I shot out of my seat and stared at him, my eyes wide. "Mike?" I whispered, unsure if he was real. His eyes darted between TJ and I. "Farah? TJ?" He asked.

He looked bewildered. After a moment, a look of shame came across his face and he avoided my gaze. "Do we have a problem here?" Arthur asked, his eyebrow raised. I shook my head. "Nope, no problem. Mike and I are... friends." I replied.

Arthur nodded but didn't look convinced. "Perhaps I should get a different waiter-" Mike began but I slammed my hand onto the table, startling everyone.

"No. We need to talk." I scowled, glaring at him. "Farah-" TJ began but I shot her a glare. "No." I said. I stormed over to Mike and grabbed him by his tie, dragging him out of the room.

He stumbled behind me as I entered the woman's bathroom. I slammed him against a wall and he groaned. I threw a right hook straight into his stomach and he keeled over, his face red.

"Why?" I asked, pissed off. He held is hand up. I threw another fist across his face and he collapsed. "Why?" I asked again, impatient. I raised my fist, ready to strike him again when TJ flew through the door and grabbed my fist just before it hit his face.

She winced in pain. I stared at her, wide eyed. I hurt her. I hurt TJ. "I'm sorry." I said, feeling ashamed of myself. The last thing. I wanted to do was hurt her. She scowled at me.

"Are you going to give him a moment to answer you question or will you just beat the shit out of him like a goddamn animal?" TJ asked, glaring at me. I looked away. "Answer her question." TJ demanded, now glaring down at Mike.

He shook his head, a sad look on his face. "I don't know." He replied. I took a step forward, my fist raised. Before I could strike him, TJ landed a left hook across his face and he groaned in pain again.

"Bullshit." TJ replied, crouching down so she was eye level with him. "Tell us the truth or we'll beat the shit out of you." TJ demanded. I stared at her, my face on fire.

She is fucking sexy when she's pissed off and acting like a badass. "What is going on in here?" Arthur asked as he opened the door and he and Steph walked in.

"We're getting some answers out of an old friend." I replied, barely looking at him. He nodded. "I see. Do you perhaps need any assistance?" He asked. I gave him a bewildered look but he just smiled brightly at me.

"Oh, um, no. I think we got this." I replied. He nodded. "I see." He said, still smiling. "What do you two want to drink? We're going to get a new waiter and order our drinks." Steph asked.

I thought about it for a moment. "I'll take a sweet tea." I replied. Steph nodded. "I'll take a sweet tea as well." Added TJ. Steph nodded and she and Arthur left the bathroom.

I crouched beside TJ and glared at. Mike's swollen face. "Answers. Now." I demanded, cracking my knuckles. Desite my knuckles feeling like their on fire, I will happily bruise them some more if it means getting to beat the shit out of Mike and getting answers.

"I'm serious. Please believe me. I don't know. All I know is that I kept blacking out and when I came back I wasn't where I had been. The same goes for Grace." He replied, sobbing.

I nodded and stood. "Good. That's what we needed to know." I told him, yawning. TJ stood as well. "Are you sure he's telling the truth?" She whispered. I nodded. "I'm positive." I replied.

She nodded. "Great. I guess I'll see you around the Mike."I said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "You won't be seeing me for a while, if ever again. I'm going on the expedition into the tower." Mike said, coughing.

I groaned. Why can't things just be easy? "Well, fuck." I muttered. I sighed. "Right, I'm not sorry about this." I said. I crouched back down and delivered a strong right hook to his chin. He fell unconscious to the floor.

I stood. "I'm hungry." I told TJ. She nodded and patted her stomach. "Same." She replied. I gave Mike one last look then TJ and I exited the bathroom and went back to our private room.

"Did you get your answers or should we pay your old friend a visit?" Arthur asked. I swear, this guy is a total monster underneath that innocent smile of his. "We got our answers. Besides, I think Mike is a bit tired right now. He fell right asleep." I answered, smirking at him. He smirked back.

I may not like this guy when he flirts with TJ, but, I've got to admit he is pretty fucking awesome. "Your teas. Is there anything else I can get for you?" The new waitress asked.

I took a sip of my sweet tea and gave a sigh of content. It's been forever since I've had sweet tea. When I wasn't living off of liquor and coffee, I was drinking sweet tea.

I surveyed the menu while the others ordered. "And for you, miss?" The waitress asked me, giving me a smile. "I'd like the garlic lime chicken with a side of fries. For my other side, I'd like a house salad with no tomatoes or eggs. I'd like ranch for my sauce, please." I replied.

The waitress nodded and scribbled down my order on her pad. "Alright, your food will be ready soon. Please enjoy!" She exclaimed, smiling at all of us before walking off. "Nice choice." Steph said, nodding her head in approval. I gave her a short nod.

"Who all will be going on the tower excursion?" I asked. "Besides the four of us, we have a guy named Mike, a girl named Grace, and another girl names Eliza." He replied. I nodded. I figured.

I already knew Eliza was going and if Mike was going then Grace would follow right behind. "Eliza. I quite like that name. I bet she's hot." Steph said. I banged my fist on the table and glared at her. "That's my sister." I growled. Steph looked slightly startled but gulped and nodded.

"Yes, of course. I didn't mean any harm. I had no clue she was your sister." She replied quickly. I nodded. "Your salad, miss." The waitress said. She handed me my salad and a small cup of ranch. I nodded.

"Thank you." I replied. "Does anyone need a refill?" The waitress asked. Everyone shook their head no and the waitress scurried off. "Has anyone gone into the tower yet?" I asked Arthur.

He nodded his head. "I've sent four people on four separate occasions and none have yet to return. I fear the tower is much more dangerous than anticipated which makes you and TJ accompanying us on this journey that much more appreciated. You are both very capable, as you have proven." He replied. I nodded.

So he and Steph are just going to use TJ and I as human shields. Great. If either of them gets TJ hurt in anyway then they'll have hell to pay, I'll make samn sure of it. I ate my salad, thinking of all the ways I could torture them.

Suddenly, I heard multiple booms. They sounded like gunshots. I quickly stood. "The hell was that?" TJ I asked, worried. Arthur shook his head. "I haven't a clue, however, I fear that whatever it is, it's certainly trouble." He replied. "Certainly." Stephanie agreed.

"Then let's go crack some heads." I said. I opened the door to the private room. "Everyone, on your knees now! Give us your mayor and we'll spare your life!" A guy wearing a skull mask shouted, shooting a gun into the air.

Multiple other guys roamed the room, holding assault rifles. Suddenly, the guy locked eyes with me. "You! On your knees, now!" He shouted pointing his gun at me. "Get down, Farah." TJ whispered, getting on her knees beside me.

"She's right, don't risk your life over your stubbornness." Steph agreed. "I must agree with them." Arthur said. I glared at the guy in the school mask as I dropped down on my knees. "You! Where's the mayor!?" The guy in the school mask shouted, walking over to me and pressing the barrel of his pistol to my forehead.

I examined the pistol I smirked. He had his safety on and his finger wasn't on the trigger. Amateur. "He is right, over there." I said, pointing on the direction behind him. He spun around and I pulled my knife from my belt, spring to my feet quickly. I pressed my knife to his throat. "Everyone!" Drop your guns or your friend dies!" I shouted, gathering the attention of everyone else wearing a skull mask and carrying an assault rifle.

I took the pistol from the guys hand and sheathed my knife, pressing the hand to the side of his head and removing the safety, placing me finger on the trigger. "We don't really care. He's expendable anyway." One said with a laugh.

Suddenly, shot fired all around me. "Farah!" TJ shouted over the gun fire. The guy in the skull mask who I had been holding hostage took my moment of distraction and elbowed me in the stomach. I doubled over and he brought his knee to my face.

I fell backwards and he climbed on top of me, wrapping his hands around my neck. While he choked me, shots continued to fire all around the room. I weakly raised the pistol. "You won't. Your too weak. You don't have it in you to kill a human-" the guy boasted while he choked me.

The pistol went off and blood splattered my face and clothes and the man in the skull mask fell sideways off of me, hitting the ground dead. I stared at him in shock. "I just..." I muttered. I had killed infected but... another human? TJ jumped in front of me.

"Snap out of it Farah! We need to get the hell out of here!" Shouted TJ. After a moment, I shook myself out of my daze and gave her a firm nod. "Alright, they haven't blocked the back exit so-" I began but a shot rang out.

"Found you." A man said. I tried to scream but nothing would come out. I looked down at me stomach to find blood seeping through my clothing. My vision began to blur but I was focused it. I raised my gun but the man kicked it out of my hand. "Leave her alone you asshole!" TJ shouted, taking my knife from it's sheath and rushing at the man.

He raised his gun. "No..!" I muttered. I weakly reached my hand out. "Not going to happen." Arthur muttered. He rushed in front of TJ at the last moment and a shot rang out. "Arthur!" Stephanie screamed she rushed to his side, despite the gun fire.

TJ took a brief moment to look at him and then continued her rush and jabbed at the man with the knife but he easily dodged. He turned his back towards me as he continued to dodge and parry her attacks like it was child's play.

I used my last bit of strength and crawled across the floor on my stomach. I wrapped my arms around his feet and locked my arms in piece. "Shit!" Was the last thing he shouted before a knife pierced his throat. He stumbled backwards but because of my holding his feet, he tripped and fell on top of me. The last thing I heard was more gun fire and screams. "TJ..."


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