The Dead and the Restless (Completed with undergoing editing)

Chapter Eighteen (Edited.)

"No!" I screamed as I collapsed on the floor next to him. I cupped his face in my hands and shook him. His eyes were wide as he glanced down at the whole in his chest. His hand clasped it, but he felt so cold. "Oh my God."

I glanced around frantically. Where the hell was Darlene?

I felt Liam's head fall back, but I shook him.

"No, no, no," I muttered, slapping his face. "Come on, Liam, stay with me now."

I didn't even realize there was a puddle of blood between his shoulder and neck till I felt a warm liquid cover my hand. I couldn't tell if the bullet had gone through or what it hit, but I knew he was dying. I could feel the life draining from him. His blue eyes were growing dim.

"Oh God," I breathed, my voice frantic and twisted with desperation. Tears stung my eyes and started to creep slowly down my cheeks. Not him, too. God please, not him, too. I looked at the growing blood puddle, but I didn't pay attention to it. As I held his face in my shaky hands, the tears and the suddenness of it all choked my throat up. "Please, God, no!"

I set his head down and gripped his shirt like it was a lifeline, then I buried my face into his chest and cried.

"Please," I screamed, my voice mangled with tears. "Not you, too."

This wasn't right. It should have hit me. It was my gun, my job to make sure Lucy didn't turn. If I had just done it, stopped Walter, it would have been okay. I would have kept my promise.

This is all my fault.

"Lease," Darlene said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You have to move."

I shook my head. No. This wasn't happening. It was just another bad dream. That's all. A nightmare.

"Move," she said, pushing me to the side and checking his pulse on both his wrist and neck. Then, she pulled the stethoscope from her neck and put it in her ears. She ripped his shirt open and placed the end of it on his chest.

She let the stethoscope fall and then her eyes met mine.

"He has a pulse," she said evenly. "It's faint, but it's there. He's lost a lot of blood. But he's going to make it. We are not losing him."

She looked over to Sienna.

"Get me a bed ready, now." Her eyes met the baby. "Put the baby where we prepared for. Hurry."

Sienna ran off without comment. Darlene turned her attention to me.

"Lease, you need to go help Jackal," she said. I glanced at Liam one more time, but regained my composure. Time was running out and Jackal needed my help.

As I looked to the doors I saw how bad it was getting. Jackal already gave up on trying to kill them. He leaned up against the doors, trying to keep them shut. I nodded at him before I ran up to the tiny window, peering out.

My breath caught. There were over twenty-five of them in the hall. It still blew my mind. Liam and I went out there so often. It felt impossible that there were so many. I knew that there wasn't enough arrows in Liam's crossbow for me to kill them all and there was no way I could kill them with a machete here. I had to think and I had to think fast.

Then, one of the stupidest and most dangerous ideas popped into my head.

"Just hang in there," I yelled, running for the supply closet. He yelled something after me, but I didn't catch it. It didn't matter.

Once I got into the supply closet I scanned the shelves for what I needed. I grabbed the duct tape that was on the shelf just above my head, some old newspapers that lay strewn across the shelf everywhere, and the two things that caught my eye since the first time I woke up that surprised me to this moment that existed in there; I grabbed the container of gasoline and the red air horn.

After I had everything, I ran back out to the cafeteria and over to the first table I saw and dropped everything. Then, I ran over to where my spot used to be and grabbed my bag, ignoring the fact that Craig was still there the best I could. Once I had the bag, I ran back to the table and emptied my bag. I sorted through it all and separated two hunting knives and my zippo lighter from the other items and put the other stuff to the side.

The first thing I picked up was the newspapers. I wrapped them around each forearm, stopping at the wrist, creating a thick layer of padding. Then, I picked up the duct tape, wrapping it around the newspapers, creating another layer of protection. When I got up to my left wrist, I put the handle of the hunting knife, the blade pointing away from me, on the top of it, wrapping my duct tape around it, leaving my right one free. Then, I duct taped the air horn to my hip, wrapping it around my narrow torso. Then, I put the zippo in the back pocket of my jeans and grabbed the gasoline in my left and I gripped the machete with my right.

I ran back over to Jackal and nearly fell getting up to the window. The Snappers were fierce and I didn't know how much longer he would hold out. He looked up at me and I could tell he was going to ask me what the hell I was doing. I didn't bother explaining; there was no time for answers and this was only part of the plan. I picked up the container of gasoline and started dumping it on the Snappers on the outside. The window wasn't exactly large, but I had to make due. I got as many as I could and stepped down, tossing the empty gasoline container to the side.

Instead of staying with Jackal, I headed toward the windows. I ripped one of the boards down, which wasn't easy. I don't know how I managed to get it off as fast as I did, but I did it. As it fell to the ground, the window exposed a blinding ray of sunshine that caught in my eyes. I shook my head, adjusting my sight. Once it adjusted, I saw the truck that Liam and I were sitting on not too long ago. There were a few Snappers lagging around. I looked back at Darlene, who had a bed up and was tending to Liam. Sienna was next to her, waiting for Darlene to command her.

I hesitated leaving the window uncovered.

"Sienna!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. She looked up at me, her eyes strewn with confusion. Darlene looked up as well, not realizing what exactly I was doing, but realizing what I was asking. She muttered something to Sienna and Sienna started running over.

"What the hell-"

"I need you to board up the window after I go out of it," I started, "Don't uncover it even if I'm yelling behind it. I have a plan, but I don't have time to explain."

"Okay," she said, shaking her head, "Just go. I'll take care of it."

I didn't say another word. I opened the window, sliding it upward, and hopped out of it. My shoes hit the ground, sounding out a crunch as it scrapped on the asphalt. Not a second after I was out of the window did I hear Sienna slam it shut. I looked back at her for a split second, catching a solemn expression of understanding. Then, she started boarding it up.

I turned and looked out to see five Snappers heading toward me. I went up to the first one closest to me, shoving the blade on my left wrist up under its jaw, cutting right through the brain. Then, I went up to the one behind that one, whipping my machete into the side of its head. The third one was closer than I thought, grabbing my shoulder. I was quick, though, and as I turned I slammed the machete clean through, cutting its face in half. The fourth and the fifth one were next to each other and closing in on me. I rammed my blade on my wrist up the fourth one and pulled it out, backing up before the fifth one could grab onto me. Then, I ran the blade in wrist right through its forehead. Once it fell to ground, I turned to the truck.

I ripped the door open, hopping inside and hot wiring it. I put the two wires I needed together, sparking the engine to life. Once it was, I got in and shut the door. I drove it around near the exit of the lot, about 100 feet away from the entrance. After I got it there, I parked it, and got out of the car, shutting the door.

I stopped for a second and looked at the entrance. There were some Snappers making their way into it and you could almost make out the crowd that was in there. If anyone saw that they would go the other way. I don't blame them. I should too. It was a definite death trap, but I knew what I had to do.

I took a deep breath.

What I was about to do went against everything I've ever done since day one of the apocalypse.

Instead of running away from the Snappers, I was going to run right into them.