We're Still Alive(Book1)BEING REWRITTEN

Sixty

   They left right away. Gavin jumped in the driver’s seat, while Matt sat in shotgun with Atlas, and Cora and Aydin sat behind Gavin. Both dogs had been dressed in coyote-tan armored vests. Paige sat in the middle of Cora and Jared, who was behind Matt. Gavin drove well beyond the speed limit, slowing only to get around things he couldn’t speed through. There were a few times when he would go around a corner and everyone would slide to the side, but no one complained. They all felt the sense of urgency to get back home before the sun set and left them in darkness, which was happening too fast for comfort. It wasn’t long before it was just the moon and stars overhead, half-hidden by clouds. Gavin threw a quick glance sideways at Matt, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

   “Are you okay?” He asked.

   Matt didn’t look away from the window. “I don’t like this. Those things could spot us a mile away with our headlights, and it’s not like we can turn them off.”

   “I don’t think zombies are our biggest problem right now.” Gavin turned at the sound of Cora’s statement, and sure enough, he saw a pair of dimmed headlights behind them.

   “Dammit.”  He muttered as the pickup drove up next to his side and rolled its window down.

   “Hey, you guys wanna pull over for a minute?” A woman called from the passenger side window. Gavin was about to object when he noticed the second truck pull up to their right side.   “Do it.” Paige said from the back. Gavin pressed down on the brakes and the two new trucks slowed with them until they came to a complete stop. They were now close enough that no one in the jeep could open their doors. The woman was still leaning out of her window.

   “This jeep looks really familiar. Let me guess, you’re from the mall?” Gavin didn’t answer, so she continued. “That place is pretty far from here, farther than ours. Why don’t you come spend the night with us? Maybe we can talk a little, then in the morning, when it’s safer, you can go home.” As she spoke, he noticed the driver, sneaking glances at their other truck and quietly talking into the radio. Gavin took a quick look around, like he was trying to decide something, and saw the driver in the other truck, doing the same thing as the first.

    “Gavin.” Paige’s voice was loud enough for just those in the jeep to hear. “We have to go with them.”

   “What?” He whispered, turning to her. The woman outside waited patiently.

   “We don’t have any choice.” She leaned closer to him. “We have to go with them. Besides, maybe we can find out who these people really are.”

   Gavin sighed and the others looked at him, waiting to hear his decision. He turned back to the window. “Lead the way.”