Chapter 1
Just Another Day
October 22nd
I woke up to hear my alarm clock blaring its annoying electronic tune as it usually does in the morning. after a few years serving in the military you get used to it and can't seem shake the habit. i got up out of bed and headed for my bathroom and splashed some water into my face, then checked myself out in the mirror. I felt I didn't need to shave at least until tomorrow so I hit the shower and went on with my regular morning routine, shower, breakfast, watch a little news and then head on down to the base. While i was watching the news i saw somewhat familiar story, this whole thing about a new strand of flu, but there's always something they come up with involving a new sickness whether something to do with birds or pigs. I paid no real mind to it, sometimes listening to the news is depressing so I went on with the rest of my morning. I looked at the clock, it read 7:30 "I better get going soon." I said to myself. After I got my shoes on I slipped my bomber jacket on and headed out the door.
I turned onto the highway and proceeded to the base. after a minute I heard sirens coming from behind me "Aw shit, what now?" I pulled off the highway into a nearby seven eleven and turned off the engine. Throw the rear view mirror i saw the cruiser number 227."Here we go." I sighed. the officer walked up to my window and asked the usual "license and reregistration please?" i pulled my wallet out and got my license out.
"so what is it this time Trista?" i said handing her the plastic card.
"Thats officer Clifton to you citizen!" she said snatching the card from hand. she read over it and handed it back to me. she lowered her aviator sunglasses and said "Well everything checks out here."
"And the reason you stopped me is....?" I questioned her.
"Oh you know, slow day and I could have sworn you were going over the speed limit back there."
"You say that every time you pull me over in which this is the second time this week isn't there certain things that don't always involve a of-" I was interrupted by her radio.
"Looks like we got a 10-91E near Peachcreek Dr. All officers be on the look out for multiple 91E's in the east Fairfield area." the radio staddicly cracked. Trista clicked her radio and (I could have swore she winked at me) pulled her sunglasses up.
" That will be all citizen, carry on." she said walking back to her patrol car simigly swaying her hips then drove away. I soon drove away to after getting a Slurpee for the gas station. The thing about Trista is I can never tell if she's flirting with me or actually doing the job of a law officer. After sometime I reached the base, parked and headed into the commission office. I was assigned for two practice flights and a cargo drop session. after reviewing my days work I got changed in to my uniform and went to meet my co-pilot.
"Hey, Jackson hows it going?" I greeted
"Hey, Payne you know the deal if it aint on load of shit its a flicking 'nother." we both laughed at this.
"Yeah man, starting to feel like im in a rut wish something would change in this town."
"Well it can't always be good but a new Taco Bell around the corner would be great."
"Alright let's get the beast into the air." I said walking into the hull of the powerful but gas guzzling Globe master. I sat down in the cockpit and started the initial start up process. "This is anarchy three to control tower preparing for decent permission to takeoff?"
"This is control tower you are clear for takeoff anarchy three you may start accent." the radio buzzed. I pushed the throttle up, started down the runway and began accent. It had been almost seven hours since our first accent and I was beat from a day of siting down, silly right but flying a plane is really all mental action, making decisions at difficult times and always being aware. although after my seven hour shift I was left mentally and physically exhausted also hungry. so when driving home I really wished the taco bell Jackson was talking about was really built near the base. as I drove further down the highway I heard sirens from behind but as I looked through the mirror it wasnt Trixie but two ambulances racing for Midtown. I pulled to the side to let them pass with ease. after I pulled into the parking lot of the local In-and-out-Burger to get a Double-Double meal. I ordered my food and got into my favorite seat by the window. as I was eating through the window I must have seen three ambulance's and what looked like our base's whole special medical unit heading towards Vallejo for what I don't know but I just hope im not called out to air drop anything. while I was finishing up my ears were assaulted with an ear-splitting scream and when I turned around I saw a man on the floor with a woman bent over him. she was yelling "call an ambulance!" over and over, then soon I heard sirens and flashing lights nearing the restaurant. I decided it was probably best to leave quick as I did not want to get caught up in whatever was happening. as I was leaving the scene police approached with guns raised but I drove away to quickly to see what happened next.
I pulled into my drive way and opened the garage. the sun was just about down and as I went to get my mail I ran into my neighbor and old friend garret, he was a professional baseball player in training. He walked over to and happily said "Hey, Payne hows it going?"
"Oh just getting off work, how 'bout yourself?" I responded.
"Well I think I finally qualify for the NBL and ive already sent in some registration forms."
"Thats great Garret, say maybe you could get couple free passes down the road, huh?
"We'll have to see about that one, but for now I got to hit the sack, see you around." he said and walked away. I felt pretty tired myself and decided to get to bed also, I had to go over some new shipment plans for a long distance flight all the way to Hawaii. knowing my morning routine was very similar to my evening routine in which I took my shower, brushed my teeth and watched some T.V as I layer in bed eventually falling asleep.
Rude Awakening
I was to awoken to what I thought was my alarm clock, but when I reached over and pressed the snooze button the sound stayed just as loud. when I looked up I found my the irritating noise wasn't my alarm, because it was set for seven-thirty today and it was only six fifty-eight. I sat up and bed to better adjust to the sound in which I discovered it was sirens seemingly coming from outside. "Mr.Gladovac must of throw out his back again." I said to myself. as I walked into the living room I was surprised to see throw the window not only an ambulance but a police car sirens both blaring loudly. the doors to the ambulance were open and a stretcher pulled out. next to the police car oddly was a man strangely standing there covered in what seemed to be blood. when I started to turn around to move towards the front door I jumped at the sound of gun shots and eventual screams. I peered outside the window again to see a officers shooting at the man and what looked like Mary from across the street running wildly away from her house. curious and slightly shook I opened the door. the scene I was witnessing was of udure chaos. the air was filled with sounds of screams,gun shots, sirens and slight explosions in the distance. I looked around and saw many people running in different directions and then some people staggering after the people. the police car I had seen from my window now had one of the officers from before on the ground with the man covered in blood leaned over him chewing on his back. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. a car had apparently crashed right into the side of garrets house, peeling away from the deployed airbag there was somebody crawling out who looked to be Mrs.Dickerson from down the street. distracted by this I wasn't expecting a sudden push from behind and a weight bringing me down to the cement. I rolled over onto my attacker grabbing him by the throat. he was crazily snapping his jaws at me, grabbing onto my shirt. as I held him down I noticed he looked very familiar. then it hit me he was that man from the In-N-Out last night. he then pushed me to one side and was now on top of me continually snapping. I landed a punch to his face which seemed to have known effect. by now his was getting more vicious almost clamping down on my shoulder a few times. I felt my grip on him wearing and him getting closer. I closed my eyes and pushed with all my might when I heard a loud smack. I opened my eyes to see the man roll over with apart of his head collapsed in.
"Come on get up!" a voice shouted to me. when I saw who it was I was thankful he had come along.
"Thanks Garret." I said grabbing his hand pulling me up. He looked to his left and said
"Don't thank me yet." he, said I looked over and saw what he was talking about. coming up the driveway was a small crowd of people including the cop and his attacker. "come on we got to move!" he said pulling me into my house and locking the door.
"What the hell is going on out there?" I asked
"I don't know. the TV said something about a virus making everybody go crazy." at that point I clicked on the tv to the news network." first of all we need to get out of here, go get some cloths on and pack some bags or something." he said in a worried tone. I proceeded up stairs, changed into my usual attar and began packing some cloths in to a gym bag. I grabbed my other duffel bag rushed into my closet. I reached up to grab a Glock seventeen on the upper shelf and below a twelve gauge shotgun. after putting those into the bag I pulled away a false piece of wall to reveal two M-16s, a thirty-five revolver and a custom sawed off shotgun. I zipped up my bags, threw them over my shoulders and went back down stairs. Garret was now sitting on the couch eying the TV. I joined him in watching, whatever this was it was big and it was everywhere. apparently most big city's or high populated areas are the most infested with those things and that if you were in a safe enough area it was recommended to stay inside and lock all the doors and windows.
"I don't know about you but I don't think we should be staying around here any longer." I said.
"OK, but I need to get some stuff from my house first."
"Alright, we can hop the fence. come on." I said trying to hurry. we hustled into my backyard and par core like jumped across the fence into his yard. when we got inside garret rushed up stairs and as I waited for him I peered out the window and gasped to see Mr.Gladovac's house up in flames with some burnt figures staggering inside. I looked away to see garret with suit cases in both hands.
"How we going to get out here?" he asked
"We can take my Wrangler, it off road durable and got a full tank, I just hope the roads arnt clogged and everybody else followed the directions on TV." I said in a slightly worrisome tone.
