Another chapter? Up so fast? :o I really have nought better to do and I'm still thinking up ideas for the next instalment to "Tales of the Infected" so here you go.

Chapter dos: Know Your Enemy

Tyrek bolted through the door, slamming it shut and pulling the metal bar accross after him. If he was honest, he was quite handy with nought but a pistol and his own sharp wits. Examining his first safe room, he found a well-stocked kitchen area, a couch, a number of sleeping bags, and what he'd dubbed zombie-asskick-supplies; assorted ammo, pills, adrenaline shots, and bombs, as well as a pile of red packs which, on closer examination, contained bandages and (what Ty hoped were) morphine shots. Shuddering, he replaced the healing agents, hoping he'd never have to use them on himself, or worse - anyone else. He hated the thought of causing someone death through his shitty medical skills.

Looking out through the bars of the red door, Ty contemplated his disposition. Night had fallen, yet the city was smouldering and infested with zombies; a failed attempt to contain the infection. All day he'd been fighting them off and had found a safe room through no obvious course of action; he made a personal reminder to take the pens scattered on the floor and draw out arrows on the ground so that other lucky individuals may follow in his footsteps.

As he gazed upon the dark streets and alleys, the faint moan of undisrupted zombies hung in the air - the zombies he'd disturbed, he'd killed. All was quiet outside, and the night was tranquil, as the boy with the messy black hair recalled the day so far... Never had he thought he'd find himself here, doing this; never. And ye-

"HELLO!" The silence was broken by a head that had seemingly appeared from nowhere. Groping for his beloved pistols, Ty tried to aim at the door.

"No! Don't shoot me! I'm not a zombie!" The head laughed and let itself in, reaching through the bars to unbolt the door. Ty cursed himself for not thinking to barricade it.

The owner of the happy voice was a girl; seemingly younger than him, and with long brown hair, flowing straight past her shoulders. She wore a black hoodie and jeans, coupled with scuffed trainers and fingerless gloves. She too, had been fighting the horde, for although her face was pretty and her brown eyes shone brightly, Ty's eyes were drawn to the stains of blood and bile on her dark garments; and the sheer size of the guns she carried compared to her height (or lack thereof); he wondered how she could even pick up the combat rifle, AK-47 and M60 she carried with her.

"I'm Tyrek," he said, the break the silence after the girl had bolted the door behind her, and laid her weapons on the floor. "Tyrek Campbell; but you can call me Ty. Or D."

"Dee?" The girl seemed confused.

"D as in Delta; like this see;" Ty made a triangle shape with his left index finger and right index and middle fingers. It was his symbol; Delta.

"I... see..." The girl looked confused. "Well Dee, it's sure nice to meet ya. I'm Tanni - Tanwen Nia Jones. And it's okay; I don't have any weird triangle name or shit. I'm just Tanni."

Ty smiled and held out his hand. "Looks like we're partners in fighting zombies now, huh?"

"Yup!" Tanni smiled back and, ignoring Ty's outstretched hand embraced him in a big bear hug. Ty was taken aback by Tanni's behaviour, even in a zombie apocalypse. She was bouncing and happy and filled with positive energy; as if her life finally had meaning.

A sarcastic voice from the door interrupted the introduction.

"Oh please, spare me the humility and let me in already." A blonde-haired girl wearing a pink headband stood tall in the doorway, either unable to or just outright refusing to unbar the door. Ty searched for the owner of the voice.

"Here, it's me." The girl sighed. "Yes, I know, butter wouldn't melt is being a sarky, but if you don't let me in I would be inclined to shoot you." Even Tanni seemed shocked that a death threat and snarling voice could belong to such a sweet looking girl.

"I, uh, sure," Ty stuttered as he walked to unbolt the door. A shadow passed over Tanni's face but she said no more on the matter, save

"I'm heading off to bed now," And grabbing a sleeping bag and her guns, walked up the stairs hidden behind a velvet curtain in the corner, eyeing the new arrival as she passed. Ty shook his head at the blonde.

"Look, I'm really sorry about her, she's just... yeah." He bit his lip. What should he say to her? She was standing, waiting for him to bolt the door back up. He knew he should make her do it; she wasn't queen of the zombies. As he opened his mouth to protest, the blonde girl raised her pistol and shot a smoker that Ty hadn't noticed trying to creep in behind her without turning around. She raised an eyebrow.

"Liubov. Bellini Orya Liubov." Bella turned and bolted the door for herself, seeing as Ty was just standing there with his mouth hanging open, amazed that she knew there was a smoker behind her and then shot it dead with a pistol without looking.

"You... Um.. That.. So, pistols... Italian?" Was all he could manage. Tanni poked her head around the velvet curtain; she'd been eavesdropping.

"Russian, actually. Never heard of the Liubov mafia? Yeah, probably 'coz you're so sheltered. Well they control the underworld and that there's the boss's youngest daughter. He disclaimed his other daughter after she said she didn't want to get involved in the family business. You know, this reminds of that one time-"

"Do you ever shut up?" Bella had her pistol aimed at Tanni. She stared into the barrel of the gun, gave a quick half-nod, and absconded behind the curtain, her scuffed shoes banging on the stairs as she made her way to bed.

Ty was severely confused. All Tanni had done was recall Bella's past for the benefit of himself, and yet Bella had so quickly threatened her; just as quickly Tanni had subsided. He'd never understand women.

After taking a swig of the vodka she'd found in the fridge (and with a "Aren't we both a bit young for that?" from Ty that was easily ignored) Bella shook her hair out of her ribbon and pushed back the velvet curtain, following Tanni to bed. Once again, Ty was left on his own, but not for long.

He sighed and pressed his forehead against the wall; just as a loud clattering came from the direction of the door. "Come in, don't be a bitch." By now, Ty was tired of new allies that decided to show up in the dead of night.

He was answered by a surprisingly gruff voice; "Keep yer knickers on, I'm only armed to the teeth with guns an' grenades. Not like I can do anything to ya." Ty turned to see a tall man in a rugby jersey; over six foot tall and built to kill by his reckoning. They could use a guy like him; hell, they could use a guy full stop.

Ty stumbled over to him and shook his hand through half closed eyes. "Ty. You?" Being too knackered to even talk, he wanted to get the formalities over and done with.

"I'm Feoras Greystone - my friends call me Fee." Ty noticed the man's injured arm;

"Health packs in corner, close door, go to bed." He could manage no more before slouching on the sofa and closing his eyes; not even making it upstairs.

Hurr next chapter. I like these people. This was from Ty's PoV but tell me if I'm not switching enough; I don't want to pick out a main character from the four.

~Frankie