Dead Air (Book 1 of the Biohazard Saga)

Chapter 11: The Kill Zone

More than ten creatures had broken through the barricades and were swarming into the cabin. Those in the front who hesitated in hitting or hurting the creatures, learnt the hard way as they were ripped away from the group and snuffed out by the creatures.

A large group of them had followed after Keith, but the battle in the cabin had only begun.

James slammed his racquet into one of the creatures, an elderly woman who was missing an arm. Faltering at the last moment, his racquet barely grazed the woman as she grabbed at it with her remaining hand. Despite her physical appearance, her grip was vice-like and James knew he was in trouble.

Olivia herself was struggling as she backed up, trying to push the creatures back with her racquet. This was not what she wanted, this wasn't her. All her life she had believed in the creed of never to take another life, even that of an ant. But here, she was forced to hurt actual human beings...or at least, what was once human beings.

However, James' screams as he desperately tried to pull his racquet back from the clutches of the elderly lady, snapped her out of her hesitation. She closed her eyes and swung the racquet channeling all the pent up emotions she had bottled up insdie, and it connected with full force on the lady's hand. There was a crunch as her hand bent at an impossible angle and she finally released her grip on James' racquet.

Olivia then whipped the racquet back and swung it into the creature's face, caving it instantly as the creature fell back. Her face was a mix of blood and tears, and it was only later she realised that the screaming was coming from her.

James followed suit as blood splattered from open wounds on them. Together, the duo were both tearing and smashing creatures all around them, knowing full well that their innocence was well and truly lost.

Dean Malik, on the other hand, was in a struggle of his own, as swung the metal briefcase at the oncoming mass of creatures. Brandon and Carlos were right beside him, whacking the creatures with a couple of hockey sticks they had found. Their swings had started to lose impact and he could see they were growing tired.

He knew that soon, they would be overrun; there were just too many of them. At the very least, he needed to buy them enough time to regroup and try to erect another barricade.

Pushing a startled Brandon backwards, he grabbed his hockey stick and charged at the squirming bunch of creatures. His bulk and momentum pushed a couple of them back, all the way through to the next cabin.

'HURRY AND REBUILD THE BARRICADE!' Dean Malik screamed as he swung the hockey stick at the swarming creatures.

With one path now clear, Brandon moved over to help Olivia and James as some of the other men frantically re-stacked the luggage.

Dean Malik swung the hockey stick in a frenzy, toppling over several creatures. A sharp pain to his right told him that one of them had bitten into his arm. He furiously cracked the skull of the creature with the stick, breaking it in the process, just as another jumped on him from the back and bit into his back.

Mustering his strength, he dropped the broken hockey stick, grabbed the creature on his back and threw it at a stewardess who was missing half her face. A grip on his left caused him to whirl around, ready to clobber the assailant when his whole body rocked to a stop.

Pulling his arm was Ms Abberdy... or what was formerly Ms Abberdy. Her stomach had been gnawed open and her intestines were spilling out onto the floor. One of her eyes had been plucked out of her sockets and was dangling loosely.

The once proud and beautiful teacher he had worked with for nearly five years was now reduced to a grotesque, mangled pile of flesh. Dean Malik felt bile rising in his throat. It was evident then that her end had not been swift.

'Oh Laura...my friend. I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve this. Your suffering ends here,' he said as his free hand found the broken hockey stick and pulling his dear friend close, stabbed Ms Abberdy in the side of the head.

'Shh...It's all over now,' he said lowering her body to the ground and pulling her eyelids shut.

Then he turned towards the approaching creatures and readied his weapon.

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James and Olivia had been pushed back as more of the passengers were either pulled into the fray by the creatures or had chickened out and fled to the other side of the new pile of luggage that some men were hurriedly stacking.

'We have to fall back, guys! Dean Malik... h-h-he... jumped right at them before we could do anything. He didn't owe us anything, but he tried to buy us time,' said Brandon who had come over to help them.

'Let's go then! Move it!' cried James and the trio started climbing over the half-completed barricade.

Turning back, Olivia noticed something strange. One of the creatures whom she recognised as being the doctor from earlier who had tried to save the little girl, was holding up one of the metal briefcases which had been strewn on the floor.

The doctor gripped the briefcase and started swinging it back and forth.

'Oh my god,' thought Olivia as she realised what the creature was doing. All this time they had merely been trying to bite them and claw at them, but this one was different... this one seemed to be able to think. Somehow, there was a hint of intelligence in its eyes.

'DUCKKK!' she screamed as the metal briefcase came flying in their direction. Brandon jumped to the side, as James made a dive for the other side... just not fast enough. Time seemed to slow down in Olivia's mind as the suitcase came in contact with his head. There was a sickening thud and James crashed to the floor.

Olivia ran towards him and started dragging him away from the barricade. Blood was streaming down the back of his head and he wasn't moving. 'SOMEBODY HELP ME... PLEASE!' Olivia cried, struggling under the weight of James' body, as the creatures started to descend upon them...