Once we got to the end of the alley we were on the far left of the central campus parking lot. We followed Ronan out of the alley and ca to an abrupt stop because there were even more of the infected waiting for us in the parking lot.
"Oh my god- they're everywhere," Ellie whispered in panic.
"We need a distraction," I told them and they all frowned over at .
"It's too risky. What if it doesn't work and we just draw them in closer to us?" Cooper wildly asked in a whisper.
"It's not, we just need sothing to take their attention off of us," I argued.
"Like what?" Ronan asked .
"An alarm." Mika helped out.
"Alright," Ronan uttered before briefly scratching his forehead. "Alright. I'll go over to a car behind Block B and sound its alarm while you guys make a run for it." Ronan told us. "If I'm not back within five minutes you should leave without ." He told us.
"Are you out of your mind?" Cooper asked his brother who just ruffled up his hair before quietly making his way to Block B.
I was surprised at how good he was at not getting caught. He sneaked past the infected with ease and disappeared behind the building.
Two minutes later we heard a car's alarm blare to life.
The infected were instantly drawn to the sound. We patiently waited for them to all leave the parking lot before we got a move on. We quietly sneaked our way over to Ronan's car.
Cooper unlocked the doors and we all desperately climbed into the car.
"Co on, where's Ronan? He should've been here by now." Ellie whispered in panic.
I dug my nails into the seat, my heartbeat thudding in my ears. Five minutes felt like an eternity.
"How long has it been?" Mika curiously questioned before going back to biting her nails.
"Listen, I don't care how long it's been! We're not leaving here without my brother!" Cooper angrily told us.
"I agree with Cooper," I added while staring at Block B in fear. The air suddenly beca heavy with tension. No one dared to move or speak.
Then I was hit with a realization.
"Drive around the building," I rushed Cooper and he frowned at .
"Are you crazy? Block B is overrun by the infected!" He argued.
"Then we'll find a way to get past them, Cooper. But Ronan's taking way too long. What if he needs our help?" I asked them and Cooper clenched his jaw before turning the key in the ignition.
We slowly drove out of the parking lot before making our way over to Block B's entrance. Once we reached our destination we found it crawling with the infected. We spotted Ronan standing behind the horde and Cooper frowned over at .
"What now?"
"Drive through them!" I yelled at him in panic and he tilted his head to the side before telling us to hold onto sothing. He sped through the infected, hitting a few of them in the process.
I squeezed my eyes shut in fear. Hoping and praying that we wouldn't get stuck sohow.
The car ca to a sudden stop. "Ronan, get in!" Ellie yelled at him in panic.
"Co on let's go!" Ronan uttered, his voice sounding like he was in the car with us. I opened my eyes and sighed in relief when I found him sitting in the passenger seat.
"Holy shit that was close!" Cooper uttered in disbelief.
"Cooper, drive! We need to get the hell out of here!" I yelled and his eyes widened as the horde was starting to close in on us.
Cooper plowed through another wave of the infected. A sickening crunch followed. This ti, the windshield splintered.
I was the only person who seed to really care about the crack in the windshield. All the others seed to care about was the fact that Ronan was still alive and well.
I don't even want to imagine what could've happened if we decided to wait a little while longer.
Once we were finally in the clear, the atmosphere instantly improved, but the world was still left in ruins.
There was blood everywhere, and dead bodies lay scattered to the ground like aningless objects.
A few upturned cars were emitting smoke from their engines. Stranded cars were carelessly left in the middle of the roads and burning buildings ca into our line of view as we slowly drove down town.
"So where are we gonna go now?" Ellie curiously asked us.
"We can go to my house; it's not far from here," I suggested, and Cooper made a U-turn in the direction of my house.
After a four-minute drive, we stopped in front of my house. The streets were still as clean as we left them this morning. But there wasn't a single person in sight. Not even Mrs Smith was sitting on her porch today.
Cooper parked the car in the garage and we all collectively jumped out of the car. We made our way up to my house and only then did I realize I left my bag in the cafeteria.
I knelt down before grabbing the spare key from under the hiding rock. I unlocked the door and walked into the house.
I waited until everyone was inside before locking the door behind us again.
I went over to the landline right away and punched my dad's number into the phone, but it didn't work. The line got cut each ti I tried. I left the phone on the countertop before going downstairs to my dad's lab in our basent.
I switched one of his computers on, and luckily, our wifi was still working. I sent him a quick email.
Please respond to this ssage as soon as you can. I'm at ho with Ronan, Cooper, Mika and Ellie. We're coming for you and Luke as soon as we can.
I love you, Michael.
From: Hailey-Jade.
Then I clicked send. I almost cried with joy when the email appeared in the sent folder.
I got up from where I was sitting, and when I turned around, I found Ronan standing in the doorway behind . He closed the door behind him before walking over to .
"Could you get through to your dad?" He asked so I nodded at him.
"Let's just hope he responds," I uttered before looking into his eyes.
"The army is patrolling the area outside. They've put the estate under a strict lockdown," Ronan inford and my eyebrows furrowed.
"But we need to get out of here, Ronan," I uttered in panic.
"I know- but we're safe here. For now." He said while looking into my eyes.
"Fine." I softly uttered. "But we need to find a way to get out of here as soon as possible." I pointedly stated.
"Later," he tilted his head toward the door. "There's soone for you at the door." He stated with a small smile on his face so I stord out of my dad's lab and went back upstairs.
Please let it be my dad.
I found everyone standing in front of the back door, they all looked over at as I walked up to them.
"Do you know this guy?" Mika asked in concern, so I peeked through the peephole.
My breath caught. The figure outside was broad-shouldered, his stance wary. I knew that posture. But it couldn't be...
"It's Oliver," I uttered in shock before unlocking the door.
"Oliver? Wait that's the famous Oliver Welch that everyone's always talking about?" Ellie asked and I frowned at her.
"Yeah." I shortly responded to her question and she smirked at .
"He's hot." She uttered and I pulled my face in disgust by her words.
I opened the door for him and he took my face into his hands before examining my body for any signs of the infection. He pulled into a rib-crushing hug before kissing my forehead.
"Thank God you're alive." He uttered in relief. "Where's dad?" He asked while looking around the house.
"Dad's- not ho yet. He texted this morning, saying that he was in Upstate New York. I did manage to send him an email, though, so hopefully he'll respond." I nervously uttered.
"What? Do you know if he's still alive? Why would he go Upstate?" Oli asked in confusion.
"He said he was working on a project with Luke," I inford him and he frowned at .
"Luke King?"
"Yeah, they're both virologists now," I explained and a look of realization washed over Oliver's face.
Ronan and Oliver dabbed each other up. They seed content, like two old friends who were genuinely happy to see each other again.
"Well put a stick in my ass and call a candy apple. Oliver Welch, is that you?" Cooper asked Oliver and Ellie burst out laughing.
Oliver smiled before pulling Cooper into a hug.
"Look at you, Coopman. You're all grown up now." Oliver told Cooper with a proud smile on his face.
"What can I say, man. The years have been good to ." Cooper confidently uttered so I rolled my eyes at him.
"You need a shower and put on so decent clothes while you're at it," I told Oliver. We can't exactly have the soldiers see him wearing that orange jumpsuit. It'll only make them suspicious of us.
"Right," Oliver uttered in realization before running a hand over his buzzed-off hair.
"This is the National Guard! Listen Up!" Soone yelled through a gaphone. "All citizens please step out of your hos! Imdiately! I repeat! All citizens please step out of your hos! Imdiately!"
"We can't go out there. If they see Oliver they'll just arrest him again." I uttered in panic.
We all went over to the window inside the kitchen to have a look at what was happening outside.
A line of soldiers marched thodically down the street, their boots hitting the pavent in eerie unison. Their rifles were raised. Not in warning, but in intent.
Then suddenly the world just went quiet.
I gasped in shock when the soldiers opened fire on all the people who had left their hos. They only stopped once everyone was lifelessly lying on the sidewalk.
"Search the area for survivors! Let's go!" One of the soldiers yelled while running down the street.
"We need to go!" Ronan uttered and Oliver quickly ran upstairs to get changed.
I grabbed my dad's Glock and shotgun, along with the appropriate ammo, from his bedroom. I went back to the kitchen and handed the shotgun over to Ronan.
Oliver handed a hiking backpack over to everyone, he was now dressed in so grey sweatpants paired with a white t-shirt.
We grabbed as many canned foods as we could fit into our backpacks. And water- everyone stocked up on as much water as they could get their hands on.
"We need to move, they're closing in on us," Cooper warned us.
"How the hell are we gonna get past them?" Ellie wildly asked him.
"We could use the old mountain roads behind the estate." Oliver blankly stated and I frowned at him.
"Don't tell you crossed 'Dead Man's Bridge' to get here," I uttered in disbelief.
"I did." Oliver blankly stated.
"Then let's go. Oli says it's safe." Cooper rushed us.
"How is it safe if it landed him in jail?" I wildly asked Cooper.
"I never said it was safe," Oliver argued.
"We need to move." Ronan blankly uttered. He took the initiative again and made his way to the backdoor.
"Do you know the way?" Oliver asked Ronan as he made his way outside and he simply nodded at him in confirmation.
Of course, Ronan would know the way. He probably goes there for fun.
We sprinted toward the estate's towering fences, adrenaline numbing the sting in my legs. The guys quickly helped us jump over the fence before they climbed over it themselves.
"Hey! Get back here!" We heard soone yelling at us once we were all on the other side of the fence.
"Soldiers!" Oliver alerted us and we all started running for our lives, desperately hoping not to get caught.
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