Tears streamed from Courtney's eyes as she held her older sister. I watched in awe, a smile on my face as they celebrated each other's lives.
"Glad to have you back." I put my gun away. "I knew you wouldn't duck."
"Never duck," she met my gaze with a grin. "Haze and I took off. Knew they were up to no good. Right after we offed the cannibals, we ran into a massive horde."
I turned to Haze and held my hand out for a shake. We bumped shoulders with smiles on our faces as we celebrated.
"Glad to see you're alive, man." I glanced to Nista. "She missed the hell out of you."
"Same to you, brother." He laughed, "I know she did. I already got smacked for leaving her."
"You all need to quit running off." Anna scolded, "what the hell were you two doing, Jake? You could've gotten into trouble and we would've never known."
"We rode a two-person bike around town while we searched for these two. We were fine."
"A two person bike? You alright, Court?" Christie questioned in an amused town, furrowing her dark brows playfully. "You can barely ride a normal bike."
Anna and Joe made a plan for the next route we'd be taking. Only two states stood between us and California. I wondered if it was true — if we could really have normal lives again someday. It was hard to believe.
"If anyone is out there, I need you to respond." I spoke into the mic. "I'm in need of information on the aerial assistance in California."
Everything we've heard on the radio recently was a re-run. The same broadcasts that played on the first day continued to play now almost a year later.
"What if we came all this way for nothing?" Joe questioned skeptically. "Where do we go then?"
"We'll find our own damn plane and fly it ourselves. Either way, we're getting out of here." Christie opened a small bag of chips as she spoke. "I know how to fly — I'll do it if I have to."
"You know how to fly a plane?" I furrowed my brows at Christie.
"Yeah. It's something everyone should know how to do if they go on a lot of flights."
"Hello? Is there anybody out there?" An unfamiliar man's voice came across the radio. "I don't have long."
"Who are you?" I inquired into the mic. "Do you know if there's still an aerial assistance in California?"
"Last I heard of it, they were up and running."
There was a staticky pause before he spoke again. "I was part of a team trying to find the cure. I'm stuck here."
"Where? Maybe we can help you."
Christie scolded, "don't tell him that! We can't afford to help people. Think about it. He could be lying."
"Boarder of Utah and Colorado. It's a lab we were using temporarily to experiment and figure out a cure for this wretched virus. I don't need help, I'll die here. I'll die here just like the rest of my friends."
"Listen, if you're really who you say you are, you have to stay alive." I spoke firmly, "let us help you. We'll take you with us to California and you can live a normal life again, too. It doesn't have to end this way."
"No. You can't help me." He objected firmly, "my mission is to find the cure. If I die here, my body will help their research."
"We don't have time to beg someone to let us help them." Christie argued, "please, Jake. Don't drag us into anything else."
Anything else? She spoke as if it was my fault that we've been through so much. I stared at her before speaking into the walkie one last time.
"We have to go now. Stay alive."
_
Brr.
I shivered as the cold shot through my clothing. We need warmer apparel. The sun hid behind the gloomy clouds and made it even colder as a result.
"I have to siphon this gas." I announced, hitting the brakes as we approached a vehicle. "Who wants to watch my back?"
The vehicle was an old Jeep. It was a canary yellow that was dulled by the layer of dust sitting on top of it. I began to siphon before noticing the boxes in the cargo space of the vehicle. I examined through the window. Minutes later, I decided to try the trunk.
It opened. Clothes, food and water could be seen in the cardboard boxes. Just as I grabbed the first bottle of water, a shot rang through the air.
"Cut it out!" Courtney called as she ducked behind the Jeep.
I rose slightly above the Jeep before letting out a shot. Another shot was sent in response.
"Nobody has to get hurt! Cut it out, now!" I demanded, calling hawkishly.
"I sometimes live out of that Jeep. Do you think it's okay to rummage through somebody else's home?"
An unfamiliar voice now sourced from feet away. I met her gaze. She was a dark-skinned woman with long, curly hair. Her body was toned as if she still worked out. She stood confidently as she holstered her weapon.
"I'm sorry," I spoke sincerely. "We didn't know this was yours. I saw the supplies and —"
"You thought it would help you and yours."
I nodded, "I'm sorry. We'll throw you a couple snacks for the inconvenience."
She examined me skeptically. "Where are you from?"
"Ohio. The others come from different places."
"How'd you get all the way to Utah?"
"We've been traveling for a long, long time. Ever since the beginning when the aerial assistance was announced."
The unfamiliar woman responded, "I've been there. Just a bunch of dickhead ex-militants with no sense of reality. They still think they're in a normal world."
"You've been there?" I inquired, "when? Is it still up and running?"
She explained that she was from the city the aerial assistance was set up in. It was a city that was spared from zombie activity, giving the military a chance to barricade it and evacuate all residents. They then began to use the nearby airport as a way to travel.
"If you ask me, it's all government ran. They're going to send you off to be test subjects for the next virus." She critiqued, "maybe next time they'll actually knock the whole human race off."
"Look, I'm willing to do whatever it is that gets my people away from this dead zone." I stared into her dark eyes, "you can come with us. You don't have to die here."
"I have food I can spare back at my place. Come back to eat with me and stay for the night — then, we go our separate ways."
I thought against it but then I realized that she may know more. Any information is more helpful than none. The others agreed that we could go back for the night.
It was a thrift store. She had taken the used appliances and put them together to make a somewhat functioning kitchen, along with a living room next to it. We tried on warmer clothes, exploring the store in search of anything we may need.
"My name is Jordan. I was the owner of this place." She called out as she put together a half-cooked meal. "Now it's my home every so often. I try to stay away most of the time — too many memories."
"You don't mind us taking this stuff?" Joe questioned warily. "We can find something to trade you."
"No. I have no use for this shit. Take what you need."
"If you don't want to be here, why don't you leave?" I inquired curiously. "You don't have to stay. Sometimes it's better to leave it behind."
She replied simply, "It's all I know."
"Do we really trust the government?" Haze asked me in a hushed voice. "I'm starting to wonder, man. Maybe she's right."
"We've come too far now, Haze. If worst comes to worst, we find the coordinates of the safe zone in Canada and have Christie fly us."
"With what fucking plane, brother?" He hissed. "I don't mean to snap, I — I just don't want anything to happen to any of us. We've been together too long now for me to let any of you assholes die."
"We will figure it out. We always do."
When I approached the others, I found that they all felt the same way. Jordan's speech had worked. They're worried about what's going to happen when we get on that plane.
"Listen," I preached. "They wouldn't be running for this long if they didn't know what they were doing. We can't let doubt make us lose out. If we want to live, this is what we do."
"And if it doesn't go as planned?" Anna asked curiously.
"We'll find a way to survive. It's too late to turn back now." Christie argued in a stern tone.
At least she's on my side.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shots rang through the air outside the store. We all dropped to the ground instinctively as the noise continued. Through the dark, figures of tall men could be seen. Faint, muffled voices were heard.
Jordan paused as she stared out the window through the darkness. Moments later, she turned to us and spoke two words.
"They're here."