17 Searching Roxbury

The car moved forward, moving past the various obstacles lining the city as they got closer towards their destination. No words had been said, since they had left after killing the two men, he thought it best to say nothing and let Ricky process things in his mind. And it seemed the previous bloodlust he felt had cleared and the gravity had started to hit him.

That he'd killed two men in cold blood. Though he didn't look like he'd break down crying or throw up over the seats, his expression didn't look so callously relaxed and almost happy like he had after killing the two men.

"You did good," Levi said, making the Ricky look up. "It's never easy killing people. But, what you did today, might've saved your life in the future."

"The world is a dangerous place. Even before everything went to shit. Sometimes difficult choices have to be made, people only have one life. And many would be wise to look after it. Dangerous loose ends like those two men… They're too dangerous to be left roaming free." Levi continued, his words not easing Ricky whose eyes were still grim.

"Thanks, I guess," mumbled Ricky, who looked towards the child still sitting in the car who desperately tried to look inconspicuous, trying to avoid their attention. "What's gonna happen with the boy?"

"Him?" his questioning tone, making the boy freeze. "Nothing. He's just a kid. We take him back. If need be we drop him somewhere else he can survive. I'm sure the military refuge will take him in. Don't know how long he'll last on his own though." His words making the boy flinch as he looked up towards Levi, but instantly lower his gaze when he saw Ricky looking towards him.

The rest of the journey was quiet, though there were some close calls Levi managed to avoid getting caught by any large groups. With the state of Ricky, they wouldn't get far if they had to go back to moving by foot.

Arriving in Roxbury, the area appeared no different to other parts of the city. Just older, there was a sense of history that coming from the old brick houses and buildings that were interspaced with newly furnished homes.

Though the smouldering ruins of burnt buildings and wreckages of vehicles crashed into walls ruined the atmosphere somewhat. Corrupting the sense of antiquity with the overwhelming bleakness that emanated from each dishevelled neighbourhood they past.

Ricky gave the directions, helping Levi drive through the complex network of neighbourhoods that only a local could ever truly understand–helping him soon reach their destination.

The area was filled with large brickwork apartments that lay adjacent to a large park that sat in the middle of the neighbourhood. Where numerous infected could be seen wandering the grassy field.

The buildings stuck out like a saw thumb. With their gritty orange colour, that was painted in graffiti the marks of time and disrepair chisseling away at the structures. The buildings ran diagonal to the street. Lined in rows, connected to one another with cracked concrete paths that was dotted with dried blood.

Ricky pointed to one of the buildings and Levi pulled the car near. His eyes narrowing at the array of huge buildings, "Ricky. You can't fire again here. These apartments buildings must hold hundreds of people. If we're swarmed again, you're done for. You can't run anymore." making Ricky nod with a grimace.

Their conversation interrupted by an infected that had suffled close. Banging its grimy flights  against the doors. Levi ignored it, as he turned to Ricky and asked, "Third floor, right?" getting a nod, as he held the door handle, "Stay in the car, if the infected surround you take the car around the block and come back when your free."

Levi swung the door open knocking the infected scratching at the door to the floor. Plunging his sword into its skull. Closing the door, the lock of the doors sounding behind him as he walked forwards. His blade swinging forward killing any infected doddering towards him as he walked.

There was only a handful of infected he had to deal with as he entered the building. The interior, was dark but from the sparse light he noticed blood splatters draped across hall. His eyes drifting towards the end of the hall, where the butchered remains of a man being eaten by a handful of infected.

His footfalls fell quiet, so he could inch within metres before they began to notice something and began to stir. Sniffing into the air about to turn, as levi swung his blade forward killing the closest with no struggle.

Before Levi lunged forward and stabbed towards the second. Impaling its head, before kicking it from his blade as as he kicked the third onto its back. While the forth shambled to its feet. A single thrust of the katana enough to end its life, before he turned and finished the last remaining one that struggled to get up from his kick. Soon putting it out of its misery.

He gave the bodies a cursory look to see if it was who he was looking for, but shook his head when he saw none matched the description. Although he only had limited descriptions to go off, none of the corpses on the floor looked like a short, thin, middle-aged womanesides who wore her hair in a bun, usually.

He kicked a body blocking his path and began moving up the stairs. Deciding against clearing every apartment on his way up. There were too many apartments, it would take too much time to clear them all. It was easier just to avoid them. He was quiet enough to do it anyway.

More infected wandered the hallway above, and he decided to clear those. Closing any doors that remained open. To prevent any mishaps if he did find Florence. If she died from getting bitten on the way out, it wouldn't be great.

He repeated the same on the third floor except only on the third floor did he begin clearing room by room. Knocking on each door, listening to the response before prying the doors open and clearing for infected.

On the third door he tried, he received no response and prepared to break the door down when he heard somebody say from behind the door. "Wait! Don't break it, I'll open the door." It was a deep voice that had a gravelly texture.

When the door opened, it revealed a well-built dark-skinned man. The man towering over Levi's 5'11 looking something like 6'8, 6'9. His eyes shifted through the halls, as he attempted to drag Levi into the apartment.

Levi only tilted his body away from his grasp, and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Get in. Those things are everywhere." the man whispered in an urgent tone.

"Most of them are dead. At least the ones in the halls are. The only leftl wandering are those on the floor above," Levi stated, the man's expression shifting in disbelief as he walked forward and peered down the halls. His eyes widening at the bodies which now lined the hall.

His expression soon shifting though as he looked down and saw the blood-soaked knife in Levi's hand–a gun and sword also strapped to his waist. Making him back up as he asked, "Why are you trying to break into my apartment?" getting a smile from Levi, who wiped his blade.

"I'm looking for a woman called Florence. I was told she lives somewhere on this floor," said Levi, twirling the knife in his hand."You know her? Middle aged black woman, thin, fairly short. Has a son that visits here from time to time."

The man stopped for a second, his eyes sometimes darting towards the knife that was being twirled in Levi's grasp. "Yeah… She lives a few apartments down. I can show you if you want." the man said.

"Great." Levi responded as he gestured with his knife for the man to show the way, and began to follow him up the hallway.

The man's attention was drawn by the bodies strewn across the floor, but prompted by a cough showed Levi towards an apartment. "I think it's this one." he said, a little unsure in his declaration.

"Doesn't matter if it isn't. I'll just have to clear every apartment if it's not," Levi countered, unbothered by the uncertainty.

He knocked on the door. "Florence. Florence, are you in there? Garett sent me. I've come to bring you to safety." Levi said at the door, a brief silence falling on the halls, before the shuffling of feet was heard. And the locked door clicked open.

From behind the door a woman in her late forties appeared. She looked somewhat dishevelled, her hair a mess, eyes dilated and surrounded by bags while her cheeks were pale and sunken her skin soaked with sweat. And from the corner of her mouth Levi could see the remnants of vomit.

The smell of it also wreaked from the apartment and the woman appeared to be on her last legs. She was trembling, her muscles occasionally spasmed and she was covered in goosebumps. Levi had no idea what was wrong with her, but he didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Garett sent you? My Garett?" she asked, appearing agitated, her eyes darting.

"That's right. It's not safe here. I can take you to him. His friend is in a car outside, Ricky. You might know him?" Levi said, appraising the woman. He recalled Vaguez and how he'd turned and compared the two. Realising that this was something different. He couldn't be sure, but he strongly suspected that this wasn't the same infection

Before Florence could respond the larger man spoke instead. "Can you get me out of here as well?" he asked, his eyes hopeful. And Levi looked at him thoughtfully, before he nodded causing a sigh of relief.

Florence looked at the man, struggling to recognise him before turning back to Levi and saying, "I'll come as well. I know Ricky, he's a good kid. Let me just grab some things." going back into the door left ajar, the two men remaining outside.

Levi looked over at the large man and met his gaze. "You also get any shit you need. Were leaving soon," getting a  nod from the man who tiptoed back to towards his apartment before disappearing inside. Leaving Levi to stand thoughtfully, his eyes indecipherable as they glowed in the shadowy halls.

—

"You get everything you need?" Levi asked the two in front of him. "We're not coming back after we leave" making the two riffle through their bags before they gave him a nod.

"Alright, then follow me and keep on your toes. Hopefully you need to do anything." Levi added, as he walked down a dark descending stairwell, the only light the scant rays from the single windows at the end of each hall.

Levi had cleared the floors as he came up, but on the ground floor more had wandered in after finding the corpse that remained. Levi raised his hand motioning the two behind him to stop. Before he moved forward, the retching sound from florence attracting both his and the infected's attention–the creatures turning and facing Levi.

But there was only two and Levi took them out without any difficulty, only giving Florence a reproching look. That softened when he saw Florence's even paler complexion, the hulking man beside her, who he'd found out was called Laurent, not much better.

Levi saw them looking at the half-eaten corpse, and let them take in their first taste of the new world."The sooner you get used to it the better. Things aren't the same as the used to be," said Levi, not waiting for their reactions as he pushed through the front entrance.

There weren't many infected outside. Levi turned towards where he left the car and he saw a trail of blood that ran along the road, and realised Ricky had left because they were overwhelmed.

Walking out in the open, while no infected were in sight was a novel sight. It felt almost normal again, besides the sound of explosions or one of the many military helicopters passing overhead.

Levi strolled across the street, taking no notice of the two behind him who were looking around unnerved, and sat on one of the benches beside the large green. It sat between two of the trees that lined the green. Some of their leaves beginning to turn oranged as they rustled on their branches flutering in the strong winds.

He took everything in. This was the most peace he'd seen outside since everything had gone to hell. The telltale markings of death still everywhere he looked, but danger wasn't always clawing at his mind. Almost reminding him of back in Georgia. Not the bodies and bloodstains across the streets, but the sense of solitude and isolation, like you were the only person in a hundred miles.

Obviously, the massive body of Laurent ruined that impression, but that's what he felt. And he felt his body relax, as he waited for Ricky to circle back. The other two giving him urgent looks when they saw he didn't intend to do anything.

But he let the looks wash over him, and took in the first peace he'd felt in what seemed like forever.