The family and couple jogged through the streets at a steady pace with the crunch of asphalt from their steps being the loudest noise around. While running to the apartments Gerry called Thierry letting them know the pick up location, but was told they couldn't come till sunrise at the earliest. As the group was moving quietly the sound of groans and clatter of others around had them slow and pause. Logan and Akane shifted into a three hundred and sixty spin to watch their surroundings when an explosion shifted the focus and the groans became screams as a dead slammed into a nearby car.
Its body twitched and jerked as it rose back to its feet slowly. The couple didn't shoot as the noise would attract more and instead pushed the group to run as the dead started to swarm towards the noise of the blast. running, they looked for an open door to one of the apartment complexes and Gerry, Logan, and Akane noticed a homeless man drinking his misery away on the street. He watched them run past with a neutral expression as they had finally found an unlocked door. It was none too soon as the dead were fast approaching behind the group and growing if the screams getting more numerous is anything to go by.
Running into the building Gerry and Logan closed the door as Akane grabbed a fire hose on the side. She ran back to them and with Logan and Akane's guidance they tied a constrictor knot before the dead started slamming at the door.
"Told you learning knots would be a good idea" Logan said and Akane answered with a "Yes dear" mumble. Gerry rushed his family up the stairs with Logan and Akane following a few steps behind. Karin popped a few flares to light their way. when they shifted to a floor close to the top of the building and ran over to the next stairwell to get to the roof. Gerry starts to bust the locked door to the stairwell while Logan catches Connie running off. He doesn't stop her as a few seconds later Karin notices and begins to panic.
"Connie?" she whispers and finds her missing. "Gerry, I can't find Connie" she says as Gerry finally breaks the door to the next stairway. He turns and sees his youngest missing and Logan and Akane look around before shouldering their guns and pushing into the halls itself. Gerry runs past them and they snort and just move faster with the mother and oldest daughter behind them.
"Let us in!" They hear Connie shout out, making Karin over take the couple while dropping off her oldest daughter near Akane. The Asian woman looks at the girl who's practically the same height and just sighs as she lets the girl hold on while leading her to the rest of her family. When they get there they see a Latino family has opened their doors and is having a stare down with the Lane family. Logan breaks the tension by inviting himself into the home, kickstarting Gerry to push his family in as well. with a speedy slam the three men shove a dresser in place and everyone takes a breath again.
Gerry and the father speak a few pleasantries in Spanish as Logan walks over and checks through the covered windows to the city streets below. The explosion has caused a swarm down below and he's quick to close the window back up before anyone sees him. He wasn't sure they could, but he wasn't going to risk it for curiosity's sake. The Lanes take the couch as they calm down from the stressful day, while Akane was speaking to the family in Spanish. The Asian American woman had both taken it during their high school years, and worked with the language so heavily in their neighborhood that she could speak it conversationally.
"(Thank you for helping us)" Akane said. the Father nodded as the mother smiled.
"(Your welcome, would you like something to eat?)" she asked and Akane nodded while Logan started to fiddle with the radio. Gerry joined him and helped him tune it to the right channel. The Father of the family walked around to hand the adults a beer, with Akane getting a juice box due to her small height and young looking face. She looks at the father with a raised brow.
"(I'm twenty five, it's the apocalypse, and I have a gun)" she declared to the man and he paled a bit and handed him his beer which she took with a smile. Soon enough the two men at the radio found the broadcasting signal that was playing the same thing over and over.
"The following Message is transmitted at the request of the New Jersey State Police Department. Authorities recommend that the following actions should be taken by all the members of the public. Stay indoors if at all possible and have enough food and water supplies for sheltering for one to two weeks."
The child, Thomas, was translating for his parents and Gerry just sighed and went back to his family after it played for a second time before Logan shut it off. For another hour everyone ate and tried to relax before everyone took up a spot to get some shut eye. Logan and Akane grabbed a wall and were given a few pillows and blankets. closing their eyes they passed out easily.
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With a start Gerry jumped up at the sound of bangs from outside the apartment, making Logan open his eyes and look at him. He checks his family and sees his oldest daughter missing and starts to panic but Logan is quick to calm him down.
"She's here" Logan whispers and Gerry looks over at them. "She was crying and came over to sleep next to Akane." Logan said while looking down at his wife who was holding the girl subconsciously. Gerry calmed down and sighed before mouthing out a "Thank you" and laying back down on the bed. He and Logan didn't sleep much though as the bumping in the halls and echoes in the street had them watching the door like hawks.
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When morning showed up the apartment came back to life and Gerry wanted to pay back the kindness by trying to convince the family to join his group in getting to safety. Both Tommy and Akane were translating after Gerry asked for her help seeing she knew Spanish.
"Listen, I have a friend," Gerry said looking hopeful. "He's a part of the government and is coming here to help my family and my friends here to safety. Now, I've been in situations like this before and I know that staying may sound right, but it will get you killed. you need to..." he paused as he tried not to go down a brutal path. "Moving will keep you alive, (Movement is life)" he said to both the mother and father, "please come with us, we can get you to safety" he begged them as both Akane and Tommy stressed the issue. the Father though didn't even take a second to think as he answered.
"Is there anything else you need before you leave?" Tommy said, looking crestfallen at his fathers judgment. Akane just nodded and got up to walk back to Logan. Gerry showed a painful smile before requesting some duct tape and magazines. seeing the couple in their rubber training armor he saw the intelligence in bite resistant gear and unfortunately had to make due with some DIY. Logan helped as he also grabbed a pillow case, and made a movable soft guard for Gerry's neck while also masking his sneakers with the material.
With that done he also tapped a knife to his gun while Akane and Logan used the beer bottles and cut up thick sheets as makeshift suppressors for their handguns. the smaller weapon would do well in the hallways then the rifles. Akane also helped Karin and the girls tape some magazines to their arms and legs just in case they needed it, while also following Logan's idea with muffled shoes. With that done the fun started up as the three men moved the dresser out of the way again. Logan and Akane posted up with Gerry's family behind as the two were the best armed to take the lead heading out.
"Remember, wide steps, weight on back leg, and tense the thighs" Akane whispered to the family as she talked them through how to walk silently. they all nodded and she tapped Logan's shoulder. The man opened the door and aimed out with his hand gun before pie-ing the door and checking the right of the hallway. Akane moved out and checking the left and seeing no movement waved the family forward. Gerry walked out his and his family's feet silent as they started down the hallway following Akane.
Logan covered the rear, his feet walking backward as the sound of movement all around them had the group on edge. Akane kept moving with a flare in her off hand to help lead the way to the stairs. Karin had another and was keeping track of her family. The woman had tied a rope to her children to make sure they couldn't get lost, though the couple found it a great way to all die together if one got caught. The walk down the hall and to the stairwell door was smoother than they thought it would be, and when they entered a closed off section to two separate stairwells they paused.
"I'm scared" the little girl said loud and fucking making Logan and Akane jump. Gerry took a knee and got eye level with the girl to give her a pep talk.
"We're almost there honey, there is a helicopter on the roof to pick us up," he said. "Just keep your eyes on mommy and Daddy Okay? I need you to be ninja quiet just like aunt Akane taught you alright?" Gerry said, giving her a smile. she nodded and raised himself back up "it's like a walk in the park." Karin stopped him as Logan and Akane posted up at the stairwell door. Logan was grinning with soft chuckles and Akane hid a blush from the title she was just given.
"How do we know they're coming?" she asked scared this was all for nothing. Gerry looked at his wife with a deadly seriousness as he answered with "They're coming." she nodded and Gerry looked back to the couple who was waiting.
"Ready?" Akane whispered and Gerry nodded. She tapped Logan's shoulder again and he opened the door.