Left 4 Dead: Gemini Strain.
Chapter XXII: Babel – Adam
I almost wished that I could have had a
gun all the time, it made short work of locked doors and hatches.
I pushed the old wooden hatch open with a grunt as a much louder
sound of the bell ringing assaulted my ears. There would be no chance
to hear other than that ringing as I finished climbing the ladder up
to the bell.
The sound disorientated me as I could feel
each pulse in my already burning chest. I took a brief moment to
survey the top of the tower. It appeared that the roof of the city
hall was attached to that of the clock tower from the looks of how
close it was to the landing. On the other side, however, was an
alleyway that would be a sure drop down.
My chest was
burning.
I looked the bell over. What the hell was making
it just ring continuously? It was then that it caught my eye. An
electronic pad. I suppose that the bell was based off of an electric
current. This pad probably was used to schedule the ringing of the
bell, most like during important events or midnight. The odd thing
about it however was that a knife was sticking out of the machine.
Without thought I quickly grabbed its handle and yanked it clean out.
There was a series of sparks and then the bell slowly came to a
halt.
I looked at the knife in my hand. It was a lethal
looking blade that was the length of what I would assume to be a
short sword. It was then something came to me. Didn't Cassius SHOOT
the bell and not stab the control mechanism? If there was a knife
causing this malfunction instead of the bite of a bullet, how did
Cassius manage to set this up? Does that mean that he had help with
this set up?
I couldn't dwell on it any longer. Amidst the
feeble cheers of those alive I was on my knees trying to breathe.
Asthma really makes things difficult. The dust from that explosion
must have set off my symptoms. It is a scary thing not being able to
draw breath. How ironic it would be for me to die of asphyxiation
instead of the Infected tearing me to shreds.
Now the
oddest thing happened then as I gasped for air.
I got
punched.
I was not able to see who had assaulted me but it
was enough to send me down to the floor with a garbled moan of pain
coming from my throat. It didn't end there as a swift kick to the
side caused me to sweep across the floor of the tower. I wasn't
sure exactly what happened next. I remember blacking out in pain and
without breath. I remember hearing a single shot fired from a gun and
something warm and fluid running over me.
I noticed upon
waking in a strange room and with a grinning Cassius close to my face
that I might just be properly fucked. It was then I began to cry in
defeat.
"Oh don't cry, Adam." Cassius told me as
he rubbed the top of my head with a calloused hand. "You think
that I would let you just die with all the others? That would be too
easy."
