Survivors Ch. 01

He was headed for Canada. The nearest place that was unaffected. It would be impossible to get a ship and the supplies to cross an ocean, so Canada was the only option. Before they had been cut off from the outside world, there were rumors that Canada was accepting refugees. They would make sure you weren't a user, or under the influence of Drain in any way, and would let you in. But the trip was likely to kill you. It was just a risk Pike was willing to take.

Despite the chirping birds and warm rays of the sun, Pike was well aware of the dangers outside. He walked the streets carefully, as he did everyday. He walked past a few cars with keys still in the ignition, but didn't bother stopping. Driving would have made his journey faster, but all of the corpses and stalled cars in the road made it impossible to get anywhere on wheels. He walked past an old apartment building and tried to keep his eyes down as he passed a corpse hanging from a broken window. The world had gone to hell, and he was one of the few people left.

He hadn't really seen many survivors since he started his trip. The few he had were rogues, looting and pillaging to their hearts content. Now that society in the states had fallen, they were free to do what they always wanted to do, but couldn't under the watchful eye of the law. The scariest part is that those weren't the most dangerous survivors. The most dangerous were the people who desperate for survival and willing to do anything to stay alive, even if it meant killing another human being. They would kill you for food, water, guns, anything. They could have been good people before, but now they were fighting for their lives.

A few people had flocked together, forming groups of survivors. These people weren't as dangerous. With some form of society, they retained their morals and humanity more than any other type of survivor. It's much harder to do something horrible when somebody is watching you.

Sometimes the groups were even friendly, allowing Pike to stay with them for a night. There was safety in numbers, but there was also danger. More people meant more mouths to feed, more water to dish out, more noise to attract the Drained. Pike chose to stay on his own. He kept his own food and water, and watched his own back. The only company he needed was Mongo.

The cat was all he had left in the world besides his pistols. He had never been a cat person before, but now he wasn't sure what he would do without the little furball. The cat kept him sane in the worst times.

Pike nearly pissed himself when his ankle was grabbed as he was walking. He quickly drew a pistol and aimed down, kicking his foot away from the hand and jumping back, in the process. On the ground was a dying woman. He sighed a little, and lowered his pistol. He didn't put it away though. She coughed and stared up at him with sunken eyes. Pike crouched down, hands resting on his knees. The woman was starving. She was thin and her skin was sickly pale, but not gray like one of the Drained. She had a large bite on her leg where one of them had bitten her. It probably kept her from moving, from looking for food. Food was scarce, but it was there if you looked. Her once clean blue jeans had been dyed red with her blood. The bite had become infected and it was clear she wasn't going to make it. Pike sighed. He stood up again and checked his pistols. They were both full, and he had another case of ammo in his backpack, plus a few stray bullet in his pockets.

The woman couldn't speak, but she begged with her eyes. Pike raised the gun again, and fired once. Her hand fell from his shoe and her eyes remained open. Pike tried not to look at the large hole he had made in her head. He searched her quickly. After finding nothing in her pockets he stood to leave. He knew the gunshot would be attracting the Drained and fast. Mongo sniffed the corpse once, before following Pike down the road. His small padded feet made no noise as he walked, but Pike's were different.

He began jogging quickly. He had fired a gunshot before and then taken his time to leave the area, and almost paid for that mistake with his life. He broke into a run when he heard a few screams from the Drained, probably standing where he had been only a minute ago. He knew they weren't close, but if they heard him and began to chase him, he wouldn't get far. He turned quickly, and slipped into a restaurant. He needed food anyways.

After finding a few scraps of frozen food in the kitchen, he found a full tank for the barbeque outside and cooked the frozen burgers. He ate quickly and was smiling at the feeling of a full stomach, it wasn't something he got often. Mongo meowed hungrily, and Pike gave him the last bite of burger. The cat purred and rubbed up against his leg, before turning towards the back door of the restaurant and hissing. Pike got down behind one of the tables on the back patio. Mongo jumped up on a table, not willing to hide from whatever it was that startled him.

The back door swung open. Pike, unable to see above the person's knees, watched quietly. The person was obviously male, the large hiking boots and jeans told him that much. He didn't know if it was a Drained or not. They usually didn't walk around unless they were chasing something, but he had been wrong about that before. He bit his lip as the person (or thing) walked past the table he hid under. He stopped, and Pike froze.

"Hey, kitty. What are you doing out here?" The man spoke. Pike almost sighed. He was human. That didn't eliminate all the threat though. He slowly drew a pistol, and held it to his chest. The man stood at the table a second longer before walking past. Pike could hear Mongo purring and assumed the man had taken the time to stop and pet him. He walked to the barbeque and pause. Pike watched as he turned his hand over, putting the back of his hand a few inches above the grill. "You been cooking, kitty?" The man whispered. Pike watched as an axe came into view. It was only a small axe, but that didn't mean it couldn't kill him. The man turned slowly, looking around the 'empty' patio of the restaurant. He began walking more quietly, prepared. He turned back and checked behind the grill, and Pike made his move. He stood, pushing the table over as he went. Mongo meowed and jumped off the table as it fell, annoyed that Pike had ruined his perch. Pike aimed the pistol at the back of the man's head quickly. The man froze, and raised his hands.

"Drop the axe." Pike said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. Shooting a Drained was one thing, shooting a person was another. The man did as he was told, and the axe fell to the ground. Mongo ran to it and sniffed it, hoping it was food. When he found only cold metal, he turned up his nose and walked away.

"I was just looking for food, I'm sorry if I crossed into your turf." The man said, hands raised.

"Do you have any other weapons?" Pike asked.

"No." He said. Pike glared at the back of his head, before using one hand to search him quickly. He spun him around and searched his front pockets. He pushed him back a few feet and backed up himself, keeping his gun raised.

"Who are you?" Pike asked.

"Gavin. My group is holed up down the street. We were running low on food so I went out looking for some." Gavin explained. Pike was silent.

"Your group?" He asked, he wanted to be sure this guy wasn't some psycho with a gun and a gang.

"Yeah. We're living in a department store. There's a family of four, an older guy and his grandson, and a few others." Gavin said. His breath was uneasy and he was beginning to sweat. Pike squinted at him, their stare off was interrupted when Mongo began licking the mans shoes. Pike rolled his eyes and lowered his gun, putting it back in it's holster.

"Mongo." He growled, and picked the cat up.

"Is he yours?" Gavin asked, beginning to relax.

"I guess. He's just a stray who stuck to me." Pike shrugged, and put Mongo down on a table.

"Where's your group?" Gavin looked around.

"I don't have one. Mongo and I go at it alone." Pike leaned up against the table and scratched the cats one ear.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Gavin frowned.

"Is anything not dangerous these days?" Pike asked, and as if on cue there was a distant roar.

"I suppose not. I smelled the food so I just thought I'd check it out. I'm sorry for stepping into your personal bubble." Gavin joked.

"It's fine, sorry to say there's nothing left though. There was just a few burgers left and Mongo and I finished them off." Pike said.

"That's alright. I'll find food elsewhere." Gavin shrugged. There was an awkward silence before Pike pushed himself off the table and grabbed a backpack lying on the ground that Gavin hadn't seen before.

"I need to get moving. Good luck to you." Pike waved. Gavin waved back, but then realized there was only one way out of the restaurant and he had to follow Pike.

"Actually, I'm heading the same way." He laughed as they began walking down the street.

"I see..." Pike said a little distantly.

"Where are you headed?" Gavin asked, pushing his shopping cart in front of him again.

"Canada." Pike said, keeping his replies short. It didn't do him any good to get to know someone. They would only die.

"Oh, yeah. I've heard rumors that they take in refugees." Gavin said.

"Yep. So I guess that's where I'm headed." Pike shrugged.

"I haven't heard any news from there in a long time though. Are you sure they're still helping us?" Gavin asked.

"I don't know. But there aren't a whole lot of other options." Pike said.

"I know...You could always join our group." Gavin said. "Safety in numbers." He smiled.

"Thanks, and no offense, but I would rather not sit around and wait to starve to death like thousands of others." Pike mumbled.

"But what if somebody does come? We're in L.A. One of the biggest cities in America. They're bound to send someone to look for us." Gavin said.

"And if they don't? Then I wasted my time. I'm not going to sit around and wait to be saved. I'll save myself." Pike stopped walking and stared at Gavin with his cool blue eyes.

"That's understandable..." Gavin said thoughtfully. "This is it. I suppose my hunt for food is abandoned for the day." Gavin said. The truth was he didn't really want to be out here alone. Getting caught by Pike made him realize how easy it would have been for him to walk right behind a Drained and not even realize it.

"Maybe another day." Pike said, looking up at the large building that had been barricaded well. He could have been mistaken but he thought he saw a few faces peeking out behind the boards covering the windows. Suddenly, a loud roar came from down the street. Gavin and Pike both turned. Down the block stood the largest Drained Pike had ever seen. It was clear right away that this was one of the original users. He broke into a run and Pike couldn't help but squeal a small squeal of fear when the large man clipped a car with his hip, sending the car into a spin onto the sidewalk.

"Holy fuck!" Gavin took a step back.

"Gavin, I think I'll take you up on that offer to join you guys. Even if just for a little bit." Pike said, in a petrified voice.

"Understood." Gavin said, and both the men ran to the front door of the department store. They began tugging at the large wooden boards the group had nailed to the front of it. Gavin had gone out the back way before, and this door remained barricaded well. They could hear the group on the inside pulling away the barricade to let them in. The drained roared again, and the sound of another car being crushed could be heard. Pike turned just in time to see the large man step on the corpse of a fallen drained. He almost gagged at the sound of his head being crushed like a grape. He pulled out his pistols, and unloaded a barrage of gunfire into the chest of the drained man, who hardly paused. Gavin pulled frantically at the boards, tearing them off and getting many splinters in the process.

"Gavin!" Pike shouted, as his guns made a terrifying clicking noise, proclaiming that they were empty. Mongo hissed wildly at the incoming man, but refused to leave Pike's side. The door finally flung open, and the two men toppled inside. The group of people began frantically pushing shelves and other heavy objects up against the door.

There was a large bang as the drained man hit the door. A few people fell back at the force, and the others slid back quite a way, struggling to keep their footing. Without missing a beat, the man hit the door again, and again, and again.

"This isn't working!" A woman Pike didn't recognize shouted.

"Oh, really?" A young man said rudely.

"Through the back, go!" Gavin shouted. The group retreated back. Gavin and Pike were left with their backs against the door, trying to hold the drained back.

"Canada doesn't sound so bad now, does it?" Pike said, as the man hit the door again.

"Nope. How would you like some company on that trip?" Gavin asked. Before Pike could answer, the metal that made up the doors bent. At the next hit, the wood of a couch that was pressed up against the door gave way and cracked.

"Go!" Pike said, and the two took off. Gavin slid to a stop and made a sharp turn. "Where are you going?!" Pike asked, looking back at the door that was one more hit from giving way.

"We have a few bags prepared for if we have to make a quick escape, we need them!" Gavin said. Pike followed him and Gavin threw him a backpack, before jumping at the sound of the door breaking through. The roar of the Drained echoed in the large store. Gavin ran frantically, his footsteps echoing along with Pike's in the halls. Their feet slid across the floor every time they turned. Pike was worried they would never meet this mythical back door, when he saw the woman from before holding it open. They fell through, back into the daylight of the sun. Gavin grabbed a bunch of chains sitting near the door, and chained it shut, before throwing a few metal bars between the handles, just in case. The group took off down the street.

Finally, they got a moment to breath. Gavin handed a bottle of water out, for the group to share. Pike was surprised when he was thrown one.

"For saving our asses." Gavin said. Pike nodded thankfully and drank the precious water.

"Who's he and why the fuck does he get our water?" The young man from earlier stood up from where he had crouched to catch his breath.

"Shut the hell up, Rick. We wouldn't be alive if not for him. Be a little grateful, would you?" Gavin rolled his eyes. Pike almost laughed at the sour expression that crossed the man's face.

"So, that was fun." Pike said, as Mongo ran up to his side. The cat jumped up on a stack of boxes to be eye level with Pike.

"Yeah. So, you were saying about Canada?" Gavin said, finally catching his breath with a sigh.

"You were serious?" Pike raised an eyebrow.

"We have nowhere else to go." Gavin shrugged. The group looked at Pike with wide eyes, filled with the terrors they had seen in the past year. Pike looked around the group and was about to refuse when a little girl ran from her mother's side.

"Kitty!" She shouted, and picked up Mongo off the stack of boxes. Mongo purred happily in her ear. His eyes shut and he enjoyed the attention.

"Emma!" Her mother whispered, trying to pull her back from Pike's side.

"Well, I suppose I can't let Mongo live without the attention of a little girl. So..." Pike sighed. Gavin smiled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mel said.

"We're going to Canada." Gavin smiled.