“Come on,” I whispered to the little girl hidden behind me. Violet was her name, spoken with strength and pride. She didn’t say a surname, and I didn’t push. Family legacies no longer mattered. I did wonder how she got here, but Violet’s face was already set for action. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and proceeded out of the room, with only one mission; confiscated weapons.

Violet proved to be a valuable asset, especially in the dark, unfamiliar hallways. She knew most of the cove, either through walkways or the ventilation system. “One time, I ran away from the hospital, using the vents, and found tricks.” Assurance came in the form of the security code she repeated; learnt it from watching a soldier. The girl was smart, resourceful, if anything she would be the safest way out.  “Turn left.” Her tiny voice, muffled in my arm, though thin fingers poked me on the left side of my back.

I followed her lead; one ear listened for people, the other listened for Zs. If they kept one room on this floor full of the undead, who’s to say they didn’t have more. I made sure not the machete, either. Like a sword of valor, I kept it high and aimed. I was ready to put up one hell of a fight.

“We have to climb the stairs.”

“How many levels?” I asked, as we closed in on the stairwell.  Separated by a door, through the window, I saw darkness. I moved closer, nose pressed against the cool glass, strained to see anything. However, only a sliver of red light marked the safety system. Flashbacks from months outside the cove brought back anxiety, and fear shook me from head to toe. I didn’t trust the darkness; I didn’t trust what it could hide. “How many levels do we have to travel?” I asked, and suddenly, there was a crash.

Boom!

Violet shrieked and nearly jumped into my arms. The sound exploded from above us, but rattled the floor as well. I placed one arm around her as I listened for movement, and froze, once I heard the scream. Like a mangled cat, there was the undeniable sound of a Z. “Fuck.” I cursed, and back into the stairwell door.

“Three levels…yes, three,” she uttered but my attention was no longer on her, and now on the shadows that spread along the hallway wall. Illuminated by redness, the impending danger moved fast, wild and sporadic; straight from the opposite end of the hallway. They was no denying that, they escaped from a room and spotted us immediately.

“Let’s go.” I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her through the door into the stairwell. There was no time to listen, we had to move.  “In front of me,” I ordered as we began the trek up two flights per floor. Violet moved quickly, but not fast enough. “Faster,” I yelled, as I heard one of the Zs bang against the door. The sound echoed through the stairwell, caused us both to stumble. They hit it one more time, before the clicking of the doorknob and the door fell to the ground. Immediately the Z burst through the doorway and chased after us. “One more level,” I called as we passed our second floor, but then lazers beamed down the center from above.

“Put your weapon down!” a man yelled and I couldn’t tell if his stiff demand belonged to a person from the cove or the intruders.

“I can’t…” I started, however finishing was not an option. Suddenly, I was pushed back against the wall and out of the light. Violet’s hand was at my mouth and I heard a growl, then a strange creaking, and before I knew it, a Z jumped passed us, used the railing as a ladder.

“Stop, now, or I will shoot!” The soldier yelled, at the creature, not knowing it wasn’t human. The man didn’t send another warning before shot rained and the howls of Zs bounced off the walls.

With haste, I urged the frozen child on, until we reached a landing. Four Zs followed in the footsteps of the first, while a man screamed, and a gun clashed to bottom. Quickly, I felt around for a knob. Bingo…my fingers wrapped around the cool metal and slowly opened. I slipped pass and brought her through, before gently closing the door. We were one level below, but I knew this floor better than the other; it held the bedrooms.

“Come on,” I whispered and flew down the hallway. My room was close to this stairwell, as well as… and I ran head first into a mass, something hard and unyielding yet it was alive.  Knocked to the floor, the machete slipped from my hands and ended with sharp bangs on the ground.

In the darkness, the person moved, and a flashlight lit. “Celeste.” the voice called with recognition and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“Jasper,” I gasped, but then realized the shooting was over. “Turn off your flashlight now.” Quickly, we were enclosed in darkness and not a second later, the hallway door flew open. Heavy footsteps marked the soldiers and my breath hitched. Jumped to my feet, fingers swung out wide, I looked for Violet. I whispered her name; however the bright flashlight had me blinded. “Violet,” I whispered harshly, but she didn’t respond.

“They’re on the move,” Jasper spoke and I looked up the hallway to see their gun light scan less than fifty feet from me. “Come on,” he found my hand and pulled, simultaneously small fingers gripped the robe I wore.

“Don’t leave me,” she sobbed, and for the first time, I envisioned her as a scared child and not only a resource.

“Never,” I whispered and hugged her towards me as Jasper led us down the hall.

Together our movements quickened before we turned the corner and was again encased in darkness. “We need to find a room. You’ll need clothing…and who’s the kid?” he whispered.

I ignored his question and thought of one man. “We need to find Michael.” As soon as those words left my mouth, Jasper’s grip turned frigid, tight to the point of painful.

“Why? We don’t need him, we don’t need anyone. We can dump the girl in a room where she’ll be safe and then get out of here. I can protect you, I can protect you and the baby…” he whispered and all actions stopped. Instantly, my feet no longer moved and felt it hard to comprehend how he knew about the pregnancy.

“How do you know?”

“You remember I told you that I changed. Well, everyday new things happen. Two day ago, my scent of smell increased and before I knew it, I could smell blood, everywhere. It’s like my body is drawn to it. Even without light I can tell exactly where you are.  However, there are two scents coming from you, similar but very different.” My hand found my stomach, before I could think about of my actions, I rubbed the flat surface. Chills captured me in their tight embrace as his words registered. “We can leave; we can live like we’ve done in the past. Let’s leave.”

This would be so easy, just to escape in the dark, however Michael’s commitment, his strength had me chained. I could never leave Jasper behind, but my heart wouldn’t let me leave Michael at all. “Once we find Michael...”Jasper piped up to interject, but I reached out to him. “Please.”

“Okay, okay…” slowly, Jasper continued down the hallway, as we placed more distance between us and the soldiers. We became dependent on their heavy footfalls, the sound would alert us, while the shadows blocked our traces.

I stayed close to the man, even though I knew exactly where he was taking us. This floor belonged to Michael’s room as well. Sometimes, I heard his voice outside my bedroom door, heard he’s movements through my wall. My heart raced as thoughts of the last time I saw him came forth, my pace quickened. Before long, I was in the front, Violet, positioned herself in the middle.

Jasper entered the bedroom code and the door unlock with a small click. He was the first to enter before Violet and I slipped in afterwards.

“What do we do about Karen and Norris? They will only chase after us?”

Immediately, I looked around the cramped bedroom as recognizable faces watched us; Miriam, Sage, and even one of Karen’s elite, Dr. Marab Adika, but no Michael. Quickly, my eyes went to every corner of the room; the bed was upside down and the desk sat in the middle of the floor, maps with red markings all over the top. Against the wall, close to the door, sat camping bags similar to what Jasper and I used. I observed them all, filled to the max, and noticed Michael’s was missing. Where was he?

“What the hell is she doing here?” The snarl came from Miriam, as those distrustful eyes glared at me. She stood fully from the table and looked at Jasper. “You were supposed to get the supplies and you brought her back here? Do you have a death wish?”

Before he could respond, the hallway door burst opened and Michael raced inside. He snapped the door shut, before he dashed toward the upturned bed. “Help me,” he called out. Immediately, Sage and Jasper went to help him; a boom signaled the soldiers approach. “Their breaking in doors, we need to…Celeste?”

Michael froze, his hand on the light switch. Wide eyes observed my attire before stopping on the little girl beside me. “Quick, the light!” Miriam shrieked as another door exploded down the hallway. Instantly, the light went out and I tightened my hold on Violet.

“Come, we’ll move to the bathroom,” I spoke. We shoved ourselves in the tub and waited with quickened breaths as more doors were brought down. I started to count as the doctor sat on the toilet and the rest stood guard in the room.

“We can escape through the vents,” Violet stuttered.

“We’re too big,” I answered her and she shook her head.

“Not you and I.”

“No. we do not split apart from them, do you understand? These people are my friends and they will protect us.” I could feel her nod against my chest, however I still thought about her words. “What vents were you talking about?”

Suddenly, she gave out precise instructions and how to pop open the lid as another door came crashing down. I pulled away from her. “Stay put,” I whispered and climbed out the tub. My eyes landed on a lump in the corner. “If you touch her, I will cut off every finger and feed them to the Zs you’ve created,” I threatened Dr. Marab, and then entered the room. “I need a gun.”

“For what?” I recognized the voice as Miriam’s. I pictured her, still at the desk, taking cover close to the floor.

“I can divert them away from this room, but I need something to make noise.”

“How?” Jasper asked.

“I’ll travel through the vents to rooms at the end of the hall. We don’t have much time, give me a gun.”

As soon as I finished, I felt him behind me, his breathing still harsh and fast, but the click of Michael’s Smith and Wesson hand gun alerted me to what was offered. “Be safe.”

“I will. Take her with you,” I ordered and with that, I moved toward the grated door.

I needed to move fast; we had two threats now, either the soldiers, or the Z’s that followed the noise. Quickly, I pried open the door with the bottom of my flashlight. It broke free with a small swish and then heated air greeted me. With haste, I moved quickly; quietly, passed rooms, used the light sparingly, to assist my navigation. In my head, I counted as I approached the corner bedroom. Once there, a concrete wall blocked me from moving further and I took this as my cue. I broke free of the tight quarters and climbed out of the space. Quickly, I lit up the room. Vacant.

I searched for anything explosive, but came up empty. “Fuck!” I heard come from the vent and snapped around; flashlight aimed right at…Miriam.

“Why are you here?” I barked, as she climbed through.

“Can you shine that fucking light somewhere else?” She retorted; however I ignored and made sure it hit her right in the face. I repeated my question before she produced a round dark object. “You would need something to use as a diversion and I’m the only one that can fit in the duct,” she explained, at the same time the soldiers knocked down another set of doors. “You open the door, I’ll let it go.”

“Sure,” and I made my way over. I turned off the light, unlocked the knob and opened. Miriam went into action. “What the hell?” I screamed as she turned toward the squad and threw the grenade; it was too late, the bomb exploded.

Everything shook with violent force, before walls crashed down and ceilings rained from above. The sheer force threw me against the bed, where the twin size mattress caught my fall. Seconds later, Miriam crashed on top of me. “Ahh…” I screamed from her elbow to my rib cage.

“Sorry, oh fuck,” she said, as she realized where she landed. “Are you okay? Did I hit the…that thing?” Her eyes fell to my stomach.

“No, I’m fine,” I bit out, as a figure popped through the blown away door.

“Celeste… Miriam?”

“We’re in here; we’re good,” Miriam answered Michael’s call, before she stood and pulled me up by the shoulders. “Come on!”

“She needs shoes,” Jasper called out. Seconds later, a pair of boots slammed to the ground and a flashlight illuminated the area. “We only have seconds, Celeste.” Michael stressed, and I realized Violet was on his back, adorned in his coat, but her feet still bare. I slipped into the shoes and noticed they fit perfectly, but they weren’t mine.

“Don’t mess them up,” Miriam whispered; that explained it.

“Uhh….guys, we got company!” Sage yelled from outside and we all ran into the hallway. No one needed to shine a light; we all heard the growls and screams from the fallen men. Shots started to sound through the hallway and instantly, my crew began to move.

Michael led the way, while Miriam and I took up the middle. Sage and Jasper took up the rear, while the good doctor stayed unarmed in the center. I held tightly onto Michael’s handgun as we stormed through the floor. By now, we were noticed.

“Up!”

“Turn left.”

“Down this hall.”

“Up those stairs!”

We seemed to run for hours before we exited the stairwell and barred the door shut. Silence greeted us as I looked around. “The hospital,” Dr. Marab whispered, and Violet started screaming no.

“What’s wrong?” I went to her as Michael kept his eyes on the hallway. Everyone was on alert, looked for anything that moved. However, those big, innocent blues looked at me, filled with tears.

“They’re in there, more like before.”

“The Zs?” she nodded. I looked at the smoked out glass doors, which appeared to be sealed shut. Sage and Jasper moved closer to the glass, looked at the locks and seam around the doors.

“The hospital is run off its own generators. It can sustain its own lights, and equipment, while trapping everything inside, and everything out.” Dr. Marab spoke.

“You know the code in?” Michael asked him, and the doctor nodded.  

“There ain’t no fucking way I’m going in there,” Jasper piped in. He turned from the door and gave me a pointed look. “Celeste, you know the deal, we can’t do this again,” he said and I knew he was right. The last time we were in a hospital, it almost killed us; emotionally we were destroyed for weeks. Even though Jasper was good at distractions, and I was good at looking for ways out, however this time was different.  It wasn’t just the two of us anymore. I looked around at the group and realized that these people were apart of us now, whether Jasper and I liked it or not.

“The only way out, besides the stairway, is through this hospital,” Michael stressed and Jasper turned angry eyes at him.

“Then why the hell would you bring us to this level. We should have gone straight out of here.” The air grew tense as the man looked around the group. He made his way back to me, distrust evident. “Celeste, something’s wrong here…we need to get out.”

“Listen man, nothing is up. We are leaving, but if you haven’t noticed there are threats upstairs as well. I’m not going to lead anyone from one problem into another. That’s suicide.”

“But they’re here for someone else,” Jasper countered back and instantly, Michael tensed up as well. ‘The president’s son and the pregnant girl…’ those words came forth and I realized that Jasper figured out Michael’s secret as well.

“Back off…” Michael spoke through a clenched jaw.

“We don’t have fucking time for this!”

Instantly, Miriam forced her way between the guys, back toward Jasper and I, while her hands brought Michael’s face to hers. “Fight him later; now, we need to figure a way out.”

With a nod, Michael backed away, but sent a threatening gaze toward Jasper. However, Jasper wasn’t one to step down, instead he completely blocked off view, and turned toward me. “You’ll need these,” he said and produced arrows. They were military grade with metal bodies, and razor sharp heads. Next, he unclipped something from his backpack. It was a state of the art bow. While my old one was an upgraded sports weapon, this one was built for battle. “I knew we would find you, so when we raided the weapons cabinet, I took this. You’ll be familiar with the style; it’s made by the same makers as your old one.”

Impressed with the skilled weaponry, and the speed in which the bows would be released, my fingers itched to use it. “Thanks,” I whispered, sent a smile of gratitude. Our fingers touched for a brief moment, and pulsated energy met mine. I, too, could sense the fast movement of his blood, adrenaline made him active, and it became contagious. We were back in it; survival was again our core mission, security no longer mattered. No longer would the comforts of the cove greet us. We had to fight, would fight, and conquer. I repeated the mantra over and over, but soon the sound of a crashing door in the stairwell had us in motion.

“We’re going through the hospital,” Michael announced and looked at each of us. “Miriam, you and Sage will take the security hallway toward the executive wing. Once you locate the door between the sides and meet us on the other side. Jasper and I will guard from the front, while Dr. Marab, you’ll lock us back in and take up the rear…” Michael looked at me as if he’s truly seeing me. His eyes flashed toward my stomach and then back up. “Celeste, I want you dead center, the girl right beside you. Move from there, and I will personally carry you the whole way, understood?” With no room for arguing, I listened and agreed. “I want you safe, and I can’t save myself if I’m worried about you fighting.”

After his declaration, Michael turned from me and nodded toward Sage and Miriam, who disappeared quickly behind an almost invisible door. He positioned himself at the opening of the hospital doors, Jasper beside him and looked at Dr. Marab, who waited by the security pad. Violet came to stand by my side, the groups Baretta gripped tightly in her fingers.

“On the count of three…” Michael whispered.

“One.

Two.

Three…”

*****