Caught In The Crossfire//A 10k Story

Chapter 26

"Do you think it will hold?" Doc asked as he rubbed his beard with one hand. Warren walked over to the bridge and looked it over.

We had stopped in a golf course but a bridge over a small stream was the only way to get the truck over to the clubhouse. The fields stretched out as far as I could see, flagpoles and sandpits littered the landscape.

"Only one way to find out," I laughed as I ran past Warren and started to jump up and down on the wood. Doc joined me and we both started to laugh. "Looks like it should hold," 10k chuckled as he watched me with a twinkle in his eye.

I looked over to him and grinned. He smirked at me and lifted his hand for me to take. I jogged over and gladly wrapped my hand in his. He squeezed it reassuringly and I leaned into him.

We pulled up outside of the building and Murphy began to make golf puns. I shook my head and tutted. "If he wanted to be a profestional golfer, you could say he had a driving ambition," 10k mumbled next to me and laughed at his own joke. I looked up at him with wide eyes, giving him my best 'really, you had to' look. He blushed slightly, embarrassed, and smiled sheepishly before turning back to scan the fields.

Murphy started to mess around, playing gold and earning a disapproving look from Warren while the rest of us checked the perimeter of the building. I let my eyes dance over the area. I saw a stumbling Z emerge from behind a hill. I stood up and aimed my rifle, 10k looked over and saw it too but he stayed seated.

I held my breath and started to squeeze the trigger but stopped quickly when more shapes dopily follow behind it. "Oh shit! Time to go guys," I shouted and turned around to see more Z's attacking from behind the old clubhouse.

10k whipped his sniper off of his back and started to fire at the Z's. I followed suite and took down the ones closest to Doc. He nodded a quick thanks before returning to the slaughter. "Quick everyone inside!" Warren ordered, holding the door open for us.

We all piled in and Warren slammed the door shut, flipping the lock. "Where's Murphy?" Doc sighed and I looked up. I scanned around but he was no where to be seen. Thankfully, everyone else was here. Leave it to Murphy to cause a problem.

My back straightened when the door started to splinter. "Well where ever he is, is a whole lot safer than us! C'mon," I stated with a shaky voice and pushed Doc and 10k towards the toilets while waiting behind for Warren.

She smiled weakly and rushed in. Just as I stepped through the bathroom door, the main door cracked open, Z's flooding the room. I was dragged forward and Warren smashed the door to the frame, leaning against it to stop the Z's.

Doc helped her and I shimmied in between them, pressing my back against the door. 10k was taller then Warren and I, and the same size as Doc, so he leaned over me to push on the door.

He looked into my eyes and I saw something I hadn't seen in them since I was almost bit. Terror. I smiled half heartedly and kissed him quickly. I ignored the eye rolls from Warren and the sneaky smile that Doc failed to hide.

The door kept bucking us forward, allowing the door to open a sliver. This is it, we were all going to die, right here, right now. We were going to be ripped to shreds by the undead and no one was here to help us. All these years of surviving this shit, and for what? To die in the middle of a golf course because some jackass wanted to take a break. I bet Murphy wouldn't even feel guilty for getting us all killed.

I closed my eyes tightly and waited, it was only a matter of time before they over powered us. I told myself not to think like that. I mentally battled with myself before I sighed deeply and pushed all my energy into the door. It closed the smallest bit but that was all it took for hope to over take my nerves. "Come on guys we got this!" I shouted with encouragement over the loud snarls and moans.

I looked at 10k. He was still staring at me with a determined look on his face. Loud gunshots fired from outside. I smiled wide, we weren't going to die today! There were more gunshots then voices.

The weight on the other side of the door lifted and we stood up straight, looking at each other. "That didn't sound like Murphy," Doc whispered and Warren opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off. "Y'all can come out now, no more monsters to getcha. We aint gonna hurt ya either," A man called out.

"Murphy or not they just saved our asses!" I whisper shouted at Doc before Warren nodded, turning to the door.

The next hour was filled with conversations, laughter, food and drinks. 10k and I hadn't drunk anything so far, 10k didn't want to be drunk or even tipsy if there were Z's roaming around.

We sat there awkwardly while the new comers tried to convince Warren to take a drink. Doc was on watch outside so one of the strangers took him a drink and some food.

"Take a drink 10 cent," Murphy jabbed and pushed a drink in front of him. "You too sweetheart," He smirked at me and passed me a drink. 10k stopped playing with the bracelet on my wrist and glared at him, scowling. I touched 10k's thigh reassuringly under the table and he snapped his head towards me, instantly his face softened when he saw my soft smile.

10k hated Murphy but when he said shit like that to me, it made his blood boil. He thought Murphy liked me but I told him he was being silly, I had to reassure him whenever Murphy acted up to stop his jealousy. 10k said he was scared in case he wasn't good enough for me. I was upset when he said this a few weeks ago because he was everything I needed.

I shook my head slightly to stop this train of thought and I picked up the glass, swishing the contents around a little.

"C'mon babe what the worst that could happen from one sip," I tried to sound happy with the forced actions. I had a bad experience with alcohol when I was younger and I have stayed away from the stuff since then. But I had to act like it was fine, something about these people didn't seem right and it was putting me on edge. 10k took a sip and I did the same. Murphy cheered and patted 10k on the back and smiled at me.

The chatting continue for a while before I started to feel drowsy. It was strange, I had a decent sleep last night and the night before that. I yawned and 10k looked at me. "Hey, you okay?" He whispered into my ear, clearly noticing the change in my mood. I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just a lightweight but I feel drowsy after my drink," I whispered back leaning on his shoulder and linking my arm with his. He suddenly tensed. "I don't think its your ability to drink, I'm starting to feel drowsy too. Warren was yawning a few minutes ago as well,".

I sat up straight and unlinked our arms. I looked at him wide eyed and he nodded towards Warren. "Oh um Warren can I speak to you?" I asked and stood up. My head spun and I braced myself on the table.

"Hey, Jaime are you okay?" Murphy asked standing up to help me. My head was still spinning and my eyes slowly shut. "I'm o-o-okay," I slurred before collapsing onto the floor, everything turning black around me.