The Life After: Volume One

Episode Six, Chapter Four. "Living In Fear Pt II"

The woman approaches us from the hallway after we all meet up. She eyes us down, after determining that we're safe, she speaks.

"I'm Elizabeth. You guys wanna get out of here alive? Then you better so as I say." She announces.

We all nod and she smiles lightly. She gestures towards us and starts heading down the hallway. We follow.

At the end of the hallway, two men lay dead, blood staining their clothing and the cold, hard floor beneath them.
She heads upstairs with the group while I stay back with Ryan.

I kneel next to the bodies and loot their weapons. I hand over a .378 to Ryan, the one Garrett had taken from him. I then pick up a DB-15.

"That gun looks like it'll do something." Ryan says.

I smile. "It sure does." I unload the magazine to check the bullet count, it is full with thirty two shots. I load the magazine back in and ready the rifle in case of emergency.

"Stick with me, no matter what happens. You understand?" I ask.

"Yeah, Dad. Got it." Ryan answers.

Gunfire erupts on the upper level of the building and we begin to make our way up the staircase to catch up with the group. When we reach the top, we make a run for the closest cover we can find.

I duck behind a shelf as one of the guards turns his attention to us. I fire my rifle at him, causing him to fall heavily while still shooting his gun.

The two of us move up to one of the windowsills nearby the fallen guard. I peer over to see Cole and Daryl providing cover fire for the group as they flee from the compound. Elizabeth is nowhere to be seen.

I break the glass in front of me and climb out with Ryan behind me. I make a run across the field to help Cole and Daryl.

"Where's Elizabeth?" I ask sliding behind the wall.

"Not sure. She took off after Garrett. Said she was gonna end this shit once and for all." Daryl responds.

"Shit, alright. Ryan, I want you to stay with Daryl and Cole."

"Dad-"

"No. There's something I need to do, and it's dangerous. I don't want you to get killed out there because of me, okay?"

He nods and I run across the field to a wall closer to Garrett's men than the previous one.  I fire the rifle once more, taking down a few more men and clearing another path for me to run.

I sprint across to the truck and take cover behind it. The gunfire abruptly grows louder and faster.

I fire back and everything goes silent. Garrett's men begin to retreat as I toss the rifle to the ground.

Empty. Suddenly, footsteps grow loud at a quick pace and I'm on the ground. Garrett.

"You son of a bitch!" I say, punching him in the face. I roll him over, grab his shirt and begin to repeatedly punching him.

He takes a knife out of it's sheathe and shoves it into my stomach. I fall backwards and land on my back. Blood quickly stains my shirt and I try to cover the wound with my hand.

"You thought you were smart?  Didn't you?  You're nothing but another damn dead guy."  Garrett says.

He crawls on top of me and wraps his hands around my throat.  He pushes and squeezes harder and harder, causing my face to turn almost blood red.

Gunfire explodes once more and fills the air quickly. I reach to my left and grab a rock, I bring it up and slam it into Garrett's head. He falls to the ground and rolls over.