Chapter 9

Cassie runs to her mother and embraces her. They both sob into each other, it's a beautiful sight. The room falls silent as they begin to release each other.

"I thought you were being taken to Charleston?" Cassie asks her mother, wiping her eyes.

"We were, your father created a distraction so I could escape and come back for you."

"Escape?" Cassie questions, "why would you try and escape if they were taking you somewhere safe?"

"We thought they were good people, Cassie, thought they were taking us so your father could research a cure, or at least a inoculation to save the rest of the population. We suggested that we wait for you to get home from school but they put a gun to your fathers head. I scribbled the note in the last second."

"Do you know why they tried to take you guys?"

"They're a group of mercenaries. Hired by a group of terrorists who created this virus." A collective gasp and mummers flow through out the room. "They had scientists working on this for the past three years. They needed your father because he was the best of the best. They're using him to destroy the world, they want the zombies to retain cognitive skills so they can command them."

"Like soldiers?" Someone from the room blurts out.

"Precisely." Says Cassie's mother.

"That's ridiculous! This is just some sickness that will eventually pass, you guys are nuts." The guy that was screaming about the alarm interjects.

"Some sickness?" I say, getting pissed. "I had to put down two of the best men that I've ever known." I walk up and grab him by the shirt collar and push him against the wall. "This isn't just 'some sickness' it's fucking killing innocent people and taking control of their bodies."

     He whimpers, shaking in his skin. "You make me sick, get the fuck out of my face." I throw him to the side, he stumbles a few feet then walks and sits down on a flight of stairs.

     Cassie walks to a corner with her mother and I walk over to Dale.

     "What happened man, I thought you died on the radio." I ask.

     He motions for me to take a seat next to him. "Yeah, Danny was freaking out. He tore the grate that separates the officers from the suspects right out of the frame. He grabbed me by the neck and tried biting me, that when I fired the shot, it missed and went through the roof. He pulled me closer but I managed to pull away and he chewed my radio to pieces. That's why I didn't respond."

     "Danny was a good kid. He didn't deserve to go out like that." I say, with remorse in my voice.

     Dale looks to the ground. "I know man, I know."

     "And this place, how did you get here?" I ask, motioning to the building.

     "Once I put Danny down I ran to the nearest office building. That's where I found most of these guys." He points to them, "We stayed in that building over night, but we had to move eventually, the undead had grown in numbers. We lost a lot of people, we walked for about a day and a half, not even stopping to sleep. We were afraid we'd be killed in the night. We stumbled onto this place. The gate was unchained when we got here but the power was off. James over there decided to mess with the fuses and he got it back on, but the alarm was going off for about an hour. Hence all the undead outside."

"We have to do something about them, if too many more join their ranks that fence is coming down."

"I know," he says, scratching his forehead. "But we don't have the bullets, nor the man power to take them all down."

"Then maybe it's time for us to leave?" I ask.

"We can't leave, these people don't know how to survive out there, Jack. They just don't. I can't just leave them here either." He looks at me, I know there's no changing his mind.

"You always were a stubborn ass." I say, he smiles. "Have you checked any of the other hangers, maybe there's something in one of them we can use."

     "I did a quick sweep of the first one, there was an abandoned crop duster but that was it."

      "Well, lets check the last one." He nods and straps his AR over his back. He walks to the center of the hanger.

     "Everybody listen up! Me and my friend, Jack, here are going to search the hanger next door. We have to do something about our flesh hunger visitors outside."

     While Dale is explaining the situation Cassie comes up to me. "Can I come with you, Jack?" She asks.

     "I don't know if that's the best idea, Cass. Dale said these people don't know how to defend themselves." She looks at the ground, upset. "I promise you, if I wasn't worried about the well-being of these people, you'd be the first person I'd go to for help." She looks at me and smiles.

     "Maybe when you get back I can introduce you to my mom?" She asks, nervously.

     "Yeah, I'd love too." She smiles and goes back to her mother.

     Dale finishes his speech and looks at me. "You ready?"

     "Yeah, I'm..." in the very corner of the hanger a girl catches my eye. The first girl to ever catch my eye since I met Lauren. She's helping a guy with a cut on his leg. She has brunette hair cut just at her shoulders. She stands and turns around and see's me looking, she has toned skin and blue eyes. She smiles and waves. I wave back.

    "Hey, Jack, Jesus Christ, man. Snap back into reality." Dale snaps in my face.

     "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm ready, let's go." He leads to the door. I look back to see if the woman is still there but she isn't. I walk outside into the night with Dale.

    "What happened to you back there man? You kind of just dozed off."

     "Who's that girl?" He looks at me confused.

     "What girl?"

     "Brunette hair, tanned skin, blue eyes." I describe her.

     "Oh, that's Alyx. Alyx Vendetta. Wait a second, you aren't getting a crush are you now, Jackie boy?" He says with a stupid grin on his face.

     "Shut the fuck up, Dale." I say, the night hiding my blushing cheeks. The moans from the undead sound like a horribly odd tune orchestra. The cacophony almost deafening.

     We reach the doors for the third, and largest hanger. We each grab a handle on opposite doors and pull them apart. Inside is a huge dump truck. The left wall is lined with multiple tool boxes and various tools hang from the wall.

     "Dammit!" Dale yells out in exasperation.

     "Don't lose hope now, man. There could be something useful hiding in here." I walk in and check behind the truck. Nothing of use, just a few power tools. There's a flight of stairs leading up to an office and an deck over looking the hanger. I make my way up the stairs, Dale bringing up the rear.

     "Jack, earlier you said you had to put down two of your friends. The only one I can think of is Cole, what happened?" He asks, his voice sounds like he already knows what has happened.

     "Chief didn't make it. He was scratched on his arm and by the time I had made it to his house he had turned." I say.

     "Damn, chief. I hope your tearing shit up in the after life, old man. I'll see you on the other side, old friend." Silence ensues.

     I open the door to the office. An old desktop computer sits, the monitor still showing the screen saver. It's of an old man and young kid playing with a German Shepard.

     "This world really has gone to shit." I say, with a sigh. "I mean, the strongest nation on the planet had been taken down by a terrorist group."

     "Well, if we get Cassie's dad, maybe we can save the world, or at least put up a good fight." Dale responds, trying to bring the mood up.

     "Then that's what we'll have to do, in sure you'll be coming along, right?" I ask, looking back at him.

    "I don't know, Jack, like I said earlier, I feel like I'm obligated to protect these people." He looks out of the window of the office. "They wouldn't last a day without me."

     "I hate it, man, but I do understand." I say, with a smile. Something catches my eye outside the window, "Look at that. That's something we can use." I point to three gas canisters, the big metal ones.

     "You think blowing them up is going to work?" Dale asks.

     "It's the only thing we've got at this point," I explain.

     "I guess you're right, I'll go look for a dolly to get them down the stairs.

     While Dale is downstairs looking for the dolly I pick the canisters -and they were heavy as fuck- and move them to the edge of the stairs.

     Dale brings the dolly upstairs and one by one we gently roll the canisters down the stairs and outside of the hanger.

"Go tell the other survivors to get ready, I'll roll these to the gate." Dale nods and he jogs to the occupied hanger.

As I near the gate with the first canister the zombies go wild. They scream and screech, they swat at the gate and pull it, the weird four legged creatures jump into the gate, attempting to make it over but the gate is too high. I leave the first canister in the middle of the two gates.

As I'm retrieving the second canister Dale comes back out with Cassie. "Sorry, Jack, she threatened to kick my ass if I didn't let her come." He says with a smile.

"I'd pay money to see that," I say with a chuckle. Cassie smiles and adjusts the shotgun. "That shotgun sure has grown on you, hasn't it?" I ask, nodding to the gun.

"Yeah, I'd say so," she says, looking down at the gun.

"Did you load it before you came out?" I asked

"Of course, what do you think?" She says, with a bit of attitude.

"No need to be hostile, just can't have my friend getting hurt." I say, loading the second canister onto the dolly. "Did you bring extra shells in case things get hairy out here?" She digs in her pants pocket and produces a plethora of shotgun shells. "Good." I say as I begin wheeling the canister to the gate.

The walk there and back to the hanger was silent. As we were loading the last canister the grinding of metal upon metal splits the air. We all look up in unison. The gate is being forced open by the weight, the chain has too much stress on it.

"Hurry and roll that last canister on here." Cassie and Dale move it as fast as they can. The opening in the gate getting wider.

"Got it, go!" Dale yells. I run as fast as I can with the dolly and canister being extra careful not to drop it. Zombies begin to force themselves through the opening of the gates, their skin being torn from their bodies. The gap isn't wide enough for them to fit through but they continue to push each other through.

Dale and Cassie open up fire to clear the way. Zombies drop left and right. The left wheel on the dolly begins to squeak and squeal. The dolly begins to shake in my hands. Fuck. The wheel begins to come loose. I'm about 20 feet from the gate. Faster, I say to myself. I pump my legs faster and cover another ten feet. The wheel careens off to the left and the dolly falls to the left. I let it go and the canister hits the ground with a crash and begins to roll towards the gate.

Zombies are beginning to pour through the gap now. I unholster my

.45 and aim down the sights for the nearest zombie. Click. I pull the slide and aim again. Click. I forgot to load the gun. Well, Fuck. The canister stops as it hits the gate.

"Jack, get the fuck out of there!" Dale yells over the zombies. I turn around and sprint at full speed.

"Shoot the canisters!" I scream. Dale lined up the shot. As soon as he pulls the trigger a blast of intense heat smashes into my back followed by a shockwave that sends me flying towards Cassie and Dale.

I hit the ground and roll to reduce the impact. I roll onto my knees just behind Cassie and Dale.

The explosion tore the gate from the ground. Pieces of the undead rain down from the sky. Some lay incinerated and some walk still continue to walk towards us. Although, it's only around two or three dozen it's still enough to kill us in seconds.

     "Jack, heads up!" He tosses me his 9mm along with two extra clips. The zombies shamble towards us. That's weird, they normally sprint at the sight of flesh. I think to myself as I pull the slide back on the pistol and aim down the sights.

     "Open fire!" I scream out and bullets fly through the air. The crackle of gun fire making my ears ring. The smoke and sulfur stinging my eyes. The zombies bodies rock as their riddled with bullet holds. My gun clicks empty, I unload the clip and slide a new one in and pull the slide within seconds. Years of training removed all the kinks in that.

     I begin firing again. Heads pop and burst as bullets tear through them. Smoke from the fire and our guns beginning to fill the air, constricting the oxygen. Only few zombies remain. Dale swings the clip from his AR and slides another one in. Cassie fires her last round and begins filling the shotgun. Three more zombies, I fire and send a bullet through ones head, by that time Dale has his gun loaded and takes out the last two.

     The smell of burnt hair and sizzling flesh begin to fill the air. "Let's get that truck and block off this hole," I tell Dale as we walk back to the hangers.

     "Good idea. Oh, and Cassie, damn you're a good shot with that twelve gauge." She smiles and says thank you.

     Cassie and I walk back to the hanger, Dale continues to get the truck. As we open the door to the hanger the people inside cheer and thank us. Alyx looks at me and I smile, she smiles back. Cassie's mom comes over, "You must be this Jack Stanley I've heard all about."

     "That would be me, Mrs...?" I say, leaving out the name as to question what it is.

    "Goodman, Cassandra Goodman." She says, shaking my hand.

"Well, its very nice to meet you Mrs. Goodman." She smiles.

"Thank you, Jack for keeping my daughter safe. I don't know what I would do without her."

"Oh, you must be confused, she's saved me more times that I have her now. We're three and two." Her mother smiles and yawns.

"Well, I think it's time I get some rest, I haven't slept since this damned outbreak started." She says it was nice to meet me again and she walks back to the area she was before.

Cassie looks at me. She doesn't say anything at first. Then she hugs me, and says thank you. I hug her back. After that she walks off to join her mother.

I spot Alyx in the corner of the hanger and I walk over to her.

"I'm, Jack, by the way." She turns around and looks me up and down.

"I know who you are, the word has spread since you got here." Her voice sounding like the breeze on the nicest of summer days. Quiet, but stern. Sexy.

"And you are?" I ask, already knowing her name.

"I'm Alyx." She says with a grin beginning to form at the corner of her mouth.

"A beautiful name to match a beautiful girl," I compliment. She blushes and tries to hide it, but I can tell.

"If you don't mind, Jack, I think I'm ready for bed." She says, playing hard to get. Fuck, she's sexy. I thought to myself.

"Okay, goodnight, Alyx." She says goodnight back. I turn around and look for my own place to lay my head. The door to the hanger slides open and I go to meet Dale. He walks around the corner with his hands behind his head and a busted lip and bloody nose.

     Fuck.