Infection Runs Deep

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: UNDER FIRE

A shot lodged in the wall above Elizabeth's head. She swore, freezing in surprise. Warner grabbed her dragging her into cover.

"Where are they shooting from? I can't clock them anywhere." I risked another glance, crouching this time. A bullet whizzed just over my head. "They've got to be shooting from the building over."

"Let's get the hell out of here while we still can," Ian said, darting across the lobby and waving me over. I had to time this right or I'd never make it.

They kept shooting. A complete waste of ammo. I'm shocked the Colonel let them take this much. Maybe I should've been flattered that he thought of us as big targets.

I took my chance, bursting out at speed and sliding into the doorway across the lobby like a baseball player. The motion jarred my shoulder, making me groan as I popped up to my feet.

Ian withdrew his handgun. "We need to give them cover. Help them get across." It was pointless. The enemy knew our plan now. If we all wanted to be together, both Elizabeth and Warner would have to cross the entire lobby. They were asking to get shot if they came now.

"There's no point in returning fire," I told him. "They're too far, and we can't waste the bullets." I cursed. "We're going to have to split up."

Ian's eyes widened. "You want to leave them behind?"

"Not behind." I ran a hand over my head, trying to catch Warner from across the hall. "We are just going to have to separate."

Over the ringing from the gunfire, Warner shouted, "we can't get across. We need to split. Rendezvous somewhere."

I was glad to know that he was on the same page. "You guys hit?"

"No, we're okay for now," Warner said, relieving the tension in me. "But I've only got a handgun and a few rounds. If we run into infected before we meet up, we're screwed."

"Any ideas?" I asked Ian as I was coming up blank.

"I don't know any landmarks here. I've never been to Charlotte before." He shrugged. "What if we met up by your truck? Both you and Warner know where it is."

"It's too exposed. In the middle of the city, too. It's got to be crawling with infected," I said, daring to peek around the corner. Five shots rang out, a forced retreat necessary.

"What other option do we have? We don't have a place to meet." Ian frowned, his voice tinged with concern. "I can't lose them. I won't."

"Hopefully we don't," I said to him. Turning to Warner and Elizabeth, I called, "the truck. We'll meet you there."

Warner looked unconvinced of the plan but shrugged nonetheless. He held up the radio. "Call us when you're close."

"See you on the flipside." My voice trailed off as Elizabeth shot me one last look, full of a mix of emotions I didn't quite understand. Warner pulled her along and they disappeared into the dim hallway.

The only light we had was from the windows. We had to get away from them, try to lose our attackers. They were too far to follow us, so it was our best hope to lose them in this maze and get out before they made it in.

"Let's go, Ian." I jerked my head forward. "Try this hall. We need to go down."

We hurried down the hall, clutching our guns and aiming them at every little clatter.

"What if we hide? Hunker down in here until they're gone," Ian suggested, his breathing heavy.

"No dice," I huffed back. "They'd outlast us. We don't have food or weapons. This is a war of attrition and we are on the losing side." I shook my head. "This is futile. We just got to get the hell out of here."