Chap: 7
Return of the Hunter
We were finally IN Mercy Hospital. All that had happened these past few weeks all added up to our escape now. The only thing in our way to finally escaping Hell's Gates was a legion of the undead. We now had eight people all clawing for freedom. John Leonard, Me (Tony Franks), Zoey Casterolli, Louis Bold, Bill Taylor, Toku, Francis Yeller (Ironic lastname isn't it?), and Heather. We were all battle hardened and would be fighting like never before, all we had to do was get to the roof.
"Come on man wake up!" Louis shook me.
"What's goin' on?" I asked.
"We are leavin' that's what," Francis said.
"Get your gear together than we need to move people!" Bill said. It was chaos, everyone was loading their weapons and yelling. Francis was eyeballing Zoey, I didn't like this one bit. I loaded my Desert Eagle, I loaded my M4 I put the LAW anti-tank rocket launcher on my back, I carried two missiles. My M4 still had the makeshift bayonet attached to it. We all stood, waiting at the door. We could hear growls I opened the door carefully. I walked out first. A hunter stood beside the door. IT WAS THAT SAME HUNTER WHO I HAVE STABBED SIX TIMES, SHOT THREE TIMES, LIT ON FIRE, AND WHACKED WITH A METAL ROD.
"grrr don't hurt grrr," it said.
"Holy ass you just talked!" I said. The infected could talk?
"grrr don't grrr shoot but grrr listen," it said. I had my finger on the trigger, I was ready at moment's notice to kill.
"Talk."
"My breth grrr ren lurk around every grr corner, unless you grrr want to grrr be killed and maimed grrr I suggest you follow me grrr Gerald."
"Gerald what?"
"Gerald ergh Frank grr s."
"Baby Bro?"
"It really grrr is you!" Gerald spoke.
"Okay, what's going on out there?" Francis asked, "some kind of vampire reunion?"
"And you must grrr be the Jack grrr ass I have been grrr hearing so much grrr about these grrr few grrr weeks," Gerald spoke. Yep, the way he treated Francis, and couldn't be killed by anything he was definitely a Franks!
"The first and only!" Francis said.
"We need to get to the rooftop, do you know how? I asked.
"Yes, let me come with you, when we get to the Military Base, I want to be tested on for a cure grrr," Gerald said. We walked through the Hospital. We went up the stairs when Zoey said, "Hey Bill, it's your favorite, stairs!"
"I'm getting too old for this," Bill replied.
"Come on Bill, it's good for you. Cardio!" Louis nagged. We walked down a hallway facing several zombies who we hoped wouldn't exist. We entered a big lobby like room. There was thudding. A Reaper burst through a door up on the balcony above. We opened fire. Gerald and the Ninja leapt onto the balcony above behind the reaper. The ninja hopped on it's back while Gerald leapt on front of it, right on it's head. The Reaper swung it's axe and Gerald jumped away, the blow from the axe decapitated the Reaper. That was very easy killing a behemoth that almost killed me. Gerald's eyes went red. His claws expanded and he went mad. He pounced a nearby smoker and started ripping out the various organs he seemed to love all the flow of blood and ripped out the organs until the Smoker let out one final cough and then was silenced. Gerald slit the throat. And threw the head off the balcony. It hit Francis who let out a terrified scream. We had to keep ourselves from laughing. It was clear that Francis was scared of my little brother.
"Now grrr then let's get the grrr out of here!" Gerald spoke. We went up some more stairs.
"It's clear to me, this hospital is designed to keep seniors from the roof," Bill said. We made it to what looked like some type of ER. We made a right, went through closed doors, which was a sign someone had been here recently and made it to an elevator. There was a random bed in a diagonal corner.
"You would think during a Zombie Apocalypse we would take the stairs," I said.
"Ha ha ha very funny," Bill replied.
"I hate elevators," Francis said. I faced the front, we all faced the front, ready for the horde. There was the sound of clawing, and two walls on our side broke. A smoker's tongue grabbed Bill.
"NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Bill yelled.
"I'm comin' keep your beard on!" Francis said. Francis shot the Smoker point blank with an semi automatic shotgun. "BOOM Headshot," Francis bragged.
"Do you have to always say boom headshot after you kill a smoker?" Bill asked.
"Why yes, yes I do!" Francis crudely responded. Bill watched one Flank while Francis the other. Zoey, Louis and I watched the middle. The ninja was out in the middle of the hallway, and when the hunter came, it was a classical ninja on ninja battle. The hunter pounced Toku who then kicked off the hunter. Toku drew his daggers and engaged the hunter in a slashing and stabbing war. The hunter attempted a jab. But Toku was swift as ninja he side-stepped and the hunter fell. Toku attempted a jab but that was met with the sharp claw of the hunter. The hunter kicked forward. Toku caught it and threw it back at him. This was like watching and old karate movie. The hunter made one fatal mistake. It lunged forward. Toku grabbed the arm mid flight and stabbed it. Gerald then pounced from the darkness and pinned the unfortunate hunter. He sliced through the stomach. Gerald grabbed the two armpits and ripped the skin off, then reached as far down as he could and removed the organs. He seemed crazy. Gerald ended by slitting the misfortunate hunter's throat.
Ping Ping Ping, the elevators doors slide open. The ninja dashes inside. I grab Heather off the bed and push her inside. I fire my M4 in short three shot bursts that bring down the infected. Louis dashes into the room with Francis behind him. Bill, Zoey, and I now hold the three flanks.
"Everyone in NOW!" I yell as I drag Zoey's hoodie into the elevator. Everyone was in. I pressed the button with the 28 next to it. Only twenty-four floors left to go!
"I hate vans. I hate the water. I hate helicopters. I hate hospitals and doctors and lawyers and cops," Francis explained.
"Francis is there anything you don't hate?" Bill asked.
"You know what I don't hate?" Francis, "I don't hate vest." I instantly thought of Mr. T in a golden vest. I feel bad for the poor guy who has to kill Arnold Shwartzenegger's infected form it will terminate you! Chuck Norris couldn't be a zombie though. Mostly because Chuck Norris can't die. He probably has the car alarm of his Mercedes Truck go off so he can fight a horde off with one roundhouse kick.
"I just can't get over how FAST they all are. It's not even fair! I'm calling Zombie Bullshit on that you know? (Giggles nervously) They're not...ALLOWED to be soo fast," Zoey complained. The elevator doors slid open. OMG ambush! Three hunters and a smoker popped out of the darkness. Bill, Louis, and Francis were pounced while I felt my feet being dragged. I fired 4 shots. I went to reload and I fell. Ah! Deja vou! I was being towards the edge. I hit the edge. My hands clamped the side. I stared down at the thirty stories fall. I gulped and used what little air was in my lungs to scream, " SOMEBODY! I'M GONNA FALL!" I felt the Smoker's tongue start to pull me. My palms were sweating and I started to slip. There was a shriek from the darkness. The tongue that wrapped around me fell off. I now could feel Earth's gravity sucking me down. I yelled a curse, "CURSE YOU BEN STEIN!" I don't know why but it was always better for me to blame scientists.
"Hold on I got you, you're not going to fall," a heavenly voice said, "now grab my hand." I reached out, just as my other hand slipped. The hand grabbed out. I yanked it and was thrown up the edge. It felt great to be back on solid ground. Thank you Zoey! I nodded a thank you to her and she grabbed my hand and pulled me up from my sitting position. We continued through the upstairs which appeared to be under construction. We reached the red door.
We were almost there! I felt like we should go now. My body's aching quickly killed that thought. We got a bonfire going. It's fierce flames flickered in the scarcity of life engulfing the air around us. The flames made us feel safer. Zombies hate fire. Zoey scooted close next to me. Heather sat in my lap. Silence filled the air. Everyone knew that tommorow was judgement day. Whether a radio was there or not didn't matter. If it was, the real problem would be surviving the endless horde. Gerald slid over to my other side.
"Wow bro, never did think you would actually find a mate," Gerald said.
"Hey, you finally stopped saying grrr during every sentence," I replied.
"Yeah, I remembered my old foreign language."
"What do you mean by mate?" I asked in a hushed whisper.
"Oh come on," Gerald nagged, "you and the only female, Zoey."
"Don't you get any ideas!"
"I haven't the slightest clue what you are talking about, I found me a mate."
"Who a female hunter? Make little huntlets? They practice pouncing rabbits?"
"Ha ha ha very funny. There are not female hunters, just a witch for me. Her names Trixie and she's hiding on the roof."
"What's it like being a hunter?"
"It's hard at first but then it grows easy over time. We all can talk it's just that hunger drives us to animal-like attacks. We need to find food or else we are drivin' to a large animalistic rage. Everyone including ourselves is likely to be injured and most likely killed. A mate gives us a strength unknown to us before."
"So you use love to get stronger?"
"Well, yes, but we retain all our former emotions, love is merely joy but on a two people, not an individual."
"I never knew you were poetic."
"I'm not, Chuck Norris just told me to tell you that."
"CHUCK NORRIS KNOWS WHO I AM?"
"NAH, HE JUST CHEATED WHILE I WAS HIS PET BEFORE HE ROUNDHOUSE KICKED ME FROM OKLAHOMA TO OHIO."
"Why are whispering so loudly?"
"I DON'T KNOW."
Zoey stood up. She had told me on before occasions that if anything bad happens with Francis she can fend for herself. They yelled at eachother, first Zoey, "IF I'VE TOLD YOU ONCE, I HAVE TOLD YOU A THOUSAND TIMES, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN YOU!"
"YEAH, BECAUSE WHEN YOU SEE A WITCH YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING SOMETHING!" Francis screamed back.
"YOU CALLING ME A LESBO?" Zoey returned with a question.
"I AINT' CALLIN YOU TO DINNER," Francis responded.
"WHAT?"
"THIS IS WHAT ZOE!" with that, he pimp slapped Zoey across the face. Zoey let out a small shriek and scampered over next to me whimpering. She put her head in my chest, I covered it with my hand while my other one stroked her. I didn't allow Francis even near her. She clearly wanted to be alone. Gerald came over to me. He took Heather, who was still on my lap and did a sort of pounce/jump over next to Bill. He gently sat her down. Heather scooted back over to me but sat on my left. Gerald then came over and acted like he was gonna eat her foot. She laughed and tried to kick him away.
Zoey got off of my chest and sat to my right she grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her. I scooted.
Bill pulled out the rations for our final meal. It was canned beef and corn. Gerald pried open the can with his claws then jabbed the meat and shoved it into his mouth. He did this repeatedly as if in a pattern. I slowly ate the meal. I let the beef's moisture help soothe my soul. The meaty was very chewy. It was like eating a protein, fat and meat filled gummy candy. I chewed slowly to absorb the flavor. The corn was rather crunchy but had no buttery or salty flavor to it like it used to... before the infection. I reminsced my life shortly after the first infection. I opened my mail box for apartment 801 of Arrowhead apartments Fairfield, Ohio. I ran upstairs to my small two bedroom one bath apartment. I was met with a slobbery kiss from my dog Yax. I flipped the T.V. on. I changed the channel to Weasel News. Apparently scientists from Fairfield Tech labs had released a super rabis disease that was quickly spreading. My parents arrived at the door shortly later. I opened the door. My mom was in her police uniform and my father was in his Marine BDU. They carried SMG's in their hands. Pistols were at their sides. 'Come on Tony, we got to move.' my mother said. We scurried down a fire escape with my dog and into the street. My mom, dad, Yax, and I entered a dark building. I would never see them again. I felt glad because I felt inside that Yax was alive. Zombies don't attack or eat dogs. Just snakes and monkeys. The last thing I had said to my parents was 'You guys are slowing us down. You should be left behind!' A tear rolled down my cheek.
"What's wrong?" Zoey asked.
"Nothing," I replied.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Zoey asked.
"No," I replied. She kissed me on the side of my hair. I kissed her back on the lips. Gerald came over.
"Could you give us some privacy?" Gerald asked Zoey.
"Anything you say to my tiddlywinks you can say to me," Zoey responded.
"In that case, I think you should cut Zoey's rations down! She's putting on weight!" He yelled jokingly.
"Uh, why must I be the one picked on the most?" Zoey asked to no one in particular. She walked away.
"What was it you want to talk about?" I asked.
"Yo bro, what is it that we do now? Could we put out the fire? I'm highly flammable and will continuely burn if lit on fire," Gerald asked.
"Sure, it's time for sleep now," we doused the fire with water. And drifted to sleep.
R+R