Chapter 35

Errands

Aiden woke up on his bed and looked around. Jordan was still soundly sleeping beside him. He was supposed to be sleeping with Angie but since he and Jordan arrived later than expected, he would be sleeping with him and Angie was with Thomas and Ashley in the other room. He remembered yesterday which still bothered him. Claire told Jill and Carlos some bad news and he wasn't able to hear it. Claire never said a word about it and would just let the adults handle those kinds of stuff. It was still dawn since he hadn't noticed any rays of light from anywhere. He just stood up and went in front of one of the closets and opened it. It was filled of the old clothes and stuffs of the previous owner of the house. He saw a green jacket and pulled it out of the closet. It was just about his size surprisingly so he put it on and walked out of the room. He went to the front door and unlocked it.

"Where are you going?" Jill said who was just right behind him. He jumped up from fright and looked at her. His heart was pounding and was uneasy.

"God Jill, you scared the crap out of me!" he said. His heart was still pounding in his chest and sighed. "I'm just going outside. Something is bugging me lately and I just want to get some fresh morning air. What's the time anyway?"

"It's just pass three." Aiden saw Jill reached for something at his back. She took out a pistol and handed it to Aiden. "And don't forget to bring this!"

"Thanks!" Aiden said with a smile. Jill kind of understood of what he was feeling right now. It was the sense of guilt that keeps ringing in everyone's head. Killing the body of you own kin is something disturbing indeed. Also, he witnessed how Caleb's murdered the body of his parents. He simply needed sometime to be alone. Aiden opened the door and sat on the balcony where he could turn and look at the rows of houses where the others were. There was an opened light in one of the rooms of Amber's house. He jumped down the balcony and decided to eavesdrop if there is someone awake there. He slowly walked in the darkness and couldn't see any movements. There were only a few selected streetlights that showed him the way. Other than that and there was the darkness. It was dawn and the sun isn't coming out soon. He got nearer and nearer the house and rested under one of the windows. So far, he was still alone and there wasn't something he could other than himself. He slowly crept upwards and put his ear on the window. He could hear some muffled voices inside. The voice was moaning and he was just stunned what it really was. It was just a familiar tone but the moan could still be heard. He was now enthralled by the sound. He slowly put his hand around the handle of his handgun, drew it slowly and brought it out. All that he could think of was there was one of them already inside. The moan went on and the more he listened to it the more he recognized the voice. He was now sure it was Chance' and the moans were more like from pleasure. He just thought what his friend could be doing on the other side. He tried to peek inside the window but he couldn't see anything. There was no light inside and it was well barricaded too so he couldn't see much either. He tried pushing the window open but it won't budge. He tried exerting more force but it still was no use. The moaning stopped for the moment which brought him to a more alert situation. He tried reaching for the window again but it opened. He was shocked and fell back. However, he did made an aim to whoever opened it. Aiden saw Chance with a gun at the ready. They just aimed at each other until Chance brought his gun down and jumped out of the window. It was just on the first floor so it really didn't hurt. He grabbed Aiden's hand and pulled him upwards.

"Thanks." Aiden simply said.

"Come inside." Chance said. Both of them got through the window. Aiden sat on the bed as Chance removed his shirt. Aiden was just petrified to see Chance massive perspiration. His whole back was sweating hard. He wiped his back and sweat with his shirt and threw it by the feet of the bed. He then sat beside Aiden who noticed something behind his back. Aiden moved back a bit to notice something far more frightening. His heart jumped from the sight he just saw. There were scars from his back. He could recognize them as whip marks. And then there was a tattoo he was too familiar with. There was a mark of Umbrella under his right should plate. He could see that it was marked by engraving it with a metal piece.

"Do you know why my name is Chance?" he began. Aiden just sat up straight again and listen to what he wanted to say. "It was simply because this is my second chance to live how a kid should be."

"Should be?"

"I was an agent of Umbrella, until I went missing and went freelance. It was my second chance to live better. Amber knew and took me in and regain what was left of my innocence and it was something I could hopefully find."

"That's the reason you-"

"Know how to fight." Chance said, cutting Aiden off and finishing his sentence. "What would you expect? I am also a murderer and killed a lot of people. My life was hell and I was saved. I'm fighting them off right now."

"You shouldn't be. None of us children should!" Aiden shot back.

"It's no use. I was trained to kill. I even enjoyed it sometimes and that's the fact. I want to be useful too now that hell took over. My past was hell but I try to move on. You don't know how many comrades had to die before me!"

"I…should understand you, as a friend." Aiden calmly said. He put his arm around Chance shoulder and pulled him closer a bit. Chance just sat there beside him emotionlessly as he remembered all that had happened. Aiden rubbed his back and spoke. "You are right. It will be better if we have some use and don't be burdens to our new family. There is no point in what I am saying. You should use this second chance. However, I realized something, I don't think Chance is you real name. What is it then?"

"Maybe later on I will tell you."

"Oh yeah, what did I hear before you knew I was outside? Something was definitely wrong. And look, you are sweating hard."

"You were eavesdropping?" Chance exclaimed. Aiden just grinned and tried to laugh it off. "I had a nightmare."

"You call that a nightmare? You were moaning and all that." Aiden replied. He wants to know what was really happening.

"You don't even know how hell felt!" Chance shot back. "It was too horrifying to a child that it was engraved to my soul! It was that painful!"

"Fine! Fine!" Aiden innocently said. "I'm sorry!" Aiden just lay back on the bed flat on his back. He just sighed loudly and stared at the ceiling. The house was a bit small and cramped but there was no choice and it's a fact. Aiden closed his eyes, and since it was still hours before the sun rises, he fell asleep.

Alice woke up and tried to regain more of senses. She was sitting and her hands were both tied at her back. She can't remember anything at all after seeing that delirious creature behind Mirage. She was taking it to be real but it really seemed too real for her. A few more thoughts and she was convinced that it was just all an illusion. She scanned her surroundings and could tell she was inside a small shack. However, she doesn't know where that place could have been. She darted her eyes from left to right and try to find something more useful-or at least a clue to tell her more of her situation. It was pretty much dire, but she still had hope as long as she's alive. She calmed down for a while a tried to hear out things that could prove their worth. There weren't any sounds at all except for the stray wind that had just passed by.

She tried pushing herself upwards from the wall behind her, until she was able to stand and look around. There was a small window near her and she slowly walked near it, trying to keep quiet and not to catch attention of anything she might encounter. She peeked outside and saw a motorbike and Ada standing outside. It was already sunrise and it seems she was waiting for something. She mustered all of her strength and broke the ropes on her wrists. She examined it and there was no wound except for the throbbing pain. It halted the blood flow and she felt the numbness kicked in as it rushed for its usual flow. She rubbed it a bit and waited for a few minutes for the numbness to disappear.

As soon as everything is fine, she tried to get another view of outside. Ada was still standing by the bike and scanned if she had Mirage with her. Fortunately, he wasn't there and his absence of his cold presence had told her that. She slowly crept for the door and turned the knob. She slowly pushed it and sneaked towards Ada. She reached out and tried to grab her but she knew and turned around. She quickly drew her gun and aimed for her but she slithered her arms and pushed her hand aside. She grabbed it and threw her on the ground and dashed up to her. Ada quickly made a counter attack with a powerless sweep. Alice saw the incoming attack and moved away a feint, Ada had already had a quick strike under her and drove her to the ground senseless. Alice looked back again and kicked her but Ada backed away. Alice quickly jumped to her feet, and charged towards her opponent. Ada made a chopping hand and made a stabbing motion. Alice pushed it away and threw herself at her. Ada was knocked backwards stunned. Alice followed it up by a chop in her leg which she thought was a feint and Ada was plunged into the air. Before, she dropped on the ground, Alice grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her away from the spot. She quickly grabbed the gun on her hand and ran for the bike. She used her mental abilities to make the bike roar to life. She stepped on it and made for her escape.

The sun was high but it was nowhere from noon. Jill and the others had gathered up with Amber. There were only a few people going since they would be using a small convoy. There were two trucks for supplies to be filled with. Amber, Jill and the two kids Aiden and Chance for the first time then Robert and two others. Everyone had already prepared before they met up, hoping everything will go as they had planned. In a few minutes, they were on the go and the trucks left. The road was rough, weeks had already passed and drought had come, making large cracks on the road. Everything was like the dessert and it was the effect of the virus. Jill and Amber were on the front. Aiden and Chance were at the back of the truck. Both boys were chatting and everyone in the team was armed.

"Where do you think we're can get some supplies?" Aiden asked curiously.

"I don't know, I rarely go out like this. I've heard the goods had already hit low this week so we might be going somewhere farther."

"What about the others?"

"Nonsense! There are more back at the place. I think that their asses would be up and running for most days now that they've spotted the virus nearby. I don't think they'll be slacking off yet."

Aiden just nodded in agreement. It really was a long trip and the minutes dragged on for like hours. They're under the sun and everything is hot now. Everyone would be perspiring with sweat and would stink from them. Aiden looked at his arm which was now beginning to tan.

"I think I'll be all brown by next year."

"Don't count on it."

"Why?"

"You're not even sure if you will be able to make it." He said tightly. Aiden gulped down as if he was sitting before an executioner of the dead that is. "You're lucky to be alive but don't count in it."

"I know."

The hours dragged on it and it was noon. It was sizzling hot and both boys were feeling lightheaded already from all the heat. Amber opened the window between them and threw an ice cold jug full of water.

"I forgot to give you that." She said with a grin. She threw a pair of umbrellas. "That too!"

"You should have given us that earlier!" Chance barked. He was frowning. Aiden just thought that the heat is getting to his nerves.

"I blame Jill!" she said, laughing it off.

"WHAT?" Jill shrieked. Amber shut the window and the boys could hear their nonsense exchange of argue.

There were more trees in view now and the place is not much deserted either. It was bit cooler now as they came to experience some fresh air breeze. Much to their surprise, they could see a few people. Their vehicle was the second so there wasn't any vehicle after them to block the view. Aiden was just shocked as the others. They weren't normal people, they were already one of them. They hovered the umbrellas above them to protect them from the intense heat of the sun. Chance looked at his design and saw the umbrella looked like the Umbrella Corp's logo.

"How ironic!" he snorted.

The vehicles rounded up near a store and parked it in front. There were no people alive so far and only dead walked from place to place. They quickly drew their guns and so did the boys. Everyone had their guns equipped with suppressors so they won't get much attention from them. Aiden took aim then shot. Shot after shot more bodies dropped on the ground with a damaged brain. Aiden quickly rushed behind to one of them and reached for its neck. He twisted it a bit to the left and quickly snapped it to the right. The body dropped dead to the ground without even a flinch. Everyone moved back and forth. It seems that the virus just had struck the place for more or less than a day. There were still electricity and they sworn they could have heard some gunshots from afar. They quickly dismissed it and thought that the people back would be more important for now. Everyone had cleared the store from them and moved on outside in case one got on undetected. It could have caused havoc if that one gut lucky. Everyone move swiftly and kept darting from left to right. The trucks were filled with supplies for them to last a few more weeks. Everything was so smooth until hell broke loose.

They heard a few snickers when Jill yelled but not loud enough to get attention from them. Everyone gathered in front of the store. A man held a shotgun to the back of Robert's head with a sly grin. Everyone was shocked. He must have snuck up to get a victim as big as Robert. Everyone noticed the blood seeping out of his shoulder. He was obviously infected with the virus. He was laughing insanely and darted his eyes from left to right, glancing at the situation and havoc he caused.

"He's obviously cuckoo!" Chance muttered.

Jill aimed at him. "Do you want to lose him?" the man barked and laughed insanely again.

"Should I take him out?" Chance whispered coldly.

"Do you really think you can save him when his life is just a pull of a finger away?"

Everyone was nervous. It was a hostage scene. Robert had both of his hands up and his gun was dropped to the ground. It was a surprise that he was the calmest. He was just waiting there and looking for a weakness. The situation had already let some of them walked in the assigned perimeter around the store. Robert noticed that the man was going wobbly. The virus might have been getting to him now. He should be put out of his misery quick. He threw up beside Robert. There was a pool of crap and blood by his feet. He had kept a wobbly balance but the gun was still aimed at him, not at the face but having a shotgun aimed this close anywhere would be fatal. Robert used this chance to grab the man but the adrenaline rush was there. He pushed Robert backwards and made a lousy aim then squeezed the trigger.

Everyone was shocked and Robert was thrown a few feet backwards and landed hard on his back. He was a bloody mess. He was shot squarely on the middle of his body and bits of guts were scattered everywhere. His lungs were definitely damaged and he was still alive after all that. Amber screams on the top of her lungs for her brother and both boys were terrified from the man's action. The other two companions Conner and Jasper were also still as hell. Jill had already made a move before the man could gauge up another shell in place and damage another person. She shifted herself backwards and quickly made an aim and pulled the trigger with haste. The man dropped dead on the floor. Everyone huddled up except for Connor who ran and started the engines. It roared to life and got out and did the same to the other. All eyes were upon Robert with Amber beside him.

"Go…on without…me!" he said, coughing up blood every time he pause. It sent shivers to everyone.

"But-" Amber tried to speak.

"No buts…listen…to your…brother!"

"We could give you a proper burial!" she sniffed, admitting that her brother won't make it.

"There…is no…time." He coughed up more blood and he was panting harder and he was still struggling. Amber was about to embrace him but Jill pulled her away quickly. Aiden and Chance stood up and start shooting the ones nearing them. Aiden quickly put his gun on its holster and Chance did the same. The drove them far with their own bodies and testing out their skills. It will be better not to get it rusty. The two vehicles left as soon as possible before more of them gathered up. Robert twisted himself and crawled for his gun. HE tried to grab it and as painful as it is, he held tight to it. More of them closed in on him. He shot them off as the marksman he is. However, there more of them and the loud bang of the shotgun made had caused it. He was damned. He brought up his gun to his head and squeezed the trigger. However, no bullet came out and just let out a small nudge. More of them closed in on him with hunger in their ghoulish appearances.

He smiled and threw himself back and thought of the others he would be leaving soon.

"Fuck…"