"Hey where is ev'rybody?" He heard the country boy shouting as he and the heavy black man busted out of the steel door. "Hellooooo?"
"This isn't happening." The black woman began repeating to herself. "This isn't happening."
"Anyone here?" The boy called again.
They all had their eyes set on the choppers whirling over head, each probably carrying survivors. They were too late.
"Aren't they supposed to be saving our asses?" The black man asked bitterly.
The gambler looked up, wiping some of the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, trying to avoid his probably worthless white suit. "Looks like there's been a change of plans." He turned easily, stepping up to get first pick on the supplies the helicopter had left. He instantly grabbed a pistol and a heath kit.
"Heh heh" The hick chuckled as he picked up his choice. "Look who has an axe."
The conman rolled his eyes as the others picked up their supplies and headed for the door once more. He shot down a few of the infected standing randomly in the flight of stairs then pushed open the hallway door. Almost instantly a flying green wad of muck came straight at him. A hand just as quick clutched to the back of his suit pulled him out of the him out of the way just before the juice hit the floor.
"Aw hell man, spitter goo!"
Spitter? He heard the hick's voice as he nearly tumbled back onto the stairs and pulled himself free. "Hands off." He hissed, almost as sizzling as the apparent acid that melted into the ground.
The country boy seemed to not even notice and hopped over the dying pile. Before she could even begin to comprehend it, his axe had swung across the vile spitter's body, slicing her in two and dripping more of the goo. The other's then followed, the gambler running by him while the other heavy man gave the kid a pat on the shoulder.
The fought through what felt like miles of hallway, avoiding any closed doors as the scent of something foul burning filled the air and scaling the edge of the god forsaken building. But through dumb luck they were able to find various weapons, some fully loaded, as they moved through the maze. As turned the corner, they were confronted by another ugly creature unlike the rest.
"Boomer!" The black man shouted out as he pushed the other's back. He fired a single shot at the infected and it lived up to it's name. Within the single moment the bullet made contact, the black man was covered head to toe in a reeking green fluid.
"Aw, that's just gross." The hick said, loading his gun as more of the infected came running from no where.
"Look on the bright side Overalls." The gambler said easily as they made a mad dash for a nearby elevator, the Coach trying to rub the mess off him. "At least this one isn't burning him." He pressed the button and the elevator began to descend. "Anyone get bit?" He asked, most of his experience of this coming from any clips of the cheesy movies he's seen. "That's how this works right?"
"Yeah," The black man responded, tossing the last bit of bile from his hands to the ground. "My friends call me Coach, suppose ya'll can too.."
"My name is Rochelle." The black woman said.
"My name's Ellis." The hick said. "But some people call me El. But I prefer Ellis 'cause El sounds like a girls's name. Just, El or Ellis." The suited man once again rolled his eyes, mentally groaning. He knew this kid would be nothing but annoying to him. "What about you?"
The gambler turned to the hick's expecting face. "Nick." He said shortly, soon after the elevator quickly became filled with smoke and stopped abruptly.
The Coach was the first to step up to the plate. "Hey Ellis, give me a hand." The kid did as he was told, gripping one side of the elevator door as Coach forced his crowbar between them. In a quick, grunting moment the door was opened with a loud screech, followed by another that only this time came from the infected.
"Shit." Nick said as he walked out of the shaft. The hallway was literally up in flames, all along the sides. And there were some infected sprinting towards them, on fire. Freaking Perfect.
"Let's get 'er done!" The hick shouted way too enthusiastically, turning the axe over in his hand before swinging into one of flame brained skulls.
Everyone followed in the action in their own way, using a variety of weapons. Bullets began to fly from all angels, blood splattered all over what was probably once beautiful hotel, and it seemed like the infected guests were never ending.
Suddenly Nick felt a pressure wrap around his torso then begin to drag him back violently. "What the-" He could only manage before the grip tightened, squeezing his lungs til he was sure they would burst, and he was surrounded by a cloud of something that made the smoke twenty times worse.
"I got ya Nick!"
He heard the yell, knowing it came from the kid, but couldn't even remotely tell where it came from. He couldn't see two inches past his face. He heard a sicking THWACK and a moment later the cloud intensified and the pressure released, causing him to take a deep breath of whatever it was that had got him. He then felt a tight grip on his arm and a pull, beginning to drag him as they ran.
"Come on, come on we gotta go!" Again it came in Overall's voice, and soon Nick was able to somewhat recognize the dingy yellow shirt he hadn't cared to keep clean and odd cap through the cloud of defeating smoke.
"Over here!" The Coach's voice boomed. "I found the way out!" He motioned quickly, raising a single arm over his head before leading them through a lighted doorway and on to an open floor, followed by a safe room.
Rochelle reached into her belt and threw what appeared to be a green glass bottle, filled with the same stuff Coach was covered in earlier. "Bile incoming!" She warned, readying her gun. As soon as it hit, the infected went mad. One on top of the other clawing and biting away. "Now!" She called out. She and Coach fired rapidly at the horde, bringing them down easily for the sputtering pair behind to follow.
"Come on, get inside now!" The heavy man called, the gambler becoming tired of his orders. But unable to reply, he and the leading Ellis wobbled into the room and he slammed the door behind.
The second it was shut, Nick breathed heavily to cleanse his lungs of the smog. The hick beside him did the same as he leaned over, coughing violently and looking as if he was about to lose what ever lunch he had been fortunate enough to have that day.
Rochelle walked over to him groggily and passed him a bottle of pills. "Here sweety, take some of these."
Ellis looked up from his fit and took the medicine graciously. "Thank ya, ma'am." He said kindly as he unscrewed the cap and swallowed two or three of the capsules, tossing the rest aside.
"Hey there's weapons here." Coach called, snapping up a sub machine gun and loading it.
Ellis' face instantly lit up. "Swweeet!" He said as he picked up a shot gun. "I haven't seen one of these babies since back home!" He filled the clip and shoved all he could into his pockets.
What was this kid's problem? Nick wondered. He was just practically dying of suffocation a few seconds ago and now he's fine because he found a gun? He sighed and stood fully, reloading the weapon he had and grabbing a few spare rounds, then filling his pistols.
"Y'all ready?" Coach called back, lifting the bar that held the safe room, if you could call it that, door shut. No one hesitated so he pushed it open forcefully, knocking away any infected that had hoped to catch them early.
They all emptied themselves from the room, not once looking back as they fired at the long row of infected beasts running towards them from beneath the onning.
"Is that...?" Rochelle started. Running straight for them was a CEDA's man. "A zombie in a hazmat suit?!" She asked in disbelief, firing at it mercilessly.
"Guess the suits didn't protect them from being bitten." Nick shrugged.
From his corpse fell another bottle of the vile vomit which she scooped up without a second thought.
"Hey lookie here!" Ellis' chipper voice caught Nick's ear as he turned to see the country boy wielding a long narrow sword. He immediately started swinging it dramatically, slicing up the infected as if he were in a foreign samurai movie. "Hey I ever tell yall 'bout the time my buddy Keith made sushi? Yeah, his mom took him to a sushi place for his birthday and he didn't want to go, but he turned out he iloved/i it, man. But it's like ten bucks a sushi in one of them places, so Keith figures,-"
"Now's not the time Overalls!" Nick called, cutting off his insipid story while simultaneously blowing off the the head of an infected.
The group continued pressing forward, Coach knocking out a spitter after she had splashed then, causing them all minor ankle burns, and something Nick hadn't yet seen. A hooded thing, crouched and growling at him, then it pounced. Almost on instinct his barrel followed it as he snapped the trigger. "Damn thing was hunting me." He mumbled.
"Well then we'll just call that one there a hunter." Ellis beamed as he ran by. Almost a second later he came zooming by again, this time riding a giant fist on an over sized infected.
"What the hell?!" Nick asked as he fired at it. It had stopped running, but now it had the kid in his grasp and was pummeling him into the ground.
"It's got me!" Ellis cried as the beast lifted him up only to slam him back onto the concrete. Nick fired rapidly until the infected went limp and fell, but Ellis was unable to get up.
"Get your ass up now." Nick growled as he pulled the kid to his feet.
He was about to take off when, "Hold up, I gotta heal." Flew from the other's mouth as he removed his health kit. Nick pondered leaving him, but after saving his tail back in the hotel he considered it in in ownage to stay.
He groaned as he aimed and blasted away to on coming infected, all going for the scent of Ellis' blood. "That'll do, now come on." He demanded, assisting the injured man and starting to run.
They caught up to Coach and Rochelle, as they had cleaned out most of the track before them, and ran full blast to what was not a safe room, but a gun shop. Coach broke through the glass door and opened it to everyone. Soon everyone was picking out new, more usable guns and laser sights, but one piece particularly caught the Coach's eye.
"Report unusual behavior." He read aloud, causing the other's to look up only for a single moment to realize he was reading over the CEDA's notice that was handed out just before all hell broke lose. "Barricade your homes. Avoid all contact with infected individuals. Wait for official instructions." He chuckled as he crumpled the paper in his hand and tossed it aside. "Wait my ass."
"Kill all sons a' bitches." Ellis said, pumping his newly equipped gun with a gleaming smirk. "That's my of'cial instructions."
"Hello there." Came an unknown voice. Startled the group raised their weapons, then lowered them realizing it came from the speaker box leading to another room. "I have barricaded myself under these stressful conditions. But in my haste, I forgot cola. So here's my proposition. You go find me some cola at the yonder food store, and I'll clear the path to the mall."
"Okay so we get you some snacks, and you clear the way." Ellis clarified.
"Yep." The presumable Whitaker responded.
Nick pushed by the kid and added, "If you screw us, and I will kill you with your own gun.".
Ellis nodded. "Shit, that sounds fair." At that the door opened to the outside and everyone filed outside, crossing over the hedges to the entrance of the convenience store. The doors opened with ease, but instantly emitted an ear splitting alarm.
The gambler groaned and readied his new toy. "This is all going to hell." He said lowly as a reign of infected came charging into view.
Rochelle was the first to sprint inside, being as how she seemed the fastest, she was in and out with a six pack of cola time in less than a minute.
"Alright, let's go!" Coach called, motioning them all back to the gun store. Things seemed to be going smooth until something disfigured and pink blindsided Rochelle, causing her to drop the cola.
"What the-"
"Nick!" Ellis called to him. "Grab the bottles and lets go!" He fired past the suited man, covering for him.
"Whatever you say, farmer joe." Nick grabbed the fallen case, not caring any less whether or not any were busted and ran for the store, swinging the case where ever an infected laid in his way. Never in his life did he expect to use a six pack of cola for a weapon.
When he arrived, a small slot on the door opened. "Put the cola in the box!" Whitaker demanded to the point of subtly pissing him off. As soon as he did he began to wonder how he was going to manage clearing a path to the mall from his barricade. Just as he was about to kick the old man's shelter in he got his answer.
A grenade, obviously shot from a launcher, hurled itself into the parked tanker truck that blocked their way, creating a fiery explosion of truck shrapnel that undoubtedly would lead them to the mall's front door. Nick nodding in approval took off for it, Ellis grinning behind.
"Woo boy! did you see that!?" He laughed. "Fire everywhere!"
At this Nick did show a subtle smirk. "Yeah." He agreed. "Pretty impressive." After all, it was pretty damn cool.
They found Coach and the hurt Rochelle at the bottom of the hill and marched on. A few regular walkers came from here and there, but it seemed like the explosion had wiped out most of them. That was until they heard the light sound of sobbing.
"What, is that?" Rochelle asked hesitantly, pointing at the found source. In front of the mall doors was a woman walking, her face in her hands.
"A crying woman." Nick answered. "What, you think she's sad the mall's closed?" He asked sarcastically as he approached her with little care. As he came closer, however, she seemed to turn completely. Moving her hands from her face to reveal red eyes and long claws she began to growl heavily at him. "Holy shit!" Nick lept back slightly in surprise.
"Uh, Nick," Ellis started. "That witch is starting to have a hissy fit." He stated obviously.
Nick rolled his eyes and held out his gun. "Screw it!" He said and pulled the trigger. In less than a moment's notice, the witch screamed and ran for him. "Shit!" Nick not caring for his dignity took off with her on his heels. "Shoot it!" He shouted and they all attempted to raise their guns. "This bitch is chasing me shoot it!" But her claws hooked to the back of his jacket, turning him over onto his back as she stood over him with a scream and drew back her hand.
BANG Blood gushed from the left side of her head and she fell over onto the pavement. Nick panted heavily from the fearful chase and turned to his savior. Staring straight down the sight with just as much amazement was Ellis. For a moment the kid seemed frozen, but he then tossed the gun over his shoulder and ran over to extend his hand to the fallen gambler.
"Shit, Nick, are you all right?" He pulled the man to his feet, who looked back down at the sorrowful monster.
"Yeah," He nodded. "Nice shot, Ace." He smiled impressed and looked to the proud kid.
The conman's praise gave Ellis an extra boost as he grinned. "Well thank ya very much."
"Come on y'all!" Coach called from the clearance of the safe room. "Rochelle needs a hand!"
The two men followed in and the door closed behind them once more.
"Man," Rochelle sighed, gripping her shoulder. "That jockey got me good."
"Jockey?" Nick asked.
"The thing that jumped her earlier." Coach explained. "If we're gonna name one of these freaky things we might as well have a name for them all so we can tell 'em apart later."
Ellis perked up. "Well let's see then. We've got the spitter, the boomer, the smoker, that's what got you earlier Nick." He explained, answering the gambler's unasked question. "Then we've got the hunter, the charger, the jockey, and I think we oughtta keep an eye out for anymore of them witches."
"That's for sure." Nick groaned, reaching around to his backside and discovering a tear and his suit jacket, but nothing past it. "Let's try not to shoot at her again."
Ellis chuckled. "Whatever you say."
"Y'all can go search around for supplies if you like." Coach offered. "Imma patch up Ro's shoulder."
The two men silently agreed and walked around the small shack, picking up some more of their near emptied ammo and refilling their pockets. Ellis then turned and sat Indian style on the floor, pulling off his shirt.
"What are you doing?" Nick asked in surprise, but he was soon answered by four purple bruises on the left side of his torso where the charger's griping fingers had laid.
"Didn't really have the time to patch myself up properly." Ellis commented, pulling off his health pack.
Nick shrugged it off and continued his scrounging, finding what appeared to be a homemade bomb and a molotov he recognized in a second. But as he worked, he noticed Ellis' bandages were becoming increasingly sloppy. They would probably be more in the way than any help to him. Nick sighed and rolled his eyes, going to the other man's side.
"Give it here." He demanded, pulling the roll from the country boy's fingers.
"Hey, what'dya think you're-"
"You're a mess. Hold still." Nick cut him off as he began to undo the gaze. He turned slightly to the corner of the shack, being sure neither Ro or Coach could see. "Now don't tell the others I'm doing this." He said lowly, looking dead serious at Ellis. "I'm only doing this for you." Did that sound right?
Ellis' cheeks were enhanced by a single shade and upon noticing he covered it with a silent nod and the brim of his hat. He grimaced slightly when the bandages came back around, tighter than they were before.
"Easy," Nick tried to reassure him. "I've done this before."
"Been pumbled near to death by a charger?" Ellis asked jokingly.
Nick smirked momentarily, but it quickly faded. "I'm sure I've had it worse than a charger." He finished the gaze neatly around the kid's torso and stood. "That ought to hold you over for a while."
"Much obliged, Dr. Nick." Ellis grinned. Nick rolled his eyes.
"Hey," Rochelle turned the corner with Coach a moment behind. "You guys find anything?"
Ellis motioned to the ammo on the table and the pair went to collect what was needed. They then equipped their flashlights and headed out into the dark mall. The run was rough to say the least. They went up and down dead escalators, constantly being hindered by swarms on top of swarms of the infected mess. All in all, by the time they had reached the next safe room, Ellis had counted three spitters, two chargers, two jockeys, a boomer, a smoker, and one extremely illusive hunter.
And to top that all off, an alarm had been set off by Coach shooting out a shop window that, in order to turn off, the group had to run and fight their way up two floors, each horde that followed seeming to double in size. By this point, everyone in the group was growing low on energy and needing to rest. Everyone had gotten a few cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. But there was one thing, or rather one face, that started getting under Nick's skin.
"Okay." He started. "Who the hell is Jimmie Gibb Jr.?"
Ellis pshhed and looked at him as if he had three heads. "He's only the best stock car racer of all time!"
"Amen to that." Coach agreed.
"That man is an American hero." Ellis continued. "I would take a bullet for that man."
"Great. Jimmie Gibbs Jr." Rochelle added sarcastically. "Yay."
Ellis was about to fire back but Coach's approach to the door stopped him.
"Ya'll ready to go again?" He as wearily, lifting up the metal bar that held it in place.
"I'm game." Ellis smiled weakly, but he still beamed with hopeful determination. At this Nick sighed and stood to follow, then Rochelle as well.
"Get ready." Coach warned as he pushed open the door. The four quickly guarded outside, only to find nothing in their path. Not a single walker. Everything was quiet and peaceful.
"I don't like this..." Nick stated, lowering his gun slightly to look around.
Ellis followed his movements and started across the bridge. "Where is ev'rythin'?" He turned the corner and grinned in excitement. "Hey guys, over here there's an elevat'r!"
Everyone climbed inside and looked around through the glass. "Alright. So," Coach started "Gettin' evac-ed, ain't happenin'. Anybody got any ideas, now's the time."
"...I might have an idea." Ellis spoke up, a grin forming on his face. "Ya know how we've been seein' all them posters, 'get your picture taken with Jimmie Gibb's stock car.'? That means it's here. All we got to do is gas it up and I'll drive the thing out of here my damn self."
"Well... it's a plan." Rochelle nodded, as if thinking it over. "I don't know if it's a good plan, but it's a plan..."
"Oh, What a fun road trip this'll be." Nick said with a sarcastic tone, but behind it he was a little intrigued. Despite it's possible fall backs it was a good plan to him, and from a very unlikely source.
"Alrighty then." Ellis concluded the unanimous. "But remember, we got to gas it up before we can haul ass."
"As soon as those door open, you run your ass off and find some gas." Coach added, just in the niche of time as the doors begin to separate. They were off. Ellis grabbed the first can he noticed just outside the doors, taking it to the car and dumping it before running up to Nick.
"Best we stay in pairs so none of us get killed." He yelled to the other man eagerly.
Nick nodded in approval as they began to climb the stairs. They collected two gas cans, one for each 'team' before the infected started prowling around. At first it was simple, a spitter and a boomer. But when smokers and hunters started joining the hordes, it seemed endless, irritating, and painful. But unfortunately the worst was still to come.
As the two teams met to empty their next set of cans, the ground itself began to shake. They all turned to the far side of the mall, and quickly approaching ran an infected unlike any other.
"Oh Lordy, that's a big ass zombie!" Ellis commented as they raised their guns and started firing. "Do bullets even work on that thing?!"
"Yes," Ro assured. "Just don't stop shooting!"
Suddenly the giant, steroid induced looking infected stopped and dug his fingers into the ground. He lifted a massive piece of concrete from the floor and brought it over his head.
"Okay, that's a reason to panic." Nick said, almost too calmly as he continued to fire, knowing it was a long shot as the beast hurled the once-flooring at them.
They all dodged it easily, grateful as any for him to have missed the car, and began scattering, shooting it from all angles to find a weak spot. It didn't have one. The massive hunk of meat picked up more of the floor below them and threw it towards his target: Ellis.
"Hey Overalls, get down!" Nick shoved the kid out of the way just in time to have it go flying by his own head.
To this the infected tank roared and stomped over to them.
"Nick look out!" Ellis could barely get the phrase out of his mouth before the gambler was knocked to one side of the mall, then him to the other.
The infected beast changed it's target to Nick, who was now scrambling to sit up and back away from the creature. This was in little help to himself, and the tank's powerful fists came crushing down on him. He felt the smoker's constriction all over again, but this time it was much more prominent and he could feel his ribs bending on the hit. The infected had done this once more, forcing the conman to spit up a shot of blood before it finally fell heavy beside him.
"Nick!" He heard the distinctive voice of the hick running closer to him. "Nick, you alright man?"
"Don't worry," He assured, the younger man pulled gambler's arm around his back and forced his own arm over the farm boy's shoulders. He ran the back of his hand over his bloodied chin, taking caution in not getting any on his suit. "I'm not done yet."
Ellis smiled brilliantly at that comment as he ran them to the stock car. "I didn't doubt it for a minute."
Coach and Rochelle were emptying out the last few gas cans, as they had ingeniously decided to throw them all down to the car then empty them all at once, and were hurrying to screw on the cap.
"You got him, great." Rochelle hurried, snapping it shut. "Let's go go go go go go go!" She pushed Coach into the backseat, followed by herself. Ellis then sat Nick in the passenger side and slid over the hood to the driver's side.
"I always wanted to that." He admitted, starting the car.
"Hit it, Ellis!" Nick demanded, swearing he could see another tank in the rear view mirror.
In a quick moment the engine roared to life and the car flew off the platform, speeding out of the wall of the forsaken mall. There were hit infected and shattered glass, just like in the movies. They truly did ride away in style.