Apocalypse: The Dead Lives
Chapter 62: Twenty Miles West

Chapter 62: Twenty Miles West

I decided to push Ronan, Marco, and Orion to the back of my mind.

Just for today.

Ronan’s absence was still a weight I felt pressing down on me, but I wouldn’t let it consume me. I missed him. Yes, he was my best friend. My lover, protector. Ronan was everything.

Marco? He was a completely different situation. I cared about him- as a friend. I was an asshole for kissing him when I knew how he felt about me. When I knew I felt nothing for him at all.

I am such a douchebag.

And Orion... well, he was probably off in his own world, wrapped up in whatever twisted games he played. Or maybe he was deciding who’s gonna die today. He is the angel of death, after all.

But the good news was that none of them were here, so there was no reason to waste my energy thinking about them.

I headed to the cafeteria, letting the familiar chatter and the smell of warm food settle over me like a snug little blanket.

It was crowded. Survivors gathered in clusters, eating, talking, trying to pretend that life was still somewhat normal.

I grabbed a tray and weaved through the room until I spotted Ellie, Oliver, and Cooper at our usual table.

Ronan’s chair was empty.

Marco’s chair was empty.

And Orion wouldn’t be caught dead in here. Pun intended.

I shook off the thoughts and dropped into my seat.

"Finally," Ellie said, rolling her eyes. "Took you long enough. Thought we’d have to send a search party."

"You wouldn’t dare," I said, stabbing a piece of fruit with my fork.

"We lowkey would," Oliver muttered, barely paying attention. His eyes flickered to Ellie.

She looked back.

The look they shared wasn’t subtle. Not even a little bit.

Oh.

Interesting.

I glanced between them, and when neither of them broke eye contact, I smirked. "Am I imagining things, or are you two..." I gestured between them, raising an eyebrow.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

Oliver coughed into his hand. "We’re just... talking."

"Right." Cooper snorted, leaning back in his chair. "Talking."

Ellie glared at him. "You got something to say, King?"

"Nope," Cooper said, popping a grape into his mouth. "I fully support... talking."

Oliver groaned, rubbing his temples, and I laughed, really laughed for the first time today. And it felt good.

Cooper leaned toward me. "So? How’s your morning, oh mighty warrior of bad decisions?"

I snorted. "Better now that you’re here."

"Talk dirty to me." He tapped my tray with his fork. "Eat up. I need you in top shape in case we get ambushed by a rogue chicken."

"You’re an idiot."

"And yet, you laughed."

Yeah, I did.

For a few minutes, it was easy to forget about everything else. Just me, my friends, a warm meal, and a stolen moment of peace.

And then Carter walked in.

Carter wasn’t someone who wasted time. He strode straight to our table, his face set in that all-business expression he and Ronan have perfected.

"Ender called a meeting," he says, arms crossed. "All of you. Now."

Just like that, the mood shifted.

Ellie’s smile fades. Oliver tenses. Cooper shoves the last bite of his toast in his mouth like it might be his last meal.

We exchange looks, and without a word, we get up and follow.

Ender’s office was tucked in the back of the building, separate from the common areas. Inside, it was cramped but organized, with maps and files scattered across his desk.

Ronan was already there, leaning against the far wall, arms crossed. He barely glanced at me.

Carter stood beside him.

Ender sat behind his desk, eyes sharp as he looked us over. He didn’t waste any time.

"The generators are failing," he said. "We’ve got maybe a few hours before we lose power completely. No lights. No water filtration. No security."

Silence.

Then-

"Shit," Oliver muttered.

"Where’s the backup?" Ellie asked.

"Running low on fuel," Ender answered. "And we don’t have enough left to keep it going for long."

"So we need to get more." My voice was steady.

Ender nodded. "There’s an outpost twenty miles west. Military storage. If the fuel is still there, we need it."

Twenty miles through rotter-infested land. Dangerous. Risky. Necessary.

"We’ll go," I said.

"Not just you." Ender’s gaze flicked to Ronan and Carter. "You two are overseeing this mission. Keep them in check."

Ronan didn’t react. Carter gave a tight nod.

Ender leaned forward. "And another thing- I know there’s been tension in this group. I don’t care. Keep your emotions in check. Keep your fights private. Personal issues stay out of the mission. Got it?"

No one argued.

"Good," Ender said. "Take August with you. He needs the training."

I resisted the urge to groan. August is a kid. A talented one, sure, but still new to all this.

"Great, so we’ll have to babysit while fighting rotters and whoever the fuck is still out there," Cooper muttered.

"You can always stay," Carter shot at him. Cooper just glared at him in response but kept his mouth shut. Cooper wouldn’t miss this mission for the world. None of us would.

Life at Watkins Glen can be so- vanilla sometimes. Most of the time.

"August is ready," Ender pointedly stated.

"If he dies out there-" I started.

"He won’t," Ender cut in. "Because you’ll make sure of it."

●●●

An hour later, we were ready.

Me, Ellie, Oliver, Cooper, August, and Serena.

Serena lingered near Oliver, stealing glances when she thought no one was watching. She had a crush on him. For a while now. Oliver, as usual, was oblivious.

Ellie, on the other hand, was livid.

We geared up quickly. Guns, knives, whatever we could carry. The sun was already down, and darkness crept in as we stepped beyond the walls of our settlement.

"Stay close," Carter said. "Stay quiet."

We moved.

The silence was thick, only the sound of our footsteps broke through the night. The farther we went, the more the world felt empty.

I kept my knife tight in my grip, eyes scanning the shadows.

We made it about five miles before something changed

A sound.

A low, distant growl.

We all stopped.

Ellie tightened her grip on her gun. Oliver exhaled sharply.

"What was that?" August whispered.

Then-

Another sound. Closer.

A rustling in the trees.

Something was out there.

Watching us.

Waiting.

To Be Continued

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