"So…what exactly is the plan again?" Riley asked as she, Jason, and the rest of Squad 25 marched through the gates leading to the outside.
Jason didn't answer, merely staring out at the caved-in concrete that made up the landscape directly outside the wall. There were a few charred, skeletal remains of houses here and there, but any small buildings were blown up long ago by bombing raids.
The blonde elbowed her friend, repeating herself in a more forceful voice. Jason shrugged, readjusting the strap of his rifle. "I will tell you when I come up with one, how's that sound?"
Riley blew out a puff of air, making a popping sound. "It sounds stupid. Remind me why I agreed to go with you, again?" The girl was seriously doubting her decision now. However, Jason was her best friend and she felt an obligation to make sure he didn't do anything unusually moronic.
The dark-haired boy tapped his chin, furrowing his brow in mock-contemplation. "Let's see…You're hopelessly in love with me and you'd follow me to the ends of the earth, no matter how dangerous the journey would be." He said teasingly, and laughed as Riley shoved him.
"You're so full of it; you can't love anybody but yourself." The blonde muttered, checking her rifle for bullets. The cartridge she was carrying in her breast pocket was half-full, and her rifle could only shoot two bullets at a time. Between the four of them, ammunition wouldn't be a problem for a few days exploring the city…if they could even get that far without being caught or killed.
Riley had to admit, there wasn't as much to Denver as she had first thought. The novelty of being outside the wall had quickly worn off once she had processed the fact that there was little to nothing left of Denver that hadn't been destroyed by bombs or just so neglected that it wasn't safe to go near anymore. The skyscrapers in the distance didn't look too friendly, come to think of it. The way they leaned didn't seem inviting.
The girl was brought out of her thoughts by bumping nose-first into the back of the cadet in front of her, who happened to be Christine. She glanced over her shoulder and threw the blonde an annoyed look. Mouthing her apology, Riley glanced to see why they had stopped. Sgt. Brookes was dividing them into groups for patrol. Jason, Riley, Nadia, and Harry made sure that they were lined up together so that they would end up being in the same group. Fortunately the plan worked and Sgt. Brookes gave them their patrol route in the form of a map.
"We switch routes with each other every fifteen minutes. Remember that we patrol Sector Alpha for an hour, and then Sector Bravo for another hour, and then we meet up with Squad 14 and set up mines in Sector Charlie while we take turns on the towers. Don't think about running away. If the other patrols catch you, they won't be very nice and neither will any Clicker or Runner out there greet you with mercy. I give you permission to shoot anything you find suspicious. Am I clear, cadets?" Brookes spoke briskly, and a resounding 'yes ma'am' was her answer. The groups, which she now referred to as fire teams, spread out to begin their patrols.
Jason, Riley, Nadia, and Harry set off down a rubble-strewn street that used to be part of a neighbourhood, but was now nothing more than exposed sewer, concrete, and house foundations. Riley turned and glanced at the wall as she walked. It was very different being on the other side, but she felt a sense of vulnerability and unease at being outside the city. She noticed something odd about the concrete sewers, however.
"If everything spills out here, wouldn't people be using the sewers to escape from Denver?" The blonde queried, eyeing the gaping, black mouth of a sewer tunnel that seemed to emerge from under the wall.
Harry furrowed his brow at her comment. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were tunnels leading out of the city, but I doubt anyone's desperate and stupid enough to use them…who knows what condition they're in? Plus, what would be out here that anybody would want?" He replied, glancing around at the rumble lining the ruined street.
Jason chuckled at the boy's words, drawing attention to himself. "That's exactly what we aim to find out, my friend. You'd be surprised at what people left behind when being penned up in Quarantine Zones. It's a gold mine out there, all ours for the taking!"
"Yeah, if bandits and Infected haven't stolen or destroyed it yet…" Nadia added, seeming doubtful herself about the expedition. Riley was pleased to find that she had coiled her hair into a bun again, meaning that she had stopped flirting with Jason for the time being.
"You'll never know unless you go out there and check yourself, now will you? I say we quit when we're going over to patrol Sector Bravo. What do you guys think?" The dark-haired boy suggested, shooting Riley a challenging glare that dared her to deny that he had a plan.
Harry thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He finally made a decision saying, "We'll be leaving while the sun's still up, so I guess we'll be able to get a couple of hours of exploration in, but we'll be taking a huge risk by booking it while we're able to be seen."
"We'll just have to be extra careful, then. Hey, we turn left here." Nadia said, tapping the map Sgt. Brookes gave her. The four of them continued walking down their new route, which wasn't much different than the last. With the escape part of their plan ironed out, the group fell silent and focused on watching the skeletons of houses for any suspicious activity.
As Brookes had ordered, they switched with other fire teams that were Squad 25 until their hour was up. They hadn't got much further than the escape stage, as none of them knew what to expect after they had outrun the other Squads. Harry and Nadia had a better idea than Jason and Riley, so the pair asked them about dealing with Infected. Neither one had really dealt with one face-to-face, but had heard enough stories to last a lifetime.
"You just have to shoot them before they get to you, really. If they do, you either punch them out or whack them with whatever's lying around. There's always a loose brick or piece of hardwood to use. I favour a good hunting knife, but there aren't too many of those anymore. At least none that I can get my hands on, anyway." Nadia explained, glad to be sounding superior to Riley in front of Jason. That was the way it sounded to the blonde's ears, in any case.
Riley and Jason fell silent, imagining what it would be like to stab a Clicker. They've heard many stories about the infamous, terrible creature, but had never had the displeasure of meeting one. They had a good idea of what they sounded and looked like, but were also warned that they were relentless, fast things that had exceptionally good hearing. Riley shivered in the afternoon sun, trying not to think of what would happen if they ran into Infected.
All too soon, it was time to switch over to Sector Bravo. Riley's back ached from standing upright and walking for so long, but she sucked it up and kept an eye on Sgt. Brookes. The woman had her back turned, and by this time everyone in Squad 25 knew of their plan to make a break for it. They were sworn to secrecy, however, and Jason hoped that nobody would spill the beans when they were gone, instead making a distraction so that they could escape.
"I'm surprised that everyone is so okay with this suicide expedition…" Nadia commented as they watched Christine slip away to make a distraction. Even the redhead got over her initial anger at Harry for going, and decided to help them out. Once she gave the signal, Jason and the others would make a run for it. What that signal would be, the group had no idea, but Christine would reassure them they would know.
After a few tense minutes of walking with the rest of the Squad, the group of four heard a blood-curdling scream resound from an alley far behind them. Riley immediately wanted to turn back and help the poor girl who was making that awful noise, but then realized it was just for show. Jason smirked, "That's our cue…" He chuckled, mentally commending Christine for her performance. Now they had only seconds to run as far as they could before Sgt. Brookes discovered they were gone.
As the rest of the Squad ran to "aid" Christine, they gave the four encouraging pats on the back for good luck. Once Brookes was out of sight, the real work of getting out of the other patrols' sights had begun. Jason naturally took the lead, checking every intersection for other patrols, but they seemed to have heard Christine as well and abandoned their posts. The four ran across deserted streets, hopped over fissures in the concrete, and climbed the staircase-like chunks of pavement that had once been an overpass.
"Halt! State your business, cadets!" Jason froze midstride as a sniper from a concrete ledge above the group trained her sights on them. She wore body armour over her uniform, and looked a lot more intimidating because none of them could see her face beneath the orange visor attached to her helmet.
Riley's heart hammered in her throat, which had inexplicably gone dry. What were they to say to a sniper in whose territory they weren't supposed to be in? Jason, as always, had something up his sleeve. He smiled up at the sniper, trying to seem as charming and innocent as possible. "We were just running from Infected, ma'am. Nasty things, they're just a few blocks down. Didn't you hear that girl scream? Now if you'll excuse us, we don't want to get torn apart."
"I don't hear any Infected. Get back to your Squad before I decide to shoot you for trespassing." The sniper growled, cocking her rifle. Snipers were known for having short tempers, and were as lithe and territorial as mountain lions. Riley knew the woman wasn't kidding, and had to think fast. She picked up a small piece of rebar, about the length of her forearm, and threw it as hard as she could at the sniper's head. Unfortunately it missed, but the distraction was enough to continue running. The four sprinted away as fast as they could before the sniper could recover.
Their plan didn't work as well as they had hoped, because they had only gotten a few steps in before the woman opened fire. Riley heard Harry grunt in pain and threw him a worried glance, but the black-haired boy managed to keep running. His side was bleeding, and he seemed to be able to keep moving for the moment. Jason and Nadia, being the faster runners, began to pull away from Riley and Harry, and the blonde heard the sniper shout out hasty commands that involved shooting her and her friends at will.
All of a sudden, the seemingly empty street was alive with gunshots and snipers at every block, all shooting at them. The four had no choice but the keep running through the maelstrom, trying to move fast enough so that they wouldn't get shot. Riley's legs were burning and her head ached from all the noise and stress of staying alive. Harry looked like he was ready to drop, judging from his loss of speed and laboured breathing. The boy stumbled over a loose chunk of concrete and Riley stopped to help him, but soon realized it was hopeless because snipers were still shooting at them and he was already dead, his right side and thigh riddled with bullet holes.
The blonde chocked back an angry sob at the boy's premature death and blindly continued running. It was when she couldn't hear the shots of snipers anymore that she decided it was safe to stop. She skidded to a halt, dropping to her knees from exhaustion. The blonde gagged and spat, trying to catch her breath in her burning throat. She dragged herself to the wall of a nearby brick house, which was miraculously still standing, and realized that not only did she not hear the sound of gunshots, she heard nothing at all.
The streets around her were still and silent, except for the sound of her own breathing. Jason and Nadia were nowhere to be found.
She was completely and utterly alone.
Panic began to set in. How could she be so stupid as to get herself separated from them? Where were they now? Were they even alive? Riley retraced the last two minutes in her memory. When Harry had died, Jason and Nadia kept running forward, but which way was that? The blonde had been so frightened she had no idea which direction she had ran in. Confusion and disorientation made her head ache more, and she groaned as she rubbed her temples.
Riley glanced around, trying to get her bearings. It would be dark in a few hours, and she if she hadn't found Jason and Nadia by then, she would have to make camp somewhere safe until morning. She mentally cursed Jason for talking her into this trip. He was just so persuasive, so confident that everything would go well…and also the worst planner she had ever met.
"That stupid boy never thinks of what could go wrong, just what's in it for him and anyone else involved. If we had taken the time to scout the area and plan our route, maybe Harry wouldn't be dead and my chances of survival diminished by half." The blonde muttered to herself, scanning her surroundings. Her initial panic had turned to anger at Jason and fear of what could be lurking around the corner.
The two-story houses around her had seen better days, but a few were still standing. They were all varying colours of brick, some gray, others red, and a few were beige. Bombing raids had reduced most to rubble, but if she picked the right spot, she could make camp in a relatively cozy basement or upstairs room. The girl shrugged off her backpack and rifle, taking stock of her supplies. She had enough ammunition, a change of clothes, a lighter, and a flashlight. Unfortunately, she had finished the last of her meager dinner before the shift had started, but her water bottle was half-full. Riley took a gulp of water, quenching her parched throat and trying to conserve as much as possible.
The girl could see the wall of the Denver Quarantine Zone, but it looked at least a mile away. She wasn't too far, but judging by the silence around her, she was far enough to be out of range of any patrols. However, she had dove straight into the heart of Infected territory, and whatever else called these deserted streets home. With senses on high alert, Riley began walking in the direction opposite the Denver QZ, which she determined to be the most likely direction Jason and Nadia had gone in.
Fear clawed at Riley's heart with every step she took. She jumped at every sound, head whipping around to find the source each time. Even something as common as a bird taking flight or rat scurrying across her path sent her heart hammering. The sun was starting to set by the time the girl reached the base of a tall skyscraper, overgrown with ivy and other plant life. Riley didn't dare go in, and decided to spend the night in an abandoned café across the street. The store's front window was smashed, so she couldn't satiate to curiosity of what it was called before the outbreak. The blonde peeked around the doorframe, now void of a door.
Up until now, she hadn't run in to any Infected. She had seen Runners, off in the distance, staggering around and making those horrible wailing noises. She had always altered her course when that happened, and tried to stay as quiet as possible. The urge to call out Jason or Nadia's names was overwhelming sometimes, but she knew that if she tried, the Clickers would reply.
What the blonde did see in the café made her blood run cold. There was a Clicker sitting at one of the tables, waiting for the waitress that was never to come, or the companion that would never show. Maybe what was left of its human side still remembered dining at this café before the world went to hell, and it found comfort among the peeling floral wallpaper and moldy food displays? Riley likened the Clicker to a person with Alzheimer's, remembering only fragments of days gone by, and losing more of its humanity as time went on. She felt a bit of pity for the creature, but not enough to spare its life. This was her territory now.
Riley's heart pounded in her ears as she picked up an old, glass pop bottle from near her right foot. She aimed and chucked it at the wall near the Clicker, attempting to divert attention away from herself. As expected, the Clicker suddenly stood up and rushed over to the broken bottle, inspecting the glass. Seeing her chance, Riley rushed the creature from behind, holding the butt of her rifle high and slamming it down on the back of the Clicker's fungus-layered head. The creature stumbled to the ground and Riley shot it in the head a couple of times. The Clicker lay still, blood oozing out of its skull. She was too terrified to loot the thing's black, tattered hoodie, and listened carefully for any signs of alerted Infected.
Hearing various wails and howls from nearby Runners and Clickers, Riley swore and dashed for the kitchen behind the serving counter. The best she could do was barricade herself in here with a clear view of the door instead of making a run for it just to attract more Infected to her. She hoped that the once-human creatures would lose interest, and turned an old fridge on its side to barricade the door to the kitchen.
Riley backed up against a wall at the end of the longer kitchen, holding her rifle ready in case anything decided to breach her refrigerator barricade. Adrenaline rushed through her veins once more as she heard the screams of Runners, but none could find the source of the gunshots. She observed from her spot on the tiled floor as some walked clear past the café, searching in vain for their victim, only to find nothing. Riley should have guessed the Infected would have trouble finding her. The shots from her rifle may have roused the nasty things, but the sound waves reverberated throughout the street, bouncing off the glass of the skyscrapers around her and making it almost impossible to pinpoint the original location of the noise.
The girl felt like she could finally calm down enough to make a fire, but then realized she had nothing to cook. Hunger made her stomach growl and coming down from her adrenaline high left her feeling exhausted. Despite this and the fading light outside, Riley found it difficult to sleep. She kept hearing the wails of Runners a few blocks down, or Clickers chatting away across the street inside the old skyscraper. "I sure picked a hell of a spot to make camp for the night…" Riley thought to herself, feeling like an idiot for deciding to hole up in the most Infected-infested part of town. To avoid attracting attention, she skipped fire-making and tried to scout the kitchen for any food.
Riley found nothing but a can of three-year old peaches in one of the cupboards, the only thing left that bandits hadn't taken. Fortunately the can had a lid one could peel off instead of having to use a can opener. She ate the peaches like they were a delicacy, not the flimsy, tasteless pieces of fruit that barely constituted a meal. The girl threw the can away, glad that at least something had gone right today. It clattered to the ground, but no Infected seemed to be in the area to hear.
The blonde let out a long, shaky breath. The corpse of the Clicker was starting to stink, and Riley was afraid that the smell would attract unwanted Infected visitors. The girl didn't know too much about which senses were amplified at each stage of the Cordyceps fungal infection, save for Clickers and their hearing. She hoped it wasn't smell, too. The last thing she needed was a horde of Runners clambering through the glassless windows and mauling the corpse as well as her. It chilled her to the bone to know that Infected fed on dead bodies, but she wasn't sure if Infected fed on other dead Infected.
Riley watched as the last of the sun's rays ceased reflecting off the windows of the skyscraper across the street, and with the fading light her last bits of hope went as well. The darkness of the night engulfed her, and she wished that it were safe enough to make a fire. With the darkness came the cold, despite it being the middle of summer. Riley shivered, hugging her military jacket tighter around herself. She had never felt so alone, vulnerable, and helpless since her time living with her father. This dank, lightless kitchen was a lot like the dark room her father had locked her in whenever he felt like she needed extra punishment besides regular beatings. The walls felt like they were closing in on her, the darkness pressing against her body like giant hands. They threatened to completely envelope her, never to let her see light again.
The blonde hugged her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on them. She felt hot tears make their way down her cheeks, dripping onto her pants. She was completely alone, with no way of returning to the QZ without getting mauled by Infected. The girl hadn't seen neither hide nor hair of either Jason or Nadia during the day, and assumed that they were probably dead. If she had barely survived with her logic, what chance did Jason have with his impulsiveness and lack of common sense? Just the thought of the pair, alone in the dark together, was enough to make Riley's teeth grind with fury despite her chocked sobs.
A light shined from outside the blonde's eyelids, making them glow orange for a second before returning to darkness. The sudden light made her believe for a moment that she had fallen asleep and the sun had come up, but the flash was too quick and intense to be the sun. The afterimage burned against her retinas and she struck out as someone placed a hand on her shoulder. The resounding grunt of pain caused her to pick her head up, and she took the opportunity to continue beating her attacker senseless.
"I told you she would hurt you, Jason. But no, you decided not to listen. See what happens when you approach a cornered, terrified girl?" Riley recognized the voice of Nadia drawl. Her logically functioning mind interjected long enough to realize that her 'attacker' was indeed her best friend. Riley froze in mid-swing, lowering her arm. Her eyes had adjusted long ago to the darkness, and she could make out Jason smiling up at her. Her fist was still curled around his jacket collar, and their faces were inches apart. Blushing furiously, but glad for the darkness, Riley scrambled off of the dark-haired boy.
Jason sat up, chuckling and coughing. "Hey, Ryebread. Happy to see me?"
This time Riley's anger with the boy boiled over, and she gave him a well-deserved backhand across the face. "You stupid, selfish asshole! What makes you think I'd be happy to see you after you left me to die?!" The girl screeched, seething with fury.
The dark-haired boy recovered from his pounding looking apologetic. He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, I really am. We tried to go back for you, but there were too many snipers. We had to run, but we spent hours looking for you. We only managed to find you because of the Clicker corpse and the sound of your crying. By the way, is Harry around?"
Riley stubbornly wiped the tears from her cheeks, remaining silent. Jason got the message and sighed heavily. "Christine's going to kill me…"
"Not if whoever's waiting back at the QZ for you does it first. Did you even think about how we're going to get back? How about avoiding arrest and detainment, huh? Did you think they'd welcome us back with open arms after assaulting a sniper and escaping from the QZ?" Nadia badgered the boy, now angry with him as well.
Jason hissed, turning on her. "Shut the fuck up, Nadia!" He yelled, holding his head in his hands, visibly shaking in the darkness. Riley had seen him like this before, back at training camp. She was no stranger to these breakdowns.
Nadia huffed, rolling her eyes. She acted as if this wasn't the first time the boy had broken down like this in front of her. "Here we go again…He's had these weird mood swings every so often, it's like he's fucking pregnant. One minute he's happy-go-lucky, the next this." She gestured to the dark-haired boy, who was trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Riley sighed, comfortingly rubbing Jason's back. "Poor baby, you're having withdrawal symptoms again. You'll be okay, don't worry." She reassured the boy soothingly.
Nadia threw up her hands. "Withdrawal symptoms?" She reiterated. "You mean I've been walking around with a goddamn druggie all day? I can't believe this…" She scoffed, crossing her arms. Jason and Nadia may have been flirting during training camp and at the lobby, but that didn't mean she had experience with his symptoms.
"I need a fucking joint…please…" Jason whimpered, clutching at his sleeves to stop the involuntary shaking. It didn't help much.
"We don't have one, and plus you're supposed to be quitting the stuff. Did you even go to one of those meetings yet like your dad told you to?" Riley chided the boy, feeling her heart tighten at seeing the usually strong boy this vulnerable.
Jason shook his head, and the blonde clucked in disapproval. "Maybe if you did, you wouldn't be out of it like this. Or you would, but just not as bad. Do you think you can sleep?"
The dark-haired boy picked his head up and nodded. "I'm really tired, but at the same time all I can think of is pot." He replied, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "I'm also wondering why you don't have a fire going. Don't you have a lighter?"
"Of course I do, but I don't want to attract anymore Infected by giving them a reason to check out a bright, crackling red thing in the middle of the night. I guess we'll just have to huddle up and stay warm." Riley explained, and the blush returned to her cheeks. She wished she didn't have such light skin that showed the red on her face so well.
"Good point. You did pick the worst place to make camp, after all. I'll take first watch; I've had enough of dealing with Dr. Jekyll over here." Nadia pointed out, giving Riley a fake smile. She pulled out a blanket from her pack and threw it to the girl. Riley caught it and spread it out in front of her like a portable mattress. She wasn't sure who Dr. Jekyll was, but it didn't sound like a compliment. She lay down on the blanket and Jason did the same, lying on his back.
"I am such a fucking idiot. And you're colder than an icicle." Jason observed after a minute of silence, as he noticed the blonde beside him shivering. She hadn't realized it was that obvious.
"Yes, you're probably the stupidest person I've ever met. I know I'm cold, but I don't need you to be all gentlemanly and warm me up. You're too preoccupied flirting with Nadia and dealing with the drug-addicted demons in your head." The blonde sarcastically shot back, turning on her side to face away from Jason.
Another minute of silence passed, and the dark-haired boy furrowed his brow. "You know, you've been real bitchy lately, Riley. I know you're pissed off at me for leaving you like I did, but I already apologized for it. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I don't like being around people with bad attitudes. Something's bugging you I want to know what it is." He propped himself up on his elbow, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She shrugged it off, and he quietly sighed.
Riley couldn't tell the boy what was wrong because of a few reasons. One was Nadia was in the room, another was the fact that she wasn't quite sure herself why she was acting like this, and the third was that if she tried to explain it, Jason would probably laugh in her face. "I…I can't." The blonde muttered finally.
"Well, if you can't tell me, then at least let me keep you from getting hypothermia. Can I put an arm around you?" There was a quiet authority in Jason's voice that was at once reassuring and hard to say no to. Riley sighed in defeat, reluctantly turning over to face the boy. He awkwardly wrapped an arm around her, bending his free arm for her to use as a pillow.
Riley could practically hear the blood rushing to Jason's cheeks as she rested her head in the crook made by his elbow and her hands against his chest. The fabric of his military jacket was rough but warm against her fingers, and she smiled a little as she felt his rapid pulse at the base of his exposed neck. His breath hitched at the contact, and she couldn't help but let out a light giggle.
"What's so funny?" Jason questioned, his voice soft against her ear.
The blonde's smile widened, but not enough for him to notice. To divert his attention she queried, "Why'd you call me Ryebread?"
Jason thought for a moment. "You're such a slow runner, I was sure you'd be food for Infected by now." He answered, surprised his wit hadn't been affected by either his withdrawal symptoms or the current, slightly uncomfortable situation.
"You have such little faith in me. Please, continue underestimating my ability to handle myself." The girl said dryly, shifting closer to the boy just to make him more uncomfortable. Jason's breath hitched in his throat again, and she knew it worked.
"I see you've been using my soap. I never knew how nice lavender smelled on other people. The dried Clicker blood kind of sets it off, though." Jason commented, earning another light whack on the shoulder from Riley.
Despite her irritation, the girl couldn't help but giggle. "Shut up, you tease. Go to sleep, I thought you said you were tired?" She yawned, closing her eyes.
"Whatever…Goodnight, Riley." Jason murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head. Despite her complaints, he felt the girl relax and settle herself against him. He noticed she had stopped shivering, and then sleep overtook his exhausted body and mind.
