He gasped and hissed, staggering through the darkness like a drunk stumbling home on a Saturday evening. Bucky watched as Snitchers stumbled away. Black liquid had been left on the machine’s frame. Snitchers had been hurt. The ferocity with which he lunged must have caused him some major damage. A broken nose would be nice, Bucky hoped before continuing his journey. From behind, the growling vocals of the infected approached. He didn’t turn back, just continued with one step after the other, as silent as he could make them.
From somewhere in the factory, the muted sound of metal dragging across the floor emerged. The White Witch had come back into play. She was around that area somewhere and had been the only one not to trouble him so far. Bucky continued onward until a strange shape caught his attention. Just ahead he could see a figure, limping along through the dim light. It wasn’t a zombie as it wore a dark jacket. Bucky picked up the pace. As he approached, Lacey turned. She screamed. Bucky rushed over to her.
“It’s just me,” he whispered.
An infected sprinted from the darkness. Bucky grabbed Lacey and pulled her body tight against his. Smiler appeared once more, again perplexed by a sound that had vanished. Less than three feet away the zombie stood, swaying from side to side. Bucky held his breath, recalling the viciousness in which Smiler had attacked him only a short time before. Smiler snorted and hissed, his frustration apparent. As the zombie stood still, Bucky noted a tape measure sat on top of a cardboard box beside them.
He reached down, taking it without a sound before launching it into the depths of the factory. It thudded onto the hard floor. Smiler growled and dashed toward the noise, leaving Bucky and Lacey alone. After a moment, Bucky stepped away from her. She pointed to her right thigh. In the poor light, he noted something out of the ordinary. She’d been hit. Blood appeared over the combats. Lacey gestured that a weapon had been used. Bucky knew which one. He remembered the sound of the scythe hitting the floor. That must have been the attack that caused this.
Bucky placed an arm around her back and threw her right arm across his shoulders. They moved together at a steady pace, both taking time and care with each step. Clanging metal echoed through the factory. Whoever, or whatever it was that had caused it may have bought them some extra time.
Bucky put a foot down on something soft. It popped. “Shit,” he whispered. Bubble wrap. A scream emerged from the darkness before a scythe sliced the air, smashing against the floor and blocking their path. The White Witch wailed, her arms outstretched as she lunged at Bucky, dropping her weapon. They both clattered to the floor. The pale skinned abomination fell on top of him, snapping at his face with darkened teeth. The foul stench of decay expelled from her mouth and across him as she lunged down.
Bucky placed two hands around her throat and pushed back, forcing her away as he had done with Smiler. She shook and trembled as the fight ensued, unable to get to him. Black saliva dripped on to his face. He rolled to the side and kicked the witch away, standing in an instant.
“Bucky look out!”
Bucky turned as Snitchers launched through the air toward him. He stepped back and took the scythe from the ground, swiping the bladed edge toward him. Snitchers fell to the floor. His disembodied head rolled across the ground.
“Guys?” came Johnny’s voice. Both he and Aaron ran in from the darkness.
“What the hell?” Aaron asked, noting the decapitated body and witch who could not stand.
“One dead, one down,” Bucky informed them.
“Where’s the other?” Johnny asked.
“I don’t know, but we’ve got to do something. Lacey’s been hurt…”
Gunfire erupted through the offices above. Bucky peered upwards to see the intermittent flash of light explode with every shot fired.
“What’s that?” Lacey asked.
“Gunfire. Something’s happening up there,” Aaron replied.
“Now’s our chance. Let’s make a break for it,” Bucky ordered.
“Where?” Johnny asked.
“I don’t know, but let’s take a look around. There has to be a door or something around here somewhere.”
“What about the other one? The other crazy in here?” Lacey asked.
Bucky wandered back across and supported her again. “The gunfire will keep him occupied. Let’s go.”
The kids moved throughout the factory, checking for an emergency door or some other kind of way out.
“There. Look,” Johnny said, pointing to a fire exit just ahead of them. The wall exploded with bullets. An arc of cracked debris appeared by the door. Their escape route shattered into splinters.
“No!” a voice ordered from behind them. They turned to find two clowns stalking their way. One had blue hair on top of the dirty mask. Bucky recognised him from back on the road. The other one was new. Face paint, armless fur jacket, carrying a shotgun… it was Grout.
“Whatever you do, don’t make a sound,” Bucky whispered. “We don’t want to speak or make any noise, if you know what I mean?”
Grout clunked across the factory toward them, his firm boots thudding with each foot step.
“We finally caught up to you. Do you know how hard it was to track you?” Gunfire erupted from the darkness. Grout turned. “Make sure you kill every last one of them!” he shouted across the factory floor. Screams echoed throughout the work place.
“We got zombies in here, Grout!” a distant voice shrieked.
“Then kill them!” More screams and gunfire emerged. Grout turned to the blue haired clown. “Go. Clean it all up. I’ve got a bone to pick with the cadets here.”
The clown nodded and dashed into the darkness. Controlled bursts of gunfire from an automatic weapon popped through the air, four at a time.
Grout placed a hand between his shoulder blades and withdrew a sword from its sheath. Bucky recognised it in an instant
