Omega Virus (Book 2): Revisited (25 page)

              “Are you fucking kidding me?” Hope says, “What about them?”

              “They went out together, with a plan. They didn’t just rush out,” Brad says trying to keep her from leaving.

              “Look you have to choices right now… Get out of my way or I’ll get you out of my way,” Hope threatens.

              “This won’t end well Hope,” Brad says, “You don’t want to do anything stupid.” The two stare each other down, electricity sparking from each of their eyes, “please, just trust me.”

              Hope clasps her hand around the handle of her sword, the top of the blade poking out as she starts to free it from its home, only to be stopped by the sound of the door bursting open, the brass doorknob slamming into the wall leaving a small dent in the plaster.

              “We have to go, NOW!” Mika says between pants as he stands in the doorway, the barrel of his gun still smoking.

              “Where’s Fanny?” Hope asks expecting the worse, “What happened to her?”

              “She’s in the Jeep waiting for us,” Mika says impatiently, “now let’s go!”

              Brad grabs his bag and tosses it over his shoulders. He then turns and picks up the second bag tossing it to Mika who catches it and waves for the others to rush out the door.  A soft rumbling is heard off in the distance. Vibrations shake the very ground they stand on. Mika pushes Hope, forcing her to move as she looks for the source of the sound.

              “What is that?” Hope asks, swatting Mika’s hands off her back. “Is that Zombies?”

              “We’ll explain in the car, just keep going!” Mika says.

              Dust flies up off in the distance as the Jeep swerves through the dust stopping beside the small group. The trio dive into the vehicle and Fanny slams her foot down on the gas, spinning the wheels, kicking up dust as the speed away from the old liquor store.

              “Now will someone please explain to me just what the FUCK is going on?” Hope cries from the backseat of the Jeep.

              Fanny looks through the rearview mirror. Hope can see the top right quarter of her face looking back at her, a new cut still bleeding beside her eye. Hope glances over at Brad sitting beside her in the back, his attention turned to the everlasting nothingness of the outside.

              “Will someone please start talking?” Hope orders. “What was all that back there? Zombies?”

              “Yeah,” Fanny says letting out a quick sigh of relief, “but I think we got out of there just in…” She slams on the brakes, turning the Jeep to the side, stopping right in front of a horde of Zombies.

Chapter 20

              Fanny shifts the Jeep into reverse and slams her foot down on the accelerator sending the vehicle backwards.

              “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!” Fanny cries as she turns herself around looking out the back window.

              Hope has her hands gripped firmly on the seat as she holds herself still, her face lacking color and her eyes closed tightly. Brad has toppled over sideways, the top half of his body hovering just above the floorboards. Fanny turns back around and sharply cuts the wheel, her foot hitting the brakes as she does. A group groan is heard as she turns the vehicle around and drives forward.

              “Where are we going? Mika asks.

              “I don’t know!” Fanny cries, “we have less than a quarter tank and we don’t know how many there are.”

              “And we’re going the wrong way,” Hope points out, her normal color slowly returning.

              “I know, I know!” Fanny shouts back.

              She hits the brakes again, turning the steering wheel sending Brad and Mika into their doors and Hope sliding into Brad.

              “Will you stop doing that!” Mika screams, trying to keep what little food in his stomach from coming up.

              “Sorry,” Fanny says gripping the wheel tightly, her foot revving the accelerator, “but it is only my second time ever driving.”

              “What?” Mika asks shocked.

              “Well I was barely thirteen when the world went to Hell. Since then I’ve been living in a military base on a remote island… so forgive me,” Fanny says putting the vehicle in drive.

              All four tires spin rapidly over the hot gravel, the smell of burning rubber penetrates through the small cracks in the windows. The four survivors are thrown back against their leather covered seats, each one holding on the best he or she can as they make it back to the horde, still waiting for them. Fanny glances down at the speedometer, watching it rise quickly from thirty five to sixty miles. Thuds are heard from each side of the Jeep, scratching and scraping sounds pierce through each of their ears with each Zombie they hit. Hope looks out the window, her eyes wide with terror as she watches a Zombie cling to her door. Its boney fingers’ probing through the metal as it slowly climbs the side. Its milky eyes never remove themselves from Hope’s.

              “We’ve got company!” Hope calls out.

              “This side too,” Brad replies cocking his guns.

              “Do what you can to take care of them,” Fanny cries as the car swerves from side to side.

              “Don’t worry doll, I’m on it!” Brad says rolling his window down.

              He maneuvers his body justly, hanging the top half of his body out the window just enough to get the Zombies in his sight. He fires shots randomly, hitting them the best he can.

              “YEE HAW!” Brad cries out after several shots, “now this is a hoot!”

              “How about you celebrate after you manage to knock that thing off the side of the Jeep!” Mika growls.

After roughly half a dozen shots he manages to shoot off the Zombie’s hands, releasing it from the side of the vehicle. Hope mimics Brad’s action, her sword drawn from its sheath and hanging out the window with her. She hacks and slashes the undead monstrosity as it fights back with its boney claws. Hope lifts the sword as high as she can before driving the tip of the blade through the Zombie’s chest and force the sharp edge out the side. Several organs and various parts become exposed. Hope swipes the sword again, finally making contact with the creature’s neck. It takes some force but she manages to pull the blade the rest of the way through the decaying skin, finally decapitating the monster, freeing it from the side of the vehicle.

“Clear,” Hope says, plopping back into her seat an exhausted look on her face.

The Jeep starts to stutter, the steering wheel locking tightly.

“What’s going on?” Mika asks holding onto the dashboard as the vehicle swerves off the road.

“We’re out of gas,” Fanny answers.

“Well that’s just great,” Mika groans, “what are we going to do now?”

“What do you think we’re going to do?” Fanny asks sarcastically as she pushes a backpack onto his lap. “We get out and walk.”

“In this heat, with no idea where we’re going?” Mika asks, his hands flailing with each syllable, “That’s suicide!”

“Better than sitting here, waiting for those undead fuckers,” Hope remarks opening her door.

“But we don’t even know if we’re going the right way,” Mika growls again.

“Look, you can stay here if you want,” Fanny says climbing out of the Jeep, her head still poking inside, “it shouldn’t be long before the Zombies get here. You can fight them all off, right?”

Mika grunts and groans, his eyes rolling several times before he grabs the bag and joins the others outside.

“We can’t be that far,” Hope says pointing down the road at a green highway sign. In faded white letters they can make out “
Houston five miles
.”

“Well that’s a plus at least,” Mika says, a sour look on his face.

“That’s the only plus,” Brad says pulling on Fanny’s sleeve, turning her around and turning her attention to the half dozen Zombies limping and staggering toward them.

“What do we do?” Mika asks holding out his gun, “Do we fight or run?”

“Nowhere to run,” Brad says checking his clips, “I say we fight first.”

“No,” Hope says holding him back, “we can’t win this.”

“We have to try,” Brad argues.

“No, Hope’s right,” Fanny says cutting him off, “there’s too many of them.”

“Where do we go then?” Brad asks uncocking his guns.

“Follow the sign,” Hops says nodding her head.

“Not so fast,” a growl whispers through the wind.

The Zombies part down the middle as a massive beast pounds its massive feet. The new creature almost looks like an ape. With a huge hunched body, long arms that almost drag on the ground with each shuffling step.

“What are you?” Fanny asks pushing Hope behind her.

“I am your destiny,” The hideous creature roars, “I am what you will all become. I am the next stage in human development!”

“So you’re not a Zombie?” Brad asks confused.

“I’m more than a Zombie or a Human, I am the future!” The beast roars again.

“Yeah, about that,” Brad says as he rushes the creature, his guns firing wildly, the bullets bouncing off the creature’s body. Brad’s pistols click several times, out of ammo before he tosses them off to the side. He kicks the creature in the chest with his boot, sending it stumbling backwards, “I prefer to live in the present.”

“Funny,” The creature laughs deeply, “because you won’t be alive for long.”

The beast gets back on its stubby legs and swings its massive arm wildly knocking Brad backward.

“Go check on Brad,” Fanny orders Mika who looks at her momentarily hesitant before he rushes over to Brad’s side.

“What about us?” Hope asks, still stuck behind her protective friend.

“You are going to run, as fast as you can. I’m going to fight ugly,” Fanny says.

“Fanny, No!” Hope cries.

“Do as I say,” Fanny says pushing her away, “find the other survivors, save them.”

“I can’t leave you,” Hope yells.

“You’re not,” Fanny smirks, “you’re finishing the job you volunteered for.”

Hope’s face drops in horror, “but…”

“No, GO!” Fanny roars.

Hope takes a few steps away, her eyes looking down at her father’s sword, then back up at Fanny. “Here, use this to kill that ugly son of a bitch.”

Fanny takes the sword out of the sheath with a sad look in her eyes as she watches Hope scuttle off toward Brad and Mika. She can almost hear them arguing off in the distance before finally following Hope away. Fanny turns her attention back to the big, ape like monstrosity, both her hands gripped firmly around the handle of the sword. She rushes toward the beast, the silver steel gleaming in the sun as she takes the first swipe, making contact with the horrendous creature.

“You are a fool to fight me alone,” The beast chuckles, “together you may have stood a chance, but alone you shall fall by my hand.”

“Then so be it.”

              Hope drags Mika and Brad behind her. An empty feeling hits her in the bottom of her stomach. She turns back after sensing the other two have stopped behind her.

              “What are you doing?” she asks irritated.

              “We can’t just leave her alone back there,” Brad says, catching his breath.

              “She told me to get to Houston and that’s what I plan on doing,” Hope says forcibly.

              “You’d let her die?” Brad asks walking over to her, his arm pressed against his ribs.

              “Look I don’t like it any more then you do,” Hope says, “but she made up her mind.”

              “Fine, do what you want, but I can’t just leave her,” Brad says, his voice loud with authority.

              “That isn’t your call,” Hope growls.

              “Not hers either,” Brad says limping away, “I don’t know if you recall it or not, but I never agreed to having a leader. I make my own choices, and I do my own thing.”

              “Fine, go off and die then,” Hope cries.

              “You know he’s right, don’t you?” Mika asks, his voice calm and soothing as he tries not to cause further distress.

              “Of course I do,” Hope murmurs. “But there is no way any of us survive if we go back there.”

              “It’s better to die as a team, then live in regret,” Mika says patting her on the shoulder, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

              She watches as Mika catches up to the limping Brad and wraps his arm around him, heling to take away some of the pain.
I don’t know what to do,
Hope thinks to herself, her hands clenched in fists as she drops to her knees, her fists pounding against her thighs.
This is all too much. I didn’t want to leave Fanny, and for all I know she is already dead. But I’m scared, more scared then I’ve ever been before. What’s the right thing to do?
She pulls herself back to her feet, the soft, warm breeze caressing her face. “Aww fuck it,” she moans out loud, rushing to catch up with the rest of her friends.

              It doesn’t take them long before they make it back to the old, broken down Jeep. Fanny is lying, lifeless on the ground. Hope pushes past the two guys and drops beside Fanny, rolling her onto her back. There are multiple cuts and lacerations all across her shirt, her breast rising and collapsing slowly.

              “Fanny, come on you have to wake up,” Hope pleads.

              “I told you to run,” Fanny struggles to get out, her eyes fighting to open.

              “I couldn’t leave you,” Hope says holding her hand. “And you can’t leave me.”

              Fanny chuckles softly; small amounts of blood coming out from her mouth, tears softly rolling down her eyes. “I could never leave you. You are the only family I have left.”

              “Hey, don’t talk like that,” Hope says cutting her off. “Now come on, get up. We have to go.”

              “No,” Fanny says coughing up more blood, “you have to run. Go, save the people we came here to save. Just promise me you’ll never forget me.”

              “Don’t say that,” Hope says gritting her teeth, tears starting to flow down her face freely. “You’re going to be fine, you’ve come back from worse.”

              “Not this time kiddo,” Fanny says.

              “Hey I don’t mean to interrupt,” Brad says looking around, “but where did ugly go?”

              “I don’t know,” Fanny says, her voice struggling with each breath. “It beat me, brutally then just left me here to die.”

              Brad pulls out his guns and looks around anxiously, “well that sounds like a trap.”

              “What? Now Zombies are setting traps?” Mika groans.

              “Only thing that makes sense,” Brad replies.

              “That ugly son of a bitch is mine,” Hope says picking her sword up off the ground.

              “No, Hope, run,” Fanny proclaims. “It isn’t safe.”