Chapter 3: 1.3 There Was a Fire Fight

     Jack and Red stack next to the front door as Jack starts shoving plugs into his ears. Red removes her hood, revealing dark hair and an Asian complexion. She turns back to Wolf as he passes nervous glances between the two of them. “Keep up or get left behind,” she whispers. She turns back to Jack without waiting for a reply. Having removed her hood, she pulls her brunette braid over her shoulder, revealing the handle of a katana that is sheathed along her spine. Wolf fixates on its handle as he contemplates how she pulled that off all this time without a wardrobe malfunction. Did she have that every time?

     She looks intently at Jack as she uses hand signals for a countdown. On go, she yanks the door open and Jack charges through with his axe handle held out across his body. He shoves it into the chest of several and drives them back as the smell of rotting flesh makes him scrunch his nose. He shoves the bundle of decaying flesh and clothing, causing their feet to leave the ground. They sail away, then hit the ground, rolling into misshapen forms as some of their limbs are jarred from their proper positions.

     Red opens fire, alternating shots and pivoting to shoot from Jack’s flank.

     Wolf flinches at the sound of the shots and keeps ducking as more ring out. He drops to all four and follows awkwardly as he maintains grip on the taser. He frantically looks about as more undead continue to converge on them from behind. Wolf growls and bares his fangs, but his posture is immediately betrayed by a whimper that gets away from him. When the dead seem indifferent to his growls, he hurries to follow closer to the other two.

     A slide locks back on one of Red’s pistols. She jettisons it, then kicks it. It tumbles towards the zombie’s face, then lodges in the fleshless space of its cheek. The empty magazine barely elicits an effect, but a full magazine slides home and the slide is released before it takes another step. The following impact has a more welcome effect as the zombie falls away, the in-cheek magazine flinging loose again. She replaces her other mag in as much time as they continue fighting their way down the drive and off the property.

     The three look back to see the zombie ADD kick in as they lose interest and start meandering in another direction. Red checks her mags before tucking them away somewhere along the small of her back.

     Jack wipes various unknown bodily substances from his axe as he appraises Red. “How’s your ammo looking?”

     “Five rounds and then we’ll have to start getting more personal.”

     Jack nods gravely as Wolf looks back towards the zombies, then down at the taser in his hand, having forgotten that he had it.

     “You sure were a load of help back there,” Red says.

     Wolf turns to her, suddenly realizing she’s talking to him. “Those were zombies back there. Zombies. Real zombies.”

     “Yeah, yeah. Look, we’re not running a kennel here. You’re going to need to pull your own weight, or you can take a hike.”

     “Give him a bit of time. His mind is likely on the verge of breaking. I mean, this is a lot to take in. I didn’t have the crash course that he’s getting.”

     “We can’t afford to waste time on him. If he can’t help fight or help me get stronger, then we leave him. This is already an uphill battle, and the grade is only going to get steeper the longer we take to make progress.”

     “I seriously doubt your grandmother is that hell bent on seeing you dead. She’s likely only trying to slow you down or keep you out of her hair.”

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     “Grandmother,” Wolf says. “Yes, grandmother. I ate Red’s grandmother.”

     Red snorts. “I wish. If that had been my grandmother, I would have gladly fed her to you myself.”

     Wolf’s mind blows. He opens his mouth multiple times as if to say something but closes it each time. “You were using me, even allowed me to eat someone, knowing I meant to eat you too…and you allowed all of that to happen, just so you could train somehow?” Wolf shakes his head as he tries to comprehend.

     “What? Do you feel remorse for eating her?”

     “No,” he snaps. “That’s not the point.”

     “So what is the point then? I’m assuming you have one. Forget it. Doesn’t matter. We need to keep moving.” She turns to walk away.

     Wolf’s ears lie flat and his lip curls to expose his fangs. He takes a step towards Red and her cloak flares. It falls away and Wolf is suddenly staring across the top of her pistol. Their eyes meet with each seeing one another’s eyes on the opposite side of the gun’s sights. Wolf’s posture immediately becomes submissive.

     “If you feel the need to establish who’s Alpha, be my guest.” Wolf holds her gaze a moment longer, then looks to the ground. She tucks the pistol away again, then sets off down the road.

     Wolf suddenly shakes his head as Jack pulls his hand away. “Don’t pet me,” Wolf grumbles.

     “Hey, just trying to cheer you up, is all.”

     “Is she always like that?”

     Jack shakes his head. “Not exactly. Head strong? Yes, but not with all the hostility. She’s just frustrated about how her grandmother has twisted her grandfather’s work.” Wolf looks down the road as Red keeps walking. “It’s up to you on whether you want to come along. There will no doubt be more zombies or worse along the way, but she’s trying to stop all of that.” Wolf looks over to him but doesn’t respond. Jack nods to himself, then starts to walk backwards. “I’ve gotta catch up. Think about it.”

     Wolf watches as Jack jogs after with his axe laid over his shoulder. His flannel shirt really gives off a woodsman vibe, but the Mr. Olympia style body shaping the clothing did not imply his life was spent in the wilderness. Wolf finally shakes his head as he takes it all in. “What the hell am I getting myself into?” He tosses the taser back towards the zombies, then runs after them.

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