by S. A. Lowry
All of them remain silent during the entire trip. Obviously lost of words, nothing needed to be said at that moment. For many of them, it was their first time being involved in a firefight and many were shaken, especially Randall and Lance.
Nobody ridiculed Randall, not even Riggs for hiding at that point. Nobody like Riggs and Andrew understood the sheer terror it can inflict upon most men as some will act strangely. They already knew he couldn’t be trusted in the first place, so none of it came as a surprise to them.
Andrew was never engaged in any serious combat during the duration of his tour to Iraq, however, he was definately in the right mind set due to years of service. More than what the others could say.
As they approach the prison, Riggs and Andrew, whom are in the front of the cab, begin noticing more walking dead activity along the stretch of road which leads up to their compound. Andrew has already spotted up to twenty straddlers wandering around along the roadway and the shoulder. Riggs just went around them without paying them no mind. None of the men in the group dared to comment on the change of scenerary.
Once they finally push through the wooded area, they now have the prison in plain view across the open plains. To the group’s horror, they notice now even more of the undead strolling across the plains and even up to the perimeter shaking the fenceline of the prison. At this point, it seems to be just short of a hundred of them scattered all around the prison.
In addition, they also notice a mob of bikers circleing the perimeter and avoiding their hungry assailants as they drive their bikes around their reaching arms to catch up with the rest of the pack. A few of them are shooting off their weapons into the air as a black van is seen driving up and down the road to the front gate of the prison blaring music on loud speakers.
“What the hell is this!” Riggs yells as he begins punching his wheel.
Andrew tells him to calm down as he reaches for his weapon located between his legs in order to make sure he has enough rounds in his banana clip.
“Looks like those bastards are trying to attract those things our way!” Dwayne exclaims.
Lance quickly reaches over the driver’s side seat to inspect the situation.
Randall, takes a good look and begins crying.
“They are all going to kill us!” he whimpers. Everyone in the vehicle tells him to shut up at the same time. Randall ignores them and continues to sob.
Right as Riggs takes the turn onto the road which leads to the main gate, the watch towers begin opening fire on the bikers. Volleys of fire are heard being exchanged. The black van which is closest to Rigg’s vehicle, now quickly stops and turns around with it’s back facing towards the gate a few hundred meters down the road. That is when the duel rear doors in the back fly open as the van remains stationary.
Riggs notices two bikers laying in the prone while they are aiming down their rifles.
Riggs begins to frantically scream warning attempting to warn his passengers.
“Get the hell down!”
Everyone inside the cab sinks into their seats so their heads are not exposed.
That is when cracking sounds are heard impacting the hood and weezing through while shattering their glass windows. Riggs struggles to control the vehicle as he accelerates on the pedal without seeing the road in a deseperate attempt to escape the barrage of bullets. Luckily, the gate guard notices the vehicle to be their own and quickly opens up so Rigg’s vehicle can enter.
Once inside Riggs quickly pops his head up and attempts to reclaim control of the vehicle while depressing the brake. In effect, he skids sideways and slams the passenger side of the vehicle into the brick wall of the compound, effectively halting the vehicle immediately.
The smoke and sheer impact of the crash placed all of the passengers in a dazed and confused state. Once Riggs was able to gather himself, with some minor cuts and bruises, he kicks open his driver’s side doors and proceeds to help Andrew and the rest out onto the pavement.
Everyone’s injuries appeared to be minor as they laid back first on the pavement just realizing they narrowly escaped. Gunfire can still be heard from multiple directions as Riggs stumbles to each man insuring he is okay and no injury is life threatening. Once he realizes everyone is okay and just kind of out of it at that point, he stumbles into the compound to confront Aaron.
While Andrew is on the ground, he notices Riggs taking off by himself into the building. Andrew instantly realized what his intentions were as he noticed Riggs welding his XD .40 sub-compact in his right hand.
“Riggs! Stop!” Andrew yells. Riggs pays him no mind. Andrew painfully forces himself to stand up as his cut up eye begins running blood down his face.
“God damnit Riggs! Wait for me! You need to stop!” Andrew yells at the top of his lungs back to Riggs, desperately attempting to reason with him once he was able to enter the building and get sight of a stumbling Riggs who struggles to stay erect one wall at a time.
Riggs turns around in a confused state welding his pistol.
“What do you want! I’m going to take care of this!” responds Riggs.
“Not now Riggs. He has too many people. We won’t survive. Just give me the god damn gun!” Andrew orders.
Riggs stares him down with contempt then defies him by turning around and continueing to stumble towards Aaron’s office in order to blow his brain’s out.
Andrew begins chasing him as he limps and struggles to walk.
“Riggs! Don’t shoot him! Riggs!” Andrew continues to painfully yell as he attempts to maintain his balance. That is when Riggs collapses face first into the pavement and passes out. His gun falls to the floor and accidently discharges a round as it slides up against the wall harmlessly.
As a result of the accidental discharge, Andrew quickly fell to the ground in an attempt to avoid being hit. The bullet harmlessly enters one of the walls which is reinforced by concrete.
Shortly after, some of Aaron’s guards come running up with rifles in hand while aiming down their sights. Once they realize it’s Andrew and Riggs they quickly drop their weapons.
“You guys alright?” asks one of the guards as he leans over and attempts to pick up Andrew. Andrew explains what happened and tells them there are more outside in need of medical aid. A few of the guards run outside to help the others as gunfire ceased along with the loud annoying music. The motorcycles outside can be heard going away as the noise fades off into the distance.
Andrew, Riggs and the rest are helped up by some of Aaron’s men and taken to the infirmary. Linda along with Audrey and the rest of the women, with the exception of Cynthia, come running to the infirmary once they got word about what has happened to them.
A few hours go by as sporadic gunfire can be heard coming from the outer perimeter, obviously Aaron’s guards are trying to thin the ranks of the dead which are growing vast in numbers around the walls. Riggs still appears to be knocked out as the rest of the men are doing quite fine. Andrew got the cut above his eye flushed out and cleaned, then secured with gauze and medical tape.
Linda and Audrey took some chairs and made themselves comfortable beside Andrew as they began to talk to him. Tabatha won’t give Lance any breathing room as she smothers him with hugs and kisses and Tammy waits beside Riggs for him to wake up.
“What the hell happened out there?” Linda asks in a worrisome tone of voice.
Audrey asks a similiar question with concern, then reiterates how grateful she is for their safe return.
“Long story Linda. Sure you want to know?” Andrew warns.
Linda and Audrey nod their heads impatiently.
Dwayne appears finished at this point as he only had some minor bruises. He decides to walk off and reside in his lonesome. Nobody in the group pays him any mind. After an hour goes by of Andrew explaining what had happened, a shocked and disgusted Linda and Audrey weigh in their opinions. That is when Young Andrew comes running up to Linda and goes straight into her arms.
“What is wrong hun
ny? The loud noise is overwith now, nothing to be afraid of,” Linda states as she attempts to comfort Young Andrew in her arms, shortly followed by another sporadic gunshot out on the perimeter.
“There is something you have to see. It’s really scary,” Young Andrew claims.
Linda, not realizing the ramifications of what the boy is trying to tell her, assumes the child is going to show her a body laying outside or a dead rat. “Where is this scary thing you want to show me?” Linda asks. “Down stairs. In the blocked off cell blocks. You have to see it,” Young Andrew exclaims in terror.
That is when Andrew butts in, “Hey buddy, you aren’t allowed down there. I think you’re going to be in big trouble with Linda!”
“No, you have to see this. I’m serious please believe me,” Young Andrew pleads as he tugs on Linda’s arm.
Audrey rises up from her chair and places her hand over Young Andrew’s shoulder.
“I will go with you. Let’s go kiddo,” she encourages.
Linda looks concerned and then nods her head. “Just take him back down there to confront whatever it is so he sleeps better tonight. Let’s not ever go back down there again though, okay champ?” Linda persuades as she looks back to Young Andrew.
Young Andrew places his head down in defeat and nods his head while giving up on the chance of anyone believing him on how important his discovery is. Linda decides to stay with Andrew and talk some more until Riggs can wake up. Once he does, Linda intends to have a long talk with him.
Andrew as well. “Come on Audrey, hurry!” Young Andrew urgently suggests as he attempts to run while pulling her arm down the flight of steps. He takes her the exact same way her and Amy went. As they enter the restricted area Audrey begins complaining about the odor.
“Oh yeah I also forgot, i’m not supposed to tell anyone this. Amy made me promise,” Young Andrew adds as he guides her to the next entry way. Audrey begins to use her wisdom and attempts to coach Young Andrew on the importance of keeping promises to a person, until she stumbles upon what the children have not too long ago.
“See. I told you. Do you see it?” Young Andrew exclaims “Oh my god, Andrew!” Audrey walks from cell to cell closely inspecting the horrific scenes each one has to offer. To Audrey, it appears there are piles of bodies in every single cell, no more than ten and no less than five for every living area.
All of them appear to have been shot in the head execution style. Some of them wear prison guard and staff outfits as others are wearing bright orange prisoner jump suits with the prisoner codes embroided on their backs.
The rats can be seen nesting in some of the cells and using the corpses as food. This places Audrey into an uncontrollable state of panic as she grabs Young Andrew and runs off back to Linda.
“Hey mister, had a pretty nasty fall didn’t ya?” Tammy taunts as she stares down at Riggs as he begins to open his eyes from bed while she strokes his hair. “You’re fine now. We’re all here. Just relax,” Tammy adds with warmth in her eyes. Riggs, not realizing how to react at the moment, smiles back at her affirming his mutual affection for her. Tammy can dig it, as she begins grinning.
“Andrew! Where the hell are you at!” Riggs yells from his bed with his eyes closed.
“I’m right here you hard headed son of a bitch. You calm down yet?” Andrew sarcastically asks from his bed. Linda smiles as she been doing alot lately.
“Piss off. I’m always calm. Okay, maybe not that time. I’m fine now,” Riggs adds.
“Well that’s good. Now maybe we’ll all live a little bit longer, what you think?” Andrew jokingly suggests.
“Sounds like a plan,” Riggs responds in a low tired tone of voice.
That is when Audrey comes storming into the room with Young Andrew by her side with tears in her eyes. Everyone rises up and draws attention towards her. Once the rest of the group inspects the restricted cell blocks, they instantly head back to their living quarters in order to grab up their personal arsenal and quickly arm themselves. When Riggs enters his cell and goes below his bunk to pull out the duffle bag, to his dismay, he realizes there is nothing there. Aaron’s men obviously confiscated them. Whenever they did is unknown to him.
As a result, Riggs and the rest of the group have a quick meeting in order to figure out what should be done from here.
Audrey believes they aren’t normal people at all. She thinks they are the actual prisoners who took over and killed the staff. Dwayne believes they just execute who ever crosses them and doesn’t play ball.
“Those bastards took my pistol too. I want it back!” an angered Riggs adds. Linda decides to weigh in, as everyone gives her their undivided attention as they normally do for her, “They all knew about it. Everyone here did. We can’t stay here any longer.”
Many others, dropped their theories, however, one question still remained ever important. How will they react when they are confronted with it? Dwayne and Tammy desperately attempts to convince Riggs to just leave now, with whatever they have. A stubborn Riggs, refuses to leave without his guns and to settle the looming question as to who they really are.
“Jesus Christ man, we are dealing with a bunch of murderers here! Executioners,” a frieghtened Randall adds.
Lance chimes in, “Yeah, I mean, how do you think a bunch of murderers will react when you accuse them of murder?” Everyone appears even more freightened than they were last time. Tabatha, along with everyone else, just wants to leave at this point. The only one who completely agrees with Riggs is Andrew.
“We need to get our weapons back and find out why they killed those people. We can not let this bullshit fly,” Andrew confidently states in anger.
Riggs looks at Andrew for a moment.
“You with me?”
“Hell yeah i’m with you. Let’s go,” Andrew boldly states.
Both of them rise up and walk off together. “Oh no, somebody stop them now! Don’t do anything stupid!” a concerned Linda yells to them as they walk off. The rest of them remain in the cell looking puzzled and afraid of action.
“They are crazy!” Randall claims. Cynthia stares him down as if he were a coward. The pair march down to Aaron’s office while coaching eachother’s strategies on how to approach the confrontation. Riggs and Andrew are both ready for a fight at this point and will not back down. They do not intend on leaving Aaron’s office empty handed.
As they walk down the corriders, some of Aaron’s men approach the pair attempting to stop them and asking them what they need. Riggs and Andrew ignores them as they proceed to the steps of Aaron’s office.
One of the men attempt to place his hand on Rigg’s shoulder in a bid to stop him when Riggs quickly turns around and knocks the man in his temple with a right hook, instantly dropping him to the floor. The rest of the guards pull out their pistols from their leg holsters and draw them on the pair as Riggs belligerently slams Aaron’s office door open.
Aaron is there sitting as his desk calmly while two guards stand behind him with black beanies on welding shotguns.
“Did I invite you?” Aaron asks in anger. “No you didn’t, but we are going to talk anyway!” Riggs aggresively responds as him and Andrew pull up chairs to the front of his desk. The guards from outside Aaron’s door walk into Aaron’s office with their weapons still drawn on Riggs and Andrew from behind.
Aaron places his hand up signaling them to go back outside. The men follow suite.
“How can I help you boys?” Aaron sarcastically asks. “First of all, fuck you for leaving us and your men back there. We thought we knew what type of treacherous, unreliable assholes you guys were, but today we are clueless,” Riggs states.
“What ever do you mean, Mr. Air Marshall?” Aaron questions with more sarcasm. His guards grow anxious to attack Andrew and Riggs as they stare them down and position themselves in an aggresive posture, just waiting for Aaron to give them the go ahead to assault.
“Those bodies on the lower levels. The ones whom have been executed. Why did y
ou do it? Are you all really the prisoners?” Andrew interrogates. Aaron starts to bust out laughing. His guards are now laughing as well. “Shut the hell up! Where’s our guns too? You stole them from us! We want them back so we can leave!” Riggs orders.
Aaron begins clapping, obviously taunting the two. Riggs rises up from his chair as if he were going to attack Aaron when both of his guards point their shotguns at him. Riggs pauses instantly in his stance.
“You and your friends will be going no where. Sorry to break it to you,” Aaron calmly informs.
“What the hell are you talking about, you sick bastard?” Andrew adds with contempt. Aaron begins to explain himself further, “Those ‘people’ you talk about down there on the lower levels, most of them were prisoners we found still locked up in their quarters when we took over. We didn’t know what they were capable of and most of all we couldn’t trust them. Of course all of them claimed they were innocent, but the risk out weighed the good intentions. We decided not to take a chance with any of them.”
Andrew and Riggs stare on in disgust.
“You are sick man,” Riggs states. “Think what you will. This isn’t a time for good will and humanity. Right now as we speak, the dead amass along our walls. I ordered my men to hold fire and conserve their ammo. Blood thirsty killers surround us as we speak,” Aaron goes on to explain.
“It’s all about survival right now. Some of our people didn’t agree with my decision and decided to cause problems. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have enough reasonable men around me to see beyond the cruelty and realize what I was doing was for the benefit of the group as a whole. We had to dispose of the ones who opposed as well. Oh, also one more thing that I forgot to mention. There are many members of The Death’s Head down there as well whom were serving out life sentences. Mainly the majority of their leadership,” Aaron continues.