Race for Safe Haven - That Only Works in the Movies

[Posted by Ted H]

Act one of this story: done! Not that I'm anywhere near posting that part here. Def need to overhaul the end of it because it feels rushed and forced at parts. Whatever, I'll probably get around to that right before November. Until then, I'm looking to start my "Demons Ascension" universe short story...

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[Race for Safe Haven - That Only Works in the Movies]

            "Well, it's not like we can go back now," Steve said as he went for the window. He easily slid it up and stuck his head inside. "Clear," he said as he climbed in. Rhett followed to find himself in a small bathroom. "This place has not been cleaned in a while," he said as he wondered if the brown colored sink and toilet were once white. "It's a good thing I'm used to shitting in the woods now," Steve said as he went for the door and slowly opened it.
            Outside the bathroom was another small room. It was dark, so Rhett pulled out his flashlight and searched the room. On the ground by the far wall was a zombie with its arms handcuffed behind it. Reacting to the light, it moaned and tried to move on its stomach to get at Rhett. "I got it," Rhett said as he handed Steve the flashlight and pulled out his screwdriver "No need to risk a bullet."
            As Rhett stepped forward, sudden footsteps caught his and Steve's attention. Steve panned the light over to reveal an approaching zombie, dressed in a police uniform. "Oh shit," Steve said as Rhett, no longer visible in the darkness to the zombie, circled behind the slow moving attacker while Steve backing into the bathroom. As it went to enter the bathroom, Rhett threw an arm around the zombie's neck and used his other arm to ram the screwdriver into its ear.
            Blood spurted out, but the zombie was still active as it now tried to reach behind itself to get at Rhett. Rhett pulled back to get the zombie off balance as he pondered how to quickly and quietly deal here. The idea of snapping its neck seemed solid, but Rhett remembered that he never tried something like that before, and that it might only work in movies. Instead he planted his feet and used both arms to steady himself against the zombie.
            Even in the dark, Steve's wild aiming of the flashlight notwithstanding, Rhett still had an idea of where he was in the room. With the screwdriver still sticking out of the zombie's ear, Rhett shifted himself towards the near wall, then threw the zombie with all his might into the wall screwdriver first, causing it to embed itself even deeper into the zombie's head. With its brain sufficiently screwed, the zombie slumped down the wall and didn't move again.
            "Are you okay?" Steve asked as he came back out of the bathroom. "Yeah, I'm awesome," Rhett said as he gripped his screwdriver and pulled it back out with a grunt. He could still hear the other zombie in the room struggle to get to him as it flopped on the ground. "I'm so glad I brought this," he said as he motioned Steve to follow him with the flashlight.
            The handcuffed zombie had made no progress in its attempt to move. As Steve lit its face up, it snapped its mouth at the light, as if it might be edible. "Let's try this again," Rhett said as he dropped one boot on the zombie's head to keep it steady. He then crouched down and rammed the screwdriver into its ear, killing it instantly. "Better," he said as he slid the tool out of the corpse's ear. "I'm sure you'll get better with practice," Steve said sarcastically. Rhett ignored him as he put the screwdriver away and walked.
            "I don't like this," Steve said as he followed Rhett with the light back to the cop "Two zombies out in the open? Right by where the fire escape is?" Rhett shrugged as he searched the dead cop. "Unless you see a familiar body..." he began as he pulled out the cop's handgun. It was the same standard model as the other gun he had. "Keep it," Steve said as Rhett held it up "I have some extra ammo. You could use it."
            "Suit yourself," Rhett said as he checked the clip then put the gun behind his belt next to the other handgun. A little more searching revealed two extra magazines full of bullets. Rhett offered one to Steve. "Those are nine mil rounds," he said, again refusing what Rhett offered. "I use .45. Completely different from yours."
            "Man, you think movies and video games would cover shit like that," Rhett said as he pocketed the spare ammo. He also pulled a second flashlight for himself. "We ready?" Rhett asked as he switched his flashlight on. "Your turn to go first," Steve said as he motioned with his light to the other door.
            "Right," Rhett said as he walked over and placed his ear on the door. The door wasn't in that good of condition, yet another thing in this building that needed replacing, but Rhett still couldn't make out any noise on the other side. Keeping his shotgun aimed with one arm, he reached out with the other and turned the doorknob. He then flashed his light through as he slowly opened the door more, before quickly stepping back and pulling the door closed with a slam.
            "The fuck?" Steve asked. "Get back to the bathroom," Rhett said as he backed up before something large outside slammed into the door. "How many?" Steve asked, knowing right away that more zombies were attacking. "Too many."
            The door shook from another pound at it, this time accompanied by the sickening crack of the door frame. Whatever was pounding at it was joined by more as the door shook from the constant strikes of the dead trying to break through. "Go!" Rhett yelled as he readied the shotgun while keeping a constant light on the door. It wouldn't hold much longer.
            Steve was long gone as Rhett slowly backing towards the bathroom, never daring to take his eyes or light off the door. When the door finally toppled out of the frame, Rhett took a shot, his gun sending out a tremendous roar as the dead up front were blown back and away. Rhett then turned and sprinted through the bathroom and was out the window in an instant.
            Back on the landing, Rhett immediately noticed a lack of Steve. He looked down the ladder to see the same sea of zombies reaching up. "Where..." he began when her heard Steve call him. He looked up to see Steve climbing the cable off to the side and onto the roof. "C'mon, man!" he called as Rhett looked back in the window to see the zombies after him.
            He pocketed the flashlight and climbed onto the railing. The first of the zombies was pushing its way out the window when he grabbed the cable. Using broken areas of the brickwork as footholds, Rhett tried climbing up the building, awkwardly trying to hold his shotgun as he ascended. Halfway up, he almost fell because his hands were so preoccupied with the weapon.
            "It's not worth it, just drop it!" Steve yelled down. "After what I did to get it?" Rhett called back "Never!"
            "Then fall and die," Steve called. Rhett held on with his left hand while he reared back his right with the shotgun. "Catch!" he called. Steve rolled his eyes as he held his hands out. Rhett hurled the gun up and Steve caught it by the business end as he disappeared from view. "Now move your dumb ass!" he yelled out.
            Rhett felt the cable tighten as he glanced down to see zombies pulling on it. "How much weight can this thing handle?" he asked himself as he picked up the pace. "Steve?" he called as the man reappeared and threw a hand out to help him with. Rhett grabbed the hand and let himself be pulled up. On the roof, they scrambled away from the cable as the dead continued to pile on and pull on it. "You need a strap or something for that thing," Steve said as Rhett grabbed for his shotgun nearby. He could only nod as both men got up.