Tommy tugged a fresh t-shirt over his head, the soft fabric a welcome relief after the sweat-soaked, gore-splattered mess he’d been wearing. Beside him, Micky did the same, his movements stiff and pained as he struggled into a clean top.

In the front seat, Roxy shimmied out of her ruined polo shirt, balling it up and chucking it out the window. She adjusted the brim of her golf hat. “Well, at least this beauty survived unscathed. Reckon it’s my new lucky charm.”

Tommy chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, we could use a bit more of that luck thing right about now..”

Zero glanced at them in the rearview mirror, his hands steady on the wheel as he guided the van down the empty highway. “I don’t know, Tommy. After that little stunt you pulled back there, I’d say you’re pushing whatever luck reserves we’ve got left.”

“It worked, didn’t it?”

Jimbo leaned forward. “Dude, I’m telling you, when all this is over, I’m moving to Florida. Gonna join one of those retirement communities and spend my days cruising around on a golf cart. No more running, no more fighting. Just me, the open road, and a never-ending supply of prune juice.”

Laughter filled the van, the tension of the past few hours melting away.

“Sounds thrilling,” Laila said. “Just don’t come crying to us when the zombies invade your little slice of geriatric paradise.”

Micky huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, laugh it up. We almost died back there and you’re making stupid jokes about golf carts…”

Tommy glanced at Micky, taking in the tight set of his jaw and the dark circles under his eyes. “Come on, Mick. You’ve got to admit, it was a bit funny. Especially when I nailed that one zombie right between the eyes with a golf ball.”

Micky’s lips twitched, the ghost of a smile flitting across his face. “Yeah, alright. That was pretty sick. But we could have died back there, Tommy.”

“But we didn’t,” Roxy said, twisting around in her seat to look at him. “We’re still here, still fighting. And yeah, half the time I feel like I’m one step away from completely losing my mind. But we can’t let that drag us down. We’ve got to find the joy where we can, you know?” She shrugged. “And if that means laughing at a few dead-heads, I’m laughing.”

Micky sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “I know, I know. It’s just…it’s hard, man. Trying to keep your head up when everything’s gone to hell.”

“Preaching to the choir,” Zero said. “But Roxy’s right. If we don’t find something to laugh about, something to keep us going, we might as well just lie down and let the walkers have at us.”

“Exactly,” Jimbo said. “Which is why I’m holding out hope for that golf cart retirement. It’s the little things, you know?”

Micky let out a chuckle. “You’re nuts, you know that?”

“Ah, you love it.”

Tommy leaned back in his seat, letting the familiar rhythm of his friends’ voices wash over him.

“So, where exactly are we headed?” Roxy asked.

“Zero said something about Kansas City, right?” Tommy said. “Reckon that’s as good a place as any to start looking for supplies.”

“And a drugstore,” Laila said, her gaze flicking to Micky.

Tommy nodded. “Right then. Kansas City it is. Jimbo, why don’t you regale us with more of your retirement plans? I’m fascinated to hear how you’re going to convince the other pensioners to let you join their ranks.”

Jimbo grinned, rubbing his hands together. “Well, first off, I’m going to need a fake ID. And a walking stick. Ooh, and one of those little hats with the plastic sunshield on the front. You know, to complete the look.”

“Yeah,” Roxy said. “That could work. And then you could convert the golf cart, A-Team style.”

Jimbo smiled. “We could rig up some sort of putter attachment on the front, whack them in the kneecaps and watch them topple like dominoes. All that before a few rounds of Pinochle.”

As the van ate up the miles, the sun dipping lower on the horizon, Tommy found himself lulled into a sort of trance. The rhythmic thrum of the engine, the low murmur of his friends’ voices, it all blended into a strange sense of normalcy. Like they were just on another tour, just another road stretching out before them.

“Hold up,” Zero said “What’s that up ahead?”

Tommy leaned forward, squinting through the windshield. In the distance, he could make out what looked like a barricade straddling the highway, cars and trucks parked haphazardly across the lanes. “Looks like some sort of checkpoint.”

Zero slowed the van to a crawl. “It’s military. Or was, at least.” He brought the vehicle to a stop a few hundred yards from the barricade, the engine idling. “We should take a look. Could be supplies.”

Tommy nodded, his hand already reaching for his baseball bat. “Agreed. But we go in careful, yeah?”

The others murmured their assent, gathering up their weapons as they piled out of the van.

Roxy hefted her machete, the blade glinting in the fading light. “Hey Zero, why you bothering with that rifle? You’ve got no ammo.”

Zero shrugged, slinging the weapon over his shoulder. “They don’t know that though, do they? Sometimes, the illusion of firepower is just as effective.”

They approached the checkpoint, fanning out to cover more ground.

“Keep your eyes and ears open,” Tommy said, his bat at the ready. “Shout if you find anything useful.”

They picked their way through the maze of vehicles, checking each one for any signs of life or supplies. Most were empty, their doors hanging open and their interiors stripped bare.

Jimbo let out a whoop, his head popping up from behind a Humvee. “Jackpot! Found some MREs and a case of bottled water.”

Tommy grinned, the tension in his shoulders easing a fraction. “Nice one, Jimbo. Grab as much as you can carry.”

As Jimbo set about loading up his arms with his spoils, Tommy continued his sweep of the area.

He poked his head into a small tent set up next to one of the trucks, his nose wrinkling at the musty smell of stale sweat and cigarette smoke.

“What is this place?” Micky asked.

Tommy shrugged. “Looks like their command post, or something?”

A scattering of papers littered a folding table in the centre of the space, maps and official-looking documents that meant little to him. But a glint of metal caught his eye, and he moved closer to investigate.

Half-buried under a stack of papers lay a set of keys.

“What are they?” Micky gestured to the keys.”

“Car keys, by the look of them.”

“Tommy! Over here!” Zero’s shout rang out across the checkpoint.

Tommy stuffed the keys into his pocket and hurried towards the sound.

He found Zero standing in front of a low, concrete building, his rifle aimed squarely at the reinforced door. “Think it’s an armoury. Help me get this open.”

Tommy nodded, taking up position on the other side of the door. On Zero’s count, they threw their shoulders against it, grunting with effort as they strained against the heavy metal.

It took a few tries, but finally, the door gave way with a screech of rusted hinges.

They tumbled into the dimly lit space beyond, their weapons at the ready.

But the room stood empty, save for a few battered shelves lining the walls.

Zero made a beeline for them, his eyes gleaming as he scanned the contents. “Damn it. Looks like they cleared the place before they bugged out.”

Tommy forced himself to keep looking, running his hands along the shelves in search of anything useful. Tucked away in the back corner, he spotted a small box. “Zero, over here.”

Zero snatched up the box with trembling fingers. He popped the lid, a grin spreading across his face. “.223 Remingtons!”

“Is that a good thing?”

“I shoot an AR-15, Tommy boy. Of course it’s a good thing.”

Tommy frowned. “Your rifle?”

Zero rolled his eyes. “Yes, Tommy.” He pointed from the bullets to his rifle. “These things here, go in here. I pull this and the bullets go bang-bang.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Alright. You don’t have to be a prick about it. I’m not a gun person.”

“Well, maybe if there were more gun people, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Whatever, man.” Tommy peered over his shoulder, counting the bullets nestled in the foam lining. “Not many though. What, ten? Twelve?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Zero closed the box reverently, cradling it against his chest. “Even a few rounds could be a game-changer. Give us a real fighting chance.”

Tommy clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re not wrong there, man.”

They emerged from the armoury to find the others gathered around Jimbo’s Humvee, sorting through their haul. Laila held up a bundle of camouflage fatigues, her nose wrinkling. “These things need a wash, but they’ll do in a pinch.”

Roxy snorted, picking through a pile of boots. “Beggars can’t be choosers, right.”

“Guys?” Micky called out from behind a nearby truck. “I think you need to see this.”

Tommy exchanged a glance with Zero before jogging over to where Micky stood, his face pale and his eyes wide.

A body lay sprawled on the ground in a pool of dried blood.

The corpse was dressed in a hockey shirt and blue jeans, a young man who couldn’t have been more than twenty.

Tommy swallowed hard, his stomach churning as he took in the single gunshot wound to the centre of the man’s chest.

“Poor bastard,” Zero said, crouching down to get a closer look. “Can’t have been dead more than a day or two.”

Laila appeared at Tommy’s side, her hand finding his and squeezing tight. “We should go. There’s nothing we can do for him now.”

Tommy nodded, tearing his gaze away from the body with an effort. “Alright, everyone. Grab what you can and let’s get moving. I don’t want to be here if whoever did this comes back.”

As the group moved towards the van, a sudden crack split the air, echoing across the checkpoint. Tommy flinched and ducked down behind a nearby SUV.

“Sniper!” Zero dropped into a crouch, his rifle at the ready. “Everyone, take cover!”

Tommy’s pulse pounded in his ears as he pressed himself against the vehicle, his baseball bat clutched white-knuckled in his hand. He risked a glance around, spotting the others hunkered down behind various bits of cover.

Another shot rang out, this one pinging off the concrete mere inches from where Roxy crouched. She swore, her hands shaking. “Where the hell is it coming from?”

Tommy shook his head, trying to slow his breathing, to think past the rush of adrenaline and fear.

They were pinned down, exposed, and they had no idea who was targeting them or why.

“We need to get back to the van. It’s our only chance.”

The van was a good fifty yards away, across open ground with little cover.

“Hold your positions,” Zero said. “We can’t just make a run for it. That sniper will pick us off one by one.”

Another shot cracked overhead, this one close enough that Tommy could feel the air displacement against his cheek.

“We have to do something,” Laila said, her voice tight. “We can’t just sit here and wait to be killed.”

“The keys!” Micky said. “Tommy, what about the keys you found?”

Tommy blinked. “What keys?”

“The ones you found in that tent, remember? The car keys?”

Tommy patted his pockets, his fingers brushing against the cool metal. He fished them out, holding them up. “These keys?”

Zero’s eyes narrowed as he studied them from his position behind a concrete barrier. “What kind of keys are they? Can you tell what they’re for?”

Tommy turned them over in his hand, squinting at the nondescript metal. “They’re pretty basic. Nothing really stands out.”

“Any logos?”

“Nothing.”

Zero ducked as another shot ricocheted off the barrier, sending chips of concrete flying. “Is it an actual key or a remote?”

Tommy shook his head. “Just an old-school key.”

“Double-sided?”

“No, it’s a regular key. Goes in one way.”

Zero paused. “When you turn it on its axis, does it look the same from up or down?”

Tommy examined the key more closely. “Yeah, it does. Looks the same either way.”

“They’re Humvee keys. Military issue.”

Tommy glanced around at the numerous Humvees scattered across the checkpoint. “But there’s loads of them around here. How do we know which one it goes to?”

Zero shook his head. “The keys are universal, Tommy boy. They’re designed to be interchangeable, in case of emergencies.”

Roxy leaned forward. “So you’re saying if we can get to one of those Humvees, there’s a chance the key will work?”

Zero nodded. “It’s our best shot. Those things are armoured. If we can get inside one, we might be able to get back to the van.”

“Alright,” Tommy said. “But we’ll need a distraction, something to draw the sniper’s fire while we make a break for it.”

Roxy held up a bullet casing she’d plucked from the ground. “I think our sniper friend is set up somewhere over there.” She pointed towards a cluster of buildings on the far side of the checkpoint. “The angle of these casings, the direction of the shots…it all lines up.”

“Right then. Here’s what we’ll do. You four make a break for that Humvee over there.” He pointed to a vehicle about twenty yards to their left. “Zero will lay down some covering fire, try to keep the sniper occupied while you get inside.”

He turned to Zero, who was already checking his rifle. “Make those shots count, yeah? We don’t have many to spare.”

Zero nodded, his jaw set. “Don’t worry about me. Just focus on getting to that Humvee in one piece.”

Tommy looked back at the others. “Alright, on my count. Three, two, one…go!”

Roxy, Laila, Micky, and Jimbo burst from cover, sprinting towards the nearest Humvee.

Zero fired off a shot, then another, the crack of his rifle echoing across the checkpoint.

As Tommy ran, a shot whizzed past his ear, close enough to ruffle his hair. He flinched, but kept moving, his eyes locked on his friends as they raced towards safety.

A shambling horde of zombies emerged from the buildings on the far side of the checkpoint. Dozens of them, maybe more, no doubt drawn by the sound of gunfire.

“Incoming! Zombies, over there.”

Zero swore, pivoting to face the new threat. He fired off another shot, then another, each one finding its mark in the head of a zombie. But there were too many, the horde advancing.

Tommy reached the Humvee, his fingers scrabbling at the handle. “Come on, come on.”

Another shot from the sniper slammed into the side of the Humvee, inches from Tommy’s hand.

The door swung open. Roxy dove inside, Laila, Micky and Jimbo piling in after her.

“They’re in!” Tommy waved at Zero. “Let’s go!”

Zero ran, weaving between the vehicles, the crack of the sniper’s rifle and the snarls of the zombies filling the air.

The Humvee roared to life, Roxy at the wheel. She swung the vehicle around, tyres squealing.

Zero leapt inside, slamming the door shut behind him. “Go, go, go!”

Roxy floored the gas, the Humvee lurching forward with a throaty roar. Bullets pinged off the armoured sides, the sniper still firing, still determined to take them down.

But they were moving now, the checkpoint receding behind them, the zombies and the sniper’s bullets fading into the distance.

Tommy slumped back against the seat, his heart still pounding, his body trembling with the adrenaline.

“That was too bloody close,” Jimbo said, his voice shaky. “I thought for sure we were goners.”

“We almost were,” Laila said. “If it hadn’t been for those keys…”

Tommy let out a breathless laugh. “Guess Roxy’s lucky hat paid off, eh?”

Roxy managed a weak grin. “But we’re down a van. The supplies…it’s all gone.”

“We could swing back round,” Tommy said.

“No,” Zero said. “We keep moving forward.” He looked down at his rifle and sighed. “And it looks like I’m out of ammo again. But at least I got to take a few of those bastards down with me.”

Roxy glanced over at Zero, her eyes narrowing. “So, we’re just going to keep running, is that it? No discussion, no vote, just Zero making all the calls?”

Zero met her gaze, his expression impassive. “We didn’t have time for a debate back there. I decided based on the situation at hand. It’s called leadership.”

Roxy scoffed. “Leadership? More like dictatorship.”

Laila leaned forward from the backseat. “Maybe we should put it to a vote now. Decide as a group what our next move should be.”

But before anyone could respond, Micky lurched forward, his face pale and clammy. “Pull over.” He clamped a hand over his mouth. “I’m gonna hurl.”

Roxy swerved to the side of the road, the Humvee skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust.

Micky threw open the door and stumbled out, dropping to his knees as he retched.

Tommy and the others piled out after him, weapons at the ready. Laila knelt beside Micky, rubbing his back as he heaved and shuddered.

Zero stood apart from the group, his arms crossed over his chest. “If you’re all so concerned about making the wrong decision, then by all means, let’s put it to a vote.”

Tommy glanced around at the others, his brow furrowed. “This isn’t the time, Zero.”

“No? Then when is?”

Tommy squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Alright then. Who’s in favour of going back for the van?”

His own hand raised, along with Laila’s and Micky’s.

“And who thinks we should keep moving forward?” Zero asked.

His hand shot up, followed by Roxy’s and Jimbo’s.

A tense silence fell over the group as they realised they were at an impasse.

“Look,” Zero said. “We need to find somewhere safe before dark. Somewhere far away from zombies and trigger-happy snipers. The van is a lost cause.”

Roxy nodded. “He’s right. We can’t go back. It’s too risky.”

Micky, still on his knees, let out a groan. “Water. Please, I need water.”

Tommy looked around. “Anyone got a bottle on them?”

The others shook their heads.

“Maybe there’s some in the Humvee,” Laila said, pushing herself to her feet.

They rummaged through the vehicle, but came up empty-handed.

“Wait,” Tommy said, turning to Jimbo. “What about those bottles you found back at the checkpoint?”

Jimbo’s face fell, his shoulders slumping. “When the bullets started flying, dude…It was either the water or my life, and I chose my life.”

Tommy ran a hand through his hair, his nostrils flaring. “All our gear was in that van. Our clothes, our food, the medical supplies. We’re screwed.”

Roxy turned to Zero. “They’ve got a point. We’re going to need those supplies if we want to survive out here.”

Zero shook his head, his jaw clenched tight. “It’s a bad idea. I’m out of ammo, and last we saw, that place was swarming with zombies. It’s a death trap.”

Tommy held up his hands, his mind racing. “What if we use the Humvee to clear a path? Get as close to the van as we can, then make a run for it?”

Zero gave a curt nod. “Alright. But we keep the Humvee. No matter what happens, we don’t give up our ride out of there.”

“No arguments here.”

They piled back into the vehicle, Roxy taking the wheel. She turned the Humvee around, the engine growling as they sped back towards the checkpoint.

As they drew closer, the sound of a distant gunshot reached Tommy’s ears.

“Looks like our sniper friend is still at it,” Roxy said, her grip tightening on the steering wheel.

“Just get us as close as you can,” Tommy said. “We’ll take care of the rest.”

Roxy nodded, her face set in grim determination.

The checkpoint came into view, the abandoned vehicles and scattered debris darkening in the fading light.

“I see the van,” Roxy said.

“How’s it looking?” Tommy asked.

“Not on fire, at least.”

Roxy gunned the engine, the Humvee roaring as it surged forward. She ploughed through the scattered zombies, their bodies thudding against the reinforced sides of the vehicle.

Tommy braced himself against the door, his bat clutched tight in his hand. Beside him, the others readied their own weapons, their faces taut.

The Humvee skidded to a halt mere feet from the van, the sudden stop throwing them all forward in their seats.

“Go, go, go!” Zero threw open his door.

They burst out, weapons at the ready. The zombies were on them, their rotten hands grasping and clawing.

Tommy swung his bat in a wide arc, the solid wood connecting with a crunch. Beside him, Laila and Roxy fought back-to-back.

Micky and Jimbo made a beeline for the van, yanking open the doors.

Zero picked off zombies with precise swings of his rifle butt.

Tommy lost himself in the fight, his world narrowing to the burn of his muscles and the crunch of bone beneath his bat.

The last of the zombies fell, and a sudden silence descended over the checkpoint.

Tommy stood panting, his chest heaving as he surveyed the carnage.

Bodies lay strewn across the ground, their fetid blood mingling with the dirt and debris.

Tommy climbed into the van’s driver’s seat, his hands shaking as he gripped the steering wheel.

The keys were still in the ignition, waiting for him.

He turned to the others. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

As the Humvee pulled away from the checkpoint, a sharp crack split the air. The front left tyre exploded, followed by the rear, sending the vehicle lurching and skidding across the asphalt.

The Humvee’s tyres shredded and veered wildly, until coming to a stop.

Tommy floored the gas, bringing the van up alongside the Humvee, using it as a shield against the sniper’s line of fire. “Roxy, Zero! Get in, now!”

Roxy flung open her door and leapt into the van, Zero close behind. They tumbled into the backseat in a tangle of limbs, slamming the sliding door shut behind them.

Tommy stomped on the gas and swerved around the stricken Humvee, the van’s tyres squealing as they shot forward.

More cracks rang out, bullets peppering the road behind them, but Tommy didn’t let up on the gas.

The checkpoint receded behind them, the sniper’s shots fading into the distance.