We had been driving for some time now my and legs were starting to hurt. I was stuck in the back in-between Cassandra and my brother. Warren, Garnett and Addy where in the front leaving Doc, Mack, Hayley and 10k in the bed of the truck.

"Why are we going this way? I thought Philly was a dead zone?" Cassandra asked leaning forward talking to Warren. I took the opportunity to stretch my arms some intentionally smacking my brother, I hadn't seen him in years, I had some picking on him to catch up on. He smacked my arm away rolling down the window to stick his head out.

"Hopefully we can scavenge something without having to go too deep into the city," Garnett explained, "If we find a radio maybe we can contact that Z guy again." I didn't like how Cassandra thought Warren and Garnett needed to explain everything to her, she needed to trust them.

"Philadelphia," Murphy said as we passed a poor lady being eaten by zombies, "The city of brotherly love." Leaning on him to get a better look outside I saw something down the road that looked like the Liberty Bell.

"Is that what I think it is?" Warren asked as we drove by it, parking to all get a look.

"Is that really the Liberty Bell?" Mack asked as we all started getting out of the truck to see. I had always wanted to come and see it but never was able to travel before the apocalypse, I guess at least one good thing came out of the end of the world. As Garnett got out he started quoting what was written on the bell confirming that it was the real one.

"Three years of the end of the world, you would have thought you had seen everything," Doc said as he walked up to look at it closer. I had jumped out of the truck to throw my hair into a messy bun and stretch my legs at least a little.

"I always thought your hair looked better long," Murphy said still leaning out the window still.

"Oh, so your finally coming around and being nice to me," I laughed taking out each weapon I had on my person doing a mental inventory; two knives in each boot, gun on my thigh, gun in the inside of my jacket, knife on my back belt loop.

"Can we go now?" Murphy yelled from the truck.

"Was he always this impatient?" Addy asked as she walked up to me leaning against the truck door.

"Always," I said laughing as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Hang on, if this thing has gas," Warren said as she checked the tank, "And it does, if we get this thing started we can take it and not have to ride out in the open like that." Mack jumped down from the truck bed saying he was going to grab the jumper cables.

"God bless the human race, 99% of them dead and there is still one jackass with a spray can," Doc joked as he walked around the bell looking at the graffiti on it. Warren quickly put away the tubing she had and went to open the door only to be blind sided by a zombie in the driver seat. Before anyone had a chance to react 10k had already grabbed his slingshot, killing the zombie.

"1,075," he said proud of his kill. Warren saluted him thanking him and quickly jumped into the truck.

It wasn't long until we had moved the truck to jump start the other, successfully. Garnett was quick to tell everyone who was with who and everyone fell in. Garnett, Warren and my brother were all together and the rest of us in the truck. Hayley had opted for sitting in the truck bed keeping an eye on our duffel bag knowing weapons like that anybody would kill for. We hadn't been following the guys in front of us for long until Cassandra started again.

"We aren't really taking this Murphy guy all the way to California are we?" Cassandra asked leaning up to the front seat again. Doc was driving and I was sitting in-between him and 10k with Mack, Addy and Cassandra in the back.

"That's the plan," Doc said keeping his eyes on the road.

"That's crazy," she said starting to complain again, "What's so special about him anyways?"

"His blood," Doc and I said at the same time. Looking back Cassandra was very confused and shock but dropped it. We were in silence for a couple seconds when all of a sudden the truck in front of us swerved to dodge a car and lost control. They spun almost all the way around but stopped only for the Liberty Bell to break loose and start flying down the road taken Z's out all along its path.

"Oh man I would pay money to see that again," Doc yelled laughing, parking so everyone could get back into the truck.

"The axel is broken," Warren said more pissed then anything.

…..

We hadn't been driving long when we decided to stop and take a break for a minute trying to make a game plan and eat a little something. Hayley and I had packed as many granola bars and small snack things that we ever came across but we didn't have much left. We only had two bottles of water left giving it to the group to share with everyone.

"Enjoy, that's the last of the food," Warren said.

"I'm fresh out of everything," I added as I zipped my bag shut and tossed it into the bed of the truck.

"God, I'm so hungry my big guts are eating my little guts," Murphy said as he threw his trash onto the ground turning to look at 10k, "Are you going to eat all of that?" As he asked 10k shoved the whole Twinkie into his mouth staring my brother down. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Selfish little bastard," Murphy said turning back around.

"Here," I said handing him half of mine. He was hesitant at first but quickly grabbed the food from my hand shoving it in his mouth.

"We need to split up and look for food and water," Garnett said as he walked around the truck to the group. Addy started explaining that if she had a radio or a satellite she could try to contact Citizen Z.

"That's good, you two go do that," Garnett said pointing to Addy and Mack, "The rest of us will look for food. Doc you take Cassandra and 10k, Warren and I will take Murphy. Stay close and we meet back here in an hour." And with that everyone walked away to do what they were told leaving Hayley and I to our selves.

"So…" I started looking around watching everyone walk away, "Does nobody need us?" When no one answered I took that as my cue to get Hayley and see what we could stock up on. Grabbing my axe to keep silent I handed the bat to Hayley and told her to come with me.

"I can't believe that crazy guy is your brother you always told me about," Hayley said as we were rummaging through a car. I laughed as I shut the car door, not finding anything I really needed.

"That he is," I said as I walked over to a busted window. Looking through the window to see what was in it I motioned for Hayley to follow me inside. Once we got inside a Z came at us through a rack of post cards, scattering them everywhere, but Hayley was at the ready hitting it in the chest knocking him back, giving me enough time to give it mercy.

"And that's why we make a good team," I said laughing and putting my axe on my belt loop. Quickly I told her to go grab as many bottles of water as she could while I went through grabbing crackers, more Twinkies and anything I could get my hands on. It wasn't long until I heard someone yelling outside and it sounded like Mack.

"Addy!" he yelled as we came running out of the shop as fast as we could. Running down the street towards him his yelling was attracting unwanted attention.

"Mack, behind you," I yelled as we got closer. He quickly grabbed his weapon and turned around killing the Z that almost had him. I saw him looking at the Z that was coming towards him before he killed it.

"Mack what is it?" I asked running up to him grabbing him so he would actually listen to me, "Mack!" He wouldn't focus on me and instead kept turning in circles like he was looking for Addy, I knew this couldn't be good. Just then Hayley said she heard a voice coming from the police car.

"Delta-Xray-Delta, come in," we all heard. Mack quickly ripped himself from my grip and ran into the car.

"Yea, yea we are here," he said in a panic, "Delta-Xray whatever, we copy."

"Gotcha," the voice said, " Um, who am I speaking to?"

"Mack Thompson," he said, "But that doesn't matter right now. There was a women here did you talk to her?" Hayley and I stood outside the car, keeping watch from the Z's.

"Roger, I made contact with someone named, Addy," the guy on the radio confirmed. I sighed knowing at least this guy talked to her. I could hear the relief in Mack's voice as well.

"Is she ok? Did she say where she was going?" Mack asked just as some zombies came to see what the commotion was. Just as I was walking away to kill the zombies the guy on the radio asked about my brother, asking if he was ok. Then said it was humans who took Addy, I almost wished she had bolted because of zombies rather than humans. As Hayley and I killed the couple zombies that where headed our way Mack grabbed everything he could then bolted, the two of us not far behind him.

Once we made it back to the truck we were the first ones there. Throwing my bag back into the truck I leaned up against the tailgate trying to think of what happened to Addy. Watching Mack he couldn't stay still, he kept walking back and forth looking like he could murder someone who just looked at him wrong.

"Mack you need to calm down," I said walking towards him, "Here, drink this." Handing him a bottle of water he quickly threw it back then handed me the rest. About that time Warren, Murphy and Garnett joined us.

"What's wrong," Warren asked as she walked up to us. Mack quickly grabbed the ipad they had from Addy's bag that had all her wiring equipment in it. After we all watched the video we had realized what had truly happened. The guys who were obviously looking for Cassandra had taken Addy. About that time 10k, Doc and the woman in question finally joined us.

"What's wrong where is Addy?" Doc asked looking around. Cassandra was standing in-between Warren and I, Doc was standing to my left. Doc asked if Addy had been turned and I only shook my head, my hand hovering over my gun.

"No, taken alive," Mack explained, somewhat, "By humans." Mack was slowly walking up to Cassandra showing her the ipad.

"We thought you might know," I said trapping her in-between Warren and myself.

"Me? How would I know," Cassandra asked, I could tell she was starting to get worried. Mack played the video for her asking if she recognized the guys, she denied it.

"One of those guys is the biker back in Jersey with your friend Travis," Warren explained. You could tell Cassandra was caught now. Looking around she didn't know what to do. Once Warren started questioning her she started to panic.

"I told you I didn't know that guy and I don't know them," she tried to explain but before any of us could react Mack grabbed her and put his gun to her head.

"You're going to start telling me the truth right now," Mack said blowing up finally, Garnett trying to calm him down. Finally getting Mack to calm down I backed him up from her letting Garnett talk to Cassandra.

"Tell us everything you know about these guys right now," Garnett said calmly.

"Or I'll shoot you," Warren added with some authority pulling out her gun. I rolled my eyes thinking that we finally got one gun out of her face and now there was another. I holstered my gun and was standing next to 10k waiting for answers.

"I cant go back there!" Cassandra finally said. Before I could grab Mack again he had grabbed Cassandra again slamming her against the truck.

"Where is she!" he kept yelling but before we knew it Mack's yelling had attracted some unwanted attention and a Z ran around the corner. Pulling out my axe as fast as I could I turned and struck the Z in the chest holding it as still as I could as 10k shot it in the head. I had to admit we made a good team.

While we were all looking at the Z Cassandra had taken the chance to get away and made a run for it, Mack, Garnett and Warren running after her.

"I knew we shouldn't have picker her up," Murphy said sitting on the truck getting comfortable.

"Murphy don't be rude, I'm sure they think that about you too," I said throwing my axe into the back of the truck and sitting on the open tailgate. Doc, 10k and Hayley all laughed while my brother just grumbled under his breath and let out a huff.

"Any one hungry?" I asked as I grabbed my bag and unzipped it grabbing some of the small granola bars I grabbed earlier. Everyone quickly took one and ate it just as quick.

It wasn't long before the rest of the group showed back up with Cassandra and I was ready to hear how she was going to explain this. Giving us a brief summary of the people she used to live with and how they were cannibals we all stood in shock, at least I was anyways. When no one said anything my brother decided it was time for one of his famous jokes. Telling us his joke about Arnold the pig we all just stared at him in disbelief. Signing and rubbing my hand over my face I was not at all surprised he would tell a joke like that at a time like this.

"What?" he said getting offended that no one laughed, "Too soon?" Standing behind Cassandra, just in case she decided to bolt again, I patted my brothers leg and told him now wasn't the time.

"We didn't start out as cannibals," she started to explain.

"How is that even possible?" I asked not being able to wrap my brain around it.

"Yea, everything is infected with the zombie virus, if you kill it and eat it you become infected with the virus," Garnett explained just as confused as I was.

"But if you eat it alive," she started to explain, "We were just people trying to survive. Tobias saved me, first from Z's then from the worst of humanity." At the moment he was seeming like the worst of humanity to me. "He was a good man until his wife got sick. She just couldn't take it anymore and he wasn't the same after that. When Black Summer came he swore he would keep us safe no matter what and that's exactly what he did." She was defending him and herself the best she could but I could tell no one was buying it. Mack was getting angrier and angrier and stormed to the back of the truck grabbing his bag.

"I'm going to get Addy," he said as he tried to walk away. Garnett stepped in his way telling him to hang on a second, "Garnett do not try to stop me."

"No body is going to try to stop you, we are all going back for Addy," he said trying to take control of the situation again, "But we need a plan."

"You don't understand, these people are worse than Z's! They will kill all of you," Cassandra said getting more and more upset.

"She is right, lets look at the big picture," Murphy said hoping down from the hood of the truck he was sitting on. Everyone just turned to him and told him to shut up. He stopped and looked around at everyone and I couldn't help the laugh that escaped and he just turned to me. I quickly tried to hide it but he only rolled his eyes turning away from me again.

"Do you know where they have taken her?" Garnett asked bringing us back to the problem at hand. We all looked to Cassandra waiting for her to answer. She finally shook her head yes and we quickly piled into the truck. Warren was driving like always with Garnett in the passenger seat, Cassandra was sitting in-between them giving them directions with Mack, Doc and Murphy in the back seat. Hayley, 10K and I were sitting in the bed of the truck keeping an eye out for zombies.

Once we got to where we were heading Garnett and Warren jumped out of the truck followed by everyone else.

"So here is the plan, Doc, Murphy you guys will stay with the truck. Mack, 10K and Cassandra you guys are coming with us, you too Raven, we could use your skill along with 10K," Garnett said turning to everyone. We all nodded in agreement to our jobs and I told Hayley to stay with my brother and Doc.

Walking the short distant to the compound I followed 10K behind a large wooden barrier where we could still keep an eye on Garnett as he walked up to the gate. He had told us that when he raised his hand he wanted one of us to shoot.

10K was already getting in place while I was screwing on the scope to my bow. I could see Mack, Warren and Cassandra not far from us and I could tell Mack was getting nervous waiting to see Addy. Getting an arrow ready I looked through my scope to the men that Garnett was talking to. I saw Garnett raise his hand like he told us about to snap his fingers.

"You got this one," I told 10k as he zeroed in getting heady for the shot. Snapping his fingers it was almost instantaneous that 10k shot one of the men on the other side of the fence, head shot.

"Nice one," I said turning to him briefly, him turned to me smiling. We went back to watching Garnett as we finally said the man who was named Tobies bring Addy up to the gate, a knife at her throat. I could see Mack go crazy, Warren having to hold him back. Garnett was talking to him about something but I couldn't tell what they were saying. It wasn't long until 10k and I saw Garnett raise his hand again like he wanted one of us to shoot one of the men again.

"Your turn," 10k said this time. I pulled the arrow back getting ready to shoot at any moment when I saw Cassandra running up to Garnett. I turned to 10k not knowing what to do next. He just shrugged and went back to watching through his scope. Once we realized what was happening and that Cassandra was trading herself for Addy we decided to high tail it back to the truck. Once everyone was heading the same way we jogged back before the others arrived.

I was sitting in the back seat with my head out the window, Doc to my right and 10k to my left in the bed of the truck. My brother was walking around complaining that everyone was taking too long and that his legs hurt.

"Your walking around now our legs should feel better," I said trying to get him to stop complaining. He just made a face and stuck his tongue out at me and continued walking around in circles. Hayley was leaning against the truck picking at her nails keeping to herself like she usually did.

"Hey, we were about to give up on you," Doc said as the others finally came into view, Addy now wearing Mack's jacket.

"Actually I did give up on you about an hour ago," Murphy admitted to everyone. Addy let out a small laughed and joked saying that she never thought she would be happy to see my brother again. He gave her a small smile and I could tell under his harsh exterior he actually liked this group of people, as did I.

"Alright everyone lets head out," Mack said as he opened my door and I hopped out getting ready to get in the bed of the truck with Hayley.

"Wait, what? We aren't leaving her there are we?" Addy asked pointing back in the direction they had just come from. It wasn't long until there was an argument about if we were going to go back for Cassandra or not. Personally as much as I honestly didn't like her she didn't deserve to be left with those crazy people, I agreed that we should go back for her.

"The only thing in our way is that 50 caliber machine gun, it will tear us to pieces before we even make the fence," Garnett said. I could tell Mack and Murphy were pissed. Closing the door my brother was leaning Warren pointed to 10k and myself.

"How good of a shot are the two of you?" she asked. I pulled out an arrow pulling back the string of my bow to my chin, while 10k aimed his gun. A good distance away were two Z's walking side by side. At the same time we both fired our weapons dropping both zombies instantly.

"I'd say we are pretty good," I said slinging my bow back over my body again smiling to Warren.

"1,084," 10k said setting his gun down again, "Oh yea, and a half."

Once Warren told us her plan we quickly went back to the cop car that had started everything. Addy was radioing for someone named citizen Z. Addy was telling the man on the other side of the radio that we needed music, loud and we needed it now. He was more than happy to help us and for that I was thankful. If Warren's plan went off without a hitch we shouldn't have any problem getting Cassandra back. I was standing a bit farther from the cop car than the others keeping an eye out for zombies but I could barely hear the man on the radio and I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew that voice. I had no idea who it could have been so I just chalked it up to my imagination and the hot sun.

We had sent 10k ahead of us before we made the radio call to go back to where him and I were earlier at the gate opening. He would be far enough away no Z's following us would catch his sent but close enough to keep on eye on us.

Once we picked up the radio signal and the music started playing everyone piled into the truck leaving me in the bed of the truck alone. My job was to keep an eye on any of the zombies looking like they were getting too close and to help keep there attention so they would stay following us. Once we got closer to the compound I decided the road was a little too bumpy for me to be standing and sat down getting my bow ready.

With the music still blaring we busted through the front gates like nothing bringing the horde of zombies with us. Spotting Doc and Cassandra hiding behind one of the trailers we pulled as close to them as we could while keeping distance from Tobias and his men. There was a loud explosion and the man who was on the 50 caliber stopped shooting telling us that 10k fulfilled his job. Once Doc and Cassandra were in the back with me we let the front know and quickly got the hell out of dodge, only stopping once to pick up 10k.

Stopping once again once we made it to the safety of town we stopped to get everyone situated.

"If anyone asks we were never near that bell," Garnett said from his seat in the bed of the truck. I smiled and nodded my understanding as I got out of the back of the truck to put my bow back in my duffel bag.

"Hey, is it ok if Hayley and I go raid a couple stores over there?" I asked as I pulled out my ax, "It got cut short last time and they had a few bottles of water left." Warren approved our little mission and her and I jogged away to the stores we were raiding earlier. She had her trusty bat and we both walked into the same store we were in earlier. I had my backpack and loaded it with a couple bottles of water but the food they had left was ruined. Putting my bag back on my back we made our way outside again only to be met by a zombie. Driving my ax into his head he dropped easy enough and I turned to Hayley giving her the ok to come back out of the store.

"What would you do without me?" I asked her giggling as she smiled.

"I probably would have died long ago," she said as we looked through the window of the store next door. We were lucky enough this time that the door was unlocked and we happily let ourselves in.

"I'm not going to lie Raven, I didn't think we would last much longer if we hadn't met anyone else," she admitted to me. We were rummaging through the snack shelves of the convenient store taking everything.

"Look, I know this sounds like it came out of a cheesy zombie movie but you're my best friend Hayley. If we hadn't met back six months ago I don't think I would be here today, I honestly think of you as my sister not just my best friend," I told her. Her and I had become inseparably close, I would do anything for her, "Alright, enough with the chick flick moment lets get back to the group." She laughed at my comment and we both walked out the door, my bag newly stuff with a few more survival materials. Little did we know though that was the last conversation I was going to have with her.

Walking out of the store the door made an audible ding as the town was eerily quiet, and it only attracted the attention of a Z not far from us. I was a few steps ahead of Hayley and turned around to give her a smile when I saw the one thing I thought I never would. It was like time just stopped. The zombie came running down the side walk from his newest feast, his eyes glued to his next victim, Hayley. I could tell she saw the look on my face and followed my gaze to her attacker. I tried moving as fast as I could but nothing I did was fast enough. I screamed Hayley's name as the zombie grabbed her but it didn't sound like anything came out. As it grabbed her she dropped her bat and I tried to quickly pick it up trying to hit the zombie hard enough that it would let her go but nothing I did worked. Before my mind could think of something else to do I felt something grab my shoulders from behind and I went straight into survival mode turning and swinging at whoever or whatever it was and it quickly let go. Turning back to my best friend the zombie had finally dragged her to the ground taking a chunk out of her neck. I immediately fell to my knees screaming for her again trying to think of anything else. Grabbing my ax finally I drove it through the zombies skull, it falling to the ground. I rushed over to Hayley just as she fell fully to the ground. Her eyes were blank and glazed her, her once white shirt now a bright crimson red. I rested my hand on her cheek as tears streamed down mine. Once again something grabbed me from behind just as I saw Warren lean down in front of me. I saw her lips moving but I couldn't hear anything, all I could hear was the pounding of my heart, the sound of the rest of the world was distant. As I looked back down at Hayley I noticed her eyes were starting to turn blood shot, a dark ring around the bite mark in her neck. I finally gave up fighting, Garnett wrapping his arms around me and pulling me up on my feet now. As Garnett pulled me away from Hayley I watched as she slowly started coming back to life but this time an unfulfilling hunger in her eyes, blood dripping from her mouth. I felt a hand come over my face and cover my eyes as I heard a gun shot, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach at the same time and time quickly rushing back all at once. I quickly turned away from Hayley gripping Garnett's arm and a fist full of his shirt. I was in shock now as they shoved me into the front of the truck in-between my brother and Warren.

Driving away no one said anything to each other, everyone keeping their eyes forward on the road in front of us. If getting to California wasn't important before, now it was the only thing on my mind.