Living Amongst The Dead

Chapter 31

The smell of smoke stung my nostrils as I stared down the man on top of me. My eyes were watering from ash drifting through the air. I froze and closed my eyes, thinking of my options.

If everyone was at the welcome party, the bandits must have sneaked into the tech tent, shut down the computers, set of the alarm then lit the fires. What an elaborate plan to get food and supplies.

Where were Adam and Ben? Had they been attacked too or were they gone. I tried not to think the worst but I couldn't help it.

I was going to die if I didn't get this man of me. The smoke was stinging my throat and I craved water. "Get off me!" I screamed my throat raw as I struggled to break free.

The bandit laughed before bringing his hand across my face. It hurt so badly I stifled a sob. He then pulled out a blade and pressed it against my throat.

"Now, you move again and you'll slit your own throat." My lip trembled and he pressed the blade harder. I could feel something warm run down the side of my throat. He had cut me.

"Please." I begged. "Please get off me." He shook his head and lifted the blade off my throat.

He held it up to his eye level and looked at the blood before replying. "Shut up! Do you want to die?"

They were the last words he ever said.

I didn't see the bullet go through his head but I felt his body stiffen as he fell of me and onto the ground. I scrambled away from the lifeless body and got up. I looked around.

It seemed like the whole camp was on fire now. I held my shirt over my mouth and stumbled towards my savior.

Laura was jogging towards me, gun in hand, followed by Ned, Gina, Calem, Joe and a few others that I didn't know well. They were all armed.

"Are you alright?" Laura lifted my chin with her fingers and examined my throat. "It's only a light cut. You'll been fine. I'm sorry we didn't get him off you sooner but we couldn't risk it when he had the knife to your neck." I thanked her again, then Calem asked me something.

"Susan, where's Ben?" I looked around and called out Ben's name. He can't be dead I kept telling myself as I looked around for signs of life. I couldn't see anyone.

"Over here!" Adam's voice was coming from my left side so I turned and saw him kneeling over Ben. Relief filled my chest as we all ran over to the pair.

"He's been knocked out." Said Adam. "We're going to have to carry him."

Ben had dirt on his face and a nasty cut above his eye. "We need to get out of here. Now!" Ned yelled as a tent caught fire behind us. Adam and Ned grabbed Ben under the arms and pulled him along as we headed away from the fire.

"Where do we go?" Gina was yanking Calem along when she yelled out the question. I knew we had to put out the fire. The smoke in the air was getting worse and I could barely breath. "We have to put out the fire!" I said. "We need water!"

"I know just the place. Follow me!" Laura yelled and we took off in the direction of the vegetable gardens.