by Lowry, C. L.
CHAPTER 29
At first light of day, five vehicles pulled up to the front entrance of the hospital. Two of the vehicles were full, but the others only had drivers. They were going to be the rides back for Dalton and the members who left with him. Maverick took a different approach during this mission because he knew what was at stake. If the information that Levi told Dr. Lee was correct, Dalton and his group were in trouble.
The team emptied out of the vehicles. There were thirteen of them total, and they were packing heat. Maverick was ready for war. “You three stay here with the vehicles and make sure no one comes in or out of this place. We’ll go find Dalton and the others.”
Maverick and his search team hit the ground running. They blasted through the doors with a purpose. The barricades that Dalton slid in front of the door were no match for the brute force that Maverick’s team used to push their way in. Time was not on their side. Starting from the same location of their last mission, they knew the layout of that section of the hospital. They hit the rooms without hesitation and found exactly what they were looking for.
“NOOOOOO!” Erik yelled out after entering a room to clear it.
After hearing the scream, Maverick ran into the room. Peter’s body was laid out across the floor. A sheet had covered his body, but his face was left exposed. Erik was on his knees. Peter was a good friend of his, and he had no idea that Peter left to be a part of Dalton’s new group. Peter was a good soul and one of Erik’s co-workers at SEPTA. He was always willing to lend a helping hand. He was pissed and wanted revenge. Maverick placed his hand on Erik’s shoulder.
“We have to keep moving,” Maverick muttered.
Erik picked up his rifle and headed back to the hallway. “It ain’t looking good, everyone. We already found one body. We might be too late,” Maverick stated. There was no response. Everyone’s beady eyes just stared at their leader, hoping he was wrong. Erik just hung his head low. Maverick took up point and kept it moving. “Give me two left,” he stated, allowing the members of his team to quickly clear the rooms. “Give me two right.” With a larger search team, it did not take Maverick long to work his way down the hallway.
Maverick let out a slow breath and cast his eyes over the familiar blood splatter that covered the walls. He also spotted the ricochet marks on the far wall from rounds he had sent flying at the mutated beasts. Maverick clenched the handle of his rifle as he shined the flashlight down the hallway. It was silent in the hospital. Goose bumps materialized on his skin. He had a bad feeling about being back in the hospital.
After facing the two creatures that popped up on the last mission, taking on a few more would not be all that difficult. The other members of the team grew impatient. They wanted to find the other members of Dalton’s group before it was too late. The usual vocal members of the Alpha team were quiet. This had to be one of the hardest missions they ever embarked on. It was like reading a story and already knowing the ending.
The team was now in unfamiliar territory. Maverick scanned the hallway, and there were several doors that still need to be searched. Some of them were double doors, and the others were standard. Maverick’s team went to work, clearing each one. They were focused. Even stumbling upon the medicine supply room did not get them off track. Their mission was to find Dalton and the rest of the group. There were two sets of doors left to hit on this floor, then they would have to start working their way up and down the six-story building.
“Give me two left.”
The double doors flung open, and the room clearers froze in place when they spotted what was behind the door. “In here!” one of them yelled.
Maverick led his team through the doors and onto the second-floor balcony. He stopped in his tracks when he looked beneath him. Bodies were spread across the main level of the cafeteria in pools of blood underneath them.
“That’s them!” someone yelled out.
For Maverick, it seemed like this moment moved in slow motion. The members of his team pushed past him to attempt to render aid to their fallen. They did not know how long the murdered group had been left rotting, but they were determined to provide some sort of life-saving efforts. The cafeteria looked like a war zone. A pile of rotting bodies was stacked in the corner, and the former members of The Saviors were all laid out, riddled with bullets. The cafeteria tables were completely destroyed, gunshots breaking them into pieces. The wooden tables did not do much as far as being used as cover. The bullets traveled right through them. The gruesome sight brought Maverick back to his time overseas in the warzones.
The members of Maverick’s team were flipping tables over, clearing bodies from the debris, and checking pulses. They could do nothing but hope that there would be some sign of life left in the room. Maverick watched as they went from person to person, knowing that meant that death had come to claim the souls of his people. Maverick stayed on point. He held his firearm up and was ready to fire as he inspected the room. He checked each crevice and each corner, hoping that Dalton and his crew were able to return the favor to their attackers. There was not even a drop of blood to be found from the attackers.
“Maverick, we got something.”
Maverick quickly descended the stairs and ran over to his men, eager to see what they discovered. A slight groan caught his attention, followed up by another. He peeked over the men’s shoulders and spotted a body that they had pulled from underneath one of the tables. “Maddie.” The young woman was holding on to dear life. “Clear a space for her on one of these tables.” Maverick’s team responded promptly, clearing off one of the tables that had not been damaged and piecing together a first-aid kit from the supplies they had on them.
Erik and another member of the team lifted Maddie off the ground and placed her on the table. “Maddie, it’s okay. I’m here,” Maverick whispered.
Maddie groaned again. Her shirt and pants were soaked in blood. They did not know if it was from a wound or if she was covered in someone else’s blood. He could tell that things were not looking hopeful. Maverick lifted Maddie’s shirt, revealing three gunshot wounds to her torso. He slid his hand up her back. “There are no exit wounds. She needs surgery. We have to get her back to Dr. Lee.” The others began scrambling to find a way to get Maddie to the vehicles.
The members of the team began dismantling the table. They planned on using the tabletop as a platform to carry Maddie to the vehicle. Maddie groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, and she struggled to regain consciousness. “Maverick,” she muttered, recognizing his voice. The words barely came out of her mouth.
“Maddie, it’s okay. We are here. We’re going to get you help.”
“It hurts.” The words barely made it out of her mouth.
“Who did this?”
“The Re—The Reaper.”
CHAPTER 30
Sade was heartbroken, and inside, she felt hollow. Although the injury to her arm was painful, the emptiness she currently had inside her hurt more. A part of her was grateful to had been snatched off the street because maybe this was the end. An end to the pain; an end to the misery; an end to the depression. The Underlings had finally got her and would end her misery. She would finally have the chance to reunite with her parents . . . in heaven.
Levi, I hope you got Jayven and Cameron to safety, she thought. Sade could not imagine what they were going through at the moment if they were all split up. She had no worries about Levi. She knew he could handle himself, but Jayven and Cameron needed the guidance. They would not be able to navigate this new world alone. Maybe they got captured with me. Maybe they’re here too.
Despite the pain that Sade felt, she was also disappointed. Deep down she believed that a cure to the mutations was coming. She thought about the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic that crippled the world in 2020 and remembered that the United States Government had a vaccine completed and ready for distribution by the end of the year. She had the same hopes for this situation. Months had already passed, however, and
there was not even a form of communication to know what was going on outside the city.
When she was brought to the encampment, Sade was taken to a townhouse that had been overseen by a woman named Latoya. Latoya used to be a teacher, and her husband was an electrician. This specific row of townhomes on the gird was dedicated to teenagers and overseen by adults with a background in education, social work, and other related areas. The leaders made sure that these homes, along with those that house the younger children and the elderly, were kept in the center of the encampment. This ensured the safety of the more vulnerable population. So, if there were an attack at the encampment, there were layers of security that the attackers had to go through before they could even reach these homes.
Latoya purposely gave Sade a spot in an upstairs bedroom that housed four other teenaged girls. The girls in this room were much more mature than others and were being groomed to take on other roles in the encampment once they turned eighteen. These roles included going on supply runs, checking inventory, caring for the elderly, assisting younger children with their education, construction, and culinary roles. Everyone had a role to play once they became an adult. There were also some teens who graduated to security details, but they were usually groomed by their parents for those specific roles.
Sade did nothing more than stare out the window. Although the other girls in the room were polite, Sade was not really in the mood to converse with them. They did their best to include her in conversations, but Sade did not participate in them. Her mind was only focused on how she was going to get away from this group and get back to the church. She needed to check on her friends to see if they were still alive.
“Sade, I brought you up some breakfast. You haven’t eaten since you got here,” Latoya said. She was holding a tray that held four stale crackers, a ketchup packet, and two tablespoon scoops of canned corn.
Sade did not even turn her head to acknowledge Latoya. She didn’t know the woman, and they surely didn’t know that Sade was a vegan. Sade just knew that tray was filled with some type of meat or dairy product. If I have to die of starvation before these people murder me, then so be it. Her focus was out the window, looking west toward the direction of the church. On the street, she could see people carrying out their daily duties. Children were out playing, people were walking around and talking to each other, and others were lugging around supplies. This sight was so foreign to Sade after being cooped up in the church for so long. This seemed to be the closest thing to what life used to be. It was unbelievable to her.
Latoya placed the tray on a table next to Sade. “Come on, girls. Let’s head over to help Ashley with the toddlers. Sade, you can meet us out there if you want.”
Sade’s silence said more than her words could ever express. Latoya noticed this and wanted to give Sade her space. She took the other teens outside. Sade’s eyes followed them as they hit the corner of the street and began mingling with the children who were outside playing.
She hopped up and grabbed the tray, devouring the crackers and corn in seconds. She ripped open the ketchup packets and poured the thick contents into her mouth.
“Slow down, champ,” a soft voice said.
Sade turned and found one of the teenage girls standing in the doorway. The girl was Destiny. Destiny was not one of Sade’s roommates. She roomed with the other girls who occupied the dining room of their townhome. Destiny always wore a gold chain around her neck with a cross pendant. She had been brought to the camp by her father, who was a firefighter. She planned on following in his footsteps one day, but he had other plans for her. He wanted his daughter to be in a safer environment during these times. Destiny was only seventeen years old, so he wanted to preserve as much of her teen years as he could. He did not want Destiny worrying about making adult decisions at that age.
Destiny’s father pushed her to be a paramedic or nurse to keep her mind off wanting to be a firefighter. His hope was that she would see the reward in those career opportunities and stick with one of them. He had her shadowing other paramedics at the firehouse and going on runs when duty called. Destiny was always complimented on her quick learning abilities and professionalism. Those same skills were the reason she and her father were alive.
Destiny’s father had a serious talk with Latoya and thoroughly explained his expectations for his daughter. Since the talk, Latoya sheltered Destiny and provided her with more nurturing tasks. Destiny did inventory work, assisted with cleaning duties, and she also led prayer groups for the young girls. Destiny more so preferred to be out in the field with the other medics, but her father denied the request.
“Sade is your name, right?” Destiny asked as she stepped into the room.
Sade did not respond. “It’s okay. Just so you know, I’m a friend, not an enemy.” There was genuineness on Destiny’s face. Sade was confused as to why the teen was being so nice to her. What was the ultimate goal? She expected to have been tortured or killed by now, based on the rumors about The Underlings. They were known as a ruthless group, sometimes even performing public executions. So, Destiny’s politeness was confusing and worrisome.
“Save the games. I know who you people are.”
“You do? Well, I’m glad to hear that we have a bit of a reputation,” Destiny said proudly.
Sade was disgusted. A part of her wanted to lunge across the room and take Destiny out. However, her injuries left her vulnerable and powerless. “What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything. Why do you ask that?”
“Because everybody wants something.”
“Not me.”
Sade turned around and continued looking out the window. However, this time she was not looking at the activities that were taking place. She was staring at Destiny’s reflection. Sade knew she would have to dig deep if Destiny made a move, so she was sure to keep an eye on her without being obvious.
“Who are you looking at out there?” Destiny asked, walking over to the window and looking out.
“Everybody.”
“You’re acting like you’ve never seen people before,” Destiny said while laughing.
“I haven’t seen people acting so normal since this whole thing has happened. It’s weird.”
“It’s not weird. Sitting in a window and staring at people is weird.” Destiny chuckled. “Come on. Let’s go outside. I’ll show you around.”
Sade initially hesitated. Although Destiny seemed nice, Sade did not know her or trust her. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“Somewhere special where you can get some more food because I saw how you devoured your breakfast,” Destiny replied while laughing.
Sade could not help but laugh too. Deep down inside, she knew Destiny was right. She was still hungry, and the items on that tray were not enough to satisfy her appetite. Destiny just made her an offer that she could not refuse. Being in the window was not the same as stepping foot outside. Sade was so used to only going outside for a reason. This was the first time in a while she went outside just because she wanted to. It also felt good to hold a conversation in a normal tone, rather than whispering to her friends inside the church.
She took time to just breathe and allow her skin to soak up the sun rays. The sound of cheerful laughter and casual conversations filled her ears. Sade smiled. She was at peace. She had envisioned The Underlings territory to be less pleasant. This scene seemed to be something out of a fairytale. It was joyful.
“Come on. I’ll take you to one of the inventory locations.”
“Why do you seem so excited to go to this place?” Sade asked after noticing how giggly and cheerful Destiny became.
Destiny stopped at the front door and turned to Sade. “You promise you won’t tell anyone?”
“Tell anyone what?”
“There’s a guy in here, and I like him. He just got here too. He’s so mysterious and dreamy.”
Sade laughed. She couldn’t believe what she had heard.
“You can’t tell anyone,”
Destiny pleaded. “I don’t want this getting back to my dad. If he knew, he wouldn’t allow me to come back here.”
“Your secret is safe with me. So, tell me about your little boyfriend.”
“Glad you asked. He’s so perfect. His name is—”
“LEVI!” Sade yelled out.
Levi was shocked to hear the familiar voice when he opened the front door of the inventory facility. He was stuck, like he saw a ghost. Sade jumped into his arms and held him tight. Levi still could not move. Although Sade was in his arms, it did not seem like a reality. He never thought he would see Sade again. Being trapped in the church on the day The Underlings showed up was a scary experience for him. The henchmen spent very little time raiding the church, which made Levi worried about Sade because she was all alone out there with those men.
Destiny cleared her throat. Sade’s arms were still wrapped around Levi. Destiny cleared her throat again, louder this time. “Oh, sorry. Let me introduce you two. Levi, this is . . .” Sade paused, realizing that she didn’t know the girl’s name.
“Destiny. I’m Destiny. Very nice to meet you.”
“Well, hey, Destiny. I’m Levi.”
“Oh, I know who you are,” Destiny purred.
“You know what? I think I’ve seen you around.”
“Yes. Yes, you have. I worked the inventory room a few times while you were also in here.”
“Cool,” Levi replied.
Sade wasted no time butting into the conversation. “So, where are they at?” she asked, looking behind Levi. “Where are Jay and Cam?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“What?” Sade pulled Levi to the side. “They aren’t here?”
“I haven’t seen them.”
“What happened in the church?”
“The Underlings came in. When I went in, I could not find Jay and Cam. Those men came in so fast there was not much I could do. I got my bat and went straight into the basement. They were searching everything, and then all I know is that I heard the beasts. Those men must have opened the wrong door and let them out. Then, there were gunshots and screams. I stayed in the basement until everything got quiet. I went back up to look for Jay and Cam, but there was no sign of them.”