They headed back to the third floor where Jacob had found a way to break into several rooms, he simply kicked the doors down. He was able to find water and snacks from the mini bars and a suitable place to stash the bodies that were in the hall. Xavier was impressed, he began kicking open other doors on the floor and moving furniture over to the emergency exits. Xavier was still very much concerned with security, he wouldn't allow himself to become comfortable because he knew things were going to get worse. With Jamal's help, he moved a few of the dressers from the room out into the hall, they were heavy and bulky. They wouldn't stop anyone from coming in, but it would give them a warning and buy them a little time.
After they blocked the last door, they sat down on the floor with a bottle of water from one of the rooms, Jamal wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around the hall. He looked over at Xavier and then he stood up quickly.
“Man be straight with me, are we gonna make it out of here? I mean, it's like we're just moving through the city randomly, we need to get the hell out of here man. We should have followed the rest of the group.”
Xavier stood up and leaned against the wall,
“Look, I would be lying to you if I said I had all the answers, I’m just doing what I think is right. I didn't want to stop either, but I figured we might be able to rest and gather ourselves first and then come up with a better plan, we needed a safe place to do that. They’re still bombing and dropping artillery out there, we’re barely safe here. Those other guys could run into anything out there, a mob of savages, an artillery round, or maybe even invading troops. We need a smarter way of getting out of here.”
Jamal was anxious and wanted to know if his mother was alright, although he trusted Xavier and Jake, the circumstances seemed too much for anyone. The group came together in the hall near Jamal and Xavier and Tim asked what the plan was, Xavier laid out his best idea.
“Ok, in the morning, and I mean in just a few hours, we’re going to go down stairs and load up the two vans that are on the street. The freeway is useless, so we’re going to have to head south again and try and get out of the city that way, it will be day time, so we can spot threats a lot easier, move better and lessen the chances of being mistaken for enemy troops by our guys...if they ever grace us with their presence. I think they were bombing the airfield to the south, so hopefully they won't be there while we're trying to get past it... hopefully we can get past it. Once out of the city, maybe we can get to a police station or a hospital in an area that wasn't affected by all this.”
As he laid out his plan he realized how foolish the whole situation was, how could Downtown Seattle be the only area affected by a foreign invasion?
However foolish it seemed, the group was visual more at ease now that a plan was in place. They agreed with the plan but mostly for lack of a better one, they began moving to rooms in the hope of getting a least a little rest. Xavier volunteered to keep watch for the night, he took another bottle of water and sat on a chair in the hall taking inventory of ammunition. As he sat alone, Lisa came out of one of the rooms and closed the door quietly trying not to wake Charles, she walked over to Xavier and sat beside him.
“After our truck flipped over, the first thing I thought about was Charles, I had to get him out of there. Then, I felt one of those things grab hold of me by my neck and I felt how strong they are, I realized how helpless I was. Then out of the corner of my eyes, I saw my little boy lying on the ground not moving, I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't fight my way out, I couldn't run, I couldn't even move. Then I saw one of those things moving towards him and I knew right at that moment that I had failed him. I couldn't even scream, the last thing I saw was one of those killers moving toward my son and then I died, at least I thought I died. You were the last person on earth I expected to see when I came to, I owe you my life and I thank you so very much Xavier.”
Xavier didn't know what to say, he just smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder. She leaned over, hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek, he hadn't been hugged that tightly since the night he left his mother and father for boot camp. She got up and went back to her room and closed the door.
About an hour later, Tim came out of his room and walked over to Xavier. As he walked down the hall, a door opened, and Regina stepped out into the hall in front of him, they nearly bumped into one another. They excused themselves and both looked over at Xavier. Tim asked if she was going over to speak with him, she nodded. He decided to wait and turned around to head back to his room, he would find time in the morning to speak with him. Regina continued over to Xavier and sat down beside him, she asked if he needed anything and if he was alright. Xavier told her she should be resting, tomorrow could be rough. She knew she needed to, but she couldn't, she didn't think anyone could. She asked if he wanted company, delighted at the opportunity to talk with such a beautiful lady, he accepted.
She began to tell him about how she moved to Seattle, she was originally from Los Angeles. She got a scholarship to UCLA after graduating from high school with honors, she made it through 2 years at UCLA before almost quitting. In her junior year, she attended a frat party with some friends, she was uncomfortable from the beginning, she wasn't the party type. She had a few drinks but avoided getting drunk, mostly sitting and enjoying her friends dance and be silly. As the night went on, her friends drew the attention of some of the guys, this left Regina sitting at the party with nothing to do and no one worth talking to. She decided to use the restroom and call a cab; her bed was calling her.
She walked over to the restroom that was just across from the kitchen, it was locked. She didn't bother waiting, they were probably passed out in their own vomit. She walked up the stairs of the large frat house to the second floor, there was a bathroom just to the left on the right side of the hall. Anxious to get to it before someone beat her to the punch, she moved with haste to the door. She put her right hand on the door knob, knocked twice quickly with her left hand and listened for a response. Nothing. She opened the door and immediately gasped and brought her hands to her mouth, a man around 19 or 20 years old was having sex with an unconscious woman on the bathroom counter. It was Tommy vain, a second string running back for the football team. The woman Shannon welsh, was around the same age, blonde hair, pink mini skirt, bright red lipstick that was smeared all over her cheek and one high heel.
Regina ran from the bathroom, but another man nearby grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into a nearby room, he threw her on the bed where another man grabbed her in a choke hold. The other man waited by the door for Tommy to come into the room, he closed the door behind him. The man tightened the chokehold on Regina, she began to kick franticly, she was losing oxygen quickly. The man who held the door jumped on Regina's legs and held them, Tommy grabbed her hair and pulled. She couldn't even scream out in pain because she couldn't breathe, her eyes just filled with tears as she began to slip away.
Just before she went unconscious the man loosened his hold on Regina's neck, she gasped for breath, pulling on his arm as if trying to climb her way out of the hold. She tried to scream for help but could only produce a soft cry, she was still unable to break the hold of the strong young men. Tommy went to the closet and came out with a small revolver, he flipped open the chamber and checked if it was loaded. He walked over to her and forced the barrel of the gun into her mouth, put a pillow over her face and pulled the trigger, the hammer dropped but there were no rounds in the gun. Regina let out a muffled scream and broke into tears. Tommy wiped the tears from her face and warned that if she told anyone what she saw, they would kill Shannon and then they would kill her. He slapped her in the face hard enough that it left a mark and echoed through the room, then he picked her up by her neck and slammed her into the door and told her to get out.
As the days past, Regina couldn't eat or sleep, she missed classes and failed to study or complete any work. Her friends began to worry about her, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about what happen
ed until she ran into Shannon that weekend in the hallway. Shannon still didn't know that Regina witnessed her assault, she looked tired, worn and depressed. It was at that moment that Regina felt she needed to be strong for Shannon, she couldn't be afraid anymore. She pulled Shannon to the side and began to tell her what happened.
The next day, they both went to the police and filed a report, they felt strong, they felt like they were fighting back. The police showed up to Tommy's room and searched for the gun, but it wasn't there. He was taken to the station and questioned but was then released, the girls were devastated and scared. That night, Regina stayed in her room and texted back and forth with Shannon, they didn't know what to do and felt as though their lives were in danger. Regina agreed they shouldn't be alone for the night, she told Shannon she would come to her dorm for the night and crash on the floor. It was just a quick walk from the apartments across campus, she would be there in no time. She made it down the stairs of her apartment building before she was pistol whipped across her head, she fell into the railing and onto the ground. When she looked up, there stood Tommy in a dark hooded sweatshirt with the revolver in his hand. He ordered her back up the stairs to her apartment, she complied, pleading for her life. She was so scared that she couldn't get the key into the lock, she dropped them. He jammed the barrel of the gun into her ribs and slammed her head against the door.
“Stop playing games, you're only going to make it worse for yourself.”
Once she finally got the door open, he pushed her inside and closed the door behind him. As he approached her, she got a sudden feeling of rage, she was tired of being beaten, threatened, scared, and weak. A surge of courage appeared from nothing and seemed to concentrate itself in her right leg, without thinking she kicked him in the groin with more power than she realized she ever had. Tommy folded and collapsed to the floor, he raised the gun and tried to take aim at her, but she got her hands on the gun before he could fire. She kicked the side of his head and yanked the gun from his hands as he fell to the floor, she turned the gun around and pointed it him.
As she stood there with Tommy at the bad end of the revolver, she began to remember what she saw him doing to Shannon in that bathroom. She remembered being choked and having her hair ripped out, she remembered being beaten. She remembered being humiliated when he was released, she remembered what it felt like to live in fear, she remembered the threats he made, she remembered him shoving that very same revolver she was holding into her mouth and pulling the trigger. He was dangerous, and she couldn't sleep knowing he was on the loose, she couldn't give him another opportunity to hurt her. She told him to get up and stand on his feet, he stood, but partially crouched from the pain he was in. Just as he opened his mouth to speak she pulled the trigger and shot him square in the face, his head jerked back, and his body fell to the floor. She told the police he charged at her, there wasn't much of an investigation since they now had the gun and he was in her apartment.
She gave Xavier the much shorter and edited version, she didn't want to scare him off with too much information. She told him after the incident she was able finish her degree and moved to Washington immediately after graduation. They talked a while longer and got to know each other better, they liked each other. She hoped they would be able to survive this ordeal and maybe begin dating, but in the meantime, they needed to focus on surviving the near apocalyptic world Seattle had become.
Regina figured she could get an hour of sleep in if she hurried to her room and laid down, she told Xavier she’d see him soon and stood up. As she walked down the hall, the roar of fighter jets returned, they flew from the east to the west, down toward the coast. Xavier didn't want to chance another chemical attack, so he ran through the hall and told everyone to get away from the windows and into the hall. The noises were different this time, there were more jets and more explosions. A loud explosion ripped through the opposite side of the hotel as people gathered near Xavier, the hall filled with smoke and debris. They began trying to account for everyone, 3 people were missing, Mrs. Schulz, Tim and Anna.
Chapter 8
Captured
Lisa ran over to the other side of the floor where the explosion was, she yelled for Anna and Tim. Nothing. She couldn't even get close, the fire from the explosion burned hot and fast. There was no way to get to the rooms they were in, the fire and damage was too extensive, there was no way anyone survived. The smoke engulfed the floor quickly, it forced her back down the hall.
Xavier and Jamal ran back to the emergency stairwell and began moving the furniture out of the way, Jake led the way down the stairs and out to the vans. Xavier grabbed his rifle and backpack off the floor in the hall where he was sitting and trailed the rest of the group to the van, he followed down the stairs trying to use his phone to light the way for the people in the back of the group. The police officers who had once tried to harm the group began to assist people who had fallen over bodies or had a hard time keeping up.
When they emerged from the hotel on to the street, Jake was already starting the second bus. Jacob jumped in the driver's seat of one and Jake in the other, the last few in the group were still about a half block away. As they ran toward the vans, several savages from just beyond the vans were making their way toward them, Xavier raised his rifle and began firing. The group began splitting into the two vans, Sheila, Lisa, Charles and three of the other survivors rode with Jake. Jamal jumped in the passenger seat of Jacobs van and began firing at the savages, the 4 officers, Regina, and the other 3 survivors got into the van as well. Xavier was the last to the van and was about to get in when a savage tackled him from behind, they bounced off the door of the van and fell to the ground. He was on top of Xavier trying to beat him, Regina jumped out of the van and collided with the savage knocking him off Xavier. The savage quickly jumped to his feet and lunged at Xavier. Just before it could get a hold of him, Jacob fired his pistol from the driver seat and struck the savage in the left side jaw and neck. Regina helped Xavier up and they hurried into the van. Xavier peered through the rear window as they left the area, the savages were falling behind as the van accelerated. They faded into silhouettes under the brilliant light that was the hotel inferno. The tail of a fighter jet lay in the street, the only evidence of what took the lives of Tim, Anna and Mrs. Schulz.
They headed south on third avenue as fast as they could, there was heavy debris and damage to the roadway. They reached the old Pioneer Square area on the southern end of downtown, as they approached an intersection, a group of soldiers crossed in front of them moving east from the shore. Jake and Jacob slammed on the brakes and screeched to a stop, the soldiers turned their weapons on them and began shouting. Jake slammed on the gas turned the wheel hard to the left, as he began to turn around the troops began firing. The bullets pierced the side of the vans like needle through fabric, one of the survivors in the back was hit in the ribcage. A white woman in her 40s, blonde and heavy set, she was with her sister who tried to apply pressure to the wound. Just as the gunfire started, a large group of savages attacked the soldiers from their rear, they quickly turned their attention to the more immediate threat and allowed the group to speed away.
They sped north and then turned east, they went up a few blocks to Fifth Avenue and turned south again. As they made their way south, they started to notice an increased presence in savages, it had looked as though they were making their way back inland from the piers. The roads were too cluttered to maintain a high speed, the savages were jumping in front of the vans and slowing them further.
Sheila turned to the back of the van to check on the wounded woman, she asked her name. The woman replied with Cheryl, her sister's name was Carly. She was in a tremendous amount of pain and could barely breathe, her sister did her best to comfort her but they both knew medical attention was a luxury they no longer had. She began to cough up blood, tears rolled down her face as she looked at her sister. One of the other survivors screamed for Jake to pull the van over, he knew that if h
e did, the savages would be all over them. Carly began screaming and reaching for Jake in the driver's seat, she managed to get a hold of his hair and yanked his head sideways. He jerked the steering wheel to the right and hit the brakes, they came to a stop with the front end on the sidewalk.
Xavier and Jamal got out of the other van and ran over to see what had happened, they saw everyone huddled around Cheryl and blood all over the back seat. Sheila remembered hearing Xavier tell Regina he was a nurse, she asked if there was anything he could do. He wanted to help but he knew there was nothing he could do to save her, she was already coughing blood and suffered a great deal of blood loss. The best he could do was try to comfort her, and at least, take a look. Her lung was collapsed. Without a needle he couldn't relieve pressure in the chest cavity, and even with it, Xavier was a nurse at a nursing home and not a doctor. He wasn’t experienced enough in this kind of trauma, she was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it.
As Xavier struggled to stop the bleeding and comfort Cheryl, savages began to converge on the vans from multiple directions. Jamal, Regina and Sheila began firing at the savages, trying their best to focus their shots on the head and upper torso. The police officers exited the van and got a hold of their batons that were on the floor, for a brief moment Xavier thought they might be making a move to get revenge. The officers instead assisted the others against the savages, they tag teamed the savages and managed to be quite effective with melee weapons. They held the savages off as best they could, but they were growing in numbers, Regina yelled for the officers to get back into the van.
Cheryl began to choke on her blood and succumbed to her wound, she died in her sister's arms. Carly cried softly, but held onto her tight, Xavier apologized and stepped out of the van with his rifle. He began firing at the savages but quickly realized they were far outnumbered and needed to leave. Until this point, the savages were trickling in and manageable but that was changing, the sound of the gunfire was drawing them to the group in larger numbers. Xavier noticed a difference in the savages, they were still relentless and fast but far slower and less devastating in their attacks than the day prior. He yelled for the group to return to the vans, Regina and Jamal joined Jacob’s van while Sheila and Xavier returned to the van with Jake.
Savage Mist Page 10