The Beginning of the End

Chapter 19

///Alaska's POV///

Above us I hear the music thundering and the helicopter blades slicing through the air. I sit, shaking from the cold air making contact with my skin. I took off my jacket and covering in the cave, when I was yelling at Peter.

I look over at him. His dark brown hair is wet but still messy but not sticking down, from him running his hands through it. His freckles are more prominent when he doesn't have any dirt on his face. His blue eyes are closed and his eyelashes almost reach his cheeks. Boys having long eyelashes is so unfair.

In almost a whisper he speaks, "I'm wanted by The Militia."

I look at him shocked. He doesn't open his eyes, "What?" I ask him quietly, hoping he didn't mean what he said.

"I'm wanted by The Militia." He speaks clearly now. I wait for him to open his eyes and shout, 'Just kidding' but that never comes.

So I finally speak, looking down into the clear water, "Why?"

He looks down like it's hard for him to say, "I..." He breaks off, his navy blue eyes look over to me, "I was there at the very beginning of the outbreak. I was a guard, it used to be a science lab. The outbreak happened and I ran. But I took a file with me. A file of The Militia's weaknesses. How I know where they won't look. I think they assumed I'm dead."

I lean against the wall. They want to kill Peter, yet here he his. Protecting all these children. People that can't fend for themselves. Why would he need to do this? He closes his eyes again. Even telling me people want him dead, he still looks relaxed.

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask after a few moments of silence.

He puts on a small smirk, "You just did."

"You know what I mean." I say annoyed and he nods, "Why did you immediately start protecting these kids?"

"I was running away from The Militia, and I came across an orphanage. It was full of kids, I was and still am 17, but I just thought. 'Damn, I can't leave these kids by themselves.' So I didn't I broke in and told the kids to follow me." He explains.

Now I laugh, "So you really are Peter Pan, to these kids at least. Taking the children who need love and giving them a home." I feel bad about what I said before. He's not self centered.

He chuckles a little. I look over to him until his eyes open, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I know I come across as a bit of a douche, but I'd do anything to protect these kids. At first I just thought I was going to drop them off with some people, but when I tried some of the little kids started crying and wouldn't let go of me. I picked up as many small kids as I could and told the other teens to do the same. And we ran until we got here." He explains.

I don't say anything so he keeps talking, "The Militia only had blurry pictures of me, so they don't know exactly what I look like. They found a body they thought to be mine so they took down my posters. But recently their helicopters took clearer picture of me. Now, I'm a shoot on sight."

I gasp, "So they won't even give you a chance?"

He shakes his head, "No."

"But, what if they catch you. Then you'd be shot. All these people who look up to you would be left with only themselves. Why would they even think about-" I start rambling.

Peter leans over and grabs my face. He pulls me into him and kisses me. My cheeks flush and I look down once we break apart. When I look back up he's smiling like an idiot, "Sorry."

I smile back, "It's perfectly fine." I say and lean back. I unconsciously reach my hand up and touch my lips.

He see's me doing so and smirks. I laugh and hit him lightly in the arm. Which makes him laugh harder. His low baritone laugh echoes around the shallow cave. I don't freak out about sounds because I know the sound of the falls drown out our laughs and voices.

"If you're a shoot on sight, why did you give me your jacket and stuff?" I ask. I look down at my partially healed brand mark. The skin is still dark red and painful, but no longer swollen.

"Because they thought I was dead. I only knew they didn't when I took the guards work pad. It died last night, so I no longer have a way to track them." I nod.

"How are you so good at pick pocketing?" I ask quizzically.

He chuckles deeply, "I grew up on the streets. My dad left me and my mom when I was a baby. My mom was a drunk and tried to kill me when I was 5. And I walked myself down to the fire station and sat myself down on the doorstep."

"Wow." Can't you tell I'm brilliant at talking to people, note the sarcasm.

"Yea." We sit there for awhile in comfortable silence.

Peter looks over and grabs my hand, "We need to leave. If both of us are wanted it isn't going to end well."

I nod, "I know. Where are we going?"

He thinks, "Let's go into California."

"We can't bring everyone. There are zombies there." I tell him sadly.

"I know. I'll put Brandy in charge of The Lost-Boys. We won't have to be gone for that long, just until the search dies down a bit." Peter must have planned this out already.

"Okay, I have a place in the woods in California." I tell him, it's my grandma's she left to me in her will, "But we'll need a car or something."

Peter nods, "I have to show you something."

We know the helicopter is gone so we go back into the cave. Everyone is still asleep so no one noticed we were gone. He leads me to his sectioned room and grabs something from a bag.

He hands me a map. Upon a closer look I find it's a train schedule, "What is this?"

"The Militia. They still have running trains so I took a map awhile ago from a guard." He tells me.

I sit down against the wall and grab a pen. I draw dot where we are. Then I drag the pen from one of the train paths. I drag it up to the place closest to my cabin in Truckee. The closest stop is Donner lake. That is only a few minutes in car, I'm not sure how long it would be walking.

"This will work." I look up expecting to see Peter, but instead he's next to me.

"You sure?" He asks looking at the map and the trail I drew.

I nod, "Positive, I remember seeing these tracks when I went up to my cabin. I just need you to get us onto the train."

"Easy." Peter pauses, "The train isn't guarded at all. I used to guard there when I had to, and I was the only one. The hardest part will be getting through the towns, they all side with The Militia."

"Okay, we should leave as soon as possible." Peter agrees.

We get up and Peter goes to Brandy's room. I grab a bag and start loading enough food for a few days for four people. I know we have food at the cabin and that we will collect food the way there.

Brandy grabs my arm. Peter must've already told her. She grabs my arm and leads me to a room I thought no one inhabited.

"You're going to need clothes, especially because those one are wet. A girl named Violet used to live here, but The Militia got 'er." She pauses and starts throwing things into a bag and hands me new clothes. I quickly change into them. I know I have clothes at my cabin but I will still need these.

We walk through the trading towns with no problems. Early mornings are extremely busy for the towns, it's before the sun is to high. Peter looks up at the large clock in the middle of the town square. A corner away the is where the train leaves.

Peter starts running after looking at the clock and I follow him. We sprint and some past people running around corners. We run until I see the train leaving. We run along the side of the train and Peter jumps into one of the the cargo holds.

I keep running, having no idea how to get on this train. The ledge of the train is up to my hip. I grab a rusty handle and swing myself onto the train. I manage to get myself entirely up.

"Oh my Gods." I breath out.

Peter laughs, "I take it you've never jumped onto a moving train."

I shake my head, "No, of course not."

I slide down one of the walls and sit down. Peter sits next to me. I lay my head on his shoulder and slowly fall asleep.