Chapter 2
Today, the water was warm. An occasion that would only appear when the sun was shining, since then the power produced by the solar panels would be enough to activate the old water heater. It wasn't enough to make it hot, but a bit warmer than the normal body temperature.
Sarah closed her eyes as the warm liquid was falling on her head and trailed down her naked body.
Five minutes of pleasure. That was the time the water would stay warm and then turn cold again. Sarah used this time to ponder about the past, the present, and upcoming future events.
It still bothered her, why Marlene wanted to get a girl to Salt Lake City. A city in the wastelands of the former United States. Seeing no use in this, FEDRA had given up on these parts of the country, ten years ago, making them a perfect retreat for the Fireflies.
Three years back, Sarah - being one of the higher rank leaders of the group - had made the proposal to retreat from the east coast and gather new strength to build some own quarantine zones, free from the fascist influence of FEDRA, instead of continuing this already lost war.
But they hadn't listened to her. Even worse, they had discredited her and literally had forced her out of the group.
Not wanting to be a part of this anymore, Sarah had made the decision to burn all bridges and stay away from all conflicts. Sadly, the past and its troubles always have the tendency to follow you everywhere. Especially when trouble knows where you're living.
No, she would take the deal and then take the car and as much as she could carry and bail to a place where nobody would find her. Maybe close to one of those free settlements, like the one her uncle was living at now.
The water went cold, signaling Sarah that it was time to get dressed and make her way to the State House.
Most of her clothes were old, looted from different houses or long lost baggage from cars and buses. There was no denying that she was preferring practical garments over everything. Therefore, her underwear consisted of a plain, black slip and a worn sports bra. Above them, she wore a tank top and some black military pants. An old, olive-green softshell jacket completed the set. Additionally, she grabbed a backpack, where she put in some food, water, necessary goods and, most importantly, a gas mask against spores, plus everything she held dearly, like an old picture of her father, because she knew that she would never return to this house if the mission would be successful.
The last thing she packed was a customized 9 mm Colt 1911 pistol, a small pistol-crossbow and a scoped .308 caliber K98k hunting rifle, plus some ammunition.
Before leaving, she gave the interior one last long glimpse and then closed the door. Maybe this house would be of use for another lost soul. Or would get looted by some hunters… Who knew what the future would hold for her?
The Massachusetts State House was located in the center of Boston. Far away enough from the quarantine zone so that FEDRA wouldn't patrol the area much and surrounded by office buildings that once used to be the bureaucratic powerhouse of the city. But today, they were nothing more than big, dark, damp husks of a long gone era. Perfect environments for the Cordyceps fungus.
People tried to avoid the city centers, yet they offered the best and richest loot, which caused some of them to take this risk. Many were paying with their lives for these foolish endeavors as they got infected and eventually would join the Cordyceps army, which, in return, made the place even more dangerous.
Sarah, however, was a professional tracker, who had already done numerous expeditions into and through central Boston. She knew almost every Cordyceps nest and danger zones in the area. So, reaching the State House wasn't really a challenge for her.
Still, she remained cautious. FEDRA knew about the Fireflies' routes through the city, and, so far, hadn't found it worth it to engage them, because of the fungus' threat. But since they started this vast offensive against their enemy, everything was open for possibilities.
Since the sewers of Boston got clogged by debris and plants over time, hence ruining the whole drainage system, the whole square in front of the building was flooded by water. Only hip high, but still a threat if you're getting caught off guard in the middle of this giant puddle. Yet, everything stayed quiet and she reached the vast main twin wings door.
Still not trusting the peace, the blond woman drew her pistol and cautiously opened the entrance. To her surprise, the lobby was empty.
Though it had been 20 years since the downfall of civilization, the old building that once used to be the political center of the city, had lost nothing of its glamor and radiation of power. An artful piece of history and glory of the former United States of America. A shadow of the past. Soon, it would be rotten as well as the buildings around it.
She checked the sun. It was now between 9 and 10 in the morning, and no Firefly was in sight. Still, she took a look around to make sure that nobody was present. And indeed, she seemed to be alone. No, Firefly, no soldier, not even an infected.
'Guess I'll have to wait, then,' she thought and sat down in a corner in the shadows from where she could keep an eye over the entire vicinity. Not knowing what would happen next and being a bit peckish, the blonde took out an energy bar and ate it.
She had just gulped down the last bite as the big door got opened a bit again and Marlene entered, gun ready and checking each corner like she was expecting trouble.
"You're late," Sarah called out, startling the other woman, who spun around, aiming her pistol at the blonde as she said "Geez, Sarah, you want me to shoot you?"
"I'm surprised that it didn't already happen," was her cynical reply as she got up again. "So, where's the package and the car?"
"Aren't Diego and James already here?" Marlene asked, her voice making clear that nothing was going as planned, especially upon Sarah's answer.
"Nope, nobody's here. Already searched the place."
"Dammit!" the mocha-skinned woman cursed, kicking an empty can with her boot away. "They probably didn't make it."
Already realizing that the entire operation was about to go down the drain, Sarah simply crossed her arms and scoffed. "So, lemme guess: no car, no supplies, no shit."
"No," Marlene confirmed, pinching her chin as she thought about the situation. "Listen, there's no time. FEDRA must be on our heels. Take the girl and head for Salt Lake. You're our only hope now."
Once again, Sarah scoffed and shook her head. Actually, she would've loved to tell the other woman to just fuck herself. But in the end, she agreed with a slight nod.
"Ellie, come in!" the leader of the Fireflies told someone outside and a second later, a young teenage-girl with long, red hair, which was bound into a ponytail, and freckles in her face entered. She wore normal denim jeans and a long sleeve shirt.
Immediately, Sarah froze as soon as her sight fell upon Ellie. "No," she surprisingly said, crossing her arms again.
"Sarah, please…" Marlene begged, but the other woman stayed adamant.
"No! Not her!"
"Hey, man, fuck you! What's your fuckin' problem?!" Ellie threw in angrily, crossing her arms as well and giving the blond woman an evil glare as she didn't know why this stranger was having a growl against her.
"Sarah, she's not her mother," Marlene tried to soothe, but again got confronted with cynicism.
"Oh, really?! Looks pretty much like her. And this fuckin' attitude matches very well, too."
"Sarah…"
"NO!" the lanky woman yelled back, pointing her finger at the other woman. "You knew exactly how I'd react if I saw her."
"Yes, I knew it and it's just fuckin' ridiculous!" Marlene countered, stepping closer so that both were face to face. "It's 14 years now, Sarah. 14-fuckin'-years, and you're still not over it. You haven't seen this kid for twelve years now and you're still acting butt-hurt."
Now pointing her finger at Ellie, Sarah hissed "This lil' shit ruined everything! She's the fuckin' reason everythin' broke apart."
In silence and unbelief, both, Ellie and Marlene, gazed at the blonde. It was clear that this conversation was over and that there was no way that Sarah would do what she had gotten asked to. But while the mocha-skinned woman just shook her head in unbelief, the young girl turned on her heels and wanted to leave the building.
Out of nowhere and to everyone's surprise, a barrage of bullets began to pepper the door, leaving big holes in it. Luckily, none of them hit Ellie, who threw herself on the ground with a shriek while Marlene took cover and Sarah quickly grabbed the young teenager by her shirt and dragged her away from the entrance.
"Shit, we need to get outta here!" Sarah yelled as she heard several vehicles stop in front of the building.
"I'll distract 'em, but you need to get her to safety!" Merlene shouted over the noise. "Sneak through the back. Now, go!"
Knowing that any arguments would be useless and just cost valuable time, Sarah agreed, took Ellie by her hand and led her up some stairs and into the back of the building, where they took cover in an office.
Shots could be heard as Marlene was obviously trying to distract the soldiers away from the building, since they faded more and more.
"Listen closely, kid…" Sarah eventually said to Ellie as she thought it was now safe enough to leave the cover. However, the young girl gave her a hard push and yelled at her.
"Fuck you, bitch! I'm not your kid and you can go and fuck yourself."
Knowing that this wasn't the time for discussion and already tired of this attitude, Sarah gave the young girl a hard smack, grabbed by the shoulders and hissed right into her face.
"Now listen closely, you lil' dipshit, if you wanna die, go ahead and try to get to Salt Lake on your own. Or, you shut your fuckin' trap and do what I say. You got that?!"
Her cheek hurting and already being aware that this woman was right, Ellie simply nodded, tears of desperation running down her face.
"Good," Sarah mentioned dryly and took a peek out of the door, where she saw that some soldiers were heading their way, checking every corner. "Fuck! So much for distraction…" she hissed and then looked at the teenager again. "Okay, you stay behind me, head low and no sound. Understood?"
Once again, the young teenager simply nodded and followed the strange woman to the next cover.
Since not being used as an official political building anymore, the Massachusetts State House had been turned into a museum. Everywhere showcases and glass cabinets were standing, marking the perfect opportunity to hide behind.
Whenever there was a possibility, the woman and the kid were switching positions until they were trapped in a side room, because one soldier was guarding the exit, back towards the two escapees.
Signing Ellie to stay and be quiet, Sarah drew a knife and silently approached the soldier from behind. Once she had reached him, she covered his mouth with her hand, pulled back his head and cut the now exposed throat. While the dying man was gurgling and jerking, she dragged him into some small office, looted him from everything useful and finished his agony by stabbing him into his heart.
With, out of horror, wide open eyes, Ellie had watched this depiction of raw violence. All this blood and suffering. She knew that this world was brutal and merciless, but witnessing it up close was a whole different experience. It made her stomach churn and almost caused her to vomit.
Sarah, who was a veteran, had already seen worse. She simply wiped her knife on her victims clothes clean and sheathed it again before continuing her path.
"Hey, you! Freeze!" a female voice suddenly called from behind as a soldier had spotted Ellie, who was instantly raising her hands.
A whispered "Fuck!" was everything that escaped Sarah's mouth as she had to make the decision to either run for it and leave the girl behind or to engage the enemy and fight their way out. She knew that, once the soldiers would find the body of their comrade, Ellie would die. And Sarah wasn't such a cold-hearted, self-centered motherfucker. So, making the right choice wasn't hard.
She quickly drew her crossbow, leaned around the corner and sent one shot towards the soldier, which pierced her skull, killing the target instantly. As her nervous system failed, the female soldier's body jerked and her fingers cramped, pressing down the rifle's trigger. A barrage of shots went wild throughout the room, barely missing Ellie.
Of course, the loud gunfire alarmed the other soldiers, who were now closing in on the two escapees' positions.
Knowing that the time of stealth was over now, Sarah drew her pistol and turned to the girl.
"On my mark, you run down the hall and take the last door to the left. I'll cover you. Ready?"
Ellie confirmed with another silent nod. It was clear that she was stressed and her body only worked upon a surge of adrenaline. A common reaction for newbies in situations like these.
With her fingers, the blond woman counted down from three and Ellie began to run as her hand formed a fist and she released her first shots towards the closest soldier, who went down right away.
Using the time as the enemy took cover, Sarah followed the girl, only sending some covering shots towards their opponents. Nonetheless, her fire got returned, bullets impacting everywhere around them.
She had barely reached their destination as a projectile graced her shoulder, the unprepared, burning pain causing her to stumble into the office, where she hit the ground.
One last time, she sent some shots through the door until her magazine was empty.
"Window! Emergency ladder! Subway!" Sarah gasped as she holstered the pistol and quickly got up again before following the young teenager through an open window and then down the emergency escape of the building.
They had barely touched the ground as new shots whirled through the air and impacted around them.
FEDRA soldiers were now closing in from all directions and all Sarah could do was to slide the rifle from her shoulder and send some more potshots towards the enemy, forcing them to take cover. But those five rounds were quickly gone, too.
Luckily, Ellie had already reached and entered the access to the old subway tunnels, Sarah right on her heels. She still heard those numerous projectiles hitting the concrete cover of the staircase behind them as they both stepped down the darkness.
After civilization had broken down, most of the old subway tunnels quickly got flooded by rainwater as the pumps failed to work, the drainage system got clogged or the late last ditch bombings of city centers let the ceilings crack or even collapse.
Sarah and Ellie had barely made it down the steps - the young girl being a bit ahead - as the blonde woman realized some big, greenish-yellow particles in the cone of her flashlight.
"Shit, spores!" she called out and put on her gas masked.
Panicky, Ellie tried to put on hers as well, but then said with out of fear dilated eyes. "Fuck! I-I…I think I lost mine…"
Right away, Sarah stopped and gave the young teenager a sorrowful glare. She knew that a few seconds of exposure to such an amount of spores was a death sentence. Huffing out some air, she drew her gun and slowly exchanged the magazine.
"I'm sorry, kid," she said with a heavy voice. She never wanted such a fate for this poor girl. But this world was merciless, and a quick death the only soothing deed someone could offer in such a situation. "You want me to do it, or you wanna do it alone?"
Both stared at each other for some time, yet to Sarah's surprise, Ellie didn't show any fear or desperation. She was just staring at her sternly before she dryly said "I'm immune."
Those words echoed longer than normal through the station they were standing in.
Nobody was immune. In twenty years, since the beginning of the infection, nobody had ever been immune to the Cordyceps fungus. At least, Sarah had never heard of it, and she had been coming around a lot.
But there was no time to argue, as the sound of heavy boots chimed from the staircase.
Making a quick decision, Sarah grabbed Ellie by her arm and dragged her deeper into the tunnel and into the water.
"I-I can't swim!" exclaimed the young red-head silently, but Sarah ignored this fear of deep water, saying "It's not that high. Now, move it!"
Gulping down her fear, Ellie followed, the water reaching up to her breasts.
Light cones were piercing through the darkness and towards their direction.
"I see ripples in the water. They went that way!" a soldier called out, which was immediately answered by an inhuman scream that echoed through the concrete tunnels.
"Big mistake, asshole!" Sarah muttered and took a look around. She knew that every little pit of sound got carried far by the concrete tubes of the subway and that Clickers and Runners would soon flood towards the source within the next seconds, which got confirmed a moment later as panicky yelled orders, mixed with deafening gunfire, got added into this deathly orchestra. Additionally, the sound of incoming splashing water could be heard as well.
"Can you hold your breath?" the lanky blonde plainly asked, not waiting for an answer as she took a deep breath and went under water. Seeing through the darkness that some figures were closing in on her position, Ellie did the same.
As soon as the water surface closed over the teenager's head, she almost panicked, because she thought that Sarah had left her alone in this wet obscurity. But then she got grabbed tightly by her right arm and pulled into a for her random direction. The time under water felt like an eternity, her lungs burning as they were screaming for air, which caused her panic to increase again, so that she started to flail out as she wanted to dive up again.
Sarah's firm grip slipped from her arm as her sleeve ripped and her head only hit a concrete wall, rendering the young girl unconscious. Darkness was now vailing her mind and her last thought was that she would die in this tunnel.
