UNSCDF Chapter 40- Dead Silence

Bansktown, New South Wales, Australia

Travelodge Hotel

August 4, 1999

1500 Local Time

            Taylor ran up beside a frozen Sarah and yanked her back just in time as a zombie swung at her. Taylor fired two rounds at the zombie in front of Sarah. He quickly spun around and kicked a zombie to the ground.

            “Sarah!” Taylor shouted.

            Sarah snapped back to reality and pulled out her USP. She fired and took down three zombies. More zombies poured from front and back.

            “We need to enter a room. Find a door while I hold them off.” Taylor fired his USP.

            Sarah looked around and saw a door blocked by two zombies. She aimed her gun and fired. The two zombies dropped to the ground and the door was clear of hostiles.

            “Here!” Sarah shouted and ran up to the door.

            Sarah turned the handle to realize it was locked. She stomped at the handle and broke the door frame. She turned around and saw Taylor swarmed by the two mobs. She fired a few rounds and took out nearby zombies. Taylor saw the small clearing and ran towards Sarah clutching his left arm and ran inside the room. Sarah immediately slammed the door shut, but could not fully close the door because the frame was broken. Taylor pushed a drawer and wedged it against the door. The door shook and trembled as the zombies pounded on it violently. Sarah grabbed a table and placed it on top of the drawer. Taylor pushed a sofa behind the sofa and sat on it. Sarah watched at the makeshift barricade and sat down beside Taylor.

            “God dang it.” Taylor looked at his left arm as blood dripped onto the sofa.

            “Oh no.” Sarah looked at a bite mark on Taylor’s forearm.

            “There’s no cure…” Taylor sighed.

            “Don’t say that. Maybe the UNSC has something.” Sarah pulled out a medic kit from her backpack.

            “If they do, I probably won’t get it. I’m a nobody.” Taylor watched as Sarah sprayed antiseptic spray on the bite.

            “No you’re not. You’re Officer Taylor White and you are my friend.” Sarah applied plasters and covered up the wound.

            “Thanks.” Taylor smiled warmly.

            “We need to get out of here.” Sarah watched as the door rattled.

            “Yeah, this time the UNSC won’t know where we are. Plus, radar doesn’t scan inside buildings.” Taylor looked at his watch.

            “We can try to shimmy our way out.” Sarah got up from the sofa and walked to the window overlooking the streets.

            Taylor stood up from his seat and watched as the sofa shifted a bit. He quickly hurried over to the window and looked around.

            “We’ll break this window and shimmy our way across to the next room.” Taylor suggested.

            “Ok.” Sarah turned her head to the door.

            “Stand back.” Taylor motioned.

            Sarah took a few steps back as Taylor slammed the butt of his pistol and shattered the window. A breeze of cold air rushed into the room.

            “Let’s hurry.” Sarah watched as the table fell off the drawer and crashed to the ground.

            Taylor slid his pistol into his holster and climbed on the window ledge. He grabbed the window sill and looked at the window next door. Sarah watched on the ledge as Taylor shimmied across the window sill and looked at her. Sarah climbed onto the ledge and shimmied beside Taylor. Taylor hung on to the ledge with one hand and smashed the window beside him with his other hand holding his USP. The window shattered and Taylor climbed inside. Sarah took a quick glance at the room they were in and noticed the door crashing down as the zombies pushed away the barricades. Sarah quickly shimmied to the window beside and saw Taylor checking the room for zombies. She pulled herself up and saw Taylor standing behind the door.

            “See anything?” Sarah asked as Taylor looked through the peephole.

            “It looks like the zombies are clearing up. They must have moved into the room we were in.” Taylor continued to look through the peephole.

            “Oh, I saw them break down the barricade.” Sarah reported.

            “Good.” Taylor sat down beside the door and looked at his bitten forearm.

            “Looks swollen.” Sarah examined.

            “Let’s rest. I’m feeling tired.” Taylor reached into his backpack and pulled out his water bottle.

            “We need to keep moving. We have to get your bite looked at.” Sarah stood next to the door.

            “Alright.” Taylor coughed as he stood up.

            “Book for the stairs?” Sarah asked.

            “Yeah, we’re heading back to the Mongoose.” Taylor slowly opened the door.

            Taylor opened the door and silently took out a zombie standing in front of him. Taylor motioned for Sarah to run as he saw a few zombies turning their heads. Taylor took out his pistol and fired at the three zombies while Sarah headed for the stairs. Taylor backed up and reloaded his pistol. He fired twice before running to Sarah. Sarah pushed the door to the stairwell open and saw three zombies. Taylor quickly fired and killed the zombies. Sarah covered Taylor’s back as he took point. Sarah noticed the mob approaching the door and quickly jumped the stairs. Taylor opened the door to the first level and shot down two zombies. Sarah entered the lobby and closed the stairwell door shut. Sarah watched in horror as the front door crashed down as a group of zombies charged in. Taylor fired a couple of rounds to hold the line when suddenly his gun ran out of ammo. Sarah watched as a zombie jumped onto Taylor and tackled him to the ground. Sarah pulled off a few shots into the group and ran up beside Taylor. Taylor was severely injured, his Zylon vest was broken and he had several bite marks on both arms. Sarah dragged Taylor across the carpet and took him to safety out the back door into an alley. Sarah fired a couple shots and slammed the door shut. She reloaded her gun as she saw Taylor groaning on the ground in pain. Sarah grabbed a wooden plank and wedged it to the door handle. Taylor lay flat on the ground clutching to his chest.

            “Sarah…” Taylor called out weakly.

            Sarah knelt beside Taylor and saw blood oozing out from a nasty bite on his chest.

            “I’m not going to make it.” Taylor spat blood onto the ground beside him.

            “Don’t say that.” Sarah cried.

            “Reach into my side pocket.” Taylor touched his left leg.

            Sarah reached her hand into Taylor’s pocket and pulled out his wallet.

            “Take out the police badge. It’s yours to keep Lance Corporal Sarah Parks.” Taylor applied pressure to his chest.

            “You keep it. You’ll make it.” Sarah assured.

            “Take it. You’re promoted and deserve a badge.” Taylor winced in pain.

            Sarah took the badge and placed it into her pocket. Taylor looked at his arms and saw a significant amount of blood dripping to the ground. Both Sarah and Taylor know it was too late for help.

            “Come closer Sarah. I feel so cold and weak.” Taylor said wearily.

            Sarah sat beside Taylor and placed his head over her lap. Taylor shivered and coughed as he struggled to breathe properly.

            “Do me a favor would you?” Taylor looked into Sarah’s eyes.

            “What’s that?” Sarah felt a tear drip down her cheek.

            “I’m out of rounds for my gun. Please kill me so that I don’t turn into one of them.” Taylor requested as he gasped for air.

            “No…no…” Sarah cried.

            “I’m in a lot of pain. I beg that you put me out of misery and don’t make me turn.” Taylor requested as he gasped for air.

            “Oh…” Sarah sighed as she took out her USP.

            “Thank you Sarah. The keys to the Mongoose are on my belt. You’re doing great.” Taylor unclipped the keys from his belt with shaky hands.

            “I’m so sorry.” Sarah took the keys.

            “Don’t be. I’ll be seeing my family soon. It’s about time I joined them.” Taylor smiled as he looked at the sky.

            Sarah turned her head and saw a couple zombies moving down the alley and she looked at Taylor.

            “Do it now Sarah, you’ve always been like a daughter to me. I’m very proud of you.” Taylor looked at Sarah with droopy eyes.

            “I will always remember you.” Sarah promised and lifted her gun.

            “Remember to live and survive. One day, you will live to see peace again.” Taylor closed his eyes and coughed heavily.

            “I will.” Sarah gently placed Taylor’s head onto the ground.

            “Goodbye Sarah. Take care.” Taylor smiled with his eyes closed.

            “Farewell Taylor. God be with you.” Sarah whispered as she pointed the USP at Taylor’s forehead.

            Sarah saw her reflection in Taylor’s pool of blood and cried silently. Taylor’s breathing was shallow and his body trembled from the cold. Even though Taylor was in a lot of pain, his face showed nothing of it. He was happy, free, and perhaps finally at peace.

            “I’m so sorry.” Sarah turned her head and fired.

            Bang! The gunshot echoed down the alley and broke the dead silence. The shot had marked the sound of a good man falling to the infected. Sarah saw a couple zombies run towards her and she got up. She looked down at a lifeless Taylor and ran towards the streets and didn’t look back as tears of sorrow streamed down her warm cheeks.