Dead In The Street/Chapter 1

Dead In The Street
This is chapter 1 of Book 1 of Dead In The Street

Crazy Train


“What the fuck did I get us into?” he asked his camera man. They were headed right into the epicenter of the riots. The “crazies”, as they were called, were everywhere. They were murdering, causing destruction, and devouring human flesh. Even those who weren’t infected were causing rampant destruction of property and fighting with the police.

“Shit is crazy, man” his camera man responded, “but we the only niggas at the station anyway. You knew they would send us eventually.” He was right; the news station they worked for had an unspoken policy about sending the “brothers” to the dangerous assignments. Shootouts, robberies, gang infested neighborhoods, he was always the go-to guy for these stories.

As his cameraman, Jonas, drove, Wilson looked at the wanton devastation of downtown Miami. What was once a bustling downtown of bankers, lawyers, trust fund babies was now a sea bed for violence as people were shooting and fighting each other to avoid infection. Police had completely lost control as crazies and the uninfected alike attacked and slaughtered them. An explosion rang off in the distance and the van suddenly came to a halt. A condominium high rise had just exploded in front of them and dozens of people were falling from the top floors. Wilson and Jonas watched in horror as a body fell directly on top of an ambulance.

“Holy shit. J, did you see that?” The ambulance swerved directly into a building. Whoever was in there is done for, he thought to himself.

“That’s why we need to get out of here as soon as possible. Do a one minute snippet, I’ll cut off the camera and blame it on technical difficulties or some shit. They ain’t gonna have us out here fucking killing ourselves. C’mon let’s do this quick, Will.” They rushed out of the van and started rolling 

“This is Wilson Lewis of KGBTV. Right now I’m on Brickell Avenue of downtown Miami. The scene is complete chaos as you can see behind me. People are looting, fighting with police, setting things on fire and literally killing each other on the streets. I don’t know how long I can stay here and be safe –“ 

“Wil, watch out!” 

An inflamed SUV came barreling down the street, straight towards Wilson. He saw his life flash before his eyes and knew this was his time to go. 

DANIEL 

“What the fuck these people got me into?” he asked himself. This was not what he intended to do as a paramedic. Crazy people were killing and eating each other, yet he was called out to Brickell to help the wounded, as if he would have been immune from the attacks himself. Several other paramedics were already killed, so his worries weren’t baseless. Each made the mistake of picking up an infected that turned into a monster. Daniel wanted to make sure he wasn’t next, and that meant to get the fuck out of dodge as soon as possible. The world was possibly ending, so who cares if he got fired in the process. He drove his ambulance through a busy street and around cars, hitting crazies as he drove. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">An explosion rang out and a body fell straight on top of his ambulance. The crash caused him to swerve and collide straight into the bank to his right. He was hurt, but still alive. His ears were still ringing from the explosion and his arm was sprained from the crash. He gave himself a few minutes to recollect. Those minutes turned into seconds when he looked at the shocking sight in his rearview mirror. The body that fell on his ambulance was an infected. She had long dirty blonde hair, and an obvious broken neck as her head was contorted to the side, with the bone perturbing from her pale scaly skin.

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">She stared at Daniel with those piercing red eyes and said one word; “meat”.

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Oh hell naw”

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Daniel tried to get out through the front door but the infected grabbed him, chomping towards his neck, eager for a piece of flesh. He held her at bay with his good hand pushing and squeezing against her throat. He had to make sure he got out of this and there was only one way to do that. Daniel struggled to reach for the glove compartment, where he had a glock-9 hidden. He had it for just in case situations, and now it was proving to be a good thing. I never thought I would have to use this, he said to himself. He brawled and aimed the gun directly at her forehead before pulling the trigger. Her face exploded, brains flying to the roof of the ambulance as she fell dead. Daniel had never killed anyone before, let alone shot his own gun. He knew the world would be different from now on.

JEROME

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Why the fuck did I come to work today?” he asked himself. Birckell Avenue was a warzone. When news that several infected had escaped the hospital and was spotted in the vicinity of downtown Miami, all hell broke loose and people went nuts. He looked down on the street from his office as people looted, fought and set things on fire. Alright it’s time for me to go, he thought to himself. He grabbed his jacket and started heading downstairs. The office was sparsely populated as people had either quit or died in the past few weeks since Pale Fever hit. Funny how so many things can change over a fortnight or two. At least that’s what it seemed to him, having been ignorant of the process that lead to it all. Even his boss had decided not to show up.

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">The moment he reached outside he saw the chaos at full view. “Okay, Jerome concentrate, Find your car and get the hell up outta here.” He started running towards the designated parking area, but heard a loud explosion right behind him. We watched the horror as the condominium building his office was in exploded and the body from a tenant fall straight onto an ambulance, causing it to swerve and crash into the bank. If he had left just two minutes earlier, he would have been in that bank. He turned and saw a reporter documenting the entire thing. Too bad he didn’t see the SUV engulfed in flames barreling down on him. Jerome knew he only had a few seconds to react. With all his speed he ran towards the reporter and cameraman hoping he would reach them on time.

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">   It was like an act of God, he was able to reach him just in time to tackle the bloke out of the way as the SUV exploded into another building. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Thank you”, the reporter said to him.

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Yeah…don’t mention it”. His camera man gave them a helping hand up.

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Will, you alright bruh?”

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Yeah, yeah I’m good J. I thought I was dead there for minute.”

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Yo, you good?”, he asked Jerome. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Yeah I’m straight, bro. Hey; you’re Wilson Lewis from KGBTV. I watch your danger zone segments” <span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Danger zone segments?” <span style="font-size: 10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Because they stay putting y’all niggas in the danger zone, you can’t tell me you ain’t notice.” <span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Jonas and Wilson laughed. Even viewers of the channel knew the game. Their moment of laughter was cut short when they heard a gunshot ring out in the direction of the bank. A few seconds later someone in a paramedic uniform walked out holding a pistol in his hand. The three men had seen everything so far and hoped an infected hadn’t picked up a gun. The young man didn’t look infected, but his arm seemed to be out of whack. He started walking towards them and waved. All three ran over to see if they could help him. They got there; they learned his name was Daniel and that he was just attacked by a crazy. He didn’t get bit, but his arm was sprained. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“Yeah we heard the gunshot bro”, Jonas told him. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">“It’s funny y’all heard it with everything going on.”, Daniel responded. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Jerome chimed in, “Yeah. It is funny”. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"> <span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;background:white;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">All three looked at him with a quizzical look, but then picked up on what he was saying as well. Through all the chaos and destruction going on, they were able to hear a gunshot, a single one, at that. Throughout the day they heard screams, crashes, police chatter, fights, but all of a sudden it was quiet. There was a reason things got quiet.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";background:white">The infected barely speak.