Disclaimer: I do not own Telltale's The Walking Dead, only my characters.
Macon, Georgia
October 20th, 1622 Local Time, 2003
Life is a fragile thing. It always has been and forever will be. People have done their best to extend their lives as much as possible, and yet, it all seemed irrelevant when the apocalypse came crashing down on society. People were quick to turn on each other for supplies, looters running rampant as they took as much as they could before anyone else. As much as society may have tried, it never stood a chance.
Life is fragile, and it can be taken away in a heartbeat.
And yet, as the dead continue to pick us off one by one, people are willing to kill each other over a can of soup. Zoey gloomily thought as she walked down a narrow street. Broken glass, old newspapers, and other fallen debris littered the street, crunching beneath her boot with every step.
She and Kenny had been tasked to go on a supply run by Doug in the hopes of finding more medicine and better winter clothes. As the winter drew closer, people were no doubt going to get sick, or at the very least, it would get cold enough that they wouldn't be able to go out for long periods of time.
So far they had managed to search a few clothing stores and found some wool socks, a windbreaker, and three beanies. It wasn't much, but at this point they would take whatever they could get. But they had to do this fast, lest the walkers, or something worse, accumulate in the area.
Which all led to where they were now, walking down another one of Macon's maze of buildings in the search for the old drug store. Zoey kept a strong grip on her M4, her finger off the trigger but the weapon on semi-auto should something or someone jump out at them. Kenny was close behind her with the group's only sniper rifle, an old hunting rifle with a scope, in his hands.
Zoey rubbed her still sore cheek and let out a muttered curse as a small spike of pain shot from that region of her face, catching Kenny's attention.
"That thing still giving you trouble huh?" He asked.
Zoey nodded. "Yeah, stings a bit just enough to hurt. But hey, beats being shot." She joked with a shrug, trying to make light of the situation.
Kenny rolled his eyes in response. "Well at least that hit didn't change your dry sense of humor." He quipped.
Zoey let out a light chuckle that was soon shared between the pair of survivors. Luckily there weren't any walkers around to hear them joke around, making it easier to maintain the lighthearted atmosphere in the wake of broken buildings and shattered cars. It was oddly peaceful in a way, the quiet, broken landscape of once grand civilizations collapsing right before their very eyes; and yet, they could still find a way to share a laugh even with the knowledge that death could be around any corner.
Although this sort of atmosphere took some time getting used to, and time was certainly something they had plenty of nowadays, it would be impossible to forget the day this whole mess began. Sure, it may become a distant memory, one blocked by the need to survive, but it will always be there, engraved in everyone's mind until death.
But none of that mattered in that moment as the sweet sound of laughter filled the air. Zoey playfully pushed Kenny out of false spite before letting her voice eventually die down. As their voices went silent, Zoey took a look around at the buildings and soon recognized a crumbling sign down at the end of the street. "Come on, we're almost there." She then informed.
With a nod, they continued down the street once more in silence, now with a more aware presence after having stopped and messed around, something they could not afford to do again no matter how much they wished they could, lest they lose more time.
"I noticed Doug was loading the R.V. with some stuff before we left. Final preparations huh?" Zoey questioned, already knowing what Kenny was going to say.
"Yeah." He confirmed. "He and I agreed to start stocking whatever he could in there while you were out, figured we could leave after you woke up. That being said, we should be able to leave that damn motel either later this afternoon or by tomorrow morning… if everything goes according to plan."
Zoey stopped and placed a gentle hand on the fisherman's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry man, I have complete faith this'll all go smoothly. We'll be on our way to Savannah in no time." She said, the tone of her voice gave away the nervousness behind her words, but Kenny smirked and agreed, letting her optimism get the better of him this time.
When they finally got to the entrance of the crumbling drugstore, they saw that, just like the last time they were there nearly a month prior, it was still blocked by debris, with the only way through being over a crashed semi-truck. After having been gone from the area for so long however, they decided to take a quick look around just to see if there was anything new they could scrounge up.
Near the semi-truck was a brown pickup truck that she had never seen before. When she inspected the vehicle, there was a considerable amount of mud, dirt, and blood covering it, a clear indication that whoever it belonged to certainly used it to a large degree. Opening the hood of the truck, she made sure to disconnect the battery the way Kenny had taught her so as to not trigger the car alarm should it still work when she opened the door.
Making her way to the driver side of the truck, she pulled on the door handle and found the door unlocked as it opened without issue. The inside of the truck wasn't anything special as the seats were torn in some places and stained in others, a typical look for cars nowadays. Not all was bad however, as in the glove compartment she managed to find some bullets for her pistol and a lighter that, upon further inspection, still worked.
That'll definitely come in handy. Zoey thought proudly. Many of the lighters she had found up to this point had either lost all their fluid or were broken, rendering them useless. A working one on the other hand had quite the potential as a light, or in general a source of readily available fire, the latter of which would be more useful as time went on.
Pocketing the small object, she closed the glovebox since there was nothing else of use inside. Climbing to the back seats of the truck, there wasn't much to see besides old wrappers and other assortments of trash, leaving her somewhat disappointed.
"Find anything good in there?" Kenny asked from outside the vehicle.
"Not really," Zoey called back as she shifted her position to open the door, "just a lighter and a few bullets. What about you? Any luck?"
Kenny nodded. "Yeah actually." He replied as he held up a small aluminum baseball bat. "Found this in the nearby sporting goods under some old clothes, can't believe we missed it." Kenny held the miniature bat up for Zoey to take, which she did before storing it in her bag.
"Thanks." Zoey said gratefully. "The bat will definitely make for a good birthday present for Clem, even if it is a few days late…" She went on, muttering the last part to herself.
"Anyway, let's get inside. We've already wasted enough time as is." Zoey continued, refocusing on the primary task at hand.
Approaching the semi-truck, it was obvious just how much the ladder had rusted away and was on the verge of completely falling off. Zoey, just like the last few times, went up first due to being lighter than her male counterpart, her faded gloves providing additional protection from the old rusted metal. Once she was on top of the trailer, she held her rifle up and kept watch as Kenny took his turn climbing the ladder.
Unfortunately for him, the ladder snapped off one of its hinges as he neared the top, causing him to lose his footing. Zoey quickly sprung into action and took hold of one of his arms just as the other hinge snapped and the ladder fell to the concrete below. Using both hands, she pulled Kenny up just enough to the point where he could grab the edge of the trailer with his other arm and pulled himself on top of the trailer.
"Shit that was close." Kenny commented as he let out a sigh of relief.
Zoey nodded. "You're telling me." She said, just as relieved as him.
The noise of the collapsed ladder had caught the attention of some walkers, most of which crawled out from underneath crashed cars and boarded up buildings. There weren't many, only about a dozen or so, but that didn't mean they were safe. The sudden movement of the small group of undead would certainly catch the attention of more. Just how much was the question, a question that Zoey and Kenny weren't about to stick around and find the answer to.
"We need to move, NOW. Come on!" Kenny instructed with a newfound vigor as he dropped down onto the dumpster they had left one their first supply run. Zoey hastily followed, not wanting to become walker food after having survived this long. As they got back to street level, walkers that heard the commotion were limping towards them from the other side of the truck, while the group they left behind had begun to crawl under the trailer.
Rushing inside the pharmacy through the back door, Zoey pulled a bookshelf down to block the door as Kenny forced the security door open giving them access to the store. Once they were both inside, they locked the door before dragging one of the larger shelves over to further block the entrance.
"I'll get this side, you get behind the counter!" Zoey urgently commanded. "Make sure to get everything you can because it doesn't seem like we're coming back anytime soon!"
With that said, the pair went to work at gathering whatever supplies they could find. The inside of the store was completely ransacked as old pill bottles and boxes of other medicines were scattered about on the floor and the rotting shelves. Removing her backpack, Zoey zipped it open and began throwing everything she could inside, making sure not to skip over anything that wasn't broken.
Scavenging the remaining medicine wasn't as easy as Zoey had originally hoped for, as she had to duck underneath a fallen shelf to reach for supplies that were inside a cardboard box. In the end there was barely anything left to take, less than a dozen items if she had to guess.
I hope Kenny had a bit more luck than me. Zoey thought before looking over her shoulder at her partner just as another backdoor broke off its hinges.
"WE'RE OUT OF TIME, WE HAVE TO GO!" Kenny shouted over the loud moans of the undead. He pulled out his handgun and began firing on the walkers that were slowly pouring in from the breakroom of the pharmacy, giving Zoey the chance to hop over the counter and join him down the hall.
Luck was not on their side however as a walker dressed as a military pilot was sneaking up on Kenny. Seeing this, Zoey pulled out her own pistol and aimed it in Kenny's direction before shouting, "Kenny, DUCK!" When he crouched down, Zoey pulled the trigger and hit the walker in the head, killing it and letting the resulting corpse fall.
"Thanks for the save." Kenny said as adrenaline pumped through his veins.
"Don't mention it. Come on, let's get out of here." Zoey replied before making her way through a hole in the wall. She waited for Kenny to follow suit before running away from the pharmacy, leaving whatever supplies they missed to the rotting corpses that now overtook it.
Travelier Motel
October 20th, 1801 Local Time, 2003
The trees hung over the street like ancient guardians protecting a sacred tomb, their leaves rustling in sync as the wind continued to blow the oaks back and forth. The silence was deafening as Zoey and Kenny attempted to make their way back to the motel, keeping their eyes out for bandits that may sneak up on them from the woods. Even at the slightest sound of movement from the forest they would take cover, unwilling to take the chance of being robbed, or worse, killed.
The ordeal at the pharmacy had left them both somewhat shaken, especially Kenny's close call as walker food, and although they couldn't say it was a walk in the park, the fact that both of them got out unscathed was a testament to their teamwork and capabilities. Now all that was left was to deliver the supplies to Doug for him to stash.
The glint of the dozens of arrows that stuck out of the plywood that separated the motel parking lot from the outside world, a constant reminder of the dangers that lurked in the forest just beyond the safety of their so-called home. And yet, Lilly continued to argue for staying. Something everyone was against by this point. Most of them were starting to question if she had managed to convince herself that staying where there were a bunch of bandits was really a good idea.
And if she wants to stay so bad, then she can have her wish because there's no way in hell she's coming with us. Zoey thought as they approached the makeshift gates of the motel.
Travis sat on top of the R.V, a rifle in his hands and a nervous smile on his face. When the two survivors came into view of the sentry, he gave them a friendly wave. Zoey responded with a similar wave while Kenny pushed the dumpster out of the way, ushering her inside once they had enough space to pass.
The parking lot of the motel had come a long way in the last few weeks, mostly due to the constant bandit raids. A few barrels were set up in such a way that allowed Clementine and Duck to play soccer with Carley acting as a referee, the ex-reporter keeping score between the children with tally marks drawn on the wall. The game could barely be called fair, as at this point, Clementine was over three points ahead of Duck which put a humorous smile on Zoey's face.
"Looks like my girl is beating your son in a match." Zoey commented as they made their way to the R.V. Duck and Clementine were so enthralled in their game that they didn't realize their respective guardians had returned, the sound of laughter overtaking most of the area.
"Says you Ms. Amazonian. I've seen that training you've been doing with her. Damn impressive that you managed to get her to do it at all. There's no way I could do that with Duck." Kenny countered.
"The trick is just making it fun." She simply replied.
Finally arriving at Doug's room just past the R.V, Kenny knocked on the door before standing there waiting for him to answer. When he failed to do so, Kenny knocked on the door again and this time it opened to reveal a stressed out Doug with a clipboard.
"Oh, hey guys. How was the run?" He asked.
"I'd say it went pretty well, if you exclude the huge amount of walkers that now own the drugstore." Kenny replied as he handed Doug his backpack.
Doug raised an eyebrow at Kenny's statement. "That bad huh?" Zoey nodded before handing off her backpack to the technician. "Damn." He muttered. Carrying the bags to the bed, he zipped them open and took a look inside. "Wow, you really weren't joking Kenny, this is a serious haul." Doug said, impressed at how filled the bags were.
"…Think that's enough to get through the winter?" Zoey hesitantly asked.
Doug shrugged his shoulders as he passed the now empty backpacks, save for the aluminum bat, back to Zoey and Kenny. "Hard to tell, especially when our supplies keep going missing. I swear, that list keeps getting smaller every day." This caught both veteran survivors off guard, his quick shift in tone making the new information even worse.
"Missing? What's missing?" Kenny wondered.
Doug let out a sigh. "Over the past few days, every time I take count of inventory there's always something missing. Morphine, antibiotics, you name it, it's been taken, and that doesn't even include the food. At this point I can't help but think someone's stealing from us. That, or we have one sneaky bastard who's been getting in."
"Fuck." Zoey commented under her breath.
"Fuck is right." Kenny stated, picking up what she said. "If someone's stealing our shit, then we gotta leave now before they take anything else. I don't care what Lilly or Larry say at this point! We. Are. Leaving. Today! And if they want to stay so bad, then we can just leave them behind for all I care!"
"I know Kenny, I know, but we have to think about this for a second." Doug reasoned as he motioned for Kenny to lower his voice. "What if it isn't the bandits? What if someone here really IS taking from us? We can't just bring them along. Who says they won't do it again?"
"He's got a point Ken." Zoey said, backing up Doug's claims. She knew Kenny wouldn't be in favor of the idea, but she also knew that he would see the logic in their idea and would at least give them some time to do a quick investigation beforehand.
Kenny pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a tired sigh. "Fine, but make it quick." He relented. "I'll let everyone know that we're gonna be leaving soon."
"And I'll go ahead and get the last of the supplies loaded up." Doug said while pointing at the new supplies with his thumb.
"Guess that means I'll be the one taking a look around for anything suspicious." Zoey stated.
"Alright, looks like we have a plan. I want this to stay quiet until we have an idea of what we're working with, got it? Only tell people what they need to know. We don't need everyone panicking, not now." Kenny instructed, with Zoey and Doug nodding in response. "Good, let's get to work."
Figuring that the first and most obvious thing to do was to look around for anything out of place, Zoey took her leave from the duo. Stealing a quick glance around the parking lot, everything looked normal, and although she didn't consider herself a detective, she had seen enough police movies- and had too many lessons from her father about just how wrong most of those movies were and how things actually worked- that she believed she could figure out if someone was doing something they weren't supposed to.
There were a few people who she could mark off without a doubt: Kenny and his family, Clementine, and Doug and Carley, as all of them had something to lose if supplies went missing- or in Duck and Clementine's case, were too honest and inexperienced to do such a thing. That left Mark, Larry, Lilly, Travis, and Ben as the list of remaining suspects, and if she had to pick, the most likely candidates were Lilly and/or Larry since they knew everyone was going to leave.
Asking around if anyone's seen anything could certainly prove useful, but at the same time, someone could catch on. Zoey thought as she took a calming breath. On the other hand I could look around for myself, but there isn't much time left. Deciding that asking around would be the best course of action, Zoey walked over to the ongoing soccer game. More specifically, up to Carley to see if she could give her any information.
"Hey Carley, can I borrow you for a sec? I promise it won't take long." Zoey assured the ex-reporter.
Carley raised an eyebrow in curiosity before giving an answer. "Sure, just give me a sec."
Zoey nodded and walked just far enough out of earshot of the children. She watched as Carley spoke with Duck and Clementine for a few seconds, and afterwards the two ran over to Clementine's coloring books, no doubt to draw and give the adults some time alone.
When Carley reached Zoey, she shifted her weight onto one foot before crossing her arms. "What's up?" She asked.
"Some supplies have been going missing from the stash, and Doug's come to the conclusion that someone's definitely been taking things. Do you know anything about that? Seen or heard something off?" Zoey questioned.
Carley put her hand to her chin as she looked at the ground in thought, trying to remember something that could have happened in the last few days. She was glad that Zoey didn't appear to suspect her of any misdoing. She knew that the young adult had been told the story about how she had messed up with a handheld radio by not checking its batteries. That wasn't exactly her best moment.
"Actually, yeah, I do." Carley suddenly said. "I think I heard something breaking a few nights ago, glass or something, woke me up actually. When I went to go check, I could just barely see someone run off."
Zoey nodded as she thought over the information. Glass breaking could have been anything from a window to a flashlight, and there wasn't any glass around the parking lot from what she could see. She knew she could trust Carley not to make anything up, especially when it came to something as serious as this, so she would just have to ask around for more clues.
"I see. If you remember anything else just let me know ok?" Zoey asked. Carley nodded and took her dismissal leaving Zoey to wonder who she would ask next.
The sound Carley heard didn't prove whether or not someone was stealing from them from the inside or out, but it did help further the investigation. If she could find someone who knew something else about the glass, it could help her pinpoint their thief, whoever it may be.
Taking a look around the area, she inspected the windows first for any damage, to which there was none. Since Carley's room was on that side of the motel, then their perpetrator was here at one point. Perhaps they left a clue? Zoey thought. After seeing that the windows were all intact, she moved on towards the boxes and trash can nearby to see if the thief tried to hide something. Sure enough, there was a broken flashlight thrown into the trash, its bulb and lens completely smashed.
"Looks like we have what broke. Now all that's left is figuring out who was using it." Zoey said to herself aloud. The fact that whoever had been taking the supplies had tried to hide the piece of equipment narrowed the idea that whoever was the thief was more than likely someone within the group, as it just didn't make sense that an outsider would try to hide something like this.
On top of that, a strange change in color on the wall caught her eye. With the flashlight in hand, she checked the side wall and found another clue, a pink 'x' that was made out of chalk. Now she was convinced there was a traitor, someone working with people on the outside to get supplies. If it truly were bandits sneaking in, then they would have either all been dead by now, or the bandits would have just left with everything.
Now the question is: Who? Zoey thought. That one missing piece of information bugged her, burned itself into her mind as she tried to think of different scenarios for each suspect. Gotta let Doug and Kenny know. A few minutes later, she, Kenny, and Doug were standing around in Doug's room.
"Ok, we're all here. What'd ya find Zoey?" Doug asked.
"A few things." She replied before holding up the broken flashlight. "I found this in the trash near the wall. Carley said she heard something break a few nights ago and saw someone run off in the darkness. Near it was an 'x' written in pink chalk."
When she failed to continue, Doug could immediately tell what she was thinking based on the look she was giving them. "...And so you think someone in the group IS stealing from us." He stated. When she gave him a confirming nod, Doug sighed and muttered a curse.
Kenny seemed to be on the brink of blowing a fuse with the knowledge that someone very well was stealing from them, and most likely someone within the group. Just how someone could outright betray them was unknown to him. However, he took a few deep breaths before giving his input. "Pink chalk huh? You know, I did see some weird pink scuffs over by the gate. I didn't give it a look, so maybe you can? Might be something useful." He informed them.
The extra piece of information was certainly helpful. If whatever it was Kenny had seen matched what Zoey had found, then it would have been a major lead into the case, or at least she hoped. When she stepped out of the room, Clouds had blocked the sun, giving the world shade and dropping the temperature by what felt like another ten to twenty degrees, causing a reactionary shiver to go up her spine.
As she made her way towards the gate, Clementine gave her a bright smile and wave but didn't stop to talk to her, recognizing that Zoey was doing something important just by the look on her face. Zoey returned the gesture before reaching the gate and, just as Kenny had explained, there was a large scuff mark of pink chalk leading outside. Seeing as she was still armed, and Travis was at the very least ok with a rifle, she pushed open the gate and stepped outside the safety of the motel. It didn't take long for her to find a small pink 'x' next to what appeared to be a loose grate. Pulling it open, she saw a brown bag that, when opened, revealed an assortment of medicine and food.
"Fuck me…" She said, her eyes wide at just how much was in the bag. Closing it, she rushed back inside and went straight for Doug's room, ignoring the odd looks she was getting from everyone else. The amount she had found in the bag worried her. Just how much had been going missing in the last few days alone? How long had their thief been operating right under their noses?
How would it have affected Clementine had it kept going?
They were going to figure this out and punish whoever the culprit was severely for their actions. This wasn't the same as someone taking an extra piece of food during mealtime. No, this was ten times worse. The lack of supplies had already been taking its toll on the group, and this was the nail on the metaphorical coffin.
Bursting into the room, she caught Doug and Kenny, who had probably been waiting for her to return, by surprise. Judging by the look in her eyes, and the fact that she had just sprinted across the lot and nearly smashed the door off its hinges, they deduced that she had found something quite important. Neither of them even had to ask when she held up the paper bag for them to take, but Doug took a look inside anyway.
Doug's eyes widened in shock as he took in the sheer amount of medicine and food that stared back at him, taunting every fiber of his being. In his hands was undeniable proof that someone had betrayed them, but why? Even though Lilly and Larry weren't liked by everyone else, and vice versa, would they really give away their supplies when they themselves were large advocates for staying here? But who else could it be? Mark had proven himself otherwise, those with loved ones would never betray each other's trust, and the kids were, well, kids, including Ben and Travis.
"This is everything, b- but who would do such a thing?" Doug thought to himself aloud.
"It's gotta be Lilly and her piece of shit dad! Who else would be willing to steal from us?! Carley?! Mark?! Zoey?! No! They've been fighting us ever since we got here, so I say we… we…" In the middle of Kenny's anger fueled rant, his voice trailed off as he faced the window to look outside, his eyes, once filled with frustration now showing confusion.
Adjusting their bodies to see what had caught Kenny's attention, Zoey and Doug got a clear view of what was definitely people, and not the friendly kind.
"SO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST STEAL FROM US HUH?! TAKE WHAT'S RIGHTFULLY OURS?!" One of them shouted with a deep, gravely voice at the top of their lungs. All around him were others wearing hoodies, balaclavas, sunglasses, and other clothing items that just screamed bandits. Three of them held pistols to everyone's heads, whilst the last, which was noticeably female, wielded a crossbow.
"Oh fuck, it's the bandits! They've taken everyone hostage!" Doug exclaimed in a slight panic.
"And there's definitely gotta be more hiding in the woods. No way they only sent four people." Zoey added, once more hoping that she was wrong. But when has that ever happened? She thought bitterly.
"Fuck's sake, we just can't catch a damn break can we?! Doug, grab my rifle and head upstairs. Zoey, you distract them long enough for him to get a good shot. I'll stay here and wait for when all hell breaks loose, then I'll rush for the R.V. " Kenny ordered. "Let's hurry, I reckon we don't have much time."
By the time they tried to stop Kenny, he had already grabbed a spare pistol and took up position by the front window, peering through the thin slit in the curtains. Doug muttered something about this being a bad idea before taking Kenny's sniper and opening the back window and disappearing outside. Taking a deep breath, Zoey counted to five, giving Doug what she hoped would be enough time to at least reach the stairs.
"Ready for this?" Kenny whispered as Zoey reached for the doorknob.
Zoey turned the knob and slowly opened the door before answering. "Not at all." She said in a shaky voice. As she left the room, she made sure not to close the door all the way so that Kenny could get to the R.V. faster. Her mind kept screaming at her that this was a bad idea, horrible even, and that it would be easier if they just started shooting. Yet, she ignored that part of her consciousness because if they did, then they most certainly weren't going to make it out. Yet, she shoved her worries aside the best she could as she raised her arms and slowly walked into open view of the bandits.
The bandit wearing the balaclava saw this and raised his pistol to meet her eyes. "Hey! Hold it right there bitch! What do you think you're doing?!" He shouted aggressively, his finger ready on the trigger.
"Don't shoot! I've just come to talk!" Zoey replied as her eyes glanced between her friends who were all on their knees. "I- if this is about the supplies, then we're sorry, ok? It was an honest mistake, I swear! If you want, we can do a whole renegotiation!" She exclaimed in an attempt to reason with what seemed to be the lead bandit.
The bandit raised an eyebrow at her offer, seemingly contemplating what she was saying. At the same time, he kept his gun trained on her but eased his finger off the trigger. Come on, take the deal you bastard. Help me stall you for a few more seconds. Zoey thought.
"Drop your weapons first, then we'll talk." He replied. Zoey nodded before carefully slipping her rifle sling over her shoulder and setting it on the ground. "And the jacket! I don't want any surprises ya hear?!" He then added.
Dammit Doug, where are you?! She internally shouted as she slowly removed her bomber jacket. Without the piece of winter clothing on, all that kept her safe from the cold was her green t-shirt that barely hid the tone of her muscles, the shirt comfortably squeezing her body which gave sight to her curves.
The bandit leader's eye widened in joyous surprise before he let out a whistle at the sight. "Well shit, ain't you a pretty one! You know what? If you give us double what we were getting before AND come with us, then you got yourselves a deal! I could definitely go for a snack!"
Zoey frowned in disgust at the bandit. It sickened her to know that within a few months, humanity had already fallen to such a deplorable state. Now she was wishing that she could just shoot these people and be done with it, but no, she had to wait for Doug to take the first shot and catch them by surprise. Almost as if it were right on schedule, a shot rang out and blood covered the bandit leader's chest, forcing him to drop the pistol as he fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Fucking finally! Zoey thought as she reached for her pistol in the waistband of her pants and aimed it at the closest bandit, more specifically the one with the beard and sunglasses. Pulling the trigger, the bullet exploded down the barrel of her gun and went straight into his head, killing him.
As this was going on, Carley reached for the dead bandit leader's pistol and shot the female bandit in the chest whilst everyone else scattered to find any form of cover. In what looked to be a last ditch effort to kill them, the final bandit aimed his gun at Carley but was quickly killed as well thanks to Zoey.
Just as she predicted, bandits began flooding out from the forest in large numbers while others opened fire on the motel. Zoey quickly grabbed her gear off the ground before diving behind the R.V. for cover. The door leading inside the vehicle was already wide open indicating that Kenny had run as soon as the first shot was fired.
It was utter chaos as she put her jacket back on. Bullets flew over everyone's head or hit whatever makeshift cover they hid behind. Zoey had to get everyone to the R.V. which she knew would be difficult under all the fire, but her rifle could do something the bandits' couldn't: automatically cycle rounds. Thankfully Ben and Travis had immediately ran for the vehicle which saved her some trouble.
Using her technology to her advantage, she peeked out from behind the R.V. and returned fire on the bandits that tried to enter through the set of gates on the right side of the parking lot. They didn't make it far as she sent pieces of hot lead flying in their direction, killing two of the bandits while a third ducked behind one of the dumpsters. Keeping up the fire, she gave Katjaa, Duck, and Clementine the opportunity to make a run for the R.V.
Zoey hastily waved them inside before moving to the other side of the R.V. By now Doug had already made his way down and was running for the R.V. when a bullet suddenly hit him in the neck and sent him collapsing face first onto the concrete pavement.
"NOOOOOOO!" Carley shrieked in horror as she ran out of cover towards her fallen lover.
"Carley, get down!" Mark shouted as he chased after her. He tackled the ex-report out of the line of fire just in time to become the next victim himself, with two bullets striking him in the back and left leg. Mark screamed in agony as an intense amount of pain coursed through his body.
Zoey grabbed onto Carley's waist and kept her from running out from the safety of the R.V, her super strength proving fruitful in completing the task. Tears filled Carley's eyes as she was pulled into the R.V. by Zoey and Kenny, her screams being drowned out by the abundant amount of gunfire that continued to pierce the chilly air. Once Carley was inside, Zoey helped Mark to his feet and got him inside of the R.V. Setting him down on the couch, she realized that he was bleeding fast and needed medical attention fast.
"Katjaa, Mark needs you now!" Zoey shouted to the veterinarian.
"WAIT FOR US DAMMIT!" Zoey heard Larry cry out. Leaving Mark for a moment, she looked outside the cabin of the R.V only to see Lilly shooting a rifle from behind another set of makeshift cover with her dad crouched next to her. After staring at them for a few seconds, she gave them a hate filled look before closing the door to the R.V. Lilly and Larry couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. After all this time, they were just going to be abandoned?!
"YOU FUCKERS! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE US YOU HEAR ME?! I SWEAR I'LL COME AFTER YOU AND RIP YOUR- you…" Larry's voice faded as he collapsed to the ground gripping his chest, his daughter looking back and forth between him and the R.V. in panic.
Her fear would only grow as she watched her only mode of transportation suddenly drive off, smashing through the makeshift gate before speeding down the road.
On the Road
October 20th, 2024 Local Time, 2003
Crickets chirped as the moon lit up the cold autumn night, illuminating the road for a single vehicle that continued to drive down the empty path. Inside the vehicle, no words had been spoken as the remaining seven survivors from the motel were exhausted from the day's events. There hadn't been much conversation between the survivors, with most either being too tired or too preoccupied to do so, and with the current mood neither Zoey nor Kenny were willing to tell them about there being a traitor. Perhaps in due time, but right now was not that time.
Duck sat up front with his father while Ben and Travis stood off to the side watching Katjaa do her best to tend to Mark's wounds on the couch. Although she didn't say it aloud, she was grateful for Kenny and Doug's preparations for the R.V. Without the supplies they had been storing, she doubted that she would have ever been able to even help Mark.
Zoey and Clementine sat next to Carley at the table, the former doing her best to try and console the heartbroken female. Knowing how it felt to lose a loved one, especially in such a sudden instance, was no mystery for her, so she had nothing but empathy for her older friend. For as long as it took she would be a shoulder for Carley to cry on, or for anyone in the group for that matter. They were all human, and humans can't keep their emotions bottled up lest it get the best of them.
Clementine had tried to include herself in supporting Carley however she could, which mostly ended up being through a long, unspoken hug. Carley looked down at the nine-year-old and flashed her a broken smile before returning the hug.
"Ok, I think that's the best I'll be able to do for right now." Katjaa said as she finished wrapping Mark with some bandages.
Zoey gave her a light nod. "Good work Katjaa. Go ahead and get some rest now."
With a sigh, Katjaa went to join her husband and son at the front of the R.V. Kenny looked back at the group and Zoey could see that although he was just as tired as the rest of them, she could tell exactly what he was thinking. Stick to the plan Ken. East. She thought.
After what felt like hours, which was in reality only fifteen minutes, Zoey spoke up just enough for the rest of the group to hear.
"...Someone amongst us is a traitor."
Dead silence filled the gap that was left once she stopped speaking, with everyone's eyes now being focused on her alone. It was an uncomfortable feeling that she had to put up with now that the idea was out there.
"W- what?" Carley stuttered.
"Someone in the group was giving the bandits our supplies." Zoey further explained. "I found some stuff that was meant to be theirs, which is why they attacked."
Hearing the information, Carley's attitude quickly shifted from guilt and sadness to extreme anger. She slammed her fist on the table as a fresh wave of tears poured from her eyes. "You mean Doug died because some FUCKER was working with those cretins?!" She shouted. Zoey only gave a nod in response.
Witnessing her anger first hand, Ben took a suspicious step back while his eyes kept dancing around the room. Zoey and Carley picked up on this with the latter narrowing her eyes at the teenager. "Ben, do you have something to do with it?" Zoey interrogated.
"N- no, I swear!" He nervously replied.
"Hey, let's not point fingers ok?" Travis said, stepping in to defend his friend. "I know Ben. He can be a nervous wreck sometimes but he's not a traitor. It must've been Lilly or something!"
Carley grit her teeth. The once kind and caring reporter was currently lost behind a wall of hatred. "We'll if it wasn't him, he better tell us now because I LOST EVERYTHING DEAR TO ME!"
"A- and I'm sorry, I really am, but it wasn't me! You have to believe me!" Ben pleaded.
"Well you're making it really hard to do that right now!" Carley replied without hesitation.
Zoey grabbed Carley's shoulder and eased her back into her seat. "Ben," she then began to say in the most serious voice possible, "I want you to look us dead in the eyes and tell us that you have no idea who it was."
"I- I-" Ben continued to stutter. Now he had attracted everyone's gaze, their eyes causing the hairs on his neck to stand up. He hated this. He hated being yelled at, but more importantly hated himself for actually committing the deed that had landed them here in the first place. But as the pressure from everyone piled on top of his extreme guilt, he did the same thing any scared teenager would have done: confessed.
"I- I did."
"What?" Travis said as he looked at his friend in shock. "T- this has to be some sort of mistake. There's no way you would actually do that, right Ben?" He asked in the hopes that it wasn't true. However, the dejected look his friend gave him proved otherwise. "Why?"
"They threatened me, said if I told you guys, then they were gonna kill us all. I- I didn't want anyone to get hurt." Ben explained in a small voice, scared for his well-being with the group.
His excuse made Carley flash him a look of pure anger and hatred. Of course, the threat of death was quite extreme, especially from a group that would have actually done it. But even then, they could have all easily avoided losing the motel if all Ben had done was spoken up. Before anyone knew it, she attempted to lunge at the teenager but was stopped when Zoey grabbed hold of her waist and held her back.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! DOUG IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU, SO I'M GOING TO DO WHAT THOSE BANDITS FUCKING COULDN'T!" Carley shouted at the top of her lungs. Her outburst was so shocking that even Clementine backed away from the woman in fear while Zoey pulled back even harder.
"Carley no! I understand how you feel, but we aren't just going to kill him!" She exclaimed desperately to try and keep Carley at bay. She hated Ben just as much as her friend did and was also extremely angry about the situation, but even she knew they couldn't do something that drastic.
Hearing the commotion behind him, Kenny's grip on the steering wheel tightened before stepping on the brakes and eventually bringing the R.V. to a complete stop. Everyone could see the snarl on his face from the rear view mirror, and if Ben was scared of Carley before, then Kenny made Carley seem like an angry toddler.
"Out." Was all Kenny had to say, and Ben felt his heart sink at that word.
"No please, I'm sorry! Please don't kick me out!" Ben begged them. "T- Travis come on man, you have to help me!"
Travis gave his friend a sympathetic look before turning back towards Zoey and Carley. "Why don't we vote?" Travis suggested. "We're a group right? We can't just kick him out!"
Zoey finally managed to get Carley to sit down, even if she was still fuming. "I'm sorry Travis, but he put Clementine- everyone's lives at risk, and I can't see myself forgiving him for that." Zoey stated.
"What about me? Can I vote too?" Clementine spoke up. Zoey raised her eyebrows for a moment but gave her a nod. "I want Ben to stay. He's nice, likes to draw with me, and always wants to have fun. He's my friend, and I don't want someone else to die."
Clementine's heartfelt words had their intended effect at helping to de-escalate the situation. Hearing the child's words made Zoey momentarily rethink her decision, but in the end she remained stoic.
"Sorry Clem, but after today, I can't see him doing what's best for the group. I know you don't like my decision, but one day you'll understand." Zoey lectures the girl.
Clementine gave her guardian a saddened look before sitting over by the window and letting out a sniffle. Zoey knew this would strain their relationship, but Clementine would get over it, even if she would be mad at her for some time.
One of the many changes that came with the apocalypse. Zoey thought.
It wasn't too long after that they were driving down the road again, but this time two people shorter. Taking one last look out the window, she gave Ben and Travis one last look before sitting back in her seat with Clementine turned away from her. Seeing that she was asleep, she wrapped her arm around the child and held her close before closing her own eyes and letting the darkness take over.
After all, it had been one hell of a day.