Instant relief and a weird sense of exhilaration replaced my dread as I saw what he was carrying up the stairs. Cradled in his hand like a child was a shiny black rifle. He almost seemed afraid of it, carrying it that way. I quickly descended the ladder and met him at the bottom. His eyes were scared.

  "I found this on one of my raids. It was just lying there with this..." He carefully balanced the gun on one arm as he reached into his back pocket to pull out a box of ammunition. "I don't know how to use it but..."

  His eyes seemed to widen as I plucked the gun from the crook of his arm and looked it over. It was different from the one Ryan had, but it looked like it worked about the same. I instantly felt the urge to clean it and prepare it for use. I grabbed the ammo from him too. The box hadn't been opened and held 30 rounds. It wasn't a lot, but a few well placed shots could be the difference between life and death... being trapped or escaping. I hadn't held a gun in a while and it actually felt good.

  "This is great." I said turning for the ladder. He followed me up and silently watched as I laid the rifle out on the floor in front of us. "I'm gonna need a few things if you have it. A toothbrush or anything with bristles, some cloth, transmission fluid... and maybe some other sort of lubricant. I know you said you worked on your bike a lot... so..."

  Bren nodded and went down to the garage again. I had only helped Ryan clean his rifle a handful of times, but the images seemed to stick with me. A few moments later Bren came back with everything I had asked for, which was great. I told him we'd need to take these things with us so that we could continue to clean the gun. I secretly hoped I was using the right things to clean it. I had used these tools on my smaller pistols, but Ryan had used a kit of supplies for the rifle every time I had seen him clean it.

  I figured anything was better than nothing and as I got into the process I felt more and more confident that Bren and I would be okay. We'd make it to the airport and get completely re-supplied. We could even possibly stay there for a while if things stayed safe. It really had me thinking about that first day and how it felt to actually feel safe after feeling completely vulnerable. It made me remember the first time I ever shot a gun and the way it made me surge with adrenaline.

  It happened later on that day, the eighth day.

  Even though Ryan had told me to keep an eye on the mob in front of the building, all I wanted to do was run out to the hangar with him and not be alone. I contemplated waking up Adam, but if Ryan said he needed rest, then I would let him have as much as possible. I juggled the keys in my hand and frowned. There were at least a dozen of them and I had no idea which was which. It would be just our luck that I would have to use them and waste precious time fiddling around not being able to open a door. That would probably get all of us killed.

  I remembered seeing a package of multi-colored plastic key covers on the desk in one of the offices. I figured I could at least color code them to make deciphering which key I had used easier. Plus, when Ryan came back he could identify them and I'd be able to use them faster. I left my post and ventured into one of the small side offices. Using the flashlight I scanned the desk and easily found the package. I faltered a bit as the light shone on a picture of a mother holding a small child in her lap. She was smiling and seemed so happy.

  I wondered if she was alive. I wondered if the baby was alive. A lump formed in my throat and I wanted to run from the room, but instead I felt my knees weaken. I sat down heavily in the chair behind the desk and put my head in my hands. The reality of everything seemed to just pour over me, as if a dam had broken. My entire body shuddered and I could feel the tears burning in my eyes.

  That's when I heard the back door slam open and Ryan calling my name. I jumped up, running towards it. Ryan was standing there, early morning sunlight creating a silhouette of his body in the frame, a set of car keys dangling from his hands.

  "We are outta here, but we gotta move fast! I think there might be some company on the far end of the field, but it'll take a while for them to get here. Let’s go!"

  We ran to the conference room and roused our two companions. Tina looked even worse than when she went to sleep. She crawled from under the table and stood up, her eyes blinking rapidly as if she was trying to wake up. I could tell by the look on her face that she didn't want to believe it was real. I pushed two of the duffel bags of food in her direction and she absently picked them up. Her face grew increasingly vacant as we scrambled for the last of our supplies.

  Adam looked dazed too, but also a little guilty. He put the remaining bags on his back and pulled the ice chest of water leaving me holding the gun and the keys. I shrugged, giving the room one last look before following after them outside. The front of the building was still being assaulted and I was more than happy to leave it all behind.

  Waiting for us outside was a small black sedan. It had the logo of the company painted on its side. The trunk was open and everyone was throwing things inside. I helped with the ice chest and just as we closed the trunk I heard it. A long low groaning sound, not human, more like metal being bent under enormous pressure. I turned to see the fence surrounding the airfield. Countless bodies were pressed into it. A few of the bars were bending under the weight. Arms reached through the spaces in a hungry stretch towards where we were parked. I had gotten so used to their hungry growls I hadn't noticed how close they were to us.

  I scrambled for the front seat which had been left open for me. Ryan hit the accelerator as soon as I closed the door. We sped out onto the runway, the lights still blinking as their automatic timer hadn't turned them off yet. The blue, yellow, and white blurred by as we sped towards the control tower. We passed it quickly, but not before I saw three forms stumbling from the other side of it. They were wearing the familiar uniform of fire fighters. It made my heart drop.

  Nobody was immune.

  We continued on, passing a section that was packed with row upon row of small single engine aircraft, a lot of them I could identify as Cessna's. I saw a few weird looking planes as well as some helicopters. I looked back and sure enough, the firefighters were following at a slow pace. I knew we'd get to the lot long before they reached us. I just wasn't sure what would be waiting for us there.

  I saw the building Ryan had drawn on the map come into view. It was paned in glass and seemed to glow in the sunlight. Tina gave a tiny shout right before the decaying arm of a man slapped into the side of the car. I hadn't even seen him coming because I had been so enthralled with what I hoped would be a safe haven.

  Ryan cursed as he swerved to avoid 3 more shambling figures in our path. They were really close and we'd have absolutely no time to play around once we reached the gate. Ryan explained that we'd have to carry everything by hand. He didn't want to breach the perimeter of the airfield if he could help it. It could prove disastrous if it became overran. As it was now, we could see a dozen of them migrating towards us, drawn by the sound of the engine.

  We finally made it, Ryan shifted into reverse and pulled the car up the gate, trunk first. Several airport police cars were parked in the same section along with a small fleet of natural gas powered vehicles with the city seal on the doors. I took note of these as Ryan gave us the rundown of how we would proceed. Tina would have to take the job of carrying most of the gear. Ryan and Adam would carry the packs and I would pull the water. The lot behind the gate around the office building was populated with about 4 undead, easily avoided if we moved quickly. There was an entrance directly across from where we were. It led into the ground floor of the building into an atrium. The stairs were directly to the left up a small hallway. Ryan would take point with Adam at the rear when we got into the tight conditions.

  "We have to clear every office in that place, but our priority is to make it to the airport manager’s office. We'll have to pass every single room on the second floor, but if we move quickly we can do it safely. If you see the need to fire, make sure that nobody is in your path and shoot for the head if you can. If that is too hard, try for legs, any way to slow them down will be helpful. Are you ready?"

  He looked directly at me. I didn't have a choice.

  "Take the keys, I don't know which to use..." I handed him the ring. He nodded and pushed it into his breast pocket next to a box of shells for his rifle.

  We all looked out of the windows. It was clear for now, but the few zombies we had passed were closing the distance with every second.

  Ryan counted to three and we all seemed to eject from the car. The trunk had been popped and we all scrambled towards it. Ryan flung one of the large backpacks over his shoulder and began to loop the duffel bags over Tina's neck. She looked like a statue, her body swaying as he jerked gear over her head. Her expression was completely blank.

  I couldn't stare at her for long. The breeze carried the almost familiar smell of death along with a harried moan and my skin began to crawl. The zombies on our side of the fence were getting close. Ryan swung open the gate and we all filtered through. He had his rifle at the ready just as the four parking lot monsters turned in unison to make their way towards us.

  One of them was fast. He was the furthest away and let out an almost excited chirp as he began a loping jog across the concrete. Along with him another man in a suit and tie started to move. Two other men in janitorial uniforms rushed at us from the direction of the door. We could try to evade them, but we'd waste precious time and we knew all too well how quickly they could collect if they got wind of fresh meat.

  "We're gonna have to shoot!" Ryan called out. I stopped, dropping the rope connected to the water. I raised the pistol, readying myself to fire it if I needed to. I hadn't gotten a chance to shoot before that moment. It felt like my blood turned to ice, a visible shiver rippled through my body. One of the janitors began to drool, a murky brown liquid dripped from his sagging lips. I felt an anger start to rumble up from somewhere in my chest. It spread like heat, a direct contrast to the chill I had just felt. I tightened my grip on the gun as he lunged towards Ryan.

  Without a second thought Ryan squeezed the trigger. The zombie fell, the left side of his head spraying back in a fine mist. A large chunk of bone spun in the air before falling down with the rest of the carnage.

  "Move, move, move!" Ryan yelled pushing onward towards the door.

  He took out the second janitor the same as he had the first. I noticed that he stopped and aimed carefully, leaving very little chance for error.

  I still hadn't fired the gun and I could feel my heart racing. I looked over at Adam. He had grabbed the rope to the water and was hoofing it towards the glass doors that led into the building. I noticed the man in the suit was closing in but he was quickly dispatched by Ryan’s rifle. I realized I was being useless as well as being left behind. I kept my pistol raised and began to trot after them.

  That is when Tina screamed and dropped one of the bags from her shoulder. The faster zombie had rounded the corner and snarled at her, lunging towards us. Ryan had turned to unlock the door and dropped the keys as he tried to readjust the rifle in his hands.

  We didn't have time to wait for him to line up a shot.

  Tina had fallen over, the weight of the bags finally taking its toll. The runner was a few feet away, the hunger clearly evident in his murky dead eyes.

  I turned the pistol towards him and without allowing myself to think, I squeezed in on the trigger. It was louder than I expected and my arms jerked up from the recoil. The bullet grazed past his shoulder, taking a tuft of fabric with it. Swirls of material seemed to move in slow motion in front of my eyes. I immediately squeezed again, this time clipping the back of his head. Scalp and a fine mist of blackened goop sprayed in the air. Third times a charm, as I squeezed again compensating for the recoil in my grip. A hole erupted in the side of his face, taking off his jaw and knocking him to the ground.

  I hadn't hit his brain though, so he scrambled to get up again. His face dripped with coagulated blood and a strange green goop. He gurgled and lunged forward again.

  By then Ryan had lined up a shot and he finished off the ghoul with a neat bullet to the center of his forehead.

  He fell inches from Tina, his fingers jerking against the fabric of one of the bags.

  I ran to pick them up, all too aware of the noises of the undead pressing against the gate we had just closed behind us and the sound of shuffling footsteps from the driveway to the lot we were currently running through. I helped Tina stand. Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips trembled. I led her forward. Ryan held the door open and we all piled in. He quickly locked it and swept the room with his rifle. It was still and quiet. Sunlight played in the green of the plants around us. Water trickled from a small fountain.

  Suddenly a body smashed into the glass door, followed by a moan.

  We didn't stay long to see how many more would come. We raced for the stairs which were exactly where he said they would be. I helped lift the ice chest as we went up, the weight of it seeming like almost nothing as the adrenaline in my body pushed me forward.

  We made the long U-shaped trek of the building, quickly passing doors that we hoped would stay closed. Our ears were primed for the gurgle of a monster and we were all relieved as we made it to the last door that led into the manager’s office. With practiced ease he unlocked the door and we all ran in. The office was dark and quiet.

  We were able to secure it quickly, nobody had been there since the airport had closed down.

  Ryan called to us from the large executive office. It had several large windows showing a panoramic view of the airport. The scattered forms of zombies coming from several corners of the airfield caught my eye. We could also see the parking lot, which had suddenly become a hot spot, at least 20 more crowding around the door we had just come through.

  While we had a lot of work to do before I could take a breath, I knew that we would be okay. I felt okay. I had actually shot a gun. I had helped to protect someone. This place wasn't perfect, but the thick door we had come through and the ease with which we could barricade ourselves inside gave me a small bit of confidence that maybe we'd make it through the worst of it all and come out the other side.

  I had hope.

  67th Day: 12:54 PM

  We leave tomorrow.

  I cleaned the gun and showed Bren how to load it. I explained the basic principles of shooting. I am not sure if he understood the whole thing about "squeezing" vs. "pulling" on the trigger... but if he ends up shooting this thing, I'm sure he'll find out. Along with compensating for recoil and not allowing the loud noise to scare you from shooting again if necessary.

  I suppose I had a natural instinct for shooting a gun. I didn't find out until after everything had calmed down at the airport. The three shots I had taken were in rapid succession. In my mind it seemed like everything had been moving in slow motion. I suppose that's one of the effects of a massive rush of adrenaline to the brain. That whole day seems to have gone by in a weird sort of time warp.

  After our initial sweep of the place, Ryan gave the command to completely secure the entire building. We would need to secure the large glass doors that were at both of the first floor entrances as well as sweep the airport police office which was on the ground level as well. There was sure to be a lot of useful gear there, including weapons, riot gear, and keys to the squad cars. That is if we could ever clear the area around them to actually use them.

  We left Adam and Tina to organize the manager’s office for more efficient use. We would need a room set up for supplies, a good place for surveillance and a secure place to sleep. Tina seemed to perk up at the thought of it and even helped us move some of the desks outside of the offices. Ryan wanted to use them to secure the doors. If we placed them correctly we could completely cover the glass of the doors and create a pretty effective barricade. He said he had an alternate way for us to get in and out of the building once that was done, but he didn't elaborate at that time.

  We picked up our guns and slowly descended the stairs. The undead population outside had tripled and they were adamant about getting inside. The entire ground floor seemed to echo with their noise and I wanted to put my hands over my ears and scream back. As soon as they saw us round the corner their intensity increased. I was so relieved when Ryan crossed to the airport police office without stopping. The last thing I needed was to have to sit and stare at their decaying faces for any amount of time. We crossed into the small waiting room and over to the large thick door.

  He had a key for that too and soon we were walking through a briefing room and back towards the lockers. It turned out to be an amazing haul. We retrieved several guns, including a few high powered rifles. We got bullet proof vests and some other tactical supplies. There were even a few flash bang grenades (not sure how that would affect a zombie though) and some other stuff Ryan threw into a rolling basket he had found. I had one as well and I spent my time filling it up with the random foods that were in the kitchen area, batteries, and flashlights. Before we left I made sure he grabbed the keys to the cars, some batons, and extra police uniforms. We needed to go back a few times to get everything, which also included two cots and a few large maps of the area.

  Once we had picked the room clean we started barricading. It took Adam's help to get all the desks down the stairs but soon we had 5 desks lined up on their sides covering the glass of both doors. We reinforced it with more of the heavy furniture until it was almost impossible to get around the blockade to the other sections of the first floor. We took some extra time to blockade the door to each office on that level. They were lined with glass and if the zombies got through we wanted to keep them confined and outside of the ground level. We didn't plan on going there much so we also barricaded the inside of the staircase doors. I would have liked going out into the atrium with the fountain, but the zombies moaning would probably make that less than ideal anyway.

  We decided to barricade the elevator as well. It sucked up a lot of power we wanted to reserve for the radios so it was best to disconnect the power and fill it full of debris. I'm not sure how anything could have used it if they couldn't even figure out how to turn a doorknob, but better safe than sorry. For one last measure Ryan booby trapped the stairs going from the first to second floor. He precariously placed a large desk at the top of the first landing with a trip wire. If it was stepped on the desk would fall. Not only would it crush what had been trying to get up, but it would alert us to a breach.

 

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