The Wall Seven
“They’re
pretty shaken up but no one has been bitten or scratched. Josh says a teacher
put them up here when walkers were on the streets but she never came back to
get them. That was not long ago.” Marla relayed the conversation she had with
the five children hiding in the attic. Josh is the oldest at 17 and has taken
charge.
“Did he
say how the walkers came to be on the streets? What the hell happened here?”
Hank asked her.
“No, all
he can tell me is they were about to eat dinner when the teacher came in from
the streets ordering the kids upstairs. Some of the teens ran outside….he
didn’t know your daughter and couldn’t say whether she was here or not. I’m
sorry.” Marla put a comforting hand on Hank’s shoulder.
“I’m
fine, Marla. She was here and I’m sure she made it out…just where?” Hank asked
himself. He didn’t even want to think about what could have happened, he just
needs to focus on what is happening. Right now, they were trapped in a house
full of walkers in a district overrun by walkers with five kids to take care
of.
“So
what’s the plan?” Marla obviously was having the same thoughts.
“The
window here...” Hank brought Marla over to look out of the fifth story window,
“we can get out onto the roof and make it to the next building. From here, it
looks like most of the walkers in the immediate area are attracted to this
house. We make some noise to get more to come here then we make it to the next
building and quietly work our way down.” Hank knew it could be done but from
the look on Marla’s face, she needed more convincing.
“Are you
crazed? We’re five stories up with children.” Marla spoke.
“Marla,
we can’t stay here. The walkers will just keep coming…” Marla interrupted him.
“We can
wait for help to come. The NCD should be…”
“Did you
see them on the streets? Were they stopping people from walking into a Zeek
feast? I don’t know where the NCD is and frankly I don’t give a damn, we’re
here now and we need to get these kids out. We can only depend on ourselves;
that’s how you stay alive.” Hank had a point. There were no NCD soldiers
anywhere; they couldn’t wait for them.
“I want
you to tell the kids the plan, they need to know how important it is to stay
quiet once we start for the next building. I found this board that I’ll place
on the ledge to the next roof. Josh, can you help me please?” Hank took Josh to
make their escape route.
“Alright
kids, we’re going to get out of here. It may be scary but we need to go to the
next roof to get out.” Marla kneeled down to tell the kids.
“We’re
gonna fall.” Amy spoke softly clutching a tattered teddy bear; she’s the
youngest and looked at Marla with scared brown eyes.
“No
sweetie, we’re not going to fall if we do this right and be careful.” Marla
soothed them.
Once the
group was ready to move, Hank had the children jump up and down making as much
noise as they could to attract more walkers inside the home and keep them busy.
Marla went first to test the board; with only a foot and a half of width the
board was rickety and unsteady. Being this high off the ground was nauseating
but she made it across.
Josh
crossed with no problems followed by Jennifer, Taco, and Brian. Amy was being
more difficult as Marla tried to coax her over.
“We
don’t have time, I’ll just carry her.” Hank put the girl over his back and
proceeded to crawl carefully. Amy gripped his neck tightly with her bear
hanging precariously in front.
The
creak of the board and his fast breathing were the only sounds Hank heard as he
inched his way across the gulf. He was just about to reach the other side;
Marla extended her hand and was able to grip Amy just as the wood board gave
way. The bottom of Hank’s stomach fell out as he grabbed for anything and
caught the brick ledge.
“Hank….Hank?”
Marla let out a harsh whisper not wanting to draw attention.
“I’m
fine.” He let out a sigh of relief as he pulled himself onto the roof. He
didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he lay on his back facing the
stars.
“You
scared the shit out of me. Don’t do that again, okay?” Marla scolded him with a
smile of relief.
“Yes,
ma’am. Let’s move.” With adrenaline still pumping through his veins, Hank led
the group into the building through a roof access. The maintenance hallway was
dark and silent. It looks to be an apartment complex which just means many more
dark corners to avoid.
Hank
retrieved a small flashlight from his pocket attached by a chain to a pocket
knife. He led the way followed by Josh with Marla taking up the rear. They had
to be quiet but move quickly, there wasn’t time for Hank to clear the way; they
just had to go for it. Coming up on a dark corner that must lead to the
staircase, a small warm hand wrapped around Hank’s wrist.
He
looked down to see Amy’s wide eyes staring up at him. “Amy?” Hank asked.
“She can
hear them. Zeeks, Amy can hear them somehow.” Josh tried to explain to Hank’s
puzzled look.
“Get
inside.” Hank whispered and Marla led the kids into a small utility closet.
Hank moved forward with his flashlight down; he moved to the corner and peeked
around; he counted four walkers milling around in the hall. They moved slowly
and with no discernable destination. There was no other way around; the
staircase was beyond the walkers with a black Exit sign above it. Moving close
to the wall Hank pulled his pocket knife out. The blade is small and wouldn’t
inflict much damage but hitting the right spot can get the job done.
Hank
slipped to the first walker and quickly thrust the knife upward in the base of
the head. The blow caused a small jerk then the walker went limp, Hank caught
him and gently put him on the ground; his eyes trained on the other three who
didn’t seem alerted.
On to
the second with the same blow and the same result only this time the walker’s
foot caught a small rolling cart in the middle of the hall sending a glass
bottle to the floor. The insignificant sound of breaking glass was deafening in
the silent hallway and a dinner bell to the remaining walkers.
They
advanced; Hank front kicked the closest one, a man, but the hard kick did
nothing but knock Hank to the ground. His leg ached as if he kicked a brick
wall.
“What the
hell?” Hank spoke aloud. He dodge a lunge and grabbed a metal chair to use as a
shield. The female walker came forward and Hank knocked her down easily. He plunged
the knife into the eye socket causing her flailing arms to still.
Hank got
up ready to face the stronger male walker that looked somewhat familiar to him.
The walker lunged again and Hank spun him around with a knock from the chair.
Seeing his opening Hank aimed the knife for the back of the head but to his amazement,
the walker’s hand caught his wrist tightly, stopping the attack.
Hank was
stunned as the walker turned its head a full 180 degrees to face him. Hank was
able to get a better look at him and was shocked to realize that he was the man
in front of him at the screener’s station on the day he arrived in the city.
The one who was scanned and found to be infected. Now he is a walker but
something much worse, a walker that can think.
A yell
escaped Hank’s lips as the walker’s vice like grip got tighter and made him
drop the chair. He dropped the knife from his captured hand and swiftly caught
it with his free hand; Hank tried to strike at the walker’s head but his hand
was seized again by the walker.
“My God.”
Hank whispered to himself so sure that this walker who can think and deflect
his attacks was going to kill him. The walker pushed Hank into the wall with
such force it knocked the wind out of him leaving him dazed. As Hank slid to
the ground, he watched the walker right itself by leaving its eyes trained on Hank
but turning its body around to meet the head. He had never seen a walker do
anything like this. They were mindless creatures motivated by basic instinct.
They shouldn’t be capable of thought and strategy. They shouldn’t be able to
fight back at all.
Hank saw
Marla come in from behind and before he could warn her she smashed the blunt
end of a fire extinguisher into the walker’s head. It merely dented the skull
slightly but not enough to kill it.
“Marla
run!” Hank yelled as the walker turned to attack her. With its back turned Hank
use the wall to throw himself onto the walker and knocked it into an open door.
He slammed the door closed as the walker started to beat on the wood.
“What
the hell?” Marla tried to ask.
“Let’s
go, now!” Hank waited as the kids filed out of the storage room Marla leading
them down the stairs to the exit. Hank ran after them but an unbelievable sound
stop him at the landing. The pounding on the wood door had ceased and was
replaced by the familiar sound of a door knob twisting.
Hank
turned to see the gold knob smoothly turn as the walker pulled the door open.
Absolute fear kept Hank watching as the walker peeked out with a smile on his
dead face. The smirk was enough to send Hank running down the stairs and out
into the night. How was he going to fight a walker that can think?
Hank
faced many killers in his time in the military and more after the world
changed. Until now, he never thought a walker could be made more dangerous as
this one was. There was pleasure in that smile, satisfaction, and menace.
“Are you
okay?” Marla asked him noticing the furrowed brows and look of concern.
“No, not
really.” Hank was out of breath more from terror than physical exertion. Hank
was unsure of what happened here in Columbus Square but he was sure of one
thing; that walker is a killer and it’s loose on the streets of New Charleston.
To Continue….
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