“Come on, we have to move!” I shouted, rallying the group to head for the reactor. With so many bodies piled up, the S.E.A.L.S. had to lift the coolant high to get it down the hallway, but eventually we all stood on the other side of the glass looking into the reactor room.
“Let me go in and get a handle on things before we do anything,” Douglas said, pushing through us to the door. He lifted the keycard, sliding it through before falling against the frame to hold himself up.
“Doug!” I caught him from behind, but he wasn’t doing well. “Are you sure you’ll be able to stay awake long enough to make it back here?” He forced his head off the wall and looked at me, his eyes focusing.
“I can do this, Eric.” He stumbled past the door, through the sanitizing room, and stepped toward the reactor, examining the situation and nodding several times. Admittedly, it was hard to tell when he was actually nodding or shaking himself awake, but he eventually returned to our room. “Alright, let me just take a look at something in here and I’ll get the coolant rolling.”
Douglas walked over to a filing cabinet and started sifting through folders, flipping through papers before he found what he was looking for. Blinking sweat out of his eyes, he took hold of the coolant and attempted to move it. His body collapsed forward, landing on the dolly for balance.
“Let me help you,” the injured S.E.A.L. said, helping Douglas out of the way and rolling the dolly through the doors. As the lighting flickered on, I noticed that the zombies had indeed gotten through his Hazmat suit and taken flesh, so he knew the sad truth of his fate.
The two of them pushed the coolant into the reactor chamber and began to unload it, but Douglas pulled him aside. They had a brief conversation before the S.E.A.L. nodded and Douglas started back toward our room. He stepped out of view for a moment and the door hissed seconds later, pressurizing. I ran over and slapped it, staring at the card reader.
“Douglas, what the hell are you doing?” I shouted, trying to break in.
“You can stop trying to get through, Eric. I have the keycard, and I found the code to put the reactor in lockdown.”
“Why are you doing this?” Jessica pleaded as we all looked on through the glass, helpless.
“I’m dying, and so is Maxwell,” Douglas answered, giving a name to the doomed S.E.A.L. who was pulling the empty canister out of the reactor.
“Maybe, but you don’t have to die here and now!”
“Actually, we do. I want to go out on my own terms, but at this point, I’ve lost so much blood that I can’t lift the coolant.”
“Okay, so Maxwell helps you install the coolant and we could all leave together!” The remaining soldiers were beating on the glass, but it was no use. That window was designed to contain heat and radiation, so it wouldn’t give to basic measures.
“This was a newer reactor, so it shut off a long time ago, but it’s still a machine. It’s been deteriorating so long that the fuel rods are too corroded for the coolant to prevent a meltdown, but it might buy you guys some time to get out of the blast radius if you can make it back to the vehicles.”
“Dammit, Douglas…” On some level, I understood, which frustrated me, but it didn’t make losing two good men hurt any less.
“You showed me that there is a difference between surviving and living, Eric. This is my choice, my life.” He held his hand against the glass and fell to his knees, coughing. When he finally stopped, the front of his Hazmat mask was speckled with blood. Reaching up, he removed the mask, breathing in the radiation calmly. “Maxwell, when I die, please don’t let me come back,” he said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the soldier nodded. “Thank you.” Turning back to the glass, Douglas scanned our faces, smiling weakly. “Gabriel, Eric, Jessica…it was an honor to know all of you. Thank you for…for…” He began to cough uncontrollably, wincing and clutching his stomach as he convulsed. The moment stretched for an unbearable length before he finally stopped, dead.
“You should go now,” Maxwell’s bass voice filled the chamber as he lifted the fresh coolant into place and locked it in. His fellow S.E.A.L. nodded, saying, “Rest easy, brother,” before we left the reactor room and forced ourselves to run up the stairwell. We reached the top and exited, but as soon as we were visible the ferals outside resumed pounding on the door
“Son of a bitch! We need to move!” Gabriel yelled, directing us toward the second-floor stairs. Glass shattered behind us, but no one paused to look as we hurried to the second floor. Gabriel pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it halfway down the stairs, diving into the hall as the explosion filled the air with debris and smoke. Through the Hazmat suit, I squinted to see the stairs missing, along with several red eyes glaring at me, one of the ferals looking familiar from earlier.
“We need a way out right now.” I jogged down the hall, letting Jessica help Gabriel up as I searched the windows for a way down. Following the curve of the floor, I located an external generator five feet down, creating a better way to the ground. Of course, ferals were also surrounding all sides of our building at this point, the red and whites of their eyes peering through the torrential storm that now raged.
Of course there had to be a storm…
With time ticking on the reactor melting down, I marched back to the group.
“There’s not much that way,” one of the rangers said, returning from the opposite direction.
“Alright, I found a generator to jump down to, but it’s what comes next that becomes a problem. The ferals know we’re in here, and they’ve got this whole building surrounded. We’re going to have to fight our way out of here,” I said, staring directly at Gabriel and Jessica. They both knew what I meant by that, Gabriel having been with me in Austin all those years ago.
“I don’t suppose you have a plan?” Gabriel finally asked.
“I wish I had some elaborate scheme that would get us all out alive, but the truth is we’re all out of clever options. It’s going to be dirty and brutal once we get to the ground. I can’t promise we’ll all make it, but I can tell what a man told me a long time ago. If you want to survive against a feral, you have to be willing to cross some lines.”
“I still don’t hear a plan,” Gabriel smirked, being a dick on purpose to relieve the stress in the room.
“We hit the ground running. Try to stay together, but we make a hard push to the vehicles.”
“Assuming we get to them, what then?” This time it was my turn to grin.
“Then comes the easy part: We put the pedal down and ride like a motherfucker before this thing blows. I just need some kind of diversion to get their eyes off of us, because otherwise we’ll be dead before we hit the ground.”
“I think I can help with that,” Gabriel said, taking off his suit and removing his hand from his side to display a large bloodstain. There was a thick slice deep into his abdomen that was bleeding through the bandage he had on, and I knew without asking that it was from saving me earlier. “This time, I’ve got the plan.”
Chapter 49
Gambit
Gabriel stood at the open window, looking out and breathing in the fresh air of the storm that raged outside. His eyes scanned the ferals below, strikes of lightning displaying their various grotesqueries and mutilations. There was no fear in those eyes, despite the darkness beyond holding our collective fates in uncertain hands. With each strike, we caught a glimpse of our immediate future and were reminded that we could all meet our maker soon, especially when I noticed that my initial estimate of a hundred ferals was grossly low.
“Are you sure about this, Gabriel?”
“Of course I am. It would be pretty anticlimactic if I backed out now, wouldn’t it?” He adjusted the fresh bandage on his side, glancing up with that cocky smirk before the tape pulled his hair and he winced. He returned his eyes to the window, becoming distant as he surveyed the horrors outside. “You know, we face death every day, but there’s something about the certainty, knowing that I’m standing at the pre
cipice, that feels different.” For the first time, I thought I saw fear cross his features, but he blinked and it was gone, replaced with an expression of stone. “It’s oddly comforting.”
“Nothing is certain. I’m living proof of that.” He laughed, grinning.
“I couldn’t die without knowing what it would have been like to write in your journal. It’s a little too romanticized for my taste, though.”
“You’re an asshole,” I muttered, but I laughed with him, knowing he was sticking to that façade. My gaze fell to his wound, knowing he had lost a lot of blood. I knew if I phrased my question wrong, he would wall up. “Are you sure that you’re the best man for this job, in your current shape?” He looked down, shrugging.
“I’m not as mobile as I used to be, but I’ve got enough left in me for one more push.”
“I could do it, Gabriel.” His expression grew serious.
“We both know I won’t make it out like this, even if I somehow made it back to the Humvee. Let me take this one, Eric.” He looked over his shoulder at our group, everyone looking as ready as they could be. “Well, I guess this is it, then.” He extended his bloodied hand. “See you on the other side.”
“Save me a seat,” I replied, grabbing his forearm. He laughed before going to the others and saying goodbye.
“It’s been an honor, gentlemen,” he said to each soldier, shaking their hands, saving Jessica for last. She was on the verge of tears, hugging him.
“This would be easier if you were still a dick,” she whispered softly.
“Well, in my defense, I did tell you that you chose the wrong man.” Gabriel pulled back and winked, to which she rolled her eyes and smiled. He reached up and wiped away a stray tear from her cheek. “There, all better, love.” She looked as if she were about to say something, but he shook his head and cut her off. “It’s like you said, Eric can’t be the hero all the time.” He glanced at me. “Take care of him, though. He needs all the help he can get, but he’s a good man.” They shared another hug before he returned to join me at the window.
“There’s still time to find another way,” I offered, trying any argument I could to avoid him going alone. He finished checking his gear and looked up.
“I know this is hard, mate,” he said, placing his hand on my shoulder, “but I just know that if we close our eyes and wish really hard we can get through it together.” He broke into a grin and I shook my head, unable to resist smiling.
“Like I said, an asshole.”
“Yeah, well, it’s easier that way.” With one last look behind him, he turned back. “Right then, time to see what it’s like to be a hero.” He kicked out the window and climbed out, tossing two primed grenades into the crowd below. He jumped to the generator and flattened himself against it just as twin explosions went off, sending up plumes of flame around him.
Watching through my scope, Gabriel slid to the ground and ran toward the distracted ferals, not hesitating to disappear among their numbers. I saw the crowd parting as a feral randomly went down, but I quickly lost track of the insane S.A.S. soldier.
“Do you really think he’ll make it?” Jessica asked beside me, having stepped closer to watch.
“Dinner’s served! Come and get it, motherfuckers!” Gabriel shouted into the night, somehow being heard over the roaring ferals and the storm.
“Yeah, I think he’ll be fine,” I laughed, knowing it was probably a lie. Still, I had no doubt that he would put up one hell of a fight.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “Will we?” Fear was written on her face, etched into every feature. I would never admit it, but I was scared, too. “Eric, I don’t want to die here. I’ve never said it out loud, but things are finally starting to get better and I just-”
“We’ll be fine,” I cut her off, taking her face in my hands and meeting her watery gaze. “When we hit the ground, head straight for the Humvee and don’t look back. I’ll be right behind you, alright?” She nodded, but I could see the doubt.
“I’m not just worried about that…” I knew where her mind was at, because I had the same concerns, but there could be no hesitation if we planned to make it out alive. Unsure who I was trying to convince, I took a deep breath.
“We let the monsters out one last time, leave it all down there. If this is where our story ends, we go down swinging, but tonight there is no line to cross.” The look in her eyes grew fierce, letting me know she was with me, and I felt that terrifying calm wash over me. Looking outside, enough of the ferals had taken Gabriel’s bait that the area below was as clear as it would ever be, meaning it was time to move. “Oh, and Jessica,” I added, stepping to the edge of the window. “I love you.”
With that, I stepped forward into the night and jumped down, causing the ferals that could see to respond instantly to the fresh meat. They swarmed toward me, but I opened fire, holding the ground while everyone jumped down. Jessica gave me a look that said we would talk later, but she didn’t pause before wading into the fray. We had decided to give her the keys, so she stayed close as a Ranger and the remaining S.E.A.L. took point.
The last Ranger touched down and we surged forward, making a concentrated effort to close the gap to Jessica, but the ferals’ numbers were funneling in, sealing us off. Brass splashed into the mud with each round, dropping bodies in every direction, but they were still gaining ground, pushing in to separate us. We shifted our aim, focusing our fire straight ahead to force a path through but they were too close. Barely breaking even, with one feral dropping and another taking its place, I knew it was only a matter of time before we would reload and the increasingly small pocket would collapse entirely.
Suddenly, an explosion went off to the left, likely Gabriel’s last hurrah to take as many ferals with him as he could, but I couldn’t afford to look, settling for a silent thank you to the man. My discipline didn’t extend to the ferals, though, and I took the opportunity to clear out the ones nearest to me, creating some space until my receiver clicked empty. The ferals turned seemingly as one, even the blind ones as if the sound were a dinner bell, and there was no time to slap in my last magazine.
Letting the M4 hang on the sling, I dropped it and drew my sidearm. A few feet ahead of me, the Ranger attempted to reload while bashing aside ferals with the stock of his weapon, but we were quickly cut off from each other. Thirteen rounds, and thirteen bodies, later, the barrel of my Sig smoked before a feral tackled me to the ground, berating me with its fists.
I brought up my arms to block, turning to protect my ribs, but a second feral began fighting with the first for the right to attack me. More joined in the skirmish and I shimmied backward through the mud, trying not to draw any attention to myself, but a feral fell on top of me. Lifting my leg, I wrapped my calf around its neck and pulled it to the ground, trying to strangle the former human. The action brought attention back to me and a kick landed against my chest.
Absorbing the impact, despite the pain, I instinctively grabbed the leg and rolled, pulling the feral forward and overextending its knee. Changing direction, I shoved my right elbow into its throat, crushing its trachea while maintaining my leg lock on the other feral. Their numbers quickly overwhelmed me, though, and I was again on the defensive, blow after blow beating against my arms and legs.
Among the impacts, I felt, more than saw, a feral drop on top of me, its dirt-caked hands wrapping around my throat. I tried to reach up and pry its hands away, but two more ferals pinned my arms to the ground, limiting my options since my legs were still being assaulted. Over the deafening sound of flesh hitting flesh, I heard a scream and knew it was Jessica, but my body wouldn’t cooperate.
As my vision faded to black, my lungs burned for oxygen and I knew this could be the end.
Chapter 50
Endgame
They say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. I remembered the medical tent at Cedar Lake, which felt like forever ago, and Kat telling me to keep fighting. When I closed my eyes then, all I could
think of was finding a way back, clinging to life like a buoy in the middle of an open ocean of death. It was terrifying, the struggle to not give up taking everything I had, but this time was different.
As I lay there dying, watching the life being squeezed out of my lungs, the cold mud soaking through my shirt even as I lost the sensation, I didn’t feel a struggle. It was strange, because I knew I should be fighting, but for the first time in a very long time I felt…relaxed. At that moment, I understood what Gabriel had said about the certainty of death giving him a sense of calm, and I wanted to smile. Rather than hold onto one thought, though, when I closed my eyes I let the stream of memories rush in.
My mind flashed back to my wedding to Samantha, Phillip’s birth, finding Katherine in the fort, sharing peaches with her at the farmhouse, saying goodbye at the courthouse in Crown Point. I saw Jessica for the first time, then saw her coming into the room where I was bleeding to death after killing Schafer. The beautiful thoughts quickly became a horrific montage of blood and death as images of kills flashed, before the pictures changed. I saw Antoinette, Dave, Samantha, and Phillip, all smiling, all lost to the hellish world. Loneliness and guilt don’t begin to describe the feelings I had until the swirl of thoughts went white, fixed on Katherine’s wedding to Matthew, before moving forward to that night with Jessica, when I let myself be intimate with someone for the first time in years.
I felt her fingers run through my hair, her lips on my temple as she tenderly kissed me.
“What are you thinking about?” she whispered against me. I smiled, even as my nerves were fraying. Honesty of the nature I was considering was dangerous, but I was willing to take that risk.
“How scared I am.” She shifted, moving my head so she could look me in the eyes.
“What are you scared of?” The concern in her eyes was beautiful, so genuine and accepting that I lost my ability to think for a moment.
A Broken World (Book 3): Fractured Memories Page 21