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-Halomanjohnsen

Sacrifices and Survival



The colt .45 1911 barked and the last one fell. They used to be his friends, all seven of them. But, now they were all dead. Dead, and reanimated, and were now dead again. He reloaded numbly as a single tear run down his cheek. He had to move, get away from this place. Not just because of his friends, but because of the noise the fight made more Ghouls could be right around the corner…..
His nightmare had just started…….

Chapter 1 Welcome to Hell
10:57 p.m.

He stumbled through darkness as he heard them shuffling around behind him. He knew he wouldn’t last long if he stayed outside. He wasn’t thinking straight grief and despair tried to pull him down, like so many ghouls. He had to find somewhere to stay. His training finally kicked in and he was aware of everything around him: ghouls all around and behind, he was running down an alley, homes all around him. Screams and shots in the night. There! A small store. The door was unlocked as he tried the handle that lock clicked smoothly, as he slid it into place. As he searched the store for people or creatures, he realized this was the smartest thing he had done all night. Aside from putting, what used to be his friend down. The store appeared to be some sort of pawn shop, but more importantly it was secure. He went behind the counter and saw that someone had already stolen the guns. He locked the door. To the back room, and front entrance. He then sat behind the counter. Sleep wrapped him in its dark embrace in second.

7:45 a.m.

His name was William Torno, but his friend, his squad, know him by maggot, due to his obsession with the metal band Slipknot. They were all dead, so now no one knew his nickname, or his really name for that matter. His family was dead, his friends were dead. Pretty much everyone he ever knew was dead, but he was still alive. That’s all that mattered. He awoke with a start there was some pounding from the back door. He checked his gun and realized the slide was locked back. He grasped a new clip ad reloaded. The pounding on the back door intensified as Torno stood. He approached the door and a small sign on the door said, “Private”. “Not that that matters now”. He thought to himself. He jerked the door open and put the Colt right to the ghoul’s head, between the eyes.
“Sorry mate, but if you were still alive, you’d thank me.” Torno said as he smiled and pulled the trigger. There were stairs behind the private door, so naturally he started up them. It looked like the owners place, but it didn’t look like he was getting up soon, so what did it matter? He climbed the stairs, two at a time, and reached the top in seconds. Seeing there was no threat he started going room to room. When he reached the bathroom he noticed the blood and the bloody towels, stared for a few seconds…. And continued on to the next room. The owner had a bottle of whisky and a shot glass on is nightstand next were boarded up, and almost everyone had the monster trying to knock their doors down. There was a crash from the first floor, and the undead started to flood in. Remembering he closed the private door, Torno ran to the kitchen and wheeled the dishwasher over to the stairs, and kicked it down. It hit the door with a crash and shook the hinges.
The ghouls started pounding on the door as Torno returned to the kitchen, and grabbed several knifes. He went to the bedroom, put the bottle of whiskey in his pack, grabbed sheets off the bed, and ran back to the window. The door started to crack as he tied the sheets together. He ties them to the bedpost and around hit waist. The door caved in as Torno dived through the window. The around came up fast and he hit the end of the sheets, heard the bed post snap and fell to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. A UH-60 helicopter screamed overhead, its gatling gun roared at some unseen threat. He stood, struggling to breathe, as the Remington coughed another round into the skull of a ghoul. A pick-up truck barreled around the corner, swirling erratically. It struck another car, flipped, and burst into flames. Its momentum carried it into a home and clipped the gas line. The whole place became a flaming inferno as Torno regained his breath.
“FUCK”, the sniper screamed as the house next to his caught fire. He disappeared inside as the flames licked at hi neighbors house. He emerged as quickly as he departed, and tossed a rope ladder down the side of his two story home. The flames lept to his house and caught as he slid down the ladder.
Torno was standing by the ladder as the man reached the bottom, his Remington slung across his back.
“Follow me”, Torno said. He turned to go through the back yard as something lunged at his from the bushes.

Chapter 2 New friends

4:50 a.m.

A large dog, what looked like a German Shepard mixed with a massive bear, jumped from behind the bushes and tackled him, Torno knew he was dead as the dog lowers its muzzled to tear his throat out, and licked his face.
“What the hell?” Torno exclaimed as he rolled the dog off him and stood.

“We can discuss your, miraculous survival later!” The man yelled as he pointed to the street. Torno Turned and saw a group of shambling corpse stumble towards the three. He turned and ran into the back yard, and Torno took one glance backwards and ran after him. The dog followed right behind him as though he was trained to do so. They ran through yards, jumped fences, and found them selves in the parking lot of a very large Supermarket.
“Finally!’ the man exclaimed as he sprinted towards the entrance."
“Wait, we need to see if there are still zombies inside” Torno Said
“Its ok, I’ve been here before. Right when we got in, follow me. Ill get us to the managers office where we can rest.” The man said.
Torno nodded and looked through the glass doors. A single bloody hand pried greeted them as they pried the first set of doors open. They peered through the second set, and didn’t see any zombies. They pried the doors open and the man sprinted towards the right side of the store. Torno followed and entered the office, let the do in then shut, and locked it.

11:20 a.m.

His name was Richard Green. He worked for an office complex in t he down town area of the city. He was 32 and deer hunted regularly. The dogs name was Dinky. He was 3 yrs old. He was mixed between a German Shepard, mastiff, Saint Bernard, and Siberian husky. Dinky collar said he lived at 125 south 11th street. In the hour and a half that they sat in the office they got to know each other pretty well. Torno was part of a Special Forces team, code named midnight. He was deployed in this city when the out break reached class 3, and the police could no longer handle it. He was supposed to eliminate every one infected, until something went wrong. His team was sweeping a deparment store, when a shelf fell on him, a hoard right behind it. They massacred his squad. He woke up right as they reanimated. He had the door open, and peered through. Even though it was only 11:30 it was still dark inside the store. There was no movement or noise. He opened the door and swept the area with the Colt. Richard pulled a 9mm Beretta and watched his back. They moved slowly to make sure they missed nothing. The front doors were blocked. They were covered by shelves and debris.
“What the hell?” Richard asked
“I got a bad feeling about this,” Torno replied. Dinky growled as a crash sanded from the back of the store, followed by a long, drawn out wail. As they walked toward the back a loud thud echoed from the left end of the store.
“The back is blocked to” Richard said. Another wail echoed through the store.
“What is that?” Torno thought out loud. Yet another wail echoed from the aisle right next to them.
The shelf fell over, sending dog fold and toys flying. Man stood over the wreckage of the shelf. It screamed and threw itself at Torno, slamming him into the ground and beating him in the face with its’ fists. His last thought before he blacked out, was “Not again”. The thing jumped on Torno and started beating him into the ground. Richard took one look, and started to run. The thing lept off of Toeno’s prone form, and sprinted after Richard started to scream.
Torno awoke to a sharp scream that was cut off suddenly with a snap. He rolled on to his side and looked toward the noise. Richard was face down and the thing, a huge “7 foot” tall man with rippling muscled, was on top of him, sending blood flying. Torno stood and snapped his pistol up. He fired a single shot and it struck the creature in the back. It reared up and let loose a roar that shook the teeth in his mouth. It sprinted towards him faster than any human could move. Torno lowered his Colt, knowing there was no way he could kill it. It lifted him by his trout and was ready to impale him with its’ claws. Torno heard safety glass shatter and the creature looked towards the front of the store. Knowing what was coming; Torno kicked it in the throat and rolled away. A hail of gun file cut the things head to ribbons. It tottered backward, loading on the tipped over shelf, crushing the stuff on the ground.
A soldier in army fatigues stood at the front of the aisle, my smoking in his hand.
“You alright?” he asked
“Yeah,” Torno said looking back at Richard, “But he isn’t.”
“I can see that,” The soldier replied.
“I’ll take care of him.” Torno said as he stood, and started walking towards Richard’s unmoving form.
“Ok, be quick about it, I’ll be outside.” The soldier replied.
Torno approached Richard and he heard a gurgle come from him. Torno knelt next to him and saw he was still alive, his spine broken. Blood gushed from his throat.
“Don’t…..Don’t let me… be one of….. them.” Richard said gasping for breath.
“Its ok buddy, just sleep.”
“Thanks… man, I owe you.” Richard replied as he closed his eyes forever.
Torno took Richards berretta form his hand, and placed it under his chin.
“Sorry bro.” he said and pulled the rigger. Torno grabbed his pack, ammo, and his rifle. He headed to the front of the store and remembered, Dinky was missing!
“Dinky! Hey dog get over here! DINKY!” he shouted. He shrugged, he walking to the broken window, and out into the parking lot, where three soldiers stood waiting for him.
“You guys see a huge dog around here?” Torno asked. The soldiers eyes went wide and a tall, bald black man turned to a short, red headed, 19 year old kid. The same kid who saved him.
“You didn’t tell me he was a midnight!” the black man yelled at the kid.
“I’m sorry sir! It was dark! I could barley tell where the thing started and he ended!” he replied
“What’s it matter?” Torno asked the black man turned to face him.
“We have orders to bug out, and midnights are supposed to stay. Where’s your unit?” he said
“Dead,” Torno replied, “So I’m coming with you guys.”
The third soldier spoke up a woman with dark hair, “Same with our unit, and our 8x8 we got swarmed, like a hundred of’em.”
“Yeah, same here.” Torno replies.
“Who said you could come.” Asked the black man.
“I did” said a fourth man from the left. A tall, dark haired, man emerged from behind a car.
He offered his hand to Torno. “I’m captain Sev.”
Torno grasped it and shook “specialist Torno, thanks for the invited.”
“No problem, its always good to have a midnight covering our back. The guy who was giving you a hard time, that’s sergeant Rue. She’s private Puxly.
“Ok, that works, what the plan?”
“We head for the hills get outta Doge, and save many civilians as we can the way out.” Sev replied.
“Good, but I need something better than this,” as he held up the Colt.
“Ok, we have a mini-van around the corner, we came here for food. Lucky for you huh?” Relling replied.
Torno nodded and Sev said, “Ok Rell, you and Torno get some food. Its gonna be a rough road.”
“Yes, sir!” Rell shouted and ran to the store. Torno sprinted after him and met him by the broken window.
“Go in, get can food, get out.” Relling said as Torno approached.
“Easy, right?” he continued.
“Yeah, sure it is, make sure you got a full slip in that thing.” Torno replied. He turned and slumped through the window. He landed with the Colt drawn covering the aisles as Relling entered slowly. Relling looked at Torno with a confused look, and Torno shrugged.
“The faster you get in, the faster you can cover your team, find cover, scope out the area, and find enemies. Black ops school….. you learn a lot.”
Relling shrugged again, and shorted slowly across the front of the store, M4 at the ready. A shriek of metal brought their attention to the back of the store, where, unknowing to the soldiers and Torno, the undead had been trying to gain entrance via the back door. They swarmed through the back doors, moaning at the sight of the two.
“Come on!” Relling shouted as he ran forward, towards the canned food,
“You go for the cans, ill get the water!” Torno yelled a reply, already starting towards the water and soda section, which was conveniently located at the back of the store.
“Well, God Damn it!” Torno thought out loud. He took sight on the first few who came into view. They spotted him, and started towards him. Something was wrong. These ones weren’t shambling, not walking, not even jogging. These ones were sprinting.
“Runners!” Relling yelled and Torno heard the clatter of the M4 on full auto.
“Get in here! We need help!” Relling yelled, presumably into his com link. Torno heard gunfire erupt outside and knew that his easiest was out of this city, and this hell, was gone…..

Chapter 3 she’ll cut you down with a single thrust…

Relling hosed down the first one that came into view, not even one that came into view, not even bothering to aim for her head.
“Runners!” he screamed into his throat Mike at the same time.
“What?” sergeant Rue yelled back.
“Get in here! We need Help!”
“We’ll be there soo- Holy Shit!”
Sev abruptly yelled, and Relling could hear gun fire, over his com and from outside. A Colt barked from three aisles over, just as the M4’s bolt stuck he had been shooting. He reloaded as more poured around the corner, starting to sprint at the first sight of him. He fired in short bursts, regaining his composure.
“What’s going on? Can you make it inside? Captain!? Sarg!?” Relling asked, starting to lose it…
“Relax Relling, were back at the van. We had to fall back. We’re on our way, hold on!” Sev said. The Colt continued its song a constant thump that drowned out the slamming foot steps of the dead. The bolt locked back again the clip empty. He reloaded robotically training drilled into his head like an ice pick. He continued to fire, short bursts, upper body, it not in the head, in the check, knock ’em off there feet. He backed up slowly, now firing with one hand, knocking cans into the duffle bag he had. The Colt never stopped, it continued to fire. The thud of the 45 caliber rounds keeping Relling focused. He fired again and again, until the clip was empty, yet again. He reloaded, zipped up the bag and shot the closest one in the face. It dropped and he turned, walking right into a figure. It was Torno, holding two 24 packs of bottled water, the Colt still smoking in his right hand.
“Let’s go!” he said and started towards the front windows. Relling pounding, directly behind him.
“Keep going!” Torno shouted as he whipped around, aimed and fired. The pounding feet stopped and ere replaced with a meaty thwack. Torno continued to fire as more creatures emerged from different aisles. Its Relling reared the windows, three figures appeared.
“Bag!” Relling yelled and tossed the duffel. One of the figures caught it. The second did third had weapons, but they weren’t M4’s.
“Hey, thanks buddy.” Said the first figure, his voice a mystery to Relling. The second and third figures raised their weapons, a shot gun and a SMG some sorts.
“Thanks for all the guns and the car. Your buddies didn’t want to give’em up. So we had to get rid of’em.” The second opened his mouth and commented. The first and third laughed.
“What are you gonna do?” Relling asked. Obviously not getting the hint.
“Here I’ll help you out.” The third said, and racked the slide on his shotgun. He smiled and pulled it up to his shoulder, aimed at Rellings’ head.
“Why do you have to kill me? Just take our stuff and leave.” Relling started to lose it again. He snapped the M4 up, aimed at the second figure.
“You kill me”, Relling slowly pulled a grenade from his belt. “I’ll take you all with me.”
The three figures looked shocked, and the whispered in between themselves.
“What is he pulls the pin?”
“We can make it.”
“Don’t risk it.”
“What are we gonna do?”
“Cant we just shoot him?”
As they whispered in between themselves yet another figure dropped down behind them. A figure in black. A combat suit, with a gas mask, and red eyes. It stalked up behind the tire withdrew knife and got within grabbing distance of the three. It grabbed the third one by the throat and yanked its arm back, blood spurting from the mans throat.
The figure jumped at the first man, sending a punch towards his nose. It connected, and Relling hears bone snap, a second blade emerged from the figures gloved hand. The figure launched it at the second man, hitting him in the chest with a soft thwack. The figure returned its attention to the first than, who was on the ground screaming in pain. The figure lifted him, up and punched him again. A voice that resembles Torno’s came from where the figures mouth would be had it not been covered by the gas masks.
“Where are the soldiers?” It asked
“Who!?” The man asked, blood gushing from his nose.
“The others! What did you do to them?”
The figure asked again. The more Relling thought about it, this figure look exactly the same as the man standing slightly behind him. Relling turned, only to find Torno walking towards this new person.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about! Pleas! Don’t kill me!” he pleaded
“Like you killed those soldiers?” The figure asked the man whimpered softly and the figure set him down.
“Thank you! Thank-“ The figure grabbed his head and twisted with a snap, breaking his neck. Torno bent and retrieved the knife from the mans’ chest. He flipped it, holding the handle towards the other black clad figure.
“Here you go, nice throw.” Torno said.
“Thanks, vod’ika, always nice to see another familiar….face…” They both suddenly started laughing historically at something rolling couldn’t place. They both removed their masks at the same time. His face, grim and battle scared, yet at the same time, happy. Her face the same grim yet happy. The shook hands and replaced the masks.
“There will be time for interdiction later, now we need to find the van. Relling grab the food and water, you,” he points towards the other midnight” watch his back. I’ll go get the van.” Torno told them.
“Yes sir!” she replied, and lifted the two cases of water with one hand. “You heard him, get the food.”
“Oh, right sorry.” Relling said, still confused on who this new person was. He gathered the bag, and knew this day was going to be rough, not just because of the zombies... But because of all the new people he was meeting old friends he lost…..


Chapter 4 saying good bye

4:30

They found the other three, Sev, Rue, and Puxly, in the back of the van, a single bullet hole in each of their skulls. Relling, in essence, was the entire company, for all he knew, in a matter of the hours. It seemed that everyone was dying today. The best burial they could give the three was lining them up on the pavement, and burning them. It would keep the ghouls off them, and they didn’t have time to bury the dead.
The arsenal in the van wasn’t as large as Torno had happened. A few pistols, a shotgun and the three M4’s. Torno liberated the weapons and ammo from the three men near the store. The SMG turned out to be a MP5, with a suppressor attached. He also found another shotgun and two more pistols. In total: four M4’s an MP5, five pistols, two shotguns, Richards Remington rifle, and the Midnights Colts. Relling took an M4 and a pistol, Torno the MP5, his Colt, the rifle, and a shotgun. The other Midnight, whose name was “the girl,” took her Colt, a shotgun, am M4, and two more pistols, that left the weapons cache in the van down to: two M4’s and three pistols. The night was approaching fast as Torno walked to the other two, sitting near the van.
“We need to find some gas and a place to stay for the night.” This was the first time Relling had spoken sense burning his squad.
“Yeah, we do….” The girl replied, staring at the ground.
“So let’s get moving!” Torno exclaimed, visibly irritated that the two hadn’t moved. They loaded into the van, and Torno noticed two things: all of the runners were dressed in rave clothes, and the amount of gunshots had decreased exponentially from last night. This worried him as the drove off in no specific direction, seeing how as none of them were from the area. It turned out taking the van wasn’t such a good idea. It drew the undead from everywhere around it, most of the roads were blocked with wracked cars and debris. Corpses, the regular dead kind, were all over the place, all had no of very little, skull left. The three were forced to slow their pace to five mph, as the not run over anything that would and will pop the tires. After 30 minuets the expected happened, a wall of cars, impassible, unless on foot.
“So, what are we gonna do? Carry all the shit and leave the car, or find a way around?” The girl asked, watching the rear window for ghouls.
“I vote we leave the van. This bitch makes too much noise, and we don’t have much gad left anyway.” Relling responded
“Agreed, you two take the left over guns, and split the water between you. I’ll carry the food.” Torno told the two as he opened the side door, grabbing the duffel full of food. He jumped out the door, holding with securing the duffel around his neck and shoulder. A ghoul, in ‘Rave’ clothing rounded the corner, and started sprinting towards Torno. The silenced weapon made short work of it, a single round in the middle of its skull. The other two stepped out, strapped. Up with weapons, and ammo like a walking armory. Torno looked around, to the south was a large apartment building, the west a bridge, the north suburbs, the east a down town area.
“Well, where to?” Relling asked as much to himself as to the others.
“We need a place to go, night is almost on us, so let’s head for the apartment building.” Torno said. Starting to climb over the pile of cars. When Torno reached the top he paused, and slung the MP5.
“There are a lot of them over here, we may have to find another way.” He said us he un-slung the rifle, bringing it up to his eye. He started firing methodically, killing the closer ones first. The rifle clicked us Torno pulled the trigger a third time, empty. He opened the chamber and fed more rounds into the rifle. He fired again, finally getting the ghouls attention. They shambled towards the stacked care, each moaning softly in hunger.
“OH SHIT…. Guys you might wanna come up here and help me.” Torno told the other two, who were still on the ground, watching their backs.
“What? Why?” Relling asked.
“I got their attention, and there are happy to see me.” Torno replied, opening fire again. The two climbed to the top, and opened fire, slow and precise. Single shot to the head, dropping them with ease. The crowed thinned as more appeared behind them. Torno turned slinging the rifle and grabbing the MP5. He fired on the group behind the three.
“Ok its clear enough this way, let’s go!” Relling reported to Torno, knowing the situation was going from bad to worse. Being surrounded was NOT fun.
“Ok,” Torno said as he turned, and jumped off the stack of cars,” let’s get the Hell out of here.” The two jumped down behind him, easily taking the ten foot fall and running forward. They sprinted forwards, dropping ghouls that go to close, sometimes with a bullet and something with the butt of their guns, crushing their skulls. Torno stopped suddenly, the twp stopping behind him.
“That is a lot further then I had hopped.”
Torno said gesturing towards the building still to far away.
“Quick, that house!” the other midnight said, running towards a house. Relling and Torno sprinted to the house, Relling stopping in the yard and Torno continues to the door kicking it in. He was standing in a TV room, a ghoul feasting on a man sitting on the couch. The sound of the door flying across the room and hitting the opposite wall brought her from the corpse. He hit her in the nose, smashing it into fragment and sending them into her brain. She dropped to the ground as if Torno flipped her life switch. He moved to the couch, throwing the mostly eaten body off, and dragging it to the door. Relling had replaced the door in the frame and Torno slid the couch in front of it.
“Ok, we got to cover the windows; you two look for hammer and nails, a screw driver anything! I’ll go check the second floor.” Torno told them as he started towards the stairs. He went room to room, Colt drawn. He came to a child’s room, and a baby stared at him from a crib. Torno hesitated, and the baby snarled and lunged at him. He squeezed the trigger twice, and the baby disintegrated. It was literally blow apart by the heavy 45 Caliber slugs. Torno stood their in shock and disbelief. The plague hadn’t spared even children this young. The rest of the floor was clear. He returned to the first floor to find Relling and the other midnight breaking the dinning room table in half.
“What the hell are you guys doing?” Torno asked calmly, no longer affected by the child’s death.
“They didn’t have any extra wood in the garage, so we had to improvise.” The midnight responded. Torno noticed that the two windows that flanked the front door chunks of coffee table nailed over them.
“The rest of this floor is clear, just to tell you.” Relling picked one of the sides up, and dragged it over to a window.
“Last two.” The midnight told him as Relling drilled the table to the wall. Torno dragged the other half to the last window, and drilled it in.
“Ok now that were safe, I have an idea that might help us.” Torno told the two. He started up the stairs and the two followed him to a bedroom. He walked to a dresser and took out each drawer. He busted them into pieces as he asked the two a question,
“Are there any gas or flammables down there?”
“Uhm, yeah, I’ll go get some.” Relling told him, turned, and walked out of the room.
“What are you doing?” The girl asked.
“You’ll see, it might help us.” Torno told her, hearing, Relling come back up the steps already. He reentered the room, holding out a can of gas. Torno took it, and tossed the dresser pieces out the window. He dumped the gad on the pile of wood. He took a packet of matches from a belt pouch. He lit one, and put it back into the pocket, letting the whole thing light up. It fluttered to the ground, landing on the pile of wood, with a loud WHOOSH, it went up. He stood in front of the window, staring at the fire.
“Now we throw something that means a great deal to us into it. I’ll start, like this.” Torno explained and showed them. He help up a picture, a smiling woman and two children started out from it, and a Zippo lighter.
“The picture is my family; the Zippo was a present from my father, a graduation present, from black ops school.” He told them. His hands shook as he help the two items out. The lighter hit the wood and exploded with a small crack, the picture floated down, and burned fast. Tears ran down Torno’s unmasked face as he turned to the others.
“That all you have to do.” He told them, the midnight walked over to the window, and dropped the throwing knife into the fire.
“It was my blood-brother; he died last year, cancer.” She told them.
Relling moved to the window, took off his boonie hat and cigar from his pocket. He dropped both into the fire.
“The hat was the captains; he gave it to me before we were deployed. The cigar was my fathers, a present for me after high school. He said smoke it when it feels right”. Relling told them.
“Come on guys, let’s get some sleep.”

Chapter 5
Cause: more friends
Effect: more enemies
Cause: less people
Effect: more ghouls

7:45 a.m. some days later

The motorcycle bounced over something that could have been a human skull. The drive, Ned, turned to look back at Frank.
“Hold on buddy.” He yelled over the whine-thud-thud of the engine.
“Keep your eyes on the road!” Frank shouted back to him.
“What road!?” Ned cackled as the hit a bump and got some air. It was true, they weren’t on the road, they were driving through yards and across the sidewalk. A ghoul rounded an overturned car, and it moaned in hunger as the two drove closer.
“Bob!” Ned laughed and pointed to the ghoul. Frank pulled his gun, a Desert Eagle 50 cal, and put a bullet between its eyes, leaving a corpse, minus its head to hit the ground.
“You are twisted!” Frank started laughing too.
“Why do you got to try to name everyone we see?” Frank asked when he stopped laughing.
“Why not? It makes my job more fun!” Ned continued to laugh as he answered.
“Yeah but, it’s just twisted! These people were alive once! They had lives once, just like you and me!” Frank argued back. Ned stopped laughing.
“Yeah, but they’re dead now, why not have some fun? It’s not like they’ll tell you not to.” Ned responded Frank could literally hear the smile in his voice.
“You are really twisted, you know that?” Frank asked him.
“Yeah I know. That’s why I’m still alive!”
“Then why am I still alive?”
“Cause you’re with me, dumb ass! Hey! Look! Another one! Fred!” Ned explained gleefully. Frank pulled the Eagle out again, and put a round in its head, blowing it clean off.
“It’s easier to fire the Eagle one handed, then to aim with both hands and waste a lot of ammo.” Frank told him, reaching back to check the rifle, making sure it was there.
“Yeah, you got a point. And, besides you got a lot more ammo for the Eagle anyw- HOLD ON!”
The cycle hit a curb and bumped over it bouncing the two up and slamming them back down.
“WOOHOO!” Ned screamed as he gunned the throttle, and the bike hurdled over a child’s sandbox, spitting sand up behind it.
“Your gonna kill us!” Frank screams as he held on tightly to Ned.
“Yeah, but It’ll be fun!” He yelled back, laughing even harder.
“Oh look! Greg!” This time Ned pulled his gun, a .357 magnum, and put a round up through Greg’s nose and out the back of his head, pulling most of his brain and the back portion of his skull with it.
“Heh! Look at that! Bitch is dead!” Ned told Frank as the bike bumped over Greg’s phone and non-moving form.
“Woah, hey check this out.” Ned said as he slowed and stopped the bike. He pointed to a yard across the street. A group of children were clustered around something on the ground.
“Kids!?” What the hell are they doing out here?” Frank whispered to Ned, as he un-slung the Sig.
“I don’t know, but look closer. They seem to be quiet happy.” Ned told him. Upon further inspection Frank seen that their heads were bobbing up and down. They were undead, and feasting on something, or someone.
“DAMN IT ok, whatta ya wanna do?” Frank responded as he pulled the charging lever on the Sig, putting a round in the chamber.
“Well we could kill’em, we could just keep going, but I got a fun idea.” Ned told him as he held up a liquor bottle. He smiled and stuffed a rag into the neck of it.
“What ya got in there?” Frank asked him
“A mixture of things: motor oil, little gas, some booze. Things like that. Ned told him.
“Heh, ok, light the bitch up and throw’er.” Frank told him, smiling ear to ear the whole time. Ned lit it and tossed it. It sailed through the air and landed right where he intended it too, the middle of the pile. It exploded in a cloud of flame, liquid splashing over every one of the kids. They lit up like matches and stood slowly. Frank didn’t know if they could think, but if they could they were confused. At once, as if one noticed they all did, they turned towards the two, and shambled towards them. Frank levered the rifle and lined up a shot on the closet one.
“Wait! Let’em burn!” Ned told him smiling as one by one, they toppled over and the fire reached their brains.
“Ok, now what?” Frank asked. The last kid hit the ground with a meaty, slap, twitched once, and died.
“Now, we keep going, and see what we find.” Ned told him and pulled the throttle again, lurching them forward. Frank flipped the safety on an re-slung the Sig.
“What are we gonna find?”
“Well, that’s always a good sign.” Ned laughed as he once again hit the brake, and pointed. Following his finger, Frank seen what he was talking about.
A Field of corpses waited in front of the bike. The ones Frank could see were headless. At the for end of the street, ending in a cul-de-sac, a house stood there. IT looked like nature had taken a baseball bat to it. The house was horribly beat up, and it was merged with the one next to it. A catwalk ran between to two, and the connecting area on the ground was very shabby and put together very sloppily. A small shanty stood on top of the house, made of aluminum siding and plywood. The whip-crack of a sniper rifle sounded and a ghoul, who was wondering down the street, fall to the ground, headless. Ned started moving the cycle forward slowly. He waved his left arm and his right was still on the accelerator.
“Hey! Hey, over here! Don’t shoot! Hey!” Ned shouted, still waving his arm. There was a crackling noise and a screeching noise.
“Come to the front of the house!” A voice, over a loud speaker, told them. Ned tamed the accelerator, rocketing over the bodies.
“You sure about this? What happened to not trusting anyone?” Frank asked him while reloading the Eagle.
“What do u want to do? If we try to run, they might shoot us. They might help us. Why not try it?” Ned told him, running over the bodies like speed bumps.
“Ok man, your choice, but I’m still keeping my gun out.” Frank responded. He pulled the slide on the Eagle Back, Pulling a 50 caliber round in the chamber.
“Hey, I got an idea. Be safe.” Frank told Ned.
“Wait, what?” Ned asked, but Frank had already jumped off the back of the bike.
“HEY!” Ned yelled after him, but he was already sprinting across the street and towards a house.
“I got a bad feeling about this…” Ned said to the corpses on the ground.

Frank hid behind a bush. The loudspeaker asked Ned something about where his friend went. Frank didn’t hear Ned’s reply he was to far away. There wasn’t a door on the side of the house, so he went through the window. He was in the kitchen of the single story house. A large hole in the wall immediately grabbed his attention. He exited the house through the hole in the wall, leading him into the backyard. He made his was though the yards until he came to the door, right next to the handle. The lock held, must be a bolt lock Frank thought. Where there are doors, there are windows. He jumped through this one, too, RIGHT into the arms of a ghoul. It grabbed him and moved its moth towards his throat.
He jammed a kitchen knife, from the counter into his skull. The ghoul fell on him, pinning him to the ground. He rolled the ghoul off of him, stood up, and brushed the ghoul’s flesh and glass from his body. He grabbed another knife and started looking for some stairs. He found them, started up them, and kept his eyes peeled for the attic’s ladder. He found it at the end of the hallway. He walked over to it and pulled it down. At the sound of the ladder thudding to the floor, Frank heard a low moan and shuffling come from the attic. Frank stepped back as a ghoul cam tumbling down the ladder. He calmly walked over to, and as it rose slowly he stomped its head into the floor, again and again until it was a thick pinkish red paste. He climbed up the ladder slowly, making sure no more surprises were waiting for him. He reached the top and paused. He was only a short distance from the fused house’s, where was the sound of the motorcycle?
He made his was to the window, small an circular, but good enough. He un-slung the Sig and sighted through the window, watching the front of the house. He looked up at the shanty. He could see a man with red hair in army figures. He was holding a rifle, long barreled with a scope. Another… figure stood on the lawn, talking to Ned. The figure had on a Black combat suit. The motorcycle wasn’t far from him, both of his guns still in the side bags on the cycle.
The figure had has an assault weapon, an M4. The two stood there talking back and fourth, Frank strained to hear but couldn’t pick out any words. He heard the floor creak behind him and suddenly whipped around to find- nothing. There was nothing behind him. He shrugged and returned looking out the window. He flipped the safety off and brought the figure on the lawn into his sights, never hurt to be safe. Ned look liked he was considering something, and then he nodded his head and shook the figures hand. Ned started walking towards the cycle and the figure towards the house. Frank felt a pistol barrel on the back of his head.
“Hello, how are you?”

Chapter 6
Safe haven?
6:33 p.m.

Frank and Ned had just finished settling into the room. Not that they had many things to put in it, but they did what the could. These buildings had everything a small army would need. On the outside it looked beat up, but on the inside, it was perfect. The walls ere reinforced with steel, the windows had bard over them and safely glass. They had cameras watching the perimeter and the inside of the house. The next prospect they were working on: Walls, all around the stand forever, there was only one problem: They were grossly under staffed. They only had 5 people, now 7 with Frank and Ned. Not enough people considering how big the two homes were together, how much, ground they had to cover, camera room operators, guard duty, things needed to be inventoried, such as ammo and food. Ned had agreed that they, Frank and him, stay here but they had to help with daily activities. Ned had said that he would help even if he didn’t have to. There was one more condition also, they had to use the bike for supply runs and to pick up single survivors they found or get two people to go and back the survivors up until an 18 wheeler they had liberated could get there to pick them up.
So far they hadn’t needed the 18 wheeler. Ned and Frank’s first assignment was to start on a long list of items needed in the house. On top of the list a radio, to reactive and broadcast messages. They had been given more ammo, enough food to last them a few days, gas, and a two was wakie talkie. The leaded, William something or another, had told them to check in when possible, and sleep in high places. Possibly the most important thing Ned or Frank had been given would be a map. It was not even colored, but it had red dots marketed on it. Ranging from all sizes, large and small. The leader had said they meant hordes or large concentrations of ghouls. Mostly hospitals and police stations, things like that. After a good nights sleep they were instructed to leave and start on the list.


The Next Day
7:00 a.m.

The dirt bike shot out of the garage. Torno watched the two go from the safety of the camera room. He signed and stood up. It was his time to guard the tower.
Ned was laughing again. The ghoul lunged at him at third time. He sidestepped, still laughing.
“Hey! Just kill her already man.” Frank told him. Ned sighed.
“Fine, we need to get going anyway.” Ned replied. He retrieved a knife from his belt, and jammed it through her skull, she clamped to the ground, and gurgling blood throat rushed down, and pulled the knife out. He wiped it on her shirt and put it back into his belt. They were in a hospital, one of the hot zones. But they had to be here, there was no where else they could find enough medical supplies to supply the base, and started down a hallway that behind him.
“What else do we need?” Ned asked Frank, who had the list in one hand, and a Glock 17, with a suppressor, in the other.
“We got the pain killers, allergy meds, some morphine, and plasma. We still need antibiotics, epinephrine, penicillin, and some other junk I can’t pronounce.” Frank told him, keeping one eye in the hall, and the other on the list.
“And all this will be in the ICU?” Ned asked.
“I hope so, or we are gonna be running all over this hospital.” Frank replied. They rounded a corner and a Doctor stumbled out of a room.
“We got a target” Ned smiled and sighted the rifle.
“Wait; let’s not attract much more attention than we have to.” Frank told him and shot the doctor in the head with the silenced pistol. He fell to the ground and landed on a pack of syringes, shattering them. At the cough liked sound of the pistol firing, more ghouls shambled out of rooms and offices.
“OH, Shit” Ned said in shock.
“Shhhhhh, stay still.” Frank told him, aiming with the pistol. They crouched down in the dark hall. He fired the gun once, twice and a third time. Three ghouls toppled over, more falling. Frank reloaded as more and more ghouls were drawn to the sound of the gun.
“Oh shit. OH shit. OH SHIT!” Ned said panicking.
“Ok, fuck quiet!” Frank told him, swinging the Sig from his back and holstered the Glock. He flipped the safety to single shot, and pulled the trigger. The gun sounded like a gone in an empty temple. It rang through the hallways, a chorus of moans and growls greeted it.
“OH, damn it all!” Ned said. They both fired at the same time, single shots banging two ghouls dropping. More and more emerged from the doors, creating a wall of bodies. That wall was quickly becoming a caret as Ned and Frank continued firing dropping them as soon as they walked into the hall.
“We need to move, NOW!” Frank told him, already running towards the ICU. He drew the pistol and fired one handed. He sprinted down the halls following ICU signs and shooting ghouls, Ned right behind him. The rounded a corner and ran directly into a gate, a pull down with metal rungs and glass in between.
“Oh, what the fuck!” Ned shouted, he turned and covered the hallway behind them. The gate covered the only way into the ICU. Ned opened fire as Frank pounded on the gate.
“Open this gate, open it! Help! Open the gate!” Frank screamed at the gate. A man in a doctors coat cam running to the gate and bent down. He produced a set of keys and unlocked the gate. Frank lifted it quickly.
“Ned! MOVE!” Frank told him, already closing the gate. Ned jumped back just as the gate closed.
“Lock it!” Frank yelled at the Doc. He said the key back in, and locked the gate. Ghouls reached the gate and started pounding on it.
“Don’t worry, they won’t get through, they haven’t before.” The doctor told them.
“Good, cause you’re coming with us.” Ned told him, grabbing onto his collar and dragging him.
“Hey! Got a shopping list, and you’re going to help us.” Frank told him keeping pace with Ned.
“Here.” Frank said, showing the list in the dogs face. Ned stopped dragging him, and let him go.
“UH, yes well. These things can all be found here. But, just wait. I have to show you something.” He tells them, and walks sown a ride hall, towards a door marketed. “ICU overflows.” He opened the door and several beds; with people in the greeted them.
“Oh, WOW!”

Chapter 6
Life comes at a high price
7:30 a.m.

Frank stood silently, staring at the people. There were 15 in total. They all had variations of sever injuries.
“These are all patients in the ICU, except two.” The doc pointed to a corner, where two cops sat.
“They came in two days ago, the same way you did. We had been running out of food, until they showed up. They dragged the snack machines in here, along with the soda machines.” The doc told them he had a look on his face the look said. “I’m tiered and over worked, help?”
“Ok, I’ll tell you what we’ll do. We’ll get the things we need and radio back to out base. Then we’ll have our buddies come pick you up.” Frank suggested.
“WE can’t move the patients. A lot are unstable, and some of them need medication that isn’t available in this wing. We are also running on back-up generator, so we only have about two or 40 days if power left.” The doc told them.
“So we fix the regular generator, get you the meds and we can give you a radio to keep in contact with the base.” Ned told him.
“You serious? You’d do the for complete strangers?” The doc asked
“Yeah, after all, survivors have to stick together” Ned told him smiling.

8:00 a.m.

Ned frowned. He was crouching down in knee deep water. He drew the pistol. Frank had given him the silenced weapon in favor of one of him knifes. Right now Frank was probably back in the safety of the ICU, while he was sloshing through the water in the basement of the hospital. To cover more ground they had split up. Frank took the job of collecting the meds that weren’t in the ICU. While Ned had to fix the generator. It was now sitting in front of him, apparently working just fine.
“Ned to frank, you there?” Ned said into the wakie talkie.
“Yeah, go ahead”
“The doc there?”
“Yeah, how’d you know I was back her already?”
“You had the easy job.”
“Ah, well here he is.” Ned could hear Frank Hand the walkie over to the Doc.
“Yes?” he asked
“Yeah, hey, the generator looks like its working fine.”

A pause

“Doc?”
“Yeah, hang on.”

Another pause
“OK, look for the circuit breaker. It should be on the wall right next to the generator.” Ned sloshed through the water.
“Yeah, I see it.”
“OK, flip the two green switches.” Ned flipped them.
“OK, does it work?”
“Two seconds…Yes! Ok it works! Good job! Some come on back up here!” The Doc told him excitedly.
“Alright, hey, do the cameras work?”
“Yeah, they should now that main power id on.”
“Where are they?”
“The security room, not far from here, why?”
“Tell Frank to go there and watch the cameras, make sure my was is clear.”
“Ok, I will, here’s the walkie, Frank.” Ned could hear the Doc hand over the walkie-talkie, and explaining to him what to do.
“I’m here and I’ll watch out for you. Good luck man.” Frank told Ned
“Thanks, I’ll be up soon.” Ned said as he sloshed through the water towards the stairs. He went up the stairs, his shoes squeaking and squishing with each step. He reached the top of the small set of stairs and slowly opened the metal maintenance door. He watched for the three ghouls that he left in this hallway, but only found corpses. He left the doorway and walked out into the hall to check the bodies. They were headless, decapitated with a very sharp blade.
“Hey Ned, I got some… Uh interesting news for you.” Frank said over the walkie.
“Ok go ahead.” Ned said standing away from the bodies and readied the handgun.
“There a guy running around out in the hospital, but he’s staying out of the cameras.” Frank told I’m, sounding concerned.
“Yeah, I just found three ghouls, decapitated. He must have a sword or something. If I see him I’ll be careful.” Ned responded, starting to the staring to the stairs hat would take him out of the basement.
“Alright, if I see him on the monitors I’ll let you know, good luck again.” Frank told him, as he could be heard setting the walkie down. Ned passed the bodies and continued down the hall, and smelled something foul, and it wasn’t just the rotting flesh behind him. A piled of entrails sat in front of the steps. They were strung out, spelling something.
“Oh damn.” Frank’s tiny voice could be heard over the walkie.
“Can you read it?” Ned asked. From his angle he couldn’t tell what it said.
“Uh, yeah, it says “Watch your ass, cause I’ll be on it.” Oh shit, watch you’re self-man, I’ll keep an eye out. Frank told starting to sound scared.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be just fine.” Ned told him facing the camera, and throwing thumbs up and smiling. Ned stepped over the guts and walked up the steps, and a ghoul fell right in front of him its teeth snapping.
“Jesus Christ!” Ned screamed, jumping back. He heard footstep behind him and spun around only to see a shrouded figure run across the over hanging of the stairs.
“God Damn, he’s fast! Hang on, I got him! Fuck! Wait, no! I lost him, shit! He’s fast!” Frank yelled into the walkie, watching the monitors. Ned sighed and shot the hanging Ghoul in the head.
“Dude, get back here, now! We need to get the fuck out of here!” Frank screamed into the walkie-talkie, and panicking.
“Calm down, I’m gonna move slowly, I don’t wanna fall into anymore traps.” Ned told him, keeping calm the while time.
“Well god damn it! Hurry!’ Frank told him, calming down at the realization that he was safe in the security room. Ned finished his walk up the stairs slowly. He was now on the first floor, only a walk all the way across the hospital to reach the ICU. Ned started forward and noticed it was abnormally quiet. He wondered why this man and the crackling of claws on tile brought him back. He was in the lobby, a big open area with no even slightly, obvious place to hide, the crackling stopped and the soft patter of four feet on carpet could be heard from the hospitals built pharmacy. Ned moved back to the stairs and went down three, the crouched so he could peer over the top step. A dog Doberman crept past the wall of the pharmacy. Ned shifted his weight and the dog froze ears perked up.
“Hey dude, there’s some dog in the pharmacy.” Frank said over the walkie-talkie, on full volume. The dog crouched into a running position, and growled.
“SHUT UP!” Ned said back, slipping the walkie in his pocket. The dog-shot foreword. It made the trip across the lobby in seconds. Ned stood and fired the pistol the bullet hit in the chest, not even phased it. He got one more shot off before the dog jumps on him.
Frank watched, in horror, as the dog jumped on Ned, didn’t tear at him. They hit the ground, and Ned rolled the dog off of him and stood. He looked down at it and Frank notices the exit wound on the top of its head. Ned looked down at his leg and retrieved something from his pocket. HE held up the walkie-talkie for Frank to see. It was smashed; the dog’s weigh combined with his landing on t had ended its life…
“OH Shit.” Frank said, his only contact with Ned destroyed.
“Ah, Fuck.” Ned said. He dropped the smashed remains of the walkie. He turned slowly. The scuffle had brought the other dog out. He readied the silent pistol and fired, again and again. The all ran at him at the dame time, as he emptied the clip. One went slack and crashed into the ground, but the other three continued running at him. He reloaded quickly and pulled the knife from his belt. He fired the Glock twice, killing one more. The it other two lunged at the same time. He dropped the pistol and stabbed with the knife, sending it through the soft section under its jaw, and into its brain. He let the knife go and the dog went sailing by him as he dodged to the left. The third one hit the chest, Ned catching its head in both hands. The dog snapped at his throat growled and barked. Snapping its teeth the dog tried to break his grasp. He held the dog in the air its legs flaring and teeth snapping. Ned held his face just out of the dogs reach.
“Hey poochie, how you doin?” Ned smiled and pursed his lies. He made a kissing motion and noise.
“Hey poochie, poochie. AW poor poochie, poochie. Poor poochie. Here poochie, POOCHIE.” As he yelled the last word, he snapped the dog’s neck, killing it instantly. He let it fall to the ground and bent to retrieve his knife and gun.
“Very good!” A voice said from somewhere above him. The lobby was open air, he could be anywhere on the hospitals 3 floors.
“How about you shoe your face, then I’ll show you very good!” Ned replied, looking for him.
“Ah, soon enough.” He said, and Ned could here him move away. Ned sighed and staring towards the ICU. This had long day written all over it.
Frank sat back in the chair, watching Ned killing dogs. He was good, but also very demented, Frank noticed, as he made be kiss the dog’s nose but instead broke its neck. He seen Ned’s mouth moving and suddenly Frank jumped to attention. If Ned was talking to the guy, and that must mean he was talking to the guy, and that means he’s on one of the lobby floors. Frank cycled through the cameras, and caught the image of a man. A man with dark hair, military grade dragon skin armor, a katana, a sniper rifle of some sorts and a handgun holstered to his hip. The mad has a longer build and fierce scar on his face. He said something, shook his head, turned and sprinted away. Frank sighed, this had long day written all over it.
Ned walked to the hospital directory. The sign that said “ICU” was smeared with blood, and now said, “Damnation.”
“Huh, how inviting.” Ned said as he walked to the hall that let to the hall that led to the ICU. He stayed in a “shooters.” Position the whole time he walked, he founded a corner and herd a ‘snick’ at the same time he felt a slight tag on is shin. He rolled back words as a trip wire activated IED exploded sending shrapnel and pieced of wall went flying out word.
The Doc heard a rumble as he was checking up on Ricky, a brain damaged 12 year-old. He spent five valuable second hoping it was Ned making the explosion, instead of getting caught in it. He shrugged and returned his attention to Ricky.
Frank watched as the claymore, the man had set up, caught Ned but surprise. He rolled to avoid it at the last second, and the explosion and the shrapnel it produced, missed him completely. He stood and checked himself over. Frank sat in silences as it dawned on him, where were all the ghouls? The explosion should have attracted them, but nothing comes to get Ned. He checked the pistol and continued moving foreword.
“He’s gonna get himself killed” Frank mumbled to the empty air around him.

Ned walked ahead of his thoughts. His head was back at the explosion, wondering why he was being put through this, and how many more traps waited. He continued on, seeing movement in a office to his right. He peered in and several ghouls stared back, tugging at the chains that held them to the back wall. He checked out the room across the hall, and found the same thing. More ghouls tagged at the chains that held them.
“What the…” Ned said aloud, and then realized what was happening.
“Oh shit.” Ned said and heard a clang.
“OH SHIT!” Ned yelled and the chains fell away from the wall, releasing the ghouls. They lunged at him and he fired the pistol, point blank, into the ghouls, as the chains from the ghouls in the other rooms fell away. He continued to fire the pistol repeatedly into the ghouls in front of him as the ones from the other rooms closed in around him. After the last one fell, he closed the door. At once the ghouls started pounding on the door and walls next to it, cutting off his escape.

“Well this shit sucks…”


Chapter 8
Let’s go to the movies!
9:00 a.m.

Frank watched another trap be sprung, this time on him. He had left the security room right after Ned was trapped. He left with both the automatic rifles, one in each hand. The trap he activated trap was simper bear debris when a dog rounded a corner and charged. Frank had leveled the rifles and was about to fire when the dog stopped suddenly with a clang and a howl. Upon closer inspection the hall was lined with them, almost invisible, but noticeable if he looked hard. He stepped through the hall like a minefield, giving the dog a wide berth. It growled at him, completely oblivious to the sharp metal jabbing into its leg. It continuously jerked at the trap as Frank leached the end of the hall, and by extension, the end of the bear traps. The dog barked and jerked one final time, it goes its leg free, by tearing its own foot off. The dog charged at him on 3 feet and a stump. It bowled over halfway down the hall towards him, and its face landed on another trap with a spray of blood. It twitched twice then died, killing it quickly. Frank walked out of the hall; it was time to find Ned.
The door cracked in its frame, starting to break. The two inch sections of glass on either side of the door shattered destroyed and decayed hands reaching for him through it. The hands convulsed as two automatic rifles could be heard, and bodies hit the floor. There was a metallic clatter and pistol fire as Ned opened the door. Several ghouls stood outside of it, but their attention not on him, their attention was on a man to the end of the hall. Ned fired point blank with the .357 having holstered the Glock, power in favor of silence. The cross file from both men cut the ghouls down quickly, they fell quickly, creating small mound of bodies. Frank picked up the rifles and threw the Aug to Ned, who slacked it out of the air with ease.
“Good to see you, lets get moving.” Ned said, already moving east Frank towards ICU. He rounded a corner and found a lot of debris, none with a dog stuck to the floor
“Bear traps.” Frank said, staring foreword.
“Follow my steps.” He said as he moved up, choosing his foot placement carefully. They did a sort of dance, stepping over around the traps. They reached the end of the hall, and entered the security room. A man, sitting in a chair, was facing them smiling.

“Hello boys, good work.” The man, who was laying the traps, talking to Ned and trying to kill them, congratulated them.
“Who the fuck are you?” Ned asked.
“I’m the one who was testing you, checking if you were… worthy.” His smile grew broaden.
“You passed, would you like to help me?” he asked, his smile fading at ‘would’
“Wha- wait what?” Frank asked, staring directly at him.
“I go a job for you, do you wanna help?” he said slowly, speaking to them as if the were stupid, deliberate pronouncing each syllable.
“Look ass ho-“
“What kind of job?” Ned cut Frank off mid sentance.
“Ah! Now that’s what I like to hear! Ok, now there’s a groups of peo-“
“Wait just a fucking second! Why the hells should we help you for Christ sake! You tried to kill us!” Frank yelled.
“I already told you, it was a test. Now, let’s stop yelling and I can give you the details.” The man said, calm the whole time.
“Hold on, can we meet you back here in two hours?” Ned asked.
“Why?” The man asked, frowning.
“We have some other things to do first. Were on a supply run, we have to finish it and then we’ll come back ok?” Ned told him.
“Yeah, ok, but hurry. I don’t have all day.”

10:30 a.m.

“You’re sure about this?” Frank yelled over the whine of the dirt bikes engine.
“Why not? Supply run is done, we got everything we need. And we ever brought it back. So why wouldn’t we help him?” Ned told him, the bike bounced up a curb.
“I just don’t trust him, I don’t know” Frank told him.
“Well don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Ok here we are.” Ned’s sense of humor had seemingly been lost, before he named and shot ghouls, now he spread one through the skull with a broom stick and didn’t say anything when its head came off and the broom stayed in his hand. He dropped it suddenly, the head smacking open like a melon. Ned gunned the bike and ran over a legless ghoul. The pulled into the parking lot going 50. The man was waiting for them, sitting in front of the entrance doors.
“Good! You’re early! I like that. OK now here the pl-“
“Wait, what are you gonna do with the people in the ICU?” Frank asked.
“Leave’em alone? After all, they got the two cops and the radio. I’m assuming that your main base has another radio. So they should be fine.” The man told him, frowning again
“What are you gonna do when were finished with your job?” Ned asked, very calmly. The man frown turned deeper.
“That none of your business, now can we do the job? Good. Now there is a group of people in a movie theater down town. They are all extremely crazy. They call themselves the Rain Coat Cult! If you ask me it seems like they got that from a video game. They all wear yellow rain coats and green masks.” The man told them, taking a map out of his belt pouch.

“Yeah, that’s from Dead Rising, the rain coat cult.” Frank told them during the mass pause. They both turned to looks at Frank.
“What? I like video games.” He told them, smiling.
“Yes well, they also have about 70 people, and the leader has a sword a huge Broad sword. The leaders name is Mikey and he’s the most insane out of all of them. They believe that this is the rupture and anyone who isn’t with them should be sacrificed. Most of’em are religious fanatics, they were in church, but their group got to big so they moved. They took over the whole place, but Mikey stays in on old theater. Huge thing filled with balconies and shit. It was used for plays and that kinda shit."
You’ll go in through the front doors, one snag though. You’ll have to do that so I can sneak into the theater and cover you when you fight him. He’s pretty fast, so be careful. Oh and one more thing, he’s only four feet tall.

11:00 a.m.
The bike hummed as Ned slowed considerably.
“What’s up?” Frank asked, looking at his back. Ned pointed forward and Frank seen what had gained his attention. A boy, about 16-17 walked down the street. He wasn’t stumbling so he wasn’t infected; He didn’t seem to notice the two yet, so they sat there and stared. He suddenly dropped to one knee and pulled a rifle with a scope and bi pod. He aimed it at the two and set his finger one the trigger.
“Who are you?” the kid asked, keeping the rifle trained on them.
“Were just passing through. Wanna come with?” Ned asked.
“That the bed thing I’ve heard in two weeks.” The boy smiled and said lowering his rifle and staring towards them. He wasn’t skinny so he was well fed, he also didn’t have any wounds and very little blood on him.
“Where have you been hiding?” Frank asked, noticing the same thing Ned did.
“With my family, but my brother was bitten and didn’t tell anyone. He got every one of them. I put’em all down.” The boy told them expressing no sadness at all, only a slight guilt.
“So you left the safety of where you were?” Frank said.
“Of course he did, the gun shots, attracted ghouls right?” Ned asked the boy, who nodded.
“Well we go a job to do, you wanna help?” Frank asked.
“Yeah, sure, what I gotta do?” he asked
“You see that building over there?” Ned asked, and the boy nodded.
“Well if you see people in yellow rain coats come out shoot’em right in the face.” Ned told him. The boy nodded again, moving towards a two story building to get a good vantage point.
“Ready?” Frank asked.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Ned told him accelerating again. They stopped a block from the theater, and continued on foot, keeping out of sight. They reached the parking lot and ducked behind cars. Ned held up 4 fingers and pointed towards the main theater doors. Frank looked over the hood of the car and seen four people standing in a semi-circle, hands clasped together and heads bowed. They were chanting there voices barely audible over the distance Ned and Frank were at. Ned mover closer to Frank.
“We need to move slowly, I got an idea. You stank up and walk over them, it they start talking improvise. But if they attack you, open up.” Ned whisper to Frank nodded and stood, and the chanting immediately stopped. Frank walked towards them and Ned ran to the left, still keeping low.
“Hey guys! What’s up with the rain coats?” Frank said, walking directly towards the four. Ned stopped running he was 25 feet away from the four and Frank. He was hiding behind a car to the rain coats right, and they still hadn’t seen him.
“Hello, would you like to come in for some food?” One of the rain coats asked, stopping five feet from Frank.
“Sure!” Frank said, still walking towards the four. The two still standing by the doors looked at each other; their other prey probably wasn’t this easy to catch. Frank was now standing directly in front of the lead coat.
“Hey, but I got a question.” Frank said calmly and Ned moved up, now 10 feet from them.
“Ok, go for it.” The lead coat told him.
“Alright!” He yelled and slammed the butt of the Sig into his face, right where his nose would be if his face wasn’t obscured by a mask. Ned was up and firing the silenced Glock before the lead coat even hit the ground. He expended the entire 17 round clip in just 12 seconds. Ned slowly walked to where Frank was standing and checked the bodies. HE had hit ever round, 13 body shots, four head shots. The coat on the ground rolled over and groans in pain. Ned walked over, reloading, and stood over him.
“Wait, don’t sho-.” He started but was cut off by the Glock putting two bullets in his face.
“Did you have to do that?” Frank asked Ned.
“Yes, he was still alive; he could have had a weapon and therefore a threat.” Ned replied ejecting the clip and thumbing two more rounds into it.

“Were going in loud, we have the element of surprise now, but if I go in and have to shoot all of’em with the Glock one or two might escape and alert the rest of’em. So rifles out, men, women and children. They all have committed the crimes of their leader, everyone had to die got it?” Ned explained to Frank, who nodded grimly.

“OK, you ready?” Ned asked Frank, who again nodded grimly. Ned kicked the door next to the handle and sprinted in, Frank right behind him. The faces that greeted him showed no emotion, but the things they cover must have, because nothing moved for two seconds. Then Ned opened fire, hosing the people in front of him, and judging screams of terror and pain. They thought nothing would get into the base. Then Frank started shooting too, and the coat continued to drop. Their screams and shouts brought more coats from side rooms only to e cut down by the combined fire of the two. More and more were killed as they ran and hid, dying as both continued to fire, round after round. They both dropped their clips at the same time, reloading flawlessly in step with each other, and continued to fire, until no more bodies were standing. They had killed 37 in total more than half of the total population.
“Ok, room to room.” Ned said to an ashen faced Frank, who was staring at a child, half of his face shot off.
“Hey!” Ned yelled and was rewarded with Frank flinching. He nodded solemnly and moved to the snack counter and swept it with rifle, finding a woman mask off, covering in the corner. He pauses, and she looked at him with teary eyes, a pleading look beneath the tears. She opened her mouth to plead for her life, but, like the man outside, a bullet cut off her words. Ned stood there, smoking AUG in hand staring at Frank, whose face was white as a book pages.
“EVERY one MUST die.” Ned told him slowly, letting the words sink in.
“She was helpless, she wasn’t going to fight. She was begging for life!” Frank replied, now yelling and growing angry.
“And now she’s dead.” Ned said matter-of-factly as he moved to a door marked ‘cinema one."
“Sense you can’t kill women, you wait here. I’ll check out the other rooms, kill anyone who runs.” Ned told him, standing in front of the doors.
“You are demented, fucking insane, you're CRAZY!” Frank yelled at him.
“Yeah, I know.” Ned replied as he opened the doors and walked through.


11:15 a.m.

Ned walked into the cinema and seen several forms running through the dark room, and duck behind chairs.
“Come out, come out wherever you are!” Ned sang and fired a burst into a series of seats and was rewarded with a scream of pain.
“Come on out and I’ll make it painless! You hide and I’ll have to fine every one of you!” Ned yelled into the room, still standing by the doors, a hand raised over a series of seats a fired a pistol three times. The rounds went high and to the left, Ned fired another burst, five seats to the right from where the hand emerged, and was rewarded with another scream. Two people emerged from behind a row of chairs with handguns and Ned lunged behind seats in front them. They exploded in a puff of fluff as the two opened fired. Ned stood and returned fire, nosing the area where they stood, expending the whole clip. He killed the two standing and insuring, or killing, several and pulled something from his pocket. He pulled the pin and heaved it over the seats, down to the first row. It exploded in a flash and bang and Ned stood, slinging the AUG and with drawing the Glock. He moved from row to row, shooting each person he cam across in the head. He reached the bottom of the theater and found where the flash bang went off. Killing the remaining coats, he left the theater and returned to the lobby.
“Any troubles?” Ned asked Frank who lounged on the snack counter, eat some candy.
“Nah, aside from your shooting, it’s been pretty quiet.” Frank told him, shoving more candy in.
“Ok, I’m gonna start on the next cinema.”
“Ok, you do that.” Frank replied, reaching behind the counter and retrieving another box of candy. Ned shrugged and walked to cinema two. He opened the door, and was greeted with complete silence. He crouched down and stalked behind the seats, only to discover a empty theater.
“I could have sworn I seen people run in here…” Ned said to himself as he walked back to the lobby.
“Did anyone come out of here?” Ned asked as he approached Frank.
“Nah.” Frank said, reaching for more candy. Ned was now standing right in front of Frank.
“You sure? I could have sworn some ran in there.” Ned said, puzzled. Frank opened his candy.
“Yeah, some probably did.” Frank told him not looking at him.
“What’s wrong with you? You’re acting very strange.” Ned told him.
“Your wrong with me, you kill innocents!” Frank yelled right into Ned’s face.
“Is this about that broad?” Ned asked, pointing to the corpse.
“Yes! She didn’t need to die!” He said, shouting into Ned’s face, getting off the snack counter.
“They are all guilty! They all need to die!” Ned explained to him.
“You know what? They were right.” Frank said, calming down.
“You’re going to let them,” It was a statement, not a question.
“It was my idea!” Frank yelled in his face.
“And, even as we speak, we search for you friend, the other one who snack in behind out backs” Mikey chimed in, unsheathing his sword. A coat emerged from the crowed gathering around the stage they were on. He had a single knife wound in his stomach.
“Sir, I found him but he escaped after wounding me.” He said to Mikey, who nodded in response. Ned spit on Franks shoes.
“You betray me, I’ll kill you.” Ned told him.
“You don’t get it, do you? You’re going to die!” Frank told him again
“Your friend has been a great help to us, he shall be an excellent part of our organization.” Mikey said and smiled. For the first time Ned got a good look at him: his eyes were red, and they had vertical slits, like a cats eyes. His teeth were long, longer than a human’s should be the fangs especially. He was wearing an ankle length black robe, with a bloody pentagram in the middle of his chest. The sword was slightly less than four feet long, as big as him. Ned was about to say something to Mikey. But the coat with the knife wound returned.

“Sir, we’ve located him, and we have him trapped in a room. But he won’t come out, we need your help!” The wonder coat told Mikey.
“Ok, what room is it?” Mikey asked
“He filed into cinema 7.” The coat told him.
“OK, you stay here and guard the prisoner; I’ll take everyone else to get him” Mikey told them. Ned realized why there were all in one room, aside from the coats trapping the guy that gave him the job, and the ones standing in this room, they were all dead.
“You, mind if I stay?” Frank asked Mikey.
“Yes, as long as you don’t kill him.” Mikey replied pointing to Ned.
“I’m also leaving three others here, just in case.” Mikey told them, turned and spirited off, coats following close behind. The wounded coat turned to the other three, drew a pistol, and shot each of them in the head in quick succession.
“What the FU-. “ Frank started, but the gun was pointed towards him. The coat moved over behind Ned, gun never leaving Frank, and cut the ropes loose. He took of his mask with one hand, other one with the pistol, and reveals his face; it was the boy from outside.
“You sent them out there so you could free him? Crafty…” Frank said, keeping his eyes on the boy. Ned slowly walked to Frank, and punched him in the face.
“I said I’m gonna kill you, and I’m going to.” Ned said, smiling, as Frank stood.
“I was looking foreword to this sense you started killing innocents.” Frank said, wiping his nose clear of blood. Frank launched a high kick at Ned’s head; he caught Frank’s foot in his hand and jerked, sending him sprawling to the ground. Frank stood quickly, Ned standing his ground.
“You’re going to die.” Frank said, and drew his combat knife from his belt. Ned’s martial arts training was kicking in fighting an opponent armed with a knife, no problem. Frank slashed and Ned side stepped, dodging the knife by inches. Frank stabbed towards Ned and he seen him opening, Ned grabbed Frank’s arm, twisted it upside down, so his elbow was facing up. Ned dropped his elbow down, breaking Frank’s arm. The bone shattered as Frank screamed, dropping the knife. Ned delivered a round, house heel to the area contacting Frank’s neck and shoulder. Ned heard bone snap as Frank hit the ground, screaming incoherently. Ned grabbed Frank’s shoulders and picked him up, getting even louder shrieks of pain.
“I told you man, I told you, I’ll kill you.” Ned said.
“Go ahead, but know that my last words are-“
“Oh, shut up.” Ned said, snapping his neck.

Chapter 9
Mission Complete?

12:05 a.m.

“What’s with all the-“ Mikey said as he burst through the doors, finding four corpses, one of which Frank’s
“Damn it. Find them! Find all of them!” Mikey yelled to the coats standing behind him.
“No need.” A voice said from above him as a small black cylinder fell in front of him.
“Shit.” Mikey said as his world turned white with a blinding flash. He could barley here the muffled gunshots through his deafened ear drums as he hit the ground. His vision slowly swarms back to him as did his hearing. He was hauled to his feet by several hands; he could see yellow outlines, so it was his people. He could see now, but it was very fuzzy, his people returned fire to several unseen targets, but they were dropping fast. Mikey whistled sharply and several figures in Black rain coats with red masks rounded the corner. He was in the lobby his people had gotten him this far. His vision and hearing cleared completely and he could see all that remained of his 75 people, 18 taking cover in various spots, and returning fire to two people on the other side of the lobby.
“You know what to do.” Mikey told the leas black coat, which had a purple mask. He nodded.
“Hit’em!” He yelled, he and the other five black coats opened fire, on full auto towards the position that the two held.
“OK! Let’s go!” Mikey yelled, getting to his feet.
“We’ll cover your retreat.” The purple mask said as he fired another burst of gun fire from his T.A.R 21 Mikey nodded and sprinted out of the lobby, into the parking lot, the yellow coats closed behind. The yellow coats took up positions around the doors and covered the black coats. They cough up with him and they all sprinted into the night. Mikey turned around, pressed a button, and the parking lot exploded into flames, all of the cars detonating of the same time.
“That’ll keep’em off out backs.” Mikey said grimly. He had lost almost all of his people in one day, there were only 15 left now, three more killed in the run away from theater. There were nine yellow coats and all six of his black coats still a live.
“I hit one of’em on the way out, sire. And it didn’t look like he was getting back up.” Purple mask said as he reloaded his Tavor.
“Which one was it?”
“I got the one wearing one of our coats. He went down but was still screaming when we bugged out.” He replied.
“Ok good. Let’s get out of here.” Mikey said, as him and his now small bard of people no, soldiers walked off into the night.



12:07

Ned fired his AUG blinding around the corner. John the kid he found outside, lept around the corner and fired three shots. He stepped back, a was caught by a burst of gunfire. He hit the ground, screaming and Ned lept from cover and sighted on the three nearest fleeing yellow coats, blowing them away. A giant explosion came from the parking lot as Ned ran over to John. Ned removes the rain coat and ripped his shirt open, seeing the wounds: three bullet holes, lower chest. John was screaming in horror.
“I can’t fell my fucking legs! GOD DAMN IT!” he screamed in pain as he repeatedly twitched and jerked. His spire wasn’t clipped because his legs were still moving, but he was in pain, lots of it. He was losing too much blood, already pale in the face.
“SON OF A BITCH! This fucking hurts! Help me up!” John screamed, legs still twitching. Ned grabbed his shoulder and pulled him up, john still in pain, yet still standing.
“Let’s get you to the hospital, there are people still there that can help you.” Ned said, as he helped John limp to the doors. The parking lot was a complete wreck. Cars on fire and in pieces. Ghouls milled around the lot, looking for scraps the bodies by the door stripped clean, At John’s scream they all shifted their attention to the two.
“Damn.” Ned said, and lugged John along with all of both of their ammo supplies, food, water and guns. A large SUV sped into the parking lot and the driver’s side window roved, down revealing the military guy.
“Hurry, get your bike, I’ll work as a battering ram so we have a straight shot to the hospital!” he told Ned, pooping the back open the SUV. He pulled the bike out, and started it up. He felt strong hands clasp around his waist, and looked back, to find John mounting the bike.
“Let’s go.” He coughed out, face ever paler. The SUV roared out the lot, pushing debris and cars aside like toys, Ned following behind, they pulled onto the main road and the SUV smashed cares out of the way, but it was taking a beating. The hospital was only a short drive, and with a ram, it went quieter. They pulled into the lot, and the Doc was standing at the doors, rolling bed ready. He ran to the bike and helped Ned with John’s dead weight.

“What happened?” He asked.
“Gun shots, three of’em.” Ned said, placing him on the bed, and rolling him into the lobby.

1:30 p.m.

Torno was speaking over the radio, apparently, Frank was dead, a new guy, John, was wounded, and a mysterious man was now with him as well. They were back at the hospital, the surviving doctor caring fro him. A small group of people, that were crazy in the head, were the ones who wounded John. Torno instantly knew what there were talking about; he had been briefed on the cult. He turned to the other midnight, Kayla.
“I’m gonna go kill these guys before they injure or kill anyone else.” He told her, grabbing the MP5. She nodded and got on the radio to tell Ned to stay put until Torno returned.

6:00 p.m.

Mikey sat in front of the stove, trying get the gas to work, and a Red mask approached him.
“Try this.” He said and handed Mikey a Zippo lighter. He flicked it and light it causing the stove to pop and light up. Mikey smiled, time for some food. He and his group were in a single story house, boarded up from the inside by the previous owner. He grabbed a pot and damped a can of ravioli in it. He looked up from the food at the sound of two sneeze noises. He shrugged and returned his attention to the food, but didn’t hold it long as a yell was cut off by a sneeze. It dawned on him, a silenced weapon. He picked his sword off the counter, and whiled around soldier, he knew because he met one before, and killed her.
“Ah, I figured you’d come for me.” Mikey said.
“You’ve already killed too many survivors.” Torno replied.
“My work is never done.” Mikey smiled.
“He’s in here!” Mikey yelled, still smiling. Torno sprinted over to him and delivered a side kick to his head, making him blackout.


6:10 p.m.

All his life, Viktor, had never believe in god. But he was still here, defending a psychopath. He had killed countless innocents in order to survive, including children. Nothing hold stopped him before, but seeing this man break his friends, literally in half, had made him think. After three seconds, just three seconds, he was the only one left standing. This was possibly because he was the only one who hadn’t fired a shot. The man walked over to him and looked right into his face.
“You’re alive because you haven’t taken a shot, leave now and you will live.” The man told him, his voice level. Viktor took one look at his dead friends, and walked out of the house.

Mikey’s eyes opened slowly, and his head hurt so much. He observed the room from where he sat, tied to a chair. He looked around the room, seeing his dead followers he started to panic.
“Give me one reason you should live.” Torno said from directly behind Mikey. Pressing the Colt to his temple.
“I can’t give you a reason, we don’t have reasons to live or die, it just happens.” Mikey said, slowly cutting the ropes with a knife he had up his robe’s sleeve.
“Stop stalling me.” Torno said, knocking the small knife from his hand.
“How’d you know?” Mikey asked, displaying no emotion. Torno slapped him in the head.
“Don’t be stupid; people never go into long explanations when you ask them to live. You did. Easy as that.” Torno replied to him, walking around him in circles. He stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes. He stared into the eyes of a mad man convinced that he was right. Mikey was convinced that it was hi duty, his destiny, that he does this. Torno decided that there was no way to keep him away from doing this. He had to be killed. Torno rose up the Colt to shoot him, and Mikey lunged foreword knocking the gun out of his hand and Torno off his feet. He had some how broken free of his binding, he ran to the counter and retrieved his sword, at the same time Torno picked his pistol off the ground.
“What’s you’re next move?” Mikey asked Torno keeping the sword ready. Torno’s answer was raising a pistol, and aiming at his head. Mikey ran foreword and swung the sward. Torno felt the blade pierce his skin, and Mikey sprinted out the front door, Torno firing 2 shots after him.
Mikey stopped running when he got sic blocks away. He looked down, grimacing. Blood welled up from a bullet wound in his shoulder. Torno stripped his armor off where the blade had touched him in his stomach. Half afraid his guts would spill out; he gingerly looked at the wound. A 14 inch long slash ran from the left to the right, two inches wide, ½ an inch deep. Blood pooled from it freely.
“This is going to complicate matters.” He sighed gritting his teeth in pain.


Chapter 10
Finding Torno

12:00 a.m.
The Next Day

Ned shot out of the hospital’s parking lot the dirt bike roaring. It was official; William the Special Forces guy was missing. He had radioed to the other Midnight, then went to deal with Mikey; and hasn’t been heard from sense. Ned had his location. A house about ten miles from the hospital and was going to look from him. He gunned the bike, flying past a group of ghouls. They snarled and like one mind, took off after him, sprinting.
“Oh shit…” Ned said as he glanced back at the running creatures.
“The fuckers are running…” He told no one, pulled a radio from his belt and radioed the Doc.
“Hey, bad news.” He told the Doc, waiting for a response.
“Tell me about it. The Doc responded back.