The dark warehouse had been quick to light up with bullets as the geeky masked men dropped like flies.
"W— WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?"
Seba— Sheldon stammered. Through my swollen eye, I was able to make out the individual causing the commotion.
Well, individuals plural.
They had been geared in what seemed like makeshift cammo, shades of green flashing with each bullet fired.
Were those….soldiers?
Holy shit.
Holy actual shit.
Was I finally getting saved!?!
Ah, maybe not.
Their balaclavas didn't match. Their gear was all over the place. If they weren't soldiers, the next best thing was—what? Freedom fighters? Mercs? In this apocalyptic setting, I couldn't be too far off.
Then I caught it—a glimpse of short dark hair. They didn't have a mask like the others.
Wait…Do my eyes deceive me?
Fucking Aubrey!?!?
Hell fucking no. I refused to be saved by that fucking ass wipe. Even with my pain, for the first time since I got here, I genuinely started struggling to get free like a rabid animal, even with the ropes tight against my limbs.
That's how much I hated her.
Lila, of course, had the opposite reaction. Her eyes went wide the moment she saw that stupid septum piercing, the half-finished tattoos, the anti-eyebrow piercing, the eyeliner. They'd been besties—no, "bench and ass"—since middle school.
"Put the gun down, Samuel."
Aubrey leveled her weapon at Sheldon as the last of his known active goons hit the floor.
"IT'S FUCKING SHELDON, DAMN YOU!!!"
He squeaked.
"And why the hell would I!? You came for them, didn't you?!"
Sheldon raised his own gun at her. Aubrey raised an eyebrow, the masked individuals behind her raising their guns in unison. Ak-47s, smith and wessons, you name it.
Oh boy.
Sheldon's hands shook. Psycho disease or not, whatever the rage virus did to him, I guess he was still a punk.
Should've killed me when you had the chance, moron.
"See that fuckwad behind you?"
Aubrey cocked her chin toward me. My eyes visibly darkened.
"I hate his guts. I bet he hates mine too. I'm definitely not here to save him. I just want you to put the gun down. This doesn't have to get ugly."
Sheldon's face scrunched. Tears fell—angry, ugly ones. Snot dangled from his nose as frustration began to boil over.
"Screw you, bitch! You killed all my friends!!"
He barely tightened his finger on the trigger before—
BANG.
The shot wasn't his.
Sheldon hit the ground like a sack of rotten meat. The smell iron and gunpowder hit me as blood spilled just inches before me.
My stomach twisted. I couldn't close my eyes in time.
Smoke curled from the end of Aubrey's revolver. She slid it back into her holster with a calmness that made my stomach twist. Was this the same Aubrey? When did she become so—?
"You look like shit, Carter."
The words slapped me out of my trance. My brows pulled together.
"Piss off."
She ignored me, cutting her eyes before flickering to Lila. One of the masked individuals had been cutting her restrains off with an army knife. I wonder if they noticed I was here too. My blood circulation was damn near shutting off.
Oh God. Here we go.
The second she was free, Lila launched herself at Aubrey with a hug, nearly knocking her backward. Aubrey's smile was as wide as ever. Ugh, Sheldon should've fucking killed me.
"Good to see you're okay, Lily."
Lily. She keeps fucking calling her that. It's Lila, damn it.
"I can't believe you're still alive!?!? How did you find us—!?"
"I'll explain later. Right now, we should probably leave."
Aubrey turned towards her masked crew.
"Clear the area. Dont leave anyone alive. After that, we're done here."
I felt a sharp knife cutting through the ropes of my restraints. Blood flowed in my hands and feet faster than I could think, tingling with a strange sensation. I finally got up— rubbing my wrists.
About fucking time.
Lila and I both began to follow Aubrey's lead in a staggered line as she and her mismatched soldiers began to check every crevice, corner and room in the warehouse— checking for any of Sheldon's goons that remained.
Well, Lila followed. I just walked.
Every few steps, someone barked "Clear," and another echoed it from deeper inside the warehouse. Shell casings crunched under our shoes like brittle bones. The air smelled like gunpowder and rust.
Lila's eyes drifted to me. Soft. Hopeful. Then the smile came.
I didn't smile back.
She didn't get to look at me like that. Not after what had happened. Not after what I saw.
I remembered her red eyes. Her rabid expression. The inhuman threats. That was Lila. Not…whatever bullshit facade she pulled a few hours ago.
Damn it, I'm such an idiot. Mrs. Graham's words began to tip-toe in my brain like it was a thief. If she got too close to me, she was gonna kill me. I was sure of that now.
Her steps faltered. Only slightly. She tried to brush it off, brushing her fingers against my sleeve like she wanted to hook her pinky around it.
Instinct yanked me backwards.
Her hand hung in the air for a second before she curled her fingers into a fist.
The smile on her face died slow — like someone blowing out a candle but the smoke keeps rising long after.
She looked like I'd shot her. I tried not to let the guilt sting me.
Aubrey was a few paces ahead, her gaze focused on us. Her expression was neutral— but with a hint of something deeper that I couldn't put my finger on.
"Keep up," she muttered.
We kept walking, Lila dragging herself a step behind me now, her boots quieter, her breathing shaky. Even with the gunfire gone, even with the warehouse mostly cleared, the tension clung to us like glue.
There was a moment of silence, before Aubrey broke it.
"So," she began— "What do you two know about the shit that's infecting everyone so far?"
"It like—..makes people crazy and want to kill each other…I guess."
Lila stayed quiet. Aubrey's gaze lingered on her for a brief moment, before cutting back to me.
"For the first time you're right, Carter. However, that's just the tip of the iceberg."
I would've covered my ears if I hadn't been so curious.
"The infected may act crazy, but they're still sentient. They aren't zombies— they're just like us…but with an unnaturally strong desire to act off of twisted emotions and impulse."
"Meaning—?"
"Meaning that every dork you bullied, every bitch you've cheated on, every poor soul you've pissed off— they're probably after you right now. Just like tubby over there."
I stopped in my tracks, stunned at what Aubrey had just said. What the hell was her problem—!?!?
"Look, I don't know what fucking persona you have of me in your head but it's not—"
"Aubrey— It sounds like someone's in there."
She was quick to disregard me as one of her soldiers caught her attention. Her eyes flickered to the door of a room.
That's when I heard it.
Small, wet, and shaky sobs. Definitely didn't sound like a cold blooded killer threat to me.
Aubrey lifted a fist, signaling her crew back. They moved without a word, like shadows peeling away from the walls, rifles leveled. Lila clutched her own arms, hovering too close to me. I ignored her.
CRACK—
Her boot slammed into the door so hard the hinges screamed. The whole thing bounced off the wall and recoiled in response.
Dust coughed out into the room. The sobs grew into a sharp, pathetic shreik.
Aubrey's silhouette cut through the clouds of debris, the rest of her men following. Her gun was raised towards a figure who had already had their hands up, shaking.
They were masked— just like Sheldon's friends.
My eyebrow raised.
"I swear I'm not with them! I promise—! They said they'd kill me if I never came along with them!!"
Their voice cracked under the mask, warped and breathless. It bounced off the metal walls, more pathetic than threatening.
Aubrey didn't flinch.
"Drop any kind of weapons you have on you. Now."
Her tone could've frozen boiling water.
The person scrambled like they couldn't get the shit off fast enough. Knives clattered to the floor first. Then another. Then a grenade—why the hell did they have a grenade?—then two more knives, then a pistol strapped to their hip.
I blinked.
…What the actual hell?
I'm so glad they didn't have the balls to use any of that shit, because I'd be dead six times over.
"And I'm not infected either— I'm— I'm clean. I swear I can prove it."
Aubrey raised her chin, eyes sharp enough to peel skin.
"The mask,"
A beat passed.
"Take it off. Now."
The room felt like it shrunk at those words. My eyes glinted with curiosity.
The stranger's gloved fingers trembled as they reached up.
Touched the edge of the mask.
Hesitated like they knew this was the moment that'd decide if they lived or got a bullet through the skull.
My own pulse ticked louder.
if those eyes flashed red— if they twitched wrong, I was sure this new Aubrey wouldn't wait.
The straps loosened.
A shaky inhale.
Then, slowly—
They pulled the mask up.