Jaxon’s chest was still thumping hard, but the worst had passed. For the first ti since the chase began, he had a mont to breathe.
He looked back and saw Isabel and Cindy slumped in their seats. Blood stained their clothes, and their faces looked worn and pale. "You guys alright?"
Isabel forced a small smile and nodded. "We’re okay."
"Natasha?" Jaxon asked, turning his head to the driver’s seat.
"I’m fine," Natasha replied, eyes fixed on the road. Even after escaping, she stayed alert, her hands tight on the wheel.
Only then did Jaxon feel so of the weight lift from his chest. Still, worry lingered. They had been inches away from death.
"We should’ve used the drone earlier," he muttered, cursing himself for not thinking ahead.
He leaned out the window and looked toward the other van. The vehicle was battered, its body dented and windows shattered. Elena t his gaze and raised her hand, signaling that everyone was alive. Jaxon nodded back, relieved.
Neither van slowed down. If anything, they sped up, desperate to put as much distance as possible between them and the horde. For a while, the road stayed clear.
Then a sharp sound broke the silence.
Beep. Beep.
"Oh no," Cindy said, her voice tight. "The battery’s running low."
Jaxon stayed calm. "Find us a safe spot first. We’ll stop and charge for a bit."
"Okay."
Cindy scanned through the drone’s feed and soon pointed ahead.
Jaxon picked off the scattered infected along the way. Soon, the vans pulled up beside a quiet house, far from the main road.
....
The group moved into the house one by one, closing the door behind them.
A short while later, Elena and the others ca over from their van. They looked worn out and unsteady, as if their bodies were still trying to understand that they had survived.
"You all good?" Jaxon asked.
"I... I think so," Elena said, checking herself. "I’m not bitten." The twins stayed close behind her, gripping her clothes.
Haris swallowed hard. "My hands won’t stop shaking." Hannah stood beside him, gently holding his arm to calm him.
"I really thought we were going to die back there," Burgors muttered.
No one argued, they all felt the sa. Isabel, Cindy, and Natasha looked just as shaken.
"We’ll rest for a while," Jaxon said. "We’ll leave this place soon enough."
One by one, they slumped down, letting their bodies rest. They were on the second floor of the house, surrounded by tightly packed buildings that blocked most of the outside view.
After a mont, Burgors broke the silence. "You know... the fact that we all escaped alive. It feels like it was ant to be. Like we’re destined or sothing." He stole a quick glance at Elena, then looked away.
"What are you on about?" Elena shot back. "You survived because I saved you. You were screaming like a girl back there."
Burgors scratched his head, laughing awkwardly.
"He’s just happy we’re alive," Haris said with a small smile. "He ans surviving together ans we must have so kind of bond."
Burgors grinned and quietly clasped Haris’s hand in a bro grip.
Cindy and Isabel walked over to where Hannah and the twins were resting. Hannah sat against the wall, with Jannah and Hiromi lying close beside her.
"So... this is the first ti we’re talking face to face," Cindy said with a small smile. "It feels strange."
Hannah let out a soft laugh. "Yeah. We talked so much online, but this feels different."
Jannah peeked out from behind her sister, eyes tired but curious. "You two look prettier in real life, just like Big Sister Natasha does."
Isabel smiled and sat down near them. "You do too. I’m glad we finally t like this, even if it had to be now."
Hiromi hugged her knees. "I was scared earlier," she admitted quietly.
"We were scared too," Cindy said gently. "But we made it out together, we’re still alive."
Nearby, Jaxon stayed by the window, his rifle resting against his shoulder. His eyes scanned the streets below, watching for any movent. After what happened earlier, he was not about to let them get surrounded again.
As Jaxon scanned the area, his gaze suddenly stopped. On the road in the distance, a familiar shape caught his attention. He frowned and raised his binoculars, zooming in.
A gray car lay overturned on its side, and blood sared the road around it.
"Cindy, co here," Jaxon said quietly. "Take a look at this."
He handed her the binoculars. Cindy followed his line of sight, and her face tightened as soon as she saw the wreck.
"What is it?" Elena asked as she stood and walked over, sensing that sothing was wrong.
"That car up ahead," Cindy said in a low voice. "It’s the sa one we saw last night."
Jaxon nodded. He leaned in closer, adjusting the focus. Then his eyes widened. A deep, jagged scratch ran along the car door, as if sothing had torn it open with raw force.
His instincts scread danger.
"Get in the cars, now." Jaxon said, his voice sharp. "We’re leaving."
Everyone moved at once. Seeing the tension on his face, no one asked questions. They rushed downstairs and toward the vehicles. There would be ti to talk later. Right now, stopping or hesitating could get them killed.
They had just reached the bottom floor and stepped outside when Jaxon suddenly stopped. He raised a hand, signaling the others to halt. Then he turned and pressed a finger to his lips.
"Shhh."
The group froze.
Thud... Thud...
A heavy banging echoed from a nearby building, growing louder with each strike. Then, sothing erged from the windows as if it had been hiding, waiting for them.
It moved on all fours, bald head, long sharp nails scraped the walls, and twisted limbs carrying it forward with unnatural speed. Jumpers.
"Go! Go! Get out of here, now!" Jaxon urgently said.
Everyone bolted for their cars. From the windows and ledges of the surrounding buildings, more Jumpers appeared. Two... three... five... They leapt from ledge to ledge, their bodies moving with impossible agility.
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