RU in? - 1st novel in the Ruinsaga series

Chapter 25 .

Tanner

There were smears of blood along the asphalt and along the vehicles as we made our way back to the nearest town. I pretended I didn't notice the severed fingers near the tires of a car. I wasn't sure if the others saw them and just pretended not to or if the others really didn't see them. Tension was in the air as we watched our surroundings for any sign of the zombies. We were silent except for our footsteps. We paused when we came upon the off ramp.

There had been an accident here. Several cars were smashed together. Some of them still had bodies inside. We didn't get too close, but since the bodies were still and there were no zombie groans, I figured they were truly dead and not undead. Until there was tapping on one of the car windows. In one of the backseats of a heavily damaged car were two girls. They looked similar in age to Mackenzie and it tore at my heart. The older one - she seemed slightly older than Mackenzie, but younger than Lily - had dried blood on her forehead. The younger one who I guessed was Mackenzie's age, had a large, bloody scrape on her chin. There were unmoving bodies in the passenger's and driver's seat in the front. The girls were both crying as they tapped on the window. The driver's side of the car was completely smashed against another car. The girls couldn't get out that way. And the back door on the passenger side was bent inwards as if another car had hit it. There was a rolled over SUV not too far away. Maybe it had hit their car and rolled away, or maybe it had hit their door in the process of rolling away.

I didn't realize I moved towards them until Connor grabbed my forearm. "Where are you going?"

"Shh," several of those around us shushed him.

There was a zombie groan somewhere in the distance. It was greeted by several others. They were all at a distance, but it was only a matter of time until they would arrive here to investigate the talking.

I pointed to the girls in the car. We had to hurry and get them out. Connor released my arm and whispered, "Hurry."

I sprinted to the car and tried the door handle. It wouldn't open. I tried the front passenger door. I figured it was better for them to crawl over their dead mother than remain in that backseat. However, the front door wouldn't open either. Their brown eyes stared up at me by the glass, hopeful, imploring me to help them. I motioned for them to scoot back and held up my bat. They scooted to the other side. I readied the bat and swung as hard as I could. The glass shattered and broke inwards. A hole formed in the glass, but not big enough for the girls to fit through and the shards still sticking up would be dangerous for them. I hit the glass again and got rid of the shards sticking out. There were zombie groans all around us now and getting closer.

"Hurry," Camila urged.

Grace and Todd were directly behind me now ready to help.

"Come on," I said and waved to the girl that looked to be Mackenzie's age. She reached for me and I carefully helped her out of the car window with Todd and Grace's help.

Grace took her hand when she was out and on her feet. Together they went to stand next to Camila, but the little girl watched anxiously from that distance as I pulled her older sister out of the car. The older sister's dark skin had an ashen sheen to it.

Her leg hit the car frame and she screamed. Several zombies groaned loudly in reply. It was only then that I noticed her leg was twisted. Broken. I waved Connor over because honestly, he hadn't been much help against the zombies yet. I trusted anyone else to defend us against the zombies over him. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, he had just frozen every time.

"Carry her on your back," I said. "Her leg is broken."

Connor turned his back and crouched slightly. I helped her get on his back just as a zombie came into view from further up the freeway. He groaned loudly as if to alert other zombies. And other zombies answered him. He rushed us. Grace swung her bow off her back, cocked an arrow and let it fly. It embedded directly into the zombie's forehead.