Never The End (Sequel to 'What Keeps You Alive')

Chapter 15: Nearly Left for Dead

--------Chapter 15: Nearly Left for Dead----

Gates hit the ground hard, feeling the pain go through his shoulder due to how he'd been forced to land; having his hands tied behind his back certainly didn't help his case. He swore to himself before automatically trying to get himself untied, the walkers making their way over to him from where they'd been at the ledge.

Gates risked a glance at the other end of The Pit where they walkers had been coming in; they were moving in fast as well and he was stuck in the middle of the two herds of them.

It wasn't his day.

"Motherfucker," Gates muttered to himself, really struggling to get his hands free; Layton had certainly tied the ropes tight.

"Wouldn't want to be wasting too much time," he heard Bennett call from the ledge, making him look up as a walker began to get dangerously close. "Might get eaten alive if you're not careful."

Gates didn't say anything back, knowing that what he said wouldn't matter anyway. He put his focus back onto what he was doing, watching the walker that had nearly reached him. It snarled at him, snapping its jaws as it made its way to him, reaching for him as it got close.

Gates just used what strength he had to push the walker back with his feet, watching as it stumbled into the herd and knocked over a few. The ropes still hadn't moved at all and it was starting to frustrate him; he knew he had to get untied or else he was as good as dead.

"While he's doing that, throw the girl in; make this more interesting," Bennett said, addressing the man that was holding Valentina. "We have no use for her anymore anyway."

Not needing to be told twice, the man roughly threw her into The Pit, Gates hearing as she screamed momentarily before hitting the ground, attracting a few of the walkers that'd been getting too close for comfort; it at least gave him a few less to fend off.

It was then that he remembered that Valentina didn't have her hands tied; she could help him out if she could get to where he was before the walkers did.

"Mind giving me a hand?" Gates called, seeing Valentina off to his left, pushing a walker back before looking to him.

"You're the reason I've just been thrown in here!" she shouted back at him, making Gates roll his eyes as he got to a sitting position. "Help yourself!"

"You've got to be joking," Gates muttered to himself, managing to move just a bit as a walker went for him. "You help me and I'll help you; works both ways here."

He glanced over at her, seeing as she knocked down another walker before managing to just miss one; he saw the thought on her face as she considered whether or not his proposal was worth it.

"Alright, this' boring," they heard Bennett say. "Throw him in too; make this more fun."

Collin threw Rich in, Gates seeing as he hit the ground as well, Valentina automatically going over to him to untie him first; hopefully Rich would help him out, even if Valentina didn't.

Sure enough, as soon as Rich was untied and on his feet, he started making his way over to Gates who glanced over his shoulder, seeing the other herd of walkers getting too close; if he didn't manage to get out of the way now there was no way he was getting out at all.

Rich pushed a few walkers out of the way, reaching Gates and kneeling down to untie him.

"I can't get it; fucking tied too tight," Gates said as Valentina kept a cautious watch, ready to force back any walkers that tried to get to them. "I appreciate the help."