Long Trip Alone

[Nikolas Breyden]

It's a long trip alone, over sand and stone, that lie along the road that we all must travel down...

Niko’s bare muscles bulged and strained as he pulled his body up over the bar one more time. One arm behind his back, the other pulling himself up he counted, “47…48…49…” he grunted the numbers out through clenched teeth. “50” one more and he lowered his feet to the ground. He dropped his arm and shook it out before placing it behind his back and grabbing the bar with his other hand. He proceeded to do one armed pull-ups with that hand, once again counting to 50.

It must have been over 90 degrees this day and by the time he was finished, his body glistened with sweat and his hair clung to his head. He was hot. He slowly stepped out of the 3 walled building, dressed in fatigue pants and combat boots and headed for the water barrel. His muscles rippled as he took the long handled ladle that hung by the water barrel and dipped it into the cool water within.

He drank deeply before dipping the ladle in again. This time he poured the water over his head. He sighed as the water cooled him and turned to return to his little work out hut and noticed he was being watched. “Can I help you General?” he asked with curious interest as he walked toward the hut, knowing she would follow. He picked up a woven towel and dried his hands so he could pick up the barbell lying in the middle of the small open room.


Maybe you could walk with me awhile and maybe I could rest beneath your smile. Everybody stumbles sometimes and needs a hand to hold, cuz its a long trip alone.

[kristhiana]

Kris peered out through the dark; from here the lights of the city behind her seemed almost too bright, providing a rainbow of hues against the darkness. She crouched low behind a pile of rubble, her brows creased in concentration as she looked for movement in the shadows. This area they crossed on returning to Haven had become a lurking place for zombies in the last few days but the raid into the city for weapons and more importantly ammunition was too important to put off.

Sweat streamed down her back, the backpack containing their spoils hung heavy on her shoulders leaving her back feeling wet and sticky beneath the heavy canvas material. She felt a prickle on her legs above her boots, she risked a quick glance and saw several large hairy legs crawling over her leg its large fangs coming into view. There was a noise and her attention snapped back to the gloomy shadows but the sensation of the spider crawling slowly up her leg was almost too much. She glanced back at the two faces in the darkness behind her. She gave 2 hand signals quickly and in a fluid motion drew her blade, she speared the spider before she was upright and running, her other hand drawing the pistol and shooting the zombie ahead between the eyes.

The next morning before even resting her head for a moment she went in search of the Admiral to give him personally what they had taken in their raid. The two guns and ammunition was already in the armory but this was something far too important not to hand over to her superior immediately. She found him doing one arm pull-ups and watched as his muscles bunched and extended lifting him to the bar and back down. She fought the urge to join him, knowing that he liked his workout time to be private. When he walked to the barrel she followed staying a polite 20 paces behind him.

The corners of her mouth twitched in a slight upward smile as he tipped water over his head. When he turned her slightly upturned mouth slid back to neutral and she followed him towards the hut. She watched as he picked up the barbell and stood before him at attention.

“Sir” she began “we are not long returned from the city and I secured for you this weapon”
She swung the back pack off of her shoulders and opening it reached in to pull out a large weapon, far too big to be a gun and with a shoulder brace she could only assume it was a rocket launcher. Rummaging with her free hand she pulled out a mortar. She placed them on the ground at her feet and returned to stand at attention.

“I trust our mission was satisfactory” she asked looking straight ahead waiting for his voice of approval like a child seeking a ‘job well done’ from its parent despite already knowing that they had done well.

She hoped that he would not notice the tear in her pants, the point of her blade had impaled the spider and had torn the fabric about an inch. It was a terrible breach of protocol to be so concerned by an insect so as to damage her kit. She would repair it before she slept, despite her fatigue, but did not wish to be reprimanded for her own stupidity, her only fear was of spiders and it had been unfortunately that one had chosen her to crawl on when she should have been concentrating.

[Nikolas Breyden]

Niko stared at the woman for a moment. As a teenager he had always seen her as somewhat inhuman. Sometimes he had wondered why she had not joined the VSF in New Vegas. There was a time, when she stole his father’s attention, when he had wished she would have.

“General, relax…would you please just relax for just a moment.” He said somewhat impatiently. “I am not my father.” That was for certain. “Just be a regular person for a moment.” Sometimes he just wanted to slap the soldier out of her. Sometimes he wanted to kiss her. Wait, did he just think that?

He had women on his mind a lot lately, but not for reasons one may think. The town elders insisted that he take a wife and procreate since each Havenite was required to marry and produce at least 3 children. His father would have but his mother died giving birth to him. Niko knew he had to and he had to choose a wife. He knew he could choose anyone he wanted and none appealed to him except the woman he felt a constant anger toward. The General. She infuriated him actually but he didn’t want to beat her up, he wanted to take her to his bed but that made him angry with himself. What was it about her that made him want her so badly? Had he remained pure this whole time just because he couldn’t admit that he wanted to make love to the woman who he saw as the enemy for his entire childhood? The answer made him even more angry. The answer was yes. He couldn’t bring himself to have any other woman as long as he wanted her.

Maybe he should take her as his wife. But, would she have him? She was a stickler for duty and she knew the law. She had to produce 3 offspring, and who better to produce them with? No, to admit he wanted her would be surrendering to the enemy. But then again, wouldn’t it make his father proud if he chose her? More to think about.

“It’s brilliant, General.” He said as he eyed the weapon. “But perhaps it would be better suited in the guard tower.” A weapon like this would be perfect for larger groups of zombies at the gates. His mind wandered back to the idea of taking her as his wife. DAMMIT! FOCUS! “You did well, General, now perhaps you will rest.” He added. Then he decided he wanted her around Haven for awhile. “And, I want you to take a few days off. You deserve it.”

[kristhiana]

Kris took a deep breath when he told her to relax and she stepped her right leg to the side and clasped her hands behind her back standing at ease. This was the only relaxed way she knew how to be around her superiors. She was a soldiers and soldiers didn't sit down for tea and scones to discuss the weather, which was damn hot if he ever brought up the subject.

She nodded as he spoke "I will remove it to the guard house immediately" she said her eyes blazing for just a moment, taking his suggestion as criticism. "I should have anticipated sir" her head dropped in disappointment and she looked at her toes for just a moment. When she lifted her head she murmured "It will not happen again"

She always felt inadequate around the admiral, not because he made her feel that way in particular but because she always wanted his approval, secretly she liked it when he noticed her, when she was younger his gaze would always make her blush. She never felt this way around his father, but with him she felt she could never do good enough.

His suggestion of leave made her legs wobble just slightly but she regained her composure a frown on her face "I understand sir that you wish to relieve me of duty as punishment for my gross dereliction. I will repair the kit sir and will endeavor to get over my fear of spiders. it won't happen again. Shall I report to the Brigg directly sir or would you have me take the weapon to the guard house first."

She took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes "Unless you mean to take me in chains sir?"

[Nikolas Breyden]

And here was her strange way that she had about her again. Nikolas could never be with someone who was that unsure of themselves, but he still had his odd attraction to her. He needed to do something about the way she saw his rewards as punishments. It really annoyed him. "Seriously? Seriously Kris?" He used her real name because he was annoyed and feeling less formal. He was not angry with the General that she was, he was angry with the woman that she was. He wanted to scoop her up and carry her to his quarters and show her how much he wanted her.

"I reward you and you take it as a punishment?" he tilted his head to the side, fire flashed in his eyes. "Maybe, Kris, just maybe, I want you around here a little while. Did you think of that?" he struggled to keep his voice low. "With the elders pressuring me to take a wife, maybe I wanted you around a little so they would get off my back. If they...if they...if they saw me with you...you know..." he looked away then down at the floor. "Where is the strong and confident woman my father....trained..." he dropped the flannel and walked past her toward his quarters. "Dismissed...soldier." he mumbled. He made great strides across the compound to his door. He threw it open and went inside, leaving it open. He sat down at his desk and rested his head in his hands.

[kristhiana]

Kris swallowed and blinked in confusion, she wasn't being reprimanded for her poor performance but the removal from duty was a reward. This was a new notion to her, the Admiral was different to his father, in the past his father would reward her good work by sending her on more and more missions, until all she knew was that good work meant more work. This concept of vacation was alien to her. She had never had time off since her very first mission and she wondered what she would do.

Kris listened in shock, totally rendered immobile and unable to speak as his tone changed and he spoke of his thoughts. She had never had a personal conversation with anyone in a long long time, and even then she had been told that soldiers don't have feelings and they don't have personal lives, they live to die for their cause and that is all.

Now listening to the Admiral it made her feel not just uncomfortable but her heart seemed to thud harder in her chest.
Her blank face creased into a frown as he walked away, she took steps to follow him and stopped, she had no idea what she would say. She stood there frozen for a long time, her brain ticking over, the confusion and the unknown mixing together in an argument with herself.

"I am a soldier" she said outloud "I live to die for my people" and then softly "I die for my Admiral"

She took off after him, not knowing what she would say, not knowing what she would do but knowing she could not let him walk away like that. She paused at the doorway of his office, he was resting his head in his hands, she took a deep breath and held it as she knocked softly on the frame of the door.

[Nikolas Breyden]

Niko was angry and hurt at the same time. She was everything his father ever wanted in a soldier. A stone cold killer who's only purpose was to die for her people...for him. His heart was tinged with jealousy. That was the kind of soldier Niko had wanted to be but his father had other plans. He had been taught strategy and diplomacy, leadership and problem solving skills. He sighed then sat up quickly when he heard the rap on the door.

Niko never worried about anyone seeing the long ropelike welts that started at his shoulder and wound their way down his back to disappear below his waist band. Everyone knew they went clean down his buttox, down his leg and ended just above the bend of his knee. But for some reason, he felt ashamed that she could see the thing that nearly killed him, that she could see his failure and his shame. He tried to ignore the shame of it and grabbed stub of a pencil and pretended to be working figures. "Come..." he called out. He knew it was her. Something inside him told him it was her.

"Damned pencils never last." he said and pretended to be interested in it. Then it occured to him that they were out of pencils and this was his last one. "I forgot...we need pencils." it was funny how something that seemed so every day could be so missed when there were none. "What can I do for you....General? Or is it Kris?"

[kristhiana]

Kris frowned, instantly blaming herself that she hadn’t thought to get pencils while in the city. Her brows creased as the light seem to shift and change, highlighting the long deep scars that raked over his shoulder and down his back. From this angle she could only see a little of them and she looked at them with regret, his body would be otherwise chiselled perfection other than the blemishes. The werewolf claws must have dug in deep, deep enough to scrape across ribs and bone. It must have hurt more than was humanly possible to stand, and yet he had been quite young and had never cried out in pain. She had remembered hearing about it from the first admiral, the admiral that had trained her. He had been so proud of his son and yet the near death of him had him decided, the raids and soldiering was too risky from someone who was destined to become the greatest leader in history.

For a brief moment the corners of her lips curled up in a smile, remembering how the first admiral had told her, despite her being so young, that it would be her responsibility to keep him safe, to ensure he never needed to take a single step in danger by anticipating his every requirement and ensuring it was completed before the thought fully formed in his head. She also remembered how she had been taught, her life only existed to give for his protection. She remembered the hours of training on how to use her own body as a shield, regardless of whether the attack came from a zombie or werewolf or worse.

She stood up straighter, almost to attention, out of nothing more than habit “Shall I return to retrieve some sir?”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted it, and she knew if he so much as nodded she would be out of the gates to the wasteland in the time it took her to run a mile. She took a deep breath and mentally slapped herself.

“I am sorry sir” again she nearly slapped herself “I mean Nikolas Sir” she groaned “Nikolas I am sorry, this isn’t easy for me” she stepped into the room a few steps and paused in front of the desk.

She took a deep breath, stalling to think on how best to say what the wanted, she blushed slightly and said quietly “I wanted to say thank you” she smiled more widely “For the time off I mean”

[Nikolas Breyden]

Nikolas wanted to pull his hair out. He knew it wasn’t easy for her; it wasn’t easy for him either. How was he supposed to deal with falling in love with the woman he hated? He would just as soon turn her out to the zombies when he was younger and would not have batted an eye, but now…now he would rather rip his own arm out then have one hair on her head harmed.

“No, Kris, I do not want you to go get some pencils…” he said softly. Her tendency to take everything literally made his father happy because she was always ready to do what he wanted but it infuriated Niko. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose and prayed the dull ache was not the beginning of a cluster headache. His headaches were something he was able to hide from everyone so far and he was not about to let anyone see him run the cycle of one where he would spend 3-4 hours in pain, then when the pain was unbearable and he wished for death, he would involuntarily empty the contents of his stomach and pass out for a few more hours. Some of the citizens of Haven rumored that he was a drinker so he let them think that even though he never touched alcohol.

“Kris, I know it’s not easy for you. It’s not easy for me either. I am under an immense amount of pressure from the elders to marry and procreate. What am I supposed to tell them? “Sorry, all the women here are just too weak for my taste and the only one who would be a suitable mate for me would rather die in glorious battle than even think of being my companion.” I’m not sure that would go over too well with them.” He dropped his fist on the map in front of him in frustration.

[kristhiana]

Kris frowned at Nik, the realisation of what he meant suddenly hitting her like a freight train. Her legs felt a little wobbly and for the first time in her life she wondered if she might faint but she took a deep breath and steadied herself against the edge of his desk.

"Do you realise what you are saying?" she asked softly

She was shocked by his sudden revelation, she had always thought that somehow she could never please him. No matter the extent of her raids into the city or the danger or how many people she could save in a night, she had never seen him pay her any more attention than he did anyone else, if anything he gave her less notice.

She took another deep breath a thought coming to her "Your father would tell me each and every day that it was duty to protect you, my duty to ensure your safety, that I was to anticpate your every need" she frowned a little, wondering if this is what his father had meant.

Her eyes softened slightly "He also once told me that one day it would be my duty to make you happy"

She sighed in realisation "I have been trying to do that in battle, taking more and more risks to secure what you wished and to keep the people of Haven safe." she looked up into his eyes in question "But that isn't what you want to make you happy?"

Her hands were shaking and she clasped them together in front of her so he couldn't see. Her head was whirling with the sudden knowledge that maybe her destiny had always been to be more than just a soldier.

Softly, almost to herself she asked "If your father meant for me to do more than give my life for you, why didn't he train me better? I don't know how to do what you ask, don't know what I should think or do. I am just not equipped for this. I just don't know"

His frustration at her made her feel uneasy, angry at herself for not knowing under her breath she whispered "I have failed you sir"

[Nikolas Breyden]

Frustration filled Niko again but he had to keep a grip on it, just like his father taught him. He could not get upset and make it even worse. He had to think. Strategy was his strongest ability so he just had to come up with some ingenious plan to make her understand what he wanted, what he needed and that she wanted and needed it too.

It wasn't rocket science. No matter what kind of soldier she was, she was still female. Well maybe that was the way to go about it. The thing was, how was he going to muster the courage to do it? Was he sure he wanted to? She was after all, the enemy. She was the one who stole his father’s time and attention; the revelation that she had been instructed to always keep him happy. Knowing his father, he didn’t mean just by being a soldier. Did his father sense the underlying attraction he had always had for her? Had she been the one who secretly left sweets by his bedside when he was wounded when he was young? Had his father known?

He didn't have any of the answers to these questions. But he did have what he felt to be the solution to getting her to let down her defenses and let him in. He stood up and spun around when she told him she failed him. But it was only by saying this that was failing him. He took the short distance between him and her, and without saying a word, he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her soundly. He pulled his head back and stared at her. “That didn't feel like failure…” he whispered.

[kristhiana]

Kris waited to to see his response, she hadn't meant to say that she had failed loud enough for him to hear, but she had and she couldn't take it back. He looked sad, contemplative and almost like confusion swirled around in his mind while the outside fought to remain calm as was expected when he stood up but when he spun around at her he looked almost angry.

She braced herself as he crossed the short distance between them, half expecting a physical reprimand. But his strong arms slid around her, she remained stiff, unsure of what to expect as he pulled her closer, close against him. She felt her bosom crush almost against his chest. She gave a startled squeak which was almost instantly stopped by his lips clamping down on her own.

At first she was stiff and felt awkward, no knowing what she should do. But after initially flying open wide at the touch of his lips she closed them, His lips were warm, soft but pressed against hers firmly as if removing any chance of her being uncertain on what they were doing.

Tentatively her arms found their way to rest on his hips, either side of his waist and then as she relaxed they slid around slightly to his back. Her lips softened against his then parted slightly. When his lips left hers it took her a moment to open her eyes, she sighed and looked at him, part of her horrified that she had so inexcusably broken protocol and part of her wishing that he would do the same thing again.

She looked at him, her eyes wide and innocent, she licked her bottom lip and answered softly "No" she shook her head just slightly "that doesn't feel like failure" she was glad that she was still holding his waist because she felt as though her knees might buckle at any moment. "You know" she said softly "No one has ever touched me before" she looked down "Not anymore than a pat on the shoulder anyway"

She took a deep breath then raised her eyes to meet his "Permission to do that again sir?" she asked in a serious tone.

[Nikolas Breyden]

Niko felt like he couldn’t breathe and at the same time he felt like he shouldn’t breath. Every emotion that could possibly be felt in that moment was rolling around in his head. His lips tingled from the kiss that he never expected to flood him with emotion. But it did. He may have hated her when he was a young boy but he had grown up and somewhere along the way, his hatred turned to love. He was most definitely in love with this woman.

It was obvious that she felt the same way. Since he had not put a shirt back on after his workout her hands rested on his hips, just above the waist of his desert camouflage pants. Just having her bare hands on his bare skin was enough to make his heart flutter with excitement. “I’m glad no one has.” He murmured, “It’s the same for me.” He added slowly.

"Permission to do that again sir?"

Oh, he wanted to do that again. He wanted to do more than kiss her. He planned to do more than kiss her. “Permission granted.” He answered in a husky voice and pressed his lips to her. This time he lingered longer, parted his lips more and let his tongue find its way into her mouth to embrace hers. He pulled her against him tighter because he wanted to feel more of her. He felt like he was complete for the first time in his life. He broke the kiss and looked down at her, “Marry me.” He said softly. He thought he heard an answer but didn't quite hear it so he repeated it, “Marry me, Kris.” He said it louder this time. “Marry me and be my partner in running this place. I…I need you.”

[kristhiana]

This time Kris wasn't as surprised as she had been during the first kiss, she lent towards him slightly rather than feeling stiff and unsure and when he pressed her harder against him she thought she might melt. His tongue was caressing and eager but gentle at the same time as though he wanted more but was wary of frightening her. She didn't want the kiss to end, so she slid her hands up his back, enjoying the way her hands slid over his muscles.

She sighed with disappointment when she moved his lips away. She dug her fingers into his back urging his lips back to hers but instead he spoke and the words shook her to the core, shocked at the proposal, so sudden, so unexpected. She didn’t know how to react or what to say. Her eyes grew wide and she blinked twice very slowly, she paled and then her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“I don’t know what to say” she murmured softly “I am nobody, let alone worthy of helping you run Haven” she looked down then looked back up into his eyes “its just so sudden and I drive you crazy, you don’t even know if you can stand spending time with me let alone live with me, I drive you crazy.
Just then a thought crossed her mind and her lower lip trembled at the thought “Unless of course you meant just a marriage for breeding purposes and I stay living in the barracks”

Her hands loosed from around his back falling down to his hip. “I can’t answer right now, I just can’t.. I don’t know what you want or how I feel and its just too sudden.”

Her hands fell away and she turned on her heel and ran out the door past the startled officer and ran out. Before she knew it she was running across the wasteland as fast as she could. Needing space to think and vowing to rectify her failure and return with pencils.

[Nikolas Breyden]

"I can't stand this fallin' for you, Every time I see you, I keep crawlin' towards you, I can't take this achin' feelin', This cold heart breakin' feelin', I can't stand this fallin' for you "

Niko blinked. Sudden? They knew each other since they were children. It wasn’t like they were strangers. Half the camp expected them to be a couple anyway, many were surprised it had not happened yet. The arrangement would benefit them both. He had finally allowed the love in his heart for her overshadow the immature, jealous hatred he had always felt for her and she slapped him in the face with it. Humiliation…confusion…anger…

Niko strode out of his office and into the bright sunlight. He clenched his jaw and his fists as he looked left and right. He needed to do something, but what? He spied the stables. He was just going to stomp over but his legs involuntarily broke into a run. He ran up to the first saddled horse and leapt up onto it in one swift movement. The horse snorted in protest when he turned it sharply in a half circle to decide which way to go. Ok, she went west, toward New Vegas…He turned toward the north entrance to the camp and kicked it into a gallop, the door opened then closed again as the watchmen watched him take off into the desert, heading north.

The horses hooves pounded against the hard packed sandy ground. He felt the sun beating down on his back but he was to angry to realize that maybe he should have put on a shirt before leaving. He ran the horse until its labored breathing forced him to stop and let it walk. He had no idea how far he had gone but when he saw tracks he reached down to make sure there was a rifle tucked into the saddle. No rifle, but thankfully, there was a hand gun. The pulled the 9mm out and tucked it into his pants as he followed the tracks. The tracks led into a rocky canyon area, the walls rose up on each side of him. This was stupid but he wasn't thinking clearly.

Suddenly the tracks disappeared. He stopped the horse and peered down at the ground. He heard a screech and something hit him in the head from above. He fell from the horse and landed on his stomach, concealing his gun. He stayed conscious long enough to see a desert rat of a man run off on his horse, with his water…wonderful.

He woke to a scuffling sound…he knew that sound…he sat up fast and nearly passed out again as the blood on his head dripped down his face into his eye. But one eye was still clear and what he saw filled him with enough fear and adrenaline to get him onto his feet. He ran toward the cliff face, scanning it for a way up. He looked back once to count the number of zombies that were now on his trail, following his bloody scent trail. About 9…wonderful.

He reached the rocky face and searched frantically for a hand hold to climb up. Zombies can’t climb. Up was the best way for him to go but was there a way up? Then, by some miracle, he saw what looked like a naturally occurring climbing wall. Holes littered the sheer cliff wall. He reached his hands into the holes and climbed. He only had one eye to see with so he didn't see the little white scorpion in one of the holes. The sting surprised him and he nearly fell but the fear of the zombies eating him was enough to keep him moving. Finally, he made it as far as he could go. He was stuck in the middle of the rock face, the scorpion sting causing his hand to swell and his arm to go numb, the zombies at the bottom, trying to climb and hoping he would fall, blood streaming down into one eye, the sun beating down on him, scorching his skin and turning the wall into an oven…wonderful.

As he clung to the wall, he pulled the 9mm out of his waist so he could count the bullets. Seriously? REALLY? He cast his eyes up at the sky and glared. “You have got to be KIDDING ME!” he growled. “Seven bullets? Nine Zombies?....” He groaned as he readjusted his arm that was quickly beginning to feel like it was on fire so that he had a better grip. The zombies were only about two feet below his boots, but just low enough they could not reach him. He looked down and saw a good place to stick his foot to give him a better chance of hanging on. He noticed there were two holes close together with a bridge between them just about even with his head. An idea struck him and he stuck his gun in a hole and reached down to take off his belt. He tied the belt around the bridge then around his wrist. If he passed out from the scorpion sting or the head wound, he would not fall down into the group of waiting zombies.

He looked out into the desert and wondered how long he had been there and how long it would be before anyone came looking for him. Kris wouldn’t…she probably wanted to feed him to the zombies right now. She would probably never be back to Haven. He would hate that…

Time began to creep by slowly as the scorching sun beat down on him. He had to stay awake. He knew that much with a head injury and with the scorpions poison coursing through his veins. It was silly but pretty soon he had all the zombies named and was talking to them just to stay awake. He looked out into the desert and thought he saw someone coming. Probably more zombies. He wanted to get a better look so he looked around to decide the best action to take. He found more hand holds just above him. Not many but enough to get him just a bit higher.

He untied his wrist, tucked his gun in his waist again and used his good hand to pull himself up. Once high enough, he slipped his foot into the loop of the belt and shoved his foot into the hole. He turned to look. It did looked like someone. It was a good thing because his muscles ached and he was getting weaker and weaker from the sting and dehydration. He lifted his hand to wave and call out, “Hel…..” he barely got part of the word out when for some unknown reason, he slipped.

His head made sharp contact with the rock wall as he ended up hanging upside down with his ankle tethered to the belt. He looked down at the zombies whose sharp claws were now only inches from his head. Their mouths snapped at the blood droplets that were not falling from his broken scalp. The tallest, he noticed, was just able to reach his hair. By some miracle his gun was still safely tucked in his waist and just as the zombie grabbed a handful of hair and pulled he pulled the gun out and shot him in the head. “Sorry Clyde.” He muttered. The world was spinning with his blood now rushing to his head. This was not good…He was going to pass out. He quickly used up the rest of the seven bullets so now there was only 2 zombies left. The shortest of the lot but they looked the most feisty. They fought to stand under him and lick at the blood dripping from his head.

Niko felt something funny at his ankle…he looked up to see his belt was breaking. This was it, he was going to die. He suddenly remembered that he carried a 9mm bullet in his pocket to kill himself with in case he was ever in this very situation. He tucked the gun under his arm and reached in his pocket. The bullet was there. He fished it out then quickly loaded it into the gun. The belt slipped and he was lowered about 8cm. He felt the zombie fingers tugging at his hair. The world was going black and spinning hard. His body trembled with poison coursing through it. He was not going to die like this…He put the gun barrel in his mouth and began to gently squeeze the trigger. Before he could pull it, he sworehe heard someone scream his name and two loud pops. It startled him and he dropped his gun…”wonderful…” he thought as darkness enveloped him.