Cops & Zombies

PROLOGUE

Tobias04/02/2019
Riverbend City New York; the sun was setting and most people were going home or to their local bars after a long days work, it was time the night crews came out for their shifts. Sgt. Tobias Mercer stood at a counter with a Styrofoam cup of coffee in one hand and his smart phone in the other. He was a man of average height but muscular build; the short sleeves of the dark blue blouse hugged tight around his tattoo covered arms, and the ballistic vest made his already large chest and broad shoulders appear even larger. His bright blue eyes scanned the pages of his social media account as he took a sip of his coffee; he was just about at the juicy part of a report on cannibal attacks a couple cities over when he was slapped on the shoulder. “Hey Mercer!” A deep voice sounded. Tobias stopped himself from spilling and glared at the one who hit him. It was Captain Williams; a tall, dark skinned man with a round belly and double chin. “We picked up a rook today, and she's assigned to you.” “... You’re really gonna do this to me cap?” “You’re damn right I am.” “Is this about that Johannesburg thing? I had to do it; it’s all in the report!” “Yeah yeah; just do as you’re told… not doing that is what’s getting you the shit duty… now get in there. She’ll find you when the briefings over.” Tobias curled a lip and glared at the captain as he brushed passed. He downed the last of the coffee and tossed the now crumpled cup into the trash. He ran a hand through his slicked back salt and pepper hair and down his beard of the same color.
--- The briefing took about half an hour like it normally did, but it was the same old shit. Make sure you clear your weapons in the compound, sign up for annual training, all the BOLO’s out. Tobias had been on the force for years now and had heard it all. It was a bit of a surprise that nothing about the cannibal attacks was mentioned, but he was more focused on who the newbie he was stuck with was going to be, and he would soon find out. Just before they were all dismissed the captain gave the rookies a chance to introduce themselves and announce who they would be partnered with for the next few weeks.

Trina04/02/2019
Trina Maxwell stepped through the doorway, exiting the Captain's office. She clutched a pile of her HR paperwork to her chest and looked around with a bright, excited smile. Her dark eyes scanned the room, looking at each person with interest. None was returned to her, however. Just another over-eager kid who would likely soon join the ranks of the over-worked and under-appreciated policemen and women. "Thanks," she mumbled to the departing man, staring up at the back of his head. The brief instructions given to her - grab your paperwork, go to a certain room, wait to meet your partner - were clear in her mind, though she found herself second-guessing which room she should go to. Was it the empty one straight ahead? The one with the blinds drawn and two detectives arguing with a suspect? The break room she spotted down the hall?
"Ummmm, hmmm," she said softly. After a moment, she decided on the empty room ahead of her, cementing her decision as she watched people filing in with bored expressions. 'That must be the briefing room,' she thought, moving in that direction.
Once inside, Trina moved to the side of the room and took a seat. She was practically vibrating in joy, listening to the Captain rattle off the information they all needed. A short hispanic male wanted for questioning, keep an eye out! A string of robberies at a local jewelry store! A stolen tractor from a nearby farm! So much to know, she thought happily. 'I will solve ALL of them, tonight! Just gimme a shot!,' she promised herself, grinning. When the offer was made to introduce themselves, Trina's hand shot up like a rocket, waving wildly. “I will! Right here!” she exclaimed, drawing sighs of irritation from most of the room. Without waiting to be acknowledged, she raced to the front of the room and greeted the group with a huge smile. “Hello! I am Trina Maxwell! I'm from south Texas, but I moved up here to be with my boyfriend. Well, I mean, he's not my boyfriend NOW. We're kind of on a break. You see, I think we're just at different places in our lives right now and I am just not ready for...” She trailed off, cocking one eyebrow, as she watched her audience's clear disinterest and annoyance.
“Uh... well, none of that is important, I suppose. I am glad to be here and hope to be valuable, is all.” She nodded and withdrew a sheet of paper from her file, peering down at it. Flopping her long bright red braid off her shoulder, she read, “And I am working with.... um, Tobias Mercer? What a great name!” She looked up and peered around the room, waiting to find her new partner.

Tobias04/02/2019
Tobias was leaned back with his boots kicked up and hands behind his head as the captain went on and on. The call for thr rookies to stand got his attention; especially when the perky red head hopped up and started yammering about her boyfriend. Great; another overly excitable bimbo to keep an eye on. Ah well... with any luck she'd be assigned to someone else. "And I am working with... umm, Tobias Mercer? What a great name!" Great... not only an eager young rookie but a bubbly one at that. Tobias covered his face with his palm and stroked his salt and pepper beard; he groaned while the others around him laughed. "She's all you Toby!" Sgt. Stafford said with a stupid smirk. "Redhead right up your alley; shes even got your initials already!" "Shut the hell up Stafford, and I told you about callin' me Toby..." Said Tobias as he stood from his seat. "Besides; we're patrolling The Den, nothin ta knock the eager out of a cop like a tour in the ghettos." The guys laughed but Tobias made his way for the rookie he was assigned to work with. "Maxwell is it?" He asked as he tossed car keys to Trina. "We're in unit 4-7; go pull her around and we can get this shift underway." He said in a commanding tone with hands on his hips.

Trina04/02/2019
Catching the keys in surprise, she replied, “OH, it's Trina actually! I am so excited to... oh, okay then...” She frowned a little bit, watching as he stood in front of her, hands on his hips, clearly not interested in her conversation, then let her words fade away.
Awkwardly clearing her throat, she gave a nod and muttered, “Yessir,” then stepped past him to deposit her paperwork into the assigned locker around the corner. A fellow rookie who just graduated the Academy with her scurried over to her locker, near Trina's one. “Hey girl,” she said casually. “First big day, huh? You excited? Who'd you get?” She smiled over at her friend, waiting. Trina replied, “Mercer. He seems... grumpy.” With a giggle, the blonde leaned in closer and whispered, “Maybe, but he's hot, huh? Hashtag Daddy, for sure!” Trina joined her, dissolving into giggles at the thought and gave a rapid nod. “But still a grumpy guy, and probably got a grumpy ass old wife too!” As the girls laughed and relieved the stress and excitement of the first briefing, Trina felt better about the whole situation. “Good luck, Paige,” she called out, reaching over for a quick hug, before heading over to where her new partner was waiting for her. Approaching him again, she took a bit to look him over silently. 'Hashtag Daddy is right,' she thought, smirking, shaking her head.
Showing her hands now emptied of everything but her notebook and the keys, she gave a polite smile to the man and said, “Okay! I am ready to go. Um, can you show me where the cars are?”

April 3, 2019
Tobias04/03/2019
Tobias raised an eyebrow at the offering of the rookies first name; that level of comfort was more reserved for the guys who had worked together for a while. Then again things had changed in the last fifteen years, and that was proven when 'Trina' met up with one of her academy buddies. They were like giggling frat girls; back in his day Tobias would have been all over it, but these days he was a lot more calm and reserved. He laughed a bit and shook his head as he went get another cup of coffee, black with no sugar. When he turned around he was faced with stafford; a tall man of thinning red and hazel eyes; that shit eating grin of his across his face. “Where were these chicks at when we graduated academy huh?” He asked; the smell of coffee and stale smoke on his breath. Tobias reeled back and put his hand out to defend against the offensive odor. “I wouldn't know; I was too busy doin’ my job… You know; protecting and serving and all that.” A laugh came from behind Stafford; it came from Mcintyre, a tall slender woman with a shaved head and skin nearly as dark as her the police uniform. “He got you there you little perv; now let's get a move on! You know I’m no good till I’ve had my McDougal's.” Stafford looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Ya know that stuff’ll kill ya right?” Mcintyre rolled her eyes and smacked her lips. “Says the one who smokes a pack of cancer sticks a shift...” “Gotta keep the lungs open ya know?” Stafford replied and placed his cap atop his head to cover the bald spot.
“Anywho; good luck out there with your youngling boy-o.” Tobias shook his head and took a sip of the steaming coffee. He looked over his cup just in time to see Trina give him a once over on her approach. She was so young and bright eyed; looked eager to take on the world. Time would tell how that sweet, small city Texas attitude would fair out here. Lucky for her he would be there if anything went sour; he may have hated the duty of recruit training but they still wore the uniform nonetheless and would be taken care of… didn’t mean he wouldn’t make them sweat a little. He finished his sip and smirked at the thought. Tobias didn’t say anything when Trina asked about the vehicle; instead he talked around her and gave her a once over. “Yeah; I’ll take you to the motor pool in a sec. You got all your gear?” He asked as he inspected her equipment to ensure nothing was forgotten. Along the way he couldn’t help but take note of her Trina’s figure; she was a little more shapely than his usual type. The typical petite blond who lived at the gym; much like Trina’s friend, but something about the way that belt sat on her hips made Tobias linger there for a moment. “Last thing I need is a rookie who doesn't have her shit together.”(edited)

Trina04/03/2019
Her eyes lit up when he spoke to her, finding her excitement simply too much to contain. She was working with a real live police officer. And not just ANY cop, but someone who'd been there. He'd seen things. She could barely contain her rapture. “Yes! I have everything! I'm... pretty sure I do, at least!” She looked down at herself, checking her holster and her gun, her baton, her flashlight, the notepad in her hand. Three brand new pens tucked into her shirt pocket for taking notes or writing tickets. She felt more than ready to go. As he looked her over, she stood still, holding her chin high, allowing the casual inspection. As he looked over her body, she fought back a frown when his eyes lingered in certain spots. She felt certain he was judging her to be out of shape and pudgy, which was true, she knew. A little too soft for the hardened officer she hoped to be in the future. Her uniform was stretched across her broad backside, and wide hips, and an irritating little gap between the third and fourth button in her top revealed a sliver of her gray undershirt. She made a mental note to double down on her gym time. Moving her dark eyes back to his blue ones, she gave a firm nod and replied, “I definitely have my shit together and am ready to go. I won't let you down, Tobias!” Seeing no problem with the familiarity of a first name, she grinned up at him.

Tobias04/03/2019
Tobias nodded as Trina confirmed her gear was all there, it looked to be all squared away. Her uniform was maybe a little too small for her; but the again so was his... these damn department cutbacks. Not that he minded showing off his arms a little. He was broad at the shoulders and neck and his uniform hughed them a bit tight; the muscled in his thighs could be seen flexing as he walked. He was a gym rat for sure but never wanted to be one of those top heavy guys so he worked his legs more than the rest. She met eyes with him; despite being brown they were pretty and set against her hair gave them a reddish hue. Tobias nodded after a moment of pause. "I know you won't rookie; could be life or death." The way through the station was packed and busy with the change of shift ad they made their way down to the motor pool. Tobias got into their unit, a brand new, top of the line Gazelle; a popular American muscle car. The engine roared to life, the lights beamed on, the tires squealed as it turned up the spiral ramp and out onto the street to begin their patrol. "So fresh out of academy huh? River City is a tough beat; what brought you here?"

Trina04/03/2019
Following behind him, Trina had to double-step to keep up with his longer legs. She did so without complaint, following eagerly. As they approached their vehicle, she gave a low whistle of appreciation. “Nice ride... beats the crap out of my old beater. What is that? A 707 horsepower Hellcat engine?” Her eyes moved appreciatively over the vehicle, before sliding inside. A little smile formed at the sound of the car roaring to life. Glancing over at the large man as he got behind the wheel, she took note of his arms for a moment. She had a bit of a thing for big forearms and his utterly bulged out of his uniform shirt. 'Pretty hot,' she thought. 'Wonder if he's had to beat anyone's ass recently...' Shaking out of the thought, she replied, “I asked to be assigned here, specifically. I didn't want a cake walk. Woulda stayed back in Bumfuck East Texas, if I did. I want to get dirty. They assured me River City had all the dirt I could stand, and then some.”

April 4, 2019
Tobias04/04/2019
The comment about the cruiser made Tobias pause at the door; Trina knew her cars, at least they'd have something to talk about tonight. "Yup, but this ones child's play; the one at homes got an 808 Demon." He said with a smirk. Tobias kept an eye out on the streets as Trisha offered her story; the sun had set and the orange glow now came from the streetlights that illuminated the metropolitan city. His arms were mostly covered in tattoos; in lack of light they were hard to make out, but the passing streetlights showed an unmistakable eagle globe and anchor, the letters USMC, a flag (presumably american) and several other patriotic looking images on his bulging for arm propped on the open window.
“You’re lookin’ to get your hands dirty? Well River City is the place to be despite what all those city council goons say. I gotta admit, you don’t really rub me as the type that likes to get it in with the crooks.” He said with a chuckle. The radio crackled and a womans voice sounded over the comms. “Unit 4-7 this is command; do you read me?” Tobias raised his brows at Trisha and gestured his head toward the radio.

Trina04/04/2019
Grinning, she snatched the mic off the dash from it's holster and held down the button on the side. “Unit 4-7 here. Go ahead, dispatch.” Releasing the button, she glanced over at Tobias and waited. The radio crackled back to life after a bit of a wait, almost enough to make Trina want to call back across on it, to see if there was an error. Finally, the woman spoke again. “Sorry, 4-7. Bit of confusion on the situation there. Two different people have called in now, reporting something unusual at 715 South Jefferson, top floor. No apartment indicated, no description available, no further information. Over.” Wrinkling her brow in confusion, Trina peered at the mic in her hand, as if it would clarify the matter, but it had gone silent. Looking back over at Tobias, she asked, “Is that normally all you get? Just something unusual?” Without waiting for a reply, she shook her head and smoothed her expression. “Dispatch, 4-7 in route to 715 South Jefferson, be advised,” then cradled the mic back in the holster. “Let's go find out, partner.” She couldn't help but release a little laugh, feeling terribly proud of how official she sounded. Utterly naive and unaware, but damned if she wasn't happy anyway.

Tobias04/04/2019
Tobias raised a brow and looked down at the radio as if he were trying to make sense of it himself. The call was odd indeed; there was usually much more info along with the call. Maybe that other one was high priority. He rolled his eyes and laughed at being called partner; what was it with rookies and being so eager? Reminded him of his younger days. "715 South Jefferson? I know the place. About a decade ago the mayor tried developing the area, added a bunch of condos but the project got cancelled shortly after. Now it's basically a brothel; hooker and their tricks, pimps like to hang around not too far away. Real shady place and they don't care too much for our kind; keep your guard up." The call didn't sound urgent so Tobias didn't turn the lights on though he did squeal the tires a bit on the way to the apartments.
It was a large, rectangle of a building with systematic, deep set holes that made the windows. They parked out front and entered the building; there were a couple set of bulletproof glass doors to be buzzed through, it was almost like a prison itself. The lobby had a pungent; musty smell to it, probably from the dingy yellowed carpet that held every bit of moisture and molecule of smoke it encountered. An elderly woman with a head of curly white hair sat behind the counter of the lobby with a lit cigarette in her hand and a newspaper in the other; she read the paper over the rim of her thin framed glasses.
Tobias cleared his throat to get the woman's attention. "Well officer Mercer ain't I glad ta see you; whos the new blood?" "This is Officer Maxwell; my trainee for a while. So why are we here this time Edna?" "Brandy brought another thug up in here," She said with pursed lips and bobbed head. "I think he's up there beatin' on her again. Could you be a dear and run him on outta here for me?" "Anything for you ma'am." Said Tobias as he gave Edna a wink and moved for the stairs. "Brandy's always finding the roughest lookin' John's... hazard pay I guess." He said with a snarky shrug and chuckle. They reached the third floor and walked down the hall; screaming could be heard coming from down the way. "Ready to dive in the dirt?"

April 8, 2019
Trina04/08/2019
With distaste, Trina shook her head as they entered the building. "What a hole," she uttered, peering around nervously. Her hand strayed to her gun over and over, then was jerked away quickly. She remembered her instructors lecturing her about the importance of ignoring that gun until absolutely 100% necessary... but it was a comforting weight on her hip. The interaction between Tobias and Edna was amusing and made her relax a bit. If her strong, capable partner felt at ease here, then so should she. Dropping her hand back to her side again, she stopped twitching for her firearm and simply fell in line behind him. As the sound of screams filled the air, her nerves keyed back up, however, and she readied herself, as best she could, for what may lay ahead. A dozen scenarios ran through her mind.
A pimp beating his hooker. A John beating a hooker. A hooker beating a John! A domestic violence event between a couple unlucky enough to call that dump home? She'd soon find out. "Yessir," she said quietly, pulling out her nightstick and flashlight. She trained the beam of light towards the end of the dimly-lit hallway, in case they needed quick light further ahead.

Tobias04/08/2019
Tobias nodded at the confirmation. Trisha's enthusiasm seemed to dial back a bit as they walked up the dirty stairwells and got closer to the screaming. Her hand seemed to be attracted to her weapon; Tobias could respect that. There were too many cops, especially rookies who were too afraid to use their firearms in the recent years; he would much rather have someone who was capable of using it, hopefully she wasn't too quick to draw it though. They came to a stop at apartment 316b where they could hear a crashing noise. Tobias looked down to Trina and nodded as he pulled his nightstick out and knocked on the door with it. A silence fell over the apartment though whispers could be heard; it was a man's voice but it was near inaudibly low. Tobias held his attention on the door even as Trina flashed the light down the hall; a man in a dingy brown jacket and stained grey hood pulled up over his head. He held his thumb on the button and guzzled the dirty water that came out and took only brief breaks to catch a labored breath before he lapped at the water again. "A lotta these street drugs'll give you cottonmouth something nasty..." He said and knocked on the door again. It cracked open; the musty smell of many drunk, satisfied men masked by a pungent incense blew out. Tobias closed his eyes and wrenched his head at the smell before he met eyes with the one peeking out just above the chain that held the door from opening all the way. The half face that did show was that of a young, pale faced woman with dark brunette hair that slightly covered her hazel-grey eye. "What do yas want?" Asked the woman behind the door.
"I'm Sgt. Mercer with the RCPD; we received a call about a possible domestic..." "Let me stop yas right there bub... I ain't talkin ta no pig! Especially a juiced muscle brain like you." Tobias' smile faded and he let out a grumbled sigh. "Eighteen years on the force and I still get..." He grumbled before he looked down to Trina; she was about that girls age, and it would probably be easier for a woman to break the tension. Tobias pursed his lips and gestured for Trina to address the snippy woman.

April 9, 2019
Trina04/09/2019
Meeting Tobias eye to eye, she gave a subtle nod, fully understanding what he wished her to do. Making a big show of pushing past him and getting between his body and the lady, she pulled on a bright smile. "Don't worry about him, darlin," she said in a friendly voice, letting a bit more of the Texas twang slide out as she spoke. "He forgets his manners when talking to a lady sometimes." The young woman blinked in surprise, staring at Trina. Was it being called a lady that disarmed and surprised her? Whatever it was, it worked. She softened very slightly and smiled back to the young officer. Trina continued. "I'm Trina Maxwell, River City PD. We were told there was some screaming. And I know you girls are just trying to make a living and don't need some man's bullshit in the way." Her emphasis on the word 'man' showed intentional disdain, another step towards connecting with the girl. "So.... you all right? You need some help, honey?"

Tobias04/09/2019
Tobias stepped off to the side and leaned his back against the wall next to the door and let Trina handle this; the exagerated Texas twang made him smirk. It was cute; reminded him of a character in one of his favorite T.V. shows as a kid. Then the man's BS comment... that made him raise a brow and purse his lips, but he let it be and scanned the hall again. Looked like that guy was still drinking water. Must have been some good shit... The woman's eye widened at the mention of a man's bullshit; she cast a glance behind her for a moment before looking back to Trina. "Yeah; everythin's fine... I just dropped some dishes is all..." She said in a timid tone. "Sorry ta bother yas officer; yall have a good..." The woman began but was cut off by a males voice in the apartment. "Now don't be rude baby... why don't you invite our guest in and let them do their jobs?" Tobias turned his attention from the thirsty man back to Trina; the look on his face said he felt something was up.

Trina04/09/2019
Her hackles rose at the voice behind the woman she spoke to. She was by no means a man-hater, despite the commentary previously intended to loosen the gal up a bit. But, all the same, the woman did look cowed by the voice, and that was enough for Trina. She stepped back out of the way of her large partner and waited, tightening her grip on her nightstick. She returned the flashlight to it's holster, to free up her dominant hand, near her firearm. Just in case. Trina glanced to the lady who stood frozen, one hand on the door, her knuckles white with tension. Reaching out with her nightstick, she pressed the door gently, making eye contact with the woman, as if to let her know it was okay.
She sighed softly, dropped her gaze, and stepped back into the apartment, allowing Trina to widen the opening. Once the door swing open, the smell was strong and offensive. Trina waited, allowing Tobias to make the move, as he was the seasoned veteran.

Tobias04/09/2019
The woman nodded and closed the door so she could slide the chain and unlock the door. Tobias didn't need prompting to take his place in front; he didn't have all that muscle for notheing. He nodded to show Trina he was ready. The door creaked open slowly; the woman was a petite one in an old grey sweater that went passed anything she wore on her legs. She stepped back and away to let the officers in. Tobias smiled at her but she put her head down and averted her gaze to the ground. In the living room sat a man in a wife beater and sweat pants; he was bald and skinny as all get out, but the tattoos up his arms and neck said he was very active with a gang. He puffed on a narrow cigar and offered a gold grilled smile to the cops. "Now what seems ta be the problem officers?" Tobias scanned the room and stepped in. "Just a welfare check is all." "Ah, protectin' and servin' as always. Well be mu guest." The thug said with a menacing smile. The young woman looked up to Trina; her face was almost apologetic. She looked over to a hall Tobias was about to pass. In the reflection of a picture frame the image of someone pressed against the wall could be seen. Tobias was about to walk into an ambush...

Trina04/09/2019
Trina was on high alert, as expected, and kept her head on a swivel. From her angle, she was unable to see the shadow on the wall, as she kept her gaze on the rapidly shrinking woman and cocky man kicked back in his raggedy La-Z-Boy recliner. A very soft muffled cough was heard from around the corner, which combined with the widening grin on the man's face, put the female half of the team on alert. Putting out a hand, she pointed to the gang banger and barked, "Stay seated," before sliding up next to Tobias. "He's looking interested in your rounding the corner, man. Watch your six," she mumbled, glancing up at him. Positioning herself next to him, but facing the opposite way, she kept her bright gaze on the couple, looking back and forth between them, as her partner approached the hallway. Suddenly, the woman took a step forward and held out her hand. "Lissen, Mz Maxwell, hang on," she began, her face tight with worry. The man in the wife beater growled and shot up from his seat, walking to her side in two large steps. "Shut the fuck up," he snarled at her, taking hold of her skinny upper arm roughly. The woman cried out softly in pain and dropped her gaze to the floor, snapping her mouth shut.

April 10, 2019
Tobias04/10/2019
Tobias stopped when Trina stepped in and shouted at the thug in his recliner; he wondered what that was all about, but you learn very quickly to trust your partner out in the streets. He nodded to show he understood but before he could use the information the young woman stepped out and was snatched up by the thug. "Hey hey!" He shouted and stepped closer but someone stepped from around the corner and swung a glass bottle at him. Thanks to Trina's warning Tobias was more prepared and he put an arm up to block the attack and tackled the perp into the wall where they tussled for control. "I'll show all yall pig ass mafuckas what's up!" The one in the wife beater and gold teeth had the girl in his hand and tried to pull a pistol from his waistband but the frightened woman slapped it from his hand. "Fuck! I knew you was a triflin ho!" He said and back handed the woman to the ground before he dove for the pistol.(edited)

April 13, 2019
Trina04/13/2019
The violence escalated at an alarming rate. Without much warning, things had nearly gotten out of hand. Trina stood frozen, shocked to inaction, but only for a moment. When the man in front of her dove forward, trying to grab the gun, she was pulled two ways. Her instinct was to go to the woman: a sister, a fellow woman, abused by a man. She knew the feeling, knew that pain, knew the fury. It was so ingrained in her that she actually took a step in her direction before realizing the true priority in that moment: the man going for the gun. With a rough grunt, Trina lifted the nightstick in her hand and brought it down hard on the back of the man's head. The sound of the coated steel rod connecting with the thug's skull was loud as a gunshot in the room. His body dropped at once, blood seeping from the split skull, his outstretched hand a foot from the gun he'd been reaching for. The woman remained huddled in a ball, one hand to her red cheek, crying softly. Trina's partner, however, needed her attention more and she turned to face him, ready to step in to help with whatever he'd gotten into with the bottle-swinger.

April 14, 2019
Tobias04/14/2019
The bottle swinger that Tobias was wrestling with heard the thwap and shot his glance down to his buddy. "Oh fuck... she killed him!" Tobias took the moment that the thug was distracted and responded to him with a hip toss that put him on his back and knocked the wind out of him; Tobias wasted no time in placing a cuff on the winded thug's wrist and flipping him to his belly. He stood up and looked the unconcious one over. "Damn..." He said under his breath. "You really did a number on that one; better cuff him and call this one in. I'll take this punk to the cruiser." Tobias' muscles bulged as he pulled the once bottle wielding thug to his feet and pushed him toward the door; he was kicking and shouting profanities but Tobias overpowered him with ease. He paused at the door and turned to face Trina. "You did good partner; you alright?" He asked though he didn't the the man stagger into the door. That tattered beanie and worn brown jacket was telltale; it was the man from down the hall drinking from the fountain, but something wasn't right about him. His skin was pale and bloated, his eyes drooped and were near lifeless. He shambled in with out reached arms and water dribbling from his wide open mouth.(edited)

April 15, 2019
Trina04/15/2019
Trina's heart was slamming in her chest. She had bright pink spots high on her cheeks, eyes dilated, breathing rapidly. She looked like she'd just been laid... very well. "Hell yeah, I am," she said with an exhale, the adrenaline brought on by the 45 seconds of frantic activity coursing through her. Hopping over to the man laying prone on the floor, she stuck two fingers against the side of his neck, finding the pulsing vein there, irregular but strong. "He's all right," she called out, before reaching for her mic clipped to her shoulder. "Dispatch, this is Unit 4-7. " She carefully spoke into the mic, detailing their specific location, and where they were in the building. "We've got one in cuffs, one injured. We need a bus, forthwith." "Negative, 4-7, no bus available for 20-25 minutes.," Dispatch replied. The woman's voice, though trained and professional, sounded stressed and hurried. Confused, Trina looked up to her partner, unsure if that was the norm for a city like that one, or what she should do. Before she could ask, however, she spotted the water-drinking-drunk stumbling in, looking odd, even for a waste of space like he was previously. "Watch your back, Mercer," she cried out, disliking the alarm in her voice, as soon as she'd spoken. Her nerves jumped up to a 10 again and she couldn't help it. Everything in her told her that the drunk was a bigger threat than they'd originally thought.(edited)

April 16, 2019
Tobias04/16/2019
Tobias' face twisted at the mention of no other units being available at the moment; even in a crime riddled city like River for every unit to be busy would mean they had a rough night ahead, but he had no idea... He followed Trina's suddenly alert eyes to the doorway where a homeless looking man lumbered in. "Shit you don't look so good... stay back and we'll get you an ambulance with these other assholes." Tobias said as he reached a freehand for his radio; he wasn't so worried about the urchin as Trina was, he had grown accustomed to their strange ways and they were usually harmless. In one hand he held the thug in front of him by the irons around his wrist; the other brought the radio to his face and he tried to raise dispatch for an ambulance or firetruck, there was a man bleeding from the head for God sake, but the homeless man didn't stop; he lunged at the thug and knocked both he and Tobias to the ground. "Oh fuck! Get him off me!!! AHH!!!!" The thug curdled as the homeless man sunk rotten teeth into his neck flesh. Tobias was pinned underneath both men; even with all his strength his arm was in an awkward position and he couldn't get it free. All he could do was wiggle to the side and let the blood and smelly water that dripped from the homeless mans mouth fall just an inch from his face. The woman in the corner shrieked and curled into herself even more; she was in a state of pure shock and panic.(edited)

Trina04/16/2019
Trina forgot her training for a moment and simply stayed where she was, one knee on the ground, one leg bent into a half-rising position, staring at the scene unfolding. The man on the floor remained blissfully unaware of the situation, as he laid there happily bleeding from a head wound into the filthy carpet. As the hobo continued making a meal out of the screaming thug, she finally snapped out of it and rushed forward.
With one hand, she snatched the cowering woman from the corner to her feet and shoved her down the hallway. "Find a room and lock the door. Don't open it until I tell you to!" With a frantic nod, she scurried away, whimpering and shakily reciting the Lord's Prayer under her breath. With one had bracing herself against the door frame, Trina positioned the bottom of her boot against the hobo's ribcage and shoved mightily. The man came loose, after the second attempt, carrying away a large chunk of his victim's neck flesh. The revolting sound of tearing tendons and flesh was heard and the acrid, coppery smell of blood filled the room at once. A glance to the man with a new hole in his body showed how little hope there was. An artery had been bitten clean through, by the looks of the spray, and the man had a lifeless stare, and was unmoving. Trina extended a hand to Tobias, hoping to see he had managed to roll away once the weight was lifted off him. The danger was not over, not by any means, as the hobo turned his sights to her large partner, once his lunch was removed.

April 17, 2019
Tobias04/17/2019
Tobias shohted as the hobo was rolled off and spurts of blood from the pumping artery shot out of the thugs throat hole and sprayed the walls and celing before raining down on his chest and face. He indees managed to roll from underneath the tussle and staggered to his feet. A quick scan showed that the thug wasn't going to make it; his blood was everywhere and his hands weren't even free to cover the wound. Tobias pulled his service pistol out and aimed it at the homless agressor who got to his feet slowly and reached for Tobias. Tobias stepped back and gave a couple warnings before pulling the trigger and putting a round into the attackers chest. He didn't stop... Tobias put a few more rounds in; six in total. Still he didn't stop. "Whats the fuck?" Tobias said as he backed up another step; he didn't notice the one glass bottle wielding thug wiggling and going for a bite at his ankles.

April 18, 2019
Trina04/18/2019
Staring in disbelief as the hobo took multiple shots and kept coming, Trina was spurred to action. She pulled her own firearm out and shot the man in the head. He dropped at once, bearing a brand new hole in his noggin, to match the ones in his chest. Whatever chest protection the man had to be wearing to allow him to remain upright was not covering his face, she reasoned. "Has to have on a Kevlar vest or some shit, right? How else would he be able to take that many in his che -- OH SHIT, look out!" Her voice went from high pitched nervous babbling to a shout, as her eyes fell onto the man on the ground, baring his teeth and leaning forward to her partner. Feeling like she was in some kind of a bad movie, the look of incredulousness never left her face as she darted forward and kicked the man in the shoulder, knocking him away mere inches from making contact with her partner's ankle. As she opened her mouth to speak again, struggling to process this scene in her mind, the man lunged forward again, too fast for her that time, and bit hard into Tobias. Luckily, it appeared that the thick boots he wore was protecting him from being actually bitten, but she couldn't be sure.

April 19, 2019
Tobias04/19/2019
Tobias shook his head at the question; more of an 'I don't know' gesture than anything, but even before he could respond Trina shouted and kicked the thug with his throat torn out, he should have been dead... Tobias stumbled back but his foot was caught and the thug bit into his boot; he screamed at the pain in his ankle and snatched his leg away before he stomped on the thugs head. There was a loud snap; the thugs head bounced off the floor. When the thug picked his head up his jaw hung low on one side, it was definately broken, but that wasn't stopping him from keeping his assault up. He made another bounding lunge but this time Tobias pulled his pistol up and let two shots out that entered the thugs skull and exited the back with a spray of grey matter along the wall. The thug fell back. Tobias approached the two bodies with pistol heald on them; he kicked at their feet to see if they were dead, he still didn't realize they were dead before... After being satisfied they were not moving again Tobias holstered his pistol and shot a look of 'what the fuck?' to Trina. Over the radio he called in that shots were fired, but the department was still too busy. He heard screaming and seirins outside and walked to the window; from his third story vantage point he could see it all... the crashes, the fires, the riots and mobs of people moving in a wave. Many people were chasing and attacking other with an unrelenting vigor. "What the fuck is going on out there?"

April 25, 2019
Trina04/25/2019
“I have no idea!” Trina looked incredulously down at the bodies on the floor, feeling like she was in shock. “What the hell do y’all feed your homeless down here? I’ve never heard of anyone taking a shot to the chest and keep coming! And did you see that guy’s jaw? Holy balls, man...” The dispatch team was no help to them, surprisingly. She was unsure if that was expected or normal. It seemed weird to her, but who knew? Moving to the side of her partner, she found herself grateful for him. His size didn’t hurt, of course, nor did his experience with the job. But mostly, she was just glad there was another person there. It helped bring down the horror of the moment.
From outside the window, there came a scream - closer than the others. Peering down to the sidewalk, a woman was holding out a little pink canister, spraying what appeared to be pepper spray at a man who was actively engaged in chomping into the soft flesh of her forearm.
Trina gasped and grabbed Tobias’ forearm, looking down at the violent attack. “We need to get down there,” she cried out in alarm.

April 27, 2019
Tobias04/27/2019
Tibias stared at the bodies as well; Trina’s little joke about the homeless diet in River City wasn’t lost on him but he was too focused to feed into humor. “Drugs; the hard stuff like PCP and give people super strength while they're hopped up, pereps have been known to bust out of cuffs and break doors open…” He said; it sounded like he recited something from the many many powerpoint presentations he has been a part of. The thug who was hit in the back of the head groaned and shifted in place. Tobias was on alert; he didn’t want to attack the guy but he was afraid that he might get up and try to bite him like the others. That’s when he remembered the bite on his ankle; he’d seen some of his friends bitten before, the bacterial infections settled in real quick and their skin turned green and blue, the human mouth was a disgusting place. Fortunately the teeth sank into the thick rubber of his boot; the pain was from a sharp pinch but nothing was penetrated. His blue eyes snapped to the window when he heard the woman scream; he nodded in agreement with his partner and gathered the semi conscious thug. “We can’t leave them here; you get the girl and we’ll head outside toge…” Tobias began to order but the radio crackled to life; there was a brief sense of relief when he finally heard the voice on the other end, but the message she delivered was far from comforting.
 “Attention all units, attention all units. Mayor Stenton had declared River City to be in a state of emergency. We need all hands on deck; drop what you’re doing and return to command ASAP.”
(End)




CHAPTER ONE – STATE OF EMERGENCY

Gena
#3145
ch1-state_of_emergency
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Welcome to the beginning of the #ch1-state_of_emergency channel.
Tobias04/27/2019
Once out in the hall the officers could get a sense of the chaos that was ensuing; it sounded like there was screaming and crying in every other room they passed. Tobias ran with the cuffed thug in hand; his legs were still a little wobbly from being rocked and despite any protest Tobias wasn’t letting up. The young woman whose name was Brandy fell close behind Trina with her hands tucked in the sleeves of her dingy sweater and pulled close to her chest. Outside was far far worse; people ran in every which direction as they tried to make sense of what was going on. People were running down the streets and tacking one another, biting whatever flesh was exposed. The woman from before had dropped her can of mace and was now punching the man in the face though it didn’t stop him from biting even harder. Not too far away in the opposite direction was their police cruiser; telling by the number of people around it they were going to have to fight their way there. If they stopped to try and help they woman they may lose their opportunity to get to the car and their way back to the station… in moments like this every decision counts.

Trina04/27/2019
Trina stood silently for a few seconds, surveying the carnage unfolding before her. It looked like a dozen different fights going on, people being attacked and knocked to the ground, bitten. Somehow, the scene down here seemed equally as insane as what went down upstairs, so her mind simply accepted it. The panic attacks would likely come later.... She glanced to Tobias and said, "We can't save them all. Let's get to the car with what we've got." Her voice was firm, with only the slightest waver betraying her. Reaching out to grab Brandy, the woman seemed to shrink before her eyes, tucking herself up against Trina willingly. Whether she was simply seeking sisterly comradery due to her past experiences with men, or maybe it was her uniform that suggested authority and safety. Either way, she was glued to Trina like a barnacle on a ship. "Come on, honey," Trina said kindly. "Let's get you to the car and out of here." Moving to their cruiser proved to be a challenge, as people were everywhere. Trina moved her hand to her gun once more, but this time, there was no hesitation. She drew it, placed her finger alongside the barrel, near the trigger, but not on it yet, and held it pointed downward. "I'm ready," she murmured, flicking her gaze up to Tobias.

April 29, 2019
Tobias04/29/2019
Tobias nodded and pushed the thug ahead of him; getting to the cruiser would be a challenge indeed, pushing through the mob was hard enough on its own, then there was the addition of both having an escort in arm. The uniforms didn't seem to matter either; even the display of the finger on the trigger didn't deter the crowd any. "Look out!" Brandy cried as she grabbed Trina but the shoulders; a move that would be more of a hinderance than help but panic was set in heavy. An older woman with a crazed look in her eye and a flood of liquid drooling from her mouth lunged at Trina from behind a mailbox and tore at the badge of her uniform. Her slobbering mouth was wide agape and looking to bite on the exposed bits of flesh in her victims arms and neck. Tobias looked over his shoulder to see what the commotion was about but the thug used the moment to headbutt the officer in his jaw staggering him; while Tobias fell back and grabbed his jaw the thug was making a get away with his hands still cuffed behind his back.

Trina04/29/2019
Trina screamed, swinging her gun at the old woman. The connection with her skull was a relatively quiet sound, amid the chaotic noise of the street. The old woman didn’t stop coming, however. Her fingers scrabbles at Trina’s uniform blouse, trying to gain purchase and pull her towards her snapping mouth.
Keeping the old woman at arm’s length, Trina swung her elbow backwards to try to break the grip Brandy had on her so she could get better distance between her skin and the threat, but it was proving difficult. Brandy was in full-on panic mode.
“God damn it,” Trina swore under her breath, struggling to free herself of both of them. With a lucky step, she managed to squeeze out of the middle of both of them.
Unfortunately, that put Brandy right in the path of the drooling old woman’s gnashing teeth. The connection was immediate and Brandy began to scream. Blood oozed down her neck as the old lady chewed on her neck with surprising strength.
Trina kicked as hard as she could against the woman’s side, knocking her away from Brandy and to the ground. She stepped back and drew her weapon, firing two shots into the side of the octogenarian’s head, who stopped moving at once.
Brandy slumped to the sidewalk, a dazed look on her face, one hand pressed to her neck, doing very little to stop the flow of blood. “I think I will just rest here a moment,” she remarked in a calm voice, sounding as if she were just commenting on the weather.
Trina turned back to Tobias, frantic now and keyed up as far as she could be. She registered, barely, that he’d been hit and lost his prisoner, but had no idea what else had happened, as she’d been engaged in her own insanity.
With her back to Brandy, she moves to her partner and touched his shoulder. “Hey, buddy. You all right? Your face okay?” As she was turned away, the battered and now bitten young prostitute stood and simply wandered away, in full shock, one hand still pressed weakly to her bleeding neck.

April 30, 2019
Tobias04/30/2019
Tobias got to his knee and put hand on his jaw; the headbutt rocked him good, the skin under his beard was already bruising. Trina's hand on his shoulder brought him to and he used the side of the cruiser to stand himself up. When his vision cleared he saw that the thug was running blocks away. "I'm good, I'm good... you alright?" He asked as his eyes trailed over Trina's scratched up uniform, it looked to be fabric torn but mostly protected by her vest. "He's not gonnna make it very far with those cuffs on though; why don't you get the girl in the back seat and we'll..." When he looked he saw Brandy with her hand on her neck; she walked away with a wobbled step before she collapsed to the ground. "Shit," He said in a moment of brief dismissal before turned for the car. He pulled the keys from his pocket and went to enter the drivers side but hesitated; after a moment he tossed the keys to Trina and made his way around the other side of the car. "You drive; I'm a little dizzy..." He said and entered the passenger seat; once in he tried the radio a few more times and when that didn't work he pulled his phone from his breast pocket and started scrolling through numbers. "Get us back to the station; I'll call around on the way and see if we someone knows what the hell's goin' on around here."(edited)

Trina04/30/2019
With a nod, grateful to be doing something that felt normal, Trina caught the keys with one hand and slid behind the wheel. As she opened the door, she noticed a man running towards them. As he was quite a good distance away, she did not worry too much about it.
He had the same vacant look and excessive drooling that all the other freaks on the street did. His head swung towards them as he lifted his face, as if he were sniffing the air. Tobias was already inside the cruiser, one hand massaging his jaw, the other fiddling with his phone, trying to get information. Trina sat behind the wheel a moment, watching the man to see if he would still run at her. She started the car up and rolled up her window, not wanting to find out if he was bold enough to try to leap inside a cop car.
As the window rose to the top, the man hesitated in his steps, going from a full sprint to a jog, then to a stop. His head swiveled around and Trina could confirm that he was indeed smelling the air. After a few seconds, he caught another scent, it appeared, and he veered off in the other direction, drooling and growling like the others. "Curious," she said quietly. "He lost interest when he couldn't smell me. What the shit kind of drug makes you act that way?" Tobias seemed to have most of his attention on the phone and made no reply, so perhaps he didn't hear her. Tucking that knowledge nugget into the back of her mind for now, Trina carefully pulled out into the road. The trip back to the station was short, but far from uneventful. On every corner, it seemed, she watched people being attacked, or simply wandering around with the same glazed eyes. It was hard to believe that she was simply passing them all by. Hell, even before she was an officer of the law, she would have found it hard to avoid stopping and trying to render aid. But, orders were orders, and she got them back to the station quickly, as directed.

May 2, 2019
Tobias05/02/2019
Tobias found the number he was looking for, called it, and put the phone to his ear as Trina spoke under her breath. He was only half listening and didn't really catch what she said; something about what drugs could make someone act like these crazies were? She didn't repeat herself so he dismissed it and went back to the call. Someone picked up; whoever it was had a deep voice that was muffled though keen enough hearing could pick up key words. "It's Mercer; what the hells goin' on out here? It's like someone laced the water with PCP or somethin'!" The response on the other end was brief; he said something about nobody knowing and the city was in chaos but pops of gunfire in the background made him drop the phone, then there was more gunfire and bloodcurdling cries. Tobias went wide eyed and looked over to Trina.
"Gun it! Go go go!" He shouted and hit the switch to run the flashing red and blues. They had to swerve with violent jerks to avoid the brawling mobs of people and other vehicles who got in their way; it was an eventful trip indeed, but they managed to make it to the station unscathed. The front of the building was clear of any body, crazies or otherwise; even the reception area inside was quiet and empty aside form a few bodies strewn about. Even after eighteen years on the force Tobias found this place to be creepy, it was old and far too expansive like all the other buildings in the city center. There was some petition put in place to repurpose these old buildings instead of tearing them down; this one used to be a mental institution run by a catholic family so there was a lot of money put into the cathedral area... that was the repurposed reception area. Though the high arcing roofs and stain glass windows would be appealing to some it only served to give Tobias the creeps made worse by the eerie silence that loomed. "Look around for survivors and make sure the room is clear." Tobias said in a hushed tone. "Make sure the bodies are done movin'; even the uniforms... I don't know how far its gone." He said and moved into the room to follow his own orders.

Trina05/02/2019
Trina did as asked, without hesitation. Her steps were deliberate and her movements precise. Having a goal and a task soothed her, as always, and she was efficient. The insanity of the day's events would come crashing in later. For now, she was a robot. In a far corner, next to a knocked over filing cabinet, Trina found two bodies. One, that of a rather beautiful young Latina, her blouse ripped open, exposing her shoulder, was laying on the ground, one leg resting against the cabinet, the other missing a large part of the thigh. The wound matched the one in her shoulder – ragged, clearly made by a mouth ripping and biting. A pool of blood lay beneath her, partially dry. Beside her lay a small "ladies special" handgun, a Sig Sauer P238, in hot pink. The gun was small and favored by people with little hands. Trina remembered firing one during her training and immediately disliking the pistol. Still, it seemed to have done the trick to stop the threat coming upon the former receptionist. Sadly, it was too late to save her life.
The recipient of the bullet fired from the cute little gun lay beside the woman, one arm slung over she waist in an almost loving way. She was certain that love was not on the mind of the person, however, as the male was quite dead. A very close shot, in the right temple had taken him down. The wound was rimmed with dark smudges Trina knew to be gunpowder residue, consistent with a close-range shot. In his mouth, Trina could spot a large strip of dark flesh, she assumed from either the lady's thigh or shoulder. It took a few moments to cart both bodies off, but she managed to haul them down to the far side of the building, out the rear exit to the alleyway. They were laid out, side by side. In the next hour, Trina would add an old detective she didn't remember the name of, but recalled meeting once, and a teenage boy. They could deal with the bodies later, once things were back under control and an ambulance could come get them. Upon re-entering the building, Trina locked the back door, sliding both heavy duty slide bolts into place. Nothing was getting through there and it comforted her to know at least one door was well secured.
Grabbing a water bottle for herself and another for her partner from a small refrigerator near the large, ornate reception desk, Trina stopped to take a breath, pushing back the panic that threatened to creep up into her mind. The large room was secure, all windows locked, no other bodies laying around. It was still too quiet and she idly wondered why the chaos from just 15 or so miles away hadn't made it way there yet. “Whatever,” she murmured into the still room. “Let's go see if we can find Tobias...”

May 5, 2019
Tobias05/05/2019
Tobias stood at the entrance of the foyer and scanned the room trying his damnedest to piece together what happened but for the life of him he couldn't think of anything plausible, other than something in the water. There was no way to be sure; better stick with bottled for now. He watched Trina make her way into the room and immediately went to move the bodies; was she used to dealing with dead bodies? He was about to ask if she wanted to help, but a noise off to the side caught his attention. "Hey I think I..." He began but Trina was already gone; it was probably best to check out that noise and clear the rest of the building. It looked like there was a scuffle down the hall that lead toward the locker rooms; there were papers strewn about and contents of desk spilled on the floor. Eventually the fight turned bloody. He peered around the desk only to find the bodies of his brothers laying in crimson pools that glimmered in in the flickering florescent lights; the sight made his stomach churn. Those bodies would have been a priority had it not been for that muffled screaming noise that was getting louder.
Tobias stepped light as he approached the fitness area; it was behind multi layer, tempered glass. Just to the side of it was the locker room where the muffled screaming echoed from; he only took a couple steps before brought to a pause. There was a group of them; at least two dozen, surrounding a locker where someone was calling for help. Tobias wasn't able to make a move before one of them in the back turned his head around like he was sniffing and looked Tobias dead in the eye; it was Morrison and he he wasn't looking all that well, still he screamed and charged! Tobias put a hand out and the other on his gun as per his training, but he didn't want to shoot a brother in uniform. He got a hand on Morrison's chest and stumbled back as he pleaded for him to stop, but that only got the attention of the others who rushed as well. He pushed as hard as he could and sent Morrison stumbling into the swarm and knocked a few off their feet which gave him time to rush into the fitness room and slam the door behind him. The heavy wooden door bowed in with their collective weight and threatened to break down. Tobias bent down and grabbed hold of a weight rack and pushed with all his might; it took a lot of effort, but he got it in front of the door. After a moment to catch he breath he sat on a bench and reached for the radio. "Hey Trina; you there? I got myself a little stuck; could use a hand..." He said ready to explain his situation.(edited)

May 6, 2019
Trina05/06/2019
Wandering into the main area, Trina was unable to spot Tobias, so she took an opportunity to sit down. Her mind was filled with the day's activities, but her body gave zero fucks about her stress level. All it knew was that her feet were tired and her back was sore from exertion of moving bodies, and all the rest. Opening one water bottle, she drained a good third of it in one long drink, then released a rather mannish burp, which brought about a grin - the first smile in hours and hours.
Her walkie-talkie crackled to life and she heard her partner on the other end, calling for help. Rising to her feet, she tucked her unfinished bottle in one deep jacket pocket, then Tobias' bottle in her opposite side, and started his way.
His explanation was sufficient, though not quite as helpful as she might have hoped. She had been introduced to so many people and shown so many new parts of the building that she wasn't 100% sure where the fitness room actually was. As she walked, she listened closely to the sounds of her environment. One hallway stood out, as she heard rumbling at the end of it. Upon making it to the halfway point, the soft rumbling was a roar, and Trina knew she was in the right spot.
Peeking around the corners of doorways carefully, her gun drawn, she finally found where her partner must be - behind the closed wooden door. The droolers, as her mind seemed to be calling them, due to the way they all seemed to be excessively drooling once infected, were all gathered around, trying to climb over each other to get to Tobias on the other side. Her attention was focused on coming up with a plan when she heard the same cry for help that Tobias had heard earlier. Where was it coming from, she wondered. No time for that though. She needed to get her partner out, and fast. Slipping back down the hallway a bit, so she would not be loud enough to attract the small mob's attention, she spoke into her radio to Tobias. "I see you. I don't know how well this is going to go over, as I am sure these folks were your friends, but they're sick, man. I need to take them out, to get to you. I can definitely pop off a couple, before the rest hear. Think you can throw the door open and get ready to stop a few of the others?"
Before he could answer, she added, "I guess I could also maybe try to just distract them and lead them away from the door..." Her voice sounded doubtful, but she would trust her veteran partner's advice in the matter, before making a move.

May 8, 2019
Tobias05/08/2019
Tobias looked out the window to try and find Trina; it was dark and shadowy in the room and there were plenty of places to hide, she must have found a good one because he couldn't see her. His face went from a curious scan to outraged and appalled when Trina went over her plan. "Pop them off? These are cops! My friends... our brothers and sisters! You're talking like they're rabid dogs how could you be so co-!" He scolded but was cut off when a drooler threw himself into the glass and left a bloody spider web crack the size of his fist. "Shit SHIT!" Tobias yelled and threw a ten pound weight across the room and into a mirror causing it to shatter. It was time; the savage way that his former friends clamored over one another and threw themselves violently at anyone who wasn't already infected made it clear they were too far gone. Even if there was some kind of cure good luck getting them to stand still long enough to administer it. "You're right..." He said reluctantly over the radio. "You're fuckin' right... it's either us or them, and I don't plan on goin' down without a fight, but there's gotta be thirty of them with vest; we wont be able to take them out with our side arms." Tobias paused for a moment before a smirk parted his stoic face. "Hey rookie; how's your lock picking skills?" He asked and explained where she could find the SWAT room and hopefully some gear to better deal with these things... they were going to have to come up with some kind of term for them; Zombie just didn't feel right.(edited)

May 12, 2019
Trina05/12/2019
Trina winced at the tone in her partner's voice. While she understood, sort of, she knew she was right. Whatever these men and women used to be, they were no longer. Maybe it was her love of horror and invasion movies growing up that had continued into adulthood, or maybe it was just because she was younger. Either way, she saw what was happening and accepted it. The loud bang startled her, and she peered around the corner to try to determine the source of the noise. The glass in the window had broken, leaving behind a weak spot and a smear of blood. Time was running short. As Trina listened to his plan, she felt uneasy, but it seemed to be the only option – short of abandoning Tobias, temporarily. She paused a moment, considering the possibility of that route. She could leave and send help back for him, which might not come. She could leave and find more weapons, or more powerful ones, at least, but could she really take down 30 with anything short of a … Her eyes widened and she spoke into the mic quickly. “Hunker down, find cover in there, and give me ten minutes. Find a far corner, as far from the doorway as possible, and stay there. DON'T GO TO THE DOOR,” she added, firmly and without room for argument.
Hoping that he would listen, Trina scurried off in the direction that Tobias had explained previously. She vaguely recalled being walked through the SWAT room near the end of her time at the Academy, but she didn't know if the equipment was the same in every precinct and she didn't know how well stocked it might be. It was worth a shot though. Once Trina found the room, her eyes nearly bugged out. Talk about hitting the motherlode... The room was not only stocked, but it had a giant variety of weaponry and armor. She stood on tiptoes, peering into the small window in the door hungrily. “No time like the present,” she muttered, digging into one of her many deep uniform pockets. While Trina had never been a Boy Scout, she believed wholeheartedly in the motto: Always Be Prepared! Accordingly, she had packed nearly every gadget and device she had ever been issued, in case one might be useful. At the moment, the small leather pouch of lockpicking tools was what she was on the hunt for. A rather sordid group of friends while growing up had offered her first hand experience with lockpicking, and the academy class was simply a refresher. She could indeed pick a lock, and in a hot minute at that.
Once the door was opened, she wasted no time stepping inside. Selecting a large duffel bag from a drawer, Trina shook it out and set it on the bench inside. She outfitted herself in full SWAT gear: protective leg and arm plates, a helmet with face shield, gloves, the works. Each piece she selected for herself, she also chose a copy in a larger size, for Tobias. After the gear was all chosen, she went to work on the weapons – stuffing a bag with extra handguns, a couple of rifles, new powerful scopes, straps and plenty of ammo. To the top of the bag, she added what her mind had bitten onto earlier: a M67 grenade. After a moment's consideration, she added two more, then zipped it all closed. Upon returning to the corner, staggering a bit due to the weight of the bag and the awkwardness of walking in the full SWAT gear, Trina radioed out to Tobias. “All right, buddy. I am back. Are you hidden in a corner, ideally behind something sturdy? I am ready to try to get you out.”(edited)

May 17, 2019
Tobias05/17/2019
Ten Minutes? Damn that was a long time; Tobias looked around the glass encased fitness room lit only by red emergency lights and a little green by the exit. Suddenly the lack of emergency exits became an issue for him; his breathing quickened as the glass started to close in on him. "Ten minutes?... yeah." He agreed over the radio and moved to follow orders. There weren't too many places to hunker down in the gym; it wasn't large enough for much equipment, but he did what he was told and huddled up in a corner next to a treadmill against the wall. Several minutes had gone by but the assault against the door hadn't halted at all; it was easy to ignore at first, but the longer he waited the more the cracks of knuckles and skulls against the glass made him jump. It oddly began to sound like gunfire; each pop made him jump and tense a little more. His mind began to go back to a time long ago when he was hunkered down like this while deployed in the Middle East. It was supposed to be a routine patrol, but that's how they all start isn't it? When the bullets started flying Tobias and his unit ran through the alley looking for a cover, but the entire village was in on it. One by one they were taken down until he and a few buddies managed to find a shake and board it up, it wasn't long before they beat down the boards and stuck an arm through... Just like the drooler he was staring at. He felt lonely and for a moment thought about calling Trina on the radio to check up on her, but he decided to leave her be, best not to distract her.(edited)
It was a brief thought that was interrupted by a loud crack followed by a series of smaller crackles; Tobias didn't need to look to see what was happening, he'd broken enough glass to know. The glass began to spiderweb and bow underneath the weight of the pressing horde. A quick thought brought Tobias back to the moment; maybe if he broke the glass just right he could funnel them and only deal with a couple at a time. He grabbed a 25 lb. weight and tossed it just at the bottom of the glass; it crackled and split and the first of the droolers put a leg in, the pressure was already taken off the glass but now he had to deal with them. A couple shots into the first one caused it to fall in and flop to the ground; another two came in and Tobias continued to fire and back into a corner. The 'hey buddy' over the radio brought a wave of relief that was maybe a little premature. "God it's good to hear your voice..." He said in a slightly less confident voice. "They're getting in!" He said and shot a couple more rounds.(edited)

May 21, 2019
Trina05/21/2019
Trina shrugged off the heavy bag from her shoulder, letting it thump carefully to the floor. "Fuck, that is heavy," she mumbled softly. She wasn't a big strong man and she severely underestimated just how much all that shit weighed. Grateful for the weight off her body, she rotated her arms a moment, trying to gain some flexibility in the awkward SWAT gear. When she felt ready to continue, she reached for her radio again. "I know, man, I know. I hear them. Stop shooting at 'em and take cover for a second. I am half a minute away from either killing them or creating a damned good distraction. Either way, just move away from the door!" Without waiting to hear if he understood and acknowledged her, Trina took a huge leap of faith and pulled out a grenade from her bag. Holding it in her hand, she peered down at it, both scared and excited. She'd seen live demonstrations of grenades in training, and on video. She knew the roughest blast radius would be 30-35 feet. She also knew that every barrier between you and the blast zone would roughly half the impact felt. And she further knew that Tobias had pretty much only a door in between. Trina hoped like hell she wasn't about to blow up her partner.
But... it was either that, or he was gonna get chewed up by the Droolers. She knew all too well, just from the short time they'd been living in the madness, that he was toast if she didn't intervene. Peering around the corner carefully, she surveyed the scene. A dozen or more former police men and women were stacked against the door, banging on it, clawing at it, drooling all over it and each other. It was alternately comical and horrifying to see. She reached with her free hand to the grenade pin and took a long, slow breath. With a sharp tug, she closed her eyes and yanked the pin out. Squeezing the grenade very tightly in her hand to keep the lever in place, she stepped out into sight and yelled.
"HEY! LOOK OVER HERE, ASSHOLES!"
Shaking with anticipation, fear and adrenaline, Trina counted to 3 slowly, waiting for the mob to turn her way and start shuffling towards her. They moved easily as a group, the hive mind drawing them all together. Once they were about ten feet from the door - and no more than twenty feet away from her - she threw the grenade into the mob, lobbing it underhand like in her old softball days. It landed with a clank at their feet.
Not waiting a single extra second, Trina dove back to her left, around the corner, arms up awkwardly around her helmet. Landing on the floor, she had time only to think that perhaps it was a dud, before the explosion. It felt like her eardrums were pushed inwards by the force, but thankfully, she could still hear... barely. A loud, tinny feedback type sound buzzed in her head. The sound of plaster falling down from the ceiling and something heavy falling over came next, possibly the row of lockers?
Jumping to her feet, she shook her head, trying to clear the noise out enough to hear. Her eyes and nose watered from the acrid gunpowder smell in the air. Around the corner, Trina was greeted by a gruesome sight: bits and pieces of her former co-workers, blown to crap by the force of the grenade.
With relief, her eyes flicked to the door to the room Tobias hid in, thankful to find it still standing, if a bit gore-covered and slightly warped. She ran to the door, sliding a bit in some blood on the floor, and grabbed the door knob, trying to pull it open. She didn't know if the door was too warped to be opened from the grenade or if it was locked from the inside. And she could barely hear her own voice as she yelled out Tobias' name to check on him.

May 27, 2019
Tobias05/27/2019
Tobias didn't respond to the Trina's command right away; it took him a moment to piece it together. Stop shooting and take cover? That could only mean one thing; she must have grabbed some explosives. Well that would work in taking out the horde of them, it was going to be messy though. He did a quick scan; gym equipment wasn't exactly the greatest for taking cover but he would have to make due. There was a group of treadmills against a wall; he put one on its side and ducked behind it. The droolers were still making their way in but he decided to trust in his partner and remained in cover. The door caved in and barely kept the droolers at bay, but an echoing taunt caught their attention. They funneled themselves back through the door way when the grenade went off. Blood, guts, and water sprayed into the crack of the door and managed to paint the fitness room with viscera; the bloated, mushy bodies came apart easily with the concussive blast. The door was jammed and Trina had to put her shoulder into it to open a slit large enough for her armored frame to squeeze through.
Tobias stood from behind the downed treadmill and gave the room a once over before doing the same to Trina. "I'm glad to see you." He said and made his way toward her. "You look good; I hope you got a matching set for me." Tobias said with a smug smirk that was quickly wiped off his face when he came to the door way and saw the carnage on the other side. "God... this is fucked..." He said under his breath. He remained silent for a moment as he took it all in; the blood, the pieces, the badges and uniforms. These were his friends and family for the last twenty years. There was a time he would have collected the badges and sent them to their proper homes, but the thought hit him. If there was this much chaos here were there any homes out there left? The silence was broken by the banging on the locker once again. Tobias was startled nearly out of his skin at the sudden noise. After a moment he looked down to Trina and nodded. "You good partner?"

May 29, 2019
Trina05/29/2019
She let a dazed, battered woman walk away from her. She was okay. She shot people who were hurting Tobias. She was okay. She drug dead bodies outside and left them on the street. She was okay. She threw a grenade into her coworkers and blew them to bits. She was okay. Tobias asked if she was okay. She was not okay. Without warning, or even an answer, Trina burst into loud ugly-crying. Her hands lifted to cover her face and she wept into her black SWAT gloves. The entire, surreal, horrifying day had finally caught up to her and she was just simply not okay anymore. Trina didn't really notice if Tobias said or did anything to her, as she was completely lost in her emotions for a few uncomfortable minutes. Perhaps he patted her back or even told her to suck it up. She didn't know, hear or care. Trina was just a scared, confused and overwhelmed little girl in that moment. And she just needed to stop and breathe. After a brief period of hysteria, she began to regain control of herself. Her hands stopped shaking and her tears slowed. Her eyes, though bloodshot and rimmed with redness from her little fit, stopped leaking tears. Lastly, her breathing slowed to a series of hiccups and sighs. She swiped angrily at her face and muttered, “Sorry about that. I am having a tough day.” She cracked a half smile, though it absolutely did not carry beyond her mouth to her eyes.
With one last hitching breath, she picked up the SWAT bag from around the corner and handed it over to Tobias, remarking, “I had to guess at your sizes so I hope---” Her words were cut off by the shout and banging from a nearby locker. Flicking her gaze curiously to her partner, she said, “Did you hear that?”

July 5, 2019
Tobias07/05/2019
Tobias looked Trina over as she broke down in the middle of the body pile; there were limbs and bits of navy blue and patches that were from the RCPD uniform. The nught, though short, had been increasingly stressful. From having to fight off the thugs in the apartment to having to fight their way to the squad car to having to fight this... horde of drippers in the police department. They already spent so much time in fight mode that the attackers being dealt with and the armor and weapons gathered brought a brief sense of victory. That was probably why he wasn't expecting Trina's outburst. He furrowed his brow and looked over the woman. Up until now she seemed happy go lucky and a little naive or aloof. The breakdown said she was more in the moment than she appeared. This was normally a time when he would roll his eyes and berate his partner for not holding herself together, but something about the look on Trina's face brought out something else; a feeling that he should protect her and try to make her feel safe. He patted and rubbed her back but didn't offer any words; he wasn't sure if he had the right ones to share anyway. After a few minutes, maybe five or so, she calmed down and got ahold of herself though her reddened features and sniffling were telltale signs. Tobias returned her smile with one of his own. "It's all good rookie; the first day is always stressful." He took the bad and gave Trina one last rub on the back of her arm before he turned his attention to the contents. The banging made him stop in his tracks. "That's the whole reason I came in the first place; come on. We gotta help whoever that is." He said and dropped the bag by his feet as he moved to the lockers. There were no drippers in sight, but still he was cautious as he lead the way into the locker room.

July 7, 2019
Trina07/07/2019
Feeling rather ashamed of her outburst and eager to prove she could handle herself – even on the most bizarre and terrifying day she'd ever experienced – Trina swiped at her eyes again and sniffed hard, struggling to clean herself up and get back to business. With a nod, she fell in behind Tobias, gun drawn, still a bit awkward in the riot gear, but finding her footing a bit better. She positioned herself at the end of the row of lockers. The noisy one was about half way down. With her gaze flicking between her partner and the open door behind him. Her service weapon was in her hand, her finger laying ready alongside the barrel, just in case. “Okay,” she said quietly, meeting his eye. “Let's open 'er up and see what's inside.”