Day 56 - Survival

"Not anymore, or at least I don't think." Jared replied rummaging through his pack.

Jordyne blinked for a second and turned to look at the zombie. She lifted her head and stared at Mark giving a slight smile. "Hey, thanks." She simply replied.

Mark nodded, and pulled his knife out of it's skull, wiping it on his pants. He then began upstairs, to look around.

"Hm. She seems as though she likes you, but that may just be me thinking that." Dylan said as he stood out of a car, looking at Jared. He had a look on his face, thinking of something. He quickly extinguished the thought and began searching again.

Jared tilted his head and rose an eyebrow in a suspicious way, why did Dylan have that look on his face? He let it go after a few seconds.

"Ready to head to the next house?" Trinity shouted out throughout the house hoping for Carolina to hear.

"Yeah." Carolina called down from the upstairs. She walked down with a large crate of things. "They had a pantry up there, take as much as you can." She said, dropping the crate.

"Alright, that's all of the cars." Dylan said after he zipped his backpack up, walking over to Jared.

Trinity grabbed what she could and stuffed them in her pack, she and Carolina later left the house.

Jordyne and Mark left the house they were in a few moments after Trinity and Carolina did.

Jared nodded up to Dylan and stood up, he slung his pack over his shoulder and called out to the others. "We're heading off to Mason!"

Carolina walked next to Trinity as they neared Jared and Dylan.

Mark walked silently back to the others.

The 6 started walking down the road for the next 4-5 miles to Mason. Eventually they all noticed the large, 20 meter tall buildings looming in the distance. The city of Mason was approaching.

"We should set up camp here, we're near Mason. It's getting dark and we don't know what the city holds for us. It'd be best to wait until morning." Dylan said after a long silence.

"We should get a teeny bit closer to the outer part of the city. That way we won't be out in the open." Jared replied.

"Agreed." Dylan said, continuing to walk.

Carolina followed, Mark behind her.

Eventually everyone reached a small and abandoned building on the outskirts of the city, they set up camp on top of the roof. Jared looked over at Mark and asked. "Now what time is it?"

" Almost 6:45." Mark replied as he sat down, his backpack beside him.

Dylan was off in the corner of the roof, speaking with Carolina.

Jared nodded in acknowledgement. He rested down on the ground and looked up at the sky, which was now setting to an dark black color as the stars started appearing.

Dylan and Carolina walked back over. Dylan sat down against a air vent, Carolina sitting down next to him, leaning into his arm.

"What's the plan Jared?" He asked after a while.

The others looked over at Jared who sat up. He blinked as the sun continued to set. "Well." He started. "I plan to keep us all here for the night then we look throughout the city through the day tomorrow. Then afterwards, we will-" He stopped as something down in the streets caught his eye, it appeared as though a light was going through the street. He peered over the edge of the rooftop and looked down noticing a large humvee like vehicle driving in the street. Jared threw his arm back and told everyone to bend down out of sight.

"What's going on?" Jordyne asked, however she was quickly hushed by Jared telling them to be quiet. The rumbling of the vehicle was heard down in the streets.

Dylan bent down, eyeing Jared. His eyes weren't scared, or frantic. But he had the look of someone who was prepared to fight. Carolina laid flat on the ground, nervously.

Mark laid down flat, but his watch hit something metal, causing a loud clank type noise, which echoed.

Jared kept his face pointed as the others as he was kneeling down, he had his eyes pointed as the sky as he listened to the humvee, however it stopped after a few moments. Jared lowered his eyes and looked at the others. He reached his hand over to his pack and pulled his hatchet and CZ 75 pistol from the pocket.

Jordyne eyed Jared's movements and spoke in a hushed tone. "You think we can take them?" She asked.

Jared shrugged. "Depends on how many there are." He lifted himself up slightly and peered over the edge, he noticed 4 men hop out of the humvee, all wearing masks.

"Carolina, Mark, Trinity, Jordyne. Stay here." Dylan said, crouching as he reached into his bag, grabbing his revolver and his crowbar.

"Wait. Take this." Carolina whispered, pulling out a flare that she had found in her bag.

Jared slipped his pistol into his pocket and held the hatchet in his hand. He walked in his knees towards the exit from the rooftop. "I have a plan, Dylan." He replied, the others stayed put on the roof, getting out their weapons just in case.

"We need to help them incase they need it." Jordyne replied, she lifted out her shotgun and held it in her hand. "Think it's possible to snipe with a shotgun from this high up?" She gave a sinister smile and it faded as soon as it had come.

Dylan followed behind Jared, standing up straight as they entered the stair well. He heard voices coming from about a floor below. "What's the plan?"

Jared held his finger up telling Dylan to stay quiet. "We have to light the flare and set it up as a trap in an open area, it will attract the bandits while we get into a hiding position, and then we ambush them the best we can. No matter what, we have to kill them or else they'll kill us." Jared replied with a serious tone in his voice.

Dylan simply nodded, getting the flare ready in his hand.

They got to an open space. "Here?" He asked quietly, the voices were getting louder.

Jared looked around, he noticed a few desks and pillars the two could hide and sneak around. He nodded. "Light it quick, then bolt to a hiding place." Jared replied, he hopped over a desk and held his hatchet in one hand, pulling out his pistol and holding it in the other. He nodded and ducked his head peeking through a crack in the desk.

Dylan lit the flare, and then ran full speed at a desk, vaulting over it. He crouched behind it, his revolver and crowbar ready.

A bandit came up, only a few feet to his left. He crouch walked over to him, and then stood to his full height, he put the crowbar to the guys neck, choking him. The bandit passed out, and then Dylan bashed his skull in. He hid the body behind the desk and then waited.

He pulled off the bandit mask, and tied it around his own head.

Another one snuck around behind Dylan, Jared hopped the desk and threw his hatchet down onto the top of the head of the bandit, causing him to fall. Two down, two to go. Jared did the same and took the mask off, tying it around his face. It rested below his chin and he lowered the pistol onto the floor, lifting his hand up and pulling the mask over his face. He picked the pistol up and nodded to Dylan. "Follow me, there's still two more." He said, slowly sneaking down a hallway.