Dylan scooped up his AK-47, aimed it at the remaining undead, and pulled the trigger. A spray of bullets erupted from the weapon, cutting down the last of the infected. She was unprepared for the kick-back however and dropped the rifle with a cry as fiery pain shot through her injured fingers. “Ouch, that hurt, you m—”
She swallowed the rest of her sentence, aware that she was down to one gun unless she dipped into the duffel bag. Even then, she only had one more loaded handgun, and the rifle left. Besides, the rifle wouldn’t be of much use in such close quarters.
Dylan pressed ahead, searching for a way out. There had to be something she could do, somewhere she could go. It didn’t help that she was a stranger to the city, and none of the street names meant anything to her.
A pair of clawed hands latched onto her shoulders, and a diseased face appeared in front of her, the mouth gaping. A rotten stench filled her nostrils, and Dylan fought to keep the snapping teeth out of her flesh.
A blade flashed through the air, narrowly missing Dylan and lodged in the infected’s neck. Thick, black blood spurted from the wound caused by the machete, but the zombie barely paused. Instead, it lunged at its attacker, a well-meaning young man trying to save Dylan’s life.
Having lost his weapon, the youngster became the victim as the infected latched onto his face. His gurgling screams were lost in the din, and Dylan had to fight to keep her spot in the surging crowd. She pulled her gun from its holster and shot the zombie in the head. One look at her rescuer showed her it was a lost cause, however. Blood bubbled up from a deep hole in his cheek, and more pumped from his neck. He’d be dead within seconds. Their eyes met, his wide and frantic, hers shocked and horrified.
“Kill me,” he mumbled, bloody foam frothing on his lips. “I don’t want to turn into one of them.”
Dylan nodded. “I’m sorry.”
She pulled the trigger one more time, ending his suffering. For a single moment, Dylan considered giving up. It’d be easy. All she had to do was turn the gun on herself, and it would all be over.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to carry on. She couldn’t give up. Not now. Tucking the gun back into its holster, she grabbed the machete instead. She needed a hand weapon, and she had to save her ammunition.
Suddenly, a young teen girl appeared in front of Dylan, her blue eyes wild with terror. They fixed on Dylan’s face, and she reached out a pleading hand. “Can you help me, please? It’s my brother. He’s hurt. I need to get him inside.”
Dylan hesitated, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I need to get out of this city. I don’t have time to waste.”
She pushed past the girl who grabbed her hand and pleaded, “Please. I need you to help me carry him inside. He’s in the car over there. It’ll only take a moment.”
Screams erupted behind them as another wave of the undead attacked the fleeing masses in the street, and Dylan pushed the girl into a dark alley. After checking that it was clear, she hunkered down behind a trash bin with the girl by her side.
“Car? You have a car?” Dylan asked, the wheels spinning in her head.
The girl stilled, and a calculating look entered her eyes. “You said you need to get out of the city, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Help me get my brother fixed up, and we’ll take you wherever you need to go. He’s a soldier, a fighter, and I can shoot too. Plus, he knows this city like the back of his hand. Together, we can make it.”
“What’s wrong with your brother?” Dylan asked.
“He was stabbed two days ago. We patched him up, but it’s infected. He needs antibiotics,” the girl replied.
“Where do we get that?” Dylan asked. “I haven’t seen a pharmacy anywhere near here.”
“There is a veterinary clinic three shops down,” the girl replied, jerking her head back the way Dylan had come.
“A vet?” Dylan asked, amused. “I suppose it could work.”
“It will work. I know what to look for. I spent last summer volunteering there, and I learned a couple of things.”
“I see,” Dylan said. “So, here’s the deal. I’ll help you get your brother safely into the clinic if you give me the keys to your car.”
“No way,” the girl replied. “You help me get him inside, fixed up again, and back to the car. Then I’ll give you the keys, and we can all get out of here.”
Dylan chewed on her bottom lip, thinking it over. It wasn’t as if she had a lot of options open to her, and frankly, she needed the help. Finally, she nodded and stuck out her hand. “You drive a hard bargain, little girl, but it’s a deal.”
“I’m not a little girl. I’m sixteen, and my name is Amy.”
“Alright, Amy. I’m Dylan. Nice to meet you. Now let’s go save your brother.”
They shook on it, and the bargain was struck.
Chapter 24 - Dylan
Dylan gripped the machete with both hands and peered out of the alley. The street had cleared somewhat as the people had run away with the latest horde of infected howling on their heels. She wasn’t sure it was a blessing, though. The streets of Louisville were a horror, something from a different dimension, and the lack of crowds lay it bare for all to see.
Bodies lay sprawled out in the open, their eyes sightless and their faces frozen with terror. Blood congealed in puddles around them as the monstrosities that used to be human once fed on their flesh. Flies buzzed around these clusters of death in black clouds, drawn to the feast, and the scent of blood, offal, and decay was impossible to ignore.
Dylan swallowed hard to keep
