The Z Contingency

Chapter 77

"Natalie, can you run?" Gary asked, looking worried. "What about you, Amanda?"

"Yes. I'm fine now. The blood is back in my legs. You look to Amanda." Natalie shook her legs to make sure they were no longer wobbly, then started toward the warehouse. She turned her head to see if Gary and Amanda were behind her, and then stopped when she saw they had not started.

"Run Natalie! Get to safety! We'll be right behind you." Gary shouted at Natalie. Natalie nodded, and began sprinting and weaving through the metal piles toward the blank wall of the warehouse that Agent Sanchez had pointed to.

"Amanda honey?" Gary stooped to speak to the frightened girl face-to-face. "We have to run as fast as we can, okay? Can you keep up?"

"I can run fast," the girl agreed.

"Let's go then!" Gary and Amanda started running. "Follow Natalie!" Gary glanced sideways every second or two to make sure Amanda was not falling behind.

As they ran, Gary could see that the others were far ahead. Some were about to reach the wall, but he could not spot the promised door.

Bubba was the first to get to the wall. He looked at the smooth, flat surface, but saw nothing that looked like a door. Suddenly, he heard the click of a lock, and when he turned in the direction of the sound, he saw the faint outline of a thin doorway cracked open in the wall. He rushed over, and found a handle recessed in the door. It was the same color as the door, and blended in so well, that it was difficult to see, even up close.

He turned the handle and pushed as hard as he could, but the door would not budge.

"Pull!" Yelled Agent Sanchez, causing some of the zombies to turn toward her. She pulled out her Sig and fired at the closest one, but it kept coming.

"Destroy the brainstem!" Gary shouted. "Shoot them through the nose!"

Agents Sanchez and Davis fired as Gary had directed, and the zombies fell, one by one.

Bubba pulled the door open, and began ushering the others through. As his gaze turned in Gary's direction, he shouted, "Amanda!" just as the girl screamed. Gary turned, only to see that she had tripped over a car fender and twisted her ankle. As he turned around to go back to the crying girl, he saw a few members of the group running towards safety, with Tyler farthest behind. He looked tired and seemed to be having trouble keeping pace.

Gary was immediately back by the girl's side. "Come on, Amanda. I'm going to carry you on my back." He picked her up and swung her around while he started moving toward the door again. Just then Tyler ran past.

"Don't let them get me like they got Victoria." She began to cry at the memory of her older sister being torn from their father's back.

"I won't let you go, honey. I promise." Even with the weight of Amanda on his back, the adrenaline rush gave Gary the strength to keep going and he quickly caught up to Tyler again. Gary ran as fast as he could, trying to catch his breath and still keep Amanda calm with some soothing words. The zombies were closing in fast, and he thought he could feel their outstretched hands just missing him by inches. Amanda would let little screams escape when they got too close.

Tyler looked back at Gary, his eyes wide as he saw the zombies right behind them. "Almost there," thought Tyler. But we can't all get through the door before the zombies get to us. I have to get through that door before Gary.

Gary could see Natalie standing just inside the open door, with a worried look on her face. She was gesturing frantically, as if her wildly waving arms could sweep him and Amanda in faster. Standing in front of her to either side were Agent Sanchez and another Agent who were shooting zombies when they got too close to the runners. One fell just as it lurched forward, nearly grabbing Gary and Amanda with its outstretched arms.

As Gary, Amanda, and Tyler closed in on the last several yards between them and the open door, the agents and Natalie stepped back to make way for them to enter. They started pulling the door closed as well because there were now too many zombies to contend with. "Hurry!" they shouted. "You're almost in!"

Tyler put on a burst of speed that he had not exerted since his college football days, and was certain that would be enough to get him to safety ahead of Gary. If Gary could not make it in time, that would be just too bad, but he had to look out for himself.

Tyler took one final look behind him to see that he was safely ahead of Gary and the kid, who were his buffer against the zombies. Suddenly, the knee which had blown out, ending his football career, gave way and buckled, sending Tyler stumbling forward, as Gary sped past with Amanda. Tyler flailed his arms to try regaining his balance, carrying him toward the closing door. He could feel zombie hands grabbing at him, occasionally catching the fabric of his clothes as he careened forward. The last thing he saw was Gary running through the doorway with the girl, turning around and extending a hand to him, just before one of the zombies caught him by a leg, which sent him crashing against the door, slamming it shut in front of him.

Gary picked himself up off the ground, rubbing his bruised arm after Tyler sent the heavy door crashing shut against it. He joined Natalie and Amanda, who were standing with the others looking up at the monitor hanging in one corner of the hallway. The camera was pointed right outside the door so that anyone exiting could immediately see what was just outside before opening the doors to the high security facility. They stared in horror as Tyler was ripped apart, thankful that the heavy outer doors blocked all sound. It was gruesome but quick. Gary and Natalie held Amanda close, facing away from the monitor. She was safe now and had witnessed more than a child her age should have to. There was no need to subject her to more of the violent images.

With bowed heads, each member of the group tried to think of words appropriate for the situation, but it was Sanchez who spoke first.

"There was nothing we could do. There will be time later to grieve for those we've lost today." Gary thought he heard Sanchez's voice quaver for a moment. She must be thinking about Simon. If it weren't for him, we'd have never made it this far. If it weren't for him, Natalie might be...."

Before he could finish the thought, Sanchez spoke again. "Come. This way." She motioned toward the end of the hallway, and slowly trod toward the heavy blast door that would lead them to the mile long underground passage to the lab.

As they started making their way down the hall, Gary placed his arm around Natalie's shoulder. "I'm sorry about Tyler." he said hesitantly.

She leaned against him, patted his hand, and replied, "Me too. No one deserves to die that way." Natalie stopped and stepped in front of Gary, holding him back as the others filed past.

Gary pulled Natalie and Amanda close, holding them tight, as the last of the group passed beyond the inner door towards the safety of the lab. He took her hand in his. "We've gone through a lot to get here. All of us have." Gary looked down, and paused to reflect on the last few weeks and the challenges ahead. "I didn't get a chance to thank him."

"Simon?" Natalie looked at Gary, and could see the conflicting emotions in him. "He went to extraordinary lengths to see us here safely, and in spite of everything that's been thrown at us, nearly everyone who left Ocoee with us made it here to safety. The important thing now is to help everyone who is infected. That's what Simon would have wanted. That's why he brought us here."

Gary, Natalie and Amanda began striding toward the inner door that led to the lab which would also be their new home. A statement echoed in Gary's head. "The only thing I am interested in is making sure these two get to safety so they can create a cure." They were Simon's words. Gary felt a sharp pang of guilt, followed by a sadness for years of lost friendship over a stupid misunderstanding. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"He was willing to pay the ultimate price, wasn't he?" Natalie asked.

Gary reflected on Simon's parting words as they left the hospital in Ocoee, and nodded. We won't let you down old friend. Firmly holding Natalie's hand he felt a new determination. "Now, let's go make ourselves a cure."

THE END