Lil grabbed on to Irma’s arm, pulling her. “Steve come on.”
“Go. Go. I’ll be right there.”
No sooner did he say that, from the ceiling and vents, rats just poured in.
Irma screamed, Jerry cried.
Lil pulled her toward the back of the kitchen. The safe room.
“Steve!” Lil screamed out, opening the door to the safe room. She took a quick look inside, then pushed Irma in. “Steve.”
Steve managed to shut the door and he ran toward Lil’s voice.
Lil stood in the doorway of the safe room waiting. Steve peered over his shoulder.
The rats were at his heels blanketing the floor. There was no way he would make it into the safe room without bringing in his pursuers. He leapt forward but instead of jumping in that room, he slammed the door.
Inside, Lil screamed. She tried the door but it wouldn’t open. “Steve!”
“Lock it. Stay in. I have a ….” His voice trailed.
Lil knew the safe room well. She had to stay cool and calm. Think. She raced to the desk and the monitor sitting there and turned it on.
“What are you doing? We have to help him,” Irma cried.
“I know. But we have to see what’s going on.”
Surveillance cameras had been installed throughout the facility and Lil clicked on the keyboard turning them on. She closed her eyes briefly at the vision of a shot of outside. She then switched camera angles.
Lil wished she didn’t.
The main room of the fortress was overrun. She and Irma watched as Steve fought to get to the front door, only to be surrounded and then completely covered in rats. He kept moving, struggling, despite the fact that he was almost an unrecognizable figure beneath the cloak of rodents.
Lil shut off the monitor.
Chapter Twenty—Eight
Pittsburgh, PA
Jack and Garrick cheered and high-fived each other as they pulled in front of the Cathedral of Learning. Elated. they stepped from the vehicle.
If the carnage that lay in the perimeter of the Cathedral was an indication of the weapon’s potency, then Jack was certain they could win the war on the undead.
Not a spot of grass or concrete could be seen. The remains of at least a thousand bodies covered every square inch. They weren’t whole, in fact most looked as if they had had acid poured on them. Better than a bullet. Nothing remained recognizable except for pieces of clothing or a leg, possibly a hand.
They had been turned into a gelatin substance and, in some cases. had liquefied to a thick mud-like substance. Swarms of flies were everywhere. The unsightly substance was ankle deep as they walked to the doors.
The baby cried. They had made it. But their celebration and joy was short lived when the massive movement of undead caught up to them and ran their way.
Jack and Garrick raced to the doors.
Locked. And through the double glass door they could see that a steel gate was drawn.
The mob advanced closer.
For the first time, Jack had a foreboding feeling of doom. Through the reflection he saw the undead were not far from them. It would be a matter of seconds before they were overtaken.
Just then the glass broke, the gate slid to the side and the door opened.
“Hurry,” the young man urged them as he held open the door.
Jack and Garrick slid inside and the young man, shutting and locking the door, slid the gate closed.
The young man apologizing said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think they were on your … is that a baby?”
Garrick nodded. “Yeah, it is.” He looked over his shoulder.
Jack peered back. So many undead bombarded the door he wondered how long it would be until they broke in.
“Doc’s gonna have to drop another.” The young man led them down the empty hall. “We’ll have to get up top to be at a safe distance.” He pressed the elevator button. “We still have power.”
“So Dr. Dodds is here?” Jack asked.
The young man nodded. “He is. This way. Are you guys the rescue party?”
Jack replied. “Yes we are.”
“Not very many of you,” the young man said as the elevator lifted.
“No worries,” Jack said. “We have a chopper coming.”
“Hope it’s big.”
Before Jack could ask why the young man made such a statement, he saw.
Stepping from the elevator, they weren’t just greeted with the sight of another hall, they were greeted with the sight of a large crowd of young people.
<><><><>
Jack surmised the question: “Is that a baby?” would be asked often and he had to get used to it. There had to have been a hundred college students in the hallway of the twentieth floor.
Many of them commented about the baby. Even Christopher Dodds did the second he saw the child; but, before anything else, he examined the baby. The child, Jack learned, was a boy. He was no older than a month.
Dodds said the child was dehydrated and jerry rigged a bottle. He wrapped the finger portion of a rubber glove around the tip if a pop top water bottle. It would have to do until Jack got the baby to Cleveland.
Dr. Dodds or Doc as the students referred to him, looked like a throwback from the 1960’s and he wasn’t even old. His long graying hair was pulled into a ponytail and strands dangled in his face. He was a thin looking man, with a worn face.
He walked to the locked cabinet across the lab, opened it and pulled out a metal case a foot long. After punching in a code, he lifted the lid.
“Whoa. Whoa. Wait.” Garrick exclaimed backing away with the baby. “Is that the weapon? Should it be out in the open like that?”
Dodds smiled. “Man, you think I’m that dumb.” He lifted a pellet; it looked like a gumball from a machine. “This casing isn’t easily broken and must drop at least 100 feet for it to weaken enough to crack and release the vapor. This little thing can take out a square mile.” He walked to the lab door and called out. “Hawkins, everyone accounted for?”
“Yeah, Doc.” A young male voice replied.
Dodds shut the door and walked to the window. “Wanna make sure the students aren’t anywhere near ground level.” Without missing a beat, he walked to the window and peered out. “Nice gathering. The first time I used one of these, there was actually a group, protesting the treatment of the undead. Can you believe that? Protesters! Then the undead descended on them and I had to use the pellet.” Then, with a deep sigh, he dropped it. “Give it a minute.”
Jack wasn’t going to miss it and he flew to the window like an excited kid. There wasn’t really a visual vapor, no sound, just undead who went from reaching out and moaning, to just falling down. They struggled a bit not realizing what happened. They kept going until their bodies melted onto the grass mixing with the previous remains.
“Wow, that’s fast,” Jack said.
“Yes, very,” Dodds answered. “In the immediate vicinity it is almost instant. Thirty to forty-five seconds. If you’re distributing a wide area, it takes up to five minutes maybe a bit more.” He returned to the case, shut the lid and handed it to Jack. “Code is 122579. Easy to remember Christmas, 79. There are eighteen remaining. Use them with caution. I kept three.”
“Wait a second,” Jack said. “You aren’t going?”
“There are close to a hundred students here. I can’t leave them.”
“But we need more than eighteen pellets. They are counting on you to make more.”
Dodds shook his head. “I can’t go. It isn’t right.”
“We can’t save these kids and give them a future with eighteen pellets. Doc, please.” Jack beckoned. “I will send back for them. I promise. Leave them a means of communication and in a day we’ll come back. Send a Chinook for the first group.”
Dodds stared at him.
“I give you my word,” Jack said with sincerity. “If I have to come here myself to get them out, I will. But for right now, please. Come with us.”
/> The baby cooed loudly at that moment and Dodds looked at the child, then Garrick, then to Jack.
<><><><>
North Carolina
Lil had to get it together. She simply had to. But she was an emotional mess and was having a hard time figuring out what she should do. The safe feeling became like a rug swept out from under her. The fortress was supposed to be impenetrable.
She swore her heart was beating so fast it would pound out of her chest and she’d die.“It’s okay, sweetie, it’s okay,” Irma kissed the boy, rocking as she sat in a chair. “YaYa is here. Lil?”
Lil spun around from the desk.
“Are you okay?”
“No.” Lil shook her head. “I’m a mess and I’m not thinking clearly right now. Steve … Steve …”
Irma closed her eyes tight. “He was a good man. He knew. He knew if he chanced coming in here they’d come in too. He didn’t want them in here. Rats are crafty; they can sneak through the smallest space.”
It was at that second, staring at Irma, looking at innocent Jerry and hearing her words that Lil snapped to.
Tight space.
“Fuck, the vents!” She pulled over a chair, and standing on it, reached for the ceiling. Not only did she close the vent but she shifted the plastic seal over it. Moving the chair, she did the same to the other vent as well.
The room wasn’t big. Eight by eight, not including the packed shelves. Shelves that had oxygen, food, water.
“Alright,” Lil exhaled. “Vents are closed. There are no windows. We’re good.”
“Are we in an airtight box, Lil?”
“For the time being, but we have oxygen. We’re good. Eventually, like all animals, they’ll move on. Especially if they can’t smell us.” Lil peered up to the scratching sound.
“What was that?” Irma asked. “I thought you sealed the room.”
“I did, but the duct work isn’t sealed.” Her breath shivered. “We just have to think.”
“Phones?” Irma asked. “Do you have your phone? I have mine. Can we call for help?”
Both women pulled out their phones.
Lil cringed. “Mine’s dead. Damn it.” She tossed the phone down.
“I don’t have a signal.” Irma stated.
“Probably won’t get one in here.” Lil, hands on hips, turned left and right. Then she saw it. A land line phone. Immediately she ran for it and lifted the receiver. “I got static, but a dial tone.” She set down the receiver.
Irma was on her feet and moving around the room, holding her phone. “I’m still not getting anything. Can we dial out on that phone? Even if it’s a bad connection.”
Lil bit her lip. “We can. But I have no clue what number to dial. I am such a product of technology, I never remember numbers.”
“I do.” Irma rushed to the phone. “Saully had the same phone since they first came out. Oh, look it’s a rotary phone.” Irma handed Jerry to Lil and lifted the receiver and dialed. “I forgot how tedious this was.” After she had finished, she placed the phone to her ear. “Still a lot of static. But ringing. It’s ringing. Saul!” Irma’s glance shifted toward Lil. “Saul … thank God. Yes. Saul. Listen … I know you can’t hear me, so I’ll repeat. Help us. Help ... us... We’re surrounded. Send help as fast as …” Irma cringed. “Saul? Saul?” She hung up. “Dead.” Her eyes raised up to the ceiling. “I’m betting our rodent friends got to the line.”
“You’re so calm,” Lil stated. “How can you be so calm?”
Irma took Jerry into her arms. “What choice do I have? Should this child need to see me upset? No. We’ll stay calm Lil. Saul heard me. Help will be here.” Irma walked to the chair and sat back down. “It’s just a matter of when.”
Chapter Twenty—Nine
Pittsburgh, PA
“Is that a baby?” asked the co-pilot of the helicopter.
Jack wanted to say, “No, you asshole, what the fuck do you think it is?” but he refrained.
“It needs bundled and ears blocked,” the pilot instructed. “Noise is too much.”
Garrick nodded. “How the hell do I block its ears?”
“Here.” Dodds handed him a piece of paper from his pocket. “Plug his ears with this.”
“Thank you,” Garrick said. “And thank you for coming along.”
Holding the box, Dodds stepped into the chopper, but paused to look at Jack. “It was his eyes that assured me these students won’t be forgotten.”
“And they won’t,” Jack replied looking back at the building with the students. As he prepared to help Garrick onboard, his phone rang. He grabbed it and looked down. “Saul.” He answered it. “Saul … hey, all secure. Ready to head back. I’ll be seeing you soon.”
“Things have changed, Jack,” Saul said. “We have problems.”
Jack stepped away from the bird and listened to Saul.
<><><><>
London, England
Lucille had emotionally and verbally battled for nearly two days straight. She had met with the heads of state from twenty four countries. A unanimous vote had to be achieved. At first it was divided, and then the numbers shifted until finally, she was the only voice and vote that opposed the decision. Her heart was breaking. Even though it was out of her hands, she felt she could have done something. Anything.
The outbreak was out of control and it was only out of control in all of North America, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
She argued that as long as no physical contact was made, as long as no one went in and out of the country, then it as no threat to them.
The other heads of state disagreed. With so much disease, who was to say it wouldn’t mutate, and something as simple as a bird, couldn’t carry it to a nearby ship or country.
Action had to be taken; the human race was at stake. Finally, Lucille gave in on a condition. Three days. She wanted three more days to see if she heard anything from the United States.
Granted Canada and Mexico both reported being buried in the problem, there was nothing from America. Perhaps, they had a solution. Perhaps not. Three days. Lucille had three days to get in touch with the States. The clock was ticking. If she heard nothing or the situation wasn’t being controlled, then in three days the situation would be over. And the decision was that as a joint campaign venture, North America would be burned out.
<><><><>
Cleveland, Ohio
Saul wasn’t hopeful. He wasn’t confident. He was scared. Irma didn’t cry, didn’t sound desperate, she sounded strong. Despite the fact the connection was bad, he heard the words ‘help’ and ‘surrounded’
Medical duties be damned, Saul contacted Stilton. What could they do? If it was conceivable Saul would have driven to the fortress himself.
And before he called Jack, Saul was able to put together a plan and set it in motion. Stilton said he could fuel a Chinook for the rescue, in fact, he could have sent one out right away, but the problem was no one except Garrick knew the exact location of the Fortress.
So as soon as Jack and Garrick landed at the air base, they’d fly directly out to get Irma, Lil, Jerry and Steve.
Jack assured him once more that the fortress building had high concrete walls. That helped Saul some. Even if the building was surrounded with the living dead, they couldn’t get through the concrete walls.
It was simply a matter of time and he prayed that Irma and Jerry just held on a little more. Hours. Just a few more hours. He took a moment, had a glass of juice, and readied himself to return to his volunteer patient. He wanted to monitor him personally.
As he grabbed his pen, a weird tremor hit Saul’s hand. His middle finger and thumb shook out of control and a tingle shot up his arm. He squeezed his hand into a fist, and when he did, the healing bite wound pulled some. The feeling subsided, and Saul lifted the pen.
His head hurt and the lights were bothering his eyes. He had been up far too long and was under a lot of stress. Walking down the hall to the observation room, Saul heard the calm
ing sound of the steady heart monitor. It beeped perfectly. At least the volunteer was strong.
He paused at the desk to check out the vitals. Heartbeat, good; BP, normal; oxygen level, good. Respiration was a little fast, but that was too be expected. Lewis was probably nervous.
He moved to the window to peek inside. The bed was empty. Where was Lewis?
No sooner did he think that ... Slam. Palms first and flush, Lewis smacked against the glass. He hit it again. Wires still attached. He stood there staring at Saul.
His eyes were a gray green, missing the pupil. His skin color was nearly white but the blue veins were predominant and pulsed outwards. The inside of his mouth had deepened in color and Lewis slowly gnawed on the window.
Then Lewis stopped, hit his hands again, locked eyes with Saul with a frighteningly bizarre and sinister smile.
“My God,” Saul whispered. “What have I done?”
<><><><>
North Carolina
“This is not how I wanted to die,” Irma said calmly. “Nor he.”
“Yeah, me either.” Lil sighed out. “But no one says we have to die.”
Irma kept her hand on Jerry’s face. They didn’t worry about the oxygen in the room. Tiny chew holes appearing in the ceiling and around the sealed vent limited their time.
“Are they still out there?” Irma asked.
Lil nodded. Not that she had to answer. Not that Irma had to ask. The sound of them, squealing, scratching, biting was so loud. They didn’t need a camera. But they looked anyhow, on the outside chance the rats had only moved into the walls. As far as she could see into the living area, they were there. Outside, she didn’t know. The cameras were black. Only a hint of sun peeked through here and there. That told her the entire building was covered and so were the cameras.
“Oh God.” Irma groaned in a whisper. She looked up.
Lil did to. Three or four tails dangled down, and from another hole, tooth filled mouths worked hard to eat a way in.
Zombie Battle (Book 4): War Page 7