The Dead Rise

Chapter 43

**A Week of Walking in the Woods Later**
They had just crossed over the Colorado/Nebraska border and it was starting to get dark so they found a house to hold up in. Everyone was sitting in the dark living room of the two story house.
"Where are we going?" Skylar asked
"I've put some thought into that and I know it's gonna be a long and difficult trip but if we find a car I think we can make it to D.C." Carter said
"What's in D.C?" Marcus asked
"There's this place called the Center for Scientific Investigations, if anyone important is still tanking and fighting this thing it'll be them." Carter said
"Sounds good to me." Skylar said
Marcus nodded
"Sound good to you two? You may be younger but you still have a say." Carter said looking at Noah and Jake
"Works for us." Noah said with Jake nodding
"Ok everyone we need to get some good sleep tonight and tomorrow we will look for a car and start heading that way." Carter said
Everyone went upstairs and laid down due to the lack of beds Noah and Jake had to share. Noah couldn't sleep he was facing away from Jake when he felt him get up and walk out of the room. He got up and sneakily followed he watched Jake open the window and climb out when he got further away Noah did the same. He followed far back as Jake went into the woods, Jake stabbed a zed and walked some more. He sat up against a tree, Noah stopped and watched and he saw Jake crying. He walked over to Jake and sat next to him.
"Couldn't sleep?" Noah asked
"No" Jake said
"Neither could I." Noah said
"Why not?" Jake asked
"You first." Noah said
"Being out here like this reminds me of when my mom and dad died.... we were on the road since the very start and never really got to settle down. They knew I was good at motocross and figured that I'd be good at riding a dirtbike into places and coming out quickly. So we went to the motorsports shop in Denver where dad had recently traded in his old bike, the doors were locked so we broke the glass. We ran in and what was a salesman jumped out and bit my mom in the shoulder. I saw it happen, I couldn't stop it, I didn't even try.... so we grabbed a dirtbike and I rode back to the house we were holed up in. My mom and dad got there shortly after and dad carried Mom upstairs, she was pale almost like a ghost and very sweaty. They went into a room and told me to go to sleep. When I woke up the next morning all I heard were moans and slaps on the door. I noticed a note on the floor my dad wrote it, it said 'You can beat this, I know you can. Just don't be a afraid to do what you have to, unlike me.' I opened the door and shot them both with my revolver." Jake said crying
"I'm sorry. My mom died at the start, zeds took over our first camp." Noah said
"Sorry. Why couldn't you sleep?" Jake asked
Noah stood up and put out his hand to pull Jake up.
"Because you couldn't." Noah said
Jake hugged Noah tightly.
"Let's go get you a new dirt bike." Noah said
"What?" Jake asked
"I saw a sign for a dirt bike shop in this town." Noah said
They walked into town and walked into the dirt bike shop, Jake walked up to a Yamaha YZ450 he started it up and alarms in the building started going off. He drove the bike to the door and it didn't open. They could see zeds coming through the darkness.
He drove over to the window and got off.
"This is gonna hurt like hell." Jake said
"What?" Noah asked
Jake punched the window as hard as he could cracking the whole thing.
"Ah shit!" He yelled
"Are you ok?" Noah asked
"I think I broke my hand." Jake said
Noah kicked the glass shattering it. They both got on the dirt bike and drove back to the house. They climbed back through the window.
"Sit at the table and put your hand out on it." Noah said
"What?" Jake asked
"My dad taught me a small amount of medical training." Noah said
Noah grabbed some medical wrap and wrapped Jakes hand tightly.
"Don't move it to much, I don't think it's broken maybe fractured." Noah said
"Well thanks doc." Jake said
"Anytime." Noah said
They both went back up stairs and laid in bed and fell asleep.