“Not that way!” The Sergeant’s voice startled Damon. The Sergeant led them down the hallway on the left. It was narrow enough to give someone with claustrophobia a fit. If the place wasn’t on fire, Damon might have thought about his. The air was thick with haze making it hard to breathe as they ran. Chloe coughed and kept her head down. They came to a small metal door, and the Sergeant pushed it open with his shoulder. It squeaked open revealing an even more narrow set of stairs. The three darted up the winding metal staircase, boot steps echoing high above them. Damon kept a tight grip on Chloe’s hand, making sure they did not get separated. He felt an overwhelming need to protect her. As the three approached the door Damon heard a deafening sound.
Chapter 14
His feet vibrated beneath him. When they emerged onto the bell tower landing Damon saw a tall marine with arms bigger than his head stationed at the turret firing down at the zombies below. The high caliber bullets tore through the undead effortlessly. Chloe clamped her tiny hands over her ringing ears. The marine had his hair buzzed close to his scalp, but Damon could tell it was the color of rust. His strong jawline was set firmly as he wreaked havoc on the invading zombies and piles were starting to stack up. Damon watched as the Sergeant tapped the marine on the shoulder. The deafening noise ended in a second, but the ringing in Damon’s ears remained. “Master Sergeant.” He said with a deep voice. The two marines saluted each other. “Where is everyone else?” The marine towered over the Sergeant and looked like he could crush Chloe’s head in his meaty hands.
“They’re dead Corporal Harper. And so we will be if we stay here rambling all day.”
“Shit…” The marine rubbed his sandpaper head with his big hand. Damon pushed against the door to secure it, but something rammed the other side with such force that it knocked Damon back into the bell. A soft…DONG… came from the bell as it swayed gently. The Sergeant whirled around with his rifle aimed at the door. “Private Jameson!” The Sergeant shouted in absolute astonishment as tall gangly marine burst through the door. His blond curls were streaked with blood, and his face was covered with soot. It was his eyes that struck Damon; his piercing blue eyes were wild with fear. He witnessed his comrades fall under the tearing hands and mouths of zombies.
Damon threw his good shoulder against the door and pushed it closed. There was a loud clank when Damon slammed a steel bar across the door. He could hear the zombies on the other side. The sound of dead hands pounding on the metal was like the pounding of Damon’s heart. All the gunshots inside the church had been silenced. Those standing in the bell tower were all that was left alive. Damon watched the marine shake with terror against the railing. “Are you okay?” He asked finally motioning at the blood.
“It’s not mine.” His white knuckles gripped his rifle like it was his lifeline. “They’re all dead…” His voice trailed off. The Sergeant moved passed Damon and Chloe to stand in front of the cowering marine. “Snap out of it marine!” The Sergeant slapped the marine openhandedly in the face. “You have to keep it together.”
Private Jameson blinked up at the Sergeant and shook his head. “There are so many of them.” He received another slap across the face.
The Sergeant sighed and analyzed their surroundings. Damon watched him lean over the railing to get a better look at their situation. The turret roared to life as Harper continued to reign down extreme prejudice on as many zombies as possible. Damon studied the building that jutted out from the church. It stretched near an adjacent building. If they could drop down from the bell tower onto the lower roof of the church they may be able to reach the fire escape connected to the old brick building on the other side. “Sergeant.” Damon said somewhat awkwardly. “Do you think we could reach that building over there?”
They heard the turret run out of ammunition. The corporal shouted a few swear words at the heavy machine gun. The Sergeant followed Damon’s outstretched finger. “It’s the only chance we got now.” The sound of the dead was louder behind the metal door. More had found their way to the roof.
“The name’s Harper.” He outstretched his hand to Damon. The mechanic took it reluctantly since they didn’t really get the royal treatment when they arrived at Vail.
“I’m Damon Marshall. That’s Chloe there.”
“Enough with the introductions. We don’t have time for this.” The Sergeant interrupted. “If we are going to die, I at least want to know the names of my comrades.” Harper grunted. Harper looked at the Sergeant then to the front of the church. The white van they came to the church in was parked right outside the front of the church with no zombies around it. “Why don’t we go for the van instead?” The big marine suggested with vigor. He was able to clear a path to the van that was parked in front of the church.
“You are welcome to walk your happy ass down those steps back into the fire and undead to ask Mason where they are.” The Sergeant replied.
The marine slumped his shoulders slightly but only for a second. “Well I guess I’ll go first then.” Harper volunteered. He stretched his big arms and neck as if warming up for a football game. He threw a leg over the railing to the bell tower and disappeared over the edge.
Damon heard him grunt when he hit the shingles of the roof below. The big marine yelled up to the other to follow. Damon squatted down next to Chloe. Her terrified eyes stared into his. “You’re next sweetie.” He tried to calm her fears. “Harper will catch you.”
There was a loud bang against the metal door, followed by the pinging sound of metal hitting the ground. Screws were falling out of the door; it was going to give way soon. “Hurry up!” The Sergeant grunted.
Damon hoisted Chloe over the railing. She gripped onto the railing looking down over the side to see the marine waiting with outstretched arms. “Jump girl. I’ll catch you.” He flashed a white smile at her. “But you gotta hurry. The fire’s getting bigger.”
The fire was the last thing on Damon’s mind. The tween gulped. “OKAY! Here I come…You better not drop me.” Chloe closed her wet eyes and let go of the railing. Damon watched as the big marine caught her with ease.
The Sergeant grabbed the cowering marine on the shoulders and yanked him to his feet. “Let’s go!” He ordered. The scared marine did not say anything but followed his commander over the edge. This left Damon on the tower by himself. Another screw fell out of the door. It was going to come off its hinges. Damon did not need any more motivation. In the next second he was gone over the side.
Once on the roof the group moved to the edge of the outcropping. Damon realized shortly after landing on the roof that they were standing on the kill room. He shook the thought from his head. Harper and Private Jameson picked off the zombies that were staggering up the fire escape on the next building. The Sergeant jumped across the gap onto the metal platform like a leopard. He took position on the platform at the top of the stairs killing as many zombies that came close to them. The other marines jumped across not wasting anytime. Flames were starting lick up the sides of the church.
“Not again.” Chloe muttered. She knew what was coming. Damon picked her up in his arms. “Trust me.” Chloe flew across the gap like a bird with her blonde ponytail trailing behind. She was caught once again by Harper. The two marines stood protectively around her. All of a sudden, there was a crash from behind Damon. The sound of breaking glass echoed down the dead street. Damon sprinted to the edge not wanting to see what had broken through the only window that looked over the kill room roof. Just as he leapt he felt a heavy weight pull him back. Damon grunted as he was thrown back onto the hot asphalt shingles. He was flat on his back staring into the scarred face of the General. “You thought you could get away.” The General growled. “Nobody gets away.”
“You’re fucking nuts!” Damon rolled to his left just as the General stomped his heavy boot where his head would have been. The General howled in rage and charged. He was a little off balance from the pitch of the roof and was easily dodged by the mechanic. Damon grabbed his side f
or his machete, but nothing was there. Damon was not really the fighting kind of guy except the occasional bar fight. That was not going to help with being stuck on the roof of a burning church with a deranged war vet and smack dab in the middle of a group of zombies. Damon made a run for the fire escape but was caught by the shirt. Damon turned and met with a fist in his jaw. Stars danced across Damon’s eyes. He felt a knee slam in his ribs. Air escaped from his lungs. Something cracked, and he held his breath. Ignoring the pain, Damon returned the blow, then another and another. So much emotion surged through his body as he beat the General that his brain blacked out. The bandage on his arm broke open, and blood dripped onto the shingles.
The marines looked on helplessly. The Sergeant had run out of ammunition and more zombies were coming up the stairs. Harper and Private Jameson had moved Chloe up to the roof where more zombies were waiting. “Hurry up boy!” The Sergeant shouted.
Damon was caught in the side of the head with a meaty fist. He lost his footing and tumbled on the melting shingles. The General kicked Damon closer and closer to the edge. He cracked a menacing laugh imagining what was going to happen to the no good terrorist. In his crazed eyes Damon deserved to be zombie food. Damon tried to pick himself up only to be put back down by the brute. The General kicked Damon hard in the torso. Damon felt his legs fall over the side of the church. The weight of his body dragged him farther down, but he was able to grab hold of the aluminum gutters tacked to the church. He held onto the thin metal for dear life. Damon was able get a hold of the roof edge with his other hand. He was pulling himself up when the General loomed over him grinning maliciously. He tried to maneuver over the edge, but the General was faster. He stomped down on Damon’s hands causing him to grunt in pain. This is it. Damon could hear the zombies gathering underneath him waiting for him to fall. Their arms extended upwards reaching for him with dead hands. Everything slowed down. He saw the marines under attack on the other building’s roof. Chloe was covering her ears, shielding them from the noise of the rifles. The smell of smoke from the fire made him choke. Unexpectedly, the General roared like a lion just as he was about to stomp Damon into oblivion. With his shoulder and side screaming in pain Damon swung his legs from one side to the other pumping him high enough to get his left leg over the roof’s edge. The creaking gutter gave way just as Damon pulled himself up. The General was stumbling back on from the edge of the roof with a combat knife buried in his back. He tried desperately to reach the knife, but his thick arms prevented him. Damon looked over to the fire escape. The Sergeant gave him a little salute.
He felt the heat under his boots. In some places the flames had burned through the ceiling, and orange flames were dancing over parts of the roof. Damon heard the metal door give way. He was out of time. Zombies spilled out onto the tower. They spotted the General and him right away. Over the railing they tumbled. He sprinted across the roof; the soles of his melting boots sticking with every step. Damon was an Olympic hurdler jumping over the gap. He knocked a zombie boy down the metal stairs creating a domino effect of zombies. They bumped and rolled into each other ending in a pile on the ground below.
The General tried to pursue, but his heavy foot fell through the buckling asphalt. Damon heard the roof groan like it was going to collapse. The big man was able to recover and crush the skull of a zombie that jumped on his back. Another zombie was thrown from the church. The General yelled from the rooftop, but Damon sprinted up the stairs without care. Damon glanced over his bleeding shoulder to see the General struggling with the zombies that managed to stay balanced on the roof. The madman was bleeding already from bite wounds. There was just too many of them. Suddenly, a reanimated marine latched onto the General’s neck from behind with black teeth tearing a huge chunk of meat from him. The screams died, leaving the sound of zombies moaning…and eating.
Chapter 15
Chloe ran up to Damon and wrapped her skinny arms around his waist. “What took you so long? You scared me to death.” He winced. She released him. “Oh, you’re bleeding...again.”
“It’s okay.” He tried to smile. He glanced up at the marines. Bright sunlight glared against their black weapons.
The Sergeant approached Damon. “We need to find another secure location within the city.” “Are you crazy? Did you see how many zombies were down there? And you guys don’t have that turret anymore.” Damon turned away, but the Sergeant grabbed his arm. He turned and eyed the aging marine with burning mahogany eyes. His adrenaline was still rushing through his veins. The Sergeant let his grip release. Damon turned away ushering Chloe to follow. They both walked across the flat rooftop of the building weaving around the air conditioning units and looked at the small gap between the edge and the other building. He looked down the long row of buildings to see if he remembered where the Volkswagen was. At the end of the street there were only a few zombies. They had a chance. Damon figured if they jumped across two more rooftops they could go down into the last building run through the alley and end up at the car. Maybe… “I don’t give a damn where you guys go, but me and Chloe are leaving this town and going to my brother’s.”
“That’s suicide.” Harper interjected. His voice rumbled across the rooftop. “So is staying here!” Damon whirled around, “You saw how they came. How they got through your stable defenses.” Damon turned back to the edge. “Do what you want, but you are more than welcome to come along.” Damon turned to the other roof, but remembered one last thing. “In case you forgot…not too long ago you were just fine with killing us.” Since the next roof was clear from danger Damon told Chloe to jump across. She looked back at Harper and hesitated for a moment. She turned back to the ledge. The gap was only two feet or so, just child’s play to a girl like her. She jumped and Damon followed.
“Your brother is dead like the rest of the people here!” He heard the Sergeant yell. The sting of his words hit Damon in the chest, but he did not stop. He thought about telling the marine to fuck off, but decided not to waste his breath. His chest hurt anyway. He and Chloe jumped over more metal tubes that rose up from the roof and came to the next ledge. This one was wider, maybe four feet maybe more. He looked back. The marines had gone and were replaced by a stumbling and limping group of zombies. They moaned, sending shivers through the two. Damon would never get use to that sound.
“Okay, Chloe. Climb onto my back and hold on tight.” Damon squatted down so the tween could get on. She wrapped her pale arms around his neck and whispered. “Please don’t drop me…” The tween bear-hugged his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. Damon winced as she got into place. “Sorry…”
Damon recognized her sarcasm in her first statement. He took a running jump and for a moment he was eagle souring through the sky, then fell like a dodo. They landed hard; Chloe’s hold nearly choking him. “You...can...let...go...now.” He managed to sputter. His hand pulled her small wrist from his windpipe.
“Oh sorry.” She released her grip smiling sweetly. Damon coughed and rubbed his throat. “Okay. If I remember correctly the car is just on the other side of that restaurant” He pointed at the next building. “But that’s too far of a jump. So…” He picked up a large metal pipe wrench. Someone must have been in the middle of working on the equipment when he or she was interrupted by zombies. He hefted the tool and nodded with approval. The two approached a metal door. Damon swung the wrench with all his might breaking the rusted metallic lock.
Chloe followed Damon down the dark stairway. It opened up into a long corridor with rooms on both sides of the hallway. Damon felt the prickle of fear causing the hair on his tan arms to stand up. “Stand behind me.” He whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
Chloe stayed on Damon’s heels. Damon held onto the wrench like it was his machete ready to defend them. The two tiptoed down the hall. Like the church, the air was stuffy making it hard to breathe. Beads of sweat dotted Damon’s forehead as they worked their way down the wide steps. Damon waited half way down them and listened. H
earing no moans or shuffling emerged from the staircase and into the lobby of a financial firm. The sign above the large receptionist desk read “Best Investments. We only invest in the best.” Papers covered the tiled lobby floor turning it into an office ice rink. Chloe’s flat shoes were skates. She grabbed onto Damon so she would not fall. “This way…” He led Chloe to the front. He leaned out the front door (which wasn’t there). There were a few zombies across the street. They were moving in the direction of the church. One zombie was dragging its right leg. The leg was broken at the shin causing Chloe to grimace every time it took a step. Not even aware that she was doing it, the pre-teen rubbed her own leg. It moved slower than the rest. It stopped. Damon’s heart was in his throat. It turned to face the investment firm. One of its eyes was hanging by the optic nerve, but the other milky eye locked onto Damon. He ducked behind the door frame hoping he was not seen, but it was too late. A gurgled wail escaped the zombie’s dead lips. The zombies farther up the street stopped and twisted around. Ratty clothes hung from their shriveled bodies, swaying in the breeze. Off balance, the zombies teetered in unison bumping into each other as they turned towards the firm.
“We need to move now.” Damon grabbed Chloe’s hand and yanked her out of the lobby. He bolted down the street with Chloe on his heels keeping close to the buildings. More zombies stumbled slowly down West Meadow Street. Damon and Chloe passed in front of the Italian restaurant and stopped at the corner. A zombie plastered itself against the glass with a thud as they darted passed. Chloe jumped closer to the mechanic. She was never going to get used to that. Damon peeked around the building. There was the car, but there was something standing by the car that made Damon bow his head and sigh. He just could not catch a break. A hulking zombie with arms the size of tree trunks lumbered their way. “Stay here.” It made the orange Beetle look like a Micro Machine. For a second he believed the thing was Harper. Too much hair to be him.
Zombie Revolution Page 7
