Author's Note: Hello, I'm really sorry that it's been so long. Honestly, I've just had the worst case of writer's block. You don't know how many times I wrote, rewrote, revised, and deleted this chapter. I feel like I'm making an excessive amount of chapters too. That bothers me, but what're you gonna do?
I planned on writing more than this, but I figured even a little bit is better than nothing right? My friend told me that my writing isn't good if I'm not 'into' what I'm writing about. And you know, I don't particularly want to prove that to anyone who reads this. So I only updated with what I was confident about.
I'm sorry if you don't like Ryan. I'm not too happy with the way I wrote him either. Just bear with me.
Also, some answers to questions.
Elle will, in fact be in the story, and I believe that Sarah is about 32. 'Cause she was 12 and it's been 20 years.. Yeah. Wanted her to be younger though. Something about being in your 20s.
Again sorry for my late-ness.
~HG
Chapter 4
Finally Some Action
Sarah grunted as she felt the weight of her partner and pulled him up slowly.
"Hey, you've gotten better at that." Ryan smirked as he straightened himself out.
"You could still stand to lose a few pounds." Sarah stretched lightly and then moved over to their exit, a hole in the ceiling covered by a wooden door.
Ryan chuckled as he held the door up for Sarah to crawl under. "Aren't you sassy today?"
When she stood up, Sarah frowned as she lifted the entrance for Ryan, then lowered it gently when he was through.
Ryan sauntered towards the door of the diner they had ended up in.
"Be careful." Sarah called after him.
He smiled, still walking. "When am I not?"
"Is that a trick question?"
Ryan ignored that statement and paused at the porch.
Sarah came to a stop next to him and sighed as she took in the scene before her. Cars littered the street. All kinds of undergrowth and trees sprouted from the cement. "Ain't been out here in a while." She spoke gently, but grinned as a new thought entered her mind. "It's like we're on a date."
"Well, I am the romantic type." Ryan pronounced smoothly.
Sarah walked away shaking her head lightly. "You've got your ways."
They walked together until reaching a dead end. Baffled, Ryan looks around. "Where's the ladder?"
"It's gotta be around here somewhere." Sarah began exploring the area. "I'll look over here. Wait there."
Ryan languidly stood by where the ladder was last seen and watched Sarah as she searched. In no time at all, he heard her voice. "Got it."
"You okay to bring it over?" Ryan inquired.
"It's just a ladder." Sarah rolled her eyes as she picked it up. She carefully walked over and placed it on the wall. She moved out of the way for Ryan to climb up.
He didn't budge, just merely gestured to it and grinned. "Ladies first."
Sarah scoffed as she started up the ladder. "I won't even comment on that."
The moment Ryan's feet reached the safety of the second floor, he started jogging ahead of Sarah towards the stairs. "This way."
Even though Sarah stayed right on his heels, he still murmured directions to her. Before descending the staircase he looked up and said. "Down through here."
The stairs were halfway gone so Sarah had to jump off, and when she looked up Ryan was already in another room. He started speaking. "You think Robert's still got our guns."
The edge of Sarah's mouth curled into a menacing smile. "For his sake… he better."
"Once we get our merchandise back, it should be easy to unload."
Sarah's smile turned into a frown. "Speaking of merchandise, when's that next shipment due?" It got just dark enough to where Sarah couldn't see. So she pulled out her flashlight.
"Uh, we're meeting Bill next month, more pills, lots of ammo. Supposedly."
They paused at a doorway. "Spores." Ryan stated. Sarah pulled on her mask and watched as Ryan followed suit. She led the way into the fog-like substance.
It was quiet for a while. Then Sarah spoke up. "Where the hell are all these coming from. The place was clear last time." She entered a hole in the wall.
"They're coming outta something. Stay alert."
Sarah continued walking, but a body caught her eye. "There's our culprit." Her eyes scanned over the remains. The man was pale with plants growing out of his body, and his clothes were ripped and caked with blood.
"Body's not that old." Ryan's voice sounded from behind her, slightly muffled from the gas mask. "Better keep your eyes and ears open."
"Mm," Sarah moved on shining her flashlight on her surroundings. She stopped when a plank of wood blocked her path, and hooked her flashlight to her backpack strap. "We should be able to fit through here." She then proceeded to move it.
It fell pretty easily, taking part of the ceiling with it. "Oh, shit." Sarah ducked away from it. A second later she heard, "You okay?"
"Yeah." She called. "Damn ceiling's falling apart. Be careful." She turned sideways, so her body would fit through the narrow space between the wall and the cabinet. "Over here."
"Easy." Ryan mumbled as Sarah pulled herself into the open. She felt a hand graze against her ankle through her jeans and stepped back, surprised. "What the-?! Watch it." She grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him next to her.
"Help me…" The man had been pinned in place by a fallen cabinet, and he coughed with every sentence he spoke. "My mask broke. Don't… Don't leave me to turn. Please."
Ryan looked at Sarah. She kept her eyes solely on the poor guy's face. "What do you want to do?" He asked her.
"No choice." Sarah answered as she pulled her gun out. She aimed for a moment and pulled the trigger. "Poor bastard."
"Yeah." Ryan followed Sarah as she walked into the next room. She crouched underneath wood that was nailed to the upper half of a doorway.
"Up ahead. You hear that?"
"Shh. Shh. Shh." Sarah quietly took cover next to an open door and listened. She heard runners yelling, then a regular scream, like they had attacked a person. About three of them were in the room. Two were focused on their meal, while the other came to a halt with its back to the two partners.
Ryan stepped forward, but Sarah held an arm out and shook her head. "I got this." She whispered so softly that he barely heard her. He opened his mouth to argue, but deciding that this wasn't the best time, closed his mouth, hid himself, and nodded.
Sarah moved quickly behind the runner. She grabbed him and with little trouble, killed him. She checked out the others, who were still busy with their prey's remains.
Sarah pulled out her gun and checked her ammo. Only five bullets. She made eye contact with Ryan and nodded. They cornered the infected humans unloaded their clip into them.
"Alright, that's all of them." Ryan breathed.
"Let's hope so." Sarah sighed as she put her gun away.
"Let's head back into the city."
They walked through the rooms, finding helpful things, like ammo and health, thankfully. No more infected were encountered.
Sarah and Ryan eventually reached a set of stairs, and that led them to a hole in the wall which in turn led them to fresh air. Sarah jumped off immediately, and removed her gas mask.
"Ahhh… some fresh air." Ryan said contentedly upon reaching the ground. "That's the one thing I love about the outside." He moved ahead of Sarah forcing her to follow him.
"I know what you mean, fucking hate the smell of the city." Sarah agreed. "Been thinking about getting some air fresheners from Bill." They waded through the shallow green water.
Ryan frowned. "Honey, they're most likely expired. That's a bad idea."
Sarah blushed. "I-I knew that! I just think that anything is better than that smell."
Ryan looked back at her, but didn't say anything. He only smiled gently. Then the duo reached a wall. Ryan moved towards a large crack in it and moved it, it to reveal a secret entrance. He looked back at Sarah and murmured. "Through here."
When they were both inside, Ryan called over his shoulder. "Cover the entrance."
"Yeah, yeah." Sarah murmured. She pulled the boards back into their place and followed her partner up to the highest point in the room.
"The plank fell down." Ryan was crouched at the edge of the floorboards looking down at a piece of wood.
"I guess you want me to get it?" Sarah sighed.
"It doesn't really matter. Although it would be fun to argue about it like children."
"Shut up. I'll get it." Sarah jumped down where she came from and walked over to the plank. She picked it up, but when she looked up Ryan wasn't in his original spot.
"Here, pass it to me." His voice called from the right side of the room. Sarah adjusted the plank so she could carry it easier and mumbled something about lazy assholes before she walked over to hand the object over.
"You know that was heavy." Sarah said with a smile in her voice.
"What? You want sympathy now?" Ryan grinned as he placed the plank down like a tightrope. "What happened to the Sarah that didn't want to be treated like a lady?"
"She's still here, just doesn't appreciate doing stupid little things like that." Sarah pulled herself up and followed Ryan to the other side of the room. They jumped off the stairs and walked down the side of the building. "Any soldiers?" Sarah asked Ryan who was pretty far ahead of her.
"It's clear." He yelled.
Ryan entered a building leaving the door open for Sarah. She entered. Ryan called for her to close the door, which she did. Ryan walked down a hallway and opened another door. "Take that ammo."
Sarah grabbed the ammo, but couldn't stop herself from murmuring. "Bossy aren't we?"
"I really want to get this guy Sarah." Ryan frowned. "Don't want to be in the middle of a gun fight with no bullets."
Sarah was stunned into silence by her partner's uncharacteristic serious attitude.
Ryan took advantage of Sarah's silence and walked up some stairs. He began talking to a child through a cracked door. "Hey little man." He pulled out a rations card. "Make sure the coast is clear. No soldiers. None of Robert's men. Hm?"
Sarah was attempting to regain her composure, when a thought hit her. "You know he's expecting us."
He smiled mischievously. "Well, that'll make it more interesting."
(: *To be continued* :)
P. S. ! Thank you so much for your sweet comments. They make me so happy!
