Carla and Sasha turned to look at Tashell. She was holding a document in her hand that had the word CLASSIFIED, written in bold red letters.
"What's that?" Sasha asked.
Tashell read from the file.
"The Z69 Serum, developed by Dr. Alaric Burke, is a failure. The one hundred and thirteen human test subjects all reacted the same way, but the ultimate result is..." Tashell gulped.
"What does it say, Tash?" Sasha begged.
"The ultimate result is death. After the serum is applied to the test subjects. The cancer cells stop multiplying, but the virus speeds up the aggressive nature of the patients, sending them into violent frenzies, their heart goes out at the end, and the test subject dies," Tashell finished.
"Of course, it had to be cancer serum! Where did this take place?" Carla asked.
"Africa," Tashell told her.
"Look here, guys," Sasha alerted them to another file open up on the computer. "It says here that an outbreak of some kind is taking place in a small community in Nigeria. They are saying the dead are coming back to life," Sasha gasped as she remembered what Dr. Smith told her.
"And these are all the human test subjects that were injected with the serum?" Tashell asked.
"No, only a few were test subjects. Most of the undead were either scratched or bitten by the test subjects." Sasha read the remaining paragraph. "This is some crazy shit."
"Guys, we gotta go now!" Ruby ran into the tent. "The soldiers are coming."
The girls hurried to Ruby's truck.
"Why is your shirt inside out?" Carla asked Ruby.
"The weird Sergeant wanted to see me naked, said something about bite and scratch marks."
"Ruby, take me to the hospital," Sasha ordered.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the hospital.
Staff members and patients alike were running and screaming out of the building.
Sasha secured another dagger in her hand and made her way to the entrance. "You guys stay here. If I'm not back in ten minutes, leave me."
"You are fucking crazy if you think I'm letting you go in there alone," Tashell grabbed a katana that was in the back of the vehicle. "Wow, I always wanted one of these."
"I bought it at a flea market for you. It was an apology for eating your black forest cake," Ruby explained then she told Sasha, "I'm coming too," Ruby grabbed her shotgun then her eyes caught her bow and arrow. "Well hello baby," she glimmered at her favorite weapon. She picked it up and settled the pouch with the arrows on her back.
Carla took her gun and a few extra clips, and the four ladies entered the building.
The waiting area was in a state of disarray. Files and papers everywhere. People running for the exits. Sasha saw nurse Ozone hiding beneath the front desk. "Nurse Ozone, what happened here?" Sasha demanded.
"Timmy Brookes, we thought he died, but then minutes after the doctor pronounced him dead, he woke up and started biting people. Then his friend came here and collapsed outside. His girlfriend explained he had a fever. He had a seizure, and then he died. Seconds later he too got up and ripped into his girlfriend's face, tearing off a chunk of her face. People were confused and scared and started running. Then people from the nearby town where the plane crashed came in complaining about getting bit or scratched by the same burnt man in the woods," Nurse Ozone cried.
"Did you get bit or scratched?" Sasha asked her.
"No, I've been hiding here ever since."
"Ok, get yourself to safety. Go to the third floor. We will meet you there in a while." Sasha told her.
"Yes, and bring as many people as you can find. Grab anything that can be used as a weapon," Tashell added. "But most importantly don't get bit or scratched."
"Ok Dr. Stevens, but what if someone is scratched or bitten?" Nurse Ozone asked.
"Then don't let them come with you," Carla said as she shot a man who was trying to eat a pregnant woman.
"The head, the head!" Ruby yelled. Carla aimed at the man's head and fired. His body fell to the ground.
"How d'you know that would work?" Carla was surprised.
"Something one soldier said to the sergeant back at the crash site. He said one bullet to her head if she's infected. I didn't understand until now," Ruby explained. "From now on, aim for their heads."
"Ok, Sasha and I will head to the labs. Carla and Ruby, you guys help get nurse Ozone and the others to safety," Tashell ordered.
Sasha and Tashell made their way to the labs. Four torn-up bodies were lying in a pool of blood.
"I don't think he's in here," Tashell whispered.
The girls were about to leave when they heard a low growl.
They peered around the corner and saw Dr. Smith stooping on the ground. "Smith?" Sasha called to him. He froze, then he turned around and Sasha almost tumbled over. Dr. Smith had the eyes of the undead. He seemed to not notice the girls.
His mouth was chewing on something as his lips dripped with fresh blood. Tashell moved forward to get a better view, and she swallowed the vomit that threatened to spew from her stomach. "Sasha, don't look."
"Why?" Sasha peered around and when she saw the scene before her, she bit back her sobs. "No, this can't be happening."
Dr. Fletcher's dead body was spread on the floor with his skull smashed in. Dr. Smith had already eaten three-quarters of his brain. Sasha closed her eyes as she tried to wish away the awful sight.
The undead Dr. Smith jumped to his feet and bolted towards the girls. Tashell stood firm with the katana in her hands and with one quick swipe, Dr. Smith's head went rolling on the floor. "Sasha, come on. Let's get outta here."
Sasha wiped her eyes and rose to her feet. "Before we go, I think we should make sure they don't come back."
Sasha drew her blade and stabbed the four corpses in the head before they could reanimate.
"What about Dr. Fletcher?" Tashell questioned.
"I can't," Sasha sniffled.
"Ok, then don't look," Tashell warned as she took the katana and pierced Dr. Fletcher's skull.
The girls hurried to the third floor, which had the more severe patients. Sasha figured they could protect them, along with the other survivors until the rescue team came.
They barricaded themselves inside the hospital as the big landmasses were a mess with the virus mutating as it ran through the large populations.
That was how the zombie apocalypse began. The four brave women defended themselves. Together, they stood the best chance of staying alive.
Sasha, Tashell, Ruby, and Carla waited desperately for help to come.