Day 15: Welcome Inn

Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe
Location: School

“It was here,” Chloe announced as she, Sara, Jake and JC made it to the corner where she was attacked. There was blood on the pavement and scuff marks in the sand, all signs pointed to a struggle; so far it seemed she was telling the truth. But no matter the amount of evidence, Jake remained wary.

“So what happened exactly?” he asked, keeping himself distanced so Chloe remained in front of him at all times.

“Like I said, Mike and I were trying to find another vehicle when this woman…she looked so desperate. She came running up to us, begging and pleading for our help. She said her son had been hurt. Right away I thought something was up. If he was hurt, why wasn’t she with him? But Mike wanted to help. He fell for it hook, line and sinker; and I followed him.”

“When we got here, we got jumped. Three or four of them I don’t know. They came out of the bushes, from above in the trees. They had guns, they had knives and they weren’t afraid of using them. Mike wrestled them back. He told me to run and I did. I left him. I have no idea what happened to him or even if he is still alive but I just…I won’t at least try and find him.”

“So that’s it? You want us to risk our lives on a ‘maybe’? If Mike IS dead, we’ll have walked right into a trap. Not even that, maybe our own deaths!” Jake replied, folding his arms into his chest.

“Look, I know what I’m asking. I do. But I can’t do this alone. Please?”

“Say we do help,” JC started, inching closer to the distraught woman. “We wouldn’t even know where to begin. Those people could be anywhere by now.”

Chloe sighed. He was right. She had no way of knowing where they could have gotten off to. Turning in a huff, she paced back and forth across the padded lawn. The stench of rotting corpses seared through her nostrils and she squeezed the bridge of her nose. Stopping just near the sidewalk, something caught her eye. “Wait! There’s something here,” Chloe said, dropping to the brush in front of her. Picking up an object from the ground. She turned it over a few times in her hand, examining the small plastic key ring. “Deer Brook Camp?”

“I know where that is,” JC exclaimed. “It’s close.” It took twenty minutes for him to lead the group to an RV and Trailer Park. They crouched outside the gates, listening for proof of life on the other side. From the looks of the place, it was not going to be easy getting inside, or for that matter, getting out alive.

“Ok, we need to play this smart. There’s no telling how many people are in there or what weapons they may…” Jake stopped midsentence as the explosive sound of gunfire rang out.

“Too late for that,” Sara said, ducking beside the wall.

“You two wait here.”

“No way,” Chloe said, moving up behind Jake. “That’s my friend in there, I’m coming with!”

“Well unless you have a gun or your ass is bulletproof you’ll only get in the way. Stay here! We’ll find your friend.”

“Guys, we really don’t have time for this. Chloe, if you want us to help your friend then you need to take a step back. Jake and I will handle it,” JC said, pushing off from the wall to start the charge. He fired two shots and ducked beside a building just as Jake rushed inside the gate to join him.

Jake ducked as more bullets whipped past. Just as he moved for cover a large dog trampled through the gate, heading straight into the fight. A door opened and another gunman came out shooting. Lucky changed course, diving towards the man. With teeth bared and claws out she sank into the man’s arm, viciously shaking her head as she chomped into flesh.

The man howled, kicking at the wild animal as he felt its fangs rip deeper into muscle. “Lucky! NO!”

“NINA?!” JC exclaimed, hearing the child’s familiar voice.

Shots rang out. Lucky yelped. Nina screamed. Chloe and Sara ran for cover as bullets zoomed by their heads. Nina had stepped out into the middle of the fray, running after the dog. JC noticed, but he was too far away. Shouting for Jake, he finally looked up, but was he too late? Rushing from the side of the building, he ran towards Nina. Moving with lightning speed, he tried to get to her in time. More gunfire erupted, and he felt a sharp blow to his midsection.

Continue---->

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