by A. R. Wise
He pumped the gun, firing off a short series of bursts every few seconds. "Come on over this way, zombies. There's a nice meal in there for you. Go get some piggy for dinner."
I heard them breaking through the windows and doors nearby, but the only light I had was from the spotlight outside. I flipped the switch on my rifle and it revealed a horrific sight. There were too many zombies to count bearing down on me from the other side of the gutted building.
I cursed in shock and then started shooting the ones that were within ten feet. I didn't want to waste too many bullets, and I knew that every shot only served to attract more of them. My only chance would be to run through the crumbling buildings to reach the entrance to Vineyard. I would have to cross two more streets and several alleys, all of which would leave me vulnerable to the helicopter above, but there wasn't any other option.
"There he goes!" The pilot spotted me the first time I ran across a street, but he wasn't in position to shoot and could only follow along. "Where do you think you're going, little piggy?" He sounded as if we were playing a game together as he chased me.
He fired a few rounds to keep the zombies on my heels, but he didn't have to worry, those fuckers were right behind me. My body ached, and my legs were beginning to lose their strength as I stumbled over the debris that littered the ground. I was running out of breath, and my lungs burned as I was forced to breathe in the dust that the helicopter's whirling blades kicked up. My eyes stung, and blood was still gushing from the wound on my shoulder. In my pain and desperation, it never occurred to me to question why I was doing this.
My friend needed me.
I let go of the rifle and let it bounce at my side as I tried to pull the flash grenade out of my pocket. I planned on dropping it when I reached the ladder to Vineyard. I got to the entrance, but the building was almost unidentifiable from what it had looked like before. The helicopters' assault left it in shambles and large chunks of the ceiling had collapsed. I found the stairs that led up to the floor where the rope ladder was hanging and started climbing without looking back.
I knew the zombies were close, but it wouldn't help to look back and try to see them. Instead, I charged ahead with the grenade in hand, ready to throw it behind me if needed. I made it to the ladder and whirled around with my finger on the pin, prepared to stuff the grenade into a zombie's mouth if I had to. However, when I turned, there was nothing behind me.
"Where are you, you pieces of shit?" I knew that as soon as I started climbing, the zombies would come up from the floor below and pull me down. I thought about pulling the pin and throwing the grenade down the stairs as a precautionary measure, but I didn't want to waste it if I didn't have to.
I could hear the pilot taunting me from outside, and he continued to fire short bursts at the lower floor. "The big bad wolf is here, little piggy. Come on out or I'll blow your house down." He fired an extended burst of gunfire and I felt the entire structure shift. He laughed and I knew he was trying to bring the building down on top of me, but he assumed I was on the ground floor. The zombies were probably attracted to his gunfire, and my escape up the stairs must've gone unnoticed.
I shoved the grenade back into my pocket and climbed the rope ladder as the building groaned beneath me. The pilot lined up another shot and started to blast a second support beam. The structure shifted again and I heard the sound of splintering wood from below before a portion of the façade crumbled down.
The roof was leaning, and the bridge that connected it to the second building had become detached. I climbed out of the hatch and crawled on my stomach towards the wobbling bridge. The helicopter was just behind me, but the pilot had dared to bring the chopper low enough that the short wall at the edge of the roof hid me from his view.
I climbed onto the bridge and ran across as the building behind me continued to crumble. Dust billowed up as portions of the structure collapsed and I heard the pilot cheering while it fell.
I stayed low, but moved as fast as I could across the rooftops. The assault on Vineyard had left it in shambles. The gardens had been destroyed and I could hear liquid falling down to the ground below from the irrigation system they'd devised. The liquor storage had also been destroyed, which was why the streets below were flooded with wine. I continued across as the pilot taunted me from behind.
"You still in there, little piggy?" He fired off another burst of shots and laughed. "No, you're probably bacon by now."
I heard Stubs bark as I got closer to the bank. I glanced around and dared to turn on the flashlight on my rifle for a second. Ahead, near the final bridge that led to the bank, was Harrison. Stubs was at his side and he tried to crawl towards me. It looked like his back had been crushed and he whimpered as he tried to move, his back legs dragging behind him as he went.
"I got you, boy." I picked Stubs up and kissed his head as he licked my chin. "I got you."
Harrison coughed and sputtered as he tried to talk. "I knew you'd come back." He smiled at me, but his face was covered in blood. "You always did love that fucking dog."
I laughed and moved to sit beside him. I put my arm around his shoulder and pressed my forehead against his. "You dumb old bastard. Look what you got yourself into."
"Yeah," He laughed and then shrugged. "I feel like shit."
"Where are you hit?"
He grimaced as he tried to move. "The better question is where am I not hit?"
I moved my hand delicately across the side of his head and found the gash that was causing him to bleed. It was minor, and I assumed that he'd been grazed, but even small head wounds had a habit of bleeding profusely. Then I saw another wound on his shoulder, one on his side, and at least one more on his hip.
"The bastards really wanted me dead," said Harrison.
"Yeah, well, they're not going to get their wish. You're going to be fine."
"Did the others make it to safety?"
I nodded and said, "More or less. Some folks didn't make it, but a bunch of them got into an underground garage where it's safe."
"Not for long," said Harrison. "Not if they keep bringing those helicopters back."
"Any more piggies that need to get killed?" The pilot continued to taunt us.
"I really hate that fucking guy," said Harrison.
I stared across Vineyard at the helicopter. It had stopped circling the building that had collapsed and was searching down the street that led to the bank. It was headed towards us.
"I'll go kill him for you."
Harrison grabbed my wrist. "What? Don't be a fucking idiot. He's in a helicopter, with a machine gun on it. Even you're not bad ass enough to take him on."
"Don't worry." I smirked down at him and winked. "The Devil's got my back."
I charged across Vineyard as the helicopter searched the road ahead. I needed to get close to get a clear shot and I wanted to move as far from Harrison as possible to keep him safe in case I wasn't able to kill the pilot.
I made it to the edge of one of the buildings and perched myself on the ledge as the helicopter came closer. I could see the pilot clearly as he continued to shine the spotlight on the road below. The cockpit was illuminated with green light and I realized that he was using a night vision screen to search for survivors.
I aimed and waited for him to get closer. Finally, I took the shot.
The windshield of the helicopter cracked and a white streak suddenly marred my view. I realized in horror that the windshield had deflected the bullet.
"There's my little piggy."
He pulled the helicopter up and over Vineyard. He stayed low, with the chain gun aimed directly down the bridge that I was on. There was no point in trying to hide. He was about to kill me, or so he thought.
"Time to die," he taunted me.
I'd already pulled the pin on the flash bang and now I tossed it ahead of me. I covered my eyes with my arm as I ran blindly across the bridge. The concussion from the grenade's explosion caused my ears to ring and I felt the heat as it burst in
to an intense white light.
"Fucker!" The pilot pulled the trigger and the chain gun whirled to life, but I was already under him. I leapt off the edge of the building and grasped the hanging body of the sniper I'd killed earlier. I swung haphazardly as the pilot pulled the helicopter up while he tried to regain his sight.
"You fucker!" The pilot screamed. "I'll kill you for that."
He continued his ascent and I dangled beneath the chopper as it rose. I reached up for the edge and was able to claw my way up.
"Where are you? Where'd you go, you fucking piece of shit? The wolf's coming for you, little piggy. I'll just keep shooting the roof until I find you."
I scrambled to get into the back of the helicopter before he saw Harrison. If he was using night vision, it wouldn't take him long to see that there was something alive on the roof.
He pulled the trigger and I heard the gun begin to spin. "Come on out, little piggy." He fired a few short bursts and then continued to search for me.
I slipped on the metal floor of the helicopter as it jostled around. The pilot was wearing a set of earphones over his helmet that prevented him from hearing me as I staggered around behind him.
I pulled out my Glock and walked up to him just as he saw Harrison's body on the screen. He laughed and then spoke into the microphone that curled out in front of his lips from the side of his helmet. "There you are, little piggy."
I pulled his headphones off and said, "Oink, oink, mother fucker." My voice carried through the microphone and everyone in range heard as I fired three shots into his chest before he had a chance to pull the trigger and kill Harrison.
The pilot didn't die immediately, but he released the trigger of the gun as the helicopter began to spin. He tried to get control, but we started to plummet. An alarm began to chime and a flashing red light illuminated his display.
I fell and started to slide out the door but was able to grab onto the rope that the sniper was hanging from. It was attached to a loop on the floor and I held onto it with all the strength I could muster as the helicopter violently spun towards the ground.
We collided with one of Vineyard's roofs and the impact took my breath away. Dirt and chunks of brick smashed into my face and a searing pain stung my side. The blades chopped at the roof and I heard them snap off and fling through the air as the alarm continued to screech. I tried to gasp for breath, but none came. I moved my right hand and started to search for the source of pain in my side, fearing that I'd been impaled, but found nothing.
I glanced to the front of the cockpit, hoping to see the pilot's corpse splattered or otherwise destroyed. Instead, I saw him still in his seat, breathing.
"I don't think so, you piece of shit." I pushed myself up and started to crawl across the wreckage. I drew my Glock and kissed the barrel as I pulled myself to the front of the chopper. The pain in my side intensified when I moved and I reached down to clench it again. This time I could feel what was wrong. One of my ribs had broken and was pushing out through my skin. I could feel it under my shirt and winced, but tried to ignore it.
The pilot was gasping for breath, but he wasn't moving. His hands were limp at his side and he wasn't trying to escape. He was mine to do with as I pleased, and I wanted nothing more than to put a bullet between his eyes.
I finally managed to get beside him and I started to laugh as I pointed the gun at his head. He was wearing a helmet and the visor on it had fallen down in the crash, obstructing my view of his eyes. I tapped the gun against the black shield and smiled at him.
I flipped up his visor. I wanted him to see me when I killed him.
I wasn't prepared for what I saw, and the pilot's face caused me to fall back and drop my gun. My entire world crashed down on me as I stared at him. Everything I knew had been a lie. Whatever my father had told me about my past wasn't true, the proof was gasping for air in the seat of this demolished helicopter.
Sitting before me, staring back at me with blood seeping from his nose and mouth, was a man that could’ve been my twin.
EPILOGUE
Jerald Scott slammed his fist down on the table. He looked around for something to break and settled on a cup of coffee that he flung across the room. It shattered against the wall, leaving behind a splash of coffee that dripped down as the other people in the room cowered from his rage.
He was an old man, in his mid-sixties, but age had not tempered his anger. "You lost an entire town? Please, explain how that's possible. I'd really like to hear how you plan on convincing me not to put a bullet in your worthless head."
Victor stood unflinching as he faced off with Scott. "The helicopter we left behind was supposed to circle the area and wait for reinforcements. Unfortunately, he took it upon himself to try and scare the people out of hiding."
"And that, you dickless wonder, is why you should've left two choppers behind." Scott pressed two fingers into Victor's face. "That way we wouldn't have to worry about these worthless cunts getting away."
"Sir, we have reason to believe they were prepared for our assault."
"And how the fuck would they have known that?"
Victor pulled a small data drive from his pocket and then walked to one of the computers that lined the side of the room. "Sir, we were able to retrieve the hard drive from the downed chopper. In it we found video of the entire event. We've isolated a few pictures that you need to see."
"This had better be good." Jerald put his hands behind his back and walked to the computer as Victor pulled up the pictures.
The first was of a black man standing beside a red haired girl that was holding a sniper rifle. "These are members of Reagan's old group, the ones we thought had been wiped out." Victor looked at Jerald and shook his head. "Clearly, they're still alive, and they're back in the area."
Jerald nodded and said, "Interesting. Still doesn't explain why you couldn't kill them with a fleet of attack choppers and twelve trucks full of zombies."
Victor clicked to the next picture. It was of a girl with red hair in a white jumpsuit crouching on a bridge. "This is one of the escaped Dawns from Facility 23. We tried to locate her body, but the people of the town must've taken it with them when they fled. They were able to kill off the zombies that we left there and escape."
"That's interesting, Victor, but it still doesn't explain how…"
"Hold on," said Victor as he raised a finger. He clicked to the next picture and then backed away as he crossed his arms smugly. "And there you have it."
Jerald stared at the Asian man standing on a bridge, throwing a flash grenade towards the camera. "Look what we have here," said Jerald as he studied the picture. "Looks like our little lost experiment has finally come home."
TO BE CONTINUED…
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Part one of a new series of Deadlocked comes to a close on a cliffhanger! Ben Watanabe is revealed as an experiment while the rest of the characters are struggling to survive after being decimated at Vineyard.
Book Six of this new series (by the way, sorry to have kept the fact that this was a new series a secret for so long) is going to pick up right where part five left off and will give Hero a starring role. The High Rollers will begin to fight back, and you'll learn what happened to Billy and Laura, two of the characters from the original series that didn't make it into part five.
Speaking of characters that didn't make it into this book: poor Reagan. Don't worry, his story won't go untold. Eventually I want to explain what happened to him in an episode of the Deadlocked - Broken Pieces series, so keep an eye out for that one. (Note – As it turned out, Reagan’s story was too integral to the Deadlocked story, and it will be revealed in book 7.)
The characters from the original series are very important to me, which is why it might've been a surprise that they were absent from the first half of this book. I was ecstatic when I got to write the scene where Hero shows back up. I'd been waiting to write that since the minute I decided to do this book! The reason I took such a long time to in
troduce some of the original characters is because I wanted to give Ben and Cobra (Celeste) a chance to earn your interest. They are the main characters of this book, and it was important that the reader identifies with them. That's why both of their initial chapters are extremely long. I hoped to pull the reader into their world so that when their first chapter was over, you felt inextricably tied to them.
This was easier with Ben, especially when I decided use the puppy, Stubs, to mimic what would happen later in the book. The entire first scene with Ben is meant to foreshadow what comes later. The dogs represent the wolves (the men working for Jerald Scott) and Stubs is the thing Ben never expected to care for, which is what Harrison becomes by the end of the book. In that early scene, Ben risks his life to save Stubs while the dogs and a zombie are attacking him - that same situation plays out at the end with Harrison.
Ben's storyline is pivotal to the new series, both because of the themes his story represents as well as the actual story itself. I wanted the theme of this new series to be how society and our community are important aspects of our lives. Ben starts as someone who doesn't care for society at all and the book ends with him risking his life to save people he never would've cared about just days earlier.
Also, Ben and Harrison share my favorite exchanges in the entire book. The discussion about shooting stars and Annie's guardian angel is probably my favorite conversation that I've ever written. It might come off as egotistical to say this, but it felt poignant to me. Those characters, in that moment, became transparent, as if they bore their soul for us to peer into, and I've never enjoyed writing more than I did when they were on that rooftop, staring at the stars.
Celeste's story was much more difficult. While Ben's theme is the importance of community, Celeste's is about the dangers of conformity and the loss of innocence. Her story is so drastically different from the rest of the series that I imagine some readers were confused when they got to chapter two. It probably seemed as if it had been plucked from a different book entirely.