Beneath Holy Ground

Chapter Twenty Nine- Who's There

Claire's Pov

"Who is it?" I was the one to ask the question as we listened for small hints as to what the person behind the door actually was. There was at least a seven minute interval after the knock so I believe that was enough time for the question to be asked.

I tilted my head at the sound of a woman sobbing filling our ears. Chris and I stared at each other in confusion while Leon and Jill did the very same. I don't believe this situation was as innocent as it appeared to be.

There was silence until the sobbing came again but this time it was a little louder than before.

"Miss, are you alright?" I asked again and she continued crying my eyes on Jill who seemed equally confused. I was yet to hear the groans of the undead and it actually sounded like she was fearful of something else.

Humans.

"There are others," Jill mouthed as she gestured towards the bottom of the door with the tilt of her head. She was correct because I could see the silhouette clearly but as it regards the count of the feet that was far from clear.

I believe my brother gestured for me to speak again. I narrowed my eyes at my older brother who saw it fit to make me the bait. I was not the woman who was easily petrified but the least I could do was sound as though I was.

I swallowed awfully loud as though I was actually afraid.

"I am just as scared as you are, and I am alone, you need to say something so I can call for help" It was a lie to pull the threat out and I believe it worked perfectly.

"Please, just open the door" she pleaded and I shuffled around for the sake of portraying fear.

"I am afraid I can't do-" but I was not allowed to finish that sentence.

When the door came down in two pieces our eyes fell on men dressed in black, heavy weapons aimed in our direction. They had the woman at gunpoint on her knees, our weapons still pointing on the men that vastly outnumbered us.

"Alone huh?" one teased and I rolled my eyes.

"What can I say, it was enough to get you inside" I hissed and the men were far from amused.

Well, this was far from what I imagined but my assumption was right, the woman was merely bait.

"Come with us and she lives" the man who had his gun at the back of the woman's head stated, a knife resting comfortably at the front of her throat. She had been crying for so long her eyes were swollen.

"And why would we do that?" Jill hissed and one of the men chuckled.

"Because you are four good people who would not risk the life of the innocent" the man said this with a smirk and my stomach churned.

"Who are you guys and what do you want?" I hissed as I kept my gun raised. The count I failed to obtain was eleven, there were eleven men and I could only anticipate more.

"Damn, she does talk as much as he said. I believe we are the ones asking the questions and issuing commands red" one of the men mumbled and my eyes moved to the woman who was still in tears.

Red, I despised that name greatly yet with the color of my hair I believe I brought it upon myself. Auburn hair had always pulled that sort of attention.

Damn, she does talk as much as he said, it was in the midst of replaying the voice in my head I knew it was a man that seeked us. With the luck we all had I believe it was to identify who that man could be.

You had to pool dead and living enemies alive to gain such an answer because in this world many had the opportunity to play gods by using science.

"Release the innocent and then we can talk" Chris demanded and the man gestured to indicate that we should drop our weapons. I stared at Jill while Leon gazed at Christopher and I believe the woman's endless sobs were only making things worse.

Chris nodded and my eyes widened. My brother must have lost his damn mind.

"Absolutely not" I hissed because if my assumption stood to be correct they would kill the woman regardless of our willingness to cooperate. While we were 'four good people' they were monsters.

"Ten seconds" the man warned and I rolled my eyes when my brother was the first to place his weapon down. I despised being the negative Nancy but I had seen this game ten times over and it had a rather nasty ending.

"We will regret this" I hissed and Leon used his elbow to touch me gently.

"Just this once" Leon warned me of my smart mouth. I bared my teeth because just like my brother they often disregarded my smart mouth.

Jill followed her lover's action with her hands in the air, Leon and I staring at each other. Leon lowered his slowly and I stared into the eyes of the man who was daring me to obey the order given by pulling the knife closer to the woman's throat.

I was the last to drop my weapon but when the woman was stained in her own blood I lowered my body in order to catch my weapon swiftly. I aimed for the leader but missed, my body rolling for a matter of seconds.

When a man dressed in black fell limp I was still pleased. For the life taken I was absolutely pleased that while I did not obtain the head I wanted I got a head regardless.

"Balcony, now!" Chris yelled and we were quick enough to follow the instruction in the midst of gun fire. Without further instructions we made our way to the balcony beneath us and the balcony beneath that one. We were also careful enough not to have our body parts broken in the process.

I once suffered a broken arm and it was far from something I would like a repletion of.

"What did you do?" I asked Leon who held my hand through the process of moving so swiftly.

"What made you believe that those men were after me? What have you done, red?" Leon asked and I gave an odd stare.

"Oh no, I believe you should ask my brother who's ass he spared" I hissed. We were in the hall, myself, Leon and Chris watching Jill's back as we made our way to the elevator. It was crazy to believe that we ran out of the room with our backpacks and weapons rather swiftly.

When you were vastly outnumbered, leaving with your backpack was the smartest thing to do.

"I think we should have taken our chance" Jill insisted and Chris turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"We are outnumbered and outgunned" Leon argued and Jill's face highlighted that she disagreed completely. I took a deep breath, I was exhausted and this seemed as though it was merely the beginning.

"No weapons! Call security!" A man yelled and I actually took the time out to flip him off. Maybe if you had security the men would not have gotten to us in the first place.

When our threats kept chasing us I believe the man forgot his own rules as he ducked for cover. The anticipated panic erupted and confusion gave us the leverage we really needed.

"Damn, these guys are persistent, '' Chris hissed while I held onto Leon for a matter of seconds. It actually felt like I missed a step or two. When the elevator doors closed I blew a gentle kiss in the direction of the men before issuing a wink.