We Must Live On

Chapter Four "A New Home"

I grinned sitting inside the train car. Brian had figured out that this train led up to a US Marine Corps base called Camp Le'Jeune. We had Dyonna interrogating Quantum in the car behind us. She gets the job done, but I could do without the screams of pain and agony. I moved from the door to look at the girl with the piercing grey eyes. "What's your name?" I saw her flinch as I spoke. I tried to accept the fact that killing Quantum's little brother was the right thing to do. I could tell she was doing the same, but still fearful of me. "C...C...Casey Ward. Uh, why'd you kill Danny?" I felt myself grimace as I now knew his name. "If I hadn't Sarah and Gabbie would be dead right now. Ya know, 'cause of the RPG Quantum shot at their train car." She looked down and I knew she agreed.

I looked over to see Broderik grinning down at Britney, who was sleeping with her head against his chest. I stood up and walked to the right door of the car. The screaming had stopped. I opened the large metal door to the cargo car and reached out to the car behind us, which housed Dyonna and Quantum. I did a double take as I saw what was behind the caboose. I quickly threw myself back into the car and, with shaky hands, pulled the door closed and locked it. The clang of the lock woke Britney and caused everyone to stand with a start. I felt Broderik throw me an annoyed look. I chuckled on the inside but on the outside I was cold as steel.

"We got a horde out behind the train." As I said this the air around the train erupted in gunfire coming from the caboose. We quickly grabbed out weapons and opened the two doors. Casey and I leaned out the right door, Broderik and Britney leaned out the left. I looked at the other three and repeated a phrase that had become a chant of sorts.

"On my mark!

Three!

Two!

One!

Mark!"

We all opened fire and my ears soon began to ring. I fired as fast as I could, and with deadly accuracy, popping heads with every round I fired. We watched as the horde slowly began to dwindle out until the last of the undead mongrels fell. We quickly closed the doors, locked them, and sat there breathing heavily and reloading tossing out spent cartridges. Slowly, one by one, we drifted to sleep.

ØØ Quantum's POV ØØ

At first I held up. I wouldn't crack no matter what she threatened to do. But then she pulled out the metal rod and set it in the fire that she had going in the corner and then walked back. I felt myself become scared. But it wouldn't get to me. I wouldn't say a thing. But when she put that damned rod to my side I couldn't help but scream out in pain and for mercy. But she wouldn't have it until I told her everything. I then just gave up. I tried I really did but I couldn't hold it in.

I looked at the girl siting in front of me, her brown eyes seeming to stare into my sole from behind her glasses, and still felt the searing pain of the hot iron rod against my side. I had told her everything. Who I really was, why my crew had gone after them, hell even individual names. But the only emotion I felt was rage. Rage towards that little fuck that killed my brother. He'd pay. Maybe not now but someday he'd pay. I remembered Jonathan, my lieutenant, my second in command, the guy I trusted to watch my back, went turncoat and joined the other side.

But I knew I would join them, it was bound to happen. 'Cause you know the saying, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." And I couldn't beat 'em so I might as well join 'em. The girl began to speak up, "So Ryan. You've told me everything, correct?" I quickly nodded and let her continue. "Well then. Would you like to join us, or would you like to be thrown of the train with this here sticky grenade stuck to your balls?" She lifted up a grenade with an odd sheen, due to the sticky residue put on it. I quickly responded, "I'll join you."

ØØ Brian's POV ØØ

I sighed and whistled a tune from Lord of the Rings and looked over at Joe, who was operating the train's complex driving system. I tried it for a bit but gave up. Suddenly i heard the back of the train erupt with gunfire. I jumped out of my seat and looked out the side of the engine. I watched as Josh's car doors opened up and people leaned out. I walked to the left and saw the same thing. I looked at Joe. "Joe, I think there's a horde out behind the train." He nodded subtly.

I sat down and listened as the gunfire became almost rhythmic and then suddenly stopped. I sighed and pulled out a Redwall book from my leather satchel. I flipped through the pages and read from where I left off. I read for a good hour or two, in silence. Joe spoke up, "Brian, can you take control? I'm getting kinda tired, I'm gonna take a seal nap." I nodded and got up, taking the controls and staring down at the train tracks ahead.

ØØ Josh's POV ØØ

I stared into the eyes of the man who was chasing me. The only reason why is that he shot me in my knee. His purple eyes gleam and I raise a gun, firing into his stomach. He quickly kicks me in the face before falling to the ground. I reach over to a bench and pull myself up. I sort of jump-sprint while trying to keep myself up against the brick wall to my right. I hear a gunshot and fall to the ground, grabbing at my knee. I look up and then see the black of a revolver barrel. A shot rings out. Then everything just fades away, to nothing.

"Josh wake up, now!" I felt Broderik shake me awake and I stand up. "We're here." I slip out of the car and look down at the line of others, seeming to wait for what I had to say. "Uh, stay down and stay close. We don't know who or what is in there, be prepared. We all got low to the ground and walked, slowly to the gate. I raised my two Webley MK VI revolvers and looked behind me, at Jonathan. "C4 the gate, bro." He nodded and walked over, pressing the plastic explosive onto the gate and then getting behind me.

"Everyone get down." I whisper/screamed. I grabbed the detonator from Jonathan and pressed it, the explosion shook the ground and I heard someone fall down. The gates flew out. "Go go go!" I raised my gun and moved in followed by Jonathan, Broderik, Deborah, etc. I saw a huge horde of men and women, in military grade Kevlar gear. I opened fire and ran towards what looked like the armory. Suddenly the ground shook yet again. Dirt and debris flew in all directions and I saw a rock slam into someone.

"Oh my god! Daniel!" The scream didn't come from our group, who was coated in dirt and gore, zombie gore. I looked in the direction of the scream and fired into the figure's thigh, knowing that it was only a flesh wound damaging nothing but their current ability to walk, due to slight pain. I saw another figure open fire and looked as Deborah fired into the figure's lower leg and heard a cry of pain. "My foot!" I watched the silhouette slam into the ground. The dust slowly lifted, revealing a girl who appeared to be around 16 grabbing her thigh, a boy who looked to be about 17 grabbing his foot, and a completely destroyed chunk of sod with what looked like half a boy at the edge his intestines slowly spilling out.

ØØ Quantum's POV ØØ

I watched as the upper half of a 17 year old quickly bleed out, intestines spilling down into the chunky bowl left over from the explosion. I saw Michael, Riley, Joe, and Brian all turn and throw up. You'd be amazed at how much barf four people can make. It's a lot. I stood and walked towards the two bodies that were writhing on the ground in pain. Josh walked up, "Quantum, don't hurt 'em any more than they already are." I looked back at the raven haired guy, who stood at 5' 11, "Can it. But the names Ryan, I expect you to call me by that." I turned back, looking at the two fair haired teenagers. "Who are you?" The girl spoke up, "That's Cale, I'm Tori." I looked over to see the half boy writhing and screaming. I took a pistol from Cale and fired into the boy's head, multiple times. I turned back to recieved a disgusted look from everyone. Then Michael threw up. Again.

A/N: Nice little chapter, eh? Okay, let me explain. Cale and Tori are my "cousins" in real life, I put them in because I'm just that nice. :3 They live at Camp Le'Jeune, hence the use of Camp Le'Jeune. So, yeah. Just trying to avoid confusion! ◊Vote◊Comment◊Follow◊ -Wulfy