TAGGED: THE APOCALYPSE (7 page)

In a flash,
Candy stripped off her clothes. She pulled off the bulky down jacket; the three sweatshirts and the long underwear over her head; then yanked down to her muddy boots the thick ski pants and long underwear underneath. “We are not infected. None of us are infected,” She said, looking right at Susan. Then, for emphasis, she unsnapped her bra and pulled her matching pink thong down to the boots as well.

Candy
held out her arms and did a slow turn. Under those bulky clothes hid a spectacular form. Her skin was a lovely golden color. There were no tan lines – anywhere on her body. Her breasts were too large for her tiny frame and they rode unnaturally firm and high. She had an ass that wouldn’t quit and a small muscular waist and strong legs that had obviously taken many hours to achieve. Candy was a professional pole dancer. She had just launched her own subscription webcam site to moderate success following the posting of a twelve minute masturbation video online as free advertising before the trouble began. Most importantly, there were obviously no bites, scratches, or lesions on her perfect skin.

“For goodness sake…” Susan’s hand went involuntarily to cover her mouth. The guard closest to the door lowered his weapon slightly and smiled to the other guard.

Candy nodded to Jackie and Sven, who also stripped off their clothes. They stripped off everything down to their boots, same as Candy. Jackie was a mountain of a man. His dark skin was heavily muscled with a large belly. Bristles of grey and black hair stuck out of the most unlikely places; his neck; his shoulders; and even his ears. His back was a bearskin rug. He had surprisingly small hands and feet. Even naked, he was menacing. Sven was over six feet tall and too thin; concentration camp thin. His large head and even larger mane of wheat-colored Rasta dreadlocks made his body appear even thinner. His hands and feet, like his head, appeared too large for his body, but that was not the part of his anatomy that caught Eve’s eye.

Eve gasped and put her hands to her face, attempting to cover her eyes.

“For the love of…what
the hell
is the matter with you people!” Susan ranted, grabbed her daughter Eve and pulled her out of the room. Eve was blushing furiously, but couldn’t tear her eyes off of Sven. Sven smiled calmly and blew her a kiss.
It’s on
, Sven thought, watching Eve fluster and blush,
yeah, it’s on like Donkey Kong
.

The guards looked confused. Brit shrugged
and grinned shyly in Sven’s direction. Dennis laughed and shook his head. “We are
not infected
,” Candy said again, placing her hands on her hips and thrusting them forward aggressively.

“I’ll talk to my wife…I’ll reason with her
,” Kirk said, and walked out. The guards, Brit and Dennis followed.

“Put everyone we need inside the new fence outside the gate.”
Jackie shuffled them immediately into a huddle with their pants still around their ankles. “Make sure there are no infected inside the new fence. Tell them to check everyone. We wait for nightfall.”

Jackie pounded on the locked door to the control tower. On the other side of that door were several armed guards, Kirk, Susan, Eve, Brit and Dennis. Sven had tried desperately to get Eve away from Susan and the others, but Susan was like a bear with her cub and wouldn’t let Eve out of her sight. Sven shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. And Sven was still completely stopped up down there. He needed some Milk of Magnesia - that would do the trick, but getting to the pharmacy could present a small problem. The engineers had armed themselves at the guardhouse after the confrontation by Susan with the newcomers earlier, although it was unlikely that any of them had ever fired a weapon. “Lay your weapons down and come out with your hands up. We’re not going to hurt you.” Behind Jackie were Sven and three other men, plus Candy holding Dixon on a leash; or perhaps Dixon was controlling Candy with the leash. All were heavily armed with assault rifles, hand guns and extra ammo, thanks to the end–of-the-world NRA gun nut at the gate who had been preparing for this moment his entire life. His name was Jeb, and he was the first one admitted through the new fence.

Jeb led the assault on the
guards posted outside the door with his son Tiny, a giant of a man. The guards were disarmed without a struggle when they saw how well armed were Jackie and his men. Even so, Sven was going to keep a close eye on Jeb and his sons. Jeb wasn’t part of his crew, and he wasn’t sure he could trust him, yet.

“
We saw you shoot the guards,” Susan’s voice was shrill.

“Is there another exit?”
Jackie whispered.

“Covered
; my boys are on it. They’re trapped.” Jeb grinned like a crocodile missing a few teeth.

“That was an accident.”
Jackie’s booming voice easily carried through the thick metal door. “They shot at my men.” In fact, the infected had begun rushing the fence just after full darkness around four thirty. The extra fence had been built connecting to the power plant fence about fifty yards west of the guard gate. While the guards had their hands full making sure the infected didn’t breach the fence, Jackie’s men cut a man-sized opening and walked men and weapons through. It all took about a minute for the fence guy with his bolt cutters. Moments later, Jeb’s eldest son stood next to the guards who were shooting the infected that were trying to climb the fence. This surprised the armed guard, who unwisely shot the unknown man. Jeb and his men instantly unloaded on the remaining guards, who were all killed within fifteen seconds. Jeb and his men held the gate. “Clear!” They left several men behind, and then Jeb and his boys joined Jackie in storming the control tower.

“Somebody’s gonna pay for that accident
,” Jeb muttered, lifting his worn NRA ball cap to scratch his greasy hair. “That was my boy got shot. Look, why don’t I jus’ shoot this here lock out and we’ll go on in.” Jeb lifted his assault rifle to shoot out the lock.

“Wait…”
Jackie said.

“You
need us
to run this power plant,” It was Dennis’ voice. “You kill us and you have no electricity and
then
you have nuclear meltdown. Is that what you want?”

“You’re right.
We need you. We are not going to hurt you
. Just lay your weapons down and come out with your hands up,” Jackie said, through the metal door.

Sven
could hear muffled voices arguing through the door, then, “Okay, WE’RE COMING OUT. DON’T SHOOT!”

“You’re not going out there!” It was Susan’s voice. “These criminals are not taking the power plant!”

“They already have,” Dennis said.

“There’s no choice. It’s best just to cooperate with them
,” Brit said. “WE’RE COMING OUT.”

Suddenly
, there was a loud report from behind the door, and a man screamed in pain. Then, a second shot. Jeb blew the lock open with his assault rifle. Jackie kicked open the door. All of them had their assault rifles shouldered and ready.

“BACK UP!” Susan screamed
at a pitch sufficient to shatter glass, while simultaneously putting a pistol to her daughter Eve’s head, and holding onto her throat with her free hand. Brit was on the ground a few feet away, writhing in agony from a gun shot wound to the torso. Dennis threw up his empty hands and clumsily backed up to the wall out of the line of fire.

“STOP! WHAT
ARE YOU DOING?!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!” Kirk stood closest to his wife and daughter, his hands out in helpless supplication..

“He’s in love with our daughter
,” Susan nodded toward Sven. “Get out now; all of you. Leave this plant and I won’t hurt her.”

“
Susan! Mom…” Eve twisted in her mother’s grasp, but she held her tighter and pressed the gun painfully to her head. “Ow!”

“This is for your own good
,” Susan said, securing her grip on her neck. “I would rather see you dead, than let that man put his hands on you,” she sniffed at Sven.

“
Nothing has happened…” Sven held out his hands in a gesture of supplication.

Jeb raised his assault rifle
. “You want I should shoot em? I’ll do it.” Luckily, his sons were outside on the other door, or they would already be dead, Sven thought.

“NO!” Sven, Jackie and Candy screamed simultaneously.

“We’re NOT going to hurt you. Just put the gun down.” Jackie spoke calmly and even managed a smile.

“You’re animals!” Susan screamed. “Drug dealers! You will never touch my daughter! I will kill you first!
” Susan waved the gun toward Sven, who jumped back and ducked. Jeb and Jackie pressed forward, fingers itching for a clean head shot. Even Candy went for the handgun on her hip and loosened her grip on Dixon. Dixon powered forward, towing Candy on the leash, and flexed his giant muscles, ready to tear Susan to pieces.

Sven
laid down his assault rifle and stepped forward, showing empty hands. “Please stop. This is your daughter, Eve. You wouldn’t hurt your daughter.”

“BACK UP!” Susan screamed
, backing into the corner with the other door. Jeb and Jackie could definitely kill Susan, but they might hit Eve. No one could stop Dixon if he lunged. Susan was feeling trapped. With her free hand, Susan pushed down on the door handle. She was planning to take her daughter through the back door. Jeb and Jackie and the men followed her every move, weapons shouldered, pointing at her head.

“DROP IT!
!” Susan was met with an assault rifle against her head from the other side. It was Jeb’s second son, Mack.

“Arggghhhh!!!!!!” Susan screamed like a wild animal,
and pulled the trigger pressed against Eve’s head. There was a loud “CLICK!” Everyone froze for an instant. Eve twisted out of her mother’s grasp, eyes wide with fear, and threw herself down on the floor, rolling away.

Kirk looked like he was going to collapse, then when the gun didn’t fire, rushed his wife
to envelop her in his arms. “DON’T SHOOT! DON’T SHOOT!” He screamed.

He was too late.
Mack, Jeb’s son at the door, took the head shot on Susan the instant after the CLICK. Her head exploded. Then, five shooters with assault rifles riddled their bodies with bullets. It was a free for all. They were dead before they hit the ground. They were dead after they hit the ground. Dead. Dead. Dead.

Blam! Blam! Jeb’s son Mack immediately put one bullet each in the heads of what was left of Susan and Kirk.

“No
ooooooo!” Eve held out both hands in front of her, wailing and running futilely toward her parents with loud chopping steps from her boots. Mack looked up sheepishly, still holding the rifle pointed at the head of her dead father, and turned away. Candy ran after her, enfolding her in a soft bosomy embrace and pressed her head to her shoulder. “Shhhh,” she said as she rocked Eve, while she wept great gasping sobs. Dixon pressed his solid muscular body against their legs, offering his support and protectively guarding them both.

“I’m sorry.” Sven was
barely visible through a waterfall of tears and sobs. Eve pressed her face into Candy’s shoulder and turned away from him. “I..I don’t know how this happened…” Candy shooed him away with her hand.
She loved her father and mother. Yes, she loved her mother. And she knew her mother had loved her, too. Then why had she done that? She had pressed a gun against her head and pulled the trigger to
blow her brains out
!
Who does that? Sven had saved her.
Oh God
, she thought,
my parents are DEAD!!! I’m dead
, she thought.
Who will take care of me? What’s going to happen to me?

“I’ve got you
, Darlin’,” Candy cooed, holding her tightly, rocking her and stroking her hair. It felt good. “I’ve got you.”

“Take their badges,” Jackie bent over
her dead parents and unclipped Kurt’s badge from his belt. “All the doors open electronically with these badges.” Jackie was all business as he tossed Brit’s badge to Sven, who clipped it to his belt. Eve watched Sven, even as he watched her every move, out of the corner of his eye. A part of her liked the attention, but Sven and his friends had just murdered her parents. She hated them. She couldn’t remember why she had been attracted to him. These were awful people.

Brit regained consciousness and began moaning loudly
, just like the infected. Mack and the two brothers swiveled their guns toward his head. Eve stiffened, terrified that they were now going to shoot Brit. Eve grabbed her head and screamed to drown out the inevitable gunshot. She felt that she was losing her mind. Candy held her tighter.

“Stop!
Don’t kill him,” Jackie barked. “Search them. Take their weapons,” Jackie ordered. Jeb and his sons lined up the remaining survivors against the wall at gunpoint while Jackie and Jeb covered them.

Candy walked Eve over to some chairs. “Come over here
, Darlin’.” Dixon followed closely.

“He could be infected,” Jeb said
, referring to Brit.