Ch - XIV The Escape Route

Running from death is never easy...

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 

The supermarket was burning with fire. Thick plumes of black smoke rose into the air, much too resembling of the bombings down south for Finn’s peace of mind. He had enough to think without having flashbacks into the mix.

Every now and then a car would go, exploding as the spark hit the gas tank and “whoosh”. He had to empty his mind, relax the tension and get on with the job. Depend upon his training. Things were getting more dangerous by the second as infected crawled out of nearby buildings, lured by the noise and drama.

It could work for or against them.

The bad gunmen were having fun for the moment, setting the whole world on fire, but still making their surroundings dangerous even for themselves. The drugs and liquor and whatever they were on were slowing them down, but not stopping them.

As a fear tactic, the extra fires worked a treat.

“They’re helping the blaze along.” Adrams, looked angrily towards the direction of the bonfire.

It was far too f**king close for comfort in Finn’s professional opinion. “Let’s get moving.”

Adrams helped Macy to her feet, tucked a strand of hair carefully behind her ear. It was a tender moment that spoke thousand words. The way this guy could step into her personal space without her blinking. The way he could touch her.

Finn watched while Adrams melded his hands to the curves of her hips. Macy fit the length of her body against him. It hadn’t even occurred to Finn that he wanted that, not until right then.

It was like a thorn caught in Finn’s throat.

Okay, it had occurred to him. Of course it had. The usual hot, sweaty thoughts passed through his mind. But this was specific, wanting to fit her against him.

Just. Like. That.

“Princess, are you good to go?” Adrams asked. “We need some distance from these dickheads.”

Macy didn’t look good. She was dazed, the bruise on the side of her face bloomed in dark light. The gun was still in her hand and ready. What were the odds of her shooting straight with a concussion to guide her? S**t.

“What about a car?” she whispered.

Finn cleared his throat, and her eyes looked to him nervously. “Macy, there’s still four of them that we know of. Going further into the center of town would be a bad idea. Probably we would be surrounded with more infected around to manage. Plus, they came from that direction; they will know the area. There’s only one road heading back to the highway from here, and it’s a mess. We would be slowed down and exposed. If we made it to the highway there’s too much open space. They would run us to ground.” Finn explained.

Macy’s arms tightened around Adrams. She opened her mouth and nodded slowly, her gaze at her feet.

Finn didn’t blame her in the least. While he might not like the report, he would give it fully.

“I didn’t think of that,” she said.

Finn settled his pack over his shoulders. He picked up a pistol, double-checking the clip, from habit more than necessity. It was full.

“To sum up, a car or a bike would be bad. Stealth is more important right now.”

“What’s your plan, then?” Adrams asked. This time at least. They didn’t have time to butt heads and clash antlers.

The man ran a hand down Macy’s back. Finn knew he’d been right. All round nice guy or not, Adrams could not keep her safe. Not like Finn could.

Not like Finn would if it came down to it, when it came down to it. Adrams could fend for himself.

“There’s a river about a kilometer from here. I say we make for�"” An almighty explosion shook him, the ground trembling beneath his feet. It was soon followed by a second. No time for talk. “They’re getting closer. Let’s go.”

They ran, keeping careful and low. They dashed from shed to shed, then along a line of dumpsters.

Macy did well to keep up, hidden between them. Adrams led. Finn found it easier on his concentration if he could keep her in sight.

She was less of a distraction right in front of him than she would have been behind.

Plus, the a*s**les were back there.

Flames roared in the distance, but they could still hear the pack of gunmen. They yelled and fired their guns into the air. The a*s**les were doing their best to round them up and hunt them down.

The plants surrounded the shopping stores, older-style wooden buildings mixed in with newer brick and tile.

They moved as fast as they could. Adrams helped Macy climb a chest-high wire fence while Finn stood guard. A few feet from the ground, she lost her footing and tumbled back down, landing hard on the ground. The big guy hurried down there in a flurry of action. He sat beside her while she stood and rubbed at her fine cute a*s.

“Umm, I’m okay.” She shyly said while looking away.

Adrams cupped her chin and gave her a good long look. “Hurt anything?” he asked.

“My butt, my pride, otherwise, nothing.” She replied.

The big man gave a tight nod, walked her back from the fence so there was room for Finn to climb across. “Come on over. We’d better keep moving.” Adrams said.

Finn got up and over while the big guy watched their back, gun in one hand, Macy in the other.

Moaning of the dead meat drifted up from within some of the houses where the infected had been sheltering  and laying low from the daylight. The situation grew worse.

“This is going to get ugly fast,” Finn reported.

Adrams grunted, keeping his eyes on his woman. She barely stood her ground, swaying like wind knocking her off.

Adrams didn’t wait for her to throw a leg over the next fence. The man grabbed her about the waist and lifted her over the hip-high wooden palings. Setting her down, he kept a hand on her while following her over.

Doing his best for her. But, had she been in Finn’s care from the start, she wouldn’t have been hurt. He hoped she didn’t have a bad concussion, internal bleeding or bruising.

They moved through a long line of Cebu backyards, slowly, steadily gaining ground. The scenery altered little. Children’s swing sets, a soccer ball and line after line of washing. Colors had paled from days and days of exposure.

A motorbike tore up the street in front of them. They changed direction, running alongside the river, as opposed  towards it.

Swimming pools had become swamps, with the water turned algae green. They jumped over fences and pushed through bushes and gardens running wild.

They had to cross another street.

“Wait.” Finn stepped up from behind them, leaving Adrams to watch their backs and her.

Up the street an infected stumbled onto the asphalt in the remains of a suit and tie. Its bald head swayed from side to side, coated in dirt and old blood, and pale white eyes blinded by daylight. The sound of gunfire drew it back toward the shops, away for now. Another infected lurched along beside it, a child in the spoiled remains of pajamas, joining the chase.

What he wouldn’t  have given for a silencer. The first time they were forced to shoot would give up their position. “Go.” Finn said.

Macy jerked to life, crossing the street with Adrams on her tail. He wasn’t more than a step away from her, one hand wrapped tight around her arm.

Another bike drew close. It hummed and growled like a hungry animal. A street over, no more.

“We’re going to be surrounded by the infected,” he said.

“Yeah. We gotta head west,” Adrams said.

“Agreed.” Finn motioned them on, staying at their backs as promised.

They cut through some open-air car parks beneath a block of apartments, climbing the hood of a vehicle when it blocked their way.

Another sound of deadly moaning came from close by, thankfully behind them. The fire and noise from the bad goons were drawing the infected away.

“Pass her down to me.” Adrams made the drop then held his hands up for Macy.

She gripped the hip-high fence as if a hurricane was causing her havoc, her knuckles white with pressure.

“Macy?” Finn stood beside her at the fence and turned her to face him. He took her hands from the railing and set them on his shoulders instead.

His reaction to the contact was sudden. And damn ill timed. His dick stirred, and his heart rate increased.

She clutched at his shoulders. In theory, good, neutral territory. He didn’t dare dwell on the scent of her. Getting hard would not earn her trust, and he wanted it. Wanted her to know he would follow through. That she was protected.

“Macy? Are you with me?” Finn asked.

She blinked furiously as if she was straining to see him, but her pupils didn’t appear too bad. It was a good sign. “I’m okay.” She replied fast.

“Headache?” he further asked.

She nodded; a bad idea with a concussion. Her fingernails pricked at his skin through his t-shirt as she settle her grip. “I did have some painkillers. We, umm … we lost the packs.”

“I have got mine. Once we get out of here I’ll get it sorted, alright?” finn said.

“Thanks, Finn.” She replied.

One hand remained on his shoulder as she stuffed the handgun down the back of her belt.

“Tell me the safety is on, Macy.” Finn asked further.

“It’s on.” She licked her lips, visibly straightened her shoulders, pulling herself together. His trail of thought ended at her mouth. Her lips. Christ. He had a job to do.

“Ready?” Finn gripped her hips, steering his mind clear of the fact that several of his fingers wrapped around soft, warm skin. But he could deal with that. The warm, female scent of her got him where it hurt. Burying his nose in her neck was right out of the question.

Concentrating was f**king impossible.

His stomach drew tight, his c**k swelled up in his pants. Not the time to go there.

“Take it slow.” He held her steady as she inched one leg over, then the other. She balanced on the narrow strip of concrete by the toes of her shoes, fingers digging into his shoulders for dear life. “Give me both hands, Macy. I’ll lower you down.”

“Okay.” She hesitated. He waited, long minutes that they couldn’t afford.

“I need you to trust me, Macy,” he confessed. “Just like you trust him. It’s the only way we’re gonna get through this.”

“Don’t ask for much, do you?” she said.

“Only what’s necessary.” Finn replied.

Her hands slid down from his shoulders, down his arms. It was the trip of a lifetime, charged with meaning despite his best efforts to keep it simple. He wanted her trust for many reasons, but he needed it to get the job done.

Her fingers, slick with sweat, met his palms. Gripping was a b***h, but he held on tight, easing her down. She hovered above Adram’s grasp.

Finn released Macy’s fingers, trusting the man standing down to catch her.

The bullet lit bloody fire across Finn’s shoulder. He swore (motherf**ker), dropped and drew his gun from the holster at his side. A second bullet cut through the air his head had just vacated. Too late. The a*s**le had had his chance.

No time to worry about noise or positions. Training and instincts took over. Finn aimed for the chest, going for the kill shot.

Once, twice, three times and done. He put the shooter down. One of the a*s**les he had missed at the supermarket, something he really f**king regretted.

His heart hammered loud. Job done.

Blood-soaked clothes and gun falling from limp hands. Everything seemed slow, his focus tight.

Getting shot was well overrated. Blood oozed from his shoulder. It f**king hurt. Macy wouldn’t be the only one investing in some of the painkillers in his pack.

Finn moved over to the body, pocketing the man’s weapon. He gave him a quick frisk, took anything of use. An expensive-looking pocket knife and some ammunition. A lighter, mostly full. He didn’t have time to search for more.

His pack slumped to one side, the weight of it pulling at him. The strap, torn by the bullet’s passing, had given way.

He dropped the pack over the fence, then followed, awkward and slow.

Adrams pulled Macy out of the way.

The fall jarred his wound, and he cursed more than once. Steady pain bore a harmful/painful beat, turning him inside out. He peeled back the neck of his bloody t-shirt. Every nerve in his shoulder screamed bloody murder, but he had only been winged.

It should have been more spectacular for the amount of pain.

“Have you got something we can tie that off with?” Adrams kept an arm around Macy, propping her up. Chances weren’t high she would remain upright much longer.

By the sound of the roar, he knew the bikes were closing in fast. How they could tell a firefight over the bedlam was beyond Finn.

Very in keeping with their current s**t luck.

“Later.” He tipped his chin at Macy and Adrams nodded.

Finn doubted the woman even knew what was going on. She pressed her face into the big guy’s shirt, hands clutching him to keep upright. Without comment Adrams set his shoulder to her middle and up she went, draped over his back in a fireman’s hold.

“Hey.” Startled, her feet kicked out, but Adrams slapped a hand down over her a*s.

“Hush, woman. Phase two of the plan?” The big man asked, hand settling on her rear with a final, affectionate pat.

“Run”, he said.

TO BE CONTINUED �" CH XV