Last Five Bullets: Chapter 1 – Five Bullets, Hundreds of Enemies

Chapter 1 – Five Bullets, Hundreds of Enemies

I need to reach Curaga to let them know I’m still alive and that I have the other half of the cure. The communication device on me is all static so I guess I have to reach a radio tower to enhance the signal. Luckily enough, there’s one in the distance. I just have to get there safely without attracting the attention of the hordes of flesh zombies. The flesh zombies are all congregating in the streets and appear to be combining together just by bumping into one another. This doesn’t appear to be deliberate, but this will be a problem if I don’t get out of here quick.

I look around the mechanic’s shop and find a door to the back alley. It’s empty back here and I find a fire exit above me. I use a nearby garbage can to climb my way up to the rooftops. The situation looks way worse up here with most of the streets crowded with flesh zombies. The town doesn’t look that big from where I am. I wonder if anyone is still alive.

While traveling across the rooftops, I do see people trying to fight. They appear to know that these zombies can regenerate, and that fire is the only way to kill them as they’re using sticks with fire on it. They appear to be holding their own so if I interfere, they will probably die, but I have no idea how they’re going to survive. I’m not even sure if Curaga want them to survive. There’s nothing that connects them to the infection except the hidden lab, but no one is going to find it unless they know where it is and unless they can completely burn this town to ashes.

The zombies haven’t noticed me, but I’ve seen them on the rooftops. It looks like they can crawl and climb relatively quickly though I don’t know why I haven’t gotten their attention yet. I know sound and smells have something to do with it. Maybe it’s because they seem to be focused on fusing with one another. They appear to know that fusing makes them stronger. I see two trying to break into a store. They meld together with each other to finally break down the door then turn around to meld with a few others before going into the store. That place better be empty.

Some of the zombies that have noticed me are a pain to deal with since I have so little that’s effective in dealing with them. I throw whatever I find on the roof at them and sometimes light things on fire with the heat from my knife to keep them away. This is already turning into a big problem especially since I’m so close to the radio tower. Hold on. It might not be. I see a bar not too far from here. I quickly get to it and start making as many molotov cocktails as I can. This place looks like it was a hideout before it was overrun. Who would want to make this place their hideout? It looks like they escaped out a secret exit behind the bar, which is where I’m going because the zombies are coming in.

Before leaving, I make sure the bar is set ablaze so the town can catch fire. The zombies won’t react to the fire until they feel its heat and by the time that happens, they all should be spreading the fire to one another. Now that I’m out of the bar, I sparingly use my molotovs on the crowds of zombies around me so they’re pre-occupied as I get to the radio tower. Once I reach the tower, I’ve used up all of my molotovs. I could only make so many in the time that I had. Damn. I can see in the distance that the bar collapsed on itself and some of the zombies are sacrificing themselves to put out the fire. At least there aren’t any zombies around here and I should have enough time to ask questions.

I link up my radio to the radio tower and call to Curaga, “Come in command. This is Retto. I’m-”

“We know you’re still alive, and we’re glad because of it.”

“What? How do you know?”

“The armor and equipment we gave you tell us your status and health. I guess that got brushed over in the briefing.”

“I’m not even going to question how, but what I’m going to need extraction. Several workers of yours didn’t want to give up half of the cure and-”

“We know what happened. The cameras there link directly back to our main headquarters.”

“Why didn’t they want to give us the other half of the cure?”

“It’s because they didn’t like the fact that they could only make it with our funding and that they won’t the major credit. It’s a thing of pride really. We are the leader in medical advances and the biggest in the business for a reason. Most other companies partner up with us nowadays just for a chance to be noticed and profit.”

“Having a monopoly isn’t as fun as it sounds, is it?”

“It’s not our fault most of the customers and governments in the world decided to choose us for all their medical needs. Well, maybe it’s partially our fault. We’re highly charitable to the world and our workers, and it seems that it was our downfall for this event, but you can change that if you bring us the cure. You can still save your daughter. We already have a helicopter going to the roof of the police station, which is the safest part of town that the helicopter can land on. Be quick about getting there. From what we see from our satellites is that the flesh is growing at a rapid rate, despite your efforts, and will soon overtake the town.”

“What about any survivors?”

“If there are any, you must make them escape on their own if you want to save them. They cannot escape with you because they may exaggerate what happened here and put all the blame on us. Finding evidence to prove our innocence will be difficult with how things are. Besides our recording of the recent event, we have no other evidence for our case. The traitors must’ve done all their planning outside of our facilities so that it looks like we are at fault for this outbreak.”

“Are you sure about the survivors? It doesn’t look like there’s any way to escape by vehicle or on foot. Do you really think that they’ll just blame the outbreak on you and not take us on our word?”

“Unfortunately, it’s the way things are going to have to be. This outbreak is the reason their home is destroyed. It is not likely that they will cooperate with us. Mr. Retto, you must be getting to the extraction point now. The helicopter is quickly approaching and once it lands, it cannot wait for long because of the dangers in the town. Good luck and Godspeed.”

I guess that’s the way things are going to have to be. The police station isn’t that far from here but getting there is another story. What am I going to do? What the? An explosion went off on one side of town. It looks like it took half the block with it. There’s my chance to move. I’m hoping what caused the explosion isn’t what I think it was because I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with it.

The now barren streets where the zombies once were are covered in blood without one piece of bone or flesh in sight. It looks like the explosion that gathered them together may prove to be a problem. Thankfully I find a nearby gun store. There should be something here I can use to keep the zombies at bay even if it isn’t that effective. Maybe there are some grenades I could use? Please?

Oh no. A group of four people come into the gun shop. We point our guns at each other.

“Who are you?” a slender man who looks like a gambler says.

“I’m just a survivor like you.”

“Really? Because I’ve never seen anyone wear anything that you do.”

“We don’t have time to interrogate him,” the teenaged girl says, “Are you going to let us take what we need from this shop or not?”

“You can have whatever you want as long as I take what I need.”

“Deal.”

I slowly lower my weapon first as the other four lower theirs. They then look through the shop while I go back to looking for explosives.

“What’s your plan, mister?” the teenaged girl asks me.

“I’m going to the police station then getting out of here.”

“Huh. Do you have someone there waiting for you?”

“I’m meeting someone there, so yes.”

“What’s your name?”

“Call me, Mr. Morte.”

“I’m Clarrisa.”

“I thought you said we don’t have time to interrogate him.”

“Shut it, Tony. I can talk to him if I want to. Did you find what we need?”

“Not yet.”

“Then mind your own business. Don’t mind him, Mr. Morte. He hasn’t learned how to listen to his superiors yet because he’s a rookie.”

“You guys are cops?”

“Yeah, and I’m the daughter of the chief of police, so you know I’m tough.”

“I used to be an officer until I did my job as an officer and brought a person of a protected class to justice.”

“If you were an officer here, you wouldn’t have been fired. Heck, I’d say you be promoted to chief of police just for that one act. You can still be since my father recently died and the position’s open.”

“Thank you, but I have to decline. I have to get a job done first.”

“Suit yourself then. We can escort you to the station. Think of it as a favor from one officer to another.”

“I’m fine on my own. You need to get out of town before it’s too late. I’m sure you’ve seen the growing number of flesh zombies that are melding together to form one enormous freak of nature.”

“You call those things flesh zombies? We just call them the flesh.”

“Don’t ignore my point. I’m used to doing jobs on my own. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Listen, old man. The place we’re going to is past the police station, and we’re going to need more weapons from the armory there, so we’re not bothering you if we tag along.”

She really wants to help even though she doesn’t know me. Her dad must’ve taught her well. I respect that, but I don’t want to be dishonest with her. I’ll have to make sure they leave before I’m picked up.

“If you’re going to be so persistent about it, then I guess I don’t have a choice. You can come along.”

“You got that right.”

Something in the corner of my eye catches my attention. It’s a flesh zombie that’s crawling on the glass outside of the gun store and it’s noticed us.

“Watch out!” I try to say as quickly as possible before the zombie attacks while pulling out a shotgun.

The zombie juts out its sharp bone-like tongue through the head of one of the cops. I shoot the zombie three times along with the other cops until the zombie is paste.

“Damn it!” Tony says as I gather my things.

I take out my knife, burn the remains of their friend, then burn the remains of the zombie.

“What are you doing?”

“These zombies come back to life if don’t burn everything. Don’t you know that?”

“No. We’ve been surviving for a while and haven’t figured that out. How did you?”

“I pay more attention.”

Crowds of zombies start appearing around us.

“What the heck?” Clarrisa says as she readies her weapons, “I thought that explosion we made would’ve held their attention for longer.”

“I think we attract them more than sound.”

I take out the grenade launcher I found and start blowing up the nearby cars to start fires in the streets.

“Let’s hurry!” I say as I run through an alley, which is the only area without zombies.

I’m glad and terrified at the same time that I have help with me. What am I going to do to save their lives while also keeping my secret? I’m going to have to come up with an answer soon, and I already know that it’s going to be difficult.