The Undead

Chapter 49: Reminiscence

--???'s Point of View--

Weeks have passed. I'm finally back in America, I can only hope the others are here. I miss them and wonder what they think of me? I wonder if they think I am dead? 

"Hey man..boss wants you and I to take watch on the east tower...be there in five!" A rookie says to me. Another day of training the new guy. Well the only good thing is that our numbers have increased...which means our survival rate has also increased. I drop my pencil and put the piece I was sketching into a portfolio and I grab my rifle. I jog to catch up to the rookie.

"How long are we on watch?" I ask him. "About four hours....why, didnt sleep?" "No...I got about an hour of sleep...I haven't gotten sleep in over three months Rich" "You ever gonna tell me what happened before you became a rookie?" He asks me as we take our positions in lawn chairs atop a tower. I perch my rifle a few inches away incase I need it. The rookie takes a pack of cigarettes out and offers me one. "I dont usu-" "Just take one" He interrupts throwing me one. I have him light it, and inhale once. 

"So about that story....you can tell me man..." Rich brings it up again. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Yes"

"It happened like this"

--Roughly three months ago, in the skies over the United Kingdom ???'s, Point of View--

I sat next to Stevie.

"So dude..you ready for Rome?" He asks me. "I'm up for anything with you guys...this should be an experience...apocalypse or not haha" I let out joyfully. "True that brotha!" Stevie says and we laugh for a few seconds. Then the plane starts to shake. "What the hell" Melanie shouts out, but her words are overtaken by the sound of an explosion. 

What the hell is going on. "Everyone grab your chutes!" Kaleb says stepping out from the cockpit. He hops a ledge and rolls on the bottom by the vehicles. He grabs a parachute and opens the cargo door. It slowly descends and things start rolling. He runs up with some more parachutes and dishes them out. He grabs Ryan and gives his regards before taking the first jump.

Britni and Andrew jump next. Stevie hesitates..but he jumps with Melanie. 

I'm left alone on the plane. I watch some boxes fly out, then some of the meats that Stevie and Andrew collected from Alaska. I walk down the stairs but gravity shifts or something, I hit the ceiling.

I look out the door and notice the plane is spinning now. A box of guns hits the ceiling and I grab onto it. I open it up and pull out an Uzi. Then I push myself out of the plane. I'm pretty close to the ground, the second I could I pulled my cord. I didn't see any other parachutes in the air below me. I tug left to start turning and watch the cargo plane crash and some of the engines explode. Flaming shrapnel is sent everywhere and it looks like something out of an action movie.

I slow myself down and land on the very top of an apartment complex. It's roughly twenty floors. There's about fourteen men on the rooftop with their guns trained on me. I take my chute off and step aside with my hands raised.

"Get on your knees...and we wont hurt you. Hands behind your back. Make this easy on yourself." The tallest one beckons. I do as told to avoid conflict. I get shoved around and I feel zipties on my wrists. Then they tie my feet up with rope.

"What did I do if you dont mind me asking?" I call out. They turn me towards them and one speaks up  with "We don't know if we can trust you yet. Just answer us a few questions and we'll let the commander decide if you can live or not. But if you dont answer our questions truthfully. You'll die." He says before throwing me over his shoulder and laying me against the edge of the roof.

"Okay, question one...what is your name?" "Cole"

"Alright Cole, question two...how many people were on that plane?" "About seven or eight"

"Good so far, question three....what kinds of things were on that plane?" "Military vehicles, food and weaponry along with their ammunitions."

"Okay, where are you from?" "Me in general, or the crew I was with?" "Your crew" "America sir"

"America hey...USA?" "Yeah" "Why?" "Well, our original intent was Rome...to visit the ruins and stuff....but one of our engines broke and we made an escape"

"Alright..and lastly, can we trust you?" "I'd say yeah, if you don't threaten me" "Sounds fair...alright I'm gonna go speak to the commander, hopefully he likes ya' I'll be back in a few minutes"

I wait as the other men try and question me, but I dont provide any answers because they dont have the authority and I know it. The commander himself walks up to me, he is the only one in green. "You're Cole?" "Yes sir" "What'd ya' say if I asked you too join us in our little militia?" "I'd say, what're the terms?" 

"Fair enough, terms are: Any of us tells you to kill someone or something, regardless of who or what it is. You do it. If you choose not to...we'll execute you on sight."

I have to think for a moment. What if I run into my friends again? The chances are thin...I'm atleast a few miles away from them.

"I'll join. But I want all black, even a ski mask"

"Charles will get you one rookie"

--Present time--

"Thats what led me to joining up with the 'Black Undeath' Militia...you satisfied rookie?" I say to Rich. "Yeah that's a good story and all, but how'd you end up back in America? Here I mean...

"I guess I'll tell you" I say, inhaling again.

--Two weeks ago, Cole's Point of View--

"Hey Cole! Commander wants a word with you, pronto man!" Charles shouts to me. 

I rush to Commander to see what he wants.

"You asked for me sir?" I start. "Yeah, Part of the Black Undeath is making a trip to America, back to the United States..I figured you would want to go, since that's where you are from and all. So do you wanna go?"

I stop to think about it. Well, if I go the chances of me seeing the others, and being told to kill them will be literally slim to none. I decide its the right choice.

"I'll go. When's the flight?" "Here, this is gonna be your new outfit. Dont bloody it up to much. Oh, and your flight leaves in close to twenty minutes so go hurry and pack!"

I catch the outfit he throws at me and I leave towards my room. I strap on my L96 Sniper rifle and I put my Uzi on safety and tuck it into my shirt. I grab a diet coke and drink it on my way to the plane.

I make it onto the flight a few minutes before we take off, there is roughly fifteen of us going to the United States. I sit by a window and glare out, I notice bright flashes. I look out to see three guys charge through towards a helicopter. Could that possibly be...Phillip? Kaleb? Yes...and even Stevie.

"Hold on tight ladies, bit of a problem going on beind us, we're leaving right now....hold on" The pilot says over the PA. I slap into the back of my seat as we pull up off the runway.

We're finally airborne and at a decent altitude.

The flight isa long one, but we eventually land.

"Where are we" One on us asks the pilot.

\"We...are at the White House...welcome to America boys!"