Elliot was having one of his rare good dreams; one that included himself and some faceless friends strolling the streets of New York, taking in the sights and smells of one of the greatest cities in the country. David, his half brother, was with him, and they were eating hot dogs. It was a warm, sunny summer day. And just when his subconscious felt it was going to get a reprieve from the wasteland of the waking world, Elliot's head was filled with terrified screams. He was dragged back to consciousness by Miriam, whose eyes were wide as she shook him awake.
"Wha...?" Elliot squinted against the light, trying to make sense of what was going on. Footsteps thundered all around him, punctuated by screams and yells and the sound of gunfire. He allowed Miriam to drag him to his feet as he shook off the last tendrils of drowsiness. He had just enough sense in him to collect his belongings as he was half-dragged over to where the remainder of their usual group was gathered.
Rae and her mother were having a frantic discussion over the whereabouts of Andreas, which further brought Elliot back to awareness. He shrugged his backpack onto his shoulders, tucking his crowbar through his belt. Through the chaos of the swarming crowd, he could see zombies pouring through a large hole in the wall. His heart picked up speed and he swallowed his questions. Whatever had happened didn't matter. What mattered was the need to get away from here. Now.
Mary-Ellen began shouldering her way through the crowd in search of her husband. When Rae turned to them, the brief flash of emotion that had flitted through her expression was gone, replaced by what Elliot had come to recognize as Rae's brave face. "Go," he said to Miriam and Aaron, gently but firmly nudging them ahead of him. When Aaron tried to protest and take the rear, Elliot frowned and gave a fierce shake of his head, giving the younger man a stronger push. "Get Miriam out of here," he said, urging the boy to take the lead.
He had no doubt Rae would watch their backs, yet he had to keep resisting the urge to glance behind him to make sure she was still there. He didn't want to leave her behind, but it was her job to protect them. Their survival relied on those who could fight without succumbing to infection. If you asked him, it was selfish to want someone to risk their life for him just so he wouldn't get bitten, but he kept moving forward anyway. Survival mode had taken over.
It was a struggle to get through. Everyone was pushing for the safe exit, terrified of being left behind with the multiplying horde of undead at their backs. Elliot didn't even feel like he was breathing, even after they finally managed to get outside. A wall of fire blocked off an alley and one road, temporarily keeping the undead at bay. Snipers shot from the other direction, clearing the way while still other Immunes directed people to an area of buses that had been set aside for an emergency evacuation.
Elliot bit down on his bottom lip. Even with the people they had lost so far, those buses couldn't possibly get everyone away safely. Most of them were already full and taking off for other safehouses.
"Get to the buses, go!" He shouted, not just to Miriam and Aaron, but to others lagging behind. For the first time, he allowed himself a quick glance over his shoulder, eyes scanning for that familiar head of blonde hair.