Guts (the original interactive zombie apocalypse survival story)

51 - Wait

You decide leaving wouldn't be a good idea. Sure, he's been gone a while, but you trust him enough to believe he'll come back. Just as you think it, the door burst open. In comes both Quinn and Lawrence, breathing hard and a little roughed up, but alive.

"It's getting heavy out there," Quinn says.

"Were you caught in a mob?" you ask.

"Mob hell," Lawrence says, "we were caught in a shit storm."

"A group of no-goods were hanging up a victim as bait. We had a shoot out, then had to fight our way out of the horde that came because of the gunshots."

"I heard them, but I didn't think you were that far away." You look around. "Where's the person? You saved them right?"

Lawrence scoffs angrily. He's staring out the window, making sure they weren't followed or noticed by anyone or anything. Quinn spares him an apologetic look before turning to you.

"We lost her. She got bit."

"I could've-"

"You couldn't have, Lawrence. Jones was a goner. Cutting her arm off would only have made her bleed out and die faster."

"Whatever. Here's your stupid radio." Lawrence pulls a hand radio out of his back pocket and tosses it to Quinn.

A radio? Your brows draw together. They could have called for backup any time...

"You've had this the whole time?" you ask accusingly.

"No. We don't all carry one, only certain members of each squad. Jones had this one," Quinn says, and the sad look softens his features again.

They actually knew her, you realize. She must have been from another squad. You wander how many squads there were and how many were sent here. Were they sent anywhere else or was your town the only outbreak? You don't press the questions though, because Quinn is already trying to speak into the radio.

"Alpha team calling Beta and Gamma teams, come in," he says.

"Go ahead Alpha, Beta copies. Over."

"Is Gamma out there as well? Over."

"We lost contact with them at approximately 0-819. Over."

"Delta team has fallen. It looks like it's just us and you. Beta, what is your position? Over."

"We're in a mall. Over," the voice says.

Throughout this whole conversation, you've been barely paying attention. The radio crackle is so hard to hear, and you figure Quinn will explain anything you need to know, but when you distinctly hear the word mall, your heart leaps. "Did he say they're at the mall?"

"Affirmative-ah, I mean, yes," Quinn says.

You ask Quinn to relay your parents names to the voice on the other end. Quinn asks if they're present. For a moment there's silence. You're almost ready to jump up and down or bang your head on the wall with the frustration of the building anticipation. Finally the speaker cracks.

"Affirmative. Over!"

You're so excited, you can't contain yourself. Quinn hands you the handle and you speak into it. "Mom, dad! Is it really you?"