PetrA

Chapter twenty-six: Daniel

Daniel wanted to call Ellie some unflattering things as she tried to come up with a solution as to how they'd get around the city. "All the roads around is blocked by huge trucks and military vehicles. The only route that's not blocked is straight into the city." He said trying to keep his calm. Ellie looked around trying to think, "You sure? They can't have blocked all the roads." She said it more like a question. Her frown was so deep that Daniel could almost see the gears spinning in her head. Then as if something clicked in her head, she cussed in a language Daniel did not know. Probably Danish... "How far are we from the cage?" She asked. Daniel stared at her, what did the cage have to do with anything. "How far?" She asked again more persistent. "About forty-five minutes. West." He said. Ellie hummed thoughtfully, "Somebody must've built that cage, and I doubt it was the soldiers considering they all milled around in there." She said slowly. Daniel wasn't used to Ellie's way of thinking, but he senses that she was putting together a theory. "It's a trap." She finally said. "A trap?" Henrik echoed.

Ellie nodded, "Think about it, the cage is filled with soldiers, and civilians alike. It's been built recently, and the roads is blocked." She let her words hang in the air. "You mean there's a group in the area?" Kim asked. It was odd for Daniel to hear him talk, Ellie nodded. "Think about it." She said. "We could have chosen the other road, the one that led us close to the cage, or we could have taken the wide arch. Either way we would be in a situation where we'd be endangered. I believe that the other group would have been waiting for us if we'd taken the other way, and now we're forced to go through the city." Daniel nodded carefully. She did have a point; either way they could have taken; they'd have a punctual appointment with death himself.

"Then what do you suggest we do, Mrs. Dolphin?" Daniel said. She was quiet for a while, "We go through the city and take our chances." Obviously it wasn't the answer he'd expected, but judging from Ellie's expression, she wasn't kidding. Suddenly she turned her head to the left, she must've seen something, because "Wrath, I think it's better we leave now. Bowtie you go up front with Devil. Cookie and I will stay behind." Daniel glanced towards the left, he saw two shadows move just behind some trees about fifteen metres or so to their left. He scowled at them and moved back to his own bike, Henrik followed him and they drove slowly into the city. Creepy, that's what it was. The only sounds came from all around them, and they weren't exactly friendly.

All around them, the screeching and growling noises closed in on them. Daniel had no idea how Ellie was holding up, honestly, he was a little nervous for her, since it's the first time she's riding a bike alone. He glanced at Joachim and Henrik. He still wanted to strangle Joachim, but he couldn't. Mostly because it seemed like Ellie was starting to trust him, oddly enough. If Daniel said that he wasn't hurt about Ellie trusting her little brother with Joachim and not him, he'd be lying big time. It just didn't make sense to him, at all.

Their progress through the city was slow, and the farther in they got, the more uneasy Daniel became. "Henrik and Joachim, fall back with Ellie and Kim. I'll..." his sentence stopped abruptly as something slammed into him hard. He fell off the bike and crashed into Joachim who was on his right side. From the stench he knew perfectly what had crashed into him. He struggled as he held it back. Empty eye sockets stared at him, a mouth full of very rotten teeth and tongue made him want to gag, and the skin of the dead was peeling off in several places. It screeched and growled at him, a strike to its head sent it flying into the wall behind them. Daniel got to his feet and pulled his weapon. A long hunting knife, it wasn't much, but it was effective in close combat. The creature only seemed slightly fazed and angered by the blow. Only later Daniel would realise that Joachim had been the one to smack it in the head.

Itdidn't take long before they were coming from every direction. Howling,screeching and growling. Somewhere to his left, a scream tore through the othersounds. "GO see what that was!" Daniel ordered. Both Joachim and Henrik ranoff, leaving Daniel alone. He didn't have any problems with that, it seemedmuch easier to deal with them alone without having to worry about hittinganyone else. Though it didn't last long, somehow Gemma and Cody managed make anarch around to him. "They're too many." Cody said jabbing after one. "Whoscreamed?" Daniel asked. "Ellie, I hit a head too hard and the goo splatteredall over her." Cody grunted. Daniel let out a snort, and ducked with a yelp asa big fatty lounged itself at him.