"Fuck!! Son of a ... "Amber exclaimed after me and Abby pulled her dislocated arm back to its original state. "That didn't look easy like in the movies, did it?" I bellowed between the three of us. "No shit!" Amber interjected while rotating her shoulder slowly. "Can you help me with another?" Amber requested while taking a sit back down again on the sofa.

We got out safely from the border, well not totally scot-free. We barely made it with our motley crew that now consisted of two weird technicians, a secretary in pajamas, a banged-up soldier, scratch that, she said she was a mercenary, and a little girl wearing a mercenary's helmet. Some 8 miles or so we ended up stopping at a highway motel with a few gas pumps on the side.

We were lucky that there was one here in this desolate desert. But we already saw the damage the unclean has done. The initial spread must have been going on for days if we could see the unclean lumbering about here. But we had to stop and rest. Every one of us was either wounded or exhausted.

"Here," Amber said to me while handing her tactical knife butt first. "What should I do with this?" I replied while receiving it just as Bennie was coming inside the room.

"I'm ba.. oh sorry little missy," Bennie announced when he nearly stumbled on Amy. "It's mostly clear. I killed the lumbering ones that were nearby but with more coming out of the woodwork. I think we can find ourselves dealing with them again." he added.

"Here," Abby handed all of us some perishables that we took from Malachi's pantry. "Thanks," Bennie replied, and a couple more nods from the others. "Let's eat over here sweety and let's try to get you cleaned up," Abigail said to Amy who was huddling in between the space of a cabinet and a bed. I bet she likes tight spaces. But before Abby could get her, Amy ran towards the sitting Amber with the oversized helmet of hers and huddled beside the sofa. Amber was surprised and nearly spat out her canteen.

Amber knelt and handed Amy the canteen. "It's okay princess we can trust them. They are also knights, like me. Sort of." Amber smiled sweetly to Amy. Amy accepted the canteen and nodded. She went over to Abby while struggling to hold her cinnamon bread and the canteen. "I'm gonna get her washed up. I'm sure there is still water we could use somewhere." Abby muttered. "We all stink," she added a bit grudgingly.

"Ben, can you assist them? At least we can make sure they will be safe." I asked, "Yeah, was gonna ask you about the same thing." Bennie replied. "You should help Miss Amber here, I bet she wants you to relieve the pressure on that eye, with the knife you're holding," he added. "Oh," I exclaimed. "I parked the pickup behind the motel after I filled it up and already removed the battery," Bennie explained. "There was no power but the generator was working after I turned it on," Bennie said.

"Did you turn it back off?" Amber asked. "Yeah," Bennie answered. "This place was picked clean. Not everything was taken but most supplies were, and I don't like whoever they are, left the generator operable." Bennie bellowed. " I don't like this but every time I look at this place. The age of the corpses and the way they were disposed of. It gives me the bad jujus. " Bennie said with a look of concern as he followed Abigail and Amy a few steps away.

"He's right you know," Amber interjected. "Someone tried to hide it but some corpses were too clean. Not so bloody. Not your typical unclean as you like to call it." Amber explained while sitting on the sofa near the closed window. She keeps peaking through the blinders watching for something.

"Alright, I'll leave that up to you and Bennie. Let's relieve that bulging eye of yours, shall we? Your eye looks like a rotten violet tomato. If your left eye weren't damaged, I bet you can still see." I said.

I already cleaned her wounds a bit with the small medical supplies we had from the mil-bag as we were driving down the road to nowhere. She was battered and bruised like she went through some artillery barrage and managed to stay alive, I won't be surprised if that was the case. Even her sides were bleeding from some cuts. Even her bandaged left leg was soaked in blood. At least the plate carrier did its job by protecting the vital parts. I can't imagine what she went through to get away from the border town center. It must have been hell being surrounded by thousands of unclean.

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"Don't ask," Amber exclaimed a bit forcefully. It must have been obvious on my face. "Not the time," she added. Yeah, she's probably right. Besides we had a lot more pressing problems right now.

"Make a clean cut on the swelling on top of my eye. Don't accidentally pop it okay?" Amber added.

"Yeah, I got it," I replied. This ungratef.. "I never got the chance to thank you properly. Really. Thank you." Amber whispered while she closed her eyes as she laid back on the sofa. Tears flowed from them. I was going to bitch about how ungrateful she was but paused and realized something. She lost someone or some people back there. Maybe her unit. I'm not sure but her reaction gave it away. The pain, the horror, and maybe even the look of regret. I don't know what her relationship with Amy is but I'm sure she's not her mother. All of us weren't yapping at each other when we were on the drive. Just a couple of introductions and some occasional thanks.

All of us knew it wasn't the time to ask questions as we drove off, watching the border town still burning behind us. We just sat quietly that time. Thinking how life suddenly changed for all of us.

It was just for a few days, but everything felt like it was a lifetime.

~~~~~

Day 4 5:52 PM

After a few grunting and whimpering, we managed to subside the swelling. I can see both of her irises now. Her eye looks better than before. I also helped her change the bandage on her legs and added some emergency first aid to her wounds. We are running low on medical supplies. It was educational because she talked about the basics of first aid while we were patching her up. I listened attentively because I'm sure it will be quite handy in these times.

The sounds of engines rustled us to alertness. I immediately closed the door in a panic. Amber immediately stood up and leaned at the window gripping her knife. I stood to the other side. It was getting dark. I was gonna worry about Ben and the others but if Ben was with them, he would make sure they were safe and secured.

In the late sunset, 12 motorbikes drove towards the motel and parked near the gas pumps. I peeked and saw that they wore black leather jackets typical of motorcycle gangs in the movies. The logo of a laughing coyote was printed on the backs of the leather jackets and also on the tanks of mostly Harley Davidson motorbikes. The bikes were ragged but still functional, and the last motorcycle had an attached chain to it. The chain was attached to something. I peaked a bit more just to see a male body was to the end of it. Not much of a body now probably dragged from somewhere.

Its clothes were the only indicator that it was a he. Amber pushed me away from the windows and shook her head. Fuck! Should we have left earlier? No. We were tired and nearly out of gas. We had no choice. But should've we left soon after? Still no, we were wounded and we need to at least get it patched up. Should we run? My busted leg is fine but Amber won't outrun them. Where would we go?

One of the burly bearded men walked towards our window. I was gripping my knife hard.

Suddenly, the sudden light that flooded the motel spooked the man. "What the fuck are you doing Harvey!" a man shouted. I looked at Ambers. She put a finger to her lips and I nodded.

"I thought I saw something!" Harvey shouted.