Infection

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Crap!

The monster was right outside. Just beyond the door.

The monitor showed a surveillance camera's view which showed right outside the door. The monster suddenly went still, completely unmoving. Ashton and the man tensed, not moving, staring at each other. Sweat rolled down Ashton's face, as he braced himself for something to happen, for the creature to probably smash itself through the door.

Nothing happened. Ashton slowly bent downwards, and glanced below the door.

The creature was indeed right outside. He could only see it standing on its four elongated feet. The creature was entirely stationary.

The man started signalling to Ashton urgently, to move out of the place through the door which he had just come in by. Ashton shook his head. The man threw him a gesture seemingly asking if he was crazy. "Eh boy, move it!" He whispered harshly. "While we still can!"

"No." Ashton replied softly, thinking of Hayley still waiting for him. "My friend... She's still waiting at the basement of the police station."

"We can go and get her through another route." The man said, in a no-nonsense tone. "I know of –"

BAM BAM –

The door was being slammed from the outside, but it still held. The creature was smashing the door.

Both of them sprang into action. "Move, move!" The man said gruffly, pushing Ashton out the door, which led to a staircase up. "We can get your friend through another route!" He informed as he pushed Ashton up the stairs hurriedly, closing the door behind.

Just in time.

They heard the door crash inwards, and the deafening scream of the monster, though muffled.

The stairs led straight to a yellow ladder which led to a circular manhole above. The man went first, surprisingly agile though he had a potbelly and was probably in his 50s. He climbed with one hand, holding his shotgun in his other.

Ashton holstered the guns he had in his pants and followed the man up, and waited as he unhooked the internal lock of the manhole and then opened it. The both of them climbed out, onto the streets.

The streets were silent and empty. Entirely devoid of movement. A cold, lifeless breeze blew slowly across the street, rustling the leaves and litter that lay the roads. "Guess that's the end of my hidey-hole." The man said, shaking his head. "Name's Morton."

"Ashton," Ashton replied without glancing at the man. He was looking around for the direction where the police station was.

"Alright. Let's move to the station quickly." The man said. "I know where it is, follow me."

Ashton glanced at the man properly now. He indeed looked in his 50s, and he had a rather buff build. He had tanned skin, and a scruffy beard. His singlet and jeans had dirt and blood stains on it. An old leather boot which was slightly worn also had splatters of blood across them. His head was covered with a dirty brown beanie. He also carried a bulky brown backpack, more of a haversack. Seemed like he had been in worse hell than Ashton was even though the chaos broke out only less than a week ago. Even more, he seemed like he was prepared for this hellhole.

"Thanks." Ashton nodded, as he followed Morton. "You were staying in that office in the sewers?"

"Aye. That was a guardroom more of. Used by the men who worked there for sewer maintenance. Waters don't reach that high where the guardroom is." Morton paused as they reached a corner and he glanced around, then signalled them to move.