Dead Blood

Calamity Arising

Morning rose, as did everyone else. The room was silent for the most part, aside from everyone stretching and loading their weapons. They all knew what today would bring. Well, not exactly, they just knew that today would be a day that they don't want to remember, but they wouldn't forget, no matter what.
Brandon was the first out the door. Seeing the morning sun shine down on a desolate world, it made living easier. To know that something so beautiful can still shine over something so shitty, it's amazing. "Come on, guys, what are we waiting for?" He said as he leaned against the railing. He may not have looked it, but he knew why they were waiting.
Natalie shuffled out the door, sighing as she looked around for a functioning car. What else could she do? She was dying, and only had a few moments before she'd lose the rest of her mind, along with her body. The only question she had was "when?" When would she lose her mind? When would she lose control?.. When would she die? "I don't know..." she sighed as she looked through the window of a decent looking automobile. "It needs to be hotwired," she said. "Eh, Greg can take care of that."
Heather stepped out of the room, stretching her arms and legs as if she were about to step into a boxing ring. She was trying to keep herself in a decent mood, since they were about to face the hardest battle in their life. For Heather, it was difficult herself. It was Greg's father, the man she knew since she was a baby, the father of one of her good friends. In a way, it was her father, too. That didn't matter anymore, she knew what she had to do. "I'm ready," she whispered to herself.
Star and Greg marched out of the room, carrying their pistols on their sides.
Star jumped into the front seat of the car, wondering what they would be running in to. Guillermo was still out there, infected and most likely dead or dying, and now Greg's father was out to kill them. This was certainly a journey to remember. "By the way," she said. "If we come face to face with Guillermo, I get to fight him."
"That's not gonna happen," Greg responded. "He's my responsibility. I'll be the one to fight him."
"That's not your decision to make, handsome," Star chimed in. "He broke my heart, and I'm gonna break his balls."
Both Brandon and Greg looked at each other in horror and confusion. "Is that even possible?" Greg asked him.
"I don't know," Brandon answered. "But I don't want to find out."
Greg looked at the car Natalie had found, and checked everything. The engine, the transmission, everything. "Its pretty beat up, but I should be able to make this work." He took his knife and cut two wires. He put them together a few times, trying to get a spark. "Come on, come on," he whispered.
The wires weren't sparking up, and they didn't have the time to sit there. Greg just dropped them and stood back up. "Its no good, we have to continue on foot."
They made their way to the facility. At this point, Brandon had already made the comment of missing Greg's Impala, to which Greg replied with a stern "Shut the fuck up." Other than that, the trek was long and silent.
The silence soon started to overpower everyone. Somebody would open their mouth to speak, but then shut up because they were too scared to say something.
However, something... interesting happened. Star decided it would be a good time to hum a song. So, she started humming the beat of a Motley Crue song, specifically "Kickstart My Heart."
This got everyone jamming out to the song. Brandon on air guitar, Star on air drums, Heather and Nat just dancing, and Greg singing. It was amazing. The fact that even though the world had gone to hell, everyone was either a cannibalistic psycho or a zombie, and that they could die at any minute, they still found something to have fun with.
Meanwhile, Guillermo and his new partner were sitting on the roof of the facility, waiting for the moment to strike, to engage.
"Do you remember our agreement?" Guillermo asked.
"Yes, yes," Greg's father stated. "I get everyone else, but you get to kill my son." He sighed as he tossed a knife in the air. "Just make sure he suffers."
"He will know suffering beyond his own nightmares," Guillermo smirked. "I have plans for him."
"Well, you may just get a chance to enact on them," Greg's father pointed his finger forward. In the distance, Greg and the others could be spotted. "Why don't you have fun with them first? I'll join in later."
Guillermo smirked as he stepped forward. "Sounds good to me." He leaped off the roof.
As Greg and everyone else made their way closer, they all got silent again. However, this one was broken with just a voice, not a song. "Listen," Natalie stated. "We all know that I'm dying. But, in spite of that, I will be with you all, till the end of this."
Greg looked at her, his eyes slightly glossy. "Nat, you're talking like it's goodbye. Don't say that yet, not right now." He stared ahead.
"Greg, we're just waiting for when we have to say it," Natalie sighed. "I hate it, too. But, I just want you to know, you all mean so much to me."
"Natalie," Star said. "You're gonna make all of us cry."
"Save the feelings for later," Brandon said. "We've arrived... and it seems we have company."
As they stood in front of the door, a tall man with glasses and what appeared to be a knife in his hand, stood in front of them. They knew, it was the same face that Greg and Star had befriended years ago, the same face Star had loved at one point, the same face that would now be remembered for betrayal.
"My old friends, welcome to your death," he said.
"Guillermo," Star growled.
"Back off, Star," he said. "I only want one of you to shed blood on my blade." He pointed the knife directly at Greg. "And it's going to be you."
Greg unsheathed his knife and stepped forward. "This is what you want, Madriz?"
Guillermo growled. "This is where you die," he said. "I'm sorry it has to end this way, Adler."
Greg shook his head as he readied himself, he held the knife with the blade facing out, sort of stealthy. "No, you aren't."