Chapter 12 Escape

The screams are intensifying and everyone's getting nervous, Kisha decided not to gamble it anymore, so she went and took out a thick rope as thick as two fingers that she found at the warehouse just now.

She sat down beside Sparrow and Vulture to tie them back to back, she just sat down when she bent backward and used her left hand to support her.

Everyone's attention was caught by her big action and only realized that one of the people Duke brought rushed up to her in a biting position.

His eyes were bloody red, veins popping out like worms, concentrated towards his eyes and the pupils of the eyes were nowhere to be found. Black blood slowly dripped from his mouth.

From her position, she took out the double-edged dagger from her boots and stabbed it from his chin up, its length was enough to puncture through the upper skull. She kicked his neck with her right leg and used her left hand as leverage to push herself up.

Because of her experience and heightened senses that acted like a muscle memory, she was able to evade it in time, if not, she would have been bitten on the neck.

Another two rushed up to her but before they reached her. Duke already stabbed them from the back of their head consecutively with precision and agility.

Keith, who was new to all this, including his Grandma was scared witless and they started to tremble in fear.

But Grandma has a stronger mentality than him, in a moment, she was able to adjust herself. "Wasn't it just killing zombies? I can easily kill live fish, chickens, and ducks. I'll just think of them as the human version of a wild beast." She thought, convincing herself that she shouldn't be morally burdened by it. It is also a way to protect her family, and strengthen her conviction, thinking that she shouldn't drag her family down.

Noticing the commotion, Eagle and Hawk jogged back to see what happened and saw three of their brothers lying in a black pool of blood. The rim of their eyes turned red and the tip of their nose also turned red but they did not shed tears.

Seeing this, Kisha's heart went with them, she knew how painful it was to lose a family so she waved her hand and the three disappeared. Before anyone could ask, she explained. "I can store non-living things in my inventory, once we've settled down, you can make a burial ground for them."

Only then did they cry silently, they were thankful for her kindness and decided to protect her family with their lives as they already decided to treat them as part of their big family.

Even Duke felt thankful, he thought he could just bring back their things and make a resting place for his people.

After a moment of grief, they are back on their feet and decide that Hawk will drive and Eagle will watch over the two from the passenger seat. They stored the other armored car in her inventory and Duke joined Kisha's car.

Kisha led the way, she avoided the main roads and busy streets like malls, schools, and markets, especially hospitals. She navigates like a human version of Google Maps.

Duke glace in her direction and raised his eyebrows but he did not say anything and went back on looking at the road ahead.

But he could not hold it in and asked "Do you always drive like this?" He looked indifferent but he was already holding on to the overhead handle.

Kisha nonchalantly answered. "I think so, why?" 

"I'm surprised that you managed to get a license." He said with a hint of mocking and resentment. The whole car was shaking and sometimes got suspended in the air as it flew when the road was uneven.

Kisha snorted. "What?! Do you expect me to follow the road signs and drive leisurely?"

He went silent and did not speak. He only heard her mixture of snort and chuckles.

But throughout this bantering Keith who was sitting in the middle at the back was beaten up black and blue from the violent shaking, he would sometimes get slammed on the front seat or be pushed back on his seat with so much force.

His grandparents each have an overhead handle that they can hold on to, so they can somehow control the impact but for him who could only try to hold onto just anything, he felt his battered body aching so much that he had forgotten his fear from earlier.

He was afraid that he would not last long from this violent joy ride. But he couldn't say anything because he knew that once they slowed down, they would get stuck and be muled by the zombies. 

He could only swallow his sobs.

Seeing his expression, Kisha felt bad for her brother. "Sorry baby brother, hang on a little longer okay?" Her gentle voice soothes Keith's pain and he smiles widely at his sister and nods but not long after, their car takes a sharp left turn, and his face slams into Duke's back seat.

Duke chuckled and looked at Kisha again, Kisha even though she had a deadpan expression, her ears flushed red and Duke noticed it and felt better.

She couldn't help it. There was a huge mass of zombies scattered on the road ahead so she could only take the safer option.

Their convoy attracted the other survivors and zombies alike, some would shout at them for help and those who were more gutsy would even run to try to forcefully stop them but Kisha never cared if she was driving over a zombie or human.

That's why the other survivors would get scared and would evade on their own and just curse at their retreating cars in frustration and hatred.

She knew that if she, really did stop, others would come to them and there would not be enough seats for anyone anymore, she was sure that those people would use moral kidnapping to make them compromise but she had seen enough of this, those people would not feel grateful for being rescued or helped, they would just feel entitled that Kisha should naturally protect them because she's stronger.

Even though some are different, they are kind and just helpless. Kisha would not help them if she, herself was not in a favorable situation. They have to learn the harsh truth early on that they can only rely on themselves to survive in the apocalyptic era.