CHAPTER FOUR: ACTION HEROES

 

Alex always liked the action heroes in the movies.

You know the guys; the ones jumping head long into danger without a care in the world.  Never running out of bullets and never missing.  Alex always fashioned himself the action type.  Hell, if it weren't for the drinking problem, he would have probably been a policeman or a bounty hunter or a stuntman.  Unfortunately, there WAS a drinking problem and he wasn't anything like that.  In fact, unlike his father before and his father before him, Alex was nothing more than a tavern owner; babysitting drunks for a living before becoming one himself.  That’s why he had opened KING’S in the first place.  He figured owning the bar and living at the bar would cut out the middleman.

Oh, and about the action hero thing.  He still believed deep down that he was one.  He had learned to shoot while still living in Germany and he had gotten very good at it.  In fact, his favorite weapons were two pistols.  Since the breakdown of society, he had procured an old fashion double gun holster; much like they carried in the old west.  He kept his babies strapped on at all times now.  Never knew when you might need them.  It made him feel safe.  And it made him look damn cool wearing them too.

“You almost there GYRO?”  The crackly voice came over the radio.

He had been walking down the stairwell for almost an hour now. Damn!  How many floors were in this damn hotel anyway?  The way down was dark even during the day.  And dark was not good under the circumstances.  Anything could be waiting in the shadows.  But usually it was just some dead guy wanting to eat your face.

“WELL??”  The voice sounded irritated.

Alexander Gyro pulled the walkie Talkie up to his face and responded, 
“Yeah!  Yeah!  Keep your shirt on, soldier!  This isn't a cake walk ya know.  This stairwell is dark as pitch and it’s slow going downhill. Hard to tell how long it’s going to take goin’ up!”

You could hear the impatience over the radio, “Uh!  Well, pick it up!  Our package is about to arrive!”

Gyro rolled his eyes, “What are we in now?  Some B-Movie criminal drama?”

He picked up the pace as he tossed another flare down the stairwell.

“And go easy on the flares!  That’s our last set!”

Alexander ignored the irritating, grating sergeant and started jumping across the handrails to drop faster and faster down the stairs.  All of the access doors to each and every floor seemed secure so far.  It was a miracle; to be sure.  Finally, when he was about to have a sit, he reached the ground floor.  Alex stared down at the bar across the door handle and read.

“Emergency use only.  Alarm will sound.  Humph!  No chance of that right now with no juice…”

Suddenly, the lightly buzzed bar owner heard the screeching of tires and knew that his package had indeed arrived.  Leaning into the door, it blew open and Alex stepped out onto the sidewalk just outside the Hotel.  It was dusk and getting darker by the minute.  Suddenly, his six shooters were out, as he took out three or four of those damned slouchers that had dared to come his way.  The screeching of tires got louder as an old, beat up pickup truck came barreling from the south and spun around to point straight at him.  Before he could voice a warning, the truck had almost run him over.  Instinctively, Alex flipped out of the way landing in a kneeling position on the sidewalk.

As he got his bearings, he noticed the door about to slam shut!

“Holy HELL!!”  Was all he could muster as he started for the door.

But before he could reach the door, the truck had skidded to a halt and the driver had thrown it into reverse and was, once again, gunning for him.  Dodging away from both the insane truck driver and his only way into the hotel about to slam shut and locked, he rolled to a stop in the street.  The truck had backed straight into the door; smashing it into a crumpled mess and leaving the back of the truck wedged into the stairwell

As the passenger door opened, a strong built young black male stepped out and immediately blurted, “Behind you!”

Suddenly, Alex was a madman with guns taking down about four of these things with six bullets. 

“Damn efficient, if you ask me!  BOOM HEADSHOT!  BOOM HEADSHOT!”  Alex celebrated.

Donovan reached over into the back of the truck and pulled out two shotguns and a bandoleer full of shotgun ammo.

“You better get your ass in gear and get ta movin’!  Not much day light left and all this gunnin’ around has alerted every zombie in the whole damn town!!”  Donovan exclaimed as he unloaded a couple of close ranged shots to take out one of the zombie’s head clean off!

Rachel wasted no time but jumped out and picked up a Luger off the redneck in the front seat.  She ran to the destroyed door and almost just disappeared.  But thought about it and turned to warn.

“I don’t know about you ladies, but I’m gonna haul ma purty ass up these steps just as fast as I can,  Cause these things are closing in and ain’t givin’ us much time ta gab!”  Rachel warned before she disappeared into the darkness of the stair well.

Donovan started over the bed of the truck to the smashed open door; when he realized his new friend hadn't begun to follow.  Once in the back of the truck, Donovan looked around and saw this tall, well built gentlemen with a trimmed but rugged beard and a worn, but attractive cowboy hat just standing there looking over across the street.  These dead things were gaining and be on them soon.  

But, before he could blurt orders, Alex came alive and asked, “Are there lights on over at the Marriott?  I coulda swore I saw some lights…”  

Donovan looked over just in time to see a light on the second floor of the Marriott fade into the nothingness, “Uh, I’m not sure what I saw…”

Suddenly, both Donovan and Alex unloaded on the dead that seemed hell bent on following them; if not worse.  Donovan was in the doorway as Alex climbed across the bed of the truck that was blocking the way.  Unfortunately, these creatures were not your usual movie zombies.  They began to climb up after him without slowing down.  This caused the ‘action hero’ to stumble a bit in his hurried escape.  Suddenly, Alex tripped on the side of the truck bed; causing him to fall to the sidewalk next to the stairwell door.  Donovan wasn't fast enough to catch him, unfortunately.  Suddenly, Alex was on the ground clutching his right calf which was bleeding profusely.

Donovan began to make up for being slow earlier as he rushed to Alex’s side.  Helping him up with his left arm, Donovan’s right arm began to crackle with green lightning.  Alex didn't have time to ask questions or worry about the raw energy that was beginning to glow from his rescuer’s arm.  He simply accepted the assistance and let loose with one of his two pistols.  After taking down a couple with just two shots, he was put to shame as Donovan’s arm exploded with green power.  

Undead bodies flew everywhere as the young man pulled Alex into the stairwell and up the stairs.  The female was nowhere to be seen.  

“Great” Alex blurted as they made their way as quickly as possible.

“Well, maybe that will give us enough time to make it to the top…”  Donovan spoke too soon.

Suddenly, the horde began to pour from the street and rage up the stairs; relentlessly chasing the two of them.  They had almost two floors between them, but the undead were gaining.  Alex slowed to reload and Donovan lost his grip.  The young German-American rolled down half a floor as the monsters hungrily reached out for their meal.  Donovan unloaded his shotgun and realized it would be a while before his arm would power up again.  Decaying hands were already on Alex’s feet as he scrambled away.  But, before they could have him, shots rang out.

Donovan wasn't the only one unloading his shotgun.  For Rachel had not left them behind.  She stood beside a stunned Donovan and began to reload.

“How about ya reload, ya big galoot!??!”

Coming out of his stupor, he begins to shove shells into his gun.  Alex was up and pulling himself up the stairs, but it was obvious that it wasn't enough.  Donovan reached down and pulled Alex up and he and Rachel began to rush up the stairs.  They were closing quickly when something dropped from the stairwell.  It was square and silver metallic and, when it bounced, it was obviously metal.

“A toaster?”  Donovan said stunned as the three of them stood and starred in unbelief.

Rachel and Alex looked up to the source of the object.  There, a whole floor above them was a wiry fellow with a sheepish grin on his face.

“Fire in the whole” was all he said as he took off for the top floor.

“Wha?”  Donovan blurted, “Fire in the hole?  What the hell?”

Alex took off without them, “It’s an explosive, ya idiot!!”

Suddenly, all three were moving like lightning making as much room between them and the dead as they could.  The explosion rocked the stairs and threw dust and debris everywhere.   All three were thrown to the floor and almost knocked out.  As the dust began to clear, they all pulled themselves to get a peak over the handrails to the floor below them.  The stairs had been blown apart so bad the creatures were getting no further.

“Everybody ok?”  Alex assessed.

The other two nodded in the affirmative.

“And you?” Donovan asked.

Alex looked at his bleeding leg and responded, “Oh, my leg?  Tis but a flesh-wound!”

As he laughed a bit as his little joke, they all could hear a chuckle coming from above.  As they looked up, they could see the wiry little fellow who had nearly blown them up.

The stranger smiled and said simply, “You’re welcome.”