Not The Same | Nick Clark | FTWD

Part 18

Madison suddenly pulled me aside as Liza appeared, reality beginning to come back to me as I watched her frantically slide a keycard through the device on the wall.

"Hurry, they're coming!" Ofelia warned as the hoard in the opposite hallway neared Nick and the unknown man.

"It's not working!" Liza yelled, continuously sliding the keycard as a red light flashed after each swipe.

I couldn't tell you what I was thinking in this moment, because I don't know if I was. Time seemed like it was going a million miles a minute and yet, at the same time, the slowest it's ever gone before. The yelling and screaming around me was nearly drown out by my own heavy breaths and helpless whimpers of desperation; my hands not knowing what to do as I roughly pulled them through my hair.

"Hurry!" Madison frantically pleaded.

Liza continued swiping the keycard through the locking device before the light finally turned from red to green, "Now! Open it!" She yelled as the metal doors flung open, Travis grabbing Nick's shirt and tugging him through, followed by the stranger.

Nick immediately grabbed my arm, pushing me in front of him as we all raced down the hall, unable to get the doors closed again before we tried to find a safe place.

***

"Hush up." Liza whispered as we entered the facility's kitchen, the silence and flickering lights making me feel more uneasy than I already was as I followed close to Nick.

All of our attention suddenly turned as we heard a crash of pots and pans followed by Liza's screams; infected filling the kitchen as everyone rushed to help.

"Papa!" Ofelia called as gunshot rang out, the sound echoing off the walls, distracting me from what was near.

I stumbled back, away from the group, as an infected came near; the hollow look in its eyes and spine chilling snarl made my breath hitch in my throat, sure to cause future nightmares.

I mindlessly swung the metal rod at its face, stunning it for a moment before it looked back at me, half of its cheek now hanging from where it once was as it continued my way, barely skipping a beat.

My feet continued taking me backwards, my hands now trembling as my eyes locked on the damaged flesh.

"Hannah!" I heard Nick yell, causing me to momentarily look up from my dazed state as he appeared in front of me, grabbing the rod out of my hand and sinking it into the skull of the infected, it's body crumpling to the floor beneath us.

"You ok?" He asked, breathless, quickly turning around as he held my face in his hands.

I nodded, grasping his wrists, "I'm ok- I'm fine!"

He let out a sigh of relief as he kissed my forehead, pulling me into his rapidly rising chest; a feeling of closeness I never thought we'd have again. But as soon as it began, in a place like this, it was over.

"Shit." Nick cursed under his breath, pulling me along with him as we raced through the kitchen to the sound of Madison's screams.

We skidded to a stop as we saw her struggling to get one of the infected away from her before Nick grabbed her hammer from the ground, bashing it in the head.

"Come on guys, let's go." Liza's voice came from behind as the rest of the group finally appeared again, all looking unscathed and a bit shook up, "Run."

I stuck close to Nick as we made our way through the facility, blocking off door after door as we went through them; Travis and Liza discussing a plan to get everyone out of this place.

"Who the hell are you?" Madison asked the stranger that had came from the hallway with Nick, something we were all curious about.

"This is Strand," Nick answered, "He saved my life."

***

As we finally made it to the medical part of the facility, I let out a sigh of relief that I felt like I was holding in since the second I saw Nick on the other side of those doors. But that sense of relief was quickly stripped from my grasp as I noticed countless bodies filling every bed in the room, each with a single shot to the head.

"It's ok." Nick's voice softly soothed as I found my way back into his embrace; the closeness being something that we both needed right now.

"Doctor," Liza said quietly as she approached Dr. Exner, "We need a way out."

"You should have gone when I said." Dr. Exner said lowly as she sat hunched over one of the bodies.

"Help us." Travis begged, "I'll take you with my family, but we need your help."

"Where do you think your family's going to go?" She asked, sitting up.

"There has to be somewhere." Travis said hopefully as I turned my head, seeing Madison pack away supplies into her bag as bottles of pills rattled in her hand.

"There is a way out," Dr. Exner sighed, "Past the ICU, the set of stairs down takes you through the sublevel.. you can get out, but there's nowhere to go."

"Come with us," Liza began as Travis gestured for us to go to the door, "There are still people you can help.

"Liza," Madison called quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We have to go."

***

"So, what's the master plan?" Strand asked as we continued to make our way through the building, "I assume one exists-"

"What do you mean?" Madison asked, her tone impatient.

"Have you settled on a destination--an end point?" He continued prodding.

"We're heading east-- the desert, should be safe there."

"It's not." He said simply, causing Madison to turn around in annoyance, her only goal to get out of here, and I didn't blame her.

"Then what do you suggest, Mr. Strand?" She asked.

"Go west." Strand answered confidently, as the squeak of a large metal door opened to the outside.

"What's west?"

"I have a home on the water, I have supplies, I'm prepared." He flaunted, an offer that, at the moment seemed too good to pass up.. but also, too good to be true.

_____
Reunited and it feels so good

Hope you guys are enjoying this book because I'm having a lot of fun writing it