When The Sunlight Dies - Human Wreckage Sequel -

Chapter Sixteen

Dawn’s P.O.V

When Frank had told me to run, I didn’t question him.

I turned away from Frank, darting down the hallway and bursting into the backroom. There still lay the mattress that Gerard and I had been sharing, a dresser off in the corner with my mask on it. I snatched it from the top and slid it over my face. New Dawn. I grabbed my backpack as well, slinging it over both of my shoulders, ignoring the pain that bubbled in arm.

I had tried to escape from this window so it was a good thing Frank couldn’t close it, it saved us a few seconds. One of my legs was already through the window when I felt Frank’s hand guide me outside.

The second my combat boots crunched against the pebbles outside, I yanked my ray gun out the second time today, “Follow me,” Frank whispered, running up a small path behind the diner.

In a life and death situation such as this one, you learn to not ask questions then. Frank ran in front of me, guiding me down a path behind the diner.

For several minutes, we followed the single twisty path. It lead us deeper into the mountains and opened up into a large circle where a Trans Am sat. On the hood of the vehicle were four symbols, all different colors and underneath it was the name “The Fab Four”. Somehow I just knew Gerard had made the design.

Frank jumped over the hood, opening the door and plopping down in the seat. I wasted no time in opening my own door and leaping into the passenger’s seat beside him. He started the engine and sped down the rest of the larger path, driving away from the diner to the other side of the mountain.

I scooted down in my seat, holding onto the handle above the window, still trying to catch my breath. I deemed it the right time to finally ask a question, “What the hell what that?”

“There were three cars worth of dracs. That’s at least fifteen of them,” he replied grimly, doing the math.

I nodded, falling silent and deciding to focus my attention out of the window. Something caught my eye in the rearview mirror, my eyes widened and it made me nervous, “Ugh… Fun, you might want to speed up,” I suggested, nervously throwing a thumb over my shoulder to point at the cars.

His eyes immediately shot to the rearview mirror in between us. Taking my suggestion, he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal until it reached all the way to the floor. The car lurched forward, throwing me back against my seat.

They had found us and were now in pursuit. I swallowed down my fear and unbuckled my seatbelt, rolling down the window and climbing halfway out of it. I followed the same movements I had done before with Adele.

At first, I shot blindly at them, my hands shaking too much to get a clear shot. Luckily, I managed to earn a headshot.

Before I knew it, the dracs in the car behind us crawled halfway out, their white masks more visible than behind their car window. Beams whizzed past my head as I ducked back in the car, waiting until the shots had died down before I returned, my aiming more precise.

I shot at their front tires, succeeding as the car swerved off the dirt path and tumbled down the hill. No one could survive that.

I was still hanging out of the window when the car jerked to the left, my weight falling outside of the car. My face fell towards the ground, my breath caught in my throat when I stopped. Just centimeters from collision, I realized that my ankle was tangled around the seatbelt. Frank reached over the console, getting hold of my belt, using all of his strength to pull me back to safety.

I was breathless, even rendered speechless until I turned to Frank, “What the hell was that?”

The car jerked again, slowing down as Frank gritted his teeth together, “They shot at our tires. We have to run,” he was silent for a moment, a look of defeat in his eyes for a moment before it disappeared, “I have an idea but you have to trust me,” he said, looking me in the eyes, seriousness and determination now replacing what had previously flashed across them.

I nodded, my eyes searching his as my mouth hung over, my tongue pressing against the inside of my bottom teeth, “I trust you.”

“When I count to three, you need to jump out of the car, understand?” he said, turning his attention back on the road.

I looked at him incredulously, before replying with a firm nod, “Okay.”

“One…” he counted. More shots were fired, “Two…” there was audible shouts coming from the dracs in the car behind us, my heart in my throat, making it hard to breath as I waited for him to say the final number. My fingers clasped around the door handle, my muscles ready to spring to action, “Three!”

And just like that, I pulled and pushed the door will all of my force, throwing myself out of the door just as the car took a sharp turn to the left. The dracs would have never seen me. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth together as I went rolling down the hill, the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath me. At the bottom, I landed on my shoulder. Clasping a hand over my mouth, I tried my best not to get caught.

I was shaking and in tears from all of the pain and adrenaline. Eventually standing, I felt blood trickle down my head but I ignored it as I watched the curve turn to the right, forming a ring around me, the dracs speeding past me without a glance.

They were all too busy chasing down the Trans Am which… Frank was still in.

I stood on wobbly knees, my hair probably a mess and tears staining my cheeks. I can’t believe it, I shook my head, I thought that he was going to jump too. Why isn’t he jumping? He’s running out of time! But there he was, still steering the slowing down car. I met his eyes through the rearview mirror, his hazel eyes on mine. His expression was fierce as he mouthed, “Run.”

His voice was silenced by the roar of the cars but it rang clearly in my ears just perfect as if he had stood next to me and said it.