"Sergeant. Why have you brought this man in my presence? Don't you realize I have more important things to spend my time with? I got a group of soldiers acting like animals, a group of civilians who need protection from the undead swarms of zombies outside this building and the monsters inside. I have enough problems to deal with. Either he can walk away or die trying to get his stuff back." The warrant seemed to be studying an area on the North side of the map of Corner Brook.
"But Warrant Smith, he has something that may be of great interest to our cause." The older man tried to reason with his younger superior.
"Well, don't keep me in suspense?" The younger warrant shot the sergeant an impatient glare.
"I have a helicopter," Eric blurted out.
"Really? Then why didn't you fly that thing out of here to safety?" Warrant Smith finally set his glare on Eric. "And what makes you think that's of any use to me?"
“Warrant Smith. If the rumours about the old military base in Argentia are true..."
"Sergeant. I've told you the Brigadier General has led the first battalion there already, but one helicopter won't get all of my men there. I will not leave anyone behind."
"What do we have to lose? We fly a small crew out and see if they made it there. If not, we can scout out a safe area. Get out of the death trap we are in the middle of." The two men exchanged defiant stares. Neither man would back down. A young boy entered the room. Eric figured he couldn't be much older than eighteen. His tall, lanky frame had only just begun to add the wiry muscles of military training. His face was as smooth as a baby’s bottom, and his light blue eyes and blonde hair were a sharp contrast to filthy, blood stained uniform.
"What is it, Private Byrnes?" The sergeant seemed agitated.
"The plan didn't work. The fire lured them towards the building but they are just... staring at the fire from the parking lot. We can't get them inside the building." The private seemed anxious, a cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, the smoke washing over his face as he exhaled.
"Well shit, Private. You need to find another way to draw them in there. Do I have to do everything myself?" The sergeant looked annoyed at the young boy’s incompetence.
"How..."
"They enjoy the smell of human flesh, send a group of men inside the building to lure them in. Just make sure they find a way out." Warrant Smith made it sound like they were discussing basic strategy; there was no concern for human life.
"What the hell are you doing?" Eric was appalled by what he was hearing.
"That blonde bitch who's been stirring up trouble. Make an example out of her and the others will fall in line. Go grab her and bring her to me." The sergeant pointed at the private. The private backed out of the office unwillingly, wanting to defy the orders but still unsure of his place in the regiment. Byrnes almost tripped over his own feet as he back peddled. He left the door open and his footsteps echoed loudly as he rushed down the stairs.
"You can't do that," Eric tried to object.
Warrant Smith stood up and slammed both his fist against the table. "He's right, Sergeant Mitchell, I shouldn't have to tell you that." The warrant’s fiery eyes pierced into the sergeant’s defiant glare, but neither man would back down.
"You can't choose whose life is worth keeping and who to sacrifice! What gives you that right?" Eric demanded an answer.
"When those abominations rose up from the dead and ate the commanding officer," the sergeant’s hoarse voice snapped back. He wasn't willing to give any ground on his heartless stance.
Eric's heart jumped into his throat when he saw the private enter the room and push the girl with the curly blonde hair into the middle of the room. Her white tank top was covered in grime and grease from the kitchen, her blue jeans ripped and torn. Eric felt helpless against the shocking revelation that he had no choice left now but to give up everything he had in order to save the helpless victim's life.
"Wait, you can't do this! Please I'll do anything if you spare her."
"Eric?" Sasha turned her head and looked shocked to see Officer Jones begging for her life. She had worked with Eric at the police station before the world went to shit.
"You want to save her life? We'll make it an even trade. Her life for the helicopter?" Warrant Smith had Eric backed into a corner. What else could he do? He would not be able to live with himself if he walked away. He would have to sacrifice his only advantage to save Sasha.
"Deal," Eric reluctantly agreed.
The sergeant seemed almost gleeful as he turned to shake Eric's hand.
"We go now and she comes with me." Eric would not let her stay here another moment.
As they shook hands, Eric could feel the sheer force of the sergeant’s grip nearly crushing the bones in his hand. Eric felt helpless, but what choice was their left for him? At least they had weapons at the paper mill that would keep his group safe. Maybe Jason had managed to gather some food.
Hank entered the room, an assault rifle jammed in his back as a soldier led him in.
"This man has been snooping around. Said he's looking for a friend," the soldier spoke to the warrant.
"You people have worn out your welcome. Now you're going to leave this military base and never come back. Sergeant Mitchell, you're going to escort these men to the helicopter. Take whomever you want with you." Warrant Smith seemed to be at his wit’s end with all of the commotion.
Eric walked over to Hank and whispered into his ear.
"What are you two talking about!" Sergeant Mitchell barked.
"I'm going with you to the helicopter. These two are not going with us." Eric could not risk their lives. What if Sergeant Mitchell decided to kill them once they got the helicopter?
"Where do you think they are going?" the sergeant growled.
"Well... you let them go and I’ll tell you where the keys to the helicopter are." Eric needed insurance that he would not get a bullet in the back of the head the instant he found the helicopter.
"Fuck." It escaped as a defeated moan from the sergeant.
"Just do as he says. They won't cause us any more trouble," the warrant barked his orders.
CHAPTER TWELVE:
SACRIFICE
Jason and Kevin had searched most of the nearby homes with very little luck. A few cans of tuna, a couple boxes of rice, and a bag of dark roast coffee were among the highlights of their finds. Most of the streets were empty, as the zombies had been drawn away by all of the gunfire deeper in the city. A few stragglers were left roaming around the side streets, but Jason found them easy to dodge and they quickly gave up interest as he passed them by.
Kevin pulled the old flatbed pickup into a side street that he said would have most likely been looked over. Jason was just about ready to give up, but Kevin talked him into checking out a few more houses. The houses on this street seemed to be untouched. The front lawns had less debris and the road was barren. There were no cars strewn about the road like there were in most of the city. Many of the driveways still had vehicles parked in them. It was possible they would have more luck here than anywhere else. Kevin pulled up in front of a two-story house with dark blue siding. A white picket fence that ran along the right side of the house seemed to be missing planks near the backyard. The front windows had been boarded up with the missing planks.
"You think anyone is still inside that house?" Jason pictured himself boarding up his own house in the same way.
"Well, I doubt it. This fucking loser named Craig lives here. I doubt he survived." Kevin seemed full of hate at the mention of Craig.
All Jason could think about was his work partner Craig. It wasn't until he heard the name mentioned by Kevin that Jason thought about his partner's fate. Maybe he was still alive out there living in the woods. If anyone could do it, Craig could. Maybe Craig was surviving at the ranger station just outside the old highway that led into miller town. Jason would be passing through that way soon; he'd have to stop in and see if he was still alive.
"Well, someo
ne boarded up the windows." Jason felt like Kevin was acting out harshly.
"Let me tell you about this geek Craig. Probably never moved out of his mom's basement. Just let his parents do all the work while he played with nerdy shit. Guy definitely never held a hammer in his life." Kevin turned the engine off.
"I take it you don't like this guy?" What was Kevin's problem?
"Guy used to date my sister. He's a fucking loser, turned her into a big loser too." Kevin was spitting hatred.
"Don't think that matters anymore?" Jason was confused by his pure hatred for Craig.
Kevin stepped out of the cab and started to walk towards the front porch. Jason looked up and down the street but couldn't see any signs of zombies. He noticed that the siding of the house was smeared in blood around the front entrance and all of the windows. As Jason approached the house, he noticed limbs sticking out of the bushes.
"Jesus Christ." The smell hit Jason suddenly. Rotten, decaying flesh was littered around the house beneath all the windows. The bushes from a distance concealed the decay, but the grotesque, bloody mess stood out as a warning to anyone who got close enough.
Jason hurried to catch up to Kevin before he could enter the house. "Do you see this shit?" Jason pointed towards the bushes.
Kevin just brushed his hand away and tried the doorknob. The knob wouldn't turn.
"It's locked." Kevin thrust his hand into his pocket and took out a set of keys. He took out a key and placed it in the lock. The mechanism clicked as he unlocked the door.
"Why the fuck do you have a key to this house?" Jason was starting to think Kevin wasn't telling him something.
Kevin stormed into the house. "Craig." As Jason followed Kevin into the house a picture on the wall stood out. It was of Kevin and a young girl in what appeared to be a family picture. "Craig." Kevin had pushed his way further into the house.
The old wooden floors creaked underneath Jason as he eased his way into the house. The blue walls were cast in deep shadows. The windows were boarded up blocking out the sun and most of the furniture seemed to be pushed up against the back door. Jason heard Kevin storm down a set of stairs and pound his fist against something. As Jason found the entrance to the stairs, he could see Kevin pounding his fist against the door at the bottom. Kevin stepped back and kicked the door. The wood shattered as his boot burst through the door. Jason could hear a muffled cry on the other side of the door. Kevin reached through the hole and unlocked the door from the other side. What the fuck was going on here?
The door swung open to expose the person on the other side. "Stay back." A frail man with a thick black beard and shaggy black hair was pointing an old western rifle at Kevin.
"You don't have the balls, Craig. You let her die." Kevin walked towards the man, showing no fear of the gun.
"I did not let her die... I could not save your sister, but I did everything I could."
Now it was starting to make sense to Jason. Craig must have been living with Kevin's sister when this all happened. "Where were you when all this happened? I was there, you weren't!" Craig screamed at Kevin.
"You should have died with her!" Kevin lunged towards Craig. Craig tumbled out of the way and fell backwards over a sofa.
Jason didn't know what to do. "Kevin."
Kevin grabbed the arm of the sofa and slid it across the floor, revealing Craig's position. Craig was crawling towards a cabinet in the corner of the room. Before he could reach it, Kevin grabbed the back of his shirt and lifted him to his feet. Craig buckled over as Kevin sent a hard right jab into his midsection.
"Kevin, hold up, man." Jason tried to stop this madness.
Kevin ignored Jason's plea and sent another hard right jab into Craig's face causing him to crash into the floor. Kevin bent over the helpless man and dug his knee into his chest, pinning him to the floor.
"I should let you turn into one of those monsters just like you let my sister." Spit flew out of Kevin's mouth as he placed his hands around Craig's neck. Jason stood in the middle of the room. Not knowing what to do, he watched as Craig's face began to turn blue. "You let her eat her parents." The veins in Kevin's neck stood out as much as the ones on Craig's as he tightened his grip.
He couldn't just stand by and let this happen. Jason grabbed a long wooden staff that rested on a mantle on the wall and cracked it across the back of Kevin's head. Kevin released his grip on Craig and turned his furious stare at Jason. His eyes were mad with rage, his face flushed with pure hatred. The veins on his forehead looked like a map to madness. Kevin reached down the back of his pants and took out a concealed handgun.
"Back off. Or you'll end up like this coward." Kevin's voice was shrill with madness. Kevin turned his rage back towards Craig. A powerful left cross sent blood and spittle spewing out of Craig's mouth. In a desperate attempt to escape this ferocious attack, Craig thrust his knee in between Kevin's legs. Kevin keeled over and let out a deep moan. "You dirty fucker," he groaned.
Jason looked around the room. It was littered with weapons. At one time it would have been cool to look at all of the movie props that hung from plaques on the wall and talk about the movies they came from. Before Kevin could regain his advantage, Craig managed to get his feet and reached out for a katana on the wall behind him. Just as his hands reached the hilt of the ancient Japanese weapon, Kevin tackled Craig into the wall, sending him crashing into the Gyproc. Craig sank into the hole, unable to stand on his feet. Kevin sent another left cross across Craig's jaw, this time sending teeth scattering across the floor. Blood puddled up in his beard. Big wet drops of blood landed on the walls as Kevin sent a vicious uppercut into Craig's chin.
Jason picked up the old western rifle Craig had held onto when they entered the basement. As Jason pointed the rifle at Kevin's back, he pulled the trigger. It was empty. Kevin grabbed Craig by the collar and sent him crashing to floor in front. Kevin noticed Jason holding the rifle in his direction.
BANG
Kevin fired the gun at Jason's feet. "Stay back!" Kevin waved the gun at Jason. Before Kevin could turn his attention back to Craig, a look of pain crossed his face. Craig had managed to drive the katana into Kevin's lower back.
BANG
BANG
Kevin fired the gun wildly into the air, narrowly missing Jason with both shots as they landing in the ceiling just above his head. Plaster and wood rained down over Jason as the gun fell from Kevin's hand, but somehow Kevin managed to stay on his feet. The blood-covered blade was protruding from his stomach. Craig pulled the blade back through the wound – a clean cut from a viciously sharp weapon. A tiny trickle of blood ran down out from under Kevin's jacket and onto his jeans.
"I just wanted revenge for my family..." Blood trickled out of the corner of Kevin's mouth.
"They were my family too." A tear ran down Craig's battered cheek. Craig kicked Kevin in the back. Kevin fell to his knees.
"Just don't let me turn!" A pool of blood began to form under Kevin's knees.
Craig thrust the katana through Kevin's heart. A spray of blood fell across the floor as the blade made its way out the other side of Kevin's chest. His heavy body fell onto the floor with a giant thud.
Jason stood still in disbelief. "We should leave." Jason couldn't think of anything else to say.
Craig looked around the room. "See anything you like?"
Jason looked at all of the different weapons that were hanging from the wall. An old Greek short sword stood out the most.
"Take whatever you want." Craig walked over to the wall and took an old bow and arrow set down from its resting place and slung it over his shoulder. Then he walked over and placed a long, shiny dagger in a sheath and placed it down the front of his pants.
Jason walked over to the Greek short sword and took it off the wall. It was surprisingly heavy. "Is this real?"
"Yeah. It's a replica from that Hank Macdonald movie." Craig walked towards Jason.
"Fucking cool." Jason couldn't wait to show Hank. "Let's get ou
t of here." Maybe he would autograph it for him and if the world ever got out of the gutter, it may be worth something someday. The two men walked up the stairs and headed outside the house. As Jason made his way down the driveway, he could see Hank running in their direction. Nick and a young blonde girl were doing their best to keep up, but were about twenty meters behind.
"I heard gunshots?" Hank was breathing heavily.
"Long story, but we're okay." Jason watched as Nick closed the gap. He was too out of breath to speak.
"Who's this? Where is Kevin?" Hank asked in-between breaths.
"This is Craig." Jason looked over at Craig who had a worried look on his face. "He saved me from a zombie, but Kevin didn't make it."
"Shit. Man, Eric is in trouble. He told me to tell you we have to get back to the cabin right away!" Hank looked terrified. "We need to catch up to him before Sergeant Mitchell kills him."
"Fuck. How much of a head start did they get?" Jason knew that travelling the roads would be difficult with all of the cars left behind.
"About thirty minutes." Nick finally managed to catch his breath.
"Goddamn it. We will never make it in time." Jason lost all hope.
"Not in car, but do you know how to ride a motorcycle?" Craig interjected.
"Yeah man. You got one?" Jason grabbed a hold of Craig's shirt, nearly toppling him over.
Craig reached into his pocket and took out a key. "It's parked in the back yard." Jason grabbed the key out of Craig's hands.
"If you go now, you may have enough time. Go. We’ll catch up." Hank urged Jason to hurry.
Jason didn't hesitate and ran towards the back yard. A large red racing bike was just around the corner. Jason hopped on and the suspension groaned as he sat on the bike. He turned the key and the engine rumbled beneath him. It had been years since Jason had been on a motorcycle. Jason kicked the gearshift into first and the engine made a high-pitched purr as the bike accelerated rapidly past the four other survivors.
Zombies on the Rock (Book 2): The Viking Trail Page 8
