A/N: All right, another cliffhanger! Yay? Maybe not, but I promise this is the first big action chapter of a story, if you like zombies attacking well armed human soldiers, and said well armed human soldiers shooting zombies, this is damn sure the chapter for you.

-Demons Dreaming (I'm Coming Back Again)….

Chapter 3: The Devil Made Dirt, And Dirt Hurts

James stalked the hallways waiting for Jake to finish his shift, the dreaded night shift. Chills went up James' spine just thinking about it. Having to help bring in B.O.W.'s from the truck because the delivery teams' last shift was at eleven didn't make for a pleasant night for anyone, least of all one inexperienced scientist who was on the brink of mental collapse anyway. Finally the clock struck one, and Jake's shift from Hell was over for another few weeks. All the lab personal were on rotating night shift duty, and this just happened to be Jake's week on deck, and it further served to compound the bad month he'd been having.

Jake walked in from the outside, shivering slightly the early fall breeze cutting its way through Jake's thin jacket.

"Hey Jake wait up." Shouted James as Jake brushed right past him.

Jake looked incensed, his face a ghostly pale white. "They're burying them now, the crazy bastards, they're burying the zombies." Stammered Jake.

'Wow he must be pretty upset, he used the zed word.' James thought.

Jake was normally professional as always when referring to the zombies, usually calling them pigs, guineas or "the experiments" but never using the dreaded "Z" word.

"Why are they burying them?" Asked James as he stumbled trying to keep up a walking pace with Jake.

"Because we're out of vaccine James. We're out of the very thing that keeps this whole base operational." Jake was frantic his eyes darted about the inside of his face, James was surprised they didn't pop out.

Jake stopped suddenly spinning on his heels as several MPs came stumbling through the door leading to the outside, one of them had a huge bite mark through his throat, blood splurted everywhere.

"One of them got me, they got Dekkers too." Shouted the MP as he stumbled blindly towards the med lab.

The world spun into utter chaos as several MPs back-peddled into the room firing, cracking MP5 weapons fire was the sonic wake up call for James, zombies hungrily surged in after them.

"We gotta go!" Screamed James as he grabbed Jake.

The two dashed around heading for the break room as several groups of MPs armed with MP5's and riot shields raced past them.

"Fire, fire, fire, keep them out've the base!" Screamed the MP commander Carl Harrison.

His men stood in a stationary solid line firing their rapid- fire weapons, shields being held with their left arms the MPs fired their weapons with their rights.

The zombies however were gradually gaining ground. Harrison nearly called for a retreat but before he could, the mechanical door behind him wisped open; an innumerable amount of zombies surged outward. The MPs were cut off as they made their great last stand. Only Harrison and one of the other MPs, Richard Atkinson made it out of the deathtrap alive.

"Retreat!" Shouted Harrison, as he back peddled down the hallway, Atkinson trailing behind him.

The two men blasted through the break room door, only to find Jake and James hidden behind an overturned table.

"Atkinson, gimme a hand with this table." Said Harrison as he and Atkinson lifted the table and jammed it in front of the doorway. The door buckled and nearly broke as the zombies pounded on it.

"Hey, we were hiding behind that." Said James as he stood up visibly shaken.

"Yeah, well if you don't want those things getting in here, you'll have to give up your little fort for now kiddo." Replied Harrison sharply.

"Who are you two anyway?" Asked James.

"I'm MP commander Carl Harrison."

The tall black man behind him introduced himself, "And I'm MP soldier Richard Atkinson."

"I'm James Iverson. And that's Jake Meyers we're both research scientists here."

Jake sat in the corner, shaking. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he waved hello silently.

"So Carl-"

"Harrison, kid."

"So, Commander Harrison, what're we going to do now?" Asked James.

"Well, lets see…" Harrison stood momentarily tapping his foot on the ground, "They've wiped out almost my whole team, and now they're trying to bang down the door. Lets wait and see what happens."

"Are you nuts?" Asked James.

"Of course not you moron. But do you see any other way out?" Asked Harrison.

"How about that door right there?" James pointed to the door in the far left corner in the back of the room.

"That's the coffee room James." Stated Jake. "Most of the important areas were sealed off the moment the contagions spread through the facility. The only way out of this room is through that door. Jake pointed towards the entrance; the zombies were still pounding furiously at it.

"No way, that's not the only damn door. There's gotta be another door around here somewhere." Shouted James.

"I'm with Jake." Stated Harrison. "Atkinson give me your gun."

Atkinson handed his gun over to Harrison as Harrison reloaded his own. Atkinson moved the table before Harrison kicked open the door.

Harrison rolled outside firing as he went. Several zombies fell as he backpedaled down the hallway leading the zombies away from the room. Harrison felt his way backwards as he walked into a metal shutter where an open passage should have been.

"Shit!" Shouted Harrison as his guns ran empty, Harrison reloaded one quickly and continued firing, as he spun around into another group of zombies behind him. He briefly fired on the group before his gun once again clicked empty. Harrison panicked as he quickly drew his nine-millimeter berretta and drew a tight bead on the first zombie, he fired and it fell with a large hole blown through its face.

'Shit! I'm dead!' Harrison's mind screamed the fairly obvious until someone began firing at the group of zombies in front of him. Atkinson had gone out with nothing but his 9Mil to rescue him. The zombies however wouldn't be caught off guard as they spun around, Atkinson a deadly marksman managed to take out two of them, but the group soon enveloped him, a crunching sound could be heard over the rampant gunfire as the zombies tore Atkinson to pieces. Harrison fired and fired and fired some more as he gradually cleared his way to a doorway that was unobstructed by a metal shutter. As he finally reached it he kicked it inward with a mighty shot and stumbled in, locking it behind him.

'Holy shit, I made it.' Was the first relieved thought to cross Harrison's mind. However it was short lived as a zombie sat up from behind a desk next to him. Startled Harrison took aim, but never got the chance to fire. A bullet exploded forth through his throat, a geyser of blood shooting spraying forth all over the clean office floors. Harrison fell, gagging on the blood as it poured from his throat onto the burgundy-carpeted floor. Harrison watched as his assailant walked up to him, the brown loafers, the white slacks, and the long black coat could only mean one man. Cromwell fired again this time killing Harrison with a single bullet through the head.