Rochelle jumped out of the boat and onto a dock, when she stepped onto the soft ground she huffed; mud sloshing into her boots.
She took a couple steps forward and looked over her shoulder and watched as Nick, Ellis, and Coach all exited the small boat as well.
Virgil bid his farewell, telling them to grab some gas and when they had it to give him a sign and he'd be back. Coach gave the man a wave goodbye and was turning just as Nick started to speak.
"How do signal him once we got the gas?"
"Oh there are flares in the gun bag." Ellis said flippantly as he picked up a pump shotgun.
Nick watched Ellis with raised eyebrows, "What gun bag?"
Ellis spun around to face the grungy looking fancy pants. "You mean you DIDN'T grab the gun bag?"
Nick took a step back and spread out his arms, "Who put me in charge of the gun bag?"
"Pretty much everybody!" Ellis accused as he walked into the small diner.
Nick stared at Rochelle flabergasted and she just grinned and shrugged her shoulders and picked up a pan and an uzi.
Nick growled and bent over to pick up an uzi as well and followed her in.
"Wann hear a prediction?" Nick asked as the group was picking up medical kits and pills.
"No!"
"Nope."
Rochelle didn't really mind as she looked over her shoulder to look at him while switching her Uzi out for a M16.
"There's not going to be any gas… watch."
Coach made a face, "Boy you need to learn to not be so pessimistic."
Nick shrugged and grabbed a sniper rifle. "Just watch."
Rochelle looked up at the large hole in the middle of the roof of the diner and flinched, That was one big tank… She thought; she silently hoped that the tank was either dead or had moved on, she didn't want to deal with it.
"You alright?" Nick asked, a concerned look etched in his features.
She looked away from the ceiling and faced him and smiled, "Yeah I'm fine." She assured.
He nodded and motioned her to move in front of him. She smiled again and moved in front of him, she looked outside the door and watched as Ellis bounded around Coach like a little puppy.
She smirked and weaved around the cars in the 'parking lot' in front of the diner. "Oh look." She said dryly, "You were right." She pointed at the sign and he shrugged giving her a cocky grin. "Aren't I always."
She glared at him and punched him in the arm as they walked and he chuckled.
Just as she walked over the fence she heard Nick cry out, "No!"
Rochelle spun around and watched as a smoker grabbed him from behind and pulled him from behind the large sign. She sprinted down and grabbed his jacket, ripping him from the grasp of the smoker and together they ran around the sign and shot down the fleeing smoker.
Rochelle and Nick grinned at one another and started to run to catch up with the other two; Rochelle climbed up the ramp behind Nick this time and looked over her shoulder before stepping over to double check and what she saw gave her chills up her whole body.
She could only really see a silhouette of the creature but she didn't recognize it as anything she'd seen before. The figure was full figured, with an hourglass figure. She could see long hair blowing in the breeze that was coming off the river but what was strange and creepy was what was around her.
She could see four long, tentacle like, things snaking around her body, almost like you would expect to see on Medusa only it didn't seem to come from her head but her back.
She looked back to see Nick climbing up a ladder on the back of a van and when she looked back the creature was gone.
"You comin'?" Nick asked from on top of the van.
Rochelle turned back around and nodded, "Yeah… yeah I'm coming." She said; she looked behind herself one last time before jumping down and following behind Nick to catch up with the others.
"You got quiet…" Nick said after a moment of silence, they could see Coach and Ellis walking down a alleyway as they walked across a small playground.
Rochelle looked up to her right at Nick and smiled, "Can't think of anything to talk about." She lied and topped it off with a convincing smile.
He'd think she was crazy. Why would there be a NEW special infected after all this time?
Nick grinned, "And you used to get mad when I said that." He laughed.
She forced out a laugh, and continued forward; the image of the dark creature still filled her mind and she couldn't shake it.
They caught up to Ellis and Coach and fell into step with them.
"Is it raining?" Ellis asked as he held out his hand palm up. "Never mind… it is." Ellis said dryly; Coach chuckled and patted him on the back.
They passed up an ambulance and just then the sound of a hunter sounded through the air and everyone jumped to attention and started to look around.
Rochelle took one step forward and the sound of a tank roared through the empty town as well.
Then from nowhere a boomer came around the corner and puked its guts up all over Ellis and Nick.
"Aw gross!" Ellis whined.
"I got green stuff all over my suit!" Nick complained.
Coach turned in time to see the tank turn around the corner, throwing a yard sale table across the street, just as Coach was about to pull the trigger and light up the large pink hulk the hunter they had heard earlier pounced him.
"AH! Get it off!" He screamed over the noise of an angry tank, an hungry horde and a rage filled hunter.
Rochelle sprinted over to Coach and thwacked the hunter in the back of the head with her pan, killing it instantly.
Coach sprung from the ground and started to shoot at the tank while Rochelle ran over to help the puke covered boys, swinging her pan around like a mad woman.
But despite her efforts Nick went down as the horde surrounded him, pulling him to the ground; snapping at his neck and clawing at his arms and legs.
Rochelle felt her heart fall to her stomach at hearing his cries of pain and desperate pleas for help.
She pulled the M16 off her back and aimed her gun at the exact level of most of the infected's head or neck and pulled the trigger; one by one they fell to the ground next to or on top of Nick.
His cries had ceased and she began to panic. "Nick?" She screamed his name, all noise disappeared around her even as the tank rampaged through the area trying his best to destroy his two assailants; Ellis and Coach.
She pushed the dead bodies off of Nick's still one and gasped. If he was in a safe room she would have assumed he was just sleeping; his eyes were closed, his breathing even and he looked so at ease and peaceful, but she knew better.
She brushed a stray hair away from his forehead and studied him. "Nick…?" She said quietly; all around her she could see the common zombies running past them, attacking the tank. Whoever had thrown the boomer bile on him made a good call but it came too late.
She cupped the side of his face, begging him to open the beautiful green eyes, as she waited she noticed how different he looked compared to the first time she had met him, they all looked different but the transition was surprising.
His white suit, which had been spotless when they first met now had blood stains on the sleeves and sides, a combination of both his own blood and the infected's. He had mud covering the hem of his pants and had holes in seemingly random places.
Aside from his clothing appearance he also had dark circles around his eyes and his lips were dry and cracked.
"Oh Nick…" She whispered, slowly he opened his eyes and looked up at her.
"Hey." He rasped.
"Hey…" She greeted him, offering a smile. "How do you feel?"
"Like a million bucks." He mumbled while looking down at himself.
She smiled and stood up, offering a hand up he took it gratefully and suddenly the noise came back all at once for her; the sound of a roaring tank, the sound of gunfire and shouts from Ellis and Coach and zombies moaning.
Nick picked his sniper rifle back out and started to no scope the tank as fast as the sniper would allow, Rochelle did the same with her own weapon; a few clips later the tank fell to his knees.
Then the unexpected happened; Ellis tripped as he tried to run away from the tank and landed on his back.
"OH SHIT!" He yelled out as he tried to crawl away from the falling tank but it was too late, the dead mass of muscle landed on top the small southern boy.
"ELLIS!" They all screamed and ran to where the tank had fallen, underneath they could hear muffle screams and cries. "ELLIS!" Nick shouted and they all tried desperately to push and pull the pink hulk of him before he ran out of air.
The muffled cries persisted and Rochelle felt her whole body go numb. "This cannot be happening." She muttered pushing as hard as she could against the tank; Nick was beside her pushing and Coach was on the other side pulling.
Slowly but surely they managed to rock the tank off of Ellis.
Nick was the first by the boy's side, placing his ear next to his mouth and listening for his breathing. Rochelle knelt down on Ellis' left side while Nick was on his right. "Nick…?" She whispered.
Nick's gaze shot up to hers, his eyes full of terror and his own face held no color. Rochelle gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "Oh no."
Nick looked away and placed his mouth over Ellis', pinched Ellis' nose shut and tilted his head back and attempted to put air into the boy's lungs.
Rochelle held her breath and watched as Nick placed his hands on Ellis' chest and pumped, he repeated the process and with each attempt Rochelle felt another part of her heart break
"GOD DAMN YOU ELLIS!" Nick screamed and slammed his fist down on Ellis' chest one last time.
Rochelle let out her breath and looked to Nick's face with tears in her eyes, only to see that Nick had the same expression on his; horror, loss, sadness, and anger.
Nick let out a grunt of frustration and shot to his feet and stalked away.
Rochelle gathered her things and chased after him, "Nick wait!" She called and when he didn't stop she ran up and grabbed his arm.
He stopped and spun around and what she saw made her want to cry, the dark circles she had noticed earlier were more vivid, he had tears streaming down his dirty cheeks and his shoulders were slumped in defeat. "He's gone..." he breathed.
She nodded somberly and watched his reaction carefully. "I'm sorry…" She whispered.
She knew that Nick wasn't one to care easily, and to love was a completely different story, but over the past week or so it was obvious he HAD learned to care.
No doubt it was because the past week has felt more like a year, the sense of care more than triples when you are saving one another's life.
Nick and Ellis had a very strong love hate relationship, and that love part could not be broken even through the harsh words exchanged between them.
Nick lowered his head and Rochelle felt the last part of her heart rip in two.
She cocked her head to one side and furrowed her brows together in concern and sympathy and reached her hand behind the back of his head and guided his head down to her left shoulder.
Nick followed her lead and rested his forehead on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist; Rochelle kept her left hand on the back of his head and brought her right hand to his back and rubbed gently rubbed her hand up and down his back.
"I'm sorry…" She repeated.
He nodded and held her tighter and she sighed sadly at his pain.
The sound of Coach's voice sounded and caused both to jump and break apart, much to their displeasure.
"I found one! I found a defib!" I said; running with the defib waving in the air above his head.
Nick brushed past Rochelle and jogged up to Coach. "Where? Where did you find this?" He asked as he took a hold of it in his own two hands.
Coach looked over his shoulder and pointed behind himself to the ambulance, "I figured there would be one in there and I was right. It took a second but I got it!"
Nick did not hesitate to fall to his knees and use the paddles on Ellis.
Ellis took a gasp of air and shot up. "KEITH, RUN!" He screamed but when he realized where he was he seemed to relax and smiled, "Wow whatta rush." He laughed.
They all looked at him concerned but when Ellis shot up and seemed to brush it off they had no choice but to do the same. "Let's get out of here." Nick said and started to walk away.
On the corner of her eyes Rochelle saw a dark figure lurking in a garage nearby. She shouted for them to stop and pointed at the garage but by the time they had actually turned around she was gone again, just like last time.
"You know… I'm pretty sure Ellis should be the one seeing things right now." Nick deadpanned.
"Yeah." Ellis said, though not know why he was agreeing.
"He was oxygen deprived for who knows how long and you're seeing things in the shadows…" He laughed and moved on while Ellis and Coach followed Rochelle couldn't help but stare at the spot once more… on edge once again.
She felt chills run up her body and she shook with them before sprinting up next to Nick and the rest of the group, only wanting to not be alone.