Once Jade had taken over driving, Beck took the passenger seat and attempted to find their location on a map. Trina passed out in the trunk where an equally unconscious Andre was hugging Cat, who still hadn't said anything since this fiasco began. Tori and Robbie now sat in the back seat playing war with a tattered deck of cards.
"Jade," Beck looked up from the map, "how long since we've last seen civilization?"
Jade thought for a moment. "Four hundred miles, give or take. We've been headed mostly north, slightly east. Passed Elko about five hours ago." She stuck out her fair hand. "Give me the map."
"Jade, you're driving."
"I don't care. Do you want shelter tonight or not?"
"Well of course I do, but-"
"Then give me the damn map!"
The boy rolled his eyes but handed his girlfriend the paper. "Are we shooting to get anywhere in particular?"
She shook her head, trailing her fingers along the map from Los Angeles to somewhere near Reno, where they spent last night. From there, she traced north and west along the roads they had taken.
"We're near Soda Springs, Idaho right now. Let's find shelter near Rock Springs, Wyoming. We'll get gas, ammo, food, whatever. They're apt to have a Walmart."
The blue-eyed girl shoved the paper back toward her boyfriend. He smirked over at her. "Does 'whatever' include sheathing for my weapon?"
Jade's eyes flew wide. "Beck, behave. There are other people in the car."
Tori's lean face appeared between the couple. "It's not like we don't hear you holding this conversation. I'm so glad it's only been two days of running so far. You're like freaking rabbits."
"Why are we running, anyway?" Robbie asked from his seat. "The pandemic is behind us. Besides, we're armed. Why not set up camp and stay for a few days?"
Groaning, Jade pulled over to the side of the high way and turned around. "Because I'm not risking losing anyone else. Half of Los Angeles died before we left. It's anarchy back there. Cat hasn't spoken since we left home. We've lost everyone. Think about it."
"Jade, are you getting soft?" Tori looked up and met the other girl's eyes, searching her blues for the emotion she seeked.
"No, Vega, I'm getting wiser. We need each other to survive. I'm taking it upon myself to ensure all of our safeties. May I keep driving now? I'd like to make good time." Without another word, she spun to face out the windshield and they started off down the road again.
Tori didn't say a word, choosing to simply stare blankly at the red-and-black plaid shirt the blue-eyed girl wore that once belonged to Beck.
In the back, Cat had awakened without opening her eyes. She had listened to Jade's entire speech and the way she had dwelled on not losing anyone else.
The redhead's lip trembled, but she remained silent, curled up in Andre's strong arms. The boys were always so good to her, but she missed her brother, too. Unfortunately, he was gone.
Remembering her brother, Cat began to cry. A single tear slipped down her cheek and came to rest on Andre's jacket and she wiped it up, careful not to wake him. Now thoroughly upset, Cat clawed through her memory for something happy to hold onto and nuzzled closer against Andre, drifting off again.
Three hours later, the jeep pulled into town in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Most of the town was empty, surprisingly, but a group of teenagers about their age sat outside on a curb.
"Hey," Beck whisper-shouted out the window. "Anywhere we can stay?"
"Fuck off," the kids hollered back. "All's taken. Get gas and get lost."
Jade sped off to the gas station, where she filled the tank and the empty spare before taking a back road away from town until they arrived at a completely vacated stone farmhouse. She parked in the driveway and everybody piled out.
"They must have evacuated," Robbie concluded, placing his right hand on the hilt of his gun anyway.
Andre nodded. "We hope. Jade, why don't you, Beck, Tori and I go check it out. Robbie, Trina, and Cat can keep an eye on the car. Remember, quiet if possible." He grabbed a wooden bat from the trunk and held it at the ready.
Jade drew her machete and tossed Beck the metal bat from the driver's side.
Together, the three strongest fighters, with Tori in tow carrying a crowbar, crept into the ajar front door. Beck and Andre split up to cover the first floor, so the girls headed upstairs to check there.
They split up upon reaching the top of the steps, completely bypassing the attic for the time being. Jade headed to check out the master bedroom while Tori checked the smaller ones.
The brown-eyed girl stuck her head into one room, sighing when she saw it decorated for a young girl. In the next room to the left, a blood splatter shot up along the far wall, but otherwise the room was empty and decorated for a boy, adorned with a set of bunk beds. The bathroom was completely empty with no running water.
Finally, Tori reached the final room at the end of the hallway. The door was shut, so she jiggled the nob, finding it unlocked. Carefully, she opened it and glanced across the room to find nothing except a few blood smears across the wall.
"Huh," she muttered. "Strange to shut an empty room."
As she turned her head back, she came face to face with a wheezing, undead woman.
"Holy shit!" she shouted, bypassing her crowbar and settling for planting three bullets in the thing's head before it could bite.
Jade came running. "Fuck, Vega, you gave me a heart attack!" She looked at the dead thing on the ground before walking up beside it and using the machete to remove its head. Lifting the head, she looked at its sunken-in face and made a 'tsk' noise. "She was pretty. Poor lady."
Beck and Andre appeared in the doorway, panting. "Are you okay?"
Jade chuckled. "Tori made a friend. Almost her last friend ever." She lifted the head again. "Let's get this thing out back and bury it."
Andre grabbed the walker's body and drug it down the stairs while Beck jogged off to grab the shovel.
All seven teenagers stood in a circle around the backyard while they buried the woman. As they finished, Cat looked up with a pleading look in her eyes, which Robbie read fairly easily.
"Guys," he piped up, "I think Cat wants us to say a few kind words."
"How, Cat?" Jade questioned. "We don't know her."
"I'm sorry I shot you three times," Tori apologized to the grave, chuckling.
"I'm sorry you got bitten in the first place," Andre added.
Beck nodded. "I'm sorry that your family left you locked in your bedroom."
Jade chipped in. "This whole pandemic sucks. Nobody even knows how to work or how to stop it. It needs to end."
"Rest in peace, woman who tried to bite my sister," Trina finished for the group. They all walked back toward the house.
Beck looked back toward the group. "I call the master bedroom for tonight. Jade as my roommate."
Jade rolled her eyes. The rest of the group made assorted disgusted expressions, gestures, and noises. Beck just hoped the remainder of the house was safe.
