The sudden, unexpected sound of shattering glass woke the slumbering group. Everyone got to their feet and clumsily groped for their weapons as a group flooded into what they'd thought was a safe warehouse to try to get some much needed rest. Shots rang out, people were screaming and bodies hit the cold floor as the girl lifted her own gun and returned fire when she could as she ran for any sort of cover. She'd never cared for guns, no one in her family really had. She had no experience with them until all of this started, and even then it took a while before she herself finally picked up a gun for training.
"Get out!" she heard Clive, the group's unofficial yet unquestioned leader scream out as she saw him quickly pop up from his hiding spot, fire a shot or two before ducking back down. She didn't know who he was talking to, if he was talking to anyone in particular or his people as a whole, but she wanted nothing more than to be gone from that place.
"Come on." she felt someone tug at her sleeve and looked to see Andy, one of Clive's right-hand men motioning towards a small door on the far side of the warehouse.
"We can't just leave Clive." she argued, ducking as a bullet flew over their heads, barely missing them.
"He'll catch up." Andy countered. "Clive told us to get out and we need to get out!" he had to start screaming to be heard over the renewed gunfire. "Come on!" he barked at her as he turned and started heading to the door, still hunched down in an attempt to stay out of the way of stray bullets.
She cast a quick glance back to Clive just in time to see a bullet rip through him sending him to the ground as the few survivors of their group either fled or tried to stand their ground in a losing battle. Knowing there was nothing else to be done, she slinked after Andy, part of her ashamed for running, but a bigger part of her urged her on. She'd gone through so much, she was not going down now. Not after everything. It felt like it was taking forever to make their way across the large, mostly open room, a few bits of derelict machinery bolted to the floor here and there, as they had to stop now and then to avoid the shattering glass from the lights high above their heads being shot out or, worse yet, a comrade falling in their path as they tried their hardest to make their escape.
"Almost there." Andy said as the pair ducked behind the last bit of machinery that could serve as protection before they headed for the door. "We need to run like hell." he panted, trying to catch his breath before making a break for it. "You're a good kid and it might make me sound like a dick, but you're on your own up to that door. Got it?"
"Got it." she nodded. Her stomach was in her throat and she felt like she could be sick at any minute. With one last look around at the carnage, she took a deep breath and waited for Andy's signal. A quick nudge was all he gave her before he took off, leaving her to try to keep up.
"This way!" he called as he busted through the door, nearly falling off the small concrete stoop. Bullets hit the door as they ran out into the night and they could hear some of their attackers following. She struggled to keep up, bobbing and weaving around trees and jumping over tree roots in an attempt to avoid tripping on them as they dashed into the thicket behind the warehouse. It was still dark, but neither of them turned on a flashlight knowing full well that would give them away. Luckily for them, their pursuers didn't have any lights on them either. The attackers had the element of surprise, but at the moment the companions had the cover of darkness working for them. At least for the time being.
"Do you know where we're heading?" she asked as she barely stooped to avoid a low-hanging branch.
"A truck." he said as he veered off, nearly losing her. The further along they moved, the more distance they seemed to be putting between themselves and those after them. "We had it hidden out here just in case."
She didn't ask any questions, there would be time for that later. She just kept following him, hoping he knew where he was going in the dark. As they continued along a shot rang out, hitting a tree to their left and sending bark and large splinters of wood flying. "Shit!" she hissed as a chunk of wood embedded itself in her leg.
"Come on." Andy said as he too recovered from the surprise and helped her to her feet. "Not much further." he assured her.
Hobbling along with her arm over Andy's shoulder and the man holding her up, she could just make out the tail lights of a truck just ahead. She leaned against the truck trying to catch her breath as Andy fumbled around the fender as he searched for the key. "Damn it." he growled as he dropped the key and had to quickly dig around in the decaying leaves to find it.
"They're getting closer." his companion warned as she could hear heavy footsteps and twigs breaking getting closer.
"I'm trying." he snapped as his hand finally brushed against something metallic. With a smile he unlocked the driver side door and leaned across to unlock the passenger side. He threw the truck into gear and punched the gas just as the two men chasing them came into view, one raising a shotgun and letting a bullet fly.
"Who...?" she took ragged breaths as she tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened. The group had just wanted a place to sleep for a night or two. A few of them had scouted out the warehouse and had said it was clear. "Why..?"
"People are bastards, kid." Andy said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and grimaced.
"Are you okay?" she asked as she watched him trying not to grimace herself from the pain in her leg.
"I'm almost fifty and just did a lot more running in a few minutes than I have in my whole damn life." he chuckled. "Just have to catch my breath."
"I can drive." she offered.
"I'm fine." he shook his head.
Her mind wandered back to what had just taken place. She had no idea how many, if any, of her group survived the ambush. It wasn't the first time she'd been separated from a group and she feared it wouldn't be the last. "Why did you have a truck hidden out there?" she asked as she ripped off a sleeve from her shirt and tied it around her leg.
"Clive thought it might be a good idea." Andy explained. "In case shit got ugly, we'd have a getaway car at the ready."
"But only you and Clive knew about it?" she stared at him.
"It worked out for you, didn't it?" he grumbled as he shifted in his seat again. "You got away from those bastards."
"Clive won't be meeting up with us though." she said quietly as she looked out at the road ahead of them.
"You don't need to remind me." he groaned.
"Let me drive so you can focus on trying to get comfortable." she suggested.
"I'm fine." he snapped again. "Of all the damn people to have made it out with..."
She ignored him and focused on her leg, trying to see if she had any wood left in the wound. "I don't suppose you hid a first aid kit in the truck." she hissed as she pulled back the makeshift bandage and the shredded material of her jeans. Andy didn't answer and she looked over to him and could see that his face was covered in sweat and he was trembling. "Andy?" she barely got his name out before he suddenly slumped forward onto the wheel, sending the truck careening to the side of the road. She frantically grabbed for the wheel to get it back on the road. His hands seemed locked in place and she wasn't able to get over in time to get full control before the truck left the road and sped into a large tree.
She woke to the sound of the horn blaring, making her head feel like it was about to split open. Slowly sitting back she looked over to her companion as a new sound mingled with that of the horn. Andy was staring at her with dead eyes, a hissing, gargling sound coming from him as he reached towards and suddenly lunged, his teeth making a sickening chomping sound as he snapped. Without even thinking about it, she reached back for the handle for her door and moved back and found herself falling out of the truck, her injured leg making contact with the drying grass on the side of the road. As she tried to gather herself, Andy came tumbling out on top of her, still snapping and grabbing at her. She moved back on her elbows, her hands scrabbling for anything that she could use to protect herself. Andy, or what was once Andy, was too fast for her though. With speed that surprised her, he was on top of her as she tried as hard as he could to push him off of her, trying to keep his teeth from her flesh. As she was losing her strength, shot rang out and Andy's head seemed to explode all over her, blood and brain matter splattered across her already muddy, bloody face. She pushed him aside and began to vomit. The last few hours had finally proven to be too much for her. Wiping her mouth she turned to see two men standing by the truck. One curly haired man stood next to another light haired man, this one's hair was longer and he wore a full beard.
"Sorry about the.." the long haired man gestured to the mess on her face.
"Are you okay?" the other man began approaching, sending her scooching back to avoid him. "It's okay." he stopped put his hands in the air in an attempt to show he meant her no harm. "I'm Aaron and this is Jesus." he nodded to the other man.
"Jesus?" she asked as she looked both of them over.
"My friends think I look like him." he shrugged.
"We can help you out." Aaron went on. "You're injured and we have a doctor."
"Why?" she asked as she moved back a bit more.
"We're always looking to bring new people into our community." he explained. "And you need help." he reminded her.
She looked around her, the crashed truck, Andy's still form, sans a head, lying feet away. Her mind went back to what had happened just hours ago. Just hours. It seemed like an eternity already, but she could tell by the sun that it was only maybe mid-morning. She couldn't outrun them if she tried to get away, not with her leg injured as it was. She weighed her options and took a deep breath. "I don't really have much choice, do I?" she sounded defeated. "I can leave anytime?"
"Any time." he nodded with a smile. She didn't know him, but there was a gentleness about him that put her at ease.
"And do I have to work off any help you give me?"
"Work off...?" the man called Aaron looked to the one who called himself Jesus. "No, of course not." he seemed confused at the mere thought.
"Only because I know damn well I wouldn't get far if I tried to get away." she said as she struggled to her feet.
"You don't have to escape." Jesus laughed. "If you ran now, we wouldn't try to stop you."
"But considering your condition, it would be best if you at least let our doc take a look at you." Aaron smiled again.
"Thanks." she smiled back quickly as she pushed a bit of her short, bloodied hair out of her eyes.
"See the doctor and take a shower." Jesus said as he offered his arm for support as she slowly moved along towards their car with them. "Not to be rude, but you really, really smell."
"Thanks." she said, feeling a bit embarrassed, ridiculous though it was for her. She could hardly help it considering her circumstances.
"You know our names." Aaron said as he opened the back door for her. "But you've not shared yours yet."
She stopped before getting into the backseat and looked at both men. For some reason she couldn't put her finger on, she felt she could trust them. "Beth." she smiled again. "My name is Beth."