Urban Survival: Chapter 1 (re-writen)

Max stood there in the rain looking up at the third story of a parking garage. There was a dull red orange glow of a fire, only just visible in the dark gloomy light of the sun.

His tattered, urban BDU’s were hardly protection against the heavy onslaught of rain that pelted the destroyed war torn streets. He had traveled light for his mission four days ago so that he would be able to get out faster if things went wrong. More or less things had.

Knowing that he had to get to shelter soon, Max decided he would check out the camp, hoping that it was some friendly human survivors. Unfortunately, a closed, metal security gate blocked off the only entrance. He surveyed the area and saw a low wall that sloped up almost to the second story.

Before he thought about it he began sprinting towards the garage. The assault rifle slung over his back bounced against the Kevlar plating strapped around his torso. His breath was hot in his scarf wrapped around his neck and chin.

He leaped up on to the wall and ran along it, his Kevlar helmet keeping the rain out of his eyes. Diving forward and grabbing the ledge of the wall to the second story. Max pulled himself up and over it. He landed in the empty parking lot and pulled out his silenced pistol. Looking around he saw nothing; a few abandoned cars and some rubble.

Double-checking the gray-lit floor to make sure there was no hostile or dangerous being, he turned around and looked out onto the side of the building. There was a pipe that ran up the wall to the top of the building, holstering his pistol, Max climbed up onto the ledge of the wall and jumped over to the pipe. He climbed hand over hand until he was straight across from the third story parking lot. Max let go with his right hand, shaking it in order to get blood flow into his cold numbing fingers. Doing the same with his other hand, he decided he was ready.

He leapt over to the ledge and pulled himself up just enough so that he could see over it and into the garage. Max ducked down quickly, however, when he saw that there was a small group of four to five Ayra huddled around a small fire eating something that looked like canned food. Although he had only seen the figures for a second that was all he needed to see the blue and gold armor of the Ayra.

Max looked at the ground below and cursed under his breath when he saw a zombie walking across the road past him. The creature’s growls and heavy breathing could be heard through the noise of the rain. He hoped that it would not look up and he knew he could not go down there, even killing the zombie, could cause a murder. He hugged the cold, slick wall until the zombie had turned the corner and disappeared.

Max took a deep breath and decided to deal with the Ayra, rather than try his luck with hundreds of zombies. His wet hands grabbed the rifle in anticipation of conflict.

He placed the rifle on top of the ledge. Twisting his feet for better grip, he hoisted himself up and over. One of the Ayra unfortunately saw him out of the corner of their eye before Max had even made it half way over and yelled, “Human!”

The Ayra got up. Throwing down its food and shutting the visor on its helmet, it raised its rifle and aimed it at Max as the other Ayra scrambled to their feet.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa I’m not here to fight,” Max said in a calm tone, stepping over the wall and holding both arms and his rifle near his head as a sign of surrender. “I just need some shelter. I… I was also hoping that you could spare some food.”

He watched the Ayra’s trigger finger so that at the slightest sign of movement he would have a chance to get out of the path of the bullet. Three of the five Ayra took a few steps closer to Max weapons poised. The other two had lowered their weapons as if they decided Max was not a threat. One of them was still intimidating however. It had used some kind of white paint to draw the rough shape of a skull on its helmet and visor. This made it look like some kind of beast.

“You alone?” a large and bulky Ayra asked.

His voice was deep and strong. Max looked at all the Ayra the back at the one who addressed him, “…Yeah.”

“Let’s kill him.”

“Wait… I don’t believe him,” the first Ayra said putting a hand out, stopping the large Ayra from stepping towards Max.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s lying, that’s what I mean.” The Ayra said with hatred in his voice, “I bet he has a team out there on standby, sent here to take us out.”

Max could not help but think how outrageous the Ayra’s thought was. Why would the humans send a whole squad of soldiers to take out five Ayra, when a team of two snipers could easily do the job quickly and quietly?

Then, as if the Ayra had read Max’s mind, he looked past him and at the surrounding buildings, “I bet he also has snipers ready to take us out!”

The Ayra took a few steps back away from the open wall, his voice got louder and faster with each word.

“Fal, you’re paranoid. Just look at him he looks horrible,” one of the other Ayra said.

The voice was that of a young female. She was one of the Ayra whose weapon was lowered. Max was glad that at least one of the Ayra was taking his side. Maybe they were not all bad. Max was still a little confused though, for he still had three rifle barrels in his face.

“Look at what he’s wearing! He is wearing the uniform of the humans Army. I don’t care if he looks horrible, he’s the enemy!”

“No. you’re wrong…”

“Shut up!” Fal yelled at Max, then continued talking, “and besides, shouldn’t you be paranoid in a wasteland like this?!”

Max unexpectedly, even to himself, answered Fal’s question, “No… you shouldn’t. Paranoia leads to panic. Panic leads to hesitation. That means death on a ‘wasteland’ like this.”

Fal looked at Max with a glare, “I said, Shut. Up.”

All was suddenly quiet except for the constant drumming of the rain. This only lasted for a few seconds though, and then a horrible and terrifying sound could be heard echoing in the parking level above them.

Max’s heart stopped cold when he heard the sound, he knew exactly what it was. Zombies made the noise constantly whenever they stalk their prey. They did this to strike fear into the mind of their quarry.

Every time the creature breathed in or out, it sounded almost like slow purring. The noise always had and still creeped Max out, it sent chills through his body and he could feel goose bumps forming on his skin.

Fal dropped his rifle, letting it hang on the sling around his shoulder. He drew his side arm and stepping towards Max, grabbed the neck of Max’s body armor and stuck the barrel of the gun under Max’s chin.

“You led it right to us!” He yelled.

“Fal. For all you know, you could have led it here with all you yelling…”

It was the female Ayra again. He knew that was Fal was the one that led it to them but he also knew that it was him that taught the zombie how to get to them. Zombies are extremely fast learners, and are very smart. The zombie that Max had seen probably saw him too, however wanted to surprise Max by sneaking up on him but then saw all the Ayra too and decided to scare all of them.

Fal’s constant and very irritating yelling brought Max back to reality, “Shut up Aeila!”

Fal took a last glance at Max and then continued, “Syler, Brale… Go check it out.”