Rory stared at the top of the tent. He'd gotten maybe an hour or two of sleep before the sound of a screecher from below woke him up. In his panic he had mistaken Jude's weight on his arm for his sister. He was so used to having her there by his side yet it felt like she had died years ago. No one spoke about her. No one asked. Everyone just assumed and they were right and it was his fault.
He didn't want to wake Jude so he didn't get up. Besides he didn't feel like talking to anyone anyways, so he continued to lay there in a pool of his own self pity. He didn't know what time it was for lack of windows but the screechers had died down a while ago.
He thought about the past and the future as he stared up at the fluorescent light seeking though the dark tent. His past was never optimal with drug addict, alcoholic, losers for parents. One good thing had come from their relationship, but now that person was gone and it was hard to not hate them for choosing to bring him and Alaina into this world. He thought it was bad before, following in his parent's loser footsteps to cope.
When the zombies came he changed. He had to change to be able to raise his sister. Now? What was keeping him from falling back into old habits?
He looked down to Jude who twitched his small nose in his sleep. It was cute.
He sighed. Oh, yeah. Now he remembered why.
After what seemed like hours passed a cramp in his arm decided it was time for him to get up. He slowly slid from under Jude, grabbing his book bag from the corner of the tent and pulling a small picture from the front pocket. It was a picture of his sister and him when they were both young and innocent, before the world went to shit. He slid the picture in his pocket, taking a deep breath before heading out of the safety of the tent and into the fire.
"Look who's finally up."
Dax's voice came from the other side of the tent and then a crunching sound. Rory raised an eyebrow, looking around the dark tent.
"What are you doing?"
Dax was laying on a thin sleeping bag, his book bag used as a pillow and a bag of chips held protectively in his hand. His freshly wounded wrist was wrapped in a new gauze, only a couple of blood specs staining it. A drastic difference from the last time Rory'd seen him.
"I woke up a while ago but I didn't want to talk to those asshats so I stole some of their food and hid over here."
The blonde chuckled before examining the group of people sitting around one of the lunch tables on the other side of the cafeteria with cups in hands. Cash stood at the end, holding everyone's attention as he pointed at something laid out over the table.
"What are they doing?"
"Talking about how they're going to kidnap Kyle and get rid of us, probably. Want a chip?"
Dark blue eyes looked back to Dax who's tan hand held a golden chip out to him. He reached for it but Dax pulled away, throwing it in his mouth before Rory could grab it.
"You're such a dick."
"It's an apocalypse, I'm not going to share my food."
He shrugged at Rory's annoyed expression.
"What did you expect?"
Rory rolled his eyes, getting up and walking towards the table Cash and the others sat at. As he came into earshot Cash rolled up what looked like a map and slid it in the pocket of his dirty jacket. Rory raised his eyebrows,
"What're you hiding there Cash?"
"Nothing."
He stared sternly, a smirk pulling on his lips as he took a lazy sip from his cup.
"Would you like some coffee?"
A pale girl with dark brown hair as short as his turned in her seat, an overly bright smile on her face. Rory's brows knitted,
"You guys are really trying this?"
They all stared at him with expectant eyes and he sighed.
"Okay."
He turned to the girl,
"Sure, I would love some coffee. Can you get it for me babe?"
Her fake smile wavered at the nickname.
"Her name is Finn."
Cash cut in,
"And you can get it yourself. It's three tables down."
Cash pointed but Rory's bored eyes only stared into Cash's browns in irritation. The taller man's smirk never faltered and it pissed Rory off.
Rory contemplated taking the knife out of his boot and throwing it at the smug man, instead he took a deep breath and walked away.
"You don't have to be such an asshole to them."
Ollie commented as soon as Rory was too far to hear.
"I don't want them to think they're apart of our group."
Ollie glared at him, his arms crossed.
"I think they should come with us."
Cash copied the young boy, crossing his arms as Ollie's glare challenged his.
"I agree with Ollie. I think you should let them come."
Cash's younger sister, Violet, glanced between the two.
"I know you don't trust them. I know you think it's risky but-"
"They're not coming with us. We don't even have enough room in the cars. This isn't a discussion we're having."
Cash argued back, his arms uncrossing and landing on the table in a huff.
"We can get another car."
"It'd take another month to zombify it."
Xzavier butt in from next to Finn and Ollie turned to glare at him.
"What?"
He asked defensively before pushing his glasses farther up on his freckled nose.
"We can't risk taking a regular vehicle, screechers are a lot stronger than regular zombies."
Violet flicked him off.
"I think we should take a vote."
Mable spoke up, grabbing the attention of everyone surrounding the table.
"It's great that you've taken initiative Cash, but you're not the boss of everyone. We're leaving as a group, which means we make decisions as a group. Just like the vote to leave for the bunker."
He glared at her.
"Fine."
He stated through gritted teeth.
"We'll take a vote."
Cash looked over the small group of seven, praying they would make the right decision.
"If you want to risk having five strangers come, and at the slim chance nothing goes wrong, spend the rest of our lives in a bunker with them. Raise your hand."
Ollie rose his hand, then Violet. A second passed and then Tabb rose his hand as well. Cash turned to him with a look of betrayal.
"They should come to the bunker with us. They're not bad luck charms Cash,"
Tabb lowered his bony hand, gently placing it over Cash's.
"They're people."
Mable let an annoyed sigh loose causing everyone to turn and look at her for the second time.
"Fine."
Her hand rose too.
"Then, they're coming. It's final."
Tabb smiled as he watched Ollie's eyes light up. He turned back to Cash, who's expression was a mixture of anger and hurt and confusion and surprise. What the fuck? Tabb was his boyfriend. He's suppose to take his side.
"Just give them a chance, babe..."
"YeAh, GiVe'Em A cHaNcE bAbE."
Violet mocked the couple, Ollie snorted.
***
Kyle stepped in sync with Ollie, who walked confidentially with his gun tight in his hand. He was tall. Thirteen and barely an inch shorter than Kyle. His teeth were crooked, he would've needed braces. The thought caused Kyle to chuckle under her breath. Ollie would've freaked out had their mom and dad forced him to get metal put on his teeth.
Ezra stood to her left, his eyes stared at the back of Cash's head as if he could shoot lasers and kill the man. The hateful look was justified, after the way he had talked to them when they'd arrived he probably deserved a good punch to the face.
As soon as they were up and moving around Cash had told them, along with Rory, Dax, and Jude, to get ready. Kyle didn't ask him where they were going as they left the safety of the gym. She probably shouldn't put all her trust in someone just because Ollie trusted them.
"I hope you know you've all led us to our deaths."
Dax grumbled in their direction. The stump where his hand had been was wrapped with actual medical supplies thanks to the new group. It was no question- Kyle, Ezra, Rory, and Jude weren't doctors. They had only bought him time. Cash's group saved him.
"Stop being so dramatic asshole."
Rory commented, not even bothering to meet Dax's eyes.
"I'm serious! We don't even know where he's taking us and you all just followed him blindly. I mean come on, he tried to shoot you yesterday."
"I should've aimed for you."
Cash grumbled under his breath.
"You didn't have to come with."
Jude turned to look at the bigger man walking closely behind them.
"If I didn't come, who would protect you idiots. You wouldn't survive ten minutes without me."
"Says the only one of us missing a hand."
Ezra chuckled at his own joke. Kyle's brows knitted as she glanced over to Dax. He was holding his gun loosely in the opposite hand he usually did, an unhappy expression on his face. Guilt filled the red head's chest as she looked over his bandages once again. Kyle ruined the one thing he was good at, the one thing he actually enjoyed.
"We're going out the back."
Cash spoke up from the front as he turned a hall to the left.
"Leading us down to the torture chamber where him and your freaky brother will chop us up and feed us to their cannibal friends."
Cash continued to ignore Dax's ridiculous story, keeping pace until the hall ended. A locked glass door was all that protected them from the monsters outside.
"The garage is over there."
Cash pointed his finger at the small building across the football field, a large forest sat right behind it.
"Of course there has to be a dark scary forest."
Jude commented in a quiet tone.
"As soon as we're vulnerable on the field the walkers will attack. There shouldn't be any screechers around here this early in the morning but don't let your guard down."
The group nodded, preparing their weapons as he unlocked the door.
"Ollie, check the Garage the second we open the door."
"Got it."
Without another word Cash opened the door and ran, his gun up and ready. Ollie, Dax, Kyle, Ezra, Rory, and Jude followed close behind him. They ran down a flight of brick stairs before running past a pair of tall bleachers and across the football field.
Ezra couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia that ran through him as he examined the field lit by bright lamps. He was a quarterback before all of this, a damn good one too. Sophomore year was the last normal year. It was when he made his last winning touch down and kissed Kyle for the first time.
"Ezra, hurry!"
Kyle was suddenly pushing him from behind, rushing him as they ran off the field. A few walkers came from the woods, each of them quickly put down by Cash, Jude, or Rory.
They finally got to the garage, which looked a lot bigger up close, and Cash opened the door, holding it for each of them to get inside. A zombie ran towards the open door, snarling loudly and Cash lifted his gun with a bored expression, shooting it's brains out before closing and locking the door.
Rory looked around his eyes growing wide and a smile pulling at his lips. A black Dodge Challenger with large pieces of curved metal covering the front, spikes coming from each end, sat in front of him. The top held a machine gun and three little round lights. A second vehicle sat to the right of that one. A less bad ass looking dark colored Toyota Camry with the same metal pieces protecting the front and the same small circular lights on top.
"Badass."
Rory whispered in awe. Jude noticed his smile looked crooked when it was this wide.
"Yeah, they're pretty. Not just for looks either."
Cash moved to the back of the challenger, lifting the trunk with a smirk on his face. The others followed him, their eyes falling on a trunk filled to the brim with bottles of gasoline.
"We've been planning this trip for a while. The only thing that wasn't part of it was you five showing up."
He turned to the boys, Rory being the closest met his earthy brown eyes.
"If one of you fucks this up for us, I will kill you myself."
"Hold on, wait a second. You mean, you want us to go with now?"
Kyle was confused, not even eight hours ago Cash had practically told them to fuck off.
"Mable thought it would be a good idea to vote on it."
Ollie chuckled, a knowing smirk on his lips as he looked up at Cash.
"You let a girl tell you what to do? Ha!"
Dax laughed in a loud annoying tone. Cash rolled his eyes before closing the trunk of the car.
"Is he always like this?"
He asked, his voice exasperated as he pointed a thumb in Dax's direction. Rory chuckled,
"Pretty much."
The dark haired man sighed as walked between the cars, pulling on a string that lit up the whole room. With the better lighting they could see all the weapons and empty beer bottles littering the small building.
"Where exactly are we going on this trip?"
Kyle asked, skepticism tinged in her voice.
"We're going to a bunker."
Kyle looked over to her younger brother, their green eyes meeting.
"A bunker?"
He nodded, a small smile tugging on the corner of his lip.
"There's a Federal Reserve Nuclear Bunker in mountain road Culpeper, Virginia."
His voice grew more excited with each word.
"Or at least it used to be a nuke bunker during the Cold War. Now it holds old films, but that's not the point. The point is it has 12-inch-thick concrete walls, it's 4 feet underground, barbed wire all around, 30 days worth of food and water for 500 people, and plenty of room to grow old."
Kyle's eyes widened. How did Ollie know all of this? How did they even find out about this place?
"The bunker is 1,709 miles away, we'll have to go through Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and finally West Virginia. It should be a 26 hour drive."
Kyle's brows knitted.
"How did you find out about this place?"
"The radio."
Cash interrupted, everyone turned their attention to him and he looked over each of them.
"It was random. After years and years of listening and waiting we had given up. Until a couple months ago a woman's voice came on talking about some bunker willing to house survivors. She droned on and on about how thick the walls were and how much room they had."
Suddenly Ollie's speech made sense.
"This is where you've been planning on going? How do you know you can trust some random lady that-"
"You think that's not the first thought that went through my head?"
Cash scoffed.
"If you want to come, offers on the table. If not, I'd advise you to fuck off before we leave Monday morning."
He quickly closed the trunk.