MUTATION: ZOMBIES AMONG US

Chapter 16: Lost all Hope

     " Lukeman, do you copy?", I asked as I raced through the hallway alongside Blue, holding my walkie-talkie close to my mouth. There was no response at all, indicating that his was either switched off or dead.
     " Is everything all right with Lukeman?", asked Blue with concern.
     " Dunno where he is. But one thing I'm sure though, he's not dead".
     We took a sharp turn and increased our speed. I pointed to a sledgehammer lying against the wall and ordered Blue to take it, while I grabbed a shotgun from a shelf and took another turn. By the time we reached the lab, we saw light blinking from inside from the foot of the double doors. We both paused and took our time to breath, then barged in and armed ourselves for battle. Inside was a total mess of what Wallace had worked so hard upon, most of them rendered useless and meaningless.
     " Wallace?!", we both called out his name and looked round the place. The bulb was flickering the light, making it hard to catch a good glimpse at things. We stood close to each other and moved with cautious steps, being mindful of the faintest sound.
     We called out his name again, and got no response. Then a sharp movement happened behind us, calling our attention. We saw no one still, and another quick movement sent chills to our spines. We were both shivering, with fear evident in our eyes. And that fear grew when the bulb went out.
     It sparked back to life after two seconds, and sitting in front of a table was Wallace, giving out soft metallic laughs. We approached him slowly, tension building in our bones. He pretended as though he didn't know of our presence, and we finally saw his stained and torn lab coat which he had prized with integrity.
     " Evolution is the greatest gift to mankind", he muttered like a madman admist his life," You can't fight it, you must accept it".
     " Snap out of it Wallace", I said while pointing the gun at him," You are stronger than it".
     " How can one be stronger than change?", he asked and stared at me with lunatic eyes and a smile. He turned his head to the left and asked another question," Are you more powerful than evolution?".
     " Please Wallace", begged Blue," Come back".
     " Back? To where?", he asked as he stood up, making us to maintain a safe distance from him," I can't go back my friends, because change is essential for all. We cannot live without it. We cannot fight it. Each, and everyone of us, needs change".
     " The only one that needs change is you", I replied.
     " How can you change change? You made change, and many have accepted it. But you, the maker of change, and your friends, refuse change? Why?", he asked as he stared at us with mixed expressions.
     " Because this is not the change we want Wallace, and so do you", replied Blue with a firm voice.
     He looked at us with a serious expression, then burst into laughter and laughed to his heart's content." Look at these fools. Change doesn't need your consent. Only the wise will accept it. Change is important, because now I have been divinely blessed, more blessed than an Animan".
     " What do we do Joe?", asked Blue.
     " Try our best not to kill him", I replied.
     " Is that so? I'll like to see you try!", exclaimed Wallace as he jumped backwards and disappeared from our sight. Movements repeated around us with which we heard the voices of multiple animals, indicating that Wallace had exceeded that of an Animan and evolved into something more.
     I was lucky to be saved by Blue, who managed to sight Wallace, now in a vicious Cheetah form, leaping for my throat. He ordered me to duck, and while I obeyed, he smashed the hammer against Wallace's stomach and sent him flying across the room. While he landed with a thud and groaned from the counter, we bolted for the doors and wedged it with the hammer from outside.
     " Run!", I yelled and ran away with Blue. While we ran, I gave him my shotgun and grabbed an assault rifle lying beside a plant and the keys to one of the hospital vans outside. We heard heavy noises behind us and raced for the exit. I looked back, saw a Rhino coming in hot, and pushed Blue out of the way. The Rhino smashed through the doors and damaged a van in it way. Before he could get out from it, we ran towards another van and hopped in. Blue took the wheels while I sat in the passenger's seat. We hit the road almost immediately, with me turning out my walkie-talkie and trying to get in touch with Lukeman, who wasn't picking up his.
     " Goddamn it", I remarked with a frown," Why the hell isn't he answering?".
     " I hope he's okay", said a worried Blue," I can't believe non of us expected this".
     " I did, but failed to be prepared for it", I lamented.
     " We all weren't prepared Joe. But don't worry, we can still make it out alive if we try".
     A loud noise erupted far behind us.
     " I think trouble still persists", I replied and looked out the window. Lo and behold, instead of the demonic rhino, a gigantic hybrid of an armadillo and a porcupine rolled it's way towards us. This gave me the hint that whatever our tormentor did to Wallace affected his genes so much that not only could he transform into any animal he desired, but could also manipulate his size and possess hybrid features of multiple animals.
     " Step up the gas!", I ordered and brought out the assault rifle. Blue pressed the gas pedal harder while I opened fire as Wallace drew nearer. Wallace launched out his darts at us, most of which Blue missed. The rest scratched the van while two had taken out our side mirrors, whereas one of them almost killed me if not I pulled myself back in. While I reloaded, Wallace transformed back into a rhino and slammed the van with his horn. We lost control, tumbled and crashed beside a tall building built with red bricks.
     I managed to sustain minor injuries while Blue was in a worst state as he couldn't move his legs and lost his sight. He was bleeding on the head and was losing blood. I dragged him out from the van, carried him on my back and took the shotgun. I carried him into the building and took the stairs.
     " Joe, forget me. Save yourself", he said while resting his head on my shoulders.
     " Spare me that crap", I replied sharply," I can't and will never ever leave you. Hold out and we can stay alive".
     He sighed and said," You really do care about me Joe".
     Of course I do, I thought, and I don't want to you to die at all.
     I reached the sixth floor of the building and laid Blue on a bed which was beside the entrance of a room. Just as i finished doing that, the whole building shook and seemed to be losing it's balance. I forced my way to a window and looked down to see Wallace in a large ape form, pushing the building with all his might. He succeeded and the building fell backwards, making me to lose my own balance and fall all the way to the other side of the building. I would have fallen out through an open window if I hadn't held on to it's frame with my right hand. Luckily, the building rested on another building higher than it and stopped it from falling completely.
     " Joe!", exclaimed Blue.
     " I'm okay!", I yelled back," Thank goodness I held on to something quick".
     " Can you get back in?".
     " I'm trying".
     " Please be careful".
     I will, I thought. I held the frame now with both hands and tried to get back in. I then heard what sounded like a dragon's roar and looked to my left to see Wallace flying straight towards me in his dragon form. He licked his chops and opened his mouth wide for me.
     " Joe what's going on?!", exclaimed Wallace as he felt danger coming.
     I didn't answer. I only tried my best to get back in as fast as I could. But this time, I knew that there was no way I was going to make it in time. This time, I was the target, and while I had managed to save the others, there was no way I could save myself. So I closed my eyes while Wallace closed in for the kill.