The Birth of Death

Chapter Three

"This way. Move, move." a SWAT cop instructed the group of students as he led them out the side entrance of the school.

"Eagle Eye 4," another SWAT member spoke into her vest.

'This is Eagle Eye 4.' a response came back.

"We're waiting for your all to go." she replied as they reached the glass door. All along the hall that lead to the door were SWAT men and women lined up on each side of the wall with two manning the door.

'You're all clear to go- Wait! We got a group of infected. Eagle Eyes, nine o'clock.' the feed went silent as the snipers trained perfectly executed shots on the infected that would have taken down the small group. 'Ground Base,' the voice suddenly came back, 'You're good to continue.'

"Ground Base out." she spoke slowly and then clicked her communicated off.

"We're not seriously going out there?" a snobby girl asked from the back of the group.

"We have to in order to get you to the new base that's being built in the middle of the city." the head woman replied, ignoring the girl's attitude.

"Well I'm staying here." she stated, crossing her arms and stamping her foot.

"Fine, you can stay here while your only protection leaves and then your alone to fend off the infected that will likely take over the school once we're gone. The choice is really up to you."

"I'll come with you." she decided quickly, eyes wide in fear.

"Would you really leave her alone?" a boy whispered to the woman.

"No, we would have had someone grab her, but I figured it easier for her to come with her feet on the ground." she smiled, the students around her giggled, the first laughs since the apocalypse.

"Alright, this way!"

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"Everyone, stay as quiet as possible." the woman instructed as she and three others slunk out into the open.

"Ground Base, you have several infected down at the end of the street, but if you stay silent then you'll make it."

"Got it." she replied, "Now you really need to stay quiet."

The group cautiously followed the SWAT team as they made there way towards the subway entrance that was fifty yards away. The group was doing good until one kid stepped on a discarded can and the sound of flattening aluminum echoed through the streets. Everyone froze, several cries were heard at the far end of the street, then silence.

"Adam," Loral said, she had said nothing the whole trip until that moment.

"Sh, sh." he whispered, looking around the abandoned street.

When they thought they had missed the worst, one cry rang out over the street and then the sound of fast approaching footsteps.

"Run!" the voice over the radio screamed as shots began to rain down on the street.

"Go! Go!" the woman ordered and the group took off towards the nearing subway.

Mad cries bounced off of the walls and into the ears of the frightened group. Orders were heard from the top of the school, orders to not even try to take perfect aim. The group frantically made their way towards the subway, but by the time they had reached the stairs the first infected had made its way through the madness behind it. One of the cops let out a cry as he fired heavily at the, once human, until it crumpled to the ground.

"You keep going," he told the SWAT team, "I'll catch up with you."

"No, you're coming with us now." the woman commanded.

"Keep going!" he insisted as he hid in the bed of an abandoned Chevrolet pickup truck. "Go!"

"You heard him, go." the woman said slowly as she ushered the group down the concrete stairs.

The subaway was always hot from the hundreds of people that flocked there each morning and the power from the metal trains that raced passed every five minutes. Now, the concrete waiting room was cool enough to make the students shiver and huddle against one another. From above they could hear the dwindling shots from the snipers on the roof and the lone hawk eye in the truck.

"Conductor, we're here." she said slowly.

"Train five is on its way, stand by." a feminine voice replied from the radio and clicked off. From far away the sounds on metal grinding on metal came ringing in their ears.

"We're okay, we're going to be safe." Loral breathed in a sigh of relief.

Adam smiled and pulled her a little closer to his side, "Don't jinx it yet." he teased.

"Would someone like to go get Officer Stevenson?" the woman asked once the train started to get closer.

"I'll get him." the youngest member of the squad volunteered as he ran up the stairs.

Just as the train started it's deafening halt a faint, but unmistakable, noise could be heard from the top of the steps. Every student and officer turned their heads as the young officer came slowly down the stairs, his eyes cast down.

"What happened?" the woman demanded.

"Officer," the man replied, choking on his words, "Officer Stevenson will not be going on the train with us."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He was infected Officer Morgan, I couldn't save him."

"I'm sorry, I know he was your partner but we have to keep going."

The train finally stopped and all but two of the cars were already filled, each one containibg citizens of New York and a SWAT team. The doors to the closest empty car screached opened and the group quickly loaded into the small space.

"Ground Base 3?" the feminine voice came over the radio once more.

"This is Ground Base 3, over."

"This train has to make one more stop before it reaches Safe House. What ever you do, make sure no one gets off this train."

"Have the other cars been notified of this?"

"They have."

"How long unil the next stop?"

"This train had to go past the safe house, so, thirty minutes there, fifteen back to Safe House."

"Is that wise?" she asked though she received no reply, "Conductor, is that wise?"

"We're making do with what we have." the radio replied quickly.

"Just drop us off at Safe House and then get the others!" she reasoned as the train lurched forward.

"The path is set up by the computer and the others can't afford to wait. See you in an hour."

"Sarah!" Officer Morgan screamed into her radio as the radio turned into white noise, "Hope you like train rides, we're going to be on here for a while."