The Ruins

Chapter 9

Mal was sitting in a chair, looking silently out of the window of the apartment into the night. Rain was clattering against the aged glass.

The door to the apartment swung open, revealing Lalon. He smirked. "Hey, sorry it took so long. Found some Infected and they are in that building." He pointed out the window.

Max had jump up when Lalon had entered and took a few uncertain steps towards him. "In there?"

Lalon nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's going to be tough and dangerous, but we can do it and we are the RK's."

The gang picked up their stuff and walked into the next room where a wide array of windows looked out into the Outside. Vix stood by the window, looking out pensively.

Lugh turned to Max, who looked both worried and eager then to the children "You ready, kid?" They nodded too, a bit shaky with their nerves. He watched as Mal and Vix moved a small book-case aside revealing a narrow gap into a previously-hidden utility room.

After sliding sideways into the small room, Mal walked over to the stairs, going through the eight stories down to the tunnel level.

Mal turned to look at Max who kept his eyes straight ahead on the successions of levels passing by walking down. She wants these kids to be in good, smart behavior. It worries her on what their reaction is, she knows they've all been through serious stuff but, kids living and breathing in The Ruins will have a moment of charity.

Her eyes narrowed. "Kids?" Hearing this brought them, letting Max be out of his introspection. "OK guys, this is very important. You have no idea of just how dangerous it is with you guys doing it. Remember the training we've taught you. When we get out there, there is no sass, no back-talk and no wandering off to 'explore'. Got that? You follow our lead and you obey our instructions and you do so immediately. Am I clear on this?"

There was silent for a moment before they all replied in the affirmative in a way.

-:-:-:-:-

The trio emerged through an outfall grille into a ditch running alongside what had once been a highway leading through the centre of the city. Just to make Mal's day perfect, the rain was pouring out of the sky as if someone had left a faucet open. Mal was just jogging back to join her companions after looting a surprisingly large amount of vitamins and medication as well as (amazingly) a half-dozen 9mm bullets from a wrecked UPS delivery truck. Johan and Killeen were standing in the middle of a ruined plaza and looking up at two skyscrapers. One was tilted against the other at a crazy angle, obviously only held in a semblance of upright by the structural strength of the other building.

Johan was clearly awestruck. "I've never seen the ruined city this close before! The buildings are... so big. What happened out here anyway?"

"'Carpet bombing'? That's what I heard," Max questioned, "doesn't sound so good."

Lugh explained. "It was basically the last thing the air force did before they ran out of parts, men had reasons to keep their combat aircraft operating. They bombed the hell out of the areas immediately around the Quarantine Zones hoping to kill as many of the infected in their host cities as they could. It actually worked... for a while at least."

They moved onward and began to ascend an unexpected hill just in between two of the skyscrapers when a bone-chilling shriek cut through the air, seemingly in response to a crash of distant thunder.

Johan span, her wide, green eyes searching the darkened ruins for some source of the sound. "What the hell was that?" With sound made AJ whimper as Vix hushed him soothingly.

Lalon frowned grimly. "Did you hear that? What do you think?"

Mal thought for a moment. "That was a long way off; you know that they're not inclined to move too far to hunt."