Chapter 19

Nikole Hammond

I held Mike's head off the ground, trying to keep him level. His chest was dark red, completely enveloped with the blood from his chest. Wedged inbetween his ribs, a long, thin shrapnel protruded from his body, piercing through a lung that had been breathing only minutes ago. I stared at him, into eyes that only stared into the grey sky above me. The blood only thickened as his body progressed downward, ending in a bloody stump where his waist used to be. I looked back up, to his eyes...his eyes, that stared back at me for what seemed eternity. Someone had once told me that if you ever witness the death of someone, that no matter what you do, never look them in the eyes. That man had told me that if you did, then they would haunt you in every waking moment you spent alone. I looked away, but still felt as if I could see them. They were in the sky, in the windows of the buildings, on signs...no matter where I looked, they were alway staring back at me. I closed my eyes, but they only became clearer. Pulling my hands out from under his bloody corpse and putting them over my face, I held back tears, trying not to cry. What was happening to me? What was going on?

"Nikole? Are you alright?"

I let my hands drop, opening my eyes to meet Alex's trenchcoat. Looking up, I could see his bright, pale-blue eyes. Finally, someone's eyes to take my mind of Mike's...

"Yeah, I...I am. Where's Trent?"

I stood up, dusting myself off as silently as I could. Alex stepped to the side, revealing a very quiet Trent. His eyes filled with cold fury as he stared down at Mike's body. Mike, who now seemed would only live on in eyes that would never see, but always watch me. Why did it have to be me?

"Wha...what happened?"

He stood still, as if he had been frozen in an invisible case of ice. I looked away, trying not to stare at him.

"Tank shell. Right across the middle. Shrapnel went all the way through his chest. It looked quick..."

It hit Trent hard. He mumbled to himself as he stepped closer to Mike, sinking down to his knees and putting his arms around him. I thought I had heard a sniff as Trent tightened around him, hiding his face. I looked back up to Alex, motioning for him to follow me behind the corner of the building we were nestled up against.

Salone was waiting for us when we got there. Folding his arms across his chest, he tapped his foot, doing his best to look impatient. Clearly though, he was in no hurry to move. Lifting his palms into the air, he raised his eyebrows as well, asking what sounded like more of a rhetoric question than anything.

"Well?"

"Vell, what? Let's let Trent have a bit of peace. Besides, it vill give us time to figure out what we should do. We are in a tight situation here, it seems."

"Well, look who's here to point out the day, it's Captain Obvious!"

Alex gave Salone the finger as he turned to me, clearing his throat and drawing himself up in what appeared to be a bad mock of a leaderly posture.

"Alright Nikole, I haven't seen you perform the amazing flexibility miracle that he has achieved in sticking his head up his ass. We have zombies behind us, and what Trent has described as the army in front of us. We're sandwhiched in the middle. We either go through the army and most likely die, or try to face down the rotting bastards with what ammunition we have left. What do you think?"

The thought of having to gun down an army of the undead held a bit more persuasion than the soldiers in front of us. I wasn't much experienced with a gun, but living humans had hearts and lungs and muscles you could kill them from. A headshot was not something I felt like trying repeatedly.

"Honestly, Alex, I'd rather go forward. Although I'm not sure why you're asking me. You of all people know I'm just following you around. I don't shoot. I don't help, I don't do anything. Why should I know anything as well?"

"Nikole, do not talk such bullshit. We're all doing everything we can, except Salone, but he's an asshole, I-"

Coughing loudly, Salone made his forgotten presence known.

"I heard that, Alex"

Waving a hand in the air to dismiss him, Alex started again.

"Anyways, the point is we're all stuck in this same shit-hole together. We're going to dig ourselves out together. For all we know, behind those soldiers are places that haven't even heard of what's happened here. Ve can escape, escape out to the real world. And so far, we're all doing what we can to get there."

I looked up into Alex's face. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Salone smirking. But I didn't care. At that moment, I felt like I was so empty, like there was nothing inside of me...looking into Alex's eyes, I couldn't stand it anymore. Wrapping my arms around him, I found myself burying my face into his coat once again. His big, burly arms went around me, holding me tight to him. Off in the far away background, I could hear Salone trying to say something.

"Hey, guys?"

Alex's coat moved as he turned towards Salone.

"Shut up, Salone."

"No, seriously dude, come here and look around this corner."

"What for?"

I let go of Alex, straightening my short vest as I stepped away. Salone had changed positions, poking his head around the corner from which we had came every few seconds.

"Seriously, Alex, get over there, something's up."

Lumbering over towards Salone, he muttered to himself, putting his hands on his hips.

"You know, you really shouldn't spy on Trent. He's got a good eye."

"Freaking tree stump, get over here and look at this, there's some chinese G.I. Joe talking to Trent!"

Blinking in disbelief, Alex grabbed Salone's back, hurling him backwards. Putting his fingers on the corner of the wall, he leaned slightly, poking his head around. I quietly followed suit, holding onto his back to keep me balanced.

Salone had been right. He was asian, with the tan, yellowish skin that most chinese people had. He was wearing an American soldier uniform, however, which looked almost big on him. Holding my breath, I could hear him talk in a strangely-American accent.

"I am ex-Major Zhou Garrett. At your service, Mr.Lockewood.