Rising Storms

Chapter 73: Rising Storms

The air inside the auto shop was suffocating, thick with unspoken fears. Luka had barely closed the door when Dante sat up, his shotgun already in his hands. His sharp eyes darted toward Luka, searching for answers.

"What's going on?" Dante's voice cut through the tense silence, firm but edged with worry.

Luka leaned against the door, his fingers still gripping the knife as if he expected something to burst through at any moment. "Trouble," he said, his tone grim. "We've been tracked."

Dante's brows furrowed. "Tracked by what?"

"Not what. Who," Lily said, stepping into the dim light from a broken fixture overhead. She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "Some guy named Cal showed up. Said he's been tracking a swarm of infected on our trail. And they're regrouping."

Hana sat bolt upright from where she'd been curled in a corner, her breath hitching. "Regrouping? They can't do that. Can they?"

"They're not supposed to," Dante muttered. "They're mindless, instinct-driven. At least they used to be."

"Well, they're not anymore," Luka snapped. His knuckles whitened around the knife's hilt. "Cal wasn't lying. He said dozens—maybe more—and they're getting smarter. Coordinated."

Hana's hands trembled as she hugged her knees to her chest. "But… how? Why would they—"

"It doesn't matter why," Luka interrupted, his tone clipped. "What matters is they're coming, and we're not staying here to find out how smart they've gotten."

Dante let out a long breath, leaning back against the wall. "And what makes you so sure this Cal guy isn't just trying to manipulate us? Maybe he wants something—our weapons, supplies, whatever. Hell, maybe he's trying to scare us into teaming up with him."

Lily crossed her arms, her gaze narrowing. "Could be. But he didn't feel like a scavenger. If anything, he seemed more prepared than us. Like he's been studying them, tracking them."

"Or tracking us," Dante said, his voice cold.

The suggestion hung in the air, heavy and oppressive.

"Doesn't matter," Luka said finally. "We don't have the luxury of waiting to find out. We move at first light. This place isn't secure enough to hold off a swarm, let alone an organized one."

Dante raised an eyebrow. "And where exactly do you think we're going? The camp's a two-day trek, maybe more if we're slowed down. That's a lot of open ground with a swarm breathing down our necks."

Luka didn't answer immediately. He moved to the boarded-up window, peeling back a sliver of wood to peer outside. His breath fogged the glass, but the streets beyond were empty, the shadows unmoving.

"There's an overpass about a mile east," he said finally, his voice measured. "If we can reach it, we'll have the high ground. Better visibility, fewer entry points to defend."

"And if they cut us off before we get there?" Lily asked, her tone sharp.

"Then we fight," Luka said simply.

The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the faint creak of the building settling. Even the wind outside seemed to hush, as if the city itself was listening.

Hana's voice, small and shaky, broke the quiet. "What if… what if we don't make it?"

Lily turned to her, her expression softening. "We'll make it. We've made it this far, haven't we?"

Hana's gaze dropped to her lap, her fingers twisting together. "But what if this is different? If they're really… changing… how can we fight that?"

"We adapt," Luka said firmly, his eyes still on the window. "That's what we've been doing from the start. We figure it out. We survive."

Dante scoffed, though there was no real malice in it. "You make it sound so simple."

"It is," Luka replied, his tone hard. "You either fight, or you die. There's no in-between."

The conversation ended there, Luka's words leaving no room for debate.

---

They spent the rest of the night preparing. Supplies were gathered and redistributed, weapons checked and rechecked. Dante sharpened his blade in slow, deliberate strokes, the sound grating against the oppressive quiet. Lily sorted through their meager food rations, her mind already calculating how long they could last if the overpass turned into a siege.

Hana hovered near the back of the room, her movements hesitant. She clutched the handle of a small knife Luka had given her earlier, though it looked out of place in her trembling hands.

"Hey," Lily said softly, approaching her. "You okay?"

Hana nodded quickly, though her eyes betrayed her fear. "I just… I don't want to mess up."

"You won't," Lily said, her voice steady. "You've been through worse than this, haven't you?"

Hana hesitated, then nodded again. "Yeah. I guess I have."

"Then trust yourself," Lily said. "And trust us. We've got your back."

Hana managed a small, shaky smile. "Thanks."

Luka's voice cut through the room, low but commanding. "Get some rest while you can. We leave at dawn."

---

The dawn came too soon, the pale light spilling over Astraea's broken skyline. Luka was the first out the door, his knife in hand and his eyes scanning the street. The others followed, their footsteps cautious on the cracked pavement.

The city was eerily quiet, the usual sounds of distant infected replaced by an oppressive stillness. Even the air felt heavier, as if it carried the weight of the swarm that was surely closing in.

They moved quickly, their breaths puffing in the cold morning air. Luka took the lead, his movements deliberate and precise. Lily stayed close to Hana, her weapon at the ready, while Dante brought up the rear, his shotgun slung over one shoulder.

The overpass loomed ahead, its rusted beams jutting into the sky like skeletal fingers. It was partially collapsed on one side, but the elevated section remained intact—a potential refuge, if they could reach it.

"Almost there," Luka murmured, his eyes darting to the shadows that lined the streets.

But then the growls began.

Low and guttural at first, they rose in a chilling crescendo, echoing through the empty streets. The swarm was close.

"Move!" Luka barked, breaking into a run.

The others followed, their footsteps pounding against the pavement. Hana stumbled but caught herself, her face pale with exertion and fear.

The growls grew louder, joined by the pounding of feet—too many feet. Shadows spilled into the street behind them, dozens of infected surging forward with terrifying coordination.

"They're faster!" Dante shouted, pumping his legs harder.

Luka didn't respond, his focus entirely on the overpass ahead. "Go! Get to the top!"

They reached the base of the overpass, clambering over debris and broken concrete. Hana slipped, her hand scraping against jagged metal, but Lily hauled her up without hesitation.

"Keep moving!" Lily urged, her voice tight with urgency.

The infected were nearly upon them, their snarls filling the air. Luka turned, his knife flashing as he slashed at the first one to reach him. The creature went down, but two more took its place, their movements disturbingly coordinated.

"Dante, cover us!" Luka shouted.

Dante spun, his shotgun roaring as he took down three infected in quick succession. The noise was deafening, but it gave the others the seconds they needed to reach the elevated platform.

"Luka, come on!" Lily called, her voice cracking with desperation.

Luka shoved another infected aside, then sprinted toward the others. Dante fired one last shot before following, his breath ragged.

They reached the top of the overpass, the infected scrambling after them like a tidal wave of teeth and claws. Luka grabbed a piece of debris—a rusted metal pipe—and wedged it against the narrow entrance.

"It won't hold for long," he said, his voice grim.

Lily looked around, her mind racing. The overpass offered a vantage point, but it was a dead end. There was no escape if the infected broke through.

"We make our stand here," Luka said, reading her thoughts.

Dante nodded, reloading his shotgun. "Hope you brought enough ammo."

Lily tightened her grip on her weapon, her jaw set. Hana stood beside her, trembling but holding her knife with both hands.

The growls grew louder, the pipe bending under the weight of the infected. Luka drew his knife, his expression steely.

"Get ready," he said.

The pipe snapped, and the swarm poured through.