Zoey was right...
All this time Francis had relied on Bill's plans. Whether they succeeded or not, or how he felt. He hadn't once thought of how to find a way out.
He stood on the porch with his eyes still lowered from the macabre spreading across the ground below. When the infected charged through the woods in an angry rioting mob. They sprinted towards the clearing straight to their deaths from his comrades working to take them out. Right now he was the only one who had stopped what he was doing as the realization spitefully sunk in. Francis wasn't paying attention to anything. To anyone's voices or the violence or shrieks. What she said plagued him. Not thinking of how to get his two loved ones away from everything. Away from this horrific reality. They were his and he should be thinking of where to find safety for the pair. At least, help to. Instead of relying on someone else's strategies.
But so much was always going on, that his primal instinct was to keep them out of harm's way. It was all he focused on whenever he wasn't wondering if they were hurt or alright.
Although during their brief breaks, when they were able to rest, he could have been planning. Going over the maps, trying to find a quicker way to the army and discuss options with everyone else. That was all Bill had done. Francis hasn't helped him in the slightest of where they should go or do. All he did was follow the old man's lead.
What finally broke him out of his shameful trance, was a bullet whizzing by and embedding in an infected's eye after it had scaled the floor and jumped at him from his right. Francis jolted at the shot then looked towards who made it. He found Kayla staring back at him until she turned and jogged for the back end of the porch. unsheathing her knife and slashing it across a common's chest when it ran through a doorway as she went. She was about to disappear inside while Francis resumed assisting the other survivors. He followed her in, pulling out some extra bullets from his coat pocket to reload and cocked the gun. Kayla stopped at and continued firing out second window; as he shot another sick when he saw it throwing itself up a flight of stairs when he reached them. He descended from behind as it rolled down the steps in the lead.
The common gurgled where it laid and tried to scratch him. In response, Francis stomped a heavy boot on its head repeatedly, breaking the skull open and spraying brain matter on the floor. Once it was gone he rushed back outdoors where he was met with a furious battle roar.
A Huntress toppled backwards and slammed hard against the side of the house in front of him with an angered snarl of its own. Francis halted in his tracks at the same time the special went to lunge at its target. But it was slammed and held against the house a second time with a mighty booted kick in the face.
"Think you've fooled me with your assassin's creed shit! I've taken martial arts classes! I'll break your ribs and tear out the bones and shove them down your throat!" Amber boomed with wild rage and fists held up. To prove her point, she shouted again while tripping then punching the Huntress and started jumping up and down on its abdomen. She kicked it several times with it thrashing and shrieking and clawing in retaliation. It started to shrill in pain when its bones started to crack. She kicked the Huntress in the face once more and knocked teeth out while Francis watched in astonishment. He gazed all over as she elbow dropped on top of it; and settled his eyes on her partner after catching him helping Keirstan beyond the porch.
"Ian!" The large man hollered, shooting above Amber into some sick that were running for the dock. "Remember to never piss yer girl off!"
Both turned at the yelling, looking from Francis to the flailing, kicking bodies through the craze and he saw them react in awe like he had. There she was. Snarling, shouting insults, not showing any signs of stopping soon and beating the holy hell out of the special infected with her bare fists at his feet.
"How you like me now." She rumbled, swinging her hands to block any strikes the Huntress tried to make.
"Amber wait I don't want you getting scratched!" Ian yelled as he went to help. But Keirstan lunged to grab his arm and pulled him back. "Dude I think she's got it." She cut in. He looked at her appalled while she said this, as shocked voices erupted from the second story porch over the enraged hollering. "It could grab and bite her!" He protested trying to tug out of her grasp.
"Look again," Keirstan replied nudging her head with eyes forward. "She has it."
"Good God what was that about going Ape shit earlier?" Beth exclaimed as she and an impressed Zoey stared down. Kayla, appearing lost walked in view beside them to investigate what was going on. From gazing at the sight, her face washed with surprise too.
The special was growing weak with blood squirting in the air and streaking up the sleeves of her coat from each punch. Finally, Amber rose with another scream over the unmoving Huntress. Her fists smeared and face dotted with red as she fixed her rabid stare on Francis. He stared at the young survivor unblinking with lips parted, as she clenched her teeth and flared her nostrils aggressively.
"Martial arts uh," Francis started. "You can throw a hit that's for sure."
She flashes a quick smile right as Louis' shouts tore the air. They all faced where the cries for help were coming from and charge across the deck to the front yard.
A small group of commons were fighting over or throwing themselves down on the squirming, shrilling survivor. The sight of him being overwhelmed made them pump their legs harder.
"Get them off! Someone!" He roared, trying his best to fight them away.
"We got you Louie hang in there!" Francis yelled back. He charged towards and snatched one by the collar of its grimy sweatshirt and hauled it away into a stacked pile of firewood. It collapsed on the infected who immediately thrashed to break free. As it twisted around to attack the biker, who was working on beating others away, a bullet blew its head off from above while Zoey and the sisters shot each one he, Keirstan, Ian and Amber shoved off their friend.
With the weight lessening Louis was able to punch one in the jaw and he scrambled to get up. But was shoved down again when another fell on top of him, making his hands slip out from underneath with a frustrated cry. He held it back by the throat until Amber and Ian grabbed either arm and yanked it away. "Take it out quick!" Ian cried pinning it down. She let go, snatched his hatchet from its holster and struck as it raised its head trying to bite them.
"Are you good man?" He called, looking over his shoulder as red stained his neck and cheek.
"I'M! ALIVE!" Louis howled, shoving himself off the ground with his arms in the air. His face full of furious determination and knocking over two more before they could jump him. The analyst ran as he yelled to tackle a common and snapped its neck. Next he spun around with a kick, breaking the other's as well. "Thou shall not take me out." He said, and jogged off to grab his weapons from the snow.
"Nearly did. They were all over your scrawny ass," Zoey shot down from her post.
"They came at me all at once!" He shouted, shooting without looking since he had turned to gaze up at her.
Francis huffed as Bill and Jordan both hollered something from the dock. He then glanced towards the trees when another infected broke through them; and briskly reached down to grab a piece of firewood and chucked it at the same time another piece flew by. The wood bounced off its face making it fall on its back and broke Francis into a fit of laughter. He looked back at who threw the second chunk to see Keirstan laughing with him.
"That was damn perfect." She chortled. Francis nodded in agreement as he walked over, stepped on it to keep it from getting up and the infected soon found a machete impaling its chest. He scowled deeply as it struggled, while holding the weapon in place until the attacker went still.
"Hey I wanna beat 'em with wood." Kayla complained while he straightened, yanking the large knife out.
"You're fine where you are." Francis called back. "Stay up there and tell us when anything el-" his face dropped when he had turned around, finding her already running out of the house and across the lawn. She bent down mid run to grab a piece and started to swing. Cracking it against opponents' heads as hard as she could.
"Can you listen for once?!" Francis hollered, as Keirstan gazed at him and pointed after her friend.
"Get back you unholy bastards!" Kayla resonated loudly over her brother. Anger set in her face as she swung the wood around again, staring into the eyes of a very enraged infected. She slammed it across its face when it was some feet from her; fracturing bones and causing a mass of blood to spray from its nose and mouth as the head snapped sideways. She then hammered it with downward strikes when it tried to regain its balance. "I'll have none of your unpleasantry up in my space!" Segments broke off and flew through the air hitting Louis in the process. Which interrupted his killing spree as he released a startled, pained yelp.
During this Beth came storming out the door firing her rifle pass everyone at the picnic area. Next she hooted, and withdrew the gun as she too pranced away to beat infected with the temporary combat weapons.
"I need backup!" Zoey groused, shooting rapidly.
The biker stood motionless with his eyes half-lidded, and clicked his jaw while Amber and Ian hurried inside for assistance. An infected leapt through a window after the survivors; just to be thrown out almost the same moment it had gone in as fluid squirted from its chest. Soon more wood was being thrown and bashed around; with splinters and chunks soaring all over.
Francis ran a hand down his face and held it there with a quiet headshake. Sighing heavily, he jogged towards the girls. "Watch your ass Keirstan!" He shouted, pulling out and setting off the shotgun at one before it was fully in view; sparing her from its rabid grasp.
On the dock, Jordan and Bill stood side by side guarding the boat. Both men kept their stern focus on the woods with ears full of the sounds of deep screams and booming fire throughout. Infected flew backwards off the wooden deck as they tried racing across it; and Jordan found a woman splashing through the water before attempting to climb over the side. He glowered and stepped on its cheek making it bite on his boot, looking upwards with scarily wide eyes. He shot the other half of its face; then kicked it away as Jordan looked ahead.
"Aren't they getting creative," he snickered, seeing his fellow survivors beating the sick with firewood.
Bill side-eyed what he was talking about, and his mouth opened ajar with orbs squinting at the sight.
Weapon lowered now he watched the younger members take them out using the lumber. Sometimes jogging over to grab a new piece from the front of the porch and lunging it at the swarm. Beth got busy trying to pry one from the ground. She struggled realizing it was frozen on the spot. With an infected racing at her from behind, and Francis after the thing from another, she suddenly jerked then fell backwards. It flew over her, slamming off the sick's forehead and its body twisted sideways to prevent the neck from snapping. Next Francis kicked it down and proceeded to turn it into another victim of his broad blade. Zoey, Amber and Ian continued to cover them from the second story while Keirstan, Louis and Kayla were back to back swinging the timber around like swords.
It did amuse the veteran however, and he shook his head with a faint chuckle.
"How you doing there?" Bill then called, turning to their acquaintances.
Amanda fired a hunting rifle over their heads, pausing to reach for a tool whenever John needed one once he named it and held a hand out. "Just a little more time. Sorry guys! As I said she's old!" John announced working as quickly as he could. Gears grinded as he screwed new bolts into sections he pulled apart back together. Next, he moved over to the tank to check on the oil and gas, until John stopped and whipped his head at the shore when they heard a bellowing howl.
A large, grey infected was crashing straight through the porch beams, spraying water all over as the wooden structure collapsed behind it. The special slammed into a boulder and released another roar of frustration as it started punching the stone; it then rushed up the slope after the survivors stretching a swollen and muscular arm out. Only for it to slip on a piece of ice, falling hard on its side.
Amanda held a hand over her mouth as she laughed from watching its constant failures. Her husband stared after it in wonder as Bill called out an order. "Someone put that damn thing out of its misery!" He barked, Louis and Keirstan turned at his voice. "That Charger's back, it's headed for ya!"
"What is it?" John questioned; the others rushing away from its rampage.
"Charger," Jordan yelled over his shots. His weapon clicked, so he pulled out a box from an inner pocket and slid the chamber open. "We think they're coming up from the south. If it gets ahold of you they'll beat you around."
"Lovely." Amanda said curtly, peering through the scope whilst John watched it a bit longer, then returned to work.
"Here it comes!" Francis exclaimed. He reached out and grabbed Beth and Kayla by the arms, as they were distracted by the enemies all around and pulled them out of the Charger's path. However, it tripped again and crashed through a dead tree; snapping it in half with bullets whizzing through the crowd. They nicked their target who was falling forwards now and splintering timber while the top section of the tree went down.
Keirstan chucked wood at it before she and Louis unloaded their firearms. "Never seen anything this damn clumsy before!" Keirstan yelled, gazing over at Louis, who's eyes widened in surprise. "Shit!" He started backing up while snatching her sleeve in his hold. This shocked her to look at what he was seeing. The Charger had flipped over on its back and thrashed to its feet. It grabbed a couple of commons mid run and was now using them as a body shield. "May be a clutz but it ain't entirely stupid!" Louis added.
Francis was the first to see the two running in the opposite way, both clenching their teeth and faces full of alarm with Ian and the other girls showering ammo down on it as well. "For fuck's sake." He snarled, as it raised and lowered the convulsing, smaller infected to block the attack.
"You two help 'em out. Get it from behind." Francis instructed. Nudging his head as he talked. Both turned from taking out those jumping at the three from the foliage to see what he was talking about.
"What the shit?" Beth muttered and narrowing her brow in confusion. "I know. Go help them I'll cover ya." He gave her a light nudge of encouragement with Kayla already in the lead. She nodded at him, then took off after their sister. They fired at its back which earned the Charger's attention quickly. It had turned and was about to go for them, however they separated making it look either way as they encircled it from a distance. Like Wolves circling a Deer. Shooting and cutting through its skin when they swiftly dodged in and out of reach. Eventually both rushed away when the Charger gave up in trying to block the ammo; and tossed the shot up body shield like nothing more than a ragdoll to try and catch them.
"That's my girls." Francis said quietly. A soft smile on his lips as their comrades came back around. He could hear them hollering at each other, most likely orders of what to do as he kept pumping the gun and fired. Over and over. A frown overtaking his smile, his brows knitting together slightly, as he concentrated on blowing the infected apart when they reached the open yard.
"Are you almost done!" Amber shouted towards the dock.
There was a muffled answer, and her eyes drooped as she tried to hear. However she couldn't make out what was being said. "Speak up! There's too much chaos going on!"
"I SAID!" John screamed, giving the porch a wild side glance.
"He said a few more minutes," Ian passed the message, turning around to find another sick charging through the second floor towards the window. Its hair a wild mess around its head; saliva flying from its mouth, snot dripping from its nose as it punched and scratched its way over to them. Ian pursed his lips, grabbed the hatchet with a firm grip and chucked the weapon at his target. Once driven amid the face, its head flew back while the infected immediately slowed. It reached up stumbling forward, trying to pull the blade out but instead trips through the window frame, falling on its face and driving it further inwards with a disgusting splintering noise.
Ian stalked over to push the still corpse on its back and briskly pulled it out. Spraying blood in a trail across the porch.
"Nice one!" Amber praised and flashing a bright, impressed grin. He ran a hand over his hat in a fabulous fashion, pulled it off and bowed while sticking a foot out. "Thank you," Ian smiled boastfully.
"Louis there's some coming from behind you!" Zoey exclaimed with the two returning to either side of her. She whipped her firearm in the path of the infected, as Louis turned as well from shooting the disorientated Charger. Although a round of bullets rapidly pierced their skulls before either one could pull their triggers, and they looked to see Francis marching in view. Not sparing a glance and firing in every direction.
The burly special snorted and roared in agony as the sisters continued to zip around to attack it from various sides. It twisted in every direction, trying to get them, but couldn't keep up. Blood splashed all over the snow when Kayla ran under to cut it across its jugular; and the back of its knees from Beth. The metallic sound of blades slicing through diseased muscle sharp in their eardrums as it fell on its knees gasping for breath. All the while Keirstan gave it a couple more bullets with Francis facing their way and shot over the girls into the trees. Louis doing the same across from him in the opposite path.
With the Charger finally collapsing in the red snow, Kayla whirled around to find an infected sprinting for her brother. Plumes of snow spraying around it as the thing ran. Swiftly retrieving her clean knife, she flipped it and caught it by the blade then chucked it straight pass Francis. He halted when it flew by, and turned in time to see the weapon impale through the mouth out the back of its spine.
"...Fuck..." Francis muttered, staring at it for a moment until he bent down to retrieve the knife. He glanced at her with a half surprised smile, "you're good at that." He complimented and tossed it back underhanded.
She beamed proudly with a tongue blep and hunching her shoulders. The biker chuckled, then gazed at the deceased special as Beth jogged over to them. "Nice work. W-"
"Guys I think we can go now!" Keirstan announced over shouts from the dock. She ran ahead clearing a path with Louis in tow.
Francis cast his eyes from her to the water and exhaled a nervous breath. Until Beth grabbed his wrist, "you're certainly ain't walking there." She joked, pulling on him. He thinned his lips and followed the girls, as Amber and Ian trotted through the house down the stairs.
Zoey backed for the entrance, picking off a few more before she turned to follow. The trio shoved opponents who were still breaking into the house and climbing over porch rails out of their way; grunting as they did. The college student raised a pistol and point blank shot one through the forehead on their way out; shattering a window and spraying gore out with the showering glass. She unclicked the empty magazines in unison, and both dropped on the wooden structure in exchange for new ones.
"Are you sure it'll work now?" Amanda called, not taking her eyes off her targets.
"Yes." John replied. He slammed the lid to the engine shut, then jogged inside the cabin. Quickly, he turned the key over eagarly. Lights flashed on the dashboard and he growled in frustration. "C'mon old girl, you can do it." John turned it over a few times, hitting the dash once on the last try with the side of his other fist; and suddenly, the engine began rumbling.
"Alright! We're ready to sail!" He shouted out the window.
"Haul ass!" Louis yelled.
The group drew closer to the dock. Soon, their boots were thumping across the planks in a stampede as Jordan and Bill rained ammo into the infected who didn't slow from coming out of the woods. Some were climbing over boulders and jumping off after the survivors; which were taken care of as Amanda shot them mid air.
Francis looked back at the house with his friends climbing in, next at the water. The engine stirred up bubbles and foam that flowed freely down river, much like the ever increasing dread in his veins.
Despite how he felt, Francis got on. The boat rocked underneath everyone, and Francis uttered a distressed noise as he squeezed a rail until his knuckles were numb.
"It'll be ok," Beth held his other hand. He gazed at her with a highly unsettled look. "It's hard right now, but don't think about it. Think of it as anything else but water." She went on, whilst Kayla turned her head to gaze at them from her corners.
"Yeah…" he mumbled, swallowing the lump in his throat. He felt himself shivering a little, and it wasn't from the cold. As Bill and Louis briskly pulled the ramp that was set in place for the crew to board from the deck in, he found a spot on the floor by the cabin. He went over and promptly settled in as advised by his sister. Shortly after the boat was taking off from the shore, the engine revved as it picked up speed.
"Ha! Bitch!" Amber spat at the infected. Some ran straight off the dock and flailed mindlessly, sinking into the depths, as others chased from the shoreline. She started laughing victoriously until her laughter was interrupted by mad coughs. Making Louis, Ian and Bill chortle amusedly.
"Thanks for helping us out." Zoey said. Keirstan released some rounds at the shore. When she was satisfied, she returned her pistol to its holster.
"Same to you." John replied, with Amanda sitting next to him. Hands folded in her lap, she didn't look pleased with all these strangers on their vessel. She kept her eyes on anything else but them.
John stared out front with his hands on the steering wheel. "The outpost is about three to four miles away. We should be fine getting there."
Bill nodded in understanding. "Yes, we're truly grateful." He stepped up. "Are you going to continue helping others like this, or move on?"
"Uh, it depends what happens. We haven't seen anyone in a long time until you came. With how this boat is, we're probably just gonna have to go."
"No sense in waiting. I'd head out too." Keirstan stated.
Francis had bowed his head with knees to chest, his hands rested on them. He was trying to keep his composure since he didn't like anybody to see whenever he was afraid.
"Fuckin' great." He muttered.
Water, the engine, footsteps and small talk quietly continued to stir. He felt someone flop against him. When he sluggishly turned to see who, Kayla was staring at him with comfort in her gaze. He moved to wrap his arms around her, making it look as though he was securing the young girl. But really, it was for his sake.
Beth smiled softly at this. She rubbed his arm and back soothingly. She glanced up at Jordan who was leaning against a rail with his arms folded. He cast his brown eyes on the three, and his expression faltered at how Francis was. Jordan pointed at him, eyed Beth and quietly asked if he was ok.
'He'll be fine.' Beth mouthed the answer.
The biker rested his chin on top of Kayla's head. Who was starting to show discomfort as he subconsciously squeezed her tightly against him.
As the boat drifted down river, he looked up in time to see the roof of the house vanish behind trees lining the shore.
This was going to be a long four miles.