The Mutation Wave

Chapter 5: Liberation (Part Two)

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

William glanced at the rear mirror, furiously turning the steering wheel. The zombies were hot on his tail, their numbers increasing as more joined the chase, attracted by the noise of screeching tyres. A speed limit warning light read '42km/h' as William turned sharply round a bend. He stared at the same building he had passed by on the right for the third time, trying to remember the layout of the base-

CRASH!

The jeep knocked against a lamp post and spun around, slamming into a pillar supporting a building. Zombies rained down around him as the glass windows of the building collapsed upon the impact of the crash.

Ugh, that's what I get for not looking at the road ahead.

William quickly recovered from his daze and reached for the door handle, but quickly recoiled at the sight of zombies banging against the window. He stepped hard on the accelerator, but the vehicle could not budge against the force of the zombies piling up against it on all sides. His heart pounded, sweat pouring down his face as he frantically looked around for something to help him.

A fire hydrant caught his glimpse.

Cracks were rapidly forming on the glass from all the pounding. It was now or never. William closed his eyes and focused his mind, reaching into the reservoir of water underground-

Until a deafening rattle of bullets broke his concentration.

William flinched as machine gun fire rained around the jeep, picking off the zombies in the immediate vicinity. He opened his eyes and looked incredulously at a military tonner parked alongside the road near him.

Eight soldiers kneeled in its exposed side, clearing out the charging zombies with ease. One of them beckoned to him. William broke the jeep door off with a hard kick and sprinted along the cleared path towards the tonner. He ignored an outstretched hand and leapt directly into the elevated back of the vehicle, landing squarely in the middle. The engine roared as the tonner drove off.

"Weren't you the one who told us to save ourselves, Doctor Toh?" Lieutenant Daniel quipped as he helped William onto the benches.

"I can't hear you!" William yelled, motioning to his ears. The gunners were still firing, this time towards the back of the tonner at the chasing zombies. The lieutenant laughed and passed him a pair of earplugs. The environmental noise level immediately dropped to a minimum as the electronic earplugs processed the sound, playing it back in his ears.

"We're headed towards the yacht club," Marianne's voice sounded in his ears. William looked up and saw his two companions sitting across from him.

"Why're you- I thought- Wha- Huh?" His mouth hung open comically.

"A deal's a deal," Lieutenant Daniel's voice rang out, barely containing his laughter. "You help us, we help you. And that includes saving you when you're lost. Or on a suicide mission."

"Sir, we can't shake them!" a gunner shouted from the back.

"Aww hell, we must've got the attention of just about the entire base by now," the lieutenant growled. "Why can't these zombies just be slow like in the movies?"

Marianne stood up, her outstretched hands beginning to glow red while William looked out, noticing that they were beside the ocean. He stood up quickly and grabbed her hand, shaking his head. "I'll handle this."

"What?" She stared at him.

"Here goes nothing," William muttered to himself and ran towards the back of the vehicle.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lieutenant Daniel exclaimed. William ignored him and leapt to the side. He kicked off from the inside of the moving tonner and launched himself out of the vehicle in the direction of the ocean.

Lieutenant Daniel rushed to the back of the vehicle and looked out frantically, only to be greeted by an epic spectacle before his eyes.

"Wow..."

The soldiers stopped firing and stared in awe at a ten-storey high tidal wave rising from the sea. It slammed hard into the pier at the zombies trailing behind the tonner. The pier shuddered with the impact of the sheer mass of water; its massive torrent surging and spreading into the land. The water moved like claws reaching out in all directions, catching prey in its wake. The tide receded as quickly as it came, dragging all the zombies into the depths of watery hell.

"What a show-off." Marianne smirked, looking at the figure floating above the ocean. William's voice sounded in her earplugs.

"Sorry guys, but I focus better when I'm not moving."

~ ~ ~

The engine of a small yacht purred as the trio stood on the gangway, surrounded by the surviving soldiers of the naval base. "Alright, the boat has been completely refuelled and the batteries are fully charged. It should be enough to take you to Sector 162. The location has also been set for auto-pilot," the lieutenant stated.

"Thank you," William said.

"No, thank you." Lieutenant Daniel beamed at them. "For liberating all of us."

"So, what's the plan for you lot? Going to find your families?" Marianne asked.

"Yeah, and not just them. We're going to try and round up as many survivors as we can. We'll see if they want to move in with us. And if they don't, we'll still provide help if they ever need it. This base will be a new safe place for them."

The trio boarded the yacht as the soldiers untied the ropes. Masako waved and William raised his hand sheepishly in a return salute at the soldiers as the boat drifted from the pier.

"Wrong hand," Marianne said as she pulled down his left hand.

"Oh." William hurriedly raised his right hand, but they were already out of sight. He walked into the rest area and lay down on the sofa.

"So, how long till we reach?" Marianne asked.

William closed his eyes, a small smile hanging on his lips.

"Six hours."