The Mulligan Planet (18 page)

“HELP!” we darted over as the
bandit turned to run and grabbed his legs, pulling him back in
before swiftly jabbing him in the back of the neck, effectively
silencing him, “Blaming me for everything won't fix anything.” an
alarm started to blare throughout the encampment, “Yeah, but it
sure helps me feel better knowing I didn't fuck up.” I grabbed the
M4 buried under Boris while Steven grabbed the small pistol from
the newcomer's holster, “Can we get through this first?” we ran out
of the tent, first thing I noticed was the cages filled with
people, some alive, some not so much, we managed to drop most of
the guards around us before they could even turn around, “No, I
want to talk about this, this idea that you should be in charge is
ridiculous.” We started running through the park, bullets tearing
through my new clothes, “What, you want to be in charge!?” I
ditched the now empty M4 and caught a fleeing bandit by the head,
“Yes!” I was caught off guard, “Well... You can't.” I realised I
was still holding the head attached to a writhing body, snapped it
and continued on through the camp, memorising every tiny aspect,
“Give me one good reason why not.” I could see the housing district
where we were caught, “I'll give you five, one-” I slammed my foot
into another bandit, catching his AK as he flew back, “You're
impulsive, two-” I fired two bursts into a rifleman in a tree,
“You're aggressive, three-” I sent the gun as a spear past Steven's
head and into a knifed assailant's chest, “You have a habit of
punching your friends I've noticed, four-” we both slammed into the
gates that defended the camp from the violent streets, knocking
over at least a dozen zombies, “You didn't just scope out that
entire base, and finally-” I leaped up onto a house and followed
the path back to the apartment, “... You'll never be as good as
me.” a few hundred zeds were making their way through the area,
“They really weren't thinking when they set off that alarm were
they?” I shook my head, “I just hope the guys are ok.” We were
making a beeline for the apartment, “They'll be fine, even with
that gun fire the alarm will be more of an attractant.” The alarm
cut off as we jumped from house to house, “I'm guessing they
figured out it was a bad idea.”

We were on top of the building
across from the apartment, the street had a few dozen zeds
wandering around, I looked over to the puffed Steven, “Going
through the front door isn't an option. You think we can make that
jump?” He shook his head, “I need to take a break, my head's still
swimming a bit, bright lights, lots of blood.” I was worried about
Harry and Marcus, we'd been gone a while judging by the moon now
sitting a number of degrees from where I’d seen it last, “We can't
yell, that'll bring the dead in, how do we let the guys know we're
here?” Steve started untying his boots, “Which room were we in?” I
pointed over to the kitchen where we'd come from while Steve took
off one of his boots, lifted it over his head and pegged it across
the gap and right into the window. A head came out, looking around
and Steve started jumping around pulling on me to do the same. The
head looked up and I recognised it as Harry in the moonlight, he
raised a hand holding a boot and pointed at us, we met this with
nods and gestured for them to stay put. “We'll head over in the
morning.” I sat down and Steve plopped down next to me, “What if
zeds get in? Or those bandit-y types?” I laid back and looked at
the massive ship looming overhead, the rain having died down
allowed for it to be bearable to be outside for the first time in
days, “The guys can handle a few zeds, and the bandits will have to
make a lot of noise to get through the streets.” Steven opened his
mouth to speak again, “Just... Shut up, please, I don't want to
talk anymore.”

My eyes closed and my mind
drifted to what the suit had said, he hadn't seen Kate... Kate,
that's all that mattered. I could almost feel her lips on mine,
tears started to well in my tired eyes as I fell into a deep sleep.
I'd been taken back to base, the first time I saw her, the first
time she smiled at me, our first hug, our first kiss, everything
was so bright, I was somewhere else, a bedroom, I could hear the
bustling sounds of a busy street, she was laying there next to me,
looking into my eyes, “Good morning sleepy head.” I took her all
in, her hair, an absolute mess, she did her cute little yawn and
stretched, a baggy patterned shirt wrapped her as she grabbed all
the blankets and snuggled in, “Let's just stay in bed today.” I
lifted myself and rested on my elbow, “We can't do that silly, big
day today.” She rolled over and smiled at me, “John...” I dropped
back to my pillow, “Yes darling?” she looked more seriously at me,
“John.” I looked at her waiting for her to finish, “John!” it
wasn't her voice. My eyes shot open, Steve was shaking me awake,
“John! Look!” he pointed at the sky and I saw a helicopter, my
heart swelled, and then the tail exploded, it started plummeting
toward the Earth, “No!” My eyes shot open again and I was on the
roof, it was morning, I ran over to the ledge and threw up for a
solid five minutes before collapsing onto my knees, “John? You
alright?” I shook my head, “I'm getting that fuel today.”

We made it over to the apartment
without incident where I’d changed out of the soaked shirt and into
a dry white one with a dark brown leather jacket over the top, my
mind jumped to Wolfgang, dancing like an idiot, I missed my old
team, even though we'd only known each other for a few days they’d
felt like family. Steven pulled me out of my moment of remembrance,
“You saw what those guys are capable of, those were cages with
people back there, now you're going to steal from them? Not even
them, just him!” I was barely listening to him, I was busy in my
own mind, but he was owed a response of some kind, “We handled that
situation just fine. Harry, I need your help, I need a truck,
something that can carry a tanker, seen anything?” the look of
confusion he had maintained since our arrival in the early morning
with our story remained, “Um... Yeah, there's a rig not far from
here, not sure how many hits it can take, but it's the only thing
not completely flooded.” I nodded, “Thank you. And your sword, I'll
be needing that too.” Steven grabbed my shoulder, I turned,
expecting more anger, but got a face of genuine concern, “Look,
they weren't ready last time. They'll know you're coming. Just...
Don't die.” I smiled lightly, “Is that ever NOT the plan?” he
laughed a little, “What am I going to do in this plan?” I clapped
him on the shoulder, “You and Mark go to the airport. Find me a
transport, something to fit the tanker.” I caught the sword in its
hilt as it flew toward me, “Harry, I'll need you to take the truck
and get the tanker, I'll work on keeping them off of you.” I could
hear the snarls outside building up, “We need to do this now or
never, before they can regroup.” I was met by nods, Marcus scooped
up the duffel bag, “I am genuinely looking forward to this.” I
opened the door and prepared to take the first steps for this plan,
“That's because you're crazy Marcus.” he looked at me with a slight
irritation, then smiled and nodded, “Yeaaah, a bit.” I grabbed my
pistols off of the small circular table and slid them into their
holsters under my arms.

As we made our way down the set
of stairs a large glass panel door came into view while zombies
shuffled passively in the street past the thin glass barricade,
“Mark, there's a car a few metres to the left, I'll clear your way
and you use it to get to the airport, we'll meet you there.” I took
his heavy breath as an answer, “Stick to the plan and this'll be
gravy.” I put my hands on the door, forcing everything from my
brain but the plan, this was the first time I'd really put Harry in
danger, I was not looking forward to it, I moved my shoulders to
adjust the chest holster which rarely left its place. Finally a
thunder clap pushed me out the door, the sword in my hand, moving
as if it had a life of its own, cleaving into the dead immediately
in front of the door, I moved left and saw the blue hatchback, even
before the outbreak this car had clearly seen better days, rust
around all the windows, cracks to compliment and a sizable dent to
the passenger quarter. Marcus was already at the driver side door
trying the handle, I sliced another zed down the middle, “Break the
glass!” Harry pushed passed me brandishing the baseball bat, “But
what about the rain?” he kept trying the handle, more zombies were
coming, the three of us protecting him brought out in unison “Break
the fucking window!” he pulled out his pistol and brought it down
hard onto the lower corner closest to the lock causing the whole
sheet to crack, he punched through and unlocked the car, swinging
the door into an oncoming zed and proceeded to hot-wire the blue
junker, what was only about a dozen zombies was quickly becoming
thirty, the rumble of the engine starting almost smothered by the
snarls, “Go!” Steven jumped in the passenger seat and they were
off.

I watched as hungry mouths moved
in on us, Harry and I were backed up against the wall, I put the
sword back into its scabbard, “Guns,” Harry started scrambling
through our duffel, “guns...” a zed darted at Harry but I caught it
by what little brown hair it had and threw its flailing body back
into the crowd, “Guns no-!” Harry tossed me my rifle, “There, gun,
shut up!” I pulled the trigger and watched a head explode, “Shoot
and move Har!” he fired his shotgun into the crowd and we started
right, “Where's the rig?” I put the sling around my body while we
followed the wall, “Two or three blocks down here, it's parked in
an alley.” The small horde was getting smaller, for once it felt
like the ones we were killing weren't just getting replaced, by the
end of the second block I'd swapped the clip once and there were
five left, “Here she is.” Now, that car was bad, but this truck was
a train wreck, I'm still not sure how Harry got it started but he
did, “This is where we split up, I'll go on foot and get their
attention, don't come until you hear gunfire, good luck with
your... duct tape mobile.” Harry just smiled and wove me off. I
slung my rifle over my shoulder and began the walk to the park,
I'll skip to where I'm banging on the gate, “Oi! Let me in!” Two
guards showed up, guns raised to their shoulders, “Hi lads, the
boss in?” one of the men nodded, “...Right, are you going to let me
in?” the other, visibly terrified, shook his head while I rubbed
mine and let out a sigh, “You know that I'm going to come in any
way right?” this time they both nodded, “Yeah, how about this, you
tried your hardest but I overwhelmed you both.” they looked at each
other and then shook their heads, “I understand, sorry fellows.”
Before they could let out a round I'd leaped over the gate and into
a tree above them and dropped down behind them, bringing their
heads together with just enough force to knock them out.

I started looking around at the
guards moving in, “Hmm, officer's tent... officer's tent...” I
spotted a large tent decorated with an assortment of skulls and
tinsel, “That'll be the one, 'scuse me.” the guns around me all
cocked at the same time, I slowly raised my hands, “You do realise
you're standing in a circle around me, that means you're all going
to shoot each other.” there was a mumbling going through the crowd
for a few moments before a voice rang out, “They may not be the
brightest bunch, but they get the job done.” I turned to face the
suited man, “Good to see you again.” He smiled and signalled for
his troops to lower their weapons, “And you, so, you want the
fuel.” I brought my arms down, “That I do, I've got one of my men
waiting with a rig to collect that tanker of yours.” he rose his
hand, “I'm well aware of your plan John, kill me, my men, take the
fuel, then bring down that flyey thingy. Here's what I'm thinking,
skip the first two steps and just take it down, we can kill each
other later, I can answer for my crimes then.” This... this was not
sticking to the plan, the suit then had a look of glee and
realisation slip across his face, “Right! How is Harry meant to
know when to come?” he pointed to his closest guard, “You, give me
your gun.” he grabbed the machine gun from the air as it was tossed
and started fiddling with the side, “How does... Where does..?” his
guard stepped forward and pointed out the bolt, the suit snarled at
him, “Clever are we?” before the guard could open his mouth the
suit had brought the butt across his face sending him to the ground
where his boss started firing into his back, “Fucking..
Smart-arse... Shit!” the suit kicked his body a few times before
straightening up and smoothing his hair, “I do apologise for that
outburst. Anyway, where was I...? That's right! I was just thinking
how we need some screams! Needs to sound real. Bring me someone to
shoot!” I heard a cage opening, “That isn't necessary.” I saw his
ears prick up, “Necessary?” he began striding toward me,
“Necessary?” he was right in front of me now, about an inch shorter
than me, his eyes a deep green behind his rounded glasses, his
brown hair still slightly messed from his 'moment', his breath
smelled heavily of peppermint and smoke, “You know nothing of
necessary.” A sparkle entered his eyes accompanying his wry smile,
“But you will.”

A woman was brought into the
circle and tossed to the ground, she wore a summer dress, though it
was torn in several places, her thighs bruised, her body shaking
with sobs, long black hair covering her face, “Kill her.” I looked
at the suit with disgust, “Kill her and you can take the fuel,
no-one else gets hurt.” I walked over to her and lifted her to her
feet, “What's your name?” I heard the suit yell out from behind me,
“S! … Oh, hers? You can call her anything you want!” I did my best
to ignore him, I raised her head with my fore-finger under her
chin, she would've been beautiful once but now her cheeks were
sallow, her eyes stained with smeared mascara to match the
plastered on lipstick, “Come on love, what's your name?” her lip
trembled while tears slid down her cheeks, “J.. Je... Jessica.” I
smiled at her, “Alright, Jessica, I can try to kill these people
or... I promise it'll be quick.” she managed a smile, “Make sure
you make him pay, after this, please.” I put my hands on either
side of her head, “I promise.” I felt her sob once more before I
snapped her neck, laying her down slowly. Tears now welling in my
eyes, thinking of what her life was before all this. A clapping
started behind me, “Very good John! Very good. Now, that's a taste,
maybe you'll get to do a loved one by the time I'm done with you.”
I was really going to enjoy killing him, I heard the truck coming
through the gate, “Ah! Yes, help him hook it up men, we're running
on a schedule here.” I pushed past S and onto Harry who was being
escorted from the truck so the bandits could hook it up, “I made a
deal, let's get out of here.” Harry opened his mouth then noticed
the dead girl and shut it, I couldn’t do anything but make a quick
nod. A hand rested on my shoulder, “Good luck, you're going to need
it.” I turned to face S, ready to tear his throat out, “I'm coming
back here, and I'm going to make you go through Hell before I send
you there for good.” he smiled at me, “You’re a firm believer that
we've only got here. And I plan on sticking around here.” The truck
was hooked up on the road behind us, “Time to go John.” I snarled
at him, “Let's go Harry.” I spun on my feet and walked toward the
truck, “When we get back here Harry, he's mine.”