Chapter 5

“Where are you?” Megan called quietly.

At that moment, a handsome dark-haired man and a beautiful dark-skinned woman peered out for another room that was still intact. Amanda and Megan looked at each other, and then they looked at the couple.

“Where are the others?” Amanda asked, and the man swallowed hard, as he pointed to the two sinkholes that were in the floor.

“My cousin and my brother are stuck down there, man,” he cried, and Amanda and Megan looked over at the caved-in side of the apartment.

“I’m over here!” yelled someone from the far sinkhole, and immediately, Megan ran over to the edge.

Seemingly, her eyes widened as she looked at the handsome man down below. He had dark hair like the man that had told her that he was down there and they looked so much alike. This guy must have been the man’s brother. Thankfully, he was uninjured and unharmed and that he just needed help getting out of there.

“Hi,” Megan said with a charming smile.

“Hi,” he said, as he smiled back at her.

It seemed like they were having a private moment, when it was interrupted by Amanda yelling her name. She looked over and Amanda gave her a disapproving look. Megan grinned shyly and then she turned back to the man in the hole.

“I am going to get you out of there. What is your name?” she asked.

“Josh.”

“I’m Megan. Just hang tight for a minute,” she said, and then her head disappeared.

“Are you Joe?” Amanda asked the man that was standing with the woman, and the man shook his head.

“No, I am John and this is my wife, Faith. Joe is my cousin,” he introduced, and Amanda nodded.

“My name is Amanda, and of course, you heard that her name was Megan,” she said, as she pointed to Megan trying to help Josh out of the sinkhole.

Carefully, Amanda walked to the edge of the closer sinkhole and she peered over the ledge. She didn’t see anyone, but then she saw an arm that looked like it was sticking out of the rubble.

Oh, no! she thought, as she quickly looked at Megan.

“Rope!” she said, as Megan quickly pulled off her small bag that she always carried, and pulled out a thick braided rope.

At that moment, Megan quickly walked over to her as she handed her one end of the rope and as she tied it around her waist, Megan found a secure pole to tie the other end to. She spotted Amanda, as she carefully climbed down into the pit below.

Evidently, Amanda’s feet hit the bottom of the hole and she looked around. She sighed in relief when she saw that the man was not underneath a pile of rubble; he was just behind it. Immediately, Amanda untied the rope from her waist, ran over to the man and gently touched his shoulder.

“Hey,” she said softly, and the man’s head snapped up, and looked at her with wide light blue eyes.

The man had long dark hair that was flipped to the side and hung over his shoulder, and he had the most handsome face that Amanda had ever seen.

At that moment, she had recognized him from a tv show she used to watch with Eddy. Seemingly, Eddy didn’t like the character he played on the show and he had always booed him and Amanda would laugh at the jokes he made. The man was so relieved to see another person, that he unexpectedly pulled Amanda into a grateful hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her neck, and she felt tingles down her spine.

Slowly, she pulled back and she looked at him thoughtfully.

“Don’t thank me yet. We still have to get out of here,” she said, and she noticed him staring at her.

“What?”

“Why is your hair pink and purple, and what are you covered in?” he asked, as he covered his nose.

At that moment, Amanda looked down at her gore and blood-covered clothes and she huffed a laugh, as she looked back up at him.

“Yeah, we can talk about that later,” she said, as she gritted her teeth, and then she noticed that his arm was bandaged.

Immediately, she pulled her hand gun and she pointed it at him. Shocked, he put his hands up defensively and looked at her.

“Have you been bitten?” she asked, as she aimed her gun straight at his head.

For a moment, he looked at her oddly and then he looked down at his bandaged arm.

“What? No!” he said, as he looked back up at her.

“I need stitches. I cut it open last night,” he explained, as he rubbed his wounded arm.

For a moment, Amanda stayed in her position, but then she hesitated and sighed, as she holstered her gun back on her hip.

“Sorry, it’s just…”

“No, I get it,” he said, as he interrupted her and got to his feet.

Noticeably, the man was a little banged and bruised with a few scrapes here and there, but nothing too serious.

“Are you Joe?” she asked, as she looked up at him.

“Yeah, that would be me,” he said in his deep voice, as he straightened.

Surprisingly, he was just as tall as DJ with the same tone of skin, and he kind of looked like him in the face.

Maybe, the sarg was right, maybe, these were his cousins, she thought, but there was no time for that right now, she scolded herself.

Joe chuckled as he noticed her staring at him, and it disrupted her thoughts, as she focused back on the situation at hand.

“Listen, I am not as intimidating as I look,” he said, as he put his hands up and winked.

“Wow, a real jokester,” she snickered, and Joe looked down at the ground, as he smiled and then he looked back up at her.

“Amanda?” called Megan, and Amanda and Joe looked up.

“Good lord,” she exclaimed, as she looked at Joe, and Amanda laughed.

“Yeah?”

“Well, I got Josh out of the other hole, and when you guys are finished having tea time, I am sure I am not the only one who wants to get out of here,” she teased in an urgent tone.

“Gotcha,” Amanda said, as she nodded, and Megan threw her hands in the air.

Evidently, when Megan was being sarcastic but serious at the same time, she would make a joke. However, in all reality, it was her way of saying stop what you are doing and move your ass.

“So, I take it, you are Amanda?” Joe asked ,as he stood next to her.

“Yes, that would be me. Now, can you climb with your arm like that?” she asked, and Joe shrugged his shoulders.

“I guess I have no choice,” he said, and she only nodded.

Noticeably, Joe winced in pain every time he had to use his injured arm, but he slowly made it to the top and his cousins helped him over the edge. Quickly, Amanda scaled up to the top and climbed out. Suddenly, they heard the pounds on the door made by the mutants that had made their way into the hallway and Faith looked at Amanda nervously as she hung on to John.

“How are we going to get out of here?” she asked, and Amanda looked around, as she thought for a moment.

She saw the window over by the far sinkhole and she carefully made her way over to it. Relieved, she sighed as she saw DJ and the truck, and they were not that far away from them.

This should make for an easy exit, Amanda thought, as she looked around and saw very few walkers.

Evidently, part of the building had collapsed outside of the window, making a pile of rubble just under the window. Then she saw that there were more daywalkers on the other side and she realized this wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought. Swiftly, she grabbed her radio and put it to her lips.

“Start the truck. We are going to be coming out, and fast.”

“Where are you?” he asked.

Amanda could see that DJ was looking for her, and she sighed, as she shook her head.

“Look to your left, and up in the window,” she said, and then he looked up and saw her.

Happily, he grinned and waved and she waved back.

“Now, quit fooling around and start the truck,” she said, and watched him move to the driver's side.

“Ha ha! Is that an order corporal?” He teased, and Amanda shook her head in disbelief.

“Why yes, sarg, and catch our six, we will be coming out of the window.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he laughed, and Amanda clipped the radio back to her pocket.

Amanda rolled her eyes and then she turned back to everyone.

“My truck is right out there. We are going to have to make a run for it. Megan, you go first and everyone follows her. I will fall in behind,” she said, and Megan nodded.

Carefully, Megan, John, Faith, Josh, and Joe made it over to the window, as Amanda slid it open. Slowly, they all climbed out and after Amanda was safely behind them, they all turned to her as if to wait for further instructions.

“Keep going. Follow Megan,” she whispered, and everyone obeyed.

Oddly, the daywalkers had no interest in Megan, or the four survivors. For some reason, their attention was fixed on Amanda. Oddly, Megan looked around and she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Whoa!” whispered Megan, as she slowed her pace and then stopped.

Joe, Josh, John, and Faith stopped, and they all turned and looked at Amanda curiously. Evidently, Amanda stopped in her tracks as she stared at all the mutants staring at her. At that moment, Megan and Amanda locked eyes and Amanda mouthed the word go. Megan nervously nodded and then turned her attention back to the survivors.

“Come on,” she whispered, and they cautiously and carefully made it to the truck and got in.

Shocked, DJ stared at his cousins with wide eyes and they stared back at him.

“It is you guys!” he exclaimed, as he looked at all of them, and he smiled happily at Joe, who had gotten in the front seat.

Thankfully, Joe looked at his cousin, and they hugged each other.

“Oh, thank god, you guys are safe,” he said, relieved, and then he turned to Megan.

“What is going on?” he asked, as he turned his attention to Amanda, who seemed to be frozen in place.

“And what is she covered in?”

Megan looked at him as she heavily sighed.

“That would be the guts of a new creature that had evolved, and for what is happening now, I am not entirely sure. Once we got outside, it seemed as though the walkers had become infatuated with her,” she explained, and they all looked out the window.

******************

Suspiciously, Amanda looked at all of the creatures and wondered why they were so attracted to her. Quickly, she dismissed the thought and then she glanced over at DJ. Seemingly, he shrugged his shoulders, and she realized she would have to find an exit herself.

Slowly, she reached down into her pocket and grabbed the radio, as she scanned the area for an escape route. At that moment, she saw an overturned tractor trailer and she had an idea. Quickly, she looked to the truck and back to the trailer and realized that she was about to do something crazy, but what choice did she have. She put the radio to her lips and she saw DJ hold up his radio.

“I want you to watch for me to get to that trailer. Right before I get to it, I want you to start driving next to it. Whoever is in that passenger seat had better catch me,” she whispered. and immediately, DJ looked at his cousin in the front seat.

“You better catch her,” he said, as he put the truck in gear.

“Is she crazy?” exclaimed Faith, worried, and Megan turned to her.

“Never proven, but yeah, she is a little crazy,” she said, and Joe looked at DJ.

“I will,” he said, and put himself in position to open the door and catch Amanda.

Quickly, Megan reached for her seatbelt and John, Faith, and Josh did the same and they strapped themselves in.

“Actually, not crazy, she is insane,” Megan said matter-of-factly, and Faith looked at her.

“Yeah. I agree,” said DJ, and Megan chuckled.

***************

Courageously, Amanda took one last look around at the creatures, and she took a deep breath. She hoped that whoever was in the passenger seat was strong enough to catch her. At that moment, she blew out her breath and she ran as fast as she could over the rubble to the overturned trailer. The mutants stared at her as she ran, and as if someone had flipped a switch, the creatures started growling and running after her.

Evidently, she continued to run, as she jumped over piles of rubble from the fallen apartment building, and then, she saw her truck lunge forward. Swiftly, she jumped onto the trailer. Seemingly, DJ stayed right with her as she ran across the trailer and then she saw the truck speed up as she neared the end.

The edge was coming up fast and she saw the passenger side door open. At that moment, she leapt off of the edge of the trailer and into the air. She threw her body toward the truck and reached for the door. All of a sudden, a muscular arm shot out of the door, grabbed her and pulled her in. Shocked, Amanda stared at Joe’s handsome face as he shut the door and they sped away from the Villa. She noticed that he was wincing in pain, and she quickly lifted the middle console and sat down on the seat in between him and DJ.

“Whoo hoo! That was amazing!” screamed Megan, and everyone in the truck in the backseat cheered with her.

Amanda heavily sighed, as she put her head in her hands. She couldn’t believe that her plan worked and she lived to tell the tale. Amanda was breathing hard and suddenly, Megan put a hand gently on her shoulder. She looked back at Megan through her fingers and Megan gave Amanda a knowing look.

“Okay, when we get back, maybe a good shower will do you some good,” she said gently, and Amanda nodded.

“Maybe a shower will do us all some good. Mand, you might want to consider burning those clothes. You reek!” stated DJ, as he chuckled, and waved his hand in front of his face.

“Oh, is that where that smell is coming from?” Josh asked, as he laughed, and Amanda turned and gave him a dirty look.

“Well, then maybe next time you can slice the monster open and I will distract, then we will see how clean you are,” stated Amanda, and DJ gave her a sideways glance.

“Maybe next time, you will know not to leave me in the car,” he said matter-of-factly, and Amanda crossed her arms over her chest, and slumped down in the seat, as she pouted.

“I can’t stand you!” she said to DJ, and she heard Joe chuckle beside her.

She looked up at the handsome man and then she looked out of the windshield.

“You either!” she mumbled, and a couple of chuckles were heard from the backseat.

“So, you guys are the famous cousins that DJ never talks about?” Megan asked Josh, and DJ looked at her through the rear-view mirror.

“Yes, Meg. These are my cousins,” he said in a light tone.

“I can see the resemblance,” Amanda muttered.

“Oh, snap out of it, warrior princess, or I will make you ride in the bed,” said Megan, and Amanda quickly turned to her.

“Oh, no you don’t! You can keep that attitude to yourself!”

Amanda made a face at Megan and then she smirked at her comrade.

“So, how did you survive?” Josh asked DJ, as he leaned up and accidentally elbowed Megan. They both looked at each other.

“Sorry,” he said, and she nodded.

“Many years of military training and being out in the field with these two. How did you guys survive?”

“Survival skills, I guess,” said John, as he looked out of the window.

“It has been a long road for all of us since the apocalypse started,” said Joe sadly, and Amanda looked up at him with care.

“I guess we all have been through hell,” she said, as she looked down, and began to twirl the promise ring that Eddy had given her around her finger.

“Yes, but today we have survived and we are going to keep surviving,” stated Megan confidently.

Evidently, DJ looked down at Amanda and he raised an eyebrow at her, as he nudged her shoulder.

“She has got a point,” he said, and she only nodded.