The World We Live In | 𝚃. 𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙾 ♤

Chapter 5

The truck engine hummed the lone roads. Hailey enjoyed the breeze that combed through her blond locks and whispered in her ears. She didn't mind the awful taste of Troy's music taste blasting through the truck. She was going out on the run to do meaningful work. Bundles of excitement and other nerve-wracking tingles that were nothing but positive to her coursed through her body. Having the feeling of being watched, Hailey glanced over her slim shoulder to see the curious eyes of her sister on the other side of the back seat. Cristine had her elbow propped on the edge of the fully opened window with the side of her face leaning against her hand. It was a penetrating stare that showed part amusement and part inquiry to tell what was on her mind. Hailey pulled her shoulders up in a nonchalant shrug and grinned. "Just happy to be part of all of this!" Hailey increased the volume of her voice because of the blasting music. Her locks brushed against her naturally flushed cheeks, and from the subtle corrections in her posture, she showed a particular temperament for what was to come. "Thanks for putting in a good word for me with the rest."

Cristine, her jaw went slack. She stared directly at Hailey; her sister's mood was even affecting her positively. Cristine didn't want to break it with the reality of what could happen, but she also didn't want Hailey to think it was all sunshine and flowers either. Just because she killed an infected didn't mean that she was invincible. None of them were, and so much was a risk now. Running a finger near the side of her lip, Cristine answered, "you earned it. Just don't let the excitement get ahead. Always keep your guard up and be prepared for anything. Also," Cristine slightly gestured at Blake and Troy in the front and jokingly stated, "one thing's for sure we're the smarts of this run."

"I know we are." Entertained by the statement, Hailey agreed wholeheartedly with her sister and looked outside again with an easy smile.

After thirty minutes, the truck slowed significantly. Troy lowered his music volume completely after Blake replaced his relaxed pose with a guarded one and straightened his seat. His hand reached for his knife on reflex, "Troy infected straight ahead."

"Yeah. I got eyes on them." Troy looked in the rearview and saw that the rest of the vehicles were pulling over behind him. The hot tarmac appeared wet on the horizon from the harsh rays beating down on it. Troy peeked down from the glass up to the high rocks. The dead shuffled about at the only point in the one-way road, searching for anything out of place. When he was sure it wasn't free game for an ambush, Troy grabbed his walkie-talkie. "Coop, Steve, we got some dead ahead to clear out. While tempting to run them over so we can move our merry way, the road is too cramped to drive around them. Get out your silent weapons for this, and let's get a move on."

"Copy that."

Hearing the conversation, Hailey perked up in her seat and reached for the door, ready to get out too. Troy saw movement from the corner of his eye. He looked over his shoulder, quickly perusing the youngest Gerard sister in, and, in a hasty tune, stopped her in her tracks when she was about to open the door. "Whoa, whoa, easy there. What are you doing?" Large blue eyes momentarily flutter in surprise before a light scrunch of her dark blonde eyebrows etched between the center to show her equal confusion.

"Getting a move on..." Hailey's eyes strayed from Troy to Cristine, who slid upright in her seat and looked back at the militia leader. "That's what you said, right?" Hailey gestured at the walky-talky in Troy's hand to clarify his orders like he forgot what he just said. Hailey narrowed her eyes and felt her right eye twitch when Troy licked his lips in an attempt to push down the smirk at the edge of his lip. That patronizing gesture right there was an apparent slight aimed at her.

"Yeah, I know what I said," Troy answered. His eyes on her were brief and unimpressed. Maybe Hailey was too sensitive or excited about being out and helping, but Troy was a snappy asshole.