After finding out the risk involved with his task, Tom was against doing it especially since the tension springs were broken. If it wasn't then it would have been easier to slip out by simply pulling the red string dangling from the slide. But now he had to literally push up the garage gate with his own strength. And hold it there until the car passed. This was dangerous as the zombies outside could attack him at any moment and although they say the others will support him there was a high change that they would use this opportunity to get rid of him after what he did to Ashley. So that was a chance he was not willing to take.
Although everyone was furious, in the end Josh decided to do it himself. James would drive the car since Ash was useless at driving, they didn't trust Tom to do it and Beth wanted to fight. So, in the end Beth would shield Josh while he opened the gates and Ash had the bombs at ready to throw only at critical moments since they were limited in number. Tom was supposed to help with the shielding as well, but he would be the one to get into the car first once it starts rolling according to his character. So, they couldn't count much on his help. "If you try anything, I will throw one of these bombs at you instead of the Zombies" Ash warned in a threatening tone in the hopes that at least his threat would keep him fighting longer.
Once everything was decided, Josh went to the garage gates while Beth and Tom stood on standby next to him. James was at the wheels looking at his brother in concern. Ash patted him on the shoulder to reassure him before slipping into one of the back seats. Everyone was ready. Unlike before when a comrade was left to die, no one here was planning to leave Josh behind this time. Survivors were limited in number and it was stupidity to reduce all that was left of it.
Everyone was in position. James switched on the car while Josh first pulled the red string and then went forward to lift up the heavy garage door. It felt like time was slowing down. The Zombies after getting a whiff of human scent and hearing the loud rumble of the antique car started charging at them through the open space. Beth and Tom attacked as Josh kept the door open with his strength. As the car started rolling through the door Ash lit up the cloths on the bottles and started throwing the bombs that they made. As soon as the fragile bottles hit the walking corpses, the liquid inside splattered all over them and the fire ignited the flammable liquid. This reduced the burden the people fighting were facing. The bottles were aimed precisely at the times when the fight was getting overwhelming for Beth and Tom.
Although the others were in the car it didn't mean that they were spared of the attack. Several Zombies crowded around the vehicle and started clawing and banging on the metal. The car being old was not taking this abuse very well. Ash stabbed at any Zombie that tried to bite at them through the window. Once the car was completely outside the garage. Tom rushed towards it and jumped in without any hesitation. Ash frowned at this but in the middle of intense fighting, he couldn't divide his attention. The zombies were swarming around the two left without the protection of the car. By now Josh had let go of the garage door which slammed back down with a loud bang and took out his knife to join the fight.
They didn't have time to waste fighting them. The car was getting more and more beaten up. Ash looked at the two bombs left in his hand and made a quick decision. They couldn't save them for later after all. He threw both of them at the same time in their direction and the Zombies around the two lit up in fire with screams and growls. Having their path cleared, the two rushed towards the car which was circling around until now and Beth got into the back seat. The seats were all full now. 'Josh the cart.' Ash shouted at him. He looked at the tool cart attached to the back of the car for a split second and then without hesitation got onto it. "Go!" He shouted as he stabbed two more Zombies in the head.
With that signal James hit the accelerator and the car sped away.
----------
They were only ten minutes on the road when all the noise from the fights and the car engine attracted all the nearby zombies. Ash counted between 10-20 of them and increasing. This was not good. Josh was out there exposed to the open air with only the hammer and hand saw as additional weapons in case of emergencies. They had no more bombs and they were outnumbered. The odds were certainly not in their favour.
"Boss, we are out of the house, but we are in a difficult situation." James spoke into the walkie as he drove with one hand manoeuvring between buildings and trees.
"What's wrong? And what's that loud noise? James are you such a novice not to know that sound attracts those Zombies." The husky deep voice sounded through the walkie.
"The car was our only option. We are followed by a large group of them. So, we will have to take a detour so as not to lead them back to the camp"
"How many of them are there? There are 6 of you right? Tell us your position we will come get you. You have to get rid of that car anyway".
"There are 26 of them right now. But the group in getting bigger the further we go" James explained. "and there are only 5 of us left. We lost one"
There was a short silence on the other end. "If you go straight on the route you are in there should be a few car rental places. Go into one of those buildings and get a fast and quiet proper car. Then drive out through the underground tunnel. We will meet you there." The walkie went dead after giving those instructions.
"Did you all hear that?" James asked to the rest of them. They all nodded in understanding and Josh gave a loud yes as he stabbed yet another close zombie.
"Okay we are gonna go at maximum speed in order to put some distance between the crowd and us. Once we get there, we have to be swift. Have your weapons ready. If there are any Zombies inside kill them fast and barricade the doors. Find the keys and get into the car. Understood?"
"Yes!"
"The car has to be fast and quieter than this junk" Ash grinned as he heard the admirer become the despiser. Right after everyone agreed there came a loud bang and the car started swaying from side to side. Everyone had horrified looks on their faces. "It must be because you insulted it" Josh joked from outside as he kicked away another Zombie.
"Just keep going" Beth shouted " didn't your boss say the rental place was close by"
James stepped onto the gas accelerating again. They were getting a bit ahead of the Zombies that were following them. They could finally see the car rental in the distance. But them the car started to smoke, and it got worse with every minute. And finally stopped altogether. Everyone jumped out of the car with their weapons ready and started running in the directing of their destination with a horde of Zombies chasing them. James reached there first and pulled it open without much hesitation. Most buildings were still operational as the virus spread during the weekdays. Inside they encountered around 4 zombies. As soon as they heard a noise their heads snapped in their direction and launched at them. "Ash, the door."
Without much further instructions Ash rushed to barricade the door with nearby tables and chairs while the others quickly got rid of the ones inside. Cold sweat was dripping down everyone faces. They have encountered too many near death experiences in a single day. Right now, the adrenaline pushed them to move forward. Ignoring pain, fear and desperation. Once it leaves their system, the suppressed emotions would surely resurface to incapacitate them.
The building they entered was quite big. It had offices on one side and car garages on another section of the building. They knew that they couldn't afford to waste time, so everyone started searching for car keys in the office building. they grabbed as many two or three each of the well-known brands that they knew and grouped together again to check their finds. The door that was sealed was starting to weaver. The Zombies that followed them were crowding around the door, pushing at it with all their might. With a nod everyone ran to the garages and started looking for the cars for their keys. Sounds of unlocking cars were heard throughout the building. Finally, having spotted found their cars they chose two of the better ones, checked the tank and divided into two groups. Josh was driving one of the cars with Tom and Ash in it while James took over the other one with Beth.
As they drove out of the garage the ran over several Zombies at the entrance squishing their remains under their tires. James drove in the front while Josh followed his brothers' path. Once they gained some speed and distance, they finally let out a collective sigh of relief. James informed their boss that they didn't need additional help, and everything was alright. Then he followed his given directions to shake of some of the Zombies got attracted by the car movement. After ten minutes of continuously changing roads, they hit the highway and two other cars joined them from either side. Those must be were their leader is in. Ash thought as he looked at the unprofessionally self-made armoured cars.
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They didn't encounter any big issues on the road. After 1 hour on the road, in the distance they saw a barricade made of large and small boxes. Several people were standing on top of it with what looked like real guns. Those definitely were not Zombies. The car that their boss was riding in drove in first. Seeing the familiar faces no one stopped them. Same was for all the cars since each had at least one known face in it. Josh finally parked the car in a corner and looked back at his passengers. "Well we have arrived" then he shot a glance at Tom like he wanted to say something but then decided against it and jumped out of the vehicle. Since they were the last car in, the rest of the team had already descended from their cars. They had formed a small group near the entrance and were engaged in introductions and greetings.
Ash followed Josh out and Tom jumped out as well after two minutes. They headed in the direction of the crowd. As they approached the group were throwing curious glances at the newcomers. Ash felt like their gazes were burning him and he started feeling uncomfortable. even if they were eager to get to know them, their looks felt a bit off. Right after he stepped into the circle, he understood the reason behind the feeling.
"I heard you are the reason the entire group survived?" A short buff guy slapped him on his shoulder and laughed. His eyes were measuring him up as if he didn't believe this tiny boy had any strength to save anyone. Compared to the rest of them his cloths were the most blood soaked and miserable. He looked more pitiful than the new girl.
Ash didn't say anything, but James and Beth started bragging about him in his stead. "He can actually keep Josh in line" James said proudly as if he was boasting about one of his dear brothers' achievements rather than a stranger.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Josh asked with his face read. He looked like a red tomato that was about to burst. Everyone laughed. Ash kept quiet the whole time. He was observing the group. They were all strangers and he didn't know their characters or morals. He had to be careful when interacting with them.
"Where are the newbies?" A little annoyed voice asked as he pushed his way through the dense crowd. Seeing the pale tall figure everyone quietened down. "Show is over everyone go back" he shouted at them. He seemed to have a higher position than the rest of them because they soon dispersed leaving only two others behind.
Ash just saw the people in front being pushed aside before a very pale face popped in front of them. The man had messy blonde hair and a very angular face. Stubble spotted across his chin and one of his ears were pierced. He had a big scowl on his face as he examined the newcomers. Ash's first impression - an asshole. He didn't like him at all. He walked around examining each one of them with an eerie grin on his face after he dismissed everyone. He stopped in front of Ash and his gaze travelled up and down his body. Normally people would just think he was examining the newcomers but the Goosebumps that covered Ash's arms and back told him that, that look had an entirely different meaning to it.
"Yo, did you smear yourself with Zombie blood until now to survive?" It was obvious that the dude had missed the previous conversation about his genius. From the man's observation, Ash was a thin and small boy who looked even weaker than the woman in the group.
"Maybe!" Ash replied with his usual emotionless face which was covered in blood. His reply kind of pissed of the blonde man and he wanted to snap at him, but he thought it over and then laughed instead.
"Although your taste is strange you are an interesting guy" he said leaning into him. His face was very close to his face and Ash didn't like the lack of personal space, so he took a step back.
"Luke, Stop playing with the kid." The buff guy from before said stepping forward. It looked like these two didn't have a good relationship. Maybe that's why he didn't leave with the rest of them. The air around them tensed instantly.
"Mind your own business Noah" He pushed him aside and then walked over to Beth who was standing facing them and swung an arm over her shoulder. Beth had a disgusted look on her face, but she didn't try to shake him off. This was not her territory and she had no one to support her in case something unpleasant happened and she certainly didn't want to get thrown out back into the chaos outside.
Even with his hand over Beth's shoulder, the lecherous look in his eyes did not disappear as he looked back at Ash. "You must be the one James was talking about then." He said nodding at the distant figure of James deep in conversation with another person whose back was turned to them. "The punishment for traitors are high in this camp" He ginned again "That's what Rhys despises the most."
Ash refused to respond to this fool. He didn't care if Luke thought that he was the one who betrayed a comrade. It's not like he didn't have witnesses who would speak up for him. But he saw that Tom next to him trembled slightly at these words. he scoffed in his mind. You reap what you sow. Tom was eyeing the distance to the makeshift gate that they build around the Tesco and calculated his chances of surviving out there alone. Finally understanding that they were very slim he gave up on whatever idea he was cooking up in his head.
Seeing that he was not trying to defend himself nor beg for mercy, Luke became a bit pissed off. Beth on the other hand wanted to correct him but before she could, she felt the arm around her neck tighten. She flinched in fright and stayed quiet.
"You know, now that I look at it, you have a very pretty face" Luke stretched out his free hand and grabbed Ash's chin and started examining it in earnest. "I have some power around here, if you become my bed toy, I will help you out of this situation" Ash's face was still expressionless although his inside was screaming in disgust. He gave his harasser a glare trying to convey his bad opinion of him. He would have to wash his face at least a hundred time to make it clean again. I guess this means this dude is either gay or bi and he must be extremely unpopular for him to have to pick on the new guys and throwing around his power to get some action. Or he got the guts to come out of the closet seeing that he might die any day. Seeing the subtle change in Ash's expression and the force of those heavy eyes on him sent a shiver down his body. Luke slowly licked his lips in anticipation.
"Luke!" Noah exclaimed in anger when he heard the disrespect.
"Tom, you heard the guy. He is offering you a way out." a familiar voice drifted in from behind Luke and everyone turned to the sound. Josh was standing there with his hands in his pocket looking as carefree as ever. Luke looked at the man for a minute and waited. He didn't add anything more to it so he grinned wider and turned back to Ash "Tom? is that your name." the finger on his chin slightly stoked his cheek "It doesn't really suit you". This public display of harassment was a big surprise to the newcomers. The world has only gone into disarray for around 3 weeks and people were already breaking the law and disregarding basic human rights.
Right when Ash thought he really needed to downgrade himself and have a conversation with this swine a hand grabbed the hand on Ash's chin. Some force must have been put into it cause the owner flinched and let go immediately. Then Josh stepped in front of Luke with his hand still imprisoned in his grip and using his other hand to fold all fingers except for the index finger. Then he pushed the hand to a certain direction and said. "Now that is Tom." The hand was pointing at the other newcomer who was hiding behind Noah trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. If his chances were better, he would have made a run for it a long time ago but that was not the case.
"Him?" Luke asked doubtfully. Josh released his hand and it was slightly throbbing, so he pulled away from Beth and started massaging his hand. He took a closer look at the man behind Noah and didn't like what he saw. the man wasn't plain, but his behaviour made him almost invisible to others. His act of keeping to a low profile and never looking anyone in the eye was irritable.
"Yes him" Beth finally answered seeing that she was free from that dangerous man. Just as Luke was about to curse at them James arrived leading someone over.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing" Luke quickly said seeing the man that was standing close behind.
James wasn't really convinced since he could still sense the tense atmosphere. He looked at his brother, but he ignored him and walked back into the building behind them. James sighed and he decided to let it go for the moment. Instead he turned towards Beth and the others "Let me introduce. This is Rhys Grant. He is the one who brought everyone together and made a temporary camp here along with his brother. So, he is the boss around."
The man before them was very tall as well, almost tall as James. His entire body was in perfect symmetry. But unlike James he had lean muscles instead of bulky ones. He was slightly sun kissed making it obvious that he was an outdoor person. He was wearing a black T-shirt that stretched across his firm chest and abdomen. Anyone would fall for a body like his or maybe this was the ideal body that Ash wanted for himself as he agonisingly looked from his own tiny frame to the pecs that the other sported. Just then Ash realised that he was staring at another man's chest for too long and raised his eyes. A pair of deep dark eyes met his. The gaze lingered for a moment and a mocking smile etched on his lips before looking away. The man was very handsome. His face was strong and well defined. Dark hair framed his head which looked like he just rolled out of bed.
Ash looked at the man and instantly felt something strange. It wasn't admiration but something else. After sorting out his emotions he realised that it was fear. He was really afraid of this man. Other emotions like anger and pain collided with it making it a complicated mess. As he decided that he should stay away from this man, Rhys eyes wandered back to him after assessing the rest. As their eyes collided ash felt his heart skip a beat and guilt was now slowly mixing up along with the rest of the turbulent emotions inside him. 'Yes, this man was not good for him. his gut was warning him every minute they stayed in close proximity that he was dangerous.
"Are you bitten or scratched?" the heavy deep voice spoke to him. Jumping out of his thoughts, Ash realised that the others were already discussing something while he was in dream land. It took him a moment to understand what was asked of him.
"No" he said. But suddenly he remembered the bite Erva had given him. he didn't know if it was already healed or not. It was the longest wound of its sort that took to heal. he subconsciously put his hand on his arm where he was bitten and noticed that it was still sore. This action did not go unnoticed by Rhys. His eyes narrowed dangerously. He hated liars.
"We have to examine all of you before you enter the camp. You will also be put into a three-day quarantine to make sure that you are not infected by any other means." He then looked at the people left outside and asked Beth. "Do you need a woman to be brought?" Realising that she would have to strip she instantly nodded.
"Luke..." Rhys started to say but he was interrupted.
"I want to stay" He knew that once he went inside then he would have to do the chores that was still left unfinished from morning before they left, and Mrs. Nolan wasn't going to let him leave to enjoy the show.
"..."
"Noah go and get Susan here." he told the other man. "and then go help Alex sort out the supplies we got today"