Beneath the water, her feet struck the bricks. Her rapid breathing masked the splashing water from her ears. Her pace couldn't keep up with the man in front, but the woman behind her had an even harder time keeping up.
"Rath!" she yelled.
"Yes, Kate."
"Slow down, Jess can't keep up."
"Don't worry about me," Jess said through her rapid breathing.
Standing beside Jess, Kate held her up. Jess's wound was getting worse.
"Here," he said turning around.
As he lifted Jess up, the flashlight beam allowed Kate to see Jess grimace in pain.
Hearing a roar that filled up the tunnel, "Go!" ordered Rath letting Kate lead as he piggy backed Jess.
"Wait," made Kate stop and hearing metal being pounded against.
Turning and looking up, she watched Rath kicking a metal grate. Jess was propped against the wall. Going to Jess, Kate held Jess's head as Rath pulled on the metal grate. Trying to reassurance the slowly fading Jess, she listened as the grate slowly gave way to Rath's continuous pounding and pulling.
Jumping down, Rath pulled the grate free and threw it to the side. Climbing back, he motioned for Jess. Kate's arms wrapped around Jess and dragged her to the opening. Grabbing under Jess's shoulder, Rath pulled Jess in. Quickly Kate grabbed Rath's hand and was pulled up and in.
Standing up, "Thanks," Kate said.
Before she could hear of reply, something grabbed her ankle and pulled her out of the tunnel. Quickly Rath grabbed her hand and began a tag of war for her. Looking towards her feet, she saw a tentacle around her ankle. More tentacles wrapped around her legs.
As pain grew in her arm, she was willing to accept a dislocated shoulder if Rath could win. Couple of the tentacles was hooked on the waist band of her jeans. Denim began to rip allowing her propelled towards Rath. However, the tentacles recovered fast. She felt slimy, cold tentacles against her bare legs.
Jess tried grabbling Kate's free hand, but a tentacle pulled it away from Jess's grasp. When a tentacle wrapped Kate's waist, Rath's advantage began slipping away. Jess's arms were wrapped around Rath's chest. Kate's fear grew as Rath's grip was slipping.
"No," came from her as Rath's grip lost the tug of war.
"Rath!" echoed through the tunnel as Kate was dragged over the water covered ground.
Turning her over, the tentacles began ripping off her shirt. Her bra pop opened. Tentacles began squeezing her exposed breasts. Her panties ripped off as her legs were spread opened.
"Rath!" muffled by a tentacle entering her mouth.
Laughter filled her ears.
"No!" she screamed sitting up in bed.
Quickly scanning the room with her eyes allowed her breathing to slow down. She was in a bed, but not in her bed that was in a trailer in Tulfort. Quickly she recalled her adventure in the sewers of New York City. Jess's death brought tears to Kate. Her and Rath's capture by zombie scientists. Then her jumping after Rath into a rift in time and space. Finally climbing out of sewer into a dead city.
Holding her face in her hands, "Yes, it happened," she mumbled, "except being raped."
Turning on a lamp, her feet pushed off the sheets. She still had a white T-shirt and panties on. Getting up, walked out the bed room.
Flicking the bathroom light, she entered and closed the door. Pulling the sink drawer opened, she grabbed the cigarette pack that she had put there earlier. Lifting the toilet seat lid up and pulling down her panties, she sat down and urinated. Still sitting, she pulled a cigarette out and sniffed it. Moving it left to right, right to left, just savoring the scent of tobacco.
Looking at the cylinder of cancer, "Where did this pack came from?" she wondered.
It belonged to a gang banger. Oh, yes, now she remembered.
They searched for signs of life. Rotting corpuses littered everywhere.
"What happened?" she asked as they walked.
"Mass murder," he answered.
She just stared at him as they continued walking through the street of corpuses. The answer to her question appeared as a headline: "Cases of the Flu Increasing!"
"The flu did this," she said.
"Whatever happened has past," he remarked, "Now we must leave this city."
"Why?"
"Chances are there are scavengers," staring at her, "They might not be looking to make friends."
She just swallowed.
They found an opened sporting goods store. Bullets littered the floor. Guns racks and cases were bare.
After finding a white and flannel T-shirt, she handed back Rath's coat to him. Changing her dirty smelling pants, her eyes detected a familiar shape.
"Look," holding a crossbow up.
Wearing a black shirt, "Its suits you, Kate," he remarked grabbing two back packs.
Arming it, she placed six arrows in the quiver on the crossbow. Thirty arrows were strapped to the backpack.
"This was over looked," Rath said dropping a box of MRE's in front of her.
Smiling, she loaded her pack up.
Putting his trench coat on, they walked out.
Studying a map, "The Lincoln Tunnel is close," commented Rath.
Walking beside him, "Tunnel like underground," she remarked.
"Like yes."
"No more tunnels, I'm feed up with being underground, especially after running through sewers."
"Fine, George Washington Bridge, it is."
Seeing the tunnel entrance jammed with cars, "Glad we're taking the bridge," she remarked.
He just nodded his head.
"How are you fine folks doing on this fine day?" came from behind them.