Whatever It Takes

by Mike Staton

  “I’ll owe you.” He didn’t wait for another protest from her before moving around the corner of the cubicle room and heading for the door at a half crouch. He got to the door and slowly stood up to peek through the small, wire reinforced, glass window.

  He could see the courtyard and the gate they came through earlier. He could see the road and forest beyond the fence, but no military personnel, or anyone for that matter. He looked back to the inspection rooms and saw Sarah peeking around the corner. He waved for her to come join him.

  “There’s no one out there,” he said when she joined him by the door. “These guys are stupid, or lazy.”

  “Or both. Let’s hope for both.” Sarah stood up to peek through the small window. “Have you tried the door yet?”

  “No.” Percival closed his hand around the handle and twisted it. He found no resistance in turning it. He didn’t withhold a grin.

  The grin dropped off his face, however, when he pushed on the door to open it. It thudded dully against a lock, or bar, or something from the outside.

  “It wouldn’t be so easy, would it.” Percival let go of the handle and let the door settle back against the frame. “I guess we should check for another door out.”

  “Just kick this one open.” Sarah folded her arms under her breasts.

  “Now who’s thinking who’s a superhero?” Percival said with a huff.

  “I’ve seen you kick open plenty of doors. Some took more than one shot, but…” Sarah trailed off.

  “Yeah, but those were all door to offices and homes and stuff. These guys probably use sturdier stuff to secure the doorway. And it’s usually the frame itself that breaks.” Percival tapped the metal frame of the door.

  “Fine. I think you can do it and we’re just wasting our time looking for another exit that’s probably locked too.”

  Percival let out a sigh. If they locked this door, it was almost a certainty that they’d lock any other doors too, even if they hadn’t locked the handle itself. Sarah had a point.

  “Alright. You twist the door handle and push it open a little bit.” Percival moved a step back to be able deliver a full strength kick to the door.

  “If you hit my hand, Percival…”

  “Do you trust me or not?”

  Sarah moved up to the door and twisted the handle and pushed the door open ever so slightly. She held it there, ready for his kick.

  Percival stepped forward and drove his foot against the door. He didn’t expect it to budge. When it sprung open from the force of his foot, he followed it. He stumbled forward through the open door and caught his balance before falling entirely over.

  He looked around and backpedaled to the wall. On the grass a couple of feet away was a plain combination lock. The kind you might find in a hardware store.

  “Don’t know your own strength, eh?” Sarah had crept out of the building and closed the door behind her.

  “I expected them to use a military grade padlock.” Percival pointed to the broken combination lock a few feet away. “Not that.”

  “Maybe these guys are all AWOL.” Sarah looked past him. “You know, washouts and deserters.”

  Percival shrugged. “I don’t know. What I do know is that we should slip off to somewhere else. The colonel said mealtime was in an hour, and hanging around here won’t be the best thing when whoever serves dinner comes.”

  Sarah nodded in agreement.

  “We need to find Karl and Andrina and Roy Joy,” Percival said. He turned around to slink off to the corner.

  “We need to find Jessica and Morrbid too.” Sarah followed him in the same half crouch.

  “Who?” Percival stopped at the corner and carefully peered around it. He didn’t see anyone and looked back to Sarah.

  “The other two civilians here.” Sarah looked behind her.

  “Oh. Yeah, we should get them out as well. I doubt Jessica’s had the best of times here.”

  “Jacobs seemed to be a little afraid of her, actually,” Sarah said.

  “Hmm,” Percival murmured. “There’s a building directly across from us and nobody else in sight. Let’s dash across and see what’s in the building.”

  Sarah nodded. She rose out of the full crouch she’d settled into.

  Percival turned away and peeked around the corner again. He didn’t see anyone and darted away from the corner of the inspection building. He crossed ‘no man’s land’ and slowed as he got behind the next building. Sarah joined him a moment later.

  Percival did his best to stealthily sneak up to the door of the next metal building. It was unlocked. He slowly stood to peer in through the window. Inside were a few rows of cots.

  Roy Joy sat on one cot with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. Karl was pacing back and forth between the cots. Andrina wasn’t with them. Nor was the woman Percival had seen before.

  A man in an olive green tank top and military camouflage pants stood just beyond the first pair of cots, facing away from the door.

  “Did Jessica describe Morrbid?” Percival whispered.

  “He’s a priest of some sort. He still wears the black jacket and collar,” Sarah answered in just as quiet a tone.

  “So, that guy isn’t likely him?” Percival gestured at the door.

  Sarah crept forward and peeked through the window. She settled back down and shook her head. “He seems too collected. Jessica said Morrbid was a little… out there.”

  “Think the door’ll open quietly?”

  Sarah shrugged.

  “If it doesn’t, we both rush him.” Percival rested his hand on the latch.

  “And if it does?”

  “I’m going to sneak in there and…” Percival trailed off.

  “And what? Choke a bitch?” Sarah gave him a skeptical look.

  “That’s a great idea. Better than mine of ‘slug him in the back of the head.’” Percival started to twist the handle of the door.

  “I was kidding. You can’t do that.” Sarah moved her hand to cover his.

  “Why not?” Percival raised an eyebrow to emphasize the question. “I took two semesters of Judo, I know how to do a proper rear-naked choke.”

  “Aren’t army guys trained to defend against stuff like that?”

  “I guess you’ll just have to be my hero then.” Percival slowly twisted the latch and just as slowly pulled the door open. Apparently the military folk here at the depot were good about one thing, and that was oiling doors. This one opened without so much as a squeak.

  Percival pulled the door open just enough to squeeze through and creep into the barracks building. He moved slowly, and tensed up as the man coughed and shifted on his feet.

  Karl was a little more observant. His gaze fixed on Percival for a moment. He nodded and looked away, turning toward the soldier.

  “I’ve got to use the bathroom,” Karl said.

  To Percival it sounded like the older teacher had been louder than necessary.

  “You just went less than half an hour ago.” The man turned ever so slightly to face Karl and presented more of his back to Percival.

  “I’m gettin’ old. Gettin’ old comes with a weaker bladder. You’ll get the joy of experiencing that soon ‘nough,” Karl said loudly.

  Roy Joy looked up at the ruckus, fixed his gaze on Percival and his face brightened.

  Percival took the last couple steps up to the military man quickly. Karl’s distraction helped.

  Percival looped his arm around the guard’s neck and settled back onto his heels. He squeezed and flexed his bicep at the same time. The man’s reaction was not what Percival expected.

  In Percival’s mind before this attack, he’d been elbowed and had his toes stomped and had been thrown over the man’s shoulder. This was, after all, a professional soldier he was attacking.

  Instead, the man feebly clawed at his jacket for a few seconds before gurgling and falling limp.

  Percival held tight for a few extra seconds before lowering the man to the ground
. He was unconscious, but otherwise seemed fine.

  “Good job, boy.” Karl crouched beside the unconscious soldier and took a pistol from his holster. He checked the magazine. “Why didn’t you break his neck?”

  “A) I don’t know how to do that and B) I’m not a killer.” Percival turned to look at Sarah as she crept into the building.

  Karl drew the slide on the pistol back and chambered the first round. “I don’t think these guys are military.”

  “What makes you say that?” Percival looked back to Karl. “He should have done something else when I choked him, shouldn’t he? I know I would’ve.”

  “They’re too sloppy to be military. No organized watches, no proper salutes, nothing. I mean, the latter might be okay if there were a sniper waiting to pick off officers, but last time I checked, the zombies did no such thing.” Karl tucked the pistol into his waistband and started stripping the gun belt from the unconscious man. “And, yes, this guy should have done something different under your attack. He clearly didn’t know what to do.”

  Percival nodded slowly. “Why didn’t you take him then?”

  “I’m getting old, Percival. Craftiness will only carry me so far.” Karl tugged the belt around his waist, threading it through the loops on his jeans before securing it in the front. “He was big and strong, but no military training whatsoever. And, I don’t think I’ve heard a match to the voice on the radio yet.”

  “Where’s Andrina?” Percival asked.

  “And Jessica?” Sarah added.

  “They’re not here. Military bad men separated us.” Roy Joy stood from his cot. “Best keep your eyes covered near the fences. Chris told me that there are disgusting ones that fling blood and guts into people’s faces.”

  “Thank you, Roy Joy. Now, do you know where they are?” Percival asked.

  Roy Joy shook his head.

  “We were separated at the inspection rooms.” Karl pocketed a pistol magazine and drew the pistol from the holster he’d taken from the guard.

  “Has anyone else come in?” Percival asked.

  Karl shook his head.

  “Bernard saw them being taken around a corner to the building opposite this one.” Roy Joy chewed on the corner of one finger, studied it, and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Not the inspection building either.”

  “Thanks, Roy Joy.” Percival turned to leave the room.

  “Where’re you going?” Karl asked.

  “To save my friend. I’m not ‘too old’ to do it.”

  “You should at least scavenge a weapon from here.” Karl gestured around himself with the pistol.

  “Here,” Roy Joy said. He’d gone off and collected Percival’s motorcycle helmet for Percival.

  Percival accepted the helmet and tugged it on. “I’m good to go, Karl.”

  Chapter 9

  Percival let Karl take point. The older man refused to give up his newly acquired pistol, and Percival wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to pull the trigger if a living person was in front of the barrel.

  The sky overhead had become cloudy again, and seemed threatening of rain. It also meant that the depot was now lit primarily via large overhead lights. It provided plenty of shadows to sneak through.

  Karl led them through the early night to the hard corner of the barracks building. He paused there and studied something Percival couldn’t see. After a few moments of waiting, Karl led them around the corner and across the yard to a building Percival had yet to enter.

  He crept past a light quickly and stopped at the door.

  “What’s inside?” Karl asked.

  “You’re on point,” Percival answered. He moved up beside the old teacher and rose just high enough to peek inside. Through the window he saw a shelf with boxes stacked up that obscured his view. He twisted and turned and found that he couldn’t get a better view.

  “Lights’re on inside, but there’s shelves of boxes in the way. I can’t see anything past ‘em.”

  “You won’t either.” A man said as he stepped from the shadows into the cone of light thrown down around the door. He was tall and slender and dressed in a black priest’s jacket and black slacks. A white priest’s collar stood out starkly against the black clothes. He had short cropped black hair and cold blue eyes.

  “This is the building they have ‘fun’ in,” the man continued, “They brought Slayer here once. She broke the big man’s nose.”

  “You must be Morrbid.” Sarah moved up beside Percival.

  “I prefer ‘Father Kaufman.’ Though I won’t turn down the title bestowed on me by my flock,” Morrbid said quietly. His face suddenly broke into a wide Cheshire Cat grin.

  Percival found the look ever so slightly disconcerting.

  “Are we ‘bout to go crack a head or two?” Morrbid’s voice rose slightly in volume. He produced a baseball bat from behind his back.

  “Right,” Percival said slowly. He rose to his full height and watched Morrbid bounce for a moment before calming down.

  “Mind if I lead the way?”

  Karl backed away from the door. “Don’t let us stop you.”

  Morrbid set his hand on the latch and looked to Percival. “Can Slayer and I join y’all when y’all blow this joint?”

  “Maybe. We’ll talk about it later,” Percival answered.

  “Good ‘nough for me.” Morrbid pulled the door open and moved inside.

  Percival followed him. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to see what Morrbid intended to do with the bat, but jogged to keep up anyways.

  Morrbid led the group down the row of shelves and around a corner to a little ‘room’ made from the shelving. In the middle of the room were Ronald and another man Percival hadn’t met yet. Andrina was on a mattress, eyes puffy and red. She was in a slight state of undress.

  Time seemed to slow. Morrbid strode forward as Ronald finally seemed to notice that they weren’t alone. Ronald’s hand moved slowly toward his holstered pistol. Morrbid walked forward and squared into a batter’s stance for all of a second before he swung the bat expertly and solidly into Ronald’s head.

  The bat rang lightly of metal and Ronald’s head crumpled slightly with a crunch as Morrbid started whistling. The other man stared in horror for a moment before turning and scrambling for his rifle that was propped against the shelves nearby.

  Percival could feel his stomach churn for a moment before he reacted. He sprinted across the makeshift room and slammed his shoulder into the man’s side as he turned to bring the rifle to bear. He slammed his hand under the rifle’s barrel and shoved it up.

  A shot rang out and was immediately followed by the sound of a ricochet. Percival drove a short punch into the man’s ribs and fought to take the rifle from him.

  Sharp pain spread from Percival’s groin, and he let out a gasp as the other man’s knee rose between his legs. Percival wanted to hold onto the rifle for longer. He wanted to continue to fight. His body didn’t seem to want to listen, however.

  His grip slackened and his knees went weak. Percival felt nauseous and slumped to the side. One hand held his throbbing groin, the other quickly undid his helmet. Behind him he heard the crunch of the metal bat against the man’s soft, fleshy head. Percival then felt the splatter hit his jacket and it, combined with the throbbing pain, was enough to turn his stomach.

  He retched once, then threw up onto the floor, his vomit splattering wetly on the concrete.

  Percival gasped for breath, scrubbing his mouth with the back of his hand. He still felt ill, but the pain was subsiding. He pushed himself up from the crouched position he had been in and looked around.

  Roy Joy was helping Andrina up with Sarah. Morrbid was patiently cleaning the end of his bat with Ronald’s shirt. Karl was policing the weapons.

  Percival sucked in a couple quick breaths and did his best not to look at the corpses with caved in heads. He knew they looked no different from zombies. The skin color of Ronald drained away quickly with blood pooling around his demolishe
d head.

  Percival accepted, almost without thinking, the shotgun that was thrust in front of him. He turned the gun over in his hands.

  “Is it loaded?” Percival thought his voice sounded detached and distant. He wanted to ask Morrbid why he’d killed both men, but suspected the answer would be ‘just because.’ The man struck Percival as unstable, at best, and psychotic at worst.

  “Yeah.” Karl held out a small satchel for Percival to take.

  “Shells?”

  Karl nodded. He carried the rifle to Sarah.

  Percival slung the satchel and pulled his helmet back on. He was glad that he’d gotten it off before throwing up.

  “I thought killin’ was against the rules?” Sarah asked. She was checking the magazine on her rifle.

  “It is. ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is His sixth commandment. However, I am of the firm belief that either He has abandoned us or He doesn’t exist to begin with. And either way, it means His commandments don’t exactly hold much sway any longer.” Morrbid threw Ronald’s shirt back down onto him. “The only commandment I’m willin’ to continue to follow is ‘keep me and mine alive.’”

  “I don’t think that’s a commandment.” Roy Joy had one arm across Andrina’s shoulders, helping her stand.

  “It’s one of my own. These guys aren’t here to protect anyone. They’re here to spread their seed an’ filth around.” Morrbid kicked the second man’s corpse for emphasis.

  “I don’t think they deserved to die.” Percival shouldered the shotgun. “We’re in need of help, that’s for sure. I’m not sure you’re the best choice, however.”

  “You’re naïve, boy.” Morrbid walked toward the gap in the shelves that served as a doorway. He had his bat up on his shoulder. He stopped at the gap and looked back at them.

  “Look, they locked you up for scratches on your knuckles. They were going to shoot the other two if they caused trouble over it. Only reason they didn’t shoot me is ‘cause I hadn’t caused trouble ‘til now. Y’all are lucky. Me an’ mine’re down to just me an’ Slayer. I envy you. Really, I do. You’re all still alive.”

  Morrbid turned and left the room.

  Percival looked at Sarah.