The Safe Zone (The Dead Zone Book Two)

Chapter 2

Paige is awoken by the slowing of the car, interrupting the peaceful roar that had lulled her to sleep in the first place. They'd driven all day, she realized, as she took in the pitch black outside the windows.

Bryson's hands clutch the steering wheel, so tightly it turns his knuckles white. He looked as if he were about to rip it right off of the dashboard.

"What's wrong?" She whispers, sitting up in her seat, trying to work out a few knots in her neck. He tilts his head forward, out into the darkness ahead of them, and she realizes the headlights are turned off. It takes a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when they do, all the blood drains from her face.

"Oh my God." A horde of roamers is gathered in the middle of the highway, blocking their path. As she looks closer, she realizes they aren't just on the highway; they've spread into the surrounding areas as well. Shapeless bodies shuffle through the darkness, mindless shadows with no purpose other than to eat people. Them, if they weren't careful.

"Why are you stopped? Turn around and find a different rout."

"There is not other rout." His words were cold, causing her to recoil slightly.

"Can we get out and walk? We could fan out around them to avoid the horde."

"No. Look how many there are. They've already spread out into the trees." Bryson is breathing heavily, making her nervous.

"What are you going to do, then?" His eyes flash to hers, a strange gleam glinting in them, and she shakes her head.

"No, listen to me! There's a better way! We just need to make a plan."

But it's no use. Flipping on the headlights, hundreds of roamers turn on them, their hungry eyes zeroing in on the car that's now speeding toward them at high speeds, sending her stomach dropping.

Paige fears she might vomit as the car picks up momentum, reminding her of the feeling of riding a roller coaster, when your stomach drops and your heart pumps wildly, and not in a good way- She'd always hated roller coasters.

She couldn't seem to close her eyes as the car struck the first roamer, the body rolling off the hood with a loud thump, waking Zach and Evie from their slumber.

"What the hell!" Zach yells, eyes frantic, full of panic.

"Hold on!" Paige yells, grabbing the door for some leverage as the car pummels over several more roamers, sending them all sprawling out through the car. Bryson swerves to miss hitting one dead on, pushing the gas again. One of them jumps onto the hood, and Bryson slams the brakes, the momentum sending it flying off into the street. Not wasting any time, he hits the gas again and the car takes off.

Both girls scream as another roamer hits the hood, this one rolling over the top of the car, shattering the windshield. "Bryson!" Paige cries out, tears streaming down her face. She'd never been so scared in her life. If the car stopped... She couldn't even finish the thought. Her worst nightmares came alive as the car stalls, Bryson letting out a dark curse. Roamers surround them, banging their grungy hands on the vehicle, rocking it as if they're about to lift it up and push it on its side. Evie wails in the backseat, as the rear window begins to crack, Zach's face pale and chalky. This is it. This is how they'd go.

Twisting the key in the ignition, the car turns over but doesn't start. Bryson tries again and the car roars back to life, and he takes off, sending more roamers rolling off of the car. The windshields cracks a little more, bowing in towards them, and Paige knows one more blow and its done for.

Panicking, she grabs Bryson's rifle, kicking the useless glass out of the way so she could get a clear shot. She mows down as many roamers as she can while Bryson drives, wishing she could plug her ears. Each shot rings out loudly, making her ears pop, but there are bigger problems facing them now. When they pass the last roamer, she falls back in her seat, her whole body quivering.

What is left of the horde is still chasing after their car, but they're quickly falling behind, unable to keep up. Zach is still trying to calm Evie down as the car slows, pulling over to the side of the road when the coast is finally clear. Paige kicks her door open, anger boiling to the surface now that there's no need for fear.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She yells, shoving Bryson in the chest. He doesn't budge, which makes her even angrier. "You could have killed us all! What were you thinking!"

"We're running out of time! I did what I had to do. Nobody got hurt."

"Yeah, lucky for you! It's a miracle we made it out of there alive! Next time you want to intentionally endanger my life, you should think about all the things that could have gone wrong in that situation."

"I would never intentionally endanger your life! Never. I love you, Paige. I'm sorry for scaring you. But I did what I had to." Hearing him say that made her heart stop. She wanted so badly to say it back but she was simply too shaken up at the moment. Turning away from him, she stalked off, needing a breather.

She wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but she didn't like it. Desperation was all she could think of, but did that justify the reckless abandon he'd just shown? No, no it didn't.

Footsteps approach, and at first she thought it was Bryson in the darkness, but as he neared she knew she'd been wrong. She's surprised to find Zach approaching her. It was strange to her how similar the two looked, minus a few key differences.

He sits next to her, letting out a deep sigh. "Are you still mad?" He asks, appraising her. She realized then that he'd never seen her yell before. Not out of anger, at least.

"I don't know. I think I'm more traumatized than anything." She rubs the back of her hand over her eyes, wiping away her drying tears. She hated crying now-a-days. It made her feel weak and exposed.

"Ah." He thinks carefully over his words before continuing. "I know what Bryson did was sorta... crazy." He says, earning an eyeroll from Paige. "But we're all okay. Nobody got hurt. I think we should forget about it and move on. We're wasting precious time here." He did had a point.

"You're right. Sorry if I'm being overdramatic- I just needed a moment." Zach shakes his head at her. "No, don't be sorry. I don't blame you. Back there, when the car stopped... I thought that was it."

"Me too." They were silent for a moment longer, facing the reality that they'd been seconds away from death.

"Let's get back to the others." She says, helping Zach to his feet.

"You know what?" A smile creeps over Zach's features, earning him a raised eyebrow. "You looked like a total badass mowing down all those zombies!"

She laughs in disbelief. "Whatever! I was crying like a baby. Not very badass if you ask me."

"Oh please. Give yourself some credit."

She shakes her head, changing the subject. "How's Evie doing?"

"She's okay now. She just needed to calm down. She was freaked out like the rest of us."

"I don't blame her. Oh, and by the way, this time I'm driving."