Chapter 9 - The Draw
Hi everyone, I'm back from the dead (pun intended).
First off, I wanna say that I'm sorry for the huge gap in updates. I was (and am) going through a lot. It's been hard to write when you don't have the time or the motivation too. However, I promised myself and a certain someone, that I would continue the story. So I had to dig around this mess of a mind to finally pull out, what is now known as "Chapter11- The Draw".
For those of you who don't know, this chapter is named after "The Draw by Bastille.
The song has a nice fit to this chapter. You'll see why in a few.
By the way, I DO NOT own Bastille or any of their wonderful songs. Nor, do I own ANY COD characters.
Enjoy! :)
My skull bounced off the rocks and I fell, nearly unconscious. I felt an icy breeze slap me awake. The idle swing of the totaled chopper rocked me side to side and I slowly looked around for everyone else.
Half the chopper was ripped to shreds and I saw no sign of life. I was hanging suspended, upside down, staring down (or rather up) at the raging blizzard that consumed the ground.
"Guys!?" I called.
Only the sound of the desperate Winters howl answered coldly. I couldn't feel my toes or the tip of my fingers. Frostbite was beginning to creep up on me. Meanwhile, I was assessing the dire situation at hand.
"I remembered the chopper going down... These trees... Must've stopped some of it from hitting the ground." I thought.
"Wait... How far am I from the ground?"
"Looks like I'm about to find out!" My mind shrieked.
The chopper rushed to the ground and landed with a "poof" when it struck the thick blanket of powder.
"Wait what?"
Flurries of snow flooded the ground. I had only fell a couple feet. I examined the pale earth, which was blanketed in snow. My skin felt a burning sensation from the ice as I gathered myself and crawled out of the wreckage. I was losing the ability to focus due to my declining body heat. I scanned through the blinding fluff to find a blinking light that was barely visible. I started my trek towards it. It was frustrating to keep my feet from sticking in the ground but I somehow managed to force my way up the steep hill. Due to the lack of clothing, my body temperature dropped rapidly. The only hope I clung onto was the possible refuge that may or may not be over this hill. I continued to ascend as my shivering started to subside, which meant hypothermia was growing near. The minute I toppled over the hill, I noticed a 14 foot chain-link fence. It must've been 1/2 inch big in diameter and across the top with a layered with Barbwire. Whatever was on the other side of this "cleverly engineered" fence, it was off-limits to the public.
Something else caught my eye. The blinking light was also on the other side. Now the question is; "Are my friends on the outside of this fence? More importantly; "how do I get on the other side?"
I never come across their footprints so there was no way of telling if there were ever here at all. If they crashed somewhere close to where I wrecked, then there's a high chance they stumbled onto this place just like I did.
A picked up a high screeching of metal clashing with the fence. The noise was powerful enough to pierce through the veil of the snowstorm.
Well, the good news is that I found the rest of the chopper. it was rested on part of the fence, which was standing at an angle. it would offer the perfect ladder to climb over the fence. I staggered over to the wreckage. it was possible to climb through the side opening but it had to be done carefully. I hoised myself onto into the wreckage ,trying to keep balance. I crawled up towards the cockpit doing my best not to slip on the ice that accumulated. The only problem is that half the cockpit was also missing.
From the position I was standing, I can leap over the Barbwire only 10 feet from the ground which was a little bit safer and 14 feet and possibly sustained minor bruises. I wasted no time pondering the risk of breaking an ankles just like Jeff did... I could handle fracturing a bone, after all it's better than freezing to death and if I don't start moving now, I'll succumb to hypothermia.
I wasn't planning to have nature finish me off. I planted both my feet on the edge hoping there'd be enough traction on it to keep me from slipping.
I mustered up the strength in my legs and in one quick burst, I leapt over, coming close to scrape my leg on the barbs by only a few centimeters.
Suddenly, the an icy gust pushed my right arm underneath me while the rest my body followed
I lost my sense of direction I braced for the ground that would catch me.
Thud!
I gazed up into the powder that continued to rage across the sky. My lungs were rattled as they were still searching for the air I had lost.
"Damn wind..." I thought as I pictured Mother Nature, probably laughing her ass off.
I shifted over on my stomach and some snow worked it`s way to my thighs. I jolted forward, eating more powder.
I heard laughing a few seconds later followed by a few pats on my head.
"Havin' a rough day?" Whitehead chuckled.
I lifted my head slowly to see Jeff rolling around spewing laughs in every direction... Typical...
"You have no idea..." I looked at Whitehead, shaking my head in disbelief. he offered his hand to help me to my feet. I took it and regained footing. Jeff was trying to get to his feet as well. I shot him a look.
"Sorry buddy, we needed a laugh, givin' the shit that happened today..." He apologized, throwing his weight on his non-crippled leg.
I retracted my look, helping them to his feet.
"Still in that gown?" Whitehead asked, starting to laugh.
"Yeah well, I didn't have time to switch into my weather-proof dress." I remarked, noticing my shivering subsiding again along with the adrenaline.
"Let's get you out of it before you freeze something else off."
"Funny..." I laughed blankly, trailing behind them.
I sat down on a block of concrete among the others that collapsed from the massive hole in the wall. Soule had crafted a small fire contained by pieces of concrete and sheet-metal. The fire illuminated the Erie Corridor,in which we sought refuge, which was only a small fraction of whatever this place was.
The heat source also kept the cold winds outside since the doorway had no door.
Well, there was a door. A reinforced steel door but the damn thing was dented so bad it was cursed to permanent stillness due to it's jammed door hinges.
The smell of rotting burning flesh invaded my nostrils. I caught the deathly scent and I realized what the fire was consuming. I glanced at soule. He had an arm in his grip. A decomposed, detached arm from the deceased zombie, sprawled out beside him. Both legs were gone in the fire as well as one of the arms. The carcass was propped up towards the wall, holding the beast's face from view. Soule glared darkly at the fire. He raised the lifeless arm with his other hand, took the opposite end of the arm and snapped the joint clean off, separating the arm into two pieces with the sickening crack. He offered the dead pieces to the fire tossing them into a pot of flaming embers, where they began to pop and crackle intensely.
"These damned creatures..." He cringes, glancing at his bandaged arm.
"...will be the cause of our extermination..." He scowls grimly, before glancing at me again.
"Maybe..." He pauses. "Maybe we'll have a chance. A small chance. To escape before the storm... Passes." Soule begins, breaking his silence.
" I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that most of the zombies or whatever the hell these things are, are frozen by the blizzard and if we don't act soon before the storm passes, we'll have a lot more things to worry about besides the weather." Kaleb speculated.
"In simple words... Yes." Soule nodded.
"OK sure, sounds like a plan... But what exactly is the plan?" Jeff asked.
"Wing it?" I suggested.
"Look where that got us..." Whitehead referred to the crash.
"You were the one who fucking crashed!" Jeff snaps.
"That wasn't my fault!" He fires back.
"Shut the hell up! Fighting isn't the way to go about this!" Soule enters the fray.
"Hang on. Did you fly from here?" Kaleb interrupts.
"What?" Whitehead responds.
"if you`re asking if our intial flight was from here, then yes." Soule answered.
"So you have an idea of this place?" Kaleb asked, contemplated a plan in his head.
"A general one. Why?"
"Do you at least know where the power grid is?"
"I know where many things are in this place. Stuff that would be too much for your eyes. Dangerous weapons. Highly classified intel..."
I wasn`t asking for that. Do you know where the power grid is or not? Kaleb shot again, growing inpatient.
Usually Kaleb never speaks up like that, especially to strangers.
Soule pauses, glaring at Kaleb.
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I do. Why do you want to know?"
Kaleb`s knowing smile waxes.
"Would you like it If we had power to work with?"
Soule raises an eyebrow, surprised by Kaleb`s unexpected offer.
"Perhaps... What makes you qualified for power restoration?"
Kaleb laughs sarcastically at his comment.
"If anything, I`m overqualified for the job."
Soule pauses again, pondering.
"Well, I suppose we can't do much without power."
"Ok then, let's go" Kaleb smiles.
"Very well. I will show you where the main power grid is. IF you can fix it, we might have something else to work with." Soule decides.
"What the fuck is with is 'too much for our eyes' shit?! Were you not there when we witnessed people slaughtered by those shitheads!? Or how about when the chopper went down in flames? You don't know half the shit that we've been through. So we damn well deserve to know what the hell you're hiding from us!" Whitehead blew a gasket.
"Dangerous weapons?" Jeff piped up.
"You have no idea what kind of fucked up shit I've witnessed throughout my life. Not one thing you have can top the terror and desolation I've seen." Soule fired back with voice like acid, melting the air surrounding us, stating its danger.
"Oh really? We haven't even known you for a day and you expect us to believe that crap? Give me one reason why I shouldn't just drop you dead?" Whitehead threatened.
I could feel the tension materialize in the room. They were both within stabbing distance of each other. Its hard to believe they were in the same bird 30 minutes ago. I knew exactly what Whitehead is capable of. He had intense UFC training and constantly fought for his life.
He had to. The area he grew up in wasn't exactly "functional".. He grew up in the corrupted slums of Tucson. 50 crimes every day and night, mostly assault crimes, and he got sucked in about 5 of them every other day... On a good day.
On the other hand, I didn't know Soule. I don't know what he's capable of. All I've seen him do is pick the heads of zombies with a sniper rifle in a mobile chopper and feeding decomposed limbs to a fire.
"No... There's more to Soule then we think we know. I'm not sure what but I'll find out one way or another. But I need to get them on the same page..." I thought.
"You know what? I'm tired of this shit! " I yelled, trying to grab their attention.
"Tyler, I think we're all tired but that won't matter if we're all dead." Kaleb, he tries to explain to me.
I realize that he's right. We can't turn on each other or we'll end up turning ourselves.
"Yeah you're right... Come on guys, let's not rip each other's throats out. At least wait until we get to a "safer" place." I support Kaleb.
"I don't know I don't trust this guy I say we just kill him." Jeff threatens.
"Oh gosh..." Kaleb backs away.
I could feel the pressure in the air increasing the threats and promises pull out my anxiety which takes me vigorously through I should stay calm my patients versus slip.
"No... Let them fight..." My head resides.
"This is how Whitehead and Jeff resolve conflict. Mostly when they're stressed or pissed off. Whitehead isn't one to talk things out. Not anymore... Jeff is the same way but he's always been more of a hothead. If they vent it off, maybe they'll be able to grasp a sense of humility. Ironically...
I creep back next to kaleb.
He shoots me a look of discomfort.
"You can't just let them fight two against one isn't fair."
"Negative two against one isn't fair either..." I countered, silencing him.
We both direct our attention to the forthcoming brawl.
...
Thanks for reading this chapter!
I realized after a prolonged period of times that there were a lot of mistakes, thanks to the speech-to-text application.
Takeo- It wasn`t fixed til after Chapter 10!
Dempsey- Yeah, and you effed up the chapter numbers!
Nikolai- Maybe he drank too much...
Again, I apologize. Anyways, It`s all better!