CHAPTER 15: SAVING JOHNNY VINCENT
After a few minutes of driving carefully back up the dirt road, we got to the Tenements where Johnny and a few of his boys were meant to be getting more supplies. As usual, there were zombies waiting for us. I got my Super Slingshot ready and then hopped out of the truck. One of the crawlers ran up to run to me just as I closed the door. I quickly kicked it in the head before it could climb up on me and stomped on it's head. That one was down for the count. I aimed at another just when it started to get closer and shot it in the head. I loaded another pebble in my slingshot and shot more of the zombies. Around this time, Lola was firing her rifle at the horde of zombies too. Not so sure that having her shoot off that rifle was a good idea since these things are attracted to noise, but it's too late to do anything now except kill the ones ahead of us. After a while of shooting, we were now down to one zombie; a fat charger. I ducked out of the way just as it charged at me. It hit the truck head-first and completely smashed it's head in. It slowly fell onto the ground after that. "What do you know? Stupidity is deadly", I said out-loud.
"Alright, I'm going to go straight into that building over there", Lola says while pointing to the apartment building in front of us, "while you go in the Tenements. I'll make sure nothing gets in while you're trying to find Johnny". "I should have asked Peanut if he had anymore ammo for the weapons that I'm using. Do you have any Fire Crackers, Bottle Rockets or even a can of potatoes on you right now?" I asked. "I don't, but there's some crates throughout the Tenements that may have the desired stuff that you need", she tells me. "I forgot about those crates. Alright then, get to the roof. I'll enter as soon as I see you up there", I told her. She gave me a quick nod and then ran to the apartment building. Just as she went through the door, I went back to the truck and got out my wooden plank. "I seriously need to upgrade my melee weapon", I said to myself. Just as I closed the door to the truck, I looked up and saw Lola right on the rooftop, waving at me to let me know that she was up there. I waved back at her and then went up to the busted doors of the Tenements. Moment of truth. I took a deep breath, not knowing what I was going to find in there, and then I stepped in the building.
As I walked in the building, something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I looked on the walk and saw a capitalized S written in blood. The Savages were here. Just what I needed: a hostage situation, I thought to myself. Things probably couldn't get any worse. I looked inside each of the rooms on the ground floor for any hostiles, but found only crates and other junk. I busted each of the crates and got more ammo for my Spud Gun and Bottle Rocket Launcher as well as more Fire Crackers. "Locked and loaded", I said quietly. I then went to the stairway and was about to climb up when I heard someone, or something, coming down the stairs. I quickly and quietly went to the side of the stairs and pressed myself against the wall so they wouldn't see me.
As they went down the stairs, I started to hear them talking. They were human. The only thing is that it wasn't Johnny's voice, or any other voice that I recognized from the Greasers. It has to be the Savages. As they got closer, I could hear what their conversation was about.
Man, where the hell are those stupid Grease-balls? I just want to end this and go back to the church.
Easy Hector, we'll find them soon enough. They're still in this building. There's no back door or fire escape that they could've used.
I don't see why this has to happen to us, Richard. First, we're committed to the nuthouse. Then we're granted freedom just to see that this entire town is ground zero for some fucked-up disease that could destroy the entire world. And now, we're following orders from some spazz that's so crazed in control that he'll send us all out on the dangerous streets where we could get eaten just to kill some other groups that just might get eaten later on in the month. Man, I wish I was with my cousin back in Carcer City where I don't have to deal with this shit.
Is that the same cousin that you said was involved with the snuff film ring a few years back before the police shut it down?
Hell yeah. You know, he may have almost lost his life because of the so-called "movie star", but at least he got paid for it. As for us, I just want to get out of this living nightmare.
Don't we all?
Now what they were talking about that happened in Carcer City, I don't have the slightest clue. But the one thing that stuck out to me was that they haven't found Johnny yet. He could still be alive, but first I have to take care of these guys. Just as they got onto the ground floor, I pulled out my Spud Gun and then shot the two Savages in the back. One of them went down to the floor, but the other one was still standing. He turned to me and held up a metal pipe. "Now you pay with your life", he says to me. I held my wooden plank just as he charged and tried to bash my head in with the pipe. The plank caught the pipe, then I kicked the Savage in the stomach. He retaliated from the blow, so I then smashed him in the head with the wooden plank. He fell down onto his stomach, unconscious from the blow to the head. I dropped the wooden plank and picked up the metal pipe. "Much better", I said to myself. I re-equipped my Spud Gun and then climbed up the stairs.
As I got up to the second floor, there were four more Savages right across the the giant gap. "AW, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FUN, BOYS. KILL THAT PRICK. MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T FIND THE GREASERS FIRST", one of them yelled. "THIS IS FOR HOLDEN", yelled one of the other ones. They then pulled out Glock Handguns and started firing at me. I fired my Spud Gun at them while I backed down the stairs for cover. "Tranquilizer Guns and now Glock Handguns. What else do these pricks have?" I said to myself. I pulled out my Super Slingshot and slowly crawled up the steps just so I could see them well enough where I don't risk exposing myself too much. I loaded up a pebble and then shot one of them in the head. He fell down and accidentally dropped down the gap to the first floor. "One down", I said to myself. I loaded my slingshot and aimed at the next guy. I shot him in the head and he fell down into the gap, screaming in the process. I did the same process for the other two guys. After the other two guys were down, I quickly made a run for it to the room on the right. I crossed a few rooms and soon got back to the hallway. I was now on the other side of the gap and next to the stairway leading to the third floor.
I went to the nearby wall and banged on it a few times to attract anymore Savages that may be up there. I waited a few minutes before I assumed that there weren't any up there. I climbed up the stairs very slowly up to the third floor. When I got to the third floor, I went to the room on the right and went through a couple small rooms just to get to the big one. I remember this room well when I fought Norton back in December last year. It's mainly empty space. Not really any place to hide in here, so there was no point in going in here. "JOHNNY", I yelled as I went back to the hallway. "JOHNNY VINCENT. IT'S ME, JIMMY HOPKINS. I'M HERE TO HELP YOU". I then heard a door open from the other room. I aimed the Spud Gun at the room, but there was no need to as Johnny, Norton and Hal all came out of the room.
"Jimmy?" Johnny says as he comes out of the room. "Hopkins is here. We're saved", Hal says cheerfully. "How did you find us anyway?" Norton the asks. "I met up with the rest of the group at the junkyard. It was nearly overrun, but it's all good now. Peanut told me that you guys would be here and I saw earlier that this place was overrun too, so I had to come and rescue you", I explained. "Everybody doing okay?", Johnny asks me. "Yes, even Lola's okay. In fact, she's helping us by making sure nothing gets in while I'm in here", I told him. "By sniping?" Johnny asks. "By sniping", I answered. "It's about damn time she does something for the group. Thank you", he says to me. "Not a problem", I told him. "Besides, I need to talk to you anyway about a plan of mine. But first, we need to get to safety. This building still has Savages in it and we need to leave before they kill us". "Hell, we ain't leaving yet", Johnny then tells me. "We can't stay here any longer", I argued with him. "We came for supplies and these psychos came out of nowhere and attacked us as well as sicked the zombies onto us", Johnny started to explain. "They want the supplies as well as to kill our entire group. Well we aren't going down without a fight. We're blowing this building up".
"Blow the building up?" I asked Johnny. "How are we going to blow up a building? Do you even have any explosives on you, like a grenade or something?" "No, but we do have a gas can downstairs and not to mention a few gas valves through out this building", Johnny explained. "If we can break the valves and have the gas leak throughout the building, then we can just pour a gasoline line leading outside. Then we can lit the gasoline trail and watch the fireworks". "Hey Hopkins, didn't you get expelled from one of your previous schools because of arson?" Norton asks me. "Those were rumors. I have not ever played with fire", I told him. "Alright, let's stay focused people", Johnny says to us. "We'll break the valves on the ground floor so no one could go in or get out. If we can't have the supplies, neither can the Savages".
We all then started going downstairs to the ground floor. When we got to the second floor, I noticed the Savages that I took down a while ago weren't there anymore. "A few of them were here a while ago. I know because I took them down with my slingshot before I could get to the third floor", I told them. "Stay focus, guys", Johnny ordered. "They could be waiting to ambush us. They're armed and dangerous". We slowly went through a few rooms to get around the gap in the second floor, then slowly crept down the stairs making sure we don't run into a trap that they may have set up. When we did get to the ground level, that was when we started hearing shots coming from outside. Either they found Lola or she's having them cornered somewhere.
Spud Gun at the ready, I quickly rushed outside to help Lola in any kind of way possible. When I did get outside, I looked around and saw that one of the Savages was hiding behind my truck. The others were around the corner behind the truck. One of them was using his Glock Handgun to give covering fire for his friend. When the one behind my truck saw me, he pointed his Glock at me and fired at me. I quickly backed into the building for cover as he fired his weapon at me. I pulled out of cover and aimed my Spud Gun at the guy, but before I could open fire he quickly ran from his spot and to the corner where his friends were, narrowly missing the bullets that Lola shot at him as he ran. I'm pretty sure the Savages won't be a problem now with Lola overlooking the street. Now we can focus on blowing up the building.
I went back in the building and found the gasoline can next to the window that I used to enter the building with. I picked it up and carried it out to the hallway. Man, was it heavy? Norton's hammer wasn't this heavy when I used it back in the winter. "I got the gas can. Now what?" I asked Johnny as he entered the hallway. "Pour a line that stretches from the stairwell to the street outside. Then wait for us to come outside", Johnny instructed. "I'll pour it all the way to the alley and use it as cover. I don't think any of us wants to be around the building when it does blow", I told Johnny. "Good plan. We'll be out there soon", Johnny says before he went back into one of the rooms. I picked up the can and carried it to the stairs. I tilted the can to pour the gasoline and started to walk backwards to make a trail. I walked out the door and then started heading for the alleyway. When I reached the alley, I tilted the can upright and set it down on the ground. The gas trail was complete. Now all I had to do was wait for Johnny and his boys to come out.
I went to the front of the building that Lola was sniping on. When she saw me, I waved for her to come back down to the ground. A few minutes later, she exit the building and came up to me. "We're about to blow the building up. You need to take over in the alleyway when it does happen", I told her. "Okay Jimmy", she says before she went to the alley. A few seconds later, Johnny, Norton and Hal came out of the Tenements. "Okay, the rooms are filling with gas now and everyone's out. Now let's blow this shit up", Johnny says. "Into the alley then", I told them. We got into the alley and took cover. Johnny then took his matchbook out and handed it to me. "Since you saved us, I think it makes sense for you to have the honor and blowing this building up", Johnny says to me. "Well, seeing that we just might die today or tomorrow or the day after, why not", I said out-loud. I took the matchbook from Johnny and lit a match up. Now usually, I don't ever play with fire. But since there's no laws or government here in Bullworth anymore, I might as do this just so the Savages don't have an advantage.
I dropped the lit match into the gasoline trail and then took cover behind the wall. We pressed ourselves against the wall and covered our ears for the impending explosion that was going to happen. After a few seconds of suspense, that was when things got really loud. Smoke and dust blew past the alleyway as the building exploded. A few seconds later, a dense cloud of dust flew past the alleyway, covering everything that it touched in dust. After the cloud past the alleyway, I looked around the corner and saw what was left of the Tenements. It was nothing more than a pile of rubble and fire now. As I stared at the pile, the others got out of cover and looked at what was left of their hideout. Everyone of their faces, including Lola, had the look of disappointment and possibly heart-broke. The Tenements was pretty much their clubhouse ever since they were little kids, that much I know. Seeing something that they grew up in suddenly taken away from them was something that I know does hurt.
I remember as a kid, back when my mom and dad were married together, that I use to have a tree-house that use to love to play in. It was to me back then my entire world. But when my parents got divorced, my mom took me with her to her new apartment on the other side of town. I could never go back to dad's place and see my old tree-house because my mom wouldn't let me. She wouldn't let me go there on my own or even take me there herself. I have not seen my old tree-house for years now. I know for a fact that it's gone now since my dad moved out of that house after a construction company paid for his land. I don't even have a photo of it. It only exists in my memory now. Do I miss it? Yes I do.
"Come on, you guys", I said to distract them from the pain. "Let's get back to the junkyard. The others are waiting". "Alright then, give me a minute", Johnny says. Everyone except for Johnny then followed me to the truck. Lola and I got into the cab of the truck while Hal and Norton got into the back. After a while of waiting, Johnny came to the truck and hopped into the back. I backed the truck up and then started heading back down the dirt road to the junkyard. As we went down the road, everyone was very quiet. Not a peep from anyone. They didn't even break the silence just to tell me thank you. Man, was this an awkward moment for me to be in right now.