Day 110: July 27th, Wednesday
YOUSEF
"Aria, I still don't think this is a good idea," Yousef said.
He watched as Aria opened the washing machine and started pulling out the food they had hoarded for the past week and placing them inside her bag. It was Yousef's idea to hide the food here since no one used these machines nowadays without electricity, and he was sure no one would think to look inside.
Aria paused. "If we stay here, we're good as dead. You've seen how many vectors are now walking around. They're growing in numbers, and Pete and Paloma would rather stay put than move somewhere else."
"But what about Bren?"
Aria sighed. "Look. I know you are trying to honor your best friend by sticking by Bren's side, but he is probably dead. You can't hinge your life on a ghost, Yousef. Not like Paloma and Pete. They've made their bed. We should be smart about this. I'm sorry, but we're the only ones left. We're the ones that mattered."
"If they survived—"
"We saw them, Yousef, with our own eyes! No one could have survived that fall off the bridge. Let's not talk anymore about this and put these supplies in your bag. We don't want Pete to find us."
Yousef wanted to believe her, but he couldn't shake off the awful feeling that he was betraying Luke. He promised Luke that he'd stay close to Bren's side, support him, and watch out for him even when Bren probably promised the same for him. He didn't like to feel this way, yet the thought that Bren might also be dead only broke his heart. Yousef was truly alone, and he couldn't help but be angry at both Bren and Luke for leaving him in this terrible place. They were much braver and stronger than him, and he invited that guilt into his mind, that creeping doubt, asking many times why he was still alive and not them. Frankly, he didn't deserve it. Only Allah knew how far Bren went to save everyone and all Yousef did was be stubborn, scared, and angry.
But he couldn't stay put either. He couldn't just sit around, waiting to die like the others. He still wanted to see his parents and his brothers, hear their voices, and hold them again. He prayed day and night to Allah that they were still alive and to keep them safe. Sometimes, that soothed his fears and his anxiety.
Marie and Barry returned, and Aria looked over their collected things. She nodded, pleased at what they brought.
"This is probably good for a week," she said. "If we ration it carefully, it might last more than that."
"Are you sure about that car, Aria?" Marie asked. "What if it doesn't work, and we trekked the few blocks for nothing?"
"It works. I scouted that car dealership many times and found the keys for the Mazda in the manager's office. There's a half tank of gas in it to get as close to Pittsburgh."
"And is that really enough? What if we ran out of gas in the middle of the highway?" Barry asked, unsure.
"We can always walk."
"Hike to Pittsburgh? Are you insane? You told me we won't do that!"
"Oh my God, Barry. Shut the fuck up, or you'll wake everyone."
"They're several floors above us. We're in the garage."
"Still! And besides, if you really are scared of walking, Barry, you can grab that hose over there and suck a gas tank. I didn't get to check if the other cars were there. They might still have some juice in them."
"Why don't you do it?"
Aria glared at him. "I'm not your fucking maid. If you want to come with us, you must do what I say and play your part. Understand?"
Barry gulped. "Yes."
"Good. It's a long way to the car dealership, but if we're quick, those six blocks will feel like nothing."
"And the vectors?" Marie asked.
"Hopefully, we won't encounter any."
Let's hope, Yousef thought. "They'd be pissed at us," Yousef blurted out, but it was too late to pull the words back into his mouth. He looked at Aria, surprised she didn't glare at him.
"Yes, they will, but by then, we're going to be far away," Aria said.
"Yeah, I wouldn't count on that," a familiar voice from the door, followed by the chilling click of a pistol's hammer. Pete stepped through the door frame and out of the darkness, the barrel of his gun pointed at them. "Someone's angry right now."
"Pete..." Aria started.
"Shut up, Aria. I don't want to hear more of your crap," Pete hissed. "Well, isn't this interesting? You four are stealing from the group?"
"Please, Pete. We just want to survive," Aria said.
"I told you, one more word, or I'll put a bullet through you."
"You won't do that."
"Really, Aria? After the shit I pulled? You gotta remember I'm not the one who fucked the group here. It's you four."
Aria wasn't intimidated at all, and for a second, Yousef truly admired her. "Oh, for fuck sake, Pete, you're the ones who fucked us over by staying put in this death trap."
"I'm trying to keep us alive."
"No, you let your dick decide what to do, and I don't trust you. Not one bit."
Pete chuckled. "Pretty words, but I'm not the one stealing supplies from two children upstairs." Aria didn't find the words. "Right. You didn't think about them, did you? You only focused on yourself, Aria, like you always do. As a matter of fact, I don't think you even asked the others if they wanted to go. Who did you ask, Aria?"
Pete's eyes found Yousef, and he wasn't comfortable that he regarded his attention on him. "Yousef who's been nipping at your tail, following you like a lost puppy? He doesn't have a spine, so you know he'll say yes to whatever comes out of your mouth."
Asshole! He wanted to shout, but the word jammed right into his throat. He shook, rooted to the floor while he thought of ways to protect Aria. The rifle! Then, his stomach sank. The rifles leaned against the doorframe just a foot away from Pete. Pete, of course, smirked at him, making fun of his stupidity. The soldier stepped and blocked the rifle's view.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why did I put it there?!
He was too confident, too sure that Pete and the others wouldn't be awake, too sure that they wouldn't find out. But of course, Pete did. Yousef had grown comfortable around Pete that he had forgotten what the man was capable of. Aria had only been with him for a couple of weeks. Yousef had seen what he could do in a couple of months.
"For Barry, it wasn't a secret he wanted to leave, so you recruited him. As for Marie, I can't help but be surprised about that. What will Paloma think? No, you, Marie, sought Aria out yourself. Now, Aria has three people rather than the two she had planned. A drain in resources, but safety numbers after all. What's one more meatbag to increase your likelihood of survival, right? The only way to survive a bear is to run faster than the last guy, right?"
"That... That's not what you think!" Barry exclaimed. "Seriously! We left you enough food to survive! We didn't take all of them. We're being considerate! We're not monsters!"
"You know, that's like stabbing a guy on the leg and saying he's still breathing, so he should be okay. No, Barry! It's still fucked up, he's still dead, and you're a fucking idiot!" Pete screamed. As if flicking a switch, Pete's sneer dropped, recovered his calm demeanor. "Sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to get upset. Whew."
"Uh..." Yousef looked around the room, desperate to find a way out.
"Psycho," Marie muttered.
Pete pointed the gun at her. "Did I ask for your opinion, Marie?" Marie did not answer.
"Hey! D-don't talk to her that way," Barry stammered.
Pete rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Barry, you're a rapist, and you got me-too'd. You don't get to be chivalrous around women, so get off your high horse, or else you'll break your neck. You've done enough damage. Anyway... where was I? Ah! We're talking about Aria. Well, I grew up with her when Natalie was Queen Bee in the old days and didn't you want to be like Nat? I remember you've always followed her, too, just like you had Yousef under your finger. You learned from the best."
No! That's not even close! I make my own decisions, fucker! Yousef wanted to scream.
"Stop it," Aria hissed.
"Didn't you tell me once that Nat's like a role model or something? A sister you've never had? A one-of-a-kind soul? Better than a Kardashian?"
"I said stop."
"Oh yeah, you two have been best friends, ruling side by side and making everyone's lives miserable. School is like the embodiment of hell for people like Yousef, like Barry, like Marie, and yeah, even me. Do you think that Aria has changed? No. She's still there, and she's using whatever means necessary to survive, and if I were the three of you, I'd walk away from her now before she throws you to the wolves."
"Shut the fuck up! You don't know me, Pete! You can't even begin to imagine a goddamn lick about what I've been through!" Aria screamed.
Aria trembled, staring daggers at Pete. Yousef wanted to place his hand on her shoulder, let her know it wasn't worth it to fight him, but he didn't think that would be a good idea. He didn't want Pete to fire a shot from any sudden movement. So, Yousef stood rigid, unsure what to do.
Pete never let Aria's anger break his facade. "I have a very active imagination, Aria, so I can imagine a lot. You may have Bren fooled that you've changed with your, oh please save my friends, save these girls from these rapist soldiers. Oh, look. I'm a badass now. You didn't really participate in killing them, did you? You let Bren and us do the dirty work while you wait for the all-clear, safe and sound in your cell. Sure, you let the tears fall because that's what got you teachers' pet of the year for three fucking years in a row. Yet, you didn't even shed a tear when those women you so desperately wanted to be saved started dying one by one, eaten alive?"
"That's enough, Pete! Jesus!" Marie covered her ears.
"Oh, come on, Marie. We've been here for two weeks and not one moment did she mention those girls. Audrey's still in mourning twenty-four-seven, Paloma's in shock, the girls won't stop crying for daddy, and Aria just completely forgot those girls existed! They were just meat shields while we escaped!"
"You're a fucking asshole, Pete," Aria said. "I don't know what Bren sees in you."
"Ow. Poor jab, Aria. At least Bren makes good decisions."
"Clearly, he made a mistake with you. Between you and them, I really wished it was you who didn't make it out of the city. Those girls deserved much more than your sorry excuse of a person. You are one godless motherfucker."
Pete laughed. "Oh, I know that. And unlike you, I've accepted it. It's very...liberating. Now," he pointed the gun at Marie and Barry's backpacks. "Leave those here. The rest you take with you."
Yousef didn't know what to say, and the others didn't either. They stood there, mouths hanging open, almost sure they would get shot, but Pete was letting them go. It didn't make sense! They stole these supplies! Yousef glanced at Aria, but she never left her gaze on Pete.
"Come on! Don't act so surprised! I truly want you guys to leave. Fewer problems for us in the long run. Do you know how irritating it is to listen to you and Paloma argue the same shit every fucking day? I'm even dreaming about it now. That's how fucking nauseous it is. The four of you leaving will be good for our mental health."
"But we won't have enough food for the road!" Barry argued.
"Barry, let me ask you this, is it my problem? No? Then shut the fuck up. You can always forage and scout, you slob."
Barry clamped his mouth shut. He wanted to argue, but Yousef was glad he didn't. He desperately wanted to leave now. Still, he feared Pete would shoot them when they turned their back on him.
Marie walked toward the rifles, but Pete gestured with his gun for her to stop. "These stay here."
Marie shot Aria a baffled look. "But we need those guns! You can't really expect us to survive out there without it."
"Isn't that a hatchet sticking out of your pack? I see two knives just around Aria's ankle and under her belt. Barry there got a baseball bat. Yousef's got the combat knife I gave him. Figure it out. Now, go. Don't make any sudden movements. I have a good aim, and I'll make sure I hit the spot where it hurts."
Yousef slowly grabbed his backpack from the floor and followed the others, trailing the last of the group. He could feel Pete's gun mere inches away from his back as Pete told them where to turn, where to go. Eventually, they ended up at the door leading toward the alleyway behind the apartment.
"Pete," Aria started. "We can talk about this. At least give us a gun."
"Aria, I just want to let you know that you've always been a second-rate bitch I've always known you to be. Get the fuck out."
Aria hesitated. A part of Yousef wanted to fight, but he knew the bullet would hit him first. Pete stood behind him, breathing against the nape of his neck. He'd be the first to go, and as much as it killed him to admit it, he didn't want Aria to play the hero. He didn't want to die.
Aria opened the door and walked out into the rain. Barry went out next, followed by Yousef. Marie pleaded to Pete's morality, whatever's left inside of him, but he was more annoyed by all her yapping that he dragged Marie out through the door and pushed her out. Aria caught her before she hit the pavement. Yousef was surprised when Pete took out an emergency fireaxe from the wall and threw it at them, landing in front of Yousef's feet.
"Pick it up," Pete said.
Yousef did what he was told. Then, Pete stepped out into the rain well. "Walk," he said. He motioned toward the street twenty feet away from them.
Yousef couldn't see that far. The downpour obscured their visibility by mere fifteen feet, and there was no sign of respite from the weather. It would be hard to navigate the road under this storm, much less hear the vectors coming around them. I told Aria tonight was a bad night! He stopped himself from blurting it out. He gripped tightly on the axe, ready to fight if he had to.
Aria led the way toward the street, stopping to listen. Yousef looked around for any signs of vectors, but he didn't spot any. Marie shrugged while Barry stayed close behind her, shivering under the cold.
Wait. Where's Pete? Yousef turned back to the alley and saw Pete standing, ten feet away from the door, looking at them. But it wasn't Pete that stumped the fear up Yousef's throat. He wanted to warn and point out, but Aria extended her hand and grabbed Yousef's jacket. He looked at her and could see eyes filled with anger and anticipation.
Pete, puzzled, looked over his shoulder until the vector was now on top of him. He didn't even scream when they both hit the pavement, the vector thrashing as it tried for a bite. The rain muffled Pete's grunts and the vector's shrieks.
Yousef stepped forward, axe at the ready, but Aria kept her hold on his shirt. "What are you—"
"Leave him," she said.
Yousef looked at Barry and Marie, but they remained still and quiet, watching as Pete struggled against the infected. A part of him wanted to help, but then again...the things he said back there glued Yousef where he stood.
Suddenly, the vector went slack and fell on top of him like a blanket made of flesh. At first, it stirred, thought that maybe it had killed Pete, and Yousef was about to run when the body rose and dropped to the side. Pete stood up, huffing, still carrying that gun, but his other hand held a large knife and pulled it out from under the vector's chin. His shirt was now drenched with blood. Yousef didn't know if Pete got bit and if all of that were his or the vector.
For that split second, when Pete and they shared a glance, Yousef could see in his eyes what he was thinking. You didn't help me. You all stood there and watched for this thing to kill me. You wanted me to die.
See? Who's the psycho now?
Bang!
The gunshot echoed almost like it came from right beside his ears. Blood splattered his face, but the rain quickly washed it out. He looked to his right and saw Aria, mouth agape, her right hand clutching her left shoulder where the bullet had entered.
Bang!
Another shot. Barry screamed as he went down on the pavement, his hand pressed against his inner leg. Blood pooled out from underneath him. Yousef panicked and dragged Aria behind a car. Marie tried to pull Barry behind the vehicle as well.
"We have to get out of here!" Marie said against his ear.
"He shot my dick!" Barry screamed, his hands clutched around his private parts.
"Yousef! Are you listening to me? We have to get out of here!" Marie kept looking over the hood.
Bang!
"Get down! He'll shoot you!" Yousef shouted, pulling Marie out of view.
"He's not shooting at us!"
"What are you talking—!" Yousef saw Pete standing where the alley met the sidewalk, arm stretched up, the gun pointed toward the sky. His gaze remained on them.
Bang!
Another shot, then the shrieks of vectors—hundreds of them—echoed across the rainy night. Pete ran into the alley, jumped over the dead vector, ran into the door, and closed it behind him.
"They're leading them all towards us!" Marie shouted.
"Yousef, help me up!" It was Aria, gritting the words between her teeth. "Keep heading north there and then turn right to Norman Street."
Yousef nodded and put her good arm around his shoulder. Aria screamed when he lifted her up. She needed to keep pressure on that wound or else she'll bleed to death, but they had to get out of the street first. Fortunately, Aria could still use her legs, unlike Barry.
"Pick it up, Barry!" Marie shouted.
"I can't fucking walk! My dick's shot!"
"We're almost there!"
"No, we're not! Oh, please! Don't fucking leave me!"
The vectors sounded awfully close, and they didn't have a gun. Fighting them at close range would be suicide!
Norman Street! Five more blocks to go!
Yousef turned right as Aria said. Here, the street sloped downward, not too steep, but Aria and Barry had difficulty just running down it, slowing them down. He hoped the downpour would muffle their sounds, but a man and a woman ran out from an alley thirty feet ahead, blocking their way. For a second, Yousef thought they were just another group of survivors who came out to help, but when he heard them shriek and saw their cold eyes, he stopped.
"Shit!" Yousef looked around and saw an SUV in the middle of the road. All its windows remained intact, and he dragged Aria toward it, pushing her into the backseat. Yousef climbed in, closed the door behind him, and then reached out to the other side and closed that door as well. Marie hopped into the passenger seat.
Something's wrong. "Wait! Where's Barry?"
Marie probably didn't hear him, focused on composing herself. She clutched the door handle as if the vectors would rip the door apart. Or perhaps she refused to listen to him. Then, Barry's cries went above the loud patter of rain against the SUV's roof.
"Marie! Asshole! Don't leave me here!"
Yousef looked out the window. Barry lay on the sidewalk, one hand still clasped around his private area while the other waved at them—or maybe at Yousef—trying to get his attention that he was left behind. The two vectors were on top of him, ripping him apart. A dozen more joined the pile, and more came from behind them. Yousef hadn't seen so many vectors at once for a long time! Where are all they coming from? Yousef looked away, closed his eyes, and covered his ears, trying to let the rain drown out Barry's screams.
Marie's yelp drew him out, opened his eyes, and found vectors were now crawling around the SUV. Marie leaned against the passenger seat, hoping it would swallow her to safety. The window beside the passenger seat began to crack. Marie tried to move across the cabin, and that's when Yousef saw the emergency brakes; the lever pulled upward. He leaned in and blocked Marie from moving across.
"Yousef! What are you doing?" Marie shouted.
"The brakes!" Yousef pushed Marie aside, moved down the lever, and then pulled the shift from park into drive. They were on a steep hill, and even though it said on the dashboard there was no gas left in the tank, Yousef banked it would reach enough speed to get them down the hill and out of this pile of flesh. As long as we escape, we can think about what to do and where to go next!
But they were not moving. The vectors piling on top of the car added to the weight and rooted the car where it sat. Yousef pounded against the ceiling, but he knew that wouldn't get them off easily. Get off, all of you!
Marie covered her ears, screaming, "Shut up! Shut up! Please, shut up!" Yousef wanted to cover his ears as well. It was as if Yousef stood in front of a large speaker at full blast, the vectors' shrieks like a symphony in a never-ending forte.
The glass shattered.
Yousef didn't remember when Marie started screaming, or when they pulled her out of the window and tore her apart. All he knew was that enough of the vectors jumped off to join in the frenzy, and lessen the weight on the vehicle. The SUV slowly moved downhill. A handful was still clinging to the car; a woman tried to wiggle her way into the broken window. Yousef, crying out, lifted the axe and slammed it against her head.
However, the blade went too deep into her skull. As Yousef tried to pull it off her, she was already falling back and disappeared under the wheels and brought Yousef's axe with her. The dashboard's speedometer reached up to thirty-five miles per hour. Several vectors fell off, but two clung to the car's hood.
Then he saw what lay ahead—A barrier into a small city park. "Brace yourself!" He called out to Aria as he frantically put on Aria's seatbelt and then his own.
The SUV slammed against the sidewalk, careening toward the dry stack wall. The two vectors clinging to the hood were flung off into the rain. Everything turned upside down; the things around the cabin lifted up, then down, then up again. Metal, rubber, and plastic buckled and warped, all the glass shattered around him, and then in an instant, several pounds of steel and aluminum settled against gravity. A hiss from somewhere, the odd staccato of broken machinery.
Yousef couldn't put both his arms down until he realized he was upside down. Reaching upward, he unclasped the seatbelt and covered his head with his other arm as he went down. The cabin was cramped, and it was hard to crawl to where Aria was, still upside down and unconscious.
"Hey. Wake up," Yousef called out. "Aria."
Aria moaned. Oh, she's still alive! "We gotta move."
"What...the vectors..."
"They're behind us."
"What....what happened..."
Yousef shook his head. "Here. Let me help you."
Yousef crawled in further and reached for her seatbelt. He didn't know far the horde was, but they must be coming down the hill. It would only be a matter of time before they caught up. However, Yousef didn't know what part of town he was in. Was he near the car dealership? How far did he fucked their chances up?
One problem at a time, Sef. One problem at a time.
"Careful." He cupped Aria's head as she went down. The doors warped and busted, so their only exit was through the broken window. Yousef carefully crawled out and dragged Aria with him. He looked back and was shocked they managed to survive a crash where both the front wheels had been torn off, the car's hood practically gone, and the left side was almost bent inward. They were lucky they got out with minor scrapes. The horde's cries spurred him to move forward.
"Where are we going? Where are we?" Aria whispered.
Yousef looked at her. He didn't have any time to check whether she was hurt or not, but she could still run and speak, but then he didn't know how to look if she had a concussion. Her head had no blood on them, at least none that he could see.
He looked back and saw the vectors were practically on top of the overturned SUV, searching for them. He was glad the rain obscured their escape. Yousef reached the end of the park and crossed the empty street.
"Over there," Aria pointed at a store with busted front doors. Above it read: HOLLOW BOOKS & CO.
"Are you sure?"
Aria nodded. "Behind that building's an alleyway that leads to the car dealership."
Yousef let out a sigh of relief. At least I didn't get us lost. "Okay. We're almost there."