It's a small world
Tia accepted the help up, smiling at the young man who was being so gracious. But something he said peeked her curiosity... Zoey?
"Tell me, Ellis? What does Zoey look like?" She asked. Ellis' face got a dreamy look and he looked back to Tia.
"Oh, she's just about the purdiest thing this side of the Mississippi..."
Tia facepalmed. "No, I mean what does she physically look like?" Another one of the survivors came forward. A man with slicked back hair and a very dirty white suit.
"Don't listen to that idiot. Name's Nick. And what might your name be, pretty thing?" He asked with a wink. Tia blushed and looked away.
"My name is Pr- Tia... My name is Tia."
Nick quirked a brow and nodded slowly. "Right... To answer your question, Zoey is about 5' 4'', brown hair up in a pony tail, wore a pink jacket. Pretty quirky, too."
Tia smiled. "I know Zoey. Did she have two companions, Francis and Louis with her?" Another survivor chuckled and walked forward. This man was a very large, dark man. His shirt was stained with sweat and his light stubble was becoming a full fledged beard.
"Haha! What a small world it is! Friends call me Coach. You can, too. This, over here's Rochelle." The girl in question came into the light and waved.
Tia smiled and walked towards them. "Well, I'm Tia, and this is Cho. We were... taken by these men and... did they treat you just as bad?" She asked curiously.
Nick shuddered and leaned against the wall. "Yeah, but just wait till you see the doctors. Never have I been poked and prodded so much in my fucking life. They're trying to see if they can get some kind of cure out of us."
Coach nodded. "It's all a bunch of bullshit. Things ain't never gonna get back to normal, and those of us that are immune are being herded up like cattle for the slaughter. You see all those bodies on the way in?" Tia nodded somberly. "Those weren't all Zombies. Military is executing the 'carriers'."
Tia paled and shook her head. "That's... no they can't do that! What gives them the right?!"
Ellis rubbed his chin and shrugged. "Well, there ain't no government anymore, and the soldiers are the ones with guns... I'm thinkin they don't care about what's right or wrong anymore. Damn, this reminds me of the time Keith-"
"Ellis, I swear to God, if a Keith story comes out of your mouth again, I'll shove my loafer so far up your ass, you'll be sneezing tassels." Nick threatened.
"Okay, okay! Geez... Thought I'd entertain our guests seein as how they ain't got nothin' else to look forward to." Ellis muttered. Tia grabbed Ellis by the shirt.
"Please. We need to get out of here. I have a friend who can help us if we escape." She pleaded. Cho finally stepped forward.
"We don't know where he is, Tia. For all we know, he took off the first chance he got. He isn't called 'Loner' for a reason." Cho crossed his arms and sat cross legged on the floor. "He does what he has to for him to survive. No one else."
Tia crossed her arms. "I know he'll come for us. Just wait. He'll find me..." She muttered, trying to force the tears away. Ellis pat her back and gave her a soft smile.
"Hey, girl. It's okay. I'm sure your boyfriend will come get ya." He soothed. Tia blushed and looked away.
"H-He's not my... It's not like that." She rationalized. Nick chuckled.
"Why the hell are you lying to us for? You don't know us so you can say you shagged the ever living shit out of him and call it a day." Everyone shot Nick a few varying glances before ultimately letting his statement go unopposed. "Look, we all lost loved ones in this shit storm. Find happiness wherever you can. Too late to do that now."
Tia was about to answer, when alarms began to blare throughout the building. "Intruder in the compound! Red alert, Everyone at your stations!"
Tia smiled and looked to the four survivors, who were now in ultimate freak out mode. "W-What's wrong?" She asked. "We're going to be saved!"
Nick and Ellis began to kick at the door frantically. Rochelle grabbed Tia's arms and gave a fearful look. "Noise brings them in! Every infected within fifty miles is probably hearing this alarm! The army's ringing the dinner bell!"
"We are NOT going to be their desert!" Nick shouted, kicking the door. "C'mon, people! Let's go! We got an escape to attempt!"
Everyone flew to the ground as an explosion rocked the room just outside the cell door. The flash of the explosive nearly blinded Tia. Her ears were ringing and her eyes were watering as she tried to blink the spots away.
"Tia!? Tia where are you!?"
She could barely here the voice. Could it be...?
"Tia! It's me! Are you in here!?"
Yes! Yes it was him! It was Loner! "Yes, Loner!" Tia yelled, running to the door. "We're in here! We're okay!" She began to sob as he held her hand through the bars.
"Tia..." He kissed her hand and squeezed it tight. "I promised you nothing would happen to you on my watch, didn't I?" He smiled. She wiped her tears away as Loner let her hands go. He grabbed the keys off the corpse of the guard and undid the lock. He hesitated when he saw the four other survivors.
"Um... And you are?" He asked, clutching his weapon tight. Tia grabbed his arm and gestured to the four.
"This is Couch, Ellis, Nick and Rochelle. They're in the same situation we were in. They're okay, don't worry." She assured. Everyone ran out of the cell and grabbed whatever weapons were available. Loner gave Tia her silenced MAC-10 he brought down with him and passed Cho his pistol.
The other four grabbed the dead guards weapons. Coach hefted a shotgun, Nick grabbed the assault rifle, and Ellis and Rochelle were left with the sidearms. It'd have to do till they got real weapons.
"Come on." Loner said running for the threshold of the door. "I passed a weapons locker on the way here. We'll get everyone something good to use."
Loner turned to see a group of soldiers running and screaming down the hall. A thunderous roar erupted behind them as a Tank skid around the corner, trying to find purchase on the smooth cement.
"Oh, SHIT! It's a Tank!" Ellis shouted. The Tank grabbed one of the soldier and ripped him in half, showering the adjacent hall in blood. It turned it's tiny head to the seven survivors in the hall. Loner locked his eyes with it and pulled out his knife.
"Right down this hall, another right, then a left. Weapons and ammo. Once you get those, head for the garage, the hummer that brought us here is there waiting. I'll buy you time and meet up with you."
Another tank joined it's undead comrade and was now staring at Loner as well. "Fucking shit... Just go!" He yelled, charging down the hall, yelling at the beasts. The three met head on, and Loner was lost to Tia's sight as he rolled behind the mass of rippling flesh.
"Loner!" She screamed as Ellis and Cho dragged her away.
"Come on, missy! He doesn't want you to get hurt! Let's move!" Ellis demanded, forcing Tia to fall into step. She took one last look back and saw the flashes of fire on the wall, outlining the battle Loner raged in quick flashes. She shut her eyes and pressed forward, hoping that Loner wasn't lying when he said he'd meet back up with them...
"Come on you fucking pansies!" Loner yelled, rolling out of the way of another punch. The first Tank roared in agony as the man shoved his knife deep into it's eye socket. The beast rolled on the floor, clutching its tiny head before it's movements slowed, then finally ceased.
"You're going to have to do better than him!" Loner shouted as he backpedaled from the second tank, firing his UZI all the while. The Tank flinched with the impacts, but didn't slow in the slightest. Loner fumbled and tripped on the leg of a soldier and fell to the cold floor. The Tank seized its chance and let it's fist fly straight and true.
It smashed down on Loner's right shin, shattering the bone beneath. Loner cried out in agony as he rolled out of the second bash, reloading and firing again. The Tank roared in defiance, bringing down the walls and everything around them. Loner pulled the trigger again, but only a click resonated from the weapon.
Loner tried to stand, but his leg was completely destroyed. He leaned against the wall, bloody and mangled as the beast took its time circling him.
"Playing with your fucking food?!" Loner shouted. "You can't play with something that can still fight back!" He goaded, pulling out a vile from his backpack. The Tank sniffed the air and entered a complete frenzy.
"Yeah, I think this'll work." Loner laughed as he charged headlong into the beast, ignoring the crippling pain in his leg. This was the biggest long shot he'd ever faced, but it had to work. He wound his arm back, and-
"We got soldiers!" Coach yelled, ducking behind a wall as they opened fire. The others hid and fired as best they could. Celestia hid behind the wall, clutching her weapon tight.
"Hey, missy?" Ellis asked. Tia looked up with tears in her eyes. "Mind if I borrow that weapon?" Celestia stared at the boy, his voice so calm and soothing, even as he was being shot at by a bunch of thugs.
"S-Sure." Tia choked, passing her MAC-10 to Ellis. The boy smiled deviously as he rolled into the middle of the floor, firing on the soldiers.
"Eat shit and dieeee!" And he shouted, laughing like a madman as the soldiers dropped. Nick began to laugh as well and pat the boy on the back.
"Well ho-lee shit, Ellis! I didn't think you had it in you!" He complimented. Ellis helped Tia to her feet and gave her his pistol.
"Hope you don't mind, but, I think I'll put this to better use." He chuckled. Tia nodded and looked back, hoping to see Loner coming up behind them.
Nothing.
She wiped away the tears and fell back into step with the others. "He promised." She reasoned. "He'll be okay, he'll be okay..."
The seven survivors managed to make it back to the garage, facing minimal soldiers and infected inside. Outside, however, was a different story. Soldiers ran every which way, either being chased by zombies or their positions were being overrun with the buggers, which forced them out. It was utter mayhem, and the survivors wanted nothing to do with it.
"Okay, I say we take this jeep and get the hell out of here." Nick said, backing away from the garage door and opened the back door up. He shut the door again and pressed himself against it. "On second thought, fuck the jeep!"
Celestia covered her ears as a shriek emanated from inside the vehicle. Whatever was inside was shaking the jeep like a leaf, desperately trying to get out.
"How in thee hell did a witch get in a closed jeep?!" Ellis shouted. "Either they're getting smarter or the armies pickin' up hitchhikers now!"
The witch burst through the top hatch of the jeep, glowering at the group. Everyone backed up, but Celestia stayed frozen in fear. She had never encountered a creature so innocent looking, but more frightening than the other infected combined. The witch shrieked like a bat and dove onto Tia, tumbling across the garage with her.
Tia screamed back at the witch, pulling out her knife. "I will not let you of all creatures end my life!" She shouted, plunging her knife into the witches neck. It did little to stop it from cutting deep into her chest.
"Tia! Hang on!" Coach shouted, tackling the Witch off of Celestia. The large man rolled across the floor with her, but the Witch gained the upper hand. It brought it's large daggers down with a shriek and plunged them into Coaches neck. Time seemed to freeze for everyone as Coach let out a struggled breath, blood pouring from his throat.
"COACH!" Ellis shouted. "Get that bitch! Someone git her!" He hollered. Tia grabbed her knife off the floor and dove into the fray stabbing the Witch square in the eye. It went limp, leaving Tia gasping heavily over its body.
The others ran over to Coach's side as they picked him off the cold floor. "Somebody get me something to stop the bleeding!" Nick yelled. Rochelle came over with a few rags as Coach gasped for air. Nick pat him on the back and pressed the cloth to his wounds. "Hey, don't move big guy. We'll get you patched up."
Coach looked to Tia and beckoned her to him. She gave him a weak smile as she sat by his side. "Thank you, Coach... You save my life."
He smiled, blood caking his teeth. "Promise... me you'll... live. Live, Tia. For me... and for him..." He rasped. Tia wiped her tears away and nodded. "I'm finally free..." He smiled as his body went limp, the blood flowing from his neck ceasing. Nick began shaking Coach, trying to coax him back.
"Coach?! COACH! No! Don't do this big guy! After all the bullshit we've been through! Don't you dare fucking do this!" Nick may have been the lone wolf of their group. He may have been the one who wanted to bail the first chance he got, but that was because he didn't want to get attached. He didn't want to grow fond of dead men walking, and this was why. He tried to force the pain down, but it was no good. Tears pooled his eyes as he shook the body of their most positive friend, the one who would put a smile on their faces with his attitude. Everything seemed so much more bleak looking at his blank stare and cold body.
Ellis squeezed Nick's shoulder. "We can't do anything for him, Nick... He's gone..." Nick just stared with a glazed expression. "Hey, Nick! Come on! We have to keep moving!"
Nick stared at Ellis, then back at the others. He finally relented and let go of Coach's body. "R-Rest in peace, big guy... You're finally free."
Nick climbed into the drivers seat of the jeep. He turned to the others, a look of determination on his face. "Now it's our turn... Let's finally be free."