Chapter 1 – New York Part I
The night sky seemed to have a red pall as Dave and Devin began to pack up their weapons. Dave's eyes seemed to wander over the area once known as Times Square, now deserted. Any survivors would have either been picked up or become a snack for some mutated creature. Devin walked over to Dave, and shared his gaze.
"Hard to believe that a year ago I could've taken a train here. The lights, the crowds… It seems so far away."
Devin glanced at Dave. They had had a hard time since being separated from the military outfit they had linked up with. They had been cornered by a large group of zombies, but with some C4 and clever strategy, Devin had created an escape route. The seven remaining soldiers had stayed behind for only-god-knows-what-reason. The pair had been traveling at night, trying to sleep during the day, when most zombies wandered aimlessly, and with the smell of rotting flesh intensified by the hot summer sun, even the mutated creatures with a better sense of smell than a shark would not be able to find them.
So, fully rested and weapons loaded, Dave led the way through the streets. They traveled quickly, only stopping if they discovered an area that may contain some food. Food was one of the most difficult things to find. You'd think it'd be easy, with barely any normal people left and zombies preferring flesh over a sandwich; but many buildings were already cleared out.
Dave moved swiftly, his M4A1 Carbine in his hands. He preferred the gun for its firepower and excellent performance in close quarters. On his hip he wore one of his favorites, the Smith & Wesson Model 29. The pistol's kick was easy for him to handle, and its ability to separate a zombies head from its shoulders at medium range made him smile. On his back was a simple double-barrel shotgun, 12 gauge. He had discovered it inside of an old farmhouse when they were part of the military convoy. Lastly, Dave carried plenty of C4 and fragmentation grenades with him at all times.
Devin followed about ten feet behind at all times, watching the rooftops with his M40A3 rifle. He loved the weapons range, and usually scouted the area around Dave when searching a large complex. His accuracy at extreme distances was astounding, especially with the lack of a spotter. Inside of two shoulder holsters, Devin carried a pair of Berretta M9 pistols. These semi-automatic weapons were accurate, and with the hollow-point rounds Devin kept them loaded with, they we're extremely effective against zombies. Inside of his backpack, Devin carried his laptop, which he used to keep a journal of their travels, and to hack any security cameras, doors, and computers they came across.
The average survival rating of any human inside of a city swarmed with undead was about a day and a half, maybe two. Dave had previous military training with the Army Rangers, while Devin had simply been a technology major. Dave had been training Devin since they first met in Rochester, New York, back in May. Dave's friend had detached from Dave and went with another group of Army that was headed west. Dave stayed behind for a reason that he wouldn't divulge to anyone. He kept to himself, and just made sure that everyone with him stayed alive.
"Hold up… Got movement on the rooftops."
Dave stopped and crouched, keeping an eye on the road ahead. Devin stayed low, moving toward a car near the side of the road. He set his rifle on the hood of the car and aimed up. Staying steady, he re-scanned the rooftop. He saw it again. A flash, something reflective. Then, a burst of gunfire raked the hood of the car in front of him. Dave dove for cover behind a concrete post and fired up, hitting the open air just above the roof. The gunfire stopped. Dave ran up to the wall next to an old fire escape on the side of the building. Devin followed. They stepped cautiously, Devin in the lead as he searched for any tripwires. They had lost a marine to a group of crazy survivors who had planted claymores in a supermarket.
When they finally reached the roof, Dave stepped out first, M4 raised. The roof was empty, minus a dark shape lying on the ground near the edge of the roof. Dave pointed, and Devin circled around, drawing his M9's and began searching the rest of the roof. Dave walked slowly towards the figure, keeping his weapon raised. He reached it, and kicked. Hard. It didn't move. He reached down and flipped him over. He was human. Another one of the crazed survivors had apparently been shooting at him. Dave checked for a pulse.
"What the…"
The man opened his eyes and jumped up, grabbing Dave's shoulders and throwing him toward the edge of the roof. Dave's belt caught the man's shirt and took the other man over the edge with him.
"Shit-DAVE!"
Devin sprinted to the edge and looked over. The two had landed inside of a dumpster on the street. Devin went back down the fire escape and pulled Dave out of the dumpster. After being pulled out, Dave stood up and brushed some trash off his shirt.
"Bitch. Thought he could surprise me."
"I think he did."
"Eh, who asked you?"
Devin smiled and checked his watch.
"We just lost about 20 minutes. We need to move."
"Yeah. Something was bound to hear those shots."
Continues in New York – Part II
