Apocalypse: The Dead Lives
Chapter 64: Worst Of All

Chapter 64: Worst Of All

The night pressed in around us, it was thick with the scent of oil and dirt.

Somewhere nearby, boots scraped against gravel, the murmur of soldiers passing through the outpost filled the silence.

We crouched low in the shadows of an old storage building. We were barely breathing.

I kept a hand on Luna’s back, feeling the steady rise and fall of her breath. She was tense but silent, ears flicking at every sound.

The others were close, Oliver just behind me, Cooper and August pressed against the far wall, and Serena and Ellie huddled near an overturned crate.

We were so close to getting out. Just a few more steps, a few more shadows to slip through, and we’d be past the fence.

Free.

A sudden voice cut through the quiet.

"Find out who left that truck behind."

My stomach twisted.

The voice was deep, authoritative, and far too familiar.

It had to be the general.

I glanced at Cooper, his face set in a hard line. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was.

"We messed up," I whispered.

"Yeah," Cooper muttered back.

A soldier’s voice responded, "Sir, it was stocked with fuel. Whoever did this was prepared."

"They wouldn’t leave without it," the general said. "They’re still here. Spread out. Check every building. If you see movement, shoot first."

Oliver tensed beside me. Serena grabbed Ellie’s hand, squeezing it. Ellie just silently glared at her but said nothing. August looked like he was about to have a panic attack.

Shoot first.

I felt sick.

"We need to go," Cooper whispered. "Now."

No one argued.

So we moved slowly. We decided to stick to the shadows, Luna stayed close. She was smart, her paws barely made a sound as we moved through the abandoned outpost.

The air felt heavy and thick with danger. My heart pounded so loudly that I was sure someone would hear it.

A flashlight skimmed over the ground just inches from my foot. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.

The beam swept past.

I exhaled.

One step at a time.

Luna led the way, her nose twitching, guiding us toward the back of the outpost where the fence stood between us and freedom.

The trucks were just beyond it. If we could make it there, we’d be gone before anyone knew what happened.

We were so close.

And then-

A rustle.

A low growl.

Luna’s body tensed, lips curling for just a second before she swallowed the sound. It was barely anything, but it was enough.

"Wait."

A soldier turned.

A flashlight swung in our direction.

We all collectively froze.

For half a second, I thought maybe- just maybe we’d get away with it.

But then-

"There!"

Everything exploded into chaos.

"RUN!" Cooper shouted.

Gunfire cracked through the air. Bullets slammed into metal and concrete, sparks flying.

I sprinted, my lungs burning, feet barely touching the ground.

Luna darted ahead, moving like a shadow. Ellie was right behind me, Serena gripped her wrist, refusing to get left behind.

Oliver shoved August forward, his strides powerful and desperate.

Then. More gunfire and more shouting.

We weren’t going to make it.

"Split up!" August yelled.

I hated the idea, but we had no choice.

I turned to follow Cooper.

And then soldiers swarmed between us.

"No."

I lost sight of him.

I lost sight of everyone.

Luna stuck to my side, quietly panting as her fur brushed my leg.

I had no idea where I was going. The trucks were too far. The fences were too high. And I needed to disappear before they closed in.

I ducked into a half-collapsed building and pressed my back against the wall. My breath came in sharp gasps, my entire body was trembling.

Outside, footsteps pounded against the dirt.

"They ran this way!"

Luna pressed against my leg, silent and still. I placed a shaking hand on her head.

Good girl.

I had no radio. No weapon. No idea where the others were.

And worst of all?

The general was still out there.

And something told me he wasn’t going to stop until he found us.

"Okay, let’s try this again," I told Luna, she tilted her head at me before getting back up to her feet.

"This time, I’ll lead the way, okay? We’ll go back the way we came from." I explained.

Luna panted excitedly. She happily wagged her tail as if she understood every word that left my mouth.

I quietly stalked forward, my footsteps muted by the general’s commands.

I released a shivery breath as I stepped out of the run-down building I had found shelter in.

Luna followed closely behind me as I started jogging through the outpost. I swear this place has become like a maze.

"Hailey-Jade," someone whispered my name. I whipped around, eyes wide with shock. Then my eyes landed on August, hiding next to a collapsed building.

I waited for the coast to clear before running over to him. I pulled him into a tight hug before pulling back from him.

"Where are the others, have you seen them?"

"They left- when we split up I saw Oliver, Serena, and Ellie going back the way we came from. Cooper followed them. I was about to do the same until two guards got posted there." He stated.

"I can take them out. Come on, let’s go." I told August and he frowned at me, refusing to move from his hiding spot.

"You want to take two men out with your bare hands? How do you plan on doing that, Hailey-Jade?" He asked me.

"Right, I forgot to tell you that I’m a necromancer, slash half-zombie baddie. Practically I’m their queen now. They listen to everything I say." I uttered before running toward the truck we had to leave behind earlier.

"You’re a what? Please tell me you’re joking." August whispered while following in my footsteps.

"Sure I am." I smiled over my shoulder at him.

Once we reached the truck I froze in my steps. We can’t just leave our supplies here. What would the point of our mission be if we returned empty-handed?

What would the point of any of this be?

"We’re taking the truck," I told August and he ran a hand over his face.

"You’ve lost your mind. Are you crazy?" He asked, eyes wild with panic.

"Just trust me, okay. I promised Ender that I would look out for you. I won’t let anything bad happen to you." I reminded him.

"No. I don’t want to die." He argued.

"Do you have any weapons?" I asked, completely disregarding his words.

His eyebrows pulled together in a frown as he watched me. "Why?"

I examined him from head to toe before grabbing the knife from his pocket. I flicked it open before making my way over to the army trucks.

I started slashing all their tires.

I quietly moved in the dark. Once all the tires were slashed I returned to Luna and August. Now, all that was left were the army tanks, but we could easily escape them.

The maximum speed of an army tank is 55 mph. Which is not fast at all, considering we can drive at up to 140 mph.

"Come on, let’s go," I muttered before jumping into the truck we prepared earlier. The sound of our doors shutting alerted the guards posted near the fence. I reversed, hitting into something but I couldn’t care less.

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" August yelled while nervously grabbing onto my arm.

"Intruders!" One of the soldiers yelled.

"Oh shit! Shit shit shit!" August hissed out in panic.

"Would you relax?" I asked him in frustration.

"Relax? You want me to relax?" He asked but I zoned out of our conversation.

I channeled all of my energy until I felt it burning in my chest. My eyes glowed a bright shade of blue as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

"Holy shit," August muttered.

"Believe me now?" I asked before driving through the fence. My head whipped back at the impact of the crash! I drove over the fence before turning onto the road.

A large horde of rotters came into my line of view. The brakes screeched as I brought the car to a halt.

"Now what?" August yelled in a panicked tone.

I stepped out onto the road.

There were two ways this could go.

One, I controlled the rotters and led them to the outpost.

Two, I tried and failed.

Because, honestly?

I hadn’t used my abilities since New York.

And what if they didn’t work anymore?