Until The End

by Brown, Derek

  “You sure you want to come with us on this one Anthony? It is not going to be pleasant and it takes a certain stomach that you may lack. I remember when you got your ears pierced and you threw up in the piercing chair because you saw blood.” The image actually made me laugh a little.

  “Brother I am with you until the end.” He got up and saluted me even though he technically out ranked me in the Army, we both knew I was the more natural leader. Danielle held Dallas close to her and glared at me but said nothing as she walked over to have a private conversation with Lazarus. While they were speaking I took Anthony by the shoulder and lead to the other side of the room.

  “When we do this follow my lead and do exactly as I say, nothing more and nothing less.” I looked him right in the eyes making sure I was imprinting on him what I wanted him to do. He shrugged like he understood and by the time we were done speaking, Lazarus walked over and told me he was in, although he avoided meeting Danielle’s gaze. Together we walked towards the door and we were greeted by Ash waiting at the entrance. He had our weapons and gear ready for us and he lead us over to the breakfast aisle were they set up cots for us to sleep in. We all said goodnight and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

  April 1, 2014

  Funny today is my sister Adri’s birthday, I wonder how she is, I haven’t given much thought with everything going on. I wish I could call her and check up on her, hell I wish I had called her more when I had the chance. Growing up it wasn’t always easy for me to get along with others and this definitely included my sister Adri. She was very set in her ways and stubborn and so was I. We were never as close as I wished we had been, I take the blame for that, before all this started I was so focused so driven on how much money I could make. I forgot some of the most important things like a good relationship with my family. I remember when she was younger like ten years old her mother who was my first Step-Mother and my Dad were going through a divorce. Jason and I were of course staying with my dad and we had each other and Adri so wanted to be close with us. I regret not nurturing that relationship further, I don’t know if I resented her for her mother or what but I always kept her distant. I wish I hadn’t done that, I wish she knew how much she means to me. In fact over the last year the amount of growth that I have experienced has been dramatic. My priorities have shifted and family has moved to the top. I wish I had taken time to let the people in my life know just how important they are to me. Unfortunately at this time I don’t have time to think and have regrets about the past and I have to push those thoughts away for now. We all got up early today as if our minds were already on the task at hand. Lazarus offered to go and find out where everything was, he was only gone for a short time before he returned.

  “Alright so Ash was right the group is extremely divided out there. However most people don’t like Lepaul anyways. I barely had to ask any questions before the complaints of his shitting talking came up in conversations. So I found out that Lepaul is staying over with the six bikers in the liquor area of the store they seem to tolerate him better than most. He rarely leaves their without company except to take his crap which lucky for us he still takes quite often. Lepaul being the princess that he is would only use the staff bathroom located in the storage area of the store in the back.” Lazarus finished up smiling ear to ear. Anthony raised his hand then quickly spoke up.

  “So we scope out the area and decide how to hit the bathroom while he is craping.” He was shaking his head. I cut him off before he could say anything else.

  “Well I admit it’s not ideal but let’s get going, we don’t have much time to handle the situation.” We got up quickly and moved towards the back of the store. I noted that as we walked around groups of people would stare at us but no one even tried to make verbal contact with us. They skirted around us and kept their eyes down afraid to make eye contact, these people weren’t living they were merely going through the motions but it seemed as if they had already accepted death. As we go to the storage area I immediately noticed a ladder leading to the roof not far from the staff bathroom. I motioned for Anthony to check it out and see if it was unlocked. To Lazarus I motioned to check for any other exits out besides the one we had just walked in. We checked the room and go the layout mapped out in our heads. Now we just had to wait for our chance, would be coming rather quickly.

  April 5, 2014

  So much has happened and I am going to do my best to keep a clear record of the events that followed the last entry. I am doing this to one keep things straight in my head and to maintain my sanity. I have been on my own for the last three days and I fear I am in for worse weather ahead. Ok so where was I? Oh yes as we were looking around the room a plan began to form in our heads. Then Lazarus came running up to me. “Lepaul is on his way this, now is our chance, if we try to get out now he is going to notice us and we won’t get this chance again.”

  “Crap, I don’t know if we are ready, but screw it lets do this. Anthony is it unlocked?” He was climbing down the ladder and threw me a thumbs-up sign. “Ok here we go guys Lazarus you hide behind that corner and Anthony hide behind that stack of boxes over there.” They went their places while I went into the bathroom shutting the door behind me and I turned to wait for the door to open. I sat on the toilet pretending I was using it and grabbed a magazine of the wall and hide a 9mm in the fold of it. It felt like it took an hour for the door to finally open the seconds seemed to drag on forever. Then the door flew open and Lepaul was standing there looking in at me with her dumbass looking expression on his face like he was lost or something.

  “You? What are y..o..u do..ing here?” Then he started backing up trying to get distance between us, there was never any love between us. I slowly got up not saying anything and pulled the gun out and pointed it at him. “Hey this doesn’t have to go down like this at all.” He mumbled out as his lips were shaking. He put both hands in the air and I could see his belly trembling in fear as the rolls of fat began moving like waves of the ocean. He kept backing up and then he turned to run when Lazarus came out from around the corner and executed a diving tackle at Lepaul’s knees causing him to fall. The action caused them both to become tangled up with one another on the floor and while they were fighting to get off of each other Anthony jumped in and all three of them began rolling around on the floor. I shook my head and put the gun away, slowly pulling out my bow and notched an arrow and took aim. I held my left arm ridged and pulled my right arm back smoothly and took three deep breaths controlling my breathing slowly in and out. I took aim through the bow string and then released the tension that had been building up in my right arm. This action caused the arrow to fly quickly and true towards Lepaul. The arrow propelled through the air and caught his right hand and pinned it against the wall. He let out a yelp and he started crying begging me not to kill. “Please don’t kill me, I’ll do anything you want. Please remember we used to work together, you can’t do this to me. Do you know how important I am?” He was going through phases of begging for his life to demanding we release him.

  “Damn your aim has improved I remember when you could barely hit the side of a barn much less a guy’s hand. You could have killed one of us with that thing. Let’s go fat ass, get up before I finish the job.” Lazarus was laughing as he gave me hard time. He yanked Lepaul up by the back of his shirt.

  “Listen Lepaul, We are going to go up to the roof and have a little chat if I like what I hear you live and go back to your miserable little life. If I don’t well then we will be going back to our lives.” I yanked the arrow out while Lazarus and Anthony pulled him to his feet. He was sobbing and tears were rolling down his chubby cheeks. We lead him to the ladder and Anthony went first then Lepaul followed him up with Lazarus behind him. I looked around quickly and cleaned up the blood that had been spilled when the arrow entered Lepaul. I made sure no one was around as I began to climb up the ladder I swear I saw something move in the shadows. When I stopped and looked again I didn’t see any more movement and
I shrugged and climbed to the roof. As I was pulling myself up I looked around and I noticed it was still fogging and overcast outside. Looking around I could see the roof was made of gravel with several antennas, wires, and pipes running the length of the roof. I was greeted by a chilly gust of wind as I turned to face Lepaul. A shout caused us to turn and see a short man holding a shotgun moving towards us.

  “Freeze!! No one move, put your hands up…” he moved closer and when we has about five feet away he tripped over his own feet. His left foot got caught up with his right foot and stumbled forward and landed on his left knee. He grasped his knee dropping the shotgun and as he went to stand he came up and knocked his head on an antenna. He looked around dazed and then he tried to move forward and ended up tripping again and falling forward off the edge of the roof. I ran over to the edge and I looked over luckily he had landed on the bed of a supply truck that must have been left there when the driver fled the store. “I am okay. I am okay.” He gave me the thumbs up signal. “I am going to lay here for a minute, would you mind letting Ash know I need some help please.” His head rolled back as he fainted. I moved from the edge over to Lepaul where Anthony and Lazarus were holding him. Anthony reached over and picked up the shotgun, still holding on to Lepaul.

  “Well that was interesting. Ok anyways moving on Lepaul. I need to know what you know about this biker gang and why you are so keen on helping them. So we are going to play a game, I ask you question, you answer and if I like the answer I don’t shoot you with an arrow. Do you know why I use the bow?” He shook his face and again I was disgusted as the fat rolls swayed back and forth. “I use the bow for one because it’s quieter than using a gun and I think it is a bit more personally you know? Anyone can pull a trigger but with a bow you have to actually take time and think about letting the arrow fly.” As I was speaking to him I began counting twenty five paces away from him. A strange smelling rain began to fall first in small drops then got heavier and the rain drops were dark almost a black color to them. It must be something for that damn nuclear bomb that had went off. Once in chemistry class we had watched a program that described the changes the planet would go through after a nuclear bomb went off. Strange weather patterns were among the first changes that would be felt. I tried to shake the uneasy feeling that was building up in me. I remember my chemistry teacher Mr. Ray has said that in our lifetime we would see a nuclear bomb go off. Turning my mind back to the matters at hand I turned to face Lepaul and I pulled my bow out and took aim. “First question, what do the bikers want with this place?”

  “I can’t they’ll kill me.” Lepaul began to sob and he would have fallen to his knees had Anthony and Lazarus not been holding him up. “You don’t understand who they are; you don’t know what they are capable of. I beg you please just let me go, I’ll run and you will never see me again.” His eyes truly did have a look of fear in them and he was shivering.

  “I’ll kill you now, so it seems you are in a bit of pickle you see don’t you?” I notched the arrow and I took aim at his head. “Lepaul tell me what I need to know now, or so help me I’ll end this now.” I really didn’t think he was going to talk he honestly seemed too scared as tears ran down his face. I remember working with him had always been a pain in the ass. He always was the loudest mouth in the room and he had something to say about anyone and everything. I was watching him as he seemed to be going through some internally debate. It was playing out across his face and he was determining the odds, figuring out if I would kill him or not. Finally it seemed like he had reached some sort of conclusion in his head as he opened his mouth.

  “Okay, I’ll tell you everything you want to know but please stop pointing that thing at me.” He collapsed as Anthony and Lazarus let him fall to the rooftop gravel. I put the arrow in the quiver and shouldered my bow walking over to him. As I looked down on him I realized how far we had all fallen, this is what we were reduced to. I only contemplated it for a moment before I harden my resolve. I will do what must be done because others cannot do it. I sat down next to him and he began to talk slowly at first than all in a rush. “I need to start at the beginning so you understand who you are dealing with. I used to be involved with certain drug dealing activities you understand before the zombie came along. When I first got in I was only buying from the supplier and then selling keeping the profit for myself it was a good gig. Well about a year ago this biker gang showed up in town and began taking over the drug operations. They were methodical and brutal in their take over. One day they broke into my house with guns pointed at my family telling me that I work for them now. I thought okay I would keep selling no this sadistic fucks turned me in a drug mule for them. The things… The things they made me do, I can’t even speak them now…” He began to sob again. “You don’t understand it’s too late.” He dropped his head and he was mumbling about how it was too late.

  “What do you mean too late? What it is going on?” I was trying to break him out of whatever trance he was in. He wasn’t responding to though, I was shaking him when I heard something over the rain.

  “Brother do you hear that?” Anthony was turning his head as if he was listening for something too, a loud rumbling noise. We all began to look around then in the distance from the roof through the fog and clouds we could several motorcycles headed our way.

  “See I told you it was too late. I already gave them all the details they are coming to take over this place and you are all going to die tonight.” He was laughing but it was a laugh filled with fear. I turned toward him and all the anger welled up within me and I took the kukri from the sheath and cut his throat. Blood spurted everywhere as I must have hit his carotid artery.

  “Lepaul I always hated you I thought you should know that.” His dark brown eyes might mine as he went to frantically cover up the cut with his hands. I turned and headed towards the rooftop door but it was shut and someone had locked us out. Anthony came over and together we were yanking on the handle trying to get it open but to no avail. Lazarus called us over towards the edge of the roof where the Semi-truck was parked. The guy who had fallen down was gone but it was only about a ten foot drop from where we were at. Without taking time to think about it I leaped down on to the trailer and landed rolling forward and almost fell off the edge. Lazarus was right behind me but Anthony was pacing back and forth. “Anthony get your ass down here we have to get those people out of there. They are going to get killed if we don’t move now!” Finally Anthony leaped into the air and landed hard on the trailer falling over. He almost rolled off the edge but I grabbed him and stopped his descent. We ran towards the front of the truck and slid down over the windshield and down the engine to the ground. As our feet touched the ground we noticed that we were not alone anymore the group of bikers that Lazarus had seen staying the store were approaching us. They were all tattooed up, six Hispanic guys with jeans on looking dirty and ragged approached. I noticed that their bikes were parked back here about ten feet to the left of us. The lead guy approaching us was about 6’2” stepped up and moved his jacket aside and began tapping a 45mm pistol at his side. The other five guys came up surrounding us in a semi-circle trapping us with our backs to the semi-truck. Tensions were high no one was saying anything and it was clear the bikers thought they had already won as they made no move towards us. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might actually jump out of my chest. My palms were getting sweating and I had that metallic taste you get in your mouth when you just know you are going to do something stupid. I put my hands up and moved them to the back of head and I grabbed two arrows and I slowly approached the lead biker appearing to surrender to him. If there was one thing my dad taught was that when outnumbered go for the biggest one. The man in the lead was laughing as he glared at me.

  “These idiots don’t know what’s coming next. But there are plenty of women in the store boys enough for all of us and then some.” He high fived a guy to his right and as he turned his head. I saw my opening his neck was exposed and I yank
ed the arrow out of the quiver with my right hand. I brought it full force into his neck and a fountain of blood exploded. I acted quickly pulling out the other arrow and jumping on the man who a moment ago had been high fiving the dead man. As I moved to jam the arrow in he turned his head and I managed to use all my strength to push the arrow into his left eye. He began to convulse as if he was having a seizure and he dropped to the ground. Anthony turned and pulled up the shotgun he was holding and fired it at one of the bikers causing a giant hole to appear. Lazarus was a mad man he was taking on two of the bikers at once. He was viciously swinging his fist into one of them while the other was trying to get behind Lazarus. I scanned around and I found the last biker standing to my right he was a short little man and with his motorcycle helmet on he looked goofy like a cone head. He was holding up his fist and motioning me to come at him, not thinking I lunged at him and I didn’t see the knife until I felt it enter between two of my ribs. Pain exploded in my mind and stars erupted across my vision and I all I saw was red. I pulled him in so that he couldn’t get the knife out and I brought my right fist into his side. I was punching so hard trying to get him to let go of the knife, finally he did. I yanked the knife out with my right hand and I drove it into his chest. The biker slumped over at my feet as I turned to see Lazarus had killed the biker in front of him. Now he was helping Anthony finishing the other one off who had been trying to attack him from behind. I gritted my teeth in pain and I collapsed to my knees the pain was unbearable right now. Gently I began to apply pressure to the knife wound at my ribs that was freely bleeding everywhere. I looked around frantically knowing we didn’t have time to deal with this right now and I saw a shirt on one of the motorcycles. I tore it into pieces, folding one into a square and then used that as a dressing then I tore the shirt into strips and tied them around myself and I created a pressure dressing of sorts.