The Outbreak

Chapter 2 (Death in The Family)

After a few weeks, Austin and Jacob are living in a small apartment they have turned into a fortress, They have started to rebuild their lives and they are happy together. They have even befriended a dog they found on the streets all alone, which they named Max. Max is a German Shepherd and he is fiercely protective of Austin and Jacob. He is always by their side, watching out for them and keeping them safe. Austin and Jacob are grateful for Max's presence and they love him like he's part of their family.

A few hours later, Austin and Jacob are out for a walk with Max when they hear a loud noise coming from an alleyway. They investigate and find a group of raiders holding a woman at gunpoint. The woman is terrified and she is begging for help.

Woman: "please don't hurt me! I don't have anything but the clothes on my back!

Raider: c'mon lady, we know you have the goods!

Austin and Jacob immediately step in to protect her. They pull out their guns and confront the raiders, who are surprised by their sudden appearance.

The raiders and the couple exchange fire, ducking and dodging bullets as their dog Max, jumps onto one of the raiders, sinking his teeth into him. they quickly surrender after that, the woman thanks Austin and Jacob for saving her life and she offers to repay them in any way she can.

Austin: it's no problem, but are you okay miss?"

Woman: "I'm fine, just a bit shaken. Those guys came out of nowhere."

Jacob: "your gonna be okay now. Your safe with us."

*Max barks alerting them of a small horde heading their way.

Austin replies quickly, "we should head back to the apartment, you'll be safe there with us.

The woman agrees and she follows Austin and Jacob back to their apartment. They introduce her to Max finally, and they all sit down to talk. The woman tells them that she is a survivor of the nuclear h*******t and that she has been on the run for months. She is grateful for their help and she asks if she can stay with them for a few days until she can figure out her next move. Austin and Jacob are happy to have her as a guest and they make her feel welcome.

Jacob: "We would be happy to have you here, whats your name by the way?"

Woman: my name is Sarah.

Austin: it's nice to meet you Sarah.

*Max barks agreeing*

*Sarah pets Max*

Sarah: "he's such a good dog!"

Austin: "Yes he is, he's Wonderful"

Over the next few days, Sarah becomes part of the family. She helps out around the apartment and she bonds with Max. She also shares her experiences with Austin and Jacob, telling them about the struggles she has faced since the nuclear h*******t. Austin and Jacob are impressed by her resilience and they admire her strength. They offer to help her find a safe place to stay, but she tells them that she wants to stay with them for a little while longer.

As they are walking with Max, they suddenly spot a zombie shuffling towards them. The zombie is covered in blood and it has a terrifying look on its face. Max starts growling and he stands in front of Austin and Jacob, protecting them from the zombie. Austin and Jacob pull out their guns and aim them at the zombie and shoot it. 2 more come up behind them and surprises them.

Austin: "Max watch out!"

The zombie lunges at Max, but Max manages to dodge the attack. He then lunges at the zombie and bites it on the arm. The zombie roars in pain and it tries to shake Max off, but Max doesn't let go. The zombie is distracted by Max and it gives Austin and Jacob a chance to shoot it. They both fire their guns at the zombie and it falls to the ground, dead. Max is covered in blood, but he is unharmed.

Just then a group of gang members known as "The Redeemer's" pulls out and hears the confrontation.

A biker hops off his bike, saying

"well well what have we here, fresh meat boy's!" Take them in and take the dog too!

*Max barks at them letting them know he means business*

One of the bikers steps forward and points his gun at Austin. He tells him that they have orders to bring him to their leader and that he doesn't have a choice. Austin looks at Jacob and Max and he tells them to stay calm. He then turns back to the bikers and asks them who their leader is. The bikers don't answer his question and they start to surround him. Max starts growling even louder and he gets into a defensive position, ready to attack if necessary.

Austin says "we're not going anywhere with you, he says ."

aggressively

The bikers are not impressed by Austin's defiance and they start to get angry. They threaten to hurt him if he doesn't cooperate. Austin stands his ground and he tells the bikers that they're making a big mistake. He tells them that he's not afraid of them and that he'll fight them if he has to. The bikers laugh at him and they advance towards him.

Biker: "Your coming with us, this is our territory and your trespassing!"

*Max barks again*

As the bikers advance towards Austin, one of them pulls out his gun and fires a warning shot into the air. However, he accidentally shoots Max instead. Max falls to the ground, dying from the gunshot. Austin and Jacob are horrified and they are filled with rage. They charge at the bikers, determined to avenge Max's death. They start fighting and they manage to kill the bikers.

*Austin shoots the dead biker over and over until his magazine runs out of ammo*

The other bikers are surprised by their strength and they quickly retreat, leaving Austin and Jacob standing over Max's body.

Jacob: Max Nooo! My buddy please come back to me! Please.. come back..

*he starts to panic as a horde of zombies come around the corner because of the gunshots.*

Austin and Jacob are crying, grieving Max, their beloved dog.

Austin: "babe, we have to go..."

Jacob: "No! I'm not leaving him! *He sobs out* please come back buddy..

*Jacob is furious with anger, his face red, he kills every single zombie around the corner, in his way. He screams in anger as he kills them all. covered in blood he doesn't stop hitting them with his baseball bat, letting out a huge amount of anger.

Austin stops him and gives him a big hug saying, "baby it's okay. I got you! I'm here."

*Jacob cries his eyes out as Austin comforts him*

Jacob tells Austin, "I'm going to kill every last one of them."

Austin and Jacob take Max's body back to their apartment and they bury him in the backyard. They are heartbroken and they mourn his loss. They can't believe that he's gone and they miss him terribly. They spend the rest of the day sitting by Max's grave, reminiscing about the good times they had together. They feel like a part of them is missing without Max by their side.