We run up three more stories and run into Sam. As soon as we make eye contact I know it's all over.
"Oh, hey Keigen, Cass? What are you guys doing?" He says looking at us furrowing his eyebrows but smiling.
"We were just going to get some fresh air." Cass says quickly, breathing heavy. I close my eyes already accepting arriving defeat.
"Oh okay, we have training in an hour. Don't miss it." He says smiling and waves walking off. I open my eyes looking over at Cass.
"Somethings not right." I say to him quietly.
"Yea, that was a little odd how easy that was." He says looking at Sam's retreating back.
"Let's go." I say to him and we keep walking we eventually arrive at the large metal doors. I try pulling but realize they are sliding doors. Cass chuckles, I give him a irritated look and he stops. I slide the doors open to see the sun rising over mountains.
I look at my surroundings notice about a hundred zombies chained up all looking our way. I look at my arm realizing I didn't wrap my shins or forearms in duct tape. We close the sliding doors and look at the building from the outside. All of it must be underground because the building isn't very large and it looks to be one story tall. The building is surrounded by zombies and a fence around them. I look beyond the fences at the mountains and forest.
"I think we are in Colorado." I say looking over at Cass.
"Yea I think so too."
"What are we going to do. This place is surrounded and if you haven't noticed there are guards around the perimeter too."
"The perimeter, that's it!" I say excitedly.
"What?"
"Follow my lead." He doesn't answer me but follows me anyway.
We weave through the chained up chained up zombies watching each other's backs. We get to the gate and see a guard at a wooden post at the top of the fence.
"What can I do for you?" He asks looking me up and down.
"Sam sent us out to scout the perimeter." I say pulling out my best acting skills.
"Yea? Then why didn't I hear anything about it?"
"I don't know, don't ask me. Isn't that your job to know these things?" I ask acting annoyed.
"Sam would have told me."
"Well that's not my problem. If you want to take it up with Sam, I would be more and happy waiting for you here while you go waste time trying to find him to hear the same words that cane out of my mouth." I say folding my arms. I gives a moment of thought and starts to open the gate.
"Thank you." I say smiling and Cass follows behind me.
"I can't believe that worked." Cass says behind me excited.
"Yea keep quiet and don't blow it."
"We should walk around back so they don't see us leave."
"You're right, pretend like you're doing something." I say as we walk around the tall metal fence. As we make our way around back I hear movement. I hold up my hand signaling for Cass to stop. He gives me a strange look, listening. I continue to walk but stealthier. We get to the back fence surprised with seven guns pointed at us. One of the men pointing a gun at us is Sam.
"So I see you guys were trying to escape." He says smiling but obviously irritated.
"We weren't-" Cass starts to speak but I cut him off.
"Look blindfold us drop us off somewhere far away from here. If you are worried about people finding you guys. Just please we will do anything to get out of this trap. Look my brother is waiting for me New York. I am waisting enough time just standing here talking. Please I need to get to him before it's too late." Cass gives me a strange look but I ignore him.
"I don't know." Sam says wary.
"What if Jessica was somewhere far away and you knew you could get to her but somebody kidnapped you trying to keep you help captive while she may be grave danger? It's the same thing except this is my flesh and blood." We wait for a few moments in anticipation. Me and Cass give each other wary glances. I watch Sam as he thinks.
"Okay, but we are going with the blindfold plan. We are about three hours from the nearest highway. I will have somebody grab your map." He says signaling for everybody to put their guns down.
———
About two hours later me and Cass are thrown into back seats blindfolded. I feel and man hop in next to me.
"Hey Keigen, it's me Mick." I hear a man with a british accent say next to me. I furrow my eyebrows under my blindfold.
"Okay." I say waiting for an explanation why I should care.
"Between me and you I hate living here. I need a way out, so I have devised a plan to take over this truck and get me, you, and your friend Cass or of here. We can figure out the details later." He says in a hushed voice.
"Are you crazy?" I ask him in harsh whisper.
"No, but if I stay here I will be. Just act normal." He says. I hear him get out of the seat and start talking to a few men outside the vehicle, leaving me and Cass alone.
"Yea, Sam just radioed me saying he needed you in the building. Something about a few of Keigen's things still in there."
"Why can't you get it." I hear a woman's voice say.
"Beachside he told me to tell you and Spencer to do it."
"Ugh come on Spence." I here footsteps walking away then after a few moments all the doors close. I hear the doors lock then the truck start.
"Mick?" I ask.
"What's going in Keigen?" I hear Cass say beside me.
"My friend Mick here is hijacking our plan." I say holding up a hand gesturing towards Mick even though Cass can't see me. The truck start to move and fast. I feel somebody tug at my blindfold and suddenly my eyes open to bright light. My eyes adjust to the light and we are in a black suv. I look to my left and Cass is sitting next to me. I pull his blindfold off and he squeezes his eyes closed for a second.
"Novak you okay?" I ask him.
"Yea the sun is just really bright." He says rubbing his eyes. I look and in the front seat is Mick. His beautiful blue eyes stare back at me for a second then turn back to the dirt road. The road weaves through the trees. I slip out of my ties easily and look over at Cass who is struggling.
"Here let me help." I say chuckling. I untie him easily. I look up and his face is inches from mine. His blue eyes shine from the sun. For a second a wave of lust washes over me. I pull my body back quickly and proceed to watching the road again. Cass gives me odd look but I ignore him.
"So, how is everybody so gullible?" Cass asks Mick.
"I don't know, it is actually quite annoying. Mostly cause almost nobody lies back there because there are consequences. And also most of them were there at the beginning of the apocalypse, so they don't really understand how much people will take it to the extremes out here." Mick answers. I hop up in the front seat by Mick watching the road ahead.
"So what's the plan Mick? How is this going to go?" I ask after driving in silence for a half an hour.
"Well we will take back road to get you to New York. Since they know where you are going now they will obviously make their way there first." Mick says sighing.
"Actually, I lied about New York. I'm actually heading to Oklahoma." I say giving an awkward laugh.
"Oh well I guess we can take highway then. Cass are you going with her?"
"Yea, but I don't know what I'll do after we get there."
"Okay well buckle up, because I'm going to be driving pretty fast for the next few hours so we can get farther ahead of Sam and them because you know that they started following us as soon as they found out I took you two and left."
We drive seventy miles per hour for three hours eventually we make it out of the forest onto a highway that weaves around the mountains.
"What highway are we on?" I ask Mick as we speak past a group of zombies.
"I believe I-70 or something like that." He says flicking his eyes around look for a sign.
"Oh shit! Mick we have to get off this highway as fast as we can!" I say my heart practically beating through my chest.
"What? What are you talking about?" He says looking for an exit.
"I was down this highway a couple months ago when I got turned around. Let's just say having your map upside down doesn't help anyone. But as I was going down this highway I ran into hoards of zombies. And the robbers and murdered slash rapists cover this highway. If we don't get off soon something bad will happen." I say thinking back to six weeks ago when I almost got raped.