Death is only the Beginning (EDITING)

Chapter XVIII

"Thank you" said Mike as he shook the hand of the man who saved his life.

"No problem. I am surprised to see anymore soldiers here"

"I'm glad to see someone still survived. Where's the rest of the survivors?" asked Mike as he, Stacy and Rebecca caught their breath and sat at the lounge.

The man sat down near the stove and with a sigh said "I'm all that's left. Newburgh got hit hard. It happened so fast. One moment, it seemed like just a small flu epidemic. So many got sick and began to cough and sweat. Then they collapsed dead only to rise moments later and attack the living. The airport was occupied by the military after the nearby Air Force Base got overrun. Seems we didn't know of the contaminated drinking water at the time so the base let in a lot of sick. The airport did the same."

Rebecca's eyes widened while Stacy gasped. The man nodded and continued:

"We got swarmed so quickly. Undead from the outside, undead from the inside. Me and dozen others barricaded ourselves here. Some got sick and to be taken out after last breaths. A few left for their families. I hope they made it. The rest..."

"I'm sorry" Rebecca said.

"I'm used to it. I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Harold SImmons, last security guard of this airport and welcome to my fortress of solitude slash break room" he said, flashing a weak smile. "I guess I'm the last living security guard of this airport"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Stacy and this is my sister Rebecca. And the soldier here is.."

"Staff Sergeant Mike Robinson" interrupted Mike while he shook Simmons' hand.

"What brings you here uh Staff Sergeant? I thought all soldiers were sent out farther west after the evacuation?"

"We are here because of a small strike team. Wait, is it just you?" Mike asked as noticed the room had no one else inside except the four.

"Yeah. When the outbreak occured a lot of people came here. Sadly, a lot were sick and some even bit. The National Guard tried to use this airport as a um..as a uh..base using the planes for evacuation. Well you can figure out what happened next. The sick died and turned while a lot of zombies tried break in here. They didn't last long. Twelve of us locked ourselves here. God the screams, it was horrible" Simmons said, covering his ears as if he's hearing the socalled screams right now.

"What happened to everyone else?" Stacy asked.

"Nine left a couple days later, saying that no help is coming and we should head west. I hope they're still ok. It was just me, a french tourist named Maurice, and a soldier from the National Guard named Givens. A few days ago they went out to gather food, but they never came back"

"I'm sorry Simmons. We got some food and water we can spare"

"You do Mike uh I mean.."

"Mike's fine"

"Thank you so much" Simmons said, a big smile forming across his face as Mike pulled out several cans of soup and a couple bottles of water.

"Wait, what do you want in return?"

"Just some guidance. I'm following a small group of soldiers carrying sensitive cargo. Journal from a Private Egbert led me here. Have any such soldiers come here in the last five or six days?"

"Um yeah. Four days ago two soldiers arrived here. They wore similar clothing as you Ser..uh..Mike. They said they were looking for a safe way to the air traffic control tower"

"Did they say why?"

"Vaguely about trying to reach out to any remaining military posts. I told them that that part of the airport was heavily overrun. They just thanked me and left as quickly as they arrived"

"Thank you. Could you point us towards that tower?"

"You can't be serious Serg..uh Mike?"

"I am. The fate of this nation is at stake Simmons" Mike said as he got up. Stacy and Rebecca gave him worried looks, but got up as well.

Simmons sighed and pointed at another door blocked by several tables. "That door will lead you to Gate E. The tower will be by the intersection of Gate E and B" Simmons said.

"Thanks. You don't have to stay here" Rebecca said, placing her hand on his shoulder while Mike quietly moved the tables.

"I know, but it's safer in here. Good luck you three. I hope you find what you are looking for"

"You too Simmons" said Stacy before closing the door behind her, leaving Simmons alone in the lounge.

Unlike Gate B, Gate E was deserted of any struggle and fallen infected. The air didn't have a tangy smell either.

"So quiet. Kind of alien now that I think of it" said Rebecca as they passed Gate E.

"I don't like it. It seems like the undead just passed through this place and completely ignore it" responded Mike. As they reached the intersection between Gate D and Gate E they heard the familiar moaning of nearby infected.

They came along a group of heavily mangled corpses wandering around. The corpses quickly spotted them and began approaching them with their arms dangling affront of them as they let out their gurgling moan. Before the three could raise their weapons more infected appeared from behind them and beside them.

"Stacy, you take the rear while Rebecca and I take the two sides. Don't waste all the ammo and don't let them touch you!" shouted Mike as he opened fire. The two girls nodded and opened fire as well. While Rebecca fire control was modest and under control, Stacy had trouble controlling her trigger and breathing as she emptied an entire clip in less than six seconds and took down four infected in the 23 rounds she fired off.

"Stacy, control your breathing, deep breaths and don't jerk the trigger, squeeze it" said Mike as he emptied his magazine into the infected getting close to Stacy. She nodded and as Mike turned back to the infected approaching him, she took in a deep breath. As she exhaled she ignored the suppressed gunfire going on, the moaning that is drilling into her ears and only focused on her breathing. She heard herself take in deep breath. As she looked around she only saw the infected ahead of her, their teeth gnashing and their dead, white eyes piercing her. She raised the gun and carefully squeezed the trigger for a split second. In that split second she pulled the trigger four rounds left the gun, hitting three infected in the head and a fourth in the jaw. The three fell while the fourth staggered backwards.

"Good job Stacy. Now keep it up just like that" said Mike as the infected surrounded them. Stacy blushed at Mike's compliment and continued firing four rounds at a time. As the infected fell, more and more tried to surround them. Mike had to knock one with the butt of his rifle while he quickly reloaded and shoot two down that got too close to Rebecca. After 94 rounds and 35 killed infected the onslaught was over with Rebecca, Mike and Stacy still standing. They were all breathing heavily, their clothes covered in infected blood. Their victory got short lived as they heard a strange noise like a plane getting closer. As Mike looked to the airfield he saw a military C-130 hitting the airfield at a left tilted angle with the wing skittering against the concrete, heading straight for them.

Mike tried to think and before he could clearly think it through he shoved Stacy as hard as he could being that she is a few feet behind them, grabbed Rebecca and jumped out of the way just as the nose of the plane smashed through the windows and slid with a loud screeching sound past where the three just stood and came to a halt as it hit the wall completely blocking off Stacy from Mike and Rebecca. As the dust settled and as Mike and Rebecca coughed it up they approached the plane blocking their bath. Smoke came from its burning engines, and loud moaning could be heard coming from the inside. Mike got out his radio and yelled "Stacy! Stacy can you here me?! Stacy!" But he only got static and the heavy moans of an infected as a response.