by Jesse Gagnon
The Azrael
The Azrael
Alpha Zulu
Jesse Gagnon
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1 JASON’S STRUGGLE
CHAPTER 2 WHERE’S JASON?
CHAPTER 3 DAVID’S RECOVERY
CHAPTER 4 BROOKE’S RELEASE
CHAPTER 5 VIOLENT STREETS
CHAPTER 6 JASON’S DISCOVERY
CHAPTER 7 VOLUNTEERS
CHAPTER 8 PRISONERS
CHAPTER 9 TOKO’S CARE
CHAPTER 10 THE ANTIQUE SHOP
CHAPTER 11 THE ESCAPE
CHAPTER 12 THE ORPHANS
CHAPTER 13: BACK FROM THE GRAVE
CHAPTER 14: DAVID’S COME UP
CHAPTER 15: THEY COME FROM THE SHADOWS
CHAPTER 16: TRACKERS
CHAPTER 17: TOKO’S PAST
CHAPTER 18: MARIO’S MISSION
CHAPTER 19: BAD NEWS
CHAPTER 20: WHAT MAKES DAVID TICK?
CHAPTER 21: JASON’S BATTLE
CHAPTER 22: TOKO’S DINNER GUESTS
CHAPTER 23: WHAT’S INSIDE THE CELL
CHAPTER 24: THE DOG
CHAPTER 25: SAVING PETER
CHAPTER 26: COOKIES AND HIV
CHAPTER 27: ROAD BLOCKED
CHAPTER 28: THE GAS STATION STORE
CHAPTER 29: I FIGHT FOR HER
CHAPTER 30: A SNIPER’S TALE
CHAPTER 31: SAVANNA’S PRISON
CHAPTER 32: ARISE FROM THE DECAY
CHAPTER 33: THE SCOPE
CHAPTER 34: KYO AND VLADOMIR
CHAPTER 35: FUNKY CELLS
CHAPTER 36: THE AFTEREFFECTS
CHAPTER 37: MORE OF SIMON’S BAD NEWS
CHAPTER 38: THE WRECKAGE
CHAPTER 39: OLD FRIENDS
CHAPTER 40: KYO’S SACRIFICE AND NEW FRIENDS
CHAPTER 41: MORE NEWS FOR TALIAH
CHAPTER 42: THE SUNRISE
CHAPTER 43: GAS STATION PARTY
CHAPTER 44: DRUGS ANSWERS AND DOCTORS
CHAPTER 45: LOSING CONTROL
CHAPTER 46: APARTMENT STRUGGLES
CHAPTER 47: A PRISONER AT TRICON
BRIEF BACKGROUND HISTORY OF CHARACTERS
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
PROLOGUE
A war of the undead led by an Alpha unlike any other rages above the Azrael lab and is decimating all men foolish enough to try to stop him. The Azrael have taken over, the world has been overrun, but deep below the chaos, protected by those foolish men above, Dr. Schwinn sits calmly reading the next set of books written by Taliah. His notebook, lying a few inches from the texts that Taliah wrote is already half full of intelligence gathered from reading the first two books.
Dr. Schwinn remembers the details of Mario, John, Savanna, and Taliah, but was curious about the foreign text, those transcribed and delivered from the Veil of the Five Daggers or those written by Giselle and Jane. He also was curious to read those inserts from the Awakened Azrael Randall or from Intel acquired from other sources and how all of the information has come together. This chronologically written Azrael Biography has already proved beneficial to the fight up above. Weaknesses in the virus have been discovered along with strengths that they have developed over the years. However, he wonders about the process Jason had experienced when his life ended and when the Azrael virus started. Most of this information had been acquired from the Veil of Five Daggers and he was curious to read it.
Five loud explosions above indicated a few Azrael have broken through the main defensive perimeter and have found land mines that were planted just before the entrance to the bunker several floors above. The lights flicker and loose dirt from the ceiling falls into Dr. Schwinn’s cup of water. He shrugs and takes a sip.
“Still tastes like water to me.” Dr. Schwinn smacks his gums and searches for a flavor on his tongue. “And dirt…dirt water.” Dr. Schwinn continues and finishes his water. He refills his glass with the jug of purified water nearby and places a napkin on top of his glass this time.
“Now where were we?”
He flips past a few more drawings of Samson at the front, smiles and finds Chapter One.
CHAPTER 1 JASON’S STRUGGLE
The smell of pancakes and bacon awoke Jason from sleep. He was in his bed alone but the aroma that settled in his room and movement within the kitchen downstairs indicated that someone was making breakfast. He slid out of bed while kicking the covers off of his feet. His house slippers were conveniently placed next to his side of the bed. Jessica always remembered to place them there before they slept for the night. He slipped his feet into them and staggered downstairs while stretching. He released a mighty yawn and saw Jessica at the stove wearing only his Bears jersey. It was massive on her and swallowed her up. She had her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail so it didn’t get in the way while she cooked. She waved at him as he rounded the corner of the stairs and caught a few stray beams of light in his face as he moved past the blinds.
“Good morning Sleepy.” Jessica said and flipped over a pancake.
“Hey beautiful, I’ve missed you.” He walked over, wrapped his strong arms around her and kissed her on top of her head. She laid her head back and snuggled it into his right shoulder. The ends of her ponytail tickled his skin near his armpit. He smiled.
“I’ve missed you too.”
“I swear. It all felt so real.” Jason’s voice stirred her hair and brought goosebumps on her neck.
“What did?”
“They said I lost you. Giselle was in on it too. I knew it wasn’t true.”
“But Jason, you’re dead.” Jessica clarified while turning to look up at him with an honest face.
“What…what are you saying?” He stammered.
“If you’re dead, what does that make me Jason?”
“You’re right here. I can smell you. I can feel you. We’re alive Jessica. What are you talking about?”
“It’s time to go back now Jason. I’ll see you soon.” She comforted him and kissed his lips.
Jason awoke standing up in an alley somewhere in Chicago. A stink of Azrael surrounded him, with each breath it got worse. He stumbled forward with extreme effort. He tried to speak but only a raspy grunt escaped. His mouth had the taste of iron in it while the front of his shirt was covered in blood.
What the hell is going on? Like a drunk, fifteen beers in, he moved forward barely shuffling his feet an inch at a time. His heartbeat was thumping violently out of his chest. Why were his movements so labored? He’s going to get killed by an Azrael if he didn’t get his shit together, he thought. Maybe he drank too much the night before. He heard the Azrael nearby and could smell them like they were on top of him. As he finally escaped the alley and entered the street he saw an Azrael herd gathered near a gas pump across the street. He backed up and attempted to hide in the alley. His motor skills were shit.
A strange feeling inside him wanted to join the Azrael across the street. An unusual pull on his body functions had him shuffling out of the alley and towards them. He became stricken with fear as he neared them with no control in the matter. Once he reached the road he tensed his muscles, stopping his body from continuing forward. Jason was surprised that they hadn’t noticed him yet. Maybe they were too busy eating that woman near her car? Wait, she’s getting up now, sniffing the air. She’s going to smell him! He started to back up again. She looked right at him and ran towards him crazed and distraught.
Jason knew that he was g
oing to be bit, but the woman ran passed him, bumping him in the process. It caused him to spin around. The two way mirror that adorned the front of the building on the corner near the alley revealed Jason’s reflection. He was a bloodied mess. He wobbled towards the mirror like a one year old just learning to walk. He noticed how pale his skin was and his eyes, he had Azrael eyes. But why was he like this? Why wasn’t he running about crazy like that woman? What’s wrong with him? When did he get bit? His mind was confused and nothing made sense to him.
He had been up for only fifteen minutes or so but he felt extremely exhausted. His mind was drifting and his eyes sagged. He wanted to go back to his house with Jessica. It was more real than this nightmare. He blinked his eyes quickly and the weight of them suddenly became overwhelming. How did he end up like this? Immediately he descended back into a deep slumber, plunging back into the dream world. His dream world was a place between life and death. His mind was trapped in an Azrael body while his soul seemed trapped in Limbo.
The landscape morphed in front of his eyes from the city to the countryside. He returned to his childhood home in Mt. Carroll. His mom’s house had a wraparound porch with a porch swing that hung slightly lower on the right since it had an extra link. Jessica sat there next to his mother. Both were no longer with the living. They were scanning through an old photo album of Jason and Giselle when they were kids.
“Jason, welcome back Sweetheart. Look who stopped by.” Jessica said.
“Momma, I haven’t’ seen you in a few years. Giselle said you…”
“Never mind that Jason. Come hug your mother.” She stood up from the swing and reached out to him. He ran to her and gave her the biggest hug he could give. He smelled the vanilla scented lotion that she used. The raspberry pomegranate shampoo drowned the vanilla lotion as he dug his nose in her hair while hugging her.
“I’ve missed you so much, Momma.” Jason wept.
“Me too Jason. Now listen, you need to figure out what’s going on out there.” His mother gestured to the beyond as she pulled back.
“I, I don’t know what happened to me?” Jason stammered with trouble in his voice.
“Once you figure out what you ‘ARE’, then worry about how you came to be this way.” She added.
“I saw what I am in the mirror Momma; I’m one of those monsters.”
“No son, look again. Something’s different about you and you know it.”
“We’re here for you Honey. Whenever you’ve lost your way, we’ll be here for you.” Jessica encouraged and hugged him.
“I…don’t understand. I…I don’t remember.”
“Wake up Jason. Don’t let the virus control you. Wake up!!!” His mother yelled.
Jason’s eyes opened again now in a field somewhere. He could see an abandoned playground and a school. A group of Azrael was running away from him towards the school. He felt enticed to join them. He tensed his muscles, seizing control. Raindrops were beading up at the end of his nose and falling to the ground. His whole body was wet, but he wasn’t cold. It appeared as though it was night but the landscape seemed to glow like a full moon lit up the night sky. Every movement drew his attention. He could see everything. This must have been why the Azrael could always find the Highwaymen at night. He tried to talk again and couldn’t produce anything but a weak grunt. He swallowed and felt a weird growth in his throat. He tried to clear it with grunts and coughs but it remained there. The more he thought about it the more it bothered him. He attempted to think about something else and after a bit, he didn’t feel it anymore.
Jason was getting hungry. He could smell humans in the breeze. Why did he know this smell? He desired to taste them, to eat them. He moved forward with a bit more control. His walk was steady but felt forced. He could see the other Azrael attacking someone. He wanted to join them. Eat the meat. His mouth salivated. Wait! What was he doing? No, he will not eat a human being. Why was this so difficult? Should he join them? Maybe he’s a slow learner. Yes, that’s got to be the problem, he thought.
Jason noticed a young deer grazing at the edge of the field. He could hear its heartbeat. He could smell its breath. He wanted to eat the deer. He sauntered forwards low and quiet. The deer was barely a year old but it was big enough to be dangerous while still being small enough to kill. He wondered why it didn’t smell his rot. Why didn’t it run? He was within arms-length of it, grabbed it and dug his fingers into its fur. It started to dart dragging him along. He held on and pulled himself on top of it. He grabbed beneath its head with his left hand and on top of its head with his right. He twisted viciously with power that surprised him and snapped its neck. It crashed onto the ground as he rolled over it violently tumbling into a large rock and a grouping of trees. He felt and heard bones snap as he collided into the barricade of stone and bark. The wind was extracted from his lungs and he felt dizzy. The landscape was spinning as he tried to pull himself to his feet. His right leg was broken at a ninety degree angle while his right foot was wedged between two tree trunks. He noticed the bone at the shin sticking out through the skin and his hands shook from the pain from it. He hauled himself on all three’s, his hands and left knee held firmly as he brought his foot to him. The trees moved towards him and flung back fiercely as his foot was removed from their grasp. A sharp pain shot through him as he rolled onto the ground. He lay on his back watching the clouds move across the light gray backdrop as the entire world seemed to spin uncontrollably. The aroma of the dead deer seduced him to get back up, to feed. So he rolled onto his stomach and crawled towards the deer shaking off the dizziness he felt. His right leg throbbed as he moved but the feast ahead overwhelmed his awareness of pain. As he hovered over the deer his stomach growled and gurgled in the preparation of a good meal. He attempted to bite into its neck with no luck. He thrashed back and forth in attempts to tear through the tough hide but only managed to fill his mouth with a tuft of short deer fur. He spat it out while rubbing his tongue against his lips quickly like a snake trying to remove the fur from his tongue. Nearby he noticed a sharp rock and grabbed it. He jabbed it into its throat ferociously until eventually tearing it and revealing the sweet meat beneath. He stretched the skin with his fingers and bit into the flesh. The taste satisfied his senses and he gorged himself on the meat until he could eat no more.
Jason sat next to the carcass leaning on a grouping of trees fat and full. He didn’t eat people. Content with his hunt he shut his eyes and slept.
CHAPTER 2 WHERE’S JASON?
When Mario returned from luring the Azrael outside the walls he found Jason gone. With no way to track him down, he returned to Savanna and John to give them the news about Jason. Mario approached the door riddled with Azrael bodies, providing a rich stink that caused his nose to twitch.
“Hey, you guys doing all right in there?” Mario hollered.
“Mario? Is that you?” Savanna responded.
“Yes, it’s me. I drew them out of the city.”
“I? Where’s Jason?” John hollered.
“Let me in and we’ll talk about it.”
“Talk about what?” Savanna questioned.
“I lost him.”
“What did he say?” Savanna asked John.
“He said he lost him. What does that mean?” John asked.
“I’ll explain inside. Let me in.”
“Lost who?” Giselle asked followed by Jane, Steven and his two friends behind her coming down the stairs. A small dog trailed and sniffed a few dead Azrael on the steps. The remains were unrecognizable and bulged from the inside. The dog scratched at it digging into its flesh until it popped releasing a foul odor worse than the stink that saturated the air of the stairwell. The dog hopped backwards out of surprise and shook its head while ruffling its snout.
“Oh, that’s foul.” Mario felt chunks rising up his throat. He managed to keep it down but his eyes watered and his nose ran. “We should talk inside.” He coughed a few times while covering his nose and mouth with the collar of his s
hirt.
“Is it about Jason? You lost Jason? How do you lose a grown ass man?” Giselle asked obviously immune to the foul odor that caused Mario’s eyes to blur. He couldn’t identify her full expression behind her sunglasses.
“It’s complicated.”
“Well, un-complicate it.” She urged.
“Damn it, John, what’s taking you so long.” Mario asked irritated with his situation.
“I was waiting to see if Giselle would beat the answers out of you.” He laughed and then began to gag as the scent made its way through the cracks of the door. “All right, we’re moving the furniture. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Hurry up. Shit, that’s pretty fucking disgusting.”
After several minutes of awkward silence and intense scowling, Giselle pushed Mario aside and walked inside once the doors opened. Her entourage followed closely behind hiding their faces within their shirts. The burden of Mario’s future conversation and the thick foul air in his lungs weighed on him as he carried it throughout the room like a dragging anchor. All eyes converged onto Mario as he approached the group huddled around Savanna on the couch.
“So, uh.” He mumbled.
“Cut the bullshit, Mario.” Giselle stood like a gargoyle on top of an old church waiting to swoop down and attack him.
“The good news, the front gate is manned and the majority of the Azrael have been killed or led outside the gates.”
“We can see that dipshit. Quit stalling.” Giselle urged.
“Well, before I was able to attract the herd from your front door we encountered a small hunting party.”
“Okay, a bunch of fresh turners, no big deal.” Giselle interrupted again.
“No, they weren’t.”
“I killed the only elder Azrael.” Giselle admitted.
“Actually I killed the only elder Azrael.” Jane jumped into the conversation.
“Yeah, the bitch who released it killed it. Congratulations Jane.” She grimaced at her and Jane slouched her posture feeling like shit.