"Did I lose any limbs this time?"

"Thankfully not. I don't think I could have dealt with the smell of cauterizing your ass again." Jimin was blunt in a way that made everyone in the room giggle. It'd been a long time since I heard the chorus of our laughter and the sound felt like home.

Taehyung was weak, stiffening at the pain in his shoulder when he bounced with the humor. His breathing heightened as Jimin lay him flat again, Jin and Shelby leaning further over his sides with fervency.

"Don't move."

"Just rest."

They spoke at the same time, a delivery of the same message that he needed to recover and heal.

There wasn't much to do. Back at the prison we occupied ourselves with card games and recounting tales that felt like they had no place anymore, but here, still in the midst of an escape, we tortured ourselves with silence.

It didn't surprise me that Yoongi was the first to spring into action, pulling me to the kitchen to convene with him and Namjoon. I was sure Shelby would grow suspicious of the noise coming from the back of the restaurant, a combination of our meeting and giggling from Jungkook and Jimin as they hung upside down from the roof's door to entertain themselves.

"Okay, it's time to figure out how we get out of here." Yoongi stood with perfect posture, arms crossed over themselves and with weapons dressing him from head to toe as if he were seconds away from having to defend himself. "We should see if any of the cars on the highway are accessible and drivable."

"Taehyung still needs time." I noted.

"He's fine. It's just his shoulder so he can walk." Yoongi countered without thought.

There was a clattering as Jimin flipped over so that he fell from his position to his feet at the floor below the ladder, the metal clanging as one of his shoes got caught in a rung. Jungkook did the same, hanging by one hand before dropping to the floor without a sound.

"Too much blood to the head." Jimin pressed his hands against both ears, the master of stealth challenged by gravity.

I kept my attention on Yoongi's comment. "It's not his shoulder that I'm worried about. He lost too much blood. He needs to recouperate."

"First you said wait for them and now it's wait for Taehyung to heal. You and your waiting will get us all killed." He spat, the same anger from our earlier argument coming to the surface.

"Stop, both of you." Namjoon interrupted just as I opened my mouth to argue against him. "You're both right so stop fighting."

Jungkook and Jimin joined the open circle we'd formed. "A few of us could go look for a couple of cars tonight. If we find one we'll come back for everyone else by sunlight, get out of here before anyone else hits the city. It'll get us out of here faster if we're ready and Taehyung can stay behind to rest." Jungkook chimed in with an idea, eyeing Namjoon for approval.

Namjoon rubbed his chin, looking back and forth between us before making his decision. "Yoongi, Alena, and Jungkook will go for the cars. Jin should stay with Taehyung and I'll feel better with Jimin here in case anyone from Carolus does show up." He nodded.

The rest of them did the same, starting to file out to the front of the building but I grabbed Jungkook's arms to hold him back before he could go.

"Let Jimin come instead. I haven't forgotten that you've been hurt too. You should stay here and rest." I iterated, looking down at the clothed area of his body that I was sure still appeared blue beneath.

"You're going so I'm going." He was strict with his reply, leaving no room for questioning. Still, he seemed to be waiting for me to challenge him, letting my hand to drop from his forearm before heading out with the others.

I sat with Shelby while Namjoon spoke with her, Jin, and Taehyung about the plan. She seemed nervous, reaching under the table to squeeze my hand with the one that wasn't locked with Taehyung's. By the time Namjoon finished talking Yoongi had gathered the weapons we'd carry, placing a handgun, machete, and two smaller knives on the table for me.

Shelby released me, eyeing me while I positioned the covered knives so that there was one in each shoe. I checked the gun clip, tucking it into the small strapped pouch that Yoongi handed over and shifted the handle to the machete around in my hand to settle on a comfortable grip.

I leaned down to hug her, making sure to face the blade away from her body as we wrapped our arms around each other. "I was going to tell them to look out for you but I think you've got all of us covered." She giggled into my ear.

"Don't worry," I chuckled, "all of us take care of each other. That includes you now." I made a point of being heard, glancing over her shoulder to Namjoon who gave a single nod to acknowledge her as a part of our group.

The sky was dark again, the moon still appearing full though I knew it was waning and giving us our only light. Yoongi and Jungkook walked by my sides down the road, taking the same path we had when we first entered the city.

When the road widened, four lanes turning into six that surely helped the flow of traffic but was now packed with cars left behind and forever unmoving, Yoongi shined the flashlight in his hand across the span of asphalt. Sometimes the quiet felt just as eerie as if there were sound, the silence seeming to stretch for miles.

Yoongi stopped at one of the first cars, tugging at the unlocked door to pop the hood and pulling a dipstick from a crevice in the metal that he would use to check fuel levels. He wiped it with the edge of his shirt before continuing, leading us through the labyrinth of cars. The jumble ended just under a mile from the main part of the city and I spotted the car we arrived in easily, tucked at the edge of the road and leaning from it's angled position near the ditch.

Everything looked the same as we'd left it, but when I popped the hood for Yoongi to check under he motioned Jungkook over, both of them peering into the internal workings of the car with dismay.

Yoongi didn't speak as he slammed the hood shut, moving on to the next car only to do the same. At the third he accepted what we already knew, that Gideon and his people cut nearly every cable to render the cars immobile.

He was more forceful with each time he slammed a hood, Jungkook and I following after him when he started back in the direction we came.

"Where are you going?" I spoke in a whisper but in the tone of a yell, struggling to keep up with his quick strides. "Yoongi, stop."

"Back to Carolus." He snapped, turning around to face me. "I'll kill Gideon and as many of them as I can while the rest of you get out of here."

I shook my head, his intent clouded with rage and lack of judgement. He would die.

He could already see the concern behind my eyes. "I will if it means you all get to live." He replied to my unspoken fear.

"I'm going with you." Jungkook's statement fueled my anger, rising even more as Yoongi nodded at him.

"I can't believe Namjoon sent me out here with you two stubborn assholes." I was louder than intended. "You're not going back there. We're going to get the others and we'll leave on foot, find another car and get far away from here."

Jungkook scoffed and I was infuriated that they were both against me, or for me. I wasn't sure which since they were both willing to die for me. "Do you want to spend your life running Alena?"

He reached for my hand, stumbling backwards when I pushed him with all the force in me. "I will if it means we're all together. That's all that matters." My voice cracked, broken with the emotion that built in my eyes and throat.

I was jerked away when Yoongi's hand flew over my mouth, a faint whisper to Jungkook as he pulled us to the ground. "Hide."

I only got a second's glance at the alarm in Jungkook's eyes as he turned toward another car while Yoongi pulled me next to him under the pick-up truck we stood beside. We lay on our backs against the road and without our arguing I heard it, a hum that changed in cadence, the sound of grumbles from an approaching herd.

We couldn't tell how many there were but it only took a couple of minutes for us to spot the first few pairs of feet from the undead. They moved in a cluster, one after the other until there was too many to count. Their groaning was overpowered by the intense beating of my heart in my ears and I did everything possible to make myself small, completely silent and hoping that they didn't catch our scent.

I felt Yoongi's hand slip into mine as the truck started to shake from the bodies crashing against it. There was a small amount of space between where we lay and the floor of the vehicle that allowed us to turn on our sides so that we faced each other.

I stared over his shoulder, watching as hundreds of the undead passed, headed directly for the city. Even when the footsteps thinned we didn't move and I only chanced speaking when my heart slowed and there were none, my words barely audible.

"Jungkook." I breathed, tempted to crawl from beneath the car to check if he got to a hiding place in time but knowing we needed to let time pass so that there was more distance between us and the herd.

"He got to a car." Yoongi replied with certainty.

I trusted him, sighing with relief even if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. "I can't lose either of you." I iterated.

The breath he released was different from mine, like he was still aggravated but giving in to the pain of my words. "Fine, we run." He rolled his eyes, tugging me closer. "Maybe we'll get lucky and that herd will destroy Carolus."

I'd already thought of the same, tacking on a hope that our friends would be spared from the incoming mob.

"Alena." Jungkook's voice sounded from the side of the car. He started to utter Yoongi's, calling out in a hushed tone but before he could finish I was out and slinging my arms around his neck. With the force of the hug he had to lean against the car to maintain his balance, chuckling as his cheek brushed against mine. "I prefer this kind of push for the record."

I smacked my lips at him, dropping my arms from his neck to cross over my chest as I addressed both of them. "As long as you stop trying to die for all of us. I don't need you to die for me. I need you to live for me."