User:LoneWolfHBS5/Fanfiction

I've read a few fanfictions based on Left 4 Dead (the most recent was Nightmirage's) and I was pretty inspired to make my own. Yes, I once said I am not going to make one but temptations are hard to resist. I am not really a good writer but believe me when I say this: My best effort is usually there. Thanks for visiting this page and if you have any comments or complaints, I welcome them. Constructive criticism is highly appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings. All was created by Valve and hence, is not mine. This is purely fan-made so please, don't sue me.

 Left 4 Dead Fanfiction: 

 The Blood Pack 

12 days after first infection

 Chapter 1: 

Chaos looms over the once peaceful country of the United States. Screams of the dying echoes throughout the lands and shall remain in the ears of the surviving few. Buildings were torn apart and blazes surrounded the destroyed terrain. No man can ever walk through the streets without awe at such a horrible sight. Hell has come to Earth.

A lone man walked past the empty street, staring at the damned city which he once remembered as his hometown and a place where smiles were a common sight. The gloomy sight it shows brought misery into his eyes. “Whiskey One. Do you read me?” the voice of a young man was heard on his radio. He took it out of his pocket and replied, “Whiskey One here. I hear you son.” Seconds later, a reply came, “Good to hear you alive there old timer. Many volunteers have lost their lives already. We don’t want yet another. Do you need me to remind you of your objective?” Despite his age which ranges within the sixties, Whiskey One was confident about his memory. “There is no need for any recalling boy. I know what I am supposed to do.”

“I see you are pretty confident. Alright but just be careful gramps. Remember that the safety of any survivors is your key objectives. Ignore everything that CEDA said about firearms; just give the survivors any guns if you have any extra. Don’t rely on them too much though. Good luck. King four out.” The radio went silent and Whiskey One placed it back onto his pocket. Turning on the flashlight attached onto the barrel of his reliable M16 rifle, he marched slowly through the dark city. With the finger on the trigger, he was ready to shoot should the situation calls for it while keeping an ear out for any still living and healthy humans.

Suddenly, he heard what appeared to be frenzied screams coming from a dark alley next to him. He turned towards the scream and was nearly shocked by the sight of angry humans, sprinting towards him at a speed which he felt was impossible to reach. The flashlight did little to blind those humans temporarily. Their faded skins, yellow eyes, nonsensical wails and bloody clothes only revealed one thing: They are infected by the virus. “I survived Nam and I certainly won’t let you bastards eat me!” Whiskey One shouted. He pulled his rifle’s trigger, sending a wave of bullets flying at the infected humans, slaughtering them one by one. Blood spurted onto his face and he wiped them off with his old army clothes. As he stared at the blood, he wondered about his fate in the future.

“I hope I’m immune.”

* * *

Even in these desperate times, people still willed themselves to respect the dead when survival was clearly a number one priority. Deep within a city, a young, lonely man was inside an abandoned warehouse, scanning the whole building for any blankets or towels which he might be able to find. After minutes of searching, he found a large pile and brought them to a room littered with corpses, both human and infected. He placed the blankets outside the room and went in to pull out the human corpses. He carefully lined them up and covered them with the blankets he found. That was the least he could do to the humans who held out against a large horde of infected with him. Before he covered up the last one, he murmured out, “Dave, your old pal Louis is going to miss you buddy.”

Picking up the submachine gun which he relied on entirely to survive, he walked out of the warehouse through the back entrance to find for any glimmer of hope. Holding out led to the demise of his friends and hence, he was not ready to make the same mistake and suffer the same fate. The infection destroyed his former life and took away his job, yet he now knows that his job is to survive and not let his friends’ death come to vain. “Death will have to pry me off the Earth. Things may look gloomy now but it can only get better.” Louis reassured himself as he continued to walk through the alley of darkness.

Out of the sudden, he heard what sounded like a loud, animal-like roar followed by loud gunshots. The amount of shock he received was nearly overwhelming but it gave him the idea that some people are still alive. He followed the noise and the closer he got, the louder the noise gets. Several screams and thrashing sounds were heard and much to his amazement, the ground trembled lightly. Suddenly, there was complete silence. Thinking that it was foolhardy to just run into the scene, he raised his gun and walked slowly towards a corner of the alley. He peeked out and saw one of the most frightening sights he ever seen.

A large humanoid creature was standing in the middle of the street. His skin was completely gray in color and his torso muscles were extremely large. He stood in a way similar to gorillas and was breathing like a rabid beast. The concrete under him seemed to have been ripped out and the surrounding walls appeared destroyed. Blood was smeared all over; some seemed to have come from the bullet wounds all over the creature. Though he did not look like one, Louis was certain that the creature was indeed human. The creature started to turn towards his direction, making light trembles in the process. By instinct, Louis pulled his head in and plastered himself onto the brick wall behind him. He heard the creature growling slightly and the sounds of the trembling ground revealed that the creature was walking. Fortunately, it got softer; the creature was leaving the scene.

After checking to ensure that the creature was gone, Louis ran into the ravaged street to see if anyone may have survived the creature’s attack. Still, all he saw was corpses. However, unlike most corpses he had seen, majority of them were half destroyed. Some appeared flat and on a pool of blood. The creature may have apparently smashed them to death but with what? Louis dared not think about how dangerous that creature may be. Weapons were also found along with the corpses, most of which are shotguns. The clothes of the deceased there reminded Louis of bikers, with their leather jackets and black gloves. Louis was just about to leave the scene when he heard someone growling in pain.

He turned to the sound and it seemed to be coming from under a pile of debris. Using all the strength that he could muster, Louis pulled out the rocks and saw a young man laying there. His face had wounds all over but nothing too permanent. Like the corpses, he was wearing a black leather vest and a pair of black leather gloves. He had a white sleeveless shirt underneath and a pair of black pants. His arms were covered in tattoo and oddly, it was free of wounds. The man was semiconscious but still wailing in pain. Thinking that the man could still be helped, he pulled the large man out and dragged him into the dark alley.

Leaning the man onto the wall, Louis tried to wake him up. After several hard shakes, the heavy-laden eyes of the biker slowly opened up, revealing his brown iris. “Yo, you alright there man?” Louis asked. After several groans, the biker replied, “Mama?” Clearly, he was still dazed. Louis lightly slapped the biker’s face and said, “Dude, snap out of it. Are you ok?” Eventually, the biker was fully awake. “Damn it this hurts.” The biker murmured as he rubbed several of his wounds. When he noticed Louis, he asked, “Who the hell are you?” Louis replied, “Name’s Louis. I found you lying under a pile of debris. You have a name?” Out of the sudden, the biker shoved him away, though his weakened strength did little. “I can look after myself alright. Leave me alone Mr. Goodie Two Shoes.” The biker tried, but failed to stand up.

<p style="text-align:justify">Louis approached the biker and said, “Man, you are pretty beaten up there. Don’t push yourself. Stay down and rest.” “I don’t want to stay down. I got vampires to kill!” the biker retorted. Louis was initially confused by the term, “vampire” which the biker used but decided to ignore it. “Don’t be stubborn man. Unless you want to die fast, you better stay down and rest.” “I hate this world just as much as I hate vampires. I don’t care if I die. I’d rather die than be sitting next to a damned business man reject.” The biker said with a noticeable amount of confidence.

<p style="text-align:justify">Getting rather annoyed with the biker, Louis told him, “Look, I came all the way to your body to save your damned ass. I could’ve save my own ass and let you die under the rubble and if you are going to bitch around when clearly there are bitches are all over the place, I can just shoot you now and…” His sentence trailed off when he realized that his anger was clearly controlling his words. Taking a moment to calm himself down, he told the biker, “Listen, forget what I said. We are both in the middle of hell and there are only so few of us left that I think we should start working together. Like me or not, you know almost too well what those vampires did to your friends. Please cooperate with me here.” Even though he hated to admit it, the biker thought that Louis was right. He sat down quietly and said, “Whatever you say man.”

<p style="text-align:justify">Thinking that there is truce between them, Louis extended a hand out to the biker and asked, “You have a name?” The biker stared at his hand for a while before accepting it and said, “I’m Francis.” They shook hands and a smile slowly formed on Louis’s face. “Now, let’s have a look at those wounds on your face.” Louis said as he reached out for the wounds on Francis’s face. Suddenly, Francis recoiled and shouted, “Don’t you be touching my face! Leave it alone! Let it heal itself.” Louis backed away and replied, “Alright. Your face is more important that your health I guess.”

<p style="text-align:center">* * *

<p style="text-align:justify">Five tiresome encounters with the Infected and yet, not survivors were spotted. Whiskey One’s luck in fulfilling his objective was beginning to fade away, just like his luck in finding peace after years of surviving a war. He was practically untouched by the Infected but even with his background as a Special Forces soldier, an old man with a bad knee was not made to walk many miles and shoot simultaneously. His sight was beginning to blur and his whole body was covered in sweat. The weight of his rifle was not doing anything to help him stand upright. “God damn infection. Nam feels almost like home compared to this.” he murmured to himself.

<p style="text-align:justify">His senses snapped back when he heard a loud scream coming from behind him. He turned his flashlight towards the noise and saw a large number of infected humans running at his direction. He went down to a knee and opened fire on the Infected, killing them as they continued running towards him. Everything went well and the Infected barely reached him, until he heard a loud thud coming from right behind him. He turned around and saw a tall man, wearing a purple hooded jacket and snarling at him. Whiskey One saw his hands and they were unlike a human’s as his nails were long and sharp. The man raised one of his hands and Whiskey One barely saved himself when he rolled forward. He fired on the mutated Infected and killed him with several shots. The brief encounter he had with the man, however, distracted Whiskey One from a bigger problem.

<p style="text-align:justify">The group of Infected he engaged earlier on catches up and knocked Whiskey One onto the floor. A strong stomp on Whiskey One’s hand disarmed him and they began to stamp and beat Whiskey One to his coming demise. Whiskey One began to wail in pain as he was helplessly dying under the hands of the Infected. His world slowly went black and he was about to lose consciousness. Hope seemed lost to him when he suddenly heard a loud gunshot coming from a distance. Several other gunshots followed and very swiftly, the Infected surrounding Whiskey One was killed. Whiskey One turned his head to his right to see several figures in the dark, walking towards him. Before he could tell who they truly were, blessed unconscious fell upon him.

<p style="text-align:justify"> Chapter 2: 

<p style="text-align:justify">“So…uh…Francis right? What were you and your buddies doing just now?” Louis asked as Francis was retrieving his weapon from his previous battle. He picked up the dusty weapon from the floor and shot it once to see if it was still functional. He then pumped it once and reloaded it with a single shell from his pocket. He turned to Louis and replied, “Killing the god damn vampires. That’s what we have been doing unlike you ladies who ran away. We were having the time of our lives.” Louis retorted, “I ain’t exactly running away. I was holding out in a warehouse with a few others. We think it was better to stay there instead of running for the military evacuation centre.”

<p style="text-align:justify">“Screw the god damn army!” Francis bellowed. “You’re pretty smart to not be listening to them useless assholes.” Louis shook his head and replied, “Not really. I realized it was a mistake after all my buddies were killed so I decided to look for them.” Francis’s brows rose upon hearing Louis’s words. He then said, “Right. I take back what I said. You’re an asshole too.” “Yo, easy on the insults alright? We are friends now. So tell me, what exactly killed your friends and nearly killed you?” Louis asked. “Killed my friends? Then why are you still breathing?” Francis said with sarcasm. Louis shook his head with annoyance and replied, “I meant your old buddies, not me.”

<p style="text-align:justify">Francis was silent for a while. He was deep in thought as he remembered the creature which he last encountered. “I don’t want talk about it. I’d rather be hunting that son of a bitch down instead of standing here and talking crap. So, we getting out of here or not? I already hate this place.” Louis nodded in agreement, seeing that his choices were limited.

<p style="text-align:justify">As the duo continued walking down the street, the road split into three different directions, each perpendicular to one another. Francis looked around and began scratching his nearly bald head in confusion. “So…which way should we go?” Francis asked. Louis answered, “Anywhere’s better than here.” “Fine.” Francis said and he quickly made the choice of going to the front direction.

<p style="text-align:justify">“Let’s hope that the army is anywhere near where we are going.” Louis told Francis. “I don’t hope and I certainly don’t need the army. I can stay here and just kill the damn vampires forever. I can get used to a life like this.” Francis said. Louis retorted, “You ain’t right in the head to be thinking that killing the Infected is fun.” “And you ain’t right in the head to be hoping and thinking so positively. We are going be doomed anyway.” Francis retaliated. Louis replied, “It is worth doing at least.” “Well fine then. Let’s see if the army starts shooting us when they see us.”

<p style="text-align:center">* * *

“Are you sure it is a good idea to be staying here and helping this old fella out? We were looking for help, not helping others.” the voice of a young male was heard as Whiskey One saw nothing but darkness. He had awakened but his eyes remained stubbornly closed. Another young female voice followed, “Hey come on. This old man needs help and with zombies all over the place, every man counts. No left behind right?” “Yeah but if we stay here, the zombie might just come in and attack. That always happen in the movies we watch.” the young male replied. Whiskey One opened heavy-laden lids at last and the first sight he saw was a young girl, looking down towards him. Her hand was on his head and the warmth kept him calm.

“Hey Virgo, he’s awake.” the girl said as a beaming smile formed on her face. Her hunter green eyes lit and a boy, who Whiskey One assumed was Virgo, peeked at him. As Whiskey One observed their appearance, he realized that both had jackets on. Virgo’s was dark blue while the girl’s was bright red. He presumed that they were both students, considering their youthful appearance and bright demeanor. He then turned his attention to the surrounding and judging by the stock and the entrance door, they were in a makeshift safe room. “Who…who are you?” Whiskey One asked.

“My name is Zoey. This is Virgo. We heard your screams and found you while you were under attack by zombies.” the girl answered. “Zombies?” Whiskey One asked, confused with the term. Virgo replied, “We call them zombies because the infected people look like one.” “Do you have a name old man?” Zoey asked. Whiskey One sat up and answered, “I’m Master Sergeant William Overbeck.” “Whoa, give us a shorter version of your name.” Virgo said. Whiskey One sighed and replied, “Fine. Call me Bill. I guess I owe you two for saving me.”

“Are you alright Bill? The zombies really beat the shit out of you.” Zoey asked. She passed him his beret and Bill put it back on. He then answered, “I’ve had worse. As long as I can stand, I’m fine.” “I think you should rest though. After being beaten up like that, you must not push yourself too hard.” Zoey suggested. Suddenly, Bill chuckled. “You reminded me of my mother.”

“Are you from the army? Your gun there looks pretty sweet.” Virgo said as he pulled Bill’s M16 from a side of the room. As Virgo started to pull the weapon’s charging handle, Bill snatched it away and said, “This is no toy to be playing with boy. And yes, I was from the military. I volunteered to help the army find survivors, though apparently the survivors found me.” Virgo then asked, “But you’re not even wearing the ACU. You are wearing a green, unkempt jacket.” “You should start listening to your History teacher kid. This was the old military uniform. I fought at Nam many years ago.” Bill retorted.

“Now where is my cigarette? I kept it in my pocket.” he asked as he began stuffing his hands into the many pockets he had. Zoey passed to him his box of cigarettes and Bill immediately lit one up. “Smoking isn’t exactly good for you, especially since we are running from zombies these days.” Zoey warned him. “That’s just a load of horseshit that people make up, just like how CEDA made up about the virus being airborne.” As Bill began to scratch an itch on his back, he felt two holes on the back of his uniform. He then remembered the strange man with the long claws that nearly killed him. He murmured, “I was luckier than many other men.”

“So, you two know how to use a gun?” Bill asked. Virgo nodded while Zoey picked up a scoped rifle and said, “We both spent some time hunting before the infection started and we also picked up some skills from the movies we watch.” “Movies?” Bill asked with awe. Virgo nodded and replied, “Yup. Horror movies. Zoey and I spent a lot of our college time watching movies. Lucky for us since we are in a horror movie now.” Bill smirked and said, “Alright then. I guess things just got easier for me. You two kids want to get out of this city right?" Zoey and Virgo nodded with a child-like beaming smile. "We better start moving now. Those things you call "zombies" have a tendency to attack when we least expect them to."

“Keep your eyes and ears out for anything suspicious people. Don’t want those bastards to be attacking us without us noticing them first.” Bill advised them. Zoey and Virgo could not agree any further. Their hearts race with anticipation at the thought of shooting fast-moving zombies. They never had any near-death experience like Bill had minutes ago but they were indeed afraid of such a thing. Still, after a few minutes of following Bill in the darkness, no zombies were encountered. “Where exactly are we going gramps?” Virgo asked. Bill replied, “To an evacuation center. The military is holding out at that place. We better get there before the base gets overrun by hostiles.” “What if it did get overrun?” Zoey asked.

“Simple. We are FUBAR.”

<p style="text-align:center">* * *

“One hundred bottles of beer, one hundred bottles of beer, kill a zombie, chug it down, one hundred bottles of…”

“What the hell are you singing man?” Louis asked, interrupting Francis’s humming. Somewhat annoyed, Francis replied, “Can’t a man sing when he wants to? Isn’t this America?” Louis shook his head and said, “I didn’t say you can’t sing, even if you stink at it. Just asking what song are you singing?” Francis answered, “Just a song me and my god damn buddies made up when we drink beer and kill vampires at the same time. They wanted to call these freaks zombies and I say, “Screw you! They are vampires!” Still, they wouldn’t listen to my wise words.”

“You don’t seem to feel sad for their deaths.” Louis commented. Francis laughed and replied, “Welcome to the real world buddy. You can’t bring back a dead guy, whether you like or not.” Louis nodded slowly, somewhat agreeing with his partner’s words.

Suddenly, the sound of a man coughing snapped their mindsets back into the real world. Hastily, they raised their weapons. “Someone’s nearby.” Louis said. Eventually, the coughing sound resembled someone vomiting. Disgusted, Francis exclaimed, “God damn it! First I have Mr. Baldy Black here and next a guy who can’t keep his stomach acid where it belongs? I hate my luck.” Louis shoved Francis’s shoulder with little force and said, “Quiet down man. It may not be a person.” “A vampire?” Francis asked. Louis sighed and replied, “The term is Infected…not vampire.” “Yeah whatever. Did you get a degree in monster dissecting?” Francis said with sarcasm. Louis simply shook his head, choosing to ignore Francis’s words.

The duo followed the noise towards a dark alley. Thinking that recklessness could be a mistake, Louis decided to peek into the alley first while Francis tailed behind him. Though pretty dark, Louis could barely see a man, pressing his hands upon his stomach while mumbling like as if he was in pain. Louis assumed that the man was sick and attempted to confront him. Out of the sudden, the man vomited, disgusting Louis, though he kept his calm, while Francis simply turned away at the sight. As Louis observed the vomit, it appeared alien to him somehow.

Unlike most vomits he had seen, the man’s vomit was green and somewhat sticky. It resembled goo and was awfully disgusting to him. Some of it smudged onto his already dirty clothes and Louis assumed that he had vomited multiple times before. Oddly enough, it seemed to lack a scent, at least to his nose. Then, loud screams were heard out of the blue. The duo looked around, assuming that the infected were about to attack. Both their hearts raced at the anticipation of fighting the Infected after an hour of non-stop walking. Eventually, Louis spotted a massive group of Infected, coming out of the opposite corner of the alley. They rushed towards the man and immediate began to attack the man, seemingly ignoring Louis and Francis.

Shocked by the sight, Louis exclaimed, “Francis! He needs help!” However, Francis grabbed Louis’s shoulder and said, “I don’t think we can help him. Not with that many vampires around him.” As Louis watched the Infected tore that man apart, he began to wonder, “Why are there so many of them attacking just one person? Also, why didn’t that man fight back?” Seconds later, the infected humans stopped and slowly, they turned their sights onto the duo. Wasting no time, they rushed towards Francis and Louis. “Holy shit! Run!” Francis bellowed. He bolted out of the alley almost immediately while Louis followed suit.

Louis was within breathing distance out of the alley when an infected catches up with him and grabbed his leg. He tripped and fell, disarming him and leaving him helpless. The rest of the Infected began to assault Louis while he did all he could to fight back. Still, the infected humans’ frail appearances were deceptive and they managed to overpower and outnumber him. His screams stung Francis’s ears and he turned around only to see his partner getting mobbed by the beings he called, “vampires”. Not willing to lose another ally, Francis sprinted towards the mob and unleashed a wave of lead upon the Infected. Within seconds, Louis was covered in a pile of corpses.

After shoving away dead bodies, Francis extended a hand out for Louis. He accepted it and was helped back onto his feet. After clearing away several dirt all over his white shirt, he said, “Hey thanks Francis. I thought you were going to abandon me.” “Like how you didn’t back then? I am not one who says thanks but I do repay back all that I owe.” Francis said while patting Louis’s shoulder. Louis smiled, happy to know that despite his distasteful personality, Francis can actually be relied upon.

“Like you said buddy, we need to work together to survive this shit.”

 Chapter 3: 

“Hey Virgo, what do you plan to do after all of this is over?” Zoey asked. Virgo rubbed his chin and replied, “Maybe I will go and see if my parents are amongst the evacuated people. Hopefully they have a television there because I want to watch some movies.” “You may have read my mind because I want to do that too. I really hope that everything will be back to the way it was.” “Are you kids done talking? We are in the middle of hostile territory here.” Bill exclaimed. The duo nodded and ran towards Bill, who was far ahead of them.

As Zoey and Virgo were getting close to him, Bill saw several dark figures, rushing towards the duo from behind. “Incoming!” Bill shouted, causing the duo to turn around to see the infected humans. They opened fire on the Infected, annihilating them before they were within attacking range. While they were busy shooting the infected, Bill suddenly felt a stinging pain on his bad knee, causing him to wail in pain while dropping onto his other knee. Zoey and Virgo were briefly distracted by the noise but were still focused on shooting the incoming Infected.

Bill turned to see a singular infected man, possibly the one responsible for the pain on his knee. The man raised his arms, ready to strike him down again. Bill blocked the infected human’s next attack with his rifle, the screeching sound suggesting that it had claws, and, with as much as haste as he could muster, pulled out his lighted cigarette off his mouth and stuff it into the creature’s eyes. It backed away as it screamed in pain and Bill silenced it permanently with a singular shot off his rifle. Bill dropped to the ground in exhaustion. The surrounding eventually went silent when the infected humans were all killed.

“What just happened gramps? We heard you screaming.” Virgo asked. Zoey simply nodded with a curious look on her face. While messaging his bloody bad knee, he answered, “God damn bastard backstabbed me on my bad knee. Got a few cuts but nothing too bad. I can still walk and fight so don’t worry about me.” Despite his words, Zoey and Virgo were somewhat worried about his well-being.

“Bill, please take a seat. Let me check on that knee of yours.” Zoey requested. Bill’s brow rose with surprise. “What? We need to get moving and I need to get you two to safety.” Zoey nodded and replied, “Yes but with a knee like that, you can’t really help us. You can’t accomplish a mission if you can’t walk right?” Although Bill knew himself as a sturdy war veteran, he somehow succumbed to Zoey’s pleads. He nodded in agreement and sat down onto the floor. He pulled up his pants to reveal the bloody knee with several scratch marks. As he watched with awe, he asked himself, “Ever since when do these god damn freaks have claws. Sheesh, two of them already scarred me.”

Zoey took out a small red backpack with a Red Cross symbol on it. Bill immediately realized what she planned to do and asked, “Zoey, are you sure you know what you are doing?” Virgo reassured, “Don’t worry gramps. Zoey had some medical training. Your injury is nothing too tough for her.” Bill nodded but warned Virgo, “Stop calling me gramps.”

After doing several things to the injury which was beyond Bill’s knowledge, Zoey covered it up with gauze and plastered them together with a tape. “Your knee won’t be bleeding much now and the pain won’t be so bad. Please be careful when the damn zombies attack.” Bill attempted to stand up and was surprised to see that he felt less pain than he usually would. He nodded and couldn’t help but show a smile. “Hey, thanks kid. You got a future as a medic.”

“You said you have a bad knee, even before the zombie clawed you. How did you get it?” Zoey asked. Bill sighed and replied, “Was a souvenir I got from Nam. The battlefield ain’t exactly the safest place on Earth. Land mines, traps, flying bullets and sharp debris, it is home to the devil.”

When Bill picked up his rifle, he sighed with disappointment when he saw his gun, apparently jammed inside the dust cover. Two bullets rounds were accidentally loaded into the gun, most likely caused by him dropping to the ground after killing the Infected. He tried to pull the trigger and his suspicion was proven true when the gun refused to shoot. While Zoey was packing up with help from Virgo, Bill asked, “Anyone have a sharp object?” Virgo stood up and took out a pen from his pocket. He passed it to Bill and explained, “This is a pen my mom gave me before the infection. Was a nice little gift before we got separated.” Upon hearing the short story, Bill asked, “Don’t cry alright?” Virgo’s brow rose before he asked, “Why?”

Bill stuffed the sharp portion of the pen into the dust cover, apparently trying to separate the two bullets stuck in there. Using the pen as a lever, he used all the strength he could muster to push a bullet out. Unfortunately, the pen snapped in half. Virgo gasped at the sight while Zoey simply watched with awe. Bill loaded the extra round back into the magazine before giving both halves of the pen to Virgo. “You never told me that my pen might end up broken.” Virgo said while Zoey stood up and rubbed his back to make him feel better.

“Your pen might actually save our lives kid. If my rifle remained jammed, I can’t shoot.”

<p style="text-align:center">* * *

“Keep arms above head at all times or you will be shot on sight. Do not run directly at military personnel. Do not ignore military personnel when they address you. Do not…” “Ah screw the military and their paranoid signs. They must’ve polished their boots with their eyes to not be able to tell the difference between a vampire and a human.” Francis said, interrupting Louis while he was reading a sign.

As Louis looked up at the tall apartment which the sign was placed on, a slight amount of hope renewed his inner strength. “I think there is an evacuation center up there. This sign gave me the assumption. I knew that we are getting out of here.” Francis laughed and replied, “You think? The army wouldn’t just stay here to save two peeps like us. Besides, it is awfully quiet. They probably lined up all the people they rescued and had bayonet training.” “Why do you keep saying that the army is killing people?” Louis asked, getting rather annoyed by Francis pessimistic mindset.

“Simple. Some of my old pals were shot by the military. We were running happily, shooting any vampires on sight. When the soldiers call for us, we simply keep our mouth shut. They apparently took offense from that and began shooting us. They barely hurt me because I am indestructible but some of my pals were not born with a perfect body.” Francis explained. Louis shook his head and told him, “You and your friends violated everything that the sign says. Of course the military would shoot you. They thought you were infected.” “Hell I can’t read those frigging signs, or even want to read them. Still, I won’t forgive them, not in a million years. I’d rather stay down here and make friends with the vampires. You can go on ahead and get shot.” Francis retorted.

Louis turned back to the apartment and was fairly anxious to find out if the military was indeed in the area. “Look, I am going to take any chances if there is any. I am going up to the roof of the building. I don’t care if you want to come along or not. Stay here and make a new life if you want.” Louis told Francis. “Fine. I’d rather die than let any of those assholes lay a finger on me.” Francis replied, agreeing with Louis, Francis simply turned around and began strolling away. Louis simply watched as the biker slowly faded away in the distance. He was disappointed that he had to let go of a potential new friend simply because of his dislike over the military. He turned to the building and slowly marched in the pitch black interior of the apartment.

As Francis was gaining distance away from the apartment, his steps began to get heavier and slower. Eventually, he came to a stop when he heard Louis’s submachine gun firing. Strangely, he felt worried. He briefly ran back to the apartment, only to eventually stop himself. He reminded himself, “I am never going to get help from the military. I am Francis. I am a vampire slayer. I don’t come to anyone’s doorstep, crying for help.” However, the military mattered to him no more. He was worried for Louis. “That guy’s going to get himself shot by the military, or killed by a vampire. He is by far the only asshole to even bother to save my life. I was under that rubble not because of the vampires, but my buddies who used me as a bait to try and bury that big vampire alive.”

“If Louis is going to be shot by soldiers, why am I not using the opportunity to get revenge?”

Louis slowly trudged up the stairs, shooting any infected humans he saw. Unlike most people, he would rather take the stairs than the elevator despite the apartment’s height. As he kept killing the Infected, he wondered if there was really a military evacuation center nearby. Suddenly, he heard a large number of heavy footsteps coming from behind him. He turned around to see a large army of the Infected, running up the stairs and charging towards him. He was able to kill many of them after spraying bullets at the horde but would eventually get overrun without any help. Out of the blue, he heard someone shouting, “I hate vampires!” followed by a large number of the Infected killed by someone with a shotgun. As Louis focused to see in the darkness, he was none other than Francis.

“I hate the army, but I certainly don’t hate people who saved me and proof their worth to me.”

 Chapter 4: 

“Here is the evacuation center people. It is on the roof of this apartment.” Bill announced to Zoey and Virgo. After nearly an hour of walking through the dark alleys and shooting zombies, the group was relieved to finally arrive at their destination. “Why is it so quiet though?” Virgo asked. Bill lifted his shoulders and replied, “Maybe the zombies are attracted to noise. Still, I ain’t gonna just sit my ass here thinking about it. Let’s get moving people.”

The trio marched into the back entrance of the apartment. The pitch black interior was enough to send chills up Zoey and Virgo’s spine but they had seen enough horror movies to feel excited about it instead. Eventually, they came across large number of dead corpses, most of which appeared Infected. The bullet wounds on it were fresh and not dried. “Someone was here. Hopefully it is the military.” Bill said. He turned to the stairs on his right and exclaimed, “Mother humper! I ain’t gonna climb up those god damn stairs. My knee is not made for such shit.” “Stairs are good for you Bill. Ever heard of the Stairs to Heaven?” Zoey asked. Bill shook his head and replied, “More like Stairs to my ass. These things crippled me many times back at Nam. Let’s find an elevator.” Zoey and Virgo could not help but giggle at his outbursts.

The trio decided to sweep the whole floor for an elevator, if the apartment had any. No encounters with the Infected thus far and it further supported Bill’s theory of other people recently coming to the apartment. As they continued their search, they heard an unexpected noise which halted their movements. “Bill, Virgo, did you hear someone…coughing?” Zoey asked. As the noise seemed to intensify and get louder, Virgo nodded and replied, “More like someone coughing from excessive smoking. Was it you Bill?” “In case you are too oblivious to realize, I lost my cigarette not too long ago kid.” Bill retorted.

“Let’s check out the coughing. It might actually be the person who killed most of the zombies here.” Bill suggested. The trio stealthily walked towards the noise and followed it to a room. Bill peeked into the room and saw a man inside, walking around while coughing. His flashlight startled the man but the man appeared rather passive. He gestured at Bill to go away but Bill refused to comply. Assuming that the man was merely sick of a different illness, he and his entourage went inside to talk with the coughing man.

As Bill got closer, the man’s gestures get more intense and violent. He was unable to speak due to the coughing and he was sweating very heavily. “Hey, are you lost sir? I have orders to escort survivors to an evac center on the roof of this apartment.” Bill asked. Suddenly, the man shoved him away. Bill was initially insulted and was close to snapping when he heard the man choking out, “Leave…now!”

“I am…Infected!”

Realizing the danger that the trio was probably in, Bill ordered Zoey and Virgo to leave the room. However, Virgo refused and told Bill, “Why not shoot him now? End his misery quickly.” “I’ve spilled much innocent blood in Nam and this man here is still human. I won’t kill him now but I will gladly kill him if he is coming for my brain.” Bill retorted. They left the coughing man alone and continued their search for an elevator.

Minutes later, they found a working elevator deep within the apartment. “God damn construction workers. Why can’t they build this shit nearer to the entrance?” Bill commented. Wasting no time, Bill pressed the elevator button and waited patiently for the lift. However, seconds later, the ground trembled lightly along with a slight creaking noise. Bill assumed that the lift was underused and apparently had difficulty moving. However, the noise did more than he initially thought.

They heard loud screams coming from the distance outside the apartment. The trio turned towards the noise in time to see a large wave of Infected, running towards them. The high-pitched squeaking made by the elevator apparently attracted the Infected and hence, the reason why the evacuation center may be quiet. Without hesitation, the trio opened fire on the horde. Very swiftly did the Infected fall but some of them were close enough to land a few non-fatal hits. The screams and the loud gunfire greatly contrasted with the silence that was upon them previously and it caught their initially calm minds unprepared.

Eventually, the sound of a bell was heard. It was pleasurable to Bill as it indicated that the elevator had arrived. He ran into the elevator, shooting the zombies while simultaneously shouting, “Get your assess into the elevator!” The surrounding noises, however, were difficult to compete. After repeating his outbursts, Zoey and Virgo heard him and while pushing away intruding Infected, they slowly backtracked into the elevator. Things were looking smooth for the time being, though it was only the calm before the storm.

As the duo slowly walked into the elevator, Bill caught sight of a figure in the dark behind the Infected army. The man was standing in a strange posture; he was leaning towards his right. He was also covered in grey smoke and the coughing which followed was familiar. Eventually, the figured moved into the light and Bill had never had such a shock in his life. The figure was the very man they encountered recently, who was coughing and wheezing uncontrollably. The only difference that Bill saw was an angry look in his brown eyes and an extremely long tongue sticking out of his mouth. It was long enough to reach his belly and the sight sickened Bill in his stomach. The Infected horde was totally ignoring him, indicating only one thing: He was fully infected by the virus.

Zoey managed to get into the elevator while still shooting and shoving the Infected but Virgo was not so lucky. The coughing man suddenly bent down and lashed out his tongue at Virgo. The mutated tongue wrapped Virgo’s neck, strangling him, preventing him from moving into the elevator and rendering him helpless to the zombie attackers. Zoey, horrified by the sight, shouted, “Virgo! No!” She was just about to shoot the coughing man when an Infected snatched Zoey’s rifle and forced her to retreat deeper into the elevator. She was then forced to use her fists. Bill took aim on the coughing man, trying to get a clean shot to save Virgo. However, things only got worse.

The coughing man was able to reel in his long tongue and he positioned Virgo right in front of him, in between Bill and himself. Bill tried to aim in whatever way possible but not only was the infected horde troubling him but he feared that he might shot Virgo. The coughing man began beating Virgo while still strangling his life out with his tongue. Eventually, Bill had no choice but to shoot his way through the horde and kill the coughing man with his rifle. Wave after wave of Infected were destroyed by Bill, leaving behind piles of corpses but the wave never seemed to end. Just as he was within proximity of the coughing man, he attempted to shoot but no bullet left the barrel. He checked and realized that he ran out of ammunition.

Infuriated by the stress that he was receiving, he swung his weapon upon the coughing man like a melee weapon but he seemed virtually unaffected by it. While Zoey was killing the Infected with her recovered rifle, Bill tossed his weapon onto the floor and began to use all his strength to pull out the tongue strangling Virgo. However, the tongue itself was very strong and its wet surface only made it a difficult than it already was. Suddenly, Virgo lifted both his legs and kicked Bill towards the elevator. The force was strong enough to cause Bill to drop onto his back. He was initially confused by Virgo’s action but a nod from Virgo was enough to tell that a sacrifice was necessary.

Zoey saw the nod and was quick to realize that Bill was just about to press the button to close the door. She quickly retaliated by pulling Bill’s arm away from the button. She screamed, “No! Bill! Don’t do it! We can’t leave him behind!” However, Bill ignored her and shoved her away. He pressed the button and the twin doors closed. Zoey crawled for Virgo, teary and not willing to leave her best friend behind but was stopped by Bill who held on to her. The doors were eventually shut and through the transparent windows, Zoey saw Virgo’s eyes closing slowly while the rest of his body went limp. The elevator began to move upwards and she never saw her best friend again.

Zoey dropped onto her knees and began to sob. She tossed away her hunting rifle and developed a newfound hatred for the Infected. Memories that she had with Virgo began pouring into her mind and she began wishing that she would have died instead of Virgo. Bill’s heart melted at the pitiful sight of Zoey. He could not help but feel responsible for Virgo’s death. He felt that he could have killed the coughing man instead of submitting to Virgo’s wishes. Even then, he and Zoey may not have survived if he did not. Suddenly, his mind was haunted by the order that was given to him.

“Remember that the safety of any survivors is your key objective.”

Yet, he allowed one his survivors die when it could have been him. Trying to calm down Zoey, he knelt down next to her and asked, “Zoey, are you alright?” He placed an affectionate hand on Zoey’s back but was met with hostility when she shoved his hand away. She stood up and glared at Bill, the fury in her eyes clearly showed that she was blaming Bill for the death of her friend. “Why didn’t you try to save him? Why didn’t you kill that man when we had the chance? Why?” Zoey exclaimed. After the brief outburst, Zoey leaned onto the wall behind her and simply sat on the floor. She began sobbing again, though softer.

Bill moved to Zoey’s side and sat next to her. In another attempt to calm Zoey down, he told her, “Zoey, I tried to do everything I could to save him. I ran through the god damn zombie army and was nearly killed several times. I lost my gun and the coughing man was more than just a zombie. He was a mutated zombie. He was stronger than he looks. Virgo was the one who kicked me into the elevator. He knew he can’t be saved, so he did the noble thing: He gave up his life to save ours. We would probably die under the hands of the zombie army if we decided to continue trying. And, I have a motive against killing innocent people and while the coughing man is now no longer innocent, he certainly was minutes ago. Virgo died, but he died a hero.”

“Zoey, this is what you call a zombie apocalypse. In those movies you watch, people die. That’s just how things are supposed to be like in these scenarios. And not only a zombie apocalypse but a war too. I lost many of my good old pals to the damned Vietnamese. Yet, I learned one lesson from those encounters back at Nam: I must learn to move on and get my revenge on those bastards. The Infected killed your friend, so are you just going to sit here and cry instead of going out there and pop a cap in their assess?” Zoey turned to Bill, her face wet with tears and her sad eyes meeting with Bill’s. Out of the blue, she leaned towards Bill and laid her head onto his chest. She cried once again, wetting Bill’s old uniform. He was initially surprised by her actions but slowly, he welcomed it. He stroked Zoey’s hair and told her several reassuring words.

“We’ve lost a great soldier back there and we won’t lose another. I’ll see peace back on Earth if I gotta murder every one of these animals with my own bare hands.”

With a loud, metallic thud, the elevator halted at the rooftop. Bill looked through the windows and met with one of his fears: The rooftop appeared deserted and no humans were seen. “The Army better be here. Without my rifle, we can join Virgo pretty soon.” He said. However, Zoey was quick to disagree. She snatched her hunting rifle and passed it to Bill, much to his amazement. “You’re going to need this more than me.” As he looked back and forth between the rifle and Zoey, he asked, “Zoey, my safety is not…” His sentence trailed off when he saw Zoey, pulling out twin pistols from holsters which he was unable to notice throughout his time with her. As she loaded her pistols, she glared at Bill with eyes as serious as an elite soldier’s.

“I am ready for anything.”

 Chapter 5: 

The twin doors opened and the duo careful marched out of the elevator. No human life or Infected were seen, only abandoned supplies and several corpses of the Infected. The silence was so great, even the whistling of the cold breeze can be heard. Just as Bill had feared, the army had left the vicinity. In pure frustration, he exclaimed, “Damn the army! Why did they left in such a hurry? Those sons of bitches care so much about their assess!” Bill reached out for his radio and pulled it out of his pocket. He was just about to send a transmission to any available contacts when he realized that something was not right about the radio.

The small machine was semi-destroyed. It had fatal cracks all over and wires were sticking out of its plastic hull. Buttons were missing and Bill assumed that they were in the pocket from where he took it out. Bill sighed with disappointment as he eventually discovered why the army left him behind. “God damn it! They thought I was dead all along. They can’t contact me so…they left.” Bill said. Zoey walked to his side to look at his radio and replied, “It must have been destroyed by the Infected that attacked you when Virgo and I found you.” Bill nodded with a sarcastic smile on his face.

“The least we can do now is to sit our assess here. My knee could use some rest.” Bill told her. His words, however, reminded Zoey of what Bill mentioned about the army being overwhelmed.

“Simple. We are FUBAR.”

Before they had any chances to rest however, loud thuds were heard coming from a nearby door leading to the staircase of the apartment. Bill and Zoey immediately raised their weapons and braced themselves for combat. They were certain that the Infected that they encountered were not finished with them yet. The door was eventually knocked down, creating a thick cloud of dust. As the cloud cleared away, they saw a humanoid figure, moving out of the staircase. They were ready to shoot, until they heard something unexpected.

“I surrender all mighty soldiers! I will give up all my arms…well if I can pull out my arms. I mean no harm and…god damn it! I feel like a sissy. Louis, can’t you plan any better lines than this shit?”

Bill and Zoey lowered their guns as they knew from the sound that the figure was clearly human and not alone. “Francis, we went up countless flights of bloody stairs and for you to ruin the words that I planned for us along the way really makes me feel like I am wasting my time.” Another voice sounded. As the dust settled, Bill and Zoey were able to see the humans more clearly.

The figure, whom the duo believed to be Francis, was dressed in a way similar to most bikers they had seen in their lives. He wore in a rather unkempt manner and due to Bill’s military past, he had an instant dislike for his untidy clothing and slightly plump body. Seconds later, another man, assumed to be Louis, walked out of the staircase. He had darker skin tone and was sweating very heavily. He wore a white suit with a red tie and had a rather skinny build. Both men were armed; Francis had a pump shotgun while Louis had a submachine gun.

“Wait a minute. You two are not soldiers. You’re way too old to be a soldier and you are too young to be one. Is there ever a soldier when you need one?” Francis bellowed. Louis elbowed him and retorted, “Francis, would you shut up? At least they are not Infe…um…vampires.” Upon first impression, Bill and Zoey were surprised that such a childish duo even survived the apocalypse. Bill approached them and asked, “Who are you two and what are you doing here?”

Francis pointed at himself with a cocky thumb and replied, “Name’s Francis gramps. I am the one and only vampire slayer.” Bill’s right brow simply rose at his introduction. Louis then introduced himself, “I’m Louis. And you are?” “I’m Master Sergeant William Overbeck. Call me Bill if you don’t give a shit about my full name.” Bill answered. Francis recoiled upon hearing his name. “So you’re a soldier after all. Must’ve been sad to be ditched by your buddies huh.” Bill glared at Francis and answered, “I can just shoot you now and I will have one less man to worry about.” Francis was not intimidated but he told Louis, “I told you that soldiers kill people blindly.”

As his eyes wandered off, ignoring Francis’s words, he caught sight of the young teen girl, sitting on the floor. He recalled seeing her standing minutes ago and wondered why she was not joining in the conversation. Louis asked, “Bill, who’s that?” He turned to Zoey, who barely paid any attention on the three men. He then answered, “Her name’s Zoey. Don’t be fooled by her looks. She can shoot just as well as any soldiers I’ve seen. I wouldn’t disturb her if I were you. Something bad just happened.” Louis could not help but continue to stare at her. The pitiful sight was overwhelming and almost reminded him of his own best friend whom he lost not too long ago.

“Let me ask again, what are you two doing here?” Bill asked. Francis decided to answer, “Me and my buddy, Louis, came here to settle something with the army but apparently they are not here. Damn pussies. Why are you here Sergeant? Aren’t you supposed to be with them?” “First of all, don’t call me by my rank. Titles make my skin crawl. Second, quit talking shit about the army. And third, I was left behind.” Bill answered while slightly annoyed. “So they ditch their own men too? Cool! Now I got a good reason to sue the army.” Francis said with seeming happiness. Bill knocked Francis hard in his head and said, “Keep your opinions where they belong Francis, in your pea-sized brain. I will screw your ass upside down if you make any more comments like that.” Faint giggles can be heard coming from Zoey but it was uncertain if it was coming from her as her face was out of view from the three men.

“So, what are you doing here Bill?” Louis asked. Bill replied, “I volunteered to help find survivors within infected cities. All I found was Zoey and someone else, who is no longer with us. We came here to be evacuated but the army assumed I was dead because my radio was busted.” “We came here to be evacuated too. So, what now? The army’s gone and…” Louis was immediately interrupted by Francis, “I don’t want to be evacuated!” Still, no one listened to him.

Bill told Louis, “There’s nothing much we can do now son. For some reason, they left a radio behind and I might be able to contact them with it. Still, after walking this far, I ain’t exactly in the mood to do it. I want to take a short break. My knee isn’t how it used to be when I was younger.” “Mind if I kick it Bill? I want to see if you’re telling the truth.” Francis asked. Bill raised Zoey’s rifle and pulled its charging handle, causing Francis to recoil in fear. “I will shoot you in the knee if you ever try something like that.” Francis gestured to Bill to calm down and replied, “Alright. I was only kidding. I’m sorry.” As Bill lowered his gun, he said in his mind, “Sorry? Never thought a biker would say that.”

The entire group split up to do their individual things. Zoey remained at where she sat and continued to watch her surroundings, apparently deep in thought. Bill found a place to sit down and began messaging his bad knee. He even checked the bandage that Zoey placed on his knee and as he watched it, he remembered the talkative, yet motherly, girl she used to be. He began to worry about her mental state but felt that leaving her alone was best. Francis walked around and randomly attacked things to fill his boredom. He would punch the walls, shoot several boxes and kick several infected corpses in the head. “I hate vampires.” he said as he kicked yet another corpse. Louis was simply sitting on a corner, staring at Zoey. He could not help but felt that he should talk to her to see what was wrong.

As he slowly approached Zoey, he said, “Yo. Um…hi. Zoey right?” However, Zoey took no notice and even turned her head away. Louis sat next to her and told her, “You seem pretty troubled. Is there something wrong?” Still, Zoey refused to say anything. Despite that, Louis was not about to leave her alone. “Zoey, please tell me what’s wrong. We are currently in hard times here and it is best that we communicate and help one another. I want to help you but I can’t if you don’t answer me.” Louis’s words were convincing somehow and as she slowly turned to look at Louis, she answered, “No one can help me now. In fact, no one can help us. The army’s gone. My best friend is dead.” Louis recoiled upon hearing her words. To express his sadness, he told her, “I’m sorry. What happened?” Zoey answered while struggling slightly, “A zombie…killed my best friend. There is no hope for us.”

“Zoey, you are way too pessimistic. Hope may seem lost but that’s how it always seems. Hope will come back eventually and it is up to use if we let it come. Think positive; that’s my motto.” Louis answered, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be fine. Zoey replied, “I appreciate your optimism but, I just lost my friend. What makes you think that I am willing to go on?” Tears welled up in her eyes and she had difficulty talking through her sadness. Louis sighed as he remembered his own losses.

“People die every day Zoey. It is up to the living to cope with it and move on with their own lives. In a situation like this, people die every minute. You need to learn to let it go. You can’t bring back the dead, no matter what you do or what you think. You must learn to accept it and focus on the future. And of course, be happy and stay positive.” Louis told her. Zoey’s teary eyes met with Louis. She was beginning to see what Louis was trying to tell her.

“Look at your grandfather, Bill. He…” Louis was interrupted when Zoey placed a finger on his lips. “He’s not my grandfather.” “Oh, sorry. Look at him. I can easily tell from his clothes that he was a war survivor. He would probably have seen many deaths; amongst them could probably be his friends and family. Yet, he is messaging his bad knee while simultaneously checking his rifle. He is thinking of what’s more important and that is the future. He knows that he has to fight the…um…zombies to survive so he is preparing himself.” Louis told Zoey. He shifted his attention to Francis, who was still doing random things, and told Zoey, “My buddy, Francis, there was not alone before we ran into each other. He was formerly in a biker gang, but his buddies were killed by a mutated zombie. He never mourned their deaths, stating that he can’t bring them back no matter what. Just by looking at him, you know that he’s already overcome their deaths and is still as happy, and childish, as he usually is…I think.” Despite what he said, Louis knew almost too well that Francis had little love for his gang members but twisted the truth to help motivate Zoey.

“And then, there’s me. Before I ran into Francis, I held out with a few of my colleagues and amongst them was my childhood friend, Dave. We held out in a warehouse, only to eventually get overwhelmed by the zombies. I was the only survivor and it was all thanks to a brave friend, a blocked door and a bit of trouble getting out of that room. I feel blessed to find Francis who, despite his crazy brain, isn’t so bad once you know him. I held on to hope and I found him and now, I found you and Bill. We all had our share of losses and I believe it is best that we now help each other through motivation and sticking together.” Though she had trouble doing so, she revealed a faint smile as her lost spirit seemed to have returned.

“Thanks um….sorry but I didn’t catch your name.” Zoey asked. Louis giggled briefly and replied, “I ain’t exactly surprised girl. Name’s Louis.” Zoey extended a hand out to Louis, which he accepted, and made a proper introduction.

“I’m Zoey. Nice to meet you.”

 Chapter 6: 

“Bill, are you done yet old man? Aren’t you soldiers supposed to be sturdy? Call the army already.” Francis exclaimed, beginning to get impatient. Bill immediately stood up with Zoey’s rifle in hand. He retaliated, “Aren’t you supposed to hate the army? Why are you so anxious to get evacuated Francis?” “I am not. I got some personal issues with the army and I want to settle it fast.” Francis answered. Bill nodded continuously, acknowledging Francis’s words. “Fine. You want to settle an issue…” Bill raised Zoey’s rifle and continued, “…let’s settle it now. I was part of the army. I dare you to shoot me before I shoot you.”

Francis gestured to Bill to put the rifle down while backing out. He told Bill, “Bill, put the gun down. I don’t want to be killing a geezer.” “I’ve fought many wars in Nam, killed thousands of zombies, lost a man a few minutes ago and got myself an asshole who constantly insults my former job. I am sick and tired of the life I am getting and if I have to shoot the nuisance I am having right now, I will!” Bill bellowed. “Bill, I was only kidding. We all can’t always be serious. Lighten up bro.” Francis said, trying to calm Bill down. “My life is shitty too. Everyone has a shitty life one way or another. Don’t you be shooting me. I’m still living mine.”

Fortunately for Francis, Bill lowered Zoey’s rifle while heaving a heavy sigh. He began rubbing his head and told Francis, “Sorry. Quite a lot had happened and the stress was a bit too much to handle. Your little…um…jokes were adding to it.” Francis then asked, “Other than shooting vampires, what exactly would be so stressful in a time like this?” “You’re a carefree bastard aren’t you?” Bill asked. Francis nodded with a broad smile and replied, “Yup. No care in the world. Just me, my vest, my buddies and my gun.” “Like I said just now, my orders are to rescue survivors out here. I lost one and that means I failed my mission.” Bill explained. Francis became rather surprised. “But you still got Zoey. You haven’t failed your mission.” Francis retorted. Bill faced him and told him, “That’s what you think.”

Francis could not help but laugh at the seeming foolishness. He told Bill, “This is exactly why I hate cops and soldiers. You are all like robots. Follow this order; follow that order, no more freewill bullshit. I can bet that your buddies who ditched you were doing so because of orders, not because they care for your ass. Let me tell you something Bill. That Vietnam War would probably ended faster or never existed at all if the soldiers are allowed to voice their opinions. But no, they just had to follow orders which I think is just a shitty excuse to kill someone. Seriously man, why are you still following orders when we are trying to survive here? The army won’t help us if their assess are in danger.”

Despite his distasteful attitude, Bill found him pretty knowledgeable and somewhat likeable. He suddenly had second thoughts about his feelings towards Francis and regretted trying to kill him minutes before. He told Francis, “You ain’t that bad kid. Sorry about my actions.”

“So, are you going to call the army or not?” Francis asked. “I thought you said they won’t be helping us.” Bill retorted. Francis shrugged and replied, “I still want to have a nice chat with them. They shot some of my buddies because they can’t tell the difference between a vampire and a human. Besides, if they are still willing to help, which I doubt they will, you three can survive this shit better. They are good at running away so why not run with them?” Bill nodded and then asked, “I’m curious, do you actually want to get out of this city?” Francis sighed and replied, “In truth, yes. I don’t mind making a life here but I also don’t mind living longer. I'm pretty sure any survivors could use an extra gun like me. If the army is willing to help us, then I can also settle my issue with them

Bill approached the abandoned radio and began to manipulate with it. Francis, Louis and Zoey watched as the war veteran did many things which were beyond their knowledge with radios. Statics were the only sounds they heard for a while but eventually, Bill got himself a clear signal to another radio. Holding the microphone, Bill exclaimed, “Hello? Is anybody there? This is Master Sergeant Overbeck.” Seconds later, a familiar voice sounded.

“Whiskey One? Is that you? I thought you were dead old-timer.” the young soldier replied. Bill retorted, “A thousand zombies are not enough to kill me son. Where is the evacuation team?” The soldier answered, “Well, I ordered the team to flee the vicinity after they claimed to have made many failed attempts to contact you. You were the last volunteer and we assumed that you were dead so, we left.” “Could you bring a chopper here or something? I have a few armed survivors with me and we are ready to be evacuated.” Bill requested. However, Bill’s request was denied.

“Sorry Whiskey One. I have my orders sir. Unless the city is retaken, I am no longer permitted to make anymore evacuation attempt there.” the soldier answered. “We are currently FUBAR and trying to keep our asses from being eaten by the Infected here. Quit talking like a robot. Do us a favor by helping us survive out here.” Bill exclaimed, suddenly sounding like Francis. The young soldier sighed, apparently thinking about what he had to do. After a brief moment of silence, he replied, “Alright. I have an idea. Listen very carefully because this might get tough.”

“On the outskirts of the city, an abandoned prison stands deep within the forest. The prison was once an evacuation center primarily used to evacuate convicts out of the city. Infected convicts eventually overwhelmed the base and it was thus, abandoned. Despite that, they left a radio behind just in case survivors made it to the prison. So far, we had none contacting us from the prison. Since the prison is considered outside the city, I might be allowed to send in a helicopter to take you in. Otherwise, I am not permitted to do it.”

“So, we just have to make it to that prison and we will be rescued, is that it?” Bill asked. The soldier answered, “That’s right but don’t expect it to be a cakewalk old-timer. We have little info on how the virus affects animals and the forest itself is pretty dense. If you want to avoid getting lost, I suggest you take a path to the prison. Search within the supplies we left behind for a map. The path is a blue line, south of a drawn cross.” “Roger that. We’ll be right on it.” Bill acknowledged. “Take whatever supplies you need. Use the weapons and ammunition we left behind if needed. I’ll broadcast a tape loop to the prison’s radio to make it easier for you to find it. Good luck.” the soldier said before ending the transmission.

“Alright people. You heard the soldier. We are going to an abandoned prison. We are permitted to take their weapons and ammunition so, help yourself.” Bill said with a grin. Francis smiled and replied, “Alright! More vampires to kill and better yet, with Army guns. I could really use their auto shotgun. That gun’s mine and nobody takes it but me.”

As the party began thrashing through the supplies left behind by the military, Bill asked Zoey, “You want your gun back?” Zoey simply shrugged before accepting the rifle. She replied, “The veteran needs an M16 after all.” Francis was quick with his choice of weapon. As stated before, he grabbed the first auto shotgun he spotted. After loading the gun with several shells, he commented, “Though I hate the Army, I feel like a Marine holding this sweet gun.” Bill shook his head as he observed a smug Francis. He told himself, “You may feel like one now but you will never become a Marine with a shitty attitude.”

Bill’s choice of weapon came with no surprise as he grabbed and loaded an M16 rifle he took from the supplies. Being a war veteran, he was most familiar with the rifle. Zoey did not grab any new weapons but rather, snatched several magazines and spare ammunition which were compatible with her hunting rifle. Louis’s choice of weapon came out as a surprise to Bill. After tossing away his submachine gun, he grabbed an M16 rifle from the supplies and reloaded it, almost as if he recognized the weapon as much as Bill. Curious, he nudged Louis and asked, “You familiar with that weapon son?” Louis nodded and replied, “I may look like an average black guy you see every day but I have been to the rifle ranges many times and I’m proud to say that I am good with this rifle.” Bill simply smile and patted Louis’s shoulder.

He then turned to Zoey, who was reloading her rifle. He bent down to her height and asked, “You ready to pop some crazy zombies?” After pulling the rifle’s charging handle, Zoey turned to Bill with the smile which he assumed to have been lost. Realizing that her lost spirit was rejuvenated, Bill could not help but smile with her. She replied with full confidence, “The zombies are now FUBAR.”

“Hey look! I found some trash.” Francis exclaimed as he pulled out a large piece of old paper from the supplies. “Finally. I could use some tissue to rub off some of the vampire blood off my vest.” he added. Bill knew what the paper was and before Francis was able to wet it with infected blood, Bill darted for the paper and snatched it from him. Offended, Francis exclaimed, “What the hell old man! It is a damn big piece of paper! We can share.” “Don’t be an asshole Francis.” Bill retorted. “This was the map the soldier was talking about.”

Placing the map onto the concrete floor, Bill began to survey the map. He took note of the drawn cross on the map, which he assumed to be their current location. Pointing at the cross, he brought his finger down south until he found the blue line he was asked to look for. “We need to get to this blue line. It is south from our current position and quite a long walk from here. We better get started now. We don’t want to keep the Army waiting.”

Bill folded the map and kept it inside one of his pockets. To ensure that they would not get lost, Bill took one of the compasses from the supplies, though he was careful to ensure that the compass was functional and not broken. “Alright people. Let’s move out.” he ordered. He made his way to the elevator while the other three survivors followed suit. He attempted to open the elevator doors by pressing the button on the lift. However, after several faint statics, the door refused to open. He pressed the button again and was met with a rather unexpected result.

The elevator cables snapped and the elevator fell down all the way to the first floor, creating a massive thud. Without the elevator, the survivors would have to climb down the stairs instead and to make matters worse, the first floor was no longer clear of Infected as the noise attracted more to the zone. Now that the trip to the prison became harder than expected, Bill turned to his entourage and asked, “Are you people ready to shoot some zombies?” The only answer they gave was slow nods.

 Chapter 7: 

The survivors began their trip down the flight of stairs. Along the way, they had short encounters with wandering Infected which they dealt with ease. They also came across many corpses of the Infected, to which Francis explained, “I killed these vampires. You can thank me later.” Louis retorted, “What? I also killed these damned zombies too.” “The hell you did? You were only crying like a little girl and I was your hero” Francis replied. Louis retaliated, “Man that’s bullshit. I did just as much as you and…” “Guys, this is really not the time.” Zoey said, interrupting but ending the argument. Still, Francis exclaimed, “And these freaks are vampires, not zombies.”

As the survivors slowly trudged down the stairs, Bill halted the group when he heard a large number of faint footsteps coming from the lower levels. They eventually began to get louder and Bill assumed that a horde of the Infected was coming after them. “Crazy bitches inbound!” Bill bellowed, snapping the rest of the survivors into a combat-ready state. As he suspected, a flood of the infected humans came charging at the survivors from the lower levels and the survivors opened fire.

As the survivors continued to send waves of bullets at the Infected army, Francis managed to catch a peculiar noise coming from a level above their current position. For a moment, he thought he heard someone coughing but after the noise ceased, he focused back to killing the Infected attacking his party. Suddenly, a wet, rope-like object wrapped around his neck and began pulling him away from the survivors. He dropped his auto shotgun and was pulled towards an infected human within a dark corner of the staircase. Due to the object strangling him, which seemed to be the infected human’s tongue, he could not cry for help. Fortunately, Zoey turned around in time to see Francis struggling against the mutant.

Zoey recognized almost too well the coughing Infected which was attacking Francis. Virgo flashed in her mind and anger began to surge through her body. Consumed by her desire for revenge, she began shooting at the Infected but despite being shot several times, the coughing Infected remained alive. With a sheer amount of strength, the mutant tossed Francis towards the wall next to it, creating a large crack on it and briefly startling Bill and Louis, who were still busy dealing with the horde of infected humans. Francis fell unconscious and the sight further intensified her anger. While Zoey began to reload, the Infected lashed out its tongue at her and began to wrap her up with it, pinning her arms to her body. It reeled its tongue in, effectively disarming Zoey at the same time.

As she was being pulled away, she attempted to take out a pistol from her holster. When she was within the mutant’s reach, it began swinging his arms at her, clawing and beating her but she resisted the pain as she continued to reach out for her pistol. When she succeeded in doing so, she used all the strength she could muster to bring the pistol to the mutant’s head. She taunted, “Die you son of a bitch!” and pulled the trigger, killing the mutant and avenging Virgo’s death. She fell to the floor while the mutated tongue slowly vanished into thin air. At the same time, the horde of infected humans was wiped out by Louis and Bill.

Zoey stood up and wiped off several smudges of blood off her head. She then helped Francis back onto his feet after he woke up from a brief moment of slumber. She handed over his auto shotgun which he dropped and feeling rather grateful, Francis smiled and said, “Hey, thanks girl. You are tougher than you look.” Zoey shrugged and replied, “I hated that zombie.” “Ah you hate these vampires too? I like that.” Francis complimented. “Hey Zoey, you dropped this.” said Louis as he handed her rifle to her. She took it and replied, “Thanks. That kill was for my best friend.”

Climbing down the stairs along with an uncountable number of encounters with the Infected more or less summed up the Survivors’ trip out of the apartment. Using the same entrance that Bill and Zoey used, they left the building and moved down the alley in front of them. The area was nearly pitch black as it was still in the middle of the night and the weather itself was not helping in any way. Raindrops pelted the survivors and nobody hated the rain more than Francis.

“I hate rain and I hate you God for inventing rain.” Francis bellowed. Louis retorted, “What? We are supposed to like rain. It gives us water; especially to countries with little access to water.” “Trust me Louis. By the time this apocalypse is over, even a lake can satisfy thirst for every man left in this planet.” Francis replied. “What makes you so sure that few people would survive this shit? The infection is currently affecting only the US.” Bill asked. Francis replied, “And what makes your old ass so sure that it won’t spread to other goddamn countries? No matter. Killing vampires and hating the Army is what I’ll do until we get out of here.”

After the survivors crossed the alley with no trouble, Bill halted the party when he heard a sound coming from the street ahead of them. The sound greatly resembled the growling and breathing of a rabid animal and Bill was certain that it was no animal unless one of the forest beasts made it into the city. He ordered the group to hold their position and remain silent while he scouted ahead alone. As he reached the right corner of the alley, he backed himself onto the wall and peeked out to observe the area. The rabid animal turned out to be an infected human and the most horrifying that Bill had ever seen.

Francis tailed Bill as the veteran continued to stare at the Infected, defying the orders that Bill gave him. He peeked out while standing behind Bill and anger began to surge as he remembered the beast that stood before him. Memories of the massive Infected flashed in his mind and he recalled the screams of terror that Francis’s late gang members let out at the sight of the muscle-bound Infected. “That bitch!” Francis exclaimed. Bill jumped with shock, startled by Francis’s words which penetrated the silence.

“Francis you goddamn son of a bitch! Didn’t I told you to hold position and stay quiet?” Bill shouted. However, Francis did not answer. His eyes were wide open with seeming horror and he pointed over Bill’s shoulder while saying, “Bill…” Bill then heard angry growls and yells coming from behind him and as he turned around, he saw the Infected, slamming the concrete floor with its massive fists and appearing rather unhappy. As the duo stared at the gargantuan Infected with horror, Francis asked, “So…are we just going to stand here, or run for our lives?”

“Run!” Bill screamed out. The Infected began to give chase while Bill and Francis ran into the alley. Their actions caught Louis and Zoey by surprise but when the beast eventually made it to the alley, they tailed Francis and Bill. The roars that it gave out and the trembling which followed its heavy footsteps gave the survivors the adrenaline rush to run faster. Bill briefly turned to see if the Infected was still chasing them but saw something else: The big monster punched several large dumpsters aside with seeming ease, which helped cleared the path for it to continue its chase.

“Run faster! That oversized bitch will get us if we don’t haul ass!” Bill exclaimed.

The survivors ran back into the apartment they left and they began to run up the staircase. Bill stopped to see if the Infected can get inside the building and surprisingly, it could. With elephantine strength, it destroyed the entrance, creating a large spacing big enough for it to enter the apartment. Bill followed the rest of the survivors up while the beast tailed him. Though the stairs were too small for the beast to fit in, his indestructible shoulders were enough to destroy the walls and railings. Bill was amazed by the sight and began to wonder if such a creature can be killed by gunfire. He continued up the stairs while the Infected continued its chase. Every time Bill turned a corner, he could see the beast running after him and the fear that came made him climb the stairs faster despite his bad knee.

When Bill reached the seventh floor, he was suddenly pulled into the floor by a pair of hands. He initially struggled, assuming it to be the tongue of another coughing Infected but halted when he turned to see that it was Francis. “What are you doing?” Bill queried. “Come with us. We have a plan.” Francis requested. Behind him was Louis, who was holding on to a long plank. Zoey asked the rest to follow her and without hesitation, Bill complied. The ground then began to tremble lightly, indicating the big monster’s presence.

Bill followed the trio to a room within the floor and unlike most rooms in the apartment, it had a lot of windows. Zoey snatched the plank from Louis and brought it to a window which was facing the rooftop of another building. Francis destroyed the window with a singular shot of his shotgun and Zoey positioned the plank between the window and rooftop, making a makeshift bridge. “Let’s get across before that jerk ass comes.” Zoey requested. She asked for Bill to go first due to his bad knee and he complied without a word.

Bill stepped on the plank and began to cross it. Due to the narrow width, Bill was forced to balance himself or he will fall down a seven storey height. He took his time to take each step but he kept telling himself that he needs to act fast or his loyal entourage will not survive with him. Eventually, he reached the other side and Zoey was the next one to cross. Unlike Bill, her steps were nimble and she had little trouble balancing herself. Bill helped her onto the rooftop when she was within reach and Louis was next to cross the plank. Like Zoey, he had little trouble crossing it.

Just as he was about to reach the rooftop, the plank began to tremble, causing Louis to lose his balance. He began swaying to his sides and he appeared to be in danger of falling down seven stories. Zoey quickly rushed in to help him by pulling him in to the rooftop, virtually saving his life. The plank began shaking and would have fallen off its position if it were not for Bill holding it in place. The trembling began to intensify and realizing the urge to act fast, Francis quickly attempted to cross the plank. Before he was given to chance to even touch the plank, the monstrous Infected appeared behind Francis, shocking the rest.

“Francis, that son of a bitch is behind you!” Bill shouted. Francis turned around and screamed out in fear at the sight. He began shooting out waves of shells at the monster, apparently hurting him but doing little to stop him. He decided to give up shooting it and stepped onto the plank to begin crossing it. He ran across the plank while Bill, backed up but Zoey and Louis, held on the plank to prevent it from falling off. Francis was halfway through the plank when suddenly, the beast caught up and destroyed the window-side of the plank. The plank began to fall apart and to save his own life, Francis hugged the plank; his auto shotgun still held in his hand. His allies combined their strengths to hold the plank while Francis began whimpering for his life.

“Come on…we need to pull him up!” Bill shouted. With all the strength that they could muster, Zoey, Louis and Bill pulled the plank in, with Francis still clutched to it. Their efforts proved effective and Francis was finally reunited with the rest. The Infected knew that it could no longer reach the survivors and hence, turned around and walked away, giving up its chase. Relieved that their problem was over, the survivors all laid on the floor, exhausted by the long run they had.

<p style="text-align:center">***

“That bitch killed my gang members. I have no idea what kind of vampire it was but it was a strong asshole and I mean it.” Francis explained. The survivors decided to take a brief rest on the rooftop and to let time fly, Francis decided on indulging the rest on his initial encounter with the monstrous Infected which they escaped. “I don’t know what this virus is capable of but if that…thing was created from it, I am suddenly enthusiastic to get out of this city. That big vampire can fling cars like beer cans and rip of the concrete on the floor without any problems. I hate vampires.” Francis added.

“So what now? Are we just going to sit here?” Zoey asked. Bill nodded and replied, “Yes, but not forever. The Army would probably decide to abandon us if we take too long. We are leaving in a few minutes and I don’t care if we are all tired. We can either get out of this city or die trying.” “I’m with Bill. No zombie is going to kill me that quickly. Ain’t no stopping me until my heart stops beating.” Louis boasted. Francis laughed and replied, “With that big thing walking around, I’m more than anxious to see you try Mr. Positive.”

Unlike the others, who managed to cross the plank unscathed, Francis’s calf was hurting and giving him some amount of discomfort. He recalled his legs hitting the brick wall of the building and the friction created while he attempted to climb the plank created a small burn on his calf. Zoey noticed that he was messaging his calf with faint grunts and realized that he was injured. She approached Francis with her first aid kit and asked, “Francis, are you legs hurt?” “Don’t worry about me Zoey. My legs are alright.” Francis claimed. Still, Zoey was not convinced.

“Pull up your pants and let me see your calf. I might be able to ease the pain. We cannot be having one of us limping while we struggle to survive out there.” Zoey requested. Though Francis was certain that his legs required no attention, he submitted to Zoey’s words and pull up his pants to reveal his burnt calf. “Friction burn. I can deal with this.” Zoey said. She placed her med kit onto the floor and began to search for several things in an attempt to heal Francis’s wound. “Are you sure you know what you are doing?” Francis asked, fearful of the girl’s actions. Zoey smiled and replied, “Bill asked me the same thing when I healed his injured knee.” She did several things to Francis’s burn, all of which were beyond Francis’s knowledge. Brief sparks of pain were felt when Zoey touched his burn but her actions were effective in making him feel better.

“Where did you learn all this medical stuff?” Francis asked. Bill and Louis’s attention then turned to Zoey, curious to know her answer. “Well, back then, my friend and I usually go deep into the wilderness with my parents to do some hunting. It was something which we usually do in the holidays and we were careful not to kill too much animals to avoid endangering them. Due to the dangers of the forests, my parents taught us about the first aid kit and how to heal different types of injuries. I was able to catch everything they taught me and ever since then, I would usually tend to my own wounds whenever I had one in my hunting trips. I never thought that such a skill would be useful in a zombie apocalypse.” Zoey explained.

Francis was somewhat impressed by her skills. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “Glad to have you with us Zoey. I mean, you saved me from that long-tongue freak and healed my leg. I owe you big time.” Zoey blushed upon hearing Francis’s words as she never had such a compliment before. She was also glad to have earned the respect of a big, mean biker. Although she tried to forget about her friend whom she lost, she could not help but imagine Francis to be Virgo. It all felt calm however, almost as if Virgo was thanking her for avenging his death. Her mind flew as memories flashed through.

“Alright people. I think it is time we start moving.” Bill said, snapping Zoey back into reality. He and Louis stood up and checked their rifles while Zoey helped Francis onto his feet. Louis nudged Zoey and asked, “Mind teaching us a bit about the first aid kit in the future? We could really use the knowledge.” Zoey nodded and showed a warm smile.

“Anything for you Louis. I owed you one for keeping me in high spirits back then.”

 Chapter 8: 

The survivors trudged down the apartment, which was strangely free of any Infected. Once they were back on the ground floor, Bill warned, “Keep your ears sharp people. We don’t want to run into that son of a bitch again.” The rest were quick to agree, especially Francis who survived two encounters with the massive Infected. Bill gestured to the others to follow him while he continued down the same dark alley where they last saw the large Infected.

The survivors watched with awe at the display of the monster’s strength. The dumpsters were mostly destroyed and the massive cracks on the floor showed how heavy the creature truly was. Massive holes on the walls, most likely caused by the beast’s restless fists, sent chills up Zoey’s spine. “I hope that big creature isn’t anywhere near us.” she commented. Louis nudged her and replied, “Hey don’t worry Zoey. We got each others’ backs right? That’s how we survived that big dude.” Zoey smiled warmly upon hearing Louis’s words. She nodded and replied, “Yeah. As long as we stay together, everything will be fine.”

“You two are correct. We will probably be dead if we never work together like we did just now. We are doing well so far and if we keep it up, we will one day laugh about this. So, what do you say people? Can we all promise to work together and help one another no matter the cost?” Bill added. “I do Bill. I won’t be leaving your side anytime soon.” Zoey answered. Louis smiled and replied, “You can count on me guys. Working together is what I do best.” “Hahaha! Now this is what I like! I always hated my gang’s idea of “every man for himself” and maybe that big ass vampire taught them a lesson. For saving my ass back there, you got Francis guarding your backs ladies.” Francis bellowed.

Marching through the many streets of the desolated city seemed long for the survivors but much to their amazement, Louis’s watch revealed that only forty-five minutes have gone and went. They had little encounters with the Infected and some were purposely avoided to conserve ammunition and energy. They had also seen several corpses of unfortunate survivors and to better ensure their own survivability, the corpses were looted. There were virtually no more mutants but Bill was not ready to let his senses down as he knew almost too well that the virus was only beginning its mutation.

Minutes flew and eventually, the survivors reached the start of the dirt path to the prison. As they observed the surrounding forest, which was pitch black and very dense, they knew that the trip would be a dangerous one. The silence only added to the spookiness as the forests would usually be filled with sounds of the nocturnal animals. Zoey shivered slightly in fear while Francis showed signs of being intimidated, with his eyes wide open and his legs ready to back away. Louis optimism mindset was close to changing but Bill barely appeared fearful.

He turned to the other three and told them, “Zombies didn’t scare us. This forest should be nothing to us. Let’s go.” The other three reluctantly nodded and tailed the seemingly brave soldier.

“You know, I always thought that forests are noisy at night but this silence is seriously awkward.” Louis commented. Francis asked, “You think the animals here became vampires?” Bill replied, “There is the possibility but until we see them, I ain’t going to jump into conclusions.” “Um…guys. Did you hear something?” Zoey queried as she came to a halt.

The survivors halted and heard what appeared to be peculiar growling. There were more than one of them and all of them seemed to be coming from the nearby bushes. They raised their weapons to prepare themselves for a possible battle. As they looked around for the source of the noise, Zoey heard one of the growls coming from the bush right behind her. She turned to the bush and approached it slowly. Her heart beat faster as she came close and when she pushed the bushes aside, she was given the shock of her life.

A hooded Infected, who was crawling on all fours, was hiding behind the bushes and screeched at the sight of Zoey. She backed away and attempted to shoot the Infected but all her panicked shots missed. Suddenly, right after the Infected lowered himself towards the ground; he propelled and leaped towards Zoey, its hands full of razor-sharp claws forward. The force was powerful enough to knock Zoey supine onto the ground while he was mounted on top of her. With his claws, he began to stab Zoey’s torso while the other survivors watched with awe.

Bill, stricken by Zoey’s screams of pain, immediately rushed towards the Infected pinning her and shoved him off her with his shoulder. He hit the Infected hard with his rifle’s butt but it seemed unhurt by it. The Infected shrieked but was eventually silenced when Bill shot him in the head. Louis and Francis ran towards Zoey, who was holding on to the side of her body in pain, in an attempt to help her out. Louis helped her onto her feet while Francis picked up her rifle.

“Can you walk girl?” Louis asked. Before she could answer, she felt a stab of pain coming from the side of her body and she took her hand off the wound to see blood smudged all over her hand. Shocked by the sight, Louis rested her arm around his neck and told her, “You’re in a pretty bad shape. Let me help you out.”

Suddenly, four more Infected jumped out of the bushes, all of which looked very similar to the hooded Infected. They were also crawling on all fours and were making strange growls which greatly resembled the growl they previously heard. Louis, Francis and Zoey found themselves surrounded and unable to fight as Francis had no free hand and Louis was holding on to Zoey, who was injured. Bill saw the hooded Infected surrounding his entourage and realizing that they could not fight back, he ran towards the Infected and began shooting at the, catching their attention.

“I’ll hold them off! Get Zoey out of here!” Bill shouted towards Francis and Louis. They quickly complied while Bill turned his attention to the four Infected crawling slowly towards him. Bill backed off while his eyes were fixed on them. He was waiting for their first move to avoid falling for any unpredicted attacks. One of the Infected suddenly leaped towards him and without hesitation, Bill swung his rifle, hitting the Infected’s head midair and it fell onto the ground, dead. Another one leaped towards Bill but missed when Bill rolled under him. He then kicked the Infected in the head as he was turning around, causing him to stumble backwards. Bill then heard loud growls and turn around in time to see the other two, standing up and attempting to claw him. Bill backed away and was about to shoot them when the Infected behind him kicked him, causing him to drop his rifle.

“I would murder you sons of bitches with my bare hands if I have to!” Bill taunted.

Louis leaned Zoey against a tree and began to search her first aid kit for any medication. Though untrained in the use of the first aid kit, he tried to see if he could help ease Zoey’s pain. He dug out most of the medications before he was halted by a loud scream which he recognized as Bill’s. Francis turned to Louis and exclaimed, “Look, I know we are helping Zoey out but I am not leaving that old man behind!” Without hesitation, Francis dropped Zoey’s rifle and ran off, leaving Louis and Zoey alone.

When Louis turned to Zoey, he was met with surprise when he saw Zoey standing up while holding on to her wound. He requested, “What are you doing Zoey? Sit down.” However, Zoey shook her head and answered, “Bill needs help and I am not going to let one injury stop me from helping him.” Louis retorted, “Zoey, you can’t really fight with many stab wounds on your side.” “I don’t care. I’d rather die than see Bill die.” Zoey replied. She trudged to her rifle and began to walk away, leaving a stunned Louis behind. Still worried about Zoey’s health, Louis picked up his weapon and ran to her side.

“Alright. I’m with you. Let’s go help him.”

Francis arrived at the scene to see a weaponless Bill, struggling to fight against the three Infected. He was limping and seemed to struggle balancing himself. Francis ran in and began to send waves of shells at the three Infected but was stopped by one of them, who leaped towards him and swatted his shotgun aside with a single swipe. Francis ran to his dropped weapon and was just about to reach it when he was suddenly shoved by the same Infected. He landed onto his back and was mounted by the Infected in a manner similar to how Zoey was pounced. The Infected just about to claw Francis but was quickly silenced by a single shot to the head. Francis looked up to see the killer and much to his surprise, it was Zoey.

Louis then ran in and managed to kill another one of the Infected with his rifle. The last Infected leaped towards Louis but was killed midair by a shell from Francis’s shotgun. “Son of a bitch!” Francis exclaimed. Bill dropped onto the floor with exhaustion and relief, glad that the encounter was finally over.

“You alright old man?” Francis asked. Bill sat up and held on to his knee, which was hurting. He answered, “God damn bastard managed to kick my bad knee. If I never had this bad knee, I would have kicked their asses.” “Yeah sure you would. Come on. Let me help you up.” Francis said as he reached out for Bill. He helped Bill back onto his feet and told Bill, “No more hero acts alright old man? Don’t want some kid to be writing a novel about this. Save some for me.”

Suddenly, Bill heard Zoey, growling in pain. He turned to her and saw her dropping onto her knees while still holding on to her wounds. He and the others ran to her, worried about her condition. “Why did you two not let her rest?” Bill asked, seemingly angry at Louis and Francis. Louis was just about to reply when Zoey told Bill, “Don’t blame them Bill. I told them not to worry about me.” He turned back to Zoey and was shocked to hear her words. “Zoey, you’re hurt. Why would you…” “I don’t want to be a liability to the group Bill. You said it yourself. We have to stick together. I don’t want to be the reason for your death.” Zoey answered.

Bill placed his hands on her shoulder and told her, “But not to this extent Zoey. You’re injured and I will not let those bastards get an injured ally of mine.” “Yeah but so are you.” Zoey retorted. Bill replied, “Well what do you expect? I am a Nam veteran. I came here to help people like you three and I’ve already lost a soldier back at that city. I am not going lose another, especially his still living best friend.” Zoey remained silent as traumatic memories embraced her thoughts. Bill then told her, “Listen, sorry that I brought up a sensitive subject but you’re injured. If you think of it as a liability, then let that injury heal so you won’t be a liability.” Zoey looked up to Bill and he was surprised to see her slightly teary.

“I don’t want to leave your side…I told you that not too long ago. I don’t want to lose you like how I lost Virgo.” Zoey choked, struggling through her slight spasm. Bill sighed, disappointed by the fact that he ran out of words to say. However, in his heart, he was truly amazed at how stubborn, but selfless Zoey truly is. Francis and Louis also had similar opinions and both were also beginning to respect the old soldier who risked his life for them.

“Alright. I guess I was being reckless but do know that I did what I did because I care about your safety. I am a soldier and my duty is to protect the civilians, even if it wasn’t an order. No matter what, your safety will be my top priority but from now on, I won’t leave your side unless I have to.” Bill reassured her. He stood up, turned to Louis and Francis and told them, “And thank you two for cooperating with me.” Louis replied, “It’s all good.” while Francis said, “No problem old pal.” “Bill…” Zoey said while she tried to stand up despite her wound.

“Thank you.” she said with a nod. Bill smiled and told her, “You might want to patch yourself up. We still have a long journey ahead.

 Chapter 9: 

Virtually no Infected were encountered in the forest, though it came with no surprise to the survivors considering how foolish it was for one to go into the dense forest without aid. The survivors eventually arrived at the prison and the sight of the abandoned building brought back memories to the mind of Francis. “Feels almost like home looking at this old shit. Reminded me of my last visit to a prison. Wasn’t too pleasant but nothing too bad too. Still, I hate prisons.” he commented. Louis nudged him and asked, “I can’t help but wonder: How long have you been in prison Francis?” He turned to Louis and grinned.

“Long enough to know you’ve got a pretty mouth.”

Bill opened the twin doors at the entrance, expecting to see an empty room. However, he saw several dark figures wandering in the darkness. His heart raced in anxiety as he had no idea what those figures are. He turned on his flashlight and the enraged expressions of angry Infected were met. “Bucko Crazies inbound!” Bill bellowed while running away from the twin doors towards his entourages.

Upon dispatching the Infected attackers with waves of bullets, the survivors went into the prison. The first room they entered was a makeshift safe room with a metallic door on the opposite side. Weapons were stashed all over along with med kits and bottle of pain pills. Several furniture and kitchen utensils were found on several corners of the room, which was rather peculiar considering the fact that the building is a prison.

“Poor bastards must be trying to barricade themselves inside this room. Seems like one Infected was enough to wipe their minds out.” Bill commented as he looked at the corpses of the Infected that they recently killed. “Well, at least we can use the items that they left. Hopefully, they still have food left. I have been starving.” Louis said. Francis nudged him and retorted, “Man that brain of yours is bugging me. We are here to get our asses out of this city and you are thinking of food.” “But Francis, don’t you feel tired after all this walking?” Louis asked. Francis shook his head with seeming pride.

“I am indestructible.” he said with a smirk.

“Like or not Francis, Louis is right. We haven’t eaten for quite some time now and we can’t kill zombies without energy. Besides, think about Zoey. She was stabbed by a mutant bitch and could probably use the extra energy. Not to mention your injured leg and my bad knee.” Bill said. Zoey turned to Francis, shrugged and told him, “Actually, I am pretty hungry.” “Alright then ladies, we shall have a short meal here but of course, only if those already dead vampires kept some.” Francis declared. Fortunately, Louis managed to find a group of boxes filled with snacks, instant noodles and drinks while Francis was speaking.

After putting their weapons aside, the survivors looked into the boxes and picked out food that may still be edible. Zoey took some of the snacks and soft drinks which she used to enjoy eating back at her dormitory. Nostalgia briefly overwhelmed her and she remembered eating snacks with Virgo once but swiftly discarded the thoughts. She went to a corner and began eating. Francis also took snacks and soft drinks as he had little regard for the type of food and drinks he consumes as long as it is tasty and edible. Bill picked instant food along with plain drinks as it resembled the rations which he had back at Vietnam. He took all the necessary items he needed, like a mash tin, and began cooking. Louis, unlike the others, was fairly picky and took quite a while to choose. He disliked snacks and instant food but having no choice, he just took the instant food and cooked them with Bill.

While Zoey was consuming her snacks, she was visited by Francis. He asked, “Mind if I sit next to you?” She shook her head and Francis quickly sat next to her. As he tore open his snack packet, he queried, “Your injuries alright?” Zoey turned to Francis and replied, “Yeah I guess. Only occasional stings of pain. I could use those painkillers that those unfortunate people left behind.” “I know what’s it like to be stabbed. I am honestly surprised that a girl like you is able to stand and walk even after being stabbed like that.” Francis added. Zoey’s brow rose with surprised. “You were stabbed before? By who and why?” she queried.

“Well, as you probably know, I was from a gang. We call ourselves, Hell’s Legion, and we ruled the damned streets.” Francis explained. “Hell’s Legion? I heard that name in the news many times. You and your gang did quite a lot, though I never saw you in the screen.” Zoey said. Francis chuckled and replied, “That’s the beauty of being indestructible. No officers can stop me, though like I mentioned earlier, I was in prison long enough to feel like home here. We kicked the asses of other gangs like Angels of Death, Motocross Bikers and many more. In our fun battles, we had scars. I was shot in the arm once, I was stabbed once and if you look at my mouth properly, you can see a permanent scar. Don’t remember where I got this shit from though.”

“You seem to like being a biker in a gang, even though it threatens your life.” Zoey commented. Francis shrugged and added, “Like the things we do, yes. Dedicated to my goddamn gang, yes. Like my gang buddies, not really. I hate some of them.” “What do you mean?” Zoey queried. “You see, some of them assholes follow a stupid motto called, “Every man for himself” and that’s the reason why the police keeps catching me. They bolted off when the police came and I, being a man, stayed and fought the police until they knocked me out. Damned idiots. Some of them even turned me into a giant-vampire bait. You three are much better than them assholes.” Francis explained.

“But, I do like some of my gang buddies and some of them were against that damned motto. They didn’t survive longer than the big assholes though.” He added. “What happened to them?” Zoey asked. Francis replied, “Damned soldiers killed them, mistaken them for vampires. I don’t really hate the Army before that happened but now, I hate them for what they did. Believe it or not, I was with Louis not only because he and I are buddies now but also because I don’t want the Army to be killing him like they did to my good old pals.” “I’m so sorry. I know how you feel. I lost my friend to a…um…vampire.” Zoey replied. Francis’s brow rose and he said, “Wow, we have much in common, well except that I am indestructible.”

“Hey Bill, I just want to say that you were pretty brave back there when those mutants attacked us.” Louis commented. Bill looked at him and replied, “I’ve lost enough to know that I would be a dumbass to be losing more.” “I know what you mean. I lost a friend to an Infected while we were holding out at a warehouse. It really sucks if you are the only one who survives while you are surrounded by corpses of your friends.” Louis added. Bill then said, “That happened to me many times back at Nam. You make friends for twenty weeks and then you lose them in twenty seconds. Losing my friends isn’t the worse however.” ‘What is the worse?” Louis asked out of curiosity.

“Killing my own wife and daughter after they turned into one of the Infected. Lived with them for 20 years, lost them in twenty seconds. Goddamn horseshit.” Bill answered. The amount of sympathy that Louis met upon hearing Bill’s words was almost overwhelming. “Wow. I’m sorry to hear that.” Louis said. “I had nothing more to lose and that is why I decided to volunteer in looking for survivors. I figured that I’ve killed enough lives in Vietnam and in my own home and I thought that I should begin helping others instead. I vow not to kill any more innocent lives and I still stand by that vow. And like I told Zoey, I’ll see peace back on Earth if I gotta murder every one of these animals with my own bare hands.” As he continued listening to Bill, Louis began to gain more respect for the elderly soldier.

“Speaking of Zoey, she lost her best friend to an Infected and that was my last loss so far. I am not going to lose another and I am willing to give my life for any of you three. I am sick and tired of losing and I want to keep all that I have left alive and well.” Bill added. Louis nodded and replied, “And if we stick together, you don’t have to worry about that. None of us are going to die, well at least not yet. We will survive this apocalypse.” “And that is why I like your attitude son. Sometimes I wish I am as optimistic as you. I can barely smile while remembering all the shit that I lost.” Bill commented.

<p style="text-align:center">***

“Alright people, are you ready to move out?” Bill’s question was quickly answered with nods. “Prepare your weapons. We are going to sweep this building for the radio. Keep your ears sharp. We are supposed to hear a tape loop. Let’s move out.” Opening the heavily fortified metal door, Bill and his entourage marched out of the safe room with their refilled stomachs and weapons. They walked through the pitch black hallway and opened the door on the opposite end into one of the many cell blocks. The wide open space was intimidating and the abandoned cells sent chills up the survivors’ spine. The hardened Bill, however, was not afraid and he ordered his group to follow him towards a flight of stairs.