Divided Resistance (chapter 2)

Early the next morning, before the first rays of light were visible Thunder squad was over by Phoenix’s campsite of a cold rooftop.1

“These guys Phoenix, they are a bit scrawny to be the best squad.” Thunder one said. She was armed with a fireman’s axe, like the remaining four girls in her squad, who milled about, waiting for phoenix squad to awake. Malo spun his body around, quickly knocking the girl nearest him off her feet, wasting no time before putting his katana directly to her throat. Marshall grabbed his weapon and used its spiked bottom to hook a girl’s pants leg, dragging her to the floor with it. In a moment he had the curved blade hovering over her like a malicious guillotine. The attack was preplanned, Reigning was quick to string his bow while the girls were ascending the steps. He sprang rolled, fitted an arrow onto the string and took aim picking the girl he assumed was five meters from him.2

“There are five of us and three of you.” Thunder one stated3

“If you don’t fork over some answers there will be two of you.” Marshall growled like an enraged bear. 4

“Start with who you are and your names, or your friends are getting a one way ticket to hell.” Malo ordered, putting the freezing blade of his katana to the tender neck-flesh of his captive.5

“We are Thunder squad, and unless you wish to make enemies with some of the last humans alive, let them go.” Malo and Marshall withdrew their weapons on her command, Reigning reluctantly took out his bow stringer and unstrung his weapon.6

“Start with your names.” Marshall spat.7

“You don’t need to know our names, just call us by the numbers on our jacket sleeves.” Each of them had the numbers one through five on their sleeves.8

“Exactly where are we headed?”9

“This is my town, I’ve been fighting here from day one there should be a bookstore with an atlas not far from here.” Thunder one said. Phoenix squad calmed and only just realized the light skin tone of all five girls, a cause for suspicion or the onset of paranoia. Marshall, Malo and Reigning Fire had done too much travelling and seen too much brutality to let their minds rest.10

They quickly found the group who laid the boards out, several miles into the city, skeletons, bones split and scraped clean of marrow, bleaching under the sun.11

“Can’t help but feel sorry for these souls, on of their own must have been wounded and turned overnight.” Thunder one said, examining a skull.12

“What makes you say that?” Malo asked, knocking over a skull with his katana.13

“I have a feeling a coven of them is nearby, off topic but you guys have such exotic weapons how did you learn to use them.”14

“I have martial arts experience, so does Marshall, Reigning Fire has been practicing with a bow since he was fourteen, he’s about eighteen now.”15

“I’ll try to make it simpler, we both used kendo sticks in training, their attack patterns are based on circular and semicircular attacks, something like a katana or my weapon can be adapted to work in such a way, a lot of learning on the job took place.”16

“Sounds very unlikely.” Thunder two said, her physique was very much like the rest of Thunder squad, very petite and slightly tall.17

“When its kill or be killed, you learn or you die, none of us are dead yet so we learned.” Marshall argued.18

“I believe we have company.” Thunder one said, her regal tone diminished to a whisper by the whirring of helicopter blades.19

“They really went to town on trying to do us in.” Malo said. A missile was fired from the helicopter, rushing toward them at breakneck pace. Everyone on the rooftop was quick to dive to one side avoiding the explosion and most of its repercussions. The pillars supporting the building’s framework, were destroyed by the blast, leaving the two storey building to collapse.20

“Reigning are you?” Malo asked, tense his arms lined with shallow scratches.21

“Malo shut up, and stay still those guards can’t see us.” Reigning said, his body covered by dust, and debris from the building, a few scratches marked his face.22

A small squad of soldiers rappelled from the helicopter. Thunder squad were dusting themselves off when the faceless henchmen arrived in the wreck that was once a building. 23

“Weapons on the ground!” A soldier cried, pointing his rifle at them. Thunder squad, grudgingly dropped their blood red axes to the floor. “Hands behind your heads, single file get in the helicopter.24

“Sir, what about those two.”25

“The gravel crushed those motherfuckers, leave them be those zombies will make short work of them.” Reigning fought to hold back an urge to cringe. The sound of glass shattering and a dying yell echoed through the confines of the bombed-out building. Marshall broke the black lens guarding the soldier’s face with the spike at the bottom of his weapon. Drew it back and cut the throat of the soldier behind him, the thin layer was easily sliced, revealing the vulnerable flesh underneath. One soldier kept his gun focused on Thunder squad while his head was trained on Marshall, looking at thunder squad through the corners of his eyes. There were only two soldiers standing, Marshall was already staring one of them down. The soldier cocked his weapon and took aim, one quick swipe and the gun was several feet across the room, skittering across the floor.26

Intent on not dying, the soldier drew a knife from at his side and charged. Marshall waiting till he raised his hand to aim a stab, like lightning his hand shot out gripping the soldier’s arm like a vice and using the momentum of his running he flipped the soldier straight over bringing him down on the back. Marshall then flipped up the lens obscuring the soldier’s face, took the soldier’s knife and submerged it in his face.27

More soldiers flooded into the room, Marshall couldn’t risk anything he was far too outnumbered. “Into the helicopter bitches!” Thunder squad filed into the helicopter landed in the middle of the street. Marshall was dragged upright, disarmed forcefully and ushered into the helicopter at gunpoint. After its noisy departure Reigning Fire and Malo sprung from their hiding places.28

“I can’t believe those asses got away with Marshall and Thunder squad!” Reigning yelled.29

“Shut up the twit-zombies will hear you.”30

“Helicopters aren’t quiet Malo half of them heard us!”31

“So that’s it huh? You’re just going to wait here and let those she-witches murder you?”32

“If there weren’t echoes between the buildings in the city we’d be dead right about now.”33

“I’m not letting it end like this, everyone I know was eaten or turned whoever made that virus will pay, you can stay here and let your sorry ass get eaten.” Malo stormed into the street.34

“Attention all units report to your officers, and urgent meeting will take place at the Dustan Winds stadium in three days, to provide time for any stranded squads to recover or to allot time incase of surprises.”35

“You are … twenty clicks from … Dustan Winds stadium.” A female robotic voice said.36

“Malo wait up, come cut this guy’s head off, we can use his receiver to find the meeting place.”37

“Why the sudden change of heart Reigning?”38

“They are arriving by helicopter, twit-zombies for miles must have been cleared out so they couldn’t be attracted by sound.” Malo drew his katana and rapidly beheaded the soldier. Reigning Fire got to work detaching his headset as they searched for a rooftop to spend the night in. The helicopter that took their friends only a speck in the distance.39

Reigning Fire and Malo darted across the street to the office building Thunder squad had been hiding in the day before, scurrying through the destroyed building, the cubicles filled with piles of rubble, destroyed months ago by rabid twit-zombies longing for blood. The remaining two members of Phoenix squad ascended the stairways, Malo running forward and covering the floor above and Reigning Fire moving slowly backwards covering the rear incase any stray zombies found them. Simple yet effective their plan got them to the rooftop quickly, they idly chatted about foolish matters until Malo raised and important question.40

“Reigning, I thought there were werewolves and male vampires in that book, why haven’t we run across those ugly suckers?”41

“You and Marshall haven’t, I have no idea what that virus does to people … the wolf things are people yet they walk like wolves and are hairy like apes with a wolf’s teeth and the males, those creeps have flaps of skin they try to use like wings.”42

“How are you still alive then?”43

“One of my friends was a boat owner, the infection had taken place while we were out to sea, hunting game on a nearby island, when we came back they were prowling around, needless to say when we arrived on your island he was killed and that’s how I got in possession of the boat.”44

“So he taught you how do use it, and then why in the hell did you crash it into the docks, right before we got into this city?”45

“He was killed before he could teach me to dock it correctly, thing was almost out of gas anyway.” Reigning said. He and Malo quickly drifted off after the conversation died. 46

“You are … nineteen point nine clicks away from … Dustan Stadium.” The female robotic voice, woke up Reigning. He groaned as he got his bearings realizing the sun was minutes from rising, the twit-zombies would be up and about searching for food in the perilous moments before dawn. Their skins reflected the sunlight faintly, yet still turning them into glowing apparitions, the glare around their body making them easy targets or easy to avoid for survivors, natural selection took care of those prowling during the day. The retreat to darkness during the day was due to the burning sensation caused by the direct light going into their pupils, glare from the sun was equally as effective and also played a decent-sized role in keeping them in the dark. Curiosity dispelled this basic instinct overpowering the burning sensation and the detrimental effect it had on their eyes was cast aside at the slightest indication that a chance of scouring life was around.47

“Come on Malo wake up, we already lost a day and if we lose another Marshall and the rest will get executed … Malo?” Reigning Fire turned around, greeted by no one. His sword, the packsack with food was gone. He yanked a water skin from his side, gulping a few mouthfuls before starting in the direction of an adjacent building, using some of his free running and acrobatics training to his advantage. Painful memories of friends and family forever lost seductively whispered in his ear to toss himself off the buildings and join them. “Damn why did it have to be Malo’s turn.”48

“Phoenix leader GPS readings are saying Thunder squad along with Marshall is miles from you, Malo is also some distance from you … what’s going on?” It was Angel’s voice over the headset.49

“How do you have GPS tracking systems on all of us?” Reigning Fire asked, before sipping some more water, a vain effort to stave off hunger.50

“The last surviving people on Earth haven’t pulled all the connections and resources possible? The remants of governments around the world aren’t sleeping on this, those headsets Echo squad gave you guys didn’t come from the sky.” Reigning could hear the sadness in Angel’s voice when she talked about Echo squad; exhaustion killed the group when they delivered the last of the headsets to Phoenix squad.51

“So what your saying is those clandestine organizations that are in movies and stuff like that are now gladly tossing out their gear for a bunch of fifteen to twenty year olds.”52

“Most of the soldiers brought in get swarmed helicopters and planes are far too noisy and the twit-zombies associate boats with life to end and infect, this isn’t some game the whole world is in trouble now.”53

“You also neglected to mention, how these things survive extended periods with no food.”54

“Grow some imagination Reigning, Malo is heading in the same direction as you, but GPS has some early feeders heading your way.”55

“Why in the world didn’t you start this whole thing out with that message?” Reigning said, stopping to regain his bearing on the two storey orange building. Hustling and shrieking accompanied by eerie golden glows signaled the early feeders arriving. Reigning Fire strung his bow , preparing for the nearing conflict though just as willing to avoid it at all costs. He kept moving, sticking to the early shadows and moving out of the tw-zombies field of view evading the group like the anathema it was.56

“You shouldn’t be too far from Malo…” The voice drifted into static.57

“Respond this is phoenix leader, do you read me, respond!”58

“Reign … they’re ja … ing the sig…” Angel’s voice faded into an endless barrage of static, Reigning Fire fingered with his headset, setting it for a different wavelength.59

“Reigning … you on the airways, I know you’re a late sleeper.”60

“Malo, where in the hell are you!”61

“Morning to you too, anyways I found a command post, the two guards were hardly awake, poor bastards looked like they stayed up all night worrying about twit-zombies, both must have collapsed this morning.”62

“How many blocks are you from our last campsite Malo, I’m starving.”63

“About five rows west and one maybe two north, and incase you were wondering they’re bleeding to death on the floor.”64

“So crude, I don’t know how your stupid quarter staff training made you grasp the use of that thing if only barely, I’m on my way … Oh those guards have locked onto our signals, they’ve been interrupting our …” Another static onslaught cut him off from Aryd. “You have got to be kidding me.” Reigning Fire swallowed more water from his skin, hunger was really beginning to set in, and he could feel his stomach begging for something other than water.65

Reluctantly he strung his bow, and started to look for a way down from the building roof, he ended up shimmying down a rusty drainpipe to the floor. He cursed upon seeing his soiled garments, before planning his next moves. Eerie chills rang through the air, it was evident early feeders were on the prowl. Too hungry to think properly, Reigning Fire opened up a garbage can to scavenge any food that may have survived. A maggot ridden and a pungent smell was all that greeted him. He slammed the lid back onto the can. Footsteps, a stampede … an entourage.66

Reigning Fire turned around, nearly dislocating countless of his vertebrae. A massive group of twit-zombies were in the street. Nearly shocked to death by fear, Reigning robotically fitted an arrow onto his string, and took aim. The zombies only associated sudden movement or noise with life to end. He fired, landing his first head shot, on the zombie next to the one he aimed for. Shrieking like banshees they displayed their claws and Reigning ran. He dashed through the alleyway between the buildings, scaling the six foot tall fence like a low hurdle, putting vital distance between him and the zombies. A familiar humming presence filled the air as Reigning made it across the next street. The twit-zombies had already broken down the fence and were flooding towards him. Reigning thought back on how he vowed to find who made the virus and kill them, watching the light leave their eyes as they came to rest in a pool of their blood, no longer possible.67

Reigning surrendered, dropped his bow and quiver to his side. He then waited, prepared for the zombies to take him. Heavy machine gun fire forced his eyes open once more. The zombies lay on the floor a tangled mess of limbs, organs and blood. Reigning cringed with remorse. Nothing deserves this fate. He said in the confines of his mind. The helicopter responsible for dealing with the twit-zombies zoomed in front of him. Reigning dashed to the street once more and darted beyond sight, narrowly avoiding the stream of bullets splattering deep holes across the breadth of the road. With a piercing shriek a female twit-zombie flung herself on him. Reigning could hardly keep her back, her untamed nails agonizingly digging into his skin, screaming and slavering at the same time only further added to his disgust, if only her ragged apparel and distinctly unwashed hair were positive points. A flash of silvery steel, swung by when Reigning Fire gave up the will to survive and was going to willingly cross over to their side .Malo looked down at his friend.68

“Why didn’t you invite me to the party, I swear I could have heard the revelry going on a mile away if I was deaf.” He aided Reigning Fire to his feet. The loud whirring of the helicopter blades spoiled the moment. The machine gun fire tore up the building that once shielded Reigning. Both dashed into a nearby alleyway, in the back of their minds praying each bullet of the helicopter would miss. The bullet holes left by the attacks were trailing and gaining fast. They made a sharp left, nearly losing traction as they sped. The bullets only gained ground, scrambling like mice being hunted they made another harsh turn into an open warehouse. Malo thought to question the action, but the closing bullets caused him to think otherwise. Reigning Fire heard voices inside the warehouse; twit-zombies would have destroyed whatever made the sound long ago if any were inside. Both approached the abandoned command post, trying to ascertain the message being delivered.69

“My children, you have been chosen because of your excellence in the field, and with your strategic maneuvers, now those childish fools armed with what simple weapons that could be scavenged from the countryside plan to intercept us, they have no idea what awaits them, kill them, without warning or mercy.” An aged female voiced said, making it sound like a semi-convincing pep-rally speech.70

“Bring the thousands our guns never tire Mistress. M, Hail Mistress. M!” Voices cried in chorus.71

Reigning Fire and Malo instantly knew what this meant. Glass on either side of the warehouse cried out in pain as it shattered, the helicopter pilot fired two missiles into the building he saw Reigning and Malo enter. Fire on both sides, neither knew what to do, two more missiles were fired, and the building came down. 72