Louie tensed as her eyes shot open. Peyton was leaning over her, his hand over her mouth, a finger pressed to his lips. She nodded in understanding. Peyton removed his hand and motioned for Louie to get up. The rest of the group was already awake their packs on their shoulders, weapons drawn. Louie stuffed her sleeping bag away and shouldered her pack, pulling her knife from its holster.

Skin crawling screeches rang through the night air. Louie could only vaguely make out the forms of the others in the darkness. Her rifle hanging off of one shoulder, she moved noiselessly to where Peyton crouched by the hole in the wall. His gaze was locked on the scene outside. After a few seconds, he turned and whispered in her ear.

"We have to get to higher ground. It won't be long before they figure it out we're here. We can climb the tree to get a better view."

Following Peyton's orders Jonas led the way, moving with barely a sound. He climbed the tree, disappearing onto the second level, everyone in tow. Cautiously they crept to the windows and looked down on the road. They could see the outlines of forms moving closer, their movements awkward but fast. Peyton turned from the scene and motioned everyone closer. They circled him, their ears tuned to the sounds of the approaching Crawlers, their bodies buzzing with adrenaline.

"Louie, Jonas and I are going to take out the ones in the back with knives," Peyton said. "Dax, Luther and Trevor I want you to have the rifles ready but don't shoot until the last possible moment. I don't want them to know where we are any sooner then we have to. They won't notice if the ones behind fall away. Believe me, if they think food is close at hand they notice very little. Clear?"

Heads bobbed in the darkness.

"Dax, hand over the knives."

Dax lowered his pack to the floor and pulled out a large collection of knives. Peyton divided them and handed them off to Louie and Jonas.

"Aim for the heads, they're a better target. Keep at least one knife."

Louie gripped the knives in her hands as she positioned herself in a window, her heart beating rapidly, the sound pulsing in her ears. The rain had stopped and the clouds had melted from the sky, leaving behind a clear moon that lit the city below. A chill breeze swept through the window as Louie hastily pulled her hair back into a pony tail.

The guttural sounds grew louder as the mutilated figures came closer. Peyton moved to stand beside her, his face hard as he looked out. In two further windows Trevor, Dax and Luther shouldered their rifles waiting. A flash of light caught Louie's attention as Jonas flipped a knife, his face set in a determined look. More ear piercing screams ripped the night and Louie felt her breath catch in her throat. Peyton looked at her.

"Ready?" he mouthed.

Louie took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and nodded. She turned to the on coming threat and straightened her spine. Peyton's knife was the first one to take down a Crawler, the figure crumbling in the back. Louie found her target and let the knife sail through the night. It whistled as it left her hand and found its mark.

Flashes of metal streaked the night, as knife after knife was thrown. Each knife found their targets, dark forms collapsing one by one. As Louie sent one of her last knives flying, the Crawler's voice let free one last guttural screech as it tumbled to the ground. The remaining Crawlers looked to the window where Louie stood. Their cries punched a hole in the night, filling every ear with a blood curdling sound.

"Dax, Trevor, Luther, now!" Peyton shouted.

Explosions of gunshots echoed through the air, battling the sound of the Crawlers. Louie pulled her rifle to her shoulder and started firing, working the trigger as fast as it could go. For every Crawler that fell, it seemed that ten rose up to take its place. The mob swarmed forward, their blood lust driving them onward, unhindered by their fallen companions that lay beside them. Layer after layer of Crawlers were taken down as every bullet found its mark.

Louie felt her arms growing weary from the weight of the gun, but kept firing until she heard the clink that announced she was out of ammunition. She tossed the rifle aside and pulled the hand gun from her pack, firing as her gaze landed on the closest target. The air rang with guns blasts and the shouts of deranged Crawlers. Louie glanced over as Peyton dropped his rifle and pulled the hand gun from his holster and started firing.

The mass of Crawlers had dropped in numbers and Louie could make out the fifty or so Crawlers that remained. More rifles were dropped and hand guns pulled out as the Crawlers started up the side of the building. They used their fallen companions as a means of climbing up the walls. Peyton's attention jumped to Louie as the first Crawlers made it to her window. He moved her out of the way and positioned her by the wall, his body blocking her from the first wave of Crawlers.

"Get ready," he yelled over the Crawlers' screams.

Louie gripped her last knife in her hand, her heart pounding furiously, every nerve in her body electrified. Peyton's body was tense as he waited for the first Crawler to appear. He stabbed the first Crawler and pushed the lifeless body back on its companions. But the Crawlers gained ground and swarmed the second level, pouring in through the window.

Louie dove to her left as a Crawler lunged for her. She was up on her feet before the Crawler could change course, her knife embedded in its skull. She pulled the knife free, and found a new target in the Crawler racing towards her. Louie rolled away, the Crawler collapsing lifeless at her feet. She ripped the knife from it forehead as more Crawlers surged forward.

Ducking away from one Crawler and stabbing another, a sharp pain torn through her as claw raked across her back. She let out a pained cry as she turned to stab the attacker but found it was already falling to the ground, Peyton's knife stuck into the back of his neck. Louie barely had time to register the sight before rolling away from another Crawler.

Crawler after Crawler fell as stab after stab landed. The world became a void of silence once the last Crawler's guttural cry petered out. The group stood panting, staring at the scene before them. Gnarled bodies littered the floor, their twisted limbs and distorted faces staring unseeing at the ceiling. The group stayed motionless, blood dripping from their knives as reality settled over them.

Louie moved and pain shocked her system. She stumbled against the wall for support as she tried to clear her vision,  spots of light were dancing around her. Peyton was instantly by her side, his arms helping her stand, as the rest of the group rushed over.

"What happened? Where are you hurt? Were you bit?" Peyton asked, firmly, an under current of fear rippling through his voice.

Louie managed to shake her head once, the act sending pain though her body. Clenching her teeth, she tried to straighten.

"Just cut," Louie managed to say.

Peyton nodded.

"Alright, Dax, Trevor, and Jonas gather the supplies. Head back to the first floor. Luther, help me lift Louie."

Peyton helped Louie back to the remains of the fire and settled her down on the floor.

"Luther get the fire going again," Peyton said.

Luther moved efficiently and had the fire roaring to life in a matter of seconds, the light illuminating the faces of his companions. Louie's gaze drifted to Luther and saw his face was splattered with blood.

"Luther, are you hurt?" Louie asked, forcing her voice to stay even.

Luther frowned and wiped his face with his hand. He gave a weak smile as he pulled it back and glanced at the sight.

"No, its not mine. Might have a few cuts, but that's about it."

Louie nodded. Peyton turned to him.

"Luther," Peyton said, "If you're not too badly hurt, head outside and start collecting the knives. We can't afford to lose them."

Luther nodded and left, stepping into the soft morning light. Peyton moved to Louie, bandages, rubbing alcohol, needle and thread in hand.

"Where'd you get cut?" Peyton asked.

"Back."

"In much pain."

Louie gave a weak smile.

"Not too much that I can't handle it," Louie said, her voice low.

Peyton smiled, his white teeth standing out against his dirty face. Dax, Trevor, and Jonas emerged from the second floor and dropped the packs by the fire side. Peyton looked up.

"Any of you hurt?"

"I got a cut along my arm and across my shoulder, but not too deep," Jonas said.

Dax and Trevor shook their heads. They were the ones that had been furtherest from the first onslaught of Crawlers.

"Alight, Dax, help clean Jonas's cuts. Trevor, help Luther retrieve the knives."

Trevor nodded and headed off, while Jonas pulled off his shirt, and lowered himself to the floor gingerly. Peyton looked at Louie, searching her face.

"I apologize, but this is going to hurt."

Louie gave a low chuckle.

"I'm a nurse. Peyton, I know how this works."

"I need you to take off your shirt."

Louie slowly tugged the material over her head, wincing with the motion.

"This is pay back for all those times I told you to take off your's isn't?" Louie said.   

She held the shirt close to her chest as Peyton gave a soft laugh. A small cry of pain slipped from Louie's lips as Peyton started cleaning the wounds.

"Sorry," he said.

Louie shook her head and lowered it to her bent knees. Clenching her fists, she bit back any other sound.

"I'm going to sew these closed, okay?" Peyton said.

Louie nodded, fighting back the tears. Jonas bandaged, Dax and him left to join Luther and Trevor with collecting the knives. Louie let out a cry of pain, as the needle dug into her skin.

"How are you doing?" Peyton asked.

Louie managed to get the word "fine" out through her clenched jaw.

"You will be," Peyton said.

When Peyton finished, Louie carefully pulled her shirt back over her head, closing her eyes and tensing her muscles as it slide over her back.

"Thanks," Louie said, quietly, turning to face Peyton.

"You have a high pain tolerance," he said, as he started stowing away the rest of the medical supplies. "Cuts like that would make most people pass out."

Louie gave Peyton a look that said she didn't believe him.

"You don't have to say stuff like that to make me feel better," Louie said.

Peyton gave her a puzzled look.

"I wasn't."

They looked at each other for a long moment, then Peyton finished packing away the last bandage.

"You should get some sleep," he said. "You lost blood and you'll need to get your strength back. We'll rest here and try to find a source of water so we can get cleaned up."

Louie nodded and moved carefully back to her sleeping location. Her head had barely reached the ground before she was fast asleep.

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