The Warm Plague Mark 'Spring Storm' 10 part two

Marks Group. Chapter three part four.
Continuation of Spring Storm 9.


       I saw someone moving in the shadows by a nearby car, "Bill?" Robert shouted from behind me most likely seeing the same figure.
"Be quiet." I told him, but as I watched the person come out from behind the car I realized it was too late. One person quickly became five which quickly became ten. I looked around as they shambled from every corner of the street, huddled together. As they heard Roberts healthy non infected voice they looked at us; quickening their walk in our direction.
All dead set on getting to us, "Run now." I said turning around and pulling Robert in the same direction.
They ignored the alarm, now having a meal in sight. My boots slapped against the puddles as I ran, Dez was ahead of me waving his hand for us to follow. I heard Roberts frightened breathing behind me, I didn't see any infected in front of us yet. I just saw Dez's flashlight beam dancing against the stone walls of businesses as he ran, he turned a corner and I caught up to him.
"Where are we going?" I asked still running, I took a peak behind me.
I saw Robert close behind, and behind him the now growing herd of infected.
Dez's breath was strained and full of worry "My apartment…it's close."
I followed him as we made another turn. I planted my boot down on a soggy piece of cardboard and lost my footing, slipping I fell face first into the ground.
Pain shot through my nose and eyebrow, "Gah." I screamed, then tried to pull myself to my feet but my head was spinning, I could see Dez turning around to come back for me a few feet ahead.
Blood was pouring down from my eyebrow and into my eye mixing with the rain, my nose felt broken. Pain was radiating through the bone and into my skull.
Robert ran past me as Dez came to my side helping me to my feet, "Thanks." I said trying to ignore the pain and nasally sound of my voice.
I couldn't hear his response over the sound of Roberts shriek. Looking ahead, I saw that he had been tackled to the ground by at least three infected. I ran with Dez, quickly trying to get to Robert before it was too late. We were only a few feet away when I saw them tear into him, one holding down his arms as the others buried their teeth into his neck. His screams filled the street, but he didn't beg to be helped. Even in the near darkness and rain, I could see the look on his face as his life drained into a puddle around him. His final expression was that of terror as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he stopped struggling. They tore pieces from him. Stuffing the chunks into their open mouths, I couldn't look away. I could hear Dez saying something next to me, but his words weren't reaching my brain. I just watched as the infected fed off Robert, it reminded me of when a lion was eating a gazelle on animal planet. They hunched over their fallen prey guarding it from others, and feasting on every last morsel.  


        I felt Dez grab hold of my shoulders pulling me to face him and drawing my eyes away from where Robert lay.
"Mark get a hold of yourself. They are right behind us." He said, his words full of concern.
I turned my head towards the direction we had come from, the street was packed full of infected. They looked almost normal, the rain having washed the blood off their skin, but just the way they looked at us as they ran to catch up was wrong. My stomach churned again, now along with the pain of my bruised face.
"Come on." Dez said catching my attention again and pulling me down a side street.
Images of Robert's final expression filled my imagination, 'Would we reach Dez's apartment before the sick caught up with us?' I asked myself.
Then the image of Camila and Cindy from that morning replaced that of Robert.
  'I can't leave Camila to take care of Cindy all by herself, and what if Dez was right. What if I did stand a chance with Camila.' I thought running faster to keep up.
"I have to get back to them." I said sternly, not caring if Dez heard me.
We rounded another street, my legs were starting to ache and my body was way past shivering at this point. Rain was still pouring around us, I did my best to focus my flashlight beam on a nearby street sign.
"Where are we?" I asked Dez as he slowed.
He stood next to me catching  his breath and looking at the sign, "Almost there come on."
He started to run again and I stayed close by his side, a few minutes later he turned into an alley. I followed, my boots sinking in and out of the mud covering the ground, my side now aching, thankfully blocking out the pain of my face.
Dez was moving around behind a pile of junk, "What are you doing?" I asked confused.
"Help me move this." He said while pulling out what looked like the end of a large metal ladder.
I picked up the other end of the ladder feeling a mental timer going down in my head as I wondered how far behind the infected were. Dez propped up the ladder pushing it up against a third story window sill. He started to climb, I grabbed the first rung and pulled myself up. The metal was slick with rain and dirt. As I climbed I looked behind me, now being able to see over the fence that walled off the alley. As I waited for him to open the window I saw the herd coming out of a nearby street, their heads darting around as they looked for us in the dark. I heard the window slide open, I looked up to see Dez quickly climb into the apartment. I climbed up the rest of the way to the window slowly making sure not to slip and pulling myself through the window; I moved out of Dez's way. He pulled the ladder in laying it across the floor and folding its long frame until it took up less of the room.
He then turned around to look at me, "Well we made it." He said with a small smile.
"Yea…we did." I replied putting emphasis on the we.
I couldn't smile even if we were safe now. He nodded knowing what I meant, then handed me a towel.
"Make yourself at home." He disappeared into the hallway.
I dried my hair with the towel then softly dabbed it on my aching face.
My eyebrow had stopped bleeding but my nose felt swollen, 'All in one piece at least.' I thought sitting on the ladder in front of the window.
I stared out at the alley and street, the infected were spread out. All of their heads seemed to be pointed up at the sky, rain beating down on their faces.
"That's weird." I said softly, then opened the window and poked my head out.
 Knowing that they wouldn't be able to see me, the road was dark and it was hard to see through the rain. But I could clearly make out a large group of infected just standing in the road. They looked to have given up on the chase. I put my hand up blocking the rain from hitting my eyes, so as to get a better look. Each infected in the street was looking towards the sky, their mouths all open catching the rain.
"Are they drinking the rain?" I said in awe  and disbelief.


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To start from the begining click here. Prologue. fav.me/d5p215s
To take a peek at a layout of Dez's apartment click here. fav.me/d5x33uw
A photo of the outside of Dez Rivera's apartment. fav.me/d5yci82