Chapter 8: Airdrop
(Eleven Hours Later - The Cauldron in the Slums, Harran, Turkey, The Middle East, Europe - 20:05...)
"Hey Crane, do you have a minute?"
"Sure kiddo, what's up?"
"I wanted to say Thank You for what you said this morning. That really means a lot,"
"You're welcome. I'm quite glad you're my first mate in this sh*thole too."
"Look, I... I hope you don't mind me asking, but... what's your first name?"
"Why?"
"I'm just curious,"
"It's Kyle. Kyle Crane,"
"Dude, that actually fits! Sweet!"
"Thanks. I better go, but we'll talk when I get back, okay?"
"Okay. Good luck out there, Kyle."
...
I'm pleased to say that I spent the next several hours getting to know Libby before she had to get back to work and I made a full recovery. I learned that she grew up in Salisbury (It was a nice and quiet little city when I stayed there. Its' trademark Cathedral is pretty sweet as well) and that she always loved to get creative outside the hell that was high school hours. She also told me that she had the opportunity to socialise with one of her favourite singers three times, twice in England and once here. Lucky! He was meant to perform at the Harran Global Athletic Games around the time sh*t went haywire too but like her parents, Libby didn't know where he was. Judging by what she told me, he seemed like a cool guy to talk to, maybe have a beer with in mine or Brecken's cases.
Well - here's hoping that he's among the evacuated, so he won't have to deal with this sh*thole.
On a different subject, I asked Libby about college after moving to Harran and she told me that she hadn't attended long enough to form an opinion unfortunately - thanks to the stupid Outbreak. And that f*cking sucked, because college was awesome for me! In 2003, I was one hell of a scrawny nerd who was approaching 20 years of age and didn't know anything about girls. But I was intent on working my *ss off and eventually, I became the man I am now.I wonder what Rahim's opinion is too, since he's older?
"Crane," Jade spoke on the other end of my radio as I arrived in the Cauldron district. Okay so, there's the overpass. Trip down memory lane from yesterday, nice. "Three quarters of airdrops fall in the Cauldron. So if you start from there, you'll have a better chance of finding the drops before Rais' men do."
"I'm already here, Jade," I responded. After a trip of parkouring and dismembering zombies' limbs before bashing their heads in, that is.
"Good. Find some shelter and wait for now." The woman instructed. "You should be able to see the drops once they arrive."
"Yes ma'am. Expect an update soon," I informed her, switching my radio off and beginning my search. Okay, here we go.
The Cauldron was an incredibly dense part of the Slums with tall buildings in ruin, rubbish all over the damn place and obvious points go to the biters lazily roaming around like they were p*ss drunk at a bar. Thinking about it, I could really use a beer sometim— You'll get one soon, buddy. Focus on the airdrops and finding shelter. With that in mind, I began scanning my surroundings and remained on high alert since zombies were lurking on the roofs too. F*ck my life yet again. Holding my survival instincts back temporarily, I continued my search and it didn't take long for me to find a suitable place to hold up in.
"Jackpot," I muttered to myself in a pleased manner.
My shelter was a tall building with a metal fence encasing the only entrance into the house, accompanied by a ladder travelling up to the roof. Looks decent enough. After I climbed up and over the fence, I ascended the ladder and took a seat on the roof, briefly looking over to see a huge metal wall underneath beforehand.
Okay, I got a good place to land when it's time.
As I waited for the airplane to make its' grand entrance, my thoughts decided to take first place in a never-ending fight between my head and my heart yet again. F*ck, how long is this gonna go on?! Due to everything I've experienced so far in this sh*thole of a quarantine, my head wasn't gonna give up on telling me to find the file, call it quits on Harran and bail back home - which was still my primary goal. My heart was telling me something else, however. I wasn't sure what it was at the time, but it definitely had something to do with the survivors I've met so far.
Heart, what the hell are you trying to f*cking tell me?!
A steady hum suddenly snapped me out of it, prompting me to rise to my feet and watch a familiar plane soar through the Slums, dropping off two crates which descended via parachute. Yes! I immediately sprung into action, jumping onto the metal wall and sprinting towards the two airdrops.
"Did you see that?!" Jade frantically asked via radio.
"Yep! I'm on my way now!" I responded as I ran.
"Good. Let me know when you've got the meds," The woman instructed. "This will be a big help for us,"
"Yes ma'am," I replied, switching off my radio as I ran up a hill behind a tall block of houses.
C'mon Crane, you can do this! If you can get bot—
A little girl screaming prompted me to freeze in my tracks and glance at the houses with concern. "Jade?" I spoke through my radio.
"Yes?"
"You're not gonna like this, but I have to make a quick detour," I explained as I began frantically following the source via ascending the building. "I just heard a little girl screaming, and she might be in trouble,"
"Now?" Jade demanded fiercely.
"I promise it won't take long," I sighed, finishing my climb and opening a red door to enter a relatively normal house, despite the blood stains and a biter waiting for me. F*ck! The latter gave a roar and lunged forward ... only to be sent down in a heap of blood and brains by my machete.
"Why do you f*ckers have to get in my way?" I panted angrily.
As I entered the living room, the only sounds I could hear was the poor girl crying somewhere. I feel bad for her.
"Hello?" I called out worriedly.
"Who's there?!" The girl demanded tearfully. "You have to go before my Daddy eats you!"
"My name is Kyle Crane," I explained reassuringly. "I live in a safe place called The Tower, and your dad is at peace now. What's your name, kiddo?"
"L-Lauren,"
"Cool name you got there," I complimented, hoping to put her more at ease. "I have a niece called Lauren too."
"Do you?" Lauren meekly asked, feeling more calm. Mission success!
"Yeah," I answered happily. "If you'd like, I'd be interested to tell you more about her if you're willing to tell me where you are,"
"I'm right here,"
Turning round, I found myself face to face with a girl stepping out of a wooden closet, who appeared to be ten years younger than Libby. She was a tiny thing with blond hair, bright blue eyes and freckles, clad in an outfit which consisted of a blue plaid shirt, grey t-shirt, darker blue jeans and a pair of black combat boots. The poor girl looked she had been through hell, but she was thankfully okay.
"Hey," I greeted, bending down to her level. "Glad to see that you're alright,"
Lauren only smiled sadly in response, prompting me to continue with: "I can't imagine what this must be like for you. May I ask if you have any other family members here?"
"It was just my Daddy," She explained in an American accent. "I don't know where my Mommy is,"
Hearing this, an idea suddenly came to mind and I gestured for Lauren to give me a second before I switched on my radio again. "Jade, are you there? I'm in a block of houses outside the Cauldron with the little girl. Her name is Lauren, and she doesn't have anywhere to go. I could—"
"I know you could, but you need to focus on the job at hand," Jade told me in understanding. "Look, Libby and I are on our way and we'll pick Lauren up before sunset. You go ahead and get the airdrops,"
"Yes ma'am," I replied, switching my radio off. This is gonna be a habit, isn't it?
"Are they your friends?" Lauren asked shyly.
"Yes, they're both really nice girls," I answered in a friendly manner. "How would you feel about staying with us in the Tower? You would have a roof over your head, activities to do and nice people to help you if you need it. What do you say, kiddo?"
"O-Okay," My new acquaintance stammered briefly. "I'll give it a shot,"
"Great!" I cheered. "I have a job to do, but I'll see you soon, okay? Nice to meet you, Lauren,"
"Nice to meet you too, Kyle,"
With that, I bade the little girl a fond farewell and exited the building to continue on. Another good deed done for the day. One more left to do. Bearing this in mind, I descended the hill and it didn't take long for me to wind up back at the safe house Libby and I had secured yesterday, this time with red smoke ascending into the sky. Oh f*ck yes! First airdrop reache—
God dammit!
"Back away," A Turkish black-haired and brown-eyed man dressed in black and yellow, growled as he aimed his military rifle at me. "This doesn't concern you,"
Hearing this, I instinctively held my hands up and stared him and his three pals down with worry. "Relax, lads. I'm not looking for any trouble,"
Though, I believe I can still kick all of your *sses if you thought otherwise!
"Let him go, Boss," One of the dude's mates, a black-haired and blue-eyed Caucasian, said in a calm manner.
"Why?" Said Boss scowled. "So, he can decapitate us like that *sshole in the Tower would?!"
Excuse me?!
I glowered angrily at him, whilst his mate fought back a sigh of annoyance. "If he's telling us that he's not looking for trouble, then he's not looking for trouble,"
Hearing this, the crew's leader glared at the two of us as he thought it over. But to our relief, he ultimately gave up. "Fine, you can go,"
"Thanks," I responded appreciatively, sending a nod in their directions before I bailed. Once I created enough distance between them and myself, I switched on my radio once more. "Jade? It's mission failed with the first airdrop. Rais' men beat me to it,"
"F*ck!" Jade growled with frustration. "Okay, don't try and fight them. See if you can get to the next airdrop and look for red smoke coming from a flare. That indicates that the crate is close by,"
So, I figured.
"I'm on it," I informed the woman as I soon climbed the roof of a tall block and began patrolling the city from above ground. C'mon red smoke, come to papa. "How's Lauren doing? Are you and Libby with her?"
"Yes, we've got Lauren and we're on our way back to the Tower," The woman answered. Oh good! "Rais' men didn't hurt you, did they?"
"Surprisingly, no," I responded. "One of them did threaten me, but another let me go. Judging by the accent, he's from England. Maybe Libby or Brecken might know him?"
"Libby might be able to help, as she can hear us?" The woman suggested. "Describe this man's appearance."
"Black hair, blue eyes, looks like he's in his thirties," I explained. "Dressed in yellow and black, too,"
The other end switched off and for about ten seconds, there was complete silence - so much so that I nearly stopped in my tracks a while after passing the Tower. "Jade?"
"We're still here," Jade reassured me. "I just spoke to Libby, and she's not very pleased about this,"
"Why?" I asked with instant concern. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine, don't worry," The woman revealed, equally concerned. "Did she tell you about someone she's met three times?"
Oh...!
"Yeah," I confirmed, shook by the sudden realisation that hit me. F*****ck! "Tell me that wasn't him who let me go," Please?!
"We can't be certain, but yes," Jade answered sadly.
F*ck!
"Put Libby on, please," I sighed worriedly. A switching of hands later, and my really upset friend spoke through the other end. "Hello?"
"Hey, kiddo," I greeted, just as I spotted red smoke not too far from me. Sh*t, it's sunset too. "How come you're upset by this?"
"Because if this is my friend, then why is he working for Rais of all people?" Libby snapped with frustration. "I don't understand that, because he's not the type of person to work with someone so horrible and I was hoping that he would have been evacuated with everyone else, so that he wouldn't have to deal with this malarkey! Same goes for my parents!"
Hearing this, I now understood why the girl was upset with this news. I'll be honest, I would have felt the same if I had an opportunity to meet someone I idolised more than once - then find out that they were surviving in the Quarantine and uncharacteristically working for the devil, when there was hope that they were among those who got lucky. God, this must be a lot to take in...
"I'm sorry, kiddo," I apologised, feeling bad for the poor girl. "I don't know what to say,"
"Don't worry about it, Kyle," Libby reassured me bravely, continuing with a concerned warning. "Just focus on the airdrop, okay? And you might want to hurry up a little, since it's almost night!"
Before I could respond, another switch of hands occurred and Jade was on the other end again. "Libby's right, Crane! You need to get back to the Tower now!"
"I'm almost there, girls. I can do this," I calmed them, descending from a smaller building to ground level and approaching the red smoke - which led to a rather steep hill with several houses standing tall on the right side. "Expect an update shortly,"
With that, I switched my radio off yet again and once I made it down, I came across my prize ... which was surrounded by three biters. Oh no you don't, you f*ckers! I lunged forward with a yell and one moment of dismembering limbs with my machete later, the area was clear.
"Okay, then," I said to myself, crouching down and opening the orange crate to see multiple blue boxes with Antizin inside. Yes! Mission succeeded! Unfortunately, my mild celebration was interrupted by a familiar sound on my radio. Oh sh*t, forgot.
"Crane here," I spoke once I switched it on. "I'm about to recover an Antizin drop,"
"Good job, Agent Crane," My Boss complimented through the other end. "This offers a new strategy, which is now to pay your attention to Rais. Listen closely. It's very possible that Rais is our man, so if there's Antizin - destroy it,"
Come again?!
"W-What?! Why?!" I spluttered with surprise.
"It will force interaction with Rais," The woman explained calmly. "You can go under Brecken's auspices. As an ambassador, if you will."
"B-But there are civilians depending on this stuff!" I protested. "Men, women, children! They need this to stay alive!"
"Our plan is focused on the Greater Good. Remember that."
With that, she hung up and I was left in complete and utter f*cking shock! And it's night now too!
What the hell do I do here?!
Anxiety was swelling up, thanks to the orders my Boss has just given me. On one hand, my mind was telling me to follow them but on the other, my impulsiveness was telling me to ditch them for once. Crane, think for a f*cking second. You either follow your Boss' orders and the survivors end up getting sh*tfaced, or you can reverse that. What do you do? God, I... Why, Boss?! Wh—
"I wanted to say Thank You for what you said this morning. That really means a lot,"
The conversation I had with Libby before I left the Tower suddenly came back to mind and looking back now..., I think that ultimately assisted me in making my decision. For once, I'm gonna be impulsive. But then there's forcing interaction with Rais, since there's no way out of that. F***ck, I can't believe I'm about to do this! Once I set my rucksack down to one side, I carefully took out each box of Antizin and laid them out next to each other.
I f*cking hate myself right now!
"I'm so sorry, guys," I muttered to myself with remorse, taking one box and unwillingly shoving it into the fire pot whilst placing the others one by one into my rucksack. You're such an *sshole, Crane!
Seconds after I slung my arms through my rucksack's straps and rose to my feet, I switched on my radio. "Jade, I'm at the airdrop. I found some Antizin crates, but I don't know if they'll last for a while,"
"F*ck!" Jade cursed angrily from the other end. "All right, you got some Antizin - which is good. Get back here and be careful, because the nightmares will be awake soon."
"Yes ma'am," I replied, switching off my radio and bracing myself for the trek back to the Tower. What are these nightmares that I'm about to face?! Abe, Bro - I'm glad you're not in this sh*thole with me, but I could use a hand getting out of this! You always got me out of trouble with our parents befor—
A growl snapped me back to reality, and I quickly dug out my UV flashlight (upon remembering Spike's words) as I took cover. Sh*t, must have heard me! After this, I cautiously peered through a gap in the fence to see a weird type of zombie munching on a bloody rotting corpse. Okay, maybe it's all good? Maybe I'm saf—
BOOM!
Another weird zombie got right in my face and gave a horrendous shriek, prompting me to yell with terror and take off - despite managing to get a good look at it in a matter of seconds. It was a humanoid and ripped as f*ck piece of sh*t clad in nothing unlike the biters. The worst part? Its' lower jaw was ripped off and as a result, two halves of it's bloody face framed its' mouth. Oh god, ohgod, I'm gonna vomit! F*cking disgusting!
The next fifteen to twenty minutes were a terrifying blur! All I remember is running for my f*cking life, frantically climbing buildings, jumping across roofs, slashing biters out of the way, shoving my UV light in the multiplying zombies' faces (which made me realise that they were the infamous volatiles/nightmares!) and screaming a little girl whenever I got jump scared!
It was the worst night ever!
Eventually, a flash of light in the form of the Tower revealed itself in the darkness. YES! Finally! Once I was within reaching distance, I dived through the main entrance and landed with a grunt of pain. The volatiles stood outside for god knows how long, growling hungrily before they gave up and scowled off, leaving me to scurry away and struggle to pull it together. Hooooly f*ck! I can't believe I'm still alive after that! Ican'tf*ckingbelieveIsurvivedthat!
Now, I know how Brecken must have felt during his mission yesterday. It is no picnic. The good news is that I've got some of the Antizin, but because of my own mission - I had to burn one crate to force interaction with Rais.
I still feel like an *sshole, but I know the GRE's working for the greater good...