Omega Virus (Book 1): Beta Hour (7 page)

Tiffany
kept maneuvering the wheel, but we weren’t going anywhere. The undead reached
the sides of the SUV blocking off our escape. Panic filled the vehicle, save
Wesley. He looked calm.

I
pointed up. “The sunroof!”

Kessa
stood and pushed against the glass, but it didn’t slide.

“Is
there a button?” she asked.

Tiffany
growled as the Corpses pounded on the driver’s side window, sending a crack
snaking up the glass. Wesley began to chuckle.

“This
isn’t funny jackass! Help us!” I snapped.

Wesley
sighed. “Tiff, baby, roll down the window would ya?”

“Are
you bat-crap crazy?” she cried.

“No.
Just get ready to run as if we all are.”

She
shook her head. Finally, Wesley reached across and rolled the window down just
a hand’s breadth.

“What
are you doing?” I gasped.

Wesley
held a grenade, tab pulled. He reached out and tossed it just a few feet. One
Corpse ended up catching it as in mid-grasp. It pulled the object in close and
chomped.

The
explosion went off, and the SUV rocked with force as dozens of Corpses
exploded, clearing a wide path, but also shattering the SUVs windows. My ears
rang as we quickly shoved out the doors.

Tiffany
whipped a dagger out as the rest of the Corpses shambled forward.

Wesley
held his hand out. “The hat.”

Tiffany
glared, reached back in the car. Wesley put the hat back on his head. “This
way!”

Grinning
like a schoolboy, he ran across the street and into an alley. We had no choice
but to continue to trust the megalomaniac, so we followed.

LEVEL 10 – WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAVE?

Like lemmings,
we followed Wesley into an alley near Epic Impossibilities Games. I felt like I
should've questioned his motives, but with hundreds of Corpses on our tail, I
didn't have time for such luxuries.

Moving
single file, we maneuvered down the narrow alley. Tiffany hustled up front with
Mr. Zombie Killer. Merlda took up the middle, limping as fast as she could with
Kessa's assistance, and I took up the rear. The hissing Corpses lumbered along,
sending spittle and gore splattering the back of my neck. It seemed as if they
had gotten quicker, but I didn't plan on turning back to perform time checks or
Q&A sessions. Although I wanted to spin back and shoot them all in the
face, I couldn't. More likely I'd be overwhelmed in seconds. Kessa stopped
suddenly, and I slammed into her, who bumped Merlda, who pushed Tiffany
forward.

“Keep
moving!” I cried as I spun to lift in my arms in defense.

Kessa
pushed me aside and jumped in front, crying out, “My angel!”

She
lifted the Smith & Wesson and fired at the first Corpse. Her bullet struck
its chest, slowing its momentum, but the next ones just pushed past it. I
swallowed hard and pulled a card from Wesley's book, punching the next one in
the face. It fell back, albeit briefly.

I
shouted at Kessa, “Aim for the head!”

Up
ahead, Tiffany ran again, and we all darted after her. We squeezed past a
dumpster, which Kessa and I turned to block the Corpses.

Kessa
breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh thank ya Lord!”

The
undead tried to walk through the barrier, but they only managed to crush each
other against it. When I turned back, I found again; we'd stopped.

“Can
we keep moving?” Merlda pleaded, her voice cracking from pain.

Tiffany
snapped. “I'm trying Wesley's stopped twice now!”

Wesley
stood at the front of the pack, staring at the ground.

“Now
is not the time for important self-reflection!” I shouted.

He
ignored me and started moving his foot around in a circle. The dumpster started
to turn as the Corpses forced it back. I spun back and braced my shoulder
against it while Kessa already had done so.

“I
couldn't hold it!” she whimpered.

I
grunted, using all my strength. “Don't worry. I got it!”

Sadly,
I didn't weigh enough to hold it either.

I
shouted. “I lied! I don't
got
it! Wesley, we have to
keep moving!”

A
Corpse arm shoved through the crack between the dumpster and the wall. It
snatched my sleeve, but I pulled away.

Merlda
pleaded, “Yer gonna get us all killed!”

“Everyone,
stay calm,” Wesley announced as he tapped his foot.

The
dumpster jolted again. If we didn't move soon, the Corpses were about to have a
five-course dinner. We pushed with everything in us, but we were losing ground
fast.

“Tiffany,
help!” I pleaded.

She
pushed past Merlda, who had fallen into another coughing fit. The dumpster
lurched before Tiffany could make it, and the first Corpse made it through.

“No!”
we three cried, just as Wesley cheered. “Found it!”

Wesley
disappeared through a hole in the ground. Merlda couldn't follow. She'd fallen
to her knees.

“I'll
help her! Just get inside, Kessa!” I said. She nodded and shoved her face
against mine.

My
cheeks burned as she hopped down into the opening. The last of her I saw were
her green pigtails. Tiffany and I backed up as the first Corpse shambled
towards us.

Turning
to Tiffany, I said, “It's more important that you make it!”

“Don't
ever say something so stupid!” She snapped and yanked me back. The dumpster,
completely forsaken, gave way to the horde. I grabbed Merlda by her shirt
collar as we went and pushed her through the hidden passage. She still wheezed
as she fell in. I started to push Tiffany, but she spun me around and shoved me
instead.

I
fell into the dark pit and landed with a splash, knee deep in some gunky,
putrid-smelling water. Tiffany's silhouette blocked out some of the light from
above as she lowered her legs in. Shadows appeared above her, and she screamed,
then
thrashed about wildly. They had her.

My
heart exploded. “Tiffany, no!”

Wesley
and I both jumped up, grabbing her legs. Tiffany came crashing into the sewer,
knocking me face first into the liquid. I splashed back to my feet, as a Corpse
staggered into the hole. Wesley pushed Tiffany out of the way and grabbed the
monster under its chin. With both arms in place, he twisted and snapped its
neck. As it fell over, Tiffany stood up, soaked in the nasty water.

“Are
you okay?” I tried to grab her shoulders.

She
shoved me. “Get away!”

I
scanned her trying to locate a bite.

“Stop
gawking!” Tiffany yelled as the manhole cover slid back across. Wesley sloshed
past me in the dark. “Come on, Jack.”

“Zach,”
I muttered.

Tiffany
shoved me again. “Just get your ass moving! I'm fine!”

Satisfied,
she'd escaped unharmed; I started to turn, but I spotted Merlda standing up
awkwardly.

“Merlda?”
Kessa asked from behind me.

Tiffany
slowly started to look over her shoulder as Merlda gave a great groan.

“Crap,”
Tiffany said.

I
lunged, but Merlda, blood running from her mouth, grabbed Tiffany's shoulder.

I
cried out in disbelief. Kessa's screamed, and her gun went off. The flash was
brief, but I saw the jaws of Corpse Merlda going for Tiffany's neck.

I
only heard my voice shouting her name, followed by a big splash.
Then nothing, save the water slowly flowing around our ankles.

The
flash fire had blinded my eyes. “Tiff, did she bite you?”

Tiffany
didn't answer, and a knot rose in my chest.

“Did.
She. Bite. You?” Fear filled me.

 
Silence.

“Tiffany
Gainsborough,” I whispered this time. “Did she bite you?”

A
sob came from her direction, and my heart rose into my throat. I knew it;
Merlda bit her.

“Go
on without me,” Tiffany said through the darkness

Beside
me, Kessa whimpered.

“I
think they need a moment,” Wesley whispered.

“R-right.”
Kessa stuttered, and they sloshed away.

“You're
joking? This is a joke right?” I asked.

Tiffany
spoke, her voice cracking, “You need to go.”

“I'll
stay with you,” I said.

“Then
you'll die!” she snapped.

“This
isn't fair!” I hissed, slamming my fist into the gunk-covered wall.

“Life,”
Tiffany hesitated. “Isn't fair. This is why you should never take a life, Zach.
Each one is just too precious. Hell, I don't even know why Merlda turned.”

“She
was pregnant,” I said. “Then that crazy ass at the department store kicked her
in the stomach, probably killed the baby. It must've turned somehow inside of
her.”

“Ate
her from the inside out?” Tiffany whispered. “There can't be many worse ways to
go.”

“Can
I ask you something?” I said, my eyes overflowing with tears.

I
needed to ask her about our childhood. Had we been friends? Did she want me to
be her boyfriend back then? And why couldn't I remember any of it?

She
came back with a flat voice, “No. Now get moving.”

Pain
cracked its way into my heart, and I sobbed loudly.

She
groaned. “Don't get emotional on me. I'm not that kind of person anymore.”

Anymore?
I sucked in my breath, unsure of what to say next. She had just shot me down,
even in death.

I
reached into my belt and pulled out my Henry's handgun. “
Here.
”

“What
are you giving me?” she asked.

Finding
her palm, I set the gun on it, curling each of her fingers around the pistol.

“I
don't think you'd want to become a Corpse. There's ammo still. Enough to.” I
hesitated “Enough to--”

I
couldn't say it. But she did.

“Get
the job done?”

I
nodded although she couldn't see me.

Tiffany
said, “Enough mushy mumbo jumbo.”

“Of
course,” I whispered, turning away.

“Zach?”
She said.

“Yes?”
I asked, without turning back.

Her
next words tore me apart, “I never liked you. Remember that.”

I
regretted giving her that gun. As I went to turn back, she pulled the trigger.
A brief light lit up the sewer, and I could see Kessa and Wesley standing
twenty strides away, looking right into my eyes.

Behind
me, came another big splash as Tiffany's body collapsed. Everything went quiet
once again. I bit my lip so hard it bled, trying hard not to sob.

“Are
you gonna be okay?” Wesley asked.

I
murmured, “Yeah. I mean why wouldn't I be? She hated me in any case.”

Wesley
put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed hard. “Sorry, you feel that way, man.”
He turned and walked away.

Kessa
wrapped her arms around me and said. “We shouldn't stay here too long. Your
wounds might get infected.”

“Yeah,”
I muttered. “My wounds.”

The
only wound that would get infected had to be my heart. Something from which I
would never heal. Tiffany had to be
mean
to me, even
in death.
Even when she had a gun to her head, about to kill
herself.
I clenched my fists as I walked on behind the others. If she
were still alive I would have killed her myself, or better yet, I would have
let her become a Corpse, and with my luck, she would come back and bit me. Then
my pain would go away forever.

“Zach?”
Wesley said as we made our way down the tunnel.

“Yeah?”
Anger leaked in my voice.

“Do
you love her?” He asked.

He
caught me off guard. “What?”

“Don't
act like you didn't hear. Just answer the damn question.”

“I'll
answer that later,” I said, and truthfully I'd never thought about it before.

“Then
I have something to tell you later,” He said. “Just remind me.”

I
didn't understand what he meant, but what did it matter? Nothing he told me
would make me feel better.

“I
see a light,” Kessa spoke up.

I
peered ahead to see a speck of light as well. “I see it too.”

“That's
where we're going,” Wesley
said
as he
splashedthere
must be

 
ahead
.

We
walked for a few more minutes until the light sat right before us. It had been
an optical illusion, just a slit coming through a wall.

“What's
behind this?” I asked.

Wesley
said, “Epic Impossibilities Games. Your friends are hopefully here.”

I
sighed. “And hopefully alive.”

Picturing
the group, I saw them outside Milpeg High School, Dave in his dragon shirt,
Jeff tall and silent, and cute Jessie, cute, innocent Jessie. They had to be
alive. If they weren't, I'd be stuck with Wesley and Kessa for the rest of my
life, however short.

Wesley
tapped on the wall, and a green panel of light appeared; like a hologram with a
handprint.

“A
hand scanner here?” I asked

“We
had to have more than one way in. The only person we never told was Serenade.”

I
asked, “I know you said she was bad for the company but--”

“She
was bad in general,” Wesley said. “Something that you wouldn't understand
unless you were by her side every day.”

“You'll
have to tell me all about that one day as well,” I said.

“When
you're old enough.” He chuckled.

“Asshole.”

“I
like you more and more every day, kid,” He said.

I
rolled my eyes. “We haven't even known each other a full 24 hours.”

Wesley
put his hand on the scanner and a green laser scanned his palm, down and then
up. An unseen door lifted into the wall, and a blast of air hit us from the
room beyond.

We
walked into the kitchen of Epic Impossibilities Games.

“Is
this the command center?” Kessa asked.

“Command
center?” Wesley and I both tilted our heads.

“Where
the UFOs come from. Ya know, the little green men?”

Wesley
laughed. “Sure, babe.”