Apocalypse Empire (Book 1): Apocalypse Origins

by R. A. Neely

  "They'll be trapped inside," Jackson replied.

  Greg shrugged, "Maybe they're desperate." He turned a corner and saw two suvs parked in front of a three story office building. Greg quickly brought the vehicle to a stop. "It doesn't matter why they're doing it," he said as he exited the vehicle. "We're going in regardless," he finished drawing his weapons.

  Jackson nodded. "I'm with you but should we wait? They've got two suvs, so there might be quite a few in there."

  Greg hesitated. He wanted to go in now but that could be suicide if they were outnumbered. He glanced at the two suvs. They looked as if they could each seat about five people. That meant they could be dealing with at least ten people. Jackson was right as much as he hated to admit it. "We wait. I don't want to but that's the best course."

  Jackson nodded. He wanted to head inside right away too but they wouldn't be helping anyone by getting themselves killed. Two vehicles screeched into the parking lot and the men quickly took cover behind their suv.

  "Keep an eye out," came James' voice. "I swear I saw some infected heading this way."

  Greg sighed in relief as he stood. "James, you're here."

  Greg smiled in satisfaction as he saw the men James had brought with him. They now totaled eight including Jackson and himself, those were much better odds.

  James nodded in response, "What are we dealing with?"

  "Two vehicles," Jackson said, "so maybe around ten or so."

  James nodded. "I'll take point. Stay in cover and don't run off on your own. It's too easy to get ambushed in a set up like this."

  Greg nodded. James had the expertise here given his time on the force. He still wanted nothing more than to run in guns blazing but he would defer to James here. He glanced at Jackson and saw the same desire reflected in his eyes. "We'll get them back."

  Jackson nodded, "I know we will."

  ***

  Olson looked down in frustration as he saw additional men spill from the newly arrived vehicles. This was not how this was supposed to go down. He had been pleased when had seen that there were only two pursuing them. He had planned to draw them in and ambush then in the twisting corridors of the building. That wouldn't work now, outnumbered two to one. He hoped that enough infected were on the way to put the odds back in his favor. Periodic howls told him that his ploy had been successful. If the infected could keep a few of those men busy down there, they should still be able to come out on top. Just in case though. He pulled out his satellite phone and dialed headquarters.

  "This is Lieutenant Olson, I'm requesting immediate evac from my location." Olson sighed as he got the affirmative. They had a ride on the way, all they had to do now was hold out for about a half hour or so for the chopper to arrive.

  He looked at two of his men. "Clear a path to the roof and keep it open. Evac is on the way." Olson smiled. They'd still get out this yet.

  "What did you do to her?" came Jeremy's whiny voice from behind. Olson rolled his eyes as he turned to face him. Why did he have to be stuck with this waste of space? Just because his daddy had some connections? Stupid politics.

  "What?"

  "What did you to her face? You weren't supposed to hurt her!"

  Her face? Ah, he must be referring to the first woman he had grabbed. She had put up quite the fight. He shrugged, "She resisted and I made her stop."

  "Did you have to hit her so hard?"

  Olson snorted, "That woman's no delicate flower. She put up quite a fight."

  "Nonetheless, I'll be talking to Dray about this. How did I get saddled with some thug that can't follow simple directions?"

  Olson narrowed his eyes, "You do that. I'm pretty sure Dray doesn't care about some piece of tail that you can't control. Also, keep in mind we're about to be fighting for our lives soon. You probably don't want to piss me off right now."

  A look of indignation flashed across Jeremy's eyes although he managed to smother it a moment later. Olson was completely right. He had no chance of getting out of here without Olson's help. He'd still report the man but there was no need to antagonize the man beforehand. "I apologize," Jeremy said. "I’ve just been under a lot of stress."

  "Of course," Olson replied.

  Jeremy headed over to where the women were seated on the floor, their hands bound by zip-ties. "Are you alright?" he asked as he reached her.

  "It kinda hurts," Shirley admitted.

  Jeremy sighed, "Let me take a look," he said as he knelt down. He moved her away from her cheek and leaned in for a closer look. "It's bruised pretty bad, Maybe - " Jeremy screamed as Shirley lunged forward and head butted him in the nose.

  "Get away from me! Don't you ever touch me again!" she shouted.

  Jeremy surged to his feet as blood poured between the fingers he had over his nose. "Why would you? What's wrong with you?" Jeremy left the area as he searched from something to stop the bleeding.

  Olson laughed as he walked over. "Thanks, maybe I won't have to listen to his whining for a few minutes."

  Shirley looked at him with daggers in her eyes. Olson chuckled, "I'd calm down. I have no problem knocking you out again. I'm a real man unlike you're friend over there."

  "My real man is on the way to put a bullet in your head," she replied. She glanced at Carol who had sat silently this whole time. "Hers is on the way too and you don't want to piss him off. But you already did that when you grabbed her."

  Olson's mood soured. There was a significant chance things could go that way. "The game's not done yet. Your man will be busy playing with infected soon while we wait for our ride to get here." He walked back towards the window, no longer in the mood to talk.

  He didn't see any sign of the men outside so they must already be in the building. He did however see a good amount of infected in the parking lot. "Let's get set up boys. We're about to get started." His remaining men nodded and took positions facing the stairwell entrance. With the power out, the only way up was the stairs so that was the only point of entry they had to worry about. That would help to reduce the effect of their numbers. He took his sidearm and fired several shots out the window and the infected howled in response. Good, infected below and they were waiting at the only viable entry point. He was feeling pretty good about their odds.

  ***

  Greg cursed as he heard the sound of gunshots from above. The infected howled and threw themselves against the door they'd just barricaded. "That's not gonna hold for long," James said.

  Greg pointed towards the stairway. "That's the only way up with the power out. We can whole up there, they can only come a few at a time."

  James nodded and led the way towards the stairwell. In another time, he might look around the building and take note of what he saw. Maybe try to figure out what kind of business this place did before the Collapse. That wasn't important right now though. Right now everything he saw was evaluated on its usefulness as cover or a potential hiding spot. They reached the elevator and James instructed four of their men to remain behind.

  "You guys stay here and keep the infected off our backs. Blades only unless you get overwhelmed. The more we're shooting the more infected are gonna show up."

  James led the way up the stairs. "We'll have to check the second floor first, just in case. I'm assuming they’re on the third but we don't want to be surprised."

  Greg nodded as they reached the second floor landing. James led the way inside and they spent the next few minutes checking every cubicle and office for any sign of their targets. When that was done they headed back towards the stairs, James had an apologetic look on his face. He could tell that Greg wanted nothing more than to tear this place apart.

  "It's fine," Greg said. "We had to be sure." They headed back into the stairwell and took the remaining stairs to the third floor.

  James paused at the landing and glanced behind him to make sure everyone was ready. He leaned against the wall and pulled the door open and flinched back as a a hail of bullets sailed past. He cursed in frustration, they wer
e in a bad spot here. They could lay down suppressive fire and enter the room but there was no guarantee that there was adequate cover close by. They were effectively pinned. The one bright side was that the stairwell was constructed from brick which meant he was relatively safe where he was, he didn't have to worry about them shooting him through the wall.

  Greg looked up the stairs in frustration. They were so close but they might as well be miles away. His mood brightened as an idea struck him. "James," he whispered.

  "What?" James asked as he glanced towards him.

  "I'm gonna head back down, look for another way up."

  "We were just there," he protested, "I didn't see a second stairwell."

  "Maybe we missed it," Greg countered. "I'm gonna check." Greg headed back down the stairs and motioned for Jackson to follow him.

  "I don't think there's another stairwell," Jackson said as they entered the second floor.

  "I don't think there is either," Greg replied.

  "What's your plan then?"

  "This," Greg said as he stopped in front of the elevator.

  Jackson looked thoughtful for a moment, "That could work as long as the car isn't on the third floor."

  "Only one way to find out." Greg used his machete to pry an opening between the elevator doors and then pulled them all the way open. He placed his hand on the wall and leaned out as far as he could. To his left he saw a ladder bolted to the wall. That was perfect, they could use that to go up. He looked up and saw that the way was clear, that meant the elevator was on the first floor.

  "There's a ladder here just to the left," Greg explained.

  "What about the noise when we get up top?" Jackson asked. "They'll probably here the door open."

  Greg nodded and grabbed his walkie. "James," he called into it.

  "Yeah?" came the reply of few minutes later.

  "I'm gonna contact you in a few minutes. I found a way up. I"ll need you to lay down some fire to cover the noise I make."

  "You're not doing something crazy are you?"

  "Of course not, it's perfectly safe."

  "Alright, let me know."

  The men carefully made their way into the shaft and climbed up, doing their best not to make any noise on the ladder. When they reached the third floor, Greg contacted James and a moment later the sound of rifle fire filled the air. Greg carefully stepped onto the ledge the doors rested on and used Jackson's knife to pry and opening. He pulled the doors apart far enough to slip through and stepped to the other side. The way was clear. They were in area filled with cubicles. From the other side of the room Greg could hear James exchanging fire with the kidnappers. He held the doors open for Jackson who slipped through a few moments later. Kneeling down they made their way towards the gunfight. Greg peeked around the corner of a cubicle and saw two men kneeling behind cover occasionally firing into the stairwell.

  To the left he saw the women sitting on the floor. Fortunately, they looked unhurt for the most part. Standing over them was another kidnapper. Greg wondered if he was the one that had grabbed Carol. Greg leaned out and fired several shots at the men sitting in cover, he hit them both in the chest but they didn't go down. Were they wearing some sort of armor? James used the distraction to lead his men into the room. As he was entering the third man took off running.

  Greg glanced at the girls to make sure they were safe then took off after the runner, Jackson hot on his heels. James had things under control there. The two men in cover had put their hands up as soon as James had entered the room. Greg followed the man to a door that had a sighed reading Roof Access. Greg pushed through the door and saw a set of stairs heading up. He took them two at a time and stepped through a door that led to the roof. Two men popped up from behind an air conditioning unit and Greg quickly ducked back inside the doorway.

  "Give me some cover fire and I'll try to flank them," Jackson said. "I don't want that guy getting away."

  Greg nodded and leaned out to squeeze off several shots. As the men ducked back behind their cover Jackson sprinted out and towards the right. The men attempted to respond but more shots from Greg forced them back into cover. The two men realized they were being flanked and decided to make a run for it. Shots from Jackson put one of them down while the other managed to find another piece of roof equipment to hide behind. "Go!" Jackson yelled. "I'll deal with him!"

  Greg nodded and took off across the roof. He saw his target standing in an open area looking towards the south. What was he looking for? Greg gave himself a mental shrug and he approached, it didn't matter what he was doing because he was about to die. Greg fired off a round and struck the man in the chest. The man spun around but stayed standing.

  "You'll have to do better!" he called. "Top of the line kevlar right here"

  "It hurt though didn't it? Greg asked. He started firing and emptied the remains of his clip into the man's chest. He then sprinted forward, easily covering the distance as the man reeled in pain. He unleashed a vicious overhead strike that the man barely managed to parry with a combat knife. Greg didn't let up and rained down blow after blow until the man fell to his knees. A kick to the man's hand sent the knife flying away and Greg kicked him a second time in the chest which left him sprawling on his back.

  He raised his machete for the finishing blow when a thump thump thump sound reached his ears. Looking south he saw a helicopter heading towards him. So that had been the man's plan. They had an escape planned when they fled to this building. The helicopter quickly reached them and turned so that's its side was facing them. The door slid open and Greg saw a long gun poke out. He took off running and dove behind an a.c. unit just as a torrent of bullets struck just where he had been standing. Greg peeked out and saw the man grabbed hold of a rope ladder. He quickly reloaded his pistol and unloaded the clip in his direction. He probably wouldn't hit him, the helicopter was already making its way south but the final bullet struck home and the man was barely able to hold onto the ladder. It wasn't a kill shot but it would give the man something to remember him by.

  He waited until the helicopter was some distance away before he left cover, just in case they had decided to double back. James ran up then, with everyone else in tow behind him. "You okay? I swear I heard a helicopter."

  "You did," Greg replied. "The man I was chasing escaped on it."

  "That was close," Jackson said.

  Greg nodded and walked towards Carol, pulling her into a tight hug. "You okay?"

  "I'll be fine," she replied. "I'm so glad you made it."

  "I was right behind you the whole time."

  "We've got a piece of business to deal with," James said.

  "What's that?" Greg asked looking in his direction.

  "We've got a survivor." He nodded towards two of his men and they tossed a man to the ground.

  "Please don't kill me!" he begged as he rose to his knees.

  Greg raised an eyebrow, "He doesn't seem like those other guys we fought."

  "That's because it's Jeremy," Shirley said with disgust in her voice.

  "Ah," Greg replied. He glanced at one of the guards. "Give her your sidearm." The guard complied and Shirley looked at him questioningly.

  Greg shrugged, "You decide what you want done with him. I'd have him killed regardless but thought you might want the honors."

  "Very much," Shirley replied as she cocked the gun.

  "Wait!" Jeremy begged. "I can be useful. I can tell you things! Things about the men you fought."

  Greg shrugged, "I know all I need to. They attacked us and we killed them. It's done."

  "It's not done," Jeremy replied shaking his head. "There's a man. His name is William Dray and he's the one responsible for all this."

  "All this what?" Greg asked curiosity growing.

  "The infection. Everything that's gone wrong."

  Greg blinked. Was this guy serious? He knew the person responsible for everything they were dealing with? And what did he mean it's not done? "I'm sorry, Shirley. I need you t
o wait a little bit."

  Shirley nodded, "I understand. If he's telling the truth this is pretty important."

  "Remember what I said, Shirley."

  "About what?" she asked.

  "We don't keep prisoners."

  She smiled grimly and walked away from the group. Jeremy potentially had important info but she didn't want to hear his sniveling voice right now.

  "Alright," Greg said, "start talking."

  "You'll let me go?" Jeremy asked.

  "Maybe, maybe not. There's a chance you get to live if you tell me something useful."

  Jeremy nodded enthusiastically, not seeing the grim look in the people around him. They already knew the man's fate was sealed. They remember Greg's speech when he said they wouldn't be keeping prisoners.

  "The man is William Dray. He's a billionaire out of Emerald Falls. He orchestrated everything."

  ***

  Olson finally managed to reach the helicopter. He'd nearly lost his grip when that bastard had managed to score a lucky hit. His labored breathing also hadn't made the climb any easier. He must have at least one broken rib from when that man had unloaded those rounds into his chest. The men inside the helicopter pulled him inside and he sighed in relief.

  "What happened to your eye?" one of them asked.

  Olson touched his face and felt wetness coat his hand. Now that he was thinking about he also felt pain on the side of his head. Exploring further, he discovered the bullet had carved a furrow from his eye to his ear. He'd been lucky. He had no idea how he'd managed to hold on to the ladder when he'd been hit. He suffered silently as one of the men bandaged his wounds. They gave him something for the pain and darkness quickly claimed him.

  Early the next morning Olson found himself in Dray's penthouse suite. He'd been rushed into surgery upon arrival but there hadn't been anything they could do to save his eye. They in fact had to remove what remained to avoid any complications. A patch covered the empty cavity and he did his best not to dwell on it. After a few hours of rushed sleep, he submitted his report and was now about to answer for his failed mission.