by Kempf, Shaun
“I was close to the library, the Northeast corner. There’s a subway entrance just near there. I didn’t know if it would help or if there were zombies down there, but I saw a clear path, once I used a grenade. Two of my buddies were right on my tail. We knew it was a lost cause and figured it was all about self-preservation at that point. Apparently, the path wasn’t as clear as we thought we had made it. I was the only one to make it down into the subway.
“I had a couple infected follow me down, but my night vision goggles gave me the advantage and I was able to get away. Eventually, I came across other survivors and this underground city.”
“I’m sorry,” was all that Ben could think of saying.
“Look, I’m not telling you my story so you can feel sorry for me. Everyone’s got a story. That’s just the way of the world today. But the way that I’ve got you pegged is that you wouldn’t be in the army if this shit hadn’t hit the fan.”
“That’s true,” Ben responded, his curiosity peaked to know where Matt was taking this conversation.
“If,” Matt put emphasis on the word, “we get out of here. I’m not going back.”
“Wait, what?” Ben asked. He couldn’t understand why Matt would want to stay behind. It was possible that he had unfinished business, but that seemed unlikely. The only other possibility was that he was afraid of the repercussions of his actions during the battle at the library, but that didn’t seem like reason enough to stay behind in zombie infested New York.
“If you can get us out of here and back to civilization or whatever passes as civilization today, I’m not going back to the army. I’m done fighting for those bastards.”
“I don’t blame you. I won’t turn you over if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ben replied in all honesty.
“Didn’t figure you would, but what about your Captain?” Matt asked.
“I think, if we get out of here alive he’ll be after me. Besides, I think he’s been so focused on his ‘mission’ that he hasn’t even noticed you.”
“Thanks,” Matt said nodding his head, then he turned and walked away.
Ben watched him go. He wondered if he could just walk away from the army like that. Matt had been right, he would never have joined up if the infection hadn’t taken over the world. Still, joining up had given Ben and his team access to weapons, gear, and tech that they would have been lucky to come across wandering around in the infected zones. It had made their job so much easier, but they were also at the mercy of the army to do the missions that they selected, which hadn’t been bad until this one.
Ben knelt down by his pack, opened it up and dug deep down inside. He felt around until he found what he was looking for and pulled out his lucky ball cap. Ben pulled off his helmet and let it fall to the ground with a loud thud before putting his cap on his head. He adjusted it once with a quick shake. It felt good to have it back on his head. It was like a security blanket. A childish thought, perhaps, but he hadn’t been without his hat since the beginning.
It was really more than a lucky hat. His wife had given him the hat for his birthday after they had gotten engaged. He hadn’t expected it, he hadn’t expected anything for his birthday. They had gotten home from his favorite restaurant when she surprised him by giving him the wrapped box when she sat down next to him on the couch. He eyed the package suspiciously and then looked at her.
“Happy birthday,” she said as she smiled at him.
“You weren’t supposed to get me anything. That was our deal.”
“I know, but I just wanted to show you my gratitude for the ring,” she lifted her hand, the back of it facing Ben showing off the ring as if he hadn’t seen it before.
“You thanked me enough that night,” Ben said with a devilish grin.
“I know,” She said returning the smile. “I just wanted you to have something too. Come on. Open it.”
Ben tore at the paper and opened the box. The Green Bay Packer hat sat surrounded by white tissue paper. He loved it and was very grateful for the gift. After that, he wore the hat nearly every day where ever he went.
Now, so many years later, it was all he had left of her. He would wear the hat until it fell apart or he died.
“You know we’re in the frying pan now, right?” Michael’s voice brought him back to the chamber lost under New York City.
“How’s that?” he resumed going through his pack to get the things he had come here to get, which were mostly extra clips.
“No matter who Captain Perret really is, we’ve basically committed mutiny.”
“So, I’ve heard.”
“If we get out of here you’re not going to be able to get us out of this one.”
“I know,” Ben stood and faced Michael. “Let’s just focus on getting out of here,” Ben stuffed the extra clips for his weapon into available pockets on his uniform.
“Think we have a chance? A hundred yards are a long way to run and we have elderly among the survivors.”
“I figure we’ll put them in front. Let the slowest set the pace, at least through the tunnels. Then when we make a run for it, they’ll at least get a head start. If we’re lucky we’ll just create a cushion around them as the group as a whole makes it to the river.”
“And how to you plan on getting across the river?” Michael pointed out.
“Call Uber.”
“Okay, one, that was for car rides and two; that no longer exists.”
“Don’t you have any trust in me?”
“I will once you share your plan with me.”
Ben winked at Michael and started to trot off to help everyone pack up and get ready to leave. Michael was hot on his heels trying to get more information out of him.
EIGHTEEN
Static checked his pack again for the fifth time in the last ten minutes to ensure himself that he still had the radio and it was secure and unbroken. A man named John was leading him down one of the tunnels. He had been one of the scavengers of the underground city that they had discovered by pure accident. They were going to try to walk out of the city after being stranded when the helicopter they had ridden in on crashed. Static was certain that it was a long shot that they would make it out alive, especially after they were attacked as they made their way through the tunnels.
Then they had found the city and the zombies found the city and now Static was back in the tunnels with John to make their way back to the surface and to the top of a skyscraper.
Ben had come to him not long after the meeting in the Mayor’s office. Ben had been wearing his NFL cap. He hadn’t worn it since the start of the mission. Static couldn’t express, not that he would to Lieutenant, how much it meant to see him back in his cap. He wasn’t sure if Lieutenant knew it or not, but that cap had become a symbol of the team. The team had seen time and time again how, against all odds, Lieutenant got out of situations that no man should have been able to without getting more than a scratch or two. I guess it was their lucky cap. So, with all the tragedy and bad luck that the team had experienced so far on this mission, the hat back on his head made the hope in Static go off the charts.
“We’re here,” John said to Static bringing him back to the moment. They stood below a tube leading to a manhole cover above them.
“Aren’t there going to be Infected walking around up there?” Static asked.
“You bet there are,” John said, a crooked smile on his face. Static noticed more than one tooth was missing from John’s mouth.
“How are we going to get into the building?” Static asked, then continued before John could speak. “Without being eaten?”
“Don’t you worry,” John giggled. “Old John’s got a trick or two up his sleeve. You wait right here I’ll be right back.” Without another word, John took off down the dark tunnel leaving Static to stand there alone.
Static, even since the outbreak, never considered himself a jumpy kind of guy. There had been a few times since joining the Lone Rangers that he had gotten creeped out, but since their escape from
the last skyscraper, he’d felt on edge. Something had changed, but he couldn’t figure out what. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been in sticky situations before and they had always gotten out of those. Perhaps it had been the addition the Captain, but he was out of the way, at least temporarily. No, it was something else.
The sound of shuffling feet could be heard drifting down from the holes in the man cover. Static shivered just slightly as a tingle ran down his spine. He swore softly at having been creeped out over just the noise. It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard it before. Then he heard the tell-tale sounds of feet splashing through the muck of the tunnel as John approached from the way he had gone.
“All set,” He said when he was again next to Static. “Now we climb and wait if necessary.”
“What did you do?” Static asked the older man.
“You’ll see,” John said again giggling as he began to climb the ladder.
Static tightened the straps on his pack and followed John up the rungs. In no time they had reached the top and John stopped right up against the manhole cover. He didn’t look down at Static, but up through the holes. Static was wondering what they were waiting for when he started to hear a bell going off. It sounded more like an old ringer or timer. Whatever it was, it was loud. Still, he was able to hear John giggle.
After a few moments, John grunted when he pushed the manhole cover up and away. “Hurry now,” he said down to Static.
Like you need to tell me, thought Static, but he still was out of the manhole on the heels of John. As soon as they were out, John shoved the cover back into place. They quickly made their way over to the nearby building. Static had his weapon up and pointed towards the Zombies as he ran. He could see them crowding around something, but couldn’t quite make it out.
The glass door of the building opened and they rushed inside. They let the door close quietly behind them. Just before it closed, Static heard the ringing stop. The inside of the building was still, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t any Infected here. With carefully placed steps as if they were making their way across a minefield they crossed the lobby towards the door marked exit.
The loud bang on the glass behind them made both men jump and turn. A zombie stared at them with his body pressed against the glass, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to bite the pane. The infected man wore a tattered suit with a green tie that was stained with blood. As they stood there transfixed other zombies began to join the first. The men glanced at one another before Static turned and continued on towards the stairs.
Static pushed the handle down to open the door. The men stepped into the doorway and stood there for a moment listening to see if anything had heard them. When they were sure they didn’t hear and shuffling feet heading in their direction from the main floor or in the stairwell, they entered the stairs and began the long climb up.
“What was that that you set off out there?” asked Static feeling pretty safe in the stairs. Still, his question wasn’t more than a whisper.
John giggled again, “An old alarm clock. On one of my outing, I found an old clock shop with a bunch of them. The idea to use them just struck me that day. Those clocks have saved my life more than once.”
“How many do you have left?”
“Just one, for when we leave,” John said, the smile gone from his face. They continued to climb in silence.
Ben stood outside of the makeshift jail cell that held Captain Perret. The two men stared at each other through the steel bars of the storm door.
“We’re heading out. All of us,” Ben said. “That includes you.”
Captain Perret didn’t stand, but he did sit back.
Ben sigh softly. “We’re going to give you back your weapons because we’re probably going to need every able body to make sure we make it. You going to be able to play nice, at least until we’re out of New York?”
The Captain finally stood and approached the door. He stared directly at Ben through the bars. “Lieutenant, I have been ‘playing nice’. You’re the one who decided you couldn’t handle me being in charge of your little ragtag group,” the Captain growled.
“Fine,” Ben said. “Are you going to help us get these people to safety?”
“Our odds would be better if it was just us?”
“No matter how you look at it, the odds are against us.”
“Fair enough,” said Captain Perret throwing his hands up. “But if you think you’re plan can get us out of New York and back to the base, I’ll help.”
Ben studied the man for a moment. He knew without the Captain having to say anything that if the opportunity to save himself he would take it. Maybe he would help people after he had secured his safety, maybe he wouldn’t, but Ben also couldn’t leave him behind. He had to give the man a fair chance to get out of this alive, even though he wasn’t so sure he wanted him to. Ben knew there was going to be hell to pay when they got back, but he had to try not to think about that now. His focus had to be on getting these people out of here.
He had Matt open the door and then handed the Captain his pack and weapons. He watched as the Captain opened his pack to check to see if they folders that he had pulled from the plane were still there. They were. Ben say no advantage to keeping them or having them destroyed. The Captain had his mission, let him finish it.
Captain Perret put his pack on and then checked his weapons. Ben half believed that the Captain would raise his weapon and shot Ben there on the spot. What did the Captain have to lose? He could just tell the higher ups that Ben had caused a mutiny and to save the mission had to shot him. However, the Captain satisfied that he was locked and loaded, motioned for Ben to show the way.
Within 10 minutes the whole population of the underground city was making its way down the tunnel system. Ben and Matt had determined they would have four scouts. One pair would stop at every junction until the group reached them to ensure they weren’t caught unaware or ambushed. Matt had doubted that the zombies could plan an ambush, but at this point, Ben wasn’t willing to put it past them. He wanted everyone out as safely as possible. Once the group reached that pair they would race ahead and past the other pair of scouts.
The elderly and kids lead the pack, sort of, there were three armed men at the very front, including Matt who had been given an extra radio to communicate with Ben and his team if necessary. Then throughout the human convoy, anyone who knew how to shoot had a weapon with extra ammunition. The ammunition was spread thin, but Ben hoped with all the armed personnel it wouldn’t be a big issue. He was more concerned about the run to the water when they would all be exposed.
Ben and his team brought up the rear.
The walk was slow and as quiet as 200 hundred people walking through the sewers of New York could be. What was there to say? Ben knew that the Mayor Brooks’ people were excited to be getting out, but there were a lot of if’s in Ben’s plan. Whether they knew it or not, he didn’t know. He figured they were keeping quiet in hopes of increasing their odds of making out alive.
Static sat down heavily on the steps. He grabbed his canteen and took a long drink. John sat just two steps up from him breathing heavily.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had this kind of workout,” John said before he took a drink from his own canteen.
Static just nodded. He was guessing, or perhaps it was hoping, that they were about halfway up the stairs at this point. They couldn’t rest long. They had to get to the top of the building so that Static could use the radio to call for help if the army was feeling generous enough to provide. Lieutenant knew that they might not and had given Static advice on how to ensure that help did come. Static didn’t know if it would work, but he trusted in the Lieutenant.
He remembered the day that he was assigned to the squad. He remembered how unwelcome he had felt and the test that they had put him through. Still, he had come to feel as though he was part of the team, part of the family. Looking back he was glad he had been assigned to the Lone Ranger squad, hi
ho silver.
The sound of a door opening caused both men to freeze. Neither even took a breath. The sound came from far below. They may have missed it except for the banging of the door as it slammed against the wall.
“Think someone else is in the building?” asked John.
“Very unlikely,” said Static as he quickly got up.
“They can’t open doors,” John said as he shakily stood. “How did they open the door?”
“Pure luck,” Static offered and he urged John to get moving. “Come on, we have a head start, but it won’t take them long to start to gain ground.”
The two men began to climb the stairs as quickly as they could. As they climbed, Static periodically stole glances over the railings down into the darkness to see if the Infected were getting closer, but he couldn’t see far enough. Still, he knew this was going to be close. Too damn close.
They were still five flights of stairs from the roof access when Static had them stop. Both men were breathing hard. The Infected who apparently didn’t have to worry about breathing hard, had made a considerable gain on their position.
“Why stop now?” John barely was able to ask between breaths.
“Get your alarm clock out,” Static answered while opening the door to the floor they had stopped on. “Set it for five minutes.” He searched around for something just heavy enough to prop the door open and yet bulky enough that it would be something that would be in the way at least until it got knocked away. He settled on a nearby office chair, one with four legs. He hoped that the Infected would knock the chair away and at least some of them would get trapped. They still couldn’t tell how many were behind them, but every little bit helps.
“You think they’re that close?” John asked.
“Maybe, maybe not. I just want it going off before they actually reach the door.”
“Makes sense,” John said as he handed Static the clock.
Static placed the clock, face down, on the carpet of the office floor and then slid it as far into the office as he could. It wasn’t as far as he hoped, but he didn’t have time to try again. Both men turned and started climbing again.