Status: Comment!

Dancing Dead

On A Mission

Twenty minutes later the guys still haven't come back to the camp site and Liz is pacing between the camp fire and the tree where they've hung their backpacks while trying to formulate a plan. Johnny has fallen asleep again and Nicole has been drifting in and out for the past ten minutes.

“You aren't going anywhere Liz, sit down and get some sleep.” Jimmy takes his shorter friend by the shoulders tightly.

“I'm going Jimmy.” She snaps back with fire in her eyes.

“I don't think you should though.” Jimmy protests once again, loosening his grip on her shoulders.

“Jimmy, I love you dearly and normally I would agree with you.. But I'm going, they could be hurt or lost or.. Something.” Liz's word is final as she steps away from her friend and checks her backpack for things she can take to look for the others. She pulls the straps of a rifle around her shoulders, double checks the clip in the handgun she's been carrying, and cleans her knife she's had on her thigh.

“Come back to me, to us, then. Be fucking careful.” Jimmy finally gives in with a sad look. “We don't know where they are or if they are even alive. I don't want to lose you too.”

“I'll come back, you know me better than that Jim-Jim. Watch over those two for me while I'm away.” Liz gets up on her tiptoes and kisses Jimmy on the cheek before walking off in the direction the guys had gone earlier.

“Just come back.” Jimmy whispers watching her go off into the shadows with only the moonlight to guide her. Jimmy leans against a tree waiting for her return, hopefully with the guys.

As she walks, Liz starts humming 'Mr. Brownstone' one of her favorite songs from Guns N Roses to keep herself company. She has never done drugs, but she loves the song. (Brownstone is street slang for heroin.) The guys catch her humming it all the time, if they see her before she can find them they'll know she isn't a zombie. She walks for about twenty more minutes before noticing what she thinks is a blood trail. Holding in a whine of dissatisfaction she treks on, following the trail of blood to a broken down barn. Noting at least four people that seemingly haven't been zombified fully yet, they look as if they are having a meeting. She removes her rifle from her shoulder and gets into position to shoot. Trying not to think about the screams coming from inside.

A twig snaps behind her, she turns around just in time to see someone come at her with a bowie knife. She drops the rifle and dives at the much larger man in favor of a surprise attack to get the upper hand, taking the knife from his hand with minimal struggle and slits his throat before he can yell for help. She places the new knife safely between her jeans and belt with a satisfied smirk. Oh did she enjoy killing that asshole.

Getting back into position, she picks up her rifle and takes the first shot, nailing the guy in the back of the head. Her second shot takes down the next one between the eyes, the third is a shot through the heart and the last ran inside before she could get a clear shot. She shoulders the rifle once again before making sure she can grab her knife without a problem, taking out her handgun clicking the safety off. Taking off at a run she makes it to the barn without a problem. Holding out her gun she enters, gasping at what she sees before her. The guys have been shackled to the wall like prisoners with gags in their mouths. The short, fat runt that ran in before is standing by Brian looking like a wild animal, he's obviously been infected and she needs to take him down before anyone gets hurt. Aside from being strung up like sides of beef, the guys look to not have been hurt yet. She aims her gun quickly as he snarls and lunges for her. A loud bang resonates through the barn as Liz falls to the ground with the man on top of her. The guys screaming in horror as they watch fearing the worst. Moments later she wiggles her way out from under the nearly turned man, stands and shoots him in the head to make sure he stays dead before brushing herself off and turning to the guys.

She silently takes her knife from the holster on her thigh and cuts them all down, letting them take the tape from their mouths. Once they remove the ropes and duct tape the three men nearly knock Liz over in a giant hug. “I thought we were going to die! Fucking nice shot.” Zacky is the first to speak, his voice hoarse and his throat raw.

“I didn't think I'd ever see you again. We were so worried. I didn't know what I'd find.” Liz is in tears as she tries to wrap her arms around each of them.

“Don't cry Church Mouse, its ok. We're ok. Let me guess, you learned to shoot in Texas at the uncle's?” Brian hugs her tightly before backing off, ready to get the hell out of dodge.

“We need to get out of here before anyone else comes back. Moving camp wouldn't be a bad idea either.” Matt won't let go of his girlfriend as quickly as the others. He doesn't bother telling her never to risk her life like that again because he knows it will just go in one ear and out the other.

As they leave Liz hands Zacky a bottle of water she had taken just in case she found the boys. Brian takes the rifle from her shoulder and puts it around his own as they make their way quietly out of the barn and into the thick of the woods. Matt still glued to Liz's side. Still on high alert they make their way back to camp quickly and silently. Nobody speaking a word until they see Jimmy still standing, leaning against the tree where Liz had left him nearly an hour before.

“Johnny, Nicole, the guys are back!” Jimmy yells over his shoulder. Johnny and Nicole are wide awake having been awakened by Jimmy earlier after Liz had left. They had been on edge waiting ever since.

“BABY!” Nicole is off the ground and in Zacky's arms within moments.

“I love you.” He kisses her quickly. “I fucking love you.” He kisses her again and again and again. Each time he stops to tell her he loves her.

“I'm glad to see Lizzy Shadows brought you guys back. What the fuck happened?” Jimmy asks when the guys finally sit down looking absolutely exhausted. Liz puts a few more branches into the fire and heats up the pot of rabbit stew while they try and get comfortable.

“We were attacked by people that had been bitten. They were attacking the weaker ones of their own group, but I think they knew they would need something more. Let me tell you, the ones that have been bitten and are in the middle of the change are fucking strong. They took us to a broken down barn and strung us up like they were going to slaughter us all. We'd been hanging like that for a long time until we heard shots fired. We thought that we were about to die but low and behold there's my girlfriend in the doorway with a gun and if looks could kill the one that was left would have disintegrated.” Matt reaches for Liz once more, pulling her to his lap. Refusing to let her finish whatever she had been doing. Zacky mirroring him with Nicole, refusing to let her off of his lap after he sits down in front of the fire.

“Johnny would you dish out some soup for Brian, Matt and Zacky please?” Nicole asks, giving him a look that means not to sass her. “Bri why don't you come sit between us?” Nicole pats the blanket between the two couples. Brian had been talking to Jimmy quietly after Matt had finished.

Johnny quietly dishes out the warmed up soup for the others and sits across the fire from everyone just listening to the others talk. He feels bad about barking at Liz earlier. Looking at the couples sadly as Matt inhales his bowl of soup without the spoon.

“When we finish this, I think we should move camp or keep moving as far as we can. We don't want anyone else attacking us while we're down.” Brian suggests after swallowing a big mouthful of soup, with a satisfied groan.

“He's right.” Jimmy starts packing things up into the appropriate backpacks knowing that the others just weren't ready to move yet. He refills Matt's bowl with the last little bit of soup before pouring water into the pot and tossing it into the bushes cleaning it out. Packing it into Liz's backpack afterward.

“Short Shit why don't you pack up the blankets that they aren't using and help me top off the guns before we leave?” Jimmy gives the shorter man a look as he picks up his own blanket to fold.

Matt notices the thick tension between Johnny, and the girls and Jimmy but thinks better of bringing it up right now, he will save it for later when things have calmed down. He'll just have to get Liz or Jimmy alone to figure it out.

“Promise me that the group stays together no matter what from this point on.” Nicole takes Zacky's face in her hands and looks him directly in the eyes.

“We'll do our best, but I think sending at least two scouts out a head of the group when we build a camp is a good idea.” Zacky sighs, putting down his empty bowl and hugging Nicole close.

“We'll talk about this later, I think we need to get a move on.” Matt suggests finally getting up and washing out his bowl, putting it with the others. Liz gets up and folds their blanket while the others do the same. Brian checks the ammo in the rifle before grabbing another handgun that Jimmy had double checked. Once they all make sure nothing will be left behind that they need, they make their way through the woods, being sure to put as much distance between the dilapidated barn and them as possible.
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