Mein Liebling

Untitled Part 2

You hear footsteps behind your own and know the men are following, they didn't exactly have a choice, but... you have no idea where you're going.

Lungs burning, and heart ready to burst from your chest, the tunnel finally opens into a large grassy field. Quickly, you slide down, resting on one knee and spinning to face the tunnel opening, brining your rifle up. And wait...

The men run through the opening soon after, each skidding to a halt at the sight of you.

"What the fuck are you standing there for?" You yell out to them, which seems to make them realize what you're doing.

In seconds, they're all at your sides, forming a line in similar stances.

The first of the undead stumble out, moaning that earie and familiar sound they all like to make, and then countless flow out, speeding toward you.

No one wastes time in opening fire on the steadily growing number of undead, but it doesn't seem to be thinning them out at all. Each one you take down seems to be replaced by five more funneling out of the opening.

"Run for it!" You yell at the others, hoping they hear you over the roaring sounds of the hoard and gunfire.

One by one, they pick up and turn to fall back, until it's just you and Dempsey.

"I'll cover, just go." You call out to him, but he seems hesitant. "Just fucking go, I'll be right behind you."

He nods curtly, taking a few last shots before running after the others.

Standing, you slowly make your way back, waiting until you no longer hear any footsteps behind you in hopes that the others are already clear as you continue to reload, wanting to take out as many undead as you can before making a run for it yourself.

You reach down for another mag, but find only empty belt space. "Shit." You mutter under your breath, taking out your handgun to headshot one undead who was getting too close before turning on your heel and sprinting in the opposite direction.

It doesn't take long to see a large building in the distance, and you can just make out the flicker of what seems to be a single flashlight. The men must have stopped to wait for you there, but... the hoard is too close behind you, and you're leading it right to them. It would be a slaughter, there's no way you had enough ammo to last through a group of undead this size.

"Fuck." You breathe out, coming to a jog, then a walk, and finally stopping entirely. Even though you're close enough to faintly make out the men's figures, you know this is as far as you can go... You're not sure why they were brought here, or why Samantha needed your blood to do it, but if there's any hope in saving this world, you know it lies with them.

Taking a deep, unsteady breath, you turn and run back towards the hoard, hearing the men yelling behind you, but unable to make out their words.

Richtofen POV:

Dempsey arrives, out of breath just like zhe rest of us, but vhere is zhe girl?

Before any of us can say anyzhing , he shpins around to look behind him. "She said she'd be right behind me dammit, where the hell is she?"

Zhe shounds of zhe undead grow louder, vhich unfortunately means zhey are getting closer. " Zhere she is." I point out into zhe distance, feeling a shense of relief for some reason.

"Wait..." Dempsey takes a shtep away from zhe building, bringing up his flashlight to try und see furzher, or perhaps just to signal zhe girl. "Why is she slowing down?"

I squint into zhe darkness, realizing zhat Dempsey is correct, zhe girl has slowed down und completely shtopped. But, she is shtill so far from us, vhat is -

Und zhen I realize vhat she must be zhinking . Zhe sound of zhe hoard is louder now, und as I take one shmall shtep forward, zhe girl turns und runs directly toward zhe undead!

"Why does she run?" Nikolai readies his rifle, shtaring into zhe darkness just as zhe rest of us do, shtraining to see or hear anyzhing.

Vith an annoyed sigh I ready mein own veapon and start off after zhe girl, vorking up to a light jog so zhat I can vatch out und be ready for any undead.

I hear zhe men behind me, doing zhe same, but just as ve find our vay to zhe edge of zhe large clearing again und see zhe girl, mein concern comes true.

Zhe girl tosses sheveral round zhings at zhe hoard before turning to run toward us again. I vas right, she vas leading zhem avay from us... but vhy risk herself? Vhy vould she-

A blast rings out, knocking us to zhe ground und forcing us to cover our faces from the debris.

She had thrown more granades zhan I had realized... vhat a clever und brave girl, but foolish.

Vhen ve are all able to shtand again, ve see zhe extent of zhe blast damage. Zhe scorched ground, zhe countless bodies of undead now... vell, dead-dead. But, vhere is zhe girl?

A shtrange panic builds in mein chest. For some reason, I am zhe first to break into a full sprint toward vhere I last saw her shtanding.

Zhe clearing is much larger zhan it had seemed before, und the shlight glimmer of dawn begins to break over zhe horizon, lighting zhe land just enough to reveal zhe entirety. Und zhankfully , zhe dead have a very... particular look to zhem , allowing me to find zhe girl razher quickly.

I slow, realizing I may have been too late. She's not moving... und I cannot tell if she is breazhing at all.

Zhe men pass me, keeping zheir full shpeed , und zhey reach her before I do. I slow to a walk, uncertain vhy I am suddenly so shcared to continue.

"Dammit Richtofen get your selfish ass over here!" Dempsey bends down und wraps his arms around her, moving as if to lift her.

" Shtop !" I call out, quickly shpeeding up und having to skid to a shtop next to her. "Do not move her!" I shove him out of zhe vay. "She could be concussed, or have broken shomezhing."

I find myself shtaring down at her face, now seeming so serene, her smooth features relaxed as zhough she is just shleeping . Shaking meinself , I hesitantly check for her pulse, und feel relief vhen I find a strong heartbeat. Quickly, I check to ensure no broken bones, und zhen cup my hand around her neck, lifting her face shlightly to see if her head had been hit.

She seems perfectly fine, perfectly...

I clear mein throat und slide mein ozher arm under her legs, lifting her in mein arms gingerly. Dempsey narrows his eyes at me, vhich I find humerous more zhan anyzhing , but I shurprise even meinself vith vhat escape mein lips. " Ve can argue about it later, Dempsey, zhe girl is more important right now."