The moment didn't last long though. A red hatchback speeding to a stop in front of them, the trickle of infected starting to pour from the road behind.
Levi moved towards the boot and knocked on it, getting a click in response. He pulled the boot open and motioned for Laurent and Florence to get their stuff in the back. But Levi stilled when he noticed a trove of weapons inside.
They hadn't checked it before and it seemed that was a mistake. Levi reached in and pulled out an AR-15 rifle from the back, unchecking the magazine before placing it back in.
He left the two to get their belongings in and went towards the driver's seat, flashing Ricky the AR-15 as he entered the car. "Found a load of these in the back. Guess that explains what they were scrambling for when we saw them," said Levi, handing Ricky the rifle which he gaped at.
They waited for a moment until Florence and Laurent got in the back, before they pulled away, leaving the infected groaning at thin air as they disappeared.
When Florence spotted Ricky she began barraging him with questions. "Ricky, thank God you're okay. I was worried sick when they told me you and Garett had been arrested. How'd you both get out?", Ricky gave a derisive laugh before he turned and looked at Levi. Laurent narrowed his eyes at the words as he looked towards Ricky with apprehension.
"Levi. The guy who rescued you and… This other gu-" Ricky began, but was interrupted.
"Laurent. My name is Laurent," he said, with a chill in his voice, getting an unenthused nod from Ricky before he continued.
"Right... Laurent. Anyway, Levi here was also arrested. Still hasn't told us what for." Ricky continued, his remark getting a brief glance from Levi. "But when the doors opened and everything went to shit in the station he made us band together and clear the infected inside. Without him… We all probably would've died."
Florence's eyes widened at the story, looking towards Levi with a softer gaze. However, Laurent looked conflicted, his face unsure when he looked at the two men. But spotting the child–who remained mute–his unease waned a touch.
"What were you in for?" asked Laurent, trying to keep his face impassive. Levi gave him a look through the rearview mirror and gestured at Ricky.
"You can go first," said Levi, getting a snort from Ricky who looked at the man in the back and sighed.
"Gang-related crime, me and my friend were taken in on suspicion of a gang-related murder," Ricky's words made the man at the back pale, his eyes becoming conflicted.
"And you?" asked Laurent, his eyes turning to Levi.
"Awfully nosy aren't you?" said Ricky, a smile on his face as he laughed at the worried face of Laurent in the back,
"Just curious is all," responded Laurent, trying to keep nonchalant.
"You know I'm curious as well anyway. You don't seem like a major crime kinda guy. What were you in for?" Ricky said, genuinely curious.
"I dealt with an infected before they were called infected," said Levi, getting an understanding nod from Ricky. Waiting for more information, before he clicked his tongue.
"You don't say much. You know that?" complained Ricky, getting ignored by Levi as he added. "I'm curious, I heard you say to the soldier earlier you used to be a merc and I've seen all the swordsmanship trophies in your apartment. But that can't be it, can it? There has to be more of a story than that."
"There doesn't have to be," said Levi with a smile. "Just like there doesn't have to be more of a story about why you were suspected of a gang-related killing."
"Ha. Anybody tell you it's annoying you're so sharp," Ricky intoned, getting a 'what can I do' shrug from Levi. "Alright, I leave it at that. Though I'm sure you were part of some government secret special forces. Or maybe part of an underground syndicate."
"Yeah, that's me. Secret underground syndicate member through and through," responded Levi, his dripping sarcasm making Ricky scoff.
"Thank you, Levi," Florence said, managing to slip in before Ricky spoke once again, her sincerity palpable. Getting a slight smile from Levi in return.
"You're very welcome," he replied, taking the thanks as he got a smile from the gaunt woman in the back.
"Where are we headed?" asked Laurent, who met Levi's gaze in the rearview mirror.
"We're…" Levi began but he came to a stop as his eyes hardened. A car that had just passed a moment ago, beeping its horn at them as it began to reverse towards them. Making Levi's eyes go cold, as his mind ran through the reasons and realised if there wasn't another reason it was because they recognised the car.
Ricky also looked grave as Levi stopped the car, his hand gripping the rifle tight as he looked over his shoulder, past Laurent, at the black sedan that had spun and was coming up behind. The reaction of the two in front making Florence and Laurent uneasy.
"What the fuck is going on?" Laurent asked, his voice muted as he watched the car get closer. He got no response as Levi grabbed the Ar-15 from Ricky, his actions making Laurent go silent, realising this was serious.
"Get down. We'll sort this out. Don't draw attention to yourself." getting nods from Florence and Bryson. "Especially you, make sure to keep your head down no matter what. Just wait until we come back," his words directed at Bryson who nodded in fear.
"As for your question," Levi said, looking at his imposing figure for a moment before he pulled a pistol from his waist and pushed it towards him. "You don't need to know. All you need to do is act intimidating. Make your choice,"
He looked like he wanted to retort, but Levi's cold glance as he pushed the pistol into his hands kept him silent, as he fingered the gun in his hand and nodded reluctantly.
Levi watched the men leave their car first before he opened the door and went out Ricky and Laurent following in toe. They were all armed. Well at that. They all had rifles of some kind, and looked at them confused when they saw Ricky, Laurent and Levi leave the car their weapons pointed at them.
"Who the fuck are you?" demanded the man at the front, raising his gun as he saw the weapons raised at him.
"No, that's our question. Who the fuck are you?" said Levi with a cold calm that unsettled the other men, his gun aimed directly at the other men.
"We're the trailblazers." He said, his eyes narrowing as he pointed at the car, his eyes darting at the bullet holes in the windshield. "That's our boy's car. What the fuck are you doing with it?" The unease palpable as the standoff continued.
"Found it lying around," Levi said, noticing the corner of the man's mouth twitch.
"You expect me to bel-" the man began shouting, but stopped when the sound of a gunshot was heard.
Bang!
Followed by another two in short succession. Bang! Bang! Three men going down in as little as a second. Stunning the others for a moment before the automatic gunfire made them react as they ran for cover.
Ba-bang! Ba-ba-bang-bang!
The gunfire hit one man several times in the chest as he stumbled behind the sedan door, the blood leaking from his chest as the bullets ricocheted off the metal frame.
Ricky and Laurent had reacted quick when the gunfire had first started, darting to cover as the other group scrambled. Levi gave them no warning when he opened fire, but he had managed to kill men three and injure one in the opening salvo before they could even let one shot off. And for those that did remain, they were suppressed by Levi's automatic fire as he backed up towards cover, giving Laurent and Ricky a chance to open fire.
The two men that remained took shots when they could. But one was already bleeding out, although not hit anywhere critical he was losing blood and they were pinned down.
Levi soon reached the same car Ricky was using as cover, turned to reload and saw Infected moving towards them from the street. Changing the magazine, Levi fired at the infected closest. Before he turned after hearing the sound of gunshots increasing, the bullets pinging off the car wreckage as Ricky hid behind the car and avoided looking out.
The two men had begun firing when they had a brief reprieve and heard shots elsewhere. One clambered into the car, in an attempt to flee, while the other, who was sporting multiple gunshot wounds, cover fired and shot towards Ricky and Laurent.
Levi poked out from behind cover, and raised his gun firing into the injured man's chest, him trying to react, but his attempted turn gave Laurent the time to hit the man as Levi's stream of bullets burst into his chest. Making him fall to the ground as Levi eyed the final man, who reversed away.
And heard Laurent and Ricky fire forth towards the driver, one of the men hitting the driver making his control of the vehicle slip before Levi opened fire and shot a burst of bullets towards the driver's seat–making several bullets hit his chest as well as one to the head. Ending the man's life in an instant, as the sound of gunfire came to an end.
The confrontation was short, but Ricky and Laurent were still reeling and Levi could practically see the adrenaline still pumping through their veins. Ricky looked fine still jittery from the buzz of a firefight but there was an undisguised enjoyment on his face, Laurent on the other hand didn't look so great as he looked out towards the bodies.
But Levi couldn't give him time as he heard the infected close in and shouted, "Grab their weapons. I'll hold the infected. We need to leave before the numbers mount up any further." the sound of gunfire began as he fired upon the infected once again with his rifle.
The shots rang in Ricky and Laurents ears as they moved towards the sedan, taking the assault rifles from the dead men. Their faces still warped in shock or pain, making the buzz of battle dissipate for a moment the faces seeming to stare into their souls and ask, 'Why?' but the sound of each shot forced them to move faster–Ignoring this sensation.
Laurent gave the interior a once over, ripping a rifle from the dead driver's hands before nodding to Ricky and running back towards their vehicle. Pulling open the boot and placing the guns inside, keeping a rifle each as they re-entered the vehicle, shouting, "Levi, we got them. We gotta go." Making him turn as he fired a couple more shots before the click of an empty chamber was heard, and he ran for the car.
He jumped into the car, briefly checking if everyone was okay and accounted for before he stepped on the gas and drove forward. Bypassing the bodies lying discarded by the sedan, avoiding the infected that were pouring forth from the buildings and alleys.
The car momentarily filled with uncertainty as they wove through the influx of infected that swarmed the area, but they weaved their way through. An audible sigh of relief in the car, when they were free, even Levi relaxing a touch, as he began tapping on the steering wheel.
"I think we should get rid of this car after we head back," said Ricky.
"That would be a good idea," Levi nodded, his eyes looking at the road ahead. Laurent was watching the display between them and was going to ask a question but was beaten to it by Florence.
"Who were those people? Why did they try to kill us?" She asked, fear written in her eyes.
Levi looked towards the woman and thought about what to say, his eyes studying her and Laurent who appeared stiff an internal conflict in his eyes. "They're gang members. Called themselves the Trailblazers. We have a car of theirs and they noticed. They had a problem with that."
His words satisfied Florence, whose eyes widened when she heard their name, recognising them to some degree. Going quiet after she received her answer a silence permeated the car.