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Chapter 2

We've been running for a long time now, and I have barely gotten the image of Jesse, red eyed and attacking us, out of my head. P.A.M.A.'s monsters are all over chasing us, although there's no citizens to be seen.

The woman suddenly vanishes, and I hear two plumps before I skid to a stop. There's a small hole in the ground, and I would have never noticed if Petra and Ivor didn't fall into it. Advantages of not running right next to the strange suspicious woman.

"A signal would've been nice." Ivor and Petra are flat on the ground. Well, Ivor actually looks like he crashed upside down into the side of the hole.

"Gotta tell you guys, your friend must be pretty amazing if he can single handedly overload P.A.M.A.." I jump down into the hole too, careful not to land on any limbs. "Now we just need to get off the grid."

The zombies around the hole release robotic groans and my hair stands on end just knowing how close P.A.M.A. is.

"Get back into hiding, that way we can figure out what to do next." This woman sounds genuine concerned about that, so perhaps I could trust her slightly about hiding at least. She is the only person not chipped, so she must know her stuff.

Wait, that's only because she was the one who built the friend snatcher in the first place.

Ivor grumbles back onto his feet. "Some plan."

The woman glares at him. "You watch that sass now."

"Ahem, yes ma'am." Ivor sheepishly look down.

"Wow Ivor," Petra lightly elbows him. "I never thought I'd see the day where you're actually polite to someone for a change."

"Okay lady, that machine has Jesse." I cross my arms and scowl at my companions, did they already forget about what happened to Jesse?

"I still might be able to save him." I narrow my eyes at her, there is absolutely no room for trust for this stranger inside my head. "But I REALLY need your help."

"If that's the case,." Petra points at the woman, and I give a quick plea that she doesn't have an anger outburst. "Then stop talking so darn fast. I know we're in a tense situation, but I can barely understand what you're saying."

I elbow her, not caring about the glare she sends me. "What kind of help do you need?"

"We need to get to my secret lab." She grins pridefully, cockily, her lab must high-grade.

"Ooh! I had one of those!" Ivor bounces up and down. "It had a void to protect it!"

Petra's glare turns on him. "Ivor, now's not the time. We need to get this place fast. These are super zombies, stronger and faster than what we normally deal with."

"We'll need to split up." She gestures at all of us. "You all head to the lab while I'll lead the mobs away, got it?"

"What?! You can't go on your own out there!" As much as I distrust this women, she can't die... or get chipped. She's probably the only hope we all have. The only hope Jesse has.

"Hey, I've managed to stay alive this long, haven't I blonde?" Ivor chuckles slightly when she calls me blonde. I resist the temptation to call him out.

"I'm gonna use the back route, throw 'em off our trail. See you in a few!" She climbs out of the hole, nearly all of the zombies beeping in excitement and everything starting to chase her.

The woman points in a direction. "Just start walking that way..."

She starts to run off, but still calls out to us. "And look for the 'big difference'. You'll see it!"