Chapter Twenty-One: Time to go
Martina almost didn't want to know what Daniel had done to the Corporal Ofelia had been flirting with for the last week and a half. One thing that Martina did know was that she wasn't going to abandon her sleeping brother to follow the fighting couple. But it also looked like they would be leaving now. Martina quickly went through the room and picked up anything left that they may want before gently shaking Lukas awake. The six-year-old sleepily blinked up at her but pulled on is shoes obediently and followed her into the kitchen.
She quickly pulled together the remaining food in the fridge; soft tortillas, pesto, some leftover tuna, celery and orange juice. Martina quickly grabbed one of the remaining pans and turned on the stove before quickly making some pesto quesadillas without cheese since they'd run out. She cut some celery and placed it on the table with a small command for her brother to start eating, while she began piling the finished quesadillas on a plate.
"Where's my mom?" Alicia asked as she and Chris burst into the kitchen.
"Your mom and Travis," Martina started as gestured for the dup to sit and eat, "are at the Trans house, eat while you can. I think we're leaving."
Alicia looked concerned, "I thought this was getting better..."
"The soldiers are leaving." Chris piped up as he served Lukas some orange juice before pouring himself a cup. "Did they figure out where my mom is?"
"And Nick?" Alicia piped up as she took a bite out of the tortilla, "Wow, this is good."
"I think. When you're done eating grab whatever you can't live without." Martina commented, "Anyone want tuna? We may as well finish whatever's left."
"Wh-What's going on here?" Ofelia stammered as she walked in.
"We's eating!" Lukas chirruped, "We're gonna get Nicky!"
"What?" Ofelia gasped her eyes darting to look at the glass doors.
Martina hesitated for a moment, "I think so, eat something, Ofelia."
The older woman shook her head, "I-I'm not hungry." before running up the stairs.
"Well, I'm gonna go grab my stuff before my mom get's here." Alicia stated as she ran up the stairs.
"Same." Chris grunted as he followed the other teen up.
She quickly ate the rest of her tortilla before throwing the rest of the uneaten celery into a ziplock bag and gave the rest of the tuna to a pinning Pingu. That's when the oldest members of the group burst into the room.
"We gotta go." Madison burst out as she moved around in a flurry and began grabbing anything she thought might be important.
Martina nodded before admitting quietly, "I-I overheard what you guys were talking about earlier. I made some food, you should eat. Chris and Alicia are back, I told them to grab their stuff. Chris said he saw the Gaurd pulling out."
"They're retreating," Travis explained. "It's not safe for us to stay anymore."
"Thank you, Marty." the blonde sighed out in relief. While Travis ran past them up the stairs. "We're gonna grab the last of our stuff before going to the cars. After we get Nick, Liza and Griselda we're going back to the original plan. Get ready!"
Lukas tugged onto Martina's sweater nervously, "Are getting Nicky now?"
"Yeah, squirt, come on let's use the bathroom one last time before go." Martina stated as she led Lukas to the bathroom. The moment they had both done their business Martina grabbed Pingu's leash before latching it on so that she could take the german shepherd out to use the bathroom too. Lukas held her hand diligently, as the dog did his business before she led both of them to the SUV and got them settled.
The driveway was a flurry of activity as the rest of Martina's group quickly lugged out the rest of the supplies left in the house. Alicia and Chris looked scared as they threw their bags into Madison's blue car. Ofelia looked just as troubled as the teenagers as she threw her own bag into Travis's truck before going to sit in the backseat of the other car with Chris, but Martina could guarantee that it wasn't for the same reasons. After all, Ofelia couldn't be ignorant of what her father had done. Martina's inner fears were only verified when she caught Travis subtly dragging a man towards his truck.
Madison knocking on her window made Martina flinch something awful before she rolled down her window, "Sorry about that, Marty. Listen I know where we're going so just follow me alright? Daniel has a plan to distract the Guards when we get there, but he's going to be driving in a different direction."
"Got it." Martina nodded nervously as Lukas chattered cutely at Pingu in the background. The blonde shot her a small strained smile before running to her own car and starting the engine, Martina did the same and followed the smaller vehicle through the neighborhood until they stopped at the barrier the soldiers had erected there twelve days ago.
Daniel was the one to get out of his car to open it up for them so that they could drive through. Guilt bloomed in her chest when she realized that they wouldn't shut it behind them either, leaving the other oblivious members of the neighborhood even more vulnerable. Madison led them to the shadowed garage right outside of the Raynard Community College in El Sereno, turned Medical Facility by the National Gaurd. Martina parked the car, mostly out of habit, and turned the engine off before telling Lukas to stay put and getting out of the car.
"Daniel is going to lead a group of the infected to the gates to distract the guards," Madison explained the plan to them, "While the guards are distracted Travis, Ofelia, Daniel and I are going to search inside for Nick and Griselda."
"Hey, where's Andy?" Ofelia questioned as she eyed Travis's empty truck.
"I let him go." Travis stated confidently, "He told me where they're keeping your mom and Nick. He didn't want to come."
Martina didn't blame him. "You want us to wait here."
"Yes." Madison nodded, "Alicia and Chris I want you to listen to Marty alright. And stay in the cars, it's safer."
"If things go sideways, if you see anything, you drive. Take the SUV's and you drive to the campground. If we're more than thirty minutes, drive." Travis instructed.
"Dad, don't leave me here. I can help." Chris protested, "I want to. Let me."
"No, no out of the question."
"Dad, please."
"Alicia, can you drive?" Martina questioned the girl loitering by her mother's side.
"Chris, you're gonna be okay," Travis promised his son in the background.
The brown-haired teen nodded, "I got my license two months ago and I know the way to the campground."
"Good, good." Martina murmured softly before an alarm started ringing in the distance. Alicia shot her a worried glance as everyone else in the group tensed up.
"I led them to the North Gate!" Daniel exclaimed as he ran over to them, "So all the soldiers are distracted. We can go now. We should move." That was when the oldest Salazar realized that Travis' truck was empty. "What did you do?" he asked Travis almost incredulously.
"He told me where to find them."
"He told you?" Daniel retorted.
"Yeah." Travis stated, "I believed him, okay? Like you believed him."
"It was the right thing to do." Madison defended.
"You'll see what doing the right thing gets you." Daniel accused with a fake grin stretched across his face as he tried to mask his anger.
Travis turned his back on the older man to stare at Martina, his son and step-daughter seriously, "Remember, thirty minutes. Anything happens, you drive."
Madison pulled her daughter into a hug, "Stay safe." before whispering, "Take care of each other." The blonde hovered for a moment before pulling Martina, to her infinite surprise, into a half-hug, "Protect them for me, Marty. We'll be back soon."
"I will," Martina promised as the small group of four left.
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