Chapter 2- The Way To Georgia
Billy walks in the back of the group with one of his swords out. He looks around them as Daniel comes to the back of the group with him. "Army?" Daniel asks him. Billy looks at him and shakes his head.
"I'm 18, and I was training to become a cop. My Grandad was in the Army before he became a cop, so I know a lot about their proticalls," Billy tells him. Daniel nods as he looks at the group in front of him.
"Besides for my daughter if these people don't toughen up. They won't make it halfway to Georgia," Daniel tells him.
"I agree," Billy says. "What happened to your daughter?" He was looking on the sling on her arm.
"She was shot in an army base," Daniel tells him. Billy nods as he looks around the group.
"What can you tell me about Madison and Alicia?" Billy asks.
"Madison will do anything to protect her children. Alicia had to grow up father than she should have too. Even though I think she is 18 or close. With the right training they could be good leaders and survivors," Daniel says. Billy nods as he looks at them.
Westley walks beside Kyra. "You aren't on good terms with your brother?" Kyra abruptly asks.
Westley looks at Kyra. "Yeah, he's been locked up for a while. We have a rocky relationship. But I'm glad he got out before… All this," Westley answers.
Kyra grabs the camera and starts recording. She points the camera at everyone. "Get that camera out of my face!" Chris growls.
"Dude relax, you don't have to be rude about it," Westley says.
Chris scowls at him as Kyra turns off the camera and puts it away.
"No more camera until everybody is more comfortable," Billy says to them.
"We'll just film ourselves I guess," Westley says.
Kyra sighs. "Yup."
"Fine with us," Billy says.
The group finally reaches Strand's house. "Wow, this is a big place," Westley says.
"Yes, but we're not staying here. So get what you can," Strand says. He grabs the keys to his boat.
"Why do you need the keys?" Daniel asks him as Billy starts to go through the cabinets.
"Just in case things don't go well," Strand answers.
Westley finds a large bag of cans of food and water. "Were you preparing?" he asks Strand.
"Yeah, but I wasn't expecting it to spread so quickly," Strand answers. Billy walks past them.
"Do you have a room with weapons? They could use them," Billy says.
Strand nods. He leads Billy into a room. There is a large amount of rifles and other weapons in the room. "Ammo is scarce however," Strand says. Billy nods and walks to a duffle bag. He grabs one and walks over to the guns, and starts, to put them into the bag. He grabs a handgun and holds it out to Ofelia who grabs it.
"How many people here know how to shoot?" Billy asks. "Besides for Daniel and Ofelia,"
"I do," Madison says. Billy nods as he holds a handgun out to her. He looks at the melee weapons around them. "Everybody grabs one. We're not leaving this house until everybody has a weapon," Billy puts the duffle bag with the guns and ammo around his back and stands up.
Nick grabs a fire axe, it has a moderate size shaft and a small red axe head. Chris grabs a black large crowbar. Westley looks at the others, he still has the metal baseball bat in one hand. Westley looks around at the weapons he sees a large machete and drops the bat and grabs the machete. Kyra grabs a black combat knife and straps it to her thigh. Billy looks at Alicia who was looking at the weapons. He grabs a machete off the table and walks over to her. "Here," He says. Alicia looks at him. "Easy to swing, you don't have to get to close and easy to kill a lot fast," Alicia grabs the machete.
"Thanks," She says. Madison grabs a hatchet. Daniel grabs a Bowie knife off the table as Ofelia grabs a Kukri. Billy looks at Strand. "What about you?" He asks.
Strand grabs a pistol and holsters it. He looks and grabs the other hatchet on the table. He looks around, and finds a pair of black sunglasses he smiles at Billy. Billy smirks as he looks at Liza. "What about you?"
"I'm not going," Liza tells them.
"You have to come with us, or I'll stay with you," Chris protests. Liza shakes her head and lifts her shirt revealing a bite on her hip.
"She's bit. She'll die anyway," Billy says.
Travis turns pale. "You can't stay with her. She'll turn, you are coming with us," he says.
Chris eyes become teary and he hugs his mother. Liza hugs him and pulls back. "Listen to your father. Don't do anything you don't thing is right," Liza tells Chris. She kisses his head and looks at Billy.
"I can't do it," Liza says.
"You're asking me to?" Billy asks. Liza nods.
"Daniel just lost his wife. He shouldn't have too," Liza says. Billy nods. He looks at Travis and Victor.
"Dig a grave," He tells them as he walks outside with Liza.
Travis walks out of the house. "You're going to bury someone in my yard?" Strand asks.
"There is nowhere else to bury her," Kyra replies.
Strand Crossing his arms. He sighs and walks outside the house. Billy pulls his gun out as Liza turns around. "Take care of them, please," Liza says.
"I will," Billy says. He raises his Colt pulls back the hammer and pulls the trigger. The gunshot echoes around as Liza falls to the ground.
Tears slide down Chris's cheeks. Westley looks at the others. Billy picks Liza up and walks back to the house. He lays her down by where Strand and Travis were digging and walks inside. He walks into Strand's room and grabs a sheet that he takes outside and starts to wrap Liza in.
"He gave her a less painful death," Kyra tells Chris.
Chris doesn't say anything. Westley and Kyra walk outside to Billy and the other two. "How long do you think she's been bitten for?" Westley asks Billy.
"Few hours. I don't know. Sometimes the bite kills you quick and sometimes not," Billy tells them. "Go get everything useful in a bag and be ready to leave."
The group gathers the rest of the items. Westley had the bag of food and water. Billy looks at the fresh grave and then back at everybody. "Stay close together. Try to always have somebody by you," Billy tells them. "I'll take the front with Alicia. Daniel will take the back with Ofelia. The rest of you watch the sides."
Westley walks in between Kyra and Nick. The three look from left to right making sure nothing is coming from the sides. Travis walks on Strand's left side and Chris walks on his right. Billy looks behind him and sees Madison back with Daniel and Ofelia. Alicia glances at him. "So what did you do before this?" Alicia asks him. Billy looks at her.
"I was training to become a cop," Billy tells her. "I'm assuming you were in highschool,"
"I would be graduating this year," Alicia tells him. "I would be turning 18 in a week or two from now and then going to U.C Berkeley,"
"College wasn't my thing," Billy tells her.
"Clearly you're carrying around two swords and a gun from over a century ago. I would say you belong in the wild west without the swords," Alicia says. Billy smirks as he looks around them.
"What's up with the camera? You're doing it for a collage thing, but why? School isn't a thing at the moment," Nick asks.
"We are failing, we have to make a documentary. We decided to record our experience in this… event. Of course, there is no point… at least not anymore, but it's a hobby," Kyra answers.
Westley looks at Nick then at Kyra. "Yeah, what she said," he says.
"I guess I get it," Nick says.
"I don't like that they carry. It's just extra weight," Billy says.
"It doesn't weigh a lot. I've carried more than one camera," Westley responds. He looks at Kyra. "Besides Kyra is strong she can handle holding a camera. That's why she's my camerawoman."
"I'm not your Camerawoman! I'm your partner there is a difference," Kyra says.
"Are they always like this?" Ofelia asks.
"Yes," Billy tells her.
"He wouldn't know, we've only known each other for a day," Kyra says.
"I think they act like this all the time," Billy says. They see one of the dead walking ahead of them. Billy starts to pull one of his swords out.
"I'll get it," Alicia says. Billy looks at her and nods.
"Alicia," Madison says.
"This is the new normal, Mom. Might as well get used to it," Alicia says.
"I'll go with her," Billy says. Madison nods as Billy follows Alicia to the walker. She tabs the weapon against the ground and the walker looks at them. It moves towards them and Alica takes a breath before she stabs the machete threw the front of its face. She pulls it out and the walker goes to the ground. Billy nods at Alicia. "You should put your hair in a ponytail. It will be harder for them to grab it," Alicia nods as they rejoin the group.
Westley looks at the ground as he walks. He looks up and looks to his left and right. "We should probably get into the freeway, it will most likely take us to Georgia," he says.
"There would also be more dead but it would reduce the time," Madison says.
"It would be safer if we took the back roads," Strand argues.
"We don't have much time. My brother could be in Atlanta," Westley says.
"We should take the freeway," Chris says.
"I agree with Strand, it's safer to take the back roads," Travis says.
"I agree," Nick says.
"They are going to bomb the city, we don't have a lot of time," Kyra looks at Daniel and Ofelia.
"They will bomb the cities and the highways connect to the city. The back roads are safer," Daniel says. He looks at Madison and Alicia who nod.
"Okay, we are taking the back roads," Billy says.
"Back roads it is," Westley mumbles.
"It's safer. Better to take longer than die on the highway," Madison says.