Chapter 3: Scavengers

 

Kim Seokjin gazed out of the van window as they drove toward their old town. Forest on either side of them, things were peaceful, a misleading contrast to the world just a thirty minute drive away. Above the sound of the van tires crunching down the dirt road he could hear birds singing in the trees, adding to the illusion of wellness the woods created, a blissful paradise amid the hell of reality.

Alerting Seokjin to the fact that they were about to leave their sanctuary was the thud of the van tires on the wooden bridge crossing a deep river surrounding the trees. There was nothing he hated more than leaving the tree line to view what had become of their city. Slowly, the trees began to thin and soon gave way to the destruction he had been dreading.

 

Never had it mattered how many times he saw the ruins of their homes, it had always remained just as much of a shock to him as it had that very first day. Buildings were charred or falling apart, cars abandoned along the streets or smashed into structures. Luckily enough, the streets were mostly clear as the people who had been driving at the time of the invasion had either crashed into the sidewalk or hauled out of the city. Bodies in various stages of decay littered this new world, ripped apart and scavenged by the undead monsters that now reigned.

 

Zombies themselves were blissfully in hiding during the heat of midday. What they truly had to be careful about were the dogs. Rotting and nearly brainless, the cur had no fear of the sun, only a thirst for blood. Nightmares on four legs, they were rabid from the virus and deadly fast.

 

Shivering, Seokjin took his eyes off of the blood stained chaos and turned to face Namjoon, searching for solace, for any form of encouragement that this venture would be as successful as any of the ones they had been on previously. His boyfriend was watching the window with a small smirk, only adding to his growing nervousness. Glancing up at the rear view mirror, he watched Hoseok drive, Taehyung clutching the man's hand from the passenger's seat. Hesitantly, Jin slid his own hand into Namjoon's, searching for that same comfort.

 

 

Kim Namjoon was more than ready to exit the van when Hoseok parked it at the gas station. Cramped spaces were too much for him, as confined areas made him uncomfortable, so he couldn't help but indulge in a little relief once he planted his feet firmly on the desolate turf outside. Despite the van being safer than their current wasteland, it was nice to stretch out all the same. Hoseok and Jungkook were already scanning the area for danger and Namjoon soon joined in on the perimeter check. Lucky enough, the buildings around them seemed void of all life, or of the living dead.

 

"We're searching the mall this time, okay?” Pulling out the supply bags from the floorboard, Hoseok took charge, much more level headed in these situations than Namjoon was. "My baby and I will be getting ammo. Yoongi, go with Namjoon and Jinnie to get supplies. Jimin, Jungkook... Pump gas and hold down the fort." Wanting to take charge, Namjoon figured that as long as Hoseok kept making the right calls he'd accept the rolls they had all fallen into. When it came to handling situations like this his instincts were to go in guns blazing anyway and that would only alert more undead.

 

"Come on!" Frustrated, Jungkook kicked at the van tire nearest to him. "Jimin and I never get any excitement. Just pump gas and wait. We're more useful than that!"

 

"Don't be stupid." Rolling his eyes at the sulking teen, Namjoon checked the sharpness of his hunting knife, useful for quiet close combat zombie kills. "You two have the most important job. What if a survivor stole the van or popped our tires or otherwise dismantled it just because we left it alone? Or if we ran into dogs and couldn't get in the van and drive to safety because we had no gas? We can go home and survive on what we grow in our garden with our animals. These supplies are just aides to an easier life. Without this van there is a very little chance we'll even make it out of the city alive."

 

"Then let Yoongi stay with the van." Arguing, Jungkook was starting to annoy Namjoon to the point that, had Seokjin not been clinging to his hand, he probably would have pimp slapped their youngest friend.

 

"If it makes you feel better, Jungkook, you can raid the gas station's convenience store while I pump gas." Speaking up, Jimin seemed to hope he could defuse the situation before Jungkook's shouting could attract any of the hiding fiends, tipping their instincts from self preservation to hunger.

 

"Fine..." Giving in, Jungkook clearly retained his childish sense of injustice. Namjoon hoisted his sack and turned, following an already walking Hoseok toward the mall.

 

 

Min Yoongi looked up at the giant, gaping grid that had once been two stories of window panels, long since shattered, and let out a quiet sigh. If he wasn't living in this hell he could almost find a sad kind of beauty in the destruction. Fortunately, the mall was designed to let in a great deal of light so the undead were unlikely to be taking refuge inside. Glass crunched under their feet as Namjoon and Hoseok stepped over the mall doors, fallen from their mangled hinges some time ago.

 

"What're the odds that this place hasn't already been raided?" Questioning, Seokjin followed close after Hoseok and Namjoon as they entered the hulking building. Looking up, the ceiling was a decrepit checkerboard of cracked tiles and shattered skylights.

 

"Worth a try." Shrugging, Yoongi looked over the store signs. Most were barely hanging from where they had once happily displayed themselves. Their bright colors were now dull from exposure and peppered with dark blotches that could only be mold or old blood, he had no desire to find out which it was.

 

"The gun shop is upstairs." Taehyung announced from his place at Hoseok's side as Yoongi stepped over a long since dead corpse, bones marred with teeth marks. Nothing made his skin crawl quite like the realization that he and his friends could have easily suffered the same fate, or that they still very well could.

 

 

Jung Hoseok held his boyfriend's hand as they set off to find a way onto the top floor. Following after them, Yoongi was on his own quest to get needed supplies from the upper level while Seokjin and Namjoon raided the lower. An elevator lay splintered in its shaft, bones poking from the ruins, cable broken. Two escalators standing side by side fared no better, their structures having collapsed inward, their machinery exposed and rusted, leaving nothing but a gnarled mess. Unnerved by the destruction, Taehyung stood almost too close to him

.

"Shhh. It'll be okay." Assuring his jumpy boyfriend, they approached the staircase tucked into the side of the building. Concrete steps were crumbling around the edges but had otherwise had held up well. Simply nodding, Taehyung was unable to bring forth words.

 

Clearing away the human remains from the base of the staircase with Yoongi’s help, they ensuring a quicker get-away if needed. Touching the dead felt wrong but if it meant raising the chances of his lover's survival, he'd gladly do it. Climbing the steps, the three tried to stay as close to the wall as they possibly could, not trusting what was left of the rusted banister. Blood streaked down the plaster beside them, distorted hand prints, like a macabre cave painting. Not nearly as brave as he pretended to be for the sake of the others, he forced himself to push down the urge to run to Seokjin and hide. For Taehyung’s sake, he had to be strong.

 

"Scream if you need us." Informing Yoongi, Hoseok prepared for them to part ways and complete their scavenger hunt. Merely nodding, the other man nudged a rotting torso out of his way with the tip of his boot and entered the nearest shop. Drawing his gun, Taehyung made it clear he was ready to fire at the slightest provocation. Kissing him, Hoseok just wanted to ease his fears as they made their way into the gun and ammo shop.

 

 

Park Jimin watched his friends retreat into the mall as Jungkook leaned against the van, grumpy at his being left behind. Radiating negativity, his companion's hostility was like electricity in the air and it made him nervous. Giving a deep breath, he tested the gas pump, sighing in relief when their trusty fuel source sprang forth, having yet to dry up or malfunction in those long years. Putting the nozzle in the gas tank, he turned to watch Jungkook.

 

"Don't be so upset, okay?" Trying to sooth the other man's anger, he promised to make their wait more pleasant. "For what it's worth... I'm really grateful to-"

 

"I'm going to loot the gas station." Interrupting him, Jungkook checked his ammo as he wandered off, not bothering to spare a second glance at the worried man. Feeling his heart drop, Jimin went back to monitoring the gas pump.

 

"Have you by my side..." Murmuring, he turned the pump off. "I’m really grateful to have you by my side... Not that it's worth much..." Despite his love for Jungkook being so strong, in the moments like this he found that it stung more than it brought him strength. Without a doubt, he knew that Jungkook cared about him. Jimin just wondered if, in these tense times, the other forgot how vulnerable and scared he was.

 

 

Jeon Jungkook looked around the dilapidated convenience store. Everything seemed busted or putrid. A flash of anger hit him at wasting his time just because his friends didn't value his skills. Shoving down a display case in frustration, he headed for the back where they kept spare auto parts. Maybe he could find something for the van. Anyway, the engine had been sounding pretty bad lately and it was better to stay on top of that.

 

Cans clanged to the floor in the back of the shop, causing the hair on the back of Jungkook's neck to stand on end. Cautiously, he crept forward, gun drawn and at the ready. Logic told him it was probably just a rat but he hadn't really liked those before the zombie invasion and being infected with the virus didn't make them seem better in his eyes.

 

Hearing a loud click behind him, he turned to see the door leading into the shop close as though by it's own will. Except for the sliver of light from a shattered window hidden behind a rusty shelf of tools and automotive parts, the back room was dark. Shadows shifted in front of him and he aimed his gun, ready to fire.

 

Before he could pull the trigger something heavy collided with the base of his skull, sending him to his knees with a grunt of pain. Hot blood trickled down his neck as he tried to raise himself to his feet again, only to be sent down by another sharp impact, this time to his back. Falling forward, he felt a boot press against the back of his head. Dark chuckles sounded from above him as a light flickered on outside of his vision. Fear and pain caused his stomach to tighten and he fought back bile as he screamed for help before another solid slam to the back of his head sent him into unconsciousness.

 

 

Kim Taehyung’s eyes darted from side to side, on high alert for any sign of danger. Knuckles white from the force he gripped his gun with, knowing that if he fired a shot the undead would descend upon them as fast as their rotting legs could take them but he was reluctant to use a knife after the incident a few years prior. Scars would always mark his stomach for as long as he lived and it was only luck that the self inflicted wound had missed anything vital and that Seokjin had managed to sew him up as well as he had. Slipping in blood from a freshly slain survivor that day with a razor sharp knife wasn’t something he wanted to repeat, though that probability shrank with the amount of living people left in the area.

 

“Hobi…” Shifting nervously from foot to foot as he and his boyfriend shoved bullets and spare weaponry into their bags, he glanced over at the other man. “When we get home… Will you teach me how to better use a knife? I don’t want to rely on a gun anymore and put you guys in extra danger.”

 

“Yeah, Of course baby.” Giving him a bright smile, Hoseok reminded Taehyung why he was the sunshine of the group. “I promise. As soon as we’re home and safe, I’ll teach you how to use that knife.”

 

“Thanks, Hobi.” Sparing a moment to kiss his lover, Taehyung finished shoving things into his bag and gave a heavy sigh. After years of living hell it was about time he stop acting like a scared child and did better about taking care of himself and of everyone else.

 

“Everyone ready?” Shouting from the stairway so the other two teams could hear him, Yoongi hefted a bag full of medical supplies and other much needed items over his shoulder. Everyone nodded and grouped up at the base of the staircase. All he wanted was to make it home as quickly as possible.