Chapter 281: 281
The moment that pill flew in the air after I said something funny, I then had a mental breakdown.
“Wait, wait, wait, that’s a pill that could relieve pain and I’m just flicking it for what? Comedy? Coolness? Wait, it’s neither of the two… IT’S STUPIDITY!!! Hold on, I think it’s cool doing that though- wait. It’s funny too but still it’s f.u.c.k.i.n.g stupid. IT’S A WASTE!!! Can I still catch it? I think I could. The moment I stop thinking I’ll jab it after I lean over so I’ll catch it after it starts to go down. Yes, yes, that would be the best. I’ll…” I thought to myself as I watched the pill fly.
My shoulder already moved for my jab but unfortunately, I felt a hand on top of it and they turned me around to face them.
It was f.u.c.k.i.n.g Mando.
“Sir… respect!” He looked amazed at what I did and he’s giving me a thumbs up.
“THE PILL!” I shouted as I quickly turned around to try to save it.
*plop*
It fell right in the middle of the bloody figure’s cracked head. The impact it made when it dived head first violently divided its head from the top up until its soul patch. There’s a few pieces of its skull that’s getting mixed in with the discolored bits and pieces of its head that’s making a viscous pool that is slowly flowing out. It’s like you mixed rotting sticky oysters with blackened fish guts together. I’m tempted to pick it up and wash it but it is really too late to save it from its predicament. I was watching it for a few seconds and I almost performed the 21-gun salute.
For once I paid dearly from simply showing off.
“S-sir?!” Mando is almost shaking from the violent aura I’m emanating.
“What happened?” Kaley walked up to us.
I explained what happened and she just told everyone to come inside the hospital to where the generators are after shaking her head.
“Okay, enough fooling around. Let’s be more careful this time and be ready in case those types are hidden and waiting for their would-be victims again.” I said as I took the lead.
“You’re the only one fooling around…” Kaley muttered.
“Well we’re pretty safe outside.” I replied and she just glared at me.
The door to where the generators are located is still locked so I employed some good ol’ lockpicking. It’s like I am in possession of the Skeleton Key since it was easily opened. Well, the doorknob is already loose and simply sticking a knife to the side and pushing against it would open it too but I don’t want to tell my group that because of various reasons.
It was dark inside and we shone our flashlights around. The inside is secure and no one has been inside this place ever since it started. We found out that there’s still gas pumped inside it and we only have to turn it on since it didn’t automatically kick in when the power went out.
It started to make a loud grumble and we went outside after closing the door towards the generator while leaving the dented door of the fire exit open. We could see from the outside that some of the lights around the hospital had turned on. You’d need to be focusing on it to notice it since the sun is still up though we need to turn that off at night to avoid unwanted attention.
“Let’s wait a few to see if more would still come. After that, we’d run around the perimeter a few times to take care of the stragglers that are isolated. There would be people later to come to the upper floors later to clear double-check places that might have doors or areas that are closed off. We need to check those places because they might contain more of them that were not able to get out.” I said to the group.
“We’d still be looting this place after, correct?” Tatiana asked.
“Actually… let’s just take things from the rooms where the confined patients are or from the lockers of the medical staff. Let’s leave all the supplies here that could still be used since some of us are gonna spend the night here after we’re done.” I replied.
“We’re gonna move here already?” Cruz asked.
“The sooner the better since it’s not just moving here is the whole plan. It’s just up to Iskoh if he’ll follow through with what we’ve discussed. We talked about flying all our air vehicles here after midnight when most of the slackers are sleeping so they won’t have any chance to board them. The trucks too will be driven here at the same time, leaving the ones who want to stay in that City Hall to fend for themselves.” I replied.
“Can’t they just come here? It’s pretty close.” Cruz asked again.
“They could but like I said, it’s up to Iskoh. He could let them in but strict rules should be implemented. If he wasted this opportunity given to him well…” I trailed.
“Sir?” Mando asked.
“Well, the chances of your place here surviving the times would decline by a significant amount. In the future, if this place burned to the ground due to the way he’s running things, we might just be looting items off your corpses when the time comes, no offense. I’m not saying that it would happen but the chances are higher if he doesn’t step up.” I continued and they’re wearing solemn expressions.
We talked for a few minutes while waiting for some of them to gather but the ones who came due to the noise are abysmal. A few came from the higher floors but they made a mistake of making the broken glass walls as shortcuts. They fell to their deaths and the ones who survived despite that has their mangled parts either in contorted places or several feet away.
After that, we decided to clear the upper floors and it also turned out to be a very easy job. We’ve finished clearing the whole hospital and it took us a few hours to do it. We’re just staring at the burning corpses below while we’re on the roof near the gate where Jared and the rest are. Our rifles are rested on our shoulders while we’re taking a small break. We turned off the generator so we could save some fuel before we came here to take a short rest.
“Bro, I feel like we’re the people on top of the roofs in the LA Koreatown in 1992. I remember the doc.u.mentary I’ve watched when I was still in the academy before.” Jared said.
“Hmm, that’s a f.u.c.k.i.n.g throwback. The only difference is that we also looted this place. Well, we’re protecting it from other forces so it is kinda the same thing, heh.” I replied.
“Mom actually knows a few people from that time. The LA Riots is something that should not have happened if the people given the job made the right decision. People were killed, injured, and several small businesses were looted where a lot of money was lost. It’s not wrong to protest but what’s the point if you’re involving people that shouldn’t be? It’s a good thing that the people there banded together to save their own.” Kaley said solemnly.
“A protest is a very different word from the word riot. It’s one thing to fight for what’s just and one thing to mindlessly lash out to everyone, involved or not involved. Well, I’m not even born at that time and I wasn’t there either, so what do I know? It could be a different time than ours but things shouldn’t have turned out that way. It would be chaos if it happens again.” I said.
“Yeah, I believe the police there left them on their own. Help came eventually after a few days but the people left behind had it the hardest. The roads were closed off and their calls for help is getting ignored.” Jared added.
“Well some of them just joined the protest to take advantage of it so they could do the things they want. Well if the same thing happened here, I’ll support their cause if they point it in the right direction but if they go overboard and do the same shit those people did back then, they’ll be eating lead bullets from me and my workers. I own businesses too and it would be at least okay if the government would pay for all the damages but they surely won’t. I’d be the one to shoulder all of the expenses if they destroy what I worked hard for. It’s one of the reasons I started prepping, a gun in hand is faster than calling for help when the need arises.” I said.
“Bro, we have zombies now though, why woul-” I cut him off.
“What? You think it wouldn’t happen again? Forgot what happened at Woodlands? Those f.u.c.kers tried to take that place and we protected it. It’s kinda the same thing if you think about it. Also, in a parallel world, it could be happening in the world right now instead of this.” I replied.
“Here we go with that parallel world talk bro. Well, a multiverse is fun to think of. I could be doing different shit than what we’re doing now, right?” Jared faintly smiled.
We’re chatting normally and it’s close to sunset when I saw Tatiana looking at the direction where the Mabini Bridge is located. I shushed everybody since Tatiana pointed at what she noticed.
“Flashlights. Someone’s coming near here.” Tatiana muttered.
“It’s the smoke from burning the corpses. Be ready.” I told everyone.