The Price of Humanity

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

I pick up a bandage from the counter and start wrapping his shoulder up, I have to learn over him to get to his shoulder since I'm standing on the wrong side of the counter to really do this, but Zane's a bit preoccupied with glaring at Gale so the task falls to me.

In the rush to get the bullet out I never actually took in the fact that Zane had cut his shirt off, but I try and keep my mind focused on the task at hand rather that drooling over his delicious eight pack. Hey? You can't blame a girl for looking, especially when boys, that aren't my brothers, are a rare commodity.

I tie the bandage tightly together so that the wound can start to heal and subconsciously place my hand on his stomach to steady myself.

I take a deep breath, and close my eyes, trying to calm down from the recent events. I feel his muscles move underneath my fingers and truthfully, I love the feeling of it.

Suddenly his hand encases mine and holds it in a hand-shaking position. I open my eyes and look into his. He smirks slightly and shakes my hand, lightly.

"I'm Adam. Nice to meet you." I smile back, wanting to laugh at the hilarity of this situation. I see my two-brother's looking at me intently from the other side of the room and I look back up at them, taking note of their mental message.

"Alicia." I reply, releasing his hand and going over to stand by my brothers. Adam stays on the counter, not actually able to stand up in his condition.

Zane pulls me into a tight hug and mumbles into my hair.

"I know." I reply. Adam can't stay with us, not that he'd even want to after being shot by Gale. But people are too dangerous to keep around, we tried it a couple of times – take people in – let's just say it didn't work out so well.

My thoughts and our somewhat peaceful time comes to a close however as I hear noises from outside the pharmacy. I immediately reach for my katana on my back and my brother's follow suit, reaching for their weapons.

Zane walks up to the window, shielding himself behind a shelf, and looks out onto the street. Gale and I do the same, trying to see anything out on the street.

I look left, down in the direction we originally came in, and see two bodies sprint across the street and into an alley a couple of buildings down.

"Zane." I call his attention, but his eyes are already focused on the alley the people ran down.

"I saw them." He comments, staying hidden behind the shelves.

I realise something, something terrible and call Zane's name with a more demanding tone to my voice. He looks over at me with curiosity.

"They were close to where the truck is." Zane curses under his breath and goes to head out of the pharmacy. I grab his arm and stop him in his tracks.

"I'll go." He shakes his head violently, looking at me like I've gone insane.

"What if those people out there see you?" He asks, getting more agitated by the second. I stand up, and square up to him, although I'm not very intimidating to him. He's at least a foot taller than me.

"Zane, we've heard the stories about these people. If they wanted to come and get us, they would've already. They've done something to our truck, I know it. I'm smaller and stealthier than you." I look back over at Adam, who seems to now be sleeping on the counter.

"Plus, you two are more qualified to guard him." I reason. I don't think Gale and Zane like that reason, Zane face scrunches up into a look of disgust as he glances at Adam. "He's injured, can't move and is not a threat. Look after him." I demand.

My brothers don't complain, although the looks on their faces certainly suggest they want to be anywhere but guarding the stranger currently laid out on the counter.

I take a quick look up and down the street, making sure there's nobody to ambush me as soon as I step out the door. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, apart from the destruction that's a natural part of the world now, I duck out of the door.

I start running down the street towards the alley with our truck. I keep my eyes peeled and my body low, not really helpful in the open street but it keeps me hidden behind the cars some of the time.

I keep my katana out of its sheath, concerned by the surprising lack of corpses in the street. There's one or two wandering around but from the stories I've heard I would've expected hordes around every corner.

I jinxed it.

I run past an alleyway, but come to a screeching halt when I register the horde inside it. I take a few steps back and stare at the alleyway. Simple metal construction fencing has been placed at each end of the alley, trapping the dead in between the buildings.

The fencing has been reinforced with metal sheets and on either side, where the fencing meets the building are two long strips of metal, reaching at least twice my height.

On further inspection, I notice this is what is keeping the fence in place against the horde. The strips have been firmly attached to the building and supported by metal poles, reaching a few metres away from the fencing.

What worries me though is the two pieces of rope tied to each side of the fence and leading up to two windows in the buildings. It's on a pulley system.

The two windows are open and at the top of them is a pulley, which the rope has been fed around. I look back at the strips again and realise the reason for their height.

They're to guide the fence as it moves up and down, to keep it in place so they can trap and release the dead at their will.

I decide to leave the horde to their own business and tell the guys when I get back. Jogging along the building and down the next alley I come across our truck.

With all its tyres slashed.