The Outbreak Chronicles Book Two Crisis Ties

Chapter 18

Leo wanted to get going at once since we didn't have many supplies with us. He also did not want to call in to Sam. Drew agreed that Sam was more likely to stay put and safe if he thought they were still at the barn.

I didn't want Sam risking himself again to come for me, but at the same time if something did happen to us while we were out there Sam had no way to even know we had left and he might try to get to us after not hearing from us for a period of time. Drew felt it was worth the risk, he believed if something did happen to us and Sam didn't hear from us he'd give us up as dead.

"Everything will be fine." Aaron told me as Leo led the way to the fenced path.

"I just feel weird being out in the open and I feel like we're sneaking out behind Sam's back." I said.

"I know I feel like that too, but we don't want him playing hero."

"True, do you think we'll make it to the zone?"

"We've made it this far and that's already further than I thought we would." Aaron said.

We entered the fenced path leading past the horde. A few of them were close enough to notice us and threw themselves at the fence. It was one of those commercial chain link fences with the angled poles at top holding barbed wire, and it swayed under the impact of the bodies, Leo stopped and watched it.

"We're going to have to keep moving, too many of them doing that and this fence is coming down." He said and started moving at a brisk pace.

Aaron kept me in front of him, every time a Red Eye hit the fence I jumped.

"The fence is going to come down." Aaron said.

We were drawing a crowd to us and the fence was swaying violently, curving inwards in some parts. It wasn't just the parts we were passing they were ahead of, behind us, and keeping pace with us. They were everywhere and all that separated us from their infectious bite was a chain link fence that was not up for the task.

"We should make a run for it and go back to the barn." Aaron called to Leo.

"No we're closer to the pasture than the barn right now, just keep moving." Leo called back and stepped up the pace again.

"Move it." Aaron told me as I jumped away from the fence again.

Somehow he had gotten ahead of me and was pulling me as he ran. The fence was collapsing under the weight of the Red Eyes. Looking back the way we came looked a lot like those wave pictures surfers liked to take where you can see at the very end its collapsing into itself again. I was watching the fence hit the ground, chasing us to the pasture.

I tripped and Aaron lost his grip on me as I sprawled out on the ground. The fence swayed down to me and one of the poles holding the barbed wire went into my skin above my hip.

I felt the searing pain of it piercing me and the ripping of my flesh as Aaron yanked me out from under the fence. We were running again before I could even say I was hurt. We had to beat the fence falling down if we were going to have any chance of escaping the Red Eyes that were now desperate to get to us. My blood pumping out of the gash on my side was not helping us at all.

"Aaron I can't run anymore." I gasped as I started to fall.

"Oh shit." Aaron said as he saw the blood for the first time. He scooped me up over his shoulders in a fireman's carry and kept running to catch up with Leo and Drew.

"What happened?" Drew asked.

"Ask later. Run now." Leo told him.

He yanked him with as he led the way to the pasture. He kept running heading for a building built into the hill we were going to have to go over to get to the safe zone. Drew noticed where they were heading and pulled ahead to get the door open. I had to close my eyes; Aaron's running was making the world bounce and was making me feel sick.