Zombie Parade

5: Strip

Annabeth POV

Piper gasped while lowering her gun. She couldn't hold a gun to a baby. However, I'm not as sentimental as Piper. If this man was a threat, we have to address it. Regardless, several guards lowered their weapons at the sight of the baby.

There was something familiar about the young man, but he was still relatively far away. I couldn't make out the specific details of him.

Blood was soaking his shirt and hands.

He caused a freaking explosion right next to our survival camp. Zombies for miles would be attracted to us now. They were already impaling themselves on the traps.

"PUT BOTH YOUR HANDS UP," Luke shouted again.

The man didn't move. His right hand was covering his baby while his left hand remained in the air. That's the most he could do.

"Luke, cut him some slack. He's holding a baby," Thalia said firmly.

"We have to handle the situation differently. The car crash could've been an accident, especially he didn't notice the traps on the street," Charles acknowledged.

"Plus, we should go inside quickly. The zombies are all around us," Jason continued.

They were all correct. Because of the explosion, hundreds of zombies were coming at us. Our traps stayed solid against the perimeter. Regardless, it would be safer and more efficient for us to go inside.

Luke shook his head firmly. "We can't take any risks. You all know that."

I stepped forward. My gun was still trained on the young man, who was looking at me intently. Once again, recognition washed over me, but I couldn't quite place him. I quickly formulated a plan while walking toward him and the baby.

"Everyone goes inside. Luke and I will detain the individual ourselves and bring him inside. We will make sure that he is unarmed and not dangerous," I affirmed.

Everyone listened. The soldiers started going inside. We were near the front of the museum, so they walked in through the double doors. Luke and I approached the young man cautiously. Up close, it was obvious that he is attractive. His raven black hair, green eyes, and tan skin emphasized his handsomeness.

Luke roughly grabbed the bag away from Percy. He tossed the bag to the side. My gaze lingered on the man's face. he was looking at me too.

"I'm not a danger. I just didn't see the spikes," he answered.

"How did you not see the traps?" I asked logically.

"I was driving down the street. After a sharp turn, the baby bag fell over, so I reached down to pick it up. When I looked up, the spikes were right in front of me."

His explanation made sense.

I sighed while looking around. The zombies were groaning and screeching. They were trampling each other while trying to cross the perimeter. Of course, our traps were solid, so they only impaled themselves against the wooden and steel spikes.

Luke was rummaging through the baby bag. However, it seemed to be a normal survival bag. There were food, clothes, weapons, and a lot of baby products.

"What's your name?" I asked firmly.

"I don't trust you. I'm not telling my name to someone who has a gun to my head," he spat. His arms wrapped around his baby to protect her.

I frowned in annoyance. He was not making this easy. Rather than saying something, I turned to Luke instead.

"We have to go inside. Our presence is only attracting the zombies. Everyone has to go inside to dilute the situation," I structured. Luke nodded. He walked toward the man and cocked his gun against his back.