Surviving The Undead

Chapter 5

“You drive like my grandfather,” one of the boys muttered from the backseat. “Actually—no—he drove better.”

I didn’t respond. My focus was on the road which was ahead and the dark clouds which were rolling over the distant hills.

“Seriously though,” he continued, louder this time, “let me take the wheel. You look like you’ve never handled a vehicle like this in your life.” he added.

I glanced at him through the rearview mirror. His slick hair, a varsity jacket, and that same arrogant smirk they all seemed to wear like a badge of honor to me.

“No,” I said flatly, yet keeping my cool.

He leaned forward, draping himself over the seat and said. “Why not? Afraid I’ll make you look bad?” he asked with a smirk on his face.

Without warning, his hand instantly shot out and grabbed the steering wheel from me.

The jeep jerked violently to the left, skidding towards the broken guardrail that overlooked a sharp drop.

The gravel and dust flew up around us. One of the girls screamed loudly for help. I slammed on the brakes, twisted the wheel hard and harder, and brought the vehicle to a screeching halt—just inches from the edge.

Silence followed suit before we all. We were all intense. Breathless.

I turned slowly toward him with a glance.

“Touch that wheel again,” I said, voice like ice, “and I’ll break every finger you own.”

His face was drained of color.

He slumped back into his seat without any other word.

The others just stared at me in stunned silence. I restarted the engine and drove on, the tension in the jeep was so thick that it could’ve choked someone to death.

We made it to the mountain tunnel that was supposed to take us directly to the airfield. But the path was blocked. The tunnel had caved in—collapsed steel and concrete lay strewn across the road, along with the charred wreck of an overturned tanker. There was no way through.

“Now what?” the guy with the bat asked, irritated.

“We go around,” I said, scanning the map. “There’s a small town nearby. We’ll cut through and approach the airfield from the east.”

One of the girls—Chloe, I remembered—frowned. “Isn’t that town where the outbreak started?”

I didn’t answer. The look on her face said she already knew.

The town was like a graveyard. Abandoned cars blocked the road, their doors still hanging open. Bloodstains marked the sidewalks. Burned storefronts stood like hollow shells, and the only sound came from the distant flap of crows' wings above.

We hadn’t made it far into the streets when the first one appeared.

It was bigger than the usual infected, with bloated limbs and jagged spikes lining its back. Its skin was pale and had torn in places, which was now revealing muscle and bone. Its jaw hung wide open, and a guttural screech tore from its throat.

Then came more.

I leapt out of the jeep before they could close in, activating the spatial blades with a flick of my wrist. The weapons shimmered to life, slicing clean through the first wave of zombies that rushed us.

One of the mutated infected charged toward Chloe. I hurled a short blade across the road, and its head dropped before it even reached her.

The group started, shocked into silence.

But they weren’t out of danger yet. The alleyways came alive with movement. More of them—faster, louder, hungrier.

“Move!” I shouted. “Now!”

We fought through the mob, the smell of decay thick in the air. Just as we were breaking through the last cluster, something caught my eye.

One of the boys—the quiet one—panicked and bolted. Worse, he shoved one of the girls toward a lunging zombie and ran in the opposite direction.

Her scream cut through the chaos.

I moved without thinking, slashing the zombie down mid-pounce and yanking her away. She clung to me, sobbing, while I looked toward the corner where the boy had vanished.

I didn’t chase him.

“Get back to the jeep,” I told the others.

“But—he ran—” the girl cried.

“He made his choice,” I said sharply.

“I’m not risking my life for someone who’d throw another person to die.”

No one argued. They were too stunned.

We barely made it out, the horde closing in behind us as I tore through the last block and raced up the hill.

The town disappeared behind us as the land opened up. Then we saw it.

The airfield tower rose above the trees, surrounded by a fence and flickering landing lights. Hope shimmered in Chloe’s eyes.

But something felt off.

I slowed the jeep and brought out my binoculars. A matte-black military vehicle was parked near the runway. Two men in tactical gear stood nearby, armed and scanning the area.

“Anyone expecting soldiers?” I asked.

They all shook their heads.

“Stay in the car,” I said quietly. “Don’t make a sound.”

I pulled my blades, stepped into the grass, and moved toward the hangars, sticking to the shadows.

Far behind me, hidden inside the military vehicle, a figure raised a sniper rifle and fixed their scope on my chest. The barrel didn’t shake. The finger on the trigger didn’t hesitate.