by I. J. Smith
“Adam, you know all about me? How I was coward and left people to die? I’ve never lied to you about myself, right!”
Adam glanced back. “What are you getting at?”
Holding a muddy carrot, he just pulled from the ground Ryan finally asked. “About a month ago, I heard you and Jack talking. I also know he threatened to kill you. What the hell was it?”
Adam frowned just as zombie reached out for him. He rammed a knife into its head. “Maybe you should Jack!”
“No! I’m asking you.” Ryan replied.
“OK!”
∞
One month earlier…
Dr Banks was checking on Jack, he was testing his reflexes and looked concerned.
“You’re doing well, but you still need time!” Banks told him.
Jack looked at him. “I never thanked you!”
Banks smiled. “You don’t have to!”
Before Jack could say anything else, Adam walked in the room.
“So, Doc is all good?” Adam asked.
“That’s between me and my patient!” Banks said with attitude, and walked out of the room.
“I don’t think he likes you!” Jack told him.
Adam laughed. “Oh well, guess I will live.”
Jack was weak on his feet, he was wearing a pair of shorts and a shirt as he walked around the room. “We need to talk!”
Adam approached Jack and stood opposite him. “Sure!”
“What do you know about a box that Jenkins has?”
Looking a little shocked Adam replied. “Box?”
“Don’t play games, just tell me.”
“Jack, I’ve not lied to you. I told you, she sent me here to try and get the others out.”
Jack felt dizzy and steadied himself by leaning against the wall. “Yeah, she sent you here. But I don’t believe you know nothing. Oasis kept asking about a box, from what I can guess it contains something, that can blow everything about the attack wide open.”
“ATTACK?” Adam shouted.
Jack glared at him. “Yeah, the virus release was not an accident. It was not a weapons test. Banks was involved in the research of a flu virus, but they never got it to work. The rocket that exploded over ground zero, was nothing but colored water.”
Adam looked confused and shocked. “Jack, I..I..swear I never knew any of this!”
Jack nodded and lunged out grabbing Adam by the throat and pinning him against the wall. “I may be weak right now. But if I find out you are lying to me, I swear I will kill you!” Jack said as he slowly released Adam.
As Adam rubbed his neck he looked at Jack. “You think you’re weak? Shit!!” Adam walked towards the door and glanced back at Jack. “I swear Jack, I don’t know anything!”
“Okay, then there is a lot more to come yet!” Jack replied as he sat back on the bed.
Adam left the room, he noticed Ryan standing in the hallway. He quickly walked passed him.
∞
Ryan listened as Adam finished telling him what had happened.
“So basically, Oasis took Jack because they thought he was working with Jenkins. But it was actually you!” Ryan says.
Adam just nodded. “Yeah, everything Jack and Raven went through was because of me!” He walked ahead quietly, wanting to be alone.
For a while they walked separately, until a loud buzzing noise echoed around them. Adam suddenly ran back and grabbed Ryan, pulling him to the ground.
“What the Fuck?” Ryan muttered.
“Quiet!” Adam snapped in reply. They were both buried in the deep grass, looking just over head. They could see a convoy of vehicles and men travelling along a distant street. They were all dressed in black armor. Gun shots were fired out as the zombies approached them. Other soldiers kicked down the doors of the buildings as they passed them.
“They’re looking for Jack!” Adam said.
Ryan looked around. “Looks like they have upped their search, they are moving closer towards us.”
“We need to get back, now!” Adam told him.
Staying low the pair crawled their way through the long grass, moving away from the soldiers.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THE TRUTH
Outside the apartment block, a large white van was parked. Next to it stood Jacob, in front of the back doors was Jack.
“You are fucking nuts, you’re insane!” Jacob started yelling.
The laughter of Kat and Tommy, looking out from a window above them echoed out. Jack looked up at them, “Don’t you two start!”
Once again in his black tight vest, Jack this time had his trusted machetes. He gripped them with both hands.
“Ok, do it!” Jack told Jacob.
Standing perfectly still, Jacob replied. “No!” He stepped forward. “You are gonna get yourself killed.”
Jack smiled. “Aww, you’re worried about me!” Jack said while laughing and blowing him a kiss.
“Fuck no, I am just worried that when their done with your white ass they’re gonna eat me.” Jacob replied as he grabbed the handle of the doors.
Jack braced himself, showing a cheeky smile on his face. Jacob pulled the doors open and out-poured ten zombies. All groaning as they were falling from the van.
“COME ON!” Jack roared, attracting them to his location.
With Tommy and Kat watching from a window, Sarah also poked her head out to watch.
A huge obese Zombie approached Jack; its stomach was hanging down his legs. As it groaned, Jack sprang into action.
Jack sliced his machete across the stomach of the obese Zombie, its stomach splashed to the ground. Ramming his second machete across its head, slicing the skull in half. As the rest of the zombies approached, Jacob noticed the smile on Jack’s face.
“I knew it, he’s nuts!”
Blood sprayed through the air, the sound of cracking bones echoing out. Jack kicked a Zombie in the stomach; forcing back into the van door, the Zombie turned towards Jacob.
“Hey, it’s not me you want. It’s him!” Jacob said, while pointing at Jack.
At that moment, a blade appeared through the face of the decomposing corpse. Jack ripped the machete up, opening up the skull. With the brains, visible and dripping to the ground, Jacob puked.
“You…Bastard…!” Jacob struggled to say while being sick.
The cheers from the observing Kat, Tommy and Sarah could be heard.
With half its arm missing and its face already caved in, Jack swung his foot under its leg making it drop to the ground. With one stamp, the head popped like a grape on the ground.
With his blades swinging through the air, body parts began to drop. A hand dropped in front of Jacob, making him sick again. “Now.Your.Doing.it on purpose!” He shouted at Jack.
With Jack laughing at the comment, he continued his rampage. With the final Zombie approaching, he rammed the machete so hard through its skull that, it split the head in half. Jack kick the body to the ground and stood breathing heavily over the bloodbath.
“Feel better?” Jacob enquired.
Kat looked down to see Jack was soaked in blood. “He’s back!” She said with a smile.
Approaching Jack, Jacob stepped over the corpses on the ground. “I have to admit that was impressive!”
Jack glared at him. “I was too slow!”
With a frown, Jacob just looked at him. Without saying a word, Jack walked back towards the apartment’s entrance. Jacob just stood there looking concerned for his friend.
Inside the apartment building, Jack was walking towards the stairs; when he heard male voices that caught his attention. Sarah was coming down the stairs. Jack raised his finger to his lips, giving her the sign to be quiet. They both listened.
“I‘m telling you, she is crazy in the sack; she was riding me so hard!” Craig was saying. The others, Taylor and Brad were laughing away. “She loves it and those little titties!” He was continuing when Jack came into view, followed by Sarah.
Craig gulped at the
sight of a blood covered Jack.
“Please continue, I am very interested in hearing about her little titties!” Jack said with a firm voice.
“Hey bruv, we were just talking, you know like guys do!” Craig said in a panicked voice.
Jack moved towards him. “Please continue; I wanna hear what you’ve got to say BRO!”
With a panic look in his eyes, Craig looked at his two friends who were backing away. “Just Kat! Me and her… We...We… I God please don’t kill me!”
Still holding his blood dripping machetes, Jack stepped closer. He maneuvered one of the blades in between Craig’s legs and pressed it against his balls.
“That girl with the little titties, she is a sister to me. So, if you ever disrespect her, hurt her or just generally upset her. Then I am gonna cut off your balls!” Jack pressed the blade firmer. “Then I will fry them up with some mint and little Tabasco sauce and feed them to you.”
Craig looked at the darkness in Jack’s eyes and just nodded his head.
“Glad we could have this chat. You have a nice day!” Jack said as he walked away.
Sarah stood there, with a smile on her face.
“He is joking, right?” Craig asked.
Continuing to smile she replied. “Hell no, I’ve seen him do it to someone!”
The fear in Craig eyes was worth a thousand words.
At that moment, Adam and Ryan appeared from the side door. “We got trouble!” Adam told her.
∞
While Jack was busy cleaning himself up, the other talked.
Adam and Ryan were telling the others about what they had seen.
“I’m telling you, they are stepping up their efforts looking for us!” Adam told them.
Kat and Tommy were sitting side by side on a sofa, he still had a bandage on his leg. She took Tommy’s hand with a smile and gripped it. Craig noticed from across the room.
“We need to move now!” Ryan tells them.
“What about Jack?” Raven asked. “What are we going to tell him?” she continued.
Sarah sighed. “How about the truth! We…actually what, Jacob, Kat, Tommy and I just saw; he is ready.”
“NO!” Raven snapped.
“Raven, come on! It’s time! We cannot keep fucking lying to him!” Sarah snapped back.
“I agree!” Jacob added.
Adam looked at Dr. Banks; who was sitting on the window ledge. “What do you think doc?” Adam asked.
Banks looked around the room, he locked eyes with Raven. “Honestly, he went through an ordeal that none of us can relate to. I’m not sure if he will ever be strong enough to handle it.”
“OH, THIS IS BULLSHIT!” Ryan shouted.
Zoe grabbed Ryan’s hand. “He’s right, we all know Jack. We cannot do this without him.”
“Oh of course you’re gonna take Ryan’s side.” Raven replied.
Zoe rushed forward. “What the hell does that mean?” she asked Raven.
“We both know you two are a couple.” Raven said with attitude.
Zoe lunged for Raven, “Who I love is my business! Maybe you’re just jealous about us, because you think that he doesn’t love you.”
“You think I want Ryan to love me?” Raven argued.
Sarah spoke out. “She’s talking about Jack!”
The room went quiet, everyone seeing how uncomfortable Raven was. “I’m just saying, he is no good to us dead.” Raven said softly as she sat down looking embarrassed. Sarah walked over to Raven and sat beside her, placing her hand on Raven’s shoulder for comfort.
“This is getting is us nowhere! We have Groves and his Army and the situation with Bray to sort out. We need to make a decision!” Adam said calmly.
Jacob spoke out in reply. “All I know is, you don’t go to war and leave your best weapon on the sideline. We need Jack!”
Suddenly a voice spoke out. “Then maybe you should start telling him, what the hell is going on!”
They all looked to see Jack standing in the doorway, still wiping the blood from his body.
“Oh shit!” Adam muttered.
Entering the room, Jack stood waiting for an answer, and then asked, “Well, is someone gonna talk?”
Sarah stood up. “I will tell him!” She was not surprised that no one argued with her.
“There are a couple of things you need to know.” She said looking at Jack. “One, Groves has patrols out looking for you, and they are getting closer.”
Jack chuckled. “Well that is not a surprise, he was never gonna let me go that easy!”
He looked around the room and the silence continued. “But that’s not the worst of it, is it?”
“No!” Sarah sighed.
“It’s Bray and the others.” Sarah told Jack.
Jack’s face changed, the fury could be seen. “You all told me, they are safe!”
“We lied!” Adam added.
Getting concerned, Jack backed away towards the wall. There was a television mounted to it and he leaned against it.
“Tell me!” He ordered.
Sarah was about to speak when Zoe interrupted her. “It’s OK, I’ll tell him!”
Zoe walked closer to Jack. “Originally, me, Ryan and Tommy never came looking for you. We stayed with Bray and the kids. Bray found an old Fort that was now a museum on a map, it was surrounded by a moat and big wall. It was the perfect place to hide and wait for you and the others to return” She licked her lips. She found the words were hard to speak. “When we arrived, there was people already living there, they welcomed us. Fed us, gave us safety and warmth. They are led by this Preacher called Gabe; he talks about God’s will. We just didn’t see it coming.”
Zoe stopped talking.
“See what coming?” Jack asked softly.
Zoe rubbed her eyes, the emotion was getting to her. “In the evening, they lit a big fire. Gabe started preaching about his soldiers and how they get meat. He said how God had provided an un-pure for their feast.” She stopped again as her tears began to fall.
Ryan stepped up behind her and held her tight. “It’s OK!” He whispered to her.
He looked towards Jack; “They strung Eddie up and cooked him alive. They ate him, Jack!”
The expression on Jack’s face was clear; that he was working it all out. “They ate him?”
“They fucking ate him!”
Ryan started speaking again. “We tried to fight, but we were out gunned. Myself, Zoe and Tommy barely made it out. It was just dumb luck they didn’t find us.”
Jack was silent, looking at the floor.
“Bray?” He mumbled.
“Still alive we think. We have been keeping an eye on the Fort and we last saw him was a month back.” Adam added.
Jack rubbed his head. The room was silent. “No one told me! Not one of you told me!” Before anyone could reply; Jack screamed out and with one hand ripped the television from the wall; sending it flying across the room. He turned stormed out of the room.
Jacob looked at the T.V. on the floor. “Still think he is not strong enough?” He said as he walked out of the room after Jack.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
MOVE
Jacob followed Jack along the hallway. He kept shouting for Jack to stop; but was ignored. He watched Jack walk into an apartment, at the far end of the hall. Before Jacob reached it, he heard a loud crash, quickly he rushed into the apartment.
He looked as Jack had punched a hole in the plasterboard wall. Jacob walked in slowly.
“All that exercise and now you’ve probably broke your hand!” Jacob says.
Jack turned to look at Jacob. He was taken aback, never before had he seen his friend so emotional. Not in anger, but sadness. Jack lowered his head while he shook it.
“I should have been there!” He muttered.
Jacob moved beside him. “You can’t keep blaming yourself. Shit happens, and you can’t take responsibility for all of it my friend!”
Rubbing his head, Jack replied. “Eddie was
such a sweet kid!”
“We both know this world is not for the sweet-hearted. He was too good for this place!” Jacob placed his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Now, we got to go kill those bastards!”
Jack rubbed his hand; there were a few little cuts, but nothing serious. “You want me to ask Raven to look at that?” Jacob asked.
“Nah, its fine!” Jack replied.
Jacob walked over and closed the door, making sure they were left alone and not overheard. Jack looked at him with a look of concern.
“What?” he asked.
“I think we should talk.” Jacob told him.
“Earlier you told me that you remembered everything. Everything while you were at Oasis.”
Jack grunted. “We don’t have time for this.”
“Then make the time Jack!”
“What do you wanna know? How I was tortured? How they hooked my balls up to a car battery or how they drilled into my head?”
Jacob shook his head. “No, none of that. I wanna know what happened between you and Raven.”
“She told you, right?” Jack asked.
Shaking his head, Jacob looked directly at Jack. “Not a word, but she didn’t have too. I can see it in her eyes when she looks at you.”
“I wasn’t myself. I was seeing things. Seeing dead friends. Dead loves!” Jack replied with sadness.
Jack moved towards Jacob. “Eddie is dead, Frank, Josh, and Ray.” He paused for a moment, “Elle!”
“People close to me die. When I was with Raven, I thought she was Elle.” Jack said with sad emotion.
“I didn’t know Elle, but I know Raven. She is special!” Jacob replied.
Jack looked at him. “I can’t.” He placed his hand on his heart. “Elle’s gone, but she’s not, if you know what I mean.” Jack took a deep breath. “The pain, it’s there all the time. I wasn’t there to save her. I wasn’t there to tell her I loved her.”
Jacob noticed the tears in Jack’s eyes, he watched as Jack wiped them away. “All those months I looked, and one day. I was late by one day!”
Jacob stopped him from talking. He placed his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “You never grieved, did you? We never gave you chance. Always a battle to fight.”