Dead State Box Set [0-5]

by Shupert, Derek

  Up I go, leaving the frenzy of chasers stuck at the opening of the shaft. More dull thuds reverberate from within the hollow space. I keep my eyes focused on the roof.

  Rung after rung is traversed until I finally reach the end of the line. The thumping of the blades of the chopper are heavy. My hand searches the wall blindly for a latch or something to let me out of here.

  I can’t find the latch, or anything that hints at a way out of here. I’m so close yet so far away.

  “Come on!” I angrily snarl.

  I reach above my head and continue looking. The rigid façade of the brick wall turns to that of smooth steel. I find a crease in the wall. I lift, stretching as far as I can, and follow it up to a handle.

  The tip of my finger’s toys with it. I need to move up higher. There’s one more rung to go before I am out of options. I take that final step and grab the handle fully as gravity fights to pull me back down to the endless ether below.

  Holding tightly, I pull down. The hatch unlocks and swings outward. A gust of wind rushes inside the shaft, and pelts me like a thousand fists.

  I grab the bottom edge and pull myself up. It takes what little strength I have left to pull my frame from the shaft and on top of the roof. I crumble to the rocky surface and flip over to my back.

  The climb zapped my energy. I gasp for air as my arms and legs tremble from exertion. My body doesn’t want to move, regardless of how much I need to. My head falls to the right and I spot the glow from the lights inside the chopper.

  “Get your ass up, James, and move,” Dad’s voice demands in my ear.

  I roll over to my stomach and press up. My unsteady legs fumble underneath me, but still put me upright.

  I make for the chopper, going as fast as my legs will allow. It feels as though I’m moving in ponderous slow motion.

  One of the choppers on the far side of the roof takes off. It lifts into the air, ascending into the dismal night sky. Standing next to the aircraft near me, I spot Lucas pointing in the direction of the entrance to the roof. He’s but a scant inch away from one of the soldiers who is pushing him toward the interior of the chopper.

  I wave my arms franticly, trying to snare his attention as my legs give out slightly. Lucas catches sight of me and points in my direction. The soldier twists to his left and follows his gaze.

  Lucas waves me on, motioning for me to hurry up. The soldier turns back toward Lucas and forces him back into the aircraft. The soldier follows close behind.

  I jump up on the steel grating to my left and push on through the torment festering in my legs. The pilots in the cockpit are cloaked in darkness, with only the faint hue from the glow of the instrument panels to light up their faces.

  I dart around the front of the chopper and move off to the right. I make for the opening as an arm stretches out, followed by Lucas’s body.

  He peers down at me with a huge smile plastered on his sweaty face. I take his hand. His eyes suddenly go wide with terror, the smile vanishing.

  The soldier off to my right drops to a knee and opens fire. I’m not all the way in yet as the chopper starts to lift off. Lucas keeps a tight grip on my hand as he pulls me in.

  I drop to the steel floor of the chopper in a mess of spent energy. Duke rushes over and slathers me in love with his tongue. He’s pulled away by Lucas as I lift up from the flat of my back. I glance out of the opening to find the chasers funneling through the doorway of the stairwell and scattering over the rooftop.

  The gunship remains in front of the hospital. It sweeps from side to side as bright flashes of light illuminate from the hull. The building is pelted with missiles that fire nonstop from the sides of the aircraft.

  Explosions erupt from the opposite side of the hospital, spewing out flames and busted concrete in every direction. The bottom floors are lit up with a yellow-orange hue that consumes everything.

  The hospital buckles on the right side. The chasers scurrying over the rooftop plummet to their deaths as the building collapses. Fires and more explosives burst from the center of the devastation as a thunderous roar fills the air.

  We drift away from the destruction, leaving the mass of chasers crushed and trapped beneath the rubble of the hospital.

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  That was close. Too close in fact. I’m lucky to be alive. We all are.

  The doors to the chopper are sealed shut, severing the flow of wind that has been gusting through the interior of the aircraft. All that remains is the thumping of blades above.

  A dim light washes the interior in a haze of yellow tint. It isn’t much, but enough for one to see.

  Arms latch around my neck from behind, and squeeze so tight it chokes me. I look to my right, and find Cindy bear hugging the crap out of me.

  She finally let’s go after a few moments, allowing me to breathe. “Where did you go?” She punches me in the arm, then folds her arms across her chest.

  I recoil from the blow. “I’m sorry. Something was left behind that we needed.”

  Cassie, who is settled in directly behind Cindy with Duke by her side, offers me a warm smile.

  I parrot it. My face struggles to form in a pleasant manner. I’m so dog tired.

  Next to Cassie is one of the soldiers dressed in black tactical gear. His face is stern and void of any pleasantries. A hand presses down on my shoulder.

  “Talk about cutting it close there, James,” Lucas says with a grin. “You must be part cat or something because you’ve been burning through your nine lives like crazy.”

  I catch sight of Commander Reynolds sitting next to Lucas. He’s speaking with a soldier who’s off to his right. I remove the Carbine from my arm and hand it to the soldier to my left. He takes it from me and secures the weapon.

  The satchel is pulled up and over my head. Gripping the leather straps, I hand it over to the commander. The bottom bumps into his leg, drawing his attention away from the soldier. He takes hold of the straps and lifts it up. He sets the bag in his lap and unzips the top. His hands burrow inside as he peers at the contents.

  I hadn’t even realized it, but Doctor Harper and Ms. Jones aren’t present. Neither are the nurses who were with them. They’re probably in the other chopper that took off before us.

  A sigh of relief forms on the commander’s face. He diverts his gaze down to me and offers an appreciative nod.

  “You did a brave thing back there, James. It won’t be forgotten, son.” He reaches out with his hand extended toward me.

  I shake it. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  Lucas nudges me with his boot. “You’re going to have to tell me how the hell you got to the roof when we land.”

  I give him a thumbs up, and lay back down on the floor. There’s room for me to sit next to him, but I’m so tired and spent that moving my body over to the empty seat just doesn’t happen.

  My eyes fix on the ceiling of the aircraft. The day’s events have taken their toll on me. Feeling the subtle vibrations and movements of the aircraft, I close my eyes and relax.

  Silence befalls the aircraft. No idle banter or conversations fill the space between us. I imagine everyone is pretty exhausted from running for our lives in that dreadful hospital. It feels as though we’ve been in the air forever. I’m clueless as to how long it’s actually been, though.

  The commander carries on conversations through a headset. The satchel is nestled between his legs on the floor. An unfolded map sits in his lap.

  Cindy curls up next to me, still and motionless.

  Duke’s head rests in Cassie’s lap. She runs her hand down his back toward his tail. Cassie’s eyes are closed, her head tilted back and resting against the padded headrest.

  Lucas stares out of the window in front of me. I wonder what he’s looking at, or thinking of.

  As for me, this is the first time, in a long while, I feel as though we have a moment to catch our breath. Now that we’ve found Cindy, and are with the military, perhaps things will look up from
here.

  DEAD STATE: EVOLVED

  BOOK 5

  BY

  CHAPTER ONE

  Nothing lasts forever. Despite how hard we fight, a gruesome end is inevitable.

  That’s all I can think as the military chopper plummets toward the ground, and I am helpless to stop it.

  The bleating of sirens hammers in my ears. The whimpers of my sister, Cindy, and our friend, Cassie, merge with the blaring sirens and strained voices of the soldiers as I brace for impact. My dog cowers in their laps. Lucas double-checks his harness, yanking at the bulky straps. He pulls them tighter as we plummet to the ground.

  That is the last thing I remember before we crash, and my world goes black.

  A sharp breath escapes my mouth as I snap out of my unconscious state. My body jolts, but my movement is restricted by something of considerable weight. My heart races. It takes me a moment to calm down, and remember what happened.

  Christ. Did we make it?

  The subtle beeping from the aircraft’s cockpit has ebbed to silence. I hear no voices or other sounds. Am I the lone survivor?

  My head swells with a pulsating headache that won’t let up. Each breath I take makes it throb more. The rich scent of fuel and smoke fills my nose. It’s hard to breathe without inhaling the toxic fumes.

  I’m flat on my back. Something heavy is pinning me to the rigid steel floor of the chopper. My eyes crack open. A thick haze coats my vision. I blink, trying to erase the film. It persists.

  “Cindy? Are you all right?” I groan. She doesn’t answer. “Sis, are you ok?”

  I’m met with more silence.

  I lift my head off the floor of the chopper. It feels like it’s weighed down with cinder blocks. Something wet trickles down the side my face. My temple hurts.

  The haze clears from my vision. I skim over the empty cabin of the aircraft for Cindy and the others. There’s no one here but me. I look down to my waist, and find one of the soldiers draped across me. He’s looking right at me, his face is slathered in blood. It sends a shiver of panic down my spine.

  A large gash runs from the top of his brow down across his face. His eyes are wide open, but he doesn’t appear to be alive. He offers no movements or hints that he survived the crash. I check his neck for a pulse, but find none.

  I push against his shoulders, struggling to remove his dead weight from me. He doesn’t budge. I try once more with as much strength as my meager arms can muster. He moves a fraction more before falling back into place.

  “Lucas!” I call out to the man, who has been with me and Duke from near the beginning of our journey, hoping that he’s close by. I get no reply. “Cassie? Commander Reynolds? Anyone?”

  My pleas for help go unanswered.

  I hear something shuffling about outside the chopper. It’s subtle, but loud enough to grab my attention.

  I turn my head to the open door of the aircraft, and look out into the dimness of the building we crashed into. All I can see is the reddish-brown brick wall on the far side of the structure. The ramshackle ceiling has large cracks and is littered with gaping holes that allow light in.

  “Hello?” I call out. “I’m stuck in the cabin up here, and can’t free myself! Can you help me?”

  The noise stops.

  Did I get their attention or scare them off?

  I wiggle my body from side to side and lean toward the opening. My arm stretches out to the edge of the chopper as I try to see who might be down there.

  Busted brick and wooden beams rest at the base of the aircraft. I crane my neck, and strain to see who is there when I hear rubble being shifted about. It sounds as though whoever it is, is heading this way.

  “Yes, I’m in-”

  Panted breathing tickles my ears, sealing my lips. Grunts taint the air. It doesn’t sound like Duke, but more like... the chasers.

  Oh no.

  My mouth slags open, and I hold my breath. I’m flush with panic, and I don’t know what to do. I’m trapped under this soldier with a ghoulish fiend scaling a mountain of rubble to investigate a potential meal.

  Christ!

  I push harder at the dead soldier’s bulk as I keep watch on the opening. Muscles flood with adrenaline. The thought of being eaten alive by the creature makes me dig deeper, and lift with all of my might.

  The soldier flips over onto his stomach and rests on my knees. I’m winded, but I can’t stop. The chaser’s grunts won’t allow it. They become clearer with every passing second.

  Move faster, James!

  I pull my legs toward me and fight to wiggle them free of the corpse. One leg slips out, but the other remains trapped. The chaser is almost here. I’m out of time.

  The soldier’s rifle is draped across his body. I tug at the strap, but the rifle is wedged under the soldier. I can’t get it freed in time. Across the cabin, a M4 carbine is secured to the wall. I reach for the rifle with my fingers wiggling for the strap that dangles in the air.

  The creature’s scarred, bald head emerges from the base of the chopper. Bloody hands reach for the aircraft. They land on the steel plate floor. The dark fluid is smeared over the rigid surface.

  It pauses.

  A flutter of panic escapes my trembling lips.

  The chaser skims over the cabin. Strands of moist flesh cling to its chin. Teeth grind, and chew on the meaty mess that’s crammed into its mouth. It slurps up the morsels that hang from its lips. It spots me and growls.

  I pat the soldier down, hoping to score a knife or something else that I can defend myself with.

  The chaser crouches low and slinks into the cabin. Blood drips from the fiend’s chin and splatters the floor of the aircraft.

  It crawls closer to me. Controlled breaths leave its mouth. The chaser moves cautiously—almost like a predator investigating an odd noise.

  What is it doing? The creatures don’t normally act like this.

  I continue searching the soldier, checking around his waist for any weapons. The chaser inches closer. Sweat bubbles from my brow, and races down my face. Whimpers of panic and impending doom slip from my lips.

  Come on!

  The chaser’s chest pulsates in and out at a rapid pace. Hollow sockets loom at me. Sallow cheeks are painted with the blood of a recent victim.

  Bark!

  Duke?

  The chaser stops. He turns to the side, tilts his head back, and tests the air with his deformed nose.

  Bark!

  The gaunt creature trains his attention back to me and snarls. His mouth opens wide, and he lunges at me.

  I throw my hands up in front of me, ready to fight the undead fiend until the bitter end.

  The creature manages to get but a scant inch away from my person before a single report crackles within the building.

  A bullet bursts from the center of the chaser’s skull. A fine-red mist trails close behind. The round zips past me and out of the cabin of the chopper.

  The chaser’s body collapses to the floor of the aircraft. Blood and brain matter ooze from the gaping hole in its skull and pools under the creature’s body.

  I breathe a sigh of relief. Once more, I’ve escaped the boney fingers of death.

  The barking grows louder. I push the dead soldier off my other leg. I lean forward, and retrieve the M4 carbine from the wall.

  “Duke, I’m in here, boy!”

  I shoulder the rifle, and crawl over the dispatched chaser. On hands and knees, I emerge from the chopper. At the base of the rubble, I spot Duke. He spins about in circles while barking and wagging his tail.

  A smile cracks across my face. I slide down the mountain of busted brick, and spot a man heading toward me. He’s wearing a camo jacket with the hood draped over his head, and a rifle slung over his shoulder.

  The loose chunks of brick shift under my feet. I stumble, and ride the tidal wave down to my eager dog.

  I hit the base of the pile, and drop to my knees before my excited pup. I’m greeted with a tongue bath that licks me f
rom ear to ear. I hug Duke’s neck, and rub his side as the mysterious man looms over us.

  My gaze flits to the ominous man as my body grows tense. I stare at his rifle, and watch his movements, making sure he doesn’t try anything.

  Duke groans and refuses to let up.

  “Ok, boy. I’m glad to see you’re okay as well.”

  He stops and steps back, giving me a reprieve from his loving gesture.

  The cloaked man looks away as I get to my feet. I extend my hand out to him.

  “Thanks for-”

  His hand springs up and silences me. “We need to find cover. More dead are coming.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Great. The dead are here.

  The cloaked man shoulders his sniper rifle. He peers through the scope and turns about in a circle. Duke barks and growls.

  “You need to shut him up.” Our new friend’s voice is deep, and coarse. It reminds me of those people who have smoked cigarettes for most of their lives, and their throats are trashed.

  I present my palm to Duke and say, “Heel!”

  Duke groans and licks around his snout. He obeys without fault.

  “Who are you and have you-”

  “Later,” he snaps. “Did you not hear me when I said we have more dead inbound.”

  A snappy response to his more than curt reply reaches my lips before I hear footsteps. Lots of footsteps. The carbine springs up and presses to my shoulder. The side of my face rests against the rifle as I peer through the scope.

  We stay close to each other as we move from sound to sound. I skim over the mounds of rubble in search of a gaunt body racing toward us, but don’t find any. I catch brief flashes of something darting from the busted timbers and other piles of rubble and debris. Why are they not just charging us?

  “I’ve got movement all over, but they don’t seem to want to charge us,” I say. “Maybe they don’t see us.”

  “They see us all right,” the man responds. “They’re just hunting us. Sneaky bastards.”