Sweat beads on my face, and the stuffy air I am breathing warms my throat. Something sticky coats the side of my cheek. It must be tears from my sleep. My door opens up and two sets of bare feet skid across the floor. I pop the brass snap off the polished leather sheathe, and ease the blade out.
"Matt! We brought you breakfast!" Lauren says.
My mind clears up, and I seal the sheathe back. A huge ball of weight lands on the edge of my bed. Some hands grab hold of the pillow and yank it off. The light shining in from the window hits me directly in the face. A flash of yellow mixed with orange paints my vision as I grab the blanket and cover up.
This time, it's not the memories making my eyes water. It's the sun's rays as they gouge at my corneas. Lauren is bouncing up and down on the bed and demanding I get up.
"Can't you see that I'm still trying to sleep?" I ask.
"Yup, and I say you have to get up now!"
Lauren grabs the blanket and tries to pull it off. She titters as I intentionally let her gain distance before pulling it back. My lips peel back and take on the form of a smile. Lauren is nearly sitting on the ground for how hard she's trying.
I let go and she falls back. The blanket floats over and completely swallows her. Melissa giggles as Lauren fights to pull it off. For an eighth grader, Lauren seems more like a child rather than a young woman. She must have come from a sheltered home with very protective parents.
"Lauren, how old are you?" I ask as Melissa hands me a can of pineapple and a black canteen.
"Fourteen! I'll be fifteen next month! How about you Matt?" Lauren asks as she pulls the blanket off her head.
"I turned seventeen last month. My brother is fifteen. How about you Melissa?"
"Sixteen."
I push the opener into the tin lid and pull. The savory aroma of natural sugar mixed with artificial juice makes my mouth salivate. I haven't eaten anything other than that tiny apple slice so anything is going to taste good right now.
I turn the can up. Thick, conglomerated syrup and crushed yellow pineapple ooze into my mouth. My taste buds flare up and succumb to the ecstasy of sustenance as it falls into my stomach. The syrup leaves behind a trail of sugar that irritates the dry feeling in my throat.
I toss the empty can in the trash can and open up the canteen. Warm water that's just been boiled rolls over my tonsils and alleviates the burning sensation the pineapple left behind. I take a small break and drink the rest.
"Lauren, can I talk to Matt for a second?"
"Sure Melissa!"
Lauren skips out of the room and shuts the door. Such energy. Despite being in the middle of an apocalypse, the girl hasn't lost the one thing that still makes her human. That's more than what can be said for me.
"What's on your mind Melissa?" I ask as I put my rifle's sling over my shoulder.
"What's the plan?"
"Well, for starters, we'll go get Fleming and Jessica. Once we have them, I'll focus on finding someplace safe for you an everyone else."
"Wait, you don't plan on sticking around?"
"Ah, no. I'm leaving the moment all of you are taken care of."
"What for?"
"Well because I'm not trustworthy…"
Melissa crosses her arms and glares at me, "bullshit."
"Well, what do you want from me then?"
"I want you to take responsibility! That's what!"
"Responsibility for what?"
"The only reason we made it out of the school was because of you! This morning while I was boiling water, everyone discussed what should be done, and we want you to lead!"
"No, no! That isn't something you can just toss upon me!"
"Do you seriously expect someone like Eric or your brother to lead us? Or dare I say it, Emily?"
"All of sudden, I'm the one everyone wants to throw all their troubles on."
"It's not like that! Lauren needs someone like you! Eric needs someone like you!" Melissa points to herself, "I need someone like you!"
Something within my head clicks and I see what Melissa is getting at. No matter how hard I try not to care, I can't bring myself to disown anyone. As pathetic as it is, I want to stay, but with what happened back at the school, and the guilt that plagues me even in the waking hours, I don't want to be the one that pulls the trigger if someone gets bit.
"For all we know, our parents and friends are dead or worse, those things out there! We need someone to look up to!"
"No, no! That's what you have each other for!"
"For fuck's sake Matt, I know we are the least desirable people to be around but please tell me you feel some kind of obligation for us!"
"My obligation is getting you and everyone else safe."
"And what about you?"
"I'm leaving. That's what."
Melissa wipes her eyes and sniffles as a tear leaks out of her left eye, "you know what your problem is Matt? You're terrified of having someplace to belong."
"Belong? The only person that ever gave me a place to belong died back at the school."
"I'm sorry about Samantha. I really am, but right now, you are the only thing holding us together, and believe it or not, everybody here, Emily included cares about you. My question is, are your feelings mutual?"
Melissa wipes her eyes and calmly exits the room. I sit down on my bed and silently sulk in self-resentment. Adam said that somebody that gets bitten by a shambler turns in five minutes. I try to cope with the fact that if I was faster, Samantha would still be alive.
Melissa witnessed what had to be done. Does she not understand that I don't want to put anyone else in the ground? Especially Eric or anyone that came with me. If they will just listen and let me do things my way, then maybe we'll all make it through this. Eric and the others can live somewhere safe. Then I can spend the rest of my days in solitude. Knowing that somebody as hopeless as me was able to do something right. I grab my backpack, and knife and head downstairs.
Melissa is boiling water in the living room fire place and filling some water canteens my parents had, and I stole. Some are real, and some are plastic that came in those toy gun sets mom and dad would get me and Adam when we were children. They all hold water the same after all.
Everyone else is eating and trying to recover their strength. "Glad you could join us." Eric says with a mouthful of chicken soup.
His spoon scrapes the side of the can as he tries to get every last bit of food out of it. Broth, noodles and all. Emily is eating some dried fruit and Lauren is playing cards with Adam. He's teaching her how to play blackjack while he loads stripper clips with 30-06 ammo.
"Where did you get the armor?" I ask as I sit down.
"It's dad's spare set."
"What else have you hidden around the house?"
"Like I'm going to tell you."
I reckon he is planning on using grandfather's old service rifle from the Vietnam War. On top of my AR-15. I sit down next to Adam and pick up a clip and some rounds. He's only got five clips, but a 30-06 round is a hefty chunk of metal. It would be more than enough to kill a shambler with a headshot. I load a shell at the bottom of the clip until it locks in place before loading another.
"Matt, I swear to God if I get rim lock…"
"Hey four eyes, I know how to load a stripper clip."
Adam draws from the cards. Lauren cheers as Adam's hand breaks twenty-one. He smiles and pushes the deck to her so she can deal. I check the clip to make sure the bullets are aligned the way they're supposed to be.
"you know Matt, grandpa always said I was the better shot." Adam states as he peeks at his cards.
"Oh really? Open sights or scope?"
"Both."
"Bullshit."
Adam snickers as I grab the rifle and mount a stripper clip into the guide. The bullets clatter as they stack up on top of each other. I take the clip out, close the bolt and turn the safety on.
I hand the rifle back to Adam and gather up whatever I can carry. Everyone finishes their food while Adam and I hide what we can't carry throughout the house. We keep away from drawers and cabinets and instead hide items of value under the oven, fridge, and hard to move places.
I secure a toolbox full of food, ammo and water with a padlock, "You taking the AR?"
"Yeah. I'll hide the 06." Adam replies.
I head downstairs and hide the tool box in the old busted water heater. The key can go underneath the workbench. I take a strand of duct tape and stick it to the underside where the lip completely conceals the key.
The final thing to do is grab some sparklers from the Fourth of July. Those things make really good fuses for improvised smoke bombs. I reach up and grab the plastic container that has all our left-over fireworks.
Seeing all the smoke bombs and artillery shells makes me think of every Fourth of July when I see these firecrackers. The thought of how I used to celebrate that day with my family brings back memories.
One thing I really enjoyed was blowing stuff up with my parents and Adam. When my grandparents were still alive, we would go to their house and spend four days with them. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth.
This actually makes me sad. Yesterday morning, the three of us were arguing over something. Hell, I don't even remember what it was, but it was stupid. I do know that. At the time, I didn't fully realize what I said, and I hope dad didn't mean it either.
God what I wouldn't do to take it back. I should have told him and mom how much I loved them instead. I didn't realize what I truly had until now. Wherever mom and dad are, I hope they are okay.
"Matt! You ready?" Adam yells.
"Yeah! I'm coming!"
I grab some sparklers and shove them in my backpack. Adam, Melissa, Emily, Eric and Lauren are already outside. Everyone has a side arm and either a makeshift spear, a baseball bat or a steel pipe as a melee weapon. I have a knife, a rifle and my revolver.
Eric is using the same gun he had last night while Emily has a small, Austrian sub compact 9mm. Adam gave the pump shotgun to Melissa, but she's still using her bow. The only one that doesn't have a gun is Lauren. Probably because she doesn't know how to use one, but we'll teach her before too long.
"Melissa, have you ever used a thumb ring?" I ask.
She shakes her head, "That's why I'm not as accurate because I don't get the extra inches on the draw."
Not as accurate? This girl hasn't missed yet! Out of every arrow she shot, it always hit something. Head, throat, eyes, limbs. If that's her on her down game, I wonder what she would be at one hundred percent.
"Well if anyone can find me a piece of pvc pipe, a hack saw, and some sandpaper, I can fix her up with a thumb ring." I say as we walk down the street.
"How?" Emily asks.
"Survival guides, and for some reason, I think I recall some genius saying I was the idiot for reading such books."
"Well, aren't you the comedian today."
"Thank you. Hopefully I can find something else to annoy you with."
The weather today is like it always is. Random. The sun is shining right now, but I can see a rain band off in the distance. Looks like we are in for some more rain. Great. It's not like it's humid enough right now.
I haven't been outside for five minutes, and I'm sweating. Not from the mild heat, but the water in the warm air. Perspiration feels more like syrup when it mixes with the humidity. I wipe my forehead, but more sweat forms instantly.
It's a good thing everyone has a decent amount of water in their canteens, because I have a feeling we are going to have to boil more tonight.
There are a few shamblers here and there but they aren't worth the bullets. Some are wandering around while others feed on dead bodies. Lauren puts her arms around me and closes her eyes.
I put my hand on her back and act as a lead. Every bone that snaps causes Lauren to gasp and dig her face deeper into my ribs. Those that hear us stretch out their arms. Their sluggish and twitchy nature really holds them back as we walk by.
"You're okay." I say as I pat Lauren's back.
Melissa draws her bow and fires an arrow into the throat of a female shambler walking towards us. The arrow penetrates all the way through her neck, and it hits the ground. Adam lifts his baseball bat and smashes it in the head just to make sure it's dead. Melissa pulls the shaft out and we continue forward.
That's actually a good system. Melissa and Adam can lead. Since bows are a little quieter than a gun, and Adam knows how to swing a bat, they can clear us a way if we aren't in imminent danger. In an emergency, I can swap Melissa places and back Adam up since we have two of the most hard-hitting weapons of the entire group, and her shotgun is more for defense than range.
"Where exactly is the Riverside Grille?" Emily asks.
"It's on Court Street and Seafoam Drive. We can just follow the river, and it will take us straight to it." I point in front of us.
"Hey Matt, shouldn't we have teams if something happens?" Eric asks.
"Good idea."
Eric and Emily group together and Melissa pairs up with Adam. That just leaves me and Lauren. It doesn't bother me any.
"Wait, shouldn't we split into groups of three?" Eric asks.
I know what Eric's getting at, but he's choosing not to say it. He's suggesting that someone come with me so they can help me keep an eye on Lauren. If I get into a situation and something happens, Lauren isn't going to be much help. Which I don't expect her to. She should save herself if something happens.
Eric walks over to me while Emily joins Melissa and Adam. Eric and I already have some experience working together so Lauren will have a better chance at survival if we get separated.
A tornado siren sounds off. We all look off to see what the commotion is. Adam takes out a pair of binoculars and looks down the road leading to Black Breech.
"Matt! You may want to take a look at this!"
Adam hands me the binoculars and points to the hill leading out of Black Breech. I pull up the binoculars and look. Several military transports are leaving Black Breech and heading directly our way. Armored Personal Carriers, Half-Tracks, and Hum-vees with turrets mounted on top cross the wooden bridge leading out of Black Breech.
Out of impulse, I get behind an overturned semi-truck trailer in the middle of the four-way street. Adam makes a motion and everyone hugs up against the charred remains beside me.
"I don't like this Matt." Adam says.
"Yeah, me either."
"What's going on?" Emily asks.
I look back through the binoculars and focus on the bridge while Adam explains what's possibly going on. I honestly hope they are not setting up shop here.
People dressed in orange hazmat suits hop off the back of the halftracks while the back hatch of an APC drops. Soldiers flood out the back, and they all form a line at the bridge. Off in the distance, a huge horde of shamblers are pursuing some survivors.
The army opens fire and cuts down the shamblers as well as the survivors trying to get across the bridge. A huge sense of unease comes over me and fear grips my heart. A stray bullet clips an old man in the eye. Red mist exits the back of his head as he falls to the ground. I gasp from what I've just witnessed and try to pretend the old man may have been contaminated.
A solider is talking through a radio as the army holds the shamblers off. Judging by his patches, he's probably a lieutenant. Bodies pile up upon one another as bullets barely phase the horde. The blood flow is so heavy that it's even dripping off the sides of the bridge into the empty ravine below.
He pulls something out and throws it on the bridge. Thick red smoke puffs out and rises up to the sky and everyone falls back into the vehicles. A thumping noise like someone tapping on a hollow tree slowly escalates in volume.
"Oh no… This is bad."
I readjust the focus on the binoculars and look in the direction of Brookhaven. A helicopter built like a flying fortress is approaching from the south. Massive blades slice through the air as it heads directly for us. Adam uses a range finder to dictate how far out it is.
"Five thousand yards Matt!"
Directly behind us is the Bridge leading to the South side. With the military convoy coming from the North and the flying fortress flying in from the south, our best bet would be using the trailer as an obstruction to cover us from the convoy.
"Four thousand yards!" Adam makes his update.
"Underneath the bridge! Now!" I yell.
The heel of my boots digs into the asphalt as we tear towards the bridge. Eric and Adam are leading while me and Emily make sure nobody falls behind. Melissa is coasting Lauren and urging her along.
Eric is the first to reach the underbelly of the bridge. Concrete ramps slant downward underneath the bridge to direct all the excess rain water during a storm. It's a place to hide. That's it. Not good, but not bad either. Adam heads under and checks the area.
"Clear!"
Eric directs everyone under the bridge. He follows directly behind me as everyone squeezes together. I cock the hammer back on my rifle and Melissa pulls the pump back halfway to make sure she's got a shell chambered.
Pebbles and small chunks of concrete bounce up in the air. Dust and particles of sand fall from the bridge onto our heads. The massive wheels and treads of the convoy rattle the bridge with such force that the steel cables holding the bridge in place vibrate.
SHOOOM!
The flying fortress zooms over. We all grab hold of one another and try to shield our ears. The hiss of a rocket firing from the helicopter is still loud despite our attempts at suppression. It sounds like someone ripping a sheet of paper in half except amplified tenfold.
The ground shakes, and a deafening explosion rattles my bones as all of us desperately brace for the impact. A ringing stabs me in both ears, and my head is constantly vibrating from the impact of the rocket. The concussive wave of air wraps around the bridge. It feels like someone is pushing me down the slant of the trembling earth.
Everyone's hair flaps violently under the burst of wind. I look up and see that the dust from above has stopped falling, and that the helicopter is now heading back to South Side.
The whistling in my ears dissipates to a mild teapot scream and everything is normal again. Lauren looks up and realizes everyone is still alive. I put my finger on my mouth to keep her calm.
Adam picks his glasses up and mounts them on his nose. The helicopter is gone, but are the soldiers? There's no way they would let us live. They'd rather kill us if they weren't allowing anyone across the bridge from Black Breech.
Adam and I nod at one another, and we ease out of the bridge on different ends. I check above to make sure there isn't anyone looking down. Nothing. I lay down and crawl up the slant until I can see the town.
The military convoy crosses the river and breaks to the right. Looks like they are heading to Bricktown. They must have a headquarters or a quarantine zone around the basketball stadium. If they do, then I'm staying the hell away from that part of town.
"It's clear!" Adam says.
Everyone cautiously exits out from under and tries to get their bearings. That was a bone rattling explosion, and we were nearly half a mile away from the target. Lauren is still quivering from the events of what just happened.
"You going to make it?" Eric asks.
"Yeah. That was scary though." Laruen replies.
"You're damn right that was scary." Emily states.
"You piss your pants little brother?" I tease.
"Fuck you." Adam answers as he recenters the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
I de-cock the hammer of my rifle and toss it over my shoulder. Everyone readies themselves and we form up. Adam and Melissa lead while Eric and I bring up the rear. Most of the shamblers are swarming over to where the explosion happened.
The main bridge to Black Breech has been destroyed, so the only way to get across is by either rappelling down to the bottom of the ravine and climbing back up on the other side or hope the military forgot to blow a bridge.
Not that I want to go to Black Breech. If it was so bad the military had to flee, then it needs to be avoided completely. I want to head south of Oklahoma since most of the towns there are small, and the land is ideal for farming.
"Why did you say the Riverside Grille Matt? It's all the way on the other side of town." Adam grumbles as he takes drink of water.
"It was the only place I could think of at the time."
I drop down from the concrete slab and land on the sandy bank underneath the bridge. The ground is hard enough to walk on without getting stuck, but leaves a good-sized footprint. This sandbar will take us all the way to the restaurant.
It will also be safer because the shamblers are all in town and our footprints will be muffled from the beige sand. Adam and everyone else drop down. Melissa and I hold out our arms and help Lauren down.
Thick rainclouds hover around and choke out the light the sun is giving off. The yellow shine that paints everything succumbs to a grey melancholy color. Small puddles of standing water ripple from the droplets above. The sprinkle turns into a heavy mist.
Emily covers herself up because she is wearing a white uniform. Lauren and Melissa were the smart ones since they wore the dark variant. The wire of her bra shows from the back, and I can see the tag with the measurement on it.
I snicker and point. Eric tries to stop me, but he laughs himself. Emily steams with anger as I whisper something to him. He chokes under the force of laughter, but attempts to show restraint. I don't though. Adam doesn't either. He didn't even hear what I said, but he has a pretty good idea.
"I'm sorry Matt, but is there something you would like to share with the group?" Emily sneers.
"No…"
"Matt, it's rude to tell a funny joke and not share it. Now what is it?" Adam teases.
"Shut up Adam!"
Everyone laughs as I look back up at the street. Some shamblers are standing still despite the occasional twitch. Their movements are just like last night which is very unusual. Shamblers are always walking around during the day. I'll have to do some more research, but I think the sun has something to do with the way the shamblers behave.
"So if these shamblers aren't that tough, why is the military losing?" Lauren asks.
"Sheer numbers, limited bullets, and that's not figuring in the anomalies if there are any." Adam says.
"What's an anomaly?"
"A huge pain in the ass." I say.
"Yeah, like Matt here. He's an anomaly because he's a major pain in the ass." Emily states.
Everyone laughs and I shrug my shoulders, "Okay. I actually had that one coming."
We reach the end of the sandbar. The restaurant is just a block away. The rain has let up, and the sun is back. The rays hit the water in the air, and the temperature gets even hotter than it did before.
"God! I hate Oklahoma weather!" Adam says.
I step onto the concrete runoff and creep up to the road. The Riverside Grille is still intact. Somewhat. The front patio has collapsed on the dock. I grab my rifle and pull the hammer back before heading into the dining room. Adam shoulders the AR and searches the kitchen with Melissa and Emily.
I turn my Maglite on and look under the booths and behind the bar while Eric presses on and checks the bathrooms.
"Bathrooms clear!"
"Dining room clear!"
"Kitchen Clear!"
I turn my flashlight off and put the rifle down. Since now seems like a good time, I'll make some smoke bombs. Lauren sits down beside me as everyone else searches for supplies.
"Do you want to help?" I ask.
"Sure. What do you need me to do?"
"I need some soda cans. Bottles will do too."
Lauren runs off as I mix some ingredients together on a piece of paper. Judging by the amount of powder, this might make two. That's not a lot but hopefully it will get us out of a jam. Until Laruen comes back, I'll catalog my research on these shamblers. Right now, they aren't much of a threat unless in big numbers.
I pull out the survival guide and flip to the diary in the back and make a couple notes;
Shamblers- Slow but stout creatures that click their teeth for balance. Damage inflicted to the jaws may disable its ability to walk. Dormant at night but attracted to light of any kind. Sound is how they hunt prey. Their brains are supposedly scaly and tough after succumbing to the radiation, but a shot that severs or destroys the spinal cord can kill them instantly, so aim for the throat. Only powerful rounds like 308. or 357. magnum can kill them with one shot to the head. Melee weapons are super effective too if you are crazy enough to get close. Somewhat dormant in cloudy conditions. The cause is still being investigated.
"Here you go Matt!"
Lauren hands me two metal cans. She watches intently as I distribute the powder, some black pepper and cayenne pepper into a can before sealing it shut. On top of a cloud of smoke, pepper will act as an irritant to those trying to walk through it.
"What exactly are you doing?" Lauren asks as she picks up a can and looks it over.
"Making a couple smoke bombs."
"I remember learning that in a chemistry lab. It's because the sugar oxidizes." Lauren states.
"Very good Lauren! Did you have Miss Harris?" I ask.
"I did! She was a fun teacher!"
"I had her my sophomore year for AP Chemistry II." I say.
I hear Emily scoff from the kitchen. She must have heard me. Emily and I had the same hour together. My plan was to sit in the front of the class so I would be more inclined to listen to the lectures, but Emily was sitting up there, and we fought like cats and dogs, so I sat next to the window about halfway back.
"I don't know how you even got into that class!"
"You're just jealous C-!"
"Screw you Matt! I had a B+ in that class!"
"Would have been an A like me if you would have tried harder!"
Lauren and Eric giggle as Emily and I argue back and forth. There was one-time Mrs. Harris put me and Emily in a pair. Since it was a group worksheet, the work was supposed to be fifty-fifty. I had a firm understanding of what was going on, but Emily had no idea what was going on and instead of asking me for help, she just guessed.
When our grades came back, I made a 94 and she had a 62. Which averaged to a 78. That was the lowest grade I had in Chemistry. Ever. She was just jealous that some dumb hick from the country was actually better than her at something.
The sound of brakes letting out a burst of air travels through the busted windows. That must be Blair and his group. I guess Jessica and Miss Fleming are still alive. Right now, I'd love it if Blair fell over and died, but there's not enough bullets and too many of them. There's no need to cause Eric and them any more grief, so I'll just hide in the back with Lauren.
"Come on Lauren. The bad man is here. And hide your guns. I don't want Blair running off with them."
The both of us head to the back and into the men's restroom. I sit down right at the threshold and keep an eye out. Lauren sits down beside me. She's trying to stay strong, but the fear of these assholes is making her quiver.
Mr. Blair, that douche Jack and several other members of his group approach the entrance. Both Jack, and the other guy have military grade assault rifles and body armor. Probably some they scavenged off a couple dead soldiers. Everyone else is still armed with pipes and bats.
Wait a minute. Body armor? I look closer and examine the rifles they are using. They're shorter than a standard rifle. Just like a carbine, and on the armor is several patches that are only granted by the military's special forces.
"What's wrong?" Lauren whispers.
"Lauren, get ready to run if something happens."
Jessica and Miss Fleming have their hands tied with something. None of them look hurt, but it appears the victory over those soldiers has gone to Blair's head. One guy flips Jessica's skirt up and mutters something.
"Go to hell asshole." Jessica scowls.
He rears back like he's going to hit her, but Blair catches his hand, "Now, now. That's not the way to treat a woman of her caliber. Ladies like her deserve respect. Especially during an apocalypse."
Blair twists the guy's wrist to the point of breaking. He falls to his knees and punches the ground before Blair releases him. The guy sits on the ground and tries to work some feeling back into his hand. Eric and Emily meet them in the dining room. Melissa and Adam must be hiding in the kitchen. Emily and Eric have done what I said and hid their weapons. We don't want Blair knowing anyone from the group is armed.
"I have brought you the two healthy survivors!"
"What do you want?" Emily states.
"Oh, anxious, aren't we? I'll keep it fairly simple. I'm looking for Matt, Melissa and the runt. You tell me where they are, then I'll give you the survivors."
"We don't know where they are. They ran off in the middle of the night."
Blair lets out a hearty laugh and snaps his fingers. His group surround Eric and Emily. One guy slams Eric into a nearby table and wrestles him to the ground as Blair pulls out a French, special issue handgun and puts a magazine in it. Emily takes a deep breath and clears her mind.
"Now Emily, I know I'm not your favorite teacher, but the both of us have something in common. Why don't you help me out?" Blair asks.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
Two guys grab Emily from behind and restrain her. Blair brings his left hand back and slaps Emily across the face. Her head snaps to the left as saliva mists out of her mouth.
"You fucking asshole!" Eric shouts as he tries to break free. One of his captors punches him in the back of the head and suppresses his ability to struggle. Emily whimpers in between huge gasps of pain. Blair points down, and the two guys holding Emily force her to her knees.
My anger flairs up, and my thinking becomes clouded with a sudden act of vengeance. There is no doubt in my mind now. I am going to kill him, and everyone in his group for hurting Emily and Eric.
"Where is he?"
"I told you. He ran away…"
"Rip the place up! Emily and I are going have a little talk!"
Blair grabs Emily by the face and forces her to look at him, "Now we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
I grab Lauren's hand and lead her over to the bathroom transom. Blair isn't kidding. He's really coming after us. I'm not scared for myself, but I am for Adam, and the others. Especially Lauren since she's so young. I poke my head outside and make sure the alley is clear.
"Okay Lauren, Go!" I whisper as I lift her up.
She grabs hold of the ledge and climbs out. I leap up and roll into the alleyway. Lauren shuts the glass, and we race to the other end of the building. Nothing like the feeling of being hunted by a psychotic teacher during an apocalypse.
"We're not leaving them, are we?"
"No, I just…I got to figure something out."
We ease up to the back of the building and peek around the corner. Some of Blair's survivors are scouting around the back entrance. I put my hand on Lauren's stomach and push her back. Blair's group is everywhere.
"What do we do?" Lauren asks.
I notice there is a huge group of shamblers wondering around a nearby bookstore. A very bad idea lights up. I pick up a broken leg from a heavy duty sink that's been thrown in a dumpster and firmly tap the sidewalk curb. The metal chips pieces of concrete off the pavement and makes a decently loud noise.
The shamblers stop and look over at me. That's right. Keep looking. I strike the side of the brick building, and then the curb again. The shamblers click their teeth and walk towards me.
"Lauren, climb up to the first level of that fire escape."
"But…'
"Just go!"
Lauren sighs in reluctancy but listens. I can't run the risk of her getting in the way and getting bit. The shamblers stop looking at me and turn their attention forward. The noise must have also attracted the attention of the guys walking around.
"Oh shit! Run!" One yells out.
"Blair! There's dead ones in the area!"
The whole area erupts into chaos as everyone from Blair's group trip over one another as they try to get on the bus. Lauren climbs down on the dumpster. I rip open the sliding window, and she dives in. I follow and slide the door shut.
Blair and Jack are still here. I don't know what has gone on, but he's holding Emily by her hazel hair and forcing her to look at him. An unruly hatred burns in her eyes as Jack cuts everyone except Emily free. Blair presses his handgun into her forehead.
Click…
He pulls the trigger, but there is no round in the chamber. A wet cough leaves Emily's mouth as she spits out a huge wad of saliva. She gasps and attempts to regain control as the realization she's alive sets in.
"Let's be friends Emily. I hate Matt, you hate Matt. Find him for me and I'll assure you and everyone else lives!"
Blair and Jack load up on the bus and drive off. Jessica cuts Emily free while Adam redistributes the weapons.
"Matt! Lauren! You two are still alive!" Miss Fleming yells as she flies onto us both. Her arms crush my neck, and I struggle to breathe as I hug her back.
"Well, it's good to see you're still alive. I figured with your piss poor attitude, you would be dead by now." Jessica sneers as she cuts Emily free.
"No need for your concern Miss. The same could be said for you." I say as I stick the sink leg in my backpack. This thing has some weight to it. Not too heavy, not too light. Get some barbed wire, and I'll have one hell of a heavy hitting weapon.
Eric and Adam motion that we get a move on. The shamblers are closing in on this place, and he would rather we save ammo and our melees weapons. Adam and Melissa lead while Eric and I fall to the back. Emily, Jessica and Miss Fleming all huddle up in the middle.
"Let's head back home and get you fools something to eat. You two must be starving." Adam says.
"You better believe I am." Jessica replies…