Hell Unleashed (Guardians of the Planes: Book 1)
Andy Nadir
Copyright 2014 by Andy Nadir
Credit for the original book idea goes to DJ. Thomson. I probably messed with it so badly you can barely tell it’s the same thing you originally had.
This book’s spectacular cover was made by Aven E. Chronicle. It’s some great cover art! You’re amazing!
All credit for this book goes directly to the one who gave me the ability to write it, God. I owe you everything. May reading this book be as fun as it was to write.
Chapter One
“Leah! Connor is here! Get off the Nintendo already!”
“I’ve told you a million times! It’s an Xbox, not a Nintendo. Nintendos suck!” Leah replied.
“I thought you said crocs were lame!” Her dad yelled back.
“Stop screaming and answer the door!” Leah’s mom yelled in an equally loud voice.
Leah plugged the second controller into the Xbox, and ran to the door.
She pulled it open, and Connor threw his arms around her.
“Leah! How’s it going?” He grinned.
Connor waved his hand to Leah’s dad. “Hi Mr…”
“I told you to call me Chuck!” He cut him off.
Connor grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, I forgot. Hi Chuck!”
Chuck nodded, and walked out of the room.
“C’mon! I have the Xbox set up already.” Leah said.
Connor hurried after Leah to the consol.
Leah pressed the power button, and the screen flickered to life.
“What game do you wanna play?” Connor asked.
Leah shrugged. “What about a Left for Dead?”
“As good a game as any.” Connor replied.
Lei grabbed the game box and pulled the disk out. She slid the disc into the Xbox and the game started up.
“Chuck, I’m going shopping. We’re out of milk and eggs.” Leah’s mom called to Chuck.
“Ok. Could you grab some bread as well? I just ate the last of it.” Chuck called.
“Mom wait! We’re coming too!”
Leah’s two sisters ran out of their rooms and threw their shoes on to catch up with their mother.
Connor glanced at Leah. “Have they realized that they’re in their twenties and thirties yet?”
Leah snorted. “What does it look like?” She gestured to the door.
Connor turned his attention back to the console and chose two player from the menu.
“I’m going to win this time.” Connor stated.
“You wish.” Leah replied.
The screen flashed, and two characters appeared on the screen. Suddenly, the T.V. flickered and went dark.
Leah frowned. “What the heck?” She muttered.
She strode over to it, and pressed the reset button. When nothing happened, she shrugged.
“You look at it. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
Connor peered at the television. “Maybe a power outage?” He suggested.
A moment later, the television flickered back on.
Leah glanced at Connor.
“Maybe someone wondered what “that” switch did.”
Connor shrugged. “Whatever. Let’s just play.”
The T.V. screen went static.
Leah stared at it.
“What now?”
“Attention citizens of the United States of America! There has been an outbreak of a new desise which…corrupts the minds and actions of citizens. Go lock your doors and windows, and wear masks if you have them. Do not allow anything outside in. We will get back to you shortly. Attention citizens of the…” The recording began to loop again.
Connor started laughing. “Man, that’s a pretty good joke. It almost had me. I didn’t know Left for Dead did that.”
Leah frowned. “I don’t think it does.”
Chuck ran into the room.
“Leah, did you just get a broadcast message from the government on the T.V.?” He asked.
Leah nodded. “Yeah. Did you hear it?” She asked.
Chuck shook his head. “No, My IPhone rang and said it.”
Connor slowly put his controller down.
“This is a pretty good prank.”
Chuck pulled his phone out and replayed the message.
Leah stood up, and pulled the window next to the T.V. shut and drew the curtains across it.
“Are you telling me you believe this?” Connor asked.
“I’m not sure. Does it hurt to play safe?”
“Touché. But you realize this is pretty much a zombie outbreak?”
Chuck snorted. “Right. And I’m a zombie hunter.”
But nonetheless, he headed out of the room and began closing windows.
“What about your mom and sisters?” Connor asked.
Leah scratched her head. “I’m sure this is just a joke. But, they’re going to Costco. Zombies could never get in there. They would need a membership card.”
Connor chuckled.
“Um…just in case… do you think we should pack some supplies?” Connor asked sheepishly.
Leah nodded. “It could be fun! Maybe we can raid the pantry while we do it!”
Connor grinned and rushed to the kitchen, with Leah right behind him.
He pulled open the pantry doors, and began pulling out choice foods. Leah noted they were all unopened and were the ones that didn’t expire for years. She kept her mouth shut however, but did the same as he did.
Chuck showed up with three large backpacks, and placed them next to Leah and Connor.
He grunted and headed out of the kitchen.
Leah shivered. “This is a nasty prank.”
They filled the backpacks carefully, only taking up about one fourth of the space.
“Sleeping bags?” Leah asked.
Connor shook his head. “Too big. What about sheets?”
Leah nodded, and they headed to the closet. They pulled down a few sheets and an inflatable pillow.
Connor stuffed a pump into the side pocket of his bag.
Leah grabbed a lighter and put it in the pocket of hers.
They grabbed a few water bottles from the fridge, and stuffed those into the bags as well.
“What else could we possible need for a zombie outbreak?” Leah joked.
Chuck came into the room and tossed a large axe in the air. He caught it by the handle as it came down.
“Weapons.”
His eyes looked dull, devoid of their usual sparkle.
“Dad? What’s wrong?” Leah asked.
He pulled his phone out and set it in front of them. A video began to play.
A man was stumbling down a street. He looked drunk. He was so hunched over his hands could touch the floor with little effort from him.
He stumbled into a busy street, and started heading towards a jogger.
The jogger slowed down, and then stopped. The man was still staggering towards him.
The jogger moved to the edge of the sidewalk to allow the drunk man to pass.
When the drunk man reached the jogger, the video blurred and Chuck stopped it. He turned the IPhone off and put it in his pocket.
“It tears him to pieces.” He said after a long pause.
Connor choked on the cracker he was eating.
Chuck passed the hatchet to Connor.
He pulled a long kitchen knife out of its holder and passed it to Leah along with a leather sheath.
He reached into a pocket, and pulled out a small pistol. “Keep the safety on. If you need to…you know. Flip it off and pull the trigger. It’s close range, so don’t waste your bullets. You only have six.
He passed them a few magazines of bullets.
Connor wordlessly put the gu
n and magazines into the top of his backpack, and slid the axe into one of the straps on his jeans.
Leah stuck the knife into her backpack.
Chuck sighed. “There is a floating “hotel” of sorts for people who like archery and shooting. It’s north of here by about one hundred miles. It should be safe. I’m going to go get Nita and the others. You stay here.”
He pulled a map from his pocket and circled a dock. He then put an “x” a ways away from it.
“Just in case. You’re the “x””
Leah gulped and took the map.
Chuck gave a pointed look to Connor and exited the house. The door locked with an audible click, and everything was silent.
Connor hugged Leah. “He’ll be fine.”
Leah nodded. “He better be.”
Chapter Two
Hours passed with no sound from Chuck. Connor and Leah frequently got up from the floor and checked the windows for him.
Connor peered around the curtains, and inhaled sharply.
“Dj”
She looked at him. “Is my dad back?”
Connor gulped. “No. That’s not your dad. I don’t think he drinks.”
He spun, and threw his backpack over his shoulders.
“Come on! We have to move!”
Leah shook her head, and grabbed her backpack. She snatched the red marker that her dad had used on the map, and wrote on the table.
“Goin 2 hotl w/guns. Come quick”
She nodded. “Let’s go.
They ran to her back door, and quietly opened it. Connor unlocked her backyard gate, and grabbed a bike.
“Convenient.” He muttered.
He got into the seat, and he waved at the extended spots for a second passenger to stand.
“Hold on tight.” He recommended.
Leah wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he rode out of the back yard.
Leah got a good look at the zombie as they watched it stumble up the road. It didn’t seem any different than a drunk man.
Until a cat yowled at it, and the thing tore it to pieces within a second.
Connor choked, and sped up.
Leah lost track of time as they sped down the street. They had seen a few zombies since they had left, but nothing else.
“You think everyone is still in their houses?” Leah asked.
Connor inclined his head.
The bike slowed down.
“Connor?”
He pushed the kickstand down, and got of the bike. Leah hopped off.
“What?”
He waved at the bike. It had a flat tire, and the other was torn up.
Leah sighed. “Great. Thanks a lot!” She waved her hand in the air.
“Leah, it probably isn’t a good idea to get mad at Him when he is pretty much our only hope.”
Leah groaned. “Do think anything will happen because I did that?” She asked sarcastically.
There was a long, drawn out moan.
Three zombies stumbled out of one of the backyards in front of them.
Leah took a step back. “Sorry! I didn’t mean it!” She whispered.
Connor quietly pulled his hatchet from its place.
“Stay here.”
Leah glared at him. “Like he…er. Heck I will!”
She pulled the kitchen knife from her backpack.
The zombies began advancing on them.
There was a rustle.
The zombies moaned, and started running at Leah and Connor.
Connor choked. “Yep. We’re gonna die.”
There was a sudden flicker next to one of the zombies, and it’s head decided it wanted to be an airplane.
It flew off, and the headless zombie fell to the ground.
A man jumped in front of Leah and Connor.
He stepped forward, and there was a silver blur in front of him. The zombies, only a foot in front of him, toppled to the ground, sliced into tuna container sized pieces.
He spat on the ground. “Nezhit.”
He returned the two long, jagged knives to their sheaths on his back, and turned around.
A woman walked up to next to him. She had a huge sword strapped across her back along with a small pistol on her right leg.
She quickly glanced over Leah and Connor. “Come quickly.” She said finally.
The man grimaced. “Abby, you want to take useless children?” He had a thick accent; from Germany or Russia.
Abby glared at him. “An…” But a sharp glare from him cut her off.
She sighed. “Sorry, sorry. Snake, you can’t be more than a few years older than they are.” She said.
Connor snorted. “Your name is Snake? I hate to break it to you, but that sounds really lame.”
Snake’s eyes flicked to Connor. “My name is not snake, durak. I do not see a reason to give you my real name.”
“My name is Connor, not durak.” Connor replied.
Snake stared at him. “Uneducated brat. Durak is fool in Russian.”
Abby sighed. “We can bicker later. We have to keep moving. The undead are coming.” She looked pointedly at the dead bodies next to Snake.
He sighed. “Fine. If they fall, I’m not picking them up.”
Abby nodded. “Fair enough.”
She turned to Leah and Connor. “Shall we go?”
“You didn’t even tell us who you are! You’re strangers.” Leah pointed out.
Snake spun around, rage covering his face. “I have had it with your foolishness. Think about what you know. About what you love. Your favorite food, your best friend. Have you done it?”
He paused a moment.
“Good. They’re dead. All of them. Do you understand me? Your friends, family, everyone you know. I assure you they are dead, or will be soon. If you don’t move, you’re next. I do not care for either of you, but I am not foolish enough to attempt to move out on my own. I wait for Abby, and no other reason.”
Connor nodded shakily. “Leah, he’s right. We have to stay with these guys. They can fight.”
“Yeah. We were headed to a hotel with a shooting range. My dad thought it would be a good spot since it was on an island and had weapons.” Leah told Abby.
Snake nodded. “Sound logic. I assume you were smart enough to bring a map?” He looked at Leah’s backpack.
She nodded, and pulled the map out. Abby took it from her, and glanced over it. She gave it back to Leah.
“We were heading to the dock because we had hoped we could take a boat to a secluded island somewhere. Then we could start from scratch. We have grain and other necessities.”
“How did you get that?” Connor inquired.
Snake grinned darkly. “We got it from a farm.”
“The farmer just gave you it?”
“Dead bodies don’t tend to object.”
“Well, those ones do. Move!” Abby yelled, jerking a thumb towards several zombies shambling towards them.
They turned and ran from the horde.
“Abby! We aren’t heading towards the hotel!” Leah said between breaths.
Abby jerked her head once. “We’re heading to camp for supplies. Then we’ll go.”
They stopped sprinting at the gates of a park. Snake drew his daggers and headed inside. The rest of them followed him.
Abby pulled her massive sword off of her back. “Watch for zombies.” She whispered.
Snake headed over to a tree, and glanced around. When no one showed themselves, he quickly knelt down and sheathed his daggers. He picked up two bags, and turned back to them.
He handed Connor one of the bags, and gave the other to Leah.
Connor grunted. “This is heavy! Why don’t you carry it?”
“Because I can fight and you cant.” Snake replied.
There was a loud bang from the trees.
Snake’s eyes snapped towards the sound. “That was a gun. Might be a rifle.”
Leah started towards the noise. “We have to go see if the person who shot
that is ok! Maybe he could help us?” She suggested.
Abby glanced at Leah. “Girl, that was not your father.” She said.
“How did…”
Abby shook her head. “Later.”
“We still have to check! A rifle could be useful.” Leah pressured.
Abby sighed. “Fine.”
Snake groaned. “You will drag us to our doom, little durak.”
He pulled his daggers out again, and sprinted towards the noise with Abby close behind.
Leah and Connor followed them as quickly as they could.
There was a young boy sitting in a tree, surrounded by several zombies. He was pointing a rifle at them, and muttering something under his breath.
Chapter Three
Snake drove his daggers into the back of two of their heads, and Abby slashed the rest to pieces.
The boy jerked his eyes open.
“Stay away! I have a weapon!”
Snake sheathed his weapons, and he was suddenly holding the rifle.
“Nice make. It has a well-made sight on it.” He peered down the scope of the weapon.
They boy yelped. “Give me my gun back!”
Abby sighed. “Snake, stop being a jerk.”
Snake looked up from the gun, and handed it back to the boy.
“Get out of he…no. You’re coming with us.” He said.
Leah’s mouth fell open.
“I don’t object or anything, but you were totally against us! What’s going on?”
Snake grinned. “I happened to see his face. Unlike you two, he will be useful. He won a science contest a year ago. Made some type of fancy gizmo. I’m sure he will be able to help us somehow.”
Abby nodded. “I agree.”
“Hey! I’m right here you know! You don’t have to talk about me in third person!” He squeaked.
Snake looked at him. “Get out of the tree. We have to move fast, I’m sure the gunshots called more zombies here.”
The boy gulped, and jumped out of the tree.
He peered at the dead corpses. “They don’t look like zombies to me.”
Snake growled. “You can inspect dead bodies later, I’m sure we will find an…abundance of those.”
“We’ll steal a car and make towards the hotel.” Abby decided.
Snake nodded. They walked up to a minivan.
Snake sighed. “Never thought I would end up stealing a minivan, of all cars. My goal was going to be a Ferrari…”
He locked his hands together and slammed them into the car window. It shattered, and he climbed into the car. A moment later, the engine roared to life.
“Get in, before the nezhit find us.”
Abby climbed into the shotgun seat, and the rest of them piled into the back.
The car was moving before they had even closed the door.
With a grunt, Connor slammed the minivan’s door shut with a bang.