With Monica, Valerie and Lisa all in one, big circle, the three women looked into Lisa's map of the basement. They knew they didn't have much time left before the driver they managed to contact was to arrive in Artull.
"Do we go through the main exit... or do we use the door to the garage in the basement?" Lisa asked, looking at her two teammates.
"Like we said, there is debris throughout town. We'd have to climb over it to get through... however, given that Monica is injured, I don't think that'll be a very good idea," Valerie voiced her take on Lisa's suggestion. "So I think the door in the basement is our way to go...". Valerie looked toward Monica, who nodded her head.
The women took what they needed, which was the map and two more torches Monica and Lisa managed to find in one of the drawers, located by the bookshelf.
With the women leaving the room, they headed toward the stairs, where Lisa assisted Monica in slowly ascending the steps to the ground floor. There, they were met again by the gruesome sight.
Fire lit up the outside of the police station as the rain fell as a heavy shower. "We'll get soaked if we have to wait for him..." Valerie commented.
"I'd rather have that and get driven to the airport than be stuck here. Now come on... we don't have much time," Lisa responded as she and Monica walked toward the stairs of the basement.
With the two women going down the steps first, Valerie followed close behind them, her gun in her hands as she looked around for any threats of zombies.
The basement was just like how Valerie and Lisa left it. The water still filled the floor of the hallways as the two, unresponsive corpses were right where Valerie shot them dead.
Looking at the map, the women slowly made their way through the slim ways of the basement until they reached the hallway where the big, metal door awaited them.
Just as Valerie was about to take a step forward, two, subsequent explosions sounded from above. Each shook the hallway they were in, causing small rocks and speckles of dust from the overhead cemented ceiling to fall onto the watered ground.
They knew that the explosion wasn't from the police station, but somewhere close by.
However, the women didn't give it much mind, the continued heading toward the door. Upon reaching it, a large metal wheel waited to be turned, to unlock the door.
Valerie was the first to attempt turning it, however, with the wheel budging slightly. it didn't give in. Lisa was next, trying to put in a bit more power, however, her results were the same as Valerie's. The wheel didn't move.
"How about you help me?..." Lisa asked, looking at Valerie. "Maybe together, we can get it open...".
The two women took hold of the wheel and gave it their all. It sang strings of agony as it moved, but just slightly. It made both Lisa and Valerie well aware that the metal was rusted.
"Hold on..." Valerie began. "We can use some of the oil we found in the generator rooms, yah?... It might help loose up the wheel.".
Lisa nodded her head. "I didn't think of that... I'll go and get it, you stay here with Monica.". Giving the two women one last look, "I'll be back...". She was off.
Valerie turned toward Monica, seeing the way she rested against the wall, trying to control her breathing. "How are you feeling now?" Valerie asked.
"I-... I don't know... I don't know if I feel better, or if I feel worse..." she responded, turning her head toward Valerie. "Can you check my bite wound, please?...". She peeled the bloodied shirt from the left side of her neck, showing off the bloodied flesh of her fresh bite wound. It was dark, darker than she expected, with slight streaks of white patterning the wound here and there as if they were small pockets of pus. The veins that led from the bite seemed darker. As if whatever the bite had begun spreading.
And Valerie voiced just that. "It... it looks like it's spreading...".
Monica gulped as her stomach began swirling with fear. "Fuck...".
"Monica..." Valerie began, seeing the terror on her comrade's face. "Monica, listen. We, Lisa and I... we will get you to a doctor.".
A scream was heard, and it didn't sound like Lisa's voice. The scream didn't even sound like that filled with fear. Yet like a call, as if telling Valerie and Monica that whatever was there, was there and it was close. It was a zombie.
And Monica reacted by widening her eyes. Valerie took notice of this. "What is it?" She asked Monica.
"I... I heard that before they all attacked us..." Monica voiced and Valerie's stomach dropped to the ground.
"Come again?".
"Shit!" Monica exclaimed, seeing a zombie straddle around the corner and into the hallway where the women stood.
Two more approached from behind the first one. The two zombies turned and when they saw both Valerie and Monica, they raised their hands before walking toward them both. Their straddle was faster.
"Stay behind me..." Valerie voiced to Monica, as she aimed at the zombies. Just as she shot out the first few shots, downing the two zombies ahead, Lisa came back with a canister of oil.
"Shit... the explosion must have lured them here..." Lisa spoke out as she opened the canister, moving her eyes from the container of oil she held and the zombie that further approached them.
However, with Valerie shooting a few more shots into its skull, she managed to down the third zombie for good. But the serenity that followed was soon to be shattered when splashes were heard down the hallway. More zombies were on their way.
"I-... I think another group of them is coming..." Monica spoke out as she turned her head toward Lisa.
Behind her, Lisa poured the viscous liquid into the turning mechanism of the wheel. "I'll try to do this as quickly as I can...". She placed the can beside her as she tried moving the wheel again. But to no success.
Lisa looked toward Valerie again, calling out for her to help her with the wheel once more.
The two women held on tight to the wheel as Monica surveilled the hallway.
"It has to fucking move... we've... we've no other option left..." Lisa spoke in between her grunts of force.
"Let's count to three..." Valerie suggested.
Looking at the hallway, the first of the zombies walked into Monica's view. "You... you two might want to hurry up. They're here...".
"Okay... One, two... Three!" Valerie counted and with a grunt from them both, they tried to turn the wheel. But nothing, "Again!" Valerie exclaimed. "One... two... Three!". Again... nothing. A mere screech marked minimal progress.
Lisa looked at Valerie. "Val..." her voice quivered.
"Fuck..." Monica let out as she began shooting the zombies. More and more poured into the small hallway.
"Again!" Valerie exclaimed. "Even if we fucking die trying!".
Lisa clenched her teeth as her heart pounded against her chest. "One, two... Three!!". The two women gave it all in their final push. Valerie screamed at the top of her lungs as she tried to give more.
Behind them, Monica tried to keep the zombies back by shooting their way, but they kept coming... getting closer and closer with each step. Tears swelled in Monica's eyes as she continued shooting. She didn't want to die. Her whole life was still ahead of her. "You fucking bastards!!" she screamed at them. "Die!... Die!! Die!!".
The water that was once somewhat clear now became blood red, as the blood continued spreading through.
There was a click of metal and another screech before the wheel finally let loose. Valerie and Lisa let out a nerve-racked chuckle of relief as they turned the wheel all the way.
With that, Valerie let go before turning around and seeing the wall of zombies that approached them. She waited no more. Pulling out her pistol, she joined Monica in shooting down the undead.
Lisa pulled with all her might at the door to open. Managing to open it ajar, the water from their side rushed through the small gap, immediately flooding the room they were trying to get to. Pulling it again, she managed to get it open that bit more and with a third pull, she managed to open the door wide enough for them all to pass through.
"Girls!... Girls, let's go!" Lisa spoke out before turning. And that was when she saw the horror that was approaching them.
"We... we won't have enough ammo to kill them all!" Valerie spoke, looking at Monica, who had her teeth gritted once again.
"Let's get the fuck out of here..." Monica voiced, turning around as Lisa got a hold of her. With them both carefully getting into the room, Valerie shot down a few more zombies who further approached them before going through the open door.
"Lisa, help me..." Valerie spoke out as she took hold of the door and began closing it. Bit by bit, the door closed. But it wasn't fast enough as the door was still slightly open when the undead reached it. One of the zombies managed to get its hand through the gap and Valerie let out a shriek as it nearly grabbed her.
With a final grunt, Lisa managed to fully close the door, in turn mutilating the arm of the zombie.
It was there that the three women allowed the sense of relief to wash over every one of them, as each let out a deep breath they didn't realise they held in their chest.
"Holy shit... fuck, that was close..." Monica spoke out as she allowed herself to rest against the railing of the small, metal bridge they were on.
"We did it..." Valerie voiced. "We got out of there...". And as if letting her short-lived celebration take over, she hugged both Lisa and Monica. "I wouldn't have made it this far without you two...".
Monica chuckled at her words. "Don't be ridiculous. You would have figured it all out anyway...".
Lisa smiled at Monica's words before her eyes landed on where their way led. The smile on her face slowly receded. "What the fuck is this place?".
Looking at where Lisa had her gaze set, Monica responded with, "I don't know.". In turn, her words sent a wave of unease through the group. "But there's only one way to find out.".
"Yeah..." Valerie added, still holding her pistol in her hands, before leading the way forward.
The women passed by a ladder which led up to a manhole. Valerie took note of it, however continued her way forward.
Walking some more, another door came into view.
"That must be it... the door to the garage," Monica spoke out.
It took a few minutes for the group to reach the door. Valerie tried to open it, but she came to realise that it was locked. "It's locked..." she commented, turning to Lisa.
After letting Monica rest by the railing again, Lisa tried her hand at opening the door. Checking out the lock, she searched her pockets before finding a hairpin. Straightening it out, she inserted it into the lock before trying to unlock the door. Failing, she straightened herself back up before aiming her gun at the lock. Shooting a shot, she then tried to kick the door open.
The first kick left a slight indent in the door. The second kick worsened the indentation. Giving all of her power in the third and final kick, she managed to bust open the door, revealing the half-lit garage, with the unlit side occasionally being lit up by a light on loose contact with its power source.
The garage was also smaller than any of the women expected, it also held disappointment as there were merely any vehicles left in the garage.
"What the fuck?..." Valerie let out. "Where are all the vehicles??".
"There is a fucking barricade on the exit..." Monica spoke out next. "How are we going to get out now?".
"Can you not scan your card on that scanner to raise the barricade?" Lisa inquired, seeing a small machine beside the closed exit.
"I don't think my card will work there..." Monica responded.
"Well, there's only one way to find out. Give me your card and I'll try and scan it...".
With Monica giving away her card, both she and Valerie watched Lisa as she rushed to the machine.
She reached it in seconds and reading what it said, she inserted the card inside the red-coloured lip. with it turning amber, the screen beside it showed a spinning circle. Something was happening. However, a cross appeared on the screen, reading the card as foreign. "Shit..." Lisa spoke under her breath.
Looking behind her, a crashed car caught her attention, with the body of a dead policeman beside it. 'What happened here?...' she thought to herself as she approached the bloodied corpse by the vehicle. The blood was still fresh, indicating he passed recently.
An idea came to Lisa as she took hold of the body and turned it on its back. 'He must have a card if he managed to gain access down here...'.
And she was right.
But one of his breath pockets hung his blood-stained card. Plucking it off him and cleaning it of his blood, she stood back up, finding that both Monica and Valerie were desperately trying to see where she went. With that, she held up what she found before making her way back to the machine.
Inserting the card back into the red lip, it turned amber as the spinning circle returned to the screen. And unlike the last time, the circle was now switched with a tick.
And the barricade beside her slowly began to rise.