Zombieclypse (Book 3): Dead End

by Rosaria, A.

  A tall soldier about his height, with a swath of black hair on top of his head met him halfway. On a lapel on the soldier’s chest, he read the name Jenks.

  “What are you doing outside?” the soldier said. “You better get home and wait this mess out, or I’ll have to take you in.”

  Ralph put his best smile on. “I’m lost. I need to go to the barracks.”

  The soldier pointed a casual finger to the right. “You head up that way, and at the end, you take a right and walk two blocks.”

  Great where the zombies were. He’d have to fight his way out, if he could get rid of these soldiers without firing a shot.

  “Okay, we’ll be on our way, then.”

  The soldier’s eyes narrowed, brows drawing in. “I’ve not seen you around.”

  “I just recently joined.”

  Jenks drew back and raised his pistol. “No one’s joined Haven in a year.”

  Ralph could have guessed his luck would not last. He sighed as he pointed back to the cars.

  “There are at least ten people with high-powered assault rifles behind those two wrecks, aiming at you. One wrong move and you’ll get dropped.”

  Jenks jaw slacked open. For a second, he stood like that, and then looked at the cars. His eyes widened as he saw the people holding guns.

  “Let us go and you won’t have any trouble from us.”

  Jenks his eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze back on Ralph. “What are you planning to do at the barracks?”

  Ralph smiled. These were soldiers standing in front of him. No way they would allow him to do what he intended to, or allow him to go to the barracks without an explanation. He wished it had turned out differently, that Jenks was less inquisitive.

  Ralph balled his right hand into a fist and flipped up his index finger, then dropped to the ground. A second before he hit dirt, the roar of gunfire exploded. Jenks’s body shook on the impact of bullets ripping through, and so did the other soldiers. The whole thing lasted two seconds.

  Ralph stood back up. Five dead soldiers at his feet. He drew his pistol and shot Jenks in his head and another soldier. The remaining three had their brains splashed out already.

  “You said you wouldn’t do anything stupid,” Brenda said as she approached him.

  She was smiling though. “Did you get something out of them?”

  “First things first, Brenda, I never said I wouldn’t do anything stupid, and yes, I got what I wanted.”

  “Incoming!” Derrick yelled.

  From the direction of the barracks, two scores of zombies came running at them at full speed. The men and women behind the cars were loading their guns, a few fumbling in their haste. By the time they got their weapons firing, the zombies were twenty feet away and closing in fast.

  The first salvo dropped ten. The zombies were ten feet away. Another salvo dropped fifteen. Ralph started firing, supporting the group at the cars. He quickly dropped three and Brenda two. Derrick stood with his shotgun in his hands not firing. The zombies were now at the wrecks. The pellets would hit their friends who were retreating. Two got caught and were being mauled by the zombies. The others got away as the zombies lost momentum.

  “Keep shooting,” Ralph yelled.

  They stopped running, turned, and started firing. They only got five. Ralph got two more. Brenda was reloading her rifle, and Derrick stood, ready for anyone that came charging their direction. The remaining twelve zombies split. Eight went for the larger group and four went toward Ralph. Derrick stepped forward and shot his boomstick. Two went down with holes in their faces. Brenda finished loading and shot the other two.

  The others managed to get four. One woman went down screaming, the zombie biting her face open. Ralph ran to help them, but by the time he arrived, they had finished off the remaining zombies. They looked up at him, bloodied, and sweating. The heaviness of it all hit them. Their eyes darted over the bodies surrounding them, over the faces of their fallen friends. The pained stares hit Ralph. This wasn’t the time to rest; the adrenaline had to keep flowing, or else they would give up.

  “Reload and get moving. We can’t stay here and get ambushed again.”

  But before they could move out, he had to deal with the fallen. With a tightening stomach and gun in hand, he turned to the bodies. At each, he paused for a second to say a small prayer before shooting them in the head. One day it would be his turn. His immunity meant he would not turn at death, but all got one in the head in the end, just in case.

  They moved out, slow at first, but as they walked up the road and left the bodies behind, their steps quickened. At least they had a destination. The search was over. The end game was near. Get in and out, kill as many as needed, get Lauryn freed, and deal the bastards a blow they never would forget.

  Ralph marched them up the road. Stepping over corpses.

  He’d do whatever it took, and if it meant he had to swim in a sea of blood, so be it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Sarah followed the soldier inside. The main hall was bustling with movement. Soldiers went to and fro, gearing up, and the wounded were carried in. The soldiers were too busy to give her the odd looks they gave her last time she was here. Two men in white medical coats walked up to Priss, and without saying anything, they pulled her away.

  “Hey,” Sarah called after them. A soldier grabbed her by the wrist as she went after them.

  “You stay put.”

  The soldier’s pale face showed his fear. The man didn’t even try to put up a front. His eyes darted from one side to another, and finally went to the main entrance as two soldiers walked in. One supported the other, both bitten, one worse than the other but both still alive.

  “Infected!” the soldier holding her yelled.

  “Infected inside!” someone else called out.

  The room fell quiet. All eyes turned to the newcomers, who looked dumbfounded at all the eyes on them. In one split second, it happened. An officer walked up to the couple and shot them in the head without a pause. The corpses were dragged outside. A second later, everyone was busy again as if nothing had happened.

  The soldier led her toward the door to the stairs. Sarah pulled back. “Where have they taken her?”

  “Come on, I have my orders, just follow me.”

  “Answer me!”

  The soldier jittered where he stood. “To prep for surgery.”

  “What surgery?”

  “It’s all I know. Just ask the captain. He’s waiting for you downstairs.” The soldier let her go. “I should accompany you.” The soldier’s eyes darted to the door. “But you can go by yourself. Tell the captain I was called away.”

  The soldier ran for the door. As he exited the building, he pushed aside another soldier walking in. So much for that. The place was crumbling down around itself. Haven was lost if this was what was left to defend it. Twenty soldiers in the room, more left than returned, and she wondered how many who went out never reported for duty again. A wounded man walked in. Sarah turned away and shut the door behind her.

  “Infected,” a soldier yelled.

  She went down the stairs. She still flinched when the shot went off.

  At the bottom, she pressed the intercom button. “Where’s your escort?” Terry’s voice cracked out of the tiny speaker.

  “Something came up. He had to take off.”

  “Yeah, whatever, come on in.” The door buzzed open.

  Terry stood in uniform, armored up, his rifle resting against a desk. He received her with open arms, a big smile on his face. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  The room was empty of any other soldiers. It contained one desk with security screens on the desk. Behind the desk were the holding cells. Big cages. Big empty cages, but for one person, a short redhead whose knuckles showed white as she held the bars tight while her eyes bore into Terry’s back. The specimen. Seeing the pretty girl she could not wash away her humanity with that one word. Sarah lowered her chin, not wanting to meet the girl’s e
yes.

  “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

  Terry’s voice was agreeable enough, jovial even. His whole gesture suggested niceness, but this was not the reserved Terry she knew and liked. In this grim setting, his actions contrasted with the dire mood of things.

  “Come. Let me give you a tour.” Terry pointed at the desk. “This is the guard desk where we monitor the outside and the prisoners. Mostly used to nap. Little ever happens here.” He pointed at the cells. “The prisoners, or today prisoner, for whatever misdeeds they did that landed them in here. Few ever see daylight again. Alive that is.”

  Terry walked over to the red-haired girl, who did not flinch at his much taller presence. She looked straight up at him, not averting her eyes. Sarah admired the courage and regretted more than ever that the girl had to die.

  “And this little thing is Lauryn. Lauryn meet Sarah. You must know each other, don’t you?”

  At that, Sarah took a closer look at Lauryn. She contained a gasp and shuffled a few steps back, a hand raised to touch her mouth. She thought everyone but she and Ralph had died. Add a little more meat to the girl and clean her up, and yes, she remembered seeing her. “You went to St. Marks High School, didn’t you?”

  Lauryn nodded.

  “Great!” Terry said. “High school reunion, how nice for you to meet like this. Isn’t it?”

  “Sarah, listen to me,” Lauryn said. “Ralph is still alive.”

  Sarah shot Terry a glance, his smile broadened.

  “Oh, we wouldn’t want to forget about him, would we?” Terry said. “But don’t you worry, Sarah. Ralphie boy will soon be single again once we get rid of poor Lauryn here.”

  What was going on? Why did Terry lie to her about Ralph? Why was he being like this? The questions kept racing in her head, blocking any other thoughts. She stood frozen, taking it all in.

  Terry fished a thin black rectangular box out of his pocket. “You know, Sarah. I really did like you, in a way, but something about you never added up.” He pressed a button and from the recorder came her voice and Priss’s, playing their last discussion when she confessed killing Terry’s brother. Sarah paled, shaking her head.

  “You must be wondering how I got this.” Slowly, Terry’s smile faded.

  It was the watch he gave her. She pulled it off her wrist.

  “Ah, smart girl.”

  “Terry, I’m sorry. Anton tried to kill me.”

  “Oh, now you tell me.”

  “Please forgive me. If I could go back, I wouldn’t have killed him.”

  “You can’t go back and neither can I. You killed my brother, and you kept playing nice with me. Well, you’re the fool because now I’ve played you, bitch.”

  “I—”

  Terry slapped her across the face, rocking her back. From the cell, Lauryn gasped and started yelling for Sarah to run. Dizzy, Sarah stood up straight, wondering how things could turn out so bad.

  “You stupid, stupid girl, I suspected you all the time.”

  He slugged her belly. Sarah doubled over, coughing. “I played the friendly guard to get closer to you, to get you to confess.” Terry kicked her legs from under her. Her back hit the concrete floor hard, air pushed out of her lungs.

  “Nice little Terry taking care of you, saving you, falling for you.” He kicked her side. “And you little dumb bitch, you fell for it.”

  He kicked her head, chest, her side again. Sarah curled into the fetal position, unable to hold back the tears and sobs.

  “And you thought I came galloping down on a white horse and in shining armor to save you from the two guards. Guess.” Terry chuckled as he kicked her again. “I was too late.”

  “No, no, no,” she stammered. “You killed the guards.” Sarah tried to crawl away. Terry kicked her ass, sending her crashing down on her belly.

  “I had to kill them. They broke the rules. Good thing they used condoms. I wouldn’t have wanted you to get pregnant. And I had none on me, so I took one out of their pocket when I took my turn. So tight, so scrumptious.”

  Sarah went rigid. The pain her body felt was drowned by the pain his words brought her. She remembered the gun still tucked at the small of her back. She kicked away from Terry. Grabbed the gun and pointed it at him.

  Terry started laughing at her. “Come on, shoot me, you slut.”

  She pulled the trigger; again and again, the muzzle flashed yellow and red.

  “Are you done?” Terry said, standing over her.

  He swatted the gun out her hand. “You really thought we would allow you a gun with actual bullets?”

  Blanks? Mr. Ward gave her blanks? Terry kicked her chest, sending her sliding over the concrete floor. Her head hit the wall. Sarah slumped down and kept her eyes closed.

  “Finally, the bitch is out cold. Now, we can go about our business.”

  “You bastard,” Lauryn said.

  Sarah heard footsteps. “Take her to the surgery room.”

  Lauryn protested as she was dragged away. Sarah cracked her eyes open and saw how they carried Lauryn through the door kicking and fighting. Terry sat on the chair, his back turned to her. Sarah shut her eyes. She’d wait for the right moment to get him. For now, she had to endure the pain all over her and inside of her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Ralph’s group had gathered a distance from the compound. They had waited in hiding until the drone of soldiers coming in and out had lessened. Ralph hoped that most soldiers by now had left the building, at least those on the roof and barricades had, which made it easier for them to reach the place unopposed. He had noticed how wounded soldiers were coming in and brought back out dead. The pile of corpses next to the entrance had grown. Soldiers were dying at a rate that there was no need for him to do anything else to Haven to be rid of their threat. If they left now, they most likely would have nothing to fear from this group. The place was burning and the zombies were winning.

  Ralph gave the signal. They charged the entrance, guns held high. A soldier came out. Ralph aimed and shot, blasting the soldier’s face inside out. Ralph breached the entrance and did not stop running. The soldiers around him shouted in surprise and trailed their guns at him. He threw himself on the floor. Behind him, Brenda and Derrick followed, the soldiers’ exposed backs to them. Brenda and Derrick started shooting before the soldiers could shoot Ralph. The others came pouring in and joined the firefight. The soldiers started turning to face the others. Ralph got on his knees and started shooting. Soldiers fell down dead, and those still standing returned fire.

  Simon, a tall quiet man in Ralph’s group, stood between the doorpost when he was hit in the throat and slumped down. His body blocked the door from closing. Derrick was shot in the chest and went down on his back. Brenda ran to him. Ralph shot the soldiers who aimed to shoot at her. Another man of his group died, shot in the face. Brenda helped Derrick up, his face an image of contorted pain. The armor had saved his life. They made quick work of the remaining soldiers, but not before losing Nancy. A soldier’s high-powered rifle had shot a hole in her neck, almost severing her head.

  “Incoming,” Brenda yelled, her voice shrill.

  The first one burst inside from the front door, tripping over Simon’s body. The zombie thrashed on the floor. Ralph shot it in the back of its head before it could get up. More were coming in. They crashed against the doorpost, blocking the entry for those behind as they tried to get in. Ralph downed one who managed to step inside.

  “Run!” Ralph yelled.

  He went to the door straight ahead. It ended in a stairway. The others followed. He shut the door. The zombies poured inside the main hall. Their moans rose in intensity as they thrashed against the door. He hoped they would not be able to open this door.

  Ralph went down the stair to the first floor. Hopefully, Lauryn was somewhere in here. He would worry how to get back outside later. First things first, find Lauryn.

  They canvassed the first floor. It was the sleeping quarters but had been abandoned
. The second floor down looked like a hospital. White walls and floor. A hallway led straight, to it sides rooms, but none occupied. The end led to a twin door with a red light on top. Ralph felt his flesh crawl. They were busy operating.

  Ralph rushed inside. Men in white coats bent over Lauryn, who was strapped on a metal table. She was naked and struggling. Four men were holding her arms down, two on each arm, while a fifth man held her legs, and a sixth tried to strap one arm to the table. Six men against one woman, his woman.

  Ralph pulled his axe. Lauryn saw him coming and smiled. The man holding her legs looked up, confused, just as the axe split his head. Ralph yanked it free, swung, and hit one in the neck. With quick swings, he chopped the other three to pieces, leaving only one standing frozen, watching in horror as a bloodied Ralph advanced on him. He stretched out his hands above his head in surrender. Ralph smashed the axe on top of the man’s head. Blood spurted out. He yanked it free and kicked the corpse to the ground.

  Derrick and Brenda walked inside the operating room and recoiled at the carnage. Wide-eyed, they looked in disbelief at a blood-soaked Ralph. Lauryn ran up to him and hugged him tightly. He pressed her closer and sniffed her hair.

  “I never thought I would see you again,” Ralph said.

  “And I you.”

  Derrick ran outside to keep the others from coming in and witnessing the carnage. Brenda took a white coat from a hangar and slid it over Lauryn’s shoulders. It was then that Ralph saw the short, pale, slender girl with big eyes strapped to the other metal slab. Unlike Lauryn, she had her clothes on and she had the flu. The girl’s body trembled at the sight of him. Ralph gripped the axe. It was best to get it over with—no sense dragging it out.

  Lauryn grabbed his wrist. “No.”

  “She has it. Don’t you see it?”

  “I know. I was supposed to be her cure.”

  “Please don’t kill me,” the girl said, her voice a whisper.

  Ralph looked at the girl. He wanted to give her mercy, save her from changing into one of those things. He remembered the young girl he had to shoot; she had been a goner, bitten. He had no choice then. To save Lilly, he had to shoot the girl. Now they could not carry an ill girl around, not when they had to escape this place.