by Tom Germann
They turned and found. a circular staircase going up. At the top, it came out onto a landing and from the bottom it was obvious that the one door that led into the building was closed.
There was one door left that they had not gone through yet. It was directly in front of them and partially open.
They started advancing on it and then Vajjer stopped. He clicked his flashlight on and point it at the base of the door. There was a pool of dried blood on the floor and bloody handprints on the wall around the door.
Vajjer advanced, stepping around the bloody mess and coming at the door from the side.
Wagner hissed to Caisson, “You cover the outside. I’ll cover Chris.” He moved up.
Vajjer pushed on the door, keeping his weapon ready. The door didn’t budge. He put his shoulder against the door and pushed. Nothing. He stepped back and whispered, “Something’s blocking it from the other side. I’m going to try to ease around and see what’s in there. We’re close to the wall so whatever room is there can’t be that big and I didn’t hear anything, so I’m hoping.”
“Shit. I don’t like that. All it takes is one of these things to be quiet and we have a problem.”
Vajjer shrugged. “I know, but I take a bit of a chance and be careful or we just pull the door shut and ignore it. I’ll be fine… Hopefully.”
He moved to the door and pushed harder with his shoulder, digging his feet into the floor. The door inched open a bit more.
Taking a breath, he inched in sideways. He was only halfway in when he froze. Both men could hear him swearing, and Wagner could see his head whipping around frantically. Then he eased himself back and pulled the door shut.
He walked back and whispered loud enough for both men to hear. “The room’s clear. There’s a body wedged up against the door and a lot of blood in the room. It looks like a barracks room that had been set up for long-term living. Maybe they had people who lived here as full-time staff. There are two beds and they look like they were hosed down in blood. I’m guessing that they put the infected in there initially and were trying to take care of them and then something went wrong. I also saw a hand by the bed. The body behind the door, it looks like someone caved his head in with a hammer. I wouldn’t go in there. Ever.”
Wagner just looked at him then nodded. “Sergeant Caisson, you’re on point. Walk us out of here. We are so out of here for a break. We’ll take ten and then come back and secure the upstairs. I don’t care about the basement right now. Then we loot and pillage this place OR maybe we fortify and stay. Let’s go.”
The three headed down the main hall with weapons at the ready. The floor appeared clear, but no one was willing to take the chance.
They came to the door and slipped outside, joining the rest of the group that had been waiting for them just off to the side. Someone had thrown a tarp over the bodies after moving them together so there was a big plastic-covered mound at the bottom of the stairs. The stench was horrible and would only get worse in the incredible heat.
The two privates walking around the vehicles had stopped at the back end and were talking and smoking. Tocker was looking around with the rifle down next to him and a pair of binoculars up to his face as he looked first up and then down the road.
“Shit.” Caisson stormed over to the two privates and yanked the cigarettes out of their mouths, throwing them away. “You idiots! Have you not seen the fucking zombies wandering around? Are you guys walking the perimeter, checking the area for stuff that anyone else may have missed, like a sentry is supposed to do?”
The two privates backed up and Private Andries started waving his hands around. “But, Sarge, there isn’t anything in the area and Tocker is keeping a good eye up on top of the car. Plus he has a weapon and we don’t…”
The sergeant’s glare shut him up. “If you had rifles, you would have them slung and be smoking. Private Tocker can’t look everywhere at once and it is HOT out here. He could become distracted. Would you two prefer to go inside there and finish clearing the second and third floor? Maybe start clearing the partially eaten bodies out? What about it?”
Both privates had gone white with terror. Weibe started stuttering something, but the sergeant cut them both off. “Look, I understand this is boring shit with lots of bad nasty stuff suddenly happening. You two were trained to be soldiers. Act like it. We are in some serious, fucked up shit. If you two don’t pay attention and get switched on now, someone is going to die. And it will not be me! Start walking. Smoke while you walk, that’s fine, just keep the noise down as I am getting one bad-ass headache.”
Both young men hurriedly started walking around the vehicles again, making a point to look outward as they did. Caisson called for Tocker to come over. The private climbed down carefully, took his rifle from the roof, and followed the sergeant into the shade.
He looked at Caisson, ignoring everyone else. “I told them to keep walking and an eye out, Sergeant, but they were always a bit slack and it’s hot. I think they could see further if they were on top of a vehicle like I was.”
Wagner chuckled. “They’d just roast on top of the cars, Private Tocker, and then go to sleep. It’s what young, not-switched-on privates do. Good job staying focussed on the task.”
Tocker stiffened to attention. “Thank you, sir!”
Vajjer sighed. “Tocker, would you please relax? Work hard and the discipline thing is standard, but you don’t need to be so uptight when someone tells you ‘good job.’ We’re in the field here now.”
Tocker relaxed and nodded.
Wagner looked around at everyone and the running vehicles. “Do you want to grab us some drinks, Sarge?”
Steven held a hand up. “I’ll get them and some sandwiches and candy too. You guys are going to need some calories.” He walked toward the station wagon and started rooting around in one of the coolers.
Steven ended up bringing the entire cooler over and popping it open for everyone to grab food and drinks from. Everyone grabbed something and then sat down on the ground and started eating. The three soldiers grabbed food and drinks and ate while standing with the shotguns on the ground and Vajjer’s cleared pistol in a pocket.
Neil sat with Sarah propped up against the building. He was trying to get her to eat, but she wouldn’t touch anything. She only took a few sips of water. Neil carefully put the lid on the bottle and placed it down next to her. He patted her hand and then got up and went over to Wagner. “Excuse me? Could we get Sarah inside please? She has a fever and isn’t feeling well. Seeing all those people being shot and then Jane being all crazed and attacking her. I think she’s just distanced herself from the here and now. At least, that’s what Susan said and I think she’s right.”
Wagner looked at Neil and spoke carefully. “Look, Neil, does she understand that they were infected?”
Neil shook his head and didn’t say anything. Wagner took another bite of his sandwich and kept talking quietly while everyone around them listened. “Well, we had no choice. We want to get everyone inside and we may hole up here until this infection passes, as the place looks secure. But we have to go back in and make sure the place is really secure. We will do that as fast as we can. We may have maybe three hours before that big mass of infected come down that road behind us and we either are trapped here or we are driving away. It could be less than three hours, I don’t think it will be more. We can do this and we are going to, but we have to go, sorry. I’m sorry. I don’t want anyone else to be attacked by some crazed infected.”
Neil nodded and started to turn away, looking miserable. Wagner stopped him. “Neil? You have Sarah drinking water, which is good. You’re drinking something else, right? For the extreme heat we’re dealing with here?”
Neil turned back and nodded, pointing to beside Sarah where a larger bottle was sitting mostly empty. “Yes, sir. Jimmy was good enough to point out that I was going to fall over sweating an
d worrying and I should drink that ‘sport drink’ to keep my energy up. I’ve been drinking a lot of it.”
Wagner smiled and nodded. “Okay, good job, Neil. Keep drinking and we’ll have you inside as soon as possible.”
Neil nodded and walked back over to Sarah, where he crouched down at her side.
Everyone quickly finished eating and drinking, then the three soldiers picked up and readied their weapons in preparation to go back into the building.
Jimmy and Steven came over and stood by the three. Wagner looked at Jimmy. “Good job making sure he didn’t share.”
Jimmy smiled. “The girl may be infected; we don’t need to get him infected too. Did you find any drugs inside?”
“No, the place is just classrooms and offices. No first aid stuff anywhere,” said Caisson as he worked the slide on his shotgun and then picked up, wiped off, and reloaded the shell he had cleared. “Nice and smooth, shouldn’t jam,” he added quietly to himself.
Steven looked at them and spoke quietly. “If you happen to find any army stores inside, that would be great. I’m still in a suit and these dress shoes aren’t in that good shape anymore. Combat boots that fit would be nice.”
Caisson continued checking his shotgun over.
Vajjer looked at Steven. “But what about all the camping stuff we had a chance to go through? There were some boots there and clothes too.”
Steven grimaced. “I’m taller and have a size twelve foot. All the clothes are for midgets and the only pair of size twelve or bigger anything were a pair of shoes that are too narrow.”
Vajjer nodded at the tarp covering the corpses. “Did you look at their gear? Well, for shoes, I mean.”
All three men stared at him for a minute and then the other two soldiers shrugged and readied themselves. Steven nodded. “I did, but I think they all were too small and I wouldn’t take the chance with infection. I felt bad enough dragging them wearing a pair of work gloves over disposable gloves.”
Wagner nodded. “We’ll check the whole place from top to bottom AFTER we secure it. There has to be some clothes in there somewhere along with other gear we could use.”
The three soldiers started walking toward the door, taking the steps slowly.
Caisson spoke before they entered. “I’m going on point. You two cover the sides.” Then he was off and in the building, moving at a shuffling walk.
The other two looked at each other and shrugged, following him in and covering the sides.
At the end of the hall, the three stopped and looked around. Nothing had changed. Corporal Vajjer cursed quietly then explained, “I meant to ask Neil and Sarah if there was a reason the fridge here still has power when there isn’t any anywhere else. I mean...” He reached over and flipped the light switch. “It’s not like these--” The lights made a popping sound as they came on in the hallway. “--work?”
Wagner slammed his hand on the light switch, turning them off and leaving a faint glow from the ceiling-mounted lights. “Let’s not do that again and attract more attention, please.”
The three waited but there was no noise or movement from upstairs. After a short time, Caisson went up the stairs cautiously. The others followed.
Vajjer took the lead, opening the door while the other two kept their shotguns trained on it. With the door open and nothing coming out, the three advanced down the dark hall.
Outside
Sarah was moaning quietly in pain with Neil trying to comfort her. Jimmy was keeping an eye on the front door with his hand never far away from the handgun tucked into his waistband. In Jimmy’s pocket were electrical ties if it looked like Sarah was going to turn. Steven had another set in his pocket, but he was walking around the vehicles, now having replaced one of the privates on sentry. The other young man was walking and smoking with an unopened can bulging out his one pant pocket. The only person who was not taking it easy was Private Tocker, as he was still standing on top of a car looking into the distance through the binoculars. He had taken his beret off and was wearing a yellow tilly hat he had grabbed at the service centre before they left.
Tracy was sitting in the shade on her own while Susie talked to Sam and kept an eye on Sarah.
Weibe got up from where he had been sitting and headed back out, taking over from Steven again. “Thanks for walking a few rounds for me. I appreciated the chance to sit and drink something, sir.”
Steven shook his head. “No, you guys need some help too, so it was not a problem.”
Steven walked back to Jimmy and Susie joined them with Sam.
Susie looked at Steven and then Jimmy. “We need to get her inside and maybe even secured. I think she’s getting worse, but it’s only been a little while and I need to leave those wounds bandaged for now. She seriously needs a doctor, even if it’s only for some booster shots.”
Jimmy nodded at the open doorway at the top of the stairs. “You heard them. As soon as they clear the building, we go in. Maybe they have stuff inside. But I don’t want to go in unless they tell us to. We have to trust them.”
“Trust them? They’re part of the establishment. A government released this flu virus. The people are the ones suffering here.” Tracy was standing just to the side, glaring at the others. “We should just go in and get Sarah up some place safe until we can call a hospital or get help.”
“Tracy, please just shut up.” Susie said it with no heat and looked at her friend with tired eyes. “Ever since you came back from college, you’ve been a socialist little brat that points out all the problems in the world. Stop doing that and get in there and help fix what you see wrong. Did you volunteer at a soup kitchen? Go to hospitals and visit the sick? Donate your time? Or were you just sitting with your loser boyfriend in coffee shops and talking about how the world is a bad place?” She quirked an eyebrow.
Tracy clenched her hands at her sides and glared at Susie. “He’s not my boyfriend. He has real thoughts on changing the world today. We need to work together to change the bad way things have been going…”
Susie laughed and then covered her mouth. “You two aren’t even dating? OMG! Have you even had sex yet?”
The three men started looking around for an escape.
Tracy was trembling with anger. “No, we haven’t had sex! I’m not like you! I don’t give it away to any good looking guy who comes along like a common slut!”
The harsh slap brought everyone’s attention back to Tracy, whose eyes were the size of saucers. She was holding her cheek with one hand and backing away from Susie.
Susie still had her hand up and looked ready to slap Tracy again. “Yes, Tracy, I have had sex and I have had sex with several different partners. I like sex and I’m good at it. Better yet, let me put it like this. ‘I like to FUCK!’ That does not make me a slut or common. Today, it means that I am a woman who knows her mind and makes her own decisions. If you EVER try to judge me like that again, be ready to spit out all your teeth because I will beat you to a pulp. Do you understand me?!”
Tracy nodded quickly. After a few feet, she turned and ran to the vehicles, climbing into back of the station wagon and slamming the door shut.
Susie turned to the three men still standing there and said quietly, “Well?”
Steven answered, “No problem here. She got what she deserved.” Jimmy and Sam nodded agreement.
A quiet ‘humph’ came and Susie turned to see Neil standing there. He was red-faced. “I heard what Tracy said and she’s wrong. No matter what you do, you’re a good person and she should look up and remember her values lessons from grade school.”
Susie smiled at Neil. “Thanks, Neil, I appreciate that. How is Sarah doing?”
Neil smiled hesitantly. “She’s sleeping now. Is that Tracy a communist? I heard you say that she was a socialist…”
Susie grinned again and chuckled. “No, Neil, Tracy went off to college and hooked u
p with stupid people.”
Steven laughed too. “A lot of young people go off and do that for a bit. Hopefully, she grows up one day and discovers how the world really works and then makes the changes so we are all better off.”
Susie shook her head. “Steven, Tracy just needs to be handcuffed down and screwed until she has some common sense.”
Neil went beet red again and walked off toward Sarah. The other three looked at Susie, who was just standing there smiling.
From the top of the stairs, Vajjer called down,. “Hey, I wouldn’t mind being handcuffed down and screwed constantly. I get that all the time in the military.” Everyone turned toward the three soldiers that were tiredly walking down the stairs. “Do you know any good looking nympho chicks that are looking?”
Susie laughed at him. “Well, you could always work something out with Tracy if you wanted?”
Vajjer looked like he had bitten into a lemon. “No, thanks. I’d rather have sex with someone that smiled and was cheerful.”
Wagner sighed. “Enough, or I’ll break out some harassment briefings for everyone.” He mock shuddered then continued to everyone else. “Okay, the main floor and upstairs is all clear. We should get Sarah upstairs to the second floor where there are some comfortable looking couches and blankets. We also need to crack the lock open on the compound and park our vehicles there, secured. So, Neil and Susie, I want you to stay with Sarah. Steven, Sam and Sergeant Caisson will go with you and the rest of us will move the vehicles into the compound and re-secure the gate and then lock down the main floor. That should only take fifteen minutes, then we can have a meeting. If you go anywhere, stay in twos and one person is always armed and paranoid. No creeping around, thanks. Lock the front door when you go in. We’ll come in through that side door.”
He turned and started walking toward the gate followed by Corporal Vajjer, who had a small crowbar.
Steven walked over to Neil and helped him lift Sarah, then they helped her up the stairs and into the building. Everyone started moving quickly and the last man in, Sergeant Caisson, pulled the door shut and the sound of a heavy bolt being thrown could be heard.