This world you’ve been born into is not dying, but dead. This illusion of living is merely that. An illusion. And you have to wonder how it got like this… My God… how did it get like this?
In the year 2035, a team of government scientists developed a neurotoxin to aid our forces in the war with Russia. Biological warfare was declared, and the toxin was successful. The Russian people were annihilated in days.
But the creators did not expect their creation to turn on its master. Allies of Russia who also lost people to the toxin retaliated. The toxin was bottled and thrown back in the government’s faces. The epidemic quickly spread across the country on the traveling winds. More than 90% of the population was lost to its effects. The country was in ruins.
A minority survived.
Having hidden from the airborne disease, some built a city behind high walls. They called this Haven “Eden.” It was built to protect, provide, and help humanity survive. It kept out those infected by the neurotoxin, people who had become brainless monsters. The infected came to be called “Hunters” due to their nature for hunting down living things for their blood.
The year is now 2036. Eden thrives. But some still live outside its safety. Struggling to get behind its walls.
ONE
It was a simple enough mission. Scout the nearby city, Amdell, for supplies. Just to help keep up with the backup storage.
The Scout group was small. Only eight of them. Daniel James Williams was Scout leader, as usual. He was a favorite among the Eden council. One of the top Scouts, only a step away from Guard but choosing to remain among the Scout elites. He had the stubble of a beard and messy, light brown hair that was pushed back out of his face. His skin was tan and he had blue eyes. He was wearing a white wifebeater with an open, tattered flannel shirt, large cargo pants and sneakers. His face was stern, unfeeling. His backup and co-leader was daughter of second chairmen on the council, Katherine Mill Jones. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. Her eyes were hazel and her skin was rather fair. She was wearing a gray tanktop and dirty skinny jeans with black combat boots. At the time, her face was serious, but when she smiled (as she often did) two dimples spotted her face. The two were close friends, in their early thirties. They were accompanied by their other close friend, Joseph Orell. A junior Scout, about twenty one. He had short black hair that was parted to the left and gray eyes. His skin was rather pale. Joseph was lean, with a bit of muscle from Scout training. He was wearing a dirty, white button up with ¾ sleeves and an open black vest with black jeans and gray sneakers. His rounded, square rimmed glasses glinted in the sunlight.
The rest of their group consisted of four junior scouts and another senior scout.
They left Eden at about noon. The sun was high in the sky, the sun’s heat beating down on the back of the Scout group’s necks. Yet a light breeze cooled their skin.
They walked in formation. The senior Scout positioned in the back, the four juniors positioned equally on each side. Katherine and Joseph positioned at the front with Daniel between them at the head. Daniel’s hand was resting on his gun holster.
It was quiet.
“Pretty quiet,” Katherine noted. “You know, more than normal.”
“The Scouts who went out before us cleared this area considerably,” Daniel replied.
“That’s good,” Joseph said.
A twig snapped somewhere to their right. Daniel stopped and listened. The rest of the group stopped as well. “Down,” Daniel whispered. Everyone crouched low.
A shadow shuffled by between the trees beside them. Daniel made a hand motion and the entire right side drew their guns. Daniel lifted his to eye level, aimed, and fired. The shadowed figure’s head exploded and it collapsed.
“I thought you said the previous Scouts cleared the area,” A junior scout said.
“Cleared it considerably, not completely.” Daniel stood. “Besides, there are always Hunters out there. Seems like no matter how many we kill there are more.”
Katherine nodded. “Daniel’s right, it’s best we keep moving. The blood of that Hunter may attract more we don’t want to be around when that happens.”
The team continued to move, faster now. They walked for an hour that seemed to stretch on for ten. It was silent. No one spoke. It was ideal since it made hearing Hunters easier, and really there was nothing to say. Conversations were saved for inside the walls. Happier conversations. About the ease and happiness they knew inside Eden. Outside, every conversation would quickly grow depressing as the older residents remembered the lives they once had, and the younger ones tried to forget the ones not to far gone.
Daniel stopped again at the sound of another Hunter. He couldn’t seem to find where it was.
He motioned the team to fan out and they squatted in waiting in the bushes. Joseph glanced at Daniel who was with Katherine a few feet away. Every Scout had a gun drawn.
It all might have seemed unnecessary, a tedious process, but it was how they were trained. Be extremely cautious at the site or sound of possible Hunters. They kill without remorse and so should you.
Joseph flew backwards with a loud grunt. His back slammed into the ground and the air flew from his lungs.
“Joseph!”
Joseph raised his right arm, holding the Hunter’s snapping jaw back with his forearm pressed to its neck. Black ooze flew from its lips, splattering Joseph’s face. Katherine jumped up, firing off two rounds at incoming Hunters. Daniel jumped up and ran to Joseph’s aid. He kicked the Hunter aside before firing a shot into it’s head. It squirmed and died just as Daniel kicked its skull in.
“Daniel! Move!”
Daniel tumbled to the side as Joseph shot down a Hunter that was running up behind him. Another shot went off and the back of the Hunter’s head exploded.
“Thanks,” Daniel said.
“Consider us even,” Joseph replied. He jumped up.
“Guys, they’re advancing quickly,” Katherine as she back slowly towards them, still shooting. “I think we just need to run.”
Two more shots. “Where’s the rest of the group?” Joseph asked.
“Some dead but there is more gunfire coming from the sides.” Four more
One. “Let’s regroup and retreat,” Daniel said.
“I’m running low on ammunition,” Katherine said. She pulled a clip out of her bag and reloaded her 45 Caliber.
“We may pass bodies,” Daniel said. “Stock and move.”
Katherine and Joseph nodded. They reformed into another small formation and headed towards the spot where Katherine said she’d seen backup fire. Hunters seemed to be pouring in from all sides. Their shrill screeches and guttural moans combined with the sound of the hailing gunfire transformed the once quiet woods into a fury of noise. The grass was stained with blood of both kinds. Bright red and deep black. Bits of body parts and brain matter were everywhere. Katherine’s bullet passed right through a Hunter’s head just before she grabbed the bag off the fallen junior scout it had been feasting on. Joseph unloaded his empty clip and switched it out with one he’d pulled off the fallen senior.
They reached the other side. All they found were bodies and mixed pools of blood. Katherine and Daniel began taking the supplies that were both left on the bodies and left behind. Joseph looked around frantically. “What now?”
“Retreat. If any of the others survived, they’ll know to meet us in Amdell.”
Joseph nodded. “Alright.”
They began fighting their way out. Unsure how many Hunters they’d killed because more were always coming.
The three of them worked as one unit. They’d trained as one, worked well as one, functioned as one. Daniel would duck just in time for Katherine to kill one in front of them as Joseph killed more on the rear.
A Hunter ran through their blind spot, one they hadn’t noticed they’d made. Once again Joseph was down. His gun flew from his grasp. He rolled on top of the Hunter, grabbed a rock, and bashed its head in. Daniel and Katherine stopped. More Hunters began piling on Joseph. “Go ahead!” Joseph yelled, fighting them off. “I’ll catch up!”
Katherine hesitated. Daniel grabbed her shoulder, pulled her behind him, and killed a Hunter on top of Joseph. “He can manage, let’s move!”
They took off. Joseph dove at his gun, rolled once, and got to his knees. He shot as many rounds as he could. His gun clicked. Out of ammo. He put the gun in his holster and for the third time he was down. The Hunter was snapping at his jugular, the scent of Joseph’s blood heightened by the adrenaline, beckoning more Hunters.
kill…
Joseph’s finger dug into the dirt below him. His eyes widened and he gasped. With a burst of new strength, he lurched forward, biting into the Hunter’s neck. It screeched. He threw it aside, spitting the rotten flesh onto the ground. He clasped his hands together and smashed its skull in with a sickening crunch.
Kill…
He whirled around and charged another Hunter, tackling it to the ground. His hands dug into its throat and warm black liquid oozed out onto the ground.
Kill.
Joseph grabbed another rock and tackled a third Hunter.
Kill!
He bashed in its head. Again. And again. And again. It’s face was pounded in. Black blood splattered across Joseph’s face.
KILL!
Joseph recoiled. He dropped the rock, sputtering and gasping as he wiped the black blood from his face. He skittered back. His body shook from a violent coughing fit. The bodies of ten or twelve Hunters laid strewn about him. Joseph stood slowly, using the trunk of a tree to steady himself. His head was spinning. He removed his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose.
A groan came from somewhere else in the trees. Daniel and Katherine were nowhere in sight. Joseph slid his glasses back on and took off, running as fast as he could with his head still swimming.
The groaning grew quieter the faster and farther he ran. He looked up and saw the trees thinning and a city skyline coming into view. Amdell, one of the outskirt cities to the East of Eden. He ducked under a toll booth at the entrance. He finally had a moment to catch his breath. He wiped the sweat beading on his forehead. He sat and scooted backwards to lean against the side of the toll booth. He pulled out his gun and removed the clip, made sure it was empty, and threw it aside. He slid his backpack off and unzipped it. He removed one of the spare clips and reloaded his gun. He slid it back into his holster and slowly got to his feet. He took off his glasses again and wiped them on the hem of his white collared shirt.
He put his glasses back on, looking around. Daniel and Katherine were nowhere in sight. He hadn’t expected them to be. They’d be smarter moving farther into the city instead of waiting so close to the tolls. And this toll wasn’t the only way into the city.
There was a small building across the street from him. It was probably the place the toll workers went for breaks and such. He opened the door slowly, peaking around to make sure there were no Hunters, then stepped inside. It was a surveillance room. He took a step towards the metal cabinets. He heard the sound of footsteps shuffling towards his direction. Joseph quickly slid the door partially shut and leaned against the wall beside the doorway.
It sounded like there was only one, not worth killing and possibly drawing more.
He peaked out through the door crack. He saw a mess of brunette hair cover his line of vision. He looked down and watched a pair of dirty converse shuffle out of his line of sight. Joseph exhaled slowly. The immediate threat was gone.
I could’ve sworn I’d heard something… Zyla thought, glancing cautiously at the area surrounding the Northhwest toll. She knew she’d heard footsteps, the click of a gun reloading. It didn’t sound like a Hunter, and she knew she was the only survivor in the city. Well I guess if someone was here, they’d have killed me by now. She turned slowly and began walking back to the center of the city. Her house was there, or rather the place she’d been holed up in for the last few months was there. It was the loft of house 4216 in an abandoned condo complex. It was small, but it’s not like it was meant to sustain a lot of people. It was meant for one girl. One lonely, nineteen year old girl doing everything in her power to survive.
Zyla picked up the cane on the ground under her raised space and used the curved end to hook the bottom rung of the ladder above her. It slid down. She put down the cane and climbed up to her loft. Once up there, she pulled the ladder back up and laid it flat at the bottom of her bed (which was really just a mat with a few blankets) so the end hung over the side.
Zyla took off her backpack and sat it on her bed. She had to move on her knees because the slanting ceiling was so low. Zyla sat hunched on her bed, taking everything out of her bag. Food, medicine, water, and a little ammunition. She reloaded her guns and gingerly placed them back in their respective spots in her backpack. 39mm in her left side pocket for easy access, shotgun in the large pouch with the wooden part sticking out as backup, and a pistol in the other side pocket as last resort
She tore the wrapper off a granola bar and ate it slowly, going through the other contents of her bag. Lighter, a few matches, a bottle of water, a refillable bottle, an apple with some other preserved foods, and a small first aid kit. Just a little of everything. Across from her on the other wall was the excess supplies. Water bottles lined the floor while the food was held above it with a piece of cloth nailed to the wall. All spare medical supplies were piled in the corner. She placed her bag on her bedside.
Zyla flopped backwards onto the bed. She took off her sweater, balled it up, and placed it under her head as a pillow. Her arms folded behind her head. A small brass key hung from a string above her. She smiled. The key swung back and for that her touch.
Orange light began drizzling into the loft from the one window beside her bed. She glanced out. The sun was setting. She took a deep breath and let it out with a loud sigh. Her eyes slowly closed and she drifted into sleep.
Daniel and Katherine entered Amdell through the Eastern toll. After outrunning the Hunters, they slowed their pace, caught their breaths, and then kept walking to the city. Katherine had suggested they go back for Joseph, but Daniel reassured her that he was fine. Joseph was young but he could handle himself.
They stopped in a house a few blocks from the toll, the sun was setting. Not only had the Hunter attack taken time, but the two of them had traveled to the toll opposite the one on their path.
“Do you think Joseph is here?” Katherine asked.
“No idea.” Daniel grabbed a chair and used it to barricade the door. “He’ll enter from the toll on the path from Eden if anything.”
“Well that’s not helpful…”
“It’s getting dark. We’ll head to the city center in the morning, Joseph will probably meet us there.”
“And the rest of the team?”
He turned and stared at Katherine for a minute. “Probably dead.”
She stared back. She plopped onto the dirty couch, sending dust plumes flying into the air. “I don’t know what I’m more concerned about… The fact that we just lost an entire platoon, or the fact that it no longer phases me.”
“You shouldn’t be concerned about either,” Daniel said. He took off his bag and sat it down beside the couch. “They all knew the risk coming out here, as do we. That’s just the way it is.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She leaned backwards into the couch. “But something tells me if Joseph is among the casualties, I won’t know what to do.”
“Yeah I know what you mean.”
A small silence settled in the room.
“Well,” Daniel said to break it, “I’ll look for rooms to spend the night in.”
“Alright.”
There were no rooms on that floor, but there were two upstairs, one larger with two beds. It had once belonged to two sisters. Across from them was the master bedroom. He called down from the top of the steps, “looks like there’s a few rooms up here.”
Katherine, who had been looking at a dusty old photo of two little girls in matching leopard costumes, turned towards the sound of Daniel’s voice. “Okay.” She put it back on the TV stand. “I’ll grab your bag.”
“Thanks.”
She grabbed his bag from the top strap and carried it up the stairs. Daniel stood at the top.
“Options are master to my left or kid’s to yours.”
Katherine peaked into the kid’s room. “We can share this room. I think it’d be best we stick together.”
“Alright.”
Daniel walked into the room and flopped onto the bed. He grunted as something jabbed him in the back. He reached under him and pulled out a small silver star that was set upon a black marble stand. Award for Academic Excellence. Katherine placed her bag on the bed opposite Daniel. “What’s that?”
“A trophy.”
Katherine began looking through everything on the dresser. Little porcelains figurines, jewelry boxes, small stuffed animals, and hundreds of other knick-knacks. “Who leaves a trophy on their bed?”
“There’s dried blood on the base.”
“So it was used as a weapon…”
“Probably not too successful.”
“Clearly.” Katherine picked up a box with a pastel pink flower painted on top, the edges trimmed with gold. “Look at this,” she smiled. She turned and held it so Daniel could see it.
He glanced at it for a second then looked at Katherine. “What about it?” Daniel asked as he placed the trophy on the dusty bedside table.
“It’s a music box.” She wound the key and opened the box. “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” played slowly as a ballerina turned in an eternal pirouette. Katherine placed the box down. She sat on her bed.
“So? They have those back in Eden.”
She stared at the ballerina, entranced by its simple beauty. “Yeah, but this one is different. It’s… authentic.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Authentic?”
“Yeah. It has memories. It has a story.”
“Flip it over. I’m pretty sure it says ‘Made in China’ like every other music box we’ve seen.”
“That’s not what I meant, Daniel,” Katherine said. She laid on the bed. “It’s not about where it was made, it’s about how it was kept. It’s a treasure.”
Katherine was fascinated by simple things. Souvenirs, photographs, certificates. She would always pause and stare at them, trying to bring the memories embedded in their very fibers to life. She loved seeing how people lived, reminiscing about the way their lives used to be. She could tell the girls who had once lived in this room were close. One older than the other. The older one had liked wolves, wolf poster plastered all over one side of the room. The younger into small pastel figurines of lambs and cherubs and old jewelry. The older was a college graduate, old encyclopedias littering the floor, and the younger enjoyed scents, bottles of perfumes and candles lining her bookshelf. One was a gifted flutist. The other a violinist. They both shared a love of Beenie Babies.
Katherine and Daniel drifted off to sleep. By the time the music had stopped, they were sound asleep.
Zyla woke up at the crack of dawn. Small rays of light touched her cheeks as her eyes cracked open. She stretched her arms over her head. “Good morning world and all who inhabit it…” she murmured to herself. It was a joke she had with herself. It was from some old show that had been around for years when she was born. It was her way of saying good morning to all the people who were out there who she didn’t know. She sat up slowly and looked out the window. The sun was rising, the clouds a shade of bright pink, and an orange glow cascading across the sides of the buildings. Zyla put on her sweater, grabbed her bag, and reloaded on supplies. She sat on the edge of the loft and jumped down. She looked up once to make sure the ladder was in place and left the condo complex.
Zyla walked down the street slowly. It was a cool morning. She zipped up her black sweater. I’ve been nearly everywhere here… there has to be some place left to get supplies… To be honest, Zyla didn’t really need anything. She was well stocked in supplies, more than enough for one person. She just wanted something to do. Besides, she liked roaming the city. Checking out old, decrepit, buildings. Looking at all the useless junk inside them. She liked finding somewhat pristine rooms and acting out short stories about the people who used to live in them.
There was a time, many months ago, when Zyla would try and leave Amdell. Try to find Eden. But she would always return. Eden was built far off in the woods Northwest of Amdell. The woods were a labyrinth. Without a guide, anyone traveling in them would get lost.
Zyla paused. She glanced out, over the buildings, to the tree line. She knew Eden was out there somewhere. One of these days I’ll get there. One of these days… She kept walking. Not really paying attention to where she was going
A large gray building caught her eye. I’ve never seen this place before. She looked around. No wonder. I’m on the South end. Zyla rarely traveled to the south end of the city. It was infested with Hunters. More so than the rest of the city. She walked to the entrance; a set of large, red, metal doors. They were chained up and locked with a large padlock. Zyla grabbed the padlock and pulled. It didn’t budge. She figured after so much time it’d have rusted or something. No such luck. She looked around. There has to be someway to get this open. She stared at it a moment. Oh duh. She pulled out her gun and shot the lock off. I’m a genius. She pushed the doors open and stepped inside. It was an old storage locker. Filled with large metal shipping crates. A wide grin spread across her face. “Jackpot.”
Joseph was lost. He was wandering the city aimlessly, gun drawn, hoping to run into Daniel and Katherine.
According to the movement of the sun, he was moving South. The buildings grew more and more decrepit. Smashed windows. Unhinged doors. Blood and decomposed bodies littered the streets. Sitting in stalled cars, laying on the sidewalks, propped up against the walls of buildings.
He came across a gray building labeled “Greg and Co. Storage” in yellow block letters. He looked at the building. He was low on ammunition and food. It was worth a look. He wandered around the building, finding the lock of the door shot off. He felt it best to be cautious. Though this damage could’ve been done long ago, something told him he wasn’t alone.
Joseph pushed the door open with a loud creak. It was filled with large metal crates about ten feet tall and twenty feet long. Joseph walked slow, checking inside open and unlocked crates for supplies. They were mostly filled with furniture and other useless junk. “C’mon,” he murmured to himself. “Gimme something…”
He froze at the sound of scuffling feet. He listened. The sound came again from the right. He whirled around, gun raised. He saw what looked like a hand disappear behind a crate. His eyes narrowed. His finger tightened around the trigger. “Come on out you bloody Hunter,” he growled to himself. “I know you’re back there.”
Zyla stood with her back pressed against the crate. Her hand was frozen hovering over her gun. Another survivor.
There was a long silence. Joseph took a step towards the crate.
“Don’t shoot!”
Joseph froze. Zyla stepped out from behind the storage crate, her arms raised to eye level. Joseph looked her up and down. Her face was covered in dirt and grime and there was a band-aid on her right cheek. She had on a black t-shirt with a girl with an eyepatch on it. The word “Another” was sprawled along the side. The sleeves of her black zip up were pushed up her forearms. Her hair was a rat’s nest of curly, brunette locks that was frizzing out everywhere. She was wearing tattered jeans and dirty black converse. Her emerald green eyes seemed to pierce through Joseph. “Don’t shoot…” she repeated.
“Are you armed?”
Why wouldn’t I be? She wiggled her fingers. “Does it look like I’m armed?”
“Point taken…” The girl took a step towards him. He raised his gun a little higher. “Keep your distance,” he ordered.
“Alright alright,” she said as she took two steps back. “Let’s not do anything we’ll regret.”
Joseph swallowed. “Who are you? What are you?”
“My name is Zyla. Zyla J. Arden. And last time I checked I was human.”
“What are you doing out here?”
“The only thing left to do out here; surviving.”
“Okay…” He slowly lowered his gun.
“So can I… put my hands down or…?”
He nodded.
Zyla dropped her hands. She adjusted the straps on her backpack. “So, am I gonna get your name or do I have to buy you dinner first?”
“Joseph.”
“Joseph what?”
“Orell.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Orell?”
“Yes…”
She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
“What?”
“Nothing. Nothing.” She looked at him with a smirk. “If you haven’t figured it out I’m not even gonna tell you.”
He rolled his eyes and started to walk away. “It was nice meeting you, but I have somewhere to be.” Daniel and Katherine were probably waiting. He didn’t have time to waste.
“Feeling’s mutual. Thanks for not shooting me.”
Joseph merely nodded. “You watch yourself now, there are Hunters in the area.”
“Yeah I know. I live here.” She paused. “You’re from Eden, aren’t you?”
“How did you know?”
“There aren’t any other survivor in this city. It’s just me. And no one’s passed through here in at least six months. No one travels anywhere anymore. Only Eden Scouts.” Joseph stared at her. He pushed his glasses up on his nose. Zyla stared back at him. She looked him up and down. The silence was palpable. Zylas’s head tilted to one side. “You on your way back?”
“Perhaps.”
Finally, her chance. To get to safety. “ ‘Cause I’m looking for the way there.”
He holstered his gun. “Why would I take you to Eden?”
Her eyebrows drew together. “Why wouldn’t you? ‘Survive, Provide, and Protect’ right? That’s your slogan?”
It was true, when Eden was built, they broadcasted a radio message before radio waves went down to let survivors know they weren’t alone. They’d said there was hope for the human race. They would survive this so-called apocalypse. Members of Eden would tag city walls where they had been with the slogan to let survivors in the area know they were there. But by now, the broadcasts had been terminated and the tags were chipped and useless. All that lived on where the words. Survive. Provide. Protect.
“True.” Joseph folded his arms across his chest. “I guess you don’t have any past experience with Eden Scouts.”
She smirked. “What gave me away?”
“No one’s used that slogan in a while. Those words are from a time long dead.”
“Poetic. So you gonna take me or not?”
“I reiterate; why should I?”
“You don’t really have a choice.”
“I don’t have a choice? I’m the one with the gun.”
So you think. She nodded. “True true. But you wouldn’t shoot me for following you, would you? I’m human after all, and that goes against your policies.”
He raised an eyebrow. “How do you know about Eden’s no kill policy?”
“I didn’t. I made it up.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Thanks for confirming it.”
She was smart. Street smart. Something told Joseph that now that she’d found out he was from Eden, nothing would shake her. He studied her closely. She was rather small, probably very agile, fast, but not very strong. She wasn’t armed, making her a burden in combat. She had a backpack which made her a good asset for supplies. Not to mention the fact that she’d probably been living in the city for months, she’d know the ins and outs well.
Final verdict, Zyla was an asset before she was burden.
“Very well. I’ll escort you.”
“Yes!”
Joseph began walking and Zyla followed. “First things first, we find the rest of my team.”
“There are more of you?”
“Two. You haven’t seen them have you?”
Zyla shook her head. “You’re the first person I’ve seen around here since the outbreak.”
“Well I believe they’re waiting for me in the center of the city. We’ll start there.”
“You’re heading to the center?”
“That’s what I said.”
“You’re a little far off. This is the south end. The center is a forty five minute walk, at least.”
Joseph sighed. Great. He didn’t know Amdell well, if at all. Daniel or Katherine usually spearheaded scouting missions to Amdell. He just followed. He only knew how to get there from Eden.
“But I know a shortcut that save about thirty minutes.”
Joseph paused. “Why didn’t you say that sooner?”
Zyla stepped up next to him and smirked. “You didn’t ask.”
“Now isn’t the time to play games, Arden-”
“Call me Zyla.”
“Fine. Is there any other useful information you’ve neglected to mention, Zyla?”
She pointed backwards. “There’s a crate of ammunition back there.”
Joseph huffed and backtracked to the crate. Zyla stood and waited. She’d already been in that crate, it was the one she’d been hiding behind. She’d already reloaded her guns and stocked up, the extra clips and shells stowed away in her backpack.
Joseph came back, reloading his gun. He’d filled his bag with all the ammunition he could carry and any other necessary supplies he’d seen in the crate.
“All done?” Zyla asked.
Joseph nodded and re-holstered his gun. He gestured forward. “Lead the way.”
They walked out of the storage building. Zyla was leading the way. She led Joseph to a small alley that ended with a green dumpster pushed against a concrete wall. She jumped on it and pulled herself over the wall. Joseph was close behind.Zyla took a moment, looking around. True, she knew the city well, but the south end was still a bit sketchy to her. The path from where the two of them were before to the center was a mess of superfluously twisted streets and back roads. Jumping through back alleys and over property lines was a straight shot to the center.
There was a click as Zyla unlocked a wooden gate and stepped inside. She led Joseph across a backyard, through a small patch of trees, back to a main road. Not much longer now. They’d been moving at a relatively fast pace, taking only about five or six minutes to get this far. At the end of the road was a cul de sac and another set of housing. Behind that was town center, the hot spot for shopping and housing for the upper middle class.
“Wait.” Zyla grabbed Joseph’s arm and dragged him into another alley.
“What?”
She pressed a finger to her lips, pushed her back against the alley wall, and carefully leaned out. She quickly pulled back into the alley. “Hunters. Not many but still in our path.”
Joseph unholstered his gun. “I’ll take the lead, just stay behind me and I’ll-” He trailed off as Zyla pulled out her pistol. “You have a gun?”
“Of course I have a gun.” She rolled her eyes. “Did you really think I’d be living out here without one?”
“You said you were unarmed.”
“If I had this pointed at your head would you reveal your hand?”
He thought a moment. “I see your point.” He knew he should’ve assumed she was armed. Most everyone was. Even in Eden. Surviving without a firearm was inconceivable. Especially for someone outside Eden, someone dealing with Hunters everyday.
Zyla glanced around the corner again. “We’ll try to get around them. No point going in guns blazing. Besides, the town center is just behind this group of housing.”
Joseph nodded. Zyla looked around the building again. The Hunter shuffled behind a mailbox. She motioned with her head that the coast was clear. They slid around the alley corner into the nearest building and carefully shut the door behind them.
Katherine took a sip of water. They’d been in the town center for a while. Katherine was sitting on the edge of a dried up fountain with her backpack sitting at her feet. Daniel had been pacing but now he was just standing around, looking at the skyline. Katherine could see the wheels turning in his eyes. He was thinking of something. She held out the bottle to Daniel who took it and sipped it. He was still deep in thought. The trip from the placed they’d been staying had been shorter than expected.
“Where do you think he is?” Katherine asked. She didn’t need to read Daniel’s mind to know what he was thinking about at this point.
“Dunno.” Daniel capped the water and handed it back to her. “But he’s probably close.” Daniel figured Joseph entered through the Eastern toll as originally planned. It would take him a while get to the center. Not to mention the fact that Joseph was a late sleeper. He’d probably slept in by accident.
“Bet he’s lost,” Katherine said with a smile.
Daniel’s mouth lifted into a small, half grin. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”
“He’s definitely got a knack for it.”
It was completely true, Joseph had the world’s worst sense of direction. He barely knew his way around Eden, forget about being able to easily navigate Amdell.
“Well, I’m bored.” Katherine said. She stood. “Joseph’s taking his time, might as well do something.”
“Like what?”
“Well we came for supplies, we should at least try and fulfill our goal.” She slipped the straps of her backpack on.
“Alright. I’ll take this side of town and you take the other.”
“Is it a good idea to split up?”
Daniel smirked. “Two senior scouts? I think we can handle ourselves.”
“Right. Meet back here in an hour?”
“Agreed.”
They went their separate ways.
Zyla jumped through the window and landed in an alley. She looked around to find another open window a few feet down. Joseph arched an eyebrow. “This is all a bit convenient,” he whispered.
“I’ve lived here for a while. Even though I don’t come to the southend often, I’ve still made sure to leave paths in and out. Just in case.”
Smart.
Zyla hoisted herself up over the window sill and into the house. She stood and helped Joseph in. Joseph opened his mouth to say something else but Zyla put a finger to his lips. She crouched and crawled over to the archway leading to the living room. A Hunter was pacing aimlessly in there. Zyla pocketed her pistol. She reached for a small pocket on her left backpack strap and pulled out a small dagger. She told Joseph to stay as she crawled up behind the Hunter.
In one swift motion, Zyla grabbed the Hunter from behind and jammed the dagger into it’s throat. She pulled, dragging the dagger through the flesh and cartilage. The Hunter made a choking sound as black liquid poured out of it’s neck. Zyla let it fall to the ground, still squirming and twitching. “Alright. We should be good.”
“I have to give you credit,” Joseph said. “Ruthless as your tactics may be, you’re definitely an efficient survivor.”
“Thanks. I think.” She leaned down and patted the body. “Yes…” she muttered.She pulled out another dagger that had been jabbed in its side. “Here.” She handed it to Joseph. “Looks like you don’t have me.”
“Oh.” He took it. “Thanks.”
“Consider it compensation for the escort.”
Joseph slid into the side pocket of his backpack. They continued, jumping from house to house until they reached the yellow house at the end of the road. Zyla would stop occasionally, listening. Sometimes pausing to scavenge for supplies. She knew she was taking time, that Joseph just wanted to get back to his team, but it was all she knew. Always e on your toes. She would’ve stBe on your toes. Besides, she would’ve stopped if Joseph had asked, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact he would help when he could. He watched Zyla work with a sort of… fascination. She acted just like an Eden scout. Living alone she’d somehow picked up all the motions.
“Okay. Here we are.”
It hadn’t taken long to get to the center of town. Ten minutes. Tops. It didn’t look like anyone else was there.
It was structured like an outdoor shopping center back at Eden. There was a large, dried up, fountain in the center. A large cobblestone circle extended a good hundred feet all around the fountain. The sides were lined with decrepit shops and restaurants and apartment buildings. Across from Joseph and Zyla was the street leading to the condo complex where she was living. Zyla glanced in that direction before strolling over to an old cafe and sitting in one of the chairs. “Looks like your team’s not here yet,” she said, cleaning off her dagger with her sweater.
Joseph said nothing.
She could tell he was worried. “I’m sure they’re fine. If anything they’re on their way.”
“Right. Right.”
A silence sat over them. Zyla finished cleaning her dagger. She sat forward and leaned her elbows on her knees. She glanced in the direction of the condo complex. She didn’t like just sitting around. She wanted to do something. Anything. She got anxious quickly.
Maybe I’ll just take him back to the loft. It’s still in the center of town. Shouldn’t take long. “Hey, Joseph, why don’t we — “
“Joseph!”
The two whirled around as a girl ran towards them waving.
“One of yours?” Zyla asked.
Joseph squinted before breaking into a wide grin and waving back. “Katherine!”
