Brent Acuff - Undead Nation 02 (17 page)

Footsteps behind the group announced the arrival of the security team. Each man had a hard look about him and kept his finger near the trigger of their rifles. Their unit leader stepped forward and spoke to Alex and his men. "Each of you needs to return to your rooms, by order of Security Chief Byron Flores. You are to remain their for the duration of your stay here. Your needs will be met, but under no circumstances are you allowed to wander the building or congregate..."

"No, just wait a minute," Donovan protested. Two of the security guards began to raise their rifles, silencing Donovan.

"Under threat of confinement," Eric Hunter finished. He gestured with his head down the hall. "Go, or you will be detained."

Dr. Cahn looked to each of the men and nodded his head. "Go, everyone. I'll go have a talk with Chief Flores. Don't cause any problems. I'll handle this"

Alex and his team began shuffling down the hallway to their respective rooms, each followed by a security guard. Dr. Cahn started to head back towards Chief Flores' office, but was stopped by Eric Hunter. "That includes you, doc. Everyone is confined to their rooms for the remainder of their stay, no exceptions."

Dr. Cahn looked to the young security guard and gave him the look of a disapproving grandfather. "Come on, son. I just want to speak with the boss. I think that there has been some hurt feelings and miscommunication, and I just want to clear things up." He waited a moment to let the young guard ponder the offer.

"Fine," Guard Hunter said. "Follow me." The young guard turned and led Dr. Cahn back towards the security chief's office. He entered the room with the doctor following close behind. "Chief Flores, the doctor..."

"Gun!" Chief Flores yelled as Dr. Cahn reached forward and expertly removed the Beretta 9mm from Guard Hunter's holster. The young man spun on his heels, raising his rifle in one fluid motion.

"Don't!" Dr. Cahn yelled as he aimed the gun at the young guard. Eric Hunter squeezed the trigger of his rifle. The gun exploded and blood sprayed from Dr. Cahn's stomach. The Beretta barked once, tearing a hole through the young man's forehead. Brains and blood erupted in a wet cloud as the bullet tore a baseball sized hole in the back of the guard's head.

"Don't...move..." Dr. Cahn breathed to Chief Flores. "We are going to talk."

"You don't get to make demands here, doctor!" the chief barked, but a wave of Dr. Cahn's Beretta silenced him.

"I believe, according to your own depiction of events, that I have every right to make demands. I have the gun, you don't." The doctor's breath was coming in gasps and he held his free hand over the gunshot wound in his stomach and grimaced from the pain. "Now, shut up and listen."

Dr. Cahn moved around the desk to stand behind the security chief. The gunfire had drawn the attention of the guards in the hall, and they were now rushing into the office, guns held at the ready.

"Stop, and put down your rifles!" the doctor yelled at the guards. He stood behind the security chief with the Beretta trained on the man's head, and made sure to keep the chief in between the guards and himself.
 

The guards ignored the demands of the doctor, yelling over one another him to drop the gun and let the security chief go. Dr. Cahn's own demands added to the cacophony. The noise rose to a feverish pitch, threatening to spill over into more violence, when a motion from behind the guards caught the doctor and security chief's eye.

Alex and Donovan flew into the room behind the guards, swinging clubs and taking out two of the guards in an instant. A second swing brought down two more. The last guard began to turn and face the attackers, but Donovan's club came down hard on the back of his head. He squeezed the trigger of his rifle as he fell and a gunshot cracked through the room. The security chief screamed.

Blood covered the large wooden desk that sat in front of Chief Flores. The bullet from the guard's rifle had entered the left side of the chief's chest, just to the right of his heart. It tore a path diagonally through his chest cavity, exiting his back just below the right shoulder blade. Blood and gore splattered onto Dr. Cahn standing behind. The color drained out of Byron Flores' face. He swayed once and slumped across the desk scattering its contents to the floor.

Noticing the dead guard Hunter on the floor, Alex immediately asked, "Dr. Cahn, are you okay?"

"I'll, I'll be alright," the doctor said then slumped to the floor behind the desk.

"Doctor!" Alex yelled and ran to the fallen man. The doctor was covered in blood, and Alex couldn't tell if he was truly injured or not. When Alex saw the man holding his stomach with one bloody hand, fear gripped him. "Doc...Dr. Cahn? Are you hurt? Were you hit?"

Dr. Cahn nodded his head. "Stomach. First guard shot me. Didn't mean to kill him...anyone..." The doctor groaned and doubled over.
 

"Donovan, help me. We've got to get him out of here." Footsteps in the hallway drew their attention, but only Shawn and Luke raced in. Each man quickly surveyed the scene and began policing weapons and tying up guards.
 

"What's the plan?" Shawn shouted to Alex. "We can't stay here."

"Doc's been shot," Alex announced, causing everyone in the room to turn in his direction. Concern covered their faces.

"How bad?" Luke asked. It was because of Dr. Cahn's medical attention that he was even alive. "What do we do?"

"I, I don't know!" Alex said. He was the most scared he had been during this entire ordeal right now. Right now, Alex did not know what to do.

"Help me lay him flat," came a feminine voice from beside him. Alex looked up to see Liam and Hayden ushering Theresa Hill in through a set of glass doors leading outside. "Lay him flat and put pressure on the wound. Liam, two of you need to go down to the first floor, south side of the house. Chief Flores had set up an infirmary there, where Dr. Cahn treated your wounded. Bring back lots of gauze, a suture kit, scalpels and some penicillin and morphine. Doctor? Dr. Cahn?" she asked in a soothing voice. "I'm going to patch you up, but you've got to stay awake. You've got to help me, okay?"

Dr. Cahn squeezed his eyes shut against the pain, but nodded. "Go, Liam. And hurry back."

"Take some weapons," Donovan called back. "There are still some security guards out there. And be careful." Liam and Shawn hurried out the office door on their task, grabbing rifles as they went.

"Alex, keep the pressure on that wound. Don't take your hand off at all, okay? Alex, okay?" Theresa had to ask the question of Alex twice. He was in a daze, glassy eyed and didn't seem to be connected to anything. "I need you to stay with me, Alex. I'm going to need some help." Alex's eyes cleared and he nodded his understanding. "Good. Breath easy Dr. Cahn. It's going to be okay. Donovan?" Theresa said. "Get some weapons, and don't let anyone in."

Donovan looked to Luke and Hayden from across the room and moved towards the cache of weapons. Luke and Hayden joined him.

-----

Blood covered the floor of the security chief's office. Chief Flores lay on the floor next to the body of Security Guard Eric Hunter. Drapes from the window covered the lifeless bodies. Dr. Cahn had been moved to a bed just down the hall from where the impromptu surgery had taken place. No one knew if he would actually pull through the ordeal, but for the time he was resting comfortably. The doctor had guided Theresa Hill through the procedure by looking into a mirror. Several times Theresa and Alex had to work to revive the doctor as he tried to pass out from the pain.

Alex now stood on the overhang outside the office, still covered in the doctor's blood. His reverie was broken by a voice coming to meet him outside.
 

"He's resting now, Alex. We'll just have to wait and see how he does. He lost a lot of blood." Alex turned to see Theresa Hill making her way slowly across the overhang to meet him. "How are you doing?"

Alex chuckled, but there was no humor in the act. "How am I doing? I'm not the one that's been shot. At least, not this time." Alex absently rubbed at the bullet wound on his thigh that only two days ago Dr. Cahn had treated.
 

"I know you're not hurt, or anything, but you froze back there, when the doctor was hurt. Are you okay?" Alex turned away from Theresa. He felt ashamed at his actions, at his inability to act.

"I'm fine. It was just overwhelming," Alex said. Theresa squeezed his arm and gave him a sympathetic look.
 

"You don't always have to have the answers, Alex. Sometimes, someone else needs to lead and you follow." She gave his arm a second squeeze and they both turned to see Donovan and Liam in the doorway.

"The rest of the guards have been rounded up. The ones we knocked out are sleeping it off, but are under guard until we can see where their loyalties are going to lie. The rest," and Liam chuckled at the thought, "well, they rolled over just as soon as we told them Flores and Hunter were dead. Apparently they weren't too happy with how things were turning out here either."

"How many?" Alex asked.

"Twelve," Donovan answered. "Five were patrolling the grounds when we made our move, and one we subdued before heading to the doctor's aide. Those six have said they'll help us. The others?" Donovan looked over his shoulder in the direction of the rooms where they were sleeping. "We'll have to wait and see."

Alex nodded his head, deep in thought. "They'll come with us," he said, almost to himself. "Get everyone else together. We need to finalize our plans for getting out of here." Alex started and turned to Theresa worried. "Where's your daughter? Is she okay? Oh my god, I never asked..."

Theresa held up a hand and stopped Alex's frantic questions. "She's fine. We stay in rooms on the third floor at the opposite end of the building. She was in no danger whatsoever. Thank you for checking." Theresa smiled at Alex, and leaning in said to him, "Thank you for coming to get us," and turned back toward the house. "Let me know when we are leaving. Get yourself cleaned up. There are uniforms in the guard room. Enough for each of you and they should fit." She disappeared into the building between Liam and Donovan who looked from her, to each other, then to Alex. Liam smiled.

"That's one cool chick," he said and clapped Donovan on the shoulder. Donovan's grin was just as big as Liam's. Alex was not amused.
 

"Get everyone together. Let's make some plans."

-----

"Seriously? That's your plan?" Nathan Simpson, formerly of the Hill Security Force, was taken aback at the plan which Liam set down before them.

"You got anything better?" Liam said. "Look at the merits. Look at the logic. Nothing is going to stop that train." Nathan looked at the other security guards around him, trying to find support. He didn't get any.

The security team had all come around to support Alex and his men, choosing to go with Alex on their trek out of Austin. The six members of the security team, once they finally woke up from their concussions, were told of what had transpired during their forced sleep. When presented with their options, take your chances on the road to New Hope, or stay behind and take your chances, with limited resources, here at the soon to be abandoned Hill house. The chose New Hope.

"It really is rather simple, gentlemen. We make our way to the rail station. There is one not too far from here, just outside of downtown Austin. Hijack the train engine, preferably one with a rail car attached. And make our way out of town." Liam smiled big and look very proud of himself. "Not much is going to be able to get in the way of the train, let alone stop it. Certainly not a group of rotting corpses. Load everyone in the rail car, lock the doors, and toot toot. We're gone."

"It's that simple?" Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup, that simple. You ready to go?" Liam asked, a little more excited than anyone was really feeling.

Alex stepped in, hoping to be the voice of reason. "It's a good plan, Liam. And the only plan that we are going to entertain. Now, you're sure that you can figure out how to get it going?" Alex was somewhat concerned that they would be stuck in the train yard, trying unsuccessfully to get a train up and running.

"Shouldn't be too difficult. Electronics and keys. We should be okay," Liam reassured Alex.

"Okay. Everyone get some sleep. It is going to be a long day tomorrow, and we are leaving as soon as the sun is up. Donovan?" Alex got the attention of the big man. "Make up a security rotation for the night. Four on for two hours. Two of ours, two of theirs."

Donovan interrupted Alex with a question. "Won't that mean that some of us will have to pull double shifts?"

"Yes," Alex confirmed and turned to Nathan. "Sorry, but considering the, um, events of the last few nights, I need my men on duty with your men. I don't want to say that I don't trust you, but, well, I don't trust you. This way, everyone will keep an eye on everyone else."
 

Nathan shook his head and cursed under his breath. "Whatever you say, captain."

"Alex," he corrected. "I'm no captain, just Alex. And don't get your panties in a wad. Trust will come with time."

"Whatever," Nathan said under his breath. "We'll do our part. Just tell us what to do."

Alex nodded once, hoping that the trust he was placing in these men was not going to backfire on him. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Twelve extra guns would give them a better chance of getting out of Austin, but only if the men could be trusted to follow orders.

"Donovan, make your assignments. Nathan," Alex said turning to the security guard, "once the assignments are made, I need to go over procedures with you and your team. Four at a time..."

"I think we can handle this without tutorials, sir," Nathan cut in.
 

"No, you can't. Not from what I've seen here," Alex reprimanded. "Through little or no fault of your own, you and your men have been going about this situation completely ass-backwards. I need to get your men up to speed, and quickly. My men know how to handle themselves out there, but I need to make sure your men understand what they are up against..."