We left the motel office building, after saying our goodbyes to the man, armed with new information about Nick's whereabouts. The city was still in chaos, but we had a direction to follow. We had information that Nick was headed to a mountain range, searching for a safe haven.
We quickly loaded up all our supplies into the truck and hopped in. As we pulled out of the motel parking lot, I felt a sense of determination wash over me. We were finally taking action to find Nick, and I was ready for whatever lay ahead
But as we hit the streets, I quickly realized that we were in for a fight. The calmness of the past few hours was dissipating, replaced by an eerie sense of foreboding. The streets were filling up with the infected, their numbers growing with every passing moment.
"Get ready," I warned Danielle, my eyes scanning the road ahead. "It's going to get ugly."
Suddenly, a horde of infected shambled into view, thier eyes fixed on us with a mindless hunger. They poured out of side streets and alleys.
I floored it, the truck surging forward as we plowed through the crowd. Danielle grabbed onto the door handle, her knuckles white with fear.
The streets became a blur of chaos and destruction as we fought to make our way through the city. We dodged abandoned cars, drove over curbs, and plowed through hordes of the undead. The trucks tires squealed as we took sharp turns, the infected closing in from all sides.
I refused to back down. I was determined to find Nick, no matter what it took. I gritted my teeth and pushed the truck to it's limits, the engine roaring as we battled our way through the city.
As we finally broke free of the city's grasp, I breathed a sign of relief. We'd made it out alive, but I knew the journey ahead wouldn't be easy. The problem was, we didn't know which mountain range Nick was headed to. The man had only mentioned that Nick was trying to get to the mountains.
"We need a plan," I said to Danielle, my mind racing. "We can't just drive around aimlessly. We need to cover all bases."
Danielle gazed over at me after finally releasing her grip on the door, "You're right. Let's stop at every mountain range between here and Texas. We'll search each one, and hopefully, we'll find some sign of Nick."
I looked over at Danielle, impressed by her determination. "That's a long shot, but it's worth a try. Let's get moving."
We set off on our journey, ready to face whatever lay ahead. The mountains loomed in the distance, a semmingly endless expanse of wilderness and danger. But we were determined to find Nick, no matter what it took.
"Let's do this," I said, my voice firm.
Danielle agreed, keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Let's find Nick."
We hit the open road, the truck rumbling along as we began our search. We'd stop at the Appalachian Mountains, the Ozarks, and every other mountain range in between. We'd search high and low, and we wouldn't give up until we found Nick.
As we drove, the landscape shifted from urban sprawl to rolling hills and eventually, the mountains rose up in the distance. We stopped at the first mountain range, searching for any sign of Nick. After days of hiking and searching, we came up empty handed.
Undeterred, we pressed on to the next mountain range, our hopes high that we might finally find some clue about Nick's weareabouts. We hiked through the dense forests for what felt like eternity before I noticed something.
I pointed towards a tree in the distance, "Hey, you see that?"
We rushed over to the tree and discovered it was a piece of paper pinned to it, and I immediatly recognized Nick's hand writing.
I read the note to Danielle, "Guys, I got intel that Georgia is clean. I'm headed down there to scope it out. If it's true and it is zombie-free, I'll come back and get you. Stay safe on this mountain until then. -Nick"
I looked over at Danielle, a mix of hope and concern on her face. "We can't just sit here on this mountain and hope for the best. We have to go there.
Danielle's eyes widened. "Do you think it's true? Do you think it's actually infection free?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, but it's possible. Nick wouldn't have gone there without a reason."
We stood there for a moment, digesting the news. We had a lead, and it was a long shot, but it was worth investigating. We looked at each other and without saying a word, we knew we had to find Nick, or more clues in Georgia.