Dog Eat Dog, page 7
“Hey, stop that! Don’t you see I’m trying to help you?!” Called a young man’s voice through the interference of exploding gas tanks and yowling dogs as they were being blown apart.
Will found himself frozen momentarily from a different kind of shock. He knew there were other survivors here, but he wasn’t expecting anything like this. Especially to find himself being rescued by someone who appeared so young.
“Well, come on, or I’m going to have to leave you here. Darren can only cover us for so long,” stated the boy very sternly.
Will quickly grabbed the young man’s hand and alighted from the car, running close behind him through the parking lot as the boy deftly swung his blood covered and battle worn red fire ax. He sliced through each dog that lunged at them like a pro baseball batter hitting home runs with every swing of his weapon. They went at such a scene blurring pace that it felt it took almost no time at all for them to make it to the side of the building where a service ladder that hung halfway down the brick wall. The young man turned to him and motioned for him to go first. “Age before beauty, doc,” he said, before quickly turning to whack the head off of what was once a pit bull that charged up from behind him. Will observed momentarily at how clear it was that he had become quite experienced at handling himself in this kind of situation. He quickly obeyed the boy’s orders as he was afraid if he waited too much longer, the boy would do as he threatened before and leave him to fend for himself. And, Will knew that right now he would much rather be under the protection of this young man as he was currently very ill-equipped to combat anything just now. Not only because he did not have a weapon, but because he was quite terrified and at a loss for how to react just now.
A rush of bodies and loud growling and barking soon filled the alley beneath them like the crashing current of a mighty river. The boy’s legs dangled, and he kicked violently as he yelled at the doctor urging him to go up the ladder faster for the beasts were jumping higher and higher nearly gripping the young man’s boots with every gnashing of their now tearing shark-like teeth. Will felt almost like Spiderman or a scared cat as he rapidly scrambled up the half rusted and white paint chipped rungs of the metal ladder to the roof where he was grabbed firmly by the surprisingly strong hand of another young man who took him by the shoulders and flung him onto the flat top of the roof beside him. Will shook his head as he was slightly disoriented from the impact with the concrete. He watched as the two boys high fives after the other made his way onto the roof after him.
“Whoo! Next time bitches!” Called the taller young man down to the snarling creatures that nearly swept him away. “That was a close one,” he said to the shorter boy.
“A little too close, you need to be more careful, Daniel. Has anyone told you… you’re a crazy motherfucker!” The shorter boy laughed through a sigh of what Will could only guess was relief.
“A few times, but somebody had to go down there and get the doc. Miss Bullock said we were expecting him for that lady,” replied Daniel.
Will quickly stood to his feet at hearing this, he knew they must be talking about his wife, Madeline. “Hey, that lady you’re talking about?” Will asked anxiously wringing his tingling hands. The boys looked him intently now.
“Yeah, I think Miss Bullock said her name was Madeline something,” said Daniel.
“Yes, yes, yes! She’s my wife. Can you take me to her?” Will’s anxiety grew at the thought of how her condition must be worsening in all of this. Not to mention, after he asked this, the boys shared a look between the two of them that greatly disconcerted him. Surely, he wasn’t too late. Someone please tell him he wasn’t too late.
“I think we should take him to Evelyn first,” said the shorter boy to Daniel.
“I think you’re right, Darren,” Daniel answered.
“Why? What’s going on?” Will asked at a loss for what to think.
“Well, sir, I think its best that you get the skinny from her. Things, as you can see, are a little crazy right now. And, she knows what’s going on down there better than we do right now. So we’re gonna let her make this call,” Daniel replied, very matter of factly, like some type of military official.
Will wondered just how much growing up these boys had to do over the last few weeks. But the thought only passed through his mind for a moment as his concern returned fully to the condition in which he would find his wife.
Daniel pulled a walkie talkie from his belt and held down the outgoing button. “Hey, Miss Bullock, do you read me? Over?’
Static came over the receiver for a second before being interrupted by the female voice he had heard over his wife’s cell phone earlier.
“Reading you loud and clear, Danny boy, over. What’s up?” she responded.
“We’ve got the doctor on the roof with us, safe. He wants to see his wife. Over,” Daniel informed her. There was a longer pause than Will would have liked before she answered him. “Alright, good job, boys. Come through the vents to the second level of the gym. We don’t know just how many of the floors have been compromised. So you guys keep me posted on your location, okay.” She sounded like a concerned mother talking to her children, from what Will could hear of her tone that was slightly garbled by the water like interference of the static between channels.
“Yes, ma’am, Miss Bullock. Danny boy, out.” Daniel put the walkie talkie back into his obviously hand-crafted utility belt and turned to face the doctor and Darren. “Well, you heard her fellas, to the vents.” He made a sweeping motion with his long arms in the direction of an air duct tower only a few feet away from them.
“Alright, Darren, you go first. The doc can go between us, and I’ll take up the rear, seeing as how I am the widest of the three of us, and it will be better if I get stuck that I am behind you,” Daniel instructed.
Darren let out a laugh, and Will was surprised to find that he couldn’t help but release a small burst of laughter himself. To which they both received a harsh reprimanding look from Daniel. He was obviously being very serious and did not feel that they had any time at all to lost for unnecessary laughter.
“Sorry, bro. Come on, doc, follow me,” Darren said as he popped the lid off of the vent and lowered himself inside, but not before imparting one last piece of advice. “It’s better if you enter like you are diving, that way you can crawl forwards through the ducts.”
“Gotcha,” Will replied, indicating that he understood with an awkward two-finger salute, that he questioned immediately after giving it.
Will crouched down and entered his long lanky body into the narrow duct, being sure to place the bag of medical supplies in front of him and make sure he didn’t lose anything vital to Madeline’s survival. If she was still alive, that is, but those around him were being so cryptic he couldn’t tell what was going on as far as she was concerned. And, uncertainty was something he feared more than anything else in life. He could never stand being left in the dark about anything. Especially when it came to things like this.
The sound of scraping and sliding filled the ducts as the three of them shimmied their way to their destination. Will watched carefully for what he should do to exit the tube. Darren scooted a little quicker over the appropriate vent before giving it a light kick causing it to open, then he backed up just enough to lower himself out of it. “Look down below!” he called down to those under him as he dropped out of the square hole. Will followed suit, with Daniel close behind him, assisting him in his descent, and handing him the bag after he made it safely to the floor.
He soon found himself amongst a small cluster of even more young people, all dressed in similar garb and just as combat-equipped and ready as the other two. Will stood there scanning their soot dusted faces, unsure of how to conduct himself. This was all very awkward. He didn’t know whether he should introduce himself to all of them. But before he was able to, what he felt, was about to be an utter fool of himself the small group around him parted like the sea to reveal a shortly slightly wide framed woman with a chestnut complexion. She looked a good bit older than the rest of them, so he felt it was safe to assume that the woman was who they wanted him to meet first. Darren stood at her side. “Here, Evelyn, this is the doc.” Darren gestured with his hand as he made the informal introduction.
“Dr. Will Finch,” Will introduced himself, holding out his hand to shake hers. She reciprocated the gesture and shook his hand.
“Good to meet you, Dr. Finch. I am Evelyn Bullock. Sorry that it has to be under these circumstances,” Evelyn responded.
“You don’t have to apologize,” he began. “Where is Madeline?” Will asked the only question bearing on his frantic mind, the whole reason for his presence here in the first place.
Evely n’s face took on a very grim expression which caused him to fear the worse even more than he had previously. She let out a sigh as she collected her thoughts to strategically and calmly answer him. He knew that it was more to keep him calm than herself, so he braced himself for the bomb he feared she was about to drop on him.
“Well, the thing about that is, Dr. Finch…Will. Your wife is currently in our nurse’s office. We have her locked away…” Evelyn started to explain.
“Locked away, why? Why isn’t she here? I don’t understand,” Will interrupted her with a strain of distress in his voice.
“That is what I was getting to, sir. Your wife has already been taken by the madness, and it would have been too much of a risk to her safety and ours to bring her here,” Evelyn informed him.
This news hit him like a ton of bricks, and his knees nearly buckled under the weight. He rocked back on his heels, and Evelyn put out her hands to settle him, keeping him from falling out in the floor. He knew what she had told him meant that she was most likely too far gone to be saved. But he couldn’t lose hope, he had to do everything in his power he believed that he could to save Madeline. None of the people here were trained medical professionals, maybe there was something that they missed. Perhaps, they had just written off her condition too quickly due to their urgent need to escape to safety. He couldn’t, and didn’t, blame them for this; but he had to try and save her. If only, to be able to tell himself later when he needed the solace of the thought that he made some kind of an effort. It was the least he could do as a tribute to his years of love for Madeline and everything they had been through together. And, Lord knows, she had certainly been through quite a lot at the expense of living with him all these years.
“I need to see her. Will someone please take me to her?” Will looked around the faces of the group for someone to volunteer, but there was no one who would readily do so.
“You don’t seem to understand, doctor. I know this is hard to process because she is your wife, and you obviously love her. But, I can’t put you at risk like that. I’m sorry. I won’t,” Evelyn stated firmly.
A sense of determination mingled with frustration filled Will to almost boiling, and he stepped forward, towering over Evelyn to show his intent.
“Whether you take me or not, I am going to find Madeline. I need to see her for myself,” Will stated sternly through nearly gritted teeth. He could feel his jaw tighten to a jutting sharp line. But the harshness of what he knew his expression must be now did not seem to phase Evelyn in the slightest. She continued to look into his eyes with an unwavering strength that he wished he had possessed earlier.
“Alright, I suppose this is the only way for you to get the full picture. It’s probably better if I take you,” Evelyn said, finally, still staring into his eyes. She only averted her gaze briefly to call over her shoulder to the others. “You guys hold down the fort while we’re gone.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they all replied in one voice.
“I need to school the good doctor on a few things,” Evelyn said.
Once again Will found himself being navigated through the maze of ducts that ran throughout the top of the school. He was able to get a horrifying view of all of the areas of the school that had been overrun by the large pack of ravenous dogs that had decided to assault the high school tonight. He also listened to Evelyn as she relayed the information to her students over the walkie as they went along.
Finally, they came to a stopping point, and he felt a mingled surge of relief and worry as he heard a muttering female voice below them. He watched as Evelyn maneuvered herself to one side of the duct and motioned for him to squeeze beside her. Which he did to the best of his ability. He was never so grateful than he was at this moment for the fact that he had such a lean frame.
The grumbling that was punctuated by whines and growls grew louder and less muffled as he drew closer to the vent. He peered with straining eyes into the dim room that was only lit by the flames from the fires that burned outside the window of the nurse’s office. He couldn’t reconcile what he was seeing with his previous memories of Madeline. “What is that sound?” Will asked, even though he was afraid he already knew the terrifying answer to this question. This would mean the would have to resolve himself to believe everything Evelyn had told him was true. But he wasn’t ready to do that, not just yet anyway. He needed to still be able to hold onto any glimmer of hope he could, however small it might be.
“That sound, Will, is your wife,” Evelyn replied, looking at him as if to say that she tried to warn him.
Will could not even find the words to respond. He wasn’t sure if there really were any really fit for a situation like this. He silently moved forward through the duct as he had seen Darren do earlier and kicked the vent open, before dropping himself down into the almost lightless room. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the shadows that surrounded him. Will’s vision panned the space quickly searching for Madeline before finally settling on a crouching dark mass that sat huddled between the wall and the small counter which held a washing sink. The grumbling and low rapid fire whispering was coming from there. Will slowly walked towards it. “Madeline?” he asked, even though he knew very well she was the only one who could be there.
Will set the bag of supplies on the examination table and pulled out a bottle of antivirals and a needle armed syringe. “Madeline, it’s Will. It’s going to be alright, I’m going to make you better,” he assured her as he continued to cautiously proceed towards her with a full syringe.
The grumbling stopped for a moment with a small grunt. She snapped her head around to look at him with a loud pop of the muscles in her neck. It sent shivers down his spine, and he could also feel the warm rush of tears fill his eyes and threaten to pour out over his cheeks. But he needed to keep his composure if he was going to execute this properly.
As he came closer, Will noticed something strange and demented about Madeline’s eyes. Also, her skin was grayish and patchy looking in appearance. He could only guess that was from the high fever she was running due to the disease.
“It’s going to be okay now, Madeline. I’m just going to give you some medicine, alright,” Will said, in a calm whispering, even tone that amazed him.
Madeline’s eyes widened as a glint of something flushed into them. He wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but whatever it was he didn’t like it. A crooked and disturbing smile curled up the sides of her lips, as she began to chuckle raspily under her breath. He could see the flashing of red strobe lights, along with the raising of many red flags, and the sound of alarms in his mind. But, he did his best to force the images away and ignore them for her sake, he thought. He had to try, no matter what the cost.
Will drew even closer to her, syringe at the ready. He was still concerned with being gentle with her, though he knew he may have to react very quickly as these cases tended to go south very fast. But nothing could have prepared him for what she did next.
Madeline suddenly rose to her feet in a great growling rage and lunged forward at him, knocking him back against the table behind him. The force of her impact forced the full syringe from his hand and somewhere onto the floor of the dark room. He heard the small clicking noise as it hit the tile and tried to use that as some way to locate it. However, he didn’t have much time to begin looking for it; for she was on him clawing, snarling, and biting like the dogs outside the window that somehow seemed to be whipped into a frenzy by her wailing inhuman cries. Will felt grief wash over him as he fought for his life against this now hideous creature that he once knew to be his wife. There was truly no saving her now, she was no longer in there. But the fact she looked enough like herself it weakened his ability to use deadly force with her. He knew deep down there was no other option but to put her out of her misery.
Will dug down inside of himself, and with a loud growl of his own, he took hold of her arms and thrust her away from himself against the wall. Her recovery would at least buy him some time to find the syringe, which he was able to retrieve a lot quicker and more gratefully than he expected. By the time he turned around, she was on him once again, snarling and biting at his neck. Will raised the syringe and plunged it deep into the seat of Madeline’s temple. And, like the calm after a raging storm, everything seemed to slow down and go calm around Will as Madeline’s now lifeless body went limp and crumpled onto the floor at his feet like a sack of old potatoes.
The world around him began to spin as the sound of the rabid dogs breaking the glass of the windows sounded like something out of a distant nightmare in his ears. Even more distant was the sound of Evely n’s voice calling to him from above his head, trying to get him to come back to reality.
All Will knew of the world now was that his was completely shattered and he did not care anymore if he were to be torn limb from limb by the beasts that were breaching the small confines of the room he now stood in.
