by J. R. Rain
Chapter Twenty
Anna crouched in the closet corner, biding her time and planning how to kill the asshole named Cole.
The pillowcase still covered the top half of her body. The cloth made her feel as if she were suffocating. Still, she didn’t dare move unless she heard something. Then maybe she could shift positions.
Cole had unceremoniously tossed her down and closed the door. Anna could tell that he had no idea she was coming back to her senses.
She had started to feel better in the car. Her memory was still hazy, yes, but she perceived she’d been left alone with Carla. Too frightened to speak, this was when she realized her thoughts were becoming clearer.
Ana didn’t know where they were. But when the despicable agent had separated her from Carla, Anna had pretended she was still in a thoughtless, miserable state. For once in your life, keep your mouth shut, she kept repeating in her mind as he led her down an echo-y hallway and into a room. Anna smelled food. Her hunger and thirst were insatiable, yet at the same time her body seemed to be getting stronger and stronger.
She was, she knew, in phase two of the infection: massive strength, clear thoughts, hunger and thirst.
Anna wandered alone blind in the room, hands still tied behind her back. She soon discovered it was some kind of kitchen. She wished for water, prayed for water. But she now was at Cole’s mercy, and had never felt more defenseless in her life.
It felt like days before he came back for her. When she heard his approach, she dropped to the floor as quietly as possible, hopefully close to where he had left her.
He opened the door cautiously. She wanted to kill him. But Anna was going to play this smart. She needed to learn where she was, what was happening outside the room. Anna made growling sounds, and fumbled her hands inside the pillowcase like she was still out of her mind. Admittedly, it felt nice to growl. So primal, natural, and very real.
“Anna?” he whispered. Anna’s only response was to tilt her head in his direction. She could smell him... his sweat, blood, and meat. Her senses increasingly heightened, she watched his shadow through the cloth, but didn’t let on that anything was visible.
The agent stepped away. He whistled for her like a dog. Fighting tears of rage, she found her feet and moved toward him, careful to keep her feet dragging on the floor as if she was completely zombified.
Cole led her down the echoing hall again, protecting her from what she sensed were other zombies. Finally, they entered a carpeted room. Anna instantly smelled Carla’s presence. Carla cried out her name and rushed to her. Anna didn’t dare change character. She was an actor, she told herself. And this had to be an Academy Award performance.
The asshole cackled. “Yes, go to her, Officer. Stay close for as long as you want. But be careful, you don’t want the same fate as she has coming.”
Indeed, Carla backed off before reaching her. The agent chuckled again. He busied himself cooking something in the microwave. Carla didn’t come too near... her blood flow increased—Anna could sense Carla was very much afraid. Anna didn’t blame her. Even so, Carla moved to Anna’s back and carefully guided her to the floor. Anna made some gurgling sounds for his sake. All she could do at this point was listen and wait for an opportunity to strike. If she could figure out where they were and what was going on outside, she could plan accordingly.
Carla was a cop, Anna knew. She was tough. But she suspected Cole had far more training and experience. He was cold, so frigid. Anna could almost taste his heartless cunning and indifference to their predicament.
“I wonder what’s taking them so long,” he whispered to himself. “Let’s get this fucking show on the road!”
What show is he talking about? Anna worried.
Cole snickered, as if he was privy to her thoughts.
Anna resolved to live. She felt strong, she felt invincible. And, at this still-early stage, she was still mostly human. She knew this, and fought to hold on to it.
Cole moved around the room; Anna heard the click of a lighter and soon smelled cigarette smoke. “I have a little more work to do,” he said. Anna heard a door open. “Oh, and don’t forget your girl here. You are chained now. She isn’t. I’m sure she will hear you if you try to escape, or make too much noise. And I bet she’s ravenously hungry. Oh, and you are going to have a choice to make. Soon.”
“What choice?” asked Carla
“Never mind for now.... I’ll be back.”
Anna listened to the door open and shut, followed by a key setting the lock. Hunger raged as she tried to focus on his footsteps quickly fading away.
Chapter Twenty-one
Anna and Carla were alone together at last. Anna could sense Carla’s tension, her anxiety. She understood that Carla had no idea what condition Anna was in. Anna could feel Carla watching her, could sense Carla’s emotions. Anna was hungry now, yes. Hungrier than she had ever been in her life. But she clung to her fading humanity
“Carla?”
Silence pervaded the room.
“Carla, are you there?” Anna knew she was, but asked anyway.
“Anna? Are you... are you okay, honey?”
“I don’t know how long that fucker will be gone,” Anna struggled to hang on. Fight the cravings! She heard the anger in the voice. The hate. “But I’m here. I’m strong. And I want to live.”
“Oh, my God,” Carla’s voice was one of relief. “You’re back. You’re... fighting it, aren’t you?” Doubt mingled with hope.
“He doesn’t know,” said Anna “I started to come around in the car. Sorry... I didn’t know if I could talk to you or not. It’s hard to explain.”
“It’s okay, Anna. Your dad and uncle, and everyone else will come. And, I’m not done with that bastard yet.”
“Neither am I,” Anna said, evenly. “But I really need some water.” She swallowed, hard, forcing the saliva down. “First thing’s first, though. He mustn’t know that I’m changed. I’m strong now.... He’s going to use you somehow, Carla. He gave you some kind of choice. I’m stronger than you, so let him use me! I can do it, whatever it is... and keep him off of you.”
“No, I can’t allow you to do that,” said Carla, firmly. “I’ll figure out how to buy us more time.”
“But what are we facing out there?” Anna asked. “Where are we?!” She began to panic, but controlled herself, breathing deeply.
Fight it, Anna. Fight it.
* * *
Cole retrieved the suitcase from the SUV. A suitcase nuke. Or, more accurately, a nuclear warhead housed within a steel case lined with protective padding in case of radiation.
Like that’s going to matter soon, he thought, while wheeling the case carefully in front of him.
Only 60 pounds, but it packed a wallop. The explosion would be about half what it was at Hiroshima, or 6 megatons. And it didn’t take much to set this baby off either. A coded detonator, and a small explosion that literally rammed the two uranium tubes together.
And that’d be all she wrote for this nightmare. At least in L.A.
He was doing his job. Nothing more, nothing less. Just as others like him, around the world, were doing their jobs, too. To contain this nightmare. To save this sorry world from itself. And if he could take out the two Carter boys with the crazies, well, all the better. And if he could actually watch them suffer, too, even better still.
He had a little plan for that. A plan with front row seats to watch them suffer.
The arrogant pricks.
For now, though, he searched for the perfect spot for the bomb, until he sheepishly realized it wouldn’t really matter where he put it. The stadium would be gone whether he threw it in the bathroom or shoved it under a seat.
Still, he needed it out of the way and to keep it dry. Mostly, he needed to keep it safe from prying eyes.
And from the crazies.
* * *
Hours passed.
Cole returned, and seemed pleased with himself. Carla ignored the asshole as best she co
uld, while trying not to give away the fact that Anna was, in fact, quite coherent. Carla also knew Anna’s coherency would last only for so long, before she devolved into a....
She couldn’t think about, and so she refused to.
Cole left again, keeping Carla chained. She felt so tired and began to fall asleep. Exhaustion became to hard to resist.
* * *
Anna crouched in the corner. Waiting.
Staying still was agony. She held the pen that Carla had told her about, a pen she had fished from Carla’s jeans, which had been a challenge since both of their hands were either cuffed or tied. But she had gotten it, and now she held the ballpoint pen tightly in the palm of her hand, thinking of all the places that were vulnerable on Cole’s body. She knew what she would do, but she had to wait for the right moment.
Think of something else....
Anna distracted herself by running through all of the constellations in her mind. First alphabetically, then chronologically. She fought her urge to get up, get out. She felt wonderfully powerful, and had never struggled so hard in her life to remain calm. She pictured her father, and remembered Jared. They were good men. She allowed herself to think of Jared... naked.
Anna had carefully loosened the knot that held the pillowcase around her, a short while earlier. Then, she made herself wait. Patience wasn’t her strongest virtue, and she reminded herself repeatedly what was at stake. Her life. Her father’s. Jared’s. Her uncle, Mike and Carla. She had to wait until the perfect moment.
She was in the middle of naming the stars in Latin when Cole suddenly returned.
Carla awoke with a slight moan.
“The time has come,” he announced.
“What time?” asked Carla, disoriented for a moment. Then Anna heard her jerking herself upright.
“You have a choice. Are you my girl?”
“What the hell does that mean?” asked, Carla, sounding confused.
“Choose, or I will choose for you.”
“What are you planning, asshole?”
He laughed. “That’s the fun of it. You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Okay... I’m your girl,” Carla affirmed. “Take me, do what you will. But you’re not going to win.”
Anna heard him take her cuffs off the file cabinet, then snap them on again, likely behind Carla’s back. She didn’t hear anything more except the door opening and then locking from the outside.
Chapter Twenty-two
Mike froze when the stadium lights turned on.
Julie cried out in surprise when the music roared. He thought he might’ve heard both Jack and Joe shout over the radio, but the radio’s light dimmed by the time he noticed it. Neither one responded to his calls.
The wild rock music had a huge effect on the zombies. They had been fairly quiet, but now the noise and thudding drums and bass made them enraged. Julie clung to Mike, terrified.
He had to use a few bullets to get a few of the fuckers out of the way to get to the top edge of the stairs leading down to the field.
He was surprised by what he saw: Carla on top of the SUV, as bait. Jack and Brice were running toward her from left field, and Joe and Jared from the right. All of them were fighting their way through the incited undead.
They were out of time. Previous plans down the drain.
Julie wailed and hid behind him.
Mike turned around and snapped, “Get a hold of yourself, bitch. Now! Or die! Those are the only choices!”
She looked stunned by his harshness. “What are we going to do?” she whimpered.
“We? You’re going to prove yourself to all of us. We saved your ass, and now it’s payback time.”
“What—”
He handed her the keys to the Escalade. “Go back. Get all the rifles you can carry. Fill your backpack with guns. You’ll need this.” He gave her a pistol. “Can you shoot?”
“A little, but I can’t....”
Mike shook her hard. “Yes, you can. And you will, by God, or those assholes out there will eat you alive. You got that?”
Julie looked around her, eyes wild with fear.
Mike gave her one last look while checking the guns he carried, taking in the chaos below. “Choice is yours,” he shouted back at her, as he began his descent. “I’m going into the fray! Get moving, Julie—Help us!”
He didn’t say anything else to her. If she didn’t act, she’d soon be dead, or one of them.
Mike dashed down the stairs toward the field. He heard her scream behind him, and smiled when he heard a gun shot and Julie cussing up a storm behind him. There was still hope.
* * *
Cole was a bastard for sure.
He had blindfolded Carla, cuffed her hands, and forced her back into the SUV. Where they were going, she hadn’t a clue, and Cole wasn’t talking. Apparently, the smug chitchat was over.
When he stopped the vehicle, he removed the cuffs and brought her hands around to her waist and cuffed them again. Then he told her where to find a weapon. The driver door opened, shut, and she assumed he took off. Meanwhile, murmurs from the undead resounded from someplace nearby. She ripped off the blindfold and tumbled through the vehicle, heading straight to the glove box and removed a knife.
That’s when the lights turned on, and she found herself in centerfield of Dodger Stadium.
Surrounded by the restless undead.
She thought about staying put inside the cab. But then if Jack and the others came to rescue her and Anna, they might not see her. A better option presented itself, and while holding the knife in her mouth, she fumbled for the doorknob with her cuffed hands, got the door open, and scrambled onto the SUV’s roof.
Debating on whether to get down and run, or stand her ground and fight, she was surprised and felt her heart rise when Jack burst onto the field followed by Brice. Jack fired his way through the wretched things on his way to her. Meanwhile, out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Joe and Jared advancing from the other side. Carla uttered a cry of relief and jumped down onto the hood where she could use her knife.
When the zombies noticed her, she was forced to defend herself with the knife, praying that her rescuers would get there soon....
* * *
Cole returned, panting slightly.
Anna listened as he walked to what seemed like a desk. Something clicked, and intense light filled the room, hurting her eyes through the pillowcase.
She dared not look up. That is, until the rock song started. An oldie Anna was familiar with, she now understood that she was in the stadium’s control room. She carefully lifted her head up toward the light’s source and stood.
In turn, the agent in black reacted. She heard Cole jerk around, and her heightened senses picked up his fear. Because of the light, she saw his shadowed form tiptoe away from her.
He’s afraid of me? Good.
Anna smiled. She wasn’t afraid, and a menacing snarl escaped her throat. She wasn’t faking it now. The guttural response came readily. Her head hung down, but it allowed her to make out a little of the room’s layout.
If Cole had realized she was picking information, she assumed he would’ve bolted for the door. But he didn’t, and that was a mistake. He receded into a corner, perhaps thinking he’d have the advantage. She heard his gun click. But Anna knew Cole was reluctant to kill her yet because he needed her for a hostage. He pushed open the closet door to his left a little... perhaps to confine her again.
“Come on, little girl. This way... that’s it. You can do it.”
Anna could feel her face flush with anger. Her growl this time was deeper, and she moved stealthily toward him. With predatory intent.
The hunter was about to become the prey. She let him steer her toward the closet door, coaxing her with his stupid words. Anna’s heart raced from the surge of adrenaline. He gave her a slight shove to move inside his trap.
That was it.
In one smooth motion, Anna broke through the last of the cords binding her and
ripped off the pillowcase from her head. She turned and faced the startled agent.
But Cole didn’t miss a beat. He took a swing that would have knocked her across the room hours ago. Not now. The new Anna was stronger and faster, ducking under his arm and fist in a fluid movement. She swooped behind him, crawling like a demon child, and stabbed the pen into the soft flesh at the back of his knee. He cried out in pain as she thrust it through to his kneecap and twisted hard. She gave one more twist and half the pen broke off, leaving the other half embedded inside.
He fell to his other knee, wild with pain and gasping. She spun around and kicked the gun out of his hand. A wild shot blasted into a wall. Anna viciously kicked him in the nuts, and then flung him into the closet. Slamming the door closed, she grabbed a chair and shoved it under the door handle.
Wasting no time, she gathered his gun and most of the others, stuffing handguns into her pockets and carrying an armload of rifles.
The blasting music brought waves of energy that flowed through her, as she realized it was also doing the same thing to the mass of undead gathered in the stadium. She left the outer door open, hoping they would come for him, the man screaming in the closet. Then Anna Carter raced through the hall and down the stairs, to join the biggest battle of her life.
Chapter Twenty-three
Blood, bone and grey matter covered the bright green grass field as the five men fought their way closer to Carla.
Joe and Jared paired up back to back, Jared fighting off the oncoming undead as Joe cleared the way to Carla. By now, Jack had seen them, along with Mike, slaughtering his way from home base.
Joe was the closest though, and he could see Carla had been roughed up. She was barely recognizable, covered from head to toe with blood and sweat. He shouted to her. She turned to him and he tossed her a handgun. He overthrew a little high but she jumped to catch it, and then emptied it in seconds into the nearest pair of zombies trying to climb onto the truck’s hood. But it bought enough time to bring Joe and Jared closer. When they reached her, Joe gave her his last gun. Carla jumped off the car, fighting for her life, for their lives, too.