The Dark Side

Chapter 20 - Zachary

My eyes widen. I immediately sit up, wincing as I do so, "What?" I exclaim.

Coming up the metal stairs that lead up to the Strangler's Lair is of course my father, Zachary Holland. He looks up at me and to my surprise he seems relieved. I still don't trust him though. I begin my quick struggle to stand, I yelp quietly as I get up too quickly and my wound seems to start burning again. I fix up my shirt, tugging on the hem of it quickly. Drew stands up and holds his hand against my back supportively.

"Why are you here?" I ask in a slightly aggressive manner. My father looks at me with a sad look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jessica." He says quietly as he stops in front of me. I'm quite surprised. Drew seems quite surprised as well, seeing our leader act so sympathetic and sorry. "I had been fooled by a kid that looked about both of your age. He took my place as leader through vote and kicked me out of Sector 6, but Vincent found me and told me everything." He continues.

"Everything?" I ask. Vincent nods from a little behind Zachary. "Yeah, well, not our problem. We're going North." I say sternly and grab Drew's hand, dragging him along with me.

"Jess, wait. You can't just ignore him." Drew says, stopping and turning me to face him.

"Says who?" Once he doesn't say anything after a couple seconds I turn back away and let go of his hand. "Fine. You can stay with them, but I am not listening to his crap. He's just unhappy that he isn't leader anymore and can't control what I do and where I go anymore." I quickly make my way down the metal stairs and after barely two seconds I hear them all follow me.

"Jessica, that's not true!" Zachary calls to me, "I was only acting how I did because I was worried I would lose you too." He speaks quickly. I stop in my tracks only two steps from solid ground, "When you left, I sent out search parties. And, when this guy turned up and told me he knew where you were, I was completely and utterly blind. He knew that I had a bad reputation. That I was much too harsh on everyone, so he knew he had the upper hand. He bribed me to have a vote set up over the base for him to become the new leader, and in return he was going to tell me where you were. But, he never did." Zachary explains.

All along, he was just protecting me?

I glance up behind him to Drew and I sigh, before looking back at my father, who seems like a complete mess after everything, "I-" I'm cut off by groaning from multiple zombies.

We're in a place that almost seems to have been carved out of the mountain and it has a slightly narrow entrance, so it's pretty hard to get around Hordes, but being in the area of a Strangler's Lair, of course there's got to be a Horde right out the front door of the base.

I quickly spin around and see the giant Horde is gathered in the middle of the place. I turn back to the three, "We can go towards the outskirts of the Horde and make our way around it towards the entrance, meeting each other at the entrance." I say, "Vincent, Drew, you go around that side," I point to the right side of the Horde, "Zachary, you're with me." I say. He nods and we go down the last steps of the metal staircase.

Zachary gives me a smile, "You would make the perfect leader."

I give him a small smile in return, "I prefer a smaller group. Easier to control."

"So, you only like super easy things?" Drew asks as he skips the last two steps of the staircase, Vincent follows down the last step and stands beside Zachary.

"No. I can do harder things." I say, placing my hands on my hips.

"I know, I'm just playing with you." He chuckles quietly. I punch his arm playfully and he pinches my arm.