Bobby rushed back to the axe embedded in the head of one of his victims. He pried it out with a sickening squelch, as it broke free of the brain tissue. It was grim work, but he was far more concerned with surviving than anything else. He looked back to see the last one make the jump, and it was just the two of them now.
“Go, Kurt, make the jump!”
He didn’t need to be told twice as he was desperate to get out of there. He sprinted to the edge and jumped. Despite his tired body he covered a huge amount of distance, as Lisa had done.
Two Crazies were running for Bobby, and he could hear more heading his way. He looked to his bloody axe and remembered losing it in the skull of one of them. He flipped it about. It had a flat steel back, and he swung it with a powerful horizontal blow at the first. The hefty blade caved in its skull, taking it legs out from under it. He stopped the swing of his axe just in time as the other one came for him. He thrust it forward and smashed it into its face, knocking it back.
“Come on!” Kurt yelled from the other side as two more Crazies took the bend to join the stunned one.
Bobby knew this was probably his only chance. He put all of his strength into his legs and sprinted away, jumping as he reached the edge. He then crashed down into a roll on the far side, coming to a stop on one knee. He was holding his axe at the ready, as if expecting the Crazies to follow him over.
Indeed, they did come over the edge after him without hesitation, but didn’t seem to make any jump at all. They just ran over the edge and crashed into the walls below them, smashing down into the street. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but a group of them soon gathered on the roof where he had made the jump. They hissed and growled angrily, looking at the large jump and the bodies below. They finally turned away as if abandoning the hunt to look for easier prey as they scurried away.
“Jeez that was close,” said Kurt.
“Damn right it was.” Bobby caught a breath, but soon thought of their safety.
“What is this building? How safe are we up here?”
“It’s a furniture shop with offices above. They shuttered up during the lockdown. Nobody is getting in,” replied Adam.
“You’re sure?”
“Damn right, I am. They had some windows broken a few years back and really went all out on security.”
“Alarms?”
“Pretty sure they’re off. They kept going off, and they got sick of having to come out and stop ‘em, back when we could still go out, that is.”
“Well, at least that’s good.” He took a deep breath and relaxed, although the crying pain of the one who’d landed awkwardly soon broke his peace. He went to him, to see his jeans were soaked in blood. Bobby looked up to Kurt with concern, and they both knew how dangerous the situation was.
“What’s your name?” Bobby asked.
“Matt.”
“Okay, Matt, I’m gonna have to try and fix this.”
“What?”
“I’m no doctor, but I’m a Marine, and I was trained to deal with this in the field.”
“But…” he began.
“But nothing. We either get you fixed, or you die here.”
“Bobby,” said Roger, shocked at his bluntness.
“He’s got to hear it, and you’ve all got to understand it. Everyone has to be able to fight and run, and if you can’t do either of those things, you’re finished.”
Roger was horrified but didn’t say any more. He was already cooling down and could feel the chill of the January Scottish weather. They were fortunate it was a mild winter, but it was still far cooler than any of them were prepared for.
“Okay, this is the deal. Let’s get inside, find some shelter, and look for a med kit.”
Bobby helped Matt up, and Kurt took his other side. They hobbled over to door that would give them access and were relieved to see it was in good shape. The roof clearly had regular access. He let Matt lean on Kurt before taking his axe to the lock of the door, and in no time, it was burst open. He pushed open the door and looked down with suspicion, as if expecting trouble.
“The building’s empty,” Adam insisted.
“As far as you know. I’ll take intel for what it is. Insight, not fact,” Bobby replied sternly, “Help him,” he added, pointing for Adam to help with the wounded man. Bobby held his axe in both hands and took the first few steps inside. The lights were all off, and as they descended further it got darker and darker.
“A flashlight sure would be nice right about now,” he muttered to himself.
He was painfully aware how ill prepared they were for the situation. It was worse than anything he had ever been through, and he could only imagine what that must feel like for the rest of them who’d not witnessed combat before all of this madness began. He soon reached another door and was relieved to find no lock on it. He peered out through the glass window suspiciously, looking for any sign of trouble, but hoping not to find any.
“It looks clear out there, but we go slow and quiet, and we stick together. Roger, help Adam. Kurt I want you to bring up the rear. Keep an eye out behind us, and make sure we know at the first sign of trouble, you hear?”
“Sure.”
Bobby knew almost nothing about the man, other than he could handle himself in a fight and could be depended upon, and those were the most valuable characteristics in the world right now. Bobby tried to calm his breathing as he led the way forward. It was a terrifying situation. He could never deny that fact and just tried to go on as best he could. The building smelt remarkably fresh and normal, unlike the bleach-soaked accommodation they’d been living in for weeks, but there was also plenty of dust, and that was a good sign, too.
“It doesn’t look like anyone has been here for a while,” he whispered.
“Like I said,” replied Adam.
“I wanted you to be right as well, but I also like to know for certain.”
“Who the hell would come into offices during the lockdown?”
“I would have, if I’d been allowed,” replied Roger.
“What? Why?” Adam asked.
“Because it’s what I’ve always done. I’ve been going stir crazy locked up in that hotel. I’d have taken the opportunity to go to work if I’d had it.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Maybe, but isolation does weird things to all of us,” replied Bobby.
The corridor soon opened up to an open plan office space. The blinds all around were open, and they could see the full length of the room. It allowed them to relax a little, but there were still many areas they could not see. Bobby progressed cautiously, checking every desk and corner until he reached the far.
“It looks okay. Looks like we’re good.”
“What do we do now?”
“First thing is to get him patched up. Kurt, I want you on this door to keep lookout. We don’t know if anyone else is in the building. Roger, you scout out the whole floor, and take Wallace with you. Check for any other entrances in, get back here, and report your findings ASAP.”
“Right,” Roger replied wearily.
“Here, take this.” Bobby passed him the axe that he’d watched him use with such success and proficiency, “No need to be a hero. Just scout around, and only use it if you have to.”
Roger took it and smiled as if he’d felt a surge of strength and confidence flow through his body.
“Yeah, let’s do this,” he said in a gung-ho manner. He looked to Wallace, and they rushed off together.
Chapter 3
“Lisa.” She was so stunned by it all she didn’t even notice Bobby call her name.
“Lisa!”
She finally snapped out of it.
“What?”
“I need you to find a first aid kit. There has to be one around here somewhere.”
“Come on, I’ll help,” said the only other woman with them.
Lisa nodded in agreement.
“I’m Toni,” said the shorthaired, slight woman.
“Lisa.�
�
“I know.”
“Come on, get him up on the desk.” Bobby cleared a space, and Matt was laid out across it, still wincing in pain. Bobby ripped open the fabric around his ankle, and he cried out further.
“Sorry, but we’ve got to do this.”
“I know, I know.”
“Ooh, that’s not good.” Adam could see bone protruding from the flesh.
“What is it?” Matt got up to look at it, but Bobby pushed him back down flat on his back.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re gonna put this right.”
“I want to see it.” Matt was insistent and sat up. He looked at it quite calmly.
“Well, shit. That’s doesn’t look good.”
“I’m going to have to put that back in, you get that, right?”
“It’s bad, isn’t it?”
“It’s not great, but we need to get it re-set, cleaned, and wrapped up as quickly as can be. We’ve got to stop it getting infected, but most importantly, get you back on your feet.”
“Can you do it?”
“Sure.”
“You done it before?”
“No, but I know what I have to do.”
Matt sighed as he rested back down, accepting his fate. Bobby continued to study the wound. It wasn’t long before the two women returned with a first aid kit and opened it up on the table beside him.
“Will this work?” Toni asked.
“It’ll have to.” He rifled through it and went back to Matt.
“I can patch this up, but we’ve got nothing serious to kill the pain. Paracetamol is about it. It’s better than nothing, but it won’t come close to taking the edge of what I have to do.”
“Just do what you have to.”
Bobby nodded in agreement. He passed him some pills, and Toni got some water from a nearby cooler.
“I’m not gonna lie. This is really gonna suck.”
“Why couldn’t I just make the landing right?”
“We all screw up. It’s not like you’d had a lot of practice.”
“And yet everyone else managed it fine?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” replied Toni.
“Yeah, we were all flying by the seat of our pants. It could have been any one of us in your shoes,” added Lisa sympathetically.
“All right, I’m gonna go wash my hands. I’ll be back soon,” replied Bobby.
“That way,” said Toni.
He followed her direction and found a small kitchen and went about thoroughly washing his hands. Though as he looked down, he realised how much blood was splattered over his shirt.
“We’re all good,” said Roger as he stepped inside and Wallace waited at the door.
“That’s it? Just one door down?”
“That, and two elevators.”
“Shut them down.”
“What?” Wallace asked from the doorway.
“Those are ways in, the same as the stairs.”
“You think those Crazy things can operate an elevator?”
“I don’t know what they’re capable of, but I do know they’re dangerous. Let’s not assume anything, and just make sure we’re safe. Call them up, and then pull the emergency stops on them both. Then they aren’t any risk at all.”
Wallace looked sceptical and annoyed at having to do more work, but the older businessman soon stepped up.
“All right, will do,” replied Roger.
Adam stepped into the room as they left. “You really think you can do this?”
“I don’t have much of a choice. Either I can do it, or he dies.”
“Those are the only options?”
“Yes, they are. Adam, how much food do you think we’ll find in this building?”
He looked around the remarkably clean and empty kitchen.
“Not a lot.”
“Yeah, we’ve got water, but we can’t stay locked up in here for more than a few days.”
“We could send some people out to find food. There’s no reason all of us have to leave.”
“Maybe, but either way, we need everyone on their feet, and if we don’t get that wound sealed up, he’s gonna have bigger problems on his hands. There’s no choice. It’s not like we can find a doctor, is there?”
“All right, all right, I get it. It’s just crazy, all of this.”
“That it is, like something out of a goddamn horror movie. I didn’t think things could get a lot worse than they already were, but here we are.”
“I just keep thinking I am going to wake up from this nightmare.”
Bobby sighed. “Yep, we all do. Trust me, I’ve been there before.”
“And you got through it?”
“Sure did, but this is a whole different kind of animal.”
“You think it’s like this all over?”
“Probably. Whatever this is, it spreads fast and affects a lot of people.”
“But not us?”
“No, if any of us were gonna turn, we’d have seen it by now. Hell, we’ve seen enough of it already.”
“So, what, we’re immune?”
“I guess so.”
“But why?”
“I don’t think anyone can answer the why. Some people are immune to things, others aren’t. It’s in our DNA.”
“So, we’re the lucky ones?”
“If you can call it that. We’re the ones that have to live through this shit storm,” he replied cynically, sounding as if he’d rather have died.
“You wanted to become one of them?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
“What? Why?”
“Not a lot to live for, I guess,” he replied with sadness.
“No family?”
“Not anymore…look, have a dig around this kitchen and anywhere else that might have some food. Gather anything you can, but stay on this floor for now. We’re gonna have to stay here at least a little while to let Matt recover and let things settle down, see if anything changes.”
Adam looked sympathetic and could tell he didn’t want to talk about his life, and so he went with it. “Hunker down, I like it.”
“For now, yes, it’s the best thing we can do. It’s insane out there. Let’s catch a breath and give this some thought.” He flicked the water from his hands and went back to Matt who looked remarkably calm, but also a little pale.
“There’s no point in beating about the bush here. I’m gonna get right to it. Quicker we can get that bone reset, the easier all this becomes. Are you ready?”
Matt nodded.
“A bottle of whiskey sure wouldn’t go amiss right now.” Bobby looked at the wound once more in a daunting fashion.
Adam began to rifle through drawers.
“What are you doing? You’re not gonna find food in there,” said Bobby.
“That’s not what I’m looking for.”
He stepped into a manager’s office and searched the desk. He returned with a half bottle of Jameson’s.
“My man.” Bobby took the bottle from him.
“You think it’s a good idea to thin his blood with that?” Toni was looking at the bloody wound.
“He’s not losing a lot of blood, and this is gonna hurt like a motherfucker.”
He handed it to Matt.
“I’m more a vodka and coke kind of guy,” said Matt.
“Yeah, well suck it up. It’s not to enjoy, just to numb the pain.”
Matt took a sip, and his face scrunched up in disgust at the flavour. He coughed from how harsh it was.
“Jesus, do people really drink this stuff?”
“Get it down you,” replied Bobby unsympathetically.
He forced it down and drank half of it, coughing and spluttering. He handed it back to Bobby.
“You’ll be glad of this, trust me.” Bobby then knocked back the bottle, downing several glasses worth.
“Hey, that’s not a good idea,” protested Toni.
“Trust me, it is for the best. I need a steady hand and a calm head. This is
n’t brain surgery. It just needs a calm and collected approach.”
He tossed the bottle back to Adam, nodding in appreciation.
“I heard what you said about your family. You really have no one left?” Lisa asked.
“Yeah, that’s about it,” he replied with sadness.
“What happened?”
He shrugged it off and looked back to his patient.
“You ready for this?”
Matt nodded in approval.
“All right, let’s do this.”
He put his hands on the wound. Matt winced, and Bobby realised he should have washed his hands again since handling the bottle, but it was too late now. He got a good vice-like grip and snapped the bone back into place. Matt cried out in excruciating pain, but it soon faded as he panted hard and took in deep breaths.
“Give me that.”
Matt snatched the bottle from Adam’s hands. He necked what was left and dropped the bottle.
“Shit that hurt,” he said, breathing heavily.
“We’re through the worst of it. I’ve just got to sew up this wound. We’ll splint it, and you’re good to go.”
“Go where?”
“For now, nowhere. We’ll hold up here, get a handle on things, and let you recover as best we can.”
“Won’t it take weeks?”
“To fully heal, yeah, but this is war, and we have to make do as best we can.”
“War? You think this is what this is?”
“No, Adam, but it’s like one. Stuck in enemy territory and having to rely on those around you, this is as bad as it gets.”
“You’ve been through that?”
“Yeah. The difference was I knew there were people out there still trying to help, and there was refuge on the other side of things.”
“Maybe it’s not like this everywhere?” Toni asked.
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I guess I don’t want to assume the worst.”
“Whatever it is, it’s airborne. If there are places that aren’t affected, they soon will be.”
“So, what is this, a weapon?” Adam asked as Bobby began to thread a needle.
The Armageddon Series | Book 2 | Pandemic, Part 2 Page 2