You might be onto something. Even with the other battery it doesn’t solve our starter problem, but I bet we could jump start this one.”

  “You will have to drive that other truck over here on its rims,” Tanner said.

  “I don’t give a shit,” Ortiz replied. “Not like anyone is going to give me a ticket. Let me fill in Williams on what I’m doing and I’ll be back with the truck.”

  Ortiz grabbed her helmet and rifle and left through one of the open bay doors. Tasha watched her run over to Williams who was making obscene gestures at the creepers on the other side of the fence. “So,” Tasha said. “Are Ortiz and Williams an item or what?”

  Tanner scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he replied. “They started hooking up pretty much right after we got our assignment on Broken Top. They think they’re being sly about it, but Cleveland and I knew pretty quick what was up.”

  “That bother you at all?”

  “A little bit,” he said. “But, you know. It’s a new world now. Besides, there’s not much I can do about it.”

  Tasha nodded. A new world for sure, she thought. “So, we going to make it out of here?” she asked.

  Tanner looked Tasha in the eyes. “Yes,” he said. “We’re going to get you to Command so you can save us all.”

  “Don’t say that,” Tasha said. “I’m just a girl.”

  Tanner stepped closer to her. “Tasha,” he said. “You are so much more than that.“

  Williams came back in and put away his gas mask. “Ortiz will be back in a couple minutes, so let’s get these bodies cleaned up. If we have to stay the night, I sure as hell ain’t sleeping with these rednecks lying around.”

  “Thank you,” Tasha said quietly to Tanner. He smiled and went to help with the bodies. Williams and Tanner drug the corpses outside and Cleveland and Tasha helped arrange them next to a dumpster. Tasha heard Ortiz driving the truck down the alley on its rims. It was loud and the creepers started hissing and beating against the fence. “That fence better hold,” Tasha said as Tanner came up beside her.

  “If it doesn’t,” Tanner replied. “Run for the warehouse. It’s our only chance.”

  “Won't be any way you will be able to outrun them on that ankle,” Tasha said.

  “We’ll see,” Tanner said with a grin. “Bad ankle or no bad ankle, if those bastards start chasing me, I just may end up running faster than you.”

  “You better be faster than you look,” Tasha teased as Ortiz pulled the truck into the first bay of the garage. “Let's go see what we have.”

  Tasha led them inside where Williams already had the hood of the truck up. “Leave it running,” he said to Ortiz and pulled a set of jumper cables off of the work bench. “Tanner! Get in the truck.”

  Tanner hobbled over to the armored truck and climbed in behind the wheel.

  Williams connected the cables between the batteries of the two trucks and told Tanner to give it a go. Tanner turned the ignition and the engine tried to turn over, but the cylinders would not fire. “Hey,” Tanner called out. “Gas is showing empty.”

  Tasha went over to the fuel drum and pushed. It felt full. “Will this work?” she asked.

  Williams came over and read the label. He went back to the armored truck and checked the type of fuel it ran on. “It’ll work,” he said. “We just need a pump.”

  They looked through the garage for any kind of pump to get to fuel from the drum into the truck. “Found one,” Cleveland said holding it up. “Broken to shit though.”

  “Of course it is,” Williams said. “Keep looking.”

  Tanner found a long green garden hose. “I have an idea,” he said and cut the end off of the garden hose, measured out a six foot section and cut it again. Then he removed the gas cap from the truck and opened the drum. “Don’t try this at home, kids,” he joked and put one end of the hose inside the drum. He took a deep breath and started sucking the other end of the hose.

  “Is it working?” Tasha asked. Tanner just shrugged and kept sucking. Suddenly he choked and spit before he quickly jammed the end of the hose into the truck and they could hear it running fuel into the gas tank. Tanner staggered around the back of the truck and puked.

  Williams went over to Tanner and patted him on the back. “Good work, Private,” he said.

  Tanner managed a thumbs up when they heard thunder roll across the sky. Tasha looked out through one of the broken windows. “It’s getting ugly,” she said. “We still thinking about staying the night here?”

  Suddenly, it began to rain and Tasha could hear the creepers going into a frenzy. She and the others ran to look out the bay door. The creepers were crushing into the fence and it began to bulge. Lightning flashed and the thunder rolled again.

  “Holy shit,” Cleveland said. “Those things are going nuts!”

  “I’m thinking we should try the truck again,” Ortiz said staring at the wall of creepers with wide eyes.

  “Yeah,” Williams agreed. “Tanner, get ready to try again. Cleveland, keep an eye on that fence. Tasha, load our gear into the back.”

  “You got it, Sergeant,” Tasha said and started putting everything into the back of the armored truck. Cleveland stood in the bay door with his rifle and watched the creepers. The rain intensified and began to come down in sheets. Ortiz got behind the wheel of the smaller truck and revved the accelerator. Tanner tried the bank truck, but the engine still would not turn over. He opened the driver’s side door and leaned out. “Nothing!” he yelled over the sound of the rain on the roof. “It’s not even trying anymore. Maybe the gas cap has to be on or something.”

  “I’ve got it,” Tasha said and went to the back of the truck. She pulled the hose out of the truck and fuel started spilling everywhere.

  Williams came over and took the hose. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “It’s time to go.”

  Tasha cranked down the gas cap on the bank truck. “Give it another try,” she yelled.

  Tanner turned the ignition and the truck roared to life. “Yeah!” Tanner yelled and climbed gingerly down from behind the wheel.

  “Sergeant Williams!” Cleveland yelled from the bay door.

  Ortiz stepped out of the smaller truck and looked outside. “Oh, shit!” she said. “Sergeant!”

  Tasha followed Williams over to the bay door and they looked outside. The fence was coming down and the creepers were climbing over each other to get past it. Williams raised his rifle. “Get into the truck,” he ordered and began to fire at the creepers.

  Tasha ran for the back of the bank truck. Tanner hopped over on one foot and she and Cleveland helped Tanner climb up inside. “Sergeant!” Tasha yelled. “Good to go!” She climbed into the back and went to look
through a small open window between the truck and the cab.

  Williams fired until his magazine was empty and ran for the bank truck. Ortiz was behind the wheel and Williams climbed into the passenger seat. “They’re through the fence,” he said as he slammed the door shut and changed his rifle’s magazine out for a new one. He looked at Ortiz. “Punch it.”

  Ortiz shifted the transmission into drive just as creepers stormed into the garage. The smaller truck, sitting on its rims and still running, filled the bay door. The creepers climbed over and around it. “Hold on!” Ortiz yelled and stomped her foot down on the accelerator. The bank truck slammed into the other vehicle, crushing creepers and slowly forcing the other truck out of the garage, grinding on its rims.

  More creepers poured through the open bay doors and jumped onto the armored truck, grabbing at the lights and grill. Oh, this is not good, Tasha thought as she watched the monsters climb the sides of the truck and hold onto the mirrors.

  The armored car’s wheels squealed and blew smoke as it tried to find enough traction to force the smaller truck out of the garage. Tasha watched Ortiz grit her teeth as she crushed two creepers against the frame of the bay door, taking off her side view mirror in the process. Ortiz put the transmission into reverse and backed up enough to make space between the garage and the other truck. She slammed the transmission back into drive, stomped on the accelerator, and drove out into the rain and a mob of creepers. Ortiz bowled straight through them.

  “Where am I going?” she yelled.

  “Go right!” Williams yelled back. “There’s a gate further down which should be all locked up.”

  Ortiz pulled on the wheel and the truck cut hard to the right. Tasha lost her balance and fell against the left wall.

  “I can’t get these doors to stay shut,” Cleveland yelled.

  Tasha looked at the back of the bank truck. One of the two doors was shut, but Cleveland was slamming the other to try to close it. Suddenly, there were hands pulling the door open and creepers tried to climb inside.

  Cleveland kicked at them and fell down. A creeper grabbed at his foot but Tanner caught Cleveland under the arms and yanked him back into the truck. Tasha picked up the SAW machine gun. She held it in both hands and pointed it at the back. “Get out of the way!”

  Cleveland rolled to one side and curled up into the fetal position. Tanner held up a hand. “Wait!” he yelled but then dove to the bed of the truck when Tasha aimed at the half dozen creepers already climbing in through the open door. She opened fire and the machine gun roared. Her aim was lousy and the gun jumped all over but she managed to blow the creepers to pieces without hitting Tanner or Cleveland.

  “Jesus, Tasha,” Tanner said when the shooting had stopped.

  “Are you guys okay?” Williams called through the window from the cab.

  “Yeah,” Tasha said, holding the smoking machine gun.

  “Speak for yourself,” Cleveland said. “You scared the shit out of me.”

  “Hold on!” Ortiz yelled and Tasha felt the truck turn hard to the left. She looked through the viewing window just as Ortiz drove the truck into the gate. The lock exploded and they were outside the fence, driving hard through the rain and any creepers unlucky enough to be standing in Ortiz’s way.

  CLARK

  “Rocha!” Clark screamed as loud as he could to be heard over the intense downpour of rain. Since the sky had opened up, the rain had come down in a torrent, literal sheets of water falling from the sky. The day had turned so dark that to Clark it felt like night instead of the middle of the afternoon. Rolling thunder boomed and was followed by a harsh flash of lightning. Clark crouched against the side of the nearest building in an attempt to protect himself from the rain and watched as infected crawled, walked, and stumbled out of everywhere and everything. I had no idea so many were still in the city, he thought. The monsters came out of cars, buildings, alleyways, and even storm drains. Jesus, where is Rocha?

  Clark and Rocha had reached the highway the soldier had been looking for, a four lane road between the edge of the city's industrial sector and an inlet from Puget Sound. When they got there, they found hundreds of cars and trucks of all sizes piled up. Evidently there had been some kind of catastrophic accident on the road during the outbreak. It was a dirty, rusting mess now and Rocha had convinced Clark to stay put while he scouted ahead to try to find a safe way through. It had seemed like a good enough plan at the time, but now, standing soaking wet in the downpour with his arm in a splint and infected coming out of everywhere, it was sounding downright stupid.

  Clark continued to follow the wall of the building with the hope he would find some kind of shelter not already occupied by more infected. His arm throbbed but he tried to ignore it. In the back of his mind, he was sure that if he did not get surgery soon, he would lose everything below the elbow. Looking down, he saw his hand and fingers were swollen beyond recognition and were an ugly purple. Damn Rocha, why did you tape the splint so tight? Clark wondered. The morphine was also wearing off fast and everything from his shoulder down throbbed painfully with every beat of his heart. I really need to get out of this rain. “Rocha!” he yelled again but got no answer.

  Clark reached the corner of the building and saw it had, once upon a time, been a house. Since then, it had been converted into a hardware store. There was a covered front porch so Clark stepped underneath to get out of the rain. He crouched down and thought about dumping his defibrillator backpack. It had only gotten heavier as it became soaked in the rain and he was beginning to worry about the documents inside getting wet. “Rocha!” he tried to call again, but he had trouble getting a deep enough breath and he knew his cry came out weak. I’m dying, he thought. I have got to get inside somewhere. I just need to rest for a second.

  He stood up and looked in the window of the hardware store and could see through the glass the face of an infected. It groaned against the inside of the window. “Goddamn it,” was all Clark could think to say. So much for camping out in there. He turned back to the street and scanned around again for Rocha. All he saw were two more infected running in his direction from down the center of the street, splashing through the growing puddles like two kids playing in the rain. They ran past a big brown, square delivery truck sitting in the center of the highway. It had been turned onto its side during the accident. Clark stepped back further on the porch and hoped the two infected would not see him. Please just pass me by, he prayed but as they got closer, they changed direction and began to sprint straight for him.

  “Rocha!” Clark cried and turned to run. He jumped off the porch and back into the rain, racing for the corner of the next building. He pulled up short when he saw more of the infected coming at him. He was trapped and knew he was going to die. I’m going to die a failure, he thought. He had just wanted to get the documentation back to Command, to try and do the right thing. Now I’m going to be slaughtered. He reached for his pistol hoping to make a last stand but he could not reach it with his good hand and the movement sent renewed pain shooting through his arm. It hurt so bad he could hardly breathe. Clark let out a roar of pain and frustration. Damn this whole worthless infected world! Giving up, he sat down in the rain, closed his eyes and waited. Maybe the infected will leave enough of my corpse so I can stumble around with the stupid defibrillator on my back and be found someday. He barked out a hysterical laugh at the image. I’m losing it, he thought. He could hear the stomping feet of the infected as they splashed through the rain to get to him. He braced himself for the pain and suffering.

  Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

  Clark opened his eyes and saw Rocha crouched next to him in the pouring rain. “What the hell, man?” Rocha asked. “Get up. We need to move. Wait. Shit.” Clark watched as Rocha stepped away from him and shot a half dozen more infected running down the street toward them.

  Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

  Rocha looked at Clark again. “Seriously,” he said. “Get up.”

>   “I can’t,” Clark cried. “I’m dying.”

  “Not today,” Rocha said and grabbed Clark by the defibrillator backpack and lifted him to his feet. Clark let out a scream of pain.

  “I need more morphine,” Clark whined.

  “Later. We need to move,” Rocha ordered and dragged Clark forward with one hand and gunned down four more infected with his rifle in his other.

  Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

  “Where are you taking me?” Clark asked as they weaved between the broken down cars to the center of the accident. They stopped at the overturned delivery truck.

  “Get on top of this truck,” Rocha said.

  “What?”

  Rocha pushed Clark toward the brown truck. “Get up there,” Rocha said. “They won’t be able to reach you.”

  “Why?” Clark asked. He really didn’t want to be stuck on top of a truck in the middle of a lightning storm surrounded by infected.

  “Because I need you out where they can see you,” Rocha said.

  Clark was appalled. “Who?” he asked. “The infected?”

  “No, you dumb shit. The military. They’re going to be driving by here any second. I set up a marker directing them this way.”

  “Are you sure? How do you know they’ll follow it?” Clark asked.

  “Get down!” Rocha yelled and pushed Clark to the pavement. He went down hard and hit his arm on the ground. His whole world became pain. He temporarily saw nothing but white and was pretty sure he threw up.

  Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

  Lightning flashed and Clark’s vision cleared as he watched Rocha fire everywhere at once. Clark was reminded of when he first met Rocha. Rocha had been on the firing range, shooting targets just feet away from him. Rocha moved now just as he had then. Fast, efficient, and deadly.

  “Out of ammo!” Rocha said dropping his rifle and pulling a grenade from his vest. He threw it down the street and after a few seconds the grenade exploded with a loud Whomp! The infected not taken out by the blast were instantly distracted and turned toward the concussion of the grenade. Rocha turned to Clark and picked him up with both hands. “Wait!” Clark cried, but Rocha ignored him. “Wait! My arm! Aaaaaahhh!”