Page 24 of The Last of Love

“Let me go!” Lena shouted, twisting and kicking, desperately trying to break free. The laughter of the men only fueled her anger. They underestimated her, and that would be their downfall.

With a sudden surge of adrenaline, she planted her foot on the nearest man’s knee and pushed off with all her strength. He stumbled back, losing his grip on her. Lena took her chance, spinning around and throwing a punch that caught another man square in the jaw.

Surprise lit up their faces, but they quickly recovered, charging at her as one. She ducked under a wild swing and grabbed the rusty pipe from earlier, wielding it like a weapon. Her years of fighting and leading came into action. This was the fight for her life.

“You shouldn’t have underestimated me,” Lena snarled, brandishing the pipe defiantly.

The men hesitated, eyeing the weapon warily. Lena took a step forward, adrenaline coursing through her. “I’m not going down without a fight.”

In a blur of motion, she lunged forward, striking the first man across the side of his head. He crumpled to the floor with a satisfying thud. The others shouted in shock, and Lena took advantage of their surprise, swinging the pipe again at the next man.

The third man lunged at her, attempting to grab her, but Lena sidestepped him, the pipe connecting with his ribs with a sickening crunch. He staggered back, winded, and she pressed her advantage, her heart pounding as she fought for her life.

But they were coming at her in numbers. The first man was back on his feet, and as she turned to face him, she felt a sharp pain in her side. A punch landed hard, knocking the wind out of her. Lena stumbled, struggling to stay upright, but she refused to let them see her falter.

With her whole mind and body’s strength, she swung the pipe again, but the man ducked, and before she knew it, they were closing in on her. Panic clawed at her throat as she fought back, every swing and every strike fueled by desperation.

She dodged and weaved, a whirlwind of motion, her body screaming in protest. The adrenaline coursing through her veins pushed her forward, and she managed to knock another man to the ground. But just as she thought she had the upper hand, one of the men grabbed her from behind, pulling her arms back.

“Got you now, you little shit!” he shouted triumphantly.

With a final surge of strength, Lena kicked backward, catching him off guard. He stumbled, releasing her just long enough for her to turn and drive the pipe into his stomach. He doubled over, gasping for breath, and Lena seized the opportunity to break free.

She sprinted toward the door, heart racing, but just as she reached for the doorknob, another man blocked her path, eyes wild with rage.

“Not so fast!” he growled, charging at her.

Lena barely had time to react. She raised the pipe to defend herself, but he tackled her to the ground, sending them both crashing to the hard floor. Pain shot through her body as she hit the ground, and she fought to regain her footing.

In the chaos, Lena felt her leg buckle beneath her. She was aware of a sharp pain radiating from her knee, and panic surged. She couldn’t let them win.

With a desperate cry, Lena pushed herself off the floor as she spotted the nearest exit, a rickety staircase leading down.

“Stop her!” one of the men shouted, but Lena was already moving. She sprinted toward the stairs, her heart pounding in her chest.

Each step sent shockwaves of pain through her leg, but she couldn’t stop. She could hear their shouts behind her, their footsteps echoing as they pursued her.

As she reached the top of the staircase, Lena glanced back, adrenaline masking the pain in her leg. She couldn’t let them catch her. She raced down the steps, feeling the rough wooden planks beneath her feet.

But just as she reached the last step, she lost her footing. Time seemed to slow as she tumbled down, the world spinning around her. She landed hard, the impact jarring her entire body.

Pain shot through her leg, and she cried out as she felt something give way. She couldn’t move; her leg throbbed with agonizing intensity. Dizziness washed over her, but she couldn’t give up.

Gathering her strength, Lena pushed herself into a sitting position. She had to get up. She had to keep moving. Lena pulled herself to her feet, gritting her teeth against the pain radiating from her leg. She couldn’t let them catch her; she had to escape.

As she limped through a nearby door, she caught sight of movement out of the corner of her eye. Panic surged through her. A group of the dead lurked nearby, their hollow eyes fixed on her with a predatory hunger.

Lena’s heart raced as she grabbed a piece of broken wood from the ground, wielding it like a weapon. She couldn’t let them get to her. Not now.

She faced the nearest zombie, whose rotting flesh was hanging loosely from its bones. It lunged at her, jaws snapping, but Lena sidestepped just in time. With a fierce swing of the wood, she struck the creature across the head, sending it staggering back.

But there were more, so many more. Lena’s breath quickened as she realized she was surrounded. Moments later, the menwho had chased her appeared through the door behind her, walking straight into the thick of it.

“Fuck, get back, there’s a group out here!” one man screamed as the rotten figure took hold of him, sinking its yellowed teeth into his flesh.

It took some heat off Lena, but she was still in trouble.

One of them had its sights set on her. The smell of her blood had enticed it. Lena fought with everything she had, her heart pounding in her ears. She struck out again and again, battling with her last, desperate reserves of strength.

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