#79: Mercy (2/2)
Part 1
(¬º-°)¬
It takes about three weeks for Sehun to fully recover from the lonely trek he had made with his father through the deserted lands west of Daegu. The blisters on his feet disappear, the circles under his eyes become a little less noticeable as he sleeps at least 12 hours a day - comfortable and safe.
Minseok’s group had been kind to them, and Kris works hard to earn his place - joining the others in group hunts, patrolling the fence of the factory and generally trying not to be burdensome. It’s hard to find a space for himself and Sehun in the group’s established routine, but they manage to pick up on the unspoken rules fast enough.
Minseok is a leader - not because he is particularly dominant or shrewd, but because he’s levelheaded and calm. Even Kris finds himself turning to him with his worries, as the older man is always honest and patient in his answers. Though sometimes, Kris can see glimpses of another man - whenever Minseok speaks of his old life with Luhan, how they had travelled together through China and Korea on their motor bikes, every day a new adventure. Luhan has mentioned they never had kids because there simply hadn’t been room for them -in their life, nor their hearts. It had sounded incredulous to Kris at the time, but he’s slowly starting to comprehend, just through watching Luhan and Minseok together. It was hard to miss how they naturally gravitated to one another, how they were never a hundred percent at ease whenever one of them was out hunting. Of course they had stories to tell of loss, grief and horror - all of them did. But Minseok and Luhan seemed the least affected by them - as if merely being with each other had kept them in a bubble, safe from the storm that was raging in the world around them.
Kyungsoo and Jongin mostly keep to themselves - spending most of their time in the kitchen, when Jongin isn’t out hunting with Luhan and Baekhyun.
Kris sometimes walks in on them sitting closely together, talking in hushed whispers, making him feel like an intruder.
But Kyungsoo keeps them fed, and Jongin teaches Sehun and Kris how to set up a snare trap - and Kris understands that’s just their way of letting them know they’re welcome.
Baekhyun and Chanyeol are the most excited with the newest addition to their group. Chanyeol’s most prized possession - a battered acoustic guitar with old Sailor Moon stickers all over - has given him something to bond about with Sehun. Sehun has never shown much interest in music but he can spend hours listening to Chanyeol strumming softly on the strings, humming a soothing melody. Kris realizes he missed music too - the catharsis, so desperately needed after nearly a year of living through inexplicable horror.
Baekhyun likes to join Kris when he’s keeping watch at night, chatting his ear off about everything and nothing. When he closes his eyes, it’s easy to imagine the scenes she’s telling him about - stories from growing up with Chanyeol, the flashy pink bike she used to drive around with on campus, the time she almost set the lawn on fire at the family barbeque… When Baekhyun speaks of her old life, Kris can almost pretend he is back there as well. But his favorite stories are the ones she tells about her future. She tells him about how she wants to get her driver’s license - something she never quite got around to before the outbreak. She shows him a journal she carries with her, of all the travel plans she has - long lists of places to see, countries to visit. She never says ‘if’, only ‘when’.
Kris knows there is no turning back to his old life, but in just a few weeks time, it becomes easier to picture leading a normal life once again.
Sadly, it doesn’t last.
(¬º-°)¬
Exactly one month after they have found refuge in the factory, Kris hears commotion near the entry gate while making his round along the perimeter. He grabs his hammer a little tighter and runs to the front as fast as his long legs can carry him. He sees Sehun, Kyungsoo and Luhan, all crouching in front of Chanyeol and Jongin.
They just came back from their hunt with an exciting new find - a puppy.
“Look dad, it’s adorable!” Sehun calls out, scratching the mutt behind its ears. Kris can’t tell what breed it is, but it seems to be young, and fairly healthy, even though it smells like shit and looks too skinny. Jongin bends down to pick it up again, clearly enamored with the tiny animal already. The pup is overwhelmed by all the attention, curling up against Jongin’s chest, softly whimpering as it wriggles around in Jongin’s hold. The young man is positively beaming - it’s the first time Kris has seen him smile this wide. He suddenly looks a lot younger.
“What should we name it?” Chanyeol asks.
Footsteps behind them alert the arrival of Minseok. He looks decidedly less taken with the newest arrival.
“Look what we found in the woods,” Chanyeol says excitedly. “Jongin heard it first - it was trying to hide under a fallen tree stump but we managed to coax it out.”
“She - it’s a girl,” Jongin says, turning around the puppy in his hands. Sehun coos at it.
Chanyeol claps his hands. “Awesome! I like the sound of Roxie!”
Minseok shoots Luhan a look - Kris knows the couple has a way of communicating in silence, and the way his brows furrow don’t predict anything good.
“I’m sorry Jongin, but it can’t stay.”
“What?”
Minseok takes a deep breath. “It can’t stay. It will attract attention. It’s an extra mouth to feed and we can barely find enough food for ourselves.”
Jongin looks shell-shocked, and Kyungsoo steps closer, slinging an arm around his waist.
“But, Minseok-”
“I’m sorry Jongin. I really am.”
Jongin angrily shakes off Kyungsoo, the puppy whining in his arms.
“And why do you think you have the right to decide this?”
Minseok, calm and collected as ever, holds up his hands in a placating gesture. “I don’t like it either, Jongin, but I have to think about what’s best for all of us. You are not alone in this group. If you feel I am out of line, let’s put it to a vote.” He looks around at the rest of them. “If you are willing to risk everything for this puppy, raise your hand.”
Only three hands go up - Chanyeol, Sehun and Jongin.
“Kyungsoo?” Jongin whispers, looking pale and horrified.
The smaller woman has tears in her eyes as she bites her lip and slowly shakes her head. “I’m sorry Jongin, Minseok is right. We - there is no food. Winter will be here soon and…” her voice cracks and she casts her eyes towards the ground.
“Dad?” The disappointment in Sehun’s voice is the hardest to stomach, but Kris knows he made the right choice. The risk is too big.
Jongin stomps his foot, anger taking over. “If I just leave it out in the woods it’s going to die. Some walker will get his hands on it and tear it apart, Minseok. How could you do this?” he yells.
“We have lost two of our own already, Jongin. I have told you all I would do anything I can to keep you all safe. I promised your brother I would look after you if something happened to him.”
That last sentence seems to knock the wind out of Jongin.
Minseok continues, “So if you want to spit on the memory of Joonmyun by putting all of us into a bigger mess than we already are, go ahead, but I won’t stand for it. I understand this is a decision you can’t bear to make yourself, so I am making it for you.”
Minseok turns to Luhan. “Make it quick,” he whispers, and he turns on his heels, stalking back towards the kitchen with stiff shoulders. Kyungsoo whispers another apology to Jongin and follows after Minseok.
Sehun and Chanyeol have both watched the exchange with a look of horror on their faces.
“He can’t do this!” Sehun says disbelievingly.
“Luhan, why didn’t you try to convince him?” Chanyeol asks.
Luhan looks sad but stern. “It’s for the best, Jongin.”
Jongin is sobbing, clutching the dog close to his chest as it mewls, clearly picking up on the humans’ distress.
“Sehun, come on,” Kris says, slowly turning away from the scene.
“What? No, dad, how could you do - how could you let him do this?”
Luhan tries to take the pup out of Jongin’s hands. “Come on, Jongin. Give her to me, please. Baekhyun, your weapon?”
Baekhyun, who had kept remarkably silent, doesn’t look at Jongin or Chanyeol as she silently hands over her sword to the other woman.
Suddenly Chanyeol catches up. “What are you - Luhan, are you out of your mind?”
“Chanyeol, we can’t let her stay here, and we can’t leave her fending for herself in the woods. It’ll be easier this way. I will not let her become a meal for the Walkers.”
“No!” Chanyeol and Sehun shout in unison. Kris and Baekhyun have to step in front of Luhan as they lunge for her.
“I’m coming with you,” Jongin whispers, making Chanyeol and Sehun freeze.
“Jongin - Jongin, I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Luhan says softly.
“I want to be there when you do it, Luhan. I’m not letting her die on her own,” Jongin says. He has stopped crying, but his voice is sending chills down Kris’ spine. Even Sehun has fallen silent next to him.
“No,” Chanyeol says. “Jongin, you can’t do this, please.”
Jongin turns around. “Come, Luhan.”
Chanyeol tries to follow him but Jongin shakes his head. “You can’t handle it, Chanyeol. Stay with Baekhyun.” He looks at Luhan as if he wants to dare her to try and pry the dog out of his hand again.
Luhan sighs, defeated. “Let’s go.” She unlocks the gate again, leading Jongin back into the forest.
Baekhyun is holding hands with Chanyeol as they watch Jongin and Luhan disappear, while Kris keeps his arm slung around Sehun’s shoulder.
“What kind of sick world are we living in if we can’t even keep the one thing that made him smile?” Chanyeol asks. “Fuck. How fucked up is this.” He looks down at Baekhyun’s hand in his. “What are we doing, Baekhyun?”
She squeezes his hand. “We’re just… trying to do what’s best, Chanyeol.”
“Well then we’re not trying hard enough,” Chanyeol says as he lets go of Baekhyun’s hand and turns around, towards the warehouse. Sehun pulls away from Kris and runs after him.
(¬º-°)¬
“Are we bad people?” Baekhyun asks.
The full moon casts a bluish sheen over the factory grounds. It even makes the forest look a little less haunting, a little less dangerous than usual. Kris knows Baekhyun is talking about the dog, knows she felt just as conflicted when she voted against keeping it.
“Maybe,” he says. Then changes his mind. “No, no we’re not. And neither are Minseok and Luhan. We just… do what it takes to keep the people we love safe.”
“Chanyeol is never going to forgive me,” Baekhyun says.
“He will. He’ll realize why you did it soon enough. He might not understand, but he knows you wouldn’t have chosen the way you did if you could have avoided it.”
Baekhyun feels for Kris’ hand under his blanket. “Let’s not talk about this anymore, okay.”
“Okay.”
“Talk to me about something. Anything.” Baekhyun sounds so small, Kris wants to scoop her up into his arms and keep her close until she smiles again. For the past few weeks, he has relied on her to keep his spirits up.
He wonders if he can do the same for her.
So he talks. About being in college, and dropping out after Sehun was born. He tells Baekhyun about his struggles as a single dad, suddenly having to take care of a five year old on his own after being widowed.
She laughs when he tells her of that one month eight year old Sehun had insisted on wearing only plaid to school. And the time he let Sehun dye his hair pink.
“You are a really cool dad, you know.” Baekhyun leans in a bit closer. “I bet all the single moms were lusting after you in the playground.”
Kris laughs. “If I had anyone lusting over me, that horrid pink dye-job would have ruined my chances for sure.” He shrugs.
“There… haven’t been many other women, after Sehun’s mom died. I guess I was just too busy being a dad, and I had my job and… suddenly you’re an old guy with a teenager.”
Baekhyun elbows Kris. “You’re not old. Barely a decade older than me.”
He cringes. “You’re making it worse.”
“I’m just saying. I would have been all over that pink hair, back in college.”
“And I’m sure a lot of guys were all over you,” he teases back.
“I can’t complain. But I have to admit the whole zombie thing put a bit of a crimp in my dating life,” Baekhyun jokes. “I swear I might’ve tried to get into Chanyeol’s pants if he wasn’t all up in Jongin’s business.”
“Jongin and Chanyeol?” Kris asks, surprised. He has seen the looks Chanyeol sends Jongin sometimes, but it was rare to see them alone, together.
“Well, there’s nothing going on between them, but it’s not for Chanyeol’s lack of trying,” Baekhyun says. “He is so smitten with him.”
“I always thought Jongin and Kyungsoo had something going on,” Kris says.
“No. I’m pretty sure Kyungsoo thinks of him as a little brother, and Jongin… I’m not sure if he’s into anything, honestly. Yixing told me Jongin doesn’t date.”
“Oh,” Kris says dumbly. He finds it odd - an attractive young man like Jongin probably could have gotten any girl or guy. He shares that thought with Baekhyun.
“Hmm. He wouldn’t have been able to get me, though,” she muses.
“I’m not sure I believe you,” Kris says.
“It’s true,” Baekhyun says, twisting her torso so she can look Kris in the eyes. “I’m not interested in Jongin because I’m interested in someone else. You.”
Kris blinks, trying to process the words. “Me?”
There’s a rush of movement and suddenly Kris has a lap full of Baekhyun. He barely has the time to think anyone who comes out to check on them would have full view of them, perched on the platform of the water tower. Then Baekhyun kisses him and Kris stops thinking.
She tastes sweet, and smells like wood chips. It feels foreign, to be so close to another human again for the first time in years - but it’s Baekhyun, bright, happy Baekhyun with her sweet voice and her soft, plush thighs. She’s so easy to get lost in, easy to hold onto as she grinds down her hips against him.
“Touch me, please,” she whispers as she runs her hands through his hair, her breasts pushing against his chest. Kris tries to get his hands to work as he cants his hips up, Baekhyun moaning with her head thrown back. He fumbles with the zipper of her shorts but finally manages to push them down, Baekhyun rising up a little so he can sneak a hand past the waistband of her panties. She falls forward, leaning her forehead against his. “Kris,” she pants, clinging to his shoulders as he touches her.
Kris wants to make her feel good, to make her forget about today, about the world. But most of all, he wants to lose himself in her.
(¬º-°)¬
The end of summer comes sooner than expected. Kris doesn’t know if it had anything to do with the outbreak, but the summer had been noticeably cooler than usual, and by September, the weather gets colder every day.
The group is restless - shaken up and divided after Jongin’s clash with Minseok, the dynamics have shifted. Jongin spends a lot of time alone, taking long hikes in the forest, to Minseok’s frustration and Kyungsoo’s worry. Chanyeol accompanies him sometimes, although Jongin remains oblivious to the taller man’s feelings for him.
Baekhyun starts teaching Sehun and Luhan taekwondo. It wouldn’t be very helpful against a walker, but at least it gives Sehun something to focus on. Kris knows Sehun’s hungry, but Kyungsoo has started rationing the food even more strictly now that their foraging trips into the forest are coming up empty often.
Kris has found a stash of barbed wire stashed away in a rusty closet on the second floor of the warehouse, and has taken to reinforcing the fence. His progress is slow, but there isn’t much else to do, and sometimes Baekhyun comes to check on his work, and he manages to steal a kiss, or two.
That’s all they ever do - Kris doesn’t want Sehun to find out, so he and Baekhyun usually keep their hands to themselves until they’re both on night watch duty. Baekhyun is understanding of Kris’ reluctance to let the others know about their thing, and she doesn’t seem put off by the fact neither of them have even defined what they have.
Minseok spends a lot of time looking at some old maps - Minseok has never once used a GPS in his life, always relying on classic means of navigation on his trips with Luhan, and he had held on to a few maps when he and Luhan escaped Busan. Kris knows Minseok would like to travel east; following the same route Jongdae and Tao had taken a few months ago.
Meanwhile Kris stubbornly holds on to his original plan of moving north. One evening, when Sehun goes to bed early and Chanyeol and Jongin are standing guard, Kris tries to make a case for his original plan of travelling north.
“If Mujuk has fallen, there’s no safe place east of Daegu. Busan got overrun first; I can’t imagine how many hordes there must be. We don’t know how far they have spread out along the south coast either. Our best bet is to move north.”
Minseok shakes his head. “Even if Seoul has somehow failed to attract a horde, which I strongly doubt, you’d still be heading nowhere. You think they’ll be waiting for you in Pyongyang? I doubt they’ll be very welcoming.”
“Look, I know it’s a long shot but if there are more survivors, there are bound to be more communities like ours, right? We don’t stand a chance with just the eight of us, but if we can find a bigger group to stay with, just to get us through winter, then maybe-“
“I don’t know, Kris. It’s a shot in the dark,” Minseok sighs.
Kyungsoo walks into the room, Luhan right behind her. They sit down next to the men. Kris wonders if Kyungsoo has always looked this frail. Even Luhan’s jawline seems sharper than when he met her.
“Maybe, but Mujuk is a death trap. I understand you want to find out what has happened to your friends, but are you willing to take that gamble?” Kris says.
“Can’t we just stay here?” Kyungsoo asks quietly.
“And starve?” Luhan says incredulously. “We won’t have a chance of lasting through winter. I know our odds our slim against rogues or walkers, too, but I’d rather have a fighting chance instead of withering away here.”
“Either way, we’re screwed,” Kyungsoo concludes.
“Look - maybe, if we can reach Mujuk,” Minseok starts, but he is interrupted by Chanyeol bursting into the room through the back door, his face red and his eyes looking frantic.
“Humans. With torches, and flashlights. Four of them, but I think heard more voices.”
The announcement sends them all scrambling. “Grab your weapons,” Minseok barks.
“And don’t let them know there are only eight of us.”
“Sehun’s asleep,” Kris says. “I need to go get him.”
Kyungsoo puts her hand on his shoulder. “I’ll go get Sehun and Baekhyun. We need you out there in front - you’re more likely to scare them away.”
Luhan is already standing by the door, peeking through one of the curtains by the broken windows. “They’re pulling at the lock. We better hurry before they figure out our fence isn’t intact,” she says tersely.
“Kris, next to me,” Minseok says, “Luhan and Chanyeol, you cover us. Kyungsoo, tell Baekhyun and Jongin to come to the front. Make sure you don’t let them see you, or Sehun.”
“I- I only have an u-unloaded gun,” Chanyeol stutters.
“Well let’s pray you won’t have to use it, then,” Kris bites back at him.
The four of them open the door closest to the gate after Kyungsoo has snuck out the back.
There are three men and a woman looking at the lock, rattling the fence.
Kris’ stomach drops when he sees glint of knives and guns hanging off their belts. Their clothing is dirty, torn bands of fabric keeping their outfit together, and their faces are black, as if they painted them with soot.
Rogues.
The four of them still when Minseok and the others step out, moving towards the gate as a unit. Kris tries to draw himself up to his full length, and sees Minseok’s flex his arms next to him. Minseok may not be tall but he looks muscular enough to make any man think twice before picking a fight with him. Luhan makes up for her light built with the way she keeps her rifle pointed at the intruders. Even Chanyeol manages to keep his arm from shaking as he keeps his useless gun in front of him.
The men all reach for their own weapons.
The woman is holding something in her arms - it’s moving, wriggling as if it’s trying to escape her grip. Kris sees a flash of white fur and chocolate ears. It can’t be-
“Roxie,” Chanyeol whispers. “I- we kept her in the shack a mile away from here, I didn’t think anyone would find out.”
It’s the dog Jongin had found. It looks dirtier and skinnier as last time, but it’s still easy to recognize.
Kris looks sideways at Luhan, but she keeps her eyes focused on the strangers by the gate. Apparently Luhan was able to keep some secrets from her husband after all.
If Minseok is surprised to see Jongin’s dog alive and well, he doesn’t let it show. He stops, facing the men and the woman. “You are not welcome here. Move on.”
One of the men laughs, rattling the lock again. “Got a nice little place for yourself here, behind your little fence. I’m sure there’s plenty of room available. Can we take a look around?”
Minseok takes a step forward, and Kris follows, even though his heart is beating so fast he’s sure the rogues can hear it.
“You don’t want to pick a fight with us. Everyone here is armed. Move on, and you won’t get hurt,” Minseok says.
As if on cue, Jongin and Baekhyun appear from behind the kitchen.
“A couple of kids and some chicks, is that you’re army we’re supposed to be afraid of? This forest is crawling with walkers, you should be happy it’s just us paying you a visit,” Another man sneers. They all laugh mirthlessly, and the puppy starts whining.
Jongin freezes in his step when he sees the little dog.
“Is this little mutt yours, boy?” The woman yells.
“It’d be a shame if something happened to it,” she adds threateningly. She holds up the puppy by the skin of its neck, and the pup yaps and whines as its little paws struggle in the air. The woman reaches out to the knife tucked underneath her waistband.
Jongin roars, swinging his bat as he charges towards the gate. Chanyeol follows, trying to hold Jongin back as Minseok bellows “Jongin, get down!”. Kris sees the two men closest by the gate lift their guns.
There’s a shot - and another one, three, four, and Kris throws himself down on the ground as a sickening scream pierces through the air. He can see someone face down by the fence, Chanyeol lying on top of Jongin, Baekhyun doubled over as she is crouched next to Minseok. Only Luhan is still standing - and two rogues, one female. Kris can’t see the puppy anymore. One of the two men Luhan has shot is writing on the ground, clutching his stomach as red pools underneath his fingers. The other one isn’t moving. The woman, screaming hysterically, pulls and tugs the third man away, and they stumble back, disappearing into the forest.
Everything happens so fast, Kris can hardly compute what is going on.
Jongin throws Chanyeol off him, running towards the north-east corner of the fence, where there’s a large enough gap for him to squeeze through. “Jongin, wait!” Chanyeol calls after him.
Jongin slips through the hole easily, and immediately runs into the bushes. “Roxie! Roxie!”
Chanyeol disappears after him.
Baekhyun walks up to the dying man, her katana in hand.
“Mercy,” the man begs as Baekhyun swings her sword. “Please, gi-”
Kris closes his eyes but he can’t drown out the sound of metal swiftly cutting through flesh as Baekhyun stabs him through the bars of the gate.
“Is everyone alright,” Luhan asks, her voice shrill and shaky.
Baekhyun turns around. “Fine. I need to go after Jongin and Chanyeol.”
Minseok is breathing heavily. “Baekhyun, wait -“
Luhan cuts him off. “I’ll come with you.” She looks at Minseok. “I’m sorry about the puppy. I couldn’t do it, and I thought it wouldn’t attract attention there.”
“Don’t - don’t worry that now. Just find them, bring them back safe. Kris and I will stay here, in case these rogues were not alone,” Minseok says hurriedly. “Be safe, love,” he adds. They share a brief kiss.
Baekhyun is already making her way down to the hole in the fence when they hear yelling coming from the warehouse.
Sehun and Kyungsoo.
“Dad! WALKERS!”
Baekhyun and Luhan turn around immediately, looking panicked. Minseok reaches for the bat Jongin dropped earlier and runs back to the warehouse, Kris hot on his tail.
“They must have heard the shots,” Baekhyun says breathlessly as she and Luhan spurt after them. Kris, outrunning all of them with his long legs, is the first to turn the corner and skids to a halt.
It’s a horde. Dozens and dozens of walkers, squeezing through the larger holes in the fence, pushing larger parts of it down as they all group together and the fence crushes under their weight. Kyungsoo and Sehun stand frozen, clutching at each other as the walkers close in on them.
“Kris, get Sehun out of here!” Minseok yells as he rushes forward.
Kyungsoo and Sehun stumble back as Baekhyun and Luhan follow Minseok. The older man is already swinging his bat at the first walkers who’ve reached their group. Baekhyun, growling and screaming, swings her sword at the slow-moving zombies, whose movements are too sluggish to pose any real threat. They go down easily, but there are more and more breaking through the fence with every passing second and Kris can see they don’t stand a chance against such a large group. He drags Sehun and Kyungsoo further back, holding out his hammer and looking for any walkers coming their way. One of them breaks through the line Baekhyun, Minseok and Luhan have formed, and Kris finishes him off with two heavy strikes of his hammer.
“The gas!” Kyungsoo yells.
The storage shack that holds their large supply of gas canisters is right behind them.
“Minseok, let’s roast those fuckers,” she screams.
Minseok, now trying to fend off three walkers at once, looks back and stumbles. Luhan quickly shoots two walkers in the head but she misses her third shot - the third walker bends down next to Minseok, biting his thigh. He screams, trying to scramble away as Luhan fires again - this time she hits the mark, and the walker slumps, falling over Minseok. There’s a bloody chunk out of his leg where it bit him. Luhan looks at the wound, her grip on the rifle loosening as her arm goes limp.
“No!”
Kris leaps forward, helping Baekhyun stave off a new wave of walkers as Luhan crouches down next to her husband, sobbing as she presses her hands against the wound. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she babbles.
“Luhan, we need to get out of here!’” Baekhyun screams. “Kris, carry Minseok! I’ll cover us!” They are slowly pushed back, overwhelmed by more walkers spilling through the fence.
Minseok is looking down at his leg like he can’t quite believe it, how fast and sudden his death sentence had been passed. He looks up at Luhan, studying her face, as if he wants to map every inch of it, soak it up so he can’t forget it. “You have to go,” he says. “I don’t have much time. I don’t want you to see me like that.”
Luhan shakes his shoulders, her hands covered in his blood. “I am not leaving you.”
But Minseok is already slipping away.
Luhan roars, slinging her rifle around her shoulder before grabbing Minseok’s arm and hoisting him up. Kris turns around, helping her steady him as he sags against her side.
“Everybody run!” Baekhyun fends off two more walkers before running up to Kris, Luhan and Minseok. Kyungsoo and Sehun are still standing by the gas storage.
“Get the fuck out of here!” Luhan screams. They run, but with Minseok between them, Kris and Luhan can’t outrun the walkers.
“We’re too slow,” he yells.
“Dad!” Sehun shrieks.
Suddenly Luhan veers off to the right, dragging Minseok towards the shack instead.
“Lu - What are you-“
“Run, Kris!” Luhan roars as she pulls Minseok inside. She pushes Kris away and he stumbles, leaving him scrambling to get away from the prying hands of a walker. He blindly swings his hammer at the creature as Luhan shuts the door to the shack.
And suddenly he realizes what Luhan is planning. He leaps up, running as fast as he can and rounding the corner of the warehouse. Baekhyun, Sehun and Kyungsoo are almost at the gate.
“GET DOWN!”
There’s a shot, and an explosion. Kris is knocked over from the force of it, and he feels the heat of the blast piercing his skin like a blanket of needles.
Something - no, someone is pulling at his arm. Baekhyun. She’s talking to him, but he can’t hear anything, his ears still ringing with the explosion.
He gets on his knees, staggering as Baekhyun pulls him along towards the hole in the gate.
He can see Sehun, looking terrified but unharmed, and Kyungsoo, and behind her the two shocked faces of Chanyeol and Jongin. The latter has his arms wrapped tightly around a small dog.
(¬º-°)¬
They run into several groups of humans walking down the expressway near Mungyeong.
“I’ve heard Yeoju and Icheon have things under control,” says an older woman who had offered them some canned food. “But I’m going to Ansan. I’m hoping to find my son there. He’s in the navy. He was stationed down at the east coast but rumor has it they managed to evacuate a lot of people there before the walkers broke through.”
Baekhyun gasps. “Navy bases? Do you think Camp Mujuk was evacuated as well?”
The woman shrugs. “Could be. They pulled out everyone east of Cheongdu, or so I’ve heard. Then started bombing the shit out of that area.”
Chanyeol looks nervously at Baekhyun. “Do you think that’s what happened to Jongdae and Tao?”
“Tao and Jongdae are tough...” Kyungsoo says, “it’s not unthinkable they made it that far.”
The woman smiles. “I hope you find your friends,” she says, picking up her bags as she wishes them luck and bids them goodbye.
Sehun turns to Kris. “So it’s decided then? We go west?”
Baekhyun nods, slipping her hand around Kris’ wrist. “West it is.”
Jongin whistles. “Come on, Roxie!” The dog barks once, her tail wagging as she bounds up to Jongin.
.
(¬º-°)¬