Bill, Francis, Zoey, and Louis walked down the desolate empty roads doing various things. Louis was looking at his Rolex watch, the only thing he kept from his old life aside from the clothes on his back. Francis was, as usual, hitting on Zoey, trying to convince her that it is her duty as the last girl on earth to help repopulate. Zoey, was as usual, ignoring Francis, and looking at her father's gun that he gave to her the day the infection first broke loose out of the quarantine zone. Bill was thinking about something that bothered him ever since the outbreak began, even since before the infected got out of the infected zone. Bill was thinking about how he was there, at Mercy Hospital and was just leaving the building as the armed thugs attacked and that he did nothing to help and then all of this happened. How he was in the same elevator with them and he did nothing. Bill could not help but think this disaster was his entire fault.
They have been walking all night. Sleep was no longer a luxury they could afford. Sleeping was something that happened when you got rescued or killed, and they did not want the second option. They have been going in the direction of a military chopper they saw flying overhead for almost a full day, and the effects of exhaustion were settling in.
"Ugh… Bill, even the zombies aren't awake." Francis groaned, "Unless we are also worried about vampires I can say without a doubt that we can rest safely."
"Francis you would make a lousy soldier." Bill said, "You need to stay up late, sometimes all night in war, and right now this is war. This is war for survival."
"Maybe Francis is right." Zoey said putting a hand on Bill's shoulder, "We should probably get some rest."
Bill sighed and found a secure location being a walk in freezer. They turned off the cooling system and propped open the heavy metal door just wide enough so the door won't lock them in but not wide enough for an infected to get in and rested. Suddenly though, they were awoken by gunshots and shouts from somebody, or a group of people outside.
"Chains, more ammo!" one of the strangers shouted.
"More ammo, coming at you!" another stranger, who they assumed to be the one called Chains replied.
"There is too many of them!" a third stranger yelled over the roar of gunfire.
"Just keep shooting!" yelled a fourth.
Bill, Zoey, Francis and Louis swiftly got up and grabbed their guns and ran outside to see men in dirty, torn, blood stained suits with bullet proof vests over top and wearing masks wielding guns against a horde of infected. Soon Bill, Zoey, Francis and Louis joined the fray, standing back to back with the strangers fighting off the infected. Once the fray was over the two groups turned to face each other. The strangers had their masks off, sweat pouring from their faces. It only took Bill a few seconds for him to recognize them. He put his arm blocking Zoey from shaking hands with one of them and glared at them.
"I would have said you are pretty good for people who have never used a gun in your lives but that would make me a liar." Bill growled at them.
"What the hell are you talking about gramps?" one of the strangers replied.
Then it sank in, the strangers face became a look of great surprise. He turned to his team mates and they all nodded. Then the stranger turned back to Bill.
"You're that old fart from the elevator in Mercy Hospital!" the stranger exclaimed.
"Yeah, and you're those punks who made it so the first one of these monsters could get loose!" Bill shouted back.
"Look we needed the money and it was a twenty million dollar job. It isn't like your day when you could get a house for a nickel and a car for a dime." Another stranger said.
"Maybe you could have gotten a job, instead of causing the end of the world!" Bill said, practically foaming at the mouth in a way that would probably scare the infected.
This went on for several minutes, the strangers and Bill shouting so loud you would think the infected would be attracted to the noise like they are attracted to a car alarm. Eventually Zoey, Francis and Louis went back into where they were staying for the night and waited. It was hours before the shouting died down and Bill and the Strangers came inside. Bill sat down and explained that the Payday Crew as they were called made a good point. They were not going to keep all of the money, but donate most of it to charity. Bill said he admired their cause and decided to let them go with just a good cussing and a punch in the teeth for what they did.
After Bill was done talking Francis got up and smiled at the strangers like they were old friends. He took them to a different part of the building and took a case of beer from the freezer they were in and drank.
"You guys and I have a lot in common." Francis said taking a drink, "I am also a master criminal you see. I have this fool proof way of making the cops stop chasing you."
"Wait. Your name is Francis right?" Hoxton asked, "You wouldn't be the same Francis that goes by LadySlayer69 on would you?"
"Uh… Yeah that is me." Francis said, "Have you guys heard of me?"
"Yes! The whole deep web has heard of you!" Dallas shouted happily with mixed laughter, "You're the laughing stalk of the website!"
Francis decided that it was time for him to go back to bed, and they Payday Crew just kept laughing that way people do when they are just a little bit drunk. The next day however all eight of them went in the direction of the military chopper. For many days they walked, out of the city and through the suburbs, and along long winding country roads. The longer they walked it seemed, the stronger the stench of decay that hung in the air became. One day there were walking down yet another dirt road, but then they heard it, and then they saw it, a helicopter, then two, then three, all six flying a V-formation overhead. All eight of them ran up the hill and looked at what may just have been safety at last.
It looked like what used to be a farm house with a gas station further down the road, all around it were electric fences and barricades and military vehicles. In massive piles were dead infected, most of which looked charred as if they were burned after being killed. The small band of survivors smiled and cheered. A military jeep pulled up and four MPs got out and trained their guns on them.
"It is okay officers." Bill said slowly putting down his gun, "We are as human as they come."
"It is so good to see you guys!" Louis said, "I knew we would find rescue eventually."
"Huh… For once we are happy to see law enforcers." Dallas said tossing his mark-11 to the ground, "Right fellas?"
"You can say that again." Wolf said happily.
Once their weapons had been confiscated, they all were escorted to the base where they were tested for infection and then shown to the commander of the base. The commander sat behind a desk that seemed more like a kitchen table but was just being used as a desk. He smiled seeing the uniform Bill was wearing and sighed.
"So…" the commander began, "You eight managed to survive all of this? Congratulations."
"Thank you sir." Bill said smiling.
"You are welcome. But that does not fix the issue that your appearance has caused." The commander continued, "For you see, certain members of your party are guilty of crimes against humanity."
At this, the Payday Crew started to look really nervous and tried to think of some way to get out of this mess. Now, none of them knew this but before Wolf joined the Payday Crew he took a few karate classes so what he did next really shocked everybody. Wolf lunged at one of the MPs guarding the door and collapsed his wind pipe with one jab to the neck and stole his gun. Then he shot the other MP a couple times then turned and pointed the gun at the commander's head.
"We are not going to hang." Wolf said in a tone he rarely used, "Now, we are going for a walk, and if anybody does so much as raise their gun I'll blow your brains out through your ears. Got it?"
Bill, Francis, Zoey, and Louis looked shocked. Dallas, Hoxton and Chains looked even more shocked. The commander of the base looked quite terrified. Then the commander slowly stood up and went outside with Wolf with the rest of them staying inside. Wolf could be heard shouting from outside.
"Listen up!" Wolf screamed, "Me and my gang are now in charge now; and I will shoot each and every one of you fucks that has a problem with that. Understand?"
Everybody in the base stared motionlessly at Wolf, so shocked at what this one man just did that they dropped their weapons and one of them even asked Wolf for orders. Wolf shoved the commander to the ground and shot him in the back of the head several times, then turned back to the crowd of people.
"We have some demands. Give us what we want and we will leave and you can do whatever." Wolf shouted, "First, we need a vehicle capable of carrying eight people. Next, we need food and water. Next, we need medical supplies, all of your medical supplies. Finally, we need some duct-tape, an air horn, and a microphone that is hooked up to that speaker system you have over there."
Soon Wolf's demands were met, they were given food and water meant to last several days, a personnel carrier with a full tank of gas, several first aid kits, and the other strange items on the list. Once everybody was on the transport Wolf took the duct-tape and attached the microphone to the air horn and as they drove off he activated the air horn and the noise was so loud it could be heard in every direction for miles. The howling horde of infected could be heard coming, and the soldiers started rushing about turning on the electric fence and preparing to defend themselves.
"Well guys, I got us a ride and probably got us enough supplies to last until we find a truly safe place." Wolf said giving that psychotic smile he uses when he thinks he had a clever idea, "Plus I saved us from being hanged for crimes against humanity."
"Wolf I have one thing to say to you." Hoxton said, "That… was… awesome!"