Flesh Eaters

Pack Mentality

Chapter 24 - Pack Mentality

*Murphy's POV*

"Let the fuck go of me," I curse as I throw a punch.

My fist collides with the mans jaw. He stumbles backward, grabbing at his now bruised face. Before I even get a chance to run another man sends a punch to my gut. I fall to my knees doubled over in pain. The knife wound throbs with fresh pain. Before I even recover from the blow a shoe collides with the side of my head causing me to fall onto my side. My vision blurs from the kick but still I struggle to stand again.

"The fucker wants more," A voice says.

A hand grabs a fist full of hair on top of my head and pulls me to my feet. I grit my teeth and claw at the hand while kicking out blindly with my feet. My foot smashes into the person pulling my hair. The hand releases and I fall to my hands and knees again.

Quickly, I scramble to my feet. The first man I punched stands in front of me. Fresh blood stains his lips. Must have knocked some teeth out, I figure. I raise my fists as my second attacker comes into view.

Behind me I hear Baird fighting with somebody who shouts angrily. Rabid barks from excited dogs echo around. Panicked shouts fill the air. A fist collides with my face as I send a punch into someones stomach. And then...

BOOM!

Everything stops. The shouts, the dogs barks, the punches being thrown, and Hopes cries.

I fall back down to the ground with a heavy thud. As I gasp in pain a single scream pierces the silence.

"NOOO! YOUR A MONSTER! YOUR A FUCKING MONSTER!"

Through my blurred vision I see Grey screaming and clawing at a man who holds her back. In front of her stands the groups leader. In his arms he holds a bundle of bloody blankets. Carelessly he drops them exposing the lifeless body of Hope.

"No," I growl as I struggle to get to my feet again.

"Restrain them," the groups leader commands. "We need to move on, eaters won't be absent for long."

Before I can react a hand grapes my shirt and pulls me to my feet. I come face to face with the first man I punched.

He cracks a grin, exposing the bloody gapes I made in his mouth. "Night crossbow," he spits before his fist collides with my face.

Sharp pain sparks and then, there's nothing.

**********

I wake to my face and gut throbbing. I slowly lift my head and open my eyes. My left eye refuses to completely open telling me it's swollen. I attempt to move my hands only to find them tied behind me.

Looking around I find Grey tied and unconscious next to me. Her head hangs down with her hair covering her face. As far as I can see she appears to be unharmed.

I continue scanning my surroundings and find a dog sitting at my feet. It stares at me, tongue hanging out of its mouth. It wags it's bushy brown tail excitedly as it realizes I'm awake.

"Arnett," a voice booms. "Komm."

The dog quickly stands and races off towards the voice. I watch as it disappears behind a tree.

"Obedient aren't they."

I snap my head toward the new voice. The leader of the group stands a few feet away, seemingly unarmed. His cold eyes stare in the direction the dog ran before they settle on me.

He makes his way over to a smoldering pile of wood. "Don't you wish people were as obedient as a well trained dog," he asks as he crouches down. He drops a small log in the glowing ashes and looks over to me. When I remain silent he nods and stands. "Course if people were obedient like dogs, some things just wouldn't be as fun."