Dead Cold (12 page)

“You’re awake.” Came a voice from above his head.

“I wish I wasn’t.” Roland replied trying to roll over but finding himself stopped by a row of movie style seats.

“I can’t blame you, that vest stopped the bullet but I’m pretty sure it cracked a few ribs.” Roland noticed the voice seemed to echo like they were in a tight, enclosed space.

Opening his eyes looking around, there were metal walls and a metal roof with a hatch in the middle. “Are we in one of the subs?”

A tall man with brown curly hair stepped into Roland’s view a green glow stick hanging from his neck. “Would you rather be outside where the Reverend can take another shot at you? I’m certain his aim would be better.”

“No, I’m good. Why’d you rescue me anyways?” Roland pulled himself into a sitting position the pain making him wince.

“I can’t kill the Reverend myself and you’re the best help I could find.” The dark haired man extended his hand.

“Well at least we have a common goal. What’s your name by the way?” Roland took the hand and stood up. “I’m Roland.”

“Indeed, my name is Blaze Door.”

“So why are we hiding in the sub and why do you want to kill the Reverend?” Roland shivered as his wet clothes settle against his skin; raising goose bumps all over his body.

“He controls pretty much all of the mall with his followers making constant patrols, as for why, revenge is a funny thing.”

Roland looked at his watch. “Works for me, have I really been out for fourteen hours?”

“Yeah, I thought you were dead for a while there. I snuck out after night fall and got you a change of clothes and I’ve been stealing weapons.” Blaze gestured to one of the nearby seats.

Roland felt his dripping clothes and looked down at the seat; Blaze had acquired a new duster, new jeans, a black turtleneck sweater, and a new pair of boots. “Thanks.” Roland said picking through a pile of socks, boxers, and tee shirts.

“No problem, you hungry? I’m gonna see if I can find us something to eat.” Blaze was all ready climbing the ladder.

“Sure.” Was all Roland managed to say as the taller man disappeared through the roof hatch.

Roland was quite impressed with the clothes Blaze had picked out for him, everything fit rather nicely and he found a brand new Zippo in amongst the pile of socks. Remembering the cigarettes in his backpack Roland unzipped the dark green bag and started pulling things out. Most of the ammunition was soaked along with his grenades but in a small favor from the heavens the plastic wrapping around his cigarettes had kept them dry. Tearing off the plastic on one of the packs Roland lit one of the cigarettes and inhaled deeply.

“Thank heavens for small mercies.” He muttered to himself looking at the weapons Blaze had managed to procure.

It was mostly knives, axes, and a few handguns but Roland saw something he couldn’t take his eyes off of. It was a full length Katana in a dark blue sheath with a dragon’s head adorning the base of the grip. The price tag was still attached and Roland glanced at it finding the sword worth almost two thousand dollars.

“No way.” He whispered in awe as he revealed the blade.

Testing his thumb along the length of the shining steel Roland found it to be razor sharp and he smiled wickedly. Strapping the sword to his back Roland armed himself with what could be considered an arsenal of blades, grabbing two of the H&K USPs from the pile; His own guns still soaking wet.

The sound of the hatch opening startled Roland causing him to back away from the opening, one of the USPs in his right hand ready for anything. The sight of Blaze’s curly brown hair relaxed Roland and he holstered the pistol.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” He joked.

“Well, I’m not used to having a roommate.” Blaze smiled. “So you want fruit salad or pear halves? We’re kinda limited on choice in face of the apocalypse.” Blaze held the cans forward.

Roland laughed enjoying the feeling. “I’ll take the pears. Where do you get this stuff from anyways?”

“Zeller’s, the Reverend’s goons haven’t cleaned that out completely yet.” Blaze opened his can before handing Roland the can opener.

“Doesn’t take long for things to fall apart; does it?” Roland thought back over the last week as he opened his can.

“No, it really doesn’t.”

“So how did you end up here anyways?” Roland speared one of the pears and took a bite enjoying the taste.

As the two ate in the otherworldly glow from the glow sticks Blaze outlined everything that had happened since the outbreak. It had started earlier than in Fort McMurray but in smaller more dispersed events until it eventually became too much for the police to handle about the same day that Fort McMurray had been overrun. When everyone else had been attempting to escape the city Blaze and his friends and family had come to the mall, his sister having a key.

They had hid there for a few days attempting to barricade as many entrances as possible but on the third day the Reverend and his entire congregation had come through one of the of the entrances; followed closely by a massive horde of the undead. After repelling the horde the Reverend had quickly taken over the entire mall imprisoning Blaze’s entire family and killing the security guards that had been still in the mall when the world had gone to hell.

Blaze had been away looking for supplies at the time and had hidden after watching the Reverend take his family prisoner at gunpoint. That had been four days ago and Blaze hadn’t seen his family since but he had seen Cory and the others being lead away at gunpoint into a furniture store.

His can empty Roland drank the last of the juice before placing the can on the nearby ledge. “Well I have to find my friends, you can come if you like but I wouldn’t blame if you didn’t.”

“He’s got my family too; I’m just as invested in this as you are.” Blaze put down his can and grabbed a pump action shotgun Roland hadn’t seen earlier.

“Well then let’s go find them and see if we can’t perform some kind of rescue.” Roland said climbing up the ladder.

The two men kept silent as they exited the sub, ducking along the gangway keeping an eye open for any sign of the Reverend’s men. Roland looked down the mall towards poor Eve was still locked in a closet making a silent promise to get her soon. Blaze led the way up the escalator stopping at the top as the tell-a-tale light of a flashlight flicked back and forth across the ground. Looking at Blaze Roland brought his finger up to his lips and then motioned for the other man to stay put.

Pulling a combat knife from his right boot Roland took off at a run towards the source of the light ducking behind a potted plant as the light swung in his direction. Holding his breath while the white beam flicked back and forth in the area he had recently vacated Roland tightened his grip in the knife’s handle. The light turned back away and after listening to the footsteps recede Roland stood up and took off the guard doing his best to tiptoe. The guard stopped to examine a storefront just long enough for Roland to close the distance.

Letting his instincts take control Roland grabbed the guard’s shoulder with his left hand and with his right drove the combat knife deep into the man’s back, piercing his lung before coming out the other side. The man’s flashlight and hunting rifle clattered to floor as Roland pulled the knife viciously from the guard’s back and stepped away letting him fall to the floor.

As the guard hit the floor Roland looked into his face; he was in his mid-forties with a receding hairline and John Lennon glasses. Roland looked into the man’s chubby face; the realization that he had just murdered someone’s father or husband sinking in. Kneeling down beside the man Roland could hear gurgling as his victim tried to take in air and he saw the fear in his eyes as Roland centered the blood soaked knife over his heart.

“Sorry buddy, but it’s you or me and I’m not fixin’ to die anytime soon.” The knife plunged into the guard’s chest and his eyes went dark.

Clicking the flashlight on and off towards the escalator Roland motioned for Blaze to come over and began dragging the body over towards the store he had been looking in. Blaze came jogging over from the escalator his eyes opening wide as he saw what Roland had done.

“Dude, you are scary.” He whispered picking up the guard’s rifle.

“I made a promise to someone and I will be damned if some religious nut job is gonna make me break that promise.” Roland thought of Emily and hoped she could make it till he got wherever she was.

“Remind me not to piss you off.”

“That is usually the safest course of action.” Roland pushed the body up against the rollup door doing his best not to look at the children’s toys scattered about the store.

Taking the rifle from Blaze and slinging it over his shoulder opposite the Katana Roland followed the taller man as they continued towards the furniture store. The area in front the store was brightly lit and Roland could make out the silhouette of two guards standing on the second floor looking down. The sounds of a sermon echoed up from the ground level and Roland felt his blood boil at the sound of the Reverend’s voice.

“The lord hath given us an opportunity to start the world anew, but first we must prove to him that we deserve it and that we are not weak.” Roland motioned to Blaze pointing at the two guards and dragging his thumb across his neck.

Blaze nodded and started creeping along the wall towards the farther guard while the Reverend continued. “We must prove that we will not allow filth such as this to continue unabated, we must prove that we will follow his commandments.” The Reverend was getting more worked up now.

Blaze was in position now and Roland crept up behind the guard who was completely entranced with what the Reverend was saying. “One’s such as this must be made an example of, if we are to survive this new world.” Roland could hear amen’s and cheer’s from an unseen audience now.

Rising up like an angel of death Roland put his hand over the guard’s mouth at the same time his blade’s serrated edge kissed his neck. The guard struggled briefly as Roland dragged him to the ground his hand firmly pressed against the dying man’s mouth as the light drained from his eyes. Looking over to see that Blaze had silenced the other guard Roland made his way towards the other man, the both of them meeting halfway and peeking over the railing to see the sermon downstairs. The Reverend was standing on a makeshift stage the Desert Eagle holstered under his left arm and a bible in his right hand.

“These people have no place in God’s new world and as such will be purged!” He was almost screaming now gesturing to a man bound at his hand and feet and supported by two large men in flannel shirts.

“No.” Blaze whispered and Roland guessed the man was his father.

“Will you accept the lord and me as his vessel?” The Reverend asked the man who looked as though he had been beaten.

“Go screw yourself. What did you do with my son?” The man spat.

“Your son is with god now as you soon will be, if he is gracious.” The Reverend drew his Desert Eagle and shot the man twice in the chest.

Chapter 19: Thicker Than Water

Before Roland could react Blaze was up screaming. “Dad!”

Roland could swear a smile crossed the doomed man’s face as the two holding him let go and brought their weapons up. “Ahh, look my children two of the devil’s henchmen!” The Reverend pointed up at Roland and Blaze

“Oh, shit!” Roland cursed as dozen’s of faces and just as many guns pointed up towards the two men. “Time to go, Blaze.”

“Kill them!” Came the Reverend’s cry as a hail of bullets flew through the area where Blaze and Roland had been seconds before.

Roland had pulled Blaze down just the congregation started firing; the taller man fighting to get up. “Let me go!” He raged as bullets whizzed past before smacking into the drywall above them.

“You wanna die you idiot?” Roland struggled to keep Blaze below the bullets. “You’re not gonna get revenge as a corpse, now let’s get the hell out of here.”

Blaze stopped struggling and Roland could see tears streaking down his face as both men began crawling away from the edge. Once they were out of the line of fire they both stood up and took off at a run. The Reverend’s followers were quickly coming after them, one surprising Roland as he came up the escalator just ahead of them and fired. The bullet punched a hole in the floor just ahead of Roland’s boot and he pulled a throwing knife from his pocket and threw it at the man as hard as he could.

The knife sliced through the air between Roland and his enemy in an instant before entering the man’s neck and knocking him back down the escalator. Stealing a glance down the escalator as they passed; Roland’s adrenaline surged when he saw the dozens of armed people attempting to pass their now deceased brother. Running faster than he had ever run before Roland could hear the congregation clearing the escalator just as the sound of gunfire began anew.

A bullet whizzed past Roland’s ear and he could hear more impacting all around. Roland and Blaze rounded another corner and Roland assumed they were home free when Roland heard a grunt from Blaze and the tall, curly haired man stumbled before collapsing to the ground, a red stain growing on the left side of his shirt.

Turning Roland began firing the hunting rifle into the crowd as Blaze lifted himself to a sitting position his hand pressed tightly against his stomach. The rifle clicked dry and Roland threw it away drawing the USPs as the crowded scattered ducking into stores and behind flowerpots. Several bodies lay on the ground unmoving and Roland could see one reaching towards someone he couldn’t see.