Seldom Six Feet Under

Chapter Fifteen: A Hero

          The plan hadn't been completely solidified with Allen and Ruby. Or at least that's how they saw it. Neither knew what the signal would be. All Ryder specified was that there would be one. Both had cramped up in the armory, anxiously listening for what could be the said signal. Allen had his back to the wall, rifle in either hand. Ruby was closer to the table, eyes trained on her blue converse. The other's gaze was locked on her, his brow furrowed and his lips pursed. He looked like a mix between a contemplating detective and a disappointed parent of a delinquent teenager.

      He stirred in place and rolled his shoulders. "What do you think the signal is, anyway?" He asked, raising the attention of the girl. "He better not do something stupid like hoot." Ruby smiled and giggled silently, realizing now that that might've just been an attempt to lighten the mood of this gloomy room. Allen flashed a smirk at her response, lowering his head in thought.

      The longer his mind lingered over the basis of the plan, the more flaws he was able to point out. And with every flaw, the horrible gut feeling just grew and grew. The idea that this would ride successfully was beginning to drift further and further from reach. His throat was stinging, his hands were sweating. He was struggling to differentiate the difference between right and wrong in this situation. It was all just blurry, and he knew he wasn't the only one who felt this. He couldn't be.

      Then, they heard it. An abrupt clash of distant glass, along with muffled gunshots ringing throughout the halls. Allen pushed himself off the wall. "Guess that's our cue," he grumbled and stepped towards the door. Holding her gun, Ruby shuffled over to his side.

      He extended one hand out towards the doorknob, holding it down while he waited for more noise. Besides the continuous gunshots and shattering of fragile tanks, there was none. He gave the girl a quick nod before he swung the door open, rushing around the corner and against the wall with the other following suit. It was apparent now that footsteps were marching their way towards the source. Both leaned further back into the wall as to not be noticed when they passed by in a hurry. Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. Neither moved a muscle in hopes of going unnoticed, which is exactly how it went. Finding that they were in the clear after they'd gone by, Allen nudged her before continuing to creep down the hall, rounding another corner. Ruby let out a mental sigh as she lurked behind him, peering over her shoulder a few times out of anxious behavior.

      They continued to brush past the walls in desperate search of the makeshift experiment room. Allen knew where it was, he just couldn't navigate there as efficiently as he'd hoped. While they avoided the living, some infected had caught up with them. Fortunately, the unguarded door had come into view. "Shit, just run!" Allen ordered, starting his dash down the hall. Ruby scattered after him, nearly losing her footing on herself.

      Reaching their destination, Allen rammed his shoulder into the door. He caught himself on the edge of it and held it for the other. She leapt into the room and skidded to a sudden stop, her heart breaking before her. Allen slammed the door shut and slung his gun over his shoulder. He then grabbed a hold of a side desk and pulled it over in front of the door just as the infected came banging and crying at the foot of it. His heart rapidly pounded in his chest, and for a moment it was almost in beat with the thirsty thumps of decaying hands. He released a shaky sigh and slowly followed his friend's gaze. Ruby had her hand clasped over her mouth in dismay. Before them, Noah was slumped over in an office chair. His skin had grown pale, almost to a shade of gray. His left side was facing them, where they could see a large purple and red area upon his bicep. His pant leg was torn and coated in deep blood. His tattooed arm was propped up on the desk beside him.

   "Noah...?" Allen called over, stepping past the girl and towards his chair.

      He slowly lifted his head and forced himself onto his feet. "Al-Allen..." He croaked and staggered over his feet, stumbling into the other's arms. Allen caught his fall and gritted his teeth, staring in suppressed horror. He grasped onto the boy's arms delicately, pairs of eyes staring back at one another.