Us vs. the Apocalypse
Title: Triage
Word Count: 678
The quiet breaks between Jake's agonized moans were the worst, because we could hear the Ollies on the perimeter, their dessicated hands pounding on the fence, scrabbling for a break in the chainlink. The smell of blood that floated to them on the wind was making them crazy, and every time the breeze gusted their grunts rose to a frantic wail of longing. I wondered how long they'd been wandering around, trapped in the maze of the construction site, slowly starving their way to a second death.
"We need to move," Mason said quietly to me for perhaps the tenth time in as many minutes.
"I know," I replied.
"They're going to find the break sooner or later."
"I know."
"If they -"
"Mason." I looked at him, pleading silently. I didn't want Eli to hear the urgency in his voice. "I know."
I couldn't blame him for being restless. I felt the same way. Avery and Keenan were just as agitated - I heard Avery change positions several times on the scaffold above us, and Keenan was pacing like a caged animal, his eyes flicking back and forth from Eli's crew to the distant fence. Dixon was the only one who stood quietly, leaning against the excavator, watching the Ollies. The fact that he was the only one who wasn't freaking out made me incredibly nervous.
I tried to think how I would feel, in Eli's situation. I tried to appreciate how hard this was for him. But every time the Ollies bellowed their frustration, I found myself losing my sympathy and my patience. I liked Jake, I really did, but I was responsible for more than just him. And as much as Mason's constant reminders of our precarious situation had irritated me, I had to admit
Sighing, I walked down the slope into the pit, easing around the bent rebar. Eli was standing to one side, trying to give Takashi and Noemi room to work even though it was clear he wanted to be more involved than he was. Without any sort of powertool to speed the cutting, and with Jake twisting and crying out in pain, it was starting to look like they weren't cutting through the rebar any time soon, if at all.
"Eli," I said, touching his arm. His eyes turned to me only briefly before looking back to Jake. "I need to talk to you."
"I know what you're going to say," he told me. "It's not up for discussion." The finality in his voice made me bristle despite myself.
"Listen, I understand, okay?" I said, trying to keep the conversation open. "But if they get it in their heads to flank us, they're going to get through the fence." I stepped around in front of him, trying to catch his attention. "We can't fight off that many."
"We're not leaving him!" he snapped, causing Noemi and Takashi to look up with their eyes wide and fearful. "We'll cut him loose and -"
A sharp crack tore through the air above us - a single shot from Avery's rifle - followed by a period of silence before the Ollies exploded into furious screams, dashing any questions whether she'd managed to hit her mark.
"We don't have time for that!" I had to yell to be heard over the horde at the fence. From the corner of my eye, I saw Dixon push himself away from the excavator and come toward us. Another gunshot exploded above us. "Either we leave now or we're -"
Dixon shoved past me, pulled his gun from his hip, and shot Jake in the forehead. There was that split-second of complete shock from all of us before Noemi screamed shrilly and Takashi scrambled back, the chest of his jacket painted with Jake's brains, and as Eli cursed loudly and grabbed for Dixon's shoulder, Dixon pivoted and put the gun to Eli's head.
"Don't," he said quietly, a bare whisper over what was now a murderous chant of undead voices. "I'm not willing to die for anybody today, friend. Especially you."
Word Count: 678
The quiet breaks between Jake's agonized moans were the worst, because we could hear the Ollies on the perimeter, their dessicated hands pounding on the fence, scrabbling for a break in the chainlink. The smell of blood that floated to them on the wind was making them crazy, and every time the breeze gusted their grunts rose to a frantic wail of longing. I wondered how long they'd been wandering around, trapped in the maze of the construction site, slowly starving their way to a second death.
"We need to move," Mason said quietly to me for perhaps the tenth time in as many minutes.
"I know," I replied.
"They're going to find the break sooner or later."
"I know."
"If they -"
"Mason." I looked at him, pleading silently. I didn't want Eli to hear the urgency in his voice. "I know."
I couldn't blame him for being restless. I felt the same way. Avery and Keenan were just as agitated - I heard Avery change positions several times on the scaffold above us, and Keenan was pacing like a caged animal, his eyes flicking back and forth from Eli's crew to the distant fence. Dixon was the only one who stood quietly, leaning against the excavator, watching the Ollies. The fact that he was the only one who wasn't freaking out made me incredibly nervous.
I tried to think how I would feel, in Eli's situation. I tried to appreciate how hard this was for him. But every time the Ollies bellowed their frustration, I found myself losing my sympathy and my patience. I liked Jake, I really did, but I was responsible for more than just him. And as much as Mason's constant reminders of our precarious situation had irritated me, I had to admit
Sighing, I walked down the slope into the pit, easing around the bent rebar. Eli was standing to one side, trying to give Takashi and Noemi room to work even though it was clear he wanted to be more involved than he was. Without any sort of powertool to speed the cutting, and with Jake twisting and crying out in pain, it was starting to look like they weren't cutting through the rebar any time soon, if at all.
"Eli," I said, touching his arm. His eyes turned to me only briefly before looking back to Jake. "I need to talk to you."
"I know what you're going to say," he told me. "It's not up for discussion." The finality in his voice made me bristle despite myself.
"Listen, I understand, okay?" I said, trying to keep the conversation open. "But if they get it in their heads to flank us, they're going to get through the fence." I stepped around in front of him, trying to catch his attention. "We can't fight off that many."
"We're not leaving him!" he snapped, causing Noemi and Takashi to look up with their eyes wide and fearful. "We'll cut him loose and -"
A sharp crack tore through the air above us - a single shot from Avery's rifle - followed by a period of silence before the Ollies exploded into furious screams, dashing any questions whether she'd managed to hit her mark.
"We don't have time for that!" I had to yell to be heard over the horde at the fence. From the corner of my eye, I saw Dixon push himself away from the excavator and come toward us. Another gunshot exploded above us. "Either we leave now or we're -"
Dixon shoved past me, pulled his gun from his hip, and shot Jake in the forehead. There was that split-second of complete shock from all of us before Noemi screamed shrilly and Takashi scrambled back, the chest of his jacket painted with Jake's brains, and as Eli cursed loudly and grabbed for Dixon's shoulder, Dixon pivoted and put the gun to Eli's head.
"Don't," he said quietly, a bare whisper over what was now a murderous chant of undead voices. "I'm not willing to die for anybody today, friend. Especially you."