Evans sat up and walked over to the office to get closer to the window, taking in the view before her. She looked out towards the sea where the ship and everyone she had known in the military was either dead or stuck out at sea. A few miles out from the city she saw the storm that several hours before seemed like the worst news she had heard in a while. The lightning strikes made the sky over the ocean appear brightly for only a second.
She counted the seconds in between the flashes and the thunder reaching her to tell the distance of the storm. She only got to the tenth second before the boom of thunder shook her, and the building she was on. She closed her eyes and remembered listening to similar storms approach her house when she was little. Her dad would sit outside on their porch with her and wait for the storms to approach. He was even the one to teach her the counting trick to tell the distance of the storm.
She could feel the intensity of the storm’s approach. It was going to be a massive storm; she hoped that it wouldn’t be too intense, or they might have to find shelter on the lower floors. She felt someone come up from behind her. She turned to see Daniels standing next to her, with the same grim attitude she had. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak to her, but no words came out. Instead, he closed his mouth and watched the raging storm approach.
Daniels felt that the storm was coming to wash away his guilt. Maybe if he were lucky, it would also carry away all the infection in the city. Start everything anew and fresh. Perhaps, it would instead leave more destruction and chaos in its wake. You could never tell if a storm was there to usher in a clean beginning or the wave of chaos with it.
✽ ✽ ✽
They were almost to the sixth floor when the heard the boom of thunder as it shook the building. Knight hoped they would be able to reach the pilots before the storm hit landfall. The squad made their way to the ground floor landing and piled out into the lobby.
Looking out of the giant glass doors, out into the street they could see that it hadn’t started to rain just yet. They still had a few minutes before the storm showered them. Taking the forward momentum, they rushed out into the street.
As they ran across the block, Carter looked again at the burnt-out husk that used to be a helicopter. He felt a sliver of fear creep up on him, noting that people who had gone crazy were the cause of this. His mind quickly changed to a hard determination that he was going to prove that he had what it took to be in this squad of men. He decided right there that he wouldn’t allow the infected to get him or anyone else, he would terminate with extreme prejudice.
The fires around the helicopter had gone out, thankfully. They had donned their night vision goggles in the stairwell. The fire would have blinded them and left them completely in the dark, ironically. The rain was coming now as a slight drizzle, tinkling off cars and the buildings around them. They silently made their way down the block as fast as they could. They made sure to check their sides as they went down the street. Vigilant of the dangers that could lurk in every doorway and alley.
They made it to the road they were supposed to take down to the crash site. As the squad turned onto the street, the rain started to come down in sheets. It soaked the men almost instantly, but they didn’t take shelter. Knight held up his hand as a fist, the rest of the men stopped in their tracks. He signaled them all to fall into him, and they complied making a small circle around him.
“Alright, I want us to move slow now, with this storm I don’t want to get caught off guard. We won’t be able to see as well either,” Hissed Knight. As if to answer him, the storm let out some more lightning, making it seem like a day for a second, and blinding them in the process. “Shit. Let’s get rid of the night vision and go old school.”
They all pushed their night vision goggles up and repeatedly blinked, trying to gain their vision back. Everything was a blur, the cars in the street and buildings looked like monsters coming to eat them. Dark shapes that were moving to get them. As their visions corrected itself, they realized that with the storm they could not see more than twenty feet ahead of them.
It wasn’t good; the storm was hindering their progress to making it to the downed helicopter. Knight knew they couldn’t stay on the streets during the storm; it was too risky. Their visibility dampened, and they were already soaked. They needed to find shelter to wait out the worst of the storm.
Chapter 17
Pitter Patter
The pilot sat on what was once the side of the helicopter. He had tried to open the ramp to the helicopter, but it was damaged. It had opened about a foot and a half. He cursed up and down at the ramp, but it didn’t care what he said it wasn’t going to open any further. Eventually, he had decided to just sit there against the ‘wall,’ which was the top of the helicopter.
He had also removed his co-pilot from his seat and laid him on the ground. He seemed to be completely out cold, but he feared to move him any more than he had since he couldn’t tell if anything was wrong with him. Instead, the pilot talked to his co-pilot about what he was going to do once he got out of the helicopter and finished the mission.
Twenty minutes later he felt the ground shake with the rumble of thunder. He knew the storm was coming; he just didn’t know when it was going to hit land. As if to answer his question the pitter patter of rain started to hit the helicopter, quickly rising in intensity. There was now a steady downpour of water rushing to the ground that wasn’t bothered by the helicopter in its way.
The pilot closed the ramp and listened to the rain reverberate within the fuselage. Thunder and lightning were heard and seen every couple of seconds. It was going to be one hell of a storm. At least, he was safe from it inside. The rain soothed him, and he started to feel the heaviness of sleep come to claim him. He lay against the ‘wall’ and started to feel his eyes droop.
He was just about to drift off when a loud thud echoed inside the helicopter. He immediately was pulled back to his body from his mind, alert. Another thud, and another, the sound picked up, faster and faster. Great, he thought, it's hailing outside. The storm must be a bad one; he just hoped that it wouldn’t break the cockpit glass. Sure, it was supposed to withstand small arms fire, but he wasn’t sure if it could withstand constant hail damage.
The thudding noise had risen to a chorus. The rain was coming down so hard the pilot couldn’t see the hail through the window. He sighed and decided to try drifting off again, hoping that he was tired enough not to let the sound bother him. As he turned his head away from the cockpit window, a hand slammed into the glass. The pilot did not notice it and kept his eyes closed; trying to ignore the ‘hail,’ he was hearing.
Chapter 18
Martial Law
The next few days were insane. They had left the apartment to see the movie. Kenji told her about the video he had seen, how real it felt and looked. Kiyomi agreed that it was very strange, but they shouldn’t worry about it. Clearly, the military was handling the unrest that was happening. They both decided to go and see the movie, spend time together, and he wanted to get his mind off the video.
Kenji promised that he wouldn’t worry about the video and what it showed. However, it crept into his mind every so often. He was helpless to get it out of his mind, even during the movie. Sure, he enjoyed the movie and spending time with his now fiancée. They shared popcorn and a drink, laughing together at the cheesy lines and bad acting, but it haunted the back of his mind nonetheless.
Afterward, they walked towards the bus stop and waited. There weren’t as many people as there should have been on the street. They both noticed it, they looked up and down the street, only seeing a few people here and there. Kenji thought it was probably from the scare of the riots, unsure of whether to leave their homes.
He didn’t mind the quietness of the city, the lack of people everywhere in the crowded city. It meant more time alone with Kiyomi, not only that, but they wouldn’t have to fight the crowds to get on the bus. They talked and laughed at the bus stop enjoying each other’s company. The b
us showed up fifteen minutes later.
The bus pulled up to the stop, opened the door, and they climbed aboard. The driver leaned over and spoke rather loudly at them. “Be glad you made this bus; it’s the last one for today!”
Kenji didn’t understand what the driver meant since it was still afternoon. The buses ran until midnight. He opened his mouth to ask the driver, but the driver told him he needed to sit down so they could move along. Kenji found a seat towards the front. They both sat next to each other unsure why this was the last bus.
Both contemplated what the reasons could be. Was it some holiday they had forgotten about? No, surely the driver would have been more pleasant. Maybe on just today, the buses stopped going early. That had to be it; there was no other explanation.
The bus pulled up to the stop not far from his apartment, and they both got out hurriedly. They wanted to find out what was going on, and surely it would be on the TV. As they crossed the street a military convoy trucks, laden with troops and guns drove past in a hurry. It was a very odd thing to see outside of where he lived. He stared at the convoy finally drove past them before he continued inside.
They raced inside his building and up to his floor. Kenji unlocked the door, threw it open, slamming it closed, locking the deadbolt. Kiyomi had rushed past him into the living room and was turning on the TV. The click of his old tube TV powering up whined, and the news was on. They turned up the volume; it was a special news bulletin. The banner at the bottom of the screen was listing city and town names. A great many flew past, before starting over.
The news anchor was telling everyone that they had just received word an hour before that Tokyo had been placed under Martial Law starting tonight. There would be a hold on all public services, which explained the bus, and a curfew. Anyone caught outside during the curfew was to be considered dangerous, and the military would take appropriate action. The situation was serious, and he knew that the video wasn't a joke now.
They both looked at each other and understood this was real, and they were right in the middle of it. It hadn’t seemed real until Martial Law was announced on live TV. It didn’t affect them until now, so they didn’t think twice about it. His mind raced, he thought about his parents. His parents! How could he have forgotten about them, they needed to be warned about what was happening.
Luckily, they were out of the ever-expanding zone of cities under Martial Law. However, the town wasn’t exactly modern; they had a couple of phones for the whole town. Most residences didn’t believe in modern day electronics. They just didn’t have the money or time for them. Kenji picked up his cell phone and tried his parent’s neighbors who normally were nearby their phone. It rang.
Again, it rang.
He was starting to worry now.
It rang a third time.
A fourth… the click of the line finally connecting.
“Hello?”
He let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s Kenji, I’m calling to let you know that the government has placed several nearby towns under Martial Law. There’s been several large-scale riots taking place,” Kenji spouted at the Neighbor.
“What? What do you mean riots?” asked the Neighbor confused.
“The government is trying to stop riots from spreading. Something big is happening, and the government is doing everything in its power to stop it. Can you please make sure everyone in the town knows?”
“Alright Kenji, we will round everyone up and make sure nothing like that happens here,” replied the Neighbor.
“Thank You, can you make sure to let my parents know I love them?” Kenji asked.
“Sure thing, Goodbye.”
Kenji hoped that he would see them again so he could tell them in person that he loved them. He wished that he had never left them alone; they were old and could have used him there. Kenji knew that with Martial Law in effect he would not be able to leave the city without proper government approval. As it stood, the government was doing everything it could to control the riots, as well as, trying to cover up what was shown on the news. Martial Law had was in effect, and the government seemed to be doing everything in its power to keep its citizens safe.
Kenji sat down on the couch, feeling drained and trying to formulate a plan. If the riots were going to transpire here who knows what could happen, there was nothing he could leave to chance if he could help it. For all he knew the government could collapse. He got up and decided that they needed to go to the food market and buy as much as they could just in case. He didn’t like the idea of being trapped in his home without food.
“We need to go to the food market and stock up on food, just to be safe,” Kenji said to Kiyomi.
“I agree, it sounds like things could get hectic for a few days,” she replied, “Why do you look so worried though? I’m sure the government will have everything under control in a few days. Besides we still have to go to work.”
“I think it would be better if we didn’t leave to go to our workplaces for a few days. I just want to be safe,” Kenji said earnestly.
“I suppose your probably right,” Kiyomi agreed, “Plus, my job is across town and without public transport I’d have to walk.”
“It’s settled. Let’s go grab some more food and then stay here,” stated Kenji.
They left the apartment once again, but, this time, more cautious of other people. Kenji understood that it was highly unlikely that most people were part of the ‘rioters,’ but he didn’t want to take any chances. Luckily, for them, the store was only three blocks away, just a short walk. They still didn’t see many people like before, only a few people who like them seemed to want to keep their distance.
Turning the corner where the store was, they stopped dead in their tracks. They were not the only ones with the idea of stocking up on food. A small crowd was grabbing anything and everything in the store, the line to pay for the food was enormous. Kenji chortled to himself at the things people were grabbing, and their sheer ability to panic as they were at the mention of a government collapse. Some grabbed things such as carts of alcohol, others cleaning supplies, afraid they wouldn’t be able to clean their homes.
They both went into the store and started to grab nonperishable food, batteries, and water bottles. Kenji picked up a small radio that was crank powered, just in case they broadcasted some news over the airwaves. They piled all they had into a small shopping cart; they easily had enough food and water to last them two weeks. He remembered suddenly that his neighbor across the hall was an old woman who would most likely not be able to make it out to the store.
Kenji went back through and grabbed a few extra things for her, so she wouldn’t have to make the trip. She was a nice old lady, and he didn’t want her to be out in this craziness. Returning to the line, he heard shouting; it was a couple of men, one was accusing the other of cutting him in line. He couldn’t make out much of what they were saying.
Kenji saw a flash of metal come from the pocket of the accused man. It took his mind a moment to comprehend what it was. The man stood there and held a gun to the other man, threatening to shoot him.
“I’m going to buy my things and leave. I won’t wait in line and get attacked by those rioters on the news!” exclaimed the gunman. His eyes darted around the room; they held the look of a desperate man.
The man in line behind the gunman took a chance and attempted to grab the gun and wrestle it away. In the struggle the sound of a gunshot was clear, most people ducked down momentarily, others ran out of the store some taking off with things and others just their lives. A few women screamed, and the man with the gun looked around, backing away from where the man he had just shot was laying on the ground bleeding out. The gunman looked at the man on the ground with wide eyes now and decided that he shouldn’t be here anymore. He ran out of the store; no one tried to stop him.
Kenji ran to the man on the floor; the man was just barely alive, Kiyomi was already there trying to help him.
“Call the poli
ce! Request an ambulance as well!” Kenji yelled at the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper snapped out of his daze and picked up the phone dialing the number for the authorities. Turning his attention back to the man, he knew it wasn’t good; there was an ever-growing puddle of blood around the man. His artery was severed, and they didn’t have the tools here to stop it.
The man died about a minute later, in a store where no one knew his name, no one who loved him had come to his rescue. Only a couple of strangers had tried to help, but they were powerless and had to watch the man die. He died in a shop trying to prevent the very thing that happened to him. No cops ever came; the shopkeeper could never get ahold of anyone.
Later that night the military started to set up checkpoints every ten blocks. It only then did the shopkeeper get any help. He flagged down a passing convoy of military trucks, unknown to him they were part of a body disposal unit. Ironically, this wasn’t one of their ‘scheduled’ stops, but it didn’t matter to them a dead body was a dead body. The shopkeeper asked what they were going to do with the body. They ignored him and hauled the body into a secondary flatbed truck and drove off.
The military was in full motion now, setting up camps and checkpoints all over the city. It was a massive undertaking, but one that the government felt they had to do. These were some of the last stand efforts, and the soldiers knew it. They wanted to protect their nation at all costs and saw the capital, Tokyo, as the beacon on which to rally behind.
Martial Law was now in effect for Tokyo.
Chapter 19
Uncertainty
The next couple of days were very chaotic. They both holed up in his apartment watching the news and talking about what everything meant for the country. Things weren’t too bad from what they could tell, at least not yet. There was some looting, and a few fights here and there but not much else. Military patrols did constant loops through neighborhoods trying to keep the order.
What Remains: The Outbreak Page 8