Revenge of the Dead

Chapter 32: The Free

I stare down at Ashia in my arms and I look around in desperation, I can't fight with her yet I can't leave her alone. I turn to Maria, so harsh and brutal- yet someone who I trust implicitly with my daughter's life. I owe it to Toby as well, to try and protect his sister- the least I could do after his ultimate sacrifice to the group. I pass Ashia to Maria who looks at me questioningly, her eyes narrowing.

"I need you to take Ashia and hide, you have to stay out of this fight," I whisper quickly, unwilling to take my eyes off of our enemies. 

"Madeline, I want to help end this," she pleads but I shake my head. 

"I need to know you're both safe, I owe Toby that much and I know you'll do anything to protect Ashia," I explain and Maria purses her lips.

"What do I do if you guys don't make it?" she mutters, her eyes full of tears. 

"You need to run, get out of this compound- there's a fire escape on the east side of the building that leads to the old Métro station, take the tunnels and travel south, I had family who lived on the coast, they might still be there," I explain frantically, my hands tight on Maria's shoulders. She sends me a look full of anxiety before nodding and moving backwards through the heard with Ashia. I turn back to the group and meet Eli's wary eyes, I send him a tight smile but he doesn't return my gesture. 

"Promise?" I whisper and I watch as Eli's face falls, the weight of my request for death heavy on his shoulders. He nods painfully and lets out a deep exhale, pulling a gun from his waistband. 

Daniel has now walked over towards the government and is stood loyally beside his father, both pairs of green eyes trailing my movements. I clear my throat to ensure I've captured their attention and then begin the speech, a speech that could well end my life.

"The infected are innocent. They didn't ask for or deserve to pay for this. It was us, we brought the world to this stage and then the virus took it out on them," I say and gesture to the zombies behind me.

"YOU ARE ASKING ME TO TAKE THE LIVES OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND I WON'T DO IT, I WILL STAND BY THEM. I WILL PROTECT THEM WITH MY LIFE AND TODAY IT WON'T BE THEM THAT DIE, IT WILL BE YOU!" I scream.

I throw the vial to the floor and it shatters into millions of tiny, stained crystals. The purple liquid sizzles and evaporates off the floor, it's gone. All gone.

Shouts echo around the government and I meet hundreds of anger filled eyes, guns go off and the room is enveloped into chaos. Bullets rain around me but I dodge through the crowds, the zombies charge forward and soon were on the government. Zombies fall around me but I keep moving forward, I can see him. He's mine. He is a cold-blooded killer who took the lives of my Mum and my sister, he must die. He must pay for what he did.

I raise my gun in front of me but in an instant, the air is knocked out of me and I fall to the floor, a man dressed in all black punches me square in the jaw and my head rolls back. I kick him off me and get shakily to my feet, staggering away as blood trickles out my lip. I hear a bullet click into a chamber and I freeze, spinning around to see him aiming a gun straight at my head.

I try to run backwards but it's too late, the bullet has been fired. I scream in pain, not physical pain, horror. Eli pushes into me and I smash into the granite floor, I hear Eli groan as the bullet pierces his stomach and he slides across the floor. I crawl over to him and wipe his hair out of his eyes with frantic, blood-stained hands. 

"ELI? ELIJAH NO!" I scream and he groans in pain, I stare down at his wounds and cry helplessly. Knowing I can't do anything. "ELI, PLEASE STAY AWAKE!" I shout as his eyes flutter gently and his fingers grip my hand tightly.

"All that time you asked me to look after Sophie, but Madeline, it was you that needed protection," he whispers and I nod in despair, squeezing his hand at the truth in his words.

All along I was the one in danger, the reason everyone else died trying to save me. He's right but that means nothing now, it's all going to end soon.

His eyes flutter closed and I scream and shake his shoulders, "ELI NO! SAY SOMETHING, PLEASE!" I beg and a smile full of peacefulness tugs at his mouth.

"Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it," he whispers and I laugh sadly, remembering our early days when we first met.

As his eyes close the zombies form a protective barrier around me, fighting anyone off who gets too close. His hand slips from my grasp and I pick up my gun angrily, the man in black is restrained by two zombies and he's forced to his knees harshly. I press my gun against his forehead and he flinches.

"You know, Eli was a good person. He was loyal, kind, loving, brave and beautiful inside and out. He was only young, he had his whole life ahead of him. But you killed him," I whisper before pulling the trigger back emotionlessly.

He slumps to the floor and the zombies run off into the crowd, I turn around slowly and stare at Eli's lifeless body. A tear rolling down my cheek, he saved me. He saved me and all he has to show for it is a bullet in his stomach. That's it.

Suddenly I'm crashed into and I tumble to the floor with a shattering thud, the air is knocked out of me and I wriggle around so I'm looking up at my attacker.

"Madeline, at last!" Daniel says happily and I grunt whilst trying to throw his weight but he remains stable.

"Ahh, you always were a feisty one," he laughs and bends towards me, he presses his lips to mine and I scream feebly. I bite down hard on his lip and taste blood immediately, he slaps me hard and I feel the sting redden my cheek.

"HOW DARE YOU!" he screams and his hands tighten around my throat, the air is cut off abruptly and my head falls to the side.

The last thing I see before I fade in and out of sleep is Josh's anxiety and anger filled eyes.