Chapter 7 Allies
Jake's POV
I'm wondering how much of a pain in the ass it's gonna be to get to Tommy now that the car is gone, but I guess we should worry about getting out of this shithole first, one problem at a time I guess already got enough to worry about.
"That was too damn close", Joel said.
"Too the edge of the universe and back. Endure and survive", Ellie replied.
"Excuse me?".
"Savage starlight", Me and Ellie said at the same time she then looked at me with surprise..
"Told you I read that comic. It's what the hero says after a big battle".
"Endure and survive?", Joel said.
"Yeah", I replied.
"Okay".
Passing through the street of this place was weird to say the very least for me, this was a quarantine zone so this could've happened to Boston and then what would've happened to me. I then noticed out of the corner of my eye Ellie staring at a poster.
"I thought you had plenty of food in your time?", Ellie asked Joel.
"We did some just chose not to eat it", Joel answered.
"That stupid".
"Stupid yes, pointless no", I said and Ellie looked at me"What? Would you say she isn't hot?".
"I don't know", Ellie replied and walked away.
"Smooth move", Joel said to me.
"What?".
"You pretty much called her fat".
"And the problem is? She's just cargo that happens to have a conscious", I replied "Why does he care?", I thought. We then started walking again and believe it or not more hunters this time they had an armoured truck on their side which was shooting at us left and right but we managed by climbing on top of ledges of some buildings we soon after lost it we climbed through a window but some guy grabbed Joel there was a kid aiming a gun at as so we couldn't do anything Joel then got the better of the man that grabbed him and started beating him.
"Joel. Joel stop", Ellie shouted and eventually he listened "Look", I said pointing to the kid with the gun.
"Leave him alone", he said we all then raised our hands in response.
"Easy son. Just take it easy", Joel said.
"it's alright. They're not the bad guys. Lower the gun", the man said and the kid did as he said "Man you hit hard".
"Well I was trying to kill you", Joel replied.
"Yeah I thought you were one of them too. Then I saw you two", he said pointing at me and Ellie "If you haven't notice they don't keep kids around. Survival of the fittest".
"You're bleeding", the boy said.
"Ah it's nothing", he said opening the kid's bag "I'm Henry this is Sam, Think I caught your name was Joel?".
"Ellie", she responded "That's Jake".
"How many are with you?".
"They're all dead", Sam replied.
"Hey we don't know that", Henry said tying a bandage around where the blood was coming from "There were a bunch of us. Someone had the brilliant idea of entering the city, look for supplies. Those fuckers -they ambushed us, scattered us. Now it's all about getting out of this shithole".
"We can help each other", Ellie said.
"Ellie", Joel said trying to get me to be quiet
"Safety in numbers and all that".
"She's right", Henry replied "We could help each other. We got a hideout not too far from here be safer if we chat there".
"Alright take us there", Joel replied.
"Follow me", Henry said.
"Sorry about the whole gun thing", Sam said
"It's okay I probably would've done the same. Where you from?", Ellie said.
"All the way from Hartford".
"Really I heard some bad stuff was going on down there".
"Yeah, the military abandoned the zone. It's why we left. Place probably looks like this by now", Sam said "So how are you doing?", he asked me.
"He's not the most chatty of people but when he does open his mouth it's usually funny".
"Just because you're easily amused doesn't mean everyone else is", I replied.
"See there's always some kind of humour in what he says", she replied and Sam gave me a look as if he wanted to kill me I returned the glare.
"We gotta be careful. We're right next to one of their lookout area", Henry said "Is it just you and your kids?".
"Neither of us are his kids", Ellie explained.
"I promised some people I'd look after them", Joel added.
"Look after, is that the right term for this? I don't know", I thought.
"Yeah. I can appreciate that", Henry replied. We then climbed down some stairs into a store called Choochoo Toys "Wait, wait everyone be quiet. Get down", Henry said the hunter's truck then moved down the street outside we waited for it to leave before getting back up "Man… that fuckin truck. It's been hounding us ever since we in this damn-", Henry said but got distracted by Sam and didn't finish his sentence "Sam what are you doing?", he asked the boy who was holding a toy robot.
"Nothing", Sam replied.
"Get rid of it".
"My backpack is practically empty".
"What's the rule about takin stuff?".
"It weighs like nothing".
"The rule what is it?".
"We only take what we need to", Sam answered putting the toy down.
"He looks at least twelve. So why is he playing with toys", I thought to myself I then saw Ellie pick up the robot "Really?", I asked.
"Shut up", Ellie said.
"How close are we?", Joel asked.
"We're close. Real close", Henry replied as he opened a door to exit. We then arrived at an office space which lead to Henry's hideout.
"You sure this is safe being so close to them?", Joel asked Henry.
"I'm the only one with the key", Henry replied.
"Where'd you get that?".
"I killed one of em. He won't miss it now".
"So how old are you?", Sam asked.
"We're both fourteen. You?", Ellie replied.
"The same".
"Oh you're fourteen, huh?", Henry said.
"I'm close", Sam replied.
"Alright".
"I am", Sam said I just chuckled at this conversation."What's so funny?".
"You know what I'm laughing at you just don't wanna say it", I replied.
"Whatever", Henry then opened another door in the office and we all entered.
"Welcome to my office", Henry said.
"How long have you guys been holed up in here?", Ellie asked.
"A few days", Sam answered "Found a bit of food though. Here", he said motioning Ellie to follow I went and sat on an office chair.
"Blueberries. Found a whole stash of em", Henry said "Want some?", he asked Joel.
"No", Joel replied
"Man, relax we're safe".
"So why haven't you left?", I stopped listening to their conversation if Joel approves of their way out it'll work for me Sam then started throwing Blueberries into his mouth but Ellie wasn't eating.
"Jake heads up", Ellie said she then threw a blue berry at me I then caught it in my mouth.
"How come you're not eating?", I asked.
"I'm not hungry", she replied.
"You should still eat you don't know the next time you'll get some food".
"Maybe later".
"You three should rest up", Henry said "We leave tonight", I then settled in my chair and began to drift off.
I then woke up a few hours later it was an hour or from sunset, I went outside the office and found I started rubbing trying to remove the glass from earlier with some rags in my backpack that I use incase I don't have any I heard footsteps behind me so I instinctively pulled out a knife pinned the person against the wall and pointed the knife at their stomach.
"It's Ellie", Ellie said and I then let her go.
"If you want to live I suggest you don't sneak up on me again", I replied and then went back to removing the glass
"I thought you were supposed to be looking after me, not killing me".
"I meant I would do it out of instinct not intentional focused killing".
"I don't feel taken care of you're kind of intimidating to be around".
"Then I suppose our definitions of taken care of are different. Mine is you're living".
"Why are you such an asshole? I thought I finally got on your good side".
"I know, I hate that about myself. I have trust issues.".
"I'm starting to question if you have a good side".
"It's less of a side for me and more like a small portion".
"You know it's better if someone else does that", Ellie said walking up to me.
"I got it, it's fine", I replied but Ellie took the rag off of me anyway and started removing the glass.
"You trust me now?".
"It'll take a bit more than that but it's start I suppose", I replied and then hissed at the sting of the glass being removed.
"Good to know", Ellie replied and then put the rag down "Your face is done".
"I'll take care of the rest".
"You sure?", she asked and I could feel my face heating up at that question.
"Yeah. So how come you weren't eating the blueberries earlier".
"I told you I wasn't hungry".
"You think I'm that dumb?", I asked but I wasn't expecting an answer "Is this about the thing I said about that poster?".
"Maybe".
"Look if you felt offended by it I'm sorry".
"Oh no I was offended", Ellie replied I then sighed in response.
"You don't have to not eat food to look pretty. You're pretty enough already", I said.
"I'm sorry what was that?", she said.
"You're pretty and you should eat properly".
"How pretty?", she asked with a sly smile.
"Are we really having this conversation?", I asked but she didn't respond "I'm not really one to judge", I said then walked away "Get some rest"
An hour or so later.
"Hey it's time to go wake up you girlfriend and granddad", Sam said.
"Ironic how you call her my girlfriend even though you've tried to impress her all day don't you think? You already saying your chances are low?", I replied.
"Shut up asshole", He said and then left.
"I get that a lot", I then got and went over to wake up Joel and Ellie.
"Alright y'all ready?", Henry asked as we approached him.
"Yeah", Joel answered, we then went down some stairs to leave the office next outside was the street that lead to the bridge but the hunters were blocking it so me Henry and Joel cleared a path to open the gate that lead to the bridge. Once all the hunters were dead we opened the gate but a Humvee coming after us we managed to close the gate and had to climb over another gate to get to the bridge everyone but Joel got over this metal box to get over the gate but before Joel could get up the ladder we were using broke.
"Okay we gotta get him up", Ellie said.
"I'm sorry we're leaving" Henry replied as he ran away.
"What?", Sam said.
"This is bullshit", Ellie responded me and Ellie then jumped down from the box to open a garage door so that we would at least be safe from the Humvee. I then noted the the driver of the Humvee had terrible aim. we then got through the building and around the gate and into the street leading to the bridge where the Humvee opened fire at us but missed, like I said terrible aim we then got near the middle of the bridge only to find a giant hole in it stopping us from crossing
"Oh shit", Joel said
"Oh fuck", Ellie said afterwards.
"How many bullets do you have left?".
"They're gonna kill us".
"What other choice do we have",
"We jump".
"No it's too high and you can't swim".
"I'm with Ellie on this one Joel", I said.
"No time to argue", Ellie said and jumped I went after her followed by Joel I then grabbed her but the current was pushing us straight into a rock I had to put my back to the rock to take the hit and once again everything went black. When I woke of I saw Ellie and Sam above me Ellie then hugged me and Sam went to call Henry.
"Last time I passed out and I woke up you slapped me this time you hug me", I said.
"Would you prefer the slap?", Ellie asked.
"Good point", I said and got up to see Joel running towards me.
"Jake you okay?", Joel asked.
"Yeah".
"We gotta get moving", Henry said.
"Alright", I replied Ellie then helped me to my feet "Shit", I said.
"You okay?", Ellie asked.
"I'll be fine".
"The radio tower on the other side of that cliff let's go", Henry said and we started moving.