Zombie Land

Chapter Three

22 November 5:00am

We all woke to the sound of Clean's phone alarm blazing in our ears. Finally, it was time to terminate some zombies. I was really in the mood for killing something. We all hopped out of our cots and gathered at the table to have breakfast. We all are two energy bars each and made sure we were drinking water. Simmons even made herself a cold coffee, which, of you ask me, is disgusting. We each grabbed 5 packets of dehydrated fruit in our packs, three bottles of water, some matches, extra weapons like knives and guns, as well as a hard copy map of the city. We all had touch screen watches that enabled us to track one another if we got separated. We also had ear pieces that we could talk to each other through.

Once we had finished packing our bags, we got changed into our field gear. There were only two bathrooms on the jet, so whoever wasn't getting changed, organised their weapons. Clean and I let the other two girls go first. I had brought an assortment of weapons with me from my apartment. I was going to take my bow and arrows with me of course, but I'd also take two hand guns and a 20cm long knife. Clean also took his two hand guns, but his primary weapon was his semi automatic machine gun. His life and love as well as the reason he didn't have a girlfriend. Once the other two girls finished, we went in. I put on my tight black v-neck t-shirt and ankle length tights. I put my hair up in a messy pony tail and then put my boot on. They came halfway up my calves and were made of strong leather. When I got out, I slid my knife into a slot in my right boot. I attached my quiver to my bag that I had personalised three years ago so that I was able to wear a pack and still use my favourite weapon. I attached my two gun holsters to my upper thigh and holstered my guns.

Once we we were almost ready, Simmons made sure that she had pack her medical kit as well as tranquilizers if we need them. We went through a list of everything we needed to make sure we didn't miss anything. Once we were ready, Clean scanned outside using his equipment to see if there were any threats. Once he gave us the all clear, Simmons hit the button to lower the stairs and we exited. We slowly slid across the Tarmac, keeping our weapons ready as we did. Simmons held her two hand guns, Hill steadied her shot gun while Clean held his machine gun. I had strung my bow and aimed it at anything that moved. We walked in a diamond shape, with Clean up front, flanked by Hill and Simmons and I brought up the rear. When we reach the city, we started to close the gaps between us. We scanned the empty building, trying get a small glimpse of undead life. Nothing. Not even a whisper. We neared the center of the city when Clean spotted something.

"I see something up ahead. May be a target." They proceed to follow Clean's lead. Once we got close enough, Clean identified it as a zombie."Lex, you take the shot. We don't want everyone to hear our guns just yet. We'll keep it stealthy for now." I walked past the other three and aimed my bow towards the figure. Clean was right. It was a zombie. Veins popped out of its neck and temples. It's eyes looked dead and grey, just like the rest of it. Not wanting to waste any time, I aimed at his head and fired. Right between the eyes. I got an encouraging pat on the back from Simmons and a big smile from Hill. We fell back in formation and continued through the city. As we came across more zombies, I crossed them off. I wasn't really worried about running out of arrows. I had heaps. Never once had I run out.

As we approached the centre of the city, we fell into the shadows so we couldn't be seen. Ahead was a large group huddled together. Knowing that we could no longer keep our presence a secret, we engaged. The sound of gunfire and bodies falling to the ground filled the air. Once the zombies figured out what was happening, they started groaning loudly and in a matter of seconds, hundreds more swooped in. This was too many. We were now backed up against a large building, with the zombies surrounding us in a semi circle. For every one zombie we killed, 5 more would take its place.

"Up the building! Now!" Clean yelled at us. We followed his order and sprinted for the door. It was locked. Clean pushed us aside and tried to ram it with his shoulder. No luck. He continued to to try to knock it down while the rest of us covered him. They were getting far to close for comfort. Finally, with one large 'bang', Clean had knocked the door down. We all sprinted inside and ran up the no-longer-functioning escalator. The building looked like an old office or something. Before the whole zombie apocalypse thing, it would have been quite first floor was filled with small cubicles with computers and stationary that would never be used again. Once we reached the top of the escalator, we turned back to see the zombies already clamouring through the door, using our height as an advantage.

"Lex! Make sure Simmons gets out! Try to find an exit. We can't risk loose another one of our smartest minds. She may be the only one we have left. Hill and I will stay. Go!" Following Clean's order, I grabbed Simmons and headed back down the escalator. Hill was now using her machine gun as well, knowing that the shot gun wasn't doing much good. My heart jumped in my chest as we started heading towards the swam of zombies, but Hill and Clean were keeping them a good distance away. Once we reach the bottom, we turned 180° left and ran beside the escalator towards the back of the building. Once we were far enough away from each other, our ear pieces came alive and we could hear hill and Clean yelling at each other to get up the building. With the zombies attention on them, we sprinted to the back of the building, searching for an exit. We ran up and down the back looking for a door, with no such luck. The walls we made from marble, so there was no way we could shoot it hole in the wall. I ran back over to Simmons who was pale white and breathing heavily. She put and and on my shoulder and pointed to the way we'd come.

"Lex, look. Their coming here." I could see what she was pointing to now. A large gang of zombies were waddling towards us. I looked around frantically, looking for some way for us to escape. Nothing. Strung my bow and started firing, still looking for a way our. Then I had an idea. I pulled Simmons over the the reception desk on our right. Standing on it, I was able to reach the roof. There was an air vent above the desk. Simmons fired her hand guns, not missing a single target, but she wouldn't have enough bullets to kill them all. Using the end of my bow, I managed to break the seal and put the vent off, leaving nothing but a dark tunnel to crawl through.

"Simmons! Get up in there! Quickly!" I yelled at her. She jumped up on the desk while I covered her. She grabbed the edge and hoisted herself into the small tunnel I'd created. Not wasting any time, I chucked my bow up there and pulled myself inside the hole as well. Simmons and I sat panting for a minute, looking at each there with amused expressions. We both et out a small giggle and looked to see if we could be followed. The zombies beneath us looked up into the whole with vacant expressions. Some tried to climb onto the desk and those that succeeded couldn't reach up to get into our hole. We tried to catch out breathes for a minute and drinking water, when I remembered something crucial. Hill and Clean. They had gone silent in our ears. Simmons must have been thinking the same thing because the pulled out her tablet with tracker. The watches that we where wearing could measure our vitals, so we can tell if someone's injured. While we were waiting for the tablet to boot, the crowd of zombies had given up trying to reach us and left, which was a relief. Once the tablet loaded, Simmons went straight to Hill and Clean's profile. Simmons looked horrified and like she might jump out of her own skin. Clean's heart had flatlined. Hill heart still beat, but only just. But after a few seconds, her hear flatlined as well.

"It's OK, their watches might have just come off or malfunctioned. They'll be fine. Hill? Clean? Do you copy? We're fine now but did you get out? Are the zombies gone? Hill? Clean? Do you copy?" Simmons repeatedly tried to talk to them, not wanting to except that they were most likely dead. As she continued talking her voice broke and she burst into tears, but kept talking.

"Simmons, I'm sorry. They're not going to respond. They're watches aren't malfunctioning. They're gone. They're gone." I said, trying to sooth her. She embraced me tightly and I hugged her back. I could feel my shoulder getting wet and she sobbed into it. I stroked the back of her head, trying to soothe her, but she continued to cry. I couldn't help it myself. I few tears slid down my cheeks. Hill and I had trained together for years. She was probably the closest thing I had to family. Clean though, he knew how to light up a funeral with a few words. Always the joker. Now we would have less and less laughs. I could feel an aching in my chest and no doubt Simmons felt it too. When I looked at her face, it was red and splotchy from crying and no doubt I looked the same.

"I know it's hard Simmons, but Hill and Clean died so that we could get out and if we don't do that, they would have died for nothing, OK? So, you need to focus and we have to find a way out of here so that we don't end up like them. Come on, we need to think of a plan." Once the words left my mouth, something sparked in her yes, like she now had a new purpose. The tears were gone, replaced by determination. Oh yeah, we were getting out of here.