Queen Luana: Well I got two reviewers asking me to continue so I will. Glad you like it. I feel all happy and fluffy inside, but never mind that, time for some serious zombie bashing and being bad. The first chapter was short since it was just a tryout. The following chapters will be longer.
A warm welcome
Just as I leapt up the stairs my cell phone rang again. Not now, damn it, I'm pretty busy here. I just reached the threshold when loud screams and the shrieking of tires drew my attention. I ran over to the one window on the upper floor and looked outside. But by that time the noise had stopped. Not good… I looked down. Well, fortune favours the bold, as my dad always said. I slid the window open and dropped down, bending through my knees and rolling over the floor to soften the landing.
Yeah, I learned how to jump through closed windows at the academy, but hell I wasn't going to do it if it wasn't necessary! Necessary being not being able to open the darn thing, being in a hurry or somebody being around to see how cool it is.
I got to my feet and rubbed the dried leaves off my bum when I was startled by a yell and as I turned I saw two men approaching me, the same hostility in their eyes as the former one. "Come on, now, guys," I said with a smile and took my gun, "you wouldn't hurt a pretty little girl like me now, would you?" And if they would, perhaps three bullets to the head would help them reconsider.
While they decomposed at high speed, my cell rang yet again, pressing me to answer it so I did. "Yeah?"
"Alex? Is everything ok?" Hunnigan, oh joy.
"Yeah some of the locals just arrived to welcome me," I said cheerfully. "A real happy bunch, we sat down and ate some cake together. You want me to put them on the phone?"
"I can't help but detecting a hint of sarcasm in that," Hunnigan said then sighed. "Hostile locals, okay. Just follow the trail; it'll lead you towards the village. I'll contact you when you get there."
I hung up and followed the path as she had told me to. This day sucked. Big time. But better not show her any dislike concerning this operation or she'll send Kennedy after me. Besides dying, that's the one thing I want to avoid. I woke from my daydreaming by a soft yelping and when I turned I saw I had just passed a wolf, his leg stuck in a bear trap.
I kneeled down next to him, keeping my distance in case he'd bite. But he seemed to be in too much pain to even notice my presence. Blood oozed down his hind leg and the wound only seemed to be getting worse when he tried to free himself. "Poor thing," I mumbled, pulled the trap open and when he had withdrawn his leg I released it. It slammed shut instantly. The dog limped off rather quickly and I resumed my walk.
My cell rang again. "If it's that Hunnigan again I swear I'll…" My foot ticked something and I heard a loud clang. I shrieked and jumped back. Okay, what just happened? When my heart stopped racing I saw I had accidentally hit, indeed, another bear trap. I turned around. I had stuck to the path. Why would anyone place a trap like this on the path? I studied the dried leaves. And what sick person would try to cover it up? Watching more closely now I saw two more of them, both covered in leaves and twigs.
There was a yell and I saw that another friendly local had raised his axe to charge me. I took a few steps back from the bear traps and raised my gun. "Bring it, handsome." It was only when I levelled the barrel with my eye that I saw something was off.
A wire was tightened between two threes. It was black and fairly unable to notice, but it was there. I ran a glance across the wire and found that it was attached to explosives at both sides. Even though the wire was well camouflaged, these yellow sticks of dynamite were blaringly obvious. How could I have missed them? I focussed back on the enemy and smiled almost evilly.
I took a few steps back and fired a well-aimed shot at the left tree. My assailant screamed and was blown onto the ground where it lay still for a moment, before dissolving. I tucked away my gun. Better mind my step here. I carefully stepped over the bear traps and increased my pace. The rest of the road went rather smoothly. Sometimes I was startled by a couple of crows bursting into the air. Really, this place gave me the creeps.
I waited in a front a massive gate. I placed my hands on my hips and looked up. "This is it, huh?" I took my gun. "Let's party." I pushed the door open and stood, to my amazement not in the village, but at the beginning of another path leading me deeper into the woods. Anti-climax, much? With a sigh I closed the door again and trotted down. I got my adrenaline pumped up and now I wanted action. Hardcore, scull bashing, limb chopping, chest impaling action. And much to my glee I got my action. I hid behind a tree trunk and peeked around the edge.
There was the village, with people walking from house to house. There were chickens, people with haycarts. A mere village no one passing by would fear. Luckily for me, I wasn't someone passing by. I wouldn't be caught off guard by a bloke with a pitchfork.
Okay, now, there were two ways to approach this. Either I'd try to sneak my way around it or I'd run in headfirst, use some catchy line and then give a new meaning to the word 'perforate'. I took my gun with a snigger and headed for the village entrance.
Like hell I was going to do this delicately.
It only took me a couple of minutes to realize that, once again, I'd gotten myself waist down into trouble. Into numerous, rash, axe and pitchfork-wielding trouble.
I kicked an axe out of the hand of the nearest aggressor, really thankful for that Martial Arts week in high school, gashed open his gut with my knife, then fled into the nearest cabin. I shut the door, shove a closet in front of it and then hurried up the stairs. Out of a window I shot down two of those, well, things, then reloaded. As I did I heard a crush downstairs and realised with just the slightest discomfort that it had been the sound of a closet hitting the floor.
Faith has a dark sense of humour. Always when you think it can't get any worse, it does. There I sat, entrenched behind a bloody bed, taking aim at the first villager crawling up the stairs when the cell phone of doom rang again. For some reason the noise seemed to agitate them so I had no choice put to pick it up, press it against my ear with one hand, shooting down brainless villagers with the other.
"Alex? Alex, what's going on in there?"
"Hunnigan, guess what," I said while I shot one of them in the knee. "Running into a village crowded with people carrying pitchforks and axes? Bad idea!"
"You need me to send help?"
No, absolutely fucking no. Help meant testosterone and testosterone meant Kennedy. "I don't need help," I snapped as I fired my last bullet into the forehead of an approaching farmer. "I need a bigger gun and both my hands!" I dropped the cell and reached in my pocket for my very last packet of ammo, reloaded as fast as I could and shot two more of them who had gotten dangerously close. What if I ran out of ammo? Run for it? Dive through the open window? Charge at them with a knife?
Three more stepped into the room. "Do you people really have nothing better to do?" I asked almost desperately. There was moaning up the stairs. More were coming. Here I go then. I took a few steps back and with the sound of them roaring I rushed forward, covered my face with my arms and dived straight through the open window. I rolled over the muddy ground and quickly got back on my feet. Shit.
They had in fact surrounded me and drew closer. I couldn't even run for it. I only had three bullets left!
The bell chimed and the villagers turned. For a moment they stood quite still, then they walked away as if I had just dissolved into thin air. I didn't dare to lower my gun yet. Only watched in amazement how they simply left.
I could hear them mutter 'la campana' before they all entered a building and closed the door behind them. After looking around, making sure all of them had indeed left I lowered my gun and straightened. "Feeling just a little left out here…" I searched for my cell and realised I had probably left it in the cabin after dropping it. I hurried back inside, still on my guard. When I reached the second floor I found something hanging against the wall and cursed myself for not having seen it in the first place.
A shotgun was neatly suspended against the wall. "Pretty…" I mumbled and carefully took it. The metal felt cool in my sweaty hands and I loaded it. "This could come in handy." I looked around. Why were they attacking me with pitchforks when they had a perfectly good shotgun? Now that would've been tricky. I laughed quietly. I could've died four minutes ago.
I heard my cell ring and quickly scanned the floor. I dropped to my knees and found it, ringing and flashing underneath the bed. I clipped it open. "This is Grace."
"Oh, Alex, it's good to hear you're okay, after that last call I was starting to worry," I heard the woman at the other end.
"It takes more than a couple of unfriendly locals to take me down," I boasted even thought I had actually been worrying myself. "Just tell me where to go next."
"There's a tower in the village. Just follow the trail next to it."
"Tower, trail, piece of cake," I smiled and trotted down the stairs. "I'll just have another look around the village and then I'm on my way. Bye now." I tucked the cell away pleading that she'd leave me be for a while. Only now, when I stepped outside and took a closer look at the large fire in the centre of the village, I saw a man hanging from the middle lodge, chest impaled. I could just vaguely percept the blue uniform and cap he was wearing.
"Shit…" I muttered. When I'd said chest impaling, I meant the bad guys' chests. I shook my head sadly. I should've let him tag along.
When I searched the village I found that they had ammo, well, practically everywhere. Whether in closets or just lying on the kitchen table, these people had enough to equip a small army. Which was good for me, cause it diminished my worries on needing to wipe out an army of hostile farmers with a knife.
Taking I had wandered about for too long, I took Hunnigan's advice and searched for the trail. I reached another gate not after too long and headed in. I closed it carefully and found myself in an actually farm. There were two large barns and I heard a cow moo. A chicken was startled by my sudden step forward and ran off cackling loudly. Stupid lousy chicken, she'll ruin my…
"Aaarh!"
Cover. Okay then; let's see if this shotgun here proves itself worthy.
I never should've called killing people with a handgun 'blasting'. Using a shotgun; now that was blasting. Somehow I had found it quite amusing to wait for them to get really close and then blast them several feet away again. Call it dark, call it sadistic, but I loved it. After having found myself at a nearly helpless position being surrendered to the mercy of the bells, I was glad to have the power again.
I shuffled past the bear traps some lunatic had placed in the barn (no seriously, what the fuck?) and climbed up the ladder. When climbing through the open window I saw two gates. Two. Now what? No, I wasn't going to call Hunnigan. I'd rather take a quick guess and chance walking straight of a cliff than calling Hunnigan.
"When in doubt," I told myself as I dropped of the edge and walked towards the gate I had chosen, "always choose the right path."
I found another path leading downwards and cautiously made way down. I came across a weird looking signpost. "Well, at least it's leading somewhere…" I muttered. The ground shook and when I turned and looked up I saw three villagers pushing down an immense rock and a round one at that too. Bugger…
With the giant rock rolling down at high speed, only a few feet behind me, I ran as fast as I could go. I could feel myself stumbling, tripping, leaning dangerously forward. I took a last sprint then dived away. The rock rolled passed and shattered against the cliff wall. I remained seated to regain my breath. These people really wanted me dead didn't they? I peered back up the path. The villagers had disappeared. Better stay focused here.
I got to my feet but my legs were still shaking slightly so I leaned against a tree. Just breathe, Alex. It'll go just fine. I waited for another two minutes or so, then continued walking. Things passed by pretty quietly and for a moment I actually got the idea that they'd given up. Come on, Alex, get real. They're mindless walking killers. They don't know what giving up is. They might not even be aware of what they're doing…
I walked into a tunnel and a cold breeze chilled me to the bone. I really should've brought along a coat. Honestly what had I been thinking? That I could seduce them into telling me where Ashley was? Christ, Ashley, I'd almost forgotten about her. Too much stressing out. I arrived at the end of the tunnel, but used the darkness to stay covered and observe the vicinity. I could see one of them standing a few yards away from me and even further away was a small house. I could try and head towards it, perhaps seek shelter there. But then I saw the yellow explosives.
This thing was a minefield; I'd have to watch my steps. Let's just start at trying to shoot that one guy. I took my handgun and aimed. A red dot danced on his forehead but he didn't seem to notice. Here I go, back into the madness. I hit him right between the eyes, but it wasn't enough, and now he was aware of my presence. I took aim again but waited. What was he doing?
I felt my heart thumping in my throat when I saw sparks and realized he had dynamite. Freakin' dynamite. He raised it above his head; I took a wild shot and was able to hit him in the side. It didn't kill him, but dazed him long enough for the fuse to burn up and the dynamite to blow him into pieces. That's one.
I stepped out of my hiding place, aimed at the yellow explosives and when they too blew up I could hear another scream. I saw others approaching, checked for any other yellow explosives and then decided to take my chances and run for it, not even considering that the high grass could be a cover for any bear traps. I just ran, towards the house.
I burst into the door and quickly closed it and locked it behind me. It was a steal door; they wouldn't get in that way. But my heart was not yet at ease. I could hear thumping, coming from somewhere inside the house. I raised my gun again and shuffled across the room carefully. I stepped into a small corridor in which they had placed the same wired explosives and I sneaked underneath them and stepped into the next room, again sneaking underneath a stretched black wire.
The thumping grew louder, whatever it was, I was getting close. I approached a bookcase. Could it be coming from behind it? Cautiously I pushed it away and revealed another hidden room. Almost empty except for a closet and a table. Whatever it was, it was looked inside the old wooden thing. I stepped forward, gun at the ready and outstretched my arm. "Here goes…"
I opened the closet and quickly jumped backwards, gun raised. But the person that had just dropped onto the floor was tied up and his mouth was taped shut. I took a deep breath and tucked away my gun. The stranger eyed me curiously. He had raven black, shoulder length hair and dark friendly eyes. I kneeled down next to him. "You're not one of them, are you?"
He blinked then shook his head. I took the tape and pulled it off.
"Ouch," he said and chuckled. "Little rough don't you think?" He managed to sit up straight and I crouched behind him to untie his hands.
"What's your name and why were you in there?"
He smiled. "You're not really the patient type huh?" he said. "I'm Luis." He rubbed his wrists and got up straight. "You seem lost."
"Lost?"
Luis smirked. "Why would an attractive girl as yourself be in a grim place like— ho, easy!"
My barrel pressed against his chin had silenced him. I smiled sweetly. "Why were you in there, Luis?"
"You… are the distrustful type, huh?" he asked as I drove him back against the wall, finger at the trigger of my Colt.
"Call it careful," I smiled.
"Careful?" He laughed. "Nah, you seem more reckless than careful. As for why I was in there…" He looked at something behind me. "Perhaps you'd better ask him."
I thought it was some sort of lame trick, only then I felt the floorboards tremble underneath the loud footsteps of something big. I turned and gasped. A monstrous man had entered. His head was only an inch or two away from the ceiling and he was bald, with a long beard. His massive body was clad in a long grey cloak. Behind him stood two of the villagers.
One hand kept Luis nailed to the wall, the other held the gun and aimed it at the newcomer. "Who are you?"
He didn't answer, only grumbled and walked closer. I released Luis, as I needed the other hand to support the gun. The red dot swirled around on his chest and I fired.
The guy didn't even flinch.
Stunned and unable to move, I watched as he drew closer and finally lifted me from the ground at my neck. I desperately clutched for his hand and tried to force it open but his grip was too strong and it squeezed my trachea shut. I kicked my legs, saw black dots dancing in front of my eyes, blurring my sight. I gasped for air but nothing would come.
John…
With a strong movement he tossed me aside and I smacked into a human being. At first I thought it was a villager, but instead of a foul stench I smelled the faint remains of a male perfume. Luis? Then I lost consciousness.
Queen Luana: The background of Alex Grace will be elaborated in further chapters. I'm doing it one step at a time since I don't really know how to illustrate it. I know what her past was like; I just need to work out the details. Either way, review; tell me what you think and what could be improved.
