by Chesla, Gary
Larsen settled for just listening to the sounds coming from out in front of the hospital.
The sound of gunfire had intensified, but that wasn’t the only sound he heard.
An eerie groaning sound filled the air.
When a loud commotion out in front of the hospital got the attention of the MP guarding the front door, he opened the door to take a look outside.
A wave of the four odor that had filled the entire third floor flooded into the lobby.
Larsen had considered the story the receptionist had told him to be just be a cover story meant to conceal the real reason for all the activity at the hospital.
But with the sounds and smell, Larsen now realized that what was happening didn’t have anything to do with Johnson.
It all might have started out to be about Johnson, but something bigger was now happening.
If it was what he thought, it meant more than ever that he had to get out of the hospital and fast.
It was inconceivable, but what had happened on the outside, to the entire country, was now happening to Cheyenne Mountain.
Where could he run to escape what no one else had been able to escape, what the President came to Cheyenne Mountain to escape? Larsen had no idea, all he knew was that if he was even going to be able to stand a chance, he had to get out of here.
As Larsen thought about what was going on, an idea came to him.
It was a long shot, but so were his chances of surviving.
“No time to sit and analyze my chances,” Larsen thought as he turned and ran back the hall towards Johnson’s room. “It’s just do it or he knew he would die.”
Larsen ran back the hallway until he came to the laundry cart that sat outside of Johnson’s room.
He opened the top and dug around in the cart until he found two pair of scrubs.
He pulled out the scrubs and ran into Johnson’s room.
“Johnson, get up,” Larsen yelled.
Johnson slid the blankets down off his face, opened his eyes and looked at Larsen.
“I thought it was another MP,” Johnson said. “They have been passing by my door every few minutes. I’ve been pretending to be asleep for so long, I think I was actually starting to fall asleep.”
“Here, put these on,” Larsen said urgently. “We have to move, you won’t believe all the shit going on out there.”
“Maybe we should just stay here,” Johnson replied. “This has been working so far and it has been easier than I thought. I don’t think they will be looking for me in here anymore.”
“I don’t think they are looking for you,” Larsen replied.
“Then who are they looking for?” Johnson asked.
“Move Johnson,” Larsen said. “This place could be crawling with the infected any minute.”
“Crawling with what?” Johnson asked.
“I think some of the doctors working on the third floor became infected,” Larsen said as he pulled on the scrubs. “They must have gone back to their barracks, died and turned into one of those walking dead things and attacked the others at their barracks. All hell is breaking loose outside.”
“Shit,” Johnson replied as he began to get dressed. “It serves them right, the bastards.”
“But it seems like it is spreading all through the facility now,” Larsen said. “There is all kind of gun fire sounding outside around the hospital. If it was just the medical team being affected, I would agree with you, but it’s going to take us all out.”
“Where the hell can we go?” Johnson asked.
“Anywhere but here is all I know,” Larsen replied as he moved over to the door and looked out into the hallway.
“How are these scrubs going to help us?” Johnson asked.
“I have an idea,” Larsen replied. “No one is allowed in or out of the hospital. I think wearing these scrubs we might be able to get out.”
Larsen led Johnson out into the hallway and began walking towards the front of the hospital.
“When we get to the front door, I need you to do all the talking. The MP there will recognize me if I try to talk,” Larsen said.
“What am I going to say?” Johnson asked.
“This is what I want you to do,” Larsen replied and explained to Johnson what they were going to do. “Now when we get out front, walk quickly towards the door like we expect to walk straight out the door without anyone trying to stop us.”
OK,” Johnson replied.
When they reached the lobby, both men picked up their pace and headed for the door.
As expected, the big MP moved to block the way.
“Will you please get out of our way,” Johnson said. “We have an emergency.”
“No one is allowed in or out of the hospital, Captain’s orders.”
“The Captain needs us right away,” Johnson replied. “Now move.”
“I can’t do that,” the MP replied giving them an evil stare.
“The Captain has been injured,” Johnson replied. “Do you want to call command and explain to them why you are detaining us, or do you want me to make the call?”
The big MP looked surprised, Johnson could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
“The Captain could die if we don’t get over there,” Johnson said sternly. “If he does, I don’t think I would want to be you.”
The MP looked uncertain, but finally relented, “Go on, I hope the Captain will be OK.”
“So do we,” Johnson replied as he and Larsen ran out the door.
“That worked well,” Johnson started to say, but stopped and started to look down the street that ran in front of the hospital. Bodies were staggering down the street everywhere. The infected were crawling over those that hadn’t been unable to get out of their way, biting and tearing the flesh from their bodies.
The smell of death was overwhelming.
The groaning sounds that had filled the street became quiet as Johnson and Larsen stood and stared at the carnage that filled the street.
Then the dead eyes of the infected began to turn their attention towards Johnson and Larsen, the new, fresh flesh on the street.
Then almost as one, the dead began to move towards them.
“This way,” Larsen yelled as he began to run towards the corner of the hospital.
“Where the hell are we going?” Johnson yelled back as he followed.
“We need to go between the buildings and get off the main road,” Larsen replied. “Maybe we can get out of sight and loose them behind the hospital.”
They quickly darted around the corner of the hospital until they reached the smaller street that ran behind the row of buildings where the hospital was located.
Out back there were fewer of the infected, but they were still here too and soon noticed Johnson and Larsen’s presence.
“They’re coming after us just like the ones out front,” Johnson said. “It reminds me of what I saw down at the power plant. Bennet said the only way to stop them is to shoot them in the head. We need to get our hands on a gun.”
“There are hundreds of them, it’s almost like the entire base has been infected,” Larsen said. “Even if we could find a gun, we would run out of ammo and be overrun before we could stop them all.”
“That’s what Bennet said,” Johnson replied. “He said that was how his unit was overrun. What can we do, we can’t stay here much longer?”
“Yeah, you’re right, we can’t stay back here,” Larsen replied. “Our only chance is to get out of this area and get out in the tunnel. I think if we go between the mess hall and the supply depot, we can make a run for the security barrier and get out there. If we secure the barrier door behind us, we might have a chance to get out of the facility.”
“Then what?” Johnson asked.
“Then we will at least have a fighting chance,” Larsen replied. “That is something we won’t have if we stay here much longer.”
“OK, your ideas have been good so far,” Johnson replied. “You lead the way and I’ll f
ollow you.”
“Stay close,” Larsen said. “We’re going around the mess hall.”
Larsen began to run as the infected on the back street around them closed in.
The sounds from the infected that were out front could be heard coming between the buildings and soon they too began to flood down the street towards Larsen and Johnson.
Larsen made a quick left to go down the space between the mess hall and the supply depot.
The space between the buildings was only about six feet wide, but easily wide enough for the two men to pass through.
The infected behind them began to battle each other to follow the men between the buildings as they all crowded together at the small entrance leading into the narrow corridor.
As Larsen and Johnson approached the opening at the other end of the two buildings, Larsen stopped as six silhouettes began to move between the buildings, blocking the way out.
Larsen began to shout,” We can’t go back, there are too many behind us. Our only chance is to push our way out through the ones in front of us. Get behind me and push like hell and don’t stop fighting until we get out the other side.”
Larsen and Johnson began to run.
Johnson put his hands on Larsen’s back, ready to add his weight to Larsen’s so they could knock the infected out of the way and get out from between the buildings before the mob behind them caught them from behind.
They ran into the infected five feet from the end of the buildings.
Larsen, Johnson and the infected all tumbled to the ground a few feet past the end of the buildings in one big pile of bodies.
Larsen and Johnson began to fight against the bodies on top of them, kicking and punching until Johnson was able to get the last of the bodies off him so he could struggle to his feet.
As he stood, he frantically tried to see where Larsen went.
He glanced around the back of the buildings to see if Larsen was running towards the barrier, but he didn’t see him.
The mob that had been chasing them out in front of the hospital was now starting to come out from between the buildings.
It was then that Johnson saw Larsen and the reason Johnson had been able to get up without the infected, that they had just fought through, continuing to attack him.
Larsen’s unmoving body was still on the ground under the six infected monsters, being torn apart only ten feet from Johnson’s feet.
Johnson felt sick, but if wanted to live, he had to leave what was left of his buddy behind and run for his life.
Johnson, half in shock, turned and began to run from the mob that was intent on catching him.
He had only taken a few steps, when he tripped and fell to the ground from the pain in his legs.
Johnson sat up at looked at his legs, it was then he saw the blood running from the oval shaped bite marks that ran up and down his legs.
As he reached out to examine the wounds on his legs, he also saw the bloody sleeves on his shirt.
“Oh Shit,” Johnson thought as he remembered what Bennet had said. “If one of them bites you, you become one of them.”
Johnson knew it was over, he was going to die.
But as he looked at Larsen having his flesh ripped from his bones by the infected, then looked at the approaching dead that was almost on him, Johnson decided if he was going to die, he was going to die his way.
“These bastards aren’t going to tear me apart if I can help it,” he thought.
Johnson struggled to his feet, looked around, then limped over to the dumpsters behind the mess hall.
He pried up the lid and crawled inside the dumpster, letting the lid clang shut as he tumbled to the bottom of the garbage filled bin.
The infected began to pound on the dumpster, the sound would have driven any sane person crazy.
But Johnson didn’t hear the sound any longer, or at least it only sounded as a faint sound in the background of his mind.
Johnson closed his eyes, then everything went black.
He could no longer feel his arms or legs or the pain he had felt a few moments ago.
Johnson no longer heard or thought about anything as his mind and body shut down.
Chapter 14
August 12th, Cheyenne Mountain.
Ed rushed up the stairs, as he reached the second floor, Mason stopped firing and looked at Ed.
“There were only two of them up here,” Mason said.
Ed looked at the two dead walkers lying on the floor, their brains splattered on the wall, then he looked at the Blood running down Mason’s arm.
“Mason, how are you feeling?” Ed asked.
“Like shit, but we don’t have time to worry about how I feel,” Mason replied. “We have to find a way to get you out of here before I become one of them and you are on your own.”
“How could this happen?” Ed asked.
“I thought we all knew at this point,” Mason replied as he scanned the room and listened to the groaning outside the building.
“What I mean is, how could the walkers still be here like this,” Ed asked. “All the other walkers everywhere we’ve been have rotted apart and stopped moving around. How are these walkers still active and how the hell were they able to sneak up on us like this? Why weren’t we able to smell them when we first came into the tunnel?”
“I could kick myself,” Mason replied. “I should have seen this coming.”
“How?” Ed asked.
“Back at the airport when the men went out to get fuel for the turbo prop, so we could make this trip,” Mason sighed. “They were attacked by a group of walkers that had been underground down in the sewage system or subway system at the airport. Doc said they had been preserved by the cool air underground. I should have suspected this when we first came into the tunnel and that blast of cool fresh air hit us. The temperature in the tunnel is like being in a refrigerator and it must have preserved all these walkers after they had been infected.”
“Even so, how were they able to sneak up on us,” Ed asked. “Why didn’t we smell them until they were right on top of us?”
“The ventilation system,” Mason replied. “The ventilation system has been running for months, cleaning and filtering the air. The walkers haven’t been decaying as fast because of the cool air and what smell that did get into the air was quickly filtered out by the system.
When we started down the tunnel and found that abandoned control room, I should have suspected this and been ready for it. I’m sorry that I led us all right into the middle of this.”
“I’m sorry you got bit,” Ed said.
“No use worrying about it now since there isn’t anything we can do about it,” Mason replied. “All we can do is try to get out of here. It’s going to take both of us to get out of this. I can only hope the cool air will slow down the virus in my system until we can find a way out. I suggest we start now. I’ll do the best I can to get you out of this, but we should probably hurry up about it. I can’t guarantee how long I’ll be able to help you. If you see me start to turn, put a bullet in my head.”
“I don’t think I can do that, Mason,” Ed said.
“You will be doing me a favor,” Mason replied. “Don’t feel guilty about it, just do it, then run and don’t look back. I don’t know what or if the walkers can remember anything about who they are or what they are doing, but it has to be hell if they do. I don’t want to find out, I just want it to be over. I just want you to do me one more favor.”
“What’s that, Mason,” Ed asked.
“Don’t shoot me until I’ve turned,” Mason grinned painfully. “I am still hoping to have one last cold beer before I check out.”
“I’ll keep my eyes open for a cold beer,” Ed replied.
Mason walked over to one of the two windows on the second floor and looked down at the street in front of the building they were in.
“I don’t know how many were stationed here at Cheyenne Mountain, but I think they are all down there,” Mason said.
Ed walked over next to Mason and looked out the window.
“I think I see one of the walkers wearing a suit,” Ed said.
“Where?” Mason asked.
“Over to the back of the mob on the left-hand side,” Ed replied.
Mason looked to the left and began to laugh.
“Maybe this was all worth it for me live long enough to see this,” Mason said. “Be sure to tell the Doc we saw the President.”
Ed looked out the window again, “I’ll be damned.”
“Yeah, Doc will get a good chuckle when you tell him this one,” Mason said. “Tell him we finally saw a good politician. One that got what he deserved.”
Mason turned from the window and walked across the room and into the back room.
There were boxes stacked everywhere with labels on the side of each box.
“This must have been some kind of supply depot or storage building,” Mason said as he glanced at the labels as he walked towards the window on the back wall.
He approached the window from the side and looked down behind the building.
“It looks like most of the infected are out in front,” Mason said. “I think we might be able to slip out the back here and make a run for it before they know we are out of the building.”
“How do we get down there?” Ed asked as the sound of the front door crashing into the house and landing on the floor echoed up the stairs. “I don’t think I have enough ammo left to fight our way down the steps to find the back door.”
Mason walked back across the room, looking at the labels on the boxes until he found the one he was looking for.
Mason grabbed the box and tore off the tape that sealed the box then pulled out a long nylon yellow rope.
“We’re going out this window,” Mason said.
Mason then walked over to the top of the stairs and tossed the empty box down on top of the walkers that were struggling to climb the steps to get to the second floor with Mason and Ed.