The Azrael: Surviving the Outbreak

by Jesse Gagnon

  Sparks flew immediately and Isabel and Javiero found themselves in a hotel that night. Isabel had never gone to bed with someone that soon before, but it just felt right. She knew that he was leaving for Vietnam so maybe that was why she did it so quickly. They kept in close contact via letters for months. After three months she told him that she was pregnant and he was ecstatic. He told her that after this tour he would be getting out to settle down with them. Mario was born on March 9th 1972. She sent pictures to him. After weeks of more letters and pictures delivered the letters were returned unopened. She contacted his unit’s commanding officer and the only thing he told her was that he was missing in action. His body was never recovered and no information about capture was ever released. Isabel stayed in the same house hoping that he would come back one day. When Mario entered the Special Forces he tried to look into his father’s disappearance. He found nothing to prove he was killed, captured or left the country of Vietnam.

  Mario looked at the green algae covered pond and wondered if his father’s body was laid to rest in a place similar to this pond.

  Clip stepped outside and dismissed his guards. He sat next to Mario and spoke. “So you’ve brought change in LSD Mario. José was an asshole who was blinded by an idea that we could hide from the Azrael. He was a fool to think that things wouldn’t change. I was tired of hiding like some bitch, dude. I want to fight those fuckers. You’re a warrior, holmes. You’re making a difference out there. LSD can make a difference again. We may have been killing each other over turf and shit before all this craziness happened, but we protected those that lived in our kingdom. We bled for our family, holmes. LSD or not, you are protected in our kingdom. You are family, esé. If you ever need anything, we’ll be here. We’re getting rid of that fucking zombie pool and placing traps in the woods. Your shit was tight. Anyway, we’ll be here.” Clip said grabbing Mario’s hand and pulling in for a bro hug.

  “Same here Clip. If you need anything, we’ll be in the Chicago Central District. It should be safer there if you want to come now.” Mario said.

  “I’m good. This is my kingdom now. I think I’ll rule it for a bit.” Clip said with a smile and walked inside.

  John, Savanna, Taliah and Samson exited with their backpacks loaded and ready to go ten minutes later. They followed Ogden to West Roosevelt Road with very little Azrael encounters. They approached the Roosevelt Gate and were interrogated by the guards. John and Savanna provided their Highwaymen identification cards and introduced their guests. They were on a list that the guards had posted at the guard shack and were let in without issue. They reached South Desplaines Street and travelled north heading for the Highwaymen Station. They entered the building exhausted and in need of a shower. Timothy Yuen met them at the door and John introduced Mario and Taliah. He provided them with a voucher to stay at the Highwaymen Suites along with two bowls for the dog. Instructions on the cleansing and debrief were discussed and scheduled for later that afternoon. Living in normality was foreign to Mario and Taliah, but it was appreciated for once. The Azrael have taken so much from everyone these days. It’s time to take it back.

  CHAPTER 24

  JASON’S RETURN

  The landline phone in Jason’s apartment rang. He was not doing well. He spent a good portion of his monthly Highwaymen pension credits buying moonshine from the local brewery. He was heavily intoxicated, belligerent and saddened by the mystery that involved his sister and wife. The phone rang ten times before it went silent. He just stared at the phone, lost in thought, reminiscing a time when life was simple. He thought of his wife Jessica and how much joy she had brought him over the past year. He was sober for six months up until she left with Giselle to Mount Carroll. He thought of how disappointed she would be if she saw him drunk like this and he tossed the bottle of corn liquor at the wall breaking it into pieces.

  “Why the hell did you go out there Jessica? Why?” Jason said engrossed in sadness and intoxication. He thought of Giselle when she was a little girl before mom and dad split. He thought of a day when he stepped in to check some punk who tried to push his sister. They were at some park, he couldn’t remember the name of it, but it had a massive playground with slides and ladders. The boy didn’t want Giselle to go down the slide he was using and pushed her into the wall and she fell down. The boy was much larger than Jason and older, but Jason climbed up onto the bridge that led to the slide and tackled the boy down the slide. They slid down and hit the ground. He remembered how mad he was and how surprised the boy was when he was punching him in the face. That little pussy cried like a bitch until his mother yanked him off of her son. She dug her nails into his arms and threatened him. Of course his parents weren’t around. They snuck off to the playground so it was his word against the boy who was bleeding and crying next to his mother. He lied and said that Jason just tackled him and attacked him for no reason. She dragged Jason away to a bench where her purse was, picked up her cell phone and called the police. She told them that a boy assaulted her son. They showed up and took him and Giselle back home. He remembered the ass beating he got that night. He also remembered that Giselle tried to explain that he stuck up for her, but her broken English was incomprehensible.

  The phone rang again and Jason focused on the phone and the cadence of the ring. Fuck it, he answered the phone.

  “Jason Stone.”

  “Mr. Stone, this is the Highwaymen Station. We have good news.”

  “You’ve found them?”

  “Giselle has arrived at the Highwaymen Station.”

  “Jessica? Was she with Jessica?”

  “I’m sorry Jason. She was with a teenage boy and another young boy. Jessica was not with her. She’s being treated for severe dehydration but she’s responding well to the treatment and should be up and moving any moment now. She’s at the Franklin Clinic.” Timothy Yuen said. The Franklin Clinic used to be a law office and apartment building that was across from the Greyhound Station. Cynthia Franklin set up a clinic there to treat Highwaymen for their injuries when they came back.

  Cynthia Franklin was killed by a junkie who was sent there for cleansing. He noticed the stash of pharmaceuticals she was searching through to treat a patient that needed morphine. He snuck behind her jabbing his knife in her throat and covered her mouth so she wouldn’t make a noise. A few minutes later her body was discovered and the missing drugs were found on his body two rooms over. He was dead from a morphine overdose. The clinic was named in her honor and new security measures were taken to prevent future incidents. The cleansing process was relocated and new residences to the Chicago District Colonies that were found beyond the walls were taken to the decontamination floor, now the top level, for cleansing. It was a very invasive process that involved stripping them down to their birthday suits. They were inspected in great detail by a doctor of the same sex. After passing a physical examination several shots were given to help prevent any further outbreaks of common illnesses that could lead to death or severe sicknesses.

  “What do you mean Jessica isn’t with her? She left with her. Where is she?”

  “Unfortunately, Jason I do not know the answer to that question. Speak with Giselle when you get here, I’m sure she has the answers you need. She’s been sleeping since she arrived at the clinic. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you. Take care, Jason.” Timothy said and hung up the phone.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” Jason asked himself. He dropped the phone on the table and the spiral cord pulled it back towards the phone base. He walked to the bathroom and started a bath. He retrieved a comfortable set of clothes and pulled out his shaving kit. He thought of Jessica and how particular she was at folding clothes. He rubbed his fingers across the neatly folded stack of clothes he placed on the bathroom counter. He remembered watching her fold them and broke into tears. He fell to a knee and wept like a child. He banged his fist on the counter and looked at himself in the mirror. He had a thick beard and his eyes were red. He noticed tears forming in his eye
s and watched as they ran down his face and beaded up as they pooled into his beard. He soothed himself and washed up. He shaved, dressed and headed for the exit. A photo of Jessica, Giselle and himself was on the wall by the front door. They seemed happy in the picture. He noticed the resemblance he had to his sister and smiled.

  “I’m coming to get ya lil’ sis.” He said to the photo and walked out of his apartment.

  BRIEF BACKGROUND HISTORY OF CHARACTERS

  In Order of Appearance

  Dr. Joseph Schwinn: He is a Jewish Medical Virologist whose expertise in the anatomy of viruses and their effects on the human body is renowned worldwide. His research was published in science textbooks across all major colleges while other studies were accredited to discovering hidden genetic information that viruses contain. When the virus outbreak occurred he worked at BioTech Industries, but was later released for lack of progress.

  Bilal Nazir: He was the original carrier of the Azrael virus. He was injected with the virus when ISIS purchased the biological weapon from an unknown source to infect the United States. He was promised that his family would be compensated greatly for his sacrifice.

  John Masterson: He’s an original member of the Highwaymen who travels along with Savanna Samuels. His rough personality and tough exterior is attributed from his rough childhood. When he was in his early twenties he was an amateur boxer, but quit two years into it to take care of his dying mother. She eventually surrendered to pneumonia. Her immune system had already been compromised by the HIV virus. The Scavenger Program was John’s way to help others who were suffering from another virus. He met Savanna six months after joining. She was assigned to John due to her tough personality by Simon Killbrook.

  Savanna Samuels: She’s a pretty thirty four year old woman barely five feet tall with curves in all the right places. She grew up in Pittsburgh along with five older brothers. They were all avid Steelers fans and she adopted their love for the sport. She moved to Chicago chasing a job opportunity to manage a chain of Outdoor and Sporting Goods Stores called Sports King. When the outbreak finally hit Chicago she managed to survive locked inside one of the mega facilities in the Central District. She had locked herself in the back room with cases of canned foods, gallons of water, ammunition and her Berretta that her oldest brother bought her when she moved to Chicago. Another man was in there with her, but he left to find and take care of his wife and young children at home. He never made it out of the store alive, as a human that is. She was later rescued by a roving Highwaymen unit tasked with scavenging the store. She joined the Highwaymen and was paired with John after her training two months later.

  Mario Cortez: Mario joined the U.S. Army when he was eighteen, right out of high school. His mother wanted him to join up to avoid being pulled into the local gang activities. His father was a combat medic in the army as well, so it was also following in the footsteps of his old man. Although he never actually met his father, through the letters sent to his mother and by her stories about the man, he seemed like a great guy. His outstanding Physical Fitness Test (PFT) score earned him an army ranger contract. After successfully completing training and after five years of raids, ambushes, and airfield seizures by land, sea, or by air he was approached by the Green Berets. His drive to become a better soldier was driven by the last letter he received from his mother before her death not long before his invitation to try out for the Green Beret program. Through harsh failures and small victories Mario successfully completed his training and was quickly introduced to smaller squads and more missions involving very little intelligence and even less support. On his last mission, he was separated from his team and had to deal with several armed highly trained terrorists in Syria with only his knife and his bare hands. He later discovered after completing the mission that his team’s location had been compromised and they were killed during torturous interrogations. Their bodies were found mutilated in a room below the floor where he killed 27 terrorists alone. He requested a transfer to an army base in Missouri after post-traumatic stress disorder was a concern by his command. He revealed very little emotion about the mission, but he did mourn his fallen brothers in his own way. His new job was supposed to be a transitional position to help prepare him for a normal life. He gave basic combat training to new soldiers joining the army. He was a few months from retiring after 26 years of service when the outbreak happened.

  Taliah: She is a 16 year old girl with lots of spunk. Although taken hostage several times, she still maintained her resolve with each attempt at her life. Her African American and Native American heritage explains her sassiness and aids in her ethnic beauty. Her renewed grasp on life was sparked when Mario saved her from a horrible place. Although only sixteen, her influences over Mario’s decisions have put him in danger. Samson, Taliah’s dog, has adopted her as a new owner and would risk everything to keep her safe. Mario and Samson have a tough job ahead of them.

  Simon Killbrook: He is a 6’11 massive athlete born from giants. His father was 6’5 and his mother was 6’1. Although he was a natural athlete, his G.P.A. was the top of his class and he graduated valedictorian of his high school in Georgia. He was especially interested in Science. The vast amount of information that is still to be discovered always intrigued Simon. He also displayed a natural leadership quality among his teammates at Florida State University, taking on mentoring the junior classmen on the football team. This leadership quality spilled over into the zombie world as he took over the Highwaymen Project. As the organization developed, he found key qualities in individuals and utilized their skills to better serve the Highwaymen. Years later, the president of the Highwaymen still provided pivotal observational information about the Azrael. A story of Simon carrying several injured Highwaymen to safety for miles with a broken knee has been circling around for years.

  Kevin Strude and Antonio Tuccione: They were cousins that joined the Highwaymen at its inception and were a part of the first team to be called Highwaymen. Antonio actually talked his cousin into joining the Scavenger Program in hopes to eventually venture out beyond the walls. He hoped to visit their hometown to see if anyone survived or if there was anything there worth bringing to Chicago. Kevin was content just living his days doing maintenance on the walls that surrounded the Districts. He worked for a construction company before the outbreak laying concrete and building walls. However, he wanted to stay with his cousin in hopes to keep him safe. Kevin was extremely sensitive to anything with an odor and refrained from wearing the masking agent most of the time or diluted the concentration drastically when he did wear it. It eventually was the cause of his death.

  Giselle Johnson: Giselle was raised in two households. At first she lived with her mother and father struggling to make ends meet. Her father constantly drank and slept with other women. She’s extremely close with her older brother who often protected her from the struggles of growing up poor. When her mother and her father split, she stayed with her mother and her brother Jason stayed with his father. She was later adopted by her stepfather Austin Johnson, the sheriff of Carroll County. She was already tough and stubborn like her father but Austin smoothed out her finesse and taught her how to defend herself with her hands, her mind and a pistol. He strongly believed in the American right to bear arms and in the importance of self-defense. This cross training released a true survivor from within Giselle. Her will to live and overcome any situation thrown at her reveals the massive amount of resolve that she has within herself. Now infected with the virus, her body has become even tougher than it was before. Her senses have been enhanced dramatically along with her ability to heal from her wounds. However, what has she become? What will she discover from the Veil of the Five Daggers?

  Jason Stone: Jason’s alcoholism and womanizing characteristics are not far from his father’s own recipe for relationship disaster. However, Jessica has brought change out of Jason. Her bubbly personality and impatience kept her constantly driving Jason to do better. His passion was learning how things worked.
He constantly read books about how things operated and how to make things better. He studied electronics and computer science while dabbling in weapon designs. He was amazed at how basic ballistic weapons were and how easy it was to create bombs that he soon found himself blowing up shit half the time. He actually designed the Highwaymen Singer which whistled and shot out brightly colored fireworks that would keep a herd’s attention for several minutes. Those grenades were used at the Paul Simon Job Corps facility to draw several herds away from it. He was in a pickup truck dropping a grenade every thirty seconds, slowly leading them away from the city of Chicago. A super-herd was created and pulled away towards the northwest. After a few months of pulling more Azrael away from the Mega Safe House, a lot of work was completed by thirty plus workers to establish a facility that could power distant safe houses and provide a central station to bring survivors found out beyond the gates.