Helping while looting

"We can't leave them here." You whisper back. "Besides, they might have some useful shit on their belts. Dwayne looks down to contemplate helping, or taking their stuff, then lets out a stifled sigh.

"If we end up like them." He gestures down the hall. "I'm totally gonna haunt you."

"Gee, thanks." You mutter. The two of you take the arms of one of the guys each and carefully drag them down the corridor. As you near the door some of the injured people limp towards you at an incredibly slow pace. The awkward and sudden twists in their movements sends a shiver down your back but you persist through your unease.

The people start to gain on both of you as they stare through you with lifeless eyes, colour completely devoid in every one of their eyes. Before you realise it, Charlie and Jake rush out of the office and help carry the two guards as the group begin to run manically after you. Their jerky movements slow down their pace but it's made up for by their incessant scrambling even after they fall over.

As soon as you pass the doorway Bella slams it shut right into the mass, now frantically pounding on the door as he struggles to close it fully. He attempts to push them back through the small gap as he struggles to keep a hold of it. Everyone regains their composure and rushes to help. With a great deal of effort you manage to close and lock the door, then Jimmy props it with a chair and keeps pressed against it.

You fall to the floor and gulp down deep breaths you hadn't released you needed. Your heart pounds and only now do you notice how filled with adrenaline you are. You look to your brother for the slightest bit of comfort. He's busy looking at his hand. A hand that is dripping in blood...

"Fuck me! Those fucking crazy bastards bit me!" Bella grunts while trying to stem the bleeding. Dwayne helps him wrap a bandage around as you get back to your feet.

"Will you be alright?" You ask, trying to suppress any worries you have right now. He smirks through a wince as Dwayne pulls the bandage tight.

"Take more than a few teeth to bring me down. Don't worry about it bro." He shoots you a thumbs up with his free hand. Not like there's much I can do anyway. You turn and focus on what you can do, getting help.

On the guards belts they usually have: a radio, pepper spray, keys and a baton, a few others even have lighters on them all the time. You crouch down over the overweight man and remove his belt, as you'd expected he has everything on him, lighter included.

"Fucking hell! What is even happening?" Charlie grumbles. "What now Michael? What's your big plan?" Everyone subtly shifts their attention to you as you stand up straight.

"Big plan? Why would I have a plan for something like this?" You ask back.

"Because you little freak... You always say you love this type of shit. People mutating, killing each other... You've got tons of plans ready so spill!"

"You fucking idiot." Sighing exasperated you continue, steadily getting louder in anger. "I like to fantasise about shit like this, yes, but that doesn't mean I think of escape routes every single fucking second I'm-"

"Guys chill." Jimmy hisses. "These things are reacting to your arguing."

"Fine. You know what I do have a plan." You grit your teeth to keep yourself quiet as you whisper. "Search the office, we need to know what we have at our disposal." Charlie looks like he's going to argue further but your brother steps in and pats his back.

"You wanted a plan, you've got a plan. Hop to it soldier." Bella nods at you as everyone - except Jimmy - loot the office. You go back to the guards a tap them lightly to wake them up, after a few moments the larger man starts to wake. You hold an arm out in front of you and a finger to your lips to placate him.

"Keep quiet, something is happening in the school and we need you to be calm." You whisper, thankfully he sits up silently and looks around before speaking.

"Situation? Report." He whispers back slowly. You inform him what you know and that you presume that the staff have abandoned the place with everyone else left behind. "Pretty bad then... What is the escape plan?" The man, his name tag reading 'Jeff', asks.

Everyone awkwardly looks away silently. "As of right now. I wouldn't say we have anything concrete... Yet."

"We could climb down the window using these." James says, a little too loudly from a walk-in closet, while holding a bundle of rope.

"Nice!" Dwayne quickly covers his own mouth. "Why do they have rope in here?"

"Best not to ask questions you don't want answers to kid." Jeff gets to his feet with an almost dreamy smile.

"Let's hurry up and get out off here." You shake your head slowly. "We'll have to climb out of the window and get into another floor."

"There's a mail chute on the floor below us that leads to the underground garage." Jeff starts to inform you all. "I've got a friend down there who works on the vehicles, he may have one running for us. I'll radio down and let him know we're coming." He reaches round to the back of his waist. "Where's my stuff?"

You hand him the radio. "I needed to see what we could use-"

"It's okay kid." He interrupts. "Smart decision considering what's beyond the door." Jeff fiddles with the frequency before speaking into the little box. "Ryker, this is Alpha leader. What is your situation? Over."

Static returns his question.

"Dude... What the fuck did you jus-" Charlie starts.

"Alp-a lead- this is Ry-r. Connect- a bit choppy. Tw- onds-" Static muffles his words followed by a high pitched tone blaring through for a few seconds. "Sorry Jeff. Some crazy bastard was attacking me so I used... Well let me tell ya, it's a damn mess down here!"

"Are you good? Did you get hurt?" Jeff replies, a hint of worry in his frantic reply.

"Nah, all good down 'ere pal. Although someone may need to clean the floor a little." Ryker chuckles for a few seconds before his tone switches to a very serious one. "I'm not gonna get in too much trouble for this am I? The guy was actin' all strange and such."

"Relax Ryker, you'll be in no trouble at all. Right now though I need a vehicle. A larger one, I've got a few people with me. A jeep or a van if you've got one, we're going to be leaving so it needs to be stocked up with whatever essentials you've got. I'll explain in detail when I see you."

"That's an... Odd request. Sure thing pal. I've got something that's almost ready to go. See you soon." Ryker's voice perking back up again.

"Almost forgot Ryker, we're coming down the mail chute so can you set that old mattress down?"

"Aye, aye. Be like old times pal! " The radio clicks off a moment later.

"Ropes are all good, we all set to move?" Charlie says, a little too loudly as they finish tying the rope onto the leg of the desk. The banging on the door picks up sharply. The steady tapping shifts to a rapid hammering behind the suddenly very pale-faced Jimmy. Bella brushes up next to him.

"Time to leave fellas!" Bella commands. He gives a wave with his good hand towards the now open window. You give Jake the baton you acquired from Jeff and move to switch places with Jimmy to hold the door with your brother as Jeff checks on his partner still lay on the floor. One by one the other students start to climb down the window starting with your friend.

"Come on Bill wake up you lazy son-of-a-bitch." Jeff shakes the other **** guard. The pounding on the door gets more intense and the whole door beings to shake. Jimmy begins to climb down the rope, the last student besides yourself.

"Hell of a plan you made little brother." Bella grins and shoves you toward the window as the door begins to buckle behind him.

"Don't look back, okay? I'm already done because of this so don't be worrying about me. Keep focused on moving forward. Go find our little sister and make sure she is safe. Keep living... for me..." Is what you would have liked him to have said. Instead all hell broke lose the moment he shoved you away. The thundering downpour of rain quickly deafening all other sounds.

The door started to splinter and shatter as your brother yells something at Jeff. Your ears fail to work for whatever it was, unfortunately your eyes do work as multiple heads smash through the door and bite into the unprotected body of Bella. With shaky hands you grab the rope and clamber out off the window. Your brother stumbles from the destroyed door and is thrown towards the desk.

The desk collapses under the sudden impact, followed by the leg which held the rope you were holding onto. The rain pours over your face as your body becomes weightless in the moments of freefall. You let out a scream for your brother. The last moments reply over and over in your mind as you seem to fall ever so slowly. Your hands come free from the rope and you reach out automatically for the window you fell from, hoping your brother reaches for you at the last second.

He doesn't...