Chapter 4: 4

“Can we still drive outside?” Kaley mentions.

“Yeah it’s up to your government if they could notice it fast enough, but your country’s traffic is the worst.” Oscar said.

I looked in front of us and tried to look to the doctor’s bag I took earlier. “Wait, I have something we can use to avoid traffic.” I left the SUV and went to the vehicle in front of us. Oscar’s eye lit up then he threw me an approving look.

I grabbed the keys I found on the doctor’s bag and hoped it works on the ambulance in front of us. Oscar also threw the keys from the maintenance guy just to be sure.

*click*

The door opened and I waved Kaley to sit next to me. I put my head outside the window and said to Oscar, “I think it’s best you head back home first, tell everyone of Code Zulu Alpha and start Project SHTF. Try to have everyone be at the compound, I’ll follow you shortly.”

“Sure thing, kid.” He motions his two fingers to a small salute and starts to back his SUV up. I reached to my side and pulled the other pistol I got from the guard.

“Know how to use this?” I offered the other pistol to Kaley.

“I know a bit.” She reluctantly picks it up and she gave a deep long sigh. I gave her a quick glance and even though there’s a slight tremble in her hands, her eyes are sharp as ever.

“She’s strong.” I said to myself while I looked at her.

I looked around the inside of the vehicle to try to familiarize myself on some of the controls. It’s a regular manual-transmission type with a few extra buttons for the door locks, sirens and a built-in CB Radio. I started to flick the switch of the radio to channel 9 and I tried speaking on it.

*bzzt*

“Oscar, copy?”

*bzzt*

*bzzt*

“Yeah, copy kid. I’ll follow you behind. We’ll split off at Valenzuela City, heading to the Bulacan area, right?”

*bzzt*

“Yeah, keep close.” I radioed in.

Most of the way goes smoothly as I flicked the switch on for the sirens. Aside from Oscar, other people took advantage of the open way to drive behind me. Aside from a few police cars speeding and other ambulances going around, Oscar safely split off at one of the intersections. Kaley made a call to her sister again and made sure she’s safe and secure at their house.

It took us one more hour before we reached her driveway. I turned the vehicle off as I parked in front while she knocked on the door as she rushes to her house to meet his younger sister.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

*click*

Three quick knocks followed by a clicking sound from the other side and a teary-eyed girl opened the door and welcomed us. Kaley rushes in to hug her sister then I started to inspect the surroundings outside. Bloody marks still left the pavement along with a few ‘Do Not Cross| Crime Scene Area’ on the spot where the incident earlier happened. A few residents are still outside trying to talk with each other, seemingly still unaware of what has happened.

“Sky, come inside.” Kaley said to me.

I walked inside and was greeted by his sister by a small handshake and a quick up-down look.

“My name’s Olivia, thank you for picking my sister up.” Olivia said.

She looks like a typical highschool teen, brown hair, probably dyed, still wearing her school uniform and she has these sharp eyebrows that her sister also has. She’s a few heads shorter than me and a head shorter than her older sister.

“Tell me what are the things that you have packed.” I focused on the task at hand immediately.

“Wait, where are we going? I only packed clothes for a day.” Olivia said, with a visible frown on her face.

“We’re going to his place for now, remember what happened earlier here? It also happened at the airport, Sky luckily happened to be there and saved me.” Kaley said as she is grabbing a large bag.

“Earlier? I’ve watched the news earlier and saw the news at the hospital. My friends at school also told me zombies are coming like in the movies. This is a joke, right?!” Olivia retorted.

“I hope it is, but I’ve seen it close and I know the guy in the hospital that attacked some of the staff. He’s the pilot that was supposed to fly the plane I’m supposed to be at right now. Sky here is someone I know from back then and someone you could definitely trust. Why did you only pack a bag?! I told you to pack everything!” She started to go room by room to gather stuff that Olivia didn’t pack yet.

“We need a place to settle for now and he has a place back at his home. Help me pack more stuff, grab all the things at the medicine cabinet upstairs and in this bathroom!” She started to also go upstairs as I stand guard inside the door.

“But! But! How about mom and dad?! What if they come home?! Kaley~!” Olivia hurriedly followed upstairs even though hesitatingly.

I turned their TV on and put on the news to get more information. I started flipping through the channels and all in the news right now are violence reports in the airport, hospital and the pier. There was still no mention of an outbreak or even the word zombies.

“Is the government still trying to hide the fact or are they still ignorant on what’s happening here?” I said to myself.

“Sky!” Kaley shouted from upstairs and I decided to head up. I saw her now changed from her flight attendant outfit to a more casual attire, her black hair is now in a ponytail but there are a few bangs that hang from left and right covering a part of her forehead. She’s wearing a white shirt covered by a black jacket and black-gray leggings with her pink sneakers. She carries a backpack and two other suitcases and she places it by the door.

She motions for me to head to their parent’s bedroom.

“I left a note for my parents here in case they come back from their trip. After they retired, they started going to different places now and I’m not sure where exactly they are right now. Dad always brings his hunting gear when they take a road trip and they would usually camp on mountains or forests. I tried calling them earlier but it appears they are off the grid…” she said while she pauses. Her eyes are starting to water and a hint of red covers her face, I could feel she’s upset that she can’t contact her parents right at the moment.

“They will be alright, if they took to the mountains to camp, they will be the farthest from this thing and I’ve met your dad before, zombies would play dead if they see him.” I say as I try to cheer her up.

She raised her elbows to wipe some of her tears and she opens the bottom part of her parent’s closet. She lifted a black bag and unzips it.

“That’s an M70 right?” I said as I saw the rifle.

“That’s a sweet rifle. It even has a scope and a suppressor.” I added as I took a closer look.

“Yeah, dad also bought one for mom when they took trips but mom doesn’t like to shoot game, so he left it here. He figured if mom wouldn’t use it, he’d teach me instead. I learned from him a few times then it got held for a while since I graduated and started my job. Can’t say I’m not thankful for him teaching me. I just hope they come back safely.” she said as she packs it up and told me to carry some of the bags down.

“In case they come home, leave a few supplies hidden somewhere they’d know where to find and I’ve written down my place in the letter by coordinates so they know where to find us. Also, you forgot something.” I handed Kaley a picture of their family.

“I picked it up in your parent’s bedroom, just in case. This thing could be over quickly but we never know, hope you’re not upset.” I added.

“What do you mean by that?!” Olivia shouted when she saw me gave the picture frame to Kaley.