Omega Virus (Book 1): Beta Hour (25 page)

LEVEL 31 – BATTLEFRONT

I'd never heard
Wesley so pissed off. I climbed into the co-pilot’s seat, afraid he would push
me out the door. He brushed his dirty, red hair from his eyes and attacked me
with a glare

“Can
we talk about this later?” I murmured.

“Hmm,
you know what? I’d prefer we talk now. Right now. Or would you rather wait till
we all start getting bit?”

“She’s
cured!” I lied. “I found the vaccine.”

“Where
and how?” He asked. “What G.O.D. Mode base were you at?”

“It
belonged to someone called Grandson,” I said.

“Grandson,”
Wesley said, and I could see something going on behind those eyes of his. He
likely knew
who
I spoke of.

“Grandson,”
I said. “And he looked just like me. We even have the same scar!”

Wesley
nodded. “I see.”

“What
does that mean?” I asked. “Do you know?”

He
waved his hand dismissively. “Just give me the coordinates.”

“Answer
me first!”

“Dammit
kid.” Wesley snapped. “Give me the damn numbers or take your girlfriend and get
out.”

“You’re
an asshole.” I unfolded the paper.

Wesley
snatched it, and startled, nearly crashing us into a building.

“Ouch!”
came from the back.

“What
the hell man?” Jeff snapped.

“This
guy is going to get us killed,” Dave grumbled. “I keep telling you!”

“What
was that about?” I snapped.

“The
Rockport Report,” Wesley said, eyes wide. “Do you know what this is?”

“Um,
a cooking recipe?” I rolled my eyes. “No! I don’t!”

“The
first findings of the virus,” Wesley said. “I’ve heard of it, but never got a
look.

The
gloves needed to come off. “You worked with G.O.D. Mode. Wayne said you
co-founded the company.”

He
lowered his head and sighed. “Not really. It was Serenade who brought me into
the fold, but then she joined their way of thinking, and she wanted to hand
over the company.”

“She
was your girlfriend—Or wife, or whatever. How could you?”

“She
allowed this to happen. She wanted it.” His voice went cold.

“We
can question the ethics of your decision later, I guess.”

“There’s
nothing to question.” He muttered.

“Well,
my question is, can you read the report?”

“No.”
He said at length. “Only those G.O.D. Mode freaks can.”

“Can’t
the code be broken?” I asked.

Wesley
said, “A scientist worked on the code. His name was Beauregard. He worked at
the Cornelia Facility. I went there initially in search of him, but he was
gone.”

I
looked out the window at the freeway below. “There’s that name again. This guy
must be pretty dang important.”

“If
there’s a hope for the human race, a way to stop G.O.D. Mode for sure, that guy
has the answer.”

I
thought back to the G.O.D. Report at the Cornelia facility. Beauregard logged
his work in that computer—the AI.

“Leon!”
I realized aloud.

Wesley
looked at me funny.

“The
AI unit that had the G.O.D. Report Part One!” I explained. “Beauregard said he
was going to Rockport for Part Two.”

“Oh
ho
ho
.” Wesley chuckled. “The plot thickens.”

“So
are we fine then?” I asked.

“With
what?”

“That
Jessie is here?” I said.

“Why
would it matter?” He asked. “You said she’s cured. She is cured, isn’t she?”

My
hesitation told him enough.

Wesley
whispered, “Zach, did you bring an infected girl on this copter?”

“No!
I gave her the vaccine!
The only one.
She’s getting
better as we speak.”

“The
only...one…?” Wesley asked.

“Yes,
well no. There are three more, but they’re at these coordinates.”

“What
further stakes do you have in this, might I ask?” He stared ahead, face
emotionless.

In
the distance the sun had begun to rise
;
a beautiful
sight. Would it be my last one?

“Did
you say something?” I asked, feeling the warmth from the gorgeous view.

“Nah,”
Wesley said. “Not a thing.”

I
knew I shouldn’t fall asleep, but I wanted to experience it one last time, even
if I never woke up.

But
I did wake up. I woke up to the sound of screaming. The copter spun in a tight
circle. Dizziness swept over me, and however distant, I could hear my screaming
too.

“Damn!
Damn! Damn!” Wesley shouted.

“Get
control of it!” I pleaded.

“What
the hell do you think I’m trying to do?” He snarled.

No
matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hold it steady.

The
beeping alarm went off, and everything flew by in a flash. There came crying,
screaming,
then
flashes of white and the sound of
metal twisting, bending and snapping. Finally, a great kaboom shook my world
apart.

The
next thing I knew, I lay in a field of green grass. I sat up to find my head
aching and my ears ringing. Black smoke rose from a patch of trees nearby. I
tried hard to remember what had just happened, but none of it came together
until I heard Jessie scream. Then, it all came back in a flash. The helicopter
had crashed!

“Please
be alright!” I pleaded as I stumbled for the trees.

I
came upon the wreckage and a headcount of ten Corpses surrounding the wreckage.

“Dammit
get the door open!” Jeff screamed.

“I
can’t! We’re gonna die!” Dave screamed.

I
could hear Kessa crying within, and Jessie screaming too. The Corpses weren’t
paying attention to me. They were going after the others, my trapped friends.
The strong fumes of leaking fuel floated in the air. One spark and they’d all
be dead.

“Hey!”
I shouted at the nearest Corpse. “Come get me!

It
turned, gave a long groan, and staggered towards me. I needed a weapon. A long
piece of metal stuck from the bark of a nearby tree. It looked like one of the
broken propellers. I grabbed onto the blade and pulled. It wiggled, but it
didn’t come out.

“I
don’t have time for this!” I cried.

The
Corpse came up just behind me. I felt its icy fingers on my shoulder. I
screamed and spun, pulling the blade free and swinging it around. The broken
blade sliced across its face. The top part of its head slid off, and the Corpse
collapsed.

The
rest of them ignored the cries of my friends, and all came for me.

“Yeah,
that’s right! You bastards! It’s me you want now!” I shouted.

I
charged into their midst, swinging the propeller blade like a sword. One
grabbed for me, but I sliced right through its arm. I spun, and lifted my leg,
kicking it in the stomach and sending it onto its back. I jumped and stomped on
its head then went to the next.

Blood
sprayed as I swung wide and high sweep. Three zombies heads came off. I kept
attacking, but my arms soon tired, and more Corpses found their way onto the
scene.

“Help
us!” Jessie cried.

“I’m
trying!” I shouted. “Too many Corpses!”

“Stop
trying to play hero and be one!” Wesley came running from between the trees
with dual pistols in his hands. “Get your friends out of there!”

I
rushed to the dented-in copter door. I stuck my fingers in the crack and
pulled. As hard as I tugged it just wouldn't budge.

“Can
you pry it open
!?
” Jeff shouted.

“R-right!”
I stuck the propeller into the crack and braced it. With all the strength I
could muster, I pulled. The door finally began to give way. I cracked it open a
couple of feet. Jessie crawled out and got behind me. I briefly saw her shirt
covered in blood, but she didn't look wounded.

“Kessa,
come on!” I yelled in.

“Bro.
She’s hurt!” Jeff climbed out.

“Kessa!”
I called in. “Hurry!”

Jeff
put his hand on my shoulder and shook his head. Dave came to the door and stuck
his head out.

“I
won’t fit man!” Dave whined. “You gotta get it open farther!”

Jeff
and I grabbed the door and pulled. With our combined strength we were able to
get the door open a few inches more. Dave didn’t wait; he threw himself into
the opening and started squeezing his way out.

“Something's
burning!” Wesley cried. “It's gonna blow!”

“Crap!”
Jeff and I cried. We both pulled Dave's arms, but couldn't get him.

“Just
leave me.” Dave cried.

“Bros
don’t leave bros to die!” Jeff said. “We’re getting you out!”

“Both
of them!” I added.

I
kicked the door, trying to dent it farther to the side so Dave could fit. I
lifted my foot and slammed into it. Finally, it gave just another inch and Dave
rolled out.

“Kessa
come on!” I yelled.

“She
can’t come with us.” Jeff shook his head.

“Of
course, she can!” I snapped. “She’s not bitten! She’s—”

“You
don’t understand.” Dave stopped me.

“Oh
please Lord! Help!” Kessa’s voice came off as weak.

I
didn’t understand. Why couldn't Kessa make it out? Then I saw Jessie’s shirt
again. The blood belonged to Kessa. Inside, she sat in her seat, blood pouring
out of a wound in her shoulder where her left arm had been severed.

“My
angel, help me!” She gurgled, turning to me.

The
side of her face had been torn apart, and the inside of her mouth could be seen
through her cheek. But worst of all, she had a long piece of steel through her
gut.

“Oh
crap, Kessa, hold on!” I whispered.

She
reached her right hand out. “My angel!”

I
reached in for her, and the explosion hurled me. We were all flung through the
air as fire erupted into the sky, knocking down the surrounding trees. We
landed in a heap of bodies and limbs, some of which belonged to the Corpses
that were caught in the blast. I rolled to my feet and started a reckless run
toward the burning helicopter, but something caught my foot, and I tripped,
slamming down and eating dirt.

I
was ready to kick in a Corpse head, but I found Jeff holding on tight.

“Let
me go!” I cried. “I have to save Kessa!”

“Bro,
she’s gone,” Jeff said.

Those
words echoed in my mind, and I felt myself falling somewhere far away. I didn’t
love Kessa. She had been akin to a friend with benefits, but she loved me. And
her death would remain with me forever.

Kessa’s
face flashed in my mind, as she reached for me. She truly thought I could save
her, but even if I had, her wounds were too
grievous
.
Why did she die? Who could I blame? Why had we crashed?

“Wesley!”
I screamed, kicking free of Jeff’s grasp.

I
stomped over to the bastard who still lay on his back, holding his hat on his
head.

“You
son-of-a-bitch!” I roared. “What did you do?”

“I
did my best,” Wesley grunted as I grabbed his collar and pulled him to my face.

“We
were shot down by a missile.”

“A
missile?” I echoed.

“Let
me go.” Wesley snapped. “This is a road you don’t want to walk down.”

His
words were true. I didn’t want to fight him, so I let go.

“The
only one who could have shot us down was someone who knew we were coming,
right?” Jeff said. “G.O.D. Mode.”

“Pretty
sure it was.” Wesley sat up. “They must be watching the airspace.”

“Where
did it come from?” Dave asked. “I didn’t see any jets.”

“Rockport.”
I pointed straight ahead.

Everyone’s
eyes followed mine. No more than a mile away, buildings rose up over a wall. It
looked like a fortified town.

“Is
that where we’re going?” Jessie asked.

Anger
boiled within me. I gripped my hands into fists so tightly that my nails cut
into my palms. It hurt, but not as bad as the pain in my heart. I lost another
friend because of G.O.D. Mode. Once again they had taken someone precious to
me.

I
stormed towards Rockport. Grandson would die by my hands. I didn’t care if we
looked like twins, clones or whatever the hell. I promised myself, for Tiffany,
for Kessa, I would end his life one way or another.

LEVEL 32 – PHANTOM PAIN

“What about
ground artillery?” Dave shouted a warning.

If
I had to, I would dodge every bullet, every grenade, and every missile they
threw at me. Rockport would not be able to keep me out.

“Marching
right up is suicide!” Jessie ran after me.

“Guys,
wait!” Dave huffed, trying to catch up.

“You
guys stay back.” I threw my hand to the side and didn't take my eyes off the
city walls.

Jeff
finally grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. “You're going to get yourself
killed!”

I
turned, and we locked eyes. I didn’t know him well, and I'd never spoken to him
before that day at Milpeg High, but when he saw the rage, the pure hatred in my
eyes, he let go, and I continued marching.

“Shouldn’t
we stop him?” Dave's voice fell behind.

I
didn’t glance back, but I knew that only one other had the balls to follow.
Wesley. On cue he appeared, matching my pace

“You
ready to do this?” He asked. “You may have to kill people and lots of Corpses.”

“Been
there, done that.” I gritted my teeth.

“No
telling how many.”

“Nowhere
near enough!” I snapped.

“You
never answered my question,” Wesley said. “What stakes do you have in this?”

“Vengeance.”
I filled my voice with ice. “For Tiffany and now Kessa.”

He
shrugged. “Good enough for me. I live for vengeance.”

“You
don’t get it.” I glanced at him. “You’re a bad ass. You have no emotion. No
pain and no despair! You don’t understand the pain of loss!”

I
didn’t see his fist coming. Wesley punched me right in the face, and I landed
on my back, hard. I rubbed my jaw, wishing the shock had been more devastating
than the hit. His fist felt like a crowbar. The ‘Zombie Killer’ let me sit up.
He put his foot against my chest and shoved me back down, and held me there.

“Kid,
it’s you who don’t understand the real pain of loss. You didn’t love Tiffany.
You didn’t love Kessa. You didn’t have to shoot the love of your life, and it
wasn’t because I didn’t love her! It wasn’t just because she was a traitor to
the human race! It was because G.O.D. Mode had brainwashed her and there was no
bringing her back. I loved Serenade more than life itself, and I would have
done anything for her, and I did. She asked me to kill her if she got in too
deep with G.O.D. Mode... so I did. I killed her! Don’t you get it? No, you
don’t. But maybe one day you’ll have to kill the one you love most!”

I
felt dumbfounded. I thought Wesley to be all bravado and insane tactics, but at
that moment, I saw the hurt in the contours of his face. Wesley James had more
inside him than a cold, killing machine; a human being that had gone through
something no one ever should. Serenade had willingly turned against him;
something she had to of known would force his hand, but didn’t care. She
betrayed not only his trust but also his heart.

“I’m
sorry.” I stared up at him from the dew-covered grass.

The
shade lifted from under his Zombie Killing hat as the sun rose. I could clearly
see tears running down his face, the caked on dirt smudging away.

“You’re
sorry?” Wesley asked. “Or do you still think I’m nothing but an emotionless bad
ass?”

I
shook my head. “I was wrong. We both have vengeance to achieve.”

He
wiped the tears from his face, getting dirt all over his hands. “My turn to say
sorry.”

He
offered his hand and lifted me to my feet.

“You
guys cool?” Dave asked as the group approached. “I didn’t want to have to step
in.”

“I
told you all to stay back.” I rolled my eyes.

“We
aren’t letting you face this alone, bro.” Jeff crossed his arms.

“I
may not be the strongest guy,” Dave said. “But I’m a damn good gamer, so that
has to count for something.”

“We’re
together forever,” Jessie added.

I
felt scared for their safety, but I couldn’t have been happier. The warmth in
my chest built and I began to tear up. Until I realized my chest burned, and I
wanted to vomit. Jessie likely only lasted so long by being in frozen at the
Cornelia Facility, but the virus ran freely in my blood, probably consuming
every red blood cell one by one. We had to hurry.

“Thank
you.” I looked between all of my friends, the Gamer's Guild.

“All
for one,” I said and put my hand out.

“Come
on; that’s corny!” Dave whined.

“Just
do it.” I sighed.

Jeff
shrugged and put his hand on top of mine, Jessie followed, as did Dave with a
sigh.

Wesley
chuckled. “What the hell?”

He
put his hand on top of the pile, and we all said in unison. “And one for all.”
Then threw our hands up.

“That
felt so awkward.” Dave sighed.

Jeff
smacked his shoulder. “Oh get over it. We’re the Gamer’s Guild, every one of
us. Even Wesley is an honorary member.”

“I’m
touched. I never had a friend before.” Wesley chuckled as we all walked towards
Rockport.

“No
friends?” Jessie asked.

“Nah,”
Wesley answered. “Even Serenade was my girlfriend before my friend. We just met
at a game tournament, and I asked her to be my player two.”

“How
romantic.” She giggled.

“It
was nice, ya know. It was good. That’s all I can say about it. It was just
good.”

We
continued as Jessie pressed Wesley for answers to personal questions. She asked
all about Serenade, probably not realizing how much it hurt him. He hesitated
before each answer, but still gave one just the same.

Through
the conversation we found out they met as teenagers, they went out to eat every
night because neither of them could cook, they both loved pizza, and both had
an affinity for the dog breed Pugs.

She
probably never would have stopped with the questions had we not reached the
gate of the city, without ever being attacked by gunners.

Jessie
cut herself short as she stared up in awe. Large iron gates were in place
around a thirty-foot tall
stone wall
. It looked more
like a kingdom than a modern day city. We couldn’t see over the gates.

“They
built these walls so fast,” I whispered.

“Where
are the guards?” Dave asked. “Shouldn’t they be asking us questions? Or saying
they used to be adventurers like us?”

“No
arrow to the knee jokes,” Jeff said. “That got old a while ago.”

“Some
jokes never get old.” He argued.

“Both
of you shut up!” Wesley said. “Do you hear that?”

“What
is it?” I asked.

“Nothing.”
He pointed out. “Pure phantom silence. No people, no machines, no animals, no
Corpses.”

“The
animals are gone,” I said.

“They
went silent a while ago,” Jessie said. “I used to love listening to morning
birds.”

“Now
that you mention it,” Jeff said. “Where are all of the animals? I haven’t seen
one since this all began.”

“G.O.D.
Mode has something to do with it,” I said. “How did they build a wall like
this?”

Wesley
shrugged. “I don’t know. None of this sits well with me.”

“Hey!
A way in!” I pointed to the left gate, which had the outline of a smaller door.
We walked over and together Jeff and Wesley pulled it open.

“Let’s
be careful,” Wesley said. “I’ll go first. Zach, wait ten seconds. Jeff, you
take up the rear.”

“Ha,
rear.” Dave chuckled.

Jeff
rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

Wesley
stepped inside, and we waited. I slowly counted to ten. “One-one thousand,
two-one thousand…”

At
ten, I stepped through and found Wesley leaning into a gray SUV. I looked
around, and the city streets were entirely void of life, but also destruction.
Every car sat neatly parked in their spots on both sides of every street. Not a
single business had vandalism. The shops even had their lights on inside.
Something in the air felt strange.

“Do
you see this?” I asked.

“Yeah.
Some strange crap.” Wesley called back.

“It's
a trap!” Dave said.

“I
don’t think Grandson cares enough to try and ‘trap’ us. This city just seems to
have power.”

“And
no citizens,” I replied.

“Like
I said, strange crap,” Wesley repeated.

“You
sure it’s safe?” Dave asked from the doorway.

“Just
go!” Jeff snapped.

Dave
stepped through the door, followed by Jessie and then Jeff. They all stopped
and looked around.

“I’ll
be damned,” Jeff said. “This town is alive... well sort of.”

“We
can game again!” Dave cheered. “Whoo!”

“That’s
all you think about?” Wesley asked.

“Only
on days that end in Y.” Dave gave a huge, silly grin.

Jeff
shut the door and turned back to us. “Maybe we should find food.”

“You
think they have a McDonalds?” Dave asked.

“That’s
not all he thinks about.” I rolled my eyes.

Dave
made a dash for the convenience store catty-corner from our position.

“Don’t
wander off!” I jogged after him.

As
we approached, the window sign flashed ‘OPEN’.

“If
there’s no one here who turned on the ‘OPEN’ sign?” I asked.

“Who
cares?” Dave replied. “The shelves are fully stocked.”

Dave
threw open the door and ran inside.

“I
don’t like this,” I said.

“Something
is spooky as hell.” Jeff agreed.

“Can’t
we just hurry to the port?” Jessie asked. “I’m getting the creeps.”

I
watched Dave take a shopping basket and begin throwing snacks and drinks
inside. I knew it could be dangerous to follow him inside, but I did anyway.

“Hello?”
I called, shivering from the cold AC.

I
walked to the counter and grabbed a chocolate bar. Even though the world had
ended, I felt weird just taking food without paying, especially with how the
store still appeared in perfect condition. My stomach growled, but I set the
bar back down. I glanced up into the corner and saw the security camera. It
moved left and right, following Dave’s path around the store

“Dave,”
I whispered. “Let’s go.”

“But
they have fresh nachos!” he said, “Let me just get some cheese.”

“Wait—”

“Not-yo-cheese!
Nacho cheese! Get it?” Dave laughed as we left, and he carried a basket and a
container of nachos.

“The
camera in there was watching Dave,” I said as we approached the others.

“It
was what?” Dave cried. “I’m a rogue! I hate playing rogues!”

“Yes,”
Jeff said. “Roll initiative.”

“Someone
is here then,” Wesley said as his SUV rumbled to life. “There’s one place I
want to stop before we hit the port.”

Not
only did I have a horrid feeling about the city of Rockport, but also the
infection continued to spread within me. We didn’t have the time.

“Let’s
just find a boat,” I said. “We can always come back later.”

“This
is important.” Wesley shook his head. “So we’re stopping. This could save our
lives.”

If
we didn't move faster, nothing could save my life, but I knew Wesley wouldn't
accept any excuses; especially if I told him I had a bite wound.

“Is
it really important?” Jeff asked. “We need to take care of this ‘Grandson’
asshole as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more dangerous it’ll
become.”

“Whoever
was watching might come for us!” Dave added. “I don’t wanna go to jail!”

“We
need to decipher the Rockport Report and the ‘Barracks’ may have a hint how to
do so.” Wesley snapped. “It may tell us what we are going to run into in the
Gulf Base.”

“Like
a strategy guide?” Dave asked.

“Yes,
like a strategy guide.” Wesley rolled his eyes.

I
didn’t like it. Not one bit. I opened my mouth to argue, but Wesley cut me off.

“Not
to mention the G.O.D. Report Part 2 should be there if it’s anywhere in this
city,” Wesley added.

That
caught my attention. The G.O.D. Report Part 1 contained information regarding
me. Maybe the next had more, and would tell me about Beauregard and why
Grandson and I looked alike. Or maybe even better, it would tell how to make a
cure, that way I could go up against Grandson at 100%.

We
walked toward the car just when a long siren began to wail. It sounded like a
warning, the kind that stated curfew had started. We all glanced at each other,
and a similar look passed between us.