Welcome to Necropolis

by Bryan Killian

  The rotting zombie began to regain its feet. The heavyset man reared back with his left leg and drove the heel of his boot through the zombie’s head. He shook the grotesque meat from his boot and turned towards the rodeo grounds. He looked up just in time to see the two Runners. Teeth ripped into his right hand as well as his left shoulder. He screamed as loud as he could but in his mind he knew it was too late. He fought the two Runners off valiantly. He could feel death coursing through his veins but he didn’t want to go out as a hot meal. He ran through the underbrush crashing through a small fence near the rivers edge. He rolled into the water. The shock of the cold winter water running over his body helped him feel alive for his last moments on earth. He allowed the current to carry him away.

  ***

  The scream was loud. Yonkey and the remaining sentries stopped and looked back the way they had come. The heavyset man was nowhere to be seen.

  “Should we go back?” One sentry asked.

  “Hell no.” Another said and started running for a small building located at the far eastern edge of the rodeo grounds. He broke from the small amount of cover the tree line had provided and sprinted through open ground. Yonkey and the rest of the men followed suit. The lead man’s head exploded in a red cloud. His body hit the ground at full speed convulsing heavily.

  “SNIPER.” Yonkey yelled loudly and changed directions quickly. “Split up.” He yelled as he ran for a different corner of the building. A second man went down in a cloud of blood. Yonkey rounded the corner of the building and continued running as fast as he could behind the wooden walls. Ahead of him was the opening to a steep wooded trail that led to the old cemetery. The two surviving sentries followed Yonkey as he sprinted for the path.

  “Are we going up there?” One yelled out.

  “I’m not staying here.” Yonkey yelled back. He reached the foot of the trail and stopped to listen. In the distance he heard Humvee’s fast approaching and saw one of the helicopters turning back towards him.

  “We need to move fast.” Yonkey yelled out as he started running up the trail.

  “Fuck this.” One man said as he un-slung his rifle and climbed on top of a low roof. He took position, flipped the cover off of his scope and killed the gunner standing in the back of the first Humvee. A perfect head shot. He continued to fire on the approaching soldiers, taking out three men before being killed by a snipers bullet.

  Yonkey and the last survivor ran as fast as they could up the trail. The weight of their multiple weapons began working against them slowing their pace tremendously. The helicopter and the Humvee’s grew closer. The trail grew steeper and the cemetery opening was still over a hundred yards away. Yonkey knew if they could make it to the cemetery they could find cover and eventually escape. Still, their pace was slow and the military was closing the gap quickly. The large machine gun mounted on the first Humvee rang to life. The gunner fired wildly at the trail. Bullets screamed by and slammed into the trees and rocks around them. Yonkey and his fellow sentry found new life in their legs and sprinted for the opening.

  The fellow sentry felt the wind escape his chest rapidly and his eyes caught the red puff of mist in the air directly in front of him as his heart stopped. Multiple high caliber bullets tore his chest apart. Three soldiers of Kilo Company ran up the trail with little difficulty. One soldier spoke briefly on a portable radio and waved off the chopper.

  Yonkey stopped at the cemetery opening looking back to see his fellow sentry face down in the mud. Just past the fallen man he saw three soldiers bearing down on him. Just thirty minutes prior, he was part of a surviving group numbering over three hundred. Now he was a sole fugitive on the run from a military force he once considered his brethren.

  The three soldiers stopped and raised their rifles. Yonkey instinctively dove behind a small wall near the opening. He didn’t flee. He waited. Yonkey thought for a moment before retrieving a pump action shotgun he had carried with him from the Convention Center. He slowly pulled the pump back revealing a shell sitting snugly in the chamber. He crawled further down the stretch of the wall stopping near a large headstone. He held the shotgun at the ready. The sounds of footsteps squishing through mud grew closer then stopped. Yonkey backed up a few more feet and ducked behind the headstone. He waited again. The footsteps began again. Yonkey swung around the opposite side of the headstone firing at the first soldier he saw.

  The 12-gauge slug caught the left shoulder of the soldier spinning him around violently. His fingers flinched depressing the trigger of his fully automatic M16A2 rifle. Bullets flew in all directions. Two caught the soldier behind him in the head killing him instantly. The third soldier dove for cover and was unscathed. Yonkey fired again this time hitting the soldier with buckshot in the back. He turned his sights to the soldier on the ground.

  “Why? Why are you doing this? We trusted you. We survived this long praying help would come and this is it. You’re here to execute us!” Yonkey racked another shell into the chamber, a slug, and stepped closer to the cowering soldier.

  “It’s our orders. The feds, or what’s left of them ordered the killings. We were following orders.”

  “Follow this.” Yonkey pulled the trigger and executed the soldier the same way he would have if the tables were turned. He quickly removed the soldier’s weapons and ammunition including three grenades. The sound of the returning helicopter told Yonkey it was time to go. He turned and ran through the cemetery knowing it was empty. No movement anywhere. They’re dead and buried. He reached the far end of the grounds flanked by large wooded areas. He climbed the wall and disappeared into the maze of Ponderosa Pines and Live Oak trees.

  The helicopter hovered over the cemetery while the pilot radioed in his findings. From the foot of the trail leading to the cemetery, a second team of three soldiers quickly traversed the trail and found their fallen mates. The lead man copied radio traffic from the pilot to Base stating there was no sign of the escapee. He signaled his team and they slowly moved back down the trail. The lead man stood over one of the fallen soldiers face down in the mud. He reached down grasping the dead soldier by the shoulder and rolled him over. The pin from the grenade lay perfectly clean on the muddy uniform of the dead soldier. Fuck.

  Yonkey ran through the woods and didn’t look back when the grenade exploded. He continued to run until he was well away from the cemetery. He rested for a brief moment and listened for followers. Nothing. He could still hear the helicopter but it wasn’t moving in his direction. He looked in all directions and began running again, running away from all that he had ever known. The world, the country, his city, none of it was safe and none of it would ever be the same again. He ran into the oncoming night pursued only by his imagination.

  Seventy-Two

  Katie ducked her head onto Ty’s lap as the cab of the big Ford Pickup was shredded with bullets. She screamed out in agony as a round pierced her right calf. Ty turned the pickup sharply to the left and gunned the engine. They sped down a narrow alley and ran over a number of zombies aimlessly walking around. Ty turned sharply again to the right and slammed on the brakes. The street was completely clogged by debris and the undead. He jammed the gearshift into reverse and sped backwards to a secondary street. Now heading north Ty knew he had to maneuver back to a main road. The street he was on led to a neighborhood with only one entrance. Katie continued crying holding her leg tightly. Ty knew he had to stop and tend to her wound but he had to find a safe place to do so. He couldn’t see the Humvee in the mirror but the helicopter was near.

  Ty turned onto a small driveway and drove to the back of a neighborhood market. He stopped the pickup and ran around to the passenger side. He swung the door open and gasped at all the blood on the floorboard. Katie was whimpering softly and was white as a ghost.

  “Shit Katie stay with me sweetheart.” Ty removed his belt and used it as a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. He cut her pants just above the wound realizing how severe it was. Her entire calf muscle was shredded and
bleeding heavily. Ty did everything he could to stop the bleeding. Katie lulled into semi-unconsciousness.

  “Katie, stay with me.” Ty said gently slapping her on the cheek. She didn’t respond. Ty ran to the bed of the pickup and grabbed a bottle of whiskey sitting in a box along with other essentials. Sweat poured from his forehead as he spun the cap off and splashed whiskey on her wound. The sting brought her back quickly. She screamed loudly.

  “Shh, Katie. I’m sorry. I need to dress the wound and we need to get the fuck out of here.” Katie began crying again as she leaned back in the seat. She reached out patting Sugar on the head. “It’s ok girl. We’re getting out of here.” Her words slurred sending a chill through Ty’s body. The bleeding was almost impossible to stop without stitches and Ty didn’t possess the knowledge or the time to do so.

  “I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for this whole fucked up situation. I’m sorry we didn’t stay at the Bixter Building.” Ty spoke sporadically as he dressed her wound not noticing she was drifting away again. Her hand slipped from Sugar’s head. He completed dressing the wound looking up with a smile on his face. The smile disappeared instantly.

  “Katie, you need to wake up. You’ve lost a lot of blood and I need you to stay with me.” Again Ty had to slap her on the cheek, a little harder this time. She slowly came around.

  The helicopter grew closer. The whooping of the blades filled Ty’s ears. He helped Katie to the back seat continuing to talk to her. He did all he could to keep her awake. Sugar moved to the front seat and appeared unharmed from the shower of bullets they endured earlier. Ty strapped Katie in and ran around to the driver’s side. He backed the pickup out onto the small street. In the rearview mirror he spotted the Humvee moving fast. His mind raced for a solution. It came to him in a vision. He reached down and pulled the 4x4 engage lever and gunned the pickup forward. He turned the pickup back up the small driveway and drove straight through a small fence navigating through a small field.

  The field bordered a steep incline that led up to the interstate. On the opposite side of the interstate several streets were available all leading east out of the city. Ty pressed down on the accelerator tearing through the field. The Humvee followed. The gunner began firing and bullets again penetrated the Ford. The pickup didn’t slow.

  “Stay down Sugar.” Ty yelled out while looking back at Katie. She slipped away again.

  Overhead, the Bell helicopter picked up the pursuit. The pilot maneuvered the machine in close to the target and gave the high sign to his sharpshooter. The shooter carefully took aim from the open side door, using a high power single shot rifle. He was held in by a safety strap and positioned himself perfectly for the shot. The shooter softly squeezed the trigger. The bullet found its mark penetrating the engine block of the Ford. Ty felt the engine buckle and saw smoke billowing out from under the hood. The oil pressure dropped instantly. He could feel the pickup slowing. He pressed down on the accelerator as hard as he could and drove straight up the incline.

  The Ford leaped onto the interstate, crashing down. Ty continued pushing the pickup to its limits. The engine oil was almost completely drained and the temperature was rising fast. The Ford sped across multiple lanes and down the incline on the opposite side. The Humvee continued to close the gap while the Bell helicopter kept a continuous watch over the situation. The Ford crashed through recently added landscaping and slid out onto the roadway. The engine began sputtering but Ty didn’t let up on the accelerator. He turned sharply to the right and headed towards a large shopping center. He scanned the surrounding area for a new vehicle. Ahead stood a row of used car lots.

  “Hey. Looks like we’re in luck. I’m going to need you to be sharp.” Ty looked back seeing Katie was unconscious. He looked forward again feeling his stomach tighten. He was losing this battle quickly. He looked back at Katie again and yelled for her to wake up. She didn’t stir. The engine sputtered and failed.

  Ty estimated he had enough momentum to make the first car lot. “Sugar, we’re going down swinging.” He told his loyal friend as he guided the pickup in between two stalled cars and into the customer parking area for the small used lot. He allowed the pickup to slam into a small Honda coupe. The jolt of the contact didn’t wake Katie. Ty grabbed a sawed off shotgun from the floorboard stuffing it under his jacket. His mind skipped between ideas rapidly as he moved to the rear door of the Ford. He pulled the door open and grabbed Katie by the arms. Sugar stood near his side and barked at him once alerting him to the approaching Humvee.

  “Come on, sweetheart, wake up. We need to get another truck.” Katie barely moved and her eyes opened a slit. She smiled slightly. Ty picked her up in his arms and carried her away from the Ford. Sugar followed closely. From behind a van a heavily deteriorated zombie stepped out with its arms outstretched. Ty didn’t hesitate kicking the zombie square in the chest knocking it to the ground.

  “Later.” Ty said aloud as he passed the zombie by.

  Ty reached the sales office door located next to the on site garage. He reared back to kick the door when the first bullet penetrated his back knocking him forward. Ty lay in a puddle of his own blood. He looked up, trying to catch his breath seeing Katie staring back at him. Sugar lay in the corner of the office and slowly crawled over to her. Tears filled Ty’s eyes as he pulled himself closer to Katie. Bullets tore through the office, raining glass and other materials down on top of them. Katie’s breathing had become shallow as she reached out for Ty. He grasped her cold hand and pulled her close to him. Blood poured from his wound and he could feel his life slipping away. Sugar placed her head in Katie’s lap and looked up to her as well as Ty.

  Outside, the soldiers took every precaution before entering the office and tossed in a flash/bang grenade. Ty watched the canister hit the back wall of the office and did all he could to cover Katie and Sugar. The deafening boom knocked the little wind Ty had left out of his body. Sugar yelped loudly and ran from the building. The soldiers paid her no attention.

  The smoke began to clear. Ty opened his eyes and could feel the sting from the lingering smoke. He closed them tightly and could feel them tearing up even more. He couldn’t hear a thing spare the thumping of his own heart. His hands were growing cold. With the little strength he had left he pulled Katie closer to him and held her tight. He opened his eyes and met her teary gaze. She mouthed the words “I do love you.”

  Ty pulled her in closer and held her even tighter. He kissed her and could feel the life leave her body. He put his head down and closed his eyes. He just wanted it to all end. He wanted the pain to go away. He thought of Sugar and hoped beyond all hope she would be OK. His conscious mind began to slip away just as he felt the cold steel of a gun barrel pressed against the back of his head. He lay as still as he could and prepared himself for death. The soldier didn’t pull the trigger seeing the bodies on the floor were covered in blood. The soldier moved on.

  Ty opened one eye seeing two soldiers in the back of the office. They searched around for a few more seconds then moved back to the door. His adrenalin mustered the last remaining strength in his body. He turned over removing the sawed off shotgun from his jacket. The first soldier heard the movement and spun around wide-eyed. Ty pulled the trigger sending a wide spray of 12-gauge buckshot. He pumped the shotgun hard and fired again. The two soldiers were cut down in a hail of pellets. Ty stood and walked to the door. He racked the shotgun again and fired at the gunner on the roof. The gunner dove from the roof having been completely caught off guard. Soldiers ran for cover.

  From the corner of his dying eye Ty spotted Sugar. He turned and began walking towards her. She remained near the rear end of a small white car and wagged her tail.

  “Run Sugar…Run away…” The words came out garbled and filled with blood. “Run…”

  Ty’s body was riddled with bullets driving him hard to the pavement. He sat back up on his knees and yelled for Sugar to run. Blood flowing from his mouth and choked his words. Sugar crawled on th
e ground slowly towards him. Ty removed his .357 and shot the ground near her. It didn’t faze her. He pulled the trigger again sending a wild shot into the air. His arms dropped to the ground and both his firearms fell from his hands. The soldiers approached cautiously. Ty drew his final breaths looking at Sugar. His head slumped to his chest as his lifeless body remained on its knees.

  Sugar scooted in closer and nudged his hand with her nose. He didn’t respond. She nudged his hand again. Still he didn’t respond. She lay her head down on his hand and waited for him to return. She didn’t move when the soldiers walked up. She remained by her master’s side.

  Seventy-Three

  Hutto walked back to his command trailer. His sidearm still firmly placed in his right hand. His men were busy executing the living as well as the dead. They surely didn’t want any of the civilians returning while still inside their newly set perimeter around the Convention Center grounds. Hutto ran thoughts through his head and was not happy about the heavily armed man escaping through the cemetery. “Revenge is a strong motivator.” Hutto had been taught this fact twenty years ago and firmly believed in it. He had no way of knowing if the escapee had family here. He considered sending out a search group to hunt the man down but thought better of it. Kilo Company was now in the middle of a dead city and only a small percentage had been cleared. He hoped he wasn’t over zealous in the siege of the Convention Center.