Eli ripped the Charger's door open and sat down with me in his arms, quickly slamming the door.

My breathing was out of control. Tears were still streaming down my face.

Cassie, Angie, and Shaun were dead.

"Keep it together, Lil. I got you." Eli whispered into my ear, helping me to focus and control my crying.

"Holy fuck!" Nico flung open the driver's door as more screeching came from the field. Nico slid into his seat, slamming the door.

"Adam, come on!" The small girl from the barn yelled before diving into the back seat.

The silent guy from the barn climbed in behind Nico.

"Close the fucking doors!" Eli yelled, squeezing me to him.

Adam stood motionless, staring at Cassie. Everyone around him was dead or screeching, and he didn't even try to get in the car.

"Close. The. Doors!" Nico hollered, pounding on the steering wheel.

A rush of relief fell over me when our two stowaways finally shut their doors.

"What the hell is going on?" Silent guy's head fell into his hands, clawing his hair.

"Hype is going on. This is what happens when they come down." Nico started the Charger, glancing around for screechers.

"Hype makes them bite like that?" Barn girl pointed at Adam who was no longer holding his arm. Dark blood poured out of his wound, streaming off his fingers to the dirt. It looked wrong. His blood was darker than maroon, and was arguably black.

"Yes." Nico couldn't tear his gaze away from Adam who started jerking his head back and forth like he was looking toward multiple noises all at once.

"Why is Adam just standing there moving his head like that? What's wrong with him?" Silent guy asked.

"He's changing into one," Eli answered.

"Eli?" I whispered. "What are we going to do?"

Eli tugged me closer, rubbing my arm. "Nico, try to turn us around in the field. Take us toward the barn."

Nico's gaze swept over the dark, overgrown field. "Really?"

"We're sitting ducks out here." Eli said under his breath.

"I don't know if the Charger will make it without getting stuck." Silent guy said.

"Shut up, Mike." Eli's voice was low and controlled. "It's just a field. There's enough room to turn around."

"We can't go back that way." I whispered. "Your Grandma."

Eli's gaze flicked to mine. "You're right. Maybe we can think of another option."

"What's the verdict, Dude? I don't like sitting out in the open like this." Nico glanced around nervously.

"Jenny and Jeremy are still out there. Are they like Angie and Shaun?" Barn girl sobbed.

"You know they are, Megan," Mike continued to watch Adam's strange behavior.

"Cassie's still alive," Megan said with enthusiasm.

We all glanced over to see Cassie trying to get up. She was having a difficult time figuring out how to bend her knees and elbows.

"How's that possible?" I whispered. "I watched her die."

Eli's arms tightened around me.

"Cassie!" Megan screamed. "Cassie. Over here."

Cassie didn't respond as she tried to get to her feet.

Megan continued to try to get Cassie's attention.

Adam's focus jerked in our direction, glaring straight into the Charger. Adam's eyes were black as night, which meant he'd already changed into one of them. Holy crap. That was quick.

"Shut up, Megan." Eli's voice held a threat behind it. He was watching Adam.

"But..." Megan cried. "She's alive. Go get her."

"Megan," Somehow, I found my voice. "She's dead. I saw her die."

Megan shook her head and continued to sob.

For some odd reason, Eli and Adam we're now locked in a staring contest.

"Nico?" I whispered. "Can we please—"

Eli's hands flew up, yanking my head into his chest as something hit the windshield.

My body tensed as a small scream escaped my lips.

Adam stood on the hood of the Charger glaring at Eli. The dark gooey liquid from his arm ran in a messy streak down the glass.

Nico aimed his gun at Adam.

"No." Eli pushed Nico's hand down. "If you shoot through the glass, he'll definitely be able to get in. We should just drive back to the main road, Bro. Maybe they'll follow the car. We need to figure out a way to get all four of them to come to us."

"Music. The bass in this thing is insane. Maybe it will lure them to us." I bit my lip.

One corner of Eli's lips tugged up as he pointed. "Get us around this car, and then we'll turn on the stereo."

"Cassie," Megan whispered.

Cassie was fully upright and headed in our direction. Her eyes were just as black as Adam's. Her throat was a mixture of normal blood from her death and the dark infected blood.

I covered my mouth. "What is this?"

"It's the fucking zombie apocalypse." Nico lightly pressed the gas pedal, rolling slowly forward to get over the ruts and bumps.

Losing his balance, Adam toppled off the hood, hitting the ground.

"Be careful. You don't want to get a flat." Mike popped his head in between the seats.

Eli palmed Mike's face, pushing him back. "Get your seatbelt on. You too, Megan."

"What the hell? Don't push my face back like that, asshole." Mike said furiously.

Eli's eyebrow ring twitched as he twisted, glaring back at Mike.

Instantly, Mike appeared to melt back into his seat. "Sorry, Man."

Nico laughed. "No one plays backseat driver in our car, Dude."

Once we were around Jeremy's empty car and back on the dirt road, Adam started to crawl on the trunk.

"Drive forward slow." Eli turned up the stereo extremely loud. California Love by Tupac poured out of the speakers. The entire car vibrated.

Megan wailed when she saw Cassie running beside us, pounding the car.

"Where are the other two?" Eli yelled over the music.

Nico shrugged. "Maybe, they haven't completely changed yet."

"There." I pointed at two shadows darting across the field in front of us.

"Hit it." Eli yelled just as another guy resembling a Ken doll made his debut. Jeremy.

His eyes matched Adam's. On Jeremy's tail was Jenny, a cute blond with shiny black eyes like the rest. Both ran directly toward us.

Nico's foot pushed down on the gas pedal.

Their four friends were fricking fast as they kept close on our tail, running in the dust cloud.

"What are we going to do once we get to the main road?" Nico shouted over the stereo.

Eli clenched his jaw. "I don't know. I just wanted to get them away from Gramma."

"Why don't we run them over?" I suggested.

"Damn, Eli. You got a stone cold killer over there. I like her." Nico laughed.

A smile spread over Eli's face before he glanced back to make sure the four screechers were still behind us.

How Do U Want It by Tupac blared through the speakers by the time we made it to the main road.

"Get them to follow you for a mile up the road, then punch it to gain time, flip a bitch and run them down, Bro," Eli instructed.

"My pleasure." Nico was having way too much fun with this.

I was just trying to keep it together.

Megan and Mike were turned around fully in their seats, eyes plastered to their friends.

Eli tugged my head down and spoke in my ear. "It's almost over. You okay?"

Me And My Girlfriend by Makaveli burst out of the speakers.

I nodded, pulling my head back to his to look directly in his eyes.

Eli's chestnut eyes scorched into me like they were seeing into my soul. His hands gently cupped my cheeks as his thumbs caressed back and forth. Eli kissed my nose just before I pulled away.

I grinned like an idiot as I settled back into Eli's lap.

"Hold on!" Nico shouted as he hit the gas.

Eli buckled his seatbelt before his arms encompassed me, caging me in.

"Attention all passengers! Buckle up and hold on to your asses. We are about to do a brake check and flip a bitch. I repeat we are about to do one of Nico's crazy ass J-Turns. Hold on for your lives." Nico said in a pilot voice. He smiled, winking at me.

I laughed.

Megan and Mike scrambled to get their seatbelts on.

Rubber squealed against asphalt as Nico yanked the parking brake and spun the steering wheel.

Megan screamed the whole time.

Eli held on to me with ease. I loved how safe I was in his arms.

When we'd successfully turned all the way around, we could see the four screechers running at us. These things were fricking fast.

Nico glanced at Eli.

Eli nodded.

Nico peeled out, aiming for the black-eyed foursome.

"What if they're still alive?" Megan yelled.

"Believe me, they're not." Eli hollered. "Who in their right mind would run at a moving car? All they want to do is eat us."

Interestingly enough, the tiny blond, Jenny was first in line. She hit the bumper and bounced off the windshield, creating a spiderweb within the glass. Adam, Cassie, and Jeremy all went down like bowling pins.

After we plowed them over, Nico turned us around, lowering the volume of the stereo.

Thank god. The music had been so loud I could barely think straight. My head was pounding, and my stomach was churning from the constant vibration.

"Um... what're we doing?" Megan asked.

"Making sure they're dead." Mike snapped.

They all started moving again. Cassie was the first to try to stand. Damn. That girl was resilient.

"Oh my God! Just die already." Mike said in irritation.

"Dude, have some respect." Nico held back a smirk and glared at Mike in the rearview mirror.

"Are you kidding me? Just run them over again." Mike said.

Nico checked with Eli.

Eli jutted his chin toward the screechers.

Nico hit the gas and ran over them again, and again, and again.

When we stopped the final time, Cassie was still trying to get up.

"Holy shit! I have to end this." Nico opened his door and walked to each person, shooting them in the head.

They all finally stopped moving.

"Mike, go help Nico move the bodies off the street," Eli commanded.

Mike didn't question Eli. He hopped out and helped move the bodies into the trees.

"What are we gonna do?" Megan whined. "Cassie's mom is going to freak! My mom is going to freak! This was supposed to be a fun vacation."

"This is happening everywhere, Megan. You and Mike should probably go home and try to get back to your families before things get really bad." I said.

"Everywhere?" Megan asked wide-eyed.

"Yeah, these things will be all over the country before you know it. You need to go home and prepare." I said.

"Good idea," Megan sniffled as she wiped her tears away.

Eli laced his fingers through mine and sent me a grateful grin.

"Dude, we messed up our baby," Nico rubbed a hand over the shattered windshield before getting in.

"I know, but it'll be fine." Eli fist bumped Nico. "Good job, Bro. You handled business."

Mike got into the car huffing and puffing. "Damn, Nico. You act like you do that shit all the time. Adam and Jeremy were heavy as hell."

"Time for you to go home, Mike." Eli glanced at Nico. "We're dropping them off at their cars."

"Shit. What about Ben and the others? They could show anytime." Mike asked.

"Don't worry. We'll take care of them." Nico smirked.

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