eradication - zach mitchell *1/3 of eradication series*

Chapter 22

Jessie's Perspective

I put the motorcycle to the side, not caring that it fell over as I sprinted over to the van and knocked on the van door, making Zach open it.

"Thank god you're alive." Zach stated, pulling me into a hug.

"We won't be for long if we don't close those doors." I stood up and slammed the two metal doors shut, before sitting down on the side seat, as Zach and Gray sat in the middle. Zach returned his head to the window and watched the rest of the scene play out. I didn't want to see anymore. I lived it.

"Is everybody else dead?" Gray asked, opening the partition more.

"Else?" Ms. Dearing's voice was confused.

"Hi!" I exclaimed.

"How'd you get here so fast?" She inquired. "You weren't on the video!"

"Off road short cuts." I shrugged as Zach slipped his head next to Gray's in the window.

"So is everybody dead?" Gray repeated his question.

"No, no, no, everyone is fine." Ms. Dearing sugarcoated as I still caught my breath. "See, look at Jessie!" I then looked down at myself, and noticed I had several cuts – most from the missile and the thorns.

"Don't lie to him!" Zach angrily shouted, and demanded, making him sound like an overprotective brother.

"He's scared!" Ms. Dearing exclaimed. "It's okay to lie to people when they're scared!" She continued to shout.

"I wanna go home!" Gray admitted. I saw tears on her face from the glimpse I had of her.

"Oh sweetheart," She cooed. "You will, okay? I promise. Tomorrow, you will be home and your mother will never let me see you again." She genuinely sounded upset about that, but a loud smack interrupted her.

Before I could see what made her scream, Zach closed the partition and wrapped his arms around both Gray's and my own shoulders before the car started and we let go. We looked up as the doors opened, all terrified. The soldier screamed something I couldn't understand before getting jumped at by Delta.

We all jumped back, Gray standing on his seat and holding onto the ceiling while Zach held on to the sides and brought his legs up. I was too shocked to do anything. Delta. The car started to move, and the dinosaur who's teeth were wrapped around the man's legs fell out of the van. I saw Gray's terrified expression, mouth open while Zach watched in horror. I didn't know how to react. How was I reacting?

"JUST HOLD ON BACK THERE!" Claire screamed. I heard a shatter from the front of the window, while I tried to stand to close the doors. When the dinosaur fell out, I saw Echo and immediately felt weak in the knees.

I couldn't feel weak in the knees – I need to close the door as Delta and Echo chased us. The doors kept flapping about, hitting the car's platform as Zach stood up and got the fire hydrant. I looked around, noticing the genius idea. Gray gave Zach a shocker, and he hesitated on turning it on.

"TURN IT ON!" Gray instructed.

"I DON'T KNOW HOW!" I pried the weapon out their hands and turned it on easily from previous experiences. Echo jumped into the car, and I closed my eyes as I pressed the blue sparkling stick at it's chest.

I felt, again, weak. I sat down at the seat closest at the door while Gray and Zach knelt on the platform and then fall back.

"That was Echo." I mumbled to myself, a rage fulfilling myself. "That was Echo." I spoke, still as quiet as a mouse. I was in genuine shock.

"You all okay back there?" Claire asked, in a scream as Gray opened the partition.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?" Zach asked, sounding proud of me before looking back at me with a proud grin. I just shook my head and hid my head in my hands.

"I can't wait to tell mom!" Gray excitedly proclaimed as Zach sat down next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, as if asking me what was wrong.

"Oh please, no." Ms. Dearing desperately pleaded. "Do not tell your mother about that, ever."

I looked up, after hearing Gray scream "OWEN!". I spotted my uncle and smiled at him, while Zach started screaming for him like Gray after pulling away from me slightly. My uncle drove past us, towards the drivers seat.

"That was Echo." I finally was able to put in words. I shocked my baby. I couldn't fully hear everything that was happening around me, as Zach held me tighter. "That was Echo."