I ran as soon as the bear turned its attention to me. It started after me. I ran about four feet when I tripped and fell face first into the ground. I groaned and turn to see the bear barreling down on me. I just stared hopelessly at my impending doom.
XII.
Just as the bear was about to pounce on me, Bret came flying out of nowhere and jump tackled the bear. The two rolled around on the ground. They got up and the bear swung its right arm and caught Bret across the face knocking him down. Just as the bear was about to finish his prey Jessica stepped up beside it with the shotgun aimed at the bear’s head. She put the trigger.
The recoil sent Jessica stumbling backwards and fell. The bear’s brains were a spaghetti mess. The limp body fell sideways in front of Bret who was just getting his bearings back after the vicious hit that he took.
Bret brushed off the bear remains that splattered on him and got to his feet. He walked over and picked up his shotgun. Then he held out his hand to help Jessica up.
“Like I said before, it packs a punch,” he said referring to his gun.
I walked over to them.
“Everybody alright?” I asked.
“Yeah,” said Bret.
Jessica nodded.
We walked over to the tree where Joe was hanging to for dear life.
“You can come down now, the big bad bear is gone,” said Jessica.
Joe shimmied down.
“You alright, little man?” asked Bret.
“I’m not little,” Joe protested.
“Or a man,” Jessica teased.
“Whatever, I’m fine.”
We walked back to the road.
“That was somethin’, huh? What a rush!” said Bret, amped.
“Yeah, almost getting mauled by a bear. We should do that more often,” I said.
“You OK?” Jessica asked Joe, showing concern for anyone for the first time since I’ve met her.
“I’ll be fine,” said Joe. “That was scary as hell.”
“That was awesome as hell!” Bret chimed in.
As we got back onto the road we heard noises overhead.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Sounds like helicopters or somethin’,” Bret said pointing up. “Look!”
“They’re coming from the direction of the lab,” said Joe.
Two helicopters were going east and one more was going southeast towards town.
“That’s probably my dad going to look for me.”
“But why are they leaving and where are they going?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Joe answered.
We stood there and watched the helicopters as they traveled out of sight leaving us standing in the middle of the road not knowing what to make of the situation.
XIII.
“So, what now?” asked Bret.
We all looked at each other seeking an answer.
“I think we should continue to the lab,” I said.
“What for? The person we came to see just left,” said Jessica, always the pessimist.
“Do you know where they're headed?” I asked Joe.
Joe shook his head no. “But I think we should continue going to the lab, there might be clues as to where they're going. Plus what other option do we have? Go back to town? We're much closer to the lab than the town. We might find a ride up there as well.”
“I agree,” Bret said. “What about you Jess.”
“It's Jessica,” she glared at him. “Fine, whatever. Let's go.”
We walked through the rest of the forest without further encounters with deadly animals or zombies.
“Whoa, look at that,” Bret pointed.
It was a giant building in the shape of a vagina.
“What the hell?!” exclaimed Jessica.
“Yeah, what the hell?!” I echoed her.
“It's my dad's idea. He said he always wanted to live inside a giant pussy.”
“What? He actually said that?” I asked bewildered.
“I wish I was making it up. He's weird to the max. He's the biggest goofball you'll ever meet. Sometimes when I'm with him I feel like I'm the grown-up.”
“No shit?” asked Bret.
“No shit.”
“Is he a bigger weirdo than Sam?” asked Jessica.
“Screw you!” I fired back.
“You wouldn't know how,” she responded.
“Bitch!” I said.
She struck me in the arm.
The building was built on a mound with a parking lot out in front and helicopter pads to the side with one helicopter sitting there.
We walked up the two-flights of stairs. The sun was right overhead and the heat was started to take affect. We walked to the entrance and entered the vagina.
XIV.
It was a relief to get out of the scorching sun. The inside of the building was pure white, very clean. We walked straight to the reception desk.
“Do you know where you dad's office is?” I asked Joe.
“Nope, I've never been here before.”
We looked around the reception desk for any clues.
“What's your dad's name,” asked Bret.
“Dr. Timothy Mercer.”
We scoured the area looking for anything that would help us find the scientist's office.
“Found it,” said Jessica. “It's on the 3rd level.”
“3rd level?” I asked.
“Yeah, this property goes underground. The elevators are located to the left down the hall and we have to take them down to the 3rd level according to this document,” she said referring to the files in the folder she was holding. “Come on, let's go.”
I went around the desk to lead the way because that is what leaders do, they lead.
“Where the hell are you going?” shouted Jessica.
“Leading the way to the elevators,” I answered.
“They're this way, ding dong.”
“You said to the left.”
“Yes, left when facing the reception, so this way.”
I turned and followed the others to the elevators.
We got out of the elevator at level three and it was a complete opposite of the first level. Where the first level was all white and clean, the third level was a complete mess. The walls were covered in blooded and lifeless bodies were scattered on the floor. There were cages with people, or zombies, in them. It was a complete horror show. The cages were about ten feet in height and four feet by four feet in length and width. They were all lined up against the wall covering the entire room. Some of the cages were empty and the bars on them were bent as if someone or something strong just pulled them apart. That probably explains where the bodies on the floor came from. There were also tables with straps and what looked like an office at the opposite end of the room.
“What the hell happened?!” asked Bret.
We all just stared, taking in the scenic mess. Level three was just one whole room whereas the first level had hallways and individual rooms.
“Are any of them alive?” I asked.
We walked around the room studying the 'experiments.' Most were grotesque and badly disfigured.
“Help me!” shouted a voice as we jumped in surprised. Bret accidentally fired his shotgun which made us jump again.
“Premature discharge, eh Bret?” Jessica teased.
“Shut up!” he replied.
“Help me!” said the voice again. The voice came from the cage to the left of the office. We approached it.
“Get me out of here!”
“Who are you?” I asked. “What happened here?”
“Let me out!” he shouted.
“Yeah, like that's going to happen,” replied Jessica.
This guy looked like a person who had narrowly survived a tornado attack or how I imagined a person would look after getting into a real fight with Jessica. He was a mess. His clothes were ripped and he had dried blood all over him.
“Get me out of this cage!” he shouted.
“W
e have to help him!” said Joe.
“We don't have to do anything,” said Jessica.
“Wow, heartless!” I said.
“Wow, douche-bag!” she retorted.
“We can't just leave him in there,” Bret chimed in.
“Where did you learn to be so good at being a bitch, at Bitch University?” I asked Jessica, completely ignoring Bret.
“Where did you learn to be so good at being a loser, University of Loserville? You parents should have sent you to Ball State University so you could have balls!”
“Did you guys know that Ball State is an actual university?” asked Joe.
“Shut up!” we both said in unison.
“Alright, idiots! Calm down, okay?” Bret said. “We need to do somethin'.”
“My I suggest letting me out of this cage?!” said the guy, irritated.
“First, you talk,” said Jessica. “Then maybe... maybe, we'll think about letting you out. Spill the beans. Who are you and what happened here?”
XV.
“My name is Mark Stone, Staff Sargent, Army.”
“And what happened here, where's my dad going?” asked Joe.
“That crazy loon was your dad?” asked Mark. He suddenly reached through the bars and grabbed Joe forcefully and was trying to pull Joe into the cage through the bars.
“Help!” Joe yelled.
We all jumped in trying to help Joe. I grabbed Joe around his mid-section and was trying to pull him free while Jessica was furiously punching Mark in the face. Bret was trying to break the iron grip Mark had on Joe.
“Let him go, you retard!” she said as she stopped punching him in the face and did some crazy spinning martial arts kick, I don't know what. Unfortunately that didn't do jack squat.
Bret stopped trying to pry Mark's fingers off of Joe and stood back. He took off his rifle which he had slung across his back. He grabbed the nozzle end of the rifle and held it like a baseball bat and started hammering Mark's forearms. After about a half-dozen hits Mark let go as Joe and I stumbled backwards and fell to the floor.
“The hell's wrong with you, man?” asked Bret.
“Yeah, you freaking psycho!” Jessica added.
“Me? I'm the psycho?” asked Mark, bewildered.
“Yeah, jarhead.”
“Actually marines are jarheads, and it's insulting for civilians to use that term.”
“Like I care,” said Jessica.
“Bitch!” Mark called her.
“I know, right?” I added.
“You're about to have a broken nose,” she said to Mark. “And you're about to have a broken body,” she said to me. “You're about to go from 'Sam I Am' to 'Sam I Can't Freaking Walk Because Jessica Crippled My Ass' if you keep this up.”
“Isn't she a peach?” I said.
She responded by kicking me in my left knee-cap which dropped me to the floor. She turned her attention back to Mark.
“Before we leave your ass to rot in that cell, mind telling us why you attacked the kid? And also what happened in this lab?” she demanded.
Mark looked at Joe.
“I'm sorry, kid. I guess the son shouldn't be held responsible for the sins of the father but FUCKING HELL!” he said kicking the bars of the cell.
“Alright guys,” said Jessica. “Let's go see what we can find in that office and get the hell out of here. This idiot is freaking useless.”
She started walking towards the office.
“Wait!” said Mark. “Wait. Do you promise to let me out if I tell you what you want to know?”
“Heck no!” said Jessica. “But we promise to leave you where you are if you don't talk.”
“Alright,” he replied. “Everything is his dad's fault,” he said gesturing to Joe. “He fucked everything and everyone.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Joe.
“I'm in this cell. Why? Because of your dad. The room is the way it is. Why? Because of your dad. The world is riddled with zombies. Why? Because of your dad!”
“We don't have time for this, let's go,” Jessica beckoned us.
Before any of us could make a move we heard moaning and movements from the cages that were occupied.
“No, no, no, no!” said Mark. “Go into that office and you should find a key on the wall to the right. Get it and unlock my cell. Now!”
“Wha...” Jessica began.
“If they get out of their slumber, we are screwed. We need to get the hell out of this place before they gain full consciousness. You see the bloody, messy bodies on the floor? Unless you guys can do the same thing to the ones that are about to wake up, we need to be as far away from here and as fast as we possibly can. I saw that the other ones did before Dr. Mercer's security put them down. They are no ordinary zombies. You do not want to know or see, let alone experience, the horror these monsters can bring.”
“What do you mean?” asked Bret.
“Sure, I can tell you all about it right now. It's not like we have in our mist psychotic, nearly unstoppable, bloody-thirsty animals that will not stop until we're dead or until they're dead. Whichever one comes first. Let me out!”
Jessica went into the office and retrieved the key. She came back and stopped in front of Mark's cell holding the key in her right hand.
“How do we know...” Jessica began
“Are you serious right now?” asked Mark in disbelief. “Those things are no longer human. They possess enough physical strength to bend bars. If they can do that imagine what they can do to you.”
“How do we know you're not one of them?” she asked.
There was more stirrings coming from the cells.
“I'm speaking aren't I? Those things don't speak. Like zombies, they moan and groan. Also just like my wife, but not in a good way as in sex moans and groans. More like 'stop your bitching already, sheesh.' But that's a story for another time. If there is one. Which there won't be if you don't let me out!”
“Alright, calm down.” Jessica keyed the lock and was opening the cell when Mark busted out of the cell like a bat out of hell knocking Jessica back a little.
“Damn, what the hell?” she said.
“Uh, guys?” I said. “That one is looking at us as if we're prime grade steak.”
“Get to the elevator now!” Mark shouted as he shoved his way through us.
Confusion set in as we looked around bewildered.
“Holy crap!” I said pointing to one of the cells. “Look, that one is bending the bars.”
“Run, you idiots,” Mark called.
We turned and ran after him, Jessica and I followed by Bret and Joe as we tried to catch up.
Mark go to the elevator and was ferociously pressing the button.
“Come on, open up!”
The elevator opened and he jumped in. As Jessica and I were about to get into the elevator we heard an “Oh no!”
I turned and saw Joe had fallen on the floor. I also saw one of the monster-zombies coming at him. Bret made a 360 and went to help Joe. As I was about to do the same Jessica grabbed me and shoved me into the elevator.
“Are you crazy? We have to help them!” I shouted.
Bret yanked Joe from the floor and pushed him towards the elevator.
“Run,” he said as Joe obeyed.
“Look out,” I said to Bret. He turned as the monster-zombie sprang into the air was coming down on Bret. Bret barrel rolled to avoid the zombie stomp.
“Shoot him, you idiot,” Jessica yelled at Bret. Joe made it into the elevator.
“We've got to go if we want to make it out alive, now!” said Mark.
“But we've got to help Bret,” I said.
I turned to see Bret unhook his shotgun from his back and aimed it at the zombie that was going for his throat. I saw the other monster-zombies in the process of breaking out of their cages.
“Bret, shoot it already and get the hell out of there,” I shouted.
Bret pulled the trigger and the sound that came out was a click.
Shotgun empty. The look on Bret's face was of complete terror as the monster-zombie pounced on him and bit him on the right side of the neck.
“Bret... NOOOOO!” cried Joe.
Bret grabbed the shotgun with his left hand and was hammering the zombie on the head with it to no avail.
Mark pressed the up button and the elevator proceeded to close. Right before it closed, I saw the zombie pick Bret up and slammed him onto the floor on his knees. While stepping on Bret's leg it grabbed his left arm and yanked upwards ripping Bret's arm off as the other zombies joined in on the kill. The last sound we heard were Bret's screams of horror.
Zombie Outbreak: Holy Sh*t! Page 3
