Sheila ran over to check on him, he was alive but weak and having trouble breathing. She became frustrated with herself for not knowing how to help, she began to cry as she begged him to stay with her.
“No, no, you're going to be fine because you're a tough old man and you niece needs you” she said with a quiver in her voice.
“I don't think so darling, I think I’m at the end of my road here, hell to be honest, I’m surprised I lasted this long.” he said with a weak chuckle.
“Where are you hurt?”
“My back and my chest, after the grenade went off I couldn't catch my breath.”
Sheila rolled him onto his side and discovered the shrapnel wound in his back. The shards must have punctured his lungs. He was losing blood fast and there was no help nearby and nothing she could do.
The soldiers kept up their assault and had managed to get stacked up on the door preparing to enter. Jamal held them off for as long as he could but had nearly exhausted his ammunition doing so. He looked over at Jake briefly with concern but didn’t have the opportunity to see if he was okay, the incoming fire was intensifying.
Jake felt himself slipping away. As he held Sheila's hand and began speaking, though barely coherent, “I love you sweetie, Uncle Jake is so proud of you. You made me so hap-”
Jamal screamed “Grenade!” as he ran toward Sheila tackling her away from Jake. With his last breath and last ounce of strength, Jake rolled over and reached for the grenade that came to a rest about a foot from his body. He swept it under his chest and collapsed right before it detonated.
Sheila sat up and screamed, reaching for him past Jamal who tried to calm her and remind her that they were still in danger. Jamal held her but kept his gaze at the door, waiting for the soldiers to enter the room and end what was an impossible and unthinkable day. The soldiers did not enter, instead everyone was rocked by an explosion that shook the entire building. Jets could be heard screaming by overhead and multiple explosions followed nearby.
The soldiers retreated down stairs, the group was no longer a priority. Xavier ran across the hall to check on the others, when he saw Jake, he fought the lump that developed in his throat. He moved toward his body but stopped and gathered himself first, he gathered the others and directed them to the stairwell.
“We have to go, this is our only chance to get out of here.”
“What about Jake we can't leave him here, what about his Niece?” Sheila said erratically.
Xavier placed his hands on both sides of her face and looked in her eyes, “Sheila, there's nothing we can do, we have to go now or we all die here.”
They ran to the stairwell and onto the first floor. The lobby was filled with Chinese soldier firing out the windows at Savages on the street. The savages were their own brothers in arms. Xavier took a second to check for a way out. There was a hall that lead to the back side of the building, there was an alley out back. Xavier led the group to the back and pushed through the emergency fire exit door. The alley was partially clear, a few savages from the street saw the group and sprinted towards them. Regina and Xavier began firing and dropped the savages. They lead the group to the street up the hill east back toward downtown and away from the piers. The jets had returned for another bombing run but were shot down by Chinese anti-aircraft weapons.
The group encountered many savages as they fled on foot up hill to the city center. Most of the savages were down by the piers attacking the Chinese but there were still thousands scattered throughout the city. There was no way they could survive on foot, they needed a vehicle.
They began searching for vehicles with keys still in the ignition, they found a silver Chevy pickup truck with what appeared to be the driver lying dead next to it. Xavier searched the pockets and found the keys.
“He was trying to get in his truck and get away. . . they got him anyway” Regina said.
Xavier got in and started the truck, Sheila climbed in the passenger side and scooted to the middle next to Xavier. Regina sat in the passenger seat with Charles on her lap, Jacob, Heather and Jamal got in the back seat. They drove off and headed south.
“What happened to Carly?” Xavier asked
Silence filled the cab of the pickup.
“She wouldn't stand with us, she kept protesting and screaming for the soldiers. . . we left her.”
Xavier didn't respond but he felt responsible. Guilt filled his heart and mind, he couldn't save her sister and he failed to protect her in the end. It didn't matter to Xavier that she made things difficult and blamed him for her sister's death, he only wanted everyone to make it out alive.
“What happened to Jake? How did he die?”
“He saved our lives” Jamal said without taking his eyes away from the window.
“Yo, he laid on a grenade for us.”
Sheila began to cry again. “He died for us”.
Xavier held back his tears and kept his focus on the road. The streets were worse than before, and the savages were still aggressive and large in numbers.
Charles began to cry and turned to Xavier, “What about my mommy?” Is she okay? Are you going to save her?”
The tears finally broke through the hardened pride that obscured Xavier's emotions. He turned to Charles and could only force two words without fully breaking down and crying, “I’ll try.”
Regina held him tighter and looked at Xavier, fear and uncertainty covered her face. Xavier turned back to the road.
“Where are we going now?” Jacob asked.
“South” Xavier replied. “We need get out of this damn city. If we’re being invaded on the scale they said we are, then we're going to eventually need to head east, away from the coast. Hopefully there will be some kind of refugee centers set up somewhere.”
“I can't even believe we’re using those words in United States of fucking America. How the hell did this happen?”
Chapter 11
No woman left behind
Sheila and her husband Richard Anderson were out in downtown Seattle celebrating his new job at a small law firm in Federal way. They dined at a fancy seafood restaurant and toasted to his accomplishments and future success. They left the restaurant and took their time returning to the parking garage that stored their SUV. The leisurely stroll encompassed all that spoke to romance and a couple in love: hand holding, laughter, smiling, eye gazing, and a resurgence of that same chemistry that was present when they first started dating.
They entered the hotel lobby which gave access to the elevator to the parking garage, Richard hit the button for garage level 3. They exited the elevator into the dimly lit garage and continued at their easy pace towards their vehicle. Richard pushed the button on his key remote and the SUV let out an audible chirp signaling it was unlocked. As Richard reached for the passenger door, like the gentleman he was, to open it for Sheila, a hooded man approached from behind a car a few rows over.
The man was noticeably feeble, he couldn't have weighed more than 150 pounds and stood at about 5’7”, but he was armed. He raised the revolver and pointed it at Richard's face.
“Don't be stupid, just give me your phones, your wallet and your purse” he said in a sickly, shaky, desperate voice.
“Just give it to him Richard it's okay” Sheila quickly asserted.
Richard was well known among his family and friends for having a temper and not knowing when to quit in a confrontation. With 3 years of marriage, Sheila had become a master of recognizing situations that Richard shouldn't be in. Even though Richard had 50 pounds easy on the mugger, a lucky shot was all he needed to change their lives forever. It wasn't worth it.
Sheila stepped in front of Richard and handed him her purse, she turned and stuck her hand out to Richard and looked him in the eyes.
“Richard, you’re a lawyer now, you know this isn't worth it, we can get all those things back, let's just go home.”
“Listen to your trophy wife rich boy, you got it all, I'm sure you can spare a few crumbs. Besides, y
ou don't want me to get greedy and take her too, do you?” the mugger smirked.
Richard removed his phone and wallet from his pockets and reached past Sheila to hand them to the mugger.
The mugger began backing away and turned to run off. Richard couldn’t suppress his pride, even with Sheila clinging tightly to him, trying to calm him, he could only think about the undeserving criminal who was making off with his property.
“Enjoy your crack fix on us you goddamn junkie.” Richard yelled.
The mugger stopped in his tracks and walked back toward the couple. He didn't say anything in response, he just stared at Richard with his yellow, sickly eyes, his revolver hand shaking.
“Truth hurts, doesn't? go on, go get what matters to you.”
“Richard, stop it.” Sheila begged
The mugger raised the gun shot Richard in the belly. He collapsed to the floor and the mugger vanished into the sea of parked vehicles.
Sheila screamed for help as she watched Richard slip out of consciousness. The lone security guard on duty, despite being unarmed, heard the gunshot as she exited the stairwell and ran over to investigate. She pulled out her cellphone and called 911. Had it not been for the guard, Richard would surely would have bled out on the hard concrete.
At the hospital, Sheila waited by his side for him to regain consciousness, he would need her there when he woke up to hear the news. His eyelids began to flutter, and he began mumbling words and reaching blindly for anything near him.
“Richard baby it's me, it's Sheila, I’m right here baby, everything's going to be okay.”
She pushed the call button on Richard’s bed, and the nurse came just in time to see Richard was coming to. She called for the doctor and began checking his vital signs.
The doctor walked in anxious to see the status of his patient. He donned his stethoscope and listened to Richard's heart despite the fact that the nurse had just done it seconds before. He began checking for pain and tender areas.
“Does this hurt Mr. Anderson?” the doctor asked while pressing around Richard’s abdominal area.
Richard winced and nodded.
“Do you feel pain anywhere besides your wound?”
“Just a headache, I’m fine just give me some water.”
“Mr. Anderson, it's a bit more complicated than that.” the doctor took a deep breath, folded his stethoscope and returned it to his lab coat pocket. “I’m afraid you’ve been paralyzed from the waist down, Mr. Anderson. I’m very sorry.”
Tears filled Sheila's eyes and she tightened her hold on Richard's hand to remind him she was still by his side. Confusion and anger gripped Richard as he rejected even the notion that he would never walk again. He looked down at his legs and focused every ounce of concentration he could into moving them, but the reality began to appear to him quickly.
Over the course of a year, Richard's disability put an enormous strain on their marriage and draped their lives in stress. He became so depressed that he was unable to perform his duties as a lawyer and was let go from the firm. Sheila was forced to work two full time low wage jobs to keep up with the bills, they still fell behind. Not able to spend time together because of the increased workload coupled with the frustration of a decimated sex life, they fought and exchanged harsh words whenever they did finally see each other.
Despite their hardships, Sheila vowed never to abandon Richard, she had hoped that in time he would see that he wasn't alone and that he was truly loved and would finally come around to accepting his life.
Sheila thought about Richard in the truck as Xavier drove them out of the city, his limited mobility put him at a sharp disadvantage from the savages and they didn't keep any weapons in the house. All she could hope for was his safety and that the threat hadn't reached their home.
Xavier pulled over near a sporting goods store as Regina demanded so strenuously, she got out of the truck and walked in with her pistol drawn. Confused Xavier kept the truck running and looked on from the driver's seat. Regina returned to the truck and shifted her gaze between Xavier and Heather.
“You two need to fix your situation.”
Heather furrowed her brows and looked at Regina confused.
“You need some cloths girl.”
Regina and Jacob kept watch near the truck while Xavier and Heather rushed in to quickly find some clothing. Xavier found a pair of cargo pants, a long-sleeved t-shirt, suede boots and a Jacket. Heather took a bit longer deciding what to take, not because she was fashion conscious, but because she was still traumatized from the torture she had just endured. She had been closer to death while she was tied to that chair than she ever was at any other point in her life, even as a cop. Xavier wanted to talk to her, but she was still in the nude. He decided it was better to have someone else check on her, he appointed Regina.
Regina walked into the store and found Heather aimlessly browsing.
“Officer Smith.”
She looked up at Regina surprised as if she had just been reminded she was cop.
“Are you okay?”
“No” Heather said as she began to cry.
Regina began picking clothes for Heather to hurry them along, they were still exposed, and they didn't know how safe they were.
“I can't imagine what that lunatic did to you, but you don't strike me as a weak person. You’re a cop, that's a hard job, hard to get, hard to do. You do it every day. Every day you come to work, and you are strong for people who aren't strong enough for themselves. You helped save those people at the hospital, you managed to keep order in the middle of all this chaos. That's real I am woman, hear me roar shit.”
Despite her face being saturated in tears, she let out a chuckle at Regina's attempted humor. Regina gave her the clothes and she put them on. They started toward the exit when Heather stopped looked toward the back of the store.
“What, what's the matter?” Regina asked
“It's a sporting goods store, they have ammo.”
Sheila sat in the truck quietly and looked out the window, she wasn't looking at anything but was instead trapped in her own grief and worry in her mind. Watching Jake die and not knowing whether or not her husband was alive began to wear her down, it didn't help that she was tired and hungry. She began to feel hot and her vision went blurred, she felt nauseous, sweaty and dizzy.
Sheila noticed a plane in the distance moving toward them, she saw a flash from under the plane and an object separate from it. With all that had gone on over the course of the last 24 hours her instincts told her to run. She shouted at everyone to run from the truck. She grabbed Charles by the hand and dragged him out of the truck and they sprinted into the street away from it, it exploded into a huge fireball along with the front of the store.
The blast nearly lifted them off their feet sending them to the asphalt. Sheila got up slowly and stumbled back toward the truck to see if anyone made it out. The truck was mangled and fully engulfed in flames, she could see their bodies burning in the seats. Xavier, Jamal, Jacob...gone. Both Heather and Regina were still in the sporting goods store, they might have survived if they were near the back of the store. She turned back to the street to see Charles crying and still sitting on the ground, he was terribly frightened and began to wail uncontrollably.
Sheila tried to hurry him out of the street and out of sight, but he began to behave erratically, he wouldn't obey her and had begun screaming for his mother.
“Charles honey listen, we aren't safe here, we have to get out of the road”
“No!” he screamed “get away from me, I want my mommy.”
Sheila dropped to her knees in the street and hugged him tightly and stroked the back of his head as he cried.
“I’m gonna do everything I can to find your mommy okay, I promise, but right now we have to go.”
Sheila took Charles by the hand ran down to the end of the block and around to the back side of the building in an alley, he followed reluctantly. She pounded on the back door and shouted for Regina
and Officer Smith. As she screamed for the last two hopeful survivors of the group, she began to feel nauseated and dizzy. She started sweating and her vision went blurry. She began to feel enraged and angry, she could feel herself losing control of her emotions and actions. Every strike to the door became less voluntary and her hands and arms became numb, there was no pain despite the blood that had accumulated on the door from the intensifying strikes.
She couldn't understand why she couldn't stop herself and walk away, she was losing herself. She began to give up her fight for control and slowly submitted to the dark and barbaric change, soon she knew nothing but her lust for carnage. Sheila became unaware of her surroundings, until he spoke, “Sheila”.
She whipped around to see Charles innocently standing in the alley, frightened and alone. When he saw her face he froze, Sheila's features hadn't changed, but the look in her eyes did, so much so that even a 10-year-old boy could see he was no longer safe with her. She leaped toward him and slammed him to the ground, he put his hands in front of his face and closed his eyes as she raised her fist to strike him. Just as she brought her fist down, the door to the sporting goods store opened followed by a muffled scream, her head exploded, and the echo of a gunshot reverberated through the alley. Everything went black. Sheila woke up gasping for air in the backseat of the Truck, the same truck she was sure she watched explode.
Xavier, Jamal and Jacob were staring at Sheila with intense concern when she came to. She was drenched in sweat and breathing as heavy as an obese man after a few flights of stairs.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Xavier asked vehemently.
“I would have bet everything I had it was real.” Sheila responded as she caught her breath.
“Was it Lucid?”
“To put it lightly.”
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