“So am I.” Dave was close enough to have heard most of the conversation, so he knew the plan. “I still owe you, Eric.” We didn’t talk about what had transpired in that storage room, and we didn’t need to. As far as I was concerned, we were solid, but I knew the feeling of needing atonement.
“With all due respect, gentlemen, lady,” Gabriel stopped short as a soldier escorted him to another room, “if you’re crazy enough to mount a rescue operation for Katherine, I would like to join your suicide mission.”
“As would I.” Matthew stood with a determined look on his face, one that mirrored my own. Yeah, the kid was definitely ready to kick some ass.
“Eric,” Marcus stalked up to our small group, his voice frantic, “have you seen my family?”
“I haven’t, but we’re going back in there and I promise you we’ll find them.”
“Then I’m going with you.” I wasn’t about to argue the point, so I nodded.
“Transfer custody of the prisoner to me until this is all over. I’ll take full responsibility if anything happens,” Jessica told the soldier, pulling Gabriel by his shoulder. The soldier opened his mouth to say something, but she reminded him of her rank. Looking back to me, she added, “I think the odds are as good as they’re going to get.”
“Look, I appreciate the Lord of the Rings scene happening right now, but this is real shit. Anyone who goes in might not come out alive.” I scanned their faces and saw no fear, no changing of minds. Jessica, Dave, Matthew, Marcus, even Gabriel, all looked at me with complete trust.
“Let’s get to it, then,” Gabriel spoke, holding up his zip-tied hands. “I will need these off, though.” Jessica whipped out her knife and put the blade against the plastic.
“Just so we’re clear,” she whispered menacingly, cutting the bonds, “if you try anything, you should know that my gun tends to fire low.” Rubbing his wrists, Gabriel smirked and looked at me.
“I like her.”
“She’s taken,” I replied, which raised a few eyebrows. “Focus, people. Hit the armory and meet me in the lobby downstairs.” They parted ways, but Jessica stepped closer. Gabriel knew not to leave, so he lingered behind.
“Taken, huh?” She cocked her head with a mischievous grin.
“I figured it would get him to shut up. You’re welcome.”
“Uh huh, right.” She leaned in and kissed me, stepping on the tips of her toes to reach my lips. Backing up, she was still smiling as she added, “I should’ve done that a long time ago. Meet you downstairs.” Jessica turned and directed Gabriel to the armory, where I followed as soon as I picked my jaw up off the floor. Beauty and badass was a lethal combination.
**********
After pulling out my supplies from the backpack, I refilled the magazines for my Sig and looked around the makeshift armory. I wasn’t sure who to thank, but Murphy and Harper had come through big time. Feeling like a kid in a candy store, I left the room with an M4, three magazines, two fragmentation grenades, and a bulletproof vest.
Before I met up with everyone, I decided to find a quiet place to pull out my journal. Flipping through the pages, it was amazing to see how far I had come, and feel how detached I was. Either way, I caught the journal up to the present since my last entry hadn’t been since San Antonio, ending with this letter in case things went horribly wrong in the offices.
I feel like you, dear reader, have kept me sane through all of this, whether or not anyone actually has a chance to read this. You have been the constant in my struggles, someone to talk to even when I was at my lowest and loneliest. I don’t know if we’ll ever meet, or if this will be destroyed with everything else, but I hope, if it finds its way into your hands, that you’ll get something from all of this, even if it’s just a laugh over my misfortune.
Jessica, I can never thank you enough for everything. You came back for me, never giving up even when things seemed hopeless. You were willing to die defending me when I was dying of an infection, and you…dammit, you fill a hole that I didn’t think anyone ever could again. I know my phrasing could use some work, but I need you to know how important you are to me.
Lastly, to Katherine, because even if I don’t get to say it in person, I won’t leave that building without you. You really are the daughter I never had, and I love you more than you could imagine. It takes a deep strength to do what needs to be done for survival, but all of the fighting…that’s not the life you were meant for. Kat, you deserve to be happy, and whether I get to see it or not, I need you to know that was always my hope. I was so proud to find you not only surviving, but kicking ass while you did it. I need you to do something for me, though. When you get back to San Antonio, I want you to smile, and laugh, and go for a walk in the sunshine. Maybe give the kid a shot, since he seems like he’s grown a pair since the last time I met him, but that’s up to you. Basically, you won’t have to fight anymore, and you’ll have your whole life ahead of you, so please enjoy it.
I’m going to put this journal down now and go be a dad, so wish me luck. I know I’ve made some questionable choices lately, and I’ve definitely crossed some lines, but I know where I stand on this decision. I might be exhausted of the fighting, but I still have one left in me.
Chapter 99
The Grand Finale
Gabriel and I took point, each tossing a smoke grenade to conceal our movement, with Jessica and Dave holding down our six, the old guy finally trading up to a modern rifle. While Marcus and Matthew had both proven themselves capable of combat, they had the least experience, so we kept them in the center. The dark clouds above had begun to rain, the familiar pretense in any epic combat scene bringing something to life inside me. It had been too long since there had been a good storm.
As a group, we crossed the street as quietly as possible and entered the alley between the offices and the next building over. The main entrance was crawling with zombies, so much activity creating an anthill scenario. With an unknown number of threats inside, but probably ranging in the hundreds, we had to find an alternate entrance.
“There was an emergency exit in the back that we can try,” Gabriel suggested, edging himself further down the alley. “Jesus, they’re everywhere.”
“Alright, I’ll pop my last smoke and take Gabriel to wedge the door open. You four post up and cover us if anything gets too close.” Gabriel nodded and I tossed the smoke grenade into the open, letting it fill the air before patting Gabriel on the back. He pushed out from the alley, down a few steps, and I followed, reaching the emergency exit in seconds.
Letting my sling hold the weight of the M4, I drew my Ka-bar and shoved it between the frame and the door. Using leverage, I pried the door open enough for Gabriel to get his fingertips over the metal, but I could see my blade slipping.
“Come on!” I grunted, trying to adjust the angle of my knife. I felt something brush my shoulder before a subtle pop sounded, the zombie collapsing to the ground as the suppressors we obtained were already being put to use. I glanced over to find Matthew giving me a thumbs-up before he continued to scan the smoke. You know the world has gone to hell when a headshot warrants a thumbs-up.
I had leveraged the door open enough for Gabriel to get his fingers inside the crack, just as I noticed the smoke beginning to dissipate. He pulled the door open while I waved everyone inside. The timing was perfect, because the nearest zombies were beginning to get suspicious just as the door sealed shut behind us.
I slid my Ka-bar back into the sheath at my thigh, taking hold of the M4 once more as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I could hear the zombies on the floor above us, a step-slide pattern as they moved, but none of the sounds came from whatever basement we were in.
“There’s a private stairwell on the north side of the room, with only one access point on each floor. Unfortunately, the door would put us on the other side of the building from the cafeteria, so I don’t know if it’s the best option.” Gabriel’s voice came from the far side of the room.
“Marcus, where would Antoinette be?”
“She’d be with Teresa, so I guess the daycare room?” His uncertainty didn’t help much, but it was the curse to my right that made me worry.
“Daycare is on the third floor, to keep the kids farthest from the entrances, for safety.” I could hear Matthew pacing.
“Yeah?”
“So, when the scouts were surveying the building, I overheard them talking about a lot of movement on the top floor. Your family being up there would explain why, but it also means there are a lot of zombies up there with them.”
“We’ve gotta get up there, Eric!” Marcus started heading for the stairs, but someone must have stopped him.
“Keep it together, mate. We’ll find your wife the same way we’ll find Katherine. Patience and stealth are our best friend here.”
“We don’t know how bad the situation is up there.” Jessica took a deep breath. “Time could be a factor, so I say we split up. I take Marcus and Matthew to the third floor, you keep Gabriel and Dave with you.” Her voice was calm, trying to ease the tension in the room. I reached out and, finding her arm, pulled her to the side so only she could hear me.
“Jessica, are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, we talked about what it might be like in here. I was barely okay with you coming at all, but this?” I ran my hand through my hair. “I can’t lose you.” Her hand landed on my neck, her thumb gently rubbing back and forth.
“You won’t. We have the radios, and we all have suppressors. I’ll be fine, Eric. Besides, six people in a hallway would remove any room for maneuvering, so we’d be screwed if anything went wrong. Now, are you good with this plan?”
I nodded, but she couldn’t see me, so I voiced my answer and returned to the group.
“Gabriel, lead us to the stairwell.”
He blew out a soft whistle as he walked, leading us through the basement with the sound until I heard a metal handle being turned.
“How secure is this stairwell?”
“Well, unless they learned to open doors in the last hour, I’d say we’re good.” He laughed. “If they did, they’ll come pouring out like a floodgate crashing down.” With that nice imagery in my mind, he pulled open the door and illuminated us in dull lighting. We all blinked as our eyes re-adjusted, waiting to be attacked. Again, though, we were greeted with silence except for the infected above us.
“Alright, let’s move.” I took point, stopping halfway up the first flight to aim my rifle above. Gabriel moved past me and stopped at the head of the stairs, allowing Jessica to stop halfway up the next flight. We used this leap-frog method, bypassing the first floor, until we reached the second story, stopping at the door to listen.
We could hear them on the other side, dozens, possibly a low hundred, of zombies all through the halls. I pointed up and we continued to move, reaching the third floor.
“No dice,” I whispered, listening through the door. It sounded just as bad as the level below, which meant it was going to be one hell of a fight either way.
“We’ll be fine, Eric. Go find Kat, and keep an eye on him.” She nodded toward Gabriel. “It’s my ass if we lose him.”
“I don’t mind a good pair of handcuffs, love.” I smacked the back of his head and glared. “Right, then, going back down.” He held up his hands and took the stairs to level two.
“Eric, whatever happens in here, it’s okay. Just stay focused on staying alive, and we’ll deal with the aftermath.” I smiled and kissed her, before joining Gabriel and Dave downstairs.
“Stack up.” I shifted to the side of the door and felt Gabriel’s hand on my back.
“I’ll cover you guys, but I feel like I’ll just get in the way in there,” Dave muttered.
“You’re gonna miss one hell of a party, Dave. Are you sure?”
“You know how Danny Glover got to be too old for that shit? By not doing it in the first place.” He laughed. “I’ll just make sure there’s an exit for you guys when you come back.” He withdrew a block of C4 from his pocket and Gabriel cocked his head.
“You mean to tell me we’ve been walking around with that this whole time?”
“Oh, don’t get all school-girl on me now.”
“Enough, guys. Focus up.” Once more, I felt Gabriel behind me. “On my go.” Dave nodded at me and squeezed his rifle tighter. I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking back to my days in combat, the adrenaline in my heart pumping so hard I couldn’t hear anything else. Even then, with bullets flying and explosions going off, I felt an eerie sense of calm, just like in the prison.
Steeling myself for what was beyond the door, I cranked the handle down.
“Move.” I pulled the door open and shifted my leg around, crouching. The zombies closest to me turned, but I could see at least thirty more just in that hallway. Before the moans had a chance to start, I squeezed the trigger and sent three rounds their way, accompanied by Gabriel’s equally accurate shots. Within five seconds, ten bodies were on the ground and the moans of the undead echoed through the halls.
Forcing all other thoughts out of my mind, I focused only on the bloody task at hand. Aim, squeeze, shift, repeat. Gabriel and I worked our way down the hall, leaving a trail of bodies in our wake as we made a lethal pair.
“Reloading,” he called out, dropping an empty magazine from his rifle. I maintained cover while he switched, waiting for him to slide one in the chamber before doing the same. Once we were both reloaded, we started moving forward again. I cleared the next room and stopped in the doorway, taking aim down the hall as Gabriel moved up.
We were making good progress, but our ammunition was already running low, as the bodies of almost a hundred zombies lay testament to our carnage. Gabriel knew it, too, switching to his Beretta when a single zombie or a pair would wander into view.
Clearing the final room in this hall, we turned the corner to find ourselves facing another horde of zombies. Having heard the moaning calls from their brethren, they were already aware of us, their sunken eyes staring through decomposing flesh. Gabriel took the right side and I stuck left, moving as one down the hall.
As I stepped over the body of a zombie, another one stumbled out of the office directly in front of me and I fired. The round sailed true and its head snapped back, exploding gore landing on the three infected behind it. Ignoring the gruesome scene, and trying not to think of them as people, I continued to fire, knowing any remorse at this stage could prove fatal.
“Last clip!” I heard Gabriel yell, which meant both our rifles would soon be useless, because I was already going through my last magazine. Staying close, I covered his reload until we could move up together, starting to feel a kinship with the man. When the last body hit the floor ahead of us, I glanced over.
“Why are you doing this? I mean, when they take you back, you have to know they’ll put you in handcuffs.”
“Still the believer in justice, huh? There are no more prisons, Eric. The new order deals in executions until everything gets back to normal, if it ever will. I have nothing to lose.” He shook his head. “But if I can help you save Katherine, give her the life you and I will never have, then maybe it’s all worth it.” He must have caught my look, because he smirked. “You can’t seriously think you get to just walk away after all of this, right? You and I were built for this, Eric. They have monsters, men who do evil and call it survival. We’re different, warriors, protectors, we can be and do things like this so that the innocent people stay that way.” He grunted a laugh. “Righteous violence, if you will. Sure, we get our hands dirty most of the time, and we pay heavily for our actions in the end, but if that means a family is saved as a result, or even a single life, isn’t that the point?”
I didn’t answer, opting to clear the next office instead. Every zombie was once a human being, too, but I knew there was nothing that could be done for them except to put them to rest. I know, in the eyes of the law, Gabriel was a bad guy, but the new world would need men like him if humanity had a chance to
come back.
It was with that thought that I turned the next corner, to find myself face to face with a room full of zombies. A dozen zombies were standing in an office, encased in a tomb of floor-to-ceiling glass, not yet aware of our presence.
“Shit,” Gabriel muttered, whipping up the barrel of his rifle just as two of the zombies smashed through the thin windows. His first shot lodged itself in the skull of an infected, the zombie falling off to the side, but the second went wide as the zombie lunged at him. I shifted to take it out, but I had my hands full as the zombies poured into the hall, separating us.
Remembering the last time I kicked a zombie, I pushed them back with my rifle to create some space to fire from my hip. Five shots rang out and reduced their numbers by three, but there was still work to be done as I raised the M4 to my shoulder and opened fire with surgical precision. Headshots were the daily special and everyone was having one as I made quick work of the room, leaving only the zombie on top of Gabriel moving when my rifle clicked empty.
I flipped the rifle over and gave my best Tiger Woods impression, rolling it off of him with a crack to the head before driving my Ka-bar down through its skull. And my buddies said I had no follow-through…Gabriel had his M9 in hand, having fended off four other zombies while holding back the one trying to claw his face off. I offered him a hand up and he glanced around the room, nodding approvingly.
“There’s the Eric everyone’s been talking about. Welcome back!” He picked up his rifle and, finding it empty, tossed it back to the ground. He checked the slide of his Beretta and stepped past the broken glass, ignoring the pools of blood. “You could’ve just let me die, you know. No one would have questioned you if you came out alone.”
“The old me would have thought about it, but I’ve been through too much to not learn from mistakes. The way things work now, the new world…They’re going to need people like you to piece things back together.”
A Broken World (Book 2): Shattered Paradise Page 23
