Chapter V

The group of nine was sprinting up the stairs as they could hear the sounds of the undead shuffling down the hall they were previously occupying mere seconds ago. They got to the top of the stairs, and rushed through the door. They appeared to be in the wine cellar of the bar.

"Get over here, Mark and help me move this!" Bob screamed, holstering his Beretta and trying to tip a nearby shelf over the door. Mark gave a quick shove and seconds later the door was barricaded by a wine shelf. Giving them a quick breather before they moved again, Kevin looked over the survivors doing a weapons check. "Okay," he thought. "Mark and Bob have around sixty 9mm bullets, I have three clips left for my 45, the shotgun I got from Will has six shells in it. Alyssa had that twelve gauge with a box of twenty-four shells she got from the gun closet as well as her stun gun. Cindy has that magnum that she found in the broken desk drawer. The three Molotov Cocktails David whipped up are still unused, although I doubt that wouldn't last long."

"This bag is heavy." Cindy gasped. "I don't know if I can keep holding onto this." Yoko, slinging her backpack around on the ground, offered to carry them. "I completely forgot I had this on my back. Just throw them in here. Do you want to keep that First Aid Kit with you in the bag?" she asked. Cindy responded as she sat the bag on the ground and unzipped it. "Yeah, besides George, I'm the only one who can really use it to its full potential." Yoko then strapped her backpack back on and the group walked to the other side of the cellar.

They could hear the monsters storming around on the second floor. "Maybe they didn't see us come up here?" said David. "That has got to be the only way we don't have to run right now." "Well, let's just keep quiet. If we make too much noise other than that shelf, we'll get their attention." Alyssa replied.

Jim was hanging in the back of the line, constantly looking over his shoulder. He was starting to become paranoid. Who wouldn't at a time like this? "I got to find something I can use to fight with." It seemed everyone had something except him and Yoko, that cute Asian chick.

At the other end of the cellar was a forklift used to store crates in the bar. It appeared to be off, but it was parked in front of a shutter that supposedly led to the stairs. Jim walked over to it, looking around. On the other side of the forklift, he saw what he could use. There was a baseball bat leaning against the crates on the other side. Jim started reaching for it, arms stretching across as far as he could. After an unsuccessful attempt, he climbed into the lift, and tried to climb into the other side. He accidentally kicked a lever on the panel and then the beeping sounds of the lift echoed through the bar.

"Son of a….." was all that left Jim's voice could make.

The forklift backed up into the shutter door and started to rip through it, making a large gaping hole in the shutter door. Jim quickly grabbed the bat as the others were turning around to see what happened. Jim watched the expression on their faces as he slowly walked back to them.

Sounds suddenly came from the other side of the cellar.

They found out where they were hiding.

"Let's move!" Kevin screamed, jumping into the forklift and steering it out of the way. As Kevin jumped out and the group was running yet again up another flight of stairs, they could hear the sounds of the hungry cannibals just yards away.

"Come on, we're almost there!" Bob said, leading the group through the door.

They suddenly backed away as another person greeted them atop the roof.

Bob looked up to see himself get bitten in the neck by one of the monsters and pulled outside. Bob screamed; his voice muffled by the wooden door. Mark pushed himself to the front and barged through the door, desperately trying to find and help his security partner and old war buddy. When he got to the top, all he saw was the blood streak that trailed off the roof.

"My god…" Mark mumbled as he rushed to the edge, knowing what he would find.

Bob was lying dead beside his attacker.

"He jumped because he knew what would happen. He ended up saving us by pulling the man off with him." Cindy said, comforting the strong man who seemed like he was about to break down and cry. "He could have done something else. It didn't have to end like this." Mark mumbled. He looked to his left and on the ground lay Bob's handgun and a spare clip he always had tucked into his pocket. Mark picked it up.

"Yoko. Take this," he said as tears welded up in his eyes. "Bob isn't going to benefit from it anymore." Yoko gladly grabbed it and thanked Mark for his generosity.

They could hear the other zombies climbing up the stairs. Mark, in a rush of anger, shoved the nearby aside and propped the door to the cellar open. "Come get some you sons of bitches!" Mark yelled as he aimed and shot. Two of the attackers went down; rolling down the stairs, creating a domino effect. Cindy rushed to Mark's side, pulling him away. She backed away when she saw more undead reinforcements arrive at the bottom of the steps. "Will?"

The man she was referring to as Will wouldn't recognize her anymore. Will had a blood-soaked shirt which was torn in the middle. His face was gore drenched with a chunk of skin missing just above his eyes. Mark jumped back in surprise as well. This time, it was Mark pulling her away. "Cindy, we have to go now!" He said as he grabbed her arm and ran to the other side of the roof where the group was attempting to jump across to the other roof.

Most of the people had made it over already. Kevin had had a hard time, due to the fact that he almost fell. Quick reflexes by George saved him from a similar death that Bob suffered. Mark hollered over to the roof, warning them of their attempt. Once Mark and Cindy made it over, they ran to the emergency door.

They landed in a small hotel hallway. "Split up from here," said Kevin. "I don't want all of us to go in the elevator just for us all to get stuck." Mark, you go with Alyssa, Cindy and George. David; you, Jim, and Yoko come with me. We're taking the elevator. Ready?" They all nodded. "Go."

Mark bashed the door open and aimed his Beretta down. He took a peek down and saw nothing in the immediate way. Cindy pulled the revolver out and mimicked what Mark did. George grabbed a nearby broom and broke the bottom off, ready to utilize it as a weapon. Yoko started down the stairs, her unsteady gun pointed ahead.

Kevin rushed everyone in the elevator. Once in, he smacked the ground floor button, noticing they were on the fourteenth floor. "Shouldn't be long now…."

The power then left the building and the elevator screeched to a halt, leaving the stair group and the elevator group stranded in a veil of darkness.