Oklahoma City
Refuge Camp "Ogden"
6 Months prior
4:50 PM"Hold them back! Move those trucks against the fence for support! Sergeant get the civilians loaded onto the convoy and ready to go! Private get a detail and grab whatever supplies you can and load it with the civilians we need to move now!"Surge stood by watching the soldier bark out orders, in the distance the thin wire fence that surrounded the medium size camp in Oklahoma City was being slowly but surely bent down and the massive horde of dead would soon be breaking through the defense. The gun was clutched tightly in Surges hand as blood was dripping down his chin from getting accidentally elbowed when the civilians panicked. Standing on the platform over looking the men and woman, soldiers and civilians alike scrambling, the fear was evident and they had a right to be afraid. Looking back at the fence large supply trucks were being pushed up against the thin metal, for a short time the fence would remain intact but it would not hold, the situation was quickly becoming dire.
"Colonel we need to move now, that fence is not going to hold for too much longer, it pains me to say it but we can't get them all out of here alive. There are too many and now our carrier trucks are keeping the fence up so we have even less space."
Colonel Tobin turned and gave Surge a look that was between anger and understanding of his words, Tobin knew he was right but he could not leave innocent civilians to their death even if that meant sacrificing his own life. It was no big secret that Tobin and Surge did not get along, mainly because unlike Tobin Surge did what needed to be done and said what needed to be said regardless. Tobin was a bit softer then Surge and he was filled with honor and pride a combination that would no doubt lead to his demise.
"What would you have me do Surge? Just leave people to die while we run away! I won't do it no one deserves to die at the hand of these ZED's and I mean no one. We can hold that fence long enough to get everyone out!"Surge shook his head at the Colonel, he was foolhardy and took too many risks, the truth was that if they did not start getting the trucks out of the base now the ZED's were going to surround the other side as well. The plain and simple fact was the fence was not the only concern, the concern was the discharge of gun fire drawing every ZED in twenty miles to their location thus trapping them on all sides. But Tobin was not thinking clearly and was concentrating on just what was in front of him and now what would soon be behind him.
"Tobin! I realize that you want to save these people and if it was any other way I would never question that.. but understand that all this commotion is drawing more and more of the ZED's to this location. If we wait any longer then we won't have and escape route either!"
Surge grabbed Tobins arm and turned him around to let him look at the full picture that he needed to see. No doubt Tobin saw the hordes of Zed's making their way to the base and they were coming on all sides now, slowly but surely. Surge saw the look in Tobin's eye's it was a look of defeat and a look that said he finally realized what Surge was trying to say, there was no way to get everyone out, if they tried then their entire exit route would be covered by ZED's in a matter of thirty minutes or less.
"Major prepare for evacuation now! We can't wait any longer, who ever isn't on the trucks in the next five minutes... we have to leave them!"Tobin hesitated but gave the command as Major Benson gave a simple nod of acknowledgment, however the shrill screams made both Tobin and Surge turn their attention to the far fence to the east. Surge's heart beat spiked as he saw the fence was toppled and the ZED's were now pouring into the camp like a tidal wave, turning to Tobin Surge spoke quickly.
"We have to move quickly Colonel our time is now at zero, get the trucks moving before its too late, I will try to hold them off with whatever men I can find!"
Surge jumped from the platform and hit the dusty ground, the ZED's were now closing the gap towards the trucks with the civilians and there was nothing to stop them. He had to stall them if nothing else.
Surge!"Turning Surge caught an M16 that Tobin tossed to him, looking at Tobin it was obvious that they may both very well be in their final hours, and the hatred between the two was now gone from either of their eyes. With a simple nod Tobin jumped from the platform and disappeared onto the other side and was barking orders at a quick pace. Surge turned away as he quickly ran off in the opposite direction, the gun fire in the distance quickly became visible as the other soldiers were desperately trying to fight off the horde of ZED's but it was obvious they were close to giving it up all together.
"Olsen, Blake, Simpson form a line now! We have to hold them back, make your shots count!"
The soldiers turned and quickly nodded their heads, the line was formed quickly as Surge took the right end of it, the Zed's were numbering in the hundreds, but the make shift buildings and barricades were making them bottle neck to get through.
"Aim at the opening in the barricade and take them down, short controlled bursts, make sure to cover your butts and back off slowly as they advance! We can't kill them all but we have to hold them for at least a couple minutes!"
There was a chorus of yes sir's as they all raised their rifles and shots began to sound off from down the small line of men, the ZED's in front dropped to the ground tripping the ones behind them. Surge raised his rifle and pulled off a couple precious shots and shot the nearest ZED's in the forehead spraying blood on the ZED's behind them.
"Back up slowly watch your footing!"
The line took a small step back as short controlled bursts kept sounding off, Zed's were dropping right and left tripping the other ZED's behind them, but it was a futile fight, backing away a little more shots kept sounding off as the ZED's kept falling and then being replaced by even more from behind. Soon they would run they would have no choice, and Surge was about to give the order but the scream from their left flank through him off. Turning his head Olson was on the ground a portion of his neck was already gone, tore out by the ZED that obviously surprised him from his right left side.
"Olson!"
Surge raised the rifle and shot the ZED dead in the head as its brain matter splattering the tent near by, Surge knew that Olson was dead and there was nothing any of them could do now for him.
"Watch out Sir!"Surge turned his head towards the voice and saw a ZED reaching to grab him from his right side, Surge instinctively brought the rifle over and slammed the ZED straight in the face with the butt of the weapon. In one fluid motion he turned the rifle and shot it straight in the head wasting his last bullet in the clip. The screams were coming everywhere now as the ZED's broke their line, Surge brought the rifle down again and cracked another ZED in the head knocking it to the ground, tossing the rifle down he pulled out his Beretta's and clicked them. Raising his right one he shot a ZED at point blank range, blood sprayed his outstretched arm as he turned and shot another one down in front of him. Looking on things seemed to slow down as Blake and Simpson were on the ground, their intestine were being eaten as they slowly tried to stop the death that could no longer be avoided. Surge raised his Beretta as he pulled off one shot then a second, the soldiers were instantly dead now from the head shots, the only thing he could do for them now. Surge turned and started to run down the path as the ZED's were advancing on all sides and trying to close him in.
Squeezing the trigger a couple more times Surge brought down the nearest ZED's but there were too many, as hard as it was to fathom it seemed that he had trapped himself in this horde of dead. Coming to a stop his path was blocked ahead already and the ZED's were now closing the circle completely, it was over for Surge now all he could do was fight, there was no escape route he could take. Raising his guns he was intent on making this an end worthy of remembrance however the sudden explosion damn near knocked him off his feet as body parts started flying towards him, Surge covered his face as he saw the opening now in the circle of ZED's.
"Come on Surge move your ass!"Seeing Tobin Surge realized Tobin had used a grenade on them, there was no time to think about it, Surge bolted as fast as his legs could take him raising his Beretta he took a couple more shots keeping the circle open. Running through them he reached Tobin as they both ran side by side the dead now on their tail. The truck was just ahead of them and it was ready to go, both of them ran their ragged breathing covered by the sound of the moans and groans of so many ZED's. Reaching the truck Surge wrenched open the door and quickly jumped in, turning he reached his hand for Tobin but he was no longer their. Quickly looking around Surge saw Tobin just a short distance away, he was holding his arm, the blood coming between the cracks of his fingers. Surge didn't ask or need to be told to realize Tobin was not coming with them, he had been bitten was infected there was no other conclusion. As Tobin turned and looked at Surge, they locked eye's for a couple minutes, the whole world seemed to freeze as Tobin merely smiled and nodded his head. Turning his head away from Surge he faced the relentless horde before him. Surge closed the door of the truck as it was now in motion, the last thing any of them heard was a loud explosion as the truck went at top speed out of the camp and towards the unknown.
Current Day
Surge - Haywood outskirtsWith a click that was barely audible a flame licked up from the small half filled bic lighter, licking the tip of the cigarette the cherry burned in the feigning light of the day, a whiff of smoke filled the air as Surge took a drag off the Marlboro black between his lips. Removing the cigarette from his mouth and between his fingers, he reached down and grabbed the binoculars around his neck and raised them to his eye's to survey the town before him. In the distance there were a couple ZED's roaming around, but nothing he was worrying to much about, his only real concern at this point was if there were other people around. But like many of the towns he had passed through this place too seemed to be barren on the exception of the couple ZED's here and there, six months had passed by, six months and for almost one month of that Surge had been alone, passing from town to town looking for supplies. An a couple of those towns had been home to bandits and marauders, desolate low lifes who in regular society thrived off of stealing and hurting others, and now the same who felt that they could do what they wished. The only difference was that there was no longer nothing to keep you safe from their deeds. Surge has learned that well, all those people from the Camp were now either dead or scattered into the four winds because of it, it seemed that the end of the world was also the start of a new world, one without laws or regulation... just chaos.
Lowering the binoculars Surge took another drag off the cigarette and let the smoke linger in his mouth for a couple moments before letting it leave his lips. This part of the town seemed pretty bare which was to be expected given it was just outside the main town. Letting the binoculars drop Surge stood up and picked up his black pack from the ground and put it over his shoulders, clasping the front straps he secured it and began to move forward, if there was truly anyone around he would soon know.
Ten minutes passed . . .Surges boots made cracking noises as he walked across the cracked up pavement of the gas station, behind him the two ZED's he had scouted from before were now on the ground with slits in each of their foreheads, there eye's now milky white with true death. Approaching the gas station slowly Surge gripped the Hitachi in his hand hard enough that his knuckled were white, something that had become so normal he rarely noticed it much anymore. The gas station seemed almost untouched on the exception of the missing pumps, nothing left but a hole in ground in that sense, long gone for who only knows how long. Avoiding the holes in the cement Surge came to the front door of the gas station, stepping beside it he reached his hand out and rapped on it hard three times and waited. There was no sound from inside he could hear, slowly he tristed the knob of the door and pushed it open, it creaked slightly as it stopped against the wall behind it. Surge walked in silently letting his foot steps become light and silenced, the gas station was as expected, pretty much in shambles, it was obvious someone had already been here before him. The shelves were knocked over and empty, the register broken into pieces on the floor and anything that could have been scavenged gone, nothing left but the dust. Surge put his hand on the counter and pulled his fingers across the top collecting the dust.
Was it truly possible that this is how the human race was to end? At the end of all things the human race eradicated by not just a disease but by the same people the day before they were having breakfast with? For so long the United States Government had predicted a chemical attack on the states, could this be the results of a chemical attack? These thoughts always seemed to cross Surge's mind now an days, not knowing if this was something that could have been prevented, but all together just thoughts that he would never truly know the truth too. All that was left is dust and thoughts and thats the end game of the human race it would seem, the ZED's they were the harbingers of it all. Looking up Surge saw a door that no doubt lead to a back office, walking over to it he casually put his hand on the knob and turned it, there was a metal grinding click, the lock had been busted, slowly opening the door his nose was hit with a nauseating smell. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out and LED flash light and clicked it on pointing it into the room. The site was one that he had seen more then once now but more or less was always still a sad site to see in the end. In the room was three bodies, one a man, one a woman, and one a child, a family.
Surge walked into the room fully, the three lay side by side on the floor, the empty bottles that once had pills were sitting upturned on the desk near the bodies. Surge sighed slightly as the sight even to him gave him a few pings of pain in his heart. He often wondered what went through the minds of the people who took their own lives, if they felt fear, or relief, or regret, the very thing they thought before they slowly passed on, the last thing they wanted, their dreams and the shattered world that ripped them away. There was a beauty in the passing and a sadness in the death, Surge just turned his head away and walked back outside the room closing the door, they were at peace and he would let them remain at peace together side by side. Exiting the gas station the wind blew hard against Surges body making his hair fly up, maybe there was no more reason to keep surviving and he should just let himself die. Surge knew that he would not take his own life, he couldn't do it however it did cross his mind every now and again that in the end is the pain really worth it now, to live in a world that is broken, is there truly anything worth living for anymore? He did not know the answers to these questions and chances were he never would, not until he was dieing, but none the less he would continue on, not because he had to but because he felt that there had to be some reason he lived while so many others died. Turning his back on the gas station he started walking up the barren deserted roads towards Haywood and whatever else might lay in his path.