Apocalypse: The Dead Lives
Chapter 36: The Breach

Chapter 36: The Breach

"You shot Marco?" Ender asked while curiously watching Ronan.

"I did," Ronan uttered, confused as to why everyone seemed so fascinated by what he did.

"Is he dead?" Ender continued.

"I’m not sure. I shot him in the chest. Twice." Ronan answered. "But I’m not certain that he’s dead."

"And you fought him?" Ender asked, trying his best to suppress a smile.

"Yeah," Ronan chuckled lightly.

"Interesting," Ender uttered before laughing out loud. "You did well, son. You did what most of us didn’t have the stomach to do. That’s good."

Ronan briefly looked me over before guiltily staring down at his feet. He kicked a pebble out of his way before we climbed onto one of the five pickup trucks.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on tightly. I looked up into his deep blue eyes.

My skies.

I didn’t have to say anything. I’m sure he could tell just how bad I felt. Just how sorry I was.

"I know," he said before pressing a kiss to my forehead and those words were enough to make me want to cry.

●●●

"Watkins Glen, I deem thee heaven on earth," Oliver uttered as we were parked in front of a beautiful hotel near the harbor.

Cooper jumped off the pickup truck, he smiled over at Oliver before wrapping an arm around his neck.

"Come on," Ronan uttered before jumping off the truck. "Let me help you," he offered.

"I can do it," I uttered before brushing my hair over my shoulders.

"I know." He said while examining me from head to toe. "But let me."

I smiled at him before going over to him and he picked me up with ease. He set me on the ground before gently lifting my chin.

"You owe me an apology." He told me with a smirk on his face and I blushed a deep shade of red. Guilt, pulsing through my veins.

"I know, I’m-" I started.

"Ronan!" Oliver called him, interrupting my sentence, but Ronan’s eyes stayed fixated on me.

"We’ll continue this conversation later, Princess." He said in a promising tone. He placed a kiss on my forehead before leaving my side to enter the hotel.

I quickly fanned my cheeks before following them up to the hotel entrance.

I stepped over the threshold and took in my surroundings. We were standing in a hotel lobby.

I made my way across the marble floors to stand next to Ellie. She linked her arm with mine before resting her head on my shoulder.

And before I could ask her if she was okay, a tall woman entered the room. She modeled her way over to us before clasping her hands together.

"You must be the new survivors," she uttered with a smile on her face that didn’t quite meet her eyes. "My name is Kiara. I’m Ender’s wife."

"This is my little sister, Hailey-Jade. That’s Ronan, our leader. His brother Cooper. And Ellie my- friend." Oliver muttered before frowning to himself.

Wait- is there something between Oliver and Ellie? They’ve been acting so strange around each other lately. Makes me wonder.

"Thank you for giving us shelter," Ronan told her and she nodded at him with a small smile on her face.

She’s so upright, she has great posture. She was wearing red lipstick, black stilettos, and some black leather pants paired with a red corset top.

She seems- interesting...

"Follow me," she said. Kiara sharply turned on her heels before leaving the lobby. We followed her down a dimly lit corridor.

We entered an open room, and she looked over at me and Ellie. "Girls, this is your new room. You’ll find all your basic necessities inside this room but feel free to inform me if you need anything else."

"Thank you," Ellie muttered, her voice filled with joy and excitement.

"Your room is right next door." She informed Ronan and Cooper. "There’s warm water between 6-8AM in the mornings and then again from 6-8PM in the evenings." She informed us.

"Lights will also only be turned on and off during these time stamps. We’re trying our best to keep the generators going but we’re kinda low on fuel." She continued.

"That means that tonight you’re showering in cold water. But tomorrow will be better." Oliver smiled at us.

"Suits me." Ellie beamed.

"Thank you, Kiara," I told her. She narrowed her eyes on me as if trying to analyze me.

"Of course." She smiled at me.

I frowned as she left the room. Why is she acting so strangely? Everyone’s being so weird...

Ronan and Cooper left our room with Oliver who was going to hang out with them for a little while longer.

As soon as they closed the door Ellie and squealed excitedly before hugging each other. She took my hands in hers before jumping in excitement.

"Are we the luckiest girls, or what?" I asked her and she sighed in contentment.

"Yes! I mean it doesn’t smell like death everywhere you go anymore. And I never thought I’d be this desperate to take a cold shower but here we are. This is the best thing since sliced bread." She started as we sat down on one of the bunk beds.

"And it’s way better than Marco’s bunker," I added.

"Speaking of Marco- do you think he’s still alive?" She carefully asked me.

An unsettling feeling filled my stomach as flashes of what happened on the highway came flooding through my mind.

"I don’t know. Maybe, but I doubt it. Marco dying by a gunshot felt too- easy. It was too easy." I muttered, my voice laced with confusion.

"Well if he’s not dead, at least we know he’ll leave us alone until he’s healed. It could take months." She smiled at me.

"Always the optimist." I smiled at her. "He shouldn’t just leave us alone for a few months he needs to leave us alone completely. He needs to realize that his feelings are not being reciprocated, it’s become an obsession." I told her and she sighed lightly.

"Maybe some other girl will come along and sweep him off his feet." She reckoned and I couldn’t help but laugh at her words.

It sounds a little impossible at the moment but God knows I hope it’s not. I hope he finds someone who loves him.

Someone great.

"Oliver seems happy here, doesn’t he?" Ellie asked me and I smiled at the mention of my brother.

"He does." I softly uttered. "And it sounds like he’s been making new friends,"

"Yeah. Serene." Ellie uttered, sounding slightly pissed.

"Serene? Wait- are you jealous of Serene? Oliver’s friend, the one we haven’t met yet?" I asked Ellie in disbelief and she groaned in frustration.

"Yes and no. I mean it’s nothing personal against the girl. He just makes me feel so insecure." She uttered before resting her face in her hands.

"What do you mean?" I curiously wanted to know.

"I mean, Oli knows how I feel about him, and I know how he feels about me. But he’s never made a move on me. His face doesn’t light up when he says my name like he did with Serena. I mean, we’ve been friends since the outbreak happened. He’s known this girl for how long?" She asked me and I smiled at her.

"Maybe they’re just friends." I tried but she shook her head at me.

"I’m sure it’s more than that," Ellie argued.

"Well, then you should just ask him. I mean the world has already ended. You have nothing left to lose, and our time here on earth is limited." I stated.

"I have my dignity to lose, Hailey-Jade." She said and we both started laughing together.

"Yeah, you’re right," I uttered through my chuckles. "Just analyze the situation first. I’m sure we’ll meet her tomorrow." I told Ellie.

"Well, at least you’ll be right there beside me." She uttered before jumping up from the bed.

"I’m gonna go take a shower." She uttered before making her way over to the closet. She opened it and stared at it with a puzzled look on her face.

"Clean pajamas." She uttered before grabbing it from the closet along with a towel. I watched as she disappeared into the bathroom and a smile rested on my face.

My brother and Ellie Martin. Who would’ve thought? They’re literally the last two people I thought would ever get together but opposites do attract. I mean look at me and Ronan.

I just always thought she had feelings for Cooper and vice versa.

A sudden knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I got up from where I was sitting and opened the door.

"Hailey-Jade, come quick! There’s been a breach at the front gates! We need as many shooters and fighters as we can get." Oliver informed me.

"Okay, I’m coming," I said before slipping my feet into a pair of sneakers.

"Where’s Ellie?" He curiously questioned.

"In the shower." I briefly replied to his words. "How many were there?"

"Thousands. This is the biggest wave of hulks we’ve ever seen." Oliver informed me and my heart started thumping faster and faster in my chest.

This won’t end well. People are going to die, especially those who aren’t immune to the NecroVirus like me.

"I’ll fight. I won’t be a good aim this late at night." I told Oliver as we ran outside together and into the ice-cold night.