Chapter 10

Nikole Hammond

The rain pounded against the windshield. Salone and I sat quietly in the two engineer seats, waiting for Alex and Josh to come back. A single windshield wiper wiped its way across the front of the train, more or less just changing where the view was blurry. Salone cast a glance over towards me, and we both locked eyes. After a few seconds, he looked away...he seemed almost caring.

The cabin door banged open. Wind and rain speckled in through the door way as Alex stepped in. On his far side, I saw the tip of a black barrel protuding from behind him before the movement of his trenchcoat blocked the way. It looked like my gun...Josh's gun.

I looked up at Alex's face. He was stark white. His face was grizzled and his expression contorted by the berration of the wind and rain. But it wasn't really his face I was worried about...it was his eyes. There was something in them. They were wide and glistening. It was something I hadn't ever seen in them...and as I stared into them, it looked like...fear. I had never taken much interest in his eyes, but what I saw chilled my bones.

Salone looked up, giving him a quick look up and down. He was going to say something...for once, couldn't he see that something was wrong? Where was Josh anyways?

"So um...I get you. But where's the other guy?"

Alex looked down at him. His eyes changed...he lowered his brows, wrinkles forming in his cheeks as he snarled.

"Here! Right fucking here he is!"

Alex raised his hand high, pulling Josh's gun up with it. He brought it down, crashing across Salone's chest. He flew back off the chair, landing with a loud thud. I...I couldn't move. This was too much. These two, fighting like this.

"Ow...fuckin' bastard. What the hell was that for?

Salone pulled himself up, his hand going to his back pocket for his gun. But Alex wasn't going to let that happen. There was a bright flash of fire, followed by a loud boom and sparks flying across cabin. Alex's big machine gun was staring Salone in the face.

"Drive these fucking train, or I promise you that I will refuse to miss again."

He did as he was told, getting up and slouching back down in the seat. Somewhere, I could feel myself tearing up. This just felt unreal, watching these two fight. They were the only two humans who existed to me now, and they were almost at gunpoint with each other. It just wasn't happening.

"So um...Josh is dead, huh?"

I looked up at Salone. His head was down, his eyes nearly closed as he seemed to stare at the control panel. He seemed dejected, resigned, even. Maybe Alex hitting him had done something...Alex didn't seem to care for what he had to say, though.

"Just shut up...and leave me alone."

Alex turned back around, walking slowly to the cabin door before opening it and sliding out. I watched his back through the window...He ducked down, most likely sitting his gun down. After a few seconds, he bobbed back up. The wind ruffled his hair and coat, The fog of the rain almost seeming to frame the window in some sort of unearthly focus. Like there was something about him...or maybe it was just Josh. Oh god, Josh...I really hoped it was quick...

I stood up, after what seemed an eternity inside my head. I dragged what felt like cement for feet over to the door. I stopped, putting my hand on the grip. I heard Salone's chair squeak behind me as he turned.

"Hey...where are you going?"

His voice was quieter. Calmer. It was starting to sink in for him. Shaking my head, I turned to eye him.

"Just drive the damn train."

"Yeah, I guess someone has to make sure we don't miss a turn or something."

I cursed under my breath as I unlatched the door, stepping out. I squinted, pulling up a hand in front of my face to protect myself from the biting wind. It was icy, the rain stabbing at my face like tiny needles. His back faced me coldly as I pulled myself towards him, using the rail to guide me. The wind whipped across my body. It made me wish I had more than this shirt and vest to protect me. Reaching up, I layed a hand gently on his shoulder. He tensed for a second, and then slackened. I let my hand slip off of his shoulder. Now that I thought about things, none of us really knew each other. Who knew what all might have gone through his mind, what might have been done to him. Alex was...the only thing I really knew about Alex is that he was Alex.

"Vhat is it...?"

He turned to face me. His eyes were wet, redness overtaking his cheeks. He was really devestated. I didn't know what to say to him. In all my life, I had never been the comforting type. But, for him, it felt like I should. Like I needed to.

"Look, Alex. I um...I'm sorry, that we lost Josh. He was alright, you know. He..."

He shook his head, passing a hand through the air. He sniffed, clearing his throat. His voice was choked, tears just now starting to recede in their flow.

"It does not matter. It ees nothing new. It ees simply the same, just performed by different...things. But that's it though, that's what it is. These things, these zombies. They're real. They're here. They exist, they vere right here in our faces..."

"Alex, I don't under-"

"No, you vouldn't, now vould you? You weren't here vith us trying to fight them off. You veren't having to kill these, these things that were once people I might have bought a drink from, or...or maybe talked to on the street, or gone out on a date with, or do anything else that people vould do normally. No, they're not themselves anymore, but the faces...their faces still have eyes, eyes and noses and ears and mouths that once laughed or sang or watched you or breathed in the smell of food cooking or heard someone talk about their life. You do not understand. But I do. Every time I have to protect you, myself, Salone...every time, I look into those eyes. Those faces. I see everything that no one ever should. Now, Josh. Think of Josh, being pulled, dragged off, shredded apart as he vas eaten alive. Think about him. Think about what he must have seen, about what might have gone through his mind as he died. He fought, and vas met with defeat. Can you understand that? Can you understand that fear, that these things will not stop? Not until every last one has lost their head? Can you understand all that? On top of everything that has ever happened, can you understand that none of it means shit anymore, and that nothing you say or do will change how they will ever see you? That you will be hunted? Or is that ze whole point? Zat I am here, I am protecting you, everything is alright. Do you see it like that? Or have you even thought that maybe, just maybe, there might be a chance that you could be killed as easily as I can blink? Did that occur to you, that they are actually real?"

I couldn't find my voice. There was so much I wanted to say, but I couldn't. My mind was locked up. My eyes began to burn as tears streamed down my cheeks. I threw my arms around him, holding onto him tight. I felt him jump, shocked at what I was doing, but I didn't care. Everything had fallen apart for me now. Everything he said had came crashing home. I buried my face into the front of his trenchcoat, sobbing...

After a few minutes, I felt the warmth of a hand resting on my back. Wiping my tears, I looked up at him. His brows were lowered and slackened, eyes red and blurry still from the crying. His other arm came around me, holding me close. He held me tight, keeping me safe from the rain and wind with his body. He leaned in close, whispering into my ear...

"It's okay...I'll protect you now."