The group was quiet most the flight of stairs.. as they had passed the fifteenth floor almost twenty minutes ago. Dom kept looking down at his watch Alex took notice of this but didn't bother asking any questions he only kept on walking seeing the floor numbers passing by as they kept going lower and lower.
"Dom. Why do you keep checking the time?"
Alex spoke up as his voice echoed down the stair well. Dom kept walking as he looked back showing the time it now being exactly three o'clock. Meaning they only have exactly twenty hours left to get to the evacuation.
Alex took note of this as he looked down at his smart watch starting to set up a timer of twenty hours. That being the time they have until the trucks leave. That's when he seen a small burst of text messages on his watch.
"Momma, Venus, Rocky, dad, sister... a group chat I hate those."
He then stopped for a moment seeing the name rocky on his phone that meant his cousin was alive. As he quickly pulled his phone out reading the messages. Two of them where voice messages.
"Alex.. bro dude! Hey where are you! Alex"
The first voice message ended with the sounds of gunshots being heard through the entire message, screaming and the sound of heavy breathing then was the second voice message. As Alex began to click it all there was heard was gun shots and screaming.
Until a voice was picked up.
"Is that a fucking plane?!"
Afterwards it went silent. No messages, voice message nothing. That was the last thing sent.
Alex pushes off his doubt. Choosing to believe his cousin was alive was better than assuming he was dead. Afterwards he noticed he still had good signal.
"Candy, Dom. Guys there is still signal I don't think we will be able to get another chance to make a call so. I'm going to make a phone call."
With that Alex sat down at the stairs, closest to the raining as he tried to wipe his sweat. He was dirty and a bit bruised but nothing no one shouldn't be used to. He looked over at his arms and legs. He was bleeding remembering he was hurt in the bathroom when he first encountered the fat man. As the phone rang the first time he began to wonder what he was going to say. Would he mentioned he killed someone? But in the ultimate end the man decided to fall from the ledge. If there was no body and only a trail of blood. Best leave that part out. No matter he was only excited to see his girl. It's been one hell of a day already. He can't say anything that would make her worry.
Soon Jordin had answered the phone this time gathered around by a few others. Some of which Alex knew... most he did not recognize.
"Alex! Is everything okay? Where are you?"
Overlapping voices began to be heard as all he was focused on was Jordin. It began to get crowded which he wouldn't be able to see her very much through the phone as everyone was trying to see him. Small talk was made but in the end he got back what he really called for.
"Hey. Things are getting a bit crazy out here and right now we have about twenty hours until we get to this evacuation. I'm just really tired and hungry.."
There was a sad look in his eyes as all he done was look at the screen wishing he had never gone on this trip. He wasn't saying much there wasn't anything he could really say. He just.. he felt his mind going all over the place trying to find the right words to say right now. Thinking on how he could make her not worry at all.
"Hungry? Let me guess you could go for a double bacon western right now. Or Jumbo wok. I swear those are the only things you eat. I miss you."
She spoke so softly that all he done was nod his head. He truly love this girl and the sound of a double bacon western with some Chinese food was really making him more hungry as his stomach would growl. Candy was down a few stairs on the phone with someone as she looked up and laughed. Dom chuckled a little opening up his backpack throwing crackers over to Alex. As Alex held them in his hand opening them up.
"Hey baby you think if I close my eyes tight enough and pretend this is a double bacon western it'll taste like one."
He laughed grabbing three crackers stacking them on top of each other as you could hear the news in the background of the phone. Whoever Jordin was with they had the news on a helicopter overview of the entire city as the helicopter shown a man jumping from the roof top of a building and a few moments later three people dashing out the roof top only to see an airplane falling from the sky.
"Hey baby let me see that TV real quick. Candy Dom get over here."
As the group gathered around the phone they could see them three on the roof top as the helicopter did an overview of the plane crash already the dead were roaming the streets as most were on fire and those who some how managed to survive the crash could be seen running only to be caught by the dead as the city was already filled. Maybe the crash killed many of the dead... possibly survivors but it also brought more of the dead into the city.
"Fuck. Alex.. Candy that's blocking our way to the evacuation. Dammit!"
Dom was clearly angry as Jordin had turned the camera back to herself to see Alex and Candy sitting by each other both with a sad almost despair look on their face. Jordin seen this unsure on what she could say she only looked down as the room got quiet then the connection started to become glitchy and laggy. As Alex stood his phone up. Reaching his arm higher to get a better signal but nothing.
"I love you Alex, forever and always."
Was all her heard before the sound of a phone hanging up was heard and as he brought his arm down seeing his phone now at one percent seeing this he began to feel hopeless. As Candy looked down at her phone seeing her call had ended before she was able to say to her parents she loved them. She then looked back up to Alex then over to Dom. Tears already forming in her eyes as Alex would pat her shoulder seeing his phone die in his hands as he placed it into his pocket leading Candy down the stairs.
"I'm sorry guys. Maybe at the evacuation they can help call or something. Let's get moving."
They both understood what Dom said but in no way did he have to apologize. Though it hurt to not be able to say I love you in return they had to make sure to get to the evacuation.
Candy would clench onto Alex's arm as hey began to make their way the steps after some time they seen the number three, number two and finally number one pass by. As Dom held the door open they could only see what once was the lobby floor. Bullet holes all over and a slaughter all over. Alex quickly covered the eyes of Candy as he glanced over to Dom. They now know why no one else was around.. as they proceeded down the hall into the more open area of the lobby they seen where the zombies had entered broken glass as a car was inside the lobby crashed behind the receptionist.
"Alex. Here."
Dom was up ahead searching the dead body of one of his friends giving Alex the magazines inside the mans pistol it was only two extra mags. But better than nothing. Alex held his gun ejecting the mag that was in his pistol seeing it was empty but he remembered there was still a bullet in the chamber so he only slipped in a new mag. He then placed the pistol back into his holster. As Dom gathered the dog tags of his fellow comrade standing up seeing there was more zombies than humans it was a last stand and they didn't hear a single thing.
As he took a deep breath as he made sure to grab all the supplies and ammunition he could as he turned around ready to talk as a phone could be heard ringing just behind the receptionist desk.
The three turned to face it.. well only Alex and Dom as Candy still held her eyes tightly shut as Alex would rotate her body to face the desk.
Dom quickly walked over reaching over the counter to pick the phone up as his handle hovered over the phone waiting for another ring. Hearing it he quickly picked up placing it to his ear.
"Hey! Hey don't hang up. I am across the street on the second floor I see you three. I need help. I heard something about an evacuation but after hearing that airplane I don't know where to go please can you help me?"
A female voice frantically spoke through the phone as Alex walked over to the window seeing an adult woman standing there waving her hands. Though her appearance was faintly familiar to Alex. But he wasn't to sure who it was. No matter he turned to face Dom giving him a Thumbs up and a nod to confirm someone was actually there.
"Sit tight. Get any supplies you can food, water, maybe a weapon to protect yourself leave your room and we will meet you just outside."
The girl agreed to do so as she hung up on Dom. Dom looking over to the group as they nodded.. again it only being Alex nodding his head as Candy stood there with her eyes shut tight not being able to see anyone.
As Alex would go over guiding Candy out of the hotel Dom followed behind with rifle in hand as they walked outside slowly making sure they were looking every direction possible. As Alex would glance up to where the girl was he seen her much closer with a backpack in hand with a new outfit. As he took in a good look her wearing tan pants with a tank top. He soon realized it was the girl from the roof top club. As they had finally made it across the street the three waited outside for the girl as Candy was crouching behind a pillar apart of the building.
The streets were littered with cars and trash. Instantly this city was an entire mess as some cars were burning and bodies could be see in the far distance. As Alex stood there waiting for the devil of a girl to come through the door Dom stood there waiting. He seemed serious as he was keeping an eye out on the surrounding areas. Soon the sound of a door could be heard as the girl stood there still within the door frame glancing at the group taking in a good look as she seen Alex she looked away. She didn't like the fact she was being helped by the man she drugged last night.
Right off the bat there was this sense of tension in the air as Alex would grip his bat tightly and the girl seemed to have a nasty look in her eyes not straying away from Alex's glare.
"I have a feeling you two know each other so put that off to the side because looks like we will have company so let's circle around and see where we can go from there because that plane isn't helping us out very much."
With that the group began to head off as the girl gave Alex one nasty look before following Dom. Candy seen this as she stood up quickly running over to Alex's side. Now walking besides him as she reached over for his baseball bat. She was planning on holding it for him as he didn't have a place to really put it. Of course he gave it to her. Keeping his eyes on this new one in their group. He of course didn't trust her. But she was a human at least. So he thinks.