Hello all! Behold, *blows off a thick layer of dust* a fic from a time of old. I wrote this a few years ago and decided to pursue it once again. This first chapter is based heavily around Francis' back story from the web comics. I kind of modified it a bit and stuck my OC, Lux, into it. All chapters are references to Midnight Riders songs.
Let me know what you guys think! Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Payday Blues.
"Another," she barked, slamming her glass onto the counter.
The bartender, a gruff looking man in a jean jacket, gave her a steady look. "I think you've had enough, Lux."
"Well excuse me. Did you get let go today?" She shot back, pushing her empty glass towards him with two fingers. "Because it seems you still have your job, unlike me. So," she tapped the glass pointedly.
The bartender shot her a glare before reaching into the well and pouring her another glass. She opened her mouth to kindly thank him, but she was cut off as a hiccup bubbled up from her chest. Damn. If she were a little more sober, she'd probably be feeling a little embarrassed. But the alcohol was doing its job and she found herself comfortably numb to everything. It was sorely needed, especially after the day she'd been having. The bartender just rolled his eyes and turned to polish a few pitchers with a suspiciously yellow rag.
"... the total amount of persons afflicted with this virus has risen to an astounding five-hundred since the first diagnosis report yesterday."
She tilted her head up to address the derelict television perched behind the bar. The screen flickered as the reporter spoke into her comically large microphone, her 90's looking teased hair waving gently as a breeze brushed past her.
"CEDA has released a statement encouraging people to wash their hands frequently and avoid anyone whom they suspect to be infected. Rod Yates, CEDA's evacuation director, implores the public to remain calm in lieu of panic. He says research is being done on a vaccine to combat the influenza, and the outcome looks promising," the reporter continued, talking through her teeth. "Back to you, Tom."
The young reporter was replaced by an older gentleman with a fluffy gray mustache and dreary colored blazer. He tapped a stack of papers and moved on to less enthralling news.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance and threw back a swig of her drink, "Can you believe that, Danny?"
The bartender perked up at the use of his name, shooting her a disinterested look. "Believe what?"
"All of this paranoia about a flu," she shrugged her slim shoulders, tucking a strand of bleached hair behind her ear. "It's just another media circle-jerk. We all know how much news companies love to stir up drama by reporting half truths," she took another swig, pointing a finger at the television. "It boosts ratings."
"Do you ever have anything good to say?" Danny put down the pitcher he had been polishing.
"Nope," she gave the bartender a steely look. "They want us to be happy and complacent. The day you need to start worrying is the day I have anything positive to say about American media."
Danny narrowed his eyes for a moment, "You are a piece of work. I don't know how Duke puts up with ya like he does."
She stifled a mischievous giggle. "Ah, you know... great minds think alike."
"I'm right here, jackasses," the aforementioned man grunted, running a hand through his grimy ash blonde hair. Duke was sitting adjacent from her at the bar and he threw Lux a wink. "Although I do agree with Lux's sentiments."
Danny rolled his eyes and Lux stifled a giggle, bringing her index finger to her pursed lips. Duke flashed her a charming smile, barely seen through his amass of facial hair, and raised his glass. They pretended to clink their drinks together and simultaneously threw back the rest.
"Get the lady another drink," Duke gestured to Lux. "It's on me, darlin'."
Usually, she opposed to being called pet names by surly old bikers... but Duke was an exception. She coquettishly took the refreshed drink from Danny's hand, playfully shooting Duke a dramatic salute. The old man just let out a deep, hoarse laugh and shook his head.
It had been a long time since she drank like this. More often than not she was the sober one amidst her social circle, usually resorting to being the team mom and wrangling in all the drunkards. But today was different. She had been laid off and resorted to spending the remainder of her cash on booze at her favorite dive.
Life hadn't been easy since she dropped out of college. She was twenty-six and so accustomed to job-hopping that if she was at one job for more than six months, she grew listless. So the fact that she had managed to hold onto this job for a year was a huge feat. And she was fired due to no fault of her own- they were "downsizing." Downsizing! Motherfuckers.
She had a bad taste in her mouth at the memory and she smacked her lips, squelching the offensive taste with more bourbon. A lot of people at her work had started calling in sick, always with the same flu, and then never showing up again. She just assumed they were hungover at the rate and volume they were calling in (or got tired of a shitty cubicle job), but after almost all of them started doing no call no shows, her suspicion piqued. At the most, she suspected they were feeding into flu hysteria. Bunch of hypochondriacs. Even still, the office had started to feel like a ghost town every time she'd clock in. She should've expected the company to either downsize or close but she just assumed they'd go on a hiring spree and everything would be right as rain again.
Behind her, the doors flung open, a breeze from the chilly February evening rushing in as some patrons entered the bar. A piece of paper skittered along the floorboards and wrapped around the leg of her bar stool. She bent down and retrieved the paper, idly unfurling the crumpled material. It was an announcement from CEDA telling people to stay indoors, accompanied by a list of useful materials necessary for survival. She drew her attention from the flyer to see who had entered the bar. Her expression went from one of curiosity to disappointment.
Oh. It was just Francis and his flavor of the week, Sandra.
Sandra was a slight little thing with auburn hair and deep ocher eyes. She was far too attractive for Francis... not to mention she wasn't his type. Slender, athletic, and usually wearing a cut off t-shirt with jeans. She looked more like a pro-athlete's girlfriend than the arm candy of a ragtag biker covered in shitty prison tattoos. She wasn't sure how Francis did it, but he pulled women left and right- and pretty ones, too. Even when he treated them like shit and rarely remembered their names.
Francis gave Lux a light wave as he took a seat, Sandra hobbling onto the stool next to him. He silently raised two fingers and Danny gave the tattooed man a simple nod, turning to retrieve two pint glasses from the rack. She watched in mild fascination as Danny tilted the pint glasses, allowing the golden liquid from the tap to spill forward. Once he was done he placed them both in front of Francis and his date.
"Here ya go," Francis remarked as he pushed a pint towards Sandra.
Sandra nodded meekly and pulled a face, holding the beer in her hand but not taking a sip. She wasn't looking too hot. Sandra had a glow about her, but it was significantly dull today. Her skin held an unhealthy pallor to it and her eyes appeared half-lidded and tired.
"Did ya hear, Danny? I'm hittin' the big house," Francis said nonchalantly as he sipped at the head of his beer. The foam caught onto his stubble and he brushed it away with the back of his hand.
"Aw shit, Francis. What did ya do now?" Danny asked.
"Got caught stealin' a T.V. from Bob's Electric down the road. Damn owner came outta nowhere and accosted me," he placed a hand against his chest in mock offense. "Wouldn't believe me when I told him I was just a cop tryin' to gather some evidence for a crime."
"And he didn't believe you? I'm shocked," Lux spoke up, her sarcasm palpable.
"Can it, blondie," he snapped. Sandra giggled next to him. "Anyway, and that's why I'm going to jail."
"If you're going to jail- how and why are you here?" It was Duke's turn to ask something.
"Ah, I made bail and decided to fuck around until it's time for me to," he blew a raspberry with his tongue, "ya know."
"I'll miss you, Francis," Sandy said amorously.
"I'll miss you too, Becky."
"Sandra."
"Whatever," Francis took a sip of his beer. "We'll have plenty of time to learn each other's names durin' conjugal visits."
She pressed her face to his bicep like a child, her cherry red lips parting as she let out a heavy sigh. Francis appeared to be a bit uncomfortable. He sat up a little taller and his shoulders went rigid. Slowly he leaned in the direction opposing Sandra, but his arm was locked in place by her surprisingly vice grip. Give it a few more minutes and he'd be flailing like he were caught in a bear trap.
"Unless you're going to jail in another state, Francis, you're not getting any conjugal visits," Lux said flatly.
Francis turned to Lux, "Ha-ha yeah… what?"
"Pennsylvania doesn't allow conjugal visits, buddy." Duke deadpanned, nonchalantly taking a sip of his porter.
"God damn it. The next time I impersonate a cop, remind me to do it in Ohio."
A thrum of laughter rose from the group, Duke's being most noticeable, his raspy timbre easily discernible over the cacophony of voices. Sandra perked up a bit, her arm still mingled with Francis', her eyes suddenly wide. A devilish twinkle appeared in her tawny stare.
"Better not waste any more time then, hm?" She practically purred. "Come on, Francis."
Duke's eyebrows shot into his hairline while Danny went slack-jawed, his eyes boggling. With a tug Sandra pulled Francis from his stool and began to lead him to the back, towards the supply closet. Lux watched with morbid fascination as Francis' buzzed head disappeared behind the door, the last visible part of him being a feisty thumbs up.
"Classy," she muttered.
"Eh, let 'em be, Lux," Duke turned to face the blonde, leaning on one elbow, the other balled up into fist on his knee. "He won't be getting any pussy where he's going."
Lux wanted to roll her eyes and gripe about how disgusting it was, being only ten feet away from two people copulating. This was not how she wanted to spend her first day being unemployed. But hey, not everything was about her, as much to her chagrin. She turned back to the television, only to realize their signal was gone. A small icon bounced around the screen, saying something about the satellite systems being down.
"Your signal's out," she was irritated.
"Nothin' I can do about it," Danny shrugged as he turned back to his glasses, producing another one of his stained rags. "Just have to wait until it reconnects."
Her shoulders fell and she lolled her head to the side, turning her attention to Duke. "I guess that means we have to talk to each other. Awful."
"Hm." Duke seemed preoccupied. His gaze kept wandering over to the closet Francis and Sandra disappeared into, his knee bouncing up and down.
Then she heard it, a muffled shout from behind the bereft wooden door: "Aw, fuck! What's wrong with ya? Dumb bitch!"
The door flung open and Francis came stumbling out, his back facing the group. Sandra shambled after him, her arms dangling limply at her sides, her head cocked at an unusual angle. At their sudden appearance, Duke and Lux stood from their seats, the stools screeching along the floor as they did so. The noise spooked Sandra and she flinched, emitting a horrible, throaty scream.
Before Francis could react, Sandra was on him, her hands knotted into his leather vest. Tremulously, almost as if in slow motion, Sandra's mouth slid open. To Lux's horror, Sandra's jaw seemed to almost pop out of place like a snake, her lips furled backwards to reveal her blood-stained teeth.
"What the fuck," the words slipped from Lux's lips. "What the fuck?!"
Then there was a deafening pop and Sandra jerked, her body slumping into Francis' chest. Blood and chunks of brain spattered the floor and parts of the wall behind them. Duke stood at Francis' flank, his shotgun poised at the ready, the barrel pointed towards the crazed woman before them. Francis jumped back, his hands raised above his head, a line of expletives spewing from his mouth. Dark flecks of crimson decorated his beard and slid across the dark material of his vest. Lux felt queasy at the sight and pressed her hand to her mouth to suppress a gag.
Sandra's body slid to the ground and hit the floorboards with a hollow thump. There were a few moments where her muscles twitched and she writhed.
Lux could feel the energy in the room, it was palpable. Everyone was on edge, waiting for round two. She half expected the redhead to rise from the floor and come at them again. But round two never came and there Sandra laid, a geyser of crimson streaming from the hole in the front of her skull, forever silent. She stared at the young woman's face; her eyes half lidded and glossy, her mouth agape and brimming with a foamy substance mixed with blood. Her skin was waxy and gray. It almost didn't feel real. Just a minute ago, she was annoying Francis and now… Lux swallowed.
There were a few beats where no one spoke. A heavy silence fell on the room and they stood, their eyes locked on the crumpled body only a few feet away.
"We just killed a person," Lux said to no one in particular, her voice cracking slightly.
"She... she didn't look normal, guys." Danny's voice trembled as he spoke. He hugged himself as he stared, his eyes unfocused.
"No shit," Francis spat, his hands working at his vest. He wiped the back of his hand against his face and cursed. "Ah, hell. It's all over me."
"What happened in there?" Duke asked, coming to stand next to Lux.
"First she puked on me," Francis turned to face them. Sandra's blood was still splattered across his face and he looked more like an ink blot test than a person. "Then, she bit my neck and I was just thinking she was gettin' frisky. But then she bit me again and fuck," he paused, bringing his hands to rest atop his head. "I think she broke skin."
Lux clenched her hands into a fist, trying to rid her limbs of the cold sensation she was currently feeling. She took a step closer and peered at Francis' neck, licking her lips as she focused. She brought her finger up to push the skin around, observing the darkened circle and burst capillaries upon his flesh. There was a small tear, almost insignificant, but it was enough to draw blood.
"She broke some skin," she swallowed, her fingers lingering for a moment. "But it's mostly a bruise."
She could see Francis' heart beat thrumming away, his jugular vein pounding in quick succession. Obviously, his adrenaline was pumping and he was freaked out. Lux didn't blame him; not one bit. Francis froze for a moment before gently pushing her hand away from his neck. Lux muttered a quick apology before taking a step back, finding her way back to Duke's side.
"We should call someone," Duke said evenly, placing a comforting hand on the small of Lux's back. He pushed his shotgun into her hand, "hold this for me, will ya darlin'?"
Lux nodded numbly, taking the gun from his grasp, "Okay."
Duke walked over to the bar, rounding the corner and finding the payphone tucked away in the back. He pulled a quarter from his pocket and put it into the phone, quickly tapping away at the dial pad. Lux held onto the gun with a vice grip, her knuckles blanching against it. The barrel still slightly warm. Her eyes traveled back to Sandy's corpse and she clutched the weapon to her chest even harder.
She had never witnessed a death before… at least, not in person. All those nights of searching the deep web and witnessing the worst of human atrocities didn't really count. The things she witnessed online were almost bearable, because there was a screen keeping her separated from what was happening.
But today someone had taken the screen away.
"The fuckin' line is dead," Duke groused somewhere in the back. He slammed the phone against the receiver a few times, cursing under his breath. "Anyone have a cellphone?"
Lux dragged her eyes away from Sandy's corpse, "Uh, I do. Just let me…" she moved over to the bar top and placed the shotgun down. Hands trembling, she patted down her pockets until she found her flip phone and brandished it. "No signal."
"What the fuck is goin' on?" Francis barked.
Lux jumped at the sound of Francis' voice, turning to look at the TV. "Can you disable the satellite and pick up local channels, Danny?"
Danny nodded mutely and hopped on top of the bar, reaching for the satellite receiver nestled tightly beneath the television. With a few tugs, he disconnected the wires and hopped back down, finding the discarded remote. The screen was black for a few moments as Danny flicked through the channels, trying to find something- anything, at this point.
The entire room held their breath as Danny continued his search for local channels. After what seemed like an eternity, something finally came into focus, and Lux let out a ragged sigh. A high pitched alarm filled the silence of the room, a flashing red bar appearing on the screen.
An impassive, robotic voice chimed in: "This is not a test. This is an emergency broadcast transmission issued by the Civil Emergency and Defense Agency."
There was another loud ringing, sounding similar to a dialup connection, before it continued.
"This is a contagious disease warning issued for the state of Pennsylvania beginning at 5:30PM eastern time, until further notice. Nothing conclusive is known about this flu. However, there have been reported symptoms including: back pain, violent cough, uncontrollable vomiting, bleeding from the eyes, nose, ears and mouth, and increased aggression."
Lux eyed the corpse behind them, a knot forming in her chest. The voice sent a chill down her spine and she felt the cold weight of dread press against her shoulders.
"Please remain calm and seek shelter immediately. Board up all windows and doors and avoid contact with any infected persons."
At this point, Duke had rejoined the group, standing only a foot away from Lux. She reached out for him with a fumbling hand, grabbing onto his leather sleeve, wrenching the material between her fingers. Her heart leapt to her throat and she struggled to breathe, her blood turning cold as the emergency messaged began to repeat itself.
"Is this real?" She was scared, her gaze never leaving the dinky television screen. It took a moment before she was able to pull herself away, and she looked at Duke with large, watery eyes. "Duke… is this a prank?"
"Becky had whatever this is…" Francis' voice trailed off, his hand idly rubbing at the spot where she had bitten him.
"Sandra," Duke corrected.
"Whatever," Francis rolled his eyes.
"Oh god," Lux began to shake. "Oh god. Oh… fuck," her breathing was in shallow gasps now, anxiety gripping at her chest, preventing her lungs from expanding. "We were all exposed."
"Guys…" Danny spoke up suddenly, panic evident in his tone. He moved backwards swiftly, pointing a finger at the entrance of the bar.
The group simultaneously around. Lux regretted it immediately and began to move away from the door. Waves of humans were navigating the vehicle-congested streets. Some were screaming, clawing and climbing over cars in desperation as they ran. Running from what, Lux couldn't see.
"Block the door," Francis snapped. "We have to block the door. Somebody help me move these tables." No one moved for a moment and Francis raised his voice, "Fucking move, guys!"
Lux jumped to life, quickly finding the nearest table and dragging it to the door, pressing the heavy wood against the plexiglass. Duke and Danny quickly followed their lead, finding random pieces of furniture to add to the pile once they ran out of tables. She was jamming the head of a chair under the handle when someone slammed their body into the door. She jumped back with a strangled yelp, her heart ramming against her ribcage.
It was a man, no older than she was. His eyes were wide as he called to them, begging to be let in, pleading with them to help him. There was a large wound upon his forearm and it bled heavily, blood splattering the plexiglass as he slapped his palms against it.
"We should let him in." Lux went to move the chair from the handle when someone pulled her back. She turned to see Duke, his arms looped around her waist, his eyes morose. "We can't leave him out there!"
"Blondie, there is no way we are opening that door. Whatever did that to him is still out there and I sure as shit ain't going to risk my life for him," Francis growled. "Danny, do you still have that stash of guns?"
"Y-yeah, they're in the storeroom," Danny seemed visibly shaken, his hands quivering as he handed the storeroom keys over to Francis. "It's past the bathroom and on your left."
"Come on, Dan," Francis grabbed onto Danny's collar and began to drag him away from the bar. "We ain't gonna sit around and be zombie food."
"Zombies?" Lux squealed, turning back to the plexiglass door. The man was still there but he was slumped against the doorframe, his skin turning an unhealthy shade of gray. "He's joking, right Duke?"
"I need you to get away from that door. Now." Duke's voice was calm but there was an edge to his words when he spoke.
"We aren't really going to leave this man here to die, are we?"
"There's no other choice," he pulled her backwards until they reached the bar.
"Zombies aren't real," Lux muttered helplessly, her gaze locked onto the man behind the glass. Although he seemed dead he was very much alive. "This isn't real."
"It's real. I need you to stay with me, okay?" Duke was trying to calm her but it wasn't working. "There's no time to sit and talk about this now. We'll discuss it later when we're somewhere safe."
Lux was about to respond when the man outside lurched, his head snapping upward. A hand snaked around from the back and gripped onto his throat and a scream tore through him. Goosebumps spread across Lux's skin as she watched what was transpiring in horror.
Another hand appeared and turned the man around, pushing him so that his back was flush against the glass. She followed the roaming hands with her eyes until she reached who they belonged to; it was a person in a deep blue sweatshirt. Their features were indiscernible beneath the shadow of their hood, which was pulled far over their face.
There was a moment where she foolishly wondered if this hooded figure was there to help, but all hope was erased the moment they began to claw away at the man's stomach. Their hands tore into the victim with ease, like he was made of playdough, his intestines sloughing to the concrete amidst a spray of crimson.
"Holy shit!" Duke cursed as he tightened his grip on Lux. "Holy shit, we have to get out of here."
She wanted to move. She wanted to wrench Duke's hands away from her hips and run as far away as possible. But her body denied her, her legs heavy, like two cinderblocks were tied to her ankles. Everything seemed to still around her, the world slowing down to a crawl. The worst part was that she couldn't look away, mesmerized by the violence in front of her.
"You need to snap out of it, Lux!" Duke implored.
"Duke, we need to get to the roof," Francis reappeared. There was a moment where he stopped in his tracks, finally noticing what was happening outside. "Oh-ho-ho-kay. Nope. Fuck that," he said with an emotionless laugh. "No more pussy footin' around. Pick that bitch up bridal style because I am not going to end up like that poor fuck!"
"I'm sorry for this, darlin'," Duke whispered as he scooped her up, his hand securing behind her neck and the bend of her knees. Her body went lax as Duke whisked her away, following Francis as he led them to the staircase in the back.
"Where's Danny?" She heard Duke ask, but he sounded so far away.
"He's already up there," Francis said easily as he unlocked the staircase entrance. "We moved the jukebox up there too. Give us some tunes to listen to while we wait."
"You two moved the jukebox all the way up these stairs?"
"Yeah," Francis said as he stood aside, letting Duke and Lux enter first. "Ya can't get a party started without a little music."
Duke fumbled with the double door to the roof and after a moment it swung open, the hazy February sun bathing Lux in a dull hue. The wind was cold and it crashed against her, prickling her skin, and she shuddered. A low thrum of music filled her ears, a song by the Midnight Riders; the tune a charming antithesis to their current predicament. Some clarity washed over her and she shook her head, like a fog had risen from the front of her brain.
She grabbed onto the lapels of Duke's leather jacket and hoisted herself up. "I can walk."
Duke raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"
Her brows furrowed and she kicked her legs idly. "They seem to be working."
"Okay," Duke said uneasily, setting her down onto the concrete. "But the second you go catatonic again, I'm gonna strap you to my chest like a baby."
"Sounds like a plan," she said weakly. Duke was just trying to cheer her up but she was finding it difficult to feel anything at the moment. Was this was shock felt like?
Francis rushed up the stairs, appearing behind Duke, slamming shut the door to the stairwell. He locked it, pressing his forehead to the steel with an uneven breath. Francis seemed to deliberate for only a moment before looping a thick metal chain through the handle and sealing it with a padlock.
Danny was at the edge of the roof, standing on the stone ridge, a semi-automatic rifle poised toward the city street. Next to him was a rusted, wobbly table with various items. She approached the table with apprehension, noting that it was an eclectic collection of weaponry. Grenades, crude pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, pistols, shotguns, and an array of rifles all laid out in neat rows. Behind them all was a first aid kit, likely picked up from the local military surplus.
"You had all of this in your storeroom?" Lux was boggled, running a finger over the buttstock of an AK-47.
"Yeah," Danny said with a sheepish grin, running a hand through his long umber tresses. "Not all of them are legal, neither."
"That's a given," Lux said flatly, her eyes travelling to an empty coffee canister bubbling over with magazines.
Danny waved her and Duke over. "Come look at this."
Duke grabbed a rifle and moved up to Danny's flank. He peered over the ledge, "Jesus. There must be a thousand of 'em."
Lux was hesitant to look but her curiosity was overpowering, and she moved up to the ledge, peering around Danny's legs. She visibly recoiled, covering her mouth to muffle the unflattering scream that threatened to break through.
The streets were filled to brim with people… or, what used to be people. Some of them shambled along aimlessly, as if confused or lost, appearing to be unaware of their surroundings. A few of them were huddled against walls or sitting against cars, blood and vomit seeping from their gaping maws.
Her line of sight traveled lower until she saw the front of the bar.
She met the gaze of one of those… people, their hands outstretched as if attempting to climb the flat rows of bricks that separated them. His jaw snapped and rotated as he snarled, an unearthly guttural noise emanating from the back of his throat. He was only a one story drop from her and that was far too close for comfort.
"A thousand, eh?" Francis chuckled as he hopped onto the ridge alongside Danny.
The butt of an M-16 rested in the crook of his shoulder, his hand upon the grip and the other on the trigger. With a wide grin he pulled the trigger, a spray of bullets raining down upon the man directly beneath them.
"Nine-hundred ninety-nine," he said above the sound of his gun. He pulled the barrel upward and released another round into another person in the street, and they collapsed. "Nine-hundred ninety-eight."
"Stop!" Lux pulled onto his arm. "Stop! Please. Those are people, they're just sick!"
"They ain't people anymore, Blondie," Francis said confidently as he fired once more.
She opened her mouth in rebuttal but was interrupted as a heavy rifle was shoved into her arms. Duke was at the other end of the rifle, his face serious.
"Ya can get busy shootin'," Francis said over his shoulder. "Or ya can get busy dying."
"So it's us against them?" Lux didn't like the sound of that.
"Unfortunately," Duke commented as he picked up his own gun. He had forgotten his shotgun in the bar downstairs. "You saw what that thing did to that poor guy back there. You saw what Sandy tried to do to Francis."
A few bottles of beer sat near Francis' feet and every now and then he would reach for one, taking a huge swig of the bottle before shooting into the crowd. Was he enjoying this? She frowned at the unsettling feeling that burned between her ribs.
"Everybody grab a gun and a beer! The day's just getting started and we got plenty a' both!" Francis hollered as he threw an empty bottle into the crowd.
Lux balanced the barrel of the gun against the ridge, her other hand coming up to push a strand of pale hair behind her ear. She stared at the rifle, her pulse surging at the thought of firing it into a group of people. Were they still people? She thought so. They looked human, they were just sick. If there was a chance that they could be cured, it seemed wrong to snuff out their lives so easily, all in the name of self-preservation. Maybe she was being too soft.
The sound of air raid sirens howled in the distance and she felt a chill spread across her skin.
Duke raised his weapon and began to fire into the street. She watched as he moved the rifle from side to side, the shell casings popping off like sparks and trickling across the rooftop with a melodious jingle. She felt her arms tremble beneath the weight of her gun. This still felt far too surreal. Just an hour ago she was getting drunk at the bar, laughing at the news anchors as they fretted about some (most likely) made up flu. And now… she swallowed, her mouth dry.
She felt oddly lucky to have been surrounded by bikers with a penchant for hoarding guns. It still didn't help to assuage the growing fear deep in her gut and she raised her gun again with trepidation. She focused intently down the site as she stared into the horde and let out a breath. With one final deliberation she gave in and pulled the trigger.
The recoil was unlike anything she'd experience before and she staggered backwards. "Holy shit."
Francis paused in firing and threw her an amused glance. "First time shooting a rifle?"
"Y-yeah," she laughed awkwardly. "Can you tell?"
"You're holding it too low," he reached a hand out and raised her right elbow, "and move it more inward. Not in your armpit. That's a good way ta' fuck up your shoulder."
She followed his instruction, noting that his hand lingered on her elbow a moment longer before falling to his side.
"Wow, you said something to me that wasn't a smart ass remark or a lame joke," she said as she fired the gun in her new position. The recoil was the same but it was far more bearable.
"Don't get used to it," he sipped another beer and continued to fire into the crowd.
She shook her head and followed his lead, releasing a spray of gunshots into the street.