First Date- a Novella (8 page)

She grinned. “This is pre-game warm up, stud. After our date, you better have your game face on.”

“Holy moly, a tough lady and a hottie,” Daniel said, dropping to his knees. “Can’t wait for our first date.”

Chapter 5

The sun was just coming up, and the stooges went over what they had learned about the sick people again. Listening to them, Daniel grabbed one of the rolls of duct tape. “Teresa, come here,” he said, sitting down. When she walked over, he pointed right in front of him, and she stood in that spot.

“Take your jacket off, and turn it inside out,” Daniel said, ripping off a section of tape.

Pulling off her jacket, Teresa jumped as Daniel wrapped the piece of tape around the top part of her thigh. Making a loose wrap, he patted down the tape and pulled another strip off, putting it right below the first. “Do this down both legs, then do the same on the inside of your jacket on the arms. If you get bit, it’s going to hurt like hell, but biting through duct tape for a human is damn near impossible, but they can chew through it eventually.”

Pointing at Holly and Beth, Daniel said, “Copy her,” as he started walking away. “I’m going to see if the hallway has cleared any.”

When Daniel was gone, Gary threw up his hands. “There’s not enough tape for all of us to do that,” he cried out.

“You’re a male; at least try and act like a man,” Malik said, getting his gear together. They had turned the plastic chair backs into shields by cutting the loops that came off the blinds in half and screwing them to the inside so a person could use their forearm to hold the shield. Malik had even cut strips of the metal blinds and screwed them onto the outside to give the shield more rigidity. They weighed close to ten pounds but couldn’t be bent, and with a forearm through the first loop to grab the second, it was hard to drop the shield fast.

As Teresa worked, she looked at the ingenious ladder they had made out of the cut up firehose. Ginger called it an Etier ladder or stirrup ladder. A loop that indeed did look like a stirrup was on each side of the center strap. At the bottom of each stirrup, cord was coiled around the bottom tightly and held the loop open. Never in her life did Teresa believe what could be done with rope and how many ways it could be used.

When Daniel pulled out a coil of rope he called static line from his backpack, Teresa made a mental note to learn knots and how to work with rope. Finished with her legs, Teresa moved to her jacket as Gary walked to the end of the table where Daniel’s stuff was laid out neatly.

Gary took Daniel’s jacket off the back of the chair and put it on, but zipping it up would be another story. “This will work,” he said, smiling at the jacket.

“Put it back now,” Ginger said, getting up and walking toward Gary.

“Hey bitch, I need some protection,” Gary said, balling his fist. He never saw Ginger throw the palm punch to his nose, crushing it. Bright light filled his vision as he dropped to his knees then fell back, coughing as blood ran down his throat. He felt someone grab his body and pull an arm out of the jacket.

Then he felt more hands rolling him as the jacket was pulled off. “Thank you, Gary,” Ginger said, looking at Daniel’s jacket to make sure it didn’t have blood on it. Hanging it back on the chair, she knew that jacket would have blood and gore on it soon enough.

Before walking away, Curly kicked Gary in the side of the head. “Fuckwad,” he said as the other walked away. Everyone had come to help get that jacket off.

Ginger looked at Holly, ripping off tape to start on the inside of her jacket. “Holly, do your right arm first; your left arm will be in the shield, and I don’t think you’re going to have enough.”

“Okay.” She smiled nervously.

Stepping closer as Holly put rings of tape around the sleeve, Ginger reached out, brushing Holly’s hair off her shoulder. “You get in touch with anyone?” Ginger asked, and Holly just shook her head. Stepping behind Holly, Ginger pulled her hair back and tied it up. “Don’t wait long, and get away from cities,” Ginger said, tucking Holly’s hair in a bun.

“I understand,” Holly mumbled. Only Malik and Teresa had contacted any family. Malik lived thirty miles west of the city, and his family was locked down, waiting on him. Teresa had called her kids back and talked to them again. She found out at least four SPs were in her house, trapping the kids in the attic.

Feeling bad for Holly, Ginger walked away to check over her gear. She knew they couldn’t save everyone, and to try would get them killed. No one could ride tandem with her, and Teresa was going to ride with Daniel. Luckily, those left lived more or less west of Chicago, and Malik could get them close to their homes.

Stopping at her spot beside Daniel’s, Ginger ran her hands over her weapons. Everyone had two clubs of some kind. Holly, Beth, and Teresa were the main shield carriers, and each had a pipe with a screwdriver taped across the top, making a pick-axe. Everyone also had at least one stabbing weapon like a screwdriver or letter opener.

Out of everyone, Daniel had the most weapons, but he would need them with the plan they were using. And Ginger hated the fucking plan but knew it was the only way to get the others out.

“Only a few in the hallway,” Daniel said, walking back in, and stopped, seeing Gary holding his nose. Blood dripped off his face as he struggled to stand. “Who’d he piss off?”

“Me,” Ginger said with a smile.

“Hot stuff,” Daniel said, walking over and kissing her.

“Please let me go with you,” Ginger said, looking up at him.

“Babe, we’ve been over this, and it’s too big a risk. If one of them go down, you know what they are carrying and that we need to get away from here. Besides, two people on the diversionary run is a bad idea. We could get separated too easily.”

Letting out a huff, Ginger mumbled, “I know.”

“Okay, one last time,” Daniel said, moving to the dry erase board, and pointed at the food court in the center of the floor. “I’m going to wrap around to the north side then move to the food court, leading the SPs to the east. The fire doors are open, so I will make a loop around the east suites then come out to the food court and run over, closing the doors that I run through and sealing those that follow me in. You will still have to deal with what’s in this wing that I miss and close off the west wing as you go.”

“And close all fire doors when we walk through,” Malik said with a nod.

“Yep,” Daniel said, walking to the table. “You sure you want to try that?” Daniel said, pointing at a length of extension cord on the table.

“I’m only going down. It will function as a Swiss seat long enough. We need people to get down fast to lead any SPs away like you said,” Malik said as Daniel lifted up a length of rope he had cut from his static line.

Wrapping it around him and between his legs, Daniel tied off his Swiss seat. Grabbing one of the two carabiners, Daniel hooked it to the front of the rope around him. He dug in his bag and tossed another carabiner to Malik. “Here you go,” Daniel said, pulling on his jacket.

Zipping it up, he grabbed pockets he had made from duct tape and taped them to his forearms. Each pocket had a dozen gold executive ink pens clipped in. Then he put another pocket of pens on his left upper arm. He pulled on his backpack then shoved the slingshot in his belt on his left side. “I’ll be surprised if you get twenty shots out of that,” Daniel said, pointing at the fire extinguisher.

“Twenty I didn’t have,” Malik said as Daniel continued shoving weapons around his body. A cardboard tube used to house large, rolled paper was zip-tied to the side of his backpack, and Ginger walked over, shoving two of the batons in it. With the two wrapped handles sticking out, she looked at Daniel as he patted his weapons, memorizing where they were and ensuring that they wouldn’t fall out.

“I’m not kidding about the pliers,” she said, and Daniel’s hands went to his chest, covering his nipples.

“You need to chill with the pliers,” he said with a grin. “So after our date, are you willing to try?”

Laughing, Ginger kissed him. “More than happy to.”

“I’m going down first,” Gary shouted, pulling his hand away from his bloody face.

“No, Gary, everyone goes down in the order I said,” Daniel sighed, thinking about just leaving him. “Your fat ass can’t make it down the ladder fast enough and would have SPs waiting to rip your jelly belly open. Those faster will lead them away, giving you time.”

“Malik might leave me!”

“Gary, I’m going to tell you something,” Daniel said, grabbing the flail. “You know why Malik and I park across the street?” Gary rubbed his nose and shook his head. “We have guns in our rides, and if Malik planned on leaving you, I’m sure he would shoot you in the leg first.”

“Fucking ‘A’ right on that,” Malik chuckled.

“Let’s do this,” Daniel said, kissing Ginger one last time, then headed for the door. Everyone but Gary followed as Teresa moved to the front beside Daniel. “You have to be fast, Teresa,” he said, stopping at the corner of the hallway so the SPs out in the hall couldn’t see them.

“I will,” she said in a quivering voice.

“We got your back,” Moe said behind him.

When Daniel nodded, Teresa took off in a sprint for her desk. Daniel let her have a head start and followed her. Racing around her desk, Teresa hit the manual button, unlocking the doors.

Seeing two men pawing and drooling on the other side of one door, Daniel hit the other one in a full run, pushing it open. Running past the two, he looked down the hall at the wandering SPs. Swinging the flail, he hit the closest as he ran past. The ball hit the woman in the head, crushing her skull and leaving a divot.

Spinning as he ran, Daniel didn’t wait to see the body fall as he hit another one and continued down the hall as Ginger and Malik closed the door, but all the SPs were chasing Daniel. When the door closed, they all moved back to the board room.

Ginger looked at her watch. “Thirty minutes and we head out,” she said.

“Let’s leave Gary,” Moe said with a huff and got a lot of grunts of approval.

“If he comes, he comes,” Malik said as they walked in Mr. Barron’s office. “He endangers us, and I’ll kill him.”

Daniel took the hallway that would take him north, continuing to swing the flail. Bodies littered the hallway behind him, but he couldn’t kill them all, and he had a group following him. Coming to the set of fire doors that sealed the south from the west wing, he paused after dropping another SP. Looking back, he saw just how slow they really were.

In a casual walk, he headed back, swinging his flail at those following him. “I don’t even have to run,” he said, crushing another skull and wiping his face from the spatter. With the hallway floor covered in bodies, he headed back to the fire doors in a brisk walk. He closed them and continued on, swinging his flail.

When he came around the first corner, he paused. The hallway was filled with many more SPs than had been in the south wing. Moving at a faster walk as he swung at targets, he weaved around before they could seal off the hall. Feeling a hand grab his shoulder, Daniel’s left hand grabbed a pen off his right forearm as he spun around.

While he spun, he saw his aim was a little low and lifted his arm some as the ink pen drove in the man’s ear, dropping him instantly. Grabbing another pen, Daniel continued down the hall at a slow jog because they were starting to get thick in front of him.

Making the circle from the north wing, he stopped at the food court, and his jaw fell open. “Fuck me,” he gasped. The food court was literally packed with SPs. Giving up on hitting any, Daniel took off running, weaving around the bodies. He ran past them so fast the SPs didn’t even register it until he was gone; then, they would turn after him.

Seeing bodies slowly fill the gaps as they closed in on him, Daniel lowered his shoulder. “I have a hot date, motherfuckers,” he growled and charged ahead.

In the board room, everyone was practicing their positions as Ginger glanced at her watch. Holly, Beth, Oscar, and Teresa were in front, holding their shields up with her. Lonnie, Malik, and Gary were behind them with spears. The stooges were in the back with spears to help and watch their backs. Curly and Larry had shields slung across their backs in case they needed them.

After what seemed like years, Ginger said, “Time to go.”

Nobody said anything as they followed her out of the board room. Seeing the hallway clear, Ginger reached over the desk and hit the unlock button. Malik opened the door. “Form up,” he said, holding the door open.

The shield bearers walked out, forming a line across the hall. “Remember to leave a little gap between you so we can spear them,” Malik said, letting the door close as Ginger walked out.

In a tight group, they walked down the hall and over the bodies Daniel had put down. “I like his flail,” Curly said, looking at a man whose skull was crushed.

“I’m making me one,” Moe said, glancing behind them.

“Mind on your business, boys,” Malik said as an SP stepped from around a corner in front of them. “Keep going at a steady pace. I got him.”

Raising the fire extinguisher, Malik aimed a four-inch brass pipe taped to the nozzle at the man coming at them in a slow shamble. They were actually moving faster toward it than it was to them. When the man was ten feet away, Ginger was about to say something as Malik squeezed the handle.

SSSSSHHHH
sounded as Malik gave the handle a quick squeeze, shooting a narrow stream of CO2 at the man.

The man’s head snapped back as his skull exploded out behind him. “Better than a hollow point,” Malik said, pulling out a marble wrapped in tissue, and he shoved it down the pipe with his finger.