Million Dollar Zombie 3-1

[...Posted by Ted H]

You know how freakin impossible it is to write when you're suppose to be watching your 1 year old nephew and he won't stop crying unless you hold him...but now you're trying to type with one arm while holding a child in the other while he keeps trying to slam his little hands down as hard as he can on your keyboard........this is why I shall remain childless...


Aaaaaaaaaaaanyway, I was originally planning to do a mock-bible write-up for Easter, but then some shit went down around here and I found myself with no time to attempt such a task. The effort required was too great to do at the last minute, so I guess I'll just shelf the idea for a year. If you must know-it involved Jesus pissing off God big time, fist-fighting Satan, and fighting zombies with the apostles. I know everyone's pants just got real moist at that preview, but you're going to have to contain yourself until next year.

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[Million Dollar Zombie 3-1]

            "Noooooooo!" Marko screamed as the taillights of Jacks truck disappeared into the storm. "You fucking bastards!" he screamed as some zombies who were blindly following the truck turned towards the screaming. "Shut the fuck up," Ted said as he aimed his gun at the zombies already closing in "We need a new plan. We can't stay here."

           "We run after them. They have to turn back, right?" Marko suggested. Ted was about to respond as a scream grabbed their attention. Both men exchanged an "Oh shit" look before running towards Jay, who was trying to push off zombies as more shuffled over. One had a hold of his leg as it continuously bit into him while another had a grip on his shoulder, keeping Jay from pushing it too far away.
            Ted rushed over and grabbed the zombie on his shoulder and easily tossed him aside while Marko shot the other one in the head. "Give me the gun and grab him," Ted shouted as Marko handed over his gun and helped Jay up. He couldn't put any weight on his right leg so Marko had to shoulder him.
            "We won't last ten minutes out here," Ted shouted as they slowly moved out, Ted shooting a few zombies to clear a path. "We're not leaving Jay behind," Marko barked. Ted made a face as he looked out in the direction of Cazenovia. "We head for the town," he finally shouted "Find somewhere safe to hold up. Move!"
            The three made their way towards the town, carefully weaving their way through the closing hoard. Jay balled his hood up around his left shoulder to cover the bite wound while he gritted through the pain radiating from the devoured remains of his right calf. He knew Jerry had done all he could before running. If he stayed any longer, he probably would've lost out on his chance to escape. Jay wondered if Ted and Marko were carelessly throwing away their chance to escape by staying to help.
            They had gotten ahead of the main mob, but main street still had a few dozen scattered about, and the snow was letting up, exposing them all the more. "What's the plan?" Marko asked. "My old apartment," Ted said "End of this block we turn and-"
            "I don't suppose your landlord let you keep the keys," Marko interrupted.
            "We'll improvise," Ted said as he sidestepped a lunging zombie. He didn't want to attract more with gunfire, but that was too close so the next one that came in Ted fired. "They're too many!" Jay cried out as their progress was all but halted by an incoming horde, almost shoulder to shoulder. Ted shot a couple hoping to create a hole in the approaching wall as more undead approached from behind.
            They backed up towards a jewelry store. The window in front was cracked but didn't look like it could be broken open with the means anyone had on them. Marko dropped Jay near the door while Ted aimed and fired into the closing crowd. Marko ran up and kicked into the door but it didn't budge. "It's bolted or something!" Ted said without turning. "Then I just need to kick harder!" Marko shouted as he tried again "We don't have much choice!"
            "Down to one!" Ted yelled as one of his guns clicked empty while Marko made a failed third attempt to open the door. "I'm so sorry guys," Jay said as he buried his head in his hands then almost jumped at the sound of a booming gunshot that felt like it was right next to him.
            "This way!" Someone yelled as they appeared from a door to the left of the jewelry store. They held up a rifle and fired again into the horde. Ted and Marko both grabbed Jay and dragged him to the door. The man followed them and closed it. The door had a large center window that was covered with a nailed board on the inside.
            They entered into a cramped stairway that led to two doors on the second floor. One of those doors were boarded up with a red x painted on the outside. The man began walking up the steps. "Get away from the door," he said as the door to the street began to shake from pounds from outside. "Will that hold?" Marko asked. "It has so far," the man said "But if you want to stay and find out if it survives this assault..."
            Ted pocketed both guns and helped Marko shoulder Jay as they began up the stairs, every step gave off an uncomfortably loud creak as they progressed. "You know this guy?" Marko asked as Ted shook his head. When they reached the top, Ted looked at the boarded up door and listened. "There's something in there," he said. "Living or dead?" Marko asked.
            "Stay away from that door, too," the man said as he stood by his own door and motioned everyone in. As soon as they were through, he closed the door and began pushing a couch in front of the door. Ted helped while Marko brought Jay into the kitchen. "Thanks, by the way," Ted said as the man nodded and slung his rifle around his back. "The others are inside. Grab your friends and head on in."
            Ted walked into the kitchen to find Jay on the ground holding a wad of paper towels on his leg bite. Marko was digging in the cabinets looking for anything he could use to dress Jay's wounds. "How bad?" Ted asked. "Hurts like a bitch," Jay responded "And the bleeding won't stop." Jay's hood was soaking through and stuck on his shoulder. He made no attempt to move it.
            "Better than nothing," Marko said as he pulled out a large rag and began tearing it up. "How'd that guy find us anyway?" Jay asked as he tossed the bloody wad aside and shoved a new one in before tying it down. "Shooting guns right outside his window might have something to do with it," Ted said "And there are more people here."
            "Can we trust any of them?" Marko asked as he dropped the last of the rag down to Jay. "I trust anything that's not trying to eat me," Jay said as he finished up and pocketed the remaining rag. "Just let me do the talking," Ted said as they helped Jay up and walked out and towards the living room.
            The apartment as a whole wasn't spacious. From the door they entered in was a hallway leading to bedrooms in back. The main living area was divided by a mess of boxes, leaving only a narrow path from the kitchen to the front of the apartment where three men were waiting. One was peering out the window in the corner, another was laid out on a couch drinking a beer. The one with the gun was standing nearby, arms folded, and cleared his throat when Ted and company arrived.
            "I'm Doc," the man said "That's Ryan by the window and John's getting drunk." Ryan barely looked over from the window, taking more care to spy on the horde just outside. John nodded to the men but seemed too inebriated to care beyond that.  Jay was let off onto the couch and Marko stood in front of him. "I'm Ted. That's Marko and Jay is on the couch," Ted said as Doc tried to look around Marko at Jay. "What's wrong with your friend?" he asked.
            "Ankle," Jay said quickly as he slunk down in his seat. His entire coat was wet from the melted snow and his pants were covered in mud which helped to conceal the parts that were soaked with blood. "I took a nasty fall out there."
            "What were you even doing out there?" Doc asked. "Well..." Marko started but Ted cut in "Trying to get out," he said.
            "There's no getting out," Doc said.
            "No harm in trying."
            "Your friend's hurt and you almost got eaten."
            "Either get out or wait to die. So what if we almost expedited or deaths?"
            "Help will come. We just need to last long enough."
            Ted looked over to Marko who clenched his jaw but said nothing. "Help isn't coming," Ted said. "People will come," Doc said as Marko sighed "It's been long enough, some sort of rescue should be here soon."
            "No..." Ted started "It...Help would have been here by now."
            "What if we work together?" Ryan asked from the window "Six of us together might stand a chance."
            "We'll be swarmed in seconds," Doc countered.
            "We've got more guns," Ryan said as he finally turned away from the window "That guy is right, help would have been here by now."
            "What would the holdup be?" Doc asked.
            "It's the fucking zombie apocalypse," Ted said "A quarantine is blocking anyone from getting in...probably."
            "So we just need to make it to wherever this quarantine ends and a bunch of armed mother fuckers with help us out," Ryan said as he looked back out the window.
            "Sounds like a plan," Doc said as he turned to Ted. "How much ammo do you guys have left?"
            "Not much," Marko said "But it's not like we're gonna find more, so we might as well try."
            "Alright," Doc said "Then we'll just have to-"
            "This guy's bleeding all over the place," John said.
            Everyone's attention turned to John and Jay on the couch, and the puddle of blood that was on the ground by Jay. "It's ok...really," Jay said as John jumped back on the couch. "He's bit!" he screamed "Holy shit, Doc, you let one of those things in!" Doc readied his rifle as Ted and Marko stepped into his line of sight. "Let's not do anything rash," Ted said as Doc raised his rifle and said "Get out of the way."
            "We're not gonna let you do this," Ted said as John jumped off the back of the couch to get away. "I'm...I'm not...I feel fine," Jay stammered as he braced himself in his seat. "This isn't up for debate," Doc said as he leveled his gun.
            "What did I say?" Ryan shouted from the window "They're probably infected. They'll get us all killed." Ted pulled out both guns. "Shut the fuck up or I'll send you out that window," he shouted to Ryan. "Get him up," he said to Marko "And stay behind me."
            John made a movement towards Marko when Ted aimed one gun at him and the other at Doc. "I think it's time we left," he said as Marko helped Jay up and they backed their way to the door. "You can't go that way," Doc said, keeping his rifle pointed at Ted as they moved "You'll just let everything outside in."
            "Well they can't stay here," Ryan protested "At least not alive." Ted shot Ryan a look. "I'm not telling you again," he said. "I'm not killing anyone I don't have to," Doc said "There's another way out." He lowered his rifle as Ted lowered one of his guns but kept the other trained on John. "A back staircase?" Marko asked. "Not exactly," Doc said as he walked back towards the kitchen.
            Doc led everyone back to the kitchen, doing his best to ignore the pool of Jay left from before, and opened a small window in the back. Cold air blew in as Marko moved up and peered out the window. "We're on the second floor, how are we getting down?" he asked. "There's a drain pipe near the window," Doc said "It's pretty sturdy and it goes straight down. I've used it a couple times myself. Those things don't dwell back here unless something grabs their attention so be quick, wherever it is you're going now."
            Jay flashed Marko a worried look as Ted moved up and stuck his head out the window. "Nothing out there I can see," he said as he pulled himself back inside and looked to Marko "You first. I'll cover you if there's trouble."
            "What about-" Jay started but Ted cut him off. "Once you get a hold on the pipe, we'll try to get Jay onto your back." Marko made an uncomfortable look but said nothing. "C'mon," Ted said "You rock climb all the time. This isn't any different." Marko sighed. "I'll have an injured person on my back and going in the wrong direction," he protested "It's nothing like rock climbing. How about you carry and I'll cover."
            "Can you get Jay out the window and onto me without dropping?" Ted asked and Marko shrugged. "Anyone else ant to help us?" he asked towards the others to find that only Doc was watching them and he was keeping his distance. "Fine," Marko said annoyed as he climbed into the window and reached for the pipe. "Got it," he said as he swung himself out and waited. "You're up," Ted said as he helped Jay to the window. Jay steadied on his good leg in the window as Marko extended his arm.
            "Hold on tight, Marko," Ted said as he patted Jay on the back. "I got you," he said as Jay let go of the window and reached his other arm out and half jumped to Marko. He swore as he crashed into the other man and wrapped his arms around him. Marko maintained his hold on the pipe. "So far so good," Ted said. "Not dead yet," Jay said sarcastically as Marko began to work his way down the pipe, grunting the whole time. "Keep it down," Ted said. "I'm gonna punch him," Marko said under his breath."
            "Still looks clear," Ted said as he scanned the surrounding area outside "Guess we made enough commotion on the other side to draw everyone's attention." Doc remained silent.
            "Look," Ted said turning away from the window "I kinda get why you're doing what you're doing. And we appreciate it over things turning into a shootout back there."
            "I might need the bullets," Doc finally said.
            "Yeah...well, whatever. Thanks anyway. I didn't want to waste a bullet on either of your friends, so I guess we'll call it even."
            "Ryan isn't going to stop bitching about helping you guys to begin with now."
            "I take it he wasn't too keen on you rescuing us earlier, huh?"
            "We voted on it when we first heard you guys. I was the only one in favor of helping you."
            "Wow...uh...so if you were in the minority..."
            "I was also the only one with the gun."
            "Well thanks again."
            "When your friend does die...and assuming that neither you or your other friend get-"
            "Jay isn't dying anytime soon. But we'll be in touch...maybe."
            "I don't need you lingering around-"
            "No, no, you see? Check this out," Ted said as he pointed out the window towards the rear of a block of buildings nearby. "Behind the dumpsters, second story. See those windows?" Doc looked out and nodded. "That's where we'll be...maybe," Ted said as he checked to see that Marko had reached the bottom of the pipe and was letting Jay off.