The helicopter blades lower us gently onto the tall grey building below us and we touch down to a stop gently. I slide slowly out of the machine and duck under the helicopter blades carefully, my hair being whipped around my face messily. I hold Ashia tightly to my chest and she presses her debris-smudged face into me, shielding herself from the harsh wind. As soon as we clear the spinning dangers I stand up straight and wait for the others, the group stand by my sides and we stare at the Government in front of us expectantly.
"Where are we?" I ask after a brief, impatient silence. The Prime Minister lets out a throaty laugh and tilts his head to stare around him, surveying the area briefly.
"My sweet, sweet Madeline," he bellows, "surely you recognise your old home?"
I slowly turn around and look down at the architecture, a tall barbed-wire fence lays an almost impenetrable perimeter around the building in the centre. The walls, which were once white, now sport a grey and black tinge due to the weathering and strain of recent events. The roof has been coated in a reinforced metal and only a few of the original tiles are evident, smashed harshly on the floor in piles of broken stone. I compare a memory to the scene in front of me and shake my head slowly, my home has been destroyed, but has left the uncanny memories behind to haunt me.
"Guys, we've made it," I whisper gently, "these are the labs," I finish with a low whistle. I hear Maria huff and I turn to her curiously, the sun warming my face.
"It's not much of a lab is it?" she sneers and I open my mouth to reply but I'm abruptly cut off.
"Well, Miss, what were you expecting? The Ritz? Because I'm sorry to inform you but we're in the middle of an apocalypse, darling!" the Prime Minister chuckles and I see Maria narrow her eyes at the balding man. She steps forward angrily but I grab her arm, restraining her movement.
"Maria don't, it's not worth it," I sigh and she steps back reluctantly, I feel Ashia shift in my other arm and I smile at her gently. "Look, Sir, can we just go inside?" I ask tiredly and he bows his head straight away.
"Of course dear Madeline," he states sincerely and I shiver at the tone of his voice, I just nod my head and follow him down the long spiralling stairs. Our feet echo off the metal as we descend but my eyes are locked forward blankly as my thoughts wander to walls that tower around me.
We walk noisily through the white clinical halls of the compound and I look around me eagerly. Security cameras sit snugly in each corner, angling itself to follow our every move, keeping us in its view. I frown and bite my lip as I walk in line- something's not right. I see the looks passed between soldiers and their urgent whispers.
Something's wrong.
My thoughts are cut off as we reach a standstill in front of huge steel doors, I hear a lock click into place and I watch as they swing open. A high-tech lab lays neatly in front of us and I see Maria raise a brow appreciatively, causing me to laugh lightly at her change in attitude. We all walk in and I study the equipment sat on the benches, all a pristine white stone. The Prime Minister clears his throat and I spin around to face him, I pass Ashia to Josh and then stare forward again.
"Friends, I'm afraid I have brought you here for a reason," he says and I roll my eyes at the lack of knowledge he possesses.
"Look, we already know you bought us here to create a cure, Sir," I state, hurriedly adding the formality at the end of the line, he smiles sadly and nods to a soldier. The thick doors slam shut and I jump at the noise, I start to complain but he silences me instantly as he raises his hand into the air.
"I'm afraid young Madeline, that is not the case," he apologises, "in fact, it's quite the opposite. I want you to create a cure of types, yes, but this will be to cure the world of infected," he says and claps his hands in front of him happily. A frown creases my forehead and I part my lips slightly in confusion.
"You mean, you want to create another virus? But to kill the infected?" I ask slowly and a grin breaks out on his face.
"That Madeline, is the right answer," he smiles and I feel Josh stiffen at his words towards me. I shake my head rapidly at his words and his smile falters, dropping from his face.
"I can't, I can't create another virus!" I state exasperated, holding my hands out in front of me in a desperate attempt to explain. He shakes his head at my compliant and shrugs, a taunting smile tugging at his lips.
"Wouldn't you like a chance to redeem yourself? To clear the world of those killers?" he asks and I gape at him.
No.
"What? By killing them? No, they didn't ask for this and I'm not going to be responsible for their deaths. I WON'T DO IT!" I argue and hear him tut mockingly.
"And that, my dearest Madeline, is where you are wrong. You see, it wasn't a question, a chance or an offer for that matter. It was an order and therefore, you have no choice," he smirks. A tear rolls down my cheek and I set my jaw, anger bubbling inside me.
"Make me," I spit and see a sadistic smile tug at his lips. He pulls out a gun, setting it against my forehead, I flinch but keep my eyes locked with his- defiance spreading across my face. I hear protests behind me and my Dad runs into my vision.
"GET YOUR GUN AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" he roars and I gasp at his volume. The Prime Minister grins happily and shifts the gun to my Dad.
"Ok," he shrugs and squeezes the trigger. A bang explodes through the room and sticky blood splatters across my face. I scream in horror as my Dad slumps to the floor, my hands slapping over my mouth in pure shock and my knees buckling beneath me.
Ashia is ripped from Joshes grasp and he lunges forward in protest. The base of a gun is smashed across his jaw and he sprawls to the floor unconscious, his body lying lifelessly at my feet. Tears stream down my face and I cry out in sadness, my parents are dead. Both dead. Ripped away from me so harshly.
The Prime Minister holds Ashia tightly in his grasp and pushes the gun to her forehead, he clicks a bullet into the chamber and looks back to me.
"Now, my dearest Madeline, what were you saying?"
YOU ARE READING
Revenge of the Dead
HorrorBOOK TWO I can feel them getting closer. Their screeches haunting me at night, telling me to drop dead. I've never listened to them before. But it's different now. You can't save some people, but I'll fight to the death to save humanity. What's m...
