Survive {Book One of the Survival Series}

Part 1.4: The Patch

Chapter Four

We raced through the streets, the wind pushing my jacket up and behind me like a flowing cape. A small smile formed on my face as I enjoyed the cool breeze of the early dawn, knowing the heat that was soon to come. I heard Carla pull up next to me and a devilish grin slid onto my face as I looked over at her.

"Race ya," I shouted and she glanced worriedly back at Jaymie.

"Not today," she answered before giving me a small smirk, "I'll beat ya next time."

We drove on for a few more streets before rounding a corner and slowing to a stop in front of a makeshift barricade made of wooden pallets, trash bins, and cars. I slid off my bike and pushed it over to a nearby car, wiggling it through the just wide enough gap between the car and the building next to it. I swung my duffel over my shoulder as Carla and Jaymie dismounted and did the same, Jaymie standing to the side and watching around us with attentive eyes. So she's alert, good.

Carla jumped up and grabbed a dirty tarp that was hanging over the top of the barricade and, almost tenderly, covered the bikes and helmets with it, making sure they wouldn't be seen. Once done, she gave me a nod and looked back at Jaymie.

"We go on foot from here, but it's not too far now," she assured her with a smile.

"Did you guys build this?" she asked, eyeing the barricade with uncertainty.

"Not this one, no," I said as I climbed on top of one of the cars and held my hand out for her to take, "was already here when we settled down. Gave us the idea, though; we built four others."

"It's smart," she mumbled as she took my hand and let me pull her up onto the car's hood.

"Yeah, against the biters," I commented, "other survivors not so much."

She was quick to catch onto that, her eyes betraying her worry, "do you have problems with a lot of other survivors?"

"Not really," Carla responded as she joined us on the hood. I climbed over the rest of the wall with ease, having done it numerous times before, but Jaymie struggled a bit on her first try. Carla helped from one side while I carried her light body over the top.

"Just the really stupid ones," I grinned at her, although she didn't seem very amused. Carla swung her legs over the barricade and dropped down on the other side to join us. I guided Jaymie down and, once we were all set, we started in silence down the street.

We came to a stop in the middle of a three-way intersection, staring up at the wide building in front of us. It was four stories and made of pale, red bricks with most of the windows missing their panes. The bottom floor windows were boarded up while the ones higher up were adorned with sheets or broken blinds. Four cars were parked in front of the entrance, placed deliberately so that you'd have trouble getting around them, and a large fence on the right side of the building cut off the backyard, its gate chained tightly. The few plants scattered around the entrance were tangled and overgrown, reaching over the sidewalk like a flimsy barrier.

"Welcome home," I sighed, giving my arms a good stretch. I led the way over to the gate and banged on it loudly, glancing back at them. Carla's mouth was stretched wide in a loud yawn as she followed after but Jaymie's eyes were still darting around, a frightened look on her face. I opened my mouth to say something to her right as an older man came around the back corner of the building, a smile sliding onto his wrinkled face at the sight of us. He was tall, with a wide build, and was dressed in dirty, blue mechanic overalls, the name tag displaying 'Keith' in fraying white letters. His hair was a dark blonde, curling at the tops of his ears, and his small green eyes looked over Jaymie as he approached the gate.