Savage Mist

by Jason Merchant

  He made it just past the middle of the intersection and stuck half his head past the hood of a sedan to see the soldier's position. There was a troop carrier and six soldiers had just exited the back of it, they appeared to be searching for something. Xavier had decided that whatever they were looking for was none of his business, besides, they could be looking for him if the body of the soldier he killed had been discovered.

  The soldiers searched in and around the cars and Xavier gave one last curious look at what they might be searching for, that's when he noticed a black woman crawling between a car and a building. It couldn't be, he thought to himself. The woman crawled over a dead body and Xavier got a better view, it was Lisa.

  Xavier was caught off guard, he had no plan, no strategy. One of the soldiers had discovered Lisa and had her at gunpoint, Xavier had no time to think, once he pulled the trigger he was committed to a losing firefight. He pointed his rifle at the soldier, he was a good shot, but the rifle wasn't calibrated to him, he exhaled and pulled the trigger.

  As Lisa lay there in a partial fetal position with her hands up in surrender, the Chinese soldier began screaming commands at her she couldn't understand. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for what she assumed would be her end, when she heard a single gunshot. She jumped and let out a scream, positive the shot came from the rifle of the invading gunman. He dropped to the ground at her feet, she was still alive.

  Gunfire erupted on the street and the Chinese soldiers scrambled for cover. Lisa looked down the street and to her surprise, saw a lone Chinese soldier exchanging fire with the soldiers from the armored carrier. Confused, she decided neither side was to be trusted, but she took her chances and crawled toward the lone gunman in the intersection.

  Bullets whizzed by and pelted the vehicles in the street, once the armored carrier figured out where the attack came from, it opened fire. The deep tone from each shot could be felt in her chest, the carrier rounds and those from the Chinese rifles created and endless barrage that forced the lone gunman’s head down. They began to advance on the intersection just as Lisa made it around the side of the building.

  She stopped one more time to get a good look at her savior, he was pinned down and barely able to return fire under the steady stream of Chinese rounds. The gunman looked over to see Lisa and removed his mask, she recognized him immediately.

  Xavier waived her off-signaling her to run and leave him behind, she couldn't. In such a short time she had not only come to trust him, but had developed a connection to him. It was the second time Xavier had appeared at her rescue, abandoning him was unacceptable.

  Xavier couldn't get low enough to avoid the wall of bullets, he laid on the ground with his rifle aimed around the car's front tires firing blindly down the street. There were so many bullet holes in the car, it failed to provide concealment, let alone cover, Xavier had to move.

  Lisa turned and leaned out past the edge of the building, raised her pistol and began firing. She struck her first target but before she could acquire another, a flurry of rounds whizzed by her. The armored vehicle turned its gun toward the corner and fired, large chunks of the building exploded away on impact, she had to move.

  The brief distraction gave Xavier just enough time to run the opposite direction away from the car, bullets chased him through the intersection, impacting the ground and vehicles around him as he sprinted by. He ran up one block and turned south, he reloaded on once around the side of the building. Lisa saw him run and ran down one block and south to try and meet him on the other end of the block.

  Xavier doubled back to make sure Lisa made it away and then sprinted down the street to the end of the block, they rounded the corner at the same time and Lisa rushed in for a hug.

  “Is Charles okay?”

  “He’s fine, he’s with the others. We have to move, let's go.”

  Chapter 13

  Infected

  Heather pulled the van over and shut off the engine, the streets were crowded, not with debris this time, but with people. The group felt relieved having finally reestablished contact with civilization, feelings that would soon be meshed with concern upon noticing their frantic behavior.

  “It's pure chaos out here.” said Heather.

  Sheila anxiously peered out the windows and climbed over the back seat. “I know where we are, we’re only ten minutes from my apartment complex. Keep straight and make a left at the next intersection.”

  Heather put the van in drive pulled forward.

  It seemed the entire city of Des Moines had descended on every grocery store in the area. People rushed into the stores with little regard for their own safety or others around them. There were several physical altercations in the parking lots, bodies lay on the sidewalks, and people ran through the streets with bags and boxes of items from nearby stores. It had seemed the civilization they so desperately fought to return to had been reduced to the savagery of the infected in downtown Seattle.

  Heather maneuvered the van slowly through the mayhem slowing to avoid fights and running pedestrians. There was a small police presence, they tried their best to keep order but were outnumbered by people who understood their authority meant little considering what was coming their way. They broke up fights and made arrests, making no more than a dent in the increasing lawlessness.

  “That’s my apartment complex, right there.” Sheila shouted anxiously. Hurry, hurry.”

  “Oh no” Regina covered her mouth and looked on with worry.

  The complex had been badly looted, property from inside the units lay scattered in the parking lot, several cars were nothing but charred remains in their stalls and windows were broken all throughout the buildings.

  Sheila did her best to maintain her composure, but a single tear escaped her left eye, she wiped it away quickly before it was noticed.

  “Stop, right here.” Sheila opened the back door, jumped out and ran to her ground floor unit.

  The windows were still intact, from outside it seemed that there was hope for Richard.

  Sheila stopped at the front door when she noticed the door frame was damaged, it had been kicked in. She pushed the door open slowly and walked into her living room. All their belongings were on the floor, they had been looted, the T.V. was gone, their computers were missing, and the kitchen was completely empty. The sight of their apartment frightened her so much that she didn't realize that she had been in the unit for over a minute and still hadn't called out to him. She swallowed, then forced his name, “Richard.”

  “Baby! Is that you?”

  Suddenly filled with relief, a surge of energy emerged in Sheila. She ran past the kitchen and bathroom to the bedroom door, stumbling over a broken bookshelf. She steadied herself and reached for the doorknob, it was locked.

  “Richard baby are you okay?” she asked as she pounded the door.

  “I’m fine baby, oh my god, I can't believe it's you.”

  “Honey the door’s locked.”

  “I know, I’m getting into my chair now, I got too excited, I knocked it over” He said as he laughed.

  Sheila laughed, and a smile formed under the tears that flowed around her cheeks. She stepped back as the door knob wiggled and turned, the door opened, and her husband sat in his chair staring at her with an overwhelming joy and a face full of tears. Sheila stared back, unable to move, unable to believe that she made it back to him after surviving so much the day before. She ran to him, dropped to her knees and hugged him.

  The rest of the group came into the apartment and Sheila introduced them all, he thanked them for helping her get home. The moment of happiness was dulled by curiosity when they eventually asked the question that naturally led to everyone reliving the last 36 hours. “What happened?”

  Richard looked to the front door to see it was closed and took a deep breath.

  “Well I was on my computer, uh, not doing much of anything important, when the story broke on the news, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I started panicking
. I tried calling you,” he turned his head to Sheila. “But the phones were down, cellphones and landlines. Things just progressively got worse before all the channels went out, it was really odd. First the news broadcast was cut, abruptly, then the TV was nothing more than a paperweight, just blank. A few of the neighbors came by to ask if I had seen the news, everyone was confused, we couldn't tell if it was real. I knew it was real because I heard fighter jets not long before it went to hell. I sit in this apartment all day, it's not often you hear anything other than a commercial plane, a fighter jet isn't normal, especially that many of them.”

  “Yeah, they came in before the invasion, but we haven't seen any since they invaded” Sheila interrupted.

  “But these jets came from down south, from our airbase, not the coast. I could see some of them out the window, these were our guys.”

  “Wait, the only jets we saw were the ones dropping bombs that turned everyone savage.”

  “What? The mobs they were showing on TV?”

  “Yeah that didn't start happening until them jets showed up.” Jamal said.

  “Why would the military do that to the people? It doesn't make any sense.”

  “We thought it was the Chinese, but if their planes weren't flying then it had to have been the Russians.” Sheila said.

  Heather interrupted, “It wasn't the Russians either, trust me.”

  “How do you know that?” Richard asked as he looked around at the group confused.

  Heather didn't answer, Sheila quickly changed the subject.

  Sheila spent the next 30 minutes detailing the last 36 hours the group experienced, followed by another 20 minutes answering questions of concern from Richard. Even though Sheila sat right in front of him, worry and fear for her washed over him all over again. He noticed the cuts and bruises on her, battle scars that served as proof of her right of passage, her right to exist in this new and dangerous landscape.

  “You know, for a moment I thought of going downtown to look for you, but I’m glad I didn't, I would have either died looking for you or gotten us both killed if I did find you. “ Richard said as he put his head down and stroked his brown and grey goatee. “I couldn't even take care of myself here, they came in and just. . . took everything. I was trying to get stuff together to leave. I was so stupid, I was gonna call a cab” he laughed in embarrassment. “The day went on and I hadn't heard from you, I started panicking, I couldn't call the police, I felt more useless than I ever had in my life, and that's saying a lot. I just sat here and prayed you come home or call. This morning, I finally lost it and decided I was going to go looking for you. I was packing a bag with a few things I needed when someone slammed against my door, it scared the shit out of me. I asked if anyone was there and I heard them talking to each other for a second, then they just kicked open the door and ran in.”

  “Oh my god, Richard” Sheila said filled with worry.

  “I grabbed a knife from the kitchen draw and told them to get out, one of them picked up an end table and threw it at me, the other guy kicked me over onto the floor. I just sat on the floor like a coward and watched as they took all the food and anything else they wanted. It was so humiliating.”

  “You're lucky they didn't hurt you, I’m so glad you're okay.”

  “Well I almost wasn't, not long after that people just started going crazy, looting and destroying anything they could get their hands on. I tried to close and lock the door, but they broke the damn frame, I got raided twice more, I just watched, one guy punched me in the face just for the hell of it. I heard screaming, horrible screaming from upstairs, I think it was that lady with the little girl.” Richard began to cry and became enraged. “Someone hurt them, I know they did, and I couldn't even help, I don't even know if they're alive.”

  “Let’s go check on them” Jacob said to Jamal.

  Jamal nodded, and they headed out the apartment and up to the second floor. The apartment door was damaged like Richard’s was, but it was closed. Jamal knocked on the door, no answer. Jacob leaned in toward the door.

  “Ma'am, we’re friends of Richard and Sheila, your downstairs neighbors. Richard said you might be hurt, we just wanted to make sure you’re alright. If you want us to leave you alone that's fine, but just so you know, we’re downstairs and you and your daughter can join us if you don't feel safe alone in there. Okay? Alright we’re leaving now.”

  As they turned around to head back downstairs they heard movement in the apartment, it sounded like a large piece of furniture was being moved from the door. The door opened slightly, and a petite red-haired woman opened the door. She looked at Jacob and Jamal and immediately slammed the door shut when she saw their weapons, they could hear the furniture being moved in front of the door again.

  “Ma’am please, you can trust us, we mean you no harm, please.”

  The woman didn't respond.

  “Okay ma’am we’re leaving, we didn't mean to scare you. We’ll be downstairs if you change your mind, but we’re eventually heading south.”

  Jamal and Jacob returned to Sheila's apartment, the group was at odds over what the next move should be: staying and waiting for aid, or continuing to the Army base.

  “This ain't a debate for me.” Jamal said loudly over the commotion. “I’m going to find my momma, with or without y'all. If y'all are staying, then just give me the keys to the van and I’m out.”

  “No way, you aren't going alone. I know you’ve survived a lot, but you're still just a teenager in my eyes, I’m coming with you.” Heather said.

  “Me too.” said Regina.

  Jacob nodded at Jamal, then looked over at Sheila. She was succumbing to the stress and beginning to shut down.

  “Richard, I’m not leaving you, but we can't stay. You don't know what it's like when those things come after you, you don't want to be here when they show up.”

  Richard eventually agreed on leaving with the rest of the group, although reluctantly. The sun had gone down, and they decided not to wait for morning, the quicker they reached Jamal's mother, the better. They loaded back into the van, Sheila folded Richard’s wheelchair and placed it in the back. Heather walked over to the driver side door and noticed a woman and a little girl running down the stairs from the second floor, she stopped at the bottom on the sidewalk and looked at Heather with hopeful eyes.

  “Glad you changed your mind, hop in.”

  “No, but if you have one to spare, I’ll take a gun.”

  Jacob removed a pistol and spare magazine from the backpack and handed it to Heather through the window. She handed it to the woman.

  “Good luck ma’am.”

  She took the pistol, nodded at Heather and ran back upstairs with her daughter.

  On foot and on the run, Lisa and Xavier ran down the city streets looking for a way to lose the Chinese. They zigzagged around city blocks and tried finding a hiding place, they continuously failed. A helicopter joined the Chinese in the search, Xavier knew once the helicopter spotted them, they wouldn't have a chance. There was a stairway to an underground transit tunnel just ahead of them, Xavier grabbed Lisa by the hand and they ran to the entrance.

  The stairway was dark and smelled of urine, they had to slow down to avoid slipping or missing one of the concrete steps. They reached the bottom and stood still in the darkness.

  “Where are we supposed to go? I can't see anything.” Lisa said in a panic.

  “Okay, there's an escalator and more stairs somewhere around here, if we can find it, we can get down to the tunnel and go south, we should run right to the end of it.”

  “How do you know which way is south?”

  “I’ve been down here before, I’m running on instincts I guess.”

  “We’re going to have to have a talk about your instincts later and how they keep saving my life”.

  “Seriously, I was thinking the same thing.”

  They held onto each other's hands and walked through the darkness until they bumped into a wall, Xavier felt his
way around it until he found the top of the stairs. They made their way down the stairs onto the train platform. Lisa tripped over something at the bottom and cursed, then the squeak from the sole of a shoe echoed from the other end of the pitch-black tunnel station. They stood perfectly still, silent, waiting for a reason to run. . . they got one.

  They heard two squeaky footsteps in the dark, then the quick rhythm of footsteps striking the slick platform headed straight towards them. There was no yelling, no screaming, just the familiar silence of savages hunting them. They jumped off the platform and headed south through the tunnel...at least they hoped it was south.

  They were forced to run faster than they wanted to, the savage was gaining on them quickly and there was no way for Xavier to aim for it with his rifle. With every step they feared tripping or slamming into something, every step was blind. It wasn't like running with closed eyes, it was like running through a dark dream with no chance of waking. It was like being lost in the darkness of your own mind.

  They ran with high steps trying to avoid tripping over the tracks, or anything else that may be dead in the dark. They could hear the steps of the savage behind them, Xavier turned to look behind him for reasons he couldn't explain other than reflex. He turned his head and eyes back to the front and everything went white.

  Stunned and in pain, Xavier sat up off the ground and felt around for his rifle. He listened for the sound of the footsteps, and opened fire. The muzzle flash lit up the tunnel and revealed the savage in a strobe effect sprinting toward Xavier's gun fire, he used it to adjust his aim. Lisa pointed her pistol and began firing from Xavier's flank, they struck the savage several times as was confirmed by its sudden dive to the tracks.

  “You okay” Xavier asked.

  “Yea, yea I’m good”

  “What the hell happened?

  “I don’t know, you think that was the only one down here?”

  “Hopefully. Alright, let's move.”