Father & Son

CHAPTER 5: FATHER & SON

McCafferty District was a largely residential area packed with middle-class homes, most of which were built in the last two decades to accommodate the city's growing Irish population. The drive down there was relatively uneventful, with the initial chaos having died down earlier in the night.

"Come on," Mickey said, fiddling with the radio, "I need an update or somethin'!"

Every local station Mickey changed to consisted of nothing but static.

"Piece of…WOAH!"

The windshield was struck by several bullets, shattering it. Mickey swerved to avoid additional bullets, causing him to lose control and collide with a streetlamp.

"Aw, fuck!" he cried, wiping his bloody forehead, "Now what?"

In the distance, Mickey could hear gunshots and shouting. When he kicked open the driver's side door, he was met by two rifle-wielding men with black coats.

"Who the fuck is this prick?" asked the first man.

"Aye," said another, "It's him! Dolan's son! Hurry, grab the bastard!"

The two men approached Mickey and as they attempted to drag him out of the car, one of them was pounced upon by a Crawler.

"HEEELP!" he screamed.

Before the second man could rush to his aid, he too was attacked. Mickey used this opportunity to escape on foot. As he ran deeper into the neighbourhood, he found that the whole place had turned into a battleground between the IRA and the Slime. Flaming cars and piles of corpses decorated the once-peaceful suburb.

"These sons of bitches," Mickey thought, "I bet they led those things here while they were searchin' for my dad!"

Big Patty's house was not far away. However, Mickey knew reaching it would be difficult with no weapon and two enemy factions in his path. While seeking cover behind a parked vehicle, Mickey watched as three IRA soldiers battled a horde of infested.

"There we are," he muttered.

Mickey caught sight of a dead soldier clutching onto a pistol. After taking a deep breath, Mickey made a dash for the man's body and yanked the pistol from his hand.

"AYE!" yelled a soldier, "Dolan, three o'clock!"

Before the men could fire, Mickey shot each of them with his newfound pistol. He then pocketed a spare mag and fled the scene as more infested appeared.

"Hang on, dad!" Mickey said, "I'm almost there!"

The Dolan residence was a two-storey, 1920's colonial kit house that sat at the end of a cul-de-sac. The house had sustained some damage but was otherwise intact. Like the rest of the neighbourhood, the street out in front had fallen to chaos, making the approach dangerous. Instead, Mickey opted to sneak past the combatants and onto a neighbouring property.

"Just gotta get in from the side," Mickey thought, as he jumped the fence.

From there, Mickey approached the rear of the house, where the hatch to the cellar lay. A few Infested were crowded around it, though Mickey had gunned them down. After blasting the lock off of the cellar door, Mickey entered and sealed it shut.

"Dad?" Mickey called out, though he received no response.

After fumbling around in the dark for a bit, Mickey found a light switch and turned it on, just in time to see a young man standing near the stairs with a gun pointed straight at him.

"Don't shoot," said Mickey, raising his hands, "I'm Patty's son! I'm here to see my father."

"Prove it!" yelled the man.

"I don't have to prove shit to you! Now, get me my father before I…"

Just then, another man climbed down the basement stairs. He approached the young man and motioned him to lower his weapon.

"It's okay," he said, "He's good. Mickey, right? Name's Colin, Colin Tierney. This here's Sean. He hasn't been with us for very long and so he don't know everyone's face yet."

"Sorry," said Sean.

"Sure, whatever," Mickey said, "My dad here?"

"Follow me," Colin instructed.

The three men climbed the basement stairs into a small corridor which led straight to the living room. The living room was massive and was connected directly to the kitchen via an opening in the rear. A large staircase in the centre of the room led to the second floor.

Upon entering the living room, Colin immediately approached one of the windows and glanced outside at the ongoing situation.

"Fuckin' Micks showed up earlier in the evenin'," he explained, "Luckily Sean and I were sent here to help your dad. We held the fort for a while, 'fore those monsters showed up and started keepin' the IRA busy. One hell of a blessin' in disguise, eh? We were hopin' to make our getaway once the coast was clear but…"

"Those 'monsters' have taken over the city," Mickey said, "They ain't gonna stop comin'."

"Looks like we're gonna have to work out an escape plan," said Colin, "Your dad's car in the driveway is totaled from the shootout, so we'll have to leave on foot for now. Good thing you're here to help. Come, your dad's upstairs."

Colin led Mickey upstairs, which housed Patty's bedroom, Mickey's childhood bedroom, a bathroom, and a study. Mickey entered his father's bedroom and found him sitting atop his bed. A blood-soaked bandage was wrapped tightly around his left thigh.

"Mickey?" he said, "Oh, me son! How happy I am to see ye!"

"Dad?"

With tears in his eyes, Mickey embraced his father, who was barely able to stand from the bed.

"What happened to your leg?" he asked.

"Aye," said Patty, "Bastards nailed me good a while back. I'll be fine but it hurts to walk…"

"You're gonna need treatment," said Mickey, "Come on, it's time to leave!"

"Nay," said Patty, "A cripple like me's only gonna slow ye down. I appreciate ye comin' to check up on me, son, but ye should've left town while ye had the chance!"

"Damnit, dad! Don't talk like that! You're the only family I have left and I ain't lettin' you die, ya hear?"

"But…"

Just then, the men heard a noise coming from downstairs.

"Anyone else hear that?" asked Sean.

"Shit," said Mickey, "Some of those fucks must've followed me in through the cellar."

"If we're gonna leave," Colin began, "Then we better do it soon before we're overrun. I'll scout ahead. Stay put for a sec."

As Colin descended the stairs, he carefully scanned the living room, but saw no one.

"Should be safe," he called out upon reaching the bottom, "Start…"

Before Colin could finish, an IRA soldier entered the living room from the adjoined kitchen and shot him square in the chest.

"COLIN!" yelled Sean.

Mickey suddenly grabbed Sean and wrapped his hand around the young man's mouth to silence him. At least three men were making their way up the stairs and Mickey wanted to get the jump on them.

The first man kicked down the bedroom door and pointed his gun inside but saw no one.

"Hm," he said.

Suddenly, Mickey emerged from behind the door and pounced on the man. Using him as a human shield, Mickey shot the next two men in the corridor. The first man then rammed his elbow into Mickey's gut and broke free, before going for his pistol. Before he could shoot Mickey, however, Sean emerged from the bathroom and shot him dead from behind.

"Nice shot," said Mickey.

"Thanks," said Sean, "W-Was that it?"

"Not by a long shot. More guys are gonna come if we don't fuckin' move. Now, let's go! That includes you, dad!"

Big Patty then emerged from under the bed.

"Aye, aye," he said, "Just gimme a goddamn minute, yeah?"

With that, Sean and Mickey escorted Big Patty down the stairs and into the living room.

"I'm gonna need a weapon," Mickey said, "All's I got is this flimsy pistol."

"Aye," said Patty, "Guns are behind the pantry, remember? Or, has it been so long ye forgot?"

Mickey scoffed, then headed for the kitchen and opened the pantry. A miniature armoury packed full of weapons was hidden behind the rear wall. Before Mickey could step inside, he heard more footsteps coming upstairs from the cellar below. Immediately, Mickey ran to the living room and pointed his weapon at the corridor, where he saw Liam Donnelly entering.

"W-W-WAIT!" Liam cried, raising his arms above his head, "P-Please don't shoot! Look, I'm unarmed, see?"

"You motherfucker!" Mickey growled.

Mickey holstered his pistol, then ran up to Mickey and grabbed him by the shirt collar.

"You got balls showin' your face here after…" Mickey began.

"Ya gotta listen," Liam pleaded, "I didn't want to hurt your family, alright? When my cousin found out about our guns, he forced me to play along. I had to practically beg him to at least keep you and Sam alive."

"So, you're a victim too, eh?" Mickey said, rattling Liam a little bit, "How convenient."

"You don't understand," Liam continued, "Jack's a fuckin' psychopath. He would've had no problem killin' me – His own cousin – along with the rest of ya if I hesitated even the slightest bit."

"So, you're worse than a traitor. You're a coward!"

"You can call me whatever you want, but I did all that I could to keep you alive. And look, you made it this far. I'm sorry about Sam, but…"

"Don't you dare mention my friend's name again, you piece of shit!"

"S-S-Sorry. L-Look, you're still here, your father's still here, and I ain't sayin' it's exclusively because of me, but ya gotta give me some credit! Let's maybe try to work together from here on out so…"

"Where's that no-good cousin of yours, huh? If I'm gonna be shoving a bullet in between your balls, I want him alongside you when it happens!"

"He ran off when the Slime showed up. You think I'm a coward? He left me and all of his men behind when shit hit the fan! I don't know where he went, but he couldn't have gotten far. Hell, he might even be dead!"

Mickey released Liam, then pointed his handgun at his head.

"Well then," he said, "I guess I'll worry about him after I finish…"

Before Mickey could do anything else, he was interrupted by the sound of police sirens. Through the windows in the living room, the group saw flashing red lights.

"The cops?" said Sean, "Oh, thank God! Someone's finally comin' to restore order 'round here."

All four men gathered in the living room and listened as the police officers opened fire on both the IRA and Slime outside.

"Stay away from the windows," warned Patty.

Eventually, the shooting died down.

"Patrick Dolan," a female voice amplified by a bullhorn blared outside, "This is Sergeant Riley with the NRPD. We know you are in there. We have the house completely surrounded. Come out with your hands up along with any accomplices."

"Are they for real?" asked Sean, "They're arrestin' us durin' a fuckin' outbreak?"

Mickey carefully approached the front door and placed his back to it. Glancing through one of the side windows, he saw several parked cruisers and over a dozen officers, all pointing their weapons at the house. Sergeant Riley stood in the centre next to her cruiser.

"I don't think they're here to arrest us," he said.

"Aw shit," said Liam, "This is bad! We're fucked!"

"You were fucked the minute you decided to show your stupid face here, prick!" Mickey snapped.

"You have sixty seconds to comply," Riley continued, "Or we will enter. Do not try us!"

"I dunno 'bout the likes o' ye," said Patty, "But I think it's time we armed ourselves…And fast!"

"Look," Liam pleaded to Mickey, "I know you have every reason to hate my guts right now, and I get that. But I'm gonna need a fuckin' weapon if I'm gonna help you take out these pigs, alright?"

"What?" said Mickey, "Hell no!"

"Son," Patty snapped, "We cannot afford to choosy right about now. Give the man a weapon and if he can get us all out alive, then maybe he's worth redeemin', aye?"

"Of course!" Liam said, "I-I'll do anythin'!"

"Thirty seconds," announced Riley.

Mickey and the others entered the pantry and grabbed what weapons they could. Mickey strapped on a chest holster and inserted two revolvers into it, then pocketed some spare ammunition. He also grabbed a loaded Tommy gun and a hunting rifle.

"Ten seconds!"

"Everyone set?" Mickey asked.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Sean quipped.

"Aye," said Patty, "Just like the good ol' days!"

"Time's up," said Riley, "We're coming in!"

The officers had split into three groups to cover each of the exit points; one group stood at the front door, another was at the rear door leading to the kitchen and the third was in the yard, covering the cellar entrance. At Riley's command, each of the three groups forced their way in.

The two officers at the cellar opened the double doors and climbed downstairs cautiously. The room was pitch black, forcing them to use flashlights to look around, though their field of vision was still very narrow.

"Get the fuckin' lights," commanded the first officer.

The other officer nodded, then fumbled around in search of the switch. Before he could find it, however, Mickey, under the cover of darkness, pulled the officer aside and plunged a knife into his throat. The other officer turned around and shone his flashlight where his partner was standing but saw no one.

"Sh-Show yourself," he said, "I wanna see your…"

Mickey suddenly appeared behind the officer shoved the knife into his throat as well.

---

Meanwhile, the first group, which included Sgt. Riley herself, had kicked down the front door and scanned the living room but found no one. Another two officers had kicked in the rear door and were examining the kitchen and dining room.

"Clear," several officers announced simultaneously.

"You two," Riley commanded, "Check upstairs!"

Two officers nodded, then carefully made their way up the stairs. In the meantime, Riley pulled out her radio.

"Team three," she said, "Check in."

There was no response.

"Team three?" Riley repeated, "Damnit! Someone get…"

Just then, Big Patty and Liam burst out of the pantry and fired upon the officers in the kitchen, killing them. They then turned their guns on the officers in the living room, who all took cover behind furniture and fired back.

"Eat lead, ya sons of bitches!" Liam yelled.

---

Upstairs, the two officers heard the commotion in the living room and headed for the stairs. Before they could climb back down, however, Sean emerged from Patrick's bedroom and gunned both of them down with dual pistols.

"HAHA!" he laughed, "Like that?"

Sean then ran to the stairs. From his position at the top, he fired down at the officers in the living room, striking down at least two.

"Somebody," yelled Riley, "Get that asshole on the stairs, NOW!"

An officer brandishing a shotgun emerged from cover and fired, striking Sean in the lower torso. As the young man fell backwards, the wooden railing behind him snapped and he plummeted to the ground floor, dead.

"Ah Jesus," Patty said, watching from the kitchen, "They got the young one!"

"Nevermind him," Liam said, "We got bigger problems!"

Additional officers came pouring in through the front door. Patty and Liam, who were in cover behind the overturned kitchen table, gunned them down as they entered, but were running low on ammunition.

In the meantime, several more officers headed for the yard, hoping to flank the duo via the rear kitchen entrance. However, Mickey had entered the yard via the cellar door and was waiting for them. Once they appeared, he gunned them all down with his rifle.

"Assholes!" he cried, "Gonna pay for fuckin' with us!"

Once the officers were down, Mickey headed for kitchen entrance. He kept his head low to avoid any errant shots passing through the kitchen walls.

"Dad," began Mickey, "Where do you keep the matches?"

"Where else do ya think?" Patty said, "Top cabinet, above the stove."

"Right."

Mickey stood up and reached for the cabinet above the stove but found nothing.

"I don't see 'em," Mickey said, crouching once more.

"Aye," Patty said, "Or maybe the one above the sink?"

"Damnit, dad!"

"Don't ye curse at me, son! Why do ye even need matches for, eh?"

"You'll see."

Mickey stood back up and reached for other cabinet. A bullet struck next to his hand, forcing him to pull back. After examining his hand for damage, Mickey reached up again and pulled a box of matches out from the cabinet. Once he had what he was looking for, Mickey turned all of the stove's burners on.

"You guys ready to run?" he asked Liam and Patty.

"You're burnin' down me home?" Patty demanded, "I've had it for over two goddamn decades! How could ye…"

"Just wait until you see what I did to the pub," Mickey quipped.

"WHAT?"

Mickey wrapped his right arm around his father's left shoulder and escorted him out the rear exit while Liam provided them with cover fire.

"They're heading out the back!" cried Riley, "Advance, advance! Don't let 'em escape!"

Riley and the other officers charged into the empty kitchen, just in time to see the box of lit matches placed next to the stove.

"Aw," said Riley, "Mother of…"

The massive explosion rocked the ground floor of the Dolan house, killing all of the officers in the kitchen. Liam, Mickey, and Patty were thrown to the ground but otherwise unharmed.

"Everyone alright?" Mickey asked, rubbing his head.

"AH!" Patty cried, "Me feckin' leg!"

"Just hang on dad," Mickey said, helping his father up, "We're almost home-free. Caelan and Danny left with the Farband, so all we gotta do is find our own way out, alright?"

"Caelan, eh?" said Patty, "How's the ol' lass handlin' herself?"

"Very well, in fact."

"Come on," Liam urged, "We can take one of the cruisers out in front."

The trio made their way back to the front of the house and approached one of the abandoned cruisers. Mickey propped his father up against the rear door, then stared into the driver's side window.

"This one still has its key in the ignition," he said.

"Yeah?" said Liam, "Perfect…Guess my work here is done."

As Mickey prepared to open the door, he could see Liam's reflection in the cruiser's window, drawing his revolver and aiming it at Patty's head. Immediately, Mickey turned and grabbed Liam's arm, causing Liam to miss Patty's head but strike him in the chest instead.

"You son of a…" snapped Mickey.

The two men struggled for a moment before Mickey overpowered Liam and shot him in the foot. Liam fell to the ground in agony as a rage-fueled Mickey hovered over him.

"P-P-Please," Liam pleaded, "I…"

"You fuckin' snake," Mickey growled, "I knew you were full of shit! And to think my dad told me to trust you!"

Mickey then got on his knees and proceeded to mercilessly pummel Liam with his own revolver until there was nothing left of his face but a bloody mess. As Mickey stood back up, he tended to his injured father who was sitting on the ground, clutching his bloody chest.

"You're gonna be fine, dad," he said, helping Patty up, "There's still time to…"

"Son," Patty whispered, "I don't think I…"

"Shut up, dad!" Mickey sobbed, "Just shut up and get in the damn car! If we leave right now, you can still make it!"

After tossing his weapons in the back and placing Patty in the passenger's seat, Mickey started the cruiser and drove off as fast as he could. Time was running out.