What Remains (Book 3): Epidemic

by Barrett, Tyler

  “Come on, it won’t be long before the second bombing commences, and that one will be much closer!” Muller yelled out.

  Kenji moved from around the car he had taken cover behind and sprinted, following the others, who had already taken off. Running as fast as he could, he occasionally had to slow down to deal with a Yokai that blocked his path. Gunfire rang out as the other soldiers also used their rifles to make sure their path was clear across the bridge. Nearing the other side, Kenji could see ahead toward the end of the bridge that the military had created a blockade across the highway, using concrete barriers and shipping containers. Soldiers manned the top of the containers using a wall of sandbags to steady their rifles as they aimed at the approaching infected horde.

  Kenji stopped in his tracks, as did the other soldiers. Before them at the bottom of the container were hundreds of Infected, all pushing and shoving against the container, reaching for the soldiers above them.

  Kenji ran over to Muller, “What do we do, there are too many to take out. I don’t even think we have enough ammo left.”

  Muller stopped for a moment to think. Kenji and the others waited, staring at the Yokai before them. The soldiers above the containers still took shots at the infected below, which at least kept their attention.

  “We have a few grenades we could use, where they are the most heavily concentrated, to cripple them and use our guns to clear out as many as we can. Then from there, fight hand to hand. We don’t really have too many other options,” Muller stated.

  Jung-ho had moved closer when Kenji had, listening to Muller, “I agree, we don’t really have any other choice. I’ll order my men to make a firing line after the grenades go off. We can use the cars to funnel them as well.”

  Kenji checked his ammo, finding he only had two out of his original seven magazines left. Muller offered him two of his since he hadn’t needed to use them as Kenji had. After everyone took a quick few moments to check their ammo and ready themselves, they were all in position. Jung-ho gave his men the signal to throw grenades, and in unison, ten grenades were lobbed toward the creatures. After a few seconds, they exploded, sending bodies and parts into the air, many landing with heavy thuds against the abandoned vehicles. The soldiers above the containers cried out in surprise but seemed to realize that someone was attempting to fight the infected.

  Jung-ho’s men took aim with their rifles and began to fire. Kenji joined, taking careful aim, knowing that they had to clear out as many infected as they could to make it through. Yokai fell at a steady rate, blocking many of the unharmed infected advances. It wasn’t long before Kenji needed a fresh mag, and he followed the motions to replace it. The gunpowder filled his nostrils, but he kept his focus.

  Kenji began to fire once more, relishing with the force of each shot as the butt of his rifle hit him. It meant that he was bringing one more of these vile creatures to an end. He emptied another magazine into the crowd of twisted, tormented faces, begging Kenji to succumb to them. He felt the bloodlust overtake him again, and he was death, here to take the Yokai back to the hell they deserved. The crescendo of gunfire came to a halt as they had successfully thinned the horde out enough to make their way through them.

  The soldiers moved through the middle, together with their combined firepower, clearing a small path for themselves to the container. Kenji allowed his rifle to drop as he drew his katana. Rushing forward, he cut down a Yokai and quickly began to check through the dead bodies, making sure none were still alive. The soldiers helped Kenji as they caught up to his charge. It wasn’t long before they reached the wall of containers. The soldiers yelled at their comrades above, asking for their help.

  It wasn’t long before a ladder was dropped over the side, and the soldiers began to climb over it. Once a few were up, they called to have Shields be lifted, so they could attempt to grab him. It took the effort of four men above and five below to hoist him up high enough to reach over the top. Evans was still unconscious, and they lifted her up with ease compared to Shields since she was uninjured. Kenji stayed below, watching as the few Yokai that avoided their onslaught started to regain their footing and began moving toward the group.

  Kenji dispatched any that got close and even went out of his way to kill an extra few. He could feel the grime and dirt caked to his skin. It was the mark of a battle hard and well fought. Kenji heard his name being called as swung his blade through another Yokai's head with ease.

  “Kenji!”

  He turned to see who called for him, spotting Muller at the bottom of the ladder, alone, beckoning him over. Kenji sheathed his katana, running to the ladder. He grabbed the rungs, his hands screaming as he grasped the cold steel. In no time at all, he was at the top of the container wall, looking at soldiers with relieved faces, something he hadn’t seen before. He felt relief wash over him too as he realized as well, he had made it. They were safe. Two times now, he had gone into the crucible, and two times he had proven he had what it took to survive.

  Chapter 21

  Climbing down from the container, Kenji was greeted by a flood of soldiers, most of them resting while a few replenished their ammo and gear. Kenji felt like he could breathe again. It was complete night and day from one side of the container to the other. On one side, you had creatures of death and destruction, waiting for their chance to infect anyone they could, while on the opposite side was full of people, live people. It had only been hours of his life, but it felt as though he had been away from other people outside the city for days.

  “Kenji, move it, we need to get back to the plane!” Muller called from the crowd of soldiers.

  Moving through the soldiers, he tried to spot the black outfit that differentiated Muller from the South Korean soldier’s fatigues. Kenji spotted them, heading toward them with renewed haste. He knew their job wasn’t done yet. It dawned on him that for these soldiers, their task was just starting, and he doubted that it would end any time soon. Suddenly, he felt like a coward.

  They were leaving, and the virus still raged on in the city, abandoning these men to face the infected, while they got a one-way ticket out of hell. Kenji knew it was for a cause greater than himself, and if it wasn’t as important as it was, he would be staying behind. It just felt odd knowing he was leaving, while these men laid down their lives to protect them.

  Kenji emerged from the group of soldiers to find Muller and the rest of the team climbing into a truck that looked the same as the one Jung-ho and his men had driven. He moved to the back of the truck, waiting for Jackson to climb up. Kenji could see that they had put Evans toward the middle of the truck across from them. Shields was laying down on one of the benches wheezing from the climb into the back of the truck. Kenji grabbed the handle, and Muller held out his hand to help pull him up. He sat opposite from Muller at the rear of the truck and waited for them to leave.

  Before they could, Jung-ho ran over to them, “I just wanted to thank you for helping us rescue those men.”

  Muller nodded, smiling, “You don’t need to thank us. We would have tried to save them too. Do you know where your men are heading next?”

  “I just spoke to our commander; they want us to deploy in Seoul. They think that some people who were infected got through to the trains before they could shut them down.”

  Muller held out his hand, and Jung-ho took it, shaking it, “I wish you and your men the best of luck. I hope we can see each other again under less unfortunate times.”

  Jung-ho began to walk back to his men, “Me too.”

  Kenji felt himself wishing that he could stay to help Jung-ho and his men once more, however, the truck rumbled to life with a thunderous roar. Kenji quickly helped Muller pull the tailgate up, moving the latch into place. The truck started moving, and Kenji watched as the soldiers got smaller and smaller, before the truck turned and he couldn’t see them anymore. Kenji watched as they left the highway and were back on the road leading to the airport, countless people, displaced by the outbreak huddled along the
side of the street. Kenji could see on their faces, their despair and fear. He too once wore that same look, and completely understood what they were going through. As one of the few people left of an entire nation, forcefully ejected by the invading virus, he felt a connection with these people.

  “It’s sad watching all these people, knowing they were the lucky ones to escape. Where do you think they will end up?” Kenji shouted over the noise of the truck to Muller.

  “I honestly don’t know. I’d be more worried about the army being able to hold the line against the virus in Seoul.”

  Kenji saw that many of the people they passed began to point back toward the city, and he wondered what they saw. He couldn’t see any part of the city from where he sat, but he quickly learned what everyone was pointing at. Again, loud explosions rumbled across the river, reaching the truck and Kenji. The second wave of bombs had been dropped, this time much closer, and Kenji could feel the soundwaves in his core.

  The truck turned once more, and he caught a brief glimpse of the city, he couldn’t make out much, but he saw the orange glow of a fire. Kenji watched as they traversed the same road as before, stopping before the gate, there was a gentle push of gravity, and Kenji held onto the tailgate. A few moments later, the truck took off, moving faster than it had before. Entering the tarmac of the airport, they found that it was just as chaotic as earlier but now held fewer troops.

  Kenji felt the truck stop, and he lowered tailgate, hopping out of the truck. The sounds of jet engines and heavy trucks drowned out everything else. The smell of fuel mixed with winds blowing in smoke from the city, creating a haze over the airport. Jackson helped Shields up, and Kenji helped lower him to the ground. King and Muller both grabbed Evans, watching her carefully.

  Kenji saw their plane already on the runway, with its cargo ramp down, ready for their return. The walk across the enormous empty space felt like an eternity. Eventually, their journey was over, and they had arrived at the back of the plane. The Co-pilot stood at the top of the ramp, waiting for them.

  “I have a stretcher laid out for him,” The Co-pilot said, moving to help Kenji carry Shields.

  Kenji noticed a man that was not with them on the flight over, standing near the cockpit of the plane. He fidgeted around with a bag he was carrying, pacing back and forth, glancing at the Co-pilot. Together, Kenji and the Co-pilot carefully laid Shields down, and the man moved closer to them.

  “Who are you?” Kenji asked the man, blocking his path.

  “I was told you had an injured soldier I needed to tend to,” the man said panicked, “You guys are leaving the country, right?”

  Kenji moved out of the way for the man to look at Shields, not realizing someone had called for a doctor already.

  “Kenji, come here really quick. We need your help securing Evans!” Muller called.

  Leaving the doctor to do his job, Kenji moved toward the others, who had placed Evans in one of the fold-down seats. Muller handed Kenji a thick zip tie, which he used to tie her left hand to the metal beam behind her. King tied her legs together while Muller got her other hand. Kenji backed away, seeing that she was secure, and couldn’t move. The Co-pilot had moved to raise the ramp, and after it had closed, he went back to the cockpit.

  Kenji found a seat near the window, putting on one of the headsets, so he could hear the others once the plane started up. Muller sat a couple seats away from Evans and had unloaded most of his gear, except his sidearm. The others found their seats as well, and soon the plane’s engines fired up. Kenji felt the lurch as the plane picked up momentum and eventually lifted off from the ground.

  Looking out the window, Kenji watched as they lifted over the ground below. The plane kept rising until it started to even out, and Kenji couldn’t feel the G-force anymore. The plane was heading south, trying to avoid the heavy smoke that drifted inland from the city below. Kenji looked down at the city, now brighter than ever before. It was hard to make out much of the city as the fires raged through it. There were husks of the tallest buildings standing out amongst the flames below. The city was no more; however, Kenji knew that the chances that every single infected person being eradicated were small. Kenji knew the virus was far from done with the country of South Korea.

  Chapter 22

  With the city far behind them, Kenji wanted to sit back and relax his body; it was tired and sore, but his mind wouldn’t let him. He stared at Evans, wondering what had happened to the woman he had met in Japan. It was as if she was another person altogether. He glanced over at the doctor, looking over Shields, wondering if he would be fine. The crash had been a hard one, and Kenji knew he'd have some bruises from it. It was more than likely that Shields received internal wounds they couldn’t see. While their mission had technically been successful, it hadn’t gone to plan, and they had run into problems.

  Kenji rubbed his face and didn’t realize how grimy it was. His hands came off black, covered in dirt and ash. He moved his katana that had been sitting across his lap, and he turned to set it beside him, so he could grab a cloth to wipe his face off. He found some extra rags near the front of the plane, and Kenji quickly pulled out his canteen and poured water on the rag. He wiped his face, then his arms, and the cloth turned black. He felt almost like a new person with the grime off his skin.

  It suddenly became apparent to him how heavy his gear actually was, and the others had already taken theirs off, storing it back in the containers. He moved over to the pile of thick crates and began to unload his gear. First was his rifle, which no longer looked pristine like when he first picked it up back at the base armory. He ejected the weapon’s mag and pulled back the firing pin to clear the chamber, then placed the weapon in its case and closed it. He took off his armor and sling, placing them carefully into their spots in the foam cushion, before closing the container and placing it back on the pile.

  Kenji decided to keep his sidearm like Muller had, just to be safe. Without the rest of his gear, he felt lighter and much better. Exhaustion set in full force, and he sat back down, closing his eyes, leaning back into his seat.

  “Hey, Kenji. I hate to ask this of you, but can you take the first watch on Evans? I need to go report in with Dr. Victoria,” Muller asked, startling Kenji.

  Kenji opened his eyes, “Sure. I honestly don’t think I could go to sleep if I wanted to anyway.”

  “Just shout if you need help, King is just a few seats away from her sleeping,” Muller said, walking away toward the cockpit.

  Kenji got up and moved across to the opposite side, sitting down, keeping a seat in between himself and Evans. He had made sure to bring his katana, setting it down in his lap, resting one hand on the handle and his other on the grip of his sidearm. He laid his head back and took in a deep breath, hoping that it wouldn’t be too long before he could take a nap.

  A sound interrupted his thought, a low moan. He snapped to the sound, finding it was Evans. She was finally waking up, and Kenji felt his hand grip his weapons even harder.

  “Where am I?” Evans asked.

  Kenji didn’t answer at first, unsure how to handle her. Is this the old Evans, or the new one?

  “We are on board the plane, heading back to our base,” Kenji replied, eyes squinted, inspecting Evans.

  “We left the city?” She asked, confused.

  Evans tried to raise her hands, but couldn’t because of the zip ties, “Hey, what the hell is this?!”

  “What do you mean?” Kenji asked, “We couldn’t risk you attacking someone else…”

  “I what?!” Evans asked loudly.

  “The man we rescued in the building, we brought him along with us, and you attacked him. You bit him and tore out his throat,” Kenji replied defensively, pulling his blade out a few inches.

  “I-I don’t… I don’t remember any of that…” She replied, dazed.

  “It was like you were someone else entirely,” Kenji said, worriedly.

  Evans began to cry, “Ever since…I woke up… after t
he… fever… there are times…I don’t remember.”

  “Don’t remember?” Kenji asked.

  “Yes,” Evans sniffled, “I wake up, and I’ve done horrible things…”

  “What happened to you? Did the virus really impact you that much?” Kenji asked.

  “Ever since I woke up after the fever, I’ve felt like the virus is part of me.”

  “Whoever that was that attacked that man…was disturbed, to say the least. I’m just glad it’s you that’s here right now,” Kenji said, feeling a tiny bit at ease.

  “I’m so sorry… I don’t know what’s wrong with me. The virus…it has a hold on me,” Evans said weakly, hanging her head.

  “Once we get back to the base, I’m sure they will have someone there who can help you,” Kenji said reassuringly, gently sliding the blade back into its sheath.

  An awkward silence fell between them, and Kenji thought about Evans’ situation. He felt sorry for the woman, they had left her for dead once she had been bitten, not knowing that she wasn’t doomed as everyone else had been who was infected. She was most likely on her own for months on end. He wondered how she had survived during that time.

  “Evans?” Kenji asked meekly.

  “Yes?” Evans said, looking at him.

  “Do you mind if I asked how you survived during your time in Japan?” Kenji asked.

  Chapter 23

  Evans charged at the horde, firing her sidearm into the creatures before her. Her arm and side, burned with pain, the air against her bite marks stung. She wondered how long it would be before the infection coursed through her and eventually brought her back as one of the infected. It didn’t matter at that current moment; Evans knew she was doomed, but she had a new purpose.