Dead heat

Chapter 1: Rick’s Refuge

The flickering neon sign of Rick’s Refuge cast an eerie glow over the cracked pavement outside. Inside, the bar thrummed with life—or what passed for it these days. Survivors, smugglers, and scavengers nursed watered-down drinks while trading whispers of danger. Rick Donovan, a man with a perpetual five o’clock shadow and a gaze hardened by betrayal, poured a shot for a scruffy regular.

Tallie, Rick’s undead bouncer, lounged by the door. Her rotting flesh was mostly hidden by a trench coat, her dead eyes scanning the room for trouble. She grunted at a new arrival, a nervous trader carrying a suspiciously large bag.

“No funny business,” she growled, her voice like gravel.

Rick smirked from behind the bar. “Relax, Tallie. Nobody’s stupid enough to pull something here. Not twice, anyway.”

The Refuge was neutral ground, a sanctuary amid the chaos of the undead-infested world. No weapons, no violence, and certainly no allegiances. It was Rick’s rule, and even the most hardened mercenaries respected it.

Or so he thought.

The doors burst open, and the room fell silent. Two figures stepped in: a woman with piercing green eyes and a man with the look of a hunted animal. Rick’s heart clenched. Isla Castillo. The woman who’d left him behind.

“Rick,” she said, her voice soft but urgent. “We need your help.”


---

Chapter 2: Ghosts of the Past

Rick leaned back against the bar, his arms crossed. “Help? Last I checked, I wasn’t in the business of heroics.”

Victor Reyes, Isla’s husband, stepped forward. “This isn’t about you, Donovan. It’s about humanity. We have intel—a potential cure—but the gates are locked down. We need to get out of the city.”

Rick scoffed. “And you thought I’d stick my neck out for you two? Funny, Isla, I seem to recall the last time I did that, you—”

“Don’t.” Isla’s voice was sharp, her eyes pleading. “You don’t understand.”

Tallie snorted. “Oh, he understands, sweetheart. He just doesn’t care.”

The tension was thick enough to cut. Rick sighed and poured himself a drink. “Let me guess: the faction controlling the gates is after you. And you thought my little dive bar was the perfect place to hide.”

Victor’s jaw tightened. “They’ll come here. It’s only a matter of time.”

Rick glanced around the room, noting the shifting gazes of his patrons. Fear and opportunism danced in their eyes. “If you’re staying, you’re putting everyone here at risk. I’ll have to think about this.”


---

Chapter 3: The Plan

By morning, the Refuge was on edge. Word of Isla and Victor’s arrival had spread, and Rick could feel the tension brewing. Lance, a wiry smuggler with a talent for manipulation, sidled up to the bar.

“Big risk you’re taking, Donovan. You sure it’s worth it?” Lance said, his grin shark-like.

Rick ignored him, turning his attention to Isla, who stood at the bar. “What’s the intel?”

She hesitated, then handed him a small device. “It’s a map to a lab outside the city. They were working on a cure before everything fell apart. If we can get there—”

Rick cut her off. “Big if.”

Isla’s eyes softened. “Rick, please. You’re the only one who can do this.”

Against his better judgment, Rick felt the old fire stir. “Fine. But if this goes south, you owe me. Big time.”


---

Chapter 4: Blood and Comedy

The escape began under cover of night. Rick, Isla, Victor, Tallie, and a reluctant Lance loaded into a rusted van. Tallie, who was technically undead, rode on the roof, serving as a decoy for other zombies.

“You’re loving this, aren’t you?” Rick shouted as Tallie swatted away a stray zombie with a crowbar.

“Best night of my life!” she yelled back, grinning through her decayed teeth.

The streets were chaos. Zombies lurched from alleys, and rival factions tried to cut them off. Lance proved surprisingly useful, hurling Molotov cocktails with glee. Isla and Rick worked in tandem, their chemistry undeniable even in the chaos.

At one point, Victor nearly got bitten, but Tallie yanked him to safety, muttering, “You owe me, pretty boy.”


---

Chapter 5: Sacrifice

They reached the outskirts of the city, but their pursuers weren’t far behind. Rick stopped the van and turned to Isla.

“This is where I get off.”

Her eyes widened. “What? No, Rick, you can’t—”

He smiled sadly. “They’re after you and Victor. I’ll lead them away. You get to that lab.”

Victor started to protest, but Rick silenced him with a glare. “You take care of her, Reyes. Or I swear, I’ll come back as one of them and haunt you.”

Before anyone could argue further, Rick stepped out of the van, his gun in hand. Tallie jumped down, her expression unreadable.

“You’re not doing this alone,” she said.

Rick chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

As Isla and Victor drove off, Rick and Tallie stood their ground, facing the oncoming horde.