Cryptophobia (Book 1): Outbreak [Fear The Unknown]

by Henderson, G. D.

  With that he stood up and ran, calling out for his mother.

  CHAPTER 16 - TERRY, TODD & KERRY: 6:22pm - 6 Hours, 37 Minutes since outbreak

  Terry's shot had at the very least slowed down their pursuers. Shotguns were supposed to be destructive at close range, so when a person stood up again and act as though taking the mother of all shots to the torso were little more than inconvenience, you knew you were royally fucked. If matters weren't already pretty shit, twitchers were pouring out of every nook and cranny like a traumatising case of diarrhoea. He lunged at another with the bloodied pole, narrowly avoiding its teeth and rupturing its eye socket, spraying blood everywhere. He then used the twitcher to defend himself against the others, others that by all measure should have been dead. Weren't you supposed to aim for the head? Wasn't that the universal method to stop a zombie? So why wouldn't they just stay fucking dead? Why were the headless still getting back up? This was nothing like the movies, what the shit was this?

  Shaken, Terry let his guard down, just long enough for one of the headless to pounce on top of him, but without teeth to bite him with, the most it could do was scratch at him. Terry grabbed the headless twitcher and threw it over his shoulder and on top of another assailant, he then took another shot into the swarm of twitchers dashing towards him and almost immediately after taking that shot, there was a terrifying series of shrieks not only from the twitchers in front of him, but many in unison that seemed to come from anywhere and everywhere, almost as though every twitcher in the building had reacted to the sound of his gunfire. If that wasn't enough to convince Terry to make like a dancer and get to two stepping, nothing would.

  "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

  He abandoned the attempts to buy time and dashed down the corridor in pursuit of his son. As he ran, he couldn't stop thinking about how traumatised his kids would be by all of this, most notably his son, but he was a little trooper, a little stubborn trooper who still had the mind to risk his life in order to rescue his father, rather than follow his father's strict instructions to hide.

  With perspective, it was probably for the best, had he followed that instruction, Terry would be dead and the poor lad would probably be stuck in there for who only knew how long, his stubbornness had given the both of them a second chance. That kid was braver than he ever was, if he had even a shred of the courage that boy had, his marriage wouldn't have been a train. He'll grow to be a great man someday.

  "George! Natasha!" He shouted out at the top of his voice and initially heard nothing, but venturing further down the corridor and repeating their names was rewarded with the reassuring sound of his ex-wife, he couldn't have been happier to hear her voice if he tried.

  "Terry!"

  "Natasha?" He followed her voice and was led to a damaged door with clear signs of attempted forced intrusion. The door was cracked right down the middle from top to bottom and there was a gaping hole in the middle. The only thing preventing further entry was an equally heavily damaged metal cabinet behind it.

  “Hurry, let him in! Shift it out of the way! That’s Terry!” Natasha ordered.

  “What if he's infected?” Someone replied. “Ain't no fucking way he made it all the way up here without getting infected”.

  “I’m clean, is my son in there with you? We both made it up here together and if you let him in, you have nothing to fear from me, but speed it up, I can't guarantee that that will be the case in another few seconds".

  They pushed the heavy cabinet out of the way and parts of the door in front of it fell apart.

  Terry stepped into the room and helped them push the cabinet back into place, before finding himself surrounded by Natasha’s colleagues with makeshift weapons.

  “Didn't you hear me say I wasn't infected?”

  “Can't be too careful", one of them replied.

  Natasha and his son pushed through into the centre of the circle the others had formed around him.

  George leapt into his arms and Natasha briefly hugged him, before turning to the others.

  “For Christ sake, put those down, he’s not infected!”

  “How the hell would you know?” Another asked.

  “It's fine", Terry interrupted, “Your suspicions are completely reasonable, keep your weapons on me for however long it takes for you to trust me, but in the meantime, I think we should plan our way of escape, I think we should expect to be confronted with every one of those crazies in the building”.

  “Yeah, no thanks to you”, one of them replied, referencing the shotgun in his hands.

  “I had no other choice".

  “And you brought them all right to our door, giving us no other choice either".

  “We're going to get out of here".

  “And that's based on your sound judgement I'm guessing. How do we know you won't use us as bait just to save Natasha? You're the one with the gun".

  “Never mind all of that, what I want to know is why the hell George is with you?” Natasha interrupted.

  “He wasn’t supposed to be, I sent him out of the city and he managed to find his way back to me, I couldn’t leave him where he was and ensuring he got out would mean leaving you to your fate”.

  “You probably should have done that!”

  “Look, Natasha, I don’t want to argue with you now. You won’t believe what we’ve been through today, I’m not in the mood right about now, I just want to get out of here”.

  “Where is Ria?”

  “Safe, she’s leaving the city, like we should be. Can we get moving? Now? Please?”

  A loud bang at the door and cabinet, followed by screaming, swearing and scratching, signalled the unwelcomed arrival of the twitchers.

  Abandoning their interrogation of Terry, they rushed over to keep the cabinet from toppling over and Terry did what he could to help.

  “Fuck! We are screwed!” One of the females replied.

  “Fucking understatement”, one of the males replied.

  “Shut the fuck up, Todd!” Another female snapped.

  “We haven’t got much time, we have to think of a way out of this place, every one of those crazies will be up here wanting for our blood soon and we can't hold this cabinet up forever”, Terry replied.

  “We might have to fight our way out, it's the only way", Natasha replied.

  “Then that is what we will have to do”.

  “Wait, what? What makes you think we are going anywhere with you? You just come in here giving fucking orders. Do you know how long we’ve been stuck in here praying for our lives and holding off those fuckers? We’ve seen our entire office turn into those psychotic cannibals! There’s a city out there filled with those things, where the hell do you think we can go in these conditions? On top of that, what about you? You still haven't given us one good fucking reason why we should trust you?" Todd spat. He was a douchebag about it, but Terry couldn't argue with the logic.

  “I've been out there, I've ran from, snuck around and fought those crazies just to get here. I don't know anything about this infection other than the vague and frankly useless information the CEU gave me, but if you have any better ideas, be my guest to take over. I'm just trying to get us all out of here alive and since death or suffering the same fate as those others is just beyond this cabinet we are struggling to keep in place, I don't think your options right now are brimming, just an observation. I’ll be honest with you, I'm here to save Natasha and my son, but I'm suggesting that our chances of survival, all of us, increase if we work as a group”.

  "What is the plan? We won't get out of here easily", Elmira replied, the only one of Natasha’s colleagues Terry knew.

  "It's safe to assume that the main stairway isn't an option, neither is the elevator. Elevator was out of commission and stairway is probably crawling with those twitchers now", Terry replied.

  "Twitchers?" Natasha asked.

  "Easier to call them that, you'll understand why".

  "The fire exit stairway", another male suggested, "it should be re
latively empty, it requires a key card to get into and is only used in emergencies, but I'm a fire marshal for this floor, so I can get us in. I can't guarantee it'll be safer, especially given to circumstances, but I'm willing to bet that less people thought about using it to get down before shit hit the fan".

  “Good call, Bishop", someone else replied.

  "Okay, that's our best bet, you should lead the way”.

  “How do we get out though?” Elmira asked.

  Terry looked around and remembered something.

  "When I say push that cabinet out of the way, do it!" Terry ordered.

  "What have you got in mind?" Natasha asked.

  “Fire extinguishers, I have one on me and it seems you already have a few in here too, I can't guarantee it will work, but maybe we can create some sort of smoke screen. It's our best bet besides taking each of them on and trust me, we want to do as little of that as possible".

  "That's your fucking idea? Fucking hell! No! I'm not going anywhere with you! I'm staying right here! Fuck that! You'll get us all fucking killed! Who the hell do you think you are? Rambo?"

  "Fuck you, Todd!" A young woman shouted at him. She had been silent up until that point. "I'm going! Stay here and fucking die! I'm taking my chances! I'm so sick of fucking listening to your shit and if we never have to work together again, if I never have to hear your insistent rambling, your fucking self-righteousness, file your fucking reports and listen to how much you hate this and that, it'll be way too motherfucking soon!"

  “You said it, Kerry", Elmira replied.

  Todd stood there in shock. For a small Chinese girl, she could certainly make an incredible point and had it not been for the circumstances, she would have likely received a round of applause right there.

  Terry set his fire extinguisher down besides the doorway.

  "Okay, so those with me, I think I have like one shell remaining, so remove the cabinet, I'll fire, extinguisher explodes, we charge, aim for the face, preferably the eyes, keep moving! Bishop, you lead the way once we have a clearing. Stay close and tight everyone, don't get bitten. This will be one hell of a fight, use every resource available to you and protect each other, the moment we fall apart is the moment our hopes of getting out of here are dashed. We've only got one shot at this, it's all or nothing".

  Elmira and another woman stood ready behind.

  “I'm with Lizzy, we'll cover your rear”, Elmira declared.

  "Fuck this shit, feel free to walk into the embrace of death by yourselves", Todd snapped, but they ignored him.

  "Three... two... one! Now!" Terry shouted. With a powerful thrust, they pushed or pulled the cabinet out of the way and jumped back as the twitchers poured in. Terry fired, praying for the best and almost immediately there was an explosion, as the pressure in the extinguisher expelled, shrouding the entire room and knocking several of the twitchers to the ground.

  The group poured through the door, hitting and stabbing in the face any twitchers that stood in their way, leaving Todd behind.

  The corridor was swarmed with twitchers, it took everything in their arsenal - extinguishers, kitchen knives, keyboards and more - just to battle their way through and it wasn't without loss, as four of their own were ripped to shreds.

  Suddenly the blaring sound of the building alarm commenced and Terry turned to see that Elmira had smashed and set off the nearest fire alarm. Smart thinking, the sound would distract the twitchers and mask any noise they themselves made.

  Finally, they made it out into open area of the office where they could use the cubicles to lose their assailants.

  "This way!" Bishop shouted, taking lead.

  Easier though it may have been easier to traverse the open floor as opposed to the choke of the corridor, it wasn't without a battle of survival and two more, despite everything the others did to help, were tackled to the ground and torn apart like deers to a pack of wolves, leaving only seven of them remaining.

  They scrambled towards the fire exit and Bishop hurriedly flashed his card against the little scanner. It flashed green, allowing him access to the emergency exit stairway and he pushed through, with the rest of them following behind.

  Todd who had remained behind, took to hiding in the remaining cabinet and praying that he wasn't seen or heard. He was prepared to stay there as long as it took. Those fuckers could go and get themselves killed if they wished, he wasn't about to be a part of that suicide pact. He would wait this out and then make his way up to the roof once it was all clear, from there he would hopefully wave down a helicopter and be rescued, if all else failed, he would just use the window cleaning lift to get down.

  Stupid bitch Kerry, who the hell did she think she was showing him up like that? She made him look a right fucking tool, when all he wanted was to point out the ludicrousness of their plan. Up until that sonovabitch came marching in like the big boss around town, they didn’t have the entire building worth of crazies to deal with and the plan was simple, make it to the roof and work out what to do from there. That guy, Terry fucking ruined everything. Well, they were entitled to do as they pleased, good fucking luck to em all, he thought.

  Terry and the others ran down the stairway leaping most of them with sheer determination to just get out of the building and get to safety, but just as they were coming to the last two floors Bishop stopped abruptly.

  "Why did you s...?" Terry stopped mid-sentence when he spotted who stood at the bottom of the next flight of stairs grinning up at them and he wasn't the only one, Natasha too couldn't believe her eyes.

  "My good man, Terry, where are you rushing off to? The party is only just beginning. What’s more, taking my woman along with you? It must be one hell of a motherfucking ball, otherwise you've obviously lost your fucking mind". Daniel stood before them covered from head to toe in blood.

  "Daniel! You're alive", Natasha yelped with happiness and relief, but before she could approach him, Terry prevented her. She glared at him.

  "It’s not what it looks like, I’m not trying to stop you for the sake of it. That's not him", Terry said simply, glancing at her with a serious expression.

  "What are you talking about? It's definitely him", she replied.

  "Look at his eyes", Terry replied.

  His eyes were alight with the raging infernos of sheer hatred, a look that far exceeded the usual disdain he had for him.

  Natasha didn’t contest, maybe for a change she trusted him.

  "He's infected", Terry explained.

  "But he's...”

  "I know".

  "What are you saying up there about me, Terry? Are you trying to convince her to stay with you? You sly fuck. The moment I'm not around you're bad mouthing me and trying to steal my woman. Don't you get it? You're a fucking failure, something the cycle of life puked up. A piece of shit like you doesn't deserve to be with a woman like Natasha, accept your fucking lane, you maggot", Daniel snapped.

  "How did you find us?" Terry replied, ignoring the remarks.

  "Security cameras. Credit where credit is due, you've managed to stay alive this long and even find Natasha, I was almost certain you'd already be dead or at least out of the city by now like the coward you are". Terry once again ignored the remark, instead looking for the entry of infection wound, a feat made a challenge due to all the blood. In his hands he clutched onto a crowbar soaked in his blood.

  "You've been busy", Terry replied.

  "What can I say? Circumstances demanded it".

  "That blood, it doesn't just belong to you and the infected does it?”

  "It's surprisingly invigorating, Terry. It's a great stress reliever. Besides, doesn’t look like you've been much of a pacifist yourself".

  “I haven't killed anyone... technically and I haven't hurt anyone innocent".

  "What is innocence anyway? Who decides what constitutes innocence? Fuck that! There's nothing quite like the thrill of having someone's life in your hands and taking it away as they fucking beg, you'll feel like a fucking g
od!”

  “I always thought you were something of a narcissist, but I realise now that you weren't even scraping the surface of what you had the potential to be”.

  The thought occurred to Terry, that maybe there was the possibility personality traits remained intact for the infected, he might even go one step further and say they were amplified, but he still had no concrete evidence of Daniel having been infected to confirm that theory, even if his behaviour led him to believe it so. If, however the personality of an infected person did in fact remain intact, did that mean some semblance of their conscience still existed, trapped in their own bodies? If so, then maybe he too was already a murderer. Shit, he was overthinking, this was way too philosophical a thought for this moment in time.

  "Aw come on, Terry, for once in your pathetic life, don't be such a fucking pussy", Daniel replied. As he said that, they each glanced upwards to the sound of twitchers above storming down the stairway.

  "We have to go!" Bishop shouted.

  "Why don't you, this is between Terry, Natasha and I, the rest of you can fuck off", Daniel replied. Bishop looked over towards Terry.

  "Sorry guys, I can't stay here, I have a daughter".

  "Go, Bishop. Be safe", Terry replied. Bishop nodded and turned to the others.

  "Are you coming?" He asked. Kerry slipped out to join him, but Elmira and another woman held back.

  "I'm staying with them", Elmira insisted, glancing over at her colleague next to her, “Lizzy?”

  Lizzy sighed, before replying with, "So am I".

  "Good luck all of you and if I don't see you again, it has been the greatest pleasure working with you all", Bishop declared and with that, he and Kerry began their descent of the stairs. As they drew closer to Daniel, they slowed down a little, maintaining eye contact with him, but his unwavering glare remained fixed on Terry and Natasha. Believing themselves to not be the focus of Daniel's interest, they made the fatal mistake of taking their eyes off him and he reacted with swift, brutal judgement, swinging the hooked end of the crowbar right into Bishop's face, impaling his eye socket and slamming him into the wall. It all happened so quick and sudden that the others didn't even see it coming. Kerry screamed.