THIS CHAPTER TAKES PLACE BEFORE CHAPTER 76
The relentless marching of time has exacted a heavy toll, resulting in a world locked in a desperate struggle against decay. Amidst the ruins of once-populace urban centers and the shadowy depths of forests, resilient pockets of survivors push forward. One such group comprises highly trained soldiers who have fought day and night to fend off encroaching hordes of flesh-hungry undead. Their location is the outskirts of a small town in the heart of the Midwestern United States.
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The office building, constructed using taxpayer funds and featuring a multilevel attached parking garage, was promoted to the small town's citizens as a draw for businesses intended to bolster the local economy by creating "good-paying jobs." That dream never came to fruition, and the building sat largely vacant, the sole business occupants a small security company called AV Security, a subdivision of a subsidiary of the ARBCO Corporation.
When the dead of the world stood up and began devouring the living, the employees of AV Security went to work and stayed there. The building had an unremarkable design. The first floor was made of thick reinforced concrete with high-set windows and a set of heavy glass doors that opened into a short foyer, leading to a second set of heavy glass doors. Both sets of doors opened automatically with no visible handles. The lobby had a massive security desk directly in front of the doors. With several small couches and tables on either side. The building's two elevators were set, one on each side of a small alcove behind the security desk. A plain door was on one side of each elevator, allowing access to emergency stairs for the upper floors and leading to the emergency exits at the back side of the building. The two emergency exits were thick steel fire doors with no external door pulls. The upper levels were a sleek steel and glass design offering beautiful unobstructed views of the small town in the distance and the surrounding desert landscape.
They immediately began fortifying their position, blockading doors and moving all operations to the upper levels of the modern building. The automatic glass doors were turned off and secured with specially designed door bars wedged between preexisting holes in the floor previously hidden by the entry carpet and attachment points on the metal frames running around the clear glass. The employees wasted no time turning the security desk into a machine gun nest complete with sandbags and a 50cal machine gun. Whoever was posted on the lower level knew to only use the large weapon in the worst-case scenario, full compromise of the triple layer bullet-resistant acrylic doors. As the whole building had, they had been designed to stand up to a full-scale military attack. The undead shouldn't pose a threat.
After spending years defending the office building from THEM, the employees of AV Security received their orders.
Orders to secure New Springfield. Begin full clean and sweep. Expect other operators to begin rallying at their location.
They've spent the last two months slowly spreading out, securing their ever-expanding territory.
The town has been fully secured, and all threats have been eliminated.
They have moved on to the neighboring town to clear it of undead and gather supplies.
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The dark alley is ripe with the stench of rotting garbage and the stinking, fetid remains of the dead and formerly undead. Lurking in the inky shadows, four subjects make their way to the intersection of the alleyway. Without warning, the shuffle of footsteps comes to a halt with the wave of a hand sign. The four crouch against the wall of the crumbling building, rifles pointed at every gloomy silhouette, ready to unleash fury should anything twitch.
The point man carefully checks the corner. Left. Then right. He signals the all clear, and each member of the assault team makes their way forward, all covering their assigned sectors. Today's mission carries an extra layer of gravity as the team seeks to secure provisions to replenish their dwindling cache. The team works efficiently, going from store front to store front, grabbing whatever rations they can find.
After entering the remains of a local hardware store, "Ramirez, how're we looking?"
"Well, Boss, we've found some questionable cans, half a case of water, a handful of batteries, some random cordage, and a few odds and ends for the toolbox, which should make LT happy. We're still holding out for more TP."
"Okay. Move it to the top of the list. Highest priority."
"Done."
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Before he retakes his position just inside the entryway, hidden from any onlookers, while maintaining a clear line of sight, he relays the change in priorities to the waiting Alley Vipers. His spotter, Sullivan, nods across the street, "Second building on the right." A mangled corpse wearing the tattered, filthy remains of a once-white apron staggers against a cracked window.
"I see it. Not worth taking out."
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