Chapter 10 Moving Day

I had at least two bags packed as I still planned on leaving the base. I was going to help the best I can as a leader, but still, be a friend. Jones doesn't know that I was going to be there tonight, so I don't know how he is going to feel about it. The only thing I need was the bike and that was about a good mile or two away. I know that Ace and Colt wanted to come with for parts for the garage. Soon as we have gotten everything set to leave, we headed off for Mike's Moeder Parts with the jeep. Arron entrusted Ace to drive it for this trip, but all I did was sit in the back. Thinking of what Jones was doing with the cult and why he joined them in the first place.

The Jeep roared its way out of the base and onto the roads covered with cars and rubble. Luckily that we would get there without anything knowing that we were there, but to me, it felt off. I had my bags, and I could tell that everyone else was having a hard time about me leaving. I told them before today about me leaving the base. Some of them were sad and others were pissed at me for wanting to leave the home we made together. I didn't blame them as they all went back to what they were doing. The one person I believe felt the worst about me going was Arron. He knew about the betrayal he causes me and how it affected my thoughts on leaving. All I grabbed, in the end, were two bags full of clothes, my gun, knife, and my journal.

I've written everything down about our adventures, the good and bad, and about the zombies around us. The thought of me dying wasn't great, but I at least want someone to know about what I did. The thoughts made the trip shorter than I thought as I felt the jeep come to a stop. We couldn't pass a road because of the rubble of two collapsed buildings. The rest of the trip was going to have to be on foot from now on.

"Lize," Ace said in a calm voice, "do you really want to leave?"

"Yes," I sighed, "I want to be free from being trapped in one area. I want a place of my own to relax and not be overworked."

"Jade should really lighten up on you then," he replied as Colt walked ahead of us, seeing if we must worry about anything. It was nice to talk to one of my good friends again, as we barely did when we got Hanna back. He was busy making a nursery and how he felt while working with Justin and Colt in the garage. All I know was that they were fixing up the bus for any sort of trips we will make.

"Hey, guys!" Colt called out, "I think you want to see this!"

"Coming!" we both yelled back at him as we climb to where he was at. It didn't last long as I saw one thing, I knew that could kill them in one blow, a Brute. It stood there about seven feet tall and held a stop sign in hand. There wasn't much of a way we could get around him to kill it or to sneak around it. I looked over to see one of the building's doors wide open for us to get into, but what happens if it sees one of us?

"We get in through the building," I pointed out, "but if one of us makes a noise we'll be done."

"I really starting to hate this trip," Colt cried about it. Soon as the boys climbed down slowly toward the building. In a matter of seconds, Colt slipped on the rubble and made headway down toward the ground. Ace wasn't lucky as he was pulled along with. The sound made the brute turn towards us as it stared us down with his white eyes. That wasn't the plan, but I dropped down in front of the boys.

I pulled out my gun and knife, ready for a fight to the death with it.

"Boys," I yelled, "get out of here!"

"What about you!" Ace cried back to me.

"I'll be fine," I answered, "just going to keep him out of your hair for now."

Soon as the boys left the area as I stood my ground toward the beast. The thought of death was never on my mind, but I wasn't going to let it try to kill my friends. As I ran it followed me till I could see that they had made it. I wasn't going to kill it, but I was going to make sure that it was away from the area. Running towards the clearing near the old church was all I could do with the hope that Colt and Ace were still okay. The sights of freedom were clear as day, but the ground shook as I got closer.

The air of my lungs left my body as I was thrown into the church as rock and wood flew everywhere. I pushed myself up a bit but fell right back down. My leg was broken and hadn't healed completely yet. All I did was push it back into place and move slowly to the cross with Saint Marry and her baby. The hole I was once in crumbled as the sights of the beast came in front of my eyes. His pale skin and dead white eyes came closer to me as it still held the sign in its hands. I looked up and thought of something that no God would want to see in the first place.

"Hope no God loves me," I said as it got in range of the large cross above me. Pulled out my gun and shot the lower and upper chain that was holding it. Hearing it fall toward the ground as I move away from beneath the danger zone. The crashing sound made me jump as I look over to the creature pinned down and bleeding clumps of blood. It still moved as it groaned trying to reach for my leg, but I walked away to finally reach the boys. Limping towards my goal was hard as I saw them standing by the shop with worry in their eyes.

A smile went past my lips as I hobbled over to see parts and bikes everywhere I stood. There was one that was different from all the rest of them. She was an older model with the colors black and red thought out the design. Her gas tank had two hearts, one broken and the other full. Stood in the middle of the shop filled with glory as she didn't have a home to go to now.

"What a sight," I said as I limped over to her, "she a beauty."

"A Norton Commando," Colt said with a happy smile, "that hard to find, even in the zombie apocalypse."

"Never thought you were a bike guy?" Ace laughed as he picked up some of the parts on the ground.

"I was never really into bikes," he replied, "but my dad loved them. He had toy models, and books, and even bought a bike himself. It was his baby, even if it was a new model. He would have loved this if he saw it now."

"Do you know if he is still alive?" Ace asked.

"If he was, he would be driving down the road on his bike with mom," he answered as he walked away from the bike, "But right now this bike is missing its keys and a wheel."

"That doesn't seem too bad," I answered heading for the inside the shop. "I'm voting they put them in a case or something."

"Or the owner took them with them," Colt replied.

I took his words in as I looked for the keys to the bike. Inside there were main offices for the workers to rest on break and a garage to fix and set up bikes. But to me, there wasn't much to see in the garage for anything. Soon as we walked into the main office to see a clear glass case filled with keys and stacks of papers. The sad sight was that there was blood on the walls and brain matter on the desk. The owner of the shop held a gun in his hand and a note in the other. Ace went over and picked it up and froze at what he saw. The man's last words before this whole thing happened in the first place. His body was mostly gone as bugs crawled around his body, eating what was left of him.

Ace handed the note to me, and the words shook my core.

Dear Love,

I know when you see this, it is a sight of me being dead. Bikes were my passion, and you didn't understand why I loved them so much. My father care for them for years and it was in memory of him. You hated the idea of me being gone all the time in my garage or at the bar with my coworkers. Now the thought of my father was dear to me, and now I'm going to be riding the sky with him. It's not your fault that I am dead, so when you find me here. Don't cry or bat a tear at my suffering, just remember me as the man you once loved.

Sincerely,

Your David Low

I did not know who his love is or if I should find them so they could have his last wishes. So, I pocketed the note and hope maybe I would find out who his lover was. So, they would know what had happened, but that would be if I found out who they were. All I did was opened the desk and took the keys to the bike outside. Colt was working on getting the wheel back on as we took the time to breathe before heading home. There was nothing more for me as I had to head back to Jones's home. The jeep sat there without a problem after we finished up being at the shop for what we hoped for the last time. The boys had it packed full of stuff as I had what little bags tied down on the back of the bike. Freedom was finally in my grasp as we said our goodbyes as drove away in different directions.

I never drove a motorcycle, but I was learning rather fast as I caught speed down the road. The wind in my hair made me feel so free from the others as the thought of my new home came closer. Jones said that I was free to move in with him at any time, but I didn't know if he was home or not. The closer I got to the house the sight of bodies lay on the road blooded and disfigured. When everything came to a stop was his house, lights on, and the smell of stew was in the air. I parked on the side of the road as I carefully walked towards to door, bags in arms. The thought of being home made me happy. A place I could finally be free from the stares and the comments that I should just stay home.

Knock, knock, knock. I tapped on the door, hoping that it was him and not someone else living there now. The door slowly opened and I saw his dark green eyes and short blonde hair. He was dressed in normal clothing and not his red cloak from the Blood Cult. He seemed very happy to see me at last as he grabbed a bag. Walking inside as I finally found the place, I could really call home.

"You took too long," he said with a laugh

"Thought I wasn't going to show?" I asked

"No," he replied, "but I'm glad you're here now."

"Me too," I answered as I took my boots off and placed them inside the closet, along with my coat and weapons. He had rules in place for me as my friends should never know where I am living at. All they know is that I live across town by myself as I never spoke about Jones. He seemed happy as my bags were placed in his room as he dragged me into the kitchen. Helping make dinner for that night and hopefully, it lasts a few days. His smile caught my eyes as his hands wrapped around mine, this time staying for a long while. I hated the Blood Cult, but he was different from them as he cared about who I was. I wanted to stay for the rest of my life here.

I finally found a home after a couple of years. No longer a monster in someone's eyes as they seemed to care about me the same way.