Loud House: Infection of the Dead

by MrPotassiumK

Zombie Apocalypse: A plague has run rampant around the globe, infecting people and turning them into "roamers." In the wake of the apocalypse, the Louds must go through great lengths to ensure their survival, even if it may mean losing their humanity in the process. Who will survive in the end? (Not a crossover, just largely inspired by The Walking Dead)

14. Dirigo

Hey, it's MrPotassiumK, with a brand new chapter. I want to inform you guys that I changed the intro for Chapter 1 once again at the time this chapter came out. Sorry if it feels inconvenient, but I just felt like it was not important enough to start off the story, and honestly, I was just not feeling a Hong Kong storyline. I also want to address recent information about the Casagrandes' home city, which is I believe is in Great Lakes City (fictional city). For the sake of convenience, this universe will feature Albany as their homec city. With that out of the way, let's get on to the story! Hope you enjoy!

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Just a few miles left.

The words woven in the pages spoke to Luan as her eyes moved along the poem that Lucy wrote in her poetry book. Despite all the poems being dark and gloomy, they acted as a light to Luan as she read some of them over and over. She couldn't help but let a tear fall to a page, knowing that Lucy's talent will never be put to use again.

Lana scoffed as she pulled out a familiar pink dress out of a backpack of the same color. She knew that Lola would've taken another pair, yet she was still caught off-guard. Maybe her surprise came more from finding something that would preserve a memory of Lola. Nevertheless, she felt emotional and relieved.

Lisa pressed on the stuffed giraffe, attempting to find the source of its significance. After struggling to see anything of importance, Lisa stared at Rafo's face, its eyes and mouth smiling back. Of course, there's nothing special about this plush toy. Yet, Rafo made Darcy happy. Then, Lisa came to a realization. Rafo was special to her because it reminded her of happy times with Darcy back in her kindergarten class. Lisa felt a surge of emotions wash over her as she held Rafo tightly.

Lynn tossed the baseball up and down, making sure not to hit the roof of Vanzilla. She caught it every time, though she eventually got tired of it. She held the ball tightly and looked at Francisco's baseball, still containing the muddy stain that wouldn't get out no matter how much they scrubbed it. Lynn remembered hitting this ball over what must have felt like 105 miles per hour. She grinned as she realized the ball shattered Mr. Grouse's attic window. This memory led Lynn to hold the ball with both of her hands.

Leni flipped through pictures in the photo album and stopped at a certain picture. The photo showed a picture of her father and mother in front of their house, smiling at the camera. She looked out the window and frowned. Then, she looked back at the photo, ran her fingers through its smooth texture, and smiled. She closed the photo album and hugged it.

David looked ahead in the road.

George sat in the seat behind his and Vonda sat next to him. Becky leaned on Dana while she took a nap, while Wavehead read an Ace Savvy comic that Becky had in her bag. Rusty and Tabby sat by each other, leaning their heads against each others, remaining silent as they thought about Liam and Zach. Jeffrey and Preston sat in the seats by the booth table, both reading the Bible.

David continued to look ahead in the road. He thought about his wife more times than about his group. His group meant a lot to him, and still does, but his wife is family, and he would do anything for family. However, he often realizes that his group think of him as family, and he should feel the same way.

Only this might not be true. David thought to himself about this. Lori only wanted to motivate the others. Jeffrey and Preston sure as hell aren't family and Richard is drifting away from them. Perhaps, Lori's idea of the group being family was an idea brought up by desperate times. Did she even believed herself when she said that?

Richard tapped the pen at his left temple. He then palmed the pen with his right hand and wrote some names sloppily in a tiny notebook. He drew jagged lines between the names, trying to create some sort of understanding with these names. The names that were in the notebook were Lynn, George, Becky, Lori, and David. The only thing he understood about them was that they could turn the group against him, this being a major threat to his future life with Carol.

A helicopter flew over the group in the same direction their vehicles went. David, Lori, and Carol couldn't help but slow down their vehicles in order to watch the helicopter dive deeper into the horizon. A hill prevented the group from seeing where the helicopter landed at, though they all had an idea.

The RV, Vanzilla, and what used to be Chunk's van all parked on the right side of the road, covered by the hill from whatever force awaited them on the other side. The drivers in each vehicles turned off the engine and stepped outside.

Bobby grabbed Ronnie Anne's hands and helped Clyde stand with his crutches. Dana and Wavehead walked next to Becky, in case her fragile ankles caused her to fall to the rough pavement. Rusty and Tabby followed George and Vonda in their way out of the RV. Richard held Luna's homemade crutches as Carol and Sam helped Luna out of the car. Sergei led Jeffrey and Preston out of the RV, making them the last ones to leave their vehicles.

Lori held Leni's left hand and looked behind her. Luan held Lily, while Lana and Lisa walked behind Lincoln and Lynn. Luna limped over to them, watching the rest of the Louds hold hands. She held her right crutch under her left armpit and grabbed Lori's left hand.

Luna, Lori, Leni, Lincoln, Lynn, Lisa, Lana, and Luan held each other's hands in that order, creating a human wall. Lily wrapped her arms around Luan's shoulders, as the Louds walked up the hill. The Louds went ahead of the group and reached the top of the small hill first.

Chapter 14: Dirigo

I - Day 100

"Well, I guess it's time," said Luan.

"I can't believe it," said Lana. "We're here!"

"And on Day 100," stated Lisa. "What a coincidence."

"I don't know about you dudes, but I definitely feel butterflies flying 'round my stomach," said Luna.

"I feel nervous too," replied Lincoln.

"Everyone, just take a deep breath and… relax," suggested Lynn. "We're going to be fine."

"Is this where Mom and Dad are being kept?" asked Leni.

The helicopter hovered above what appeared to be a large runway near a city of tents and bunkers. A large, wide building stood next to the runway, an airport that now acts as the rogues' base. The airport most likely also houses General Black and the top ranking officers. To the left were four long buildings with two towers connected to each end. And even more to the left was a small town of houses and trees, keeping a certain type of Maine-charm.

"Not for long," replied Lori.

David looked at Houlton and its surrounding areas. He squinted, as most of the survivors did, yet they weren't able to see what was exactly occurring in the town.

He walked back to the RV and grabbed his M110 sniper rifle, and a pair of binoculars. He returned to the hill, held his hands in the air, and realized that it was not a windy day.

"Here you go," said David, handing the binoculars to Lori.

David adjusted the scope and looked through it, finding many armored vehicles driving around the runway and the perimeter of Houlton. Lori zoomed in with the binoculars and realized that the four buildings to the left of the runway were prisons, or used to be prisons.

"What do you see?" asked Lynn.

"Four prisons. David, you see it?"

"Yeah. Left of the runway?"

"Mhmm. You can tell because of the guard towers. Chances are, our parents are in there."

"You see this long gate? Seems to be mostly covered by fencing and barbed wire."

"Bill was right..." said Lori.

Richard rubbed his phantom thumb and sighed softly.

"...gate is heavily guarded. How are we supposed to pass through that?"

"We gotta find a weak spot," said David. "Which is what I'm looking for… right… now."

David zoomed out the scope and found a small semi-trailer truck driving in the road heading towards the group. The white truck carried a blank trailer, and as David zoomed in his scope at the windshield, he saw the driver and the passenger. He exited out of his scope and quickly patted Lori.

"Hey, over there!" warned David. "You see that?"

Lori nodded. David looked back at the group and saw that most of them nodded as well.

"I want some of you to grab some guns and surround the truck! The rest of you, head into the woods!"

David unholstered his gun and nodded at Richard and George. Richard held his Python out while George aimed his Glock at the truck. Lori walked back to Vanzilla and grabbed her AK-47 while the others walked to the van.

Sergei grabbed his M4. Benny grabbed an M4 as well, while Sam and Luan grabbed an UZI each. Becky, Wavehead, and Dana followed Bobby as they crossed the other side of the road.

Still hidden from the truck driver's view, the group placed themselves into position to surround the group as the kids dashed into the woods, only Rusty, Tabby, and Lincoln holding a gun. Leni carried Luna with her to the forest, leaving her crutches behind on the top of the hill.

"Hey, Steven, look!" said the passenger. "Crutches! Those will be helpful!"

"They're just… lying there," worriedly said the driver.

The truck slowed down as it neared the top of the hill, but not braking completely. Not until the truck started its slow descent down the hill and the driver found himself surrounded.

"Oh, hell," groaned the driver.

David, George, Richard, Carol, Luan, Benny, and Lynn aimed their guns at the driver's side of the truck. Lori, Bobby, Sergei, Sam, Becky, Dana, and Wavehead aimed their guns at the passenger's side of the truck.

"What do we do?" asked the passenger.

"Just raise your arm and leave the truck, slowly," replied the driver.

David stood up as the driver opened the door and raised his arms up. The driver's glasses were falling to the tip of his nose, which led him to push them back slowly near his eyes. He then fixed the collar of his white coat and returned his hands back in the air. The passenger, about half of the driver's age, watched the driver, not paying attention to Lori walking close to the truck.

A tap in the window caused the passenger to flinch as Lori aimed the gun at her a few feet behind the door. The passenger released her seatbelt and opened the door, gripping her white coat. Lori looked at her hazel eyes, leading the passenger to raise her arms as she turned her face away from Lori. She was no taller than her.

"Can I help you with something?" asked the driver, shivering.

"Who are you people?" asked David.

"I'm, uh, Dr. Steven White. Back there… is my assistant, Haley… Jennings."

"Your name?" asked Lori.

"My name? Oh! Uh, I'm, uh, Haley."

"Walk this way."

Lori turned Haley around and walked her to the other side of the road where David continued to hold Dr. White at gunpoint. The group lowered their guns and looked around.

"What are you going to do to us?" asked Haley.

"Nothing you should be worried about if you don't try to do anything funny," said David. "Is there anyone else in there we should know about?"

"No," responded Dr. White. "There's just–"

"You guys came from Houlton, am I correct?"

"Y-Y-Yeah."

"Where are you headed?"

"Nowhere!"

"I don't like bullshit responses."

David cocked his M9 and aimed it back at Dr. White.

"We're just going some place in the woods to run some errands!" yelped Dr. White. "Who are you people?"

"We… are the family of the people held hostage in those shithole prisons of yours!" said Lori.

"You mean the Units?" asked Haley.

"The rogue soldiers," said David. "You know what they're doing there. Is it true that they're experimenting on the people there?"

"How'd you guys know that?" asked Dr. White.

"How close are you with General Black? What's your involvement with the prisoners?"

"I'm close with Black! And I personally manage the experimentations! But, you gotta understand! I'm being held against my will! Both Haley and I! We don't like Black! We don't!"

"How close are you with Black?" asked David.

"I'm his doctor. And the doctor of every one of his 'rogue' soldiers. And the doctor of every one his prisoners. How'd you know Black would be here?"

"How's his eye doing?"

Dr. White and Haley looked at each other, both of their jaws hanging about.

"Were you in Royal Woods eleven days after the Global Infection Event? You saw the battle that went down?"

"Saw it?" David lowered his gun. "I'm the one who shot his fucking eye out."

Dr. White smiled then frowned.

"You should've went for the brain."

David chuckled softly.

"How many roamers have you killed?"

Richard squinted his eyes. Dr. White stuttered as he tried to figure out how David knew of the term.

"None."

David looked at Lori who rolled her eyes. David then looked at Haley.

"What about you?"

"Umm, I think seventeen."

"How many people have you killed?"

"One."

David turned towards Dr. White.

"Oh, me? None. No one."

"Why?" asked David.

"I was fortunate enough that Black didn't let me do the dirty work for him."

The whole group turned towards Haley.

"Why?" asked David, once more.

"I didn't want my father to be treated like some kind of lab rat."

David lowered his gun, prompting everyone else to do so too. Dr. White and Haley lowered their arms, still frightened by David.

"Are you going to tell us how you knew about the soldiers and General Black?" asked Dr. White.

"Yeah," responded David. "And a whole journey that came with it."

Lisa inspected Clyde's stump while Richard watched the rogue soldiers in Houlton with the binoculars. Lori asked for Carol's Polaroid to which Carol agreed to give up for a few seconds. Lori walked on top of the hill and zoomed slightly in at Houlton. She snapped a picture and grabbed the photo, handing the camera back to Carol.

"We found a knife by Bill's hands, so we concluded that Bill stabbed the boy," said David. "Just when you think you know a person…"

Richard didn't look back at the group, yet he still knew that Lynn stared at him with judgmental eyes.

"Perhaps, he thought that the boy was a roamer?" said Dr. White. "If he was killed near the door, then chances were, he didn't know the boy was human!"

"Maybe," said David, trying not to look at Richard. "Maybe not."

Haley removed her coat, revealing her white t-shirt with blue jeans. Her red sneakers didn't match her brunette hair tied in a ponytail like Luan.

Dr. White on the other hand, kept his coat on, hiding his white button shirt and partially covering his khaki pants. His black dress shoes didn't match his graying hair combed to the back of his head.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," said David. "Is it true that everyone is infected?"

Dr. White nodded as he walked to the top of the hill. Haley stood up and followed him, leaving David with a thousand questions in his head.

"Really? Can you please elaborate?"

"What is there to explain, David? We all have the infection of the dead. You die and you become one of them. Unless, of course, your brain has been… liquidated."

"But how are we still alive?" Lori asked, joining in the conversation.

"Strong immune systems," replied Dr. White.

"But, what about Lily?"

Lori pointed out at the baby held by Luan.

"I'm not too sure. You know I'm still studying the disease."

"Studying it? What, are you trying to find a cure for it or something?" asked Richard.

The conversation caught Lisa's attention, causing her to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Yeah, you got it," answered Dr. White.

"Perhaps, I can assist?" asked Lisa.

"Lisa Loud. I heard about you. Junior Nobel prize recipient. How was the–"

"Guys, we got bigger things to worry about," said Richard. "There seems to be a convoy of armored vehicles patrolling the perimeter. They might head this way."

"Yeah," said Haley, "in twenty minutes."

"We're not going to have enough time to remove 'em," said Dr. White.

"Remove what?" asked David.

Dr. White opened the trailer door, letting out a strong odor of decaying flesh. The air seemed heavy as David covered his nose and looked at the pile of roamers inside the trailer.

"Roamers?" coughed David.

"Deceased roamers. Here, take a mask," said Haley. "And a pair of gloves."

"No, my group has this handled. You two are going to help me out. Richard, you got the map of Houlton?"

Richard, George, Sergei, Bobby, and Jeffrey all had their masks and gloves on, removing the bodies from the truck. They dumped them in the bushes in the woods as fast as they could.

Haley continued to label the map while Dr. White drew a layout of the interior of the Units. David watched as the armored vehicles continued to patrol the perimeter. Lori remained close to Haley and Dr. White.

"Done!" exclaimed Haley, showing the map to David. "This line represents the fence and barbed wire that you see in Houlton. This circle represents the military zone, meaning you'll find most of the soldiers and their equipment stationed in there. These buildings are the Units. These dotted lines represent the line in which the patrols walk in. This is the armory…"

"What about you?" David asked Dr. White. "Finished over there?"

"Yes. Unit A. This is B, to the right of A–"

"This is exactly how the safe-zone in Detroit was set up," said Lori.

"And in Boston," added Haley. "Plenty of safe-zones were set up like this."

"Anyway," continued Dr. White. "The X's are where the guards stand to… guard."

"This is very helpful, thank you very much," said David. "Just one more thing."

Richard, George, Sergei, Bobby, and Jeffrey removed their gloves and masks as they walked back with the group.

"I need you to get us inside the gates," said David.

"How do you think I'll be able to do that?" asked Dr. White.

"Can't you remove the guards from their positions? Create an area where we'll be able to pass through?"

"Impossible. I don't have the authority to do that. And even if I did, I can't remove all the guards. They'll spot you and you'll be shot!"

David looked at the van.

"Maybe we could launch an attack from the outside. Force our way in. Then we'll move to the armory and then on to the Units. Think you can free a few prisoners so they can go to the armory?"

"I got a better idea," said Dr. White. "There is this area that is poorly guarded and for a reason. There are no roads, so you're going to have to walk there. Perhaps, I can distract the guard and you guys will be able to get inside."

"What about our weapons? We gotta free the prisoners somehow!"

"We can put them in the truck!" suggested Haley. "Crates, right?"

David nodded.

"Looks like we have a plan."

Dr. White and Haley entered their truck. Richard stood behind the rear door, shuffling through the crates. Everyone older than Lincoln except Jeffrey, Preston, Sergei, Leni, Luna, and Sam, grabbed a weapon before heading to Houlton. The crates were filled with weapons, but ammo was running dangerously low.

Richard closed the back door and hopped off of the truck. David gave a thumbs up to Dr. White, meaning he was able to return to Houlton. He turned the truck around and drove ahead in the road, just before the convoy of armored cars headed out of Houlton.

Luna remained flat on her stomach with an AR-15, looking out into Houlton with Sam also lying in the ground next to her with a pair of binoculars. Sam only had an M9 and a tactical knife in the grass. David walked over to them, with his M110 rifle.

"Hey, girls. Sam, can you leave Luna and I alone for a bit?"

"Sure thing. I'll just be over there by the RV."

Sam stood up and left David and Luna alone. Lori leaned on Vanzilla and stared at both of them, wondering what David was going to do. She didn't want to appear as if she was eavesdropping, so she grabbed her rifle and pretended to check its magazine.

"Hey, Luna. How are you feeling?"

"Bloody nervous, David. Are you sure you want me here? I don't think I'm up for this."

"That's why I'm here. I want to help you feel relaxed. I'm not gonna lie, you are going to feel some pressure. You're not the only one."

"Hundreds of meters away, you think I'm up for that? I never fired a shot that far."

"That's only if you need to. Remember, there is no loss with you missing your targets. Your primary objective is to be our third eye. Trust me, you'll do a good job at it."

David handed Luna his sniper rifle.

"I don't want you using that crap. You gotta have a real-deal kinda rifle. Now, if you want to have an accurate shot, you hold your breath and move the gun steadily. However, you should be more worried about the scope. Twist this to zoom in. Twist this to zoom out."

"Okay. I think I got it," sighed Luna.

"Do not get frustrated if you miss shot after shot. This is your first time and all I care about is you guiding us. Remember, Sam is going to be next to you, helping you out. She has your back like you have ours."

"Thanks, David."

"My pleasure. Also, you're gonna need this."

David handed a scope to Luna, before he stood up and checked his M9 as he walked to Lori. Luna placed the scope in the grass next to her. Sam returned to her spot next to Luna. Lori smiled at David.

"What?" grunted David.

"Nothing, just… you care about my sisters!" smiled Lori.

"Of course. She reminds me when I first started out in the Marines in… nevermind."

"David?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

"You don't talk a lot about your time in the military. Were you a sniper? Probably a stupid question–"

"No, not stupid. Yes, I was a scout sniper. Umm, I don't like talking about my time in the military. It's nothing, let's just go."

"Alright. Everyone!" shouted Lori. "Does everyone understand the plan?"

Parts of the group shouted in agreement. David waved his hands, motioning the group to follow him.

"I don't want you guys to worry about me, okay?" reassured Lori.

"You'll be back, right?" asked Leni.

Lori nodded and hugged Leni.

"I know you can do it, Lori," said Lincoln. "You're tougher than nails."

"Thanks, bro. That means a lot."

Lori hugged Lincoln as well.

"You look out for Leni and Lana, alright?"

"You know I will," said Lincoln.

Lori returned with the others as they walked down the hill towards Houlton. Lincoln watched Lori walk next to Bobby and didn't realize that Ronnie Anne stood next to him.

"Hey, Lame-o. Are you coming with me to the RV? Your friends are in there."

"They're your friends too, Ronnie. And I'm just waiting until Lori goes into the woods."

"Same here. I should've went with them, but Bobby didn't want me to go."

The group crossed the road and walked into the woods, gone from sight.

"I only consider Tabby my friend," said Ronnie Anne. "I don't really talk to Rusty and Clyde. You're something else, though. Best friends, right?"

"Yeah. Let's go to the RV."

II - Ghost Town

Lori and David walked ahead of the group, with the others looking out for any nearby roamers. The group moved for many minutes until Lori and David paused.

David uncovered a shrub and pointed at the mesh fence and a rogue soldier standing behind it. Lori felt her heart beat faster and her fingers becoming damper.

"C'mon. Let's keep moving," whispered David.

The group moved to the left, through the low branches and the thick shrubs. Some areas were relatively open but hidden from outside of the woods.

The armored vehicles returned to their base. Dr. White drove the truck towards the spot that that he was supposed to clear out before being stopped by two rogue soldiers.

"What are you doing here, doctor? Aren't you supposed to drive to the base?" asked one of the soldiers.

"I just had to take Haley somewhere," replied Dr. White.

"You finished your errands? Let me check the truck!"

"Will that be necessary?"

The soldier opened the rear door of the truck and found bloody stains inside. He also found three crates, one for firearms, one for ammunition, and another for equipment and knives.

"Hey, doc! Where'd you find this?" asked the soldier.

"Found it on one of the vehicles! Seemed abandoned, so Haley and I just brought it with us! I'll just bring in to the armory–"

"Nah, don't worry about it, doc! We'll take it for now!"

The two soldiers removed the crates from the truck, one by one, into a small, empty house. Dr. White grumbled as Haley looked ahead nervously.

David read the map, then peeked through between two bushes. He found a small gate tied by a rope from the fence to the edge of the gate. He returned with the group and turned on his walkie-talkie.

"We're here," said David. "Can you give us a sitrep?"

Luna zoomed in on the scope. She licked her lips and smiled as she located the area where the group was supposed to be at with a clear sight in the scope. Sam turned on the walkie-talkie, allowing Luna to speak into it.

"It's just one wanker sitting by the gate. I think he's… smoking. Anyways, it looks like he has an assault rifle, a pistol, body armor– no helmet– and his uniform, nothing else."

"Is Dr. White there?" asked David.

"Oh, no. Not yet."

David looked back at the group. Some of the group members sat in the grass, awaiting for further instruction.

The soldiers banged on the truck door and smiled at Dr. White.

"Take care, doc!" said one of the soldiers.

Dr. White started the truck and drove it ahead in the street. After making a right turn, then a left turn, and then another left turn, he found himself in a narrow street behind a neighborhood of houses. Since the street he was stopped in didn't have a four-way intersection, the soldiers were unaware that he parked not more than two hundred feet away from the house with the weapons crates.

"That house," said Dr. White. "You bring the man there. I'll be in this house, then when they come, we'll take 'em over there. By then, I'll lead him away. Got it?"

"Yeah," replied Haley, exiting the truck. "I'm not very comfortable with it, though."

"You don't have to do it. I can come up with another distraction."

"No, I'll do it. Just come as fast as you can, okay?"

Dr. White nodded. He walked inside the house as Haley walked away, setting the plan into motion.

Sam followed Haley with her binoculars while Luna kept the crosshairs in her scope below her feet. Sam turned on the walkie-talkie again.

"Haley is heading towards the guard. Is that part of the plan?" asked Luna.

David responded affirmatively. He peeked through the bushes and found the guard tossing his smoke to the ground. After seeing Haley in the distance, he returned with his group.

Haley walked looking down at the ground and her hands inside the pockets in her lab coat. The guard squinted his eyes at her and placed his hands on his chin. Haley clenched her teeth and let out a nervous sigh.

"Hey, Lukeman. Watcha' doing?"

"I'm on watch for this area. Doesn't look kinda obvious, Haley?"

"Right, that was a dumb question," said Haley, letting out a nervous laugh. "Wanna have lunch with me?"

"Is that another dumb question?" asked Private Lukeman.

"No, I'm serious! I caught you looking at me several times. Least I can do is have a nice date with you."

"Sure. But, uhh, can we settle for dinner? I got a job to do and I just got on Black's good side."

"Don't worry about it!" Haley smiled. "Dr. White's getting another guy to guard the gates! C'mon, if you like, we can go somewhere private… Private!"

Lukeman looked around and was able to form a nasty smile. Haley felt chills go down her spine as Lukeman nodded and reached for her right hand.

"Lead the way," said Lukeman.

Haley headed away from the gates with Lukeman next to her. She twisted and crossed her fingers with her left hand, tucking it inside her coat pockets before she left the street with Lukeman.

Luna watched Haley leave with the rogue soldier, allowing her to give David new information.

"The gates are clear. Closest rogue would be two blocks away. Move quickly."

"Roger that."

David peeked his head through the bushes and then waved his hands at the group, motioning them to follow him. The group moved swiftly to the small gates, not taller than two people standing on top of each other. However, David tugged on the rope and noticed how uniquely it was tied.

"Stand back," whispered Benny. "I got this."

Benny lifted his sword and swung it down, cutting the rope tying the gate to the fence. The gate remained still, but now David was able to open it to allow the group to come inside Houlton.

After all the infiltrators went inside the guarded ghost town, David closed the gates so that it would line up with the fence. He placed the rope around a gate bar, as if nothing ever happened to it.

David ran back with the group, pointing at the street ahead. However, his walkie-talkie crackled.

"You know those rogues two blocks away? Two of them are heading your way!" warned Luna. "They're about to make a turn on the intersection in about seven seconds!"

"Shit! This way, guys, this way!" exclaimed David softly. "This house! To the backyard!"

The group dashed between the driveway and the next house, making their way to the backyard. They found an empty pool, a tree with a wheel hanging below it, a pool house, and a rocking chair. The group raised their weapons and aimed at the pathway that led them to the backyard.

"They're looking at the house strangely," said Luna. "I think they made you out! Hide!"

The two rogues slowly walked through the pathway, with their weapons ready to take down the source of the sound. The soldiers were almost sure they heard intruders. However, when they arrived at the backyard, they found no intruders, unless they counted a frog from the swamp a few miles west of Houlton.

The frog jumped from the wheel below the tree to the rocking chair, letting out a ribbit that fooled the rogue soldiers. However, they were still not convinced.

Lori and David watched the two rogues walk a couple feet away from the pool house through small bullet holes in the door. One of the rogues strided a few inches away from Lori's right eye, causing a shadow to befall on the group inside the pool house.

"C'mon there ain't anything, Sturgess. Just a damn frog looking to get some. Let's leave it alone."

Sturgess remained still with his back turned on the group. He continued to look around, almost turning his face to the door of the pool house.

David turned his head at the two people closest to him. Richard nodded while Lori shook her head. He held his knife tightly, ready to lunge, but his guts held him back.

"We got other things to worry about. Like where the hell did Lukeman go?"

"Probably stalking that Haley girl," said Sturgess, his voice sounding deeper than the other soldier. "You know he got his eyes on her."

"Right! Though, he wishes she can take off her damn coat just to see how her ass looks like. Some of the other guys seen it but I think they're just bullshittin'."

The two rogues headed out of the backyard.

"They gotta be bullshitting. I ain't ever seen her without her lab coat on, but damn you know we ain't need to. Just her face alone… damn!"

Lori felt slightly disgusted, but relieved that the rogues were gone. She looked through a hole and saw the frog leap away.

"Let's go," said Richard.

"No. Wait. Just for a minute or two," whispered David. "They could still be lingering outside in the street."

The walkie-talkie crackled again.

"You guys are in the shed by the pool, right? You're clear. The two rogue wankers are walking southwards. They left."

"Thank you so much, Luna," sighed Lori.

David opened the door and allowed the group to come out the pool house. They looked back at the pool house and found a large stain of dried blood in the wooden floor.

"Explains the smell," said Wavehead.

"Let's go," said David, pulling out the map of Houlton. "We're a block away."

Luan closed the pool house door and followed the group to the front yard.

The increasing intensity of the heat slowed the group down, though they didn't stop for anything. In their light jog, the group members observed their surroundings and noticed that most windows were covered by curtains. Though, Richard found it strange that there were no American flags hanging outside the houses, or any flags for that matter. The neighborhoods didn't seem real.

Few minutes passed by, and Dr. White noticed the group approached the house he was at. He patted his torso and loosened his collar as David motioned the group to stop.

The group stood by the truck, looking around for the doctor. After a few seconds, Dr. White opened the door and motioned the group to come inside.

Dr. White turned on the powerful battery-powered lamp, providing light for the group inside the house. Becky sat on the couch in the living room next to Carol.

"Did anyone see you?" asked Dr. White.

David took a sip of water from his canister.

"No. Time to come up with a plan. Too bad Lincoln isn't here, 'cause I bet he coulda came up with a great plan."

"Just a small problem. Two rogues inspected the truck and now the weapons aren't in the truck anymore."

David clenched his teeth while Dr. White walked to the back of the house, opened the curtains for the back windows, and pointed outside. Though another backyard stood in the way, there was a small area where the street behind the house could be seen.

"That house over there. The one with the oak tree. That's where your weapons are."

David rubbed his chin.

"Let's go then. When there's no one around, we sneak there and get our weapons back."

"Another small problem. Haley distracted one of the soldiers for you people. They're inside. Which means you guys have to stay here."

"Can't you take him somewhere else?"

"I can take him back to the Units, but once I do, I won't be able to come back to this house until tomorrow. We gotta come up with a plan."

David remained silent and returned with the group. Then, he formulated many thoughts together.

"There are guards in the Units, we know that. We need to take 'em out in order to distribute the weapons to the hostages. YOU, Dr. White, need to be there to open the cells. There's no way this group could sneak to the Units without getting caught by the other rogues. Therefore, the truck is outta the question for now. How do you take out the guards inside the Units as stealthily and quickly as possible before we can give the weapons to the hostages?"

Haley took a sip of water on the stairs inside the house, listening to Lukeman talk about his time in boot camp.

"And sure it was hard, but it weren't that hard. Not for me at least. Especially running two miles. I guess you can say, I have… excellent stamina."

Haley found a garbage can by the sink. She walked to it to toss her and Lukeman's water bottles. However, Lukeman stood up and followed her to the point where he was inches away from her back.

"Why don't we take this upstairs?" whispered Lukeman. "We can talk about other things."

"No, no. Keep telling me about boot camp. Sounds very interesting."

Haley walked away from the kitchen and into the living room, anxiously awaiting Dr. White's return. Lukeman sat on the couch.

"You don't sound very interested in it. Getting a little bored? We can get on to other things…"

Haley continued twisting and crossing her fingers.

"That sounds nice, but–"

She gasped as Lukeman grabbed her waist and forced her down on the couch.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for this," grinned Lukeman.

The group lowered their voices down until no one spoke at all. David stood in front of the shattered TV ready to announce whether to set the plan in motion or reject it and look for another plan.

"Bring the shackles, George," declared David. "We're going along with the plan."

Bobby looked down and felt defeated. Despite his protests, Lori insisted on acting on the plan. Still, Bobby tried again to convince her to change her mind. He and Lori walked away from the group to talk in private.

"Babe, please don't go. It's too dangerous. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you!"

"I have to go, Boo-Boo Bear. You don't understand how important this is."

"Can't someone else go? It could be Richard or Sergei…"

"They'll be recognized! And it's important to me! I have to see my family! I have to know if they're still alive!"

"Then, let me come with you!" exclaimed Bobby.

"Bobby. The reason we all chose George is because I didn't want anything to happen to you!"

"That's what I'm worried about–"

"I mean your humanity, Bobby! I don't want you to destroy your humanity for me! You have no idea what taking a life does to you! Once you do it, you can never go back. The hours of sleep that you lose. The images that haunt you in the hours that you sleep. But I learned how to handle it because that's who I am. But you, Bobby, you're different. You're too good for this world, and doing this, trust me, it'll literally destroy you!"

Bobby looked down, realizing his girlfriend is right.

"You don't have to change for me," whispered Lori. "You'll change… but not yet."

Lori walked back with the group.

"Ready?" asked George.

Lori nodded. She raised her arms in front of her along with George. Dr. White handcuffed both of them using George's cuffs. Then, he lead both of them out of the house. But before Lori left, she nodded at Bobby, who was behind everyone else, letting him know that she was going to be alright.

"How does it feel?" asked Lori. "You know, being handcuffed?"

"Not my first time," George grinned. "Though, it is the first time I'm going to prison."

George pulled on the handcuffs.

"Damn! I hate these things! Almost makes me feel sorry for the low-life scums I arrested. ALMOST."

Dr. White whispered to himself as he continued to look at the photo of Rita and Lynn Sr.

"Ah! Yes, I remember where they are," exclaimed Dr. White as he pocketed the photo inside his coat.

Lukeman pressed on her chest, leading Haley to gasp in an uncomfortable way. She tried shoving him away, but he gripper her arms with one hand and the back of her neck with the other.

"Lukeman! Wait– ugh– wait!"

"No time for waiting. C'mon, stop struggling. You know you want this, you slut!"

She gasped as Lukeman shoved her head down to the couch. He lifted her coat and began to force himself onto her.

Haley wriggled her right arm loose and swung it upwards, smacking Lukeman's chin.

"Shit! I don't like it rough!" yelled Lukeman.

"Too bad!"

Haley pushed herself away from the couch down to the floor, causing both herself and Lukeman to tumble down. She landed on top of Lukeman and quickly moved away. Lukeman groaned as he picked himself up.

Haley opened the curtains for one of the windows and noticed Dr. White with Lori and George walking closer to the house.

She turned around. She yelped as Lukeman grabbed her shirt.

"Oh, you slut! You shouldn't have done that!"

Haley looked at him with fear in her hazel eyes. Her eyes then turned towards the door as Dr. White entered the house.

"Oh, it's just you, doctor," sighed Lukeman, releasing Haley.

Haley's messy hair unraveled to its long form. She tied it back into a ponytail and fixed her coat while Lori looked at Lukeman in disgust.

"I wouldn't be so relieved, Lukeman," Dr. White said sternly. "I'm seeing some serious discipline in the future. K.H.A.N. rules, remember them?"

"How 'bout I break 'em anyways? What's your smartass going to do it about it if I stop you from talkin'?"

"Keep talking to me like that, and you're going to have to deal with Black," whispered Dr. White.

Lukeman licked his lips and placed his hand on his chin.

"Who the hell are these people anyways? Prisoners?"

"TS-18 and TS-34. You'll be helping me escort them back to the Units. Do it and I'll forget this thing ever happened."

"But, I'm on guard–"

"I took care of that for you," said Dr. White. "Sturgess is covering for you."

Lukeman nodded.

"Let's go."

Dr. White nodded at Haley. Lori and George followed him out of the house. Haley watched the four of them leave the street, and she was finally free to go meet with the group.

Richard scribbled on the notebook, using his right palm to use the pen. He sat on the dark stairs, his book turned away from everyone.

"I'm not the only one who finds him suspicious, right?" asked Lynn.

"Let him have his privacy," replied David. "It's not easy dealing with a loss. You know what we should be talking about? The stunt you pulled yesterday. Wandering off into the woods with the other kids at night!"

"We were trying to protect some of the group!" Lynn whispered loudly. "We wanted to stop Richard before he did anything because you didn't do anything. And guess what. He did. He did do something."

"Lynn, your suspicions were misled. Richard pushed D off of the store because he had to! If he hadn't, D would've been devoured by the roamers engulfing the store!"

"And they still did! Not only that, he was also ready to put a bullet in Becky's head!"

"Okay, alright, quiet down," whispered David. "I have my suspicions too. But we gotta give him a chance! He lost someone very close to him just a month ago, and he's still having trouble moving on. Give it some time."

"I lost someone a month ago, too."

Lynn gulped. She felt uncomfortable thinking about her younger sister, but she only blamed herself for starting a conversation with David.

"It doesn't mean I want to go on a murderous rampage," whispered Lynn. "That's why I followed him. I know he's killing members of our own group, and you're blind to this."

"What are you talking about? Richard said he followed you guys into the woods."

"Yeah, I know. I don't believe him. I followed his tracks."

"Then, why didn't you end up in the cabin? Only near, but not inside," rebutted David.

Lynn couldn't find an answer. She was so sure that Richard murdered Zach, but when looking at the bigger picture, she realized the lack of evidence she had. Could it have just been misunderstandings after misunderstandings?

Carol walked up to Richard with fresh bandages, a bottle of water, and a rag. She peeled off a bandage from his forehead and cleaned the wound with the damp rag.

"What are you doing, Richie?"

"Making a plan. I gotta keep George and the kids quiet about the things they heard of me."

Carol stopped in the middle of peeling a bandage in Richard's nose.

"You're going to silence them?"

He nodded. Carol peeled off the bandage, placing a mild sting on Richard.

"Why do you say that so… sinisterly?" asked Carol.

"I didn't mean to come off like some sort of crime lord. That's not what I mean. But you need to understand, that these rumors… their paranoia, they don't trust me anymore. Look what it led to."

Richard lightly tapped on the wound on his jaw that Carol cleaned up.

"You're right," admitted Carol. "I know exactly how you feel."

"Pretty soon, this paranoia is going to hurt someone close to me. And I figure, sooner or later, someone's going to take a guess and figure out about us."

Carol frowned. Richard looked at the group.

"I promise you I won't hurt them."

Richard looked back at Carol.

"But if either one of them threaten you or hurt you… well, I cannot promise you that I'll keep my promise."

The door opened, and David immediately aimed his pistol at the visitor. Haley looked up and yelped, but she immediately caught her breath as David lowered the gun.

"God! Maybe I should've knocked first!"

"My bad. Is the plan in motion?"

"Yeah. We should move to the other house now."

David looked at his group.

"It's go time. Who's driving the truck?"

III - The Harsh Reality

Lori tugged on her handcuffs. She looked away from the handcuffs and looked around her. The roads were wide and clear of vehicles. The abundance of trees reminded her of Royal Woods. She saw a steel gate in the entrance a hundred feet right of her. Near the entrance, a house stood with the only tree in the street.

George found the lack of buildings strange, until he saw the towers in the distance. Though, it technically isn't a building, George felt relieved to see something that can stand higher than 30 feet from the ground.

The mesh fence door between the town and military zone was opened by Lukeman. Dr. White led Lori and George through the mesh fences and into the military zone.

Lori saw helicopters sitting still in the runway in the distance. There were many armored cars near the former airport. She noticed that this whole area transformed into a military base. However, she didn't walk towards the runway.

After walking for a few minutes along the fence and the barbed wire that stood above it, she found the prisons, or the Units. On top of a tower stood a rogue guard with a scoped M4.

George noticed that the color of the grass around the prison faded from the emerald color he saw in the town to a walnut brown color.

As both prisoners approached the prison, they spotted a large 'A' on the wall above the metal door guarded by a steel cage. A few windows with steel bars stood next to the door, though it was too high up to look through.

Lukeman opened the caged door, then the metal door. He held the latter open and allowed Dr. White to lead the prisoners inside the Unit.

The air smelled damp and musty with traces of mildew on the brick wall. A small light bulb flickered softly every five feet apart. Noisy sounds echoed throughout the dark halls, such as when Lukeman shut the metal door to enter the prison.

A woman sobbed as a rogue soldier returned with her from across the hall. Her stomach had many cuts and a bandage was wrapped around her neck. The rogue opened a cell and shoved the woman inside, shutting the cell gate while she lied flat on the ground, letting her tears fall to the dusty, concrete floor.

Lori's goosebumps scattered around her body, as she looked at the prisoners in the cells. The hallway seemed to go on forever, until Dr. White told her to turn left. She and George walked on another hallway, though the cells were larger.

"To your right," said Dr. White. "Lukeman, open the cell."

Lori faced the cell to her right and covered her mouth as she muffled her gasp. Tears formed in her eyes and her heart leaped all over the place.

Rita and Lynn Sr. looked at their daughter, astounded and speechless. Both of them couldn't believe it. Even though their ragged clothes held blood stains and their faces were bruised, Lynn and Rita felt a sense of good luck surging through them.

Before Lori and her parents said anything, Dr. White hushed both of them without making a noise as Lukeman turned around and returned his keys.

"What'd you need them for anyway?" asked Lukeman.

"Special experiment," said Dr. White as he uncuffed Lori and George. "Might need them again later. Might need you later."

"So, we cool now?"

Dr. White lightly shoved Lori and George into the cell. He closed and locked the cell and nodded. Lukeman and Dr. White walked away from the cell and out of the prison.

George looked out of the cell while he rubbed his wrists.

"They're gone now," he whispered.

Lori wiped a tear from her face as her lips trembled softly.

"Mom. Dad."

Rita and Lynn looked at her, both of them tearing up on as well. Lori broke into a soft smile as she walked closer to them. She then hugged both of them, leading them to hug her back with tears running down their cheeks.

"Oh, my beautiful daughter," sniffled Lynn.

"I knew it," sniffled Rita. "I knew we would be together again."

"I missed you guys so much," whimpered Lori.

"We did too," said Lynn.

"Are you alright?" asked Rita. "Did they hurt you? What'd they do to you?"

"Nothing. Nothing, I'm fine. The others and I… we came here for you guys…"

"Awe, this is so sweet," said one of the other prisoners in the same cell. "I'm Ted. This dude above me is Kotaro. We're buddies with your father."

"You've seen my children?" asked Kotaro. "Perhaps my wife at least?"

"No, I'm sorry," replied Lori. "I… uh–"

"Guys, let her have a moment," said George.

"Oops. My bad," apologized Ted.

Lori looked at her parents again. She couldn't believe it. She finally reunited with them. Now, it was time to reunite them with the other Louds.

"Are your sisters and Lincoln okay?" asked Lynn Sr.

Lori felt a sting in her heart that melted the moment of happiness. She struggled to come up with a response.

"Yeah… they're alright. Even Bobby, Ronnie Anne, and Clyde are fine."

Rita and Lynn looked at Lori's worried expression.

"What's wrong?" asked Rita.

"Our journey… it wasn't so easy. We lost people. People that my group and I cared about."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, come here, Lori," whispered Rita, holding her daughter tightly.

"You shouldn't be here," said Lynn. "Sorry to ruin this JOYFUL moment, but this isn't exactly a place you would wanna be in."

"Don't worry about it, Dad. We have a plan. Mom, Dad, meet George Cane."

"Former FBI agent. I came here from New York with the group your daughter's in."

"H-How'd you find us?" Rita asked both George and Lori. "How'd you get here?"

"Well… it's a long story," said Lori. "But first… I want to admit something. In order to protect the people closest to us… I had to k-kill others. I'm sorry for not being the same daughter three months ago."

"Lori, it's okay," reassured Lynn.

"I saw you in Royal Woods. You tried to liberate us– I think– and I saw what you did to these evil army men. I knew that your Pop-Pop's gun training was going to come useful one day."

"Oh, Mom, you have no idea. It all began after the bombing in Detroit…"

Luna munched on an apple while watching the sunset with Sam. Leni approached both girls with a bucket of apples.

"You guys want some apples? Presty found some more," exclaimed Leni.

"Presty? Dude," snickered Luna. "Don't you think you're getting a little too close with this Christian Boy Scout?"

"He's not Christian! He's Mormon!" exclaimed Leni.

Sam almost choked on a bite of her apple while Luna looked at Leni with raised eyebrows.

"Oh geez," sighed Luna. "We're good. Our little bro might need some apples."

Leni smiled and walked to the RV. Sam looked at Luna.

"Oh my– did she really–!"

"Yeah, I know, I know. She can be a tad… ditzy. But I still love her!"

"You think Preston and his uncle like us? I mean… what do they think about us?" wondered Sam.

"I don't know and I don't care. I love you regardless of what anyone thinks."

"You… love me?" whispered Sam.

Luna blushed after realizing she used THAT L-word. Her mind went blank and all she could do was nod slowly.

"I love you too!" exclaimed Sam.

Sam moved closer to Luna and kissed her, while placing her right elbow in the grass. The sun set, and Leni came out with her bucket, still containing apples. Since she adored the couple, she held her hands over her heart while her eyes glowed at the couple. Luna looked back and saw Leni smile at her. She blushed and smiled back.

The truck stood outside of the house where the weapon crates were kept. Darkness fell upon the truck and the soldiers had not returned yet. Richard looked out the window and grumbled to himself.

"Oh that's great, isn't it?" said Richard. "Think the soldiers didn't come back because they had to deal with Lori and George? This plan of yours, David, it ain't gonna work."

"If you had anything better, why didn't you share it with us?" argued David.

"I did. Yesterday. I wanted us to stay in Medway to come up with a better plan. Time matters."

"These people, those people in the Units don't have time!"

"Haven't you heard? The two most powerful warriors are patience and time."

David chuckled softly. Carol stood up from the dark stairs and inched closer to both men while still being a few feet away.

"Where'd you hear that bullshit from?"

"Some Russian dude. Point is… every time you plan something, things go to shit! Every time you trust a stranger, things go to shit! No offense, Haley."

Haley looked at both men while rubbing her thumb and index finger.

"What are you suggesting?" asked David.

"Stop. Blindly. Trusting. Strangers! Everyone in the group knows this won't end well for us! We don't even know what this Dr. White guy is like."

"He's not a bad dude!" blurted out Haley.

"He conducts experiments on these people. Doesn't he?"

"You don't understand! He's forced to! You think he would actually enjoy inflicting pain on these poor prisoners?"

"It don't seem like he shies away from the words 'test subject'!"

"Why are you telling us now–?" asked David.

"Because it's not too late to pull out now, David. We can wait until General Black and the others leave. Haley, you said that would occur tonight, right?"

"Yeah. Just for two days, though. But Colonel Ash is taking charge in those–"

"We can take 'em on tomorrow. We can formulate a better plan."

"What happened to you?" whispered David. "You used to take on these kinds of risks. And now you're scared for your life?"

"Aren't we all? This is dangerous territory. We're going against people as strong as me, even stronger. These people are well trained."

"What, we're just going to leave Lori and George in their cells, awaiting whatever pain will be inflicted on them?"

"That's if White's a coward enough to do it, just to protect his own sack. He's a stranger. And most importantly, we can't trust him. He could be a threat."

"If anyone threatens our group… I'll kill them. Stranger or not, they're not getting away with it."

Luan and Benny leaned on each other uncomfortably. Bobby and Dana gave each other worrying looks. Lynn raised her eyebrows at David.

Richard stormed away while Carol stayed with the group. David looked at his watch.

"It's time. You're driving the truck, right?"

Haley nodded. She opened the door, went outside, and looked around. She looked back at the group and nodded.

"I'll stay and secure this place," said Becky.

"I'll stay with her," added Benny, kissing Luan before she left the house.

Bobby, Wavehead, Dana, Luan, Lynn, Vonda, and Carol jumped inside the truck.

"I'll be there in a minute!" exclaimed David.

He ran upstairs with his flashlight, searching for Richard.

"...and that's how I ended up inside the prison," explained Lori. "See, it's part of the plan–"

The squeak of the metal door and the scraping noise that followed it indicated that some rogues entered Unit A. However, it was the sound of three boots after three boots pressing against the floor that alarmed Lori.

"Donovan? Which one of these lucky fellows seem the most physically able?"

Lori knew that voice. After all, she just heard it yesterday.

"General Black," she whispered.

"What does he want now?" whispered Lynn Sr.

The sound of the boots came closer to their cell, causing the parents to tremble and hide behind Lori. George saw their shadow in the corner of the hallway and moved back. He rubbed his hand on the floor and placed it on his face. He then rubbed it again on the floor and lightly dabbed it on Lori's face.

"Come on, Bree, we don't have all day," said Lead.

"Sorry, sir."

"Don't be sorry, Donovan," said General Black. "Lieutenant, patience is key to getting perfect results. Remember that."

"Yes, sir."

The boots tapped on the floor until it came to a pause. General Black, his lieutenant, and his medic were next to Rita and Lynn's cell. Lori looked at Black and felt her skin crawl.

Black's left eye socket was like an abyss since no light touched its edges. He was scarred between his empty left eye and his left ear, and all around his eye socket. His left eyebrow were missing.

The medic looked around and into their cell, carefully inspecting each person with his eyes. He then squinted at George.

"Say… this one doesn't look tired. Though, I can't find his TS-tag…"

Suddenly, Black's walkie-talkie crackled.

"Sir! This is Guard Alpha-Alpha! We spot what appears to be two people outside of the fences from at least a hundred yards away!"

"Stay put," ordered Black. "I'm going to see what the situation is. Tonight's too important to mess anything up."

Black, Lead, and Bree left the prison, leaving the prisoners alone, a rare occurrence among them.

Rita and Lynn whispered Lori's name. She turned away from the cell and looked at her parents again.

"What's this plan of yours?" Lynn whispered.

Black walked towards the guard tower to the left of Unit A. He looked up and turned on his walkie-talkie.

"Corporal, I need you to pinpoint to me where the targets are."

"Look ahead sir. It's at your two o'clock."

Lead handed Black his thermal binoculars. He turned slightly to his right and looked into the right scope. At the hill, there were two hot targets adjacent to each other.

"I see them. Corporal, stay put. Lieutenant, I want three men to get in a vehicle and check out the situation. Don't fire unless they fire first. Go!"

"Yes, sir! Private, I need you on…!"

Lieutenant Lead walked away to complete his order. Black's walkie-talkie crackled again.

"Sir, this is Private Sturgess. The rope in the upper west gate appears to be cut!"

"I'll be there, Private! Oh, boy. Donovan, go to the base. It seems we have unwanted rats in our home."

David walked inside the truck and hid behind the weapon crates with the other group members. Benny closed the rear door and tapped it on it, letting Haley know she can drive to the Units.

"I guess you didn't find him," said Wavehead.

"Nah. I don't know if he's still on this mission. That's what worries me," admitted David.

Haley looked ahead as she drove. Many flashlights streaked across the town and in the military zone. She gulped as she continued to drive as calmly as she could.

IV - Liberation

The door to Unit A opened.

"...I know you are always there for your siblings," said Lynn Sr. "That's what makes you a great sister and the best leader I know."

"Well… actually…" stammered Lori before Dr. White walked to their cell.

"Lukeman's coming," mouthed Dr. White.

"Sorry," Lori apologized to her parents. "Plan's gotta keep going."

George reached into his pockets and took out two combat knives. She handed one to Lori and held one for himself. Lori hid the knife behind her and looked up at the cell door.

Lukeman arrived by the cell while Dr. White jiggled the keys into the cell lock.

"Does Black even know you're doing this?" asked Lukeman.

"He'll know soon," responded Dr. White.

Lukeman squinted at Dr. White as Lori and George quietly moved out of the cell. Lukeman turned around.

"This way, right?" asked Lukeman before he lead the prisoners anywhere.

Lori grabbed and shut Lukeman's mouth as she shoved the knife into his lower back. She then pushed his head into the brick wall, knocking him out. Finally, she grabbed his head and stuck the knife into his left eye.

George and Lori quickly dashed to the corner of the hallway near the entrance.

"What the hell was that noise?" exclaimed a rogue.

George swung his fist at his jaw, knocking him out. Lori knelt, turned the rogue around and swung the knife to the bottom of the back of his skull, letting his cerebellum bleed.

"Don't let 'em turn," said Lori.

Dr. White sweated as he pointed at the other end of the hallway. Lori and George grabbed the soldiers' rifles and placed them around their body. They grabbed their pistols and held them along with their knives.

"The corridor," said Dr. White. "There should be at least five rogue guards."

Lori nodded.

"What are you waiting for? Open the other cells!" ordered Lori.

"Right! Sorry!"

Dr. White listened to Lori while she and George walked to the corridor. They heard footsteps approaching.

Rita and Lynn stayed in their cell as they feared to witness Lori's wrath at full power. They heard the sound of someone's head being whacked by an object. They also heard the sound of skin being pierced and bodies falling to the floor. Then, the sound of a mighty stab and broken bones reached their ears.

Lori and George's footsteps disappeared. Rita and Lynn Sr. looked out into the hallway and gasped at the sight of the two bodies in the ground. One of the bodies bled from their neck while the other's head bent unnaturally. Lynn felt nauseated, causing him to run into the corner of the cell and vomit.

George slid the rogues' weapons across the hall. Dr. White picked up the weapons and handed them to some of the prisoners.

"Oh, you son of a bitch!" yelled one of the prisoners, aiming the rifle at Dr. White.

"Wait, Jenny!" shouted Rita. "Don't shoot him! We need him! He's in our side!"

"You know how much pain he caused?"

"Yes, but I know he was forced to! Think about it! His family is being held hostage somewhere! Don't you think you would've done the same thing if it were your husband, James, being held hostage?"

"Please lower your weapon," whispered Dr. White.

"Here, Rita! Take this! You're right, yet I still want to shoot him!"

"Oh dear," gasped Rita as she held the rifle.

The rogues ran down the stairs with their weapons ready. Lori and George hid underneath the stairs in the middle of the room. Both rogues looked ahead and found two bodies in the ground.

"What the hell?" gasped one of the rogues.

"Hey, call backup," whispered the other rogue.

Lori shoved the rogue suggesting backup out of the stairs while George launched himself towards the other terrified rogue. The terrified rogue swung his gun which George dodged. George smacked the rogue with his rifle, knocking him down.

Lori grabbed the rogue and bashed her head to the floor, knocking her out. She pulled out her knife and stabbed her in the same area as she did with the other rogues. In the cerebellum.

She ran up the stairs and passed by George. George placed his arm around the gasping rogue's neck.

"Please, don't," gasped the rogue.

George hissed as he pushed and pulled the rogue's neck, snapping it. He dropped the corpse into the ground, sighing in regret.

Lori ran around the walkway until she found the last rogue in the Unit, napping in the warden's office. She looked at her bloody knife and snuck up on the rogue. The rogue had earbuds connected to a Walkman, though Lori didn't know what was being played. Lori leaned closed to the rogue and pointed her knife at his right eye. The rogue awakened and gasped before Lori shoved the knife deep into his eye socket.

George arrived at the office and was left speechless. Lori pulled the knife out of his eye and removed his earbuds. She looked at the Walkman and noticed that it was labeled in permanent marker. It was labeled 'CHUNK'. She wiped the earbuds and placed it inside her ears.

"Cold chills, prison chills,

Locked in, bars of steel,

Leave my woman tonight,

Just ain't feeling right…"

Lori sighed and took off the earbuds while taking the Walkman.

"Ironic," she said.

Haley arrived by Unit A with a few unwanted visitors in the back of the truck. Lynn and Vonda hopped out from the truck with their bow and arrows. Bobby and Carol rushed out the truck and into the prison, where they aimed their guns at any potential rogue guards.

The tower guard spotted the unwelcome visitors and prepared to alert Black. However, both Lynn and Vonda shot their arrows at the guard, with Vonda's arrow striking the guard first. The guard yelled as he pulled out the arrow in his chest. He then coughed out blood and fell unconscious.

David and Wavehead carried the weapons inside while Haley, Luan, and Dana gave the prisoners ammo.

"Anyone good with guns?" yelled Wavehead.

Some adults stepped up, including Ted, while the others stood behind. Wavehead and David distributed the guns until the crate was halfway done.

"Damn, that fast?" gasped Wavehead.

"We gotta hit the armory," said David. "But first Unit B. Where's Lori and George?"

Rita and Lynn Sr. looked out of their cells. Everything went quiet. They saw one of their teenage girls holding a katana helping the prisoners escape with the other teenage girl holding a bow. No noise bothered the parents as they smiled at each other. Luan and Lynn looked at their parents and ran to them.

"Dad!" exclaimed Luan.

"Mom!" exclaimed Lynn.

"Come here, my babies!" Rita gasped in glee.

Luan and Lynn hugged both of their parents, though their adrenaline rush prevented them from crying at the moment.

"Let's go!" exclaimed Lynn. "We're taking you somewhere safe!"

"We're fighting with you guys," said Rita.

"More like YOU'RE fighting with them," said Lynn Sr. "I'm just going to follow you!"

"Crap!" yelled Haley. "They know we're here!"

"I'm taking these guys to Lukeman's truck," said Dr. White. "I'll be able to take them back to the safe-zone."

Lori and George returned to the halls crowded with prisoners. They carried the bulletproof vests that the rogues were wearing.

"Those with weapons, follow me!" ordered David. "Here, George, your vest!"

Haley entered the truck again. Dr. White led the remaining prisoners into the truck where they were hidden from sight. Luan, Lynn, and Lori lead Rita and Lynn Sr. out of Unit A. David lead the rest of the prisoners out of the prison, some wearing the rogues' vests.

"Follow the truck!" ordered David.

David aimed his M4 at the second tower guard in Unit A and shot it. The shot landed in his right arm, disabling him for the moment.

"Make sure to shoot 'em a couple times! The vest you're wearing is tough!"

The group and the prisoners moved ahead towards Unit B. A few vehicles arrived with rogues coming out with their weapons. They fired at the group, causing them to hide behind concrete barriers.

"David, give me the walkie-talkie!" Lori said, panicked.

Luan aimed at the tower guard in Unit A. The thermal target lied in the ground still, although Luna hesitated to shoot her sniper rifle. She then felt a lack of wind and shot the rifle.

The bullet smacked itself on the wall of the tower. Lori turned on the walkie-talkie and contacted Luna.

"Luna! Sam! You guys need to get outta there, now! Black knows that you guys are there!"

Luna aimed at the entrance gate. She saw an armored car heading their way.

"Damn," gasped Luna. "Three people. We can take 'em on, right, Sam?"

"Luna!" shouted Lori.

"I heard you! We got it handled it!"

Lori cried out and handed the walkie-talkie back to David. She leaned on her parents and calmed down. Though, the parents were also terrified. They wanted a chance to see their daughter, Luna, and now there was a large possibility that the chance won't occur.

"There are guns ablazin'!" said Benny.

"Indeed," said Richard, loading his gun.

"What the hell? Where'd you come from?"

"I was in the bathroom. Excuse me, anyone want to come with me? We're going to be backup."

"I can't run too well, right now," said Becky.

"I gotta stay here to protect the prisoners when they arrive," said Benny.

Richard spit into the garbage can, hitting a plastic bottle. He walked out of the house with the AR-15 that Luna lended back. A rogue ran across the street, stopping as soon as he saw Richard.

Richard fired his gun at the rogue repeatedly, killing him. He walked up to him and stripped him of his body armor. He placed it on and sighed.

"For Carol."

He looked around and found another rogue running from outside the fences. He aimed at the rogue and shot at him multiple times. The rogue went down and before Richard ran towards him, he shot the rogue by him in the head. Then, he ran towards the rogue outside the fence. He pulled out his Python with his left hand and aimed at the rogue's head from the other side of the fence. He fired it and continued to make his way towards the Units.

Black hopped into an armored vehicle with his walkie-talkie.

"The two targets in the hill? Kill them."

Lead drove Black, Sturgess, and Hoover towards the runway.

The group in the hill hid in the woods while Luna, Sam, and Sergei waited for the armored vehicle to come closer. Luna remained in the same spot where she was, though, she was covered by the white bulletproof vests like a blanket.

Luna shot the sniper rifle and killed the driver. One of the rogues got out of the Humvee and shot at Luna. The other rogue climbed onto the mounted minigun and fired it at the van.

Sam and Sergei escaped from behind the van. Sergei aimed and fired at the gunner, striking him in the neck.

The other rogue fired at Luna, smacking the vests. Her breath was knocked out of her as the bullets smacked against her chest.

Sam fired once at the rogue's chest, stopping him from shooting the gun. Then she fired at his leg, causing him to fall down. She walked up to the rogue and fired a final shot, one to his head.

"Rad car," coughed Luna.

"Are you alright?" asked Sam.

"Yeah. I'll stay here and get more target practice. You guys take the car and help our group!"

"What about the roam–"

"The littluns' got 'em handled. Just go! Save my family!"

Sam nodded. Sergei entered the driver's seat while Sam climbed onto the gunner's seat. Sergei drove the Humvee away and into Houlton.

Four rogues lied in the ground, dead, along with five prisoners in the other side of the prison. The group were inside Unit B, distributing weapons as fast as they could.

"My boys? Are they okay?" whimpered Mr. Spokes. "Rocky, is he alright? What about Rusty?"

"Yes, he's alright!" replied Lori, handing him the last rifle. "I need you to focus, alright? Think about saving your son!"

"Uh, I have two! But alright, I'll do that!"

David tossed a grenade into one of the vehicles, blowing it up and killing a driver and two other rogues.

"We gotta move to Unit C!" yelled David. "Out this exit!"

The combined group of liberators and prisoners ran across the dead grass, taking cover behind the prison. The fire of the vehicles provided light that revealed the nearby rogues. Some of the prisoners fired their guns and kept the liberators safe.

Another fire roared near the runway as some of the other prisoners took the fight at another location. They defended Unit D, distracting half of the rogue force and prevented the prisoners from being exterminated.

As David lead the prisoners to Unit C, a grenade flew across the air ahead of him. He ordered the group to duck and cover their heads, and just as they did, the grenade blew up. Two of the prisoners close to David fell to the ground with shrapnel all over their bodies. He groaned as he looked at a piece of shrapnel in his right thigh.

The rogues marched to the open corridor, but were met with ricocheting bullets. None of them were harmed, but their retreat allowed some of the large group to move from Unit B to Unit C in seconds.

Dr. White arrived at the house with more prisoners. Benny and Becky stood on guard while the prisoners filled the house. Soon, the neighboring houses were used as refuge for the prisoners. Dr. White drove away and towards Unit B and C.

"I'll come in a minute!" yelled Carol. "Gotta make sure these people are safe!"

Carol and Bobby placed the injured against the wall and behind cover. David limped towards Carol.

"How do I fucking take this out?" he groaned.

"Oh… it's not deep at all… just–"

Carol pulled out the shrapnel piece the size of her thumb. David screamed before dropping to his knees in pain.

"Your thigh muscles are slightly torn and it'll feel painful to run. I would usually advise–"

An explosion at the top of the guard tower for Unit B caused a burning corpse to fall to the roof of the prison.

"Nevermind! Just take this!"

Carol took out a syringe with morphine and injected it near David's legs. He gasped as he regained control of it. Carol quickly wrapped up his leg with a bandage and sent him in his way.

Dr. White arrived between Unit B and C. Carol and Bobby placed the injured into the truck. Luan provided cover fire, unable to hit anyone due to her lack of training. However, it was enough to distract the rogues from shooting at the injured prisoners.

Another sniper shot flew across the sky, smacking the guard tower wall above Unit C. Dana looked up and fired her rifle at the guard, killing him. Luan looked at the hill and shook her head while grinning.

"Oh, shut up…" smiled Luna, while reloading the M110.

She aimed at the second tower guard at Unit C. She moved the crosshairs upwards and slightly to left. Luna fired the sniper rifle and hit the rogue in her right arm. She fired the rifle again and struck the rogue in her skull.

Pieces of the rogue's brain spilled to the ground. Lynn Sr. yelped and looked away while Rita cringed. Another explosion across the large field caught the attention of Lori.

"The rogues… they're retreating. Push on to the armory!"

Richard continued to run to the Units. He saw fire roar across certain parts around the prison, though not enough to illuminate the whole town.

"Hey!" shouted one of the injured prisoners. "Buddy! I need your help! I-I can't keep going!"

The injured prisoner fell to his knee. Richard walked closer and saw his bleeding face. He looked at his legs and noticed that there were pieces of shrapnel stuck to them. Richard looked around.

"Please. Carry me to this safe place," said the prisoner. "Please. It hurts."

"Sorry, buddy," whispered Richard. "I don't have time."

He immediately shot him in the head, before placing his Python back into his holster. He looked ahead and continued running.

The group moved towards the armory near the runway. Many prisoners of Unit C were running towards the armory while the prisoners of Unit A and Unit B provided cover fire. The prisoners and the rogues often found themselves fighting the same people at different locations.

Suddenly, a helicopter roared across the sky and lowered itself until it hovered right above the prisons.

"Apache!" yelled David.

The helicopter moved towards Unit A and began its onslaught on the liberators and prisoners. The bullets pierced through the prisoners like water balloons. The helicopter shot through one, two, four, eight and counting prisoners.

The remaining prisoners either fled or ran inside the steel building, where the weapons and ammunition were stored. However, three rogue guards in black suits and masks guarded the armory.

"Halt! Don't fire!" yelled the rogue with the red tag on her helmet.

David aimed his weapon at the rogue with the red tag. Lori aimed her gun at the rogue with the green tag. And the other rogue with the blue tag was the target of many prisoners.

"Buck! Pike! Lower your weapons!" shouted the rogue.

"Yes, ma'am!" exclaimed both rogues.

All three rogues lowered their weapons, with two of the rogues looking at the fire outside through the windows. David approached the rogue.

"You are three seconds away from getting shot," hissed David. "Explain yourself!"

The rogue took off her mask. Her brunette hair fell to her shoulders. She blinked once, revealing her black eyeshadow beneath her messy bangs.

"David… it's me."

Lori looked at David, bewildered by this encounter. She turned towards the windows, watching the fire from the explosions engulf the armored vehicles. The helicopter still hovered above them, though it seemed as if the noise silenced itself in David's ears.

"Sandy… w-what are you– h-how…."

David was left speechless. Sandy hugged him while he tried to comprehend the situation.

"Who the hell are you guys supposed to be?" asked Kotaro.

"Yeah! Never seen you folks around here!" added Ted.

"We're special forces," replied Pike. "Ordered to conduct missions that require people with the most expertise and specialization to complete that specific objective."

"You guys made a hell of a mess," said Buck.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you!" yelled one of the prisoners.

"Yeah!" agreed another.

"We're not those soldiers," replied Sandy. "I need all of you to–"

The helicopter launched a missile to the armory, but its structure withstood the blast, though it caused small tremors felt by everyone inside. The lights inside the armory flickered and some of them went off.

David looked around the dim armory as many of the prisoners panicked. He looked for his wife and saw her running deeper into the armory. He chased after her but stopped in his tracks when she pulled out a giant Stinger.

"Cover me, David."

"Yes… honey."

The prisoners of Unit C were grabbing weapons and ammunition from the armory. The armory itself held rooms of weapons and ammunition, enough to supply all of the prisoners. Crates of ammunition filled many rooms, with its amount of bullets able to feed a small town for two generations. Though, the prisoners were not looking to hunt for animals in their urgent situation.

"Maybe we should just go back!" shouted Lynn Sr. in a panic.

"The fight's not over yet, Dad!" shouted Lori.

"C'mon, Dad!" exclaimed Lynn. "I got your back! Just stick close to us!"

The helicopter continued to hover over the armory, though Sandy exited the armory through the back of the building. David and George surrounded her with a few prisoners, each aiming their weapons at the rogues in the distance. However, the rogues weren't looking at them; they were looking at the group in Unit D, including Carol and Bobby.

Sandy aimed the Stinger at the helicopter.

"Three, two, one…"

She fired the Stinger. The missile rocketed to the air and struck the helicopter. Within a split second, the body of the helicopter exploded, disabling its slowing rotor.

The wings struggled to pick up the burning chopper, leading to its crash in a small building next to Unit D.

David and George watched the explosion light up the night as the fire blazed in the crash site. A few rogues came out of the building, screaming as the fire consumed their bloody bodies.

On top of all that, the rogues and the group by Unit D continued to fight in their stalemated battle.

Richard watched the fire blaze in the distance and groups of people escaping the armory. Suddenly, the fence crashed into the ground as a Humvee passed through it, stopping by Richard.

"Hop on, Richard!" shouted Sam.

Richard entered the vehicle and pointed at Unit D. Sergei began driving the vehicle again.

General Black climbed onto a helicopter with Donovan, Lead, Sturgess, and Hoover. He turned on his walkie-talkie.

"I want Charlie forces on the east side of Unit D! Beta forces! Head westward and flank the test subjects! Alpha and Delta force! Tactical retreat! Then, Beta and Charlie forces will retreat on the other side! I don't need many fatalities on both sides, so do not, I repeat, DO NOT launch a full-scale attack! Not yet!"

"Roger that!" shouted many of the rogues.

Black watched the fire spread to the fields, but not yet to the runway. The military zone was safe, with many rogue soldiers hopping into their armored vehicles. He watched the fire as bodies rose from the fire and roamed to the firefight. He smiled as the helicopter flew him away from Houlton.

"Sir, that fire is not going to last long," said Lt. Lead.

"Don't worry, Luther. We lost yet another battle… but they have no idea what's coming next. I underestimated them this time. First, we'll do what needs to be done."

"What about the K.H.A.N. Spec Forces?" asked Hoover.

"Sandy, Pike, and Buck? Oh, they're not coming back. I'm sure they know. Even Dr. White's not coming back. However, we still got to do that Wasteland project."

"Are we taking back the place?" asked Sturgess.

"Yes. Our project is not over yet. Just postponed. We're also taking back the people. We'll come out of the shadows when they least expect it, give 'em the same kind of attack they gave us… and they'll be back to doing the same shit again."

The helicopter flew away before Sandy could find another missile for the Stinger. She looked at David, who approached her at a rapid pace. She smiled at him.

"Hey, you saw–"

David grabbed her arms and pulled her into the building, a second before bullets rained in the air outside of the armory. She looked back and placed her mask and helmet back on.

"We still have a battle to fight," said David.

The firefight near Unit D ensued as the fire grew larger. Smoke lingered around the second guard tower while a helicopter blade prevented two rogues from opening the door. One of the rogues banged on the door while the other rogue climbed onto the top of the tower, gasping for air. Deciding that there were no other options left, the rogue decided to jump out of the tower. She fell into the fire, while the other rogue reached the top of the tower. However, it was too late for him as he fell unconscious.

Bobby and Carol entered the prison, jumping over the dead rogues in the ground. The prisoners were running around in panic near the corpses of a few slaughtered prisoners.

The halls increased in temperature as Bobby and Carol approached a rising corpse. The remaining prisoners fled the halls, allowing Carol to shoot the roamer. The gunshot echoed in the halls, awaking some of the other roamers.

A roamer-turned rogue rose from the dead and sunk its teeth into a prisoner's left leg. The prisoner cried as another prisoner fell victim to a different roamer.

The prisoners rushed out of the prison, leading the rogue soldiers to fire onto them. After the blood of five prisoners spilled to the ground, the rogues stopped and reloaded.

A smoke grenade exploded near the entrance to Unit D. This allowed the rest of the prisoners to make their escape along with the fighters, including the rogues.

Bobby ran towards the two roamers in the prison and shot them with his Luger. Carol crouched and looked at one of the victims. Suffocating in her own blood, the prisoner watched Carol pull out an M9. Carol closed her eyes and turned away before she shot the prisoner in the head.

"This one! She needs amputation!" Boby cried out.

"I don't have anything!" shouted Carol.

Bobby looked around the prison. He ran to a roamer and grabbed a hacksaw with razor teeth. He grabbed it and offered it to Carol. She reluctantly grabbed it and looked at the prisoner.

"Hey, stay with me. Stay with me. This is going to hurt a lot, okay? Be strong. I'm here for you!"

The prisoner nodded and gasped. Bobby knelt along with Carol as she proceeded to saw the man's lower limb off. The man screamed as Carol cut deeper and deeper into his leg.

"No, no, no… this is too rusty," whispered Carol. "Ah! No!"

Carol cut the limb off and yelped as she saw the man's arteries. The arteries were not sliced properly and blood squirted out at a rapid pace.

"What happened?" exclaimed Bobby.

"He's bleeding out!" yelled Carol.

"Let's wrap him up! Hurry!"

"This requires bypass surgery! I don't know how to do it!"

"Dr. White just left! He'll come back to rescue the rest of the prisoners, though!" informed Bobby.

"No, not enough time!" cried Carol. "He's going to die!"

Carol stood up, her face glued to the dying man.

"We can't leave him here!" said Bobby.

Carol nodded. She raised her gun and shot the man in the head before Bobby reacted. Blood splattered into his hands and the gunshot rang through his ears. Carol sighed and looked ahead.

"Carol?" called out a voice.

Carol's eyes opened. Bobby quickly stood up.

"Mom? Dad? You're alive!"

"Oh, my beautiful girl!" exclaimed her father. "Oh, and hello, Bobby."

"Hey, Mr. Pingrey. Hello to you too, Mrs. Pingrey. I don't want to interrupt this beautiful moment, but we have to go now!"

"Right!" exclaimed Carol's mother. "Carol, I'm so sorry for everything you went through. That must have not been so easy to do."

"It wasn't," whimpered Carol.

The rogues were firing from the west and east side, forcing the groups to run away from the fences in the northwest side. Another smoke grenade exploded, leading the area by the small building to be covered in gray air.

"Keep your buns outta the smoke!" yelled Haley. "The chambers are there! And the roamers are coming outta the chambers!"

The roamers surrounded the groups. They struggled to fight their way out, but they weren't receiving support from the outside fighters due to the smoke.

"Out this way!" yelled Carol. "Bobby, clear a path for us!"

"Carol, it's too danger–!" exclaimed Carol's mother before being shot.

The rogue in top of the first tower of Unit D reloaded his sniper rifle. Carol looked up at the tower guard as tears formed in her eyes. Suddenly, a sniper bullet tore through the smoke and struck the tower sniper, splattering his brain against the wall.

Carol's father sobbed while Bobby shot a roamer close to him. Carol felt the sound of a different gunshot go off. And with the gunshot, the body of her father dropped to the ground with a wound to his neck.

"Dad. No… NO!"

Carol yelled and raised her pistol. A rogue came out of the prison, gasping while bleeding through his leg. Carol and the rogue locked eye contact before a roamer stood in the way. She shot the roamer and looked at the rogue, who had his gun aimed at her. The rogue fired the gun.

The Humvee arrived near the smoke with Sam firing the gun at the rogues in the distance. She shouted as the bullets tore through the bushes, killing four rogues before the rest made their retreat.

Richard jumped out of his seat and aimed at the rogue outside of the prison. He shot the rogue with the Python, leading him to collapse into the floor, dead. He ran into the smoke and picked up Carol.

"No! I'll get you help!" yelled Richard.

"M-m-my mom! My dad!"

Carol weeped into Richard's chest while Bobby cleared out a path. The prisoners moved away from the smoke and fled towards the town while Sergei continued to drive the Humvee ahead. Sam fired the minigun at the soldiers until Sergei made a turn.

"Sergei! We can catch up to them!"

"We have more pressing matters back at the chambers!"

The roamers growled at the passing prisoners until the Humvee arrived. Sam shot at the roamers with the minigun, plastering the brains of many roamers into the wall of the prison.

David, Lori, Luan, Lynn, George, Dana, and Wavehead reunited with Richard, Bobby, and Carol. Rita and Lynn Sr. looked at Carol with shock in their faces, realizing that this was Lori's sworn enemy. And Lori's sworn enemy was bleeding from her arm.

"I'll take her back!" said Dr. White. "Get on the car. You too, George!"

George looked down at his chest. Blood poured out from his left shoulder, though he wondered why he didn't feel it earlier. He climbed onto the truck with Richard and Carol and they were driven to the town.

Lori turned on her walkie-talkie.

"Luna? Are you still there? Luna?

Luna panted as the convoy of armored vehicles passed by her and the vehicles. The kids in the woods watched as a couple rogues took pistol shots at the vests, but none of the vehicles stopped.

Luna softly whimpered as the force of the bullets punched her over and over. The walkie-talkie lied next to her. However, it was damaged. All Luna could do is hear Lori's voice grow more desperate.

"Luna? Please respond. Lunes?"

The last armored vehicle drove down the hill and disappeared into the horizon. Luna sighed and pushed the vests away. She checked her bruised arms before hearing Lori again.

Lincoln dashed to Luna's aid. He handed her her crutches back and picked up the walkie-talkie.

"We're fine, Lori!"

"Dude," said Luna, picking herself up. "She can't hear you. That thing is fucked up."

Lori ran towards the Humvee.

"Sergei? Can you drive me back to the kids? I need to see if Luna is alright!"

"Sure."

"Can you take Sandy and I as well?" asked David.

"Of course," replied Sergei. "Anything for the leader."

Sandy and David entered the vehicles while Sam left the gunner's seat, allowing Lori to take over.

"I'll be back!" exclaimed Lori as the Humvee drove past by Lynn Sr. and Rita.

Dana, Wavehead, Vonda, Sam, Luan, Lynn, Rita, Lynn Sr., and Bobby stood next to each other. Around them were Mr. Spokes, Jenny, James, Kotaro, Ted, Pike, Buck, and many other prisoners. Haley stood in front of all of them.

"I'll lead you guys back to the safe-zone!" she exclaimed. "Just follow me!"

The Humvee drove through the broken entrance gate. David and Sandy sat next to each other. Sandy removed her gear, revealing a purple tank top and cargo pants. She sighed and looked at her husband. David looked back.

"I… never knew you would side with Black," he said.

"I was forced to," explained Sandy. "He said you and Seth were soft targets. I couldn't let anything happen to you guys so I had to follow Black. And I worked for him. Well, I did. Davy, you do understand, right?"

"I do. It's just… I missed you so much."

"I did too. I love you so much."

Lori looked around while at the gunner's seat. As the Humvee drove up the hill, Lori saw the rest of the group standing next to Luna. She couldn't help but smile.

"It's all over, dude!" said Luna.

"Yeah. I'm so glad you guys are alive."

"Sorry about that, brah. Walkie-talkie got jacked up. So… are Mom and–"

"Mom and Dad are alive," revealed Lori.

Leni, Luna, Lincoln, Lana, and Lisa cheered while Lily babbled happily. The Louds hopped into Vanzilla, with Lori being the driver while the rest of the group entered the RV.

The lanterns lit up the neighborhood as the prisoners stood outside. Luan kissed Benny and hugged him which surprised both parents, though it did make them feel happy. Suddenly, Lynn Sr. looked into the distance and saw Vanzilla.

"Never thought I see this baby again," he sighed.

Lori and David parked their vehicles outside of the house where Rita and Lynn Sr. stood at. Sam waved at Luna gleefully, which both parents noticed. Their happiness only increased as they watched Leni with Lily, Luna, Lincoln, Lana, and Lisa exit the vehicle with Lori.

"Dad!" exclaimed Leni.

"Mom!" gasped Lincoln.

The Louds ran towards their parents, except Luna who limped, with Luan and Lynn being the first to hug them. Rita and Lynn Sr. were overwhelmed by their emotions as the family initiated their group hug.

"I've been thinking about you guys every single day!" said Leni.

"It feels good to make physical contacts, mother and father!" stated Lisa.

"We're together again!" exclaimed Lana.

"I've missed you guys so much!" said Lincoln.

"I don't want to leave your sides!" said Lynn.

"No more worrying about this anymore!" said Luna.

"I can truly be happy, now!" exclaimed Luan.

"We love you, Mom and Dad," said Lori.

"Poo-poo!" babbled Lily.

"We love you kids too!" said Rita.

"Where's Lola? And Lucy?" asked Lynn Sr., wiping a joyful tear from his eye.

The sudden radiant moment snapped when both parents looked at their children's eyes. Lana's mouth shook and she couldn't look at her father anymore. Lynn's tears fell from her eyes as she closed them, something that Rita found out of character.

"No… don't tell me…" gasped Rita.

"I was going to tell you earlier," sniffled Lori. "I-I-I guess I was too afraid too… I'm sorry."

Lynn Sr. dropped to his knees and teared up. Rita knelt down and let her tears run down her face.

"How did it happen?" asked Lynn Sr. "Please tell me there's a chance they're still alive!"

Lori shook her head.

"Roamer bites are always fatal, remember?"

Both parents broke down. The Louds tried to comfort their parents, but they could not stop the tears from forming in their own eyes. Some of the other survivors couldn't hold back their tears either.

Many of the liberated prisoners didn't see their child and would most likely never will. Mr. Spokes was glad to see Rusty, but he sobbed over Rocky.

The candles out in the street flickered with the grief of the survivors. In the candles, Lori was reminded of Lola, Lucy, and Darcy, leading her to feel the urge to break down and cry, but her strength pulled her through it.

"They're in a better place, where they suffer no more," Jeffrey told the parents. "God is taking care of them in His kingdom.

"They're in a better place..." Lori repeated to herself. "Where they suffer no more…"

---

Richard looked at the hill above Houlton, away from the sunrise.

"The rogues are going to return. We gotta be prepared. 'Cause next time they come, they'll be stronger than ever. But we'll be there, and we'll slaughter them all."

David nodded. Richard thought to himself.

"Under my own leadership of course."

Benny and Luan sliced all the leftover roamers in the military zone and the Units. After inspecting the gates, the armory, and the runway, the group headed back to the town.

Benny and Luan came across the roamer-turned parents of Carol. Not knowing who they were, Benny sliced through their heads with his sword without a second thought.

Lori walked back to the Houlton with supplies in her backpack. A roamer with half of its body missing growled at her. She removed her hatchet, but an arrow flew at the roamer's head, killing it. Lori turned towards Lynn who placed her arrow back to her quiver.

Lori looked at the destruction back in the military zone. Smoke lingered around the chambers, destroyed armored vehicles, and other areas.

"I know I wasn't able to give a proper introduction to this lovely town before…" said Dr. White.

Lori looked ahead.

"So I thought, why not give it now?" continued Dr. White.

Lori saw the sunrise hover from the hills to her right. They shone on the houses and the trees of the town. The survivors were moving around, chattering with each other, finally free to do so. The birds flew in the sky and the insects chirped. She felt right at home. Dr. White turned towards Lori.

"Welcome to Houlton."

---

Finally, after all these chapters, the Louds reunited, though Lola and Lucy couldn't... though, who will be the next Loud to join them in the afterlife? Or will they finally live the rest of their lives happily? This chapter is the longest one in the story yet, but next chapter is going to be longer! Much longer since it is the last chapter of the third arc or volume (which is every five chapters) and I have to wrap things up while also setting up the next arc.