chapter 8

Tai saw the other ATVs approaching them so she stood in front waiting for them to stop along with Len who was nervously playing with her hands.

" I wonder if they'll remember me " Tai said while walking to meet the ATVs which happened to be Ali, Brian, Lillian and Calista.

" I'm not sure since she didn't remember me until grandpa mentioned my name " Len said, Ali was the first to get out and when she noticed Len she wasn't as tense as she first was.

" Len I'm so glad you're ok, but how or what are you doing up here" Ali said hugging Len tightly, she looked over at the girl who was staring at her.

" your father had us come up we had to take the other trail because of a downed tree or we were going to catch up with you, I don't know if you remember Tai or not but she's here to keep us safe " Len said nodding her head toward Tai who kept her eyes on Ali.

" T-Tai the girl who-" Ali said when several gunshots echoed around, Tai pushed the two girls toward her jeep while shouting for the others to dunk down.

Mr. Smith gets out of his and walks towards them, he glances around adjusting his eye glasses when another shot struck him in his arm making him fall to the ground.

" Shit all of you stay down do not get out " Tai said looking around where the shots came from when she saw a reflective light from several meters away.

Tai moved over to the jeep pulling out her rifle looking through the scope seeing three or four men hunkered near a few trees where the shots came from so she shot back taking the guy who was up in the tree with the rifle killing him with a shot to the head.

" Ali get them moving to the cabin, I'll have people there who will help, take Len with you " Tai said, Ali nodded pulling Len to the ATV while helping Mr. Smith back inside his letting Pax drive.

Tai stayed behind looking for the other three men who scattered after she shot the one, waiting for the others to make it to the cabin while she used her scope to see if anyone else was around.

" I didn't think we'd have trouble this soon " Tai said getting back in her jeep trying to quickly catch up with Ali's group, after an hour they arrived at the cabin where Hino came out with four others who secured the area after Tai radioed them.

" get that man inside, the rest of you take all your belongings inside but leave the keys so we can park the ATVs for the storm that's coming " Tai said as rainfall started coming down, she had the rest of her people help them with all of their things inside while she approached Ali who hugged her tightly.

" where have you been all these years " Ali said while burying her face in the nook of Tais neck.

" I was training I figured Jake would have told you by now " Tai said kissing Ali's temple while four people were intently watching the twos interaction, Len didn't know who to be jealous of since all five of them have always been openly loving toward each other.

" who the hell is that " Lillian said making Len laugh while looking over at the two fuming girls, Brian did the same thing.

" I'm guessing you don't remember Tai from where she left four years ago " Len said making the other two girls run toward the tall girl engulfing her in a tight hug pushing Ali away.

" really " Ali said with a small smirk watching these two hug, so she hugs all three while laughing when their weight makes Tai fall to the ground.

Hino rolled her eyes walking over with a tablet while the rest of Ali's group was sitting in the living room watching Mr. Smith getting the bullet taken out of his shoulder by two men.

" well all the cities are in chaos while more and more infected are attacking " Hino said helping Tai up from the ground handing her the tablet that had different news reports.

" so it's happening quicker than we expected...let's get out of the rain when the storm stops we will head further up " Tai said helping the other three up and they all go inside the large cabin while Tais men are securing the ATVs and also the area.

Not only the men who took shots at them earlier were in the area but a group of ten people was a mile or so away from the cabin watching the place with Ill intentions of taking what they have plus the women they spotted earlier.

Tai felt like they was being watched she kept checking the cameras that she set up over their perimeter, she figured they'd have a few more weeks before people would break down using force and hate to overtake others.

" Ali make sure your group doesn't leave the cabin and if they do not to leave the markers I've set up, whatever this virus is...it's making people lose their humanity as well since law has been leveled to nothing." Tai said showing her the area they had to stay in by pointing to markers they have out around the area where cameras are plus some traps that are lethal the further out from the cabin.

" dad's on his way but he said it would be a week or so...what caused this to happen" Ali said watching the news clips on the tablet while Tai was using binoculars to view the area outside.

" I'm not sure but from what Jake said some scientists accidentally made this virus that kept mutating and all of the Cdcs and who facilities crashed this week leaving only a few in operation" Tai said setting the binoculars down and holding Ali's hands.

Ali bit her bottom lip while glancing from Tais eyes to her lips, she leans in gently kissing Tai who reciprocated the loving kiss until they heard someone clear their throat.

" Ali can I speak to Tai for a second " Calista said making Ali glance back and forth nervously before nodding her head to leave to the bedroom they'll be sharing.

" Calista it's good to see you..I've missed all of you " Tai said walking over to where Calista was standing, she stood in front of Calista who kept staring down until Tai lifts her head up.

" what's wrong " Tais said before she could say another word Calista was kissing her passionately, Tai picks her up as Calista wrapped her legs around Tais waist being pinned against the wall of the office they were standing in when a alarm goes off on the tablet.

" shit that's the perimeter, go to the bedroom and have them stay away from the windows and have your weapons in hand " Tai said pulling up the camera feed to see a person stumbling around outside, she could tell how the person was moving that it was one of the infected.

" already here, I'm guessing people who fled the nearby towns and cities brought infected up here with them" Tai said as Hino entered the room with her Ak in her arms.

" Hino stay here with the others I'll take Brax, storm and six with me...have the other eight take their position inside the house while you stay with the girls watching the cameras, if you spot something let me know by radio" Tai said picking up a shotgun that she had on the nearby desk while leaving her rifle instead.

" Six take Brax head to the right while we take the left, Austin watch out north while Ami watch the south, do not approach anyone and if someone comes inside the cabin give a warning shot to a body part first if they keep going kill them " Tai said walking out the front door before Ami shuts and kicks the door while the other eight close all the shudders they put in the windows that had a place to see and to fire their weapons.

Tai quickly found the infected putting a bullet in his head then checking his body, he had in hunting gear that was ripped to shreds and also a gunshot in each of his legs besides the one in his chest.

" well this guy seems like a local, he wasn't alone he either ran into new people or his people found out he was infected " Tai said when she noticed a walkie talkie on his belt so she tried her luck when she heard a small girls voice answer back.

" Tai it could be a trap for all we know " Storm said while she looked around the area, Tai clenched her fist but she did not want to leave a young girl out there with someone who could hurt her or being by herself.

" hi my name's Tai are you looking for a family member maybe " Tai said over the radio while looking where the infected came from so she signaled Winter to go back to the house.

Tai started tracking where the man came from and looking for other tracks but only found the man's foot prints, she had the girl explain where she was and Tai made her way following the tracks until she saw a makeshift tree house but also several infected surrounding the tree.

" shit they must have been with them, at least the father got her to safety" Tai said to herself pulling out her knife sneaking up on one of the three stabbing it through the eye, she then took the blade through another ones ear but tripped over a hidden rock when the third ran up on her so she kicked it away before she pulled out her handgun shooting it in the head.

When Tai stands up she notices that she sprung her ankle, the little girl looked down from the tree house then dropped a rope for her while pointing behind Tai.

" hurry there's more " the small girl said making Tai spin to see over a dozen of those things coming toward her, she scrambles for the rope looking at her shotgun that was a few feet away from her where she tripped.

The little girl was tugging on Tais arm when she pulled herself up inside the treehouse, the little girl covered the hole back up then placed her finger on Tais lips.

" be quiet they'll hear us " The girl said as Tai nodded peeking through one of the cracks seeing the infected surrounding the tree.

The winds started to pick up as the rain started to beat down, Tai could feel the treehouse start to sway back and forth with loud creaking noise.

" my name's Tai what's yours " Tai whispered handing the girl over a bottle of water plus a granola bar, the girl wasted no time eating the food and drinking the water followed by a small burp making Tai smile at her antics.

" my name's Joe " Joe said, scooting closer to Tai laying her head against her arm.

" how long have you been up here " Tai said pulling out her walkie talkie and turning the volume down and watched the little girl fall asleep.

" Hino make sure no noise comes from the house, everyone needs to be quiet also use your silencers or the bows...there's a lot more of these things around then what we first thought and they are drawn to noise " Tai said over the radio repeating herself several times pulling out her tablet to watch the cameras but there was a lot of interference from the storm.

" Hino repeat if you heard me " Tai said again using a Morris code this time to get her message across, she got comfortable watching water start pouring through different parts of the delapitated treehouse take in.

" ok Joe we're going to have to leave this place soon or will be on the ground with the rubble " Tai said when she felt some of the wood shift beneath her, she looked around spotting a loose piece of wood above them.

" Joe wake up we need to get out of here " Tai said as the girl rubbed her eyes looking around seeing water pour in, she stood up and Tai used the rope she climbed up with to tie around the girls waist to her own.

" ok I'm going to hoist you up first so hold on to that branch as tight as you can " Tai said as she felt the tree house shift even more when she picked Joe up then pushes her through the holr she made.

" I've got it Tai " Joe said hugging the branch with her small body, even if the house wasn't going to fall she has to get back to the others in case something sets off the alarms around the cabin or someone uses their weapons.

" Tai reach up here " Joe said when she watches the house shift to the left scaring the girl, Tai is the only person she has seen for days since her father left.

" I'm coming Joe " Tai said with a smile when her hips wouldn't fit through the hole she made and Joe seen the face Tai made.

" no Tai squeeze through don't leave me please " Joe said scooting closer to the tree house reaching for Tais hand.

" no Joe don't do that you'll fall, I've got to break another piece of wood so hold on tight or the wind will knock you off " Tai said taking her forearm to hit the wood loosening up the rusted nails on a piece of the wood when a loud creaking noise from the house ripped through the air making her loose her balance.

" TAI " Joe shouts watching Tai slide to the other side of the tree house, Tai quickly makes her way up when the tree house falls off from the tree letting the rusted nails cut Tais lower leg.

" Ahh shit " Tai said as she pulls herself up on the branch, they look down seeing the infected laying under all the wood so she puts Joe on her back quickly making her way down the tree.

" hold on tight Joe we'll grab my shotgun then make our way back to my cabin " Tai said landing on the ground wincing in pain when she grabbed the shotgun with Joe still on her back.

" Tai I can walk your leg is bleeding bad " Joe said kicking her small legs around making Tai put her on the ground looking back seeing those things pulling themselves out of the rubble.

" Stay close to me and keep your eyes open and tell me if you see anyone infected or not " Tai said as they jog away from that area.

The loud crashing noise brought more of those things from nearby cutting them off from the trail back to the cabin.

" Tai come this way " Joe said pulling her the other way which she had no choice right now, after about twenty minutes of running Tai leaned against a tree then spots an abandoned rusted truck where Joe is pointing.

" come on Tai will be safe there " Joe said tugging on Tais hand, Tai looked the truck over seeing the glass was still there so she checked inside before they get inside.