Numbered

Chapter 13 - Escaping the City

All their heads snapped toward the direction of the cry, immediately expecting to see the worst possible thing. Standing on top of a hill was one man, staring down at them with a flicker of joy in his eyes. Jake took a few steps forward, believing the man needed help; he stopped as quickly as he began, a new, more horrifying scene coming into view. From the opposite side of the hill, more people marched up beside this once lonely man. It was in that split second that Jake understood the look in that man's eyes. It was definitely joy, but not the one associated with finding someone, such as a lost loved one. This look was rarely found in animals except in desperate situations: the look of driving hunger. These people were the cannibals from the other side of the river. How the hell did they manage to get across? Jake thought. Not caring for an explanation, he spun around and dashed away with Angelica and Zeke on his heels. There was another roar as the cannibals instantly gave chase.

The only thing Jake could hear was the pounding of his heart and the drumming of shoes and feet against the pavement. Sweat was soon rolling down his face and neck, occasionally flying off and dotting the ground. It also did not take long for his leg and side to start screaming in pain, followed by a warm liquid flowing down his side. His injuries had ripped open and he was losing blood fast. They had to lose these animals before he became the evening meal. Glancing from left to right, he looked for some place to hide or where the crack was thin enough to jump. Each passing second brought the cannibals ever so closer to them, close enough to tackle them to the ground and bite into their flesh. It did not help the situation any with Angelica and Zeke copying his pace, afraid of leaving him behind. Off to his right, a large sign caught his attention. It was a Mitsubishi dealership and their ticket out of here. Pointing it out to the others, they gave a quick nod and looked for a plausible spot to leap across.

Within a few meters of the dealership, Jake noticed a spot where there was hardly any distance between the divided sides. He took the initiative to jump first since the other two were following and keeping pace with him. Sure enough, Zeke and Angelica were right behind him, never stopping to question or to catch their breath, not as if they could anyhow. Not wasting any time, they took off toward the getaway spot, the sound of landing feet chasing after them. They burst through the dealership doors and frantically shoved anything and everything they could in front of it. The first cannibal was soon at the door, pounding on the glass with his elbows and fists, his bloody teeth bared at them. Others were appearing in front of the giant glass window, slamming all their weight to bust it apart. Turning away from them, the small group scanned the showroom for the right escape vehicle. In a matter of seconds, Zeke and Angelica were arguing over the model and the color. Jake shook his head in disbelief; was there any point when these two did not find something to argue over. It was if they were determined to get them all killed.

"We're taking the black Mustang," Jake yelled at them. "Zeke, come help me find the keys."

Zeke ran off in the direction of the offices, not daring to be combative with Jake. If there was one thing he learned from hanging out with him, it was never to challenge him. The administration office was in a bit of disarray, but compared to most other places they've seen, it could pass as spotless. Jake was already behind the desk, ripping open drawers and tossing them onto the floor. Pencils and paper were soon strewn all about, making it hard to find anything. Spotting a cabinet off to his right, Zeke bolted over to it and flung the doors open, a loud crack filling the air as one of the hinges were ripped off. At a quick glance, it all seemed to be just junk except for the clothes hung in the center. They were mostly business suits with a few ties and dress shirts intermixed. He was about to close the doors when a thought popped into his head. When it came down to hiding stuff, what better place than in plain sight. He pushed the clothes off to the side with more force than was necessary, causing shirts and ties to fall off the hangars. He did not really care since his attention was fixed on a brown box sitting in the back. Opening it up, his eyes were met by a hundred shiny keys just waiting to be tested.