Bloodshed (Book One in the Apocalypse Trilogy)

Chapter 20: Bad News

Location: the Bunker

Williams

One week later...

The last group of trainees for the morning headed out of the room, having put back the guns and pulled the bullets out of the targets. Jake remained to help with the clean-up.

"Do you want to go do something?" Jake asked once they were done.

"What is there to do?" Williams asked.

"I heard about a cinema, you wanna go?"

"Sure, why not."

This was an attempt by both of them to catch up on father-son time, which was one of the luxuries that the apocalypse had taken from them.

The movie that was screening was Star Wars. Apparently there were fans on the base. The list of screenings was huge, and you could even request.

Williams almost cried when the yellow lettering travelled across the screen. Before the zombies he and his family had spent many a night watching these films.

They were up to the part where Luke Skywalker was attacked by Sand People when the announcement came.

"All personnel please report to the briefing room. All personnel, briefing room."

The cinema shut down and the people inside calmly got up and headed out. They had done this before. Williams and Jake followed.

They found themselves in a large room with a hologram in the middle. Hologram technology had been perfected just before the apocalypse, so this was nothing new. A map of the city and outlying terrain was shown.

"Thank you for coming, but we have bad news," said an American man. He clicked a remote.

The picture showed red dots on the map. "The Chompers in the city and desert are grouping together, forming a big pack. We don't know why, but they're heading for us. Somehow they know we are here."

The people in the room murmured worriedly.

"All civilian personnel will be moved to the deepest levels, where they will hide with all the provisions and water. We're heading out to take them on, wipe them out before they get here. Head to the storage area, military come with me to the armoury." Jake disappeared into the crowd of civilians, and Williams followed the other people. The armoury was vast, and full of guns. Next to a pair of sniper rifles was his old Winchester, which he picked up, feeling the glossy wooden stock and grip.

"You sure you want to use that? We have better stuff." Paul stood behind him with a P-90 in his hands, a shotgun on his back in a holster.

"No, this 70 and I have been through a lot." Paul shrugged and headed to the garage."

Williams threaded some extra clips into a bandoleer, and strapped a machete to his leg, a handgun to his waist.

He got into a black van with ten others, and they headed out.

"Do you always respond this quickly to a possible attack?" he asked a woman next to him, who held a sniper rifle.

"Oh, god yes. If we didn't we wouldn't be here." There was something familiar about the rifle she held. A military model, painted black with some green detail. Then he remembered.

"Nice hit," he said.

She smiled at him. "You're one of Cal's friends, aren't you?"

"Yeah, have you met him?"

"...yes, you could say that. I actually need to tell him something."

"Want me to give him the message?"

"No, it's personal. Sort of good news, actually."

"Good, he needs some of that in his life."

The van stopped and they got out. It was the afternoon, and the air was at its warmest. The snipers climbed on top of the vans and onto nearby buildings, and the others spread out around the area. He found himself behind a rubbish bin. That was when they came.