by M. K. Dawn
That didn’t sound like much of an option. “What’s the other?”
His jaw clenched. “We leave.”
She was surprised he was open to the possibility. He didn’t like the idea much when she mentioned it earlier. “Just walk out the front door?”
“No.” Archer rolled his neck. “It’s more complicated than that. The only way to open the door is to enter two codes. Both into the door’s operation panel. I know one of them.”
“And the other?” She could tell by his expression it wasn’t good.
“The second is locked away in the operations room.”
Sloan’s heart sank. “Have you heard from any of them?”
Archer shook his head. “No. Not sense before we left for The Farm.”
“But you know where the code is? How to access it?”
“Yes,” Archer said. “It takes two people to access it, but I can do it.”
Archer would have to venture out but at least there would be someone with him to watch his back. “Okay. Now what? We gather everyone and put it to a vote?”
“There’s one more thing, Slash. I have to go, but the other soldiers are needed here to protect the remaining people. Six is hardly enough to do that, let alone five.”
Her heart thumped harder. “Who do you have in mind?”
Archer’s eyes softened. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you could handle it.”
Her vision blurred.
“You grew up on a ranch, Slash. Know how to handle a gun. Been face to face with the infected on several occasions and survived. The others…”
She fought the tears that burned the back of her throat. “I get it. The others may freeze and you need someone you can trust.”
“You can say no. I’ll understand if you refuse.”
He was giving her a way out. This wasn’t his decision, but deep down they both knew it was best choice in a sea of horrible possibilities. “I can handle it.”
For a brief second, Sloan swore she spotted his chin tremble, but the emotional display vanished as quickly as it had come. He cleared his throat. “Gather the group. Let’s get this over with.”
***
The decision was unanimous: leave The Bunker. No one believed there was any where safe left within these walls and they were probably right. Even if there was a place unaffected, chances were it would not hold enough supplies—if it held any at all.
Sloan too agreed their best bet was to leave. She said as much when asked. It wasn’t in her to lie. And if Smith was right and those who had survived did look up to her, she wanted them to know exactly how she felt. Wrong or right, she couldn’t bring herself to believe they had any other choice.
Evelyn and Travis both tried to talk her out of going with Archer. They pleaded with her to let someone—anyone—else go in her place. If she was so good with a gun, wouldn’t her skills be better used warding off potential attacks while a soldier navigated the dangerous halls alongside him?
But Sloan understood why she was asked. Less than two hundred feet away, locked behind a door, were a hundred plus monsters ready to attack. If they broke free they would breach the dining hall. If that happened—when that happened—they would need every soldier they could get.
Sloan wouldn’t be able to defend a group of people. However, she felt confident enough in her aim that she could defend herself—possibly Archer if it came to that.
With a heavy heart, she said her goodbyes and promised to return soon.
Tables were moved, allowing them to exit as close to the elevators as possible. Sloan held one of two pistols in her hand. The other she tucked into the waistband of the jeans she’d traded out for her scrubs. The woman who’d offered them insisted.
The bloodied pants would only attract the monsters, she had said as she stripped down to a pair of yoga pants. I always have this underneath to ward off the chill of the tunnels.
A man had given her a flannel shirt. She’d taken the clean clothes without much of a fuss. They were right: the infected craved human blood. If she wandered the halls in blood-soaked clothes, she might as well be carrying a dinner bell.
“I’ll go first,” Archer said as he eased the door open. “Make sure the hall is clear.”
Sloan waited anxiously, Evelyn by her side, until Archer waved her forward.
“Be careful.” Evelyn pulled her into a tight hug. “Come back.”
“I will.” Sloan released her and slipped out the door before she changed her mind.
“We’ll need to take elevator three. That’s the hall the main operations room is on and where we’ll find the code.” Archer swiped his wristband on the panel. “Any questions?”
They barely had a plan. “What happens when we reach thirteen?”
“Ideally,” he entered their floor number, “the hall is secure and it's smooth sailing.”
Sloan rolled her eyes. “And if it isn't smooth sailing?”
“You're comfortable with the guns, right?”
Sloan nodded. Her father made sure both his daughters and wife knew how to use several different models.
“Good. How's your aim?”
Why did he choose now to ask these questions? Shouldn't they have discussed this before they left? “It's been a while since I've practiced, but I was pretty good growing up.”
“The chest is one of the easier targets to hit. Aim and fire until the infected falls.”
The elevator jerked to a stop. It was fast, but Sloan didn't remember it being that fast. “Are we already on thirteen?”
Archer checked the panel. “No. We're back on twelve.”
The medical ward had been overrun. When they escaped, the infected had been barreling against the elevator door. That was hall five, but could they have somehow messed up the entire system? “What do we do?”
“Give me a second to see if I can figure it out.”
“Could it be because of the lockdown? Aren't all the floors sealed?”
“They’re locked for civilians. But as the head security officer, I have access to all levels at any given time. Before we left, I granted you access as well, so the lockdown shouldn't be a problem.”
Well that was one explanation knocked down. “Can you detect any other issues?”
“Patience, Slash.” He swiped his wrist along the panel. “Give me a few minutes to run a diagnostic.”
Sloan didn't want to wait. She had anxiety just being in the elevator. And then to be stuck on the floor crawling with those things…it was enough to send her flailing into hyperventilation.
“I've got good news and bad,” Archer said. “Which do you want to hear first?”
“What's going on” She had no tolerance for games. Their lives and everyone else’s hung on their ability to make it to floor thirteen.
“There's some kind of a jam underneath us. No way to fix it.”
Sloan took a deep breath. “Okay. That, I assume, is the bad news. What's the good?”
“Elevators four and five are both operational.”
“How the hell is that good news? The medical ward is crawling with the infected. Remember how the first group broke out of their room and chased us onto the elevator?”
“I know, but that doesn't mean they're still there. Like floor nine, after you and Russo were attacked, they could have cleared out.”
Sloan's hands shook. “Where would they have gone? It's not like there’s anyone left to leave the doors open.”
“It's the only way we're going to make it to the operations floor. We have to go down a level.”
Sloan scanned the elevator, desperate for answers. “There's a way to open the floor beneath us. What if we try to clear whatever is blocking the elevator car?”
“Slash...there are so many things wrong with that plan, I don't know where to begin. The first that comes to mind is we have no tools.”
“How are we going to make it down this hall and back up another without being seen?”
“We can do it. I swear to you
Sloan, we can make it. Neither hall three nor four have anything that will entice the infected. They may not have ventured this way. If we don't try, we might as well go back to the dining hall and come up with a new plan.”
That gave Sloan an idea. “What if we go back up and take a different elevator back down?”
Archer grinned. “It's worth a try.” He plugged in floor ten. The elevator whined but didn't budge. He punched the numbers again. Still, the elevator did not move. “So much for going back.”
“What's wrong with it?”
“Whatever the block is, it's holding us in place.”
Sloan shuttered. “We’re trapped in this elevator?”
“Not trapped. The elevator door still works. We’re just stuck on this floor.”
“So we have to get off?” Her voice shook.
“Afraid so, Slash.”
Sloan flipped off the safety of her gun and readied herself, just as her father taught her. “Fine. Then open the damn door and let’s get this over with.”
***
Hall three was quiet—more so than it had ever been.
They turned the corner toward hall four as noiselessly as they could. Two was where they held the patients. Hall four was used for storage; medical equipment and medication—nothing that should attract the attention of blood-thirsty monsters. Still, Sloan was on edge. Even when she could see the elevator in sight, her heart raced.
They were so close. And then she saw them. Staggering in and out of the last rooms, noses in the air.
There were no more than ten that she could see, though there could be more hidden within the rooms.
“We keep moving towards them,” Archer whispered. “As quiet as we can be. We don’t fire until they attack. The noise of the guns will only draw more. Aim for the chest and don’t stop until you reach the elevator.”
“Got it.”
“You can do this, Slash.” He raised her arms. “Keep your gun up. I’ll be by your side the entire time.”
They snuck down the hall, guns ready. Three-quarters of the way down, the infected began to turn their heads, catching their scent. Sloan’s hands trembled but she never lowered her gun. She knew any second now they would have to fire and she wasn’t ready. Never in all the years she hunted with her father had she taken an animal’s life. Cale’s death still haunted her every time she closed her eyes.
“Take the ones on the right,” he whispered. “I’ve got the left. On my count; three, two, one.”
Archer fired. One went down followed by another. Sloan’s fingers twitched but she couldn’t pull the trigger. Archer had already taken down five. More were drawn in by the sound of his gun.
He turned to her and screamed, “Run!”
Just as she was about to take off, one came out of nowhere and tackled her to the floor. She landed on her back with a thud, lucky her arms were in front of her. They were the only thing keeping the monster at bay. Jagged teeth snapped inches from her face. She turned her head and tried to shove the infected away, but it hardly budged. Another snap at her neck and Sloan screamed.
Archer yanked the infected off and shoved it against the wall, putting a bullet in its chest. Then he dragged her off the floor and forced her inside the already open elevator. More shots rang out and the closest ones were all dead. Others raced for them but the doors closed with plenty of time.
It was the third time in a twenty-four hour span an elevator had saved her life. That was the scary thing about The Bunker. The only escape routes came via the elevators or the stairs. But there was only one access point to the stairs on each floor: on hall five.
Sloan sunk to the floor as her body convulsed. It was too much to handle. All that death. The violence. She’d held it together and now in this moment of tranquility, it came flooding back. “I’m going to be sick.”
“Slash?” Archer rotated around and fell to his knees. “Slow, deep breaths. I thought you were handling this all extremely well. We’ve got this. We’re going to get out of here. Us and everyone who’s left.”
“And go where?” The sound of her heart thrashed in her ears. “Those…those…. things are out there. That’s where they originated from. You should have never gone on that mission.”
“You’re right. I should’ve listened to you and tried to stop it, but we can’t change that now. And we can’t stay underground. There’s too many. We won’t survive more than a day or two.”
The elevator opened, but neither moved. Sloan’s voice caught in her throat. “Our chances are slim either way.”
“Don’t do that.” He lifted her chin so their eyes met. “Don’t lose faith in me now. I need you to be strong, Slash. Just because we can’t communicate with the outside world doesn’t mean there’s no one out there. We’ll find the remainder of our military. Safety in numbers, right?”
Sloan nodded.
Archer stood and held out his hand. “Time to get up. We need to get moving. Everyone is counting on us.”
Sloan took his hand and he helped her to her feet. “I’m ready.”
“Good. My men are excellent at what they do but if those things make it to the dining hall, I don’t know how long they’ll be able to hold them off.”
Sloan forced a watery smile into place and pulled back her shoulders. “Let’s make this fast. Which way?”
“Three.” He lifted his gun and rushed down to the end of the hall, Sloan at his heels. “Through this doorway.” He swiped his wrist and stepped through.
Sloan did the same but was knocked back by an invisible door. “Archer!”
“Shit. The access is restricted on these halls.” He scanned his wrist. “Give me a second.”
A sudden thump stopped them both.
“What was that?” Sloan whispered.
“I don’t know.”
Another boom and they turned towards the elevator.
Sloan’s pulse raced. The elevator doors groaned. “They’re coming.”
“Scan your wrist again!”
She did with her eyes still focused on the door.
“Access denied,” the mechanical voice said.
“Dammit!” Archer banged on the panel.
Sloan whipped her head around. “What’s wrong?”
“The system’s in red alert. Total lockdown. I don’t have the authority to grant access to this hall.”
The sounds of claws on metal sent goose bumps down her spine. “Can I cross the doorway with you?”
Archer ran his hands through his hair. “The damn thing in the wrist. It sends out some kind of signal through your body.”
“Then you have to go. Find the code.” She scanned the hall. “I’ll find somewhere to hide.”
“Fuck that!” Archer slammed his hand against the doorframe. “There’s no hiding from those things—especially a horde of them.”
“I can handle myself,” she lied. “I’ve done it before.”
The elevator door groaned and inched open. A dozen bloody, oozing hands squeezed through, grasping at the air in front of them. How did they get in? Through the elevator’s roof?
Archer stepped across the archway. “Not against that many.”
“Lee.” She’d rarely called him by his first name. “You have to save them. There’s no point in both of us dying.”
“I can’t save them by myself,” he gritted through his teeth. “And I’m not leaving you here to be eaten alive or turned into one those monsters.”
She shoved him away. “Don’t put all their lives above mine. Don’t put that on me. You’ll find a way to get the code without me.”
The gap widened. One of the monsters stuck his head through and growled.
Fear coursed through her like she’d never known. Russo’s death once again revealed itself. She didn’t want to die like that. “Kill me.”
Archer took a step back. “Excuse me?”
“I can’t get through the doors and those things are coming.”
“Sloan, I can stop them.”
She shook her head. “No. You can’t waste your bullets. God only knows what will be waiting for you. Kill me and go.” A sob choked her words. “I don’t want to suffer.”
Archer thrust his pocket knife into her hand. “You wanna die, do it yourself.”
Her mind spun. “Archer, could you get me through the door without the tracker?”
His eyes widened. “Maybe.”
Sloan didn’t hesitate. She jammed the knife into her left wrist and screamed. The monsters went wild, slamming their bodies against the partially opened door at the smell of blood and fear.
“Jesus!” He clawed at the knife, trying to free it from her skin. “I wasn’t serious!”
“I’ve almost got it!” she wailed, yanking her arm away, black spots dancing before her eyes. Hot blood spilled down her fingertips, splattering at her feet.
The elevator doors gave way and the monsters scrambled down the hall.
“Got it!” she yelled, popping the tracker out of her skin.
“Shit. Five seconds until you’re clear.”
“What?” Sloan screamed.
Archer wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close as the monsters gained ground. “Four…three…” They were feet away. Archer scanned his wrist. “Two.” The leader of the pack launched. “One.” Archer dove through the doorway and they fell to the ground with a sickening crunch.
The infected bounced off the invisible barrier but didn’t stop their pursuit. Over and over, they took turns clawing and barging into the indiscernible obstruction, never tiring, never giving up.
It took a moment for Sloan to register the monsters were not going to break through. She was disoriented. Exhausted. All she wanted to do was close her eyes. Just for a moment…
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“No, no, no, honey. No sleeping. We’re not in the clear yet.” He ripped away the bottom of his filthy shirt and wrapped it around her wrist. “What can I do?”
Sloan’s eyes fluttered open. “I’m okay.” Her face was unbelievably pale. From the blood loss or fear, Archer wasn’t sure.
“You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
She struggled to sit, wobbling in his arms. He noticed how she refused to look at the archway, the infected still trying to tear their way through. “I was careful not to hit a major artery, though I still need to close the wound. And a tourniquet to stop the blood flow. There should be a first aid station in one of these rooms. There are several on every floor, right?”