Sorry for the long wait, but here's chapter 9 folks, I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 9: Attack

It was another day, but this day was grey and cloudy. Not a speck of sunshine anywhere, and Hannah could tell something was gonna happen…something bad.

{Aaron, do you have a feeling that something…bad will happen?} She asked through their connection.

Aaron was on top of the car, sitting. {No, why is something troubling you?}

{Yeah, but I don't know…} She turned to him. {This makes things more uncomfortable for me.}

Aaron jumped off the car and walked over to her. {Well, where you go, I go so you won't be alone.} He grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Hannah, Aaron, where are you guys?" Zoey's voice called out.

Hannah and Aaron quickly let go of each other's hands before turning around to see Zoey.

"Hi Zoey, something you need?" Hannah smiled.

Zoey hid a smirk. "Oh, nothing, but I think we should head out soon." She then turned around and walked away.

{I hate this!} Aaron growled.

Hannah looked at him with a small smile. "I know, but we have to get through this, it's the way things are."

{Why can't things be different? Why did all of this have to happen?} He whined.

Hannah hugged him as he turned away from her. "Don't worry about it, just focus on here and now."

Aaron turned around in her arms and embraced her back, placing his face in her hair. A few moments later, they found themselves separated once again as Hannah drove her motorcycle that was followed by the car driven by Bill this time. They were making great progress on getting to the underground bunker, however, trouble was about to kick in. The sound of a tire popping made the car screeched to a halt as well as the motorcycle as Hannah turned around to see they had a problem. Kicking the stand down, Hannah took off her helmet and placed it on the handle bar of her motorcycle before walking over to check on the damage done.

"Damn, it's a flat alright." Hannah announced.

Nick huffed. "So we'll have to find another tire, but where exactly?"

"Good point, judging by these woods we're by there's not a tire around." Louis stated.

Hannah spoke. "Not exactly, there's a cabin deeper in these woods, a family use to live there and they had a tire swing, I'm sure that tire will fit perfectly."

"That doesn't sound too bad for a plan." Rochelle commented.

Zoey smiled. "Then it's settled, we'll go to this cabin, find the tire, and bring it back here so we can keep going."

"Well, not everyone, someone has to stay behind to watch the vehicles." Ellis pointed out.

Bill volunteered. "I'll stay here with Francis."

"I'll stay here as well." Louis spoke up.

Nick nodded. "I will too."

Aaron turned to Hannah. {We better go now before it gets too dark.}

"Alright, let's go." Hannah cocked her pistols before leading the way towards the cabin. "Aaron, it's better if you stay here with them, I'll be back as soon as possible though."

Aaron nodded. {Be safe.}

The walk was silent at first, only the sounds of the wind blowing and the leave wiping through it. Hannah walked in front of everyone as Ellis and Zoey did the same as Coach and Rochelle, walked along side by side. Yeah, things were quiet for the most part, till something caught Hannah's attention.

"Okay, everyone stay on alert." Hannah reported back to the other, they just nodded.

Hannah kept moving as she quietly snuck behind a huge rock, only to scare away a few crows. She signed in relief as she stood before the wooden bridge they had to cross. Looking up, she saw the cabin just on the other side.

"Look, the cabin's just on the other side of this bridge." Hannah smiled. "Just a quick walked there and back as soon as we got the tire and we're set."

Ellis smirked. "Then let's get a move on shall we, ladies first."

Hannah scoffed as Zoey and Rochelle rolled their eyes before they made their way across the bridge casually while the men walked across it like they were stepping on their own grave. Rochelle tapped Hannah once she spotted the tire swing.

"Over there." She pointed.

Hannah walked over to it and looked the tire over and over. "Yup, it's in perfect condition, a few years old but good condition." She took her knife and cut the tire down.

However, just as she did, a sly voice came from behind them. "Well, isn't this nice? Look what the infected dragged in." A bandit appeared before them as well as fourteen more of them.

"Shit." Hannah whispered as she positioned herself to fight.

The bandit chuckled. "You didn't think we would let you off the hook that easily huh? It's payback time."

"What's the plan, Hannah?" Coach asked.

Hannah glared at the bandits before them. "We separate into three groups, take five each, and kill them all."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Zoey replied as she shot a bandit in the leg.

Hannah grabbed her pistols and quickly picked out five, the leader being one of them. The others just took whatever five they got.

Zoey kicked the one she shot in the face before shooting him in the head. However, when she turned to another, one grabbed her from behind, but Ellis saved her by grabbed the bandit in a headlock and twisting his neck. Zoey shook it off and punched another bandit in the gut when he tried to grab her and grabbed her pistol before putting bullets into his stomach. Ellis then knocked a bandit in the head with the butt of his shotgun before shooting him in the back. The last one just looked at them before he fell to the ground with a nice hole in the middle of his head.

Coach and Rochelle were doing just fine as well. One was already dead with an axe still implanted in the back of his head, and another just fell as Coach shot him, piercing his heart. Rochelle then pushed one onto the ground before driving a knife into his shoulder and putting a bullet into his head. One was then lit up like the fourth of July as he was shot with an automatic rifle. The last one aimed a grenade launcher at them, but he was quickly dealt with when a bullet pierced his head from the side from Zoey's pistol.

"Guys!" Hannah called out to them. "Get the tire and get back to the others!"

Ellis watched as she dodged another bullet. "You nuts, you can't take them bandits all by yourself."

"I'll be fine, just go!" She replied before kicking a bandit in the leg and putting a bullet in his head as he went to his knees.

Rochelle put a hand on Ellis' shoulder. "She'll be fine, let's go."

Zoey cut the tire down and Coach picked it up before they all made their way back towards the others. Hannah watched as they went before turning her attention back to the four remaining bandits in front of her.

"No one will save you know." The leader announced.

Hannah growled at him before running towards him and punching him square in the nose, smirking when she heard a loud crack before she knocked him off his feet. A bandit came from behind her and tried to grab her, but he was earned with a knife in his head. However, as she was distracted, another bandit grabbed her and pinned her to the ground while chocking her till she couldn't breathe.

"I told you no one will save you know." The leader groaned.

Back with the others, Aaron was pacing back and forth before the sound of rustling got his attention. He watched as Zoey, Ellis, Rochelle, and Coach appeared, but his eyes widen when Hannah didn't appear. Where was she? Is she okay? What happened?

"Damn, look at you guys, what happened?" Nick asked the question Aaron was thinking.

He listened as Zoey explained as they were jumped by the bandits and Hannah told them to go while she held them off. No…no…no, how could this have happened? Wait…why was he standing here when Hannah needed him? He needed to get to her and fast, but he could reveal his secret to everyone. No matter, Hannah was in danger and that was what mattered most.

Secret or no secret, he would save Hannah.

Aaron let out a screech full of anger and the others just looked at him as he crouched to the ground and growled. Everyone backed out once they found out what he was.

"He's a Hunter!" Louis exclaimed.

They watched as he pounced off into the woods and towards the cabin. They all just stared at each other as is if wondering what to do now.

Back with Hannah, all she could see was stars and darkness. However, the weight of the bandit and his killer hands disappeared all of a sudden before screams of pain filled her ears. She opened her eyes and saw Aaron ripping the bandit apart before she turned her attention to the other two. The leader and his remaining follower were rooted to the spot before Aaron turned to them, they took off running. Aaron then turned to Hannah and saw her catching her breath before his eyes traveled to her neck and he saw handprints on it.

He crawled over to her and whined softly to her as he checked her over and over again for any other signs of pain.

{Are you alright?} He asked.

Hannah nodded. {Yeah, thank you.} She gave a small smile.

Aaron wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. {Don't do something like that ever again, please. I don't want to lose you.}

{Sorry, I thought I had it under control, but I'll be more careful next time.} She promised as she leaned into his embrace.

Aaron chuckled. {One more thing, you have some explaining to do once we get back.}

Next chapter will be out sooner, I promise but...the secret is out now, what will happen next? Well, to find out, stay tune for more The Hunter and the Hunted as chapter 10 makes its way out. Bye!