Chapter 6
Sam was driving, quite slow for her, sticking to the speed limit. She watched the road carefully, whilst at the same time not paying much attention at all, even though she was manoeuvring perfectly past all obstacles.
I shouldn't have done it. Now I don't really know why I did, I killed him in cold blood. At the very least I could have knocked him out and threw him in the back, there's plenty of room. He would have left us or shot us, I could see it in his eyes. But he wasn't evil; it was the whole messed up situation that drove him to that. I shouldn't have done it. Now I'm the monster they made me to be, the efficient killer who gets the job done.
"Sam, look a truck!" Steve called out to her, pulling her out from her thoughts. In response Sam slowed to a stop, as did the Large Military truck.
"You folks all right?" Called the driver, he had a warm voice, calm despite everything else.
"Yeah, were fine, you?" Sam replied, eyeing up the vehicle carefully.
"Were fine, there's a couple of survivors I picked up" The man replied.
"Any of them bit?" Sam asked, anxiously.
"Erm, yeah, why?" The driver asked apprehensively. Sam left the SUV and walked over to the truck.
"Do you have a gun?" She asked in a whisper.
"Sure I do, this is a military truck after all" The driver replied cheerily. "I've got a couple, you want one for … personal protection" He offered her thoughtfully.
" I've got one, listen, I heard that a bite from one of these things turns you into one of them, I'm sorry, all of them I've seen seem to have bites on them, it makes sense" she said, regretfully.
" Oh damn, so I'm gunna have to…" The driver stopped, seeing they both understood each other perfectly.
"I'd do it sooner or later, in case when the time comes things don't go to plan" she added and walked back to her SUV.
Of course you'd do it sooner rather than later, that's all I'm good for after all; killing. She continued to drive onward, but soon after she heard a volley of shots.
"They were infected weren't they?" Steve asked.
"Yeah, they were" she replied softly as her eyes glazed over, she blinked a few times to fight back tears before they came.
"How far to your friends house?" Steve asked.
"A block or so" Sam replied. She scanned the area carefully; a lot of bodies littered the area, but not many living bodies. Abandoned cars sat randomly on the roads and pavement, battered and blood smeared.
She turned left, onto another street, this one equally as uninhabited; dead or living. The Vehicle reached a junction, Sam stopped, looking around carefully before she carried on.
Slowly the vehicle meandered down the street, Sam kept looking up at the buildings, and the roofs. She stopped. Got out slowly; there was nothing living or dead in the area. Steve also got out, staying close to Sam.
Come on X5-613, this is so not the time to play silly games.
Sam looked around nervously. Then slowly looked up at the building in front of her.
Where was he? This was where he was staying, so he could intercept Steve's father on his way to 'work'.
Something was slowly; stealthily creeping up on Steve, he didn't notice, and neither did Sam, who was too busy worrying.
Suddenly, two arms reached out and grabbed Steve, shaking him really fast. Steve let a shriek, causing Sam jump. She turned round in a flash.
She was in a fighting stance, expecting a fight with a crazed person, but instead she saw her unit mate; X5-613 shaking Steve playfully by the neck, with a smug infuriating grin. He let go of Steve, who quickly darted behind Sam.
"X5-188, why the terrified expression" he mocked. Sam stirred back, then as her mouth curved up into a smile, she threw a strong but playful punch.
"Let me guess, your friend" Steve said with a bemused expression, as he rubbed his neck a little.
"I wouldn't say friend, more like cocky arrogant jerk" she said sarcastically. Just then, one block away, a large group of crazed people rounded the corner, they couldn't see the three by the car, but they certainly noticed the large group.
" Come on, follow me" 613 said as he jogged off down an alleyway. Sam followed and so did Steve. They came to a rusty ladder, which ran up one of the apartment buildings to the roof. 613 and Sam got up quickly, but Steve took slightly longer.
At the top, two briefcases lay open on the roof, one containing a pair of pistols, silencers and ammo. The Seconds was empty, but had the foam shaped for a sniper rifle of some kind. It looked to be an M21.
"Got bored, did a little target practise" 613 said sheepishly.
"I can see" Sam replied, she could see numerous bodies in the street below.
"You bring yours?" 613 asked her.
"Ooops, I forgot them, looks like it's coming out of my Salary" she replied cynically.
"So, where are we going to go now?" Steve asked.
"We go back to Manticore, you stay here" 613 replied, staring into Sam's eyes.
"I'm not leaving him!" Sam replied.
"What choice do you have 188, they'll kill him if you bring him"
"They might not, look around, you can see that everything's messed up. Even if he was going to decide to blab and tell someone about the secret government agency that makes super soldiers, there's no one left to tell! Everybody's dead!" Sam yelled.
"Ok, we'll bring him, but if they kill him, don't come crying to me" 613 shot back at her.
"Don't worry, I won't" Sam stalked to the edge of the roof, took out her gun, a German made Walther P88, and fired two shots at one of the shambling figures below. The Figure fell and didn't get up again.
"Oh nice going" 613 snarled, glancing down, the group of 'zombies' which had been along way down the road were now moving in their direction.
"Don't worry, you could do some more target practise" she sniggered, and she walked towards the roof access door.
"Where are you going?" Steve asked her.
"You have food in your apartment right?" Sam asked 613, who nodded in reply. "Good, because I'm hungry" She unbolted the door, and silently crept down the steps.
"Those things are down there" 613 called after her.
"I can handle it"
"Shouldn't you go after her?" Steve asked nervously.
"She said she can handle it, so she can handle it alright!" 613 snapped.
613's apartment is on the 3rd floor, 1 below, that's not so far really.
Sam reached the bottom of the stairs, she was in a corridor, with doors to the top level apartments along the sides. It was dull, most of the lights seemed dead, the doors were shut, which would make it seem anyone still here was un-infected.
Moving quickly but stealthily along, she reached the stairs going to the next corridor. She crept down these silently; she could see blood prints on the walls. Blood on the scratched wooden floor board. All the doors here were closed as well. She went to the end of the corridor to another set of stairs. It was clear.
She spotted a small table next the wall, she placed at the top of the stairs, to block anything's way through. She went back along the corridor to 613's room, opened the door and stepped inside.
It was clear, nothing or no one was waiting for her. In the kitchen, she headed straight for the fridge. She looked inside, but it was almost empty, except a piece of old cheese and a pint of milk. She searched the cupboards, and found a large packet of crisps, which she ripped open and began eating whilst continuing to search the other cupboards.
Suddenly she was on guard, she heard footsteps close by. She let the crisps drop, spun round and took out the gun from her pocket. She fired a shot off as she came face to face with one of the crazed people. It was a woman, her arms badly bitten. Sam watched the body drop, and quickly stepped over the corpse.
The shrill cry of the pistol travelled straight through the building and outside.
Above on the roof, 613 and Steve watched as a few dozen people ran towards the apartment and inside.
Sam heard 613 telling her 'to get the hell out'. She headed for the door and ran out into the corridor. The sound of banging doors filled the air. A second sound, the sound of several feet running up stairs could also be heard.
Sam caught sight of someone at the end of the corridor, and the force of many bodies coming up the stairs pushed the table aside easily.
Sam turned from the doorway and ran to the window, looking back one of the zombie's had reached the door and was about to run at her.
Without thinking twice, she dived through the window, which was three stories up.
Thanks for reading, please drop me a review if you have any comments, or suggestions, even critisisms are sort of welcome :)