THE INFECTED: PART 9

                                24 HOURS EARLIER…

The sound of the iron prison bars latch closed and footsteps approach a man tied to a chair.

“You are going to tell me what I need to know. You do NOT have a choice in the matter, what you do have a choice on is how long you want to be beat to shit until you FINALLY tell me what I want to hear and what I want to hear is, WHERE IS SARAH!?” Victor slams his fist against the chair arm that a tied up and bloodied Michael is sitting in.

Michael looks up at Victor, blood pooling around his mouth from his broken nose.

“You had enough yet, old man? Why don’t you-“ Victor is hit in the face by bloodied spit from Michael. “Okay…you shouldn’t have done that. First off, it’s fucking disgusting, second off, it PISSED ME OFF!” Victor grabs a cloth from his pocket and wipes his face. He looks to his armed guard standing behind him. “Go get her.” He says and looks back at Michael with a grin. “You are about to see some shit!”

Michael looks back down at the blood covered floor beneath him. He’s beaten and broken, he’s not sure how but with a few fingers missing, a broken nose and probably more that he isn’t aware of yet, he’s still alive.

“You know, we went back to your little piece of shit community a few days after we fucked it up, and no one was there, no one except the dead. I was pissed off of course that you all cowered and ran with your tails between your legs, but I found something and it made me think of you. I found your daughter.” Victor lets out a chuckle as Michael whips his head up to look at Victor.

“Whad dou do?” Michael asks as blood and saliva spill out of his mouth.

“I simply made a discovery old man. I made the discovery of a lifetime, I learned that now, it means absolute shit what we do to survive, they are just going to keep coming!” Victors armed guard returns with a potato sack. The sack has something moving inside of it and groans are coming through.

“Ddd…..dddddaaaa….ddddaaaadd” The sack speaks.

Michael widens his one eye that’s still open. He fights against the ropes holding his wrists against the chair.

“You see, this” Victor pulls Rebecca’s head out of the bag. “You know who this is! This is your daughter! Bullet through the head and she still came back as a dead one! Now, if I’m not mistaken, there were no bites on her body and trust me, I was VERY thorough when I checked.”

“Led heeer gou!” Michael shouts.

Victor chuckles as he props Rebeccas head in the palm of his hand.

“You see? Isn’t that just a little odd to you? That even after not being bit, but also being shot in the damn head, she came back as one of these things? How the hell is that possible? But, hey, I’m not the one making the rules for this shit.” Victor gestures towards everything. “But now, I know that I have one hell of a plan for all of you, and it starts with Sarah. So, where is she old man? Tell me and I’ll let you keep your daughters head as a prize in your prison cell here.” Victor chuckles.

Michael stares at Victor with a menacing stare, eyes piercing like daggers.

“Fine. I can do whatever I want to your daughters head. Hell I got her body in the other room too. I’m not into that sort of thing but, I have a few guys here at my compound that I think just might take me up on that offer. Some real sickos here-“

“Do you EVER shut up!?” Michael shouts.

“Nope. Which is something you should learn. Tell me what I need to know. NOW!” Victor holds a knife to Rebecca’s face or what was once Rebecca’s face.

“Okay! Okay…fine. Promise you won’t kill her.”

“Uh, old man, I don’t know if you’re seeing things right, but your daughter-“

“No, not Rebecca. Sarah. Don’t kill her, please. She didn’t mean to cross you.”

Victor chuckles. With a grin he sets Rebecca’s head down on bench in the corner of the cell. “Buddy, I can’t promise that, but what I can promise, is that I will TRY not to kill her, that I will give her the opportunity to do what’s right, but I will have to kill somebody there, in front of everyone. I gotta make a point.” Victor kneels next to Michael. “Now, speaking of points. I have a map here. All you have to do is point, my friend. Then, you can stay here in this cell for a little while longer, and I promise, I will make it worth your while!” He places the map up to Michael’s face and puts a marker in Michael’s mouth.

Michael points to about the area where the school is.

“Perfect. Thank you so much my friend. I’m gonna send one of my guys to check out this location and make sure you’re telling the truth before I head over there myself.”

Victor leaves the cell and closes the door with a latch of the lock. He steps out into a clearing with his men gathered around.

“So, Vic, did he tell you where we’re going?” A man asks from the crowd.

Victor grins.

“Maybe. He told me where Brent is gonna go.” Victor looks to Brent in the crowd.

“You want to prove your worth here new guy? Check out this location for me and tell me if there is a community there. Don’t start any shit with them if you do find them. Just report it back to me.”

Brent steps up and takes the map.

“Yeah, I got you. I’ll head out right now.” Brent walks off towards the armory.

Victor grins and watches Brent walk away.

“The rest of you, we just might be going to war tomorrow! Depending on how our good old friend Sarah reacts to my proposal. So good a good nights rest, eat a good meal, screw your brains out, this might be your last day on Earth.” Victor disappears into a bunker as his men cheer.