Virus: Biohazard

Charlie wasn't paying attention to what the man was saying. She was impatient to get into the air and find someplace where she could give Aina treatment. She began banging on the side of the helicopter. "What is taking so long?" She turned to look back at the stupid man who had just finished talking.

"Are you going to get in or do you want us to leave you for the beasties?" she nodded towards the ugly head that just appeared at the top of the ladder. Charlie slammed a new cartridge into her pistol and pointed it at the creatures. It cried in pain and fell backwards off the ladder as the bullet buried itself in its skull.

 

I became totally serious, realizing what I was to her.
"Stop yelling, please. I am in, and only the driver can close the door." I said, calmly. "I don't know what you're talking about but - schließen Sie die Tür, bitte," I called back to Brock, hoping my German was at least understandable, since the door seemed the most of her stress. "You need to calm down." I finished in English. Cathleen had her arms crossed and her head down - she didn't dare look at the girl. The door shut slowly and mechanically.

 

I woke up, my chest throbbing more then anything. I groaned, and pushed myself up with my arms. My arms screamed in pain, but I ignored them, and sat on the seat. I looked over and saw Aina, unconscious. I brushed her hair from her forehead, feeling her temperature.

I checked her pulse, it seemed to be fine. I began to gently shake her, rubbing her face. She didn't wake. My eyes filled with worry.

"What's wrong with Aina?" I muttered, my chest paining as I spoke.

 

I turned quickly, forgetting the girl as I heard Kim's voice. I walked over to the girl who was unconcious and pressed my forefinger to her wrist. Her pulse was normal, and her temperature seemed normal as well.
"Aina will be fine," I said, more surely than I felt. "Are you alright?"

 

"I've been better." I muttered, a pain raced through my body, making scream out. I looked at Kale, giving him a half-hearted smile, and got up. I quickly sat in the seat next to Brock. He looked at me, worry on his. He gave me a kiss on the forehead, and pointed to the blinking fuel light.

"You guys." I said, stopping momentarily to let the pain pass, "We have a problem."

 

I felt horrible for Kim as she smiled at me, trying to tough it out. The fuel light was blinking, and Brock looked worried. I started to say "what'll we do?" but decided against it - I'd find out soon enough and I'd rather not ask questions. Instead, I said:
"We'll have to land, then."

 

"We'll have to land, then." I heard it, as though a haze.

I opened my eyes and looked around. Panic seized me.

"Who are you, where am I?? And most importantly, who am I?"

 

I heard a panicked voice behind me, questioning everything that could be questioned. Aina seemed to have lost all memory - even of who she was, and it seemed that our trouble was multiplying again. I knew only her name - I wasn't the one to answer her questions.

 

I looked at Brock, I could hear the commotion in the back, but first things first. I motioned for him to land on a building a few blocks from our Jeeps. I knew the Copter only had so long before it would crash. He began to land and I paced to the back, sitting next to the frazzled Aina. She was awake and appeared to have lost her memory.

"Aina. That's your name. AINA." I said to her.

 

I looked at the girl. She seemed vaguely familiar. Like a sister or something. I reached out and brushed back the strand of hair. She didn't flinch as I though she would.

"Aina?" I asked her. "Ainadika?"

 

"Correct." I said, holding onto the seat tightly as the copter came down in a rough landing. I could hear Brock cursing under his breath.

"Aina, we need to get out of here, and to Charlies, and my Jeep." I said, grabbing her hand, "Do you think you can walk?" I helped her to her feet.

"Do you remember how to shoot a gun?"

 

I took out the gun from my leather strap. i shot at a tree in the distance. Bull's eye.


I grinned at the girl. "That should be your answer honey. And yes, I can walk fine."

 

Aina, though her memory didn't seem all there, shot well and seemed to be okay. I didn't feel so bad for telling Kim she'd be fine when I wasn't sure. The helicopter had landed - not smoothly, granted, but it had landed.

 

I walked from the copter, Brock followed behind. I watched as everyone else off loaded, and I looked at Aina, afraid for her.

"I will take lead, everyone follow me. I'll have to take as leader for the time being." I mumbled, knowing Aina wasn't in the proper condition.

"We'll have to be fast. I'm sure we'll find Aaron around the Tower." I said pointing in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. You could see the top of it not far off, we were pretty close. I suddenly realized I didn't have my crossbow, and ran to the copter. I looked all around and under the seats. I had left it behind. I cursed under my breath.

"Let's go." I muttered, as we started down the street.

 

The Eiffel Tower was pretty nearby. I knew nothing about Aaron, but figured I'd meet him soon enough. Cathleen ran to keep up, holding tightly to the bottom of my shirt. I killed an infected with my knife. I avoided shooting in case the noise might arouse more infected, and the street was strangely clear - we may as well take advantage of it.

 

I walked forward, as we walked in a closed group, everyone had their guns out. We turned down the second street, just one more block until we got to the cars. No infected in site, slightly unnerving.

We turned the corner, the jeeps were in sight, but so were the mass of infected that hid behind the jeeps. I frowned, but luckily for us, they were asleep, and didn't seem to take notice of us yet.

 

I refrained from cursing and pulled my daughter closer as I saw the infected. They slept near the jeeps, and we had two choices. We could shoot, and wake them up, or we could try to make a run for it and let the engines wake them. There was no sign of Aaron, unless he was an infected, and I hoped we'd soon find him. I hate this place.

 

I looked around. This placed seemed strangely familiar. and then i saw them.

The fraggled, alienatic bodies, those people. I knew who they were. Memories started overcoming me like flashbacks.

*Mommy don't leave, I want you.
Honey I'm not leaving.
yes you are and she did.*

*I love you, please stay. She'd cried.
I am, I'm gonna stay forever. He'd promised.
Next morning he'd been found dead on one of the streets.*


My head started spinning. And then I blacked out.

 

There was no warning, no yell, she just fell to the ground. Brock picked her up, and we kept walking. Cathleen looked up at me with wide eyes.
"Is she okay, daddy?"
"She'll be okay," I mumbled, once again unsure. Cathleen looked ahead again, expressionless, as if she'd worn out her fear. I was only glad the infected still slept, but I started when one began to stir, and I brought out my gun.

 

Brock held the unconscious Aina in his arms, and gave me a look of pure unhappiness. I looked at everyone else, and smiled at the seemingly fearless child.

"We'll have to try and get into the Jeeps, be as quiet as you possibly can." I whispered, as we stopped just 50 feet from the parked Jeeps.

"I'll drive one, and I want Brock to drive Charlies." I said, "I'm not in the condition to be able to shoot, and Brock is one hell of a driver." I thought of my lost crossbow, but quickly shook it off.

We all began to pace, slowly and silently towards the jeeps. I watched as Roku jumped in to Charlie's without any problem. I quickly followed suit, jumping in the front seat. I took the child from Kale and sat her in the seat next to me. He crawled over me, sitting at the window with the child on his lap. Brock was in the front of Charlie's Jeep, with Charlie in the back, ready to fight.

I nodded at Brock, and we both started out engines.

 

Charlie stayed silent as the group made their way down the street towards the jeeps. She didn't bother glancing at the infected and wasn't paying attention to the conversation. Her eyes never left Aina, watching her every movement, listening to her every word. She wasn't surprised at the memory loss. After all, Aina didn't seem to even remember Charlie. Even though they had been so close...

With no warning at all, Aina collapsed. Again. Charlie jumped forwad to catch her but Brock beat her to it. She silently gave him the evil eye as he carried Aina over to the jeeps. The woman they called Kim announced that Brock would be driving Charlie's jeep. Good, she could shoot more beasties that way. She would never let them get their filthy hands on Aina. Not her Aina.

Charlie hopped into the only empty seat left in the back of her jeep and pulled out her pistols. She checked to make sure her ammo was loaded and then glanced over her shoulder at Kim in the other jeep. The engines rumbled to life and the infected began to stir.

 

I slammed my foot on the gas pedal, and we took off. Brock was faster, speeding in front of me. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and I yelled as an infected held on to me and the car, fighting to get in. I quickly hit it with the end of my gun, as it fell to the road, its body twisting. I cursed as I saw a rough turn up ahead, and at these speeds it was going to be hard.

“Hold on!” I yelled. The car gave a violent turn, jerking everyone in the car to the left with a bang.

“Sorry.” I muttered. I looked at Charlie’s jeep and laughed inside. His turn had been perfect. Man could he drive. The sounds of shooting and the falling of bodies filled my ears as I sped down the road. I took another turn, slowing just in time to smooth this one out.

My mouth went wide in shock as I took in the spectacle in front of me. There were hundreds of the infected surrounding the Eiffel Tower. I could see some of them climbing it, with Aaron on the very top shooting at them.

 

Ah. This must be Aaron - the man stood at the very top, shooting quickly at infected which surrounded him. Sure, he looked quite theatrical, but no one person, no matter how strong or skilled could take all these.

 

I rammed the car into the group of the infected. I could feel a few trying to cling onto the car as it pulled off. Some stood on the hood, but only were able to stay there for a few minutes. I saw Aaron climbing down the side with the least amount of infected. I took out my gun, and shot at them hoping to help him get down.

We arrived at the side of the tower, and he jumped down, barley landing in the back seat of my jeep.

“Welcome back.” I yelled back, trying to be heard over all the commotion. I sped forward, hitting a group that had surrounded us while I slowed down momentarily.

“Anyone have any explosives?” I yelled, as the jeep fought its way through the infected.

 

Kim was asking for explosives. I raised an eyebrow, doubtful that anyone had anything of the sort. That's when Cathleen, of all people, reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a stick of dynamite. I stared at her a moment, speechless and wide-eyed as she handed it to Kim. Then I wondered when she got it - I remembered the safe, the one I didn't even know she knew about.
"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"