Chapter 1

I looked out the window to the scene and closed my eyes. I couldn't help but wonder if they were next, if it would be suffering as much as that little boy most likely did. No, I thought, I would die before I could feel a single thing. Life would be nothing without my angel.

"Lynn?" said Sonya from my doorway as she rubbed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I said rubbing my own forehead, closing the curtains concealing myself from anyone outside.

"The kids and I got scared. We heard a bang," she said as I walked over and hugged her.

"It was nothing but the war," I said trying my best to comfort even if my alarms in the back of my head were ringing of the approaching danger. "I want you to get the kids together and activate plan 4, okay?"

Sonya looked at me with a cool expression but eyes showing a little uncertainty, "Is it a zombie?"

"No," I said closing my eyes and expanding my senses. "Seems more human."

She nodded and ran off as I walked over to the trunk at the head of my bed. I opened it and pulled out my long twin swords and almost thought about slipping them into the straps on my back but thought better of it. Instead, I put them back and pulled out a simple knife, slipping it into my pants concealing them. I flipped my short, brown hair out of my face like it usually is and looked toward the doorway which led to the empty corridor that ran its way through the top floor.

I ran out to the hallway as soon as the door busted open. I slid away from the banister and into the shadows. I looked down at the man who had just shot the little boy outside my house.

"Anyone home?" he asked sarcastically as he continued to jerk the gun he had around.

I smirked and picked at one of the other knifes that I had in my pocket from earlier. I quickly gripped and flung over the banister, aiming it so it flew my him. I just wanted to scare him and it worked. His eyes frantically shot from one end of the room to the other, his movements showing more desperation.

"Show yourself!" he commanded making me frown.

"I don't think you are in a position to be commanding," I said moving quickly a he fired a gun toward me. Not a bad shot, I thought.

"At least I won't miss when I see my enemy," he said with a smile as if his fear that hung in the air around him didn't exist at all.

"Confident, but flawed. Now, who said I missed."

"Your throw," he said continuing to find me.

"You are mistaken then. Who may I call the stranger that is about to die?" I said smirking pulling the knife out of my pants.

"Nick Brooks, now catch me," Nick said as he looked up to where I stood aiming his gun without hesitation and precision.

I smiled only to hear the one thing that could make feel fear, "Lynn?"

"Kailee," my voice cracked as I turned on my heels quickly to see the little 9 year old girl standing on the other side of the balcony where she can be seen. She rubbed her eyes and looked down to where Nick now turned and aimed his gun with a laugh.

"Find the-" he began as I screamed, "FUCK NO."

I ran over, dodging at least 5 bullets as I grabbed Kailee, and rolled to where I was behind the wall.

"Well shit," he said with a laugh. "You're a girl, and a fast one."

I snorted, "I'm more than you know."

Kailee shivered within my arms as she buried her face into my chest, "Make him go away or make him die."

Kailee, the only child beside Sonya who remembered the person that has my heart, never talks to anyone but me. She knew the events in life: birth and death. She wasn't afraid, like me. She understood and, for that, I can and will fight for her too.

I sat her down and walked out my head down, my arms stretched out, "Shoot me."

Nick looked at me like I had three heads making me smile, "What?"

"Shoot me, you break skin and you can kill me.

He raised an eyebrow, "And what if I miss?"

I smiled, "I get a try."

As I smiled, he did the same, "On"

He pulled aimed his gun already knowing that he had a good aim but instead brought it up so it was directly aimed at my head. He doesn't want any mistakes, I thought with a mental chuckle. It wouldn't matter though. I pulled back my bangs for him to get a better shot and showed what people called "jaw dropping beauty". Maybe it's true for Nick hesitated and looked at me like I was a goddess.

He swiftly slipped back into the hunter mood and quickly pulled the trigger. The bullet came slower than I expected as my senses and instincts gave me a second-by-second breakdown. I closed my eyes and then felt it hit my forehead just as I felt the feeling of what felt like an army of the dead coming.

"Kailee!" I screamed just as the bullet pounced off my tan skin. "Plans 4 through 6!"

She looked at me and then ran off in fear as I opened my eyes to see Nick looking at me with awe, fear, and disgust. I grabbed the wood bar and flung my tall lanky self over only to land gracefully and eye-to-eye with the stranger.

"What are you?" he said narrowing his eyes.

"No time," I said getting irritated as Kailee came back and throwing me my swords from behind banister upstairs. "We got company."

"What? Leeches? Furs?" he said slipping his smaller gun into his holster and shoving his bigger one on his shoulder.

"No, easier. The dead," I said slipping my swords into the straps on my back.

"You can sense them?"

"Why do you seem surprise when you can to?" I said looking toward the door that gaped open.

"It's been awhile since I've been around things that aren't infected. You are one of those people."

I shook my head, "No, I'll never be blood thirsty and stupid like the infected."

He looked at me, "What are you then?"

"A lot of things including not stupid enough to go break down doors of places where I just might die. Not that it's easy for me to die," I said with a smirk, feeling the dead coming closer.

"So I've noticed and I'm guessing your name is Lynn," he said as he fingered his gun.

"Good guess."

"How close are they?" he said with a little hesitation.

"Too close for my liking," I frowned.

"Well maybe-" he stopped as I gasped.

"They're gone," I stated with a little confusion.

"What do you mean they're gone?"

"I mean simply that either they got killed or somehow got out of my range."

He stared, "Are you certain that you are accurate?"

I looked at him, "Do not doubt me, boy."

He huffed, "I'm older then you."

"How old are you?" I said leaning against the door with ease.

He put his gun down and leaned on it, "27, yourself?"

I smiled, "Doesn't matter, I'm older."

"Eh! That isn't fair!"

"Hey, be lucky you're still here and I didn't kill you."

He snorted, "Right."

I laughed, "I take it that I should prepare you a room, that is if you don't try to kill any inhabitants that live here."

"So it isn't just you and that little girl?" he asked curiously.

"No, there's about seven other children here along with me and two other adults," I said as I started to walk upstairs.

"Lock the door and come up here. I'll show the guest room."

He scratched his chin, "I don't know."

"No worries, you don't have a choice" I said edging his fear making him follow me. Once placed in the room, he was out like a light.

I shut his door and walked to the door knocking seven times only to answered by a gigantic group hug of seven kids: four girls and three boys.

I got yells and commands about strangers and fear as I laughed and hugged them all telling them to relax. I told them to go to bed and stayed there to they all were asleep. Oh, how boring my life is without my heart.

I took off my weapons and stripped to my tank top and jeans. I jumped onto the mattress and closed my eyes. Please, I thought, let them come back tomorrow. To the thought of my best friend and heart I fell asleep after a very eventful night.