Embrace The Madness Ch. 03

Chapter 3

City In Turmoil

So much and so many of the inner city was lost and under such a short amount of time. Both military and local law enforcement suffered tremendously, losing so many to the outraging plague that had captured the city. Among those still inside the city battling against the infected were two very close friends; Chad and Blake. The two of them had been on the move since much of the early morning when the first bombs began dropping on the downtown metro area, maneuvering around the hordes of diseased that seemed to plague around every corner of the city.

Through the long hours the two of them had spent remaining on the move, desperately trying to avoid any contact with the infected populace, neither of them had taken the time to try and observe their behavior. Perhaps they noticed enough to know that those who fell victim to the plague became aggressively cannibalistic, but what caused them to not react to others -- also infected -- as they bumped into one another. By the mid-morning hours, the two had found a small -- recently abandoned -- two-bedroom cottage style home they were able to hold up in.

After going through and securing the house, making sure it was abandoned and not harboring any unexpected visitors, they took a seat on the couch and began checking over their remaining supplies. Ammunition was running low, both of them knew this already, but actually counting over the remaining rounds didn't make the situation any easier.

"H.Q. Do you copy?" Chad was asking as he pushed the button in against the walkie against his shoulder. "Zeek! Can you hear me?"

On the opposite end of the mic came nothing more than the empty sound of static. Switching channels, he tried once more and again all he got was silence. Everything was gone, the city lost and everyone was either infected or dead. Giving a long sigh, he turned his walkie off before pulling a folded road map from one of the smaller pockets of his duffle bag. Quickly, yet gently, unfolding the map both he and Blake began drawing out and determining their next safest route.

Chad had just refolded the map and tucked it into the pocket of his duffle bag before turning his attention toward the window. Noticing a large number of disfigured, sub-humans slowly staggering around the front of the house, he began to repack his duffle bag. With the front end of the neighborhood beginning to cluster with more of the sick, he started making his way toward the back of the house. Chad stood just inside the kitchen, his hands resting against either side of the sink, as he stared off toward the alley way and the back yard.

"Hey Chad -- You think everything's good back in Appleton?" Blake asked, stepping into the kitchen.

"I hope so, but it isn't like Ezekiel to not answer the walkie." Chad replied, keeping his attention on the moving horde.

Blake was quickly diverting his attention toward the back window. Several of the infected had begun to flood the alley way, slowly staggering and bumping into one another. Watching as the hoards continued to move away from the inner city, one in particular had caught Blake's attention, as she stumbled and staggered through the crowd. It wasn't her looks however that had caught his awareness, but the full Army fatigues that still hung around her body.

"This is insane." Blake was finally saying with a long sigh. "With the way this plague is spreading, if we continue to simply shoot and run, we're going to be out of ammo before the end of the evening."

"I know, but I have an idea. You've always had the better arm and aim, I need you to use one of your knives and aim it around her shoulder." Chad finally replied pointing out the former solider.

Blake pulled one of his smaller throwing knives from the sheath as he gave a slightly quirked expression. "That's only going to draw her attention, not to mention whatever else notices.

"I know this. But drawing the attention of only a select few is better than a whole hoard, right?" Chad questioned turning his attention toward Blake.

In a way Chad made a point, but he still didn't like the fact Chad wasn't telling him exactly what his plan was. Either way, he didn't have time to question it, as he slowly slid the sliding glass door open. Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, Blake lined his aim and still standing inside the kitchen, sent the knife end over end toward his appointed target. Blake knew why Chad had picked a former one of their own as his target, not only was she still dressed in full fatigues, the roaming corpse was still carrying her pack.

Sure enough the blade of the knife sunk through flesh, although it wasn't the flesh of her shoulder. The throw had been just slightly higher of its mark, for good reason, as it landed fairly deep against the side of her neck. As expected the action had caused her to change her direction toward the house, along with a few others who straggled behind, following. The groaning growls and snarls only got louder the closer she got toward the house, each step she took was heavy and sloppy, as though she could fall at any moment.

Inside the two waited quietly for the infected solider to enter the house and once she had, Chad was the first to act. With his own hunting knife already out, waiting, he grabbed her by the front of her uniform and pulled away from the sliding glass door, using his other hand to send the blade through the base of her skull. Almost instantly, her body went limp as he thudded hard against the floor once he had released his hold.

"So, what's the plan?" Blake asked, as he locked the sliding glass door.

"As morbid as this is going to sound..." Chad began to say.

"I'm not having sex with a corpse." Blake replied quickly, cutting Chad off in mid-sentence.

"That's a good thing. I mean I know you've had a few dead fish in the water, but this would have worried me." Chad replied as an uncontrollable grin formed over his lips. "But seriously, we are going to strip everything useful from her and then we are going to cut her open."

"Wait... What?!" Blake asked, now a little more confused on what his brother had planned.

"Haven't you wondered how the infected move around in herds, yet they don't attack one another, even when they pump into one another?" Chad was asking in question, already removing ammo clips and other things from the lifeless corpse.

Outside the window, things were beginning to get worse, the sounds being made from those currently pressing against the glass screen were only attracting others from the alleyway. The longer Blake stood there watching the herd, the longer it was going to take before they could get out of the house again. For now, the screen door was holding against those on the other side banging and clawing, desperately to get through their current obstacle. Dropping down to his knees just across from his brother, the two of them began to quickly removing any remaining supplies.

Chad wasn't putting anything to waste leaving the former solider completely bare. Pulling his brother's throwing knife from the side of her neck, he did his best to wipe it off before handing it back toward his brother. "Nice shot, even if it wasn't her shoulder."

"I always did have the better aim." Blake replied with a wider smile as he took his knife back from his brother.

Neither one of them wanted to have to wear her remains, but already being this far in and the herd only growing larger on the other side of the glass, they really had no other option left. Chad, using his own larger hunting knife, began to make a 'Y' cut incision across her chests. Pulling against her rib-cage, the sound of bones snapping filled the silence of the room. Chad was soon pulling organs from the opening he had just created within her torso and began covering himself.

Blake wasn't going to question the idea and logic behind his Chad's idea; digging into the body of a former solider might not have been something either of them wanted to do, for the sake of their own safety, it was something that had to be done. The growing numbers from outside had finally begun to make an impact on the glass door. All the clawing, scratching and even head-bashing against the glass had finally been enough to cause the glass to begin to crack in a spider web fashion.

Finally covered as best as they could get, the two of them began to quickly re-gather all current supplies. Although they were both satisfied with their current camouflage, being weighed down as they were would make things difficult should any problem occur. Instead of taking their chances with so many hungry creatures just waiting for the glass to break, they began making their way toward the front room once again. The front didn't look any less crowded, but as they opened the front door and quietly stepped outside, none of the infected seemed to acknowledge their presence.

In some degree, the two of them where excited and relieved that the idea worked. From inside the house, they heard the sound of glass shattering, and immediately they knew what happened. Had karma turned the tables on their little plan that quickly? Remaining calm, barely glancing over their shoulder for movement, the continued moving away from the house and the current noise coming from inside. Having left the door open they noticed a few heading inside the open door.

* * * * *

Stealthily maneuvering through the hoards that seemed to plague every corner of the city, they could still make out the final sounds of the bombardment upon the inner city. Stopping off at a near-by convenience store, on the corner of the Weber rd. overpass, the two began setting down their packs before securing the outside perimeter. Carrying a full extra pack was not making their traveling any easier, they both knew they were going to have to find somewhere safe to hide it for the time being.

With the perimeter clear of any hostiles, they were soon tucking the spare pack inside a patch of tall, uncut grass and small trees. With their load now slightly lighter, the two brothers began making their descent along a small hill toward the highway. Suddenly the two stopped where they were, and for a long moment looked toward the other side of the highway.

"Think there's a chance that there are still people inside the surrounding areas?" Blake asked.

"There's always a chance. I just don't think it's a very high chance." Chad replied as he slowly made his way toward the graveyard of I-71.

All around the highway, the low snarling growls of those that had been caught within the first wave that overtook the city, could be heard through the silence. Even disguised as best they could, the way they were, Blake couldn't help feel a sense of doubt as he over-looked the highway. "Are you sure about this?"

"Right now, the only thing I am sure of is surviving. We need to get back to Appleton, so we can restock supplies." Chad said as he slowly began making his way toward the highway.

Blake didn't exactly like that idea. That was a lot of ground still to cover, and with as rapidly as the disease had already spread, he could only begin to imagine the toll the destruction had taken upon the outer ring of interstate two seventy. Still, knowing he wasn't going to convince Chad --who had already made it to the base of the small downward slope-- he too began his descent toward the highway. For as far as the naked eye could see, he could make out the distant figures still staggering away from the inner city.

The ones off in the distance were the very least of their problems however, as the snarling growls from those within the area had gotten louder. Turning his attention back to the current struggle at hand, he watched Chad --who had gotten over zealous-- begin to stumble backward and scramble away toward the hill. Their disguise might have gotten them out of the heaviest part of the wave, but it didn't seem to be as effective here. There was no way they were getting to the other side, at least not going the way they had first intended.

Quickly breaking the distance between him and Chad, he was grabbing his arm, helping him to his feet. At first, even as they continued to re-climb the small incline for a hill, they both tried to figure out what had snagged Chad's foot. That answer was soon coming clear as one of the infected figures began crawling from around the side a parked car. Whatever had been in the area and aimlessly wandering around, slowly heading toward the opposite side, were now turning around and heading toward the sound of the newest noise.

For a moment the two brothers watched as the few that began heading their way struggled with the climb. The hill wasn't steep, but the incline made it just tricky enough to cause them to slide back down once they reached about mid-way. With more continuing to head their way however, it wouldn't take long before some of them had found a way either up or around. Neither of them were going to stand and wait around however for that moment to happen, trying quietly to make their way back toward the overpass.

Around the over pass, the street didn't appear to be much safer that way either. Although unlike the highway below them, they had noticed a string of police vehicles -- which they could only assume to have been used as a way to barricade off the city -- touching bumper to bumper against the one in front of it. The deep grunts and growls still came from behind them, as the herd from the freeway below had finally made their way to the upper level. There was no longer a time to think and plan, only thing they could do now, was act.

The difference in speed was the only thing the two of them had going for them at the moment. With both the east and the west sides of the bridge congested with the prowling infected, they soon found themselves rushing and weaving through the masses. Of course that was a lot easier said than done. Neither of them wanted to pull the trigger of their weapons, as that would only cause more than they could begin to handle.

Soon the two of them were reaching the barricading police cars, and as they attempted to run over the trunk end of the car, one of the infected had started turning around toward the approaching sound. Chad had managed to get over the vehicle and past the first few currently gathered around the vehicles, his partner wasn't as fortunate.

Blake had followed Chad's movement nearly step for step, unfortunately, as he leapt for the back end of the car, his ankle buckled as he landed. Trying to make adjustments to the slowly decaying female that had begun to turn around, he felt his foot twist sideways as he fell off the trunk of one vehicle, only to land against the front end of another one before finally rolling to the ground. He landed with a pretty hard thud, but even as both actions hurt equally, his instinct had him grabbing for his survival knife against his hip.

No sooner had he pulled his knife free of its sheath, he felt the impact of someone falling on him. The younger female -- who had just made a one-hundred and eighty degree turn when the noise began -- was now currently clawing and scratching at his upper uniform. Having just enough arm strength and leverage to keep her a good foot from him, as she continued to desperately chomp against her own teeth. With enough of an opening between his mid-section and the middle aged female currently laying on top of him, he slid his free hand -- with knife still clutched within his fist -- between the space given.

Reaction time was critical for his chance of survival. Pushing the middle age female off and away from him finally, he rolled onto his side and with his free hand -- still holding tight against the handle of his knife -- he brought it down, sending the blade through the temple of the lady's head. His escape wasn't going to be so simple however, even as he tried slowly getting to his feet once again, several others had already began moving closer toward the action.

Chad had turned around in just enough time to watch his younger partner stumble off the two police cars. With the infected roamers beginning to circle in like a pack of wild hyenas to a wounded prey, he instinctively reached for the small nine millimeter pistol at the back side of his hip. The echoing caused from the hammer was certain to draw more, but he didn't care at the moment. He watched as his partner sank the blade of the knife through the side of the woman's skull, and as he began to slowly rise to his feet, Chad had begun to pull against the trigger giving him a more successful chance to get away.

"I thought we were going silent." Blake said as he flipped his knife end over end, only for the blade to pierce through the eye socket of another infected roamer heading their way.

"That was the original plan, until you slipped off the back of the car." Chad replied as he pulled against the trigger once again.

Once again the two of them were on the move, Blake however moving slightly slower than earlier, was trying his best to continue pace with his older brother. Stepping past the infected roamer, who was currently laying with the knife sticking from its eye socket, Blake placed his injured foot over the lower half of male's face and pulled the knife free. Whatever remaining oxygen and fluid was within the eyeball its self, was soon released with a pop as the knife was removed from its position.

Chad had gotten a couple feet a head however, as his partner took the time to retrieve his knife. Trying to keep his attention on both Blake, along with their current surroundings, he was quickly squeezing against the trigger as a few others fell face-first against the concrete. "Blake, let's go!"

Blake was doing his best to attempt catching back up, but the pain shooting through his leg wasn't making the actions any easier. Still, with more and more of the mindless creatures continuing to advance their way, he knew and was doing, everything he could to ignore the pain as they continued down the street. Unable to keep to the exact pace of his older brother, he was soon putting his knife away before lifting his M-16 a2, and began firing on anything currently heading their way.

No longer able to remain silent, and too many around to continue wasting ammo of his side-arm, he was quickly following his younger partner's lead. Replacing the nine millimeter within his side holster --while Blake continued to pave the way-- he was soon lifting his AR-15 and began landing a few bursts of his own. The hoards where everywhere, around every corner and within every shadow. The more shots that were fired seemed to only bring more out into the open.

Through all the rushing and weaving around the inner city streets, trying to avoid or kill anything that stood in their way, the two were soon facing their limits. Being on the move since before the break of dawn, fatigue was starting to settle in. Along with Blake's mildly injured ankle, the two of them knew they were in desperate need of a safe haven.

"ZACH!' They heard someone, a female, shout from the distance as they made their way down the street of McGuffey.

* * * * *

Around the eleven-hundred block of Minnesota avenue, the situation had grown out of hand rather rapidly. Those already sick and infected seemed to come from around every corner since the car had first came alive. Suddenly there came the repeating and echoing sound of gunfire, which only pulled the attention of those who had not been occupied with the matter of the Pontiac. The shots sounded close and instinct had Kaleb turning his attention toward the western side of the street.

His attention didn't get a chance to stay focused that way for long however. The high-pitched squeal that came from Alexis --as she fell forward and inadvertently dropping her keys-- had him turning toward the mayhem at hand. Alexis was currently scrambling, desperately trying to scurry away --from the half of a undead-- clawing at the ground as it drug itself toward her. From the other side of the car, Zach had stepped in between a couple that had begun to slowly move toward the passenger side of the car.