Apocalypse Empire (Book 1): Apocalypse Origins

by R. A. Neely

  "Yea," James said, "I can't stay here."

  The chief nodded. He had family too. His daughter was off at college but he had a wife waiting for him. They had to go be with their families.

  "Let's go then," Jeffries said. Jeffries lived alone, the consummate bachelor. But there was no way he was gonna hide here while the others escaped from this place.

  Jeffries looked at the officer again. "What do we do about him though?"

  "We put him out of his misery," the chief said. "If I get bit, I want one of you to do the same for me. I don't want to be one of those things."

  "How?" Jeffries asked. "I've got maybe three or four shots left and I'd rather save that for getting out of here."

  James was out of ammo himself. If they had to fight their way out he'd have to rely on his asp. He spotted a pillow on the floor. It must have fallen from the couch. He picked it up and sighed. He didn't want to do this but maybe it was for the best. The officer did look as if he was in a lot of pain.

  James approached the officer but stopped when he stood over him. Could be do this? Defending himself was one thing. But this? This just didn't feel right.

  "I can't do this," he said shaking his head.

  "I'll do it," the chief said as he approached. "It was my idea."

  The chief motioned for the pillow and moved to stand over the officer. James turned his back to the couch. Maybe this was necessary but that didn't mean he had to watch. He closed his eyes and waited for it to be over.

  "It's done," the chief said a few minutes later.

  James turned around and glanced at the couch. He had to admit that he did look peaceful now, as if he were asleep rather than dead. James nodded and headed for the door. It was time to get out of here.

  James slowly opened the door, listening for any sign of the creatures. He peeked into the hallway but didn't see anything. He motioned for the others to follow.

  Alright, they needed a service elevator. James led the way. Hopefully they could make it the elevator without seeing any more of those...things. James cautiously walked down the hallway, alert for any sound of the creatures. Several minutes passed without incident until they reached a set of double doors. The doors had a square cut out which allowed James to look into the area beyond. Peering through, James saw some good news and some bad news.

  The hallway beyond had a desk, probably a nurse's station of some sort. Right next to the desk was a single elevator. That had to be the service elevator he'd been looking for. Unfortunately, there were several creatures there as well. They were several bodies on the floor and it looked as if the creatures had made a meal out of them. Maybe they'd been making their way for the elevator when they were caught. James hoped they would have better luck.

  James motioned for the group to head back the way they came. When he judged that they had enough distance from the doors, he motioned for them to stop.

  "I think I saw about six of those things past the doors," he said.

  "Do we need to go that way?" Jeffries asked.

  James nodded. "The service elevator is right there. We could try looking for another I guess but we'll probably have to end up fighting some of those things regardless."

  "Six you said?" the chief asked. At James's nod he continued, "I think it's better to deal with a smaller group."

  "What's the plan then?" Jeffries asked. "If we go in there and they do that howl thing, we'll be in trouble."

  James frowned in thought. "I'm thinking brute force. We go in, you shoot however many you can. Chief, you finish off whoever he puts down. I'll keep the others busy until you guys come give me a hand."

  Jeffries side. "That's a good as any other plan I guess." He removed the magazine from his weapon. "Four shots," he said as he slid it back in.

  James nodded. He led the way back to the door and looked back to see if they were ready. At their nodded he counted to three with his fingers. He shoved the doors open and Jeffries ran into the room. Four shots sounded out in quick succession. James and the chief ran into the room. James ran for the elevator and hit the button. Behind him, he heard Jeffries and the chief attacking the creatures with their asps.

  A growl behind him alerted him to danger and he turned to see two creatures running towards him. He stepped behind the nurse's desk so they both couldn't reach him at once. James met the first creature with a solid blow to the head that sent it to the floor. The second creature tried to dive at him over the counter. James stepped to the side and it went sprawling to the floor. Two hard blows to the head stopped it from moving. James moved to finish off the second creature and checked to see how Jeffries and the chief were doing.

  They were breathing heavily but looked none the worse for wear. Maybe they'd get out of this after all. James moved back to the elevator. There wasn't an floor indicator like you might see on a regular elevator. He had no way of knowing how close the elevator was. He sighed as the sound of running feet reached his ears. Looks like they weren't done yet.

  More creatures entered the room and they howled in unison on seeing them. That wasn't good. Even if they finished these off, more would be on the way. James rolled his shoulders to loosen up. Maybe this was it, but he would go down swinging. He joined Jeffries and the chief in the middle of the hallway.

  The creatures charged all at once. James thought of his family at home. He might never see them again if this went badly. He'd never see Laura's smile, or hear junior laugh as he told a lame joke from that little book he had. And Maddy, his little girl. Fury took his mind. These things were not going to stop him from getting home.

  James roared his defiance and ran forward to meet their charge. He hit a creature with his shoulder and sent it flying backwards. He ducked under a swing from another creature and countered with a blow to the head that put it down for good.

  Another creature charged towards and James stepped to the side. As the creature passed by he landed a solid hit to its head with his asp. The creature hit the ground and James followed through with a second hit, just in case.

  The chief screamed and James looked to see him go down beneath two of the creatures. He ran to help and quickly put the creatures down with hits to their head. They'd been so focused on the chief that they hadn't responded to his approach.

  He pushed the creatures away and saw that he was to late. The chief was dead, his throat ripped out. Maybe that was a mercy. At least he wouldn't become one of those things. James looked around, things looked clear for the moment. Jeffries was leaning against the nurse's station, breathing heavily.

  "Was that that krav stuff you're always talking about?"

  "Yea," James replied.

  "Maybe I should've taken a few classes. I'm exhausted."

  James glanced at the chief's body. "This sucks. We're nearly out of here."

  Jeffries shrugged. "This whole day sucks." As if to add emphasis to his comment, they both heard a roar from somewhere nearby.

  "Time for round two," Jeffries said.

  James walked over to the elevator. "Why is this taking so long?"

  "It should be here soon. Probably haven't been as long as it feels. Don't worry though, I'll draw them away."

  James turned towards Jeffries. "What are you talking about? We're both getting out of here."

  Jeffries shook his head as he held up his hand. "One of them got me."

  "Oh man. There's gotta be something we can do."

  "You know there isn't. It'll happen just like it did in the office. I'm not dying like that. If I have to die, I'll do it on my feet."

  James opened his mouth to say something bit Jeffries shook his head.

  "There's nothing else to say, man. Now, say goodbye so I can go save your sorry hide."

  James chuckled despite the seriousness of the moment. "Arrogant till the last, huh?"

  Jeffries turned to leave and looked over his shoulder. "That's right. And make sure to tell everyone how I saved your life." Jeffries took a few steps then turned around.

  "If you
and Laura have another kid, I expect you to name him after me."

  James chuckled and blinked back tears. "Yea, we'll do that."

  Jeffries nodded and took off down the hall, banging the walls with his asp. "Come and get it!" he yelled.

  James heard several roars in response. Looks like this will work. A ding behind him alerted him to the elevator's arrival. He stepped inside and hit the button for the ground floor. He'd make it home but one of his best friends had to die to make it happen. He sighed as he wiped tears away with his arm. He'd have to grieve later. Right now he had to make sure Laura and they kids were safe.

  The elevator reached the ground floor and James cautiously stepped out. It was quiet. Maybe any creatures down here had moved on. He made his way outside and saw more officers on the ground. He hoped some of them had made it. James reached his car and looked the doors piece he was inside. He grabbed the radio to see if anyone had made it out of there.

  "Officer Ruckley here. Anyone out there?"

  James waited a few minutes and tried again. Ten minutes later he hadn't gotten a response. He put the car in gear and headed home. He hoped there were survivors but more he had to focus on his family.

  James quickly saw evidence of people that escaped from the hospital. Several times he saw cars that had run off the road. Maybe the drivers had succumbed to the infection and lost control. James slowed down to get a closer look. He saw one car where the driver had run into a light post. It looked like they were slumped over the wheel. They must have died from the impact.

  Another car had the driver side door hanging open. James could see streaks of blood on the windows. He saw the top of a car seat and quickly looked away, he didn't need to see anymore.

  James picked up speed. He definitely needed to get home. The infection might be all over the city now. How far did people get before the fever took them?

  The rest of the drive was uneventful. James felt a sense of relief as he turned into his subdivision. There was no sign of the infection here. Cars were parked the way they should be and there were even some kids playing. It wouldn't last, but it meant that his family was probably okay. James turned onto his street and into his driveway. James exited the car and approached the house. So far so good, now if only Laura and the kids were safe inside.

  He opened the front door and shut it behind him. He frowned as he looked around. All of the lights were off. That was unusual. Was something wrong with the power? He started walking down the hallway when the sound of a shotgun cocking made him freeze.

  "Don't move," Laura said with steel in her voice.

  "It's me, Laura," James said quietly, not wanting to startle her.

  "James? Oh, God. I'm so sorry. She stepped into the hallway and lowered the gun.

  "It's alright," he said as he turned to face her. "What's with the lights?"

  "I heard a news cast from Shirley O'Hara. She said those infected people are violent. They were attacked at the station and what they showed made me think the shotgun was a good idea. I turned everything off so no one would notice us."

  James nodded. "That was good thinking. Where are the kids?"

  "In the basement. They wanted to go to a friend’s house with no school but I kept them home when they made that announcement about staying off the streets this morning."

  James nodded again. He knew he could count on Laura. He'd made sure she knew how to use all of the firearms he kept around the house. His nearly getting shot just now was proof that had been the right decision. If the infected had made their way here, James was confident Laura would have kept the kids safe. They walked into their living room and had seat on the couch.

  "That's great, Laura. I was so worried when I realized what was happening."

  Laura laid her head on his shoulder. "I was worried too. I didn't know what was happening out there." She sat up. "You're home early."

  James nodded. "It was pretty bad out there. We pretty much don't have a police force anymore. I don't know how many officers survived. The chief is dead, Jeffries too."

  "What happened?" Laura asked with concern in her voice.

  James spent the next half hour relating the morning's events. He finished with how Jeffries had drawn off the creatures so he could get home to them. Laura put her arms around James, tears in her eyes. James let the tears flow. Now that he was home, it was safe to grieve for a time. Laura rubbed James on the back as she stood up.

  "I'd better check on the kids. Don't want them to get worried."

  James nodded. "Alright. I'll be down in a bit."

  Laura nodded and headed for the basement. James went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. No need to worry the kids by them seeing him upset. James was about to head for the basement when another thought brought him up short. Greg. How was he doing with all of this? He couldn't contact him with the phones down so he had no way of checking on him. He couldn't leave the house, he had to make sure his family stayed safe. James headed for his Playstation 4 and fired it up. The phones were down but maybe he could use the console to send a message. He typed out a quick message and hit send.

  "Hey man, how are you? Things are crazy. Get here ASAP."

  Hopefully Greg was okay and would get the message. If he was alright, James would feel more confident about this whole thing. He and Greg had been practicing krav maga toegether for years. He also dragged him down to the gun range whenever he could. That task complete, he headed to the basement to be with his family. He didn't know how they were gonna get through all this but he'd do whatever he needed to do to keep them safe.

  3 Shirley: WKJ Studios, Emerald Falls

  Shirley waited until she got the all clear signal and then sighed in frustration. She was absolutely disgusted with herself. That was hands down the worst interview she'd ever done in her career. She'd never been part of something that was so deliberately created to deceive her viewers. Promote a certain point of view? Sure. Conservative networks printed their view while liberal networks printed theirs. But this? This was outright lying. She got it. The powers that be wanted to prevent mass panic. If there were any chance of getting ahead of this thing, the last thing anyone needed was a bunch of idiots running around rioting and looting. Shirley stood and began walking towards her office. A few steps later her cameraman of five years, Jackson Barnes, met her with a cup of coffee.

  "Thanks, Jackson."

  Jackson nodded and headed off in the opposite direction. Shirley discreetly admired him for a few moments. Jackson was a handsome man. He had this deep voice that nearly made her shiver at times. But that was something she could never explore. She was a member of the city's elite. She'd reached her position through a combination of her stellar career and her engagement to the mayor's son.

  He was an up and coming lawyer who would one day follow in his father's footsteps. He was quite the catch. Keeping her position among the elite required that certain...expectations be met. Becoming involved with her ex-con cameraman simply wouldn't do. Even if he had a voice to make a woman go weak in the knees.

  Shirley reached her office and say in her chair. With Jackson out of sight, her melancholy thoughts returned. The Pendleton interview. The truth of the matter was that they were dealing with an outbreak. The mayor knew this already. The interview was simply an attempt to prevent the populace from panicking.

  Being part of the city's elite made her privy to certain information. She knew that the city's police force couldn't deal with the outbreak. Help wasn't on the way because those assets were being mobilized to more critical locations. But, she would be safe. Shirley touched her pants pocket. There was an invitation inside about the size of an index card. It granted her access to a shelter in the city. It was stocked with enough items to support a group of people for weeks. So, she'd be safe, while the city burned around her.

  The guilt was eating her alive. Shirley was by no means an altruistic person. She'd done her fair share of lying, cheating, and backstabbing to get where she was. Not that she was
n't capable. She was one of the best. But getting there meant she'd sometimes had to create...opportunities for advancement. Her engagement to Jeremy was evidence of that fact. She held little love for him. He actually had a number of habits that irritated her to no end. But, he was nice enough. Life with him would be pleasant, if boring. The important thing though is that marriage to him would allow her to maintain her lifestyle. She wouldn't be on top forever. When that happened, Jeremy would take care of her. She'd give him a kid or two and help make his political career a success. Was that shallow? Maybe. Shirley preferred to think of herself as practical. She was used to a certain level of comfort. She was merely taking steps to ensure that comfort wasn't interrupted.

  So Shirley wouldn't say she normally cared about the plight of her fellow man. She did what she needed to survive and she assumed others did the same. This situation was completely different though. How could she sit safe while everyone else fought for survival? A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and saw Jackson standing at the door.

  "You alright?" he asked.

  "Yea, I'm fine," she replied with a slight smile.

  Jackson chuckled. "So staring at a computer monitor for fifteen minutes is fine?"

  Shirley glanced at the clock on her computer. He was right. Some fifteen minutes had passed since she'd sat down. "Just thinking."

  "What about? Must be important for you still be sitting there so long."

  Shirley thought. Maybe she couldn't do anything for the city but she could at least keep Jackson safe. They didn't spend time together outside of work but they'd been together for years. There was at least some mutual caring and respect.

  "Come in, and close the door."

  Jackson raised an eyebrow but complied. After sitting in the only other chair in the room, he looked at her expectantly.