“That would be my seventeen-year-old daughter, Abi,” my father said pointing back to me.
I suddenly felt embarrassed that my dad used my age.
“No, really,” John chortled.
“Swear to God,” Uncle Frank said raising his hands. “I was her spot.”
They looked at me for a few moments, their faces in pure shock. I felt embarrassed that they didn’t believe a seventeen-year-old girl had just saved their butts.
“Why, thank you, Abi. That’s some aim you have,” Peter said, extending his hand out to me.
“No problem. I’m glad I could help,” I said, shaking his hand.
“Well, we owe you one,” Peter said.
“Thank you,” the other two brothers said, also extending their hands.
“So where did you come from?” My dad asked.
“Our hive was in the High Sierra’s not too far from here. We were on our way to the safe zone in Montana. We’ve been topside about four days now,” Peter said.
“Yeah, and it makes me wonder why we left our hive. We had it good down there. This place is madness,” James said.
It was going to be almost impossible to tell them apart. I noticed subtle things, like Peter had the darkest blue in his eyes. James had a mole on the left side of his forehead, and John had a tattoo on his left hand that said LIVE. One letter on each finger.
Chapter 13
“Peter, James, and John. Those are biblical names, right?” Charlie asked.
“Yes, they are,” Peter answered with a smile. “Our mother was a very godly woman. She died a few months ago in the hive. She became sick and we didn’t have the right medicine in our facility to help her.” All three men put their heads down.
“Well, she’s in a much better place than we are now,” my father said.
“That she is, sir,” Peter said, nodding. “She is much better off than we are, that’s for sure. As soon as we came out of our bunker, we felt like we were being followed. Like I said, there were a total of eleven of us. It was us and another family. I had a suspicion that we were being followed, so I took my brothers to do some recon. When we came back to our site, all the others were gone, and there was blood everywhere. We tried to look for them, but we couldn’t find them.”
“We heard horrible growling sounds around us, but we didn’t wait around. We set out for the mountains, and haven’t stopped until now. We’ve been on the run for two days straight, and thank God you were here. We would have died, our ammo was almost completely depleted. Do you know what the heck those things are?”
“They were once humans, like us,” my father explained. “They were humans, left on the topside to fend for themselves, people who had no shelter and nowhere to turn. The government approved and distributed an anti-radiation vaccination called ARV-3 to the shelters. What the population didn’t know was the government approved the serum without the proper testing or positive results. Results take time - sometimes months - and because the grid went down, they only had days. So while the government and all of us Preppers went underground, everyone else was left to survive the radiation fallout, with nothing more than a hope in the ARV-3 vaccine.”
“That’s some crazy story. I can’t believe those things were once human. I feel bad for them,” Peter said. “But then I think of what they did to the other members of our group, and how they tried to kill us. Human or not, if it tries to kill me, or my family, it becomes top priority on my shit list. And I will not hesitate to kill.”
“Whatever you do, don’t let them bite you. Their saliva is highly infectious. We aren’t sure yet if it can be transmitted by blood yet, but what we do know is that something happened to those who were injected with the ARV-3 virus. The blood samples show a new genetically engineered DNA chemical-compound present in the Arvies bloodstream. This new DNA compound was not supposed to be part of the vaccine. Whatever the foreign compound is, it caused a gene mutation. They are trying to figure out if someone actually tampered with the formula or if it was some type of biological reaction.”
“A soldier who was bitten by one of them immediately began to show the same signs of their delusional and crazed behavior. Even his eyes began to change to the similar cataract white. Scary, so we need to take all necessary precautions and try and keep our bodies covered as best as we can, until we find out how else the disease can be transferred.”
Peter sighed. “Well, we can only hope the others in our group ran away and found safety. There was a lot of blood, but our men did have weapons.”
“We will hope for that as well,” Sergeant Powell added, “but we must realize that death is inevitable in this new diseased world.”
The men nodded.
Suddenly, the air was filled with growls and screams which reverberated off the mountain walls. We all ran to the edge and witnessed a legion of Arvies running in our direction.
“Shit, they must have been following us!” John cursed.
“How?” James said. “They retreated.”
“I don’t think any of that matters now. Everyone, arm yourselves!” Sergeant Powell yelled. “This is it. Looks like we’re going to war!”
“Sergeant!” I said, taking hold of his arm. “I noticed there are some who seem to be leading. If we can find out which ones they are, and take them out, it might make them scatter.”
“She’s right,” Uncle Frank agreed. “I saw it with my own eyes. Abi took out one that seemed to be giving orders, and it made the others confused and retreat.”
“Well, there are hundreds headed our way. If you can find those leaders, by all means, take them out. In the meantime, we need to make sure we focus on the ones that will be causing the most threat,” Sergeant Powell said.
“Abi, I won’t be able to spot for you. They need all the extra fire power they can get. Do you think you can use the sniper rifle on your own?” Uncle Frank asked.
“I’ll try,” I said.
“I’ll be her spotter,” Lily held her hand out to her father. Uncle Frank glanced at her with a look of confusion. “Dad, you’ve taught me everything I know, I think I’d be of better use being Abi’s spotter, than shooting. Trust me, I can do this.”
Uncle Frank looked into his daughters eyes with a look of admiration. He placed his hands on either side of her face and kissed her forehead.
“I have no doubt you can do this, Lily,” he said with pride.
“Thanks,” she said, with a worried smile.
“Just let Abi know if you see any Arvies that look like they could be leading the others. Okay? Please be safe,” he said.
Uncle Frank handed Lily the scope and we hurried over to the edge and set up. I heard her gasp as the bottom of the mountain crawled with the corpse like creatures. They were coming, and we knew it was for one thing. To kill.
My mother and father each came and gave me a hug and told me how much they loved me, trying to reassure me that everything was going to be alright. No one knew what the outcome would be, but seeing the countless bodies below… it looked hopeless. We were lucky if we could hold off a third of them. They were fast, and I knew we didn’t have enough ammo.
But, I couldn’t dwell on the negative. I couldn’t let my mind give in now. We were still alive, and hell if I’d go down without a fight.
“Hey Abi,” Finn’s voice whispered next to me. I turned and saw him armed with his shotgun.
“Hey! You look like you’re ready to give some hell,” I said.
“Damn right,” he smiled, and put his hand over the angel’s wings I gave him. “And, don’t worry. I’ve got your back. You just find and shoot the damn brains from those leaders.”
“Deal,” I said.
“They’re coming!” Sergeant Powell yelled. “Everyone get into position. Remember, one shot, one kill. We need to make each shot count. Don’t waste your ammo. Aim for the head or the heart.”
Everyone took their positions near the front, behind rocks for protection, and had their guns ready. Even my mother, and F
inn’s mother had their weapons drawn, but they had horrified looks plastered to their faces.
“Ready, Lily?” I breathed. She didn’t answer, and I noticed that her hands were shaking. “Lily? Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”
“Yeah. I’m ready,” she finally replied.
“Just look for those leaders, and let me know which direction they’re at. Try and look for the ones closest to us, okay?”
“Okay, she answered.
I knew that at around 100 yards, I wouldn’t need her to spot for me. I just needed to know where the leaders were so I could take them out quickly.
I took my position and looked through my scope. They were still a little too far from my range to make the shot count, but they would be in range in just a few short minutes. I could feel my heart hammering again, and I tried to take in deep breaths to slow it down, focusing on the sea of diseased bodies heading our way. I searched for those that could be leaders, but I couldn’t find any. Every single one that I focused on had the same look in their milky eyes. Murder.
I watched as they scaled the side of the mountain, until they made it to the top. I positioned the rifle to take those climbing up first.
The first shots were fired by the brothers, and then… all hell broke loose. The screams of the Arvies were almost unbearable, piercing our ears.
“Lily, let me know if you see anything,” I shouted.
“There are too many. I can’t find them,” she yelled back.
“Me either. Just keep looking. I’m going to help take out the ones coming up.”
I set my sight on one that was almost at the top. Its teeth were bared, and it had a look of satisfaction as it grabbed the last rock at the top.
Bam!
My bullet found its mark directly in the middle of its forehead. It dropped backward and rolled down the mountain, knocking down a few others on its way.
As fast as I could clear the round and reload, five more had made their way to the top. Shots were fired from the others, and I watched three drop. I aimed for one still standing, and quickly took it out.
Then, a spine chilling scream, a different kind of scream, sent a shiver up my spine. I looked up from the scope and saw an Arvy on top of Dr. Lisa Banks. She was wrestling with it, but it was quickly overpowering her.
Everyone else was occupied, shooting the others flooding to the top. I immediately jumped up and reached for Hellfire. I quickly un-holstered her, and sprinted to her aid.
I aimed my gun, but couldn’t get a clear shot because they were tumbling on the ground. The Arvy’s teeth were snapping at her face and neck.
“Dr Lisa!” I screamed. “Kick it away.”
She looked at me for a split second, and at that same moment, the Arvy pushed forward and sunk his teeth into her shoulder.
I went blank, and horror filled every single part of me.
Its bloodied face came up, ripping the flesh from her.
Dr. Lisa screamed, but managed to kick the Arvy off, sending it flying off a few feet away. That gave me what I needed. I aimed and fired. Three direct shots landed in its skull.
“Abi!” Dr. Lisa screamed.
I ran for her, but saw something charging at me from the side. I turned and saw white evil eyes, deadly and set on me. Its teeth were dripping with malice.
Bam!
It dropped before I could lift Hellfire. Half of its face was gone and splattered all over the earth.
“Told you, I’ve got your back,” Finn yelled.
“Thanks,” I smiled, but turned back to Dr. Lisa. She was already looking pale. She needed help, and was bleeding profusely. The sight of the blood pouring from her neck sent me into panic mode.
“Dr. Banks!” I screamed. He was at the front shooting the endless bodies now climbing up the side of the mountain. “Dr. Lisa. I’ll get Dr. Banks over to help you.”
She nodded, pressing her own wound with her bloodied hands.
I panicked and ran over Dr. Banks. “Dr. Banks, your wife’s been bitten! She needs your help! NOW!” I yelled, my whole body shaking.
He stopped and turned.
“What?” he jumped up. “Where is she?”
“She’s behind that rock,” I said, pointing.
He took off and ran towards his wife. Finn had come to her aid, shooting anything that came close to her. I watched Dr. Banks rip off his shirt, and press it firmly over her wound, but I couldn’t pause. Pausing now could mean death for the rest of us.
I turned and shot at every creature coming, but as soon as one dropped, another two took its place. All of our efforts were useless. This was it. This would be our final resting place. We’d come out from the safety of our hive, surviving thirteen years underground, to die.
“God. If you’re out there, we desperately need your help. Please,” I cried to myself. Tears streamed down my face, after witnessing what happened to Dr. Lisa.
Kaboom!!! A huge explosion rattled the whole mountain, sending a bunch of rocks tumbling and crashing down all around us.
“What the hell?” Sergeant Powell yelled, covering his face from the falling debris.
Then we heard it. Our redemption. There was a God, and he sent someone to save us.
Two choppers were headed our way, and in a matter of minutes a machine gun started firing and dropping the Arvies surrounding us. They even dropped a few grenades on the side of the mountain. The sound of gunfire and explosions were the most beautiful sounds I’d ever heard.
Death. It was all around us. Arvies were dropping like flies, and the ground was wet and stained crimson. This would be a day I would never forget, but also one that I wanted to bury, forever, deep in the recesses of my mind.
As the second chopper flew overhead, I saw my grandfather in the gunner position. His face was hard, set, and focused on killing the creatures trying to kill us. His family. Tears began to well in my eyes knowing they were alright, and had come to our rescue.
The other chopper remained hovering above the Arvies below us and continued to fire on them. We all continued to fire on the stray Arvies making it to the top.
One of the pilots landed the chopper on our small campsite, and my grandparents jumped out.
“Hurry! Get in!” my grandfather yelled. “Well take half of you, and the other chopper will take the rest.”
“Women and children on the first chopper,” my father ordered.
“No! Dr. Banks should be with his wife. I’ll wait for the second chopper,” I said. My mother and Mrs. Hatch helped board Dr. Lisa into the chopper, while her husband gathered their things. Finn helped his mother on, and then Lily and Charlie jumped in. Within a few minutes, the chopper lifted off to safety.
We kept firing while the second chopper landed. There were three more Arvies that found their way up, but Peter and his brothers quickly took them out.
“Hurry up! Get in!” Sergeant Powell yelled.
We all ran for the chopper and piled in. Exhausted.
When we finally lifted into the sky, my emotions got the best of me. I was usually very strong and very private about showing my emotions, but there was no way I could hold in everything that had just happened, and started sobbing.
“Abigail, are you alright?” my father said, laying his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m fine. Just exhausted,” I said, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
Finn came and sat next to me. “Hey. It’s alright. We made it. We’re going to be safe now.”
“I know, but Dr. Lisa…” I couldn’t speak, and buried my face in his shoulder.
“She’ll be fine. The Sergeant said they have an amazing medical facility at the safe zone. I’m sure they’ll be able to treat her.”
“Finn, she was bitten and it was my fault.”
“How could it be your fault? That thing was already on top of her. There was nothing any of us could have done.”
“I told her to kick it off so I could shoot it, and when she took her eyes off of it, it bit her,” I sobbed.
> “Abigail, you were trying to save her. Any of us would have done the same. You can’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault,” my father’s voice said softly.
Everyone in the chopper agreed.
“Will she turn into one of them?” I asked.
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” my dad vaguely answered, but I think we all already knew the answer to my question.
Their words gave a bit of comfort, because I knew in my heart I wanted to save her. I really thought we’d all make it to the safe zone, alive. At least we were on our way.
Sergeant Powell and the others discussed military operations with the pilot and the gunner who accompanied him, but I was too lost in overwhelming exhaustion and sadness to care what they were saying. Finn slid his arm around me, so I rested my head on his shoulder.
I wondered what it would be like at the safe zone. I had a feeling it would be nothing like the hive. Sergeant Powell’s words kept running through my mind, painting a not so pretty picture. I guess we’d all have to wait and experience it for ourselves.
The repetitive sound of the chopper blades cutting through the air was lulling me to sleep.
“Rest, Abi. It’ll be a while before we get there,” Finn whispered. I looked into his chocolate brown eyes and found a bit of serenity. He smiled at me, making me feel safe and secure, so I closed my eyes and faded into darkness.
Chapter 14
SAFE ZONE
TOPSIDE: DAY 5
Finn must have fallen asleep too, because we were both wakened by my father.
“We’ve made it to the safe zone,” he said, with a huge smile on his lips. I was glad to see him smile. It had been a while.
We’d landed on an indoor helipad. The second helicopter, which was next to us, was empty and there were two men shooting the inside down with soapy water, washing the blood out. My heart started to ache wondering about Dr. Lisa.
“Everyone, follow me,” the Sergeant said. “We need to go through decontamination before we can enter the White City.”
“Where’s mom?” I asked my dad.