by J. R. Rain
Cole waited just outside the bathroom, keeping the door open, watching her. She washed the blood from her face and blotted the wound with toilet paper. When she came out, he gave her a soda and a pretzel.
Carla downed the entire soda, unable to stop herself from drinking.
“Where’s Anna?” she asked, wiping her mouth and chin.
“Safe. For now.” He handed her another drink.
“They’ll be here, you know,” Carla whispered. “They’re coming.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it,” he mimicked her soft voice. “I’m still undecided on what part I want Anna to play. But I have something big planned for all of you. Very, very big.”
Carla hated the demented glint in his eyes. She knew she didn’t have much to work with. For now, all she could do was try to buy more time. She set down her half-eaten pretzel. “Why don’t you use me, instead of Anna?”
Cole smiled. “Oh, I intend to use you, Officer. To the very end. As for the girl, she serves a purpose. A damned worthy purpose.”
Chapter Eighteen
If the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, then we were on the right track, thought Jack.
All of them were bone tired, and it was late. If they were going to stop a madman, then they needed their rest, figured Jack. They also needed to come up with a firm plan of attack. But first, they needed sleep. Which is why they found themselves in an abandoned motel not far from Dodger Stadium, in Echo Park.
Jack took the first watch, then his brother and Mike. In all, they were lucky to get a few hours between them, especially with Julie proving to be a real pain in the ass. Apparently, she didn’t like being tied up and muzzled. Go figure.
“She’s sleeping with the enemy,” Mike said, dismissing her discomfort with a shrug, to which she tried to object strongly. “Tough shit,” he added.
“True,” Brice said, “But not anymore. Not for the time being, at least. Hell, she’s from the beach. I bet she doesn’t even know which way is north. She’s not going to go running out into the night by herself. Not here.” Julie now shook her head enthusiastically, eyes wide.
After some debate, they decided to let her loose under the condition she spoke as little as possible. She set about rubbing her hands. “Well!” was all she said.
The guys started talking about how to best enter the Stadium. And what they should expect. Jack was an avid Dodger fan, but Brice had been one for decades longer. He knew the most about the place.
“There’s a powerful generator there,” he advised. “The place could be lit up like a giant roman candle.”
Getting in unnoticed was an assured impossibility. Joe and Mike were adamant they should at least scout the place out before ‘driving into the field with guns blazing.’
“We aren’t driving anywhere in that truck, unless we want to be heard from miles away,” said Joe.
Mike shrugged. “I’ll get us more suitable transportation.”
* * *
They decided the best plan of attack was to park a fair distance out of sight, and walk the perimeter of the stadium to gather as much information as possible. This meant each guy carried as many weapons as possible and relied on radio communication once they separated. Mike and Joe volunteered to venture out to the Big 5 Sporting Goods nearby in order to procure enough ammo, radios, and whatever else they could carry with them.
The pair returned an hour later, out of breath.
“Sorry it took so long,” said Joe, panting. But Mike was smiling. Joe added, “Big 5 was practically empty. It’s been looted, stripped. No radios, no nothing. Not even socks or snacks.”
Jack jabbed a thumb in Mike’s direction. “Then why does he look like the Cheshire cat on ecstasy?”
“Because we found another place,” Joe continued. “The police station. It’s empty now. Man, they still have everything.” Joe showed his brother the same kind of radios Carla carried. “We just have to change the frequency to limit to our own group. And you should see what Mike picked up.”
Mike’s grin broadened.
“You’re gonna love this, Jack.”
Jack didn’t think he would love anything in this nightmare. But he followed Joe and Mike to the motel’s parking lot.
The brand-new Cadillac Escalade was indeed a shocker. Beautiful, fully loaded. More importantly, the tires were huge. “It’s a four-wheel drive,” Mike smiled as they approached. “Found it with the keys inside. A little blood on the driver’s seat, but that’s all.”
“Gasoline?”
“Full tank.”
Jack shook my head, and allowed a weak smile to pull on the corners of his mouth. Maybe there was hope for them yet. They loaded the rest of their supplies. Finally ready, they woke up Brice and Julie, and were on their way. None of them knew what to expect, but Jack was certain of two things: he would get his daughter and Carla back. Then he would personally kill Cole, the agent in black.
Chapter Nineteen
Jack and the gang arrived at the great Dodger Stadium just before three-thirty in the morning.
An unusual number of zombies roamed the grounds. There were more than Jack had ever seen gathered before. They headed toward the ballpark, coming in droves from all directions as they filled up the huge parking lot. The fences were torn down in places; some of the gates stood open. Jack and his companions were astounded at the numbers of undead. How did they get here? And why? There was nothing here for them. No humans to feed them all, no prey. Yet there they were, wandering listlessly in the night.
Brice led the way to a fairly hidden spot to park close to Top Deck. “This will give us the easiest way out, whenever we need it,” he explained. “We used it all the time with our season tickets, helped us escape the crowds.”
“Human crowds,” added Jared glumly.
“I don’t know why they’re here, but we can dodge them,” said Jack. “We have to be quiet, stealthy. We’ll check which gates are open, too.” He handed out the radios, having already set them to a private frequency. Then he added flashlights and Sharpie pens. “Use the flashlights only in an emergency, and only after communicating that you’re about to by radio. If anyone sees a flashlight without communication, we all come running. Got it?”
“What if he uses a flashlight?” Julie, of all people, asked.
“Good question. We’ll all be outside the stadium,” replied Jack. “If we see light inside, announce the location via radio. If Cole’s outside, I guess that’s a chance we’re gonna have to take. Use your knives on the infected, and try not to get bit.” Jack smiled at his wry joke that went ignored.
“Um, Jack? What are the Sharpies for?” Brice asked.
“Mark anything that could be of use to others. An open gate, any sign of recent human activity, anything your gut tells you. Write the location, the gate and aisle number and the time.”
Jack was grateful that his brother and friends had military training. The plan seemed sound... solid. Joe took over the conversation. “We use the buddy system. Jared, you’re with me. We’ll start from the left. Jack, Brice, you two go the other way.”
“And Mike and Julie?” Jack asked. He could tell Julie was dying to say something, but she kept quiet.
“She stays with me,” Mike answered. “I’m going to check out the lower level. I’ll make myself invisible. I want to see if I can locate him, or them. Julie, I will find you a safe place to stay.” He faced her, eyeing her seriously. “I’m saying this in front of everyone. If you make unnecessary moves, or sounds, or try to run, I will kill you. I don’t want to, but I can’t have you screw this up for us. Do you understand me?”
“I—I understand,” she said. “But don’t leave me alone, please. I’ve never been here. I’m scared. You know how in the movies, they always split up, and it’s always a mistake.”
They collectively rolled their eyes.
“What is it that you really want to tell us, Julie?”
She looked at Jack, surprised, then nodded. “Cole has somet
hing... something big planned. I don’t know what it is, but he said you’ll be dead once it happens.”
“No, you tell us what it is!” Mike demanded. “We don’t have all fucking night, so make it quick!”
She cowered at the harshness in his voice.
“All I know is it’s in a suitcase. A shiny silver suitcase.”
Jack looked at his brother and Mike, and then Brice. They looked at him.
“There’s no way he has one,” Joe finally said.
“Has what?” asked Jared, stepping forward. “Tell us, please.”
“A bomb,” said Brice.
“A bomb?”
“And my guess, based on what we know about this asshole, is it’s a thermonuclear warhead.”
“How in the hell did he get his hands on one of those?” Jack asked.
“He’s a high-ranking agent in a shadow program,” Joe explained. “There’s no telling what he has access to, or what force he’s been authorized to use.”
“Jesus,” Jack whispered in dismay.
“And he’s figured out a way to lure the local chapters of the undead.”
“And, us, too,” added Mike.
“Well, we have to get the girls and get the fuck out of here,” said Jared, “Before....”
He didn’t have to finish. They all knew what he meant.
Before Kingdom Come came to Dodger Stadium.
* * *
Jack gave the final briefing before exiting the truck.
“If we move quickly, we can make it around the perimeters within twenty minutes.” He regarded Brice before going on. “Twenty-five max. If you’re slow at halfway, then communicate that. It’s three-oh-nine by my watch,” Jack continued, “That should get us all back here, at the car, no later than three thirty-four. Any problems, we cover each other.”
He took stock of the roaming mass of infected humanity. “Are we ready? Mike, you and Julie wait here in the car until we’re well on our way.” Jack looked everyone in the eye one last time. “Cut your way through them, run faster than them, and get back here safely. Let’s go!”
They exited the car and stepped into the madness of mingling with zombies in the dead of night.
* * *
Moving through the undead was easier than expected. For reasons Jack couldn’t fathom, the zombies’ main focus seemed to be only on getting inside the ballpark. They killed the few that came after them, splitting their skulls with razor-sharp knives. But for the most part, it was easy going at first.
As they made their way down some exterior stairs, Brice and Jack took turns writing down which gates were open, where the zombies were heavily gathered. They figured they would make it back within the prescribed twenty-five minutes. So far, Brice kept up. If all went well, they’d meet Joe and Jared outside of center field.
They were just getting into the rhythm, near third base, when the stadium lights suddenly flashed on. Jack gasped in surprise and blinked to adjust his eyes to the brightness. He and Brice appeared stunned by how many of the undead were on the field, dragging themselves up the stairs. There were thousands of them.
“Holy mother of Christ,” Brice whispered.
Jack’s heart raced when he saw Carla, standing atop the SUV Cole had stolen. It was parked in center field. She wasn’t tied up, and he thought he saw a knife in her hand. At least the fucker gave her a fighting chance. She was completely still, obviously not wanting to attract attention.
Jack and Brice barely had time to take it all in when the music started. The hair on Jack’s neck prickled at the guitar riff of “Welcome to the Jungle” blasting from the speakers.
It brought back good memories, of how it was when fifty thousand Dodger fans would gather here. Jack recalled the goose bumps he felt years ago, every time “The Jungle” introduced the Dodger’s closing pitcher, Eric Gagné.
Now, the music brought only horror, and was even more amplified. Axl Rose’s voice screamed in that high-pitch of his, causing the infected to shudder. Then the frenzy began.
From atop the SUV, Carla turned slowly, watching the insanity. The music deafening, it drove the infected berserk.
“Mike!” Jack hollered into his radio. He couldn’t hear anything, but prayed his brother’s pal could hear him. “I see Carla! We’re going in.”
Brice was sweating. His grim expression said all Jack needed to know. He didn’t think they’d survive.
“We use the rifles first,” Jack told him. “Until we’re in the midst of it. Then the 45’s. Try to use a knife if you can.”
Brice had been in Vietnam, he knew. But he wasn’t sure whether that experience would help or hinder him, with all the chaos going on. They would both know in a moment. The pair burst through the gate and started shooting.
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 opport
unity 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?”