The Exiles

Part 6

The noon sun burned hotter than ever, Bryan, Kevin, and Olivia sit on the roof starring at the dust cloud moving towards them.

No one is talking but they all know what each other are thinking, the herd is coming and they are on a roof, not the safest place to be when the sun is beating down on them.

They are already dehydrated and the heat is certainly not helping with their condition.

Bryan wipes the sweat from his brow as he stares at the dust cloud that is now maybe 500 feet away from their rooftop.

"We should be safe up here," Bryan stated but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than the two people who sit on the rooftop with him.

They hum in agreement as Bryan sits down next to Kevin, and the dark haired boy lays his hand on Bryan's.

Their eyes connect, for a second they could forget about the apocalypse, their approaching death.

Bryan wanted to tell the boy about Gabe but what's the chances of ever finding them again.

Maybe Bryan can just forget about Gabe and Olivia can forget about Eliza, they can all just be happy after the herd passes through, move on and never look back.

Bryan curses himself for even thinking about that, but also wonders what would happen if they just moved on from a this stupid small town.

The snarls now right about to be at the building, They all could see the runners their glazed over eyes as they ran to find their next meal.

Bryan felt Kevin's hand grip his tighter and he immediately laid a soft kiss on the others forehead to comfort him.

Olivia's head turned as she heard a noise, metal on metal.

The sound you hear when you hit a metal ring hit on the metal leg of a chair.

You could practically see the shiver going down each of their spines as they all slowly worked out the situation.

Bryan slowly stands and shuffles to the ladder, as he gets closer to the sound a blonde haired geek peers her scratched up face over the edge of the building.

"Fuck," Bryan curse trying to decide how to act, "They fucking climb now?"

His question not exactly directed at either of the people that now stand both at his side.

Bryan looks over his left shoulder to Kevin, his eyes find Kevin's bag.

"Kev, do you got a knife in there?" Bryan asks the black haired boy.

Kevin nods before reluctantly backing away from his position and kneeling beside his bag.

Stood in awe as the geek finally stands on the building with the trio.

Bryan stares her down unsure how to assess the situation, hoping the boy can give him a knife in time.

Bryan sighs, he can't let anyone get hurt.

He can't let Kev die, he can't let Olive die.

He lets out a menacing growl as he charges to the ghoulish creature.

His arms placed on her shoulders, her mouth biting down as she try's to get a bite of Bryan's  Ahhh neck.

He can feel her metal ring pressed against his shoulder, he pushes her but she resists.

He wants to look behind him to figure out why no one else is helping.

But looking away, even for a second could end it all right there.

All his fighting, all his sacrifices, just to be bitten on a roof top.

"God damn it," he growls under his breath as he pushes harder.

Both the geek and him close to the edge, the the realization, if this geek falls he's going with it..

"Fuck, Kev" he begs one last time hoping for another option.

He hears no response over the snarls of the decomposing corpse in front of him.

A gunshot fires off and the geek falls to the floor before falling off the side of the building.

Bryan gasps for a breath of air as he looks to see Kevin's arms up with a pistol is his grasp.

"3690" Kevin softly gasps as his arms fall to his side.

Bryan's eyes soon fall on Olivia also struggling to keep a geek back. 

She in the same position Bryan previously in, Bryan looks a round before squeaking out, "Kev?"

Bryan already knew the last bullet was used to save him.

"God damn it" Bryan yells as he runs over to Kevin's bag that lays completely empty everything scattered on the roof.

Bryan falls to his knees and digs through the fabric and cans that lay on the roof, desperately trying to find something to help.

His hands find a hatchet, surprisingly clean.

As he grabs it and turns to attack the geek he hears a whimpered scream.

He turns to see the geeks biting in to Olivia's arm.

Bryan lets out a pained scream as he runs over, swinging the hatchet at Olivia's arm.

But it being stopped at the bone, he lifts his arms again, swinging it through her arm.

He kicks the geek and watches it fall to the ground.

He sighs as the hatchet falls to the ground but soon coming back to reality as he hears another a pained whimper leave Olivia's mouth.

Both he and Kevin rush to her side, Kevin begins to rip the fabric of his shirt and rap it around the now nub where her hand once was.

Kevin then let's out "the side pocket."

Bryan scrambles to his feet and rushes over to the bag.

Ripping open the side pocket he finds a bottle of pills.

He rushes back to Kevin's side after grabbing a half drunken bottle of water.

His eyes fall to Olivia's face, sweat dipping down her forehead and her eyes shut.