Zombies Happened

Chapter 14

Stacy barely took a second to catch her breath before glancing in the rearview mirror. The jeep's engine roared as she accelerated, but the zombies were closing in fast. If they didn't get out of there soon, the massive horde would overrun them, and even her powerful jeep wouldn't stand a chance.

"Matt, I need you up top, now!" she shouted as she pressed a button on the dashboard. The sunroof slowly opened, revealing a mounted machine gun that rose up from the roof. Matt's eyes widened in surprise.

"Seriously? How did you hide that?" he asked, taking a cautious step towards the gun.

"Pull the lever behind you," Stacy directed. Matt found the lever, and a small seat popped down, providing him a stable perch.

"This is insane!" Matt exclaimed, settling into the seat. "You really thought of everything!"

"I tried to prepare for the worst," Stacy said, her voice laced with a mixture of pride and melancholy. Despite her preparations, she was deeply saddened by the death and destruction of the first day.

As Matt manned the machine gun, Stacy maneuvered the jeep through the zombie-infested streets. The blades she'd installed around the jeep whirred as they sliced through the zombies, trying to get too close. The machine gun roared, and Matt's precision shots cleared a path through the horde. It took time, but they finally carved out a clear route to escape.

Matt climbed down from the roof, a broad grin on his face. "That was epic! I think I'm in love with your car!"

Stacy managed a small smile, pushing the button to close the sunroof. "We can't drive home with this many zombies still on our tail. They might be mindless, but they'll eventually figure out where we're headed. My gates should hold them, but I'd rather not attract attention."

She made a sharp turn, her mind racing to find a route that would help them lose the zombies. With almost a hundred still trailing them, she zigzagged through the neighborhood, weaving around blocks to shake their pursuers.

"What gates?" Matt asked, puzzled. "I only saw one gate."

Stacy's eyes sparkled with a mix of secrecy and pride. "You'll see."

After fifteen minutes of evasive driving and clearing zombies from their path, Stacy checked her rearview mirror. The horde was finally falling behind. As the sun dipped below the horizon, she headed back toward home, pushing the jeep's speed to its limits.

The drive home took another fifteen minutes, and Stacy felt a knot of anxiety about the zombies potentially following them. She drove faster, praying they would make it back before nightfall.

In the jeep, the occupants were lost in their thoughts, grateful to be alive but haunted by the day's events. The silence was a welcome reprieve.

"So, Stace, how long did it take you to build your fortress?" Matt asked, breaking the silence.

Stacy sighed, appreciating the question. "I've been planning it my whole life. Before I even bought the property, I had a layout. It's not completely paid off, but that hardly matters now. I took out a loan six years ago and focused on the essentials first."

"That's pretty bad ass," Matt said with admiration. "I'm glad we ran into you. I thought Jesse was losing it when he talked about you."

"I texted your mom that we were on our way," Robert interjected. "I didn't want to call her and freak her out. You know how she is."

Matt chuckled, though a hint of worry lingered. "Yeah, she was pretty upset. Be ready for a lecture when we get there."

Robert laughed. "She'll get over it. Who knew my daughter was such a bad ass? I always knew you were tough, but today, you kicked ass. I'm so proud of you!"

Stacy smiled through the rearview mirror, touched by her dad's pride. "Not so crazy now, huh, Daddy?"

They all laughed as they pulled up to the gate. Stacy parked the jeep along the side of the house, not in the usual spot out front. She motioned for Matt to follow her and grabbed a pressure hose.

"If we leave this mess, it'll dry and become impossible to remove," she explained.

Matt nodded and took the deck brush she handed him. They worked together in silence, spraying and scrubbing the jeep. The teamwork felt natural, and Stacy couldn't help but notice how efficiently they moved together.

As the last of the gunk was washed away, Matt held out the brush for Stacy to spray. She cleaned the remaining residue, directing the runoff into a drain hole Matt hadn't noticed before.

"Thanks for helping," she said sincerely as they put the tools away.

"No problem," Matt replied with a smile. "I told you, we're all in this together."

With the jeep cleaned and their spirits lifted, they headed inside, ready to rest and regroup for the challenges that lay ahead.

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A/N Another chapter, all in one day. yayyyyy!!!
I'm having trouble sleeping, so I figured I'd update for you guys!
Like I said before, if you're still there, I can not tell you how grateful I am to have you, as well as to any new readers I get. I hope you don't hate me for leaving for so long.

As always, if you liked it, please comment and vote.
I'm still in desperate need of a cover, so if anyone wants to help out, I'd be eternally grateful!

Xoxo- Cinttie<3