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"The hell did Marissa run off like that for," whispered Eric as he grabbed the box full of flares from a nearby tent.

As he set them across the floor, he looked over to Tricia, "Since when did you shoot that good?"

"She's been practicing on the target range in the basement," replied Tyler.

Tricia shrugged, "Well a girls' gotta learn."

The flares were shot. And Tyler took a step back, his eyes on the sky as the flares attempted to match up against the rain and the lightning.

"Now all we can do is wait." he said.

Tricia took in a deep breath, and moved to stand next to him, taking his hand in hers.

Then there was nothing. Nothing in the skies but the lighting forking through the scudding, black clouds.

They waited for a few minutes, then they heard Eric muttering under his breath and start to move.

"Come on," said Eric, "let's get back to the base."

"No," demanded Tricia, "We need to wait here, just for a few minutes."

"Tell ya what, how about you stay here and die and I'll go back? That sound like a plan?"

"What's your problem?" Tyler's hands balled up into fists as he took a step towards Eric.

"My problem is, my friends are back at the base. I need to check up on them." He paused for a second, "I could care less what happens to you guys."

"So you would just leave us out here?" asked Tricia.

"Now you're getting it. There's no chopper coming. This was a waste of time." Eric started for the exit. "I got better things to do than babysit Malibu barbie and her burnout biker boyfriend."

Slam! Just like that, Tyler had tackled Eric against the side of a compound. The soldier hit the wall back-first with a loud thud. Rain or no rain, zombies or no zombies, a fight was breaking out. Eric re-gained his senses fast and sent a knee into Tyler's gut, followed by a punch and a tackle of his own. Tyler returned a fist to Eric's gut, and then tried to follow-up with a hook but the soldier was to fast for him. Eric side-stepped and tripped Tylerwith ease, at the same time, locking the young biker's arm in an inescapable grip

Just on instinct from hitting the ground, Tyler's free hand had grabbed the butter-fly knife from his belt pocket and the blade was twrling out.

That's when the chopper came.

Both the boys stopped. They looked up to see the chopper come shooting out of the clouds just above them.

Eric and Tyler exchanged a spite-filled look. Two 18 year old's who hated each others guts.

But there was more important things at stake right now.

Eric let Tyler's arm go and Tyler put the butterfly knife back. Tricia set off another flare and the chopper ran right through it. The pilot knew they were there.

The chopper did another arc, to let them know he saw them. Then it dived back into the clouds.

For the first time since they'd got there, Tricia felt hope again.

"We're saved..." she whispered.