"Right…Defend the plantation house…how hard can that be?"
"Ellis, if you jinx us I'mma kill you boy."
An eerie howl echoed in the distance.
"Get in line Coach." Ellis smirked crouching behind the minigun on the porch.
"Uh-uh no you don't. You just got operated on by a dirty conman."
Rochelle pulled at the scruff of his shirt and pushed him backwards into Nick.
"Dirty conman, do me a favor and watch the puppy would you."
"Puppy!?"
"Dirty!?"
"Aww shut it, both of ya. Go downstairs and find a good place to defend. Here they come!"
The sound of the minigun thudded on the porch as they ran down the lavish staircase.
"Hey look! A kitchen!"
"Ellis, now is not the time!"
"I bet they have some booze! Lookat that! They do!"
"I'd hardly call a mint julep booze."
"Shows what you know, its wine!"
"Still wouldn't call it booze. They're coming in the door, can we find someplace to defend!?"
"All these southern plantation kitchens got two doors. That ought bottle neck em' so we can take em out single file."
Nick was speechless for a moment.
"Not a bad plan for a guy doped up on ketamine…"
"Yea, thank god we started this thing at a hospital am I right? Hey do these zombies look like ZZ Top to you?"
"Just shoot the damn things!"
The wooden doors started to splinter apart as the zombies pounded at them. The horde kept coming and coming and the zombies piled up in heaps in the doorways.
"Guys? Guys! I hear a tank! Get up here!"
They made their way to the doors of the kitchen and realized the only set back to Ellis' plan was egress. They stumbled over the bodies trying to make their way to the grand staircase in the hall, but then a deep sickening roar shook the plantation.
"T-tank's comin."
The front door flew off its hinges as a monstrous forearm broke through the frame and the drywall.
"…BOYS!?" Rochelles voice came from the porch.
The tank burst through the door its gorilla arms swinging wildly. Ellis was thrown clear back into the kitchen as its arm swept the hallway. He got back to his feet hearing Nick shout in the hall.
"Nick!" He climbed the zombie bodies once again to get out.
Flames, black smoke and the smell of gasoline came from the porch. Coach and Rochelle yelled and fired their guns in the distance, but Ellis ignored it. Nick was lying on his back in the hall not moving. He ran towards him franticly.
"Nick? Nick c'mon get up!"
He was unresponsive.
"C'mon man who'se gonna patch me up if you kick off now?" Ellis leaned down and put his ear to his face. He felt no breath. Ellis began to hyperventilate. "What do I do, oh man, what do I DO!? CPR right? Gotta get him breathing…"
He ripped Nicks shirt open and placed his palms on his chest. He had never done CPR before. He had taken a class back in high school but other than that he had only seen it on TV. He took a deep breath and pushed down on Nicks sternum forcefully. Nick suddenly let out a huge cough and then gasped repeatedly. Ellis dropped to his back with his hand over his eyes relieved.
"Oh my god…I thought you were dead…I thought you were dead…"
"T-tank…!" Nick gasped still not breathing properly.
"Yea, you got hit by a tank man…"
"T-TANK…!" He wheezed again pointing.
"Holy shit!"
Ellis scrambled to his feet as he saw the tank standing in the foyer. It was badly burned and full of bullet holes, it was moving much slower than usual, almost winded. Ellis fired his shotgun repeatedly at it, feet planted firmly at Nicks side, but the tanks heavy footsteps kept coming. Closer and closer…Ellis closed his eyes and kept shooting. Finally he heard the empty clicking as the gun ran out of ammo. He was finished. Click, click, click…
He opened his eyes and saw the hulking mass of zombie lying a foot away from him. After a heavy sigh of relief Ellis dropped to his knees and laughed.
"BOYS! BOYS!" Rochelle came running down the stairs looking very flushed, Coach limping slightly behind her. "Oh thank god!" She put her hand on her forehead as she saw Ellis still laughing youthfully and Nick lying on the floor, chest rising and falling heavily.
"Nick, ey, Nick…How you doen' man?" Ellis turned to him still laughing.
"I've- 'cough cough' -been better…"
"Dude. Have some Ketamine." He offered the bottle.
"Maybe on the boat boys. We gotta' book it!"
