The Dead Always Win

Aftermath

Max stood there, speechlessly considering his options. Giving Woody up to save the world definitely wasn't appealing, he couldn't bear to give him up after all they'd been through together. But if it could save the world, maybe it was worth it?

"What's it going to be, Max?" Tina spoke up, impatience stealing her sympathy.

"You can't have my dog," He replied, staring straight into her dark green eyes. In response, Tina sighed, turning to the rest of her group. "Kill them." She uttered, regret in her tone as she aimed her rifle at Max first.

He dodged her bullets, reaching for his gun in his jeans and returning fire into the crowd, he dropped to his knees suddenly, untying Joel quickly and helping him up as they ran back towards the house. Everyone seemed to run for cover at once, Max's group running back into the house as Woody followed on, they slammed the door and went up to the second floor.

"Thanks, mate," Joel smiled as Max returned the gesture.

"No problem, Joel. Couldn't leave you behind."

"Fuck, Max. You'd risk all of our lives for that dog?" Leon said, opening the second-floor window which had a perfect view of the people outside the house who were looking for a way into the house.

Nate took the opportunity and aimed out the bottom half of the window and unleashed bullets from his AK at the group, a couple of bullets hit the enemy's vehicles with loud clunks as it scratched and dented the metal.

They returned fire, causing them to duck down and shut the curtain from their stance just below the window ledge.

"It didn't have to go this way, Max," Tina yelled from outside. "Just stop your fire and come out, I'll give you another thirty seconds to do so before we start tearing this place apart," she called out.

Max looked over at Leon who was frowning at his lack of negotiation skills, he simply sat there, ready to put up a fight. Nate could see that Max wasn't budging and so popped out the window, taking a shot at Tina which just missed her, crashing into the gravel at her feet

"I see," she said. "Take them as prisoners, kill who you have to!" She ordered, everyone suddenly bashing in windows and the front door, the sliding side door and any entrance possible.

"Shit, what do we do?" Alice panicked as they shut the curtain once again. Leon looked up at the ceiling to see a rather sizable hatch that must've led to the attic. "Up there!" He yelled, getting everyone's attention.

"How do we get up there?" Alice asked about his blatantly flawed plan, trying to go along with it nonetheless.

Leon looked around and spotted a long metal object that was bent at the end, almost like a candy cane. He used it to unlock the attic door and it fell open, a ladder attached to it that was folded in half.

As the tallest, Nate grabbed it and folded it downwards to their feet, Alice went first, then Max, then Olivia, then Leon carrying Woody and as insisted, Joel and finally Nate.

Once they had climbed up, Nate folded the ladder back up, pulled the metal object up and closed the attic door firmly.

"Phew, doubt they'll find us up here," Nate said, finally catching his breath.

They looked around the cold and spacious area, cardboard boxes stacked up high to the left along with an old brown leather sofa and various children's toys.

"Damn, it's cold up here," Max moaned.

"Better than down there," Alice replied, walking to the door in front of them.

Upon entry, you could see a small sofa to the left, draped with a dressing gown and a purple blanket, a purple rug was on the floor, just in front of it. Opposite this, a TV on a sleek, white surface.