“You have to get Kate outta here,” I coaxed. “Now go!”
Grabbing Asia’s hand, Kate took off toward the open elevator doors.
More sweat rolled down my back when I heard the sound of hobbling feet echoing in the air; I knew it was the hybrid army. There was no way I could take them all on, not in a million years. My body shook as I stared at their rotting, deformed faces, and my legs threatened to buckle. We’d come so close to escaping the laboratory nightmare, but now it looked as if it would never end—at least not the way I’d hoped. “If we don’t get out of this building…” I paused, not wanting to even consider the grim possibility.
Kate glanced over her shoulder. Her shriek turned into a loud scream when she saw how many were coming and what we were up against.
I clenched my teeth as a sick feeling nestled in the pit of my stomach. “Hurry!” I shouted, breathing heavily. “They’re coming!”
“Go! Go! Go!” Kate yelled.
A woman with greasy blonde hair lowered her head in defeat as tears slipped down her face.
I gripped her shoulders and turned her body to face the elevators.
She froze, her skin drained of color.
“Don’t you dare give up!” I yelled. “Now start climbing!”
“But I-I’m scared.”
“Aren’t you more scared of being eaten?”
“I guess,” she said, her lip trembling.
“Then climb!”
One of the men came down and started to help guide her up.
“Hurry!” I screamed. I gazed up and saw the last few frantically climbing up, but there was not enough room for me to jump on yet. The building was about to blow up, and the hybrid army was closing in. I was either going to either be blown to bits or eaten bit by bit, and neither of those options were appealing.
“Jump on!” somebody yelled to Kate.
With her eyes wide with fear, she glanced at me.
I gave her a gentle shove. “Just go! I’m right behind you!”
I gripped the axe tightly. Those long, ticking, fear-filled seconds made my heart pound in my throat. The undead shrieks made the hair on my neck stand on end, and my palms began to sweat. When I turned to look behind me, I saw the hybrids moving closer, so close that I could make out their individual dead and gory features. I opened my mouth, but my throat felt choked, and no words came out. The hybrids moaned hungrily as excitement overwhelmed them at the prospect of a fresh meal.
There was no doubt about it: It was the end of the line. My life flashed before my eyes. If I couldn’t make it out on time, I would at least go out in a blaze of glory, fighting all the way. I clenched my fingers around the handle of my axe and readied myself for the battle of my life. Dozens of milky, white eyes converged upon me, and rotting fingers reached for me. Chills shot down my spine, and I dared to glance over my shoulder one last time. There was finally room for me to jump! Still clinging to my axe, I jumped onto the red metal frame. I wrapped my arms around the cable and started frantically climbing up.
“Food!” a hybrid hissed below me.
Something gripped my foot, and my heart thundered. With one hand, I swung my axe, and the things arm went flying. I bashed it in the head, and it flew off. Two more came to take its place.
“Hurry! Climb!” a woman shouted. “This place is gonna blow!”
So far, I’d tuned out the computer voice issuing the warnings, but when I heard, “Two minutes,” I gasped, knowing I had to get out of here.
Another hybrid reached for my leg and pulled on my pants. I swung, nailing it in the head. The axe penetrated the skull so deeply that it was embedded in its brain. There was no time to try and get it back. I had to move! I clambered up the steel shaft, trying to get up as fast as humanly possible. The hybrid hissed and reached for me once again. I kicked it, then moved up faster as adrenaline flooded my veins. When I felt fingers wrap around my ankle, I gasped again.
“Just give me one bite!” it shouted in that scary, demonic voice, “one bite of your flesh.”
I tried to kick it off me, but it wouldn’t let go. The thought of it wanting a taste made my skin crawl.
“Aren’t you tired of running from us?”
“Yes!” I shouted.
“Then just quit fighting,” it said in a low, deep voice. “I promise it won’t hurt…much.”
I took a quick glance down, and the hybrid bared its sharp teeth. Just as it went to sink then into my leg, I heard a sound.
Bang! Bang!
The hybrid loosened its grip and fell to the bottom of the shaft.
I glanced up and saw Val. She smiled victoriously. I blinked. Yes! It was really Val. A wave of relief washed over me. She was okay. Breathing. Alive. And fighting like a true champion and warrior.
“Val!” I shouted.
“Hurry!” she yelled. She continued shooting at all the hybrids that tried to jump onto the cable. And it was no easy feat because no matter how many she shot, more just replaced them. They just kept coming, like in some kind of bad nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
I climbed over the edge, and some of the men heaved me up. When I glanced around, I realized we were in the sister facility and not the actual lab.
Val grabbed my arm. “Let’s go!”
“Twenty-two seconds,” the computer announced.
I peered at the others; there was terror written on their faces. Jaws dropped in unison, and eyes bulged. “Just go!” I yelled at them.
Without another word, the group took off, running for the exit.
“Ten…nine…” the computerized voice said.
We raced toward the exit, my heart thundering. A gentle, humming purr, like that of a kitten, turned into the sound of swarming bees, then changed into a high pitch that echoed from the walls. The lights flickered, then went out. A deep, rolling thunder shook the walls and floor.
“Eight…seven…six…five…”
We raced into the cold night and took off down the street like a blur. I knew we had to get as far away from the building as we could. I could still hear the computer as she counted down the last few numbers.
“Four…three…two…one!”
Boom!
The building exploded behind us. I hit the ground hard and rolled forward, crashing into a parked car. As I gazed back, I found myself staring at a fireball that had been a laboratory only seconds earlier. I drew in choked breaths and peered around me, a sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. Did Nick, Lucas, and Claire make it out? What if they were in there, searching for me? What if I got them killed? I didn’t know if they were dead or alive, but I tried to think positive.
Val embraced me in a hug.
“What happened to you?” I asked.
“I went to help others out. I got about ten of them out of there before the doors locked. Then I couldn’t get back in. So I went to find Nick, Lucas, and Claire.”
“Did they make it out?” I asked hopefully.
She smiled. “You know as well as I do that our brother is way too stubborn to die.”
“Dean!”
I spun around to see Nick, Lucas, and Claire running toward me. Tears welled in my eyes. I’d never been happier. My gaze connected with Nick’s, and he threw his arms around me. We laughed and traded fist-bumps. When I turned to face Claire and Lucas, their smiles said it all: Against all odds, we’d survived. We all slapped each other on the back, giving out high-fives.
At this point, I suspected that Charlie was the mastermind of the entire operation, but Val wondered if it really was Jonathon, just putting on a good show for his final act. We definitely planned to investigate it farther. I was most saddened by the fact that I still didn’t know who shot Jackie, and I would never be able to put her to rest. I was sure she was in that lab somewhere, but at least now, she’d never be experimented on. I hoped she was at peace, but wherever she was, Jackie would always be in my heart. Claire and I decided to make her a memorial out back. Max knew someone who could prepare a pro
per headstone so we would never forget her.
Nick wrapped his arms around Claire and swung her around. They were such an unlikely pair, but I was happy that my brother had found love again. If anyone deserved it, he did.
On the contrary, Lucas and Val had never really hit it off, and I thought that was for the best. But in the long run, they did become fantastic friends.
The hybrids and infected animals were finally destroyed, along with the lab that had created them. They had no more serum to experiment with, so I hoped that was the end of hybrids. The zombies herds surrounding the city began to leave, and we all realized the hybrids had likely summoned them to the city in the first place, as we originally suspected.
Max was overjoyed to have his nephew back, especially after he thought Frank was dead. The gang members who survived were relieved to be reunited with their loved ones. Max was also thrilled to hear that the animal population wasn’t infected.
Larry and Sam decided to stay the winter in Fairport and were each given a house to live in. I wanted them to leave, but I wasn’t so lucky. They tried to make peace with us, but I couldn’t forgive them so easily for ramming me off a bridge and throwing the girls into an icy river to drown.
A war with the gang still waged. Z wanted our city, and I knew we had a fight on our hands. I thought maybe we should just leave, but winter had come, and Val thought we should wait until spring to travel home. We weren’t even so sure we should hand the vials over to the government. The last thing we needed was another hybrid army. We discussed disposing of them forever, but Nick insisted that if we could find somebody we could trust, maybe we could make the serum work properly.
Claire had really grown since I’d met her. I knew that no zombie ever stood a chance against her and that rage she lived with. She still vowed revenge on Z, and I had no doubt that she’d act on it. It was funny how the zombie apocalypse had changed us all. Claire was an entirely different person, and I wondered what Jackie would have thought about that.
Max let Asia and Kate move in with us. They had a long way to go and lots of emotional scars.
Back at the apartment, I kicked up my feet. Sparkles jumped on my lap and licked my face. The darn dog was growing on me, I guess. I opened a can of Spam and dug out a big bite with a spoon. It felt good having almost everyone back together.
Nick shot me a proud look, and for the first time, I realized that my big brother truly respected me. That was all I’d ever wanted from him in the first place, and it warmed me from head to toe.
I was a survivor. I’d never give up. I’d only fight harder. And I’d learned all of that while fighting for my life and the lives of the ones I loved.
The End
(For Now) See cover below for book 7. It will be available in winter 2014
Note from author: I’m so thrilled and happy to have you come along on Dean’s journey. Without out you, none of this would’ve been possible and I can’t thank you enough. If you’ve enjoyed this series but haven’t gotten a chance, could you please leave a review for book 1? Even a line or two would be fantastic and help me more than you know. Here is the book 1 link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R53WBO
I’d really appreciate your support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you already have, or have done it for other books in this zombie series, then thank you. I’m beyond grateful.
Love,
Chrissy
The Zombie Chronicles - Book 6 - Revelation (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) Page 26