Apocalypse: The Dead Lives
Chapter 34: Executioner

Chapter 34: Executioner

RONAN

The gun still felt warm in my hand. Two shots. Clean.

I never miss.

Marco’s body was sprawled on the floor, blood darkening his shirt. But I knew better than to assume he was dead.

I hear Hailey-Jade’s sharp intake of breath. "What have you done?" She yelled out in horror. "What the hell have you done, Ronan?" She wildly asked me.

I exhaled through my nose, keeping my eyes on Marco. "I did what was necessary."

She tried to go back to check on him but I was quick to pull her back from him.

The military opened fire on us and the smell of gunpowder mixed with decay started burning my nostrils.

We ran down the highway as fast as our feet could carry us.

Four kids. Trying their best to survive against all the odds against them. We all shared the same determination to stay alive and that’s the reason why we continued running.

The military eventually stopped shooting at us. Once we were in the clear Cooper stopped to catch his breath.

I finally slowed down, my breath coming hard and fast. I looked back, and surprisingly, no one was following us.

It seemed more like they were chasing us out of the city and not after us.

"Fuck!" Cooper angrily yelled into the cold air. "I’m getting really fucking tired of this shit, man." He angrily muttered. "Those soldiers are dicks!" He continued.

I blocked his voice out as soon as my eyes landed on Hailey-Jade who tiredly ran a hand through her hair.

I walked over to her to check if she was okay. She angrily walked away from me and a deep frown settled on my forehead.

"What?" I knowingly asked her in frustration.

"Nothing." She muttered under her breath.

"It’s not nothing," I argued.

"Fine, you didn’t have to shoot him!" she yelled, her voice raw with rage.

"The hell I didn’t." My voice was calm, but my hands were shaking. Not from regret, just from the high of it all.

Hailey-Jade shoved me hard in the chest. Not enough to move me, but enough to make a point.

"You think this is a game?" She snapped, her voice trembling. "You think you get to play executioner and just walk away?"

I rolled my shoulders back, inhaling sharply through my nose. "I did what had to be done."

"No," she shot back, stepping closer, her eyes wild. "You did what you wanted to do."

I clenched my jaw. "He was a threat."

"He was trying to warn us, Ronan!" She shook her head, hands balled into fists. "He was unarmed-"

"He wasn’t unarmed," I cut her off, my voice dangerously low. "He had a gun, Hailey-Jade. Or did you forget that part?"

Her lips parted like she wanted to argue, but she hesitated.

Cooper stepped between us, hands up. "Alright, let’s all take a damn breath."

I ignored him, taking another step forward. "I did what none of you had the stomach to do."

"And what’s that?" She challenged.

"Pull the damn trigger."

She let out a bitter laugh, but it was hollow, empty. "You really don’t feel anything, do you?"

Something in my chest twisted. But I buried it. Deep.

"You want me to say I regret it?" I asked, voice steady. "Because I don’t."

She let out a shaky breath and turned away, shaking her head like she couldn’t even look at me anymore.

I should’ve let it go. Should’ve walked away.

Instead, I reached for her wrist, just enough to stop her from leaving.

"I did it for us," I said, softer now.

She yanked her arm back. "No, Ronan." Her voice cracked. "You did it for you."

I didn’t stop her when she stormed off this time.

Ellie let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "You really know how to win people over, huh?"

I ran a hand down my face, exhaling sharply. "Shut up, Ellie."

We quietly stood on the highway empty and suddenly quiet highway. Surrounded by death and chaos. Hailey’s words echoed louder than any bullet.

I couldn’t help but wonder what it was about her that cut so deep. Hailey-Jade was a storm. Raw, passionate, and unyielding.

Even though she was angry, a part of me still admired her honesty.

I took in my surroundings and noticed that the sun was sinking fast, bleeding red and orange across the sky. This is a bad time for us to be out in the open.

"We need to move," I muttered, scanning the highway. It stretched out ahead, empty but too exposed.

There were cars abandoned on the road, some burnt-out, others strangely untouched. Anything could be hiding inside them.

Cooper kicked at a loose rock. "Yeah? And go where genius?"

I ignored him, my eyes landing on a gas station in the distance. The windows were shattered, the sign hanging by a thread, but it was still standing.

"There." I pointed.

Hailey-Jade didn’t even look. She was still fuming, arms crossed tight. She hadn’t spoken to me since our fight.

Fine.

I adjusted my grip on the machete and started walking. "Let’s go."

No one argued. They knew staying out here was a death wish.

●●●

The place was worse up close. Shelves overturned. A rotting body slumped against the register. Blood was smeared across the walls.

"Great," Cooper muttered. "Real cozy."

I ignored him, stepping further inside. Glass crunched under my boots. There was no fresh blood and no recent signs of movement.

Could be safe.

Could be a trap.

I turned to Hailey-Jade. "Check the storage room. Cooper, grab anything useful."

She still wouldn’t look at me, but she moved, disappearing through the back door. Ellie and I searched the rest of the store.

I crouched, rummaging through the scattered supplies. Most of the food was gone. I mean it’s no surprise. But I found a few cans, a half-full water bottle, and-

A box of ammo.

Jackpot.

I stuffed it into my pack just as Ellie whispered low. "Uh... Ronan?"

I turned.

She was staring at the glass door. Outside, in the dark, shadows moved.

Not rotters.

People.

Armed.

And heading straight for us.