I like it keep the installments coming!

tis cool keep goin!

I just want to make a few notes on the story so far...

I've gotten a little frustrated with posting the story here (not physically, I'm having technical issues), as my story, written in standard paragraph form in Word, seems to not make the transition here to these forums. My indentations just turn into blank lines, so it looks more like a movie script than its intended form. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, I would like to fix this in order to make the selections easier on the eyes, so to speak. Anyone know how to fix this?

My plan for the entire plot is to unfold over a rather long period of time. Thus far, is the story interesting enough to actually captivate you in a way that you wouldn't mind reading more?

I hope that I've made this story as good as I can, and I am still implementing how I write these installments in order to make them more enjoyable, gripping, etc. . Any thoughts, questions, concerns, criticisms, or answers to the previous question are always read and taken into consideration.

Until then... see you in the game!

This story is real good like "the living and the dead" good.

I dont think you can place indents on this type of forum - the tab button simply switches to another entity, and I doubt theres BBcode for an indent. May just have to live with it. It annoys me a little too.

Thanks for the compliment manwhoknows (personally Jester writes better than me...and more regularly too.)

UPDATE: I'm back.

I just got out of a hard period of exams, and I'm about to get into another one.

However, this will not mean I still stop with the story. I plan to submit a huge installment by the end of the month, leaving you readers at a real cliffhanger (and hopefully at the edge of the very seats you sit on).

I do know what I want to have happen with the story, but the challenge comes with writing it all down. Until that time, I hope you will continue to enjoy reading mine and other great stories on this forum (not to say that my story is great or anything).

Any questions? Comments? Criticisms thus far?

Stay tuned...

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
New installment posted below!!!
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

This post has been edited by Jest3r on August 02, 2005 09:48 pm

RECAP: Harper, Izzy, and Captain Barnet are making a run from the gun store to the downed helicopter. The mission data from the helicopter is the mission objective. Harrison and Sanders are on the roof of the gun store, laying down covering fire for the runners (Harper, Barnet, and Izzy). Alice, as we left her last, is trying to resuscitate the badly wounded Adams. Poole and Davis are also on the first floor, helping Alice and securing the door.

***

As any person who has experienced a crisis would say, the line between safety and danger is crossed over by a single step. A single stride. A single bullet. To Harper, the threshold was obvious. Back in the southern precincts, the precincts which were (as far as he could summate) safe, he had felt a certain warmth. In the helicopter, and even in the gun store, he had also felt warm and secure. As he sprinted along the smoke filled streets of the northern sectors of West Town, all he felt was the cold etching in from every seam of his clothing.

It wasn't the fact that he was now wearing less body armor, nor the fact that the injuries inflicted upon Corporal Adams had truly horrified him. As Harper searched within himself to find the answers to his questions, he found himself mesmerized by the word Izzy painted onto the back of Izzy's vest.

Sanders voice came into his ear; "Keep it tight and straight! Harrison, you take the left side, I'll get the right."

Barnet, running in front of Izzy, leveled his M-16 to his shoulder. Izzy did the same with her MP-5. Harper was already ready for anything. His itchy trigger finger dared the first hostile to take a swipe at him, but the smoke and fog around him would not reveal them.

Suddenly, Harper heard a sound similar to that of angry hornets. The familiar tink and clicks of Sanders and Harrisons rifles brought an answer of force behind the swarm. Little trails of smoke were pushed aside as the bullets rained down on all sides of Harrison, Barnet, and Izzy.

"Christ!" yelled Harrison from afar, "Hustle up, they're closing in on all sides, fast!"

The incredibly loud sound of Captain Barnets M-16 nearly deafened Harper. "Keep moving! We're not even close yet!" Ahead of him, Harper could see the smoke light up with the brilliant yellow and orange hues of his commander's firearm. The sound of the gunfire from the gun-store's roof, the tinkling of tiny metal shells from the M-16, and dull moans from somewhere in the distance made up the orchestra of the desperate sprint for the downed helicopter.

***

Somewhere in Precinct 4 of the Northern Districts, inside a police armory

A S.W.A.T. officer lay slumped against the back of a wall, dead by some mysterious means. The name Mullins was painted on the front of his vest. Padded and stealthy footsteps were heard from a single man, though none were heard from the members of Captain Mullins' team. All of the bodies were strewn about the basement floor, and the hallway leading to it. Some cold reflection of their unsure purpose lay hovering in the air, a dull red mist settling after a storm of gunfire.

Some members of the team had holes all over their chest area, and in the walls behind where they lay. One had a bite mark across the forearm, but the head had been blown away by what appeared to be a self inflicted gunshot.

The mysterious figure, who was treading ever so carefully, was breathing somewhat heavily. His magazine in his long, silver rifle had but one round left in it, as the rest were lodged inside of the officers. On his head he wore a red helmet, a color which also appeared to fill an insignia across the entire front and back of his Kevlar vest. Splotchy gray and black camouflage lay under his armored self.

From Mullins' shoulder, the very same one which would never move again, came the sound of distant radio chatter. "Christ...-stle up theyrea-...sides fast!" But that was another matter, more S.W.A.T. officers which would meet their fate in due time. The mysterious figure cocked his rifle, loading the last bullet into the chamber, and grabbed the magazine out of his rifle.

He slowly bent down to flick off the deceased officer's radio. No sense in ruining the thrill of the chase. The man chuckled softly. He knew of the thrill of the chase, and the terror of pursuit. An image of a darkened hallway with a flashing strobe light filled his mind, blood covering the walls. Somewhere around the corners within his flashback came the endless sounds of the hideous moans which-

"Red Seven to Red Fourteen, check your sector, did you find the explosives?" His commander's voice interrupted his nightmare.

The man with the red helmet shook his head, trying to get the terror out of his mind.

"Red Fourteen? Click once if you can't speak."

"I'm alright," said the man.

"Good to hear you, Jack, and the demolition charges?"

The man, Jack, who stood alone in the station breathed deeply. The smell of discharged gun powder filled his nostrils, the familiar scent running through his senses. He looked down at an empty stack of bags at his feet. "No sir. The officers entered and cleared out the station. I got them all cleanly," he paused, "but something was wrong here. The charges were already gone."

"Alright, pack it up and set up camp on the roof, extraction time will be when we take out the second team of police. They seem to think there's something important about that chopper we hit."

Jack wordlessly slung his rifle to his back and proceeded to the roof.

***

West Town was in chaos. All armed forces were either fortifying the bridges or patrolling the Southern Districts, looking for any signs of any outbreaks of the infection. The time in West Town was officially Lockdown + 3.07 hours.

To be continued

***

This post has been edited by Jest3r on November 16, 2007 06:21 pm

Oh my God, I loved it. I thought this thing died awhile ago, but thanks for updating it once again.

Hey readers. I'm debating whether or not to continue this. Do you all think that its worth it to keep it going?

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
NEW INSTALLMENT POSTED BELOW
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

This post has been edited by Jest3r on August 08, 2005 08:27 pm

God, I think so. It's one of the best stories on these forums.

Definitely, man. You have skills. Keep the story going!

RECAP: Captain Barnet, Izzy, and Harper have almost reached the downed helicopter, containing their mission objective. Harrison and Sanders remain on the rooftop of the store, covering them. Alice, Poole, and Davis are all supposedly protecting the store and trying to help the grievously wounded Adams.

***

Harper was beginning to feel the sting of fatigue, but the downed helicopter was in sight. Captain Barnet shouted, "Izzy cover the rear, Harper on my six, I'm going to cut the data disks out of the chopper."

Sanders and Harrison had stopped firing their barrage of metal, as no more targets could be identified. The silence was truly deafening. Corporal Harper still had his shotgun poised for action, but he could still not see what they had been shooting at.

Within a second of the captains command, the trio had reached the helicopter. By now it was a charred carcass of what it once was. A yellow insignia, a News Channel 7, lay on the upturned side of the chopper. One or two small fires were lit inside, but Barnet did not care as he leaped into the helicopter. The pilot and co-pilot lay strapped into their chairs, their skin melted onto the soft leather, with some of their flesh missing as well. Their dead selves seemed to be staring wildly into the air, mocking grins on their faces. Harper stopped at the door and turned around, noting the hole in the rear of the helicopter, while the ever nimble Izzy hopped onto the cockpit of the helicopter. "Captain, this is Sanders. Christ we must've downed at least a hundred targets some of them are still twitchin-"

"That's enough. Stay frosty. Harper, Izzy, check your sectors," said an occupied Barnet.

Izzy calmly crouched down on the outside of the cracked windshield of the vehicle. Relaxed, but still alert, she slowly turned her head around the smoldering street. "All quiet on my side."

Harper confirmed as well, but something wasn't right. Barnet was still struggling with the data inside the helicopter, it was obviously smelted to something inside. But something was still moving. "Hey, Izzy!"

"Yea Harp?"

"Toss me you're scope. I've got a shaker, looks like someone is trying to signal us or something. Harrison, Sanders, you confirm?" Harper glanced back at Izzy to catch the small scope she threw over to him. He slid it on top of the mounting rail on his M3 shotgun and peered into the smoke.

"Negative Mike. Where did you see it?" said one of the officers on the roof of the store.

"Check my line of sight," Harper pointed down the road. On the roof, Harrison and Sanders saw a thermal image of his arm pointing. "And check it left, scan that apartment complex. Something-"

"Keep on your sector and well stay on ours, that building is clear," said Harrison. His voice sounded anxious.

Harper lifted up his middle finger high in the air so Harrison and Sanders could see it. They chuckled, "Yeah we love you too sweety," they said sarcastically. Harper smiled.

Izzy piped up. "Harper, I need-"

He threw her scope back up to her before she could finish, and she put it in a vest pocket. "Data cleared, Ive got the tapes," said Barnet. He began to slide out of the wreckage, but then, a the sound of glass shattering filled the air. Izzy screamed and fired her weapon into the cockpit.

"The fucking pilot has my leg!" She kicked back at the charred hand grabbing her leg. Barnet leaned over the seats to help her free from the inside, but he quickly drew back as the smoking corpse that was the co-pilot sunk his teeth into his neck. Izzy stuck her gun into the windshield and fired. Shells sprinkled on top of the helicopter, their horrid symphony ruining the serenity of the past few minutes. Barnet stumbled out of the wreckage. Harper caught him and helped him take a few steps. His captain pointed back to the helicopter and sputtered out the words "The.. tap...the tapes..."

"Izzy! Grab the tapes and let's get the hell out of here!" yelled Harper.

"What the hell, they weren't even alive how could-" Izzy stammered.

"I don't know, I dont know! Grab the bag," she reached down and slung it around her back, "and go, Ill help Captain Barnet, get your ass moving! Go now!"

Barnet struggled to keep his eyes open as he leaned heavily on Michael Harper. He lazily said, as if in a daze, "I'm-I'm fine it didn't tear it didn't bite too deep. I can feel someth- something it hurts," his voice trailed off. Izzy began to pan around nervously.

"Harrison, Sanders," she said with a glint of panic in her eye.

"We see them, protect Harper and Barnet and keep moving."

"Keep talking, captain! Speak to me, say something, damnit," said Harper. He had to keep him awake and talking. He could feel his blood pouring out. It was almost soothing to Harper, the warm feeling. As Harper shook the horrible thought of his captains, his friends blood dripping down his back and chest, he thought he saw a hint of a flash of red from the apartment he was looking at before.

Izzy looked back at Harper and Barnet, and motioned to them to keep up. "Hustle up! Those those things down the road are starting to get back up! They aren't staying down!"

Suddenly, an enormous clap of noise ran through the air. Harper could sense what was coming. A massive bullet had been hurled out of a high powered rifle from some location unknown. He could feel the heat and the motion tear by his shoulder and lodge in and out of Barnet. The captain was hurled backwards as the high powered round tore a hole of equal force into him. The helmet which once protected his head was no more, only a shattered hunk of shrapnel. Frozen in shock, Harper screamed, "Officer down! Officer down! Hostile shooter in the area! God damnit, where did that come from?"

His radio came to life again as Harrison yelled, "Sanders get down! I can see the-" a second shot ran through the air, followed by another. "Fall back Harper. Shit I'm hit bad in the leg. Sanders is down I'm inside and-Christ it hurts- your cover is down, make a run for the shop now and- what the hell Adams? Oh god oh god no please no, you-" a scream filled the radio, followed by a constant stream of grunts and panicked sounds. Pure horror spilled out of Harpers headset and into his ear.

Izzy opened fire on a window in the apartment building. She looked back at Harper and yelled, "Come on! We gotta get back to the store!" With that, Harper let Barnet fall from his shoulder. He cringed at the thought of leaving his body out there, where those things could feed off of him, but he had no choice. He shouldered his shotgun and fired a blast into a twitching corpse on the ground. The smoke was beginning to be blown away by wind, and the extent of the hostiles became evident. All along the road, where Harrison and Sanders had opened fire, lay hundreds of corpses. Those without head wounds seemed to be getting up again. Harpers boots scratched the pavement as he and Izzy began to fall into a dead sprint. The road became narrower as the beasts closed in on their meals. Their bodies, devoid of any type of thought, walked in horrible rhythm. Harper loosed shells at them, but whenever one would go down, another would stand back up. They were getting closer and closer, their meals coming nearer to them.

Confusion wracked Harpers mind. He had seen someone in that apartment, and Izzy had fired in that direction. There must've been some sort of sniper there, but why would they hit Barnet? And what the hell was happening back at the gun store? Harrison had screamed something that sounded like Adams but that was impossible. Adams was a bloodied shell of a man, wounded beyond all possible chance of survival.

As those thoughts swirled about Harpers head as he opened the door to the store, where, supposedly, the rest of his team was. Izzy fired off the last rounds in her weapon and ran inside and bolted the door.

Inside, it was remarkably quiet. The table where Adams was lying on when they had left was now empty. Izzy's trembling voice crackled as she spoke, "Hello?" something fell down at the darkened end of the store, making a loud crashing noise. Izzy's voice grew fierce, panic bubbling up from deep within her. "Is anyone here?"

Silence met them broken by a dark, tortured moan from somewhere behind them, coming down the darkened stairs which led to the roof.

Harper and Izzy both turned around.

"Oh my god..."

***

To be continued

***

This post has been edited by Jest3r on November 15, 2007 09:30 pm

dear fucking lord, if you stop the installments i will kill myself...

Well, I'll try and get the rest of the story set. It's not going to end anytime soon, so don't worry readers.

I hope you've actually enjoyed all of the installments so far. If you have any questions about anything thats going on, I'd be happy to answer them. Until the next installment, I'll still check back on your comments/criticisms/concerns!

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
NEW INSTALLMENT POSTED BELOW
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

This post has been edited by Jest3r on August 12, 2005 07:39 am

"Show yourself!"

Harper had his gun trained on the dark staircase. Izzy was back to back with him, covering the other end of the store. From outside the now dimly lit room they could hear endless thuds and moans against the steel door.

Harper leveled his shotgun once more and shouted, "Show yourself!"

And then, as if weighted by the burden of his own demise came a horribly wounded Harrison. He was crawling on hands and knees, blood dribbling onto the floor from his face. "Harrison? Are you-"

Harrison held up a hand in warning. "Stay back," he stammered. Propping himself up against a wall, he slowly un-holstered his pistol from his hip with his right hand as he looked up and down his left arm. It was covered with scratches and horrible open wounds, some of which carried up to his forehead. He nearly panted as the gun came out of his holster, and its weight bore down on his arm. Lazily, he picked up the gun and pointed it back at the darkness of the stairwell. "I think I- I think I killed Adams I'm a murderer," he dropped his hand, letting the pistol rest in his lap.

Harper leaned down to try and help him. "No man it's alright now, we can get you evacuated, let me see your-" but Harrison pushed Harper away.

"I killed Adams he was... he was our friend," he slowly lifted his head as Izzy turned around to see what was going on. She breathed deeply, shocked by the sight of him. "I'm a fucking murderer..."

"No," said Izzy, "you did what you had to do, Adams attacked you."

Harrison grew upset. A tear ran down his cheek as his features began to harden into a furious look. "Don't you dare say that he was hurt, it was my fault! I'm a fucking killer!" With every word he spoke, the harder it was for him to continue. His injuries were beginning to overcome him. More tears began to stream down his face as he let out a sob, mixing with his blood as it dripped onto the floor. His face softened as he turned the gun on Harper and Izzy, who both immediately stood up.

"Take it easy, were going to get you evacua-"

"I'm not going to let you two be killers become murders no, no I wont let you do that. I won't." He suddenly turned his pistol, pointed it into his mouth, and pulled the trigger. The loud cracking sound echoed throughout the small store, all of the dark areas suddenly becoming illuminated, then falling back into darkness. Harrison's body slid down the wall he was propped up on, slumping down in a defeated fashion. He was perfectly still as the hole in his head was revealed to Harper and Izzy. The smoking shell from his weapon was quickly extinguished in the blood at his feet.

Harper could feel Izzy next to him, leaning heavily on his shoulder. They stood there in stunned, heartbroken silence as the gunshot reverberated through their minds. The echo was sickening.

"Izzy? Harper? Is that you?" a voice cried from somewhere, breaking the entrancing moment.

Izzy spun around, now looking at the darkened front of the store. "Davis?" The heavy sadness running through her mind was replaced by concern. Harper peered into the dark edge of the store. Someone was crying as well.

"Here," said Private Davis as he flicked on a light, "that might help."

As the light was turned on, another horrid sight was revealed. Davis was sitting on a leather, worn chair, nursing a wound to his stomach. Davis looked up into Harper's eyes and answered his question before anyone could ask. "Harrison came down the stairs firing. Grazed my side. I'm alright, nothing- nothing bit me, but Alice," he nodded to his right. There was Alice, sitting up against the wall, her head buried in Pooles chest. The sympathetic looking Poole was whispering something into her ear as she cried softly.

Davis continued. "Alice was giving Adams C.P.R.. Me and Poole both saw him move, and we thought he was going to be alright but Alice didn't feel a pulse, so she kept going. She leaned down to breathe into him, you know, to resuscitate him?" Harper nodded. "Well, Adams just opened his mouth and bit down. Alice, she-" Davis shuddered noticeably, "she screamed, and he bit her again, right on her jaw. Then he got up and started to come towards me and Poole, but then something made him lose interest. We heard Sanders and Harrison start to open fire, and Adams or whatever he was wandered near the stairs. Then Harrison came down on the stairs, firing wildly. He hit the light back there, and we didn't see what happened to him but we heard a couple of gunshots." he paused and secured the bandage around his stomach, making sure it was tight, "I got hit and backed the hell up. We heard someone moaning on the stairs, but Poole was busy caring for Alice. We were petrified man we couldn't go to help whoever was back there because we didn't know who was there." Davis looked apologetically at Harper and Izzy, looking for some sort of assurance from them that he had done the right thing. Izzy said nothing, but walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

It was then that Poole looked up at Harper. His eyes were red with grief, and his uniform was becoming soaked with Alice's blood. She would still not show her face, hiding it in Poole's shoulder. "Get a chopper, we need to get her evacuated right now."

"How bad is it?" Harper replied.

Poole's face contorted into a look of anger. "Now." He almost sounded desperate.

Harper found where he had stripped off some of his gear before, and sifted through it for a high powered radio. His squad's radios were for personal communication only. He put on his gear as he continued to look, but could not find it. After searching Izzy's pile of gear as well, he turned to a vacant pile of gear in the corner. It was Captain Barnet's gear.

He liberated the radio equipment from the sad little pile and held it up to his ears and mouth. He looked quickly at the sobbing Alice, and then began the transmission. "This is S-R Team Two, I repeat, this is S-R Team Two to Com Center, requesting immediate evac on my position, over." Harpers voice seemed steadily calm, yet ready to cross the line into hysteria at any moment.

He was met by a brief bout of static, and then heard a voice, "Copy, this is Com Center," gunshots could be heard in the background, "Outbound receiver ride bearing on your position already, E.T.A. seven minutes."

"Be advised, this zone is in Red condition, we don't know-"

"We hear you. Seven minutes. Be ready to move."

The corporal put down the radio and sat down next to Alice. She lifted her head up from Pooles shoulder, and revealed her demise. The entire front of her chin was missing, and the jaw bone was clearly visible. Flesh hung loosely from it. Running down her entire left side, the side closest to Poole, was a deep set of five gashes. Her face was streaming with tears, and she had difficulty speaking. I cant I cant Harper nodded understandingly, stringing her arm around him. Poole did the same.

The broken form of Alice hung there, suspended by Poole and Harper. Izzy stood up and walked away. She slowly began to put the gear she had stripped off back on again.

After she had finished, she turned around to watch Alice. She looked so sad trying desperately to think of some way she could survive, but found none. Alice knew that nothing Poole or Harper could say or do would save her from the horrible thing which had ripped through half of the city. Its heaviness slowly began to drag down her eyelids. A hard sob drained out of her, and then her grip tightened around Harper and Poole. They both leaned in closer to her. She exhaled heavily, and one final tear fell from her eyes. Her vice-like grip slowly began to loosen as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, her mind sinking further and further into tranquil darkness. It was almost peaceful as she finally felt no pain.

Alice seemed to bow her head, and her muscles relaxed slightly. The only noise from inside the store came from the heavy breaths of Poole and Harper. Izzy walked near the staircase, and bent down near the slumped figure of Harrison. She picked up his pistol.

Davis stood up from his chair, only a few feet away from Alice, understanding what was about to take place. He removed his helmet and held it in his hand against his good side. Harper stood up slowly, and walked to stand next to him. Izzy soon joined them. Poole was left there, sitting with Alice. In the distance, the hum and whir of a helicopter could be heard, the constant whup of propeller blades alerting the squad to its inbound status.

Poole began to speak, but stifled his own words. He gently pushed Alices blood matted hair back, and leaned her against the wall. His feet solemnly carried him to stand next to Izzy. They fell silent.

Izzy raised the gun, and pointed it at Alice. The sound of the helicopter was getting closer and closer, beginning to drown out the dull moans heard from outside the store. Then, Alices eye lids began to open, and her fingers began to twitch. She slowly lifted her head and looked hungrily into Izzys eyes, and the barrel of the gun.

Time seemed to stand still as a quick wind began to blow on the walls of the store.

A gun shot rang out into the air and throughout the very fabric of the city... and then

Silence...

***

This post has been edited by Jest3r on November 16, 2007 06:28 am