by Bible, Jake
Stuart smiles at her and she slowly smiles back.
“Goddamn, you two are cute!” I yell.
The smiles go away.
THREE THINGS WE NOTICE as the chopper comes in for a landing on the helipad on top of the UC Hospital.
One: there are thousands of Zs milling about the facility grounds. Two: there are even more Zs over at another building a couple blocks away. The building that has a bunch of RVs, Humvees, and various canny vehicles parked in front of it. Three: some of those vehicles are on fire. So is the building they are parked in front of.
Was that only three things? Felt more like five things.
“Dad, be quiet,” Charlie says as the chopper rotors whir down and we can finally all hear each other without shouting at the top of our lungs.
“Greta,” Stella says as she jumps down out of the chopper and hurries over to the railing at the edge of the helipad. I can hear her knuckles crack as she grabs the railing and grips it with all her worried mom strength. She looks back at me as the rifle guys carefully help me out of the chopper. “Jace? Greta is in there!”
The sound of gunshots reaches out ears and I wince.
“We’ll get her,” I say. “Don’t worry.”
She doesn’t bother yelling at me for saying something so stupid as don’t worry. She must really be freaked out. I’d be freaked out, but the bleeding shoulder wound, my bleeding skull, and all my other issues kind of shove the worry right from my mind. Or maybe the rushed brain surgery has shoved the worry away. Not sure.
“I’ll go find her,” Elsbeth says.
“You stay here,” Amy says. “We all stay here. We get your friend fixed up and then we talk about who goes where and does what.”
“You don’t give me orders,” Elsbeth says. “No one gives me orders.”
“We think it through,” Stuart says. “There are too many Zs for you to go down there.”
“Wasn’t going down,” Elsbeth says and nods at the chopper. “I was going over. There’s a helipad on that roof too. We fly over and pick our people up then bring them back here.”
“Not enough fuel,” the chopper pilot says as he hops out of the cockpit. “We have enough to get where we need to and that’s it.”
“Where’s that?” Stuart asks.
“Buckley,” the pilot says. “The Air Force base is the last place for fuel. We were going to pick up—”
“That’s enough, Nick,” Amy says. She looks around at all of us and frowns. “Listen, I’m sorry for what’s happening to your friends, but we have a mission. This chopper is our lifeline. We have to complete our mission before we even think about saving your people.”
More gunshots and a couple of far off screams.
“Jesus, Amy,” Nick says. “I guess I could pick up some people, go to Buckley and get those drums, then come right back.”
“I have a better idea,” Stuart says. “You drop us off so we can help our friends, go get your fuel like planned, unload it here then pick our asses up.”
“You want to get dropped off into that?” Amy asks, pointing out at the children’s hospital. Several more gunshots accent her point. “Really? Your people are going to be gone by then.”
“You don’t know our people,” Stuart says.
“Yeah,” Elsbeth says and sticks out her tongue.
“Good one, El,” I say.
Amy shakes her head over and over then the shaking slowly turns into a nod. “Fine. Nick’ll drop you crazy bastards off. If any of you are still alive when he gets back with fuel then we’ll bring you here. After that I make no promises.”
“Deal,” Stuart says.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll hang here,” I say.
“Shut up, Long Pork,” Stuart says.
Our new friends all freeze and stare at me.
“What did you call him?” Amy asks.
“Long Pork,” Stuart says. “It’s a nickname.”
“I gave it to him because I almost ate him up once,” Elsbeth says. “I saved him instead. After he killed Pa.”
“I killed Pa,” Stuart says.
“Oh, right,” Elsbeth nods. “Long Pork just made bad jokes.”
“That’s his secret weapon,” Charlie says.
“You people are seriously fucked,” Amy says.
“Wait until you get to know us,” I say. “Then you’ll see we aren’t seriously fucked, we’re hilariously fucked.”
No one laughs. Tough crowd.
A NEW WHEELCHAIR!
One of the rifle guys brings it back when they go below and get some medical supplies to clean up and stitch up my shoulder.
“Any reason we’re not going inside?” I ask. “It’s a little fucking cold up here.”
“Never get boxed in,” Amy says.
“I thought the hospital was clear?” Stella asks, the only one staying back with me as Stuart, Charlie, and Elsbeth go on their rescue mission.
“Nothing is clear in this world,” Amy says. “Never get boxed in.”
“Man, you and Stuart are totally going have to have coffee together,” I smile. “Or hit the shooting range. Whatever first dates are these days.”
“Jace,” Stella warns. “Stop.”
I shrug and regret it instantly. One of the rifle guys shakes his head as he crouches down and cuts open my coat and shirt, pulling the material away from the gunshot wound.
“You guys seem to know more about first aid than weapons,” I say.
“Why do you say that?” the guy working on my shoulder asks as the others stand around and watch.
“We took you fast and you all looked like deer in the headlights, but as soon as I said I got shot you sprang into action without worrying who had the guns,” I reply. “Bit of a giveaway.”
“We were EMTs,” one of the other rifle guys says. “We rode together before the dead showed up.”
“The dead were always here,” I say. “We just weren’t listening.”
Blank stares.
“Ignore him,” Stella says. “He likes to hear himself talk.”
“Aaayyy,” I say and give a thumb-up.
“Don’t move please,” the rifle guy stitching me up says.
“I’m Jace,” I say to him. “Jace Stanford. That’s my wife Stella. My son Charlie was the teenager that got dropped off on the other hospital.”
“Still a dumb move, if you ask me,” Amy says.
“Our daughter is over there,” Stella says. “One of us has to go find her.”
There are more than a few gunshots and we all look towards the children’s hospital.
“Stop moving,” Stitcher guy says. “I’m Joe. The guy behind me is Trent. The other one is Mickey.”
“Hey,” Mickey and Trent say.
“Luke,” the short-haired Scar Boy says.
“Bo,” the dreadlocked Scar Boy says.
“Seriously?” I laugh.
“Leave it,” Bo says.
“Leave it, Jace,” Stella says. “Can’t really talk, can you Long Pork?”
“That brings up something I have to ask,” Amy says. “Who is the woman? The fighter?”
“Elsbeth,” Stella says. “We adopted her.”
“Adopted her? I thought she said she was going to eat your husband?” Amy says.
“Yeah, we adopted her after that,” I say. “Seemed like the sensible thing. We specialize in reforming cannibals. It’s our thing.”
“We don’t,” Amy says. “We put them down fast and leave their bodies for the dead to eat.”
“Head shots, I hope,” I say.
“Why? You think they deserve mercy like that?” Amy sneers. “Because they don’t.”
“I’m sensing a sore spot has been uncovered,” I say. “Ow!”
“You move when you talk,” Joe says. “And when you move I slip. Stop talking, stop moving, be still and be quiet.”
“Good luck with that,” Stella says.
“What is Elsbeth’s story?” Amy asks. “What agency was she with? NSA? H
omeland? CIA?”
“CIA?” I laugh. “Ow!”
“Shut. Up,” Joe says as he pulls a suture tight.
“No, she wasn’t CIA,” Stella grins. “She was, well, is, something else. She and her sisters.”
“Whoa! Sisters?” Luke asks. “There’s more of her?”
“Where?” Bo asks, looking around like they are going to jump out at him at any second. “Are they in Denver?”
“We don’t know exactly where they are,” Stella says. “But my guess is they are close.”
“This day is just getting weirder and weirder,” Luke says.
“Done,” Joe says and steps back from me.
Amy is about to ask me something, but a succession of loud gunshots fills the air and we all look at the children’s hospital. Stella wheels me over to the railing so I have a better view. Not that what I see is all that great.
People are streaming up onto the roof. They are a few blocks away, so I can’t tell who is who, but I know body language. Most of the survivors, the ones that have been along for the ride, not actively fighting the good fight against the Zs, cram themselves up against the edge of the roof, putting as much distance between themselves and the roof access as possible.
“Not looking good,” Amy says.
“Lourdes’s people can hold off the Zs,” Stella says. I can tell she is scanning the roof, hoping to catch sight of our daughter. “They’ll be fine.”
I do a quick head count and I’m not as convinced as she sounds. There are a lot less people than there should be. The gunfire gets louder and I see some of the private contractors backing out of the roof access doors, firing fast and continuously at a stream of Zs that comes at them. People are screaming and I get a sinking feeling in my gut.
A couple of the survivors turn and look over the edge of the roof. They start shouting and pointing. Most of the others turn and look also then begin to back away from the edge of the roof.
“Oh, shit,” Stella says as she looks at me.
“No way,” I say. “A building? Book shelves and broken escalators are one thing, but a fucking building?”
“What the holy hell?” Bo asks as he jumps over the railing and off the helipad. He lands easily on the level below. Kid has some moves. Good to know. He gets to the edge of our roof and gasps. “Holy shit! You got to see this?”
“Roll me down there,” I say and Stella doesn’t even hesitate.
We all make our way off the helipad and down to the main roof. As we get closer to the edge, I can see what everyone is freaking out about.
Shit. Zs. Trying to climb the side of the children’s hospital. They aren’t doing so well, but damn if they aren’t giving it their all. The sides of the building have a lot of glass and not many hand holds, so the Zs keep falling off, sliding down the side into heaps at the bottom.
Heaps at the bottom.
Heaps that are growing as more and more Zs climb up over each other.
“How long have they been acting this way?” I ask Amy.
She shakes her head and answers, “I haven’t seen them climb before.”
“But you’ve noticed them getting faster, right?” I ask. “Like the ones on the roof that were after us when you picked us up.”
“Yeah, they’ve been getting faster,” Luke says.
“A lot faster,” Bo adds. “Especially when it’s clear out.”
Everyone turns and looks at him.
“What?” he asks. “You all haven’t seen that? Sun comes out and some of the dead just start boogying.”
“He’s not lying,” Luke says, backing up his twin. “Clouds move in and they slow down. Slow down at night, too.”
“Unless they’re hunting when they move,” Bo says. “We watched a pack rip through a herd of deer about a quarter mile outside the fence.”
“Fence?” I ask. “What fence?”
Amy glares at them. Which isn’t hard for her to do since she has resting glare face.
“Hey, I’m sort of an expert on fences,” I say. “Just curious what kind you have. Up at the Stronghold. Because that’s where you’re from, right? The Stronghold?”
Amy doesn’t say a thing.
“Listen, Amy, right?” I say.
She nods.
“Listen, we’re heading to the Stronghold. We came all the way from Asheville, North Carolina because we were told that the Stronghold was one of the last safe places. You can be straight with us or be secretive. Doesn’t matter. Eventually we’ll end up at the same place.”
“How do you know about the Stronghold?” Amy asks.
“Word travels fast in the apocalypse,” I say. “And a little psycho birdy told us. It’s been confirmed by a few sources.” I swallow hard. “One of those sources is heading this way too. Which means it’s kind of confession time.”
“Confession time?” Amy asks, looking me square in the face. “What confession?”
“You ever heard of the Consortium?” I say. The look on her face tells me she has. “Yeah. They may be on our tails. They may also be bringing about a thousand armed men and women.”
“Shit,” Joe says. “A thousand? Armed?”
“There might be a couple tanks too,” I say. “That’s possible.”
Everyone looks to Amy. Her jaw is set so tight I swear I can hear her teeth being crushed together, like a time lapse of a mountain range eroding.
“You brought that to us?” she asks finally.
“We didn’t want to,” Stella says. “But they set off a dirty bomb in Asheville and we had nowhere to go. Knoxville wasn’t an option. St. Louis is gone. Kansas City is worse.”
“Smith was right,” Joe says. “He said it was obliterated.”
“Looks like an empty mud puddle,” I say. “But with more scorch marks.”
“Mud puddles have scorch marks?” Mickey asks. He speaks!
“I say things to say things,” I reply. “Get used to it.”
“Jesus,” Amy sighs. “You brought the Consortium to us.”
“They were coming eventually,” Joe says. “We knew that. They sent those men last year to warn us.”
“Hey, don’t despair,” I smile. “We have an ace in the hole.”
“Really? What could you possibly have that is going to defend us against tanks and a thousand armed men and women?” Amy snaps.
There’s a loud shriek. A war cry, if you will. Damn, that woman has timing.
I point over at the children’s hospital. “We have her. Elsbeth. You wanted to know who she is, well get ready to shit yourself.” I give her my best smirk. “Elsbeth is Camille Thornberg’s daughter.”
Amy nearly jumps out of her skin. Then she lunges at me and grabs me by the neck. Stella is on her in a second, but Amy elbows her back. Mickey and Trent hold my wife back as Amy leans in close to my face.
“You brought one of those things here? You brought goddamn tanks and one of those things to us?” Amy shouts. “You fucking people! You stupid fucking people! You’ve killed us all!”
Joe gets between us and manages to pry Amy’s hands away from my throat before she can choke me out.
“Chill,” he says. “That crazy woman is fond of this guy. You kill him and she’ll come after us. Do we want that?”
“The sisters,” Amy says. “Where are they? How many of them are there? Is Kramer with them?”
“What?” I gasp. I am more than surprised by that last question. “How the hell do you know about Kramer?”
“Do you think the places that have survived have done so by accident?” Amy laughs. “Do you think this is all random luck? God, how the fuck did you live this long?”
“Amy,” Luke says. “Come here.”
“Not now, Luke,” Amy snaps.
“No, really,” Bo says. “Really.”
Amy backs away from me then steps next to the twins and looks down over the railing.
“Son of a bitch,” she sighs.
A few things click into place and I don’t have to even look to know
what’s happening.
“How smooth are the columns on the first three floors?” I ask.
Amy looks back at me. “Not smooth enough.”
There’s a loud banging noise coming from the roof access doors. Our roof access doors.
Son of a bitch is fucking right.
Chapter Five
Paying attention to what’s happening on the children’s hospital roof is no longer a priority because the party has moved to our roof.
Yay...
I look around at our new friends and decide now is a good time to take stock in the firepower we have available.
Bo and Luke each hold an AR-15, flashlights attached under the barrel, with some nice scopes on top. Really nice scopes. I’ve learned a little about firearms and their accessories over the years, especially after hanging with Special Forces operators and Lourdes’s private military contractors.
I glance around and see that Joe, Mickey, and Trent are similarly outfitted. I also notice that I’m not looking at AR-15s, but M-16s. The difference? The former is for civilian use, the latter is military. These guys hit a military supply depot or something. Makes sense if they are refueling their chopper at Buckley Air Force Base. Does the Air Force keep M-16s around? I don’t know.
Amy’s rifle is an M4 carbine. Collapsible stock. Under the barrel grenade launcher. Another really nice scope. She has the grip wrapped in sticky tape and I can tell she uses a suppressor on the barrel when she needs. The tell-tale scuff marks of screwing it on and off are pretty obvious.
“Take a picture, it lasts longer,” Amy says, catching me studying her weapon.
The banging against the roof access doors gets louder and louder as more Zs start cramming against it. I assume they are Zs. I mean, I can’t see them, but who else would be fighting to get at us up here? Jehovah’s Witnesses? Probably not.
Bo and Luke glance at Amy and she gives them a slight nod. They both frown and then sling their rifles. Moving to the edge of the roof, they start hurrying along the perimeter, scanning the scene below.
“West side,” Bo says.
“Why?” Luke asks.
“Break in the dead right there,” Bo says. “We draw them right then sprint left, cut through that hole then book ass.”