The roar of
the engine filled Logan's ears as he sped down the highway, his knuckles white
on the steering wheel.
His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the horizon and
the mess of wreckage ahead.
The streets of Birmingham, once bustling with life,
were now a chaotic landscape of overturned cars on fire, abandoned vehicles,
and scattered bodies.
It was as if the world had cracked open in an instant,
and the only thing left was the desperate scramble to survive.
Logan's
frustration grew with every mile.
Traffic was at a standstill in some places,
with people abandoning their vehicles and running in a panic.
He could hear
faint cries, voices yelling for help, and the occasional car horn piercing the
air.
It was clear that the situation was far worse than the media had
portrayed.
His mind raced with thoughts of Emma, he had to get to her.
She was still working at the clinic, and with everything escalating so rapidly, he
wasn't about to take any chances.
Logan cursed
under his breath and slammed his fist against the steering wheel as he hit yet
another roadblock.
A small car was overturned, blocking the path completely,
and there was no way around it.
He threw the truck into park and shoved his
fist into the horn, letting all of his anger out.
Ghost, whined
low in the backseat, sensing Logan's rising frustration.
Logan took a deep
breath and glanced at the dog, trying to steady himself.
He didn't have time to
waste.
The clinic was still five miles away, and Emma could be in danger.
"Alright,
buddy," Logan muttered, "time to go off-road."
He reaches down to the console
and turns the switch from 2WD to 4WD and puts the truck in gear, maneuvering it
around the overturned car and heading into the gravel shoulder.
The tires kicked up dust as he drove over the uneven terrain, the truck's suspension
straining with each bump.
The road was getting worse as he ventured further from the city center.
Fallen trees and
debris littered the path, forcing Logan to slow down even more.
His heart
pounded in his chest, his thoughts consumed by the increasing chaos outside. He
needed to get to Emma fast, but the obstacles weren't letting up.
After
several minutes of navigating the rough terrain, Logan finally saw the clinic's
sign in the distance.
It was a faint relief, but only a fleeting one. When he
came closer, his stomach tightened.
The parking
lot was full, no overran with people.
Bodies, both alive and not, littered the
area.
Injured patients, their faces pale and smeared with blood, were
everywhere, while others appeared to be pacing anxiously or pounding on the
doors.
They were desperate to get inside for shelter, but there was no space.
The clinic was already overwhelmed. Logan's grip tightened on the wheel, his
frustration boiling over.
Grabbing his
AR-15 from the passenger seat, he adjusted his gear with a practiced hand,
checking his ammo and making sure his rifle was locked and loaded.
Ghost's
growl deepened as he sensed the growing tension.
Logan took a
steadying breath, his heart thudding in his chest.
"You ready, Ghost?"
The dog's
low woof was all the confirmation Logan needed and they got out of the truck.
The crowd at
the door was pushing and shoving, voices raised in desperation.
Logan saw a
woman collapse to the ground, clutching her stomach, blood seeping through her
clothes.
His heart sank.
He needed to get inside, but there was no way in
without getting past the panicked crowd.
"Move! Make
way!" Logan barked, his voice cutting through the confusion.
People scrambled
aside, recognizing the weapon he had and the determination in his eyes.
Some
didn't move and Logan had to push his way through the crowd, he had to fight to
make any progress.
People were panicked, jostling one another in their
desperation to reach safety.
Some shouted, others cried, but Logan wasn't
looking for anyone but Emma.
She was all that mattered.
Logan
reached the door and pounded on it with his fist, his voice hoarse with
urgency.
"Let me in! I'm looking for Emma! Hello!"
He waited,
every second stretching into eternity. Through the small window, he could see
the frantic movement inside, nurses and doctors rushing from room to room.
He tried turning the handle and pushing but
door didn't budge.
Logan's breath came in ragged gasps as panic clawed at the
edges of his mind.
What if they didn't hear him?
What if something had happened
to her?
Then, he
heard it.
A scream.
The air
shifted.
Logan's eyes snapped to the crowd.
People were screaming now, pointing
toward the back of the lot.
His blood ran cold as he saw the first infected ran
forward, gnashing their teeth and attacking anyone in their path.
The crowd
screamed in terror, but it was too late for many of them.
Logan swung
into action.
His AR-15
was lifted in an instant.
He aimed at the infected charging through the crowd,
pulling the trigger.
The rifle recoiled against his shoulder as three quick
shots rang out, the infected falling to the ground in rapid succession.
He
didn't hesitate, didn't flinch.
He couldn't afford to.
Not when Emma was still
inside.
Another
infected lurched forward, and Logan didn't hesitate.
He squeezed the trigger
again, the percussion of the round echoed off the walls of the clinic and into
the air.
He didn't even look at the bodies he left behind.
They were dead.
He
had no time for remorse.
"Emma!"
Logan shouted again, turning back to the door.
His voice was hoarse now.
"Let me in!"
He starts
kicking the door extremely hard.
The door cracked
open just a fraction, revealing a nurse, her face pale with exhaustion.
Her
eyes flicked from Logan's gear to the chaos outside.
The sight of his rifle
made her flinch, but she didn't have time to protest.
"What are
you doing here?" she asked, voice trembling. "This isn't a place for people
like you."
"I'm here
for Emma," Logan snapped, his voice low and dangerous. "She's inside, and I
need to get to her. Now!"
The nurse's
hand trembled as she looked past him at the infected that were still attacking
the crowd.
Her face shifted from hesitation to resolve. "You can't just—"
"I'm not
asking for permission," Logan interrupted, stepping closer. "Let me in."
As Logan
forcibly squeezes his way through the nurse and the door, an infected shrieked as
it charges at Logan.
He brings up his rifle and pops off two more rounds and
the infected falls.
The nurse
reels back in fear allowing Logan to fully enter the clinic.
"Ghost!"
Ghost shoots
into the clinic and the door slammed shut behind him.
Logan takes in the sterile, familiar air of
the clinic.
It was almost a relief to be inside, but the tension in the air was
palpable.
There were
many people inside who were injured.
Some covered in blood, others were just
taking shelter from outside.
Logan could
hear a woman crying softly as he looks to see her in a corner, balled up.
"U-Uh, Sir?"
Logan's
attention is snapped back to the nurse in front of him.
"Where
is she?" Logan demanded, his voice hoarse with urgency. "Where's Emma?"
"Down the
hall, the second door on the left," the nurse said, pointing quickly. "But you
can't just go—"
Logan didn't
wait for her to finish.
He was already heading down the hallway, Ghost
following closely behind him.
His mind was on one thing and one thing
only, Emma.
He needed to get her, get her out, and protect her from whatever was
coming.
When Logan
reached the room the nurse had pointed to, he froze.
There she was, his heart
leaping in his chest.
Emma was bent over an injured patient, her expression
focused and serious, her hands steady as she worked to help.
"Emma!"
Logan
manages to blurt out her name.
Emma quickly
turns around to the sound of Logan's voice, but when she saw him, her
expression shifted from concentration to shock.
Her mouth opened in surprise,
then closed, and her eyes widened as she took in the sight of him dressed in
tactical gear, the AR-15 in his hands, and Ghost at his side.
"Logan?"
she whispered, her voice filled with concern and confusion. "What, what are
you doing here?"
Logan rushed
toward her, his voice sharp with urgency. "We're leaving! Now! It's not safe
here anymore! The infected are everywhere! We need to get out of here! People
are dying!"
Before Emma
could respond, the door behind Logan slammed open with a crash.
An older
doctor, his face red with fury, stormed into the room.
"What the hell is this?
You can't just bring a man with a gun into the clinic!" he shouted, his voice
rising with anger.
Logan's
temper flared.
"I'm Emma's boyfriend," he growled, taking a step toward the
doctor. "And I'm taking her home. This place isn't safe. The infected are
outside, and you're all here like sitting ducks and people are dying."
"People are
dying because of you! You can't just barge in here, weapon in hand, acting like
you own the place!"
The doctor's voice was venomous, and he was ready for a
fight.
"Calm down,"
Emma interjected, stepping between the two men.
She put a hand on Logan's
chest, her voice shaky but firm.
"Logan, please. Let's just—"
"No, Emma, listen
to me!" Logan snapped, his eyes intense as he locked onto her. "It's not safe
here! You're pregnant!"
The words came out like a punch, and for a moment, Emma
froze, her face pale.
"What?" the
doctor scoffed, clearly not understanding. "Pregnant? What does that have to do
with—"
"Everything,"
Logan said, his voice dark. "I'm not leaving her here to risk our baby's life
and her life. The parking lot is utter chaos, and if you don't come with me,
you're going to be stuck here when it all goes to hell! I'm getting you out of
here—whether he likes it or not."
Emma's eyes
softened, her expression a mix of fear and relief.
She placed a hand on his
arm, her touch gentle.
"Logan, I... I understand. But please, let's just calm
down. We need to think this through."
The doctor
looked between them, his face red with anger but his voice shaking slightly
now.
"This is madness. You can't just barge in here and—"
"I can and I
will," Logan snapped, his patience thinning. "The world is ending out there,
and we're not going to waste any more time arguing!"
Emma looked
back at the doctor, then back at Logan.
"I'm coming with you," she said softly,
her voice filled with resolve. "But we need to take everyone with us, this place
is full of people who need help."
Logan shook
his head, his hand finding hers.
"We won't be able to help them," he said, his
voice firm.
A loud crash
of glass is heard from the front.
"Doctor!"
A nurse
sprints to the back room.
"Doctor! The
front lobby's windows have been broken and there's people killing others!"
"What!"
The doctor's
mouth gaps open.
He stares down at the floor in shock and disbelief.
"Hey! Move!"
Logan shouts
out as he sees an infected run at the nurse. But she was too slow and the
infected latches onto the back of her neck, its teeth ripping her flesh.
She screams
in agony and falls to the floor as the infected continues to rip her flesh
apart.
"Emma! Get
behind me!"
Emma
retreats to safety behind Logan as he raises his AR-15.
Ghost barks
in response and charges the infected.
He slams into it with force that knocks
it over and he attacks it throat.
Ghost's teeth crushes its throat and then
proceeds to rip it out.
Logan
whistles and Ghost jumps back, and he pops off a round into its head.
He turns
quickly back to the doctor.
"See! It's
not safe here! We're leaving!"
"W-Wait! I'm
coming with you!"
Logan growls
in frustration, but he knows he can't leave the innocent man to die.
"Fine! But
stay close to the dog."
Logan motioned his head towards Ghost.
"Ghost.
Guard."
Logan gives
out the order and points towards the doctor and he barks in response.
He trots
over and firmly puts his body against the doctor's leg.
As the group
made their way down the corridor back to the front of the clinic, the chaos
outside had only intensified.
The infection was spreading, and Logan knew that
getting Emma and the doctor out of there was now the most important thing.
They
weren't going to survive if they stayed in the middle of this hell.
Logan's grip
tightened on the AR-15 as he pulled Emma close, his heart pounding in his
chest.
A deafening
crash echoed through the clinic, followed by a chorus of terrified screams.
Logan looks just in time to see as more infected poured inside through the
front glass.
The emergency lights flash as bodies crashed through, desperate
and relentless.
Bloodied hands clawed against the floor, broken bodies dragging
themselves forward, their hungry, mindless moans filling the clinic like a
haunting symphony of death.
Logan
muttered curses under his breath.
He turned to Emma, his expression hard. "Hold
onto my backpack and don't let go."
Emma's hands
immediately clutched the straps of his backpack, her fingers trembling but
firm.
She nodded, fear in her eyes but trust in her heart.
"You better stay
with that dog!"
The doctor nodded
his head frantically and Ghost stood rigid beside him, his hackles raised, a
deep growl rumbling in his throat.
Logan took
the lead, rifle raised.
"Stay behind me. We move fast."
He advanced
down the corridor, the rifle's barrel sweeping left and right, covering every
open door, every blind spot.
The clinic's once-sterile walls were now a
battleground, the screams of the wounded blending with the guttural growls of
the infected.
The fluorescent lights flickered, casting eerie, shifting
shadows.
A figure
lunged out of a nearby room, a man in a bloodstained suit and tie, his face
twisted in an unnatural snarl.
Logan didn't hesitate.
He fired a single shot to
the head, the infected man's skull snapping back as he collapsed in a heap.
Emma flinched but held on, her grip on Logan's backpack tightening.
Another one
came staggering from the left, its mouth gaping open, teeth bared.
Logan fired
again, the shot echoing through the narrow hallway.
The bullet ripped through
its skull, sending it crumpling to the floor.
A scream cut
through the air behind them, one of the nurses, frozen in terror as an infected
man lunged at her.
Before Logan could react, Ghost sprang into action.
The
black German Shepherd moved like lightning, his powerful body slamming into the
infected, knocking it to the ground.
Teeth sank into flesh, a sickening crunch
filling the air as Ghost tore its throat out and Logan puts a round into its
head.
The infected's body twitched once, then went still.
Logan didn't
stop to praise him.
"Good boy, let's go!"
The four of
them pushed forward, making their way through the clinic.
Logan reached into
his vest and grabbed another magazine, quickly ejecting the empty one and putting
it into his mag pouch.
His muscles moved on instinct, his years of training
taking over.
As they
neared the exit, another infected came barreling out of a side room, a former
security guard, his badge still pinned to his tattered shirt.
His eyes were
wild, his jaw unhinged, arms outstretched for Logan.
Logan fired.
Click!
Misfire.
Logan had to
pull the charging handle to cycle the bad round out of the chamber but the infected
lunged at him.
Ghost lunged, his teeth sinking into the infected's arm and
yanking it back with sheer force giving Logan a chance to take a shot into its
head.
"Logan!"
Emma shouted.
More were
coming.
The sounds of gunfire and screams had drawn them in.
The clinic was
overrun.
"We got to
go," Logan shouted.
He grabbed Emma's hand and yanked her toward the exit.
The moment
they burst through the front doors, they were met with chaos.
The parking lot
was swarming with infected.
People were running, screaming, getting dragged to the ground.
Logan's
truck was parked just a few yards away, but between them and it, at least four
infected stood in their path.
"We're
running," Logan said, raising his rifle. "Doctor don't stop, get to the truck."
Emma and the
doctor nodded.
Logan aimed.
The first shot rang out.
One infected dropped.
He took a
step forward.
Another shot, another one down.
Ghost
sprinted ahead, charging the third infected, knocking it to the pavement.
His
powerful jaws clamped down, shaking his head violently.
Logan fired at the last
one, putting a bullet clean through its skull.
They
sprinted to the truck.
Logan flung the door open, shoving Emma inside.
The
doctor jumping into the back seat and Ghost leaped in right after him.
Logan
turned, scanning for threats.
More were coming.
Too many.
He raised
the rifle, firing a few more rounds into the crowd of infected, clearing just
enough space to buy them time.
Then, he jumped into the driver's seat, gave
Emma the rifle, slammed the door, and started the engine.
The truck
roared to life.
Logan threw
it into reverse, tires screeching as he backed up, then slammed it into drive.
He floored it, the truck barreling through the chaos, swerving around wreckage
and bodies.
As they sped
away, Emma clutched his arm, breathing hard.
Her hands trembled.
"Logan… what
is happening?"
He exhaled
sharply, keeping his eyes on the road, the rifle still in his lap.
"We're
seeing everything that Mark was telling us about."