Apocalypse Origins

  ***

  Olson looked down in frustration as he saw additional men spill from the newly arrived vehicles. This was not how this was supposed to go down. He had been pleased when he had seen that there were only two pursuing them. He had planned to draw them in and ambush them in the twisting corridors of the building. That wouldn't work now, outnumbered two to one. He hoped that enough infected were on the way to put the odds back in his favor. Periodic howls told him that his ploy had been successful. If the infected could keep a few of those men busy down there, they should still be able to come out on top. Just in case though. He pulled out his satellite phone and dialed headquarters.

  "This is Lieutenant Olson, I'm requesting immediate evac from my location." Olson sighed as he got the affirmative. They had a ride on the way, all they had to do now was hold out for about a half hour or so for the chopper to arrive.

  He looked at two of his men. "Clear a path to the roof and keep it open. Evac is on the way." Olson smiled. They'd still get out this yet. 

  "What did you do to her?" came Jeremy's whiny voice from behind. Olson rolled his eyes as he turned to face him. Why did he have to be stuck with this waste of space? Just because his daddy had some connections? Stupid politics. 

  "What?"

  "What did you to her face? You weren't supposed to hurt her!"

  Her face? Ah, he must be referring to the first woman he had grabbed. She had put up quite the fight. He shrugged, "She resisted and I made her stop."

  "Did you have to hit her so hard?"

  Olson snorted, "That woman's no delicate flower. She put up quite a fight."

  "Nonetheless, I'll be talking to Dray about this. How did I get saddled with some thug that can't follow simple directions?"

  Olson narrowed his eyes, "You do that. I'm pretty sure Dray doesn't care about some piece of tail that you can't control. Also, keep in mind we're about to be fighting for our lives soon. You probably don't want to piss me off right now."

  A look of indignation flashed across Jeremy's eyes although he managed to smother it a moment later. Olson was completely right. He had no chance of getting out of here without Olson's help. He'd still report the man but there was no need to antagonize the man beforehand. "I apologize," Jeremy said. "I’ve just been under a lot of stress."

  "Of course," Olson replied.

  Jeremy headed over to where the women were seated on the floor, their hands bound by zip-ties.  "Are you alright?" he asked as he reached her. 

  "It kinda hurts," Shirley admitted.

  Jeremy sighed, "Let me take a look," he said as he knelt down. He moved his hand away from her cheek and leaned in for a closer look. "It's bruised pretty bad, Maybe - ", Jeremy screamed as Shirley lunged forward and head butted him in the nose.

  "Get away from me! Don't you ever touch me again!" she shouted.

  Jeremy surged to his feet as blood poured between the fingers he had over his nose. "Why would you? What's wrong with you?" Jeremy left the area as he searched from something to stop the bleeding.

  Olson laughed as he walked over. "Thanks, maybe I won't have to listen to his whining for a few minutes."

  Shirley looked at him with daggers in her eyes. Olson chuckled, "I'd calm down. I have no problem knocking you out again. I'm a real man unlike you're friend over there."

  "My real man is on the way to put a bullet in your head," she replied. She glanced at Carol who had sat silently this whole time. "Hers is on the way too and you don't want to piss him off. But you already did that when you grabbed her."

  Olson's mood soured. There was a significant chance things could go that way. "The game's not done yet. Your man will be busy playing with infected soon while we wait for our ride to get here." He walked back towards the window, no longer in the mood to talk.

  He didn't see any sign of the men outside so they must already be in the building. He did however see a good amount of infected in the parking lot. "Let's get set up boys.  We're about to get started." His remaining men nodded and took positions facing the stairwell entrance. With the power out, the only way up was the stairs so that was the only point of entry they had to worry about. That would help to reduce the effect of their numbers. He took his sidearm and fired several shots out the window and the infected howled in response. Good, infected below and they were waiting at the only viable entry point. He was feeling pretty good about their odds.