Locked Away [10k Z Nation]

18

"Fuck," I heard someone say, from a distance it seemed, "Cody wake up, we're out of gas!"

I felt the blanket that was keeping me warm suddenly disappear and I was instantly awake, and terrified. It seemed like one emotion didn't come without the other nowadays.

The voice had been 10k's and he was now standing at full attention, scanning the stretch of land around us in all directions. No potential threats had made an appearance yet, but they could at any time, and we all certainly knew that.

The sky was a darker color so I knew I had been asleep for a while. The temperature has dropped and I could already tell it was going to get a whole lot colder.

Warren climbed out of the truck and told us the plan. I noticed that she looked tired.

"We're gonna send Murphy to scout ahead, you know, since he can't be attacked. He's gonna look for some source of gas, maybe some shelter. Whatever he can find, really."

10k looked a little concerned at this idea.

"Won't he run?" I asked

"We took his canteen, that should be enough to make him come back," she responded

"What if he finds something better on his way?" I ask, this plan really isn't making that much sense to me.

"I'll go with him." 10k volunteered beside me, I keep looking straight ahead. I can feel him looking at me, but I won't meet his gaze. He turns back to Warren. I can't see the look on his face, so I don't know if he's disappointed or not.

"Do you have enough ammunition?" She asks, looking doubtful. Her eyebrows are raised, and it makes her forehead wrinkle slightly.

"Yeah, I've got enough." He slings his gun back around him.

"That's not a good idea," I protest at last, the words just seeming to push themselves out of my mouth.

Warren and 10k both turn and look at me at the exact same time.

"And why would that be?" Warren sternly asks, like she doesn't have time for this

I felt my face turn red and struggled to find a way out of this embarrassing situation.

"Well um... If Murphy can control Zs, wouldn't that make it likely he would send them at 10k or something...?"

10k and Warren exchanged looks.

"Well what do you propose we do?" Murphy's voice sneered from beside me. I nearly shot twenty feet out of skin, I got so scared.

Once I had regained myself I looked around, thinking of an idea. But mostly I was just embarrassed to be caught by Murphy talking about him behind his back. I still hasn't forgotten about him saving my life back at the cabin a few weeks ago, before all of the shit with The Pageant started.

I saw that we weren't in the middle of nowhere, there was an apartment complex nearby. We could scout ahead in the morning. I sorted through the thoughts in my head, trying to get a decent plan together.

"We don't necessarily have to act now," I started slowly "We could take shelter in one of those apartments, then try and work something out in the morning, and plus there would be a better chance of surviving if you faced the Zs during the day, not when it's almost nightfall."

I finished my thought and proudly looked around, seeing what they all thought. Hey, I thought that plan was pretty good for being pulled out of my ass with no time for preparation.

"That sounds good Cody." Warren hesitantly smiled at me, then retreated back to the front of the truck to tell the others.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw 10k shoot at something down the road, and realized exactly how exposed we were.
I felt a tingle run up my spine and into my stomach. I wasn't going to end up like Meg. I thought of her torn face and shook my head to clear the thought away.

"Let's go. They're coming." 10k started to run towards the apartment complex.

We gathered what we had in the truck and took off behind him, I kept a close eye on Murphy. If I had been through a whole lot of shit, these people had been through far worse trying to take his ass across the country, and I was not about to let that go to waste.

Murphy and I were at the back of the group, lightly jogging a little behind everyone else. He slowed down to a slow walk, and I matched his pace, confused.

"What are you doing? The Zs could be anywhere, we gotta go!"

He stopped completely.

"Cody?" He whispered, looking me right in the eye

"What?" I asked, moving closer to him. We didn't have time for this at all!

"I'm sorry," and with that, he shoved me down, I felt a shock run up my spine as my butt collided with the very hard and solid ground. I looked up and saw the back of Murphy as he ran away, his heels kicking grit from the road up in the process.

"Oh no you don't, you jackass!" I shouted at him and jumped to my feet. He had gained about fifty feet, but I was fast. I felt my shoes dig into the road as I propelled myself faster, chasing after that coward.

"Murphy!" I yelled, I was only a few feet behind him now, but not close enough to do anything to stop him.

"Shit kid, you're fast!" He gasped, he was running out of stamina

He had lost a lot of ground, and looked like he was struggling to breathe, so I hurled myself onto his back, and he collapsed onto the road.

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath as he tried to haul me off of him. His stomach was pressed to the ground and my knees were on either side of his body.

"Let me up, bitch!"

"You are not running away from this. You have a duty, and you owe that group so much for keeping you alive."
I hissed in his ear

"I can take care of myself," he struggled underneath me, I quickly grabbed his hands and pulled them behind his back.

I heard footsteps slap at the ground behind us, I twisted my neck to smile at the astonished faces of the group.

"Did she really just tackle him to the ground?" Doc laughed and I saw Cassandra smile, catch my eye, and her smile dropped.

"If anyone would do it, it would be her," Addy smiled down at me and Mack was almost on the ground he was laughing so hard. I tore my eyes away from Cassandra and looked back down at Murphy, who hadn't gotten up yet, and looked very tired.

"Murphy, I knew you were a coward, but this is a new low." Warren pushed Murphy to his feet and began to lead us all back to the original resting spot.

"I can't go to California, I just can't." Murphy's head was hung so low, I almost felt bad for stopping him.

I felt 10k sling his arm around my shoulder, and I was surprised. He never showed affection for me I front of the others.

"That's my girl," he grinned, his eyes sparkled with humor, and a little but of pride.

Suddenly, I didn't feel bad about chasing Murphy at all.

~
A/N
25 votes for next chapter!