Two Alive, стр. 106
***
Antonio rode his bike down the road, cruising on his cruiser with one hand on the handlebars. The other hand was holding up his gold Beretta and he was flaunting it as he sailed by lurkers too weak to even make a move towards him. He ran into a few strikers in the woods—livelier and more fervent with the intention to kill—but the woods were already so hot with activity that the teen wasn’t hesitant about using his pistol. A few pops weren’t enough to cause an uproar when he killed four strikers who tried chasing him when he found his bike. The old man would’ve even understood. Antonio felt like a big shot after all he had accomplished and was headed home to tell Miles all about his adventures.
Antonio pedaled faster when he saw two strikers trying to limp out of the woods after him, and he laughed at the struggling ghouls who were so beat up from past trauma that they looked like running crash dummies. Antonio turned back and aimed his AR-15 at them and faked like he was shooting as he sped further and further ahead of them. Eventually the creatures grew too tired to follow and either stopped running or collapsed from exhaustion. Antonio laughed again when he saw the one fall and had to swerve his bike to keep from falling himself.
He reached the hideaway where they hid their bikes under planks and a blanket made of leaves, but Antonio didn’t see Miles’ bike there. If Miles hadn’t put his bike back did that mean he was still stuck with those other people from the store. Did he not get away? Did something happen? Are they keeping him hostage? Did something happen to Miles? Antonio felt a white-hot rage start to boil in him and tears were stinging his eyes. But then he took a few breaths and started calming down. Breathe, Antonio. Breathe. The old man was still there to always calm him down when he started to panic. Miles was ok. He’s smart. He’s small and not very strong but he’s smart. And he has his rifle. He’s ok.
Antonio was still cautious though, as he moved through the woods, hiding behind trees and scanning the forest. There were lots of footprints going in every direction and it made Antonio think a hive might have ran through this area. Its heading in one direction and then it stopped and went another way, veering off and away from the treehouse. It was strategic thinking that told Antonio that it was definitely Miles’ doing. But was he ok afterwards? Did he get away from the hive? Antonio had no idea how big the hive was, but his fear and anger started to come back.
Antonio took off running through the woods, sprinting towards the treehouse. Wherever Miles might be and wherever he took the hive, Antonio might be able to see if from the treehouse. He’d have to hurry. As he ran, he passed a half dead infected, trapped in one of his bears traps with its face bloody and chewed on; but it still growled when it saw Antonio. The teen ran and ran until finally he came around a tree and saw A small figure sitting under the tall redwood where the treehouse was hidden high in the leaves.
Antonio raised his gun and pointed at the figure, “Miles!”
The small boy perked up and jumped to his feet, “Antonio!” Miles was smiling from ear to ear, overjoyed to see his brother.
“Are you alone Miles?” Antonio was all business.
Miles straightened up and got more formal himself, nodding his head. “Yeah, yeah. Are you?”
“Yeah. Are you ok? Were you bit or scratched… or anything?” Antonio still hadn’t lowered his gun.
“No. Are you ok? Did… did you…?”
Antonio sighed and lowered his gun, “No. I’m fine.”
Miles smiled again and took off running to Antonio, slamming into him with a hug.
“Damn, Miles. Chill.” Antonio hugged his brother back and was more than happy to see him even if he was trying to act tough and by the book like the old man would’ve been. Whenever they got separated, even though they weren’t supposed to, they had to make sure they weren’t followed, and they weren’t infected. “Where them other people at?” Antonio looked left and right, rubbing the sides of his head and face trying to see if Miles would notice.
Miles gasped when he looked up, “You got a haircut?! When you get a haircut? That’s cool, that’s tight, that’s cool!” He was starting to dance and give Antonio thumbs up.
“Aw yeah, you know. They gave me one before I dipped up out of there. How’d you get away from them people? Did you have to kill anybody?” Antonio looked concerned.
“No. One of the army men got caught in one of your traps though. He used up all his bullets and the infected got him. The infected got him.”
“Yeah I think I saw him out there.”
Miles continued, “Yeah, yeah. Then, then, one of them other army men was infected and he turned into a siren. I heard him screaming from hecka far away. But when I came back to help Ms. Julia and the others, they were running away and most their people died. But I turned around a whole hive! A whole hive by myself! Uh-huh! By myself! And I got them lost in the woods. I got them all lost by myself. I’m a great