"He's not my kid and I don't know these WOMEN, I'm not responsible for any of you, you're on your own.”
"Do you really think you're going to make it out there alone man?
"I'll probably do better on my own rather than waiting around for a kid and some old people to get me killed."
Jonathan lunged for the control panel, Xavier swung with a right hook punched Jonathan in the side of the face.
His head bounced off the elevator wall and he fell to the floor unconscious. Jake was relieved to be freed from his annoying voice and underserved sense of entitlement.
"I was milliseconds away from clocking him myself brother." Jake grinned.
"I can't think with all that bitchin'."
Xavier spent the next half an hour in silence trying to figure out an escape, Jamal suggested about going to the roof and maybe getting the attention of a helicopter; Sheila suggested going back down to the street level and taking the bus that was parked in front of the lobby, both ideas were risky and they all would likely mean encountering and fighting with an unknown number of savages. Mrs. Schulz suggested staying in the elevator and trying to get a signal and call for help. Xavier knew they couldn't stay in the elevator for much longer, but they may not have a choice considering the danger of leaving.
Regina moved closer to Xavier and sat next to him with her back against the door.
"So, you never told me what you did for a living." She smiled.
"I'm a Registered Nurse."
"You do not look the type." she laughed and accused him of fibbing.
"Yea, some blush, lipstick and scrubs one size too small is how I usually get by, you just caught me on a bad day." he turned to her and smiled.
"Your patients don't run when they see you coming?"
"No, they hide though." he looked up as if searching his brain to recall an incident. “I once had this patient who snuck away for a smoke, by the time I found him, he was nearly dead.”
“Oh my God.” she said as she placed a hand over her mouth.
“He was fine, he’ll all stick out in my mind because he so stubborn, but...real.”
“Yeah, real foolish.”
Lisa looked over at the two smiling and laughing and sighed.
"I'm glad you two are enjoying each other's company but don't you think we should be looking for a way out of here."
Realizing their behavior was a bit inappropriate considering the mental and emotional state of the rest of the group, they decided to get back on topic. Xavier noticed a button on the elevator for the basement, there was a garage there. The front lobby was a risky exit, but the garage had a chance of being empty or at least just having a few savages to deal with. It would mean they would be on foot and out in the open once they left the building and that could mean them getting picked off one by one until they were all dead. There was still one thing they needed to decide on, where would they go?
Xavier pitched the idea of escaping through the basement, the group seemed happy to be developing any plan at all and they agreed. He then asked for suggestions of where they should go, no one seemed to have the slightest clue. There weren't any military bases nearby and if there were any announcements made in the streets or over the air, they would have missed them all being trapped in the elevator. Regina looked at Xavier and was struck with an idea.
"How about the hospital?"
Jake, intrigued, nodded in approval.
"She's right, that's where everybody who got hurt would have went. Should be some police and security there by now. Sounds like a safe bet."
"Anyone disagree? Ok then, it's settled."
Just as they settled on a plan, the power went out.
It was pitch black in the elevator and fear returned once more to eclipse their ray of hope. Xavier called over to Jake and Jamal to help try and pry the doors open as he was having no success. Mr. Shultz spoke from the back corner of the dark elevator.
"These newer elevators, they have mechanisms that prevent you from prying them open, it's to keep you from hurting yourself. Even the firefighters have to use a hydraulic machine to rescue folks."
They ignored Mr. Schulz and kept trying, with no power and no one aware of their predicament, the elevator could very well become a tomb. They managed to get the doors to budge, but not enough, and there were still the outer doors to pry open, not to mention they were between floors. Right when they had just about given up, the lights came back on. Jonathan, who only then began to regain consciousness, rose to his feet using the elevator wall to support him. He gave an evil and hostile stare to Xavier, cursing him silently. Xavier hit the button for the basement floor.
"Ok everyone be ready, we don't know what's down there, we may have to fight our way out."
The elevator descended to the basement level, the bell sounded, and the doors began to open. The group stood and stared at the doors, some with weapons at the ready, others behind them preparing to step up if need be. Heartbeats were heavy, and fear could be felt in the elevator car like a ghost's presence in a haunted house. They put on brave faces and accepted their situation, which they knew was fight or die. The doors opened, the garage was empty.
Xavier, Jamal and Jake stepped out into the garage first, it was completely silent. The thought that anything could be around the corner or behind any car while they were completely exposed in the garage created an intense anxiety that could be felt in their bellies. Pipes and pipe wrench in hand they searched the garage, checking around cars as well as inside them, nothing. The slick concrete floors, cream colored walls, poor lighting and exposed fire-proofed steel beams overhead gave an eerie feel. There were two levels to the garage, but the group decided they only needed to search the upper level since they would be leaving.
The rest of the group exited the elevator and they huddled in an empty handicapped parking stall just outside the elevator hall. Their plan wasn't very solid, they were to traverse the streets of Seattle with the sun setting behind them as they headed southeast towards the hospital. Now that they were about to head out, it seemed ridiculous.
"Wait a minute, maybe going for that bus ain't a bad idea” Jacob said with a look of concern.
Xavier agreed, he looked to the other members, they all nodded in agreement except Jonathan.
"No fuck that, we're here, let's just get the hell out of this building"
Xavier tried to calm him,
"Shhhh, we have to be smart about this, we can't just take on a whole city of savage killers, they're too fast and strong."
"No, I'm done, I'm leaving. What are you going to do, hit me again?"
Jonathan ran out toward the exit which was up a ramp to the street, the rest of the group watched as he left. They hoped it would be clear, but they were glad to see Jonathan go.
He disappeared past the exit on the north end of the building and headed east, the group waited for the sound of a struggle, a scream, anything... but nothing happened. Lisa grabbed Charles by the hand and walked to the exit, Jake tried to stop her, but she insisted and pushed past him. Xavier followed her to the street. There were cars everywhere with the doors wide open and the keys inside them, she planned on leaving the group and getting her son back home. Frustrated and scared, she ran to a red Cadillac and almost got in until she noticed a green Ford truck across the street, she ran to it. She ordered Charles in the passenger seat and got behind the wheel, she started the truck and looked at Xavier.
"I have to get Charles out of here, I have to get my son home."
Xavier couldn't think of a good argument other than not knowing what was out there.
"Okay, we're going to the hospital, if you have to turn back, you can find us there, hopefully."
She closed the door and put on her seat belt just in time to see Jonathan in full sprint about a block away running back to the garage. He was screaming for help with at least 10 killers behind him. Lisa stepped on the gas, turned the car around and headed west, Xavier ran back down into the garage to warn the others.
As he made it to the bottom of the ramp, he yelled to the group:
"We gotta go now! Take the stairs, head straight for the bus, they're coming."
Jamal ran to the stairwell and opened the door, Jake followed. They had two flights to get past and they looked clear. Jamal ran up first.
"I'll make sure the first floor is clear" Jake yelled.
"You gon’ need help, hold on."
As they both ran up the stairs, Jonathan ran into the garage with the savages right behind him. Sheila held the door open for Mr. and Mrs. Schulz, Regina and Jacob followed. Xavier yelled for Sheila to go and he grabbed the door and held it for Jonathan, as soon as he made it in, Xavier pushed the door as hard as he could and slammed the door shut. The savages crashed into the door. Xavier took off up the stairs behind Jonathan.
Jake and Jamal made it to the first floor and ran out through the elevator hall, there were three killers roaming the lobby. Jake whispered over to Jamal,
"Hey, swing overhead, hit'em on top of their skull."
Jamal nodded, then they hurried into the lobby to get the killer's attention. The three came at them simultaneously with great speed. Jake rose his pipe wrench and bashed one in the top of the head but was tackled by the second one. Jamal raised the pipe in his hands and struck one in the skull, it hit the ground, Jamal then turned his attention to the savage that was attacking Jake. Jake was taking brutal punches to the face when unexpectedly, the savage picked him up by the shirt, spun him around and put him in a choke hold. It was so tight that Jake feared it would crush his throat or maybe even break his neck, it was almost immediately incapacitating. Jamal ran over behind them and swung the pipe striking the killer on the side of the head, the killer didn’t flinch. Jamal cocked back and gave it another swing, this time, the killer went down. The first one that Jamal hit rose from the ground disoriented but still looking to kill, Jamal was too occupied to notice. The group entered the lobby just as he turned his sights on Jamal. Regina saw the savage making a move and tackled it to the ground, crashing into a trash can, Sheila ran over and stabbed it in the face and eye socket.
As Jonathan got to the door of the first floor, he turned to see Xavier behind him with multiple savages trailing. Mr. Schulz was holding the door open for them, Jonathan ran through the door, pushed Mr. Schulz out of the way and closed the door. Xavier, reached for the handle and pulled as hard as he could but Jonathan stood on the other side holding the handle with a foot braced against the door frame. Xavier had no time to struggle with the door, the savages were a flight of stairs behind him. He ran up two more flights of stairs and through the door for the second floor. There were several offices on the floor, Xavier ran into the first office just around the corner from the stairwell. He ran past the reception area to a room full of cubicles, down the middle aisle to the back of the room and hid in one of the cubicles behind the desk. He heard the savages enter the second floor, they entered the office and started overturning desks and running through the aisles. Xavier trembled in the cubicle sweating and overwhelmed with fear, he had nowhere to go and he was outnumbered.
On the first floor Regina looked over to the stairwell and noticed Xavier didn't make it up with the group, she ran over to Mr. Schulz in a panic.
"What happened to Xavier?"
"That man locked him out, those things were after him… I don't know if they got him."
Regina punched Jonathan in the face,
"You son of a bitch!"
Mr. Schulz grabbed her and tried to calm her down, Jonathan ran from the door to the bus. Just outside, Jake had got in the driver's seat of the bus while Jamal and Jacob stood guard at the entrance. Sheila ran over to Mrs. Schulz and told her to hurry to the bus, she did while yelling back to her husband to follow. Mr. Schulz urged Regina to hurry to the bus, reluctantly she complied. As they turned from the stairwell door it opened and dozens of savages began pouring into the lobby. They ran toward the bus but Mr. Schulz, at his age, couldn’t outrun the super humans that chased them, one of the savages grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him to the floor. Several savages swarmed him while he was on the floor and beat him, he curled into a ball, but it did nothing to stop the assault. One of the savages grabbed him by the collar and the belt of his pants, picked him up over his head and slammed him onto the hard marble floors. His head hit the ground and he went limp. Regina turned around to see that he had fallen but dozens more savages were entering from the stairwell and coming for her, she had no choice but to run.
Jake had got the bus started and was waiting for the rest of the group before leaving. Jonathan ran onto the bus screaming to go, Sheila and Mrs. Schulz followed. When Regina came running out of the building the group could see the lobby filling with savages from the window. She jumped on the bus and screamed to close the doors, Jake hit the lever and closed the door just before the savages collided with the bus. They hit with so much force it rocked the bus and jolted the group inside. Mrs. Schulz looked over at Regina with tears in her eyes and could only utter his name,
"Edgar?"
Regina couldn't answer, she only broke down in tears and looked at Mrs. Schulz. Jake released the parking brake and drove off running over several killers and dragging a few under the bus. It was slow, but unstoppable when it got momentum. There were cars everywhere in the street and the noise made from plowing through them attracted more of the killers, by the dozens. The hospital was four miles away and the group had no idea what they would encounter on the way or when they got there. They only had hope that they’d make it there.
Chapter 4
5:24pm
Lisa and Charles sped away from the horde of savages pursuing Jonathan and turned north toward the Space Needle. The streets were littered with abandoned vehicles and dead bodies, they made a horrible noise as they tumble under the full size pickup truck. The engine noise drew them out of buildings and alleyways, they leaped fearlessly in front of the truck, bouncing off the hood or being pulled under the wheels. Lisa remained focused on navigating the obstructions in the road, not once looking over at Charles to see if he was okay. He sat in the passenger seat relieved to be out of the skyscraper, the truck felt secure. Seeing the savages bounce off the truck and feeling the acceleration as his mother stepped on the gas was reassuring, he felt closed in, out of reach and safe.
As they continued up 1st avenue near the Seattle center, the herd of killers thinned out and they noticed people walking around and going about their day. It appeared as if the killers hadn't made their way this far north. Lisa began to loosen her grip on the steering wheel, her heart rate slowed. She was no longer worried about regretting her decision, she looked over at Charles, smiled and tousled his hair. They made their way to Queen Anne Blvd and proceeded up the hill to E. Highland dr. and made a left turn, she traveled about a half mile to their driveway on the right. They got out of the truck and walked to the front door.
The craftsman style home was old but in really good shape, blue with white trim and brick chimney. The grass was neatly manicured, and a large tree stood to the left of the walkway. The walkway itself was concrete and old, many cracks lined the path with grass now growing out of them. The driveway was small, enough for one car, and it stopped in front of the small white garage door. The porch was old and creaked when they walked crossed it to the front door. An old rocking chair and a small white table sat to the left of the door, both with chipped white paint.
Lisa inserted her key, unlocked the door and entered the home. She quickly closed the door behind Charles and locked it. She told him to go upstairs and get cleaned up and changed, he proceeded to his room. The sun had just about gone down, and the house was dimly lit with natural light. Charles walked over to the stairway and flipped the light switch, there was no power. He turned to his mother who stood watching him, she began to realize that their feeling of safety was premature. She told him to be careful and he continued upstairs to his room.
Lisa sat at the dining table and t
ried to decide if they should stay or if they should leave town, her sister lived in Oregon and she assumed the crisis was only statewide. She picked up her cellphone and tried to call her but couldn't get through. She remembered she had a landline that she never used. It only existed because it came as a package with her DSL internet. She ran to the garage and opened several boxes she stored there searching for the handset, it was bound to be in one of those boxes. She found the white handset and went back into the kitchen, she unplugged the modem and plugged in the phone. She put the handset to her ear and heard a dial tone, happy something was actually working, she searched her cellphone for her sister's number and dialed it on the keypad. Just a busy signal. Lisa hung up the phone and stared with worry at the receiver as she thought to herself: “What if this is happening everywhere in the country?”
She yelled upstairs to Charles that she was going to the next-door neighbor's house to see if they had gotten through to anyone. Before she could leave, there was a knock at the door. She opened it and was greeted by her neighbor from across the street, Anna Colton. Anna walked right past Lisa and entered the house, she turned and looked at Lisa.
“I haven't heard from Tim, I can't get through to his cell and I'm really worried.”
“Yeah, the phones are down, the landlines seem to be up though.”
“They said on the news we were attacked, Lisa they said they used chemical weapons on downtown Seattle.”
Lisa’s face went pale, the fear nearly consumed her, but she managed to maintain her composure.
“What kind of chemical did they say?”
“Something about a mind-altering chemi—” they were interrupted by gunshots just a block away. Anna burst into tears and looked at Lisa,
“What do I do? I have to go get him?”
Lisa knew that if Tim was downtown during the attack, chances are he got exposed to the chemical or killed by the ones that did. She shut the doors and closed the curtains, she knew the savages weren't very far away and there was a good chance they were getting closer.
Savage Mist Page 4