Chapter 10: Asylum
The school wasn't a rescue station anymore. It had stopped being that when sergeant Howard was killed. Despite the best efforts of the soldiers, depression and madness began to creep its way through the hallways. The feeling of defeat even began to trickle its way into the minds of the soldiers.
Not even Jackie was as resolute anymore. As she sat on her cot, staring blankly at the wall, knees pulled up to her chest so that they touched the pouches holding her C7 magazines. Her arms were wrapped firmly around her knees, and her hair was partially loose, falling from under her helmet in a mass of tangles. She didn't bother trying to fix it.
On the cot beside her, Hogg's snores sounded uneven, and he occasionally let out a tiny whimper, as if her were dreaming. Or more likely, having a nightmare. He had pulled his sleeping bad up around his face, and clutched the material close to him, as if it were some kind of teddy bear. It was one small comfort for the soldier. One small comfort in a world that offered so very little anymore.
Occasionally Jackie would see Upton wander by, continuing his patrols. She hadn't seen Moore, nor did she really wonder where he had snuck off to while she and Upton had thrown Sam's body off the roof.
All the refugees were sleeping, or trying to. Some simply lay awake, crying gently to themselves. Word of Sam's death had spread surprisingly fast, and it had the same effect upon the civilians as Howard's death had upon the soldiers. It was almost as if some chilled hand of death had come in and taken everyone's spirits when Sam had pulled that trigger.
And so Jackie sat, stewing in her own troubles, her own lack of spirit.
She looked up when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. A shadowy shape drifted down the hall towards the tech wing. It hadn't been Upton or Moore, it was one of the refugees. Jackie stood, picking up her rifle. She started towards the hall where she had seen the figure disappear.
As she turned the corner, Jackie saw the figure turn the next corner further down the shadowy hall. She glanced behind her to see Upton up by the offices continuing his sweeping patrols. Jackie started down the hall, holding her rifle by the hand guards, completely at ease. She had a feeling whom the shadow was.
Jackie turned the next corner. For a brief second she saw David on the ground as a zombie tore at his flesh. Jackie closed her eyes for just a moment, and opened them again. The illusion had gone, and she saw the shadow duck through a door halfway down the hallway. Jackie followed, almost like a lost puppy.
As she went through the door, finding herself in a larger than usual janitor's closet, she shut the door behind her. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, even as the woman behind those arms brought her body close to Jackie's.
"I love you," Jackie muttered softly, and she heard Caity respond just before she felt the soft caress of her girlfriend's lips on her own.
Jackie undid her helmet, letting it fall to the ground with a solid clunk on the floor, while Caity's slender hands undid the tactical vest and flak jacket that Jackie was wearing, letting the protective gear fall to the floor with the forgotten rifle and helmet.
Free of the heavy weight Jackie pushed Caity against a far wall, running her hands under the other woman's shirt, feeling her skin beneath her fingertips, while their kisses grew more heated and passionate.
They broke away long enough for Jackie to pull Caity's shirt off. In that brief lapse Jackie had a moment of lust cleared thinking.
"Hun… you know I'm o-," Jackie started.
"I know, it doesn't matter, we need this," Caity said softly, nibbling gently on Jackie's ear while her hands undid the buttons of the military tunic. She let the garment slide delicately off her shoulders, so Caity could begin to lift Jackie' shirt, revealing the black sports bra beneath.
Their lips met again, as Jackie pushed her lover against the wall, pressing their bodies together. Flames of passion danced under their skin, crossing between them as their lips continued to meet in love and lust.
Caity could feel Jackie's hands working on her belt, pulling the leather strip away and throwing it over with Jackie's gear, just before the experienced fingers began to undo the button and zipper of her jeans. Jackie pushed the blue bottoms down, running her hands along her lover's hips and thighs, while also lowering her kisses to the neck and shoulders.
Standing in only her underwear Caity returned the favor for Jackie, just before their bras joined the growing pile of clothing across the floor. As Jackie nuzzled her face into the crook of Caity's neck, gently nibbling at the skin and kissing the shoulder, her hand slowly slipped beneath the material of her love's panties.
Caity let out a gasp as she felt the sensations of her love down in her womanhood, holding Jackie close, even as the other woman's lips and tongue began to trail across her breasts.
Nothing else mattered for the two in their love making, and for a moment, all the desperation and madness of the world outside disappeared, as their spirit returned to their hearts.
"Hogg… it's time for our shift" came a distant female voice.
"nah… I wanna stay in bed, care to join me sexy?" Hogg muttered back.
Suddenly he was falling, fully awake now. He bounced off the cold ground, still inside his sleeping bag. With a groan Hogg looked up to see Hunter standing above him, shaking her head.
Hogg blinked, slightly ashamed of what he had said to his partner, but he was more curious of the glow that seemed to radiate from Hunter's face. Something had happened to her between dumping Sam's body and waking him up.
"I said it's time for our shift, get up, get dressed," Hunter said, turning on her heel to talk to Upton.
"Moore turn up at all?" Jackie asked the lone soldier, noting the bags under his eyes. Having to patrol an entire school by himself in a time such as this could get to a man. Where every noise and shadow would make you jump, make you want to break down and cry.
"No… kick his ass for me if he does during your shift," Upton said, taking off his helmet and running a hand through the thin patch of hair on his head.
"Will do, get some rest," Jackie said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.
Upton merely nodded, barely able to keep his eyes open now that sleep was right upon him. He stumbled over to his own cot, dropping his rifle and helmet beside the makeshift bed before collapsing atop his sleeping bag. He didn't even bother dressing down, simply falling asleep upon contact with the cot.
Jackie shook her head, and turned her gaze over to Hogg, who was rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he walked up to Jackie.
"Has Andre come down to be relieved yet?" Hogg asked.
"No… go up and check on him," Jackie said, mentally slapping herself. How could she have forgotten about Andre, the poor bastard probably fell asleep up there or something.
Hogg nodded, starting towards the Cafeteria. In the back of his mind the soldier wasn't entirely sure what he'd find on the roof. No one was entirely sure of the state of Andre's mind. He hadn't come down since Howard's death, always working on the plan of escape.
As her fire team partner entered the cafeteria, Jackie turned to see Moore stomping around in the lobby by the front barricaded doors of the school. Jackie felt a surge of anger rushing up from deep within her. Where has this cowardly bastard been hiding?
Jackie walked up to him.
"Where the fuck have you been?" she demanded.
"I've been in the bathroom sick. Like you can talk, I saw you disappear after the barricades went up, they aren't off limits," Moore shot back. His face was haggard, his eyes sunken, while they darted about nervously.
"There's a difference between physical problems during rack time, and running off for an entire shift. Get in you fucking head damnit," Jackie screamed in the soldier's face, he cringed.
"Fuck you bitch," he yelled back, going to punch her, but she was quicker. Stumbling backwards, and clutching a bleeding nose Moore collected himself enough to run off to the cafeteria.
Jackie watched him go, rubbing the knuckles of her fist where they had connected with Moore's face once again. She wondered briefly if he would run off to his hiding spot again. It didn't really matter now though, he was off his shift.
Jackie turned, and took her slung rifle off her back, and started towards the offices.
Hogg pulled himself onto the roof of the school, and quickly found Andre; standing on the edge of the roof. The master corporal's rifle was slung across his back, and a cigarette dangled from his lips. Andre didn't even seem to know that it was there, just letting it burn away with a faint red glow. The man didn't even know Hogg was there.
"Master Corporal?" Hogg said when he was only a few steps away.
For the first time since Hogg had been up here, Andre shifted. He wasn't startled, he wasn't relieved; he simply shifted his form slightly to acknowledge that the younger soldier was behind him. After a moment Andre finally turned to face Hogg, and the man's appearance startled the young private.
Andre's face was haggard and looked old. Lines that hadn't been there a few days prior had been etched through his face, thick stubble had begun to crawl across his clean cut features, his uniform was no longer clean and crisp, but dirty and slack on his weathered body. His lips trembled and his hands shook as if cold, though the air up on the roof was warm, ready for the coming summer, even now at the dawn. The worst though were his eyes, they appeared soulless, lifeless, almost like the creatures that had surrounded the school below.
Andre was cracking up, he was becoming unserviceable. Hogg doubted he would even be able to make it down the ladder, and the poor bastard needed some sleep.
"Andre… you need some rest," Hogg said carefully, not wanting to push the man over the edge, if he hadn't toppled over already.
"I can't… waiting… the truck will be back," he said, he sounded tired, drained, sorrowful. This was not the man who had taken over from Sergeant Howard. This was not the man who had arrived at the school with them those many, many days ago.
With what was presented to him, Hogg did the only thing he thought he could. He cracked Andre upside the head with his rifle butt, sending the man spiraling into unconsciousness.
Hogg quickly grabbed the man by the front of his tactical vest before he could fall over the edge of the roof and directed him towards the ground. Laying Andre out in a semi-comfortable position, Hogg stood and looked down at him.
"Sorry man, but it's for your own good. I'll get Hunter to give you some aspirin when you finally wake up," Hogg said grinding Andre's fallen cigarette out under his boot.
Moore violently pushed the cafeteria doors open, still clutching his nose, feeling his blood run through his fingers. He couldn't believe that bitch had punched him. He ignored the nervous glances of the refugees around him, instead heading straight for the vending machines.
He felt an urge for a pepsi. He fished a quarter out of his pocket with bloody fingers, and pushed it into the machine. As he heard the coin landing in place he pushed the button for a bottle of pepsi. The small digital display on the machine scrawled the message option empty.
"Fuck you to!" Moore screamed, kicking the vending machine, sending a shock up his leg. He screamed in pain and frustration, continuing to kick the vending machine, and punch it. Stupid bitch, what made her so high and fucking mighty. What made her the leader, that was Andre's job. Why couldn't the bitch just see past her own fucking nose.
"Hello… you might want to calm down," came a female voice behind him.
Moore slowly turned, turning a glaring eye towards the person who dared tell him what to do. There was a short little bitch right behind him, looked a little chunky to.
"Fuck off," Moore snorted, recognizing her as one of Jackie's friends… Mandee wasn't it. The rest of that bitch's friends were gathered around a table, staring at the showdown.
"Hey calm down, I was just making a suggestion," Mandee replied curtly.
Moore couldn't take it. He brought his rifle up, the muzzle smashing across Mandee's cheek bruising the flesh, and bursting into her eye. Blood and a more yellow liquid ran from the wound as Mandee screamed. Moore yelled out not hearing anything, not seeing anything.
"Fuck you!" Moore roared and fired his rifle, feeling the kick against his shoulder.
Mandee's head was knocked back, a solid chunk of bone with scalp and hair still attached flew back into the crowded refugees while chunks of brain matter fell from the opening to the floor below. Mandee's body stood for a moment, a hole clean through her skull.
As her body fell to the floor like a wet sack, and before everyone could even registered what happened right before their eyes, another shot rang out.
Moore screamed out in pain as a spurt of blood burst from his shoulder where the 5.56mm round punched through him. He fell to his knees, dropping his rifle, grasping his wounded shoulder. He clenched his eyes closed, feeling tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to break through between his eyelids.
"Mother fucker," came Jackie Hunter's voice even as the refugees backed away from the scene. One of their protectors had just killed one of their own, and now the soldiers were fighting amongst themselves.
Moore looked up and opened his eyes, only to see the bottom of Jackie's boot as it collided with his face, breaking his jaw and nose. Moore screamed as more blood gushed down his face.
"I can't believe I called you a soldier… a brother," Jackie said in a rage, bringing a booted foot down on Moore's chest. She heard ribs crack, and she was happy for the pain she caused him. He deserved it.
Jackie delivered another swift kick to his ribs, hearing more bones crack under her assault. Finally she had enough. With pure rage and hatred swimming through her veins, Jackie took her rifle, and loosened the sling.
The refugees looked on in morbid and silent fascination as Jackie wrapped the sling around Moore's throat, and place a boot on his back. Pushing with her leg and pulling with her arms, the sling cut off Moore's airway.
Moore on the ground struggled to breathe, unable to get any air through his airway to even cry out. Time seemed to slow down for the people in the cafeteria, watching one of the soldiers slowly suffocate. Moore could see darkness begin to creep in on the edges of his vision, threatening to snuff out his existence. He grabbed at the sling around his throat, trying to free himself, but he couldn't do it, he only tore at the skin of his neck, causing himself to bleed more.
Jackie pushed down hard with her boot, never letting go. She wouldn't, not until Moore was dead.
Eventually Moore stopped kicking, he stopped struggling, and Jackie knew, that Moore was dead. She removed her sling from around his throat and stood up in front of the entire refugee population, as her eyes shifted to Mandee's corpse.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, almost inaudible. She almost felt like crying, but she didn't think there were any tears left in her.
Mandee's funeral had been short, just as the refugees before her had been. It was the first time Caity, Jenn and Megan had been on the roof and seen the sky since arriving at the school. The sky however had changed, almost to fit the mood. It was dark, cloudy and depressing.
They had all said a few words for their friend, before Jackie and Hogg had thrown the body off the roof. Jackie watched the body fall and land with a dull thump on the ground below, just before the zombies started to tear into it. It seemed so archaic.
With her friends back downstairs, Jenn offering a healthy kick to Moore's skull before she descended, Jackie and Hogg walked over to Moore's body. There was a neat hole through it were Jackie had shot him… just to be sure. That was the answer she had given Hogg, sure of what she never told him.
Hogg was as disgusted with Moore's actions as Jackie was, and with that, there were only three soldiers left still in their right mind enough to be serviceable. Meaning that until Fetzner and Esau got back, there would only be two soldiers on duty at any given time.
"We might have to think of getting out of here ourselves," Jackie said somberly to Hogg, who merely nodded. Neither of them wanted to, they couldn't transport all of the survivors away from the school. There were only a few civilian vehicles in the back parking lot, including Mandee's minivan.
Jackie looked at the keys she had taken from her body. If no one else, she was determined to get out of here with her friends. The regiment was truly gone now.