World of Decay: Escape Artists (Book 1)

chapter 48

A few hours have passed and all the fighter's are in Dunbar D.M. base. The place is rigged with explosives as close as they can get to the infected without causing the war early. The teams are being set up and plans being made. All the leaders are gathered in the gym. They are discussing who goes where and what at the exact moment in the fight.
Matt is leading the vehicle assault. Daniel, the melee, Chrissy, the archer's, and Stitch is leading the explosives unit.
"Matt we need to change your postion. Instead of driving you will be on the front lines. We can use the cars to haul the injured back to safety. Can you defend them long enough?" Marcy asked.
"Yea, we can defend the cars long enough to get the injured. It won't be that hard."
"One thing." Stitch interrupted. "I have a lot of alcohol so we can create fire bombs. I've learned they hate it when I chased one with a torch."
"That will help more than you realize. Go prepare the cocktails. You will be the first one out there." Marcy pointed over to him. Stitch bowed and left the room. "Anyone else got any bright ideas for the bomb run?"
"Hah. Puns!" Some kid yelled fron the crowd.

Hailey is back home with the kids and some guards. She doesn't want to be in the fight because she is scared the bastards will try to get in when you least expect it. Gary is still there but he doesn't take his job seriously.
She begins to wander if Daniel will survive the horde in Dunbar. Seeing him leave made her realize how much she cares for him. Something deep down tells her to move on. That he isn't coming home. But why won't Hailey listen to that voice? It whispers in her ear like it is right beside her. She is eighteen which means she could be just like Owen and Lacrisha. Nyla told her what Owen said about the voices. How it drove him to eat another person.
That scared her most of all. She doesn't want to become one of them. A freak. A cannibal. If it does come to that she wants to die before she can kill another kid.
Xian finds her on the roof alone. Her face on the thick piece of railing they made for the archers. Gabby puts a hand on Xians shoulder and gives her that don't do it face. She doesn't listen and goes over to her and steals a hug.
"Hey there, Xian. How are you doing?" Hailey said peeping one eye out trying to hide her face.
"Im ok. You don't seem happy. What's wrong?" Xian says in a cute soft tone.
Hailey wipes her eyes on her sleeves. "Nothing. Just my depression getting to me." Lie. "It is nothing really. Happens all the time."
"If you say so. I can see you are worried about the boy you were with earlier. Daniel is it." Xian said leaning on the railing.
How does she know Im thinking about Daniel? She was no where near us at the time. Theres no way she saw us at all. I was completely vigilant. Probing time.
"Xian can we talk alone? Just me and you?" Hailey asks staring at her.
She nodded. "Bibber, can you give us a few minutes?" He climbed back down the ladder. "What's up?"
"How did you know I was worrying about Daniel?"
Stumped her. "I....I heard your thoughts. We both are infected. I was bit on the ankle by a lunch lady." She bent down to reveal a bite mark.
Haileys heart sank. Bitten? Im infected? Daniel. Ow my god. What am I going to do. What if I hurt him?
"Clearly this is to much for you to handle. Gibber is also infected as well. He was bit on the butt trying to escape an abandoned building after his party died. That's why he tried to die in the river." Xian looked at Hailey trembling. "Calm down. You won't kill anybody as long as you keel it in check. The craving is meat. The more meat you eat the less it'll hurt you. Or if you can fight it off yourself."
"How do you know all of this?" She looked up at her. Xian holds a blanl face.
"The voices told me. I can hear them constantly raving about the damned stuff like it's candy. Sure your vision loses it every now and then but it is ok. You seem to be able to cope without hunting though." She let out a sigh. "Please don't broadcast your thoughts to everyone. They will follow your signal. Why do you think there are so many monsters around?"
Hailey pulled herself together. "I had no idea I was broadcasting my thought's. Thank you for telling me this."
"Theres also one other thing. After a while your senses becomed brightened some how. Really weird. Don't talk to anyone about this. If they find out were out on our asses or in Jeremy's lab being tested like rats. Capiche?" Xian held out her hand and Hailey nodded. "Good. Pull yourself together we have work to do."