Free A World Reborn: The First Outbreak by Chris Thompson

relatively uninjured.
    “Who are you? What’s going on here?”
Melissa demanded, holding the weapon in both hands, her arms extended. The grim
looking woman looked at her, and then at the gun in her hands.
    “You’re a strong one. It’s a shame you reek
of the degradation and corruption of the modern world.”
    “You don’t smell so good yourself, sister.”
Melissa commented. “Now, answer the question!”
    “It doesn’t matter. You lack the strength
of will to pull that trigger. You’re weak and pathetic, and like all those the
Teacher has warned us about, you’re just too afraid to do what needs to be
done.”
    “You’d be surprised at the things I’ve
done.” Melissa replied coldly. She felt the pistol in her hand and wondered
just exactly what she was going to do now. She didn’t intend to murder her in
cold blood, but Melissa couldn’t just leave her here either. Her opponent
rolled onto her front and pushed herself up, getting into a kneeling position.
    “Don’t move.” Melissa warned. The woman was
nursing her broken finger.
    “I don’t answer to you.”
    “You don’t have to, but I’m the one with
the gun, so you’ll do as I say.”
    “If you don’t kill me, I will kill you.
It’s as simple as that.” She declared emphatically,. Melissa knew she wasn’t
going to get any more out of her. This person was devoted entirely to her
cause, and nothing would sway her from it or persuade her to talk to someone
she felt was completely beneath her. Melissa took a hurried step towards her and
swung the butt of the gun, smacking her on the side of the head. She went limp
and collapsed onto the floor. Melissa checked her pulse and found it was
beating steadily.
    Sliding the gun into the back of her jeans
Melissa quickly searched her unconscious opponent. There was no wallet
containing identification, but there were a couple of spare clips for the
pistol stuffed into one of the coat pockets, which she took and jammed into her
jeans pocket. Next, she grabbed the woman’s arm and dragged her into the
bedroom, which Melissa noted absently, was fairly nice, with a big double bed,
a huge television and a door on the side leading off to the en suite bathroom.
Melissa lifted the woman onto the bed, stripped back the covers from beneath her
and used the sheet to make a rough rope to bind her hands and feet together in
an attempt at a hogtie. The sheet wasn’t ideal, and might not hold under
intense struggling, but it would slow her down, and, hopefully, Melissa would
be long done with her business on the roof before she came to. She quickly left
the bedroom and shut the door quietly, fervently wishing there was a way to
block it but, unfortunately, the door opened inwards. After a last glance
around the room, Melissa hurried to the exit and quickly left, mindful that
there could be more of the people responsible for the outbreak nearby.
    Melissa ran to the roof access door,
quickly opened it a crack and listened, then passed through and closed it
almost silently behind her. She pounded up the first flight of stairs, then the
second and made her way out onto the roof. Rapidly, she took in her
surroundings; a wide avenue on the left and right leading to air conditioning
units and a small electrical substation respectively. Also, a path ahead that
led to the helipad. The helipad itself was raised up, with steps leading up to
it. Other than that, all Melissa could see was the waist high railing around
the edge, a couple of satellite dishes and an antenna with a light on the top
of it. There were no helpful signs indicating emergency supplies. Melissa
grabbed the radio.
    “Roy, I made it to the roof, where are the
emergency supplies?” She asked urgently. She waited a few moments for Roy to
respond, and then started walking, for no particular reason, towards the
helipad steps.
    “Sorry, Melissa.” Roy replied. “Things are
a little busy in here.”
    “I’ve had a little excitement myself.”
Melissa