"Okay, Runner Five, Runner Eight, Runner Thirty, Maxine, I've got you on cams," Jody says.

"Oh my God," Sam laughs. "You are turning into Janine. You just called your boyfriend Runner Thirty."

"It's crucial to maintain discipline and preserve protocol while undertaking missions in the field," She replies, doing her best Janine impression and sounding scarily accurate.

"You're getting quite convincing at that, darling," Tom says, looking both impressed and disturbed.

"I won't need to when Janine comes back, so I'm takin' my chances now." She laughs. "Okay, you see that rustin' four-car pileup? Turn left and take the on-ramp to the motorway."

"And we're looking for a rest stop?" Maxine asks.

"Yep," Sam replies. "It's uh, Brenton Health Services, according to the message they sent us."

Tom pinches his lips together. "'They' being this Manor House Center who can supposedly stop people from hearing voices?"

"And seeing things..." I murmur.

"Nothing supposedly about it. It took a bit of digging after what those rubbish pagans told us, but when I got up this morning I thought I might as well do a bit more research, just in case," Sam says, and now I understand why he was up so early. "There's like, hundreds of people who swear this lot cured them."

"Really?" I ask, a mixture of emotions swirling within me. I don't know how to feel about this, since this is the miracle I've been waiting for. I can actually get rid of Moonchild... but I'm scared. How am I supposed to go on without her? It's like I hate her, but I need her... Or at least, I need her when I get stuck in a situation Sam can't pull me out of-when I'm trapped somewhere he can't see me or hear me.

If she's gone, I'll be alone when I get into those situations... Then what?

What will I do if the Glass Protocol comes for me and she's not there to help me get away?

"And they were all people who could hear Moonchild speakin' to them, just like Five!" Jody exclaims, pulling me back to reality. "I mean, they couldn't see her like Five can, but still, I think these people are the real deal. They asked us to fetch some advanced medical tech for them on the way. It's in a van a bit further down the motorway."

Milo cringes as he looks ahead. "You mean the motorway with seven zoms in the fast lane?"

"Permission to take them out with headshots?" Tom asks.

"Nah," Sam answers. "No need to waste the ammo. They're just shamblers, but you know, run."

Tom nods curtly, and we head on, trying to go around the zombies as best as possible. We don't have to put in too much effort to stay ahead of them. Like Sam said, they're shamblers, just barely able to pick their feet off the ground. We only have to jog to keep them from catching up. Still, we don't want them to get too close while we're looking for that medical tech that could help cure me. We all have weapons, but it's best just to not risk it.

Milo looks ahead, staring at the cars and the concrete. He looks as if he's searching for memories to make these things familiar. His eyes hold some recognition when he sees the cracked windows of the backseats of cars, but none when he looks at the driver's side. It was something he never got to experience. He's like me, too young to have some of the experiences people reminisce about now. All his memories of cars will be him in the backseat with a father who died and a mother who abandoned him.

I doubt Phineas has many memories about what life was before. He was only six-years-old on Day Zero. Adora won't have any memories of cars at all, neither will Sara.

My steps echo along with everyone else's, the pattern nonexistent. It doesn't drown out the groans of the zombies behind us, but it comes close. I look around, sighing because of course there's nothing for me to pick up while I'm out on this run. My collection of things has stayed the same for a long while because of how insane all my missions have been. Of course, I was tempted to swipe a few things from the settlements I visited while running around with Jaime, but I doubted that would make them more inclined to be allies with us, so I kept my hands to myself.

I think about what Sam said about his research. I can only wonder how much digging he's been doing since we heard about these people at the Manor House Center. He probably just didn't say anything because he didn't want to worry me about the fact that he couldn't find anything at first. It makes sense, though, why finding info on these guys was so difficult. Even though the manor house is in Abel territory, I believe wholeheartedly Sigrid would cross the borders to destroy the manor and kidnap every single Moonchild Syndrome sufferer who might be there at the time. She wants them for something, and she seems to be willing to go to extreme measures to get them. She wouldn't bat an eye if it came to destroying that manor.

Tom looks around, his nose scrunching up as a sigh leaves his lips. "This is rather hellish, isn't it?"

"You mean all the abandoned cars slowly rusting away, relics of a civilization that may never return?" Maxine asks drearily. She shrugs. "Yeah, it's not exactly cheerful."

"I don't know," Jody hums. "I kind of like it."

"Ugh," Sam says. "Some of the cars have got zombies trapped inside."

I look at the cars as we pass them, eyeing the horribly decaying zombies as they snarl at us, most of their flesh gone. Their top halves seem to be nothing more than blood and bone.

"I can hear their fingers scratching hopelessly against the grime-smeared windows."

"No, you can't," Milo laughs. "There's no sound on the cams."

"But I feel like I can."

He rolls his eyes.

"Anyway," Jody says, drawing the attention back to her, "that's not what I meant. It's... it's the grass in the cracks of the tarmac. There are little saplings starting to grow in some places. I think the one up ahead is an oak. One day, it's going to be tall and strong. And those pigs over there-the black hairy ones-one day, their piglets will eat the acorns from that oak. Or how about that massive digger that's veered halfway over the central reservation? It must've had some soil in it when the scoopy thing broke down. There's all these red and green flowers growing inside it."

"Yeah, it's also got a zombie beside it that-gross-seems to be eating another zom," I say, cringing at the sight of teeth biting into dark flesh that has an ashy tint to it.

"Do they normally do that?" Milo asks, looking as equally disgusted as me.

"No, not normally," Maxine hums. "But there still seem to be a few of the semi-sentient types around. Maybe it has memories of being a cannibal in its formal life."

Milo doesn't say anything, but his face shows how unhappy he is with that answer.

"Somehow you managed to make it worse," Sam says, slightly horrified.

"I understand what you mean, Jody," Tom says. He keeps an eye on the zom, making sure it hasn't caught sight of us. It hasn't, too busy munching on decaying flesh and muscle to notice the pack of live people passing by. "Was it Shakespeare who said, 'Life will find a way?'"

"Um, I honestly can't tell if you're joking or not," Sam says after a long moment of silence.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what you mean."

Jody laughs. "He's havin' you on, Sam. We found a DVD of Jurassic Park last week, and Tom's made me watch it every single night."

He smiles softly. "I always did like dinosaurs."

"Hey!" Maxine says loudly, pointing up ahead. I follow her finger to a van with a blue hexagon symbol on it. "Isn't that the van we're looking for?"

"Yeah, it is," Jody says. "That's where they said we'd find the medical tech... although um, it seems like that cannibal zom has finished eating his friend. He's stumbling towards you now, so..."

"We're going," Tom says, and we all start to pick up the pace. I can tell Tom wants to ask to shoot it, but he knows he'd be denied. He knows we don't need to waste the ammo, but the zombies here can be an annoyance and a distraction from our mission if we allow them to get too close. He's very straightforward when it comes to our runs. Do what we're supposed, get what we need, eliminate anything that might keep us from doing so.

I'm grateful. Tom is more Peter's friend than my own, but we do care about each other in a weird, not-exactly-normal way. We relate to each other in the fact that we've both seen and done terrible things, and we've both tried to kill each other at one point. I'm beginning to think that trying to kill me is people's rite of passage to being my friend. But it's nice having someone who knows what its like to not always be in your right mind, to not always be completely yourself. It's nice to have someone who knows what it's like and wants to help because of it.

There's an intense pain and pleasure that comes with being seen and having someone who relates to you, just as there's an intense pain and pleasure that comes with the knowledge that I can be cured.

I wonder how much everyone would hate me if I told them how bittersweet this is to me, how this hurts me in ways I can't describe while making me feel happier than I could have ever imagined. How would they react if I told them half of me didn't want this? Half of me doesn't want Moonchild to leave while the other half wants her to be gone more than anything. These twisted emotions make me feel even less human than I already am...

We're closer to the van now, but the cannibal zombie is still behind us, groaning and growling. The sound is gargled and wet, probably from the thick blood of the zombie it was feasting on before focusing its gaze on us. I don't think it swallowed it all, probably because the muscles in its throat have rotted away. I do my best to ignore it, but from the corner of my eye I see more figures stumbling towards us, probably attracted by the moaning. I curse under my breath, and then I look ahead at the van...

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

"So when they said we'd be looking for a van with a blue hexagon on it, did they mention there'd be a whole fleet of vans with blue hexagons on them?" Maxine asks.

"Nope," Jody replies, her voice tinged with annoyance.

I groan. There's got to be at least a dozen of them here on the road!

"Let me check something," Sam says, before sighing in frustration. "Uh, yeah... Cams show three more a bit further along the road, stopped behind another digger and a tipper truck. Must've been roadwork ahead."

"Roadwork ahead? Uh, yeah, I sure hope it does," Milo says, and he frowns when he gets weird looks from the rest of us. "Look, there's not a lot of entertainment on roufflenet so I take whatever humor I can get on there."

"Anyway," Tom says, drawing out the word a bit, still giving Milo a strange look, "we've hit another zom cluster. The hostile from the digger is still behind us. There are four in the bushes at six o'clock, and five more trapped in cars with questionable structural integrity."

"Okay," Jody breathes out, "so we need to be quick. Tom, Maxine, you take the vans closest to you. You've got your crowbars?"

They both pull them from their backpacks.

"At the ready," Maxine answers.

"Good. You're lookin' for three red and gray boxes with silver highlights. Sam, you keep an eye on the cams. Make sure no zoms are sneakin' up on them."

"'Keep an eye on the cams' is my middle name," He says, and I snort.

"Five, Eight, run on to those three vans up ahead and search them. Quick, before more zoms get here!"

•

"We found them! We found them!" Milo yells, and seconds later Maxine and Tom are rushing towards us. I hold up one of the boxes as proof, grinning when I hear Sam laugh joyously. I know what he's thinking.

One step closer to curing me. One step closer to getting rid of Moonchild forever.

"Confirming objectives located," Tom says, and I shove one of them in my backpack while Milo does the same. I hand the last one to Maxine, and she takes a moment to examine, her brow raised.

"Is it just me, or do these boxes look exactly like gaming consoles?" She runs her fingers across the highlights, confusion written across her face.

"I think they might be VS-10s," Jody says.

"What are those?" I ask. "I had a Nintendo DS and a Wii, but that's about as far as I went for gaming devices."

"They were a high end console that got released just before Z-Day. They were extremely expensive. No one I knew could afford one."

Maxine frowns. "Wait, so these experts in auditory and possibly visual hallucinations refused to meet with us until we brought them back these three gaming consoles?"

"Is it bad that actually makes me respect them more?" Sam asks sheepishly.

"Yes," Tom answers flatly, and I quietly laugh.

"Yeah, okay. Just wanted to check."

"Damn it!" Maxine curses. She shoves the console into her backpack, looking back with wide eyes. "Looks like we didn't shake those zoms. They're all heading up the motorway towards us."

Milo and I both hop out of the back of the van, and I cringe at the sight of about ten zombies all heading towards us. "They're pretty fast for shamblers."

"I think their leg muscles didn't rot away as quickly since they didn't use them. They were trapped in those cars for years," Maxine says.

"Can you outrun them though?" Jody asks worriedly.

Tom nods. "Ninety-eight percent probability we can, but they're making too much noise. It's attracting more zoms." He looks around, his jaw clenching and his fingers twitching. "Groups moving in from our four, seven and eleven o'clock."

Jody curses under her breath, and my shoulders tense. There's too many. We can't bring these zoms to the Manor House Center. They wouldn't let us in. It'll be too much of a risk.

"Is that service station you told us about close?"

"It's, uh, it's just over the brow of the next hill," Sam stammers.

Tom nods, a determined look passing over his face. "I have a plan, but it requires us to reach the service station before the zoms."

"Then let's get moving," I say, taking off, making sure Milo stays with us. He's done other missions with high stakes, but as more zombies start to follow after us, the more worried I become.

I don't like putting him at risk.

Of course, when we saved Jaime from being executed not too long ago, we had to deal with a lot more zombies than those chasing us right now, but I still feel that slight tinge of worry that something else might happen, that something else will go wrong and cause everything to spiral out of control.

I don't think I could forgive myself if Milo got hurt on this mission to help save me.

I look over my shoulder, internally wincing when I see one of the groups join the ten behind us. If the other two groups join, we'll have a mini horde on our hands, and that's the last thing we need. I truly do hope Tom's plan, whatever it is, will help in getting rid of some of these zombies. I have my pistol and axe, and Tom has a rifle and a pistol, and Milo has a baseball bat, although I don't want him to get close enough to the zoms to be able to use it. Still, we have the weapons to take the zombies out if all else fails.

But I trust Tom. He's like me when it comes to not exactly being right in the head, but he's extremely smart, and whatever plan he has come up with is calculated and precise. It's one of the reasons I'm glad he came with us on this mission. He's the one that can come up with a plan-a good plan-on the fly.

Sweat runs down my face, the sounds of harsh breathing and uneven footsteps and zombie growls becoming all jumbled together to create something truly deafening. I keep looking back, and more zombies have joined the group behind us, the number growing larger and larger by the minute. I grab my backpack strap, my eyes sliding back to Milo. He keeps his gaze ahead, appearing almost too scared to look back and see how many might be behind us. I suppose that's smart, since seeing more and more join the group that could now be considered a horde makes my anxiety spike terribly.

When was the last time I was chased by a horde like this?

At least we've made it to the service station. All the lights are out and the canopy has crumbled in on itself. I doubt any of the gasoline here would be any good, and I feel the same way about any of the snacks that might be in the store, if it hasn't been looted already. Still, now that we're here we can do whatever it is Tom's planned to get us out of this situation.

"Was there anything more joyless than a motorway service station?" Maxine pants, her tone slightly joking as if she's trying to lighten the mood.

"A motorway station after the zombie apocalypse," Sam says, completely serious, "which you're running into while pursued by a horde of zombies, and their noise is attracting more. They're closing in on three sides, and the shopping mall's blocking your way on the other. You definitely don't want to go in there. It's crawling with zoms."

"Yeah, okay," Milo breathes out as we run inside the service station, weaving through the isles of expired snacks and questionable looking drinks. "Tom, you said you had a plan?"

"Yes. Go into the mall."

There's a beat of silence.

"Um... okay."

Tom grins at the unsure look that crosses his face. "Don't worry, Milo. I'm compose mentis."

"You sure about that? Because Sam literally just told us the mall's crawling with zoms and you want to go in there."

He laughs at his bluntness, opening the backdoor so we can leave the service station. "I'm sure. I'll need you and Maxine to hide in that refrigerated van up ahead for a few minutes. It's airtight, so the zoms won't be able to smell you. Runner Five, I want you to attract the zoms' attention and lead them into the mall. As soon as the last one's in, Maxine, Milo, you'll lock the door behind them. Five, you do the same on the other side once you're through."

"Lock them in the mall!" Sam laughs. "I like it. Dawn of the Dead in reverse."

"There's a lot of them," Jody says unsurely. "At least thirty, and more inside the mall. When there's a horde that size, all riled up, there's not much that stops them. If they break through the windows, they'll be straight back after you."

Tom smiles softly. "I know, love. That's why I'm going inside with Five. See that newsagent? It has a nice solid security grill. I'll take cover there and use my rifle to dispose of the hostiles. Clean headshots. It should all be over in a few minutes. Come on, Five. Run!"

I pick up the pace, my eyes on Milo and Maxine as they head for the van. Once the door to it is shut, I let out a small sigh of relief. None of the zombies seem to have seen them, too focused on me and Tom to look anywhere else. I don't have my noisemaker with me, but I let out a high pitched whistle every so often to ensure they keep chasing me. I doubt it's needed.

Tom and I push open the door to the mall and head inside. I see figures in the stores, some ahead of me. I let out a shrill whistle as Tom branches off. I have to keep the focus on me and not him. A nearby zom lunges for me, and I'm just barely able to duck and evade its grasp. I set off running for the other side, loud snarls and groans echoing against the walls. I see zombies coming out of the stores, attracted by the noise, but I still continue to whistle, putting two fingers in my mouth to make the sound loud and hurtful.

I have to duck and jump to avoid the grasp of zombies ahead of me, all of them soulless eyes and ashy flesh and gnashing teeth. My heart pounds in my chest, the smell of rot and decay burning my nostrils as I gasp and pant for air. It's been awhile since zombies have been this close. It brings back a fear that I'd long forgotten.

I remember suddenly what if felt like to have teeth sink into my calf, to feel as if I was dying. Even now, when there's a chance I may be immune since I'm immortal, I don't want to risk it. I don't want to go through that again.

I push myself to go just a bit faster, trying to get ahead of the zombies. I can hear my blood pounding, my heart racing. I can see the exit up ahead, and I run as fast as I can to get to it. I grab the door, open it, and twist the lock. A zombie reaches for me right as I slam it closed, and its bony finger gets cut off by the door. As soon as the door shuts I hear angry snarls and hands slamming against the door. They pound on the door again and again, but it holds. I pant, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I take a step back, safe for the moment.

"Blimey," Sam says as if he's been holding his breath. "Five, you like to cut it fine, don't you?"

I don't say anything, my blood still roaring in my ears as I start to calm down.

"How're things on your end, Maxine?" Jody asks.

"Peachy. Tom was right. The zoms ran right past me and Eight, and now they're locked up tight."

"And Tom? How's it goin' in there?"

She's answered by a gunshots.

"Mission proceeding to plan," He says a moment later. "A few hostiles have spotted me, but there's no way they can get through these shutters."

There are more gunshots.

"Yeah, yeah," Sam says, his voice wavering a bit. I don't like how worried his tone has become. "I've got you on cams now. Um, Tom, that zom you just shot, it's-it's still moving."

"I'm sure I got a headshot," He mutters, confused.

"Um, you've got enough ammo to try again, right?"

"Copy that."

Another gunshot.

"That was a headshot," Jody says. "I saw it go through."

"Yeah, but the zom's still moving!" Sam shouts, and I feel the blood drain from my face.

"Oh God," I say, horrified. "It's a V-type. The unkillable Viking zombies from the caves. You remember, Maxine? I completely destroyed one and its organs still came for us."

"It's okay," She says. "We can deal with that. Once Tom's taken care of the shamblers, you and I can go back in there and lure it away."

"It's not just one," Tom says. "I got another with a headshot, and it-it's still coming."

His breathing has picked up, panic seeping into his voice. I recognize that tone. I know what's coming, as does everyone.

"Babe, it'll be fine," Jody says, trying to calm him down before he has a breakdown. "Look, you've killed most of those shamblers already, and they're staying down. We can take care of two V-types."

"It's not just two," Sam gulps. "I think Tom's taken down all the shamblers now. Those seven that are still standing-they're all V-types."

"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt," Tom murmurs to himself. His voice is hollow.

"How the hell did they get out of that cave?" Maxine asks.

"Doesn't matter," Jody replies, her voice firm. "They did. Tom shot every single one of them in the head at least twice, but it hasn't stopped them. Nothing is, and he's trapped in there with no way out!"

"For an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth," Tom mutters. "The dead will be raised imperishable, and we will all be changed!"

A/N: Oooh! Cliffhanger! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please be sure to vote and comment! Thank you and have a blessed day!