there a second ago.”
“Bunker, head back.
We’ve got to find her. One of those things might have taken her.
You check the doors on the right, and I’ll check the left.”
Before they got to the
first door, Destiny stepped out of an office, halfway down the hall.
She was applying bright red lipstick and had her purse in hand. She
stopped walking when she realized both men were staring at her with
their mouths wide open.
“Come on, boys. I
know I look good but y’all look like you’re trying to catch
flies.”
Daniels charged at her,
“I thought I said no purse?”
Destiny was not even
the least bit intimidated by Daniels’s action. She placed the cap
on the lipstick and pulled out her mascara, “I know you did, honey
but I said I needed it, and Sugar, no man tells me what to do. So
back up, unless you’re pulling your wallet out because I don’t
need you all up on me like that.”
Daniels stepped back
and took a deep breath, “Maybe, if it’s not too much trouble,
ma’am, could you please tell us which way to go next.”
“Honey, you know I
can. That’s why I’m here. The Northwest Passage stairs are left
and at the end of the hall. You can’t miss ‘em. Would you like me
to lead the way?”
Daniels gave her a
defeated look, “No, Destiny. I’d just like you to stay in between
Bunker and me so we don’t lose you again. Can you please do that
for us?”
“For you, Corporal,
anything.”
A large heavy wooden
fire door was the only thing standing between them and the Northwest
Passage stairs. Daniels pulled it open and smelled death coming from
beyond.
“Let’s take this
slow and easy. We don’t know what to expect, and for God’s sake,
let’s try to be quiet. Destiny that means you.”
She sneered at the
remark.
Daniels led the way,
down the first flight of stairs as they traveled in silence. Around
the next landing, the dead female soldier lay halfway down the
stairs. Her body was twisted and contorted as though it tumbled down
the flight of stairs. The fall caused her slung M4 strap to tangle
around her arm and neck. There was a small hole in the center of her
forehead with a single trickle of dried black blood that came from
the void.
“I see her at the
bottom of the next flight. You two stay here. I’ll go down and get
the rifle.”
Daniels crept to the
bottom of the stairs and reached for the M4. He froze when he heard a
single metallic click. He peeked down the next flight of stairs where
an Army National Guardsman shuffled around. The dead Guardsman was
looking away from Daniels. Frozen with fear, Daniels watched in
silence, as the zombified soldier inched forward until the stairway
exit stopped him. Unable to make forward progress, the guardsman
struggled backward bumping the metal handrail with the composite grip
of his 9mm Beretta making the metallic sound.
Minutes passed as
Daniels watched the repetitive forward, backward routine. After some
confidence building, Daniels mustered up the strength to move. He
figured his best move was not to disturb the soldier. If he took his
time and was quiet enough, he could unstrap the M4 from the dead
woman, grab her ammo pouch, and make it out of there unseen.
Bunker watched from the
top of the stairs. It was taking too long, and he was getting
nervous. He crept down the stairs.
Daniels was already
lifting the woman’s arm and pulling out the rifle strap. He
untangled it and rested it back on her side. He peered around the
corner to check on his Guardsman friend. The metallic click sounded
off again. He was in the middle of his routine.
Daniels was still
watching him when Destiny’s voiced echoed off the cement walls,
“Come on, baby, we ain’t got all day.”
Daniels snapped his
head up glaring at Destiny with his index finger over his lips.
The absence of the
metallic clink subconsciously told Daniels to look back down at the
soldier who was now halfway up the stairs charging toward him. He was
fast unlike the other zombies
“Bunker, head back.
We’ve got to find her. One of those things might have taken her.
You check the doors on the right, and I’ll check the left.”
Before they got to the
first door, Destiny stepped out of an office, halfway down the hall.
She was applying bright red lipstick and had her purse in hand. She
stopped walking when she realized both men were staring at her with
their mouths wide open.
“Come on, boys. I
know I look good but y’all look like you’re trying to catch
flies.”
Daniels charged at her,
“I thought I said no purse?”
Destiny was not even
the least bit intimidated by Daniels’s action. She placed the cap
on the lipstick and pulled out her mascara, “I know you did, honey
but I said I needed it, and Sugar, no man tells me what to do. So
back up, unless you’re pulling your wallet out because I don’t
need you all up on me like that.”
Daniels stepped back
and took a deep breath, “Maybe, if it’s not too much trouble,
ma’am, could you please tell us which way to go next.”
“Honey, you know I
can. That’s why I’m here. The Northwest Passage stairs are left
and at the end of the hall. You can’t miss ‘em. Would you like me
to lead the way?”
Daniels gave her a
defeated look, “No, Destiny. I’d just like you to stay in between
Bunker and me so we don’t lose you again. Can you please do that
for us?”
“For you, Corporal,
anything.”
A large heavy wooden
fire door was the only thing standing between them and the Northwest
Passage stairs. Daniels pulled it open and smelled death coming from
beyond.
“Let’s take this
slow and easy. We don’t know what to expect, and for God’s sake,
let’s try to be quiet. Destiny that means you.”
She sneered at the
remark.
Daniels led the way,
down the first flight of stairs as they traveled in silence. Around
the next landing, the dead female soldier lay halfway down the
stairs. Her body was twisted and contorted as though it tumbled down
the flight of stairs. The fall caused her slung M4 strap to tangle
around her arm and neck. There was a small hole in the center of her
forehead with a single trickle of dried black blood that came from
the void.
“I see her at the
bottom of the next flight. You two stay here. I’ll go down and get
the rifle.”
Daniels crept to the
bottom of the stairs and reached for the M4. He froze when he heard a
single metallic click. He peeked down the next flight of stairs where
an Army National Guardsman shuffled around. The dead Guardsman was
looking away from Daniels. Frozen with fear, Daniels watched in
silence, as the zombified soldier inched forward until the stairway
exit stopped him. Unable to make forward progress, the guardsman
struggled backward bumping the metal handrail with the composite grip
of his 9mm Beretta making the metallic sound.
Minutes passed as
Daniels watched the repetitive forward, backward routine. After some
confidence building, Daniels mustered up the strength to move. He
figured his best move was not to disturb the soldier. If he took his
time and was quiet enough, he could unstrap the M4 from the dead
woman, grab her ammo pouch, and make it out of there unseen.
Bunker watched from the
top of the stairs. It was taking too long, and he was getting
nervous. He crept down the stairs.
Daniels was already
lifting the woman’s arm and pulling out the rifle strap. He
untangled it and rested it back on her side. He peered around the
corner to check on his Guardsman friend. The metallic click sounded
off again. He was in the middle of his routine.
Daniels was still
watching him when Destiny’s voiced echoed off the cement walls,
“Come on, baby, we ain’t got all day.”
Daniels snapped his
head up glaring at Destiny with his index finger over his lips.
The absence of the
metallic clink subconsciously told Daniels to look back down at the
soldier who was now halfway up the stairs charging toward him. He was
fast unlike the other zombies
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