Chapter Two

Dead Blood

"What the fuck…" Claire breathed almost to herself as she took in what she had just seen.

Leon swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at Claire, "I'm going to check it out, you and Alex stay Here," he said before opening the car door to be welcomed by a cool breeze. There was a strange sickly scent on the air he couldn't quite place but it still made his stomach turn as he remembered what he had seen in the forest.

He felt a hand grab at his arm. Claire was giving him a concerned look and Alex was peeking from in-between the seats with the same look.

"I'm not staying here; I'm coming with you,"

Leon would have smirked if not for the seriousness in her voice. "I mean it," She finished.

Leon sighed, "I'm the cop remember, I'm supposed to be the one protecting and serving you guys," He replied before gently pulling his arm free of her grasp and stepping outside the car and closing the door behind him. He barely made it five steps before he heard car doors opening and closing twice.

"Leon, you could get hurt in there," said Claire as she walked up to him, "Chris taught me some self-defence skills so you don't have to worry about me,"

Leon rolled his eyes, "Fine, what about you Alex?"

"Got this," He admitted holding up a black metallic object.

Leon's eye's widened slightly, "A stun-gun…how in holy hell did you get one of those in England," Leon asked sounding intrigued aswell as annoyed.

"Internet," Alex admitted plainly.

"Fine, but you're leaving that at the station when we're done okay," Leon ordered, to which the boy nodded in response.

"Come on then, and stay close to me,"

They began to walk to the diner each of them feeling a deep seated sense of dread as the building drew closer.

"Anyone else feel like lambs right now?" Claire asked the breath hitching as she listened for anymore screams, no one answered her.

Leon reached the door first and gripped the handle of his own pistol, a VP-70. He hadn't been issued a weapon by the department yet so the VP-70 was his own, a Christmas present from his dad a sort of congratulatory present.

He lifted the weapon slightly before beating on the door of the diner.

"RPD! Anyone there?" He asked, his strong clear tone betraying his anxiety.

He pushed at the door and found it swung open easier than he was ready for causing his heart to find a new home in his throat.

He raised his gun and walked into the diner. Fortunately the lights were still on which made it easier to look over the area. After deciding it was clear he signalled over his shoulder for the others to follow.

He turned to Claire and Alex who seemed just as on edge as he was which was strangely comforting although he was supposed to be the calm one.

"See anyone…anything?" Claire asked rubbing her arm and looking around the seemingly deserted diner.

"No, Can't hear anyone either, maybe whoever was being attacked escaped out back," Leon said holstering his pistol.

"Um…Leon, look at this,"

Leon turned to see Alex was kneeling by one of the booths around the area they saw the apparent attack. The table and floor was smeared with blood. There were handprints aswell as was looked like small chunks of shredded flesh. But what was more disturbing was a thick trail of red leading around the counter.

"How did I not…Jesus" Leon breathed as his eyes followed the trail.

Alex stood and began to follow the trail slowly and trying to avoid stepping in it before coming to the end of the trail. The trail disappeared under a door to the bathroom it was slightly open and he could hear the strangest sound behind it. It sounded like tearing wet meat and soft moaning.

"Hello?" he said softly as he reached for the door handle, "I'm a nurse…I can help…"

"Alex no!" Leon hissed as he went to follow.

But the door was open…and the sight that greeted them.

Alex was frozen in place when he saw what was waiting for him turned his stomach.

A man was hunched over a woman, savagely ripping his head from side to side and pulling chunks off her stomach, the soft moaning had become snarls.

Leon was barely half-way to reaching the boy before the man twisted around at an inhuman speed to face the terrified young man.

"God!" Alex near screamed when he saw the man's face. Although smeared with fresh blood and flesh, his face was cracked and his lips seemed to have been ripped from his face resulting in a red toothy grin. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot and Alex could see in them a hunger that he could never possibly feel.

"Alex run!" Leon yelled as he reached the boy, but before he could do anything the man let out a completely feral snarl and lunged faster than Leon or Alex could react. The impact was strong enough to knock Leon on his back after slipping in the blood.

"Fuck!" Claire cried in sheer shock as she began to run to the fallen pair.

Alex screamed as the man pinned him, snapping his vile teeth at the boy and dripping blood on his face. "Get him off!" Alex screamed over and over as he was barely able to hold the man back and his stun gun had already skittered across the room and under one of the booths.

"Get the fuck off him!" Claire suddenly screamed before grabbing the man and heaving him off Alex.

The man was snarling and furiously trying to snap at Claire over his shoulder before she threw him back into the bathroom. He lost his footing momentarily before his head smashed into the mirror.

"Come on, get up," Leon whispered softly to Alex as he helped the boy to his feet.

"He's coming again" Alex whimpered as he backed away with Leon and Claire. Sure enough the man had regained his footing and started to advance in long clumsy strides; one arm outstretched and short snarls and moans escaping his lipless mouth.

"Back off!" Leon growled as the three backed away. He pulled raised his pistol and aimed squarely at the man's head.

The man didn't stop, Saliva dripped from his mouth and his eye's blazed with hunger.

"Leon he's not gonna stop!" Claire cried as they finally backed into the far booth. They were cornered.

"FUCK!" Leon roared as the man was literally three feet in front of them before the gun exploded in his hands.

The wet dark jelly of brain matter exploded out the back of the man's skull and he fell back like a tower of bricks before he landed in the blood and brain with a heavy wet smack.

Leon felt like throwing up as he lowered the pistol. He could Feel Alex breathing in short quick breaths behind him.

"Shit…god…" Leon whispered as he looked at what was left of the fallen man's head and slumped to the ground between Alex and Claire.

Claire Kneeled beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Leon…you did what you had to," she said softly. Fear still evident in her voice despite the physical feat of throwing the obviously diseased man across the room.

Leon put his face in his hands and let out a long breath, "first day and I… I killed a man,"

.o.

"He was crazy…he would have killed us,"

"That's no excuse,"

Sound seemed to drown out for Alex as a realisation swept over him like a wave as putrid as the scent he suddenly caught. He slowly walked over to the corpse and knelt down next to it. He looked it up and down and reached to touch the cold clammy skin of his arm. When the man had grabbed him he didn't feel warm. In fact he was ice cold and the smell he gave off was rancid.

"Don't touch him!" Claire snapped, causing Alex to snap out of his investigative trance.

He stood slowly. He was white as a sheet.

He swallowed once as Leon and Claire watched him carefully.

"Do either of you have a knife?" He asked, still somewhat out of it.

"Alex what…" Claire began.

"I need to check something," they both looked at him somewhat worried and quizzical, "Please,"

Claire opened the small bag that hung at her hip and pulled out a small switchblade before handing it to Alex.

The boy said nothing as he knelt beside the body again and pulled the knife part of the switchblade out and cut into the man's arm.

His eye's widened immediately, "Coagulated," he said barely above a whisper as he looked at the almost blood on the knife which was lumpy and sticky.

"Alex what the hell are you doing," Leon asked with growing frustration.

Alex turned to Leon and Claire with a look of absolute disbelief as his mouth worked to form a coherent sentence which could make what he was about to say sound sane.

"Alex," Claire said softly as she walked to him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"T…this man was already dead," Alex said somewhat tonelessly.

Claire narrowed her eyes before pulling him gently away from the corpse and sitting him down at one of the booths and kneeling in front of him.

"What?" She breathed as Leon stood to stand beside her with a look of equal disbelief.

Alex looked at them both before speaking again, "When…he grabbed me he felt cold and smelled like road kill…but after Leon shot him…his blood was coagulated when it should have still been fresh,"

"What does that mean?" Leon asked his tone calmer and softer.

Alex looked up at him, "Like I said…he was already dead," he whispered.

A sudden squealing noise caught their attention and nearly made them jump out their skin. It was a car alarm just outside.

"My car?" Leon said to himself as he cracked open the curtains to look outside. He could see the blaring orange lights of his rover flashing and what they illuminated made his blood run cold.

"Shit…"

There was a dozen of them at least, Just shambling around street outside. He could make out more coming and tried to crane his head to get a better look before something slammed up against the glass. There were more of those crazy people. And now they knew there was fresh meat just behind barely a centimetre of glass.

"We have to go, now." Leon called over his shoulder as he backed away from the rotted faces pressing up against the window. One was a man, the entire front of his face ripped off to reveal muscle tissue and bone aswell as a missing eye. Another was a woman who although less torn up and fresher than the man still had the same enraged hungry expression.

The window suddenly shattered and Leon twice hitting the man in the chest, pushing him back and the woman in the throat from which blood leaked like thick syrup. Both wounds should have killed them…but they kept coming.

"FIRE EXIT!" Claire Yelled. She grabbed Leon by the arm and tried to hurry him along.

Alex had already made it to the door and pushed the bar to open it just as the two…creatures managed to clamber through the shattered window; cutting themselves up in the process.

"Come on!" he called to Leon and Claire who only just made it through the door before Alex slammed it shut.

The three of them hurried down a small set of steps that led to a seemingly deserted alley, they could see the creatures shambling around in the street but fortunately they hadn't seen the fresh meat yet.

Claire looked around the alley for a moment before looking at Leon with desperation in her eyes.

"What now? What is this some kind of virus?" She asked quietly so not as to be heard.

Alex though for a moment, "None that I can think of, rabies doesn't cause decomposition or blood clots..." Alex explained watching whatever those people were carefully.

"Look we don't have time to ask questions," Leon snapped. He bit his lip and thought for a moment before he something just over Claire's shoulder caught his attention.

"Look, a police cruiser!" He hissed in an almost exited tone as he pointed out the vehicle.

Claire turned to look, as did Alex. The vehicle was deserted and none of those things seemed interested in it, they could make out a cage in the back which was no doubt reserved for dogs used by the police force.

"There aren't any around it…maybe they're more attracted sound?" Alex said somewhat scared and curious.

Claire looked back to Leon, "It's worth a shot, but what if it's locked?" She asked, fearful.

"Break the window?" Alex offered not taking his eyes off the congregation surrounding Leon's car.

"But the noise!" Claire hissed

"Fuck the noise, we don't have time to debate this," Leon snarled in response as loud banging on the fire exit door behind them.

"After three,"

"Leon…" Claire whimpered, looking at the car across the road that seemed miles away.

"Three…two…one,"

All three of them took off as fast as their legs would carry them. None of them dared to look at the crazed people despite the alerted snarls and hisses.

Leon reached the cruiser first and to his overwhelming relief the door opened without protest. Claire Climbed into the passenger seat and Alex into the back, slamming and locking the doors behind them.

"Okay…key, key?" Leon said under his breath as he frantically looked around the interior.

"Come on, Leon…" Claire said to herself as the creatures advanced on the car.

"Sun visor!" Alex called from the back.

Leon looked up at the most stereotypical place a key could be ever and pulled it down. Against all laws of probability it was there shining and happy to help. Leon grabbed it and jammed it into the ignition causing the engine to roar to life.

"Hold on!" Leon yelled as he slammed his foot on the gas sending the car speeding away from the advancing snarling creatures.

.O.

The streets flew by in a blur as Leon kept his foot pressing the gas pedal to the floor.

"Leon…slow down, where are we even going?" Claire asked biting her nails anxiously and shivering.

"Out of town, I'm going to get you two, somewhere safe and call CEDA or something…" Leon explained without taking his eyes off the road.

Claire turned to him with a blaze of anger in her eyes, "what…NO! Chris is in the town somewhere I'm not leaving!" she cried as she went to undo her seatbelt, "Stop the car,"

"No,"

"Stop the fucking car!" She screamed.

"Claire…" Alex said softly from behind her.

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and looked at it for a moment before throwing it on the floor.

"Not a damn bar… Leon please I need to find him, he might be at the station," Claire pleaded.

Leon looked at her before slowing the care down to a speed that was safe.

"Damn it…Look in the glove compartment," Leon said gritting his teeth in frustration.

Claire looked down at the compartment in question before opening it and putting her hand inside. Her fingers brushed against something metallic, smooth and cold.

"Standard issue for RPD officers, browning high power, thirteen round clip capacity," Leon explained.

"I don't have much experience," Claire admitted, "Chris never let me use guns, not even in a range,"

Leon smiled at the thought of an over-protective brother and hoped that if he ever met him he wouldn't be too pissed. He turned to her, "Just know who you're shooting and hope you don't have to use it, Look…I'm sorry about earlier…I have friends in the RPD…there's anyone left in the city it would be them, We should at least know for sure."

"Leon I…thank you, but what about Alex?" She said suddenly remembering the boy in the backseat.

He looked conflicted, was it cruel of them to have to drag him into this? If they left he would probably be killed.

Alex was about to answer before a faint scent caught him by surprise. He leant back in the seat and the scent grew stronger.

"Alex what's wrong?" Claire asked with a heavy sense of dread washing over her.

"Do you guys smell that," Alex asked looking around the car for the source before something dark slammed into the dog cage behind him causing him to cry out and Leon to swerve causing the door of the cage to open and whatever was inside to lunge at the back of the seats, snarling and snapping for Alex's face.

A bloodied German Shepard was struggling violently against its lead which was still attached to the cage keeping it from just about getting to Alex who was struggling to remove his seatbelt.

"Hold on!" Leon yelled as he Swerved once more causing Alex's seatbelt to finally give and the boy to fall on the floor behind the driver's seat. He could see the beasts head glaring at him with patches of skin missing.

"Shit!" Claire hissed when she got a good look at the monstrous dog and it's snapping seemingly elongated fangs, she angled the pistol at the creature and fired the gun nearly jumping out of her hands. The shot missed the dog and shattered the back passenger window. Glass cascaded over Alex who screamed and shielded himself while some flew into the driver's seat causing Leon to swerve violently once more.

"LEON WALL!" Claire screamed shielding her eyes just as Leon cleared his.

He slammed on the breaks hard enough for him to Feel Alex slam violently into the backseat for the second time in the night and the dogs lead snapped sending it flying between the seats, between Leon and Claire and through the windshield which smashed and sent the creature through.

The dog hit the wall hard enough to shatter anything's bones to Jelly and it was promptly joined by the car which slammed into the brick wall and crushed what was left of the dog. The front end was crushed like an old can while the back lifted about five feet before slamming back down to earth.

All was silent.

.O.

Leon was the first to wake and was faced with the impossible realisation upon waking and seeing that he was now barely three foot away from the wall and the engine was now sticking through the windshield, that he was alive.

"Claire…" He grunted as he pulled his face out of the airbag.

The girl was awake if not dazed and in shock. She was bleeding from a small cut on her forehead but otherwise appeared fine.

"I…I'm fine…I…Alex…Alex," She whimpered turning herself and causing glass to tinkle out of the shattered window from the slight movement. She could just about make out the boy's boots. He wasn't moving.

"God…God no," She whispered, a tear falling down her cheek, "Alex…please…"

Leon turned to her his neck aching like a bitch, "Should have listened to that waitress," He said with a weak laugh, "Can you move?"

Claire grimaced and moved her legs, "I'm a bit stiff but yeah…I can move,"

"Good…me too… got your gun?" Leon asked.

Claire lifted her hand to show she still had it before tucking it into her belt.

"We need to get out of this car…but…we have to leave the body," Leon said softly gesturing to where Alex lay unmoving.

Claire nodded as she fought back tears for the boy. She and Leon both opened their respective doors with a firm shove before stepping out into the cold deserted street where the only sounds were the last sputters of the car's radiator.

Claire limped around the car as fast as her bruised but otherwise miraculously unharmed body would carry her before she clutched Leon's arm for support.

"Is…The station…close?" Claire asked looking down the deserted street and saw a police barricade erected on the far side aswell as deserted cars with smashed windows and blood…lots of blood.

"Not far…I…"Leon began before a weak mewl of pain caught his attention.

"Help…me," the soft pained voice whimpered again.

Claire's eye's widened immediately as she turned to the car.

"Alex," Leon said in complete shock as soft cries and groans continued to emanate from the demolished car.

The two of them rushed to the car and began to pull on the stuck before it finally gave and a small body tumbled out, trapped between in the seats. Bloodied and battered.

Leon caught Alex in his arms before he hit the ground.

"I almost left you…oh my god…Alex I'm so sorry," Leon apologized over and over.

"My legs…They're stuck," Alex moaned as he tried to pull them free and cried out in pain.

Claire placed her hands on the seat which had fallen all the way back after the crash and trapped the boy but they weren't budging easily.

"No luck," She looked down at Alex and knelt down to stroke his hair out of his eyes before looking at Leon.

"We're gonna have to pull him free by hand, these seats aren't going to move,"

She looked back down at Alex and bit her lip, "This is going to hurt," He admitted, more to himself than anything, he could feel something sharp pressing into his leg and whatever it was, was about to rip through.

Claire and Leon each took an arm and stood up so that Alex was hanging limply between them. He turned his head so he didn't have to see his own leg being mutilated.

Before they could pull a loud horn suddenly sounded.

"What the hell was that?" Leon yelled, looking around as a low rumbling began to sound as something big approached, fast.

A massive Stagla oil truck came screeching down the road their own car had followed only a few minutes ago, heading straight towards them.

"He's not stopping is he…?" Claire whispered, and when she could make out the twitching mad eyed man the in the driver's seat who wasn't actually driving her suspicions were confirmed.

"Jesus PULL!" Leon roared as the tanker came closer and closer to crushing them.

Ignorant Alex's cries of pain they pulled hard on him and with a final massive yank a shot of searing hot pain shot through the his leg and he came free. Blood began to seep through the wound on his shin but before anyone could get a decent look at it Alex was in swept up in Leon's arms and being carried away just as the explosion hit.

The tanker slammed into the remains of the police car as the three of them just cleared it before it tipped on its side sending gasoline cascading into the sparking remains of a fallen street lamp.

The explosion was spectacular to say the least as Claire was thrown onto the ground crying out in pain as her bruised body throbbed while Alex was flung out of Leon's arms and landed on the bonnet of a car before sliding to the ground and whimpering in pain.

As the explosion calmed in its wake a fire roared. Leon's vision swam as He lifted himself to his feet. While Claire ran to help Alex and wrapped an arm around him to steady him.

The path out of town was blocked…there was no turning back.

.

. Of Chapter.O.