There were people all over the road, both on foot and in vehicles. The benefit of a truck is the fact you can ignore the old traffic laws and go over dirt, gravel, and the occasional picket fence.

“Are you sure your truck doesn't have a flat? That’s the tenth front lawn we plowed through Leo!” Mathew said in a hushed voice. His knuckles were white from how tightly he held his rifle afraid that if he let go it would go flying out of his lap with how Leo was driving.

So far nobody has tried to attack them, a few tried to wave them down for help. Leo wanted to at first, but Mathew told him no. “We are pressed for time as it is. The convoy I requested will be at the gas station just outside of town to the north. If we are even a minute late, they will leave our asses behind. Do you want to risk not only our chance of safety, but your sisters as well?”

That made Leo shut up in protest. He would do anything for his sister and had. There was a reason he was in the legal business with child services. Him and his sister were orphans. More specifically the technically legal kind. However to Mathew that was the best kind of legal and illegal types, the technical ones.

Mathew remembered the story Leo told him. His parents were illegal immigrants but had both him and his sister in america. Being born in the greatest country ever had benefits, primarily citizenship. His parents were eventually found out, taken by I.C.E, and deported. Him and Isabella on the other hand were shuffled from orphanage to orphanage.

Currently his sister lived in a nice safe apartment complex provided by Leo. It was the fancy kind that required pin codes to enter the building, and key cards, or a real key to enter your room. Cameras all over to keep the risk of doing anything dangerous to the people who live there at an all time low.

Mathew had been there once for a birthday party for Leo. Isabella almost had to drag Mathew there. He hated parties, but she promised him it was small. No more than ten people. She lied however. There were thirty people. It was a packed room and Mathew had no way to leave without making it too obvious.

Leo threw his phone into the center console. “That’s the fifteenth time I called and she didn’t answer!”

Mathew didn’t want to say it, but there was a chance she was dead. The System had said only 75% of humans were taken under its protection. Meaning 25% were dead. The odds of dying from cancer is around 15%. The chance of dying in a motor vehicle accident was just under 2% if you follow proper saftey measure. Yet with the way Leo was driving, that number was slowly increasing.

“Leo, either she is dead or alive. Once we get there we will find out. She might have gone to a neighbors room for help or to figure out what is going on. Her phone could be dead as well. She could have been sent back to her room without it even. Just like how my car is still in the office parking lot.” Mathew knew all of those explanations were bullshit. He needed Leo level headed now more than ever.

Leo slowly leaned back into his seat, he stretched his fingers that were turning white from how hard he was squeezing the wheel. “I hope you are right Matty. If she is dead…” Leo left the hypothetical open.

Mathew started to go over a plan in his head. If she was dead, he would have to figure out a way to get Leo to go with him to safety. Friend or not, he needed the truck. If he had to leave him behind to save himself, it was a harsh truth of reality.

Soon they were winding through the grid aligned streets to where Isabella lived. As they got closer, people were running away. It was one or two people at first, then groups. Several looking back in fear and shouting.

“That is not a good sign Mathew!” Leo tried to go as fast as he could, having given up after five more calls to his sister's phone.

Mathew looked and saw a green glow coming from the building. He had to agree, it was not a good sign. He looked down at his gun and turned off the safety. “You do have the ability to get us to her room?”

“As the guy who pays for the room? You bet your ass I do.” Leo put the truck in park. A few people were still standing around staring at the building.

It was a multi floor building. Mathew didn’t remember but had to guess around ten to fifteen floors. Isabella lived on the fifth. The entire building had a green glow, the source was what he could only explain as a portal where the front entrance was. Mathew was tempted then and there to tell Leo they had to leave, but knew Leo had to try and look for himself.

He looked around the crowd and saw a small girl on her knees crying. Everyone else had an empty look on their faces. As if they were not there, or simply in shock

Mathew went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay? What happened here?”

She looked up to him. Mathew had to guess she was still in highschool, or recently graduated. “My mom. She ran into that...glowing thing. Our brother didn’t show up with us in our room. We ran through the entire thing and ended up out here from the back entrance.” She pointed to the portal. “She hasn’t come back out yet, and every time I look at it, it gives me a horrible feeling. You guys can’t go in there either.”

Leo walked up, loading shells into his shotgun. “We are going to take the fire escape. I doubt the power works, at least I don’t trust it enough to take the elevator. If we see your mother or brother I’ll get them out for you.” He disregarded the girl's warning.

“Wait, are you Leo? Isabella’s brother?” The young girl asked, no longer crying.

“Yes. Do you know my sister? Is she here! Where is she?” He started to look around frantically.

“No, she lived a couple doors down from us though. My mom and her are friends. I haven't seen her, but the place inside isn’t normal. It’s...dark and old now.”

Mathew looked at Leo and gave him a shrug. This was his operation. Mathew was here to either drag him out alive or help carry his sister out alive. Either way, he is going to ensure they both get out of there.

“Alright Mathew, let's go.” Leo turned to the girl. “Wait in my truck. When we come back you can go with us.”

Mathew made a face, but held his tongue. That was four people, six if they found the mother and brother. Leo better know escorts charged by the head. Granted money will be worthless soon if it isn’t already.

The two went around the side and found the fire escape. It looks like someone was here recently as well, since the ladder was lowered so anyone at ground level can reach it. Leo reached up and started to climb. Mathew followed behind him.

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They reached the fifth floor finding the window was still intact. Leo used the butt of his gun to start bashing the glass but was unable to make even a crack at it. He cursed and looked at Mathew. “Look away and cover your head. Hopefully it isn’t bulletproof.”

Mathew barely had a second to react before Leo shot a round into the glass, causing a loud crash. He racked the gun and fired a second time. Glass flew at the back of Mathew, but he wasn’t hurt at all. “Alright, be careful to not cut yourself, I’m going in first.”

Mathew turned around to see Leo step into the hallway. He followed after clearing away some more glass. He was taller than Leo, and didn’t want to risk cutting his head open.

Once inside, they both realized what she meant by ‘old and dark’. The entire building looked aged. Wallpaper was peeling. The roof had mold. Mathew could see cockroaches and the occasional worm.

Piles of debris could be seen with flies hovering around it. Then there was the smell. It was the worst thing Mathew ever experienced. He gagged, while Leo started to throw up. “Fuck this place reeks!”

After getting used to the smell slightly, they started to move forward. Leo was careful to avoid spots that looked like it could cave in at any moment. Some rooms were slightly ajar, and Mathew could see each of them looked like the hallway. Flickering lights like from a horror movie did nothing to help Mathew’s nerves.

“Leo, I don’t like this place. Find your sister and let’s leave. Fuck the girls family, they are probably dead or didn’t survive.”

Leo didn’t respond, which either meant he agreed, or disagreed. Mathew kept his head on a swivel. He peeked into one of the rooms and saw a body on the ground. The person's head exploded, with brain bits all over. Other bodily fluids were all over the floor and walls.

It looked as if someone squeezed the person till every inside was outside. That’s when Mathew lost his stomach. Leo dry heaved, having nothing left in his stomach. Mathew didn’t dare look at it after he emptied what was left inside his gut.

Mathew looked at Leo whose eyes were wide with fear. “Leo, this isn’t her room. You don’t know if she is alive till we get to her room. Come on buddy, lets go.” Leo slowly nodded and kept staring at the body. Mathew put a hand on his shoulder to make him look away.

They both continued walking, going past two sets of empty rooms before they heard a sound. One of the doors opened up slowly, causing both of them to freeze. Mathew brought up his rifle, Leo kept his pointed down. “Bella? Is that you? It’s Leo!”

A figure shambled out slowly. The flickering lights made it hard to tell who it was, but it wasn’t Isabella. The figure was too big. “Leo, that isn’t her. It’s someone else.”

Leo frowned. “Sir, or Ma’am. Are you okay? Have you seen anyone else?”

The figure turned to them both and made a low pitched groan. It then started to shuffle to them both.

“Stop right there!” Mathew shouted. He fired a warning shot at the floor in front of the figure. However, it either didn’t care, or didn’t realize what Mathew was warning.

“Last chance, stop coming to us or I will shoot you!” Mathew gave it one last chance. Leo at this point had his shotgun up and pointed as well. The figure took two more steps before Mathew fired three bullets at the person's chest.

The figure took a step back, no blood came out of the bullet holes and Mathew knew one of them went through and hit the wall behind it.

“What the hell.” Mathew muttered as the figure kept coming to them, somehow slightly faster.

“Leo shoot it!” Mathew yelled as he shot four more times, only two of the shots hitting as he started to back away. Leo aimed his gun and fired. Buckshot filled the upper chest and face of the person. The power of the shot knocked it on it’s back.

“We just killed someone, Mathew!” Leo hissed. He was watching the body, silently hoping the guy was still alive.

“It’s self defense, we gave him three warnings. He even kept coming at us after I sunk three rounds into his chest. I hate to say it, but that thing isn’t human Leo.” Mathew was doing everything in his power to not say zombie or monster. Yet every piece of fiction said it was. This world is going to go to shit.

The creature slowly stood up again. Mathew and Leo fired multiple times at it. Mathew emptied his magazine while Leo still had two rounds left in his gun. Two of Mathew’s shots hit the head of his target. Yet, it still got up again.

“What is this thing…” Leo said, fear rising in his voice. Mathew pulled out his survival knife and pistol. He fired two rounds at the creature, causing it to fall over once again. It didn’t look healthy with all the bullet wound holes.

He didn’t give it a chance to get up, as Mathew went over and stabbed the creature where it’s heart would be for a human. Mathew was silently hoping this would kill it. He has thrown out the idea it was human, fearing for his life he would kill anyone and anything at that moment.

He brought the knife out and stabbed on the other side of the chest, just in case it’s heart was on the other side for some weird reason. He took no chances. A moment later, Mathew felt something odd about his body. It was as if he was standing on a beach. Warmth filled his body ever so slightly.

Leo stood there with his shotgun pointed at the creature as Mathew slowly stood up. “I- I think it’s dead Leo.”

Leo said something in Spanish, and then realized Mathew didn’t understand. He repeated himself in english. “Please tell me you don’t think that is a zombie like I do.” Leo had a pleading look in his eyes.

Mathew was trying to control his breathing. The warmth he felt went away as soon as it arrived, he almost started to doubt it even happened. His heart was beating rapidly, and it felt like it would jump out of his chest. “I think whatever it is, it isn’t human.” Mathew said honestly, putting the warm feeling he had behind him.

“Damn it man!” Leo shouted, running a hand through his hair. He stopped and looked down the hall. “Bell…”

He started to move faster down the hall, leaving Mathew behind. Mathew kicked the body for good measure and followed Leo as he replaced the magazine in his rifle.