Z: In The Heart of the Queen City

Chapter 5

A building has several fire exits laid out in an escape plan, we took the second one in the opposite door. Luckily there were only a few zombies on our way there. Ones that Jaycee could handle himself. He swung his axe to every piece of shit that stood in our way. So we didn't waste precious ammo, the boys taught me how to check for bullets, we found out that there were 4 shots left.

As soon as we reached the basement, the place was eerily quiet. The only light that came was from the flicker of the fluorescent just across the room. We were formed back to back at each other as we entered. This zombies weren't like the ones you see in Walking Dead at all they were fast and alert to any stimuli. Chris was holding a piece of steel that fell from the ceiling, Mila had her piece too while me and Jaycee held onto our previous weapons. “Go get a car, if there are no keys in it, don't push it it ain't worth it” I motioned to Chris and Jaycee while Mila stayed behind me. They excitedly ran to the cars, okay so it was kind of cool to steal a car we all know you want to do it or at least try doing it and the two boys looked like they were kids lost in the candy shop while they explored the parking lot. But their excitement faded when Jaycee went for the BMW, the shit started to alarm like crazy. “What the fuck Jayce?! Of all the cars you picked a BM with a burglar alarm that's sure to attract a horde!” I shouted. “Yeah, but it's open, get in!” Jaycee replied but before he could a zombie appeared from behind. Mila screamed and in my panic I accidentally fired a shot. Jaycee disappeared to the dark and as I turned around there were around 5 more surrounding us. Mila dropped her weapon and ran, I didn't follow her as she ran away screaming. I picked up the piece of steel and swung at them, big mistake, although they were hit I dropped the gun and it slid under a pickup truck.

Left with the steel I kept swinging. Chris appeared beside me and hit them too, sending guts everywhere including my blouse. There were even more coming, jumping from the out of service elevator. “Shit! Emma the gun” Chris cried. I don't what happened but I slid to the ground and under the car with a zombie in hot pursuit. Now, I am a novice in zombie apocalypse and this was a BAD IDEA. Although zombies have no senses of bending or getting into all fours for that matter it still tried to reach me, growling as I made my way under the pickup. When it finally decided to use its brain (or at least whatever makes it do what it does) the zombie who followed me knelt down with its head under the car. I screamed as I shot it with the gun. The bullet went straight to its mouth and sprayed is guts on me. I crawled out of the car and shot the two near Chris. I ended up climbing car after car to get to the BMW that Jaycee found. When I ran to it, Jaycee was already inside to my surprise. Chris came in the backseat but no sign of Mila. “Where's Mila?” Chris asked Jaycee. “No idea, she ran off.”

I scanned the area, all I saw was more zombies but still no Mila. I gasped as Mila came running towards us, we flickered the lights to signify that we were here. Sprinting behind her, was a zombie. Not just an ordinary zombie.

Mega bitch zombie, namely the alpha bitch herself June who ran after little Mila in high heel stilletos.

“Drive!” I screamed.

Jaycee stepped on it, we managed to run past Mila then straight to zombie June who flew ten feet to the air. Chris opened the back door and Mila came in. She was breathing heavily and coughing hard. When we made our way to the ramp we turned our heads to see that June wasn't finished, the bitch caught up to the trunk of the car and climbed to the front window where me and Jaycee were seated. “Break!” I screamed again, Jaycee stepped on the break when we reached outside and threw June midair again. We all stopped and held our breath, then June with every last piece of her zombie strength charged at us. I looked at Jaycee then he turned the engine up.

The car collided with the queen of zombies headfirst, spilling black blood all over the windshield. I gagged and vomited on the clean carpets. I gotta control my reflexes, “This is Mr. Lansing's car you know” Jaycee said.

We were at the open road now, I noticed a lot of zombies around us. It was an awful site that sent goosebumps down my spine. But I knew that wasn't the only thing that was scaring me. The hairs on my arm prickled up. There was something wrong, something very wrong about this car. Jaycee was sweating despite the cars cold air conditioner and as I noticed in the mirror Chris was acting perfectly normal. I stopped to think, didn't Jaycee disappear to the dark? Could he be...?

“Stop the car!”

Jaycee hit the break violently, then he looked at me. I was pointing my gun at him only one precious shot of ammo left. “Your bitten!” I said. “What, no fuck, I'm not!” He said defensively putting his hands up in the air. We were parked across the tattoo parlor in Gorordo avenue. “Put the fucking gun down Emma!” Jaycee cried. Chris was screaming something too but I was looking at Jaycee and cocking the gun already. Jaycee pulled up his pants and sleeves. “Here, here there aren't any marks you crazy bitch!” I lowered the gun and took a breath. “Sorry, I just thought...” I rubbed my eyes. “Sorry Jayce.” We all took a deep breath including Mila who was breathing heavily I thought she would have a heart attack. Jaycee stepped on the gas again and about two minutes I felt my breathing hasten, at least I thought it was me. But then I realized the heavy breathing came from the back of the car, I sat up and looked at the rear view mirror. Mila was holding her hand in her mouth and crying. Her hand looked strange, it had a small stain on it. Then I focused on it, it wasn't a stain.

It was a bite.

Before I could react Mila convulsed, her eyes went blank and her pupils dilated. In a split second, she bit Chris' arm. Jaycee lost control over the car, as a rabid Mila struggled to bite us. I hit the butt of the handgun on her jaw but she only fell back. Chris jumped off the car, followed by Jaycee and me, the three of us fell to the road rolling down. There were zombies so I quickly went on my feet and kicked away an approaching one. Jaycee was already dragging Chris to the sidewalk to take camouflage in the back of a car. I watched as the BMW crashed to a nearby wall and the zombies were running towards it. I went over to where Chris and Jaycee was.

“Chris,” I whispered biting my lip and trying not to cry. He saved my life twice and here he was on the brink of becoming one of them. I was angry but Chris smiled at me. “Em, please, please get my wife, her name is Claire. She's pregnant.” He struggled, then he coughed black blood. His arm looked awful, words couldn't describe it. “She's in the 12th floor of E Bloc 2. Tell her... tell her what happened and that I love her.” He started to cry. “Please, don't make me one of them!” I shook my head. Ammo was precious but so was Chris' life. I wouldn't let him die in vain or as a zombie for that matter.

I closed my eyes as I aimed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.