Run (Book 2): The Crossing

by Rich Restucci

  Private Wilcox leaned against the door frame to the elevator room, his back against one side. He was thinking that this place could be made to be extremely safe if they could close the door. If there really was food and water down here, that’s all they really needed. Again, if they could close the door. He was thinking about hot fudge sundaes when the elevator doors closed. He flipped the safety off of his M4 and strode forward. The elevator was rising.

  Wilcox ran out into the common room and shouted for Seyfert, who stood with a groan. “Dallas, cover the civvies.” Dallas stood with a groan, and checked the action on his shotgun.

  “What is it, Wilcox?”

  “Elevator is going back up!”

  “What did you touch?”

  “Nothing! It just started on its own!”

  “Uh…that’s bad.” Seyfert accompanied the young man back to the elevator lobby. The car was already on the way back down. The doors opened with a soft ding when it reached their floor, and the survivors had a side view as they opened. A dead man clad only in a filthy tank top moved out of the elevator and surveyed his surroundings. He looked left and noticed the living men. The reaction was immediate, and the thing started toward them moaning. Several more undead followed their comrade, and they traipsed toward the men, who immediately fired a volley of bullets at them. The men backed up and shut the lobby door, but not before Seyfert saw the doors to the steel box close, the elevator returning to higher floors. Seyfert and Wilcox ran back to the scientists and Dallas as the pounding and scrabbling started on the other side of the door.

  “Androwski, come in! Come in, over!”

  “What is it, Seyfert?”

  “Elevator is carting Limas down by the dozen!”

  “Have Dallas get the scientists down the lab corridor, you and Wilcox cover! We’re on the way!”

  “Dallas, you heard, get them there and get back here ASAP! Wilcox, start pushing some of this shit up against the door.” Seyfert indicated the overturned tables and chairs and the bloody couch. There wasn’t much.

  Dallas, having sat back down, groaned again as he stood, and hurried off with the two women as the SEAL and the Army kid began to push the ruined couch against the door to the elevator lobby. The door was heavy wood, but the frame was already beginning to shake as the things shoved from the other side. They could hear the needful cries through the oak.

  “Come on, pile up more shit!”

  They were pushing the juke box against the couch when Androwski, Stenner, Anna, and Rick came running in the common room. All four newcomers immediately began assisting in the barricade. When every object in the room, including a three-hole punch and a stapler were packed against the door, Androwski started giving orders. “We hold as long as possible here, then we fall back to the labs. There’s a heavy door at the last lab that we can use against them, they won’t be able to get more than two or three to push on it at once. Rick, you and Anna use the sniper rifles to cull as many as possible, get them coming through the door, and try to clog it with bodies. Dallas, we’re trading weapons, you take this.” He handed the big man his MP5SD3 with three extra magazines, and the Texan reluctantly passed his SPAS12 to the SEAL. “Aim true, there won’t be any drop in such close quarters. Selective fire is here.” Androwski pointed to a small lever on the side of the weapon. “Switch to full auto only if you need. Dallas, Rick, and Anna, stay to the rear and get any strays. Don’t shoot us! Only fire if you have a five-foot clearance on either side of one of us, you guys fire right down the middle. The rest of us will move forward to ten feet from the targets in two teams right and left, and fire at them as they come through. Do not run in front of friendly fire! Wilcox, you’re with me, let’s go!”

  When the four living men were five meters apart on either side of the lobby door, Androwski shouted for an ammo check. Magazines were ejected, inspected and replaced. Dallas put two extra mags on the floor next to him and the last in his pocket. Rick swiped his arm across a table in the lab corridor clearing it of various paper supplies and dragged it out into the common room. He and Anna set their bipods on the table for support Rick put the earbud for his XM408E in his ear. Anna was using Martinez’s SR25. She looked over at Rick. “Cheater.” He smiled and winked at her. “Don’t miss.”

  The door held out significantly longer than the group thought it would. A good fifteen minutes elapsed before the couch moved slightly, then the lock on the door gave way, and the door itself moved in a little. The barricade began to slide toward them, slowly at first, then with more speed. The first undead through had been a construction worker, and he still had his tool belt, sans tools, as he stumbled forward, pushing at the couch with his knees. The ear piece beeped and Rick started to squeeze his trigger, when Anna fired a suppressed round, dropping the former construction worker with a perfect head shot. “Damn, this rifle is long with the suppressor!”

  Androwski and Wilcox could see through the partly open door, and there were more than just a few undead. Wilcox sighted his rifle on a thing in blue scrubs and ventilated its cranium. He did the same with a teenage girl, who looked freshly killed, and a bald man, his entire neck and lower jaw missing, the head lolling to the left, held on by spine alone.

  Tainted former humans of all ages, genders, and races pawed at the door, the barricade, and their brethren as they tried to get to the living souls. Wilcox clicked empty after twenty rounds. “Loading!”

  Androwski stepped toward the door and fired the shotgun. He fired again, and again, preferring the semi-auto mode to the pump action. The door moved forward again, and more creatures began to push to get in the room. The team was constantly firing, but the doorway kept filling with dead people, all with a desperate need to get in the room.

  Androwski was doing the math, and he figured that there were at least fifty dead either pawing at the failing barricade or crumpled on the floor with head trauma. Fifty wouldn’t fit in the elevator, so they were either coming in from another location, or the bastard upstairs was sending down multiple car loads of Limas. When he clicked empty, he yelled to his friends, “Alright, we lost it! Cease fire and retreat to the lab doors!” Everyone rushed back through the common room and into the lab corridor. The lieutenant was the last through and he shut the door behind him. The heavy oak wouldn’t stand up to the onslaught of the dead forever, but there were stronger doors in front of them that they could put between the Limas and themselves.

  When they had reached the first glass lab door, the scientists were waiting. Ravi looked concerned. “What is our status?”

  Bob looked at the heavy-breathing faces of the team. “Screwed.”

  “Not yet,” Seyfert heaved. “We still have the steel security doors.”

  Androwski stood. “Is there anything in these labs you guys need? We’re going to pull back and fortify at the last door. Make a list and we can carry what you want. You’ve got two minutes.”

  The new guy, Dr. Crisp, looked worried. “We have everything we need in the Data Lab, but there’s an issue.”

  Dallas sighed. “Prolly another floor down? More elevator shafts, huh?”

  “Uh…no. This is the bottom level…well, mostly. The issue is that there are other ways in here. Each of the four sections has a causeway to another. All the sections lead to the common room.”

  “Are you fuckin’ shittin’ me?” exploded Wilcox pointing at Bob. “That’s critical, NEED TO KNOW information!”

  “Stow that shit, Private! Dr. Crisp, can we block off or seal the causeway to this section?”

  “Maybe, but if we do, we can’t get to the PX or the kitchen. Those are in the next section over.”

  Androwski pinched his nose, then pointed at the ceiling. “Just one thing! Just one thing to go right,” he opened his hands, palms up, “please?” The SEAL turned to look at everyone. “Get back to the steel door. We fortify, and fall back. Wilcox, Stenner, take Dr. Crisp and check out this causeway, check all areas on the way and don’t get bitten, there are Limas unaccounted fo
r. Constant contact.”

  Stenner gave a curt nod. “Affirmative, sir. C’mon Wilcox, let’s get ‘er done. Dr. Crisp, you’re with us.”

  “Wait,” said Androwski. “Dr. Crisp, is there a weapons locker down here?”

  “Yes, it’s near the PX. Major Mello had the keys.”

  Androwski fished the keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Wilcox. “Check it out.”

  The three moved off at a brisk pace.

  “There’s a security room just like the ones upstairs in each module down here,” Bob said nervously. “We could monitor where the zombies are with the cameras.”

  “Seyfert, you’re with Bob.” He pulled his friend aside while Bob moved down the hall. “Stay frosty, we just met him, and I don’t want another Phil.”

  “Roger that, buddy.” Seyfert limped off after Bob.

  “You three,” the chief pointed at Ravi, Linda, and Brenda. “We’re here, what do you need to work?”

  “Now? You want us to get started while there’s an Army of those things a hundred feet away?”

  “Yes, Doctor Poole. Our mission was to get you here. You’re here. I’m adding a mission objective, and that’s to protect you, but you need to get started. Figure out what’s what, and Rick and I will fortify our position to the best of our ability. Dallas, you and Anna keep an eye on them and provide assistance. Anna, monitor the redneck’s injuries.”

  Dallas raised his eyes in question, the SEAL tipped him a wink.

  “Doctors, don’t go anywhere, especially not to the bathroom, alone. Tell us what you need, and we’ll get what we can for you.”

  Ravi was already working on attaching the heavy RAID array to one of the networked computers. “We will need network access, and to perhaps disable password necessity. We will not be able to log on to the system without an initial password as ours were disabled at the end of every work day. Thank you.”

  “Will Crisp have this ability?”

  “Yes. He should be able to give us access when he returns.”

  “I won’t have the equipment I need to further my research on the wave theory, but I can help with the computer analysis,” Linda said.

  “Whatever you need, ask. Rick and I are going to start barricading the entry doors. Do not come looking for us alone, you all come together, is that clear? In fact, I don’t want any of you out of the other’s sight at any time.” The two men moved off to provide what security they could to the already-solid door.

  55

  “Look all I’m sayin’ is that I never heard of one is all.”

  Seyfert grunted as he sat down in a wheeled chair staring at the back of Bob’s head. Getting back up was going to be a bitch. “So you think that all these important people were going to come down here, a nuke drops and the elevator caves in, and then what?”

  Bob, was pushing buttons on a console. “I feel you, dog, but I dunno where it is!” He was clearly frustrated. “If there is some kinda emergency egress from this place, Crisp might know where it is. I don’t.”

  The phone on the desk rang, and the two men looked at each other.

  “Probably Androwski. You can get it and pass it to me, huh Bob?” The SEAL rubbed his calf.

  Bob shook his head. “SEALs.” He picked up the phone. “Hello? Bob here, is—?” Bob’s face got deathly serious. “Yes. Yes,” he handed the phone to Seyfert, who had to move forward as the cord wasn’t long enough. “It’s for you.”

  “Androwski?” asked Seyfert as he extended his good arm for the phone.

  Bob shook his head in the negative and Seyfert showed a confused look. “Hello?”

  “This is not the same voice I spoke to earlier.” A strange voice said to him. “Where’s the lieutenant?”

  “Busy. You must be the dicknose.”

  Bob smiled, Seyfert scowled.

  “Turn your camera to feed six there, Navy, and look behind you at the camera so I can see your face.”

  Bob turned to six, and Seyfert saw the back of the black T-shirt guy leaning back in a wheeled chair with his feet up on the security console. The guy dipped his left shoulder and absently waved to the camera. He was wearing dark glasses, and looked like any other guy you might see on the street, or would have if they weren’t all dead now. Unassuming, but with an air of confidence.

  “So, is there any way you might open up some doors so I could come down there and talk?”

  Seyfert spun towards the camera. “You shot me.” He pointed to his leg.

  “Through and through?” The guy looked genuinely concerned. “Damn, I’m sorry about that, I really am, but you did kill a bunch of United States soldiers with your terrorist act. What were we supposed to do, cuss at you? Besides, I didn’t fire a shot, it was Wilkes. Wilkes is staggering around with the rest of the team.” The man made a face like he’d just heard nails on a chalkboard. “He’s looked better.”

  “US or Triumvirate soldiers?”

  “Now you sound like your chief! Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I’ve stopped sending dead people down on the elevator. I’ve got a better plan.” The spook put his feet on the floor and spun in the chair. Seyfert was still looking at the camera, but Bob told him to turn around and look at the monitor.

  Brooks was attaching small red parcels that looked like oversized candy bars, to something with a strap belt. The thing had treads and a long arm sticking up out of the front it. “This is my 510,” he said while he worked, “and these,” he held up one of the candy bars and shook it for emphasis, “well, if you set up the IEDs, then you know what these are.” There were sixteen bricks attached when he was done, and he counted them off.

  Bob pointed at the screen. “What is that?” Seyfert remained silent as he stared at the monitor.

  When he was finished counting, Brooks produced a tablet, and powered it up. “See this?” he pointed to the tablet. “Detailed schematics of your really nice facility down there. Did you know it was actually fabricated for key members of the government who just might be around if we were going to get nuked? I’m not talking about governors, or senators, but important people. It was called the Basement, and it was officially decommissioned in nineteen eighty-eight, but they kept it stocked. Anyway, the only way in or out is the elevator, and I’m going to take care of that for you. Ever been buried alive?”

  Brooks picked up a remote control that looked like a video game controller, and moved his thumbs around on two sticks, the robot moved forward and to the left. “Hey, it works great! Now the average 510 pack bot remote couldn’t communicate through thirty feet of concrete, but this is a special one.” He sounded like a middle school teacher giving a lecture.

  Seyfert fumed into the phone. “I’m going to kill you. I swear to God I’m going to kill you.”

  Brooks broke into laughter. “No, you’re not. You’re going to starve to death, maybe fighting off your friends for the last Saltine. Or maybe your dead friends who have already starved to death, or the rest of the horde down there if the boom-boom opens a door or two. I guess what I’m trying to say is: toodles!” Brooks hung up the receiver and opened the door to the security room. Two dead men immediately came in the room, but he ignored them. He piloted the explosive ordinance robot out the open door and the dead followed, leaving the room empty. Many shadows could be seen moving past the open doorway.

  The SEAL stood with a wince and a sigh. “We need to get back to Androwski.”

  “What was that thing?”

  “Trouble.”

  56

  “Jesus this place is huge,” Wilcox said as he looked around at Crisp.

  “Well, it was made for…”

  “Tsst!” Stenner cut him off with a raised fist. “A little noise discipline goes a long way,” he whispered. “We don’t want to advertise our position.”

  Dr. Crisp nodded and kept his mouth closed. They walked down a long corridor; all the doors were closed, and there was no evidence of anything wrong save an overturned chair. That changed when they got to the end
of the hallway at a T-junction. Bloody hand prints adorned the plain, gray concrete wall, and a huge dried blood smear complete with drag marks and directional spatter covered the floor, disappearing around the corner.

  Stenner held up his fist again and they all stopped. He pointed to himself then to his eyes. The other men nodded. Stenner removed a stick from his tac-webbing, and telescoped it out. A small inspection mirror was on the end and he used it to look around the corner in both directions. He retracted it and turned to his group, holding up three fingers, then he pointed back the way they had come and they all moved about fifty paces.

  “Three Limas right,” he stage-whispered. The soldier drew his M9, and began screwing a suppressor on it. “Wilcox, you stay back and cover the doc. Doc, listen, this is a can.” He chin-pointed toward the suppressor he was still screwing on to his weapon. “It doesn’t sound like it does in the movies. It will be loud in the corridor, so be ready for the noise.” Crisp nodded. “If they get me, or if anything unexpected happens, you two high-tail it back to the others. Wilcox, he’s more important than you and me right now, got it?”

  “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

  Stenner smiled. “Watch your six.” He moved down the passage and used the mirror again to check the position of the enemy. Stepping out into the corner, he took up a firing stance and carefully fired three rounds. The reports were louder than Crisp had thought they would be, but they sounded like they came from everywhere at once, and not just in front of the doctor. Seyfert fired once more, then motioned for the men to join him.

  “Three tangos, I mean Limas down,” he said when they reached him. “Wilcox, write that down, and get their IDs if they have any. Stay out of the fluids.” Wilcox turned over the first thing and did as instructed.

  “Dr. Crisp, we need to secure this module from the others, and see about food and weapons.”