Dark Running

Chapter 16

Six weeks later…

"So, how's Cynthia Rose's leg?" Beca asks her girlfriend as they both walk around the perimeter of the campus, looking for any holes or weak barriers that the infected can get through.

Chloe straightens up after checking a part of the barrier close to the ground, and turns to look at her girlfriend. "It's actually healed very nicely. All she really needs now is a bandage, and she has been strengthening it since we were able to take that old ratty cast off."

"So, she can walk on it?"

Chloe nods her head. "Yeah, but she still limps. She says it's habit and it doesn't hurt enough to limp, but I think she's just trying to take care of herself, instead of 'burdening' me," Chloe responds, complete with air quotes.

The brunette laughs, because that's exactly how Cynthia Rose would act. "And how's the rest of the infirmary?"

"Well, Fat Amy is still there from eating too much junk food. You'd think she'd have had a coronary by now. And everyone else has only come in for a cut or something, so it's no big deal." Chloe starts to walk toward the next part of the barrier while Beca trails behind her.

Beca reaches to grab Chloe's upper arm, and spins her around. "Why are we talking about everyone else, when I haven't been able to see you since we started building the barrier?"

The redhead laughs and leans down to whisper in Beca's ear, "'Cause we have to check this thing to make sure we won't be interrupted at any other time." She wrangles out of Beca's grasp and continues to check the perimeter.

Beca jogs to catch up to Chloe and she's about to try to convince her to spend some time in the shade with her, but then both of their radios go off with the sound of Cynthia Rose's voice.

"Beca!"

The brunette fumbles for the radio and pulls in out as Chloe pulls her own out to hear the conversation better. "Yeah? I'm here what's wrong?"

The voice is laced with static when it comes through again. "You need to get back here and gather everyone up."

"What? Why?"

Through the radio, they could hear sliding metal against metal and then a grunt from Cynthia Rose, and then her voice comes through, "They got in."

That's all either of the girls need to hear before Beca is running as she speaks into the radio. "Where? Maybe we can just kill them and seal up the barrier."

"No good. They came through the back and into the infirmary. There's way too many. We have to leave."

Beca wills her legs to go faster. As she gets close to the door, she talks into her radio again, "Where are you?"

She busts through the door and runs down the dorm hallways toward the back of the building, where they set up the infirmary. "Just sealed the infirmary doors."

Beca rounds the corner and sees Cynthia Rose leaning with her back against the infirmary doors looking out of breath. The doors have mop handles and metal pipes through the handles and yet the door looks like its breathing with the force of the infected trying to get through. Chloe comes into view around the corner out of breath and looking between Cynthia Rose and Beca, and then looking around the space for something.

"Where's Fat Amy?"

Cynthia Rose looks away from Chloe and at Beca, finding it easier to give the news to the leader. "She didn't make it. She was the closest to the back door, so they got her first. I barely got the doors closed."

Beca starts to back up, just when she turns around to leave, she says, "We have to get everyone and everything in the cars. NOW!"

Beca first runs to the dorms, getting everyone up and working. Next she runs to the storage room, which is just an unused dorm room. She gathers up the bags of guns and runs to the front doors, where the cars are parked, and throws the bags into the bed of her truck, and then she spins around to run back to the storage room to gather more essentials, but almost collides with Stacie, who's carrying boxes of medicine. Beca runs around Stacie, patting her on the shoulder as she goes past to show Stacie she's happy to see her alive. As Beca runs back to the storage room, she sees everyone else in there gathering up supplies and there's not much left for her to grab, so she put her hand on Chloe's shoulder to get her attention, telling her she's going to the lounge to gather up the supplies there and Chloe nods before turning back to the people in the storage room, telling them where to put what. Beca grabs her attention again and when Chloe looks back to Beca, the brunette can see all of the negative emotions in her eyes. Chloe quickly looks away, afraid to show anyone any weakness.