Rachael Entry 4: Apart

Chapter 33

After a while we began formulating a plan incase things went wrong outside the walls. Eden would get the people who inhabited the upper campus out and to a safe space, she would be supplied with two guns and multiple knifes. Harry would be responsible for the lower campus where all the kids were as well as where former staff slept; he would get them all out equipped with the same things as Eden. They would meet at a different entrance to Rock Creek than the one we overran and if need be move on and find a new location. It was hard to explain to them we'd have to move on but if things were to go wrong it is 100 percent possible.

"Well if things go wrong am I allowed to kill him?" Harry asks out of nowhere. Both Eden and I shoot him a surprised look.

"Why?" Eden gasps.

"Why not? He always puts himself first so it will be my first order of duty to put him down." Harry asserts.

"No, Harry, you can't 'put him down'! He's not a dog!" I argue.

"I thought you would understand, you of all people who had to endure the most shit from him." Harry mumbles under his breath.

"There were times when he was like a father to me, I couldn't let you kill him." I admit, "I know you hate him but I just can't."

"Well if you like him so much," Harry removes the gun from his pants, "why don't you kill him then?"

"Harry!" Eden shouts at him.

"No it's fine, Eden." I say breathing hard, "If it comes to that I will. But I don't need your gun to do it, I have my own."

Suddenly Will bursts into the room where the three of us are sitting. It looks like Eden was about to say something but it will have to wait.

"There you are." Will sighs in relief.

"They're ready out there?" I ask standing up.

"Yeah." He nods his head.

"Okay," I say starting to leave before I turn back to Eden and Harry, "you guys know the plan right?"

"Yes." Harry grumbles.

"And you've got what to do if things go south?" I ask again.

"Yes," Eden confirms. I nod my head and leave the room, "Be safe." She calls out after us. You too, Eden.

+ + +

"How come that nutbag isn't with us?" I ask Will as he opens the middle school door for me. We are off to turn off the solar panels on top of the school so that any malfunctions with the power won't attract the herd into the school. Professor Roberts is as good of a candidate as any to come help us with turning the power off and Will had gotten him to commit to that and yet, he's not here with us.

"He said he found a breakthrough on the cure and couldn't help us with this. But he also said, 'knowing Rachael, she won't need my help.'" Will responds.

"What a nutball." I know I told Harry I wouldn't kill Roberts but that doesn't mean I have any respect for him anymore. He really hit the peak of crazy when he struck that deal with me over Laina's body and had the audacity to 'comfort' Harry. I wish he just butted out of things sometimes so that I didn't have to blow up on him constantly.

"Are you ready?" Will asks me, clearly nervous from the shake in his voice and the way he slouches down.

"As ready as any 15 year old faced with this situation would be." I respond, trying my best to comfort him.

"Why would you say that?" he complains.

"What? That wasn't helpful? That didn't make you think 'wow, I'm just as good as Rachael. The chances of me fucking up is equal to the chances of her fucking up'? That wasn't inspiring enough, Will?"

"Well now that you put it that way...no. You think I think you're better than me? Get off your high horse."

"Shut up, I know you think that I'm stronger than you. But you're wrong, you don't have to be a tough guy on a roof with a rifle to be strong," I pull him in close in the dark stairwell, "you just have to be able to survive."

Our eyes meet, but we can barely see them just the glare that comes from the light above. He pulls me in for a kiss, more strong and lovingly than all of our kisses previous; it makes me feel that he thinks I'll really die from electrocution cutting the power.

"I love you." He whispers.

"I'm not dying, you don't have to tell me that." I say, slightly pissed but only slightly.

"That's not what I meant, Rachael." He tries to apologize.

"No, it's fine. Let's just do this." I say turning to walk the rest of the way down the stairs.

"Right." He swallows and follows me down.

Despite it being the basement it continues to be pretty light down here. All the flashing lights warning us of what is dangerous, but I turn my flashlight on anyway as does Will. After a short hunt we find the panel and unlock it.

"Can you pass me pliers?" I ask putting my hand out.

"The power will be going out in one minute." Will says into the walkie handing me the pliers.

I snip the red wire like I read in the handbook, then slowly snip the blue wire. The caution lights flicker and turn off behind us; Will lifts his flashlight so I can continue to do my job. I start to cut at the green wire when I hear an echo of a shot from the top of the building. The sudden sound shocks Will who drops his flashlight.

"Damnit!" He swears. I start to get up from my job but he motions for me to stay, "I'll check it out, you need to finish this." He tells me running off up the stairs.

"Wait!" I yell with my flashlight in my mouth. I quickly cut the green wire successfully and press the button shutting off the solar panels and the school power. I slam the box shut and run up the stairs after Will. I sprint up three flights of steps till I realize that I can't get to the roof from the main stairwell in the middle school. I exit the stairwell and hear another shot being fired from the roof. I turn to look out the window and see that the herd is too close to stop this. I grab my walkie and speak into it, "Somebody close get Eden and Harry from K102 and tell them it's time. Get the plan, clear people out, get out of here."

"What's going on?" Jeffery shouts from the walkie.

"I don't know, but forget the plan. We're compromised and we're getting out of here." I say clicking the walkie off. I run up to the roof to see Tom and Will struggling over a rifle. I jump over the gate and run over to him pulling out my gun, "Let go, prick."

"No way in hell, we're doomed and we have to fight!" Tom says still fighting Will over the gun.

"If you had gotten your stupid ass in the cafeteria this morning instead of sulking alone then you would've know there was already a plan." I yell aiming for his head.

"What? To evacuate people? 'Cause that's what I'm seein'!" I look over the roof and see Harry and a couple of others running down from the high school to get people out of the middle school, "I'm not abandoning this place without a fight." He screams back.

"If it wasn't for you then we wouldn't have to leave!" I hollar.

Tom seems to have heard enough and kicks Will in the crotch, but he doesn't let go. Will pulls the rifle out in front of them despite still not having full control over the gun. Tom holds the trigger and elbows Will in the side pulling the trigger back in the process. I let my gun drop in disbelief as a bullet hurdles straight for me. Everything seems to move in slow-motion as it gets closer and closer. Will falls to the ground ever so slowly as Tom's face turns from angry to scared. Time returns to its normal speed as the bullet hits my face and tears my skin open; things go dark quickly though.