Order of the Heart
The Green Light
Marie drove her little SUV across the farmers' field near the Agassiz Bridge. Tess sat in the passenger seat with her binoculars, scanning the edge of the houses as they approached the town. They were on a simple assignment, go to the large nursing home and look for medical supplies in the upper floor pharmacy.
Following her SUV on the highway was Mary and three others in a parcel van. The van was to be loaded up with supplies and make a run back to the RV Resort as quickly as possible and be back before nightfall. Everyone in both vehicles wanted to get in and out as soon as possible and back before nightfall.
Skid was on his motorcycle, moving around a few abandoned vehicles on the ramp approaching the bridge. A few kilometres away, six motorcycles followed by a pickup truck were getting onto the bridge. Batman, as he liked to call himself. He called himself this because he wore an old, ripped tee shirt with that batman character and drove the truck behind the motorcycle. He loved to push vehicles out of his way as he listened to blaring rock music.
Marie led the way into the front driveway of the abandoned care home. Burnt out vehicles scattered the entranceway of the care home; the side of the building had a sizeable makeshift graveyard that was hastily created after the battle. This was a place for the elderly and the dying in the best of times; now, it reminded how evil people could be to one another. Tess never liked going to such places.
Marie got out of her SUV first as the van reversed toward the shattered front doors. Marie and Tess scouted around for a few minutes before they signalled the others it was alright to get out of their vehicle. Marie went into the first floor of the care home. The floor was stained with blood, broken furniture, and other debris. She remembered hearing stories from the survivors of the epic battle between gangsters, care home security, residents, and the staff.
Marie was on the third floor when she heard loud motorcycles and knew who they were before she got to a third-floor window. "Knight Ryders!" she muttered.
Marie hurried her crew into the third floor to look for the Pharmacy hidden away behind the Pantry. She looked out the window a second time and saw "Skid" and shook her head. She seemed to have known him her whole life and never could get away from this guy.
Mary took a crowbar to force open the door to the Pantry. Her group moved inside with flashlights lighting their way. After a moment, she was sure she had found what they had sought. As she opened the door slowly, the door pushed back into her.
An "Infected" male orderly staggered forward with black liquid coming out of his mouth and right eyes. One of Mary's companions struck the orderly on the head twice before he collapsed to the floor. As he stood over and watched to make sure the orderly indeed was out, Mary stepped into the Pharmacy and began filling three large bags with medical supplies. Her other forager broken open the cases to the prescription drugs and dumped all the assorted bottles and syringes into her bag.
Mary was moving faster and faster as she heard the crackle of gunfire from somewhere in the building. After about five minutes, they left the Pharmacy and grabbed canned goods as they passed through the Pantry. A few moments later, they were back in the stairwell, unsure of where the others from the SUV were now.
They were greeted by a half dozen "Infected" former residents ad staff as they reached the main floor. Marie and Tess were trying to create a way through the growing number of Infected as their biker rivals outside were in their battle. Marie waved a pipe wrench in one hand as she fired a revolver in her other hand. Tess tossed broken chairs and used her martial arts skills as she moved through recently deceased seniors slow-moving.
Skid outside the building waved a large chain striking anything that got too close to him. Two of his biker brothers had driven into the grave. They attracted the attention of almost every "Infected" human in the town. He could see his old friend Marie inside the building making her way out to the parking area.
Skid opened his saddlebag and pulled out what he believed was a flare of some sort. As he pushed away two "Infected" he hit the end of this flare against the side of the building, creating a large smoky green midst in the middle of the battle.
Mary managed to get back to her van with her companions but could not see anyone else in the confusion and smoke. Marie yelled at her through the haze, "Go!" Mary hit the pedal to the floor in reverse, knocking a motorcycle over as she turned the van wheel hard and spun out of the lot.
Marie could not make it to her SUV and watched as Tess was overwhelmed by "Infected" elderly people. She tried to make it over towards her, but the crush of "Infected" arriving pushed her back. She heard a loud motorcycle behind her and moments later found herself on a bike with Skid racing toward where Tess had been. A moment later, the crush of "Infected" was out of the way as Skid tried to move his overloaded motorcycle with little success.
Skid moved the vehicle down the town's main street, discovering a motorhome filled with families as they came to a halt. Marie offered to take these people to safety in exchange for a ride for the three of them. Skid and a man helped load an injured Tess into the motorhome.
Skid looked back to see Marie grabbing a garbage can lid with her wretch as many "Infected" approached. He told the driver to follow Tess's directions, and he told them to go as he climbed onto his motorcycle. Skid turned the key frantically, but the engine would not catch as the motor home plowed through the street. He reached into his saddlebag for something he had been saving for the right time. He placed the item in his jacket pocket as he ran forward and pulled Marie back.
The two ran into a side walking path between the building, "They got away," said a nearly out of breath Marie.
Skid said, "Yes!" as he suddenly stopped.
At the far end of the walkway, a dozen or more Infected slowly moved towards them. The two could not go back either. Marie laughed, "Figures I get to meet Jesus with you at my side Patrick!"
"Whatever, Marie," said Skid as he pulled out a hand grenade from his pocket.
"Never too late, my old friend." She said, "Time to pray in whatever you believe in."
"Why did you not go to Prom with me?" he said as he stood close, and her hand went onto the grenade.
"You called me a Latin Bitch,"
"I guess I did." He looked up, "Forgive me and take me home," he said almost with a grin.
Marie shook her head as the grenade pin fell to the ground. "You never change."
The alleyway exploded in both directions as the motorhome sped by toward the bridge. Tess did not see anything but suspected the worse.
A moment later, Skid and Marie were walking through the smoke and the debris. Skid looked and laughed, "We lived!" he yelled.
Marie turned him around to their shattered bodies lying on the broken concrete. "You never change."
The two walked forward toward a sizeable circular flashing green light with a greenish smoky haze around it. Both Skid and Marie suddenly saw all sorts of people moving toward the light and slowly vanishing. Jasminka was strolling past both Skid and Marie with an older man with bright new shoes on.
Skid looked at the old man, "Edward Hurley!" he said with a half-grin.
The old man turned slightly and, with a smile, said, "Seems I got to led you to your room in the halfway house Patrick, now I get to lead you to the promised land."
Marie took Skid by the arm and said, "Don't call me a Latin Bitch, and you can lead me to the Promised Land."
About the Creator
Bruce Curle `
A Fifty something male that enjoys writing short stories, scripts and poetry. I have had many different types of work over my lifetime and consider myself fairly open minded and able to speak on many topics.
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