Fatal | The Second Life I [COMPLETED]

Chapter 8: Learning

The car ride south is filled with mostly silence and occasional whispers. Normally, I was very aware and traced my footsteps everywhere. But I couldn't think straight right now. My hopes were completely shattered.

I need something to pull my attention. I grab the map and study it. I noticed all sorts of places. I saw La Guardia, where we landed. Manhattan. Brooklyn. The Bronx. Queens. Central Park. The list went on and on.

Hell really sucks.

"Is... Is anyone at Battery al-already?" I manage to ask no one in particular.

"Yeah, actually," Victoria says. "There's a group of our friends from around the city. We haven't really got a system working together yet, so you get to witness its creation."

"Alright." I slur, before leaning my head back onto the seat to think.

"Ah, shit." I hear from upfront. I take a look up from my map and find the route is collapsed. "Car can't make it through here," Catey says. "Well, let's hike."

We all reluctantly get out of the car, and I'm reminded of the chilly temperature in the city. Especially with most power out, the city wasn't making any heat. I grab my bag from the trunk, and they grab their weapons.

Catey was handling a compound bow. It seemed to be high dollar, boasting stainless steel, and even some carbon fiber. Adam held some sort of old SMG. It looked like an antique. I'd have to ask about that one. Victoria had a simple sword. We headed out, walking through the night. Catey and Adam were talking, so I walked up to Victoria.

"This group you're talking about." I begin. "If I go there, you aren't gonna pull one of those locked in stunts?"

"No, you wouldn't be a slave." She says, laughing. "But I think you should worry more about now than later."

"Alright," I say, noting that no one here understands my situation. "Where are we?"

"Greenwich." She says. "But you don't know the city, so it's about seventy-five percent."

"Good enough." I shrug, and we duck into a small building. It looked like a small eatery, with small tables and a counter with menu items. A burger looked really good right now.

"We should wait here until daylight," Adam says. "I'd like to see the sickos before I'm attacked."

"I second," I say, sitting onto one of the stools. "But maybe we should go to the section where windows don't take up half of our vision?"

"Yeah." Victoria says, and we quietly walk through the "Staff Only" Door. Victoria rounds the corner first and holds out a hand to us. She has to have seen something. She does some type of hand signal, and Catey walks up next to her, loading an arrow into her bow.

I look around the corner and gasp a bit. It was a Z, with its crimson glow easily visible in the dark. It sees us and tilts its head up. Before it could do anything, an arrow flies through its neck, and it falls to the floor.

"I'll go lock the door," Adam says, walking the other way. I walk to the corpse as the other two surveys the rest of the room.

The Z had on a stained white shirt and a small hat with a sponsor logo. It looked like whoever worked here got a bit like Ashley. But they didn't lose their arm. Must've been enough burgers to keep it happy.

"Locked." I hear as Adam walks in. He shuts the door behind him, and I set my bag on one of the counters. "Check this out," Adam says, and we follow him. Inside the pantry were some big stores of what looked like potato chips.

"To go with burgers," Catey says, grabbing one of the bags. They were huge, and easily 4 pounds each. "Sweet!"

We all sat down at one of the manager's offices and talked over chips and water bottles. Very classy, I know. I wish I could enjoy this more, but that looming thought of my friends seemed to stand in the corner of the room. I couldn't shake it.

Were they okay? Did they find anyone else as I did? How long would it take them to find Battery Park? Were they coming to find me? The list went on and on.

I just hoped I'd make it out alive.

"Where'd you find that bow?" I ask Catey, trying to break the silence.

"My family were hunters." She begins. "We would often go to the Adirondacks and hunt. That's why I know how to use this." She holds the bow up and points at Adam. "And that's how I met my boyfriend."

"Oh, so you two are a thing," I say, and they both nod. "Alright then. And I gotta ask about that SMG. What is it?"

"Oh, this?" Adam says, and I nod. "It's called a KP 38 Suomi. It was used by the Finnish in World War Two. I found this in a museum, and the only problem is the lack of ammo." He pulls out a bloody knife. "That's why I use this more."

"Interesting," I say. "And what about you, Victoria?"

"First of all, please call me Tori." She says. Eh, it's easier. "And I got my sword from the same museum."

"What about you?" Catey asks. "You don't see many guns around New York City."

"It was in a safe in that house you found me at," I say, and I grab the knife. "This was in there too."

"Well, we figure now that you're with us, we tell you what's at Battery," Adam says.

"Ah?" I say. "Enlighten me."

"We have a bit of a group getting organized down that way. They're setting up camp at a place called BDI Plus." Tori begins. "We'll arrive tomorrow morning."

"Sounds neat," I say. "It's safe, right?"

"Probably." She says. "Before service went out, they texted me about room clearing. It's a group of about 50 kids and teens from all over the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, etc."

"I haven't seen any adults besides those assholes who tried to kill me," I say. "Why are there none to be seen?"

"I have a working theory," Catey says. "Remember that poor fuck that was inside here?"

"Affirmative."

"Shit went down around 10 in the morning, and most adults in New York are working. When they're up in those skyscrapers..." She says. "If a sicko gets in, well then, not many ways out."

"Fair enough," I say. "I'm tired, I'll try to sleep."

"Good luck." Tori laughs, taking another chip.

I then walk into another office room we had designated as sleeping quarters. These people didn't mean harm. I just hope that I can find my friends.