Left 4 Dead
Chapter 5: The Subway

It had been 10 minutes as the group sat around the safe room quietly conversing or otherwise being silent as they took a moment to collect themselves after that intense firefight back out on the street, it was rather dim, there was a small lightbulb in the celling but it was clearly showing signs of turning out anytime now, there was signs that other survivors had been in here at some point but nothing concrete to show that had any company close by, Zoey sat on a table while the three men checked over their weapons and ammo and other supplies looking idly at the text written on the walls, "we made it this far..." Louis said in a vain attempt to lift peoples spirits, "still a ways to go son, don't go getting excited yet" Bill remarked glumly as he loaded his beloved M16 with a fresh mag.
Bill now had the second med kit on his back with Zoey having the first as Francis and Louis had the backpacks full of supplies, with both of her handguns back and a comfortable to use hunting rifle in her grasp the young college girl felt more prepared for the fight against the infected horde, Louis peaked out the other door in their little "safe room" seeing a caved in floor out in front of him and steps leading down into the subway station, "subway access down there so far soo good" he said as Bill joined him noticing the odd common infected stumbling about and scowling, "looks like the subways full of infected as well, not going to be a straight walk to the hospital" he said as Francis shook his head, "this room looks pretty safe why don't we just stay here, Louis called it a safe room" he said.

"Son we don't have that many supplies left and for all we know that helicopter pilot might be the last ticket out of the city, what if he takes a turn for the worst or abandons us?" Bill said as Francis shrugged, "these safe rooms may have pretty sturdy doors but they ain't invincible, one of those big ass zombies could easily get through it... and besides before I met you guys I was with a bunch of other people in a safe room just like this, they even had a doctor who told me I was immune, some time later one of them had gone out to look for supplies, he came rushing back with a boatload of infected behind him, the amount of zombies that had broken down that door... if I hadn't gone out the back just like all of those good people Id be dead..." he finished leaving the other three in silence, "a steel bolted door... and those fucking animals just tore it down like it was cardboard..." he finished as Zoey put a reassuring hand on his shoulder smiling weekly as Francis and Bill stood solemnly in silence... thinking of all those poor people who thought they were safe.
Zoey seemed down trodden when looking at the wall to find messages of other survivors trying to contact their loved ones, "come on people we have to keep moving, we can make it out of this city if we stick together, then at least those other poor bastards wont have died for nothing..." Bill said solemnly as the other three seemed to share his sentiment, "we seem to be immune soo far so lets keep our heads up... but if I start to turn promise you'll shoot me" he added as Francis saw the opportunity to make a joke, "what if just your beard starts to turn can I shoot that?" he asked causing a small chuckle from the other two survivors, "you know who's gonna survive this mess Francis, it ain't the fella making jokes" Bill added although a small smile formed on his face.

He then removed the metal bar from the safe room door and kicked it open gunning down two common infected stumbling around in front of him, "come on kids time to march our way to Mercy!" Bill said dropping down the gap in the floor as Louis and Francis followed closely behind, Zoey took one last look back the large black text written on the wall of the safe room before shaking her head and following the 3 men, the light bulb in the safe room finally flickered out of life as the message scrawled on the wall was burned into Zoey's mind, NONE OF YOU WILL SURVIVE!

...

In the area around the turnstiles and ticket booths common infected stumbled around mindlessly, Bill gunned down a large portion, with 2 infected charging up the escalator only to be met by the barrel of a shotgun blasting large holes in them as they fell all the way back down spraying the insides all over the place, Louis and Zoey checked around the ticket offices for any supplies finding an idle ready made pipe bomb and a spare M1911 handgun with 2 mags, Louis pocketing the handgun as Zoey stashed the pipe bomb, Bill turned back to the younger two members of the party as Francis could be heard above them blasting infected with his shotgun on the platform.
"Clear" he said to the others as he jumped down onto the tracks the other carefully stepping over the pile of bodies he had left as derailed trains, fire and rubble and blood and body parts were all around them, into the move of the tunnel Francis shone his light around scanning seeing two idle common infected and another infected dog munching away at a corpse, he blasted the two common infected as the dog screamed in anger before leaping through the air at him.
A hunting rifle shot through the head caused the dogs body to mostly explode as what was left suddenly dropped to the ground, "nice damn job" he called back to the college girl who simply nodded blowing her bang out of her eyes as they continued to make their way into the subway tunnel that was quickly becoming darker, "watch yourselves now... close quarters and dark" came the old man from the middle as Francis slung his shotgun over his shoulder and drew his crowbar wanting to conserve ammo in these dark close quarters areas.
Bill and Louis using the flashlights on their primary weapons as Zoey also took her pistols over her hunting rifle in these close quarters areas, more infected could be heard in the tunnel further ahead, as they came into view an Uzi blast took several down as Francis caved in the heads of the remaining few, dropping them all they continued on ahead, seeing a burning light from a rather large fire up ahead which seemed to be hanging over this tunnel and the one next to it, a subway car on the other track had turned over in the ensuring chaos causing part of the wall separating the two tunnels to collapse and engulf some space in flames.

As they approached the subway car they realised their only way through was to climb through the burning subway car and jump into the other track as the tunnel they were in had caved in above where the subway car was held in the air by the crash, "shit, alright everyone be careful through as quick as you can" Bill huffed as he climbed the subway car through one of the broken off doors and began pulling Zoey up as Francis and Louis turned around hearing angry screaming and shouting behind them as well as many footsteps rapidly approaching... Louis dared to shine his flashlight back down the tunnel... to see dozens of infected an another dog or two running up the tunnel after them, "shit get in the subway car run!" he yelled as Francis was already in and reached back around blasting a dog jumping at Louis as he hefted the office man up, as they began to carefully climb through the subway car avoiding the flames it began to rock back and fourth as the horde began to smash against it smashing windows and causing the fire to spread, "everyone out go now!" Bill yelled as glass broke next to him from some screaming infected, "fuck off you sick puppy!" Bill snapped stabbing the infected in the neck with his trusty knife.
At the back end Zoey and the other two men were blasting infected trying to get over the subway car and smashing through the other windows and doors as some even charged at them from the tunnel ahead, some getting hit by the flames and some ripping themselves apart climbing through the broken glass, Bill removed a standard hand grenade from his jacket and popped the pin throwing it into the middle of the subway car just as more infected began to pour inside chasing after the older man, "see you fuckers!" he snapped jumping from the car and pushing the other three forward as the grenade exploded finally causing the roof and subway car to cave in blocking both tunnels and cutting the infected off from the survivors, on the other side of the rubble angry screaming and shouting could be heard, meaning some of the infected were still alive somehow...

"Nice one gramps" Francis said patting him on the back as the old man scowled but nodded none the less, "lets get moving we have to find a way back to the other tunnel or else we will be walking away from Mercy" he said as the other free began to follow close behind, they turned back in alarm when they heard angry screaming behind them to see a common infected crawling towards them, one of its legs blown off by the explosion with one eye and half its ribcage exposed... but with the strength it had left it continued to try and crawl towards a survivor looking for a throat to tear out... Francis stamped down on its head crushing it as Zoey recoiled in disgust as Bill simply grunted, "damn how much damage can these fuckers take before they actually go down" Louis said aloud as Francis shrugged. "Come on kids maintenance door ahead we can use it to get back to the other subway tunnel" the old man said kicking the door in and continuing his way through the access, seeing another door at the far end which lead to the next tunnel, they continued on Bill stopping at the next door, he slowly opened it shinning his rifle mounted flashlight carefully around, looking back he could still see the wreckage from his grenade in the subway car, "clear lets keep moving" he said quietly as they emerged into the equally dark and depressing subway tunnel for the north bound service, Louis closed the door behind them as they began to advance up the tunnel.

...

Somewhere ahead of them on a subway platform ahead a figure stumbled into a staff access door on the side of the running track blood dripping from his every step from an open bite wound on his forearm and coming from mouth as he was coughing profusely, he was bitten several hours ago, he had been a rather heavy smoker in life... at some point while trying to hide from the infected populace while wielding a shotgun he had stumbled upon what he thought was a crying woman sitting in the corner of a room... he was very wrong in his assumption, she had lunged at him rapidly after her tapped her on the shoulder causing her to sink her teeth into his left arm and then scream and run away almost freighted as he collapsed to his knees screaming in pain. He looked up seeing other infected stumbling around near him... not even paying any mind to his screams of pain, he got to his feet walking up to one of the infected who simply stared at him without any change in its behaviour almost as if it was looking right through him. He then stumbled away for an unknown amount of time none of the infected paying him any attention as he stumbled around eventually finding his way down to the subway tunnels as his condition began to get worse and worse. His skin began to turn a sickly green colour as his arms began to grow horrid green boils all over them as his back seemed to crack and crunch as he hunched over in total agony screaming and withering while also coughing up more and more blood, his face also began to develop boils on one side of his face as he continued screaming rolling around... but still coughing more and more, more blood and other bodily fluids spilling from his mouth... green smoke began to protrude form his body as the screaming died down and soon turned into many violent coughing and then choking as it seemed something was stuck in his throat...
Finally with a horrific slinging noise and lots of gagging and one final burst of blood and phlegm emerging from his mouth a long rubbery appendage emerged from his mouth and dropped to the floor slinging around as he stopped making noise altogether before slowly standing to his feet leaning more on his right side as he gave a few hoarse coughs the long appendage rising with his and hanging halfway down from his tall gangly body constantly producing green smoke, finally his figure was illuminated by a body of fire light as he raised his arms above his head seeing his one twisted crimson eye in the reflecting of a broken subway car break light and then screamed like a coughing animal at the top of his lungs...

...

They all froze in horror the scream shook them all to core... someone ahead of them something or someone wanted to make it presence known, Zoey dropped the hunting rifle from her grasp as her body shook with fright, Louis helping the young girl retrieve her weapon as Bill and Francis did not move and inch, scouting for any signs of whatever in gods green earth made such a horrid sound, "we are not alone in here..." Francis finally said quietly slowly moving towards another subway cart, "come on kids, scary noise or not we have to keep moving" Bill said as Louis nodded as Zoey remained still, "Bill... what was that?" her voice shaky as a single tear trickled down her face, Bill sighed walking back to the young girl. "Something we are gonna have to kill kid... but don't you worry... I promised you I would look after ya, and that's what ill do... but we have to keep moving" he finished as she nodded wiping her face before replacing her sad expression with one of determination as she gripped her hunting rifle and began to follow Francis. Bill and Louis then moved off to walk with her, "she's just a kid Bill" Louis said as Bill nodded lighting another cigarette, "I know son... but to these animals there is no distinction between any of us... its Kill or be Killed" he finished as Louis sighed but nodded his understanding.
Zoey and other two men could see Francis ahead staring at a blocked tunnel at what looked like a subway platform... however the three of them stopped focusing on the man ahead as they turned to their right their blood running cold, Bill dropped the cigarette from his mouth as he saw blood, phlegm and ripped clothing litter the platform all over the place to their right... "Holy shit, what the fuck man" Louis as Zoey turned away feeling Bile rising in her throat, "never mind about that crap the damn tunnel ahead is blocked now how do we get to this shitty hospital" Francis snapped as Bill checked a side room to their right, Finding a Fire Axe and another M1911 handgun but not much else he began to walk back towards the others... then he heard them a few faint sickly wet coughs somewhere in his vicinity... turning sharply and shinning his flashlight but found nothing... although he could faintly smell smoke... not a healthy kind mind you and one more potent then his cigarettes.
Going back to the others, he handed Francis the Axe and handgun and took the other mans crowbar, on the other side he saw a service door that looked as though it lead into some kind of generator plant above them, "we are gonna have to go back topside" he simply said, "what with all the freaks" Louis said as Bill grunted, "they are everywhere son" he simply added opening the door and seeing a set of stairs directly ahead, "come on people and watch your back... think there's a fresh smoker down here with us somewhere" he added as they tightened the grip on their weapons, Zoey came last the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as she could smell sick smelling smoke somewhere close by... going up the stairs she failed to notice the one crimson eye starting at the her from the darkness of the room Bill had searching seething with rage the infected creature gave a savage hiss as smashed open a ventilation duct next to the door and climbed inside coughing all the time as green smoke continued to disperse from its sick infected body...

End Chapter