Flesh Eaters

Pushing Forward

Chapter 36 - Pushing Forward

*Murphy's POV*

We sit in silence, glaring at each other in the back of the truck. Looking away for a moment I gently pull Grey's sleeping form closer to myself. Just as I look back at Matt the truck's tires screech against the pavement before suddenly swirving.

"SHIT," I shout as I see a small pack of eaters collide with the truck.

The impact with the mini hoard causes the truck to roll. Grey's torn from my arms and thrown away as I'm slammed back into the pavement. I land on my injured shoulder before painfully rolling a stop.

For a moment I'm almost to stunned to move but adrenalin gets me going again. Groaning, I weakly push myself up. Lifting my head I see the truck laying upside down, tires slowly spinning in the air.

"Grey," I mumble as I put all my effort into racing toward the truck.

As I grow closer to the smoking mass the passenger and driver doors are forced open. A battered Evans and Baird crawl out looking dazed. Ignoring them I notice the gas leaking out. My heart hammers as I realize there isn't much time before the truck begins to burn.

I reach the truck at the same as Matt limps up. "Grey, have you seen Grey," I ask in a panic.

"No. Zoey," he asks.

"Matt," A weak voice answers.

Matt's face goes pale as he looks down towards the voice. I follow his gaze and feel my stomach twist at the sight. Pinned beneath the roof of the truck lays Zoey. Only her upper torso is visible, the rest is crushed beneath the truck.

"No, no, no, no," Matt cries as he drops down to his knees. His hands grab at Zoey's limp, blood ones. Pulling one up to his face he cries, "Come on Zoe.. Please."

I look to the leaking gas again before speaking up, "We don't got much time here, if we're gonna do something it's gotta be now."

"Go," Zoey whispers.

"No," Matt cries, "I'm not leaving you!" Standing suddenly he grabs ahold of Baird. "We got to push! We got to get her out!"

As they both attempt to push the truck I hear a scream down the road. "Grey," I shout before taking off.

Holding my bleeding shoulder, I limp down the road towards her scream. Nearing the edge of the road I find a pistol that was thrown from the truck. Without thought, I pick it up before calling out again.

In response I hear a small whimper. "GREY," I shout again as I make my way down into the culvert. I round a tree and find a dazed looking Grey staring fearfully at an eater that stumbles her way. Quickly I aim the pistol and take it out.

"Shit, shit, shit," I panic as I make my way up to her. Sticking out of her left thigh is a tree branch. My hands hover over the blood that leaks out around the branch, unsure what to do. Looking up I notice more eaters stumbling towards us. "Gotta get ya' outta here," I mutter as I begin to scoop her up off the ground. "We just gotta go. Come on."

Gritting my teeth against the pain burning in my shoulder I heave her off the ground. In surprise, Grey clings to my shirt, afraid of falling.

"Murphy! Your shoulder!"

"Don't worry about it. Your not gonna fuck it up anymore then it already is."

Grey falls silent as I struggle it make it back to the road. My breath escapes in short jagged busts and the muscles in my arms tremble as I strain myself to keep from dropping Grey. Behind us eaters snarl, further encouraging me to keep moving.