Viral Evolution (Book 1): Retrovirus

by Winters, Leigh

  Jim quickly realizing on approach to the blockade with the infected who are beginning to quickly outnumber them all.

  Witnessing civilians being gunned down by mistake from the local enforcement who begin to make a retreat intermittently one by one even though they see Jim’s platoon quickly approaching from behind.

  Jim shouting forward at the blockade who appear ready for a full retreat, with some beginning to enter their vehicles to leave position.

  "No, no hold them!"

  Jim and his men reach the blockade, with the actions of a few now fleeing giving the infected an opportunity to make their way further up toward the remaining stationary vehicles.

  Jim’s team fire upon the infected taking down many, although realizing the numbers coming toward them are far more than expected and eventually deciding for their own safety to shift position.

  "It’s lost, move toward the alley!"

  All men now heading over toward the alleyway as they see the total loss of control and failing of the blockade with police officers out of ammo now fleeing.

  The infected soon reach the blockade, pouncing on the vehicles, smashing their way through the glass to get to the officers inside with Jim’s men firing on them as they move across.

  The men bitten inside the vehicles begin to turn also as officers running on foot for their lives turn to fire on infected who chase them however the speed of the infected catch them quickly enough jumping the women and men from behind.

  Jim’s unit reaches the alleyway, while still appearing to hold he sees the infected further down and fires upon those nearer as a young corporal looks on.

  "Stuff this!"

  The Sergeant soon turns toward Jim.

  "We have to evacuate Sir!"

  With Jim clearly hearing the Sergeant agrees.

  "We do, there’s too many!"

  Jim turns to the young corporal who is looking at both him and Sergeant.

  "Call it in and get us out of here!"

  The young corporal acknowledges his superior.

  "Yes Sir! Alpha 1, to command! Sending through coordinates shortly and requesting an immediate evac! Over!"

  A few men including Corporal Billy remain firing on the coming infected at the entrance to the alleyway.

  With the Sergeant also there who shouts to the remaining men to follow Jim and company who have already moved off.

  "Make hustle, we’re out of here!"

  The men soon move, with Billy the last to motion off as the Sergeant looks back toward Billy.

  "Billy!"

  Billy takes another few shots then turns again to the Sergeant and seeing how further forward some of the men are then quickly comes up for them both to move forward saying on the move with Sergeant immediately responding.

  "Sorry Sir."

  "You will be if they get a hold of you!"

  The men begin to move deeper into the alleyway, moving forward while watching their backs for approaching infected in motion.

  Infected come charging out of the side doors of the apartment blocks in the alleyway near the men, but are soon gunned down by Billy and Sergeant.

  Jim meets Frankie and the young corporal further up at the end of the alleyway, then looks North around to the West.

  "We’ll rendezvous 3 clicks West!"

  Jim while saying this to the young corporal and Frankie points out to an apartment block in the distance behind smaller buildings.

  "We’ll meet at the top!"

  Both men acknowledge Jim, with Frankie pushing forward and the young corporal moving forward ready to call through on the move.

  "Copy that Sir!"

  The corporal radios through to command, as the men quickly head off further up the alleyway toward the tower block, as the infected begin making their way into the alleyway through the overrun blockade.

  The men turn back at times firing down taking out infected, however soon run for the physical speed of the infected who are in hot pursuit of the men and appear to be trying to dodge the bullets.

  The remaining men reach the end of the alleyway, with some stopping to fire back down toward the infected while the others move further on ahead, with Frankie checking down the adjoining streets for safe passage.

  Jim and the sergeant look South seeing the infected and fleeing civilians now appearing to head in both directions with many coming toward their direction.

  Jim beginning to think of the safety of his unit from their initial contact with the infected motions forward voicing.

  "Let's move!"

  As the men pick up their pace, they all move North-West following Frankie to head around to the apartment block looking for an entry point toward getting to the top.

  With the infected now gaining from behind taking down, attacking civilians along the way who also succumb to the strain and most of the men soon decide on a all out retreat toward the building beyond.

  Corporal Billy however turns to and throw. Jim soon notices this with the fear in the eyes of Billy, causing Jim to turn and slow before shouting across to him.

  "Billy! There’s not enough ammo for all of them, now come on!"

  Jim turns back to move forward with Billy, however an infected roars down the street toward them, so he turns back once again to the infected whose attention from the most part are on their immediate surrounds.

  Billy moving backwards while looking on to a few infected, including the one who appears to lead approaching from the distance and makes eye contact with him.

  Billy then opens fire which draws full attention to them from the infected further down, as the shots echo through the street.

  Jim turns immediately on the first shot then notices the attention drawn to them, as the infected beyond the incoming rise up and turn with Billy and the group of armed men now in their sights.

  Jim pulls at Billy upon grabbing his arm.

  "For crying out loud Billy, keep it together!"

  Billy responds turning with frightful eyes looking at Jim.

  "But Sir."

  "Leave it, they’re on to us, move out!"

  Billy although appearing reluctant at first, moves off after the others with Jim taking a quick glance at the infected now heading their way, then moves off sprinting after his men himself.

  Upon turning the next two corners with the apartment block soon in their sights up ahead across the street, the platoon while on their way toward advise pedestrians along the way who appear unaware of what’s going on, to move away for their own safety.

  Jim turns in then stops at the end of the building, peering from the corner back toward the they had come as he tries to wave down two cars opposite him moving along the street in the direction of the infected.

  Jim gets frustrated with himself as they do not take notice with his arm waving in the air for their attention.

  Jim though, now knows of too much noise will draw attention to himself at the corner, not knowing when or how many infected might be approaching from where they had just been themselves.

  As Jim takes another glance around the corner, he watches the first car pass the side street down the way with an infected racing out of the alleyway after it which causes the driver of the second vehicle to stop.

  The second vehicle now stationary with driver and passenger momentarily watching the infected run after the first vehicle.

  Moments later an infected comes crashing through the drivers window grabbing at the driver and holding on firm while getting a glimpse of Jim through the back window before biting the man.

  Jim who briefly witnessed the crashing assault, then after rapidly moving himself in from the corner with a fright and looking straight ahead with his back hard up against the building thinking he might of made eye contact with the infected.

  "Shit, we’re in trouble."

  After a quick moment while taking a breath, he then sprints heading up toward his men who are moving in or waiting at the doorway of the a
partment block.

  The infected moves on to attack the screaming passenger of the car. Upon doing so the infected moves back out, then grunts to others before moving on toward the corner as Jim reaches the apartment block doorway.

  Jim with his men close up, then jamming the door behind them and moving their way to the lift being held open by the remaining unit members.

  The infected while displaying pack like maneuvers, makes it’s way toward the building from seeing Jim with the closing of the door as they move in closer from the corner.

  CHAPTER 13

  New Tenants

  Jim with the remainder of his men move into the elevator, and soon make it to the top floor joining the rest.

  The Sergeant already on the top floor, shuts down the lift with the emergency button as Jim and his remaining men move out with the infected crashing through the main doors on the ground floor below.

  On the second floor a couple now waiting for the lift to return, becoming impatient with it appearing no longer in service and decide to take the stairs.

  As they make their way down they hear the primitive sounding grunts with snorts coming from the foyer of the building from the infected and soon stand in the stairwell ground floor behind the door to the foyer listening.

  The couple stand there looking at each other for a brief moment, the taller than average male of athletic build who dresses smart although somewhat overly confident in himself listens.

  "What the, did you hear that?"

  Another is heard by the couple while in the stairwell, as more move into the foyer from the street as his female companion looks to him with a concerning look.

  The attractive women while knowing it, in her late twenties of slim athletic build although appearing very materialistic quietly responds.

  "Yeah, I do."

  More infected come into the foyer with one crashing the front door near off it’s hinges as it charges into the building giving the man in the stairwell a fright.

  "Holy shit!"

  Upon doing so, he stands there with his mouth open realizing what he had just done.

  Both stand there quiet looking at each other and hearing a momentary silence from the foyer as the infected listen from the sound of the man voicing in fright.

  While looking to hold her partners hand, still holding a ring which appears to get his attention briefly as he looks down toward it in thought before looking back toward the door leading to the foyer.

  He appears to notice the silence beyond the door, and is somewhat taken off guard as his partner who voices.

  "Hamish, let's just go back upstairs and call the.." as he quickly raises his arm out toward her chest voicing "Shh!" while looking toward her in the process and then back toward the door with his arm still raised as his heart sinks.

  Hamish begins to step backward somewhat, as the infected on the other side turn their attention to the voices behind the door in the stairwell.

  They charge toward the door forcing it open nearly knocking the couple over, and with Hamish slightly off his feet as another jumps in on him with the ring falling from the woman's grasp.

  She immediately turns to run back up the stairs panicked with heavy breathing and the look of terror across her face.

  Hamish, although hurt, tries to fight off the attackers as the women runs for her life up the stairwell with an infected hot on her tail and eventually catching her as she goes to open the door to the first floor.

  Jim and his men hear all this as they stand before the locked door to the roof on the top floor.

  The rest of the infected charge in due to the screams and calls coming from their fellow infected making their way up the stairwell for more.

  Jim turns to the young corporal.

  "How long before that chopper?"

  The young corporal responds with action and soon reaches command.

  Upon hearing the infected move on up the stairwell, Jim signals to break through the locked door.

  The infected nearer the bottom of the stairwell with Hamish now fully turned, soon hear the men accompanied with Jim at the top floor breaking through the roof top doorway to head out and wait for the incoming helicopters to pick them up.

  The sound of the breaking of locks and rooftop door gives the infected even more enthusiasm to charge up on through the levels.

  The young corporal comes back toward Jim and Sergeant as the remainder of the unit move out onto the rooftop.

  "Four minutes Sir."

  The Sergeant turns to Jim. "We might not have that long."

  Jim looks scanning the area for a brief moment.

  "We need to jam this door."

  The young corporal moves out with Sergeant followed by Jim who looks back for a moment ensuring all his men are through as they begin looking for something to jam the door.

  Back down in the stairwell on through the second level the woman now fully turned, makes her way up with the others, but soon gets a familiar scent and turns back slightly before moving back in toward the direction of Mikes apartment.

  She rips open the door to the hallway of the second level soon seeing civilians further down the hall upon entry, however focuses her attention on the lingering smell which draws her closer to a front door.

  The civilians upon seeing her, move back into their apartments in horror and try to barricade the door while hearing screams coming from outside on the street level.

  The women moves up to his apartment door, then with her steady hand forces the door in as she moves in heading around and toward the bedroom looking at the fish in tank on passing.

  On checking all the rooms, with no sign of Mike although the scent is strong to her, looks out seeing Hamish appear now turned himself standing in the front doorway.

  With her looking toward him while acknowledging with a primitive grunt and flexing of the nostrils as she motions forward.

  She turns to look to her side upon the swimming fish, looking on them before heading over to the fish tank eying up a few on the way with sideway glances as she focuses in on them following their movements.

  Upon reaching the tank, her gaze soon moves to the top, as she then flips off the lid to the side placing her hand with arm in and proceeding to catch devouring Mike's prized fish.

  Jim’s men appear to have not found anything on the rooftop, as Jim with Billy go in to check on the location of the infected coming up the stairwell.

  Both Jim and Billy look down, then to each other as Sergeant comes through interrupting them with their attention turning to him.

  "Jim, there’s nothing?!"

  A confident Billy upon hearing this looks to Jim.

  "I’ve got your back Sir!"

  Jim looks to the two, looks down to the approaching infected once again, then looks back to both Billy and Sergeant.

  "Right, cover me, and ready your grenades."

  Jim then takes two grenades in hand as the men come in behind for support fire, pulling the pin on the first although holds it tight ready to release waiting for the infected to move closer up the stairwell as Billy and Sergeant fire down on a few they can see.

  Jim releases throwing the first grenade down the stairwell, then quickly pulls the pin to the other which he also sends flying down with both bouncing before exploding intermittently and taking out a few infected.

  Meanwhile these explosions have grabbed the attention of the women in Mikes apartment, with her turning sharply while standing at the tank as she grunts out toward the hallway at Hamish before moving swiftly toward him as they move on up the building toward the location of the sound.

  On the top level, the Sergeant moves over near Jim throwing a couple of grenades down himself taking out a couple more with the odd one appearing to hang on to the railings to almost stop itself from falling during blasts.

  The men soon retreating out onto the roof top along with the others for the numbers on their way, with Jim coming in close to Frankie who voice
s while pointing out to the horizon as the three helicopters approach from the distance.

  "They’re almost here Sir!"

  Jim looks to the direction Frankie is pointing, seeing the helicopters approach as they hear the infected from inside becoming louder with every passing moment with Jim more or less saying to himself.

  "Good one."

  Jim turns back to the rooftop doorway with all focus on the aim of his machine gun.

  Moments later the infected storm out of the doorway charging at the men positioned on the opposite side of the rooftop, with all men opening fire with many infected taking body shots before moving behind a group of air conditioning units which Jim takes note of.

  "Take off their heads, and watch the sides!"

  The helicopters draw in close, reaching the men with the first hovering just above the roof top for the first wave to jump in as the others cover before ascending to cover from above for the next.

  The amount of infected coming out onto the rooftop decreases allowing the men time to move onto the second helicopter.

  As it ascends, the third comes through almost ready into position as another wave of infected come through the doorway with Jim over radio shouts through to his men.

  "Get some cover down here!"

  The first helicopter opens up it’s guns even more so on the infected coming through, however mostly missing the intended targets who also go behind the air conditioning units.

  The third helicopter now in position with the men moving backward as they all begin to jump on in to the helicopter, as an infected comes from the side lunging at the well built Corporal Billy, taking him down and with another on him moments later as he struggles.

  Jim now standing on the feet of the helicopter tries to shoot the infected off him without killing Billy, but to no avail and Billy although fending off well takes a few bites before succumbing to the strain as Jim lets out his disappointment.