Desperate Times

The atmosphere was suffocating. The displaced souls moving forward with impatience. Fear in their eyes. Flinching at the sound of gunfire that echoed from the distance.

All while the soldiers' cold faces scanned the crowd with distrustful eyes. Their eyes darting in the direction of the screams. Screams that emanated from the checkpoint close behind.

The mistrust was almost palpable. As people watched on as the soldiers pulled pleading individuals from the crowd. Dragging them to the wayside. Before exposing the bites on their bodies. The fear only kept at bay by the soldier's glares. Keeping the uneasy fragility from erupting like a powder keg.

Levi and Ricky tried to remain inconspicuous. Avoiding these mistrustful eyes. And bypassed a few checkpoints along the road. Slipping through unnoticed under the stream of people.

Moving further, following along the southbound I-93, they neared a clearing on the road. Allowing them to see the road stretch across the horizon. Although some of the nearby buildings shrouded the road in places--from their vantage point, they could see the road stretch on for miles. And across the whole distance, empty space was hard to find. The road full of cars and people that moved forward in an unceasing tide.

Ricky took a dry gulp as he took in the sight and whispered, "This… How many people are there? Thousands? Tens, hundreds of thousands?"

"Are things already that bad?" Ricky asked himself. Getting a complex look from Levi, who didn't respond. An unsettling sinking feeling in his stomach as he looked out at all the displaced people.

But he suppressed the feeling. Ignoring the unease he felt inside as he once more pushed against the grain of the human wave. Ricky following shortly behind, still in a stupor as he looked out into the horizon.

Soon they passed a road sign indicating Roxbury was nearby. And after they passed, they noticed that the military presence in the area had increased. The encampments in this area looking much more imposing than the ones further up the city. With sturdier defences and heavier armour stationed. Such as hulking Abram tanks and other assorted armoured artillery that sat menacingly. Their smoking barrels pointing out at crater filled streets strewn with bodies.

The sound of gunfire and intermittent explosions that were only heard in the distance now sounded in their ears. The bustle of an active warzone coming from the soldiers all around. Screaming into radios and at their brothers in arms as men and trucks scrambled back and forth between encampments in a hurry.

Lyle had told them that the military hadn't been able to secure Roxbury. And From what they'd heard, the whole area was a red zone. And had been effectively abandoned by the military to better prioritise military assets. The only reason they still kept men in the area was to keep open the main highway links into the city open and free of infected.

This information had already put a damper on Ricky's spirit. But he still remained hopeful it wasn't as bad as he made out, however, after seeing it for himself. The previous optimism that glimmered in his eyes was almost extinguished.

"We need to get off the I-93," shouted Levi over the explosions and gunshots, "We're getting close. Keep on your toes. We'll need to make a move soon." making Ricky turn and give a grumble of assent as he followed with a bit more life in his step.

"The road opens up again further down. They'll have troops covering the area. But it's too large to guard completely. We can move into the city through there." Levi said, pointing under the underpass to the right. Towards a commercial lay-by that lay on an embankment.

The patrols still watched the area, but with so much ground to cover, Levi and Ricky were able to elude their gaze. And slipped from the crowd and began clambering over the bodies that filled the hill—allowing them to get back into unguarded territory.

The war machines echoed behind them as they moved through the empty streets. Abandoned office buildings and empty superstores eerily watching down as they walked through the streets filled with discarded corpses.

Besides the trickling stream of infected that were making their way towards the noise that came from behind them. There was no sign of anything in sight. Only bodies that seemed to go on for miles. Filling the previously bustling streets with decaying corpses and discarded vehicles.

But as they continued to wander through these deserted streets, the sight of bodies began to stop. As more and more infected began to appear, their numbers at first were manageable. Levi and Ricky working together to clean the infected on the streets and continue forward. However, as they inched deeper, the numbers only increased. Making it hard for them to move ten metres without attracting a dozen infected.

And as time continued to pass, they finally reached an area that seemed impassable and stopped--crouching behind a street sign, unsure whether to turn back.

"We can turn back, but we've already spent considerable time getting to this point. If we turn back, we might not be able to make it by tonight." Levi intoned as he looked out at the streets filled with infected huddling over bodies fighting to consume flesh.

Even Levi didn't have the confidence to take out such a large group. Not when all the neighbouring streets were the same. If their numbers merged together, there was no way he could fight them all. And even if he could, they would never make it to Roxbury, let alone back, if they kept dealing with such large groups of infected.

Ricky turned to face Levi before following his gaze at the feeding frenzy. His face conflicted as he rubbed his bat, which was now stained red—grinding his teeth as he watched the fight for morsels and whispered. "I want to keep moving forward. They might not be alive today, let alone tomorrow." His eyes glowing with determination.

Levi nodded with an appreciative smile on his face. He wouldn't have even considered suggesting moving forward if Ricky hadn't shown his mettle in the last few hours. While he'd been doubtful to start, over the past two hours, he had to admit Ricky had proved himself a fighter.

With what he'd shown, although it was a little risky, as long as Ricky could hold himself together, everything would be fine.

"Here's what we'll do. While most of the infected focus on eating. We'll use the distraction, and I'll take the lead and cut my way through the thinnest section. You'll follow behind me, and as long as we keep pace, we should be able to avoid most of the infected and pass through untouched." Levi explained, making Ricky's eyes widen a fraction, his eyes darting towards the mass of infected.

Although he said, he wanted to keep moving forward. Now that they had to bypass a whole street filled with them, he looked unsettled. But before Levi could say anything, he re-steeled his gaze and regathered himself. Though Levi still felt a little unsure whether he would be okay.

But he decided to go forward any way he'd be handling the infected. As long as he didn't mess up, Ricky should be fine.

The first few steps were the most nerve-wracking as they watched with bated breath to see if the infected would ignore them or continue with their feeding frenzy. But after the first few infected had groaned aloud and shuffled towards them, the lack of any big reaction put them at ease. As Levi began to dispatch the infected moving near and carved forward a path through the shuffling bodies.

And while a few had moved from feeding, most were too preoccupied to even notice. But despite that, there was still a decent amount that had been shuffling nearby—barred from even entering the frenzy, only able to shuffle near waiting for their opportunity to feed. But with Levi opening a path, most died before they could even get close.

And it was all going smooth until Ricky was almost toppled to the ground by a beheaded infected that fell in his direction—only avoiding a grizzly fate by reacting quick and stepping back. But in those few moments, he'd already fallen behind Levi. And he could already feel the nauseating breath on an infected against his face.

Making him freeze for a split second before he grabbed his pistol and fired once, killing the infected. Causing an overwhelming relief to wash over him. But that feeling was short-lived. As when he ran forward to Levi and saw his wide eyes looking behind him, his gaze shortly followed.

Never did he feel more regret than he did after he saw the numerous heads turning in their direction. Stumbling over each other as they released a chorus of snarly groans–their mere sight causing an almost instinctual desire to run.

Seeing Ricky running to catch up with renewed effort. Levi began to move with more pace, his moves becoming swifter and more efficient. As he began cutting through the infected faster, trying to open space between the massive horde that followed. Aware of the fact that the gunshot had rung like the dinner bell—indicating to all infected nearby that there were humans closeby.

But as Ricky caught up behind him, the scene he had been dreading happened before his eyes. The excited bloodshot eyes turning around the corner up ahead, ambling towards them with a giddiness in their step. The groans of the infected stumbling behind broadcasting their location as the new infected swarmed to cut off their escape route.

Levi continued forward, undaunted by their sudden arrival. But as more and more began to turn the corner in an unending tide, Levi's face darkened. As it became clear, they couldn't cut their way out.

His eyes darted around, his mind moving at a mile a minute, trying to find some way to turn the situation. And as he decapitated yet another infected, Levi looked up at a building with a narrow path surrounded by a metal fence. Before his eyes gained a decisive glint and he shouted to Ricky, "Stick close." As he battled his way towards the entrance of the building.

When he arrived, he struggled to hear his thoughts as the two groups had begun to converge into a single mass. And didn't waste any time before he thumped the door open and the two bundled inside.

Turning back, he saw the horde was hot on their heels. And had already begun pressing against the black metal fencing and started funnelling down the narrow entryway. Making Levi chuck his blade to the floor as he pulled out his pistol and shouted, "Quick! Find something inside to block the door," before firing.

Every time Levi squeezed the trigger, a body would fall. But straight away, its place would be filled by another--his bullets seeming futile. As the mass of bodies squirmed against each other, fighting to enter the tiny opening.

However, as Ricky moved inwards towards the locked doors of the lower floor, they soon found out the horde wasn't the only threat as he heard a pounding sound against the door. The culprit evident, but listening to the sound of the infected outside, the threat lingering within didn't seem so daunting.

He barged into the door, the door creaking but not budging before repeating it twice more until the door finally gave way. And straight away, he met with the face of an Infected lying prone on the floor, knocked down over by his intrusion. And didn't waste any time before plunging his bat down and bludgeoning the infected. The familiar sound of bone-crunching under his bat that he'd become accustomed to today. But still, every time, it never failed to make his stomach feel weak.

But he squashed the sensation like he'd been doing all day and began looking around the room. Looking for anything they could use to block the doors. The methodical sounds of gunfire fueling the sense of crisis that threatened to overwhelm him. But smiled as he spotted something they could use and ran, ready to haul it out.

Back at the door, Levi pressed the trigger once more but was only met with the grating sound of an empty chamber--the bullets in the magazine now dry. But seeing the small mound of dead infected making it difficult for more infected to follow, he felt a small reassurance. As he closed the door shut and primed himself, ready for the inevitable push to come.

And come it did as he felt a small push against the door, which began to build as more time passed—an increasing number of bodies pushing up against the door only held by Levi, who remained steadfast.

But before the infected could make Levi budge, a screeching sound echoed through the halls. As Levi heard Ricky's grunts as he hauled out a bulky oven and began dragging it towards the door. Levi watched him come close and moved across, allowing Ricky to get close and push the oven up against the door.

And as soon as Levi relaxed and moved his body away, he heard a low groan from Ricky as he strained to push back against the infected. The door occasionally propping open under the struggle–Ricky giving Levi a wide-eyed look.

Before Levi left Ricky to hold against the infected on his own while he repeated the process. Dragging out the heaviest items he could find. Each new addition making the job easier for Ricky, who eventually barely had to push against the infected. Which were already struggling to fit in the narrow entrance pathway filled with bodies.

Allowing Levi to prop his back against the assortment of heavy blockades alongside Ricky. Giving him time to regather his thoughts for a moment. As he sat, unsure of what to do from here on out.

He turned to face Ricky, and he didn't seem all there. Looking unfocused, staring into space. His face still red as he struggled to regather his breath from the previous exertion. All the while, the Scratching and menacing growls continued outside. Echoing throughout the halls.

He couldn't blame him either. No matter what way he looked at it, they seemed pretty fucked.

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