3
Commandeered
Teeth sunk into flesh, blood welling up around them as they met.
____“Becky!” Brooke screamed, clumsily falling down and scooting back along the floor as the three zombies slowly advanced. One a friend, another friend eaten, she was alone. They were just walking back to the apartment when the sirens started. The chaos came before the explanations did. By the time they managed to get back to the room, these monsters were already in the building.
____ The zombies hobbled around in front of her, slow but nonetheless blocking the only door out. This couldn’t be happening. Why was it happening? Nothing else to do, Brooke simply curled up and clutched her head, shutting her eyes tight and begging for it all to go away. Rather, someone else showed up.
____ The door was flung back open, blinding brightness spilling into the dim room. A single man stood there, silhouetted in the light. He was thin and pale, and it was hard to tell exactly how old he was, but he was human and that was all that mattered. Brooke opened her eyes and stared at him, still shaking in fear of the zombies. The terrifying creatures didn’t even seem to acknowledge the man’s existence, ignoring him entirely as he stood there in the doorway.
____ From his dark clothes he withdrew a small black handbook, glancing at Brooke as he spoke with an unusual amount of carelessness given the situation, “Miss Beth Arnakis?”
____ Brooke looked from him to the undead monsters and back, unsure how to answer, “W-What? It’s Brooke now.”
____ “Age twenty-four. Legal Guardians Mr. Bobby Arnakis and Mrs. Fran Arnakis, correct?”
____ “The—the monsters…”
____ The man seemed unfazed, “I’m sorry, are they making you uncomfortable?”
____ From the darkness of his silhouette came an arm holding a pistol, followed by three deafening bangs. The trio of zombies fell dead, blood pouring from their opened heads. Unused to the loudness of gunshots, Brooke jumped and covered her ears. The man lowered the weapon and snapped his fingers repeatedly to get her attention again.
____ “Brooke. Brooke! Age twenty-four. Legal Guardians Mr. Bobby Arnakis and Mrs. Fran Arnakis, correct!?”
____ She was still shaken but nodded, “Yes! Yes!”
____ “Your real name. Beth. It’s not short for Elizabeth, is it?”
____ “N-No?”
____ “It’s not short for Bethany either.”
____ “What? What are you talking about? Who are you? What do you want from me?”
____ “I’m Nazar. I’ve been sent here by the V.A.C.C.” The man closed the book and put it away, “This place is dangerous. Come with me.”
____ Brooke sat up at stared at him, still confused, “Go with you?”
____ “Yes. We have to get out of here. You’re coming with me. If you need anything from this place take it now.”
____ She was still in shock but gradually it dawned on her that it was either him or the zombies. Internally slapping herself out of the stupor, Brooke leapt to her feet and rushed into the apartment’s bedroom, looking through all her stuff rapidly. Between her and her two friends hastily lobbing it all together, it was a needless mess. That strange man, Nazar, left his post in the doorway and followed her, watching, “Looking for a gun?”
____ “My guitar.”
____ Nazar stared with cold disbelief, “………What?”
____ “No matter what, stay close to me.” Nazar instructed as they moved into the hall, “And don’t expect me to carry that thing.”
____ Brooke hoisted the guitar case’s strap over her shoulder, “I’ve got it. What are we going to do about all these monsters?”
____ Nazar returned his gaze to all the zombies down the hall, “Just stay close to me.”
____ With that he began walking at a brisk pace, Brooke hurrying to keep up. She noted that they were getting alarmingly close to the zombies without Nazar raising his gun. Yet he just kept striding toward them without hesitation.
____ Miraculously the undead monsters simply ignored the two of them, allowing them to walk by without attacking. Brooke stared morbidly at the creatures as she moved hurriedly past, their empty eyes staring blankly ahead. Their mouths hung open, the teeth that had rent her friends apart gleaming with blood and spit. She stuck closer to Nazar and moved on, praying that whatever strange effect he had over them would last.
____ Nazar himself said nothing and kept moving, not bothering to explain himself to her as if she should already know how he was making this possible. Out here in the daylight he was just a young man with black hair, wearing a plain dark blue suit and carrying a gun. He had a strange necklace with a pendant shaped like a blue eye, but other than that there was nothing unusual about his appearance. Still, there was obviously something off about him. But as long as he kept the zombies at bay Brooke didn’t question it. Today the apocalypse had stepped in and told her this was her life now. There was nothing she could do but be swept up in it, hoping for the best. She just wished it would be over soon, but she had a feeling that it was just getting started.
____ Nazar led the way out of the apartment building and began walking down the street. The roads were in ruins, bodies and jammed cars littering the street. Helicopters flew in the distant air and the sounds of long-off gunshots littered the background noise. It was a warzone. Brooke stayed close and followed the strange man as he unflinchingly traversed the embattled Chicago terrain.
____ Still, regardless of the situation the undead continued to ignore their presence. Nazar in turn ignored them and continued leading the way down the road. As they walked the gunshots got louder. Further down the street men in military uniforms battled the zombies as the undead closed in from all around them. Nazar glanced at two of the soldiers moving across the street and flagged them down.
____ “You there!” He shouted, “Come here!”
____ The men approached, guns at the ready for the first sign of zombies.
____ “Identify yourselves.” Nazar instructed.
____ “Excuse me?” The older military man asked at the tone, “Citizen, you need to—”
____ “I am Nazar, from the VACC administration.” Nazar withdrew an ID and briefly held it forth, “And I outrank you, Sergeant.”
____ The man read the ID and straightened up a bit, “Oh. Sorry sir. I’m Sergeant Brysen Header, and this is Corporal Christian Thorn.”
____ “Current assignment, Sergeant?”
____ “Operation Urban Retrieve, sir. Evacuation of citizens and extermination of infected.”
____ Nazar nodded, “Good. Take this young lady to one of the helicopters. You’re dismissed.”
____ Header nodded to Brooke, lowering his rifle “Yessir. Right this way, ma’am.”
____ “It’s Brooke.”
____ “Yes it is, ma’am.” Header turned and began leading the way further down the street. Brooke cautiously began following him, Corporal Thorn right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at Nazar, wondering why he wasn’t tagging along. Instead he had already turned and walked off in another direction without saying another word, still ignoring the zombies around him as he went.
____ She probably should have thanked him before he left.
____ “It’s just this way, ma’am.” Header assured her as they moved. Several zombie corpses littered the ground down this road, the military having cleared them out earlier. Yet more crawled out from the buildings and alleys.
____ “Cover your ears!” Thorn instructed, raising his rifle and blasting away those that neared the trio. Brooke kept her head low and stayed on the move, the bang of the gunshots and the screaming of the undead a good motivator.
____ “In here!” Header commanded, nearing a small office building and entering. Brooke followed suit, hoping he knew where he was going. It was a disaster of an office, papers strewn about and bullet holes embedded in the walls. But every zombie in here was already dead, and that’s what counted. Thorn stayed by the entrance, firing at the approaching undead and backing up slowly.
____ Header led Brooke up several flights of stairs, finally coming out onto the rooftop. It was bright and clear up here, the city almost seeming like its old self from above. Header looked around, a far less pleased expression crossing his face.
____ “Damn, where’s the chopper?” He cursed, reaching for a radio on his shoulder, “General, where’s the evac chopper for Foxtrot’s LZ?”
____ “We’re a little short on Chinooks, Sergeant.” General Tandom’s static-covered voice replied, “The last one ferried off about fifteen minutes ago. Didn’t you get the alert?”
____ “Negative. I’ve got a civvie here.” Header glanced at Brooke, “We need a helicopter stat.”
____ “That’s a no-go, Sergeant. We’re working every scrap of metal that flies to the bone as is. My hands are tied. Either hold out until we can spare one or skip town. We’re already down several LZs. It’s a bloodbath in the city.”
____ “Don’t you have it contained?” Header complained.
____ “Negative, Sergeant. We’re looking at at least some form of airborne virus here. Commander Grimm’s working on shutting down all air travel but between you and me it’s likely too late. No containment.”
____ The familiar voice of Comm. Grimm chimed in, “Header, if you’ve got a VIP evacuee I suggest you take it out of town. We’re busier here than a Chick-Fil-A opened on a Sunday.”
____ “Sh*t… Affirmative.” Header turned to Brooke, “Change of plans, ma’am. We’re leaving the city on foot.”
____ “What? How?” Brooke asked, staying close behind the Sergeant as he walked back down the stairs.
____ “Somehow.” He replied, calling out to Thorn, “We’re out of choppers, kid! Let’s move!”
____ “There goes my weekend plans.” Thorn smirked grimly, hastily cramming a new magazine into his rifle, “I hope you can carry that thing, miss. It’s a long walk out of the city.”
____ “I’ll do my best.” Brooke assured him.
____ “Might not have to. Let’s get us some wheels.” Header declared.
____ True to the General’s word, the further along the day went the worse things got. More and more zombies came out onto the street, teeth bloodied after a hard day’s work. The three moved as fast as they could, the two military men’s weapons doing increasingly little damage to the hordes as their numbers waxed. The gunfire decreased and the pace quickened.
____ The military had come out full force with all the men they could assemble in time. They had killed countless zombies and evacuated all they could. But guns needed more ammo, helicopters needed more fuel, resources and manpower were exhausted getting the civvies out alive. Now that most of them were gone, being stuck out on the street was a death trap.
____ “You staying alive back there, kid?” Header called out as he moved, firing into the zombie crowds that pursued them.
____ “I could be better. Hell, I’d put up with Ranston’s damn music for a bit of that heavenly air support right about now.” Thorn replied.
____ “Well we ain’t got that luxury. Try to save ammo. Looks like we might be stuck out here a bit longer than expected.” Header continued, “If we make it off the street, that is.”
____ Brooke pointed to a pickup truck inching along a one way street, trying to maneuver around the mess of wrecked cars, “There’s a truck!”
____ “Good eyes, miss!” Header raced over, raising his gun at the driver, “Sgt. Header, United States military! I’m commandeering your vehicle!”
____ “Sh*t!” Thomas muttered as the soldier fast approached. He tried to find a way to speed past them but was stuck worming his way between wreckage. Behind the approaching others he could see more zombies on their way. He didn’t have time for this. Of course, he wouldn’t have time for anything if he got shot. He held his hands up as the Sergeant came closer, “Okay, okay! Just don’t shoot me!”
____ “I’m only authorized to shoot zombies, terrorists, and assholes. Don’t be one of those and you’ll be fine.” Header lowered his weapon and raced to the passenger door, “Get in, everyone!”
____ “Excuse me, sorry!” Brooke got in first, her guitar case slamming against Thomas’ head as she sat in the middle seat. Header got in next, Thomas flinching every time the Sergeant’s M16 pointed his way.
____ Thorn leapt into the bed of the truck, opening the back window, “All good?”
____ “Good!” Header replied.
____ “Ow! Not good!” Thomas complained, struck again by the unwieldy guitar case as Brooke tried to make room for it. Making room, that was a laugh. The truck was old and not exactly meant for three people to ride up front. Thank God Thomas was a fairly skinny guy: Sgt. Header was as big and broad as you’d expect from an Army-type and the girl’s hips were wider than she’d probably like to be told. And the goddamned guitar. Why a guitar?
____ “Floor it, son!” Header shouted, snapping Thomas back into the action. Zombies were closing in fast in all the commotion. Thorn leaned over the side and began firing at the fastest ones.
____ The Corporal pounded the side of the truck, “Move!”
____ “I’m going!” Thomas did indeed floor it, the truck scraping by the adjacent cars and moving on ahead. Thomas winced at the sound of it but he knew the well-being of the vehicle was the least of his concerns. The road was a mess, drivers caught in the panic crashing their cars all over the place or being trapped behind ones who did so. They were easy prey for the zombies, as was anyone unable to navigate this maze of wreckage.
____ Thomas didn’t endure all this to die here, not while he still had the wheel. Gritting his teeth and expertly moving at just the right speed, he maneuvered the truck between cars, fitting it through narrow spaces anywhere it could. It wasn’t big for a pickup truck so it handled well enough in the tight corners of the messy street. Still the zombies were relentless. The more that gathered in pursuit of the lone vehicle, the more running zombies appeared. Thomas didn’t have enough road to just floor it and leave them in the dust. It was stop and go, a deadly game of red-light-green-light.
____ “Go right! Turn! Keep going!” Header instructed, body lurching forward and back at each sudden halt of the truck.
____ “I don’t need a navigator!” Thomas shouted back, “Nuts!”
____ A straight line of cars blocked the way, impassible, forcing Thomas to hit the brakes hard. Thorn slammed against the truck at the stop, looking over his shoulder into the left rear-view mirror, “Undead incoming!!”
____ “Nuts, nuts, nuts!” Thomas looked back, putting the truck into reverse, “Gotta back up to go left! Hold on!”
____ Now he floored it, the wheels kicking up debris off the pavement as they spun. Instantly the truck barreled back into the coming crowd of zombies. The bumper rammed those at the front, flinging them back and taking blood with it. Thorn held on for dear life, clumsily shooting with one arm at any zombies climbing aboard while the vehicle plowed. As the truck slowed the horde closed in, Thomas rolling up the window and Header shooting out his. Turning his attention back to the road, Thomas put the truck in Drive and hit the gas again, steering the wheel a hard 180 degrees left.
____ Screee!!! The truck flung itself back forward, arcing to the left as it turned and veered down a different road, speeding away from the zombies. Thomas sighed and grinned, happy to be alive. He’d had that feeling several times already today, but each new instance felt just as good as the last.
____ Of course, the burst of speed wasn’t going to last. This road was a mess too, the truck speed-bumping hard over zombie corpses and forced to slow down to evade more stopped cars. Even better, there were plenty of zombies here too. Thomas struck one with the front of the truck as he maneuvered between cars, the monster’s loose flesh happily throwing blood all over the windshield.
____ “Watch it!” Brooke yelled with alarm as the truck collided with another undead, her every move causing the guitar case to hit Thomas again.
____ “I’m trying my best!” He flipped the windshield wipers on, struggling to shove the case out of his face. Another car in the way. Another hard stop. Thinking quickly, Thomas threw it in reverse again and started driving around, the truck stopping to turn slowly at every crowded obstacle. More zombies closed in.
____ “Down that road! It’s clear!” Header pointed, “Armor must’ve cleared it out! That’s the safest route!”
____ “Going, going…” Thomas replied, turning the steering wheel one way and then another.
____ “Wait! Wait up!” A shrill voice suddenly called out as the truck made its sluggish way. It came from a gas station cramped on the street corner, surrounded by a wall of cars. Out ran a girl, couldn’t be more than 20, stuffing candy bars into a backpack. Her wavy hair was so red it was almost pink, bobbing in the air as she raced over. Her other hand held tightly to a red baseball cap with the word “STACEY” on it. Without hesitation she hurried to the side of the truck and lobbed her backpack into the truck bed, climbing aboard a second after, “Whew! Thanks!”
____ “Ow!” The backpack struck Thorn squarely in the face, knocking his helmet overboard as the truck picked up speed again. He moved the pack aside and pointed his M4 at the girl, “Hold on there! Are you bit?”
____ She brushed the gun out of her face and slapped him, “I am not! Don’t point that thing at me! Do I look like one of those monsters?”
____ “Ha! Is that how you treat a lady, Thorn?” Header shouted out the open window.
____ Thorn rubbed his cheek and said nothing, apparently defeated.
____ “The name’s Stacey!” The girl shouted back to the Sergeant.
____ “Sgt. Header! An’ this is Brooke. And this guy…”
____ “It’s Thomas. Thomas Santeri. Now hold on!” The truck had cleared the wreckage and was finally free to go a bit faster. Thorn and Header finally stopped shooting as the pursuing zombies were gradually left behind. Thomas made another hard left and headed for the open main road. The highway was down there. Way he saw it, if the “armor” Header mentioned had cleared this road, perhaps the expressway would be cleared too. Thomas made the turn and slowed as the road opened up before them. He prepared to floor it and get out of town scot-free.
____ “Wait! Wait!” Another voice called out. Thomas glanced at the mirror, spotting another survivor—a man—desperately trying to outrun a pack of sprinting zombies. This one wasn’t so lucky as Stacey, hounded down by that many undead. He wasn’t going to make it. Thomas only hesitated for a second, frowning grimly, just waiting for it to happen. He couldn’t take off while the guy still had a chance. That also meant he had to wait and watch him get eaten.
____ Jaxson had been running all day. It was both a sprint and a marathon, no time for rest and no time to be slow. Everywhere he turned the undead gave chase. They did not tire like he did. They had already outrun or outlasted the other fleeing civilians in the explosion. He’d be next. But not if he could catch that truck, “Wait!!”
____ Sweat poured from every inch of skin. The pavement slammed against his feet. The zombies closed in. They didn’t care about sweat or exhaustion. They wanted him.
____ “You do what you were made to do.” His father had always told him, “You run. That’s your God given gift so you make the most of it. You run like nobody’s business. And if you get tired you just run it off.”
____ He was gone. He never had much life to begin with. He’d wagered what was left of his life for the sake of his son. They were poor. But Jaxson sure as hell wasn’t going to a poor school. He was going to live the way his father never got the chance to. He was going to run. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to die by being outpaced by some decaying lanky monsters.
____ They wanted him. They’d have to catch him first.
____ “Just wait!” Jaxson screamed at the truck. It sat there, mirrored eyes on him, inching along the pavement just waiting for the chance to take off. Jaxson focused on it and sprinted. His muscles were tired, but they were still muscles. Shouting all the way, he ran. The fastest zombies started lagging behind him as he went, the horde of monsters falling behind as he moved like nobody’s business.
____ “Holy hell.” Thorn said as the man sprinted toward them, “They can’t catch him. Look at that guy go.”
____ Sure enough, the fleeing man had suddenly gained an almost-unnatural burst of speed. He left the zombies in the dust, catching up and hopping aboard the truck in a single leap. Thorn reached out and helped him on.
____ “Damn.” The Corporal said, “That’s something, man. Have some water.”
____ The man nodded and accepted the container, chugging it down without a second thought. Finally he relented, gasping for breath, “Sorry, sorry. I’ve been forced to do that all day. Name’s Jaxson.”
____ “Pollock?” Thorn asked.
____ “De Ville?” Stacey followed up.
____ “Ha.” Jaxson replied, laying down on the truck bed amidst the moving boxes (the ones that had survived the trip anyway). Nothing felt so good as having something move for you after a hardcore sprint.
____ “Great. More passengers.” Thomas muttered, just relieved to keep driving. The truck lurched forth, picking up speed as it moved down the road. When the vehicle was actually moving at speeds fitting an automobile, he felt immune to the touch of the undead. No doubt being out of the city would help that.
____ “How far do you think?” Brooke asked him as he drove.
____ “Not far.” Thomas replied, “Glad I don’t live on the shoreline.”
____ “Are we taking the west or south way out of the city?” Header asked, scanning the roads.
____ “I’m thinking Expressway 94, to 57. South Dan Ryan.”
____ “Okay, good. Armor should’ve covered a street that busy.”
____ Jaxson sat back up at the words, crawling over and shouting through the truck’s back window, “No! Don’t take the Expressway!”
____ “What? Why not?” Thomas snapped.
____ “I just came from down there. It’s the worst place in the city right now! Everybody trying to get out all at once! The Army couldn’t keep them all back. It’s a disaster!” Jaxson explained.
____ “Well, sh*t.” Sgt. Header pinched his shoulder speaker, “General Tandom. General? …
Well, sh*t!”
____ “What now?” Brooke questioned.
____ “I don’t know.” Jaxson replied, “I don’t know where to go.”
____ “Ditch the car at the city outskirts and go on foot?” Thorn suggested.
____ Thomas scowled, turning the wheel right as hard as he could, “Hell no! This is my car! Let me take 88 instead. It's closer anyway. We’re going west!”
____ The truck whirled around, Thomas flooring it and letting the vehicle speed off through the street. He was sick of this. He wanted out now. Cruising along, Thomas weaved between other vehicles and crashed into any zombies that dared get in the way. It was a bumpy ride, the truck thrashing its passengers around as it careened through the city streets.
____ “There! Exit!” Thorn shouted as the truck neared its alternative destination.
____ “Blockade!” Brooke alerted, pointing dead ahead.
____ There were several military personnel watching the exit, firing upon zombies nearing them and yelling at other cars struggling to escape the chaos. A simple fence cordoned off the one-way street the truck was taking. Thomas’ foot hesitated between the gas and the break pedals, glancing to Header.
____ The Sergeant nodded grimly, well aware of the containment situation, “Ram it.”
____ Screee!!! Thomas floored it, the truck plowing through the fence and rushing past the soldiers beyond. Men in hazmat suits behind the marines dove for cover as the vehicle drove by them.
____ Thomas hit the break and then the gas again as the truck sped up the exit ramp and onto the highway. He saw even the tiniest sliver of open road and hit it, putting as much distance between the city and them as he could.
____ Jaxson clutched the side of the truck as it lurched, “Are you nuts!?”
____ Header leaned back and chuckled, “We’re alive, is what we are. Get us out of here, Thomas.”
____ Thomas didn’t need any further encouragement, keeping the MPH needle at a minimum of 50. The expressways out of Chicago were a complicated mess, crashed cars and zombies making for numerous obstacles. Other escapees entered the highway anywhere they could, a semi truck careening past the pickup and taking a rear-view mirror with it. Another car threw itself onto the road from a street above, throwing up countless sparks as it crashed. Thomas grit his teeth and evaded the mad drivers as best he could, feeling like an action hero in a racing movie. Scrapes, splatters, the truck endured it all. But he didn’t crash—that was all that mattered.
____ The further he went the fewer cars and zombies there were. It seemed that the evacuation and blockades had done their work: the road was actually open down the line. Thomas took the exit of the most obscure road he could think of and just ran with it, taking the truck as far away from the city as he could.
____ Finally they were truly clear. Thomas stared at the open road ahead and breathed a deep sigh of relief. They were out. It was over, for now.