Immediate Survivors

by Cenz Barone

  Chapter 22 - Rash Actions

  An hour had passed at this point, and the newly arrived survivors who had come with the unhinged soldier had been more forthcoming with their names and background, it was established that of those who arrived with the soldier, the two women and four men had all been survivors from the rescue hall within the university, who had banded together with several soldiers and policemen and fought their way out. They were led by the crazed soldier who was still locked up on the roof and had made no effort to come down, so he had no idea he was locked up. Each had been brought in from differing areas in the county but most had been picked up in the city or nearby towns, and they were now accepting of the fact they were stuck with the people on the 9th floor. Nobody really interacted much but kept themselves to themselves, all within the cliques they were accustomed to. Nancy however was in her police uniform looking as the authority, something she was conscious of, which made her want to escape all the more, she was gentle in the amount of alcohol she drank but could not help doing so, she felt and sensed, her own intuition told her things were worse than they were.

  Baxter had been like a shadow in the room, grafting around, unable to keep still and keeping himself very much to himself, almost weirdly. Kenny however had been assisted to be moved, by Cherie and Gage, Gate was one of the new arrivals, a friendly male wanting to be helpful, and was unlike the man in the lumber jacket named James, who fancied himself as being an important person in the situation they were in despite James being without the weapon of the soldier, he was very much like him in many ways. So Kenny had been moved to a side room, just where Nancy had directed which hosted a sickbay. The 9th floor of this office was quite wide, and had interconnecting rooms, and on the very same floor were other rooms, which had a diverse range of items within. It was quite the building in terms of facilities and resources so people moved back and forth to gather their own thoughts or find alone time.

  As the group tended to their own thoughts, the radio was broadcasting over the silence but on occasion it went dead until it picked up again. Although the repetition of the radio was dire in many respects and did not fill anyone with confidence concerning what was happening outside, it was still good to hear voices of others beyond where they were, even if it was on the radio. Baxter himself felt isolated and as he listened in when the new arrivals discussed the situation in the university rescue hall, he realised quite quickly that him being mistakenly picked up and brought to this building by the police had likely saved his life because within many had died and the chaos which reigned when it became clear the dead things, as the survivors now called them had broached the lines meant no order was found.

  Baxter was eyeing the guns on the table and glancing across at the rest of the people in the room. Baxter with his glasses and awkward physique was an insignificant person, not one to be remembered or paid attention to and he felt this. He was eyeing the guns and noticed Nancy had not taken her keys from the table she earlier had left them on when she came back into the room with the whisky. As the silence and quietness engulfed the room, all continued doing their own thing and Baxter was conscious of how ineffective he felt, he felt ashamed about misunderstanding Nancy’s instruction about the elevator doors, even though as Laura said because of him doing so, he saved the new arrivals but he just felt out of place. Part of him thinking about Laura who he could not help but look at and think how beautiful she was, he knew her all too well in university and she did not notice him, he could not believe he was with her in this place with her.

  But then he thought about the situation outside and the attacks, the way those people looked and what they did. To him as it was clear to anyone they were dead things of some kind, possessed and infected with something, normal people becoming irrational, the law abiding become murderous. How hard to take he reasoned. As he remained leaning up against the wall, he stared at the table and kept his eyes on it with the guns and keys and when he felt like nobody was paying attention, as now time was running on, and everyone was just lost in their patience of waiting, or listening to the radio broadcasting what information it did. Baxter finally made a beeline for the table and picked up a machine gun and then the keys Nancy had.

  Baxter like a light wind, left the room unnoticed and was now in the corridor, he stared at the elevator which was open on the 9th floor by a piece of wood with the doors unable to close to go downwards and then he stared at the stairwell. The stairwell where Nancy and the others had been earlier on before giving up after having lost the fight on the first floor. Baxter went towards the end window of the corridor to look outside, and down below the entrance to the building and it was quieter down there now, it seemed those people had moved away and there was just some outside, not as much as before. Baxter then made his way to the stairwell and hurriedly filtered through the keys and after trial and error he found the correct key and opened it up, he left the key in the lock and entered the stairwell. He peered inside and looked up and down, it was eerily silent, the large spacious stairwell, completely echo friendly to his steps and breathing.

  Baxter muttered to himself “I am not a coward” he gulped and this drove him on, he felt the judgement, not just of those people around him on this floor who he had been thrust into this with but all his life, he felt like he was helpless and hopeless unable to be given an opportunity to do something. And here he was presented with a chance to do something worthwhile. He was determined to contribute to the group, but also for himself and he wanted to clear the bottom floor. By leaving the key in the door up above he knew if he failed then they could lock it up behind him. He did not wish to say what he wanted to do to the group, as he felt Nancy would not accept it, plus she was a policewoman but drinking on the job as she was, what did it matter anymore he thought.

  Baxter said to himself “What am I doing” but he went forward, moving across and near trails of Kenny’s blood. Meanwhile inside the office room where the rest of the group were, the new arrivals were mostly sleeping, in corners of the office with some having taken to the beds in the cells. Nancy quietly drank some whisky and was on the phone once more, trying to get through to someone to give her direction but it was such an awkward thing to do, the signal of the dial being unresponsive, and then appearing to work. As though playing around with her urgency, meanwhile Laura smoked yet another cigarette by the window of the office as Melissa was curled up near the wall trying to get through to some friend who was lost on her mobile. Grant had been coaxed back by Elise and was speaking to him in the corner of the room in whispers, Grant finding his footing once more. Cherie had entered the side corridor within the office which led to the sickbay and had several rooms adjacent to it, as the sickbay was at the furthest end, and she entered into the office after being with Kenny.

  Nancy turned to the source of the noise. Cherie could see some people looking at her way and she said as though guessing what was on their mind “He has not changed in anyway, no discolouring, no sign he is infected”. Cherie went towards the desk where Nancy was and looked at her and asked “I need to know something” Nancy looked at her and James, the man in the lumber jacket was nearby a radiator, he had been listening into the radio but also engaging Nancy in some kind of conversation on occasion, he was also quite obnoxious to the people around him, especially the younger girls like Laura, Melissa and Cherie for some reason. Nancy asked Cherie “What is it?” Cherie now seriously asked her “If we get out of here, an opportunity to do so, do you know where we can go and guarantee it is safe?”

  Nancy could see some of the other people looking her way, awaiting her reply as Nancy honestly said “None, all I knew is what was secure and safe was here. Lots of my colleagues brought their family and friends here, I don’t know anywhere else”. Cherie then shook her head and walked away. James said to Nancy “Everyone’s looking at you but you cannot look at them and even lie to say everything will be okay”. Nancy pushed her whisky bottle towards James on the table and said “Have another drink” she wan
ted him to stop talking to her because she found his manner was making her restless. James took the bottle from the table after standing up, and he had a countenance of being self-satisfied, as though he felt like he was controlling the situation.

  James told her “In the hall earlier on, lots of people were lying to us. I can tell when people lie. Police and soldiers, like that lunatic up on the roof”. James referring to the soldier still locked up top. James then stared at Laura and Melissa who were by the window listening in as he said “Ah yeah, you two girls. You know what it is like, putting your faith in others, only to have them lie to you. Like this woman here. She is a liar”.

  Nancy stared at James and said “I am not lying to anyone. I am telling you the truth”. James laughed as he gulped from the whisky bottle and then sighed in relief as he replied “The point is you might be telling the truth but you are not helping anyone”. Annoyed Nancy asked him “What do you want from me? I am doing everything I can not just for you all but for me”. She found his manner odd as though he was purposely being tricky with what he was saying, and he had a sly way about him, especially in how he spoke and looked at the people around him. James said “We likely won’t live to see tomorrow, so why not enjoy ourselves. Right?” he winked at Nancy who said to him outraged “Are you fucking flirting with me?”

  Gage sat up, he found James untrustworthy and crude, especially after spending some time with him. Gage did not wish to sit back and do nothing as James said to her “Nah, I am just talking” he then looked across at Laura and Melissa who had a bad feeling about him, he then said to Laura and Melissa “Flirting is something I am good at. I can do so if you like it” James said looking at Laura and Melissa longingly, Melissa turned her back on him as Laura stepped forward and said “What the fuck are you insinuating?” and James said drinking again from the whisky bottle as he smiled at Laura and teased “Come on girl, why not have some fun with me. You and me, we won’t live through this”. Laura shook her head and stated “I am not going to do anything with you. In fact it is the last thing on my mind”. James laughed and said “A lot of dead people inside the rescue centre, the so-called rescue centre did not have a chance either and now they are all dead. Like their lives did not matter, so what makes you special holding out for something else?”

  Gage said from the side of the room “James, why don’t you go to sleep”. Cherie was listening on from her side of the room, sitting on the table, seeing James and his self-satisfied facial expression which irked her. Nancy watching him carefully, she had a bad vibe from him like he could do something outlandish so she kept watch on him. James kept moving his eyes between Nancy, Melissa and Laura and he had a sleazy tone to him when he said “We are all adults here after all, so why not talk about adult stuff”. Nancy then stood up from her chair and looked at James who was not phased, she said “You shut your mouth, this is not the place for you to play games okay” she knew he was trying to scare the people around him, notably the girls and his insinuation about sexual intercourse was so obvious.

  Grant and Elise on the other side had cordoned on, Grant though was in no position to do anything or even care. Elise was still speaking to him but she was attuned into what James was saying. James turned to the side and spoke to Bob, another one of the new arrivals, who entered with James and the solider. James said “You know what I mean Bob”. Bob was half-asleep as he muttered “Keep me out of it” Bob not finding what James was suggestion appropriate, let alone something he cared to engage in. Gage used this as an incentive to speak up more as he said “James, just drop it man. What the fuck are you doing” James stood up and said “I am talking to this policewoman here, the one who thinks she is in charge, look at you Nancy, drinking on duty, and your friends are dying out there. What are you doing? If I want to flirt I can flirt and if you don’t like me doing so, or don’t like what I am suggesting to these girls, it is not a crime” he winked at Melissa and Laura and then back to Nancy as he said “What can you do arrest me?” Nancy felt challenged by him but she was so exhausted she did not know what to do.

  Gage stood up and said forcefully “James, why don’t you just...” James turned to Gage and shouted so he interrupted him “Shut your fucking mouth Gage. I don’t know you. If you were half a man you would be on my side”. Nobody was on his side though, so James then looked across at Melissa and Laura as he said “Besides, I am talking to those two girls over there, you know girls. I am sure we can make our last night here worthwhile”. Gage was getting angry as he said “James, leave them alone!” James now faced off Gage as he said “What are you going to do?” in James’s mind he was trying to assert dominance over these people, subconsciously however, he felt like he was the dominant personality and force here, especially since the psycho soldier was locked up on the roof. James had grander designs so Gage was not put off by James and his manner, Laura and Melissa were although Laura was biting her tongue, she endured such creepy suggestions from guys like James’ as did Melissa when out on the town but this was surreal, especially considering the situation.

  Nancy just sat there, at the moment she did not feel like she needed to act. Gage then said “Don’t you think you have had too much to drink” as James shook his head and replied “None at all mate, I just want to know if one of those girls in here wants to fuck me is all, can’t a guy ask them”. At this point Cherie jumped from the desk she sat on and picked up a gun from the table where the weapons were she stormed over towards James and placed the gun into his stomach, James sat back in his chair as everyone around her was shocked. Cherie said “You want to fuck me”. James looked up at her, he was floored by how fast Cherie moved and the look in her eyes as she said “I will happily fuck you, go on. Fuck me?” she said with the gun in his gut as he looked up at her and said with his breathing going heavier “I was just joking around” James replied. Cherie pressed the pistol into his gut and replied “What kind of a fuck are you. Go on fuck me”.

  James looked at Nancy “What the fuck are you doing. Letting her do this to me, I was joking”. Cherie was outraged, this was drawn from distant memories of herself having been abused when she was a child, and she looked at James as a predator, even if his manner was that of a semi-drunk flirt who happened to be an asshole. James was pleading with Nancy for help as Cherie pressed the pistol firmer into his gut and then moved it to his forehead, this made James close his eyes and he apologised profusely, nobody stepped into defend James. Nancy though stood up and said “Cherie, stop it”.

  Cherie kept her eyes on James and said “I know people like this Nancy, he is a bad person. He takes advantage and tries to wean himself into a position of control. Even if the world seems to be ending he thinks with his dick and ego. I won’t stop until he fucks me”. Laura and Melissa were shaken by Cherie and her tone, Elise was looking across at her with Grant near her. Grant having totally come out of his earlier on breakdown. Cherie said to James “Go on fuck me big boy. People are eating people out there and as far as we know everyone we know and care for is dead, so why don’t you fuck me right now, isn’t that what you want. To prove what a man you are, so take this gun from me and fuck me?” James then pleaded unable to look at how mad Cherie appeared as he said to Nancy “You are a police officer, do something”

  Cherie withdrew the gun and handed it to Nancy and said aloud “I might be stuck here with you people but I don’t have to like it”. Cherie walked away as James remained in the chair and watched Cherie move back to where she earlier on sat as she took out another cigarette and lit it up. Laura who was about to explode on James for his manner, which was misplaced flirtation felt gratitude but also fear at how Cherie behaved and James then said to those around him “I am sorry. I was just trying to be funny, I was joking” he said looking around at everyone and added “I am did not mean any disrespect”. James though felt humiliated as Cherie smoked ignoring him. Nancy stared around at the people watching the scene, which was almost everyone in the room as she said “We are all stressed a
nd all of us are tired so we should just try and breathe and get on, okay”. Nancy deep down feared everyone losing their minds and it appeared like everyone was on edge in their own ways.

  Meanwhile downstairs on the first floor, Baxter had finally reached the door and he peered over the bottom stairwell, and just where those up above had said the dog who attacked Kenny was, was the dog, with its head and body between the railings, crunched and no longer moving. Baxter moved back to the door for the first floor and he now placed the machine gun near him and closed his eyes as he prepared to go out and prove to himself he was more than what he thought. He took a long hard sigh and saw some movement within the room and saw people passing, those possessed and dangerous people. He double checked his weapon and recalled from the movies and videos online that he watched that the safety needed to be off, he did so and then he prepared.

  After a few moments when it appeared the people within, those possessed things had passed he unlocked the door, he moved inside. Baxter raised the machine gun and he went behind one of the people and pulled the trigger which blew the creatures brains out, and he focused on the rest. He moved in a state of desperation and a lack of care, driven by his desire to do something beyond him and given this opportunity to do so in the mayhem taking place all around him and not to feel inadequate. Baxter fired fourteen more bullets into the head of another infected person who appeared and it disabled this person who fell down and had their brains all mashed out. The noise brought others into the room, and they growled upon seeing Baxter. Baxter was shaking but had enough self-awareness around him to judge the situation, and as they approached he fired four bullets into one’s eyes and fired the other set of bullets into the other creature’s throat. Making them bolt back through the momentum of being hit.