DEGREES OF DEATH

Chapter 7: Improvised Weapons

 

The harsh, ripping rasp of adhesive tape sliced through the classroom air.

Daniel bit the thick, clear tape to sever it. He aligned the handle of the utility knife with the broken end of the wooden desk leg. His movements were rapid, efficient, and devoid of the slightest hesitation. He wrapped the tape around the wood five full times, ensuring the thin steel blade would not wobble when it struck a target.

"That’s a toy weapon, Daniel," Xavier muttered, watching the assembly closely. "A utility blade will snap the second you drive it into a skull. You're going to get yourself killed."

"We aren't aiming for the upper cranium," Daniel replied flatly.

He tested the tension of the blade with his thumb. The sharp steel did not budge.

"The human upper skull is indeed exceptionally hard," Daniel continued. "However, the eye sockets and the temples are anatomical soft points. This mechanical instrument is sufficient to pierce the brain tissue if driven at the correct angle."

"A close-quarters mechanical weapon. No gunfire, no noise." Xavier forced a cynical smile. "You're really ready to become a killer, aren't you?"

Daniel didn't respond to his friend's comment. Turning his back to Xavier, he walked over to the instructor’s desk. He reached into the grime-streaked wooden drawer and pulled out a solid iron paper cutter. He also retrieved a thick piece of shattered glass, about a span long, that had fallen earlier from the corridor window.

Daniel wrapped the base of the glass shard in a dirty rag to ensure a secure grip.

He held out the iron paper cutter to Chania, then placed the rag-wrapped glass shard into Bianca’s lap.

"Hold your weapons, both of you," Daniel commanded, his voice absolute.

Bianca stared at the glass shard in pure horror, her frame trembling violently in the corner of the room. "I... I can't, Daniel."

"Hold it right now."

"I don't have the courage to kill anyone." Tears flowed down her dust-streaked cheeks once more. "They're human. They’re students from our own campus. I'm scared."

"They died three hours ago when the virus shut down their logical brain functions," Daniel cut her off, his voice dropping to a chill. "The creatures below are nothing but rotting carnal shells. If you refuse to hold a weapon, you automatically become dead weight to this group."

Chania took the iron paper cutter with a trembling hand, swallowing hard. "Drive it straight into the eye, right?"

"Exactly." Daniel gave Chania a firm nod. "Strike at maximum speed from their blind spot. The golden rule of a silent execution is to hold their weight. Never withdraw your weapon until the target's body has completely collapsed to the floor."

Chania frowned. "Why shouldn't we pull it out quickly?"

"The friction of drawing a blade from flesh creates a wet, suctioning sound. Furthermore, their collapsing bodies will strike the floor heavily." Daniel delivered his first survival lecture clearly. "You must catch the target's shoulders, then lower them slowly to the floor with you. Understood?"

Bianca shook her head violently on the floor, refusing to touch the glass shard in her lap. Her hands sweated coldly from the panic, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails bit painfully into her palms.

In her frantic movement, she inadvertently brushed against the sharp edge of the window glass shard.

A small laceration opened beneath her thumb. Fresh, bright red fluid dripped slowly, contrasting sharply against the fabric of her uniform skirt.

"Damn it," Xavier cursed under his breath, his eyes widening. "You're bleeding, Bianca! That scent is going to draw the bastards straight to us!"

Xavier’s panic was entirely justified. The sharp, metallic scent of rust slowly bloomed in the stifling classroom air. Bianca wept softly, staring at her torn palm as the blood dripped down.

Daniel did not join in the reprimand. He lowered his improvised wooden spear to the floor slowly.

He knelt directly in front of Bianca.

Unzipping his dark blue university jacket, Daniel removed the protective layer without a thought. He used his teeth to tear a strip from the cotton lining of the inner shirt. The fabric tore with a soft hiss, yielding a long, relatively clean strip of cloth.

Chania held her breath at the gesture, and Xavier stood rigid in the corner.

"Give me your hand," Daniel requested.

His intonation shifted drastically. The ice-cold delivery was gone, replaced no longer by the absolute commands of a dictator. His voice was remarkably gentle, low but carrying a calming firmness that anchored the chaotic room.

Bianca held out her trembling, blood-slicked hand.

Daniel bandaged the laceration on her palm using the torn fabric from his shirt. He wrapped the cloth with absolute precision, tying the knot carefully to avoid aggravating the exposed nerves. His movements radiated a deep, protective instinct that had previously been locked away behind his cold tactical calculations.

"The pain in your hand is real, Bianca," Daniel said, staring directly into the terrified girl's eyes. "The fear in your chest is real too. Our old world is destroyed. The social laws of forgiveness do not apply outside that door."

Bianca sobbed softly against the sting. "I just want to give up, Daniel."

"I am not permitting you to give up." Daniel tightened the knot of the bandage as a final step. "As long as you keep moving and refuse to stay still, I promise I will not let any creature touch you."

Bianca looked up into his face.

"The ultimate choice rests with you now," Daniel continued. "Weep and rot in this classroom, or hold your weapon and make it home to your family alive."

The vulnerable moment froze time inside classroom 3-A.

Chania studied Daniel’s profile from the side. She saw a true leader rising from the ashes of apocalyptic despair. Daniel was no longer just an arrogant student bound by blind rationality. He was a living shield, sacrificing his own layer of protection to save someone he considered his responsibility.

Bianca wiped her remaining tears with the back of her left hand. She looked down at the rag-wrapped glass shard in her lap.

With her right hand, now securely bandaged by Daniel, Bianca retrieved the shard. She gripped it tightly. Her primal fear did not vanish, but her despair had been replaced by a small, fighting hope for survival.

"I’m... I'm ready, Daniel," Bianca whispered, her voice raspy.

Daniel gave a single nod, standing up with full authority. He retrieved his bladed spear from the tile floor and turned his back, facing the wooden barricade that confined them.

"Xavier, take your position on the left side of the door hinge. Grip that metal chair leg tightly." Daniel delivered the final tactical instructions to the group.

Xavier immediately moved into place, sweat slicking his neck as his eyes locked onto the brass door handle.

"Chania, Bianca, stay exactly one step behind my back. Do not look behind you under any circumstances."

Daniel pressed the left side of his face against the wooden door, regulating his breath.

The corridor outside was perfectly silent. There was no thudding of foreheads, no scraping of long nails on the tiles, no distorted animal growls. The auditory creatures outside seemed to be sleeping soundly, dissolving into the dark, waiting for foolish prey to emerge from safety.

Daniel gripped the classroom door handle with his left palm, his right hand holding the improvised spear level with his chest.

His index finger traced the protrusion of the lock mechanism. He pressed his finger against it, slowly turning the mechanical iron lock from the inside to grant them egress.

Click.

The small shift of iron echoed into the air. Inside the dead silence of the lifeless night hallway, the tiny sound bounced off the walls like a deafening explosion.