Last time we left off, Alex started filming his captives in the basement of his hideout before he plans to do away with them. A defeated and unarmed Castleton goes to meet Koch at the spot. Katrina and her crew arrive with the rest of Alex's captives and leave with Lincoln and Clyde. Before they could traumatize the two boys, Deidre arrives with Joseph and Lang and ends up brutalizing Katrina's crew, driving Katrina herself to end her own life. At that same time, Mr. Dupree has also come to the rescue and has brought help in the form of the Loud Kids' Pop-Pop. The two old men stay with Clyde while Lincoln, Rita, Deidre, Joseph, and Lang go off to save the others as they try to come up with a strategy. Will they succeed?

Also, I apologize for the long wait. I was out of power for a few days due to a hurricane, but everything is fine now.

Anyway, here is the next part of the climax. I hope you enjoy it.

As usual, I would like to thank DukeyDukeyDoo and Mike the Red Engine for helping me proofread this chapter.

Chapter 41: The Time for Action

1984...

[In a bedroom upstairs, a young Caucasian boy who was around the age of five laid on his bed looking up at the ceiling as he wore a band-aid on his left cheek. He had apparently gotten into trouble while he was at school and had no idea what kind of punishment his parents were going to enact on him. Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door and a man who was around his early 40s slowly opened it before peeking into the room.]

Father: "Ian?"

[The boy nervously looked over at his father, Riley Castleton, worried that he was going to be punished.]

Ian: "Yes, Dad?"

Riley: "May I come in, son? I think we need to have that talk now."

Ian: "Yes, sir."

[Riley approached his son and folded his arms with a look of disappointment on his face before taking a breath.]

Riley: "Ian, your mother and I are disappointed in you. You could've gotten expelled for your recklessness."

[Ian drooped his head down in shame.]

Ian: "I'm sorry... I was just trying to be like Johnny Beretta."

[Johnny Beretta was the titular character in an action cop TV Show that Ian liked to watch on weekends. The premise of said show was about an undercover cop in Miami hunting down criminals while acting outside of the law.]

Ian: "He's a really brave guy...just like you, Dad. I wasn't going to let those bullies pick on my friends like that and get away with it. I had to do something to help them."

[Riley sighed. He knew his son had good intentions, but he needed to teach him a lesson to ensure that an incident like that didn't happen again. So, the man sat on the bed next to his son.]

Riley: "Ian, I know you were trying to help, but being an officer of the law doesn't mean hurting anyone all the time, it means enforcing justice unto those who want to tear down the bearings of society. Arresting criminals is one of the very things that separates man from the primates, no matter how heinous their deeds are. But you only have to kill when, and only when the situation becomes too dire. Do you understand me?"

Ian: "Uh... Okay?"

[Riley put his hand on his son's shoulder as he looked down at him with a warm smile.]

Riley: "Son... I know you'll be a great addition to the police force, just like your old man. The road ahead will be filled with tough choices, but by the time you come of age, you're going to be an enforcer of justice."

[And with that, Riley pulled his son close to him and the boy gladly accepted his father's embrace.]

Riley: "I know you'll make me proud one day... And when that day comes... You'll be a real hero."

[Ian smiled at his father's uplifting words. Unbeknownst to Ian, this would be the last moment he would ever spend with his father.]

In the present...

"Mr. Castleton? You still there?"

[Castleton snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Rosato as the two men were coming close to the meeting spot, far from the campground. The corrupt lawyer had already led Castleton across the bridge, and they were now going up the hill as the hard rain continued to fall.]

Rosato: "From what I've been told, you've neglected to prevent my associate's firing from his detective job. Care to explain?"

[Castleton sighed before answering Rosato's question.]

Castleton: "He drove off when he was supposed to back me up against Alex in Fernville."

Rosato: "Not a bad argument, but he clearly wouldn't be able to go up against a man like El Jefe, especially when he had muscle from what I heard."

Castleton: "All the same, Koch has shirked his duties and he needs to answer for it! I can't just simply let go of something like that!"

Rosato: "And you're right. He WILL answer for his crimes. But for a completely different purpose...if you catch my drift."

[Castleton just sighed. He did not know what Rosato was getting at, but his mind was too focused on Koch at the moment.]

[Finally, after heading up the hill for what seemed like an eternity, Castleton and Rosato had arrived at Koch's location. The former detective stood in the middle of the field with his hands in his pockets as the two bikers had their eyes fixed on him. Rosato then whistled to get Koch's attention.]

Rosato: "Well... Here he is, Kochner. As promised."

[Castleton gave his ex-partner one good look of disgust upon seeing him while Koch gave Castleton a nervous smile.]

Koch: "Hey, Cass. How are things back on the force?"

Castleton: "I recently quit the R.W.P.D. thanks to your so-called friends, Kochner, so I'm pretty much unemployed right now."

Koch: "I see... So, how did Palmer take to your resignation?"

Castleton: "I don't think he knows about it yet. Couldn't really tell it to him myself. Not that you would understand."

[Castleton continued to glare at the man that he once considered his partner as the two walked in circles around the field. Rosato watched with interest as tension was in the air.]

Rosato: "I can see how angry you are, Mr. Castleton. Your old pal has chosen his path and has completely betrayed your trust in the process. So go ahead... Share your feelings with your old chum."

[Koch raised his hands in an attempt to reassure Castleton.]

Koch: "Now, wait a minute there, Cass. Maybe we can talk this whole thing out?"

[Castleton responded by charging at Koch and throwing his fist at him, but the ex-detective ducked before grabbing Castleton's arm and pinning him to the ground. Koch struggled to put his own arm against Castleton's throat, but the police sergeant was pushing back.]

Koch: "Why are you making this so hard for me, Ian?"

[Castleton raised his other fist and socked Koch in the jaw, knocking him off. Castleton then got on top of his former comrade as he started punching him in the face.]

Castleton: "Why am I making it so hard for you?! You should be asking that question for yourself, you coward!"

[Koch gave Castleton a swift punch in the face, knocking him off and allowing him to get back up. He tried to grab Castleton by the collar of his shirt, but the police sergeant lifted his foot and shoved Koch in the stomach. Koch stumbled backwards for a bit, but he managed to keep himself from falling down. The moment Castleton was back on his feet, he and Koch continued to brawl as Rosato continued to observe with a smirk on his face.]

Rosato: "That's some good quality entertainment right there."

[The two bikers heard this and spoke to one another as they, too, watched the brawl.]

Biker 1: "He's not wrong there."

Biker 2: "Yeah. I just wish we'd brought some snacks with us."

[Finally, after a lengthy fight, Castleton was on the ground with bruises on his face as he was unable to fight anymore. Koch was right on top of Castleton as he gave him a few more punches to the face. Koch breathed heavily and stood back up as he looked down at his former partner.]

Koch: "You still think I'm a goddamn coward, Ian?"

Castleton: "Screw you, Matthew! You piece of shit!"

[Rosato started walking over to Koch with an impressed look on his face as he slowly clapped his hands.]

Rosato: "Well done, Mr. Kochner... It seems that you have redeemed yourself...almost. There's just one, small, itty-bitty thing left to do in order to seal the deal."

[Rosato finally approached Koch and reached into his own coat before taking out his snub-nosed revolver and offering it to the ex-detective.]

Rosato: "All you have to do is finish it. End Castleton's life right here. Though, I would've done it myself if you hadn't shown up. But if you do this for me...I might just convince Mr. Santiago to forget all about your past failures. Wipe the slate clean. What do you say?"

[Koch thought for a moment and took another look down at Castleton. After returning his attention to Rosato, he nodded before taking the gun and aiming it at Castleton, who remained on the ground as he looked up at his former partner.]

Castleton: "How does it make you feel, Koch? Knowing that you're just a pawn to a madman? A madman who just uses others for his own agenda. How does that feel?"

[Koch looked away from Castleton for a brief moment and sighed before looking at him again.]

Koch: "It didn't have to be this way...old friend."

[Suddenly, Koch turned the gun on Rosato and immediately shot him in the chest, much to Castleton's surprise and disbelief. He then turned around in a split second and aimed the gun at one of the other two bikers, shooting him in the head before the second one raised his gun and shot at Koch. Koch managed to dodge the bullets from the second biker's gun and dropped to the ground before firing off the last two bullets from the revolver into the biker's chest. The biker dropped his gun and fell backwards to the ground next to his dead partner as he met the same fate.]

[Silence fell in the pouring rain as the lawyer put his hands over the fatal wound in his chest and looked at Koch before dropping to his knees. He then looked at the palm of his hands to see them stained with blood before looking up at Koch with disappointment and pointing his bloodied finger at him.]

Rosato: "Kochner... *coughs* You're despicable..."

[With that, Rosato closed his eyes as the corrupt defense attorney fell forward and expired before a puddle of blood formed under his body.]

[Castleton continued to stare at Koch, unable to find the appropriate thing to say.]

Castleton: "Why...?"

[Koch knelt down and extended his hand to Castleton, who looked at it for a brief moment before looking up at Koch again.]

Koch: "Listen to me... This whole thing was a setup. Alex wanted the winner killed as soon as his opponent was down. He was never going to let the Louds, or his own two kids go once the deed was done."

Castleton: "Are you seriously doing this now?"

Koch: "It's already too late for me...but maybe we can still save all those kids and their folks before we take on Alex together. Once he's down for the count, I'll turn myself in and tell the police everything I know. Are you with me, Cass?"

[Castleton hesitated for a moment. He shouldn't be trusting Koch, especially after playing a part in Alex's breakout, as well as Alex's attack on the Loud House. But upon remembering the danger the Louds and Santiagos were in, he reluctantly took Koch's hand.]

Castleton: "For now, Koch. Just don't push your luck."

Koch: "I'll take what I can get."

[Koch pulled Castleton back to his feet before dragging him over to the shed.]

Koch: "Come on! There's a shitload of weapons stored inside that shack! You better gear up if you're planning on going after Alex."

[Upon entering the shed, they found a wooden crate at the very end of it. The two men put their hands on the lid and lifted it. Inside the crate were a few rifles and shotguns, as well as ammo. Koch reached in and pulled out an M4A1 assault rifle before showing it to Castleton.]

Koch: "You ever used one of these babies before?"

[Castleton took the rifle from Koch while giving him an unimpressed look.]

Castleton: "I was in the military, Koch. I know damn well how to handle an assault rifle."

Koch: "I know! I just wanted to make sure you weren't a little...rusty. This is some last stand shit we're dealing with here, so we better be ready for anything."

[Castleton rolled his eyes as he collected a few clips for his rifle from the crate while Koch took out a scoped M14 rifle and a couple of clips for it.]

Koch: "By the way, when we get back to safety, there's something I have to tell you. It's very important."

Castleton: "Fine, but right now, it's time to stop Alex and chew some peppermint gum... And I'm fresh out of gum."

[After gearing up and loading their weapons, the two men exited the shed and started racing down the path back towards the hideout. However, as they entered the woods, they soon come in contact with a group of about six of Alex's bikers, armed to the teeth with shotguns and submachine guns. Either they must've heard the gunshots, or their boss was getting suspicious. Whatever the case, the two men took cover behind a tree each before the opposing party started firing at them.]

Koch: "Damn! That son of a bitch must be getting desperate!"

Castleton: "You don't say?! Well, I didn't want to do this, but I've got no other choice! Do I?!"

[Once Castleton saw his chance, he got out of cover and fired a few rounds from his assault rifle at one of the bikers, hitting him in his stomach and leg. Koch also managed to get a few shots into one biker, killing him almost instantly. Once the first round of bikers was taken care of, Castleton and Koch kept moving forward for a bit until they came across another round of Alex's goons, forcing both men to shoot their way past them as well.]

Castleton: "Get some, motherfuckers!"

[As Castleton shot his way past the bikers, he was taken back to the streets of Baghdad, sweeping out the insurgent forces alongside his teammates. He held the rank of sergeant back then, and he was holding that very same rank in the present, albeit in a different line of work. He didn't care how many bikers he'd have to get through, all that mattered to him was the safety of the Louds and Santiagos, and nothing was going to stop him from getting them out of danger.]

Earlier, outside of the hideout...

[Lucy had managed to sneak her way to the campsite without being detected by Alex or his henchmen. On the way there, she was unfortunate enough to witness the capture of her entire family as well as Bobby and Clyde. By the time she arrived outside the site, she noticed that there wasn't a lot of activity going on before her attention shifted to a couple of bikers dragging a young man by his arms from the cabin to a nearby barn. Curious, Lucy followed the bikers as they went into the barn before Lucy stopped in front of the sliding wooden doors. She slowly opened one of them before going inside the structure and closing the door behind her.]

[Once inside, Lucy looked around for a brief moment and saw no one before she focused her attention on a pair of wooden double doors at the far end of the barn. Lucy walked forward for a bit until she was directly in front of the doors, curious of what could be behind them. She stared at the doors for a few moments before one of them started to open, prompting Lucy to immediately hide behind it as the two bikers from before walked out of the room whilst chatting to one another. As the bikers walked toward the entrance, Lucy held the door open, giving her the chance to enter the room without being seen before quietly shutting it.]

[Upon entering the room, she froze in the doorway as she let out a hiss. It was a small room, but inside was a table with a hacksaw, a workbench, a tub with a tarp over it, and traces of blood on the walls as well as in and around the tub. There were even glass jars filled with entrails on a shelf over the workbench. The whole area was like something out of a slasher movie and Lucy didn't know what to make about any of it. Lucy also noticed a single door at the other end of the room, but she didn't have the nerve to see what was behind it.]

Lucy: "Whoever owned this place before must've been a sick and twisted individual... Not sure how I should feel about this one."

[Lucy then noticed the captured man, who was sitting on the floor with a gag over his mouth and his hands tied behind his back with rope. Lucy walked over to the man before taking the gag off of him.]

Lucy: "Who are you?"

[The man spoke softly, afraid that Alex or his helpers would hear him from outside.]

Wes: "I'm Wesley Delmar, Sergeant Castleton's cameraman. Wes for short. I follow him and his subordinates around while they're on the air."

Lucy: "Castleton? Where is he? Is he here?"

[Wes sighed as he thought back to his boss.]

Wes: "He surrendered himself to Alex along with me and this biker named T-Bone. Alex then ordered two of his goons to lock me in this slaughterhouse."

Lucy: "I'm quite aware of that part. Sigh... This is a sad day. Is there any hope for my family?"

Wes: "Hard to say, kid. I just hope that the R.W.P.D. can get here in time."

[Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted as they heard a familiar voice coming from outside.]

Lola: "Let go of me, you brutes! I demand you to stop manhandling me!"

[Lucy let out a soft gasp when she heard her prissy sister's voice.]

Lucy: "Lola?"

Wes: "They're coming! You need to hide, kid! Now!"

[Lucy quickly put the gag back over Wes' mouth and hid under the workbench just as the barn doors started to open. As she remained hidden, she saw the same couple of bikers come into the room dragging Lola by her arms as she struggled until she saw the gory sights in the room and let out a shriek of terror.]

Lola: "Nononononono! I'm too young and pretty to die!"

[One of the bikers tightly gripped Lola's right arm as he stared down at her.]

Drayson: "Jesus, you're such a whiny little bitch! Didn't your parents teach you any goddamn manners?"

Salyer: "Don't you worry about it, Drayson. I'll deal with the poor sow in no time."

Drayson: "You better, Mason! El Jefe wants her to suffer before she goes!"

Salyer: "Of course. After all...this whole area is my property. You better get back to El Jefe and inform him of the news. Just don't forget to shut the doors this time."

[Drayson nodded and left the room before shutting the doors and locking them. Lola continued kicking and screaming as Salyer dragged the girl onto the table and restrained her arms and legs. Salyer then put on a pair of green gloves, a white apron, and a pair of goggles before grabbing a meat cleaver. With the cleaver now in hand, Salyer sharpened it for a bit before preparing to use it on Lola.]

Salyer: "Oh, little pig. It's so nice to have you here. You know why they call me The Tongue Twister, don't you?"

[Lola could only shake her head in response. Salyer walked over to the radio and turned it on as a classical song began to play.]

Salyer: "You'll be a great example to everyone in Royal Woods, piggy! And after Alex ends your life, I'll be having a wonderful time with your body! If you get what I mean?"

[Lola shut her tear-stained eyes tight as Salyer readied his cleaver with a sick laugh.]

Salyer: "And uh... Just an honest but fair warning... This will only hurt, like, HELL!"

[Salyer chuckled as he gave off a crazed grin. Then, with his glove-clad fingers, Salyer grabbed Lola's tongue and pulled on it. Before he could slam his cleaver on the trembling girl's tongue, a soft voice spoke from under his nose.]

Lucy: "Get your hands off my sister, you monster!"

[Salyer screamed in fright and threw his cleaver in the air before he tumbled over and landed flat on his back. The cleaver flew up so high that it nearly hit the ceiling, then it started to lose momentum and fall towards the butcher, who let out a gasp before the sharp end of the object hit him on the forehead, lodging itself in and killing him instantly as the thunder crackled. Blood leaked out of the fatal wound in Salyer's forehead and trickled down to the floor as his dead eyes stared up at the ceiling. Lucy let out a satisfied smile upon seeing the biker dying by his own weapon while Wes felt like he was ready to throw up.]

Lucy: "Not to sound like Luan... But there's nothing quite like being scared to death... Ha ha..."

[Lucy then walked over to Lola, whose eyes were still shut as she kept on waiting for the impact.]

Lola: "Is it over? Can I still speak?"

Lucy: "It's okay, dear sister. You are safe now."

[Lola opened her eyes and let out a gasp upon hearing the familiar voice before turning her head to look at her sister, who was now undoing Lola's restraints.]

Lola: "Lucy! You're okay!"

[The moment she was freed, Lola immediately tackled her gothic sister to the floor and embraced her as if her entire life depended on it.]

Lola: "Oh, I was so scared! Thank you for rescuing me!"

[Lucy sat up before gladly returning her sister's embrace.]

Lucy: "You're welcome, but we can't waste any more time in this hellish place. We have to find a way out of here and save the others."

[As they looked around, Lucy saw a box filled with electronic devices and walked over to it while Lola followed. When they looked inside, they could recognize their own cell phones, as well as the ones belonging to their siblings. But they didn't have time to collect any of them as they still had to find a way to escape. Just then, Lucy looked up and saw an old grid leading into a ventilation shaft. And of course, knowing her experience of crawling through the vents at home, she had an idea.]

Lucy: "Come on, Lola. We can get out through the vents."

[Lucy pointed at the shaft and Lola frowned as she stared at it.]

Lola: "Do I have to? It's probably too dusty in there."

Lucy: "If you value your life, then you're going to have to trust my instincts. This is our one and only chance to save ourselves."

Lola: "Okay, on second thought, I'll follow you. But how do we even get up there? It's too high."

[The two kids thought for a moment and then looked over at Wes, who was still tied up and gagged. The two kids managed to undo the cameraman's bonds, allowing him to remove the gag from his mouth.]

Wes: "Whew! Thanks a lot, kids."

Lola: "You're welcome, sir. Now how about helping us get out through that vent?"

[Lola pointed at the grid and Wes looked at it before giving the two kids a nod as he stood back up.]

[And with that, Lucy stood on Lola's shoulders while Lola stood on Wes' shoulders, getting the goth high enough to reach the vent and pull off the loose grid before dropping it to the floor with a loud thud. Once Lucy was in the vent, she reached her hand out and helped Lola crawl into the vent with her.]

Wes: "Sorry I can't come with you, kids. I won't be able to fit through there even if I could reach it. But when you find your family, make sure that you all get as far away from here as you can, okay?"

Lucy: "Thanks for the help, sir. And if you die, we'll make sure that your sacrifice will not be in vain."

Wes: "Don't worry about me, little girl. I'm sure I can find my own way out of this place. But you kids gotta do what you can to survive. Now get going! Hurry!"

[Lucy led the way as the two girls crawled through the shaft, figuring out which way to go without running into any dead ends. It was really dusty in the vents, but Lola kept her cool as she followed her older sister to the exit. As they navigated the vents, Lola saw an area that looked like a freezer, probably for trapping victims. Lola shivered for a bit before following Lucy again.]

[Finally, after crawling through the vent for what seemed like a few minutes, the two kids made it behind the barn and pushed through the metal grid before landing in a puddle of mud as the downpour continued. Lola wanted to shout in disgust over her dirtied clothes before Lucy put her hand over her younger sister's mouth.]

Lucy: "Please don't shout, Lola. We don't want Alex or any of his followers to know that we're free."

[Lola calmed down and nodded, knowing that her older sister had a point. The two Loud girls got up and walked over to one of the corners of the barn before Lucy looked around it. As the gothic Loud sibling looked around the site, she saw two police officers outside the hideout.]

Lola: "What do you see, Luce?"

[At that moment, Lucy saw three more people walking over to the officers. Two of whom that she recognized as they were accompanied by an African-American woman in biker's clothing, making the goth smile.]

Lucy: "Mom and Lincoln are back. And it looks like they've brought help."

Meanwhile, in front of Alex's hideout...

[After walking up the path for a few minutes, Lincoln, Rita, and Deidre caught up with Joseph and Lang just outside the hideout.]

Deidre: "Alright, we're here. So how are things out there?"

Joseph: "There's not a lot of activity around the outside, Hayes. Though we're hearing a lot of distant gunfire coming from behind the house."

Lang: "It sounds like most of Alex's goons went across the river to deal with Sergeant Castleton. I just hope that he'll be able to handle all of them."

Rita: "Well, that makes things easier for us. Who'd thought that Alex would forget to leave someone behind to guard the grounds?"

Deidre: "I'm pretty sure he still has some lackeys inside the main building. No way in hell is he ever going to leave his captives unsupervised."

Rita: "Right... Well, we still need a way to get everyone out before we take action."

Deidre: "Yeah, no sense leaving your family in there when the powder keg goes off. And I've seen such a keg go off while I was undercover..."

[Deidre sighed and crossed her arms as she thought back to what happened in Detroit.]

Deidre: "So many have died."

Lincoln: "I'm still really worried about Lucy, though. She disappeared while we were chasing after Alex."

Rita: "You mean she's not in that cabin?"

[Lincoln shook his head before letting out a sigh.]

Lincoln: "I really hope she's doing okay, wherever she is."

"Mother, brother, we are okay."

[The group of three jumped with fright at the nearby voice as thunder boomed. They looked over and saw Lucy poking her head out of a bush along with Lola.]

Lola: "Mommy! Linky! You're okay!"

[Lincoln smiled and ran over to the bush before embracing his younger sisters in a hug.]

Lincoln: "Lola, you're safe! And so are you, Lucy!"

[Rita then walked over and embraced the three kids as well.]

Rita: "Lucy! Lola! Thank goodness you two are alright! But what happened?"

Lucy: "Right after our near-death experience with that truck, I managed to grab on to the top of Alex's car and ride it all the way to his lair. And just as it was turning onto the dirt road, I got off the car before I could get noticed. When I got to the hideout, I saw someone being dragged into the barn and went in to check. What I saw at the very end of that barn was...disturbing. Then I saw two of Alex's henchmen dragging Lola into the barn."

Lola: "And I nearly lost the ability to speak before Lucy came to my aid."

Rita: "Well, I'm glad that you're both safe, but we might need your help. We have to go save the rest of our family from Alex."

Lucy: "If you are planning a rescue, Lola and I will be happy to assist."

Lola: "We would?"

[Lucy nudged the pageant queen with her elbow.]

Lola: "I mean, of course we would! Though it is pretty risky."

Lincoln: "That's perfect, you two!"

Deidre: "That is a creepy little girl you got there, Rita. Are all of your daughters different?"

Rita: "Lucy's a goth and Lola's a pageant queen, but yeah... You'd be surprised."

[Rita bent over at the goth and put her hands on her shoulders.]

Rita: "Anyway, Lucy, do you think you can help sneak Lincoln and Lola into the basement?"

Lucy: "This bush can only hold three people. Lincoln can ride in it with me and Lola, but it can't really hide those who are tall. No offense, Mother."

Rita: "I understand, honey."

Lola: "But how do we get everyone out? You have any ideas, Lincoln?"

[Lincoln thought for a moment until he remembered something.]

Lincoln: "I think I saw a small window in the basement while I was being held there. We could just get everyone out through there and make our escape. It's a small chance, but a good one nonetheless."

[Lola slapped herself on the forehead as she remembered that detail.]

Lola: "Oh right! The window! I totally forgot about that."

Rita: "I think that's a good plan, Lincoln. You kids can save everyone while me, Dee, and officers Joseph and Lang keep Alex's henchmen distracted. You make sure you get everyone straight back to Pop-Pop and Mr. Dupree when they're all out. Okay?"

Deidre: "Sounds like a plan to me, Reets."

Lucy: "I agree with this plan."

Lola: "Not sure if I do."

Lucy: "We will do our best to save everyone or die trying."

Lola: "I much rather prefer NOT to die, thank you very much. I've too much to live for."

Rita: "NOBODY is going to die, kids. Not on our watch."

Deidre: "Amen to that, girlfriend!"

[Just then, Albert's voice spoke from Rita's walkie-talkie.]

Albert: "Polar Bear to Honeycomb. How are things on your end? Over."

[Rita picked up the radio and spoke to her father.]

Rita: "I can hear you, Dad- I mean Polar Bear. Lucy and Lola are safe with us, and we'll be back as soon as everyone else is out."

Albert: "Roger that, Honeycomb. Be sure to get everyone out and rendezvous at the safe zone in 17:00. Polar Bear out. Over."

[As soon as Albert hung up, Rita put her walkie-talkie back in her pocket.]

Lincoln: "Alright! Let's go find that window. But we better be careful not to alert Alex's cronies."

Lucy: "Understood."

[Lincoln joined Lucy and Lola in the bush before following Rita and Deidre to the cabin as Joseph and Lang followed behind the kids as they checked their surroundings. As soon as they approached the house, the three Loud kids exited the bush before looking around the outside of the building.]

[Finally, Lincoln found the window at the left side of the cabin, which was supposedly where the basement was. Lincoln then got on all fours and looked through the window to see most of his siblings, his still unconscious father, Bobby, and Ronnie Anne restrained in the cellar while Alex held a video camera in his hand and wore a smirk on his face. The boy in the orange shirt did his best not to get spotted by the inhabitants in the basement as he continued to observe the whole thing just as Rita, Deidre, Joseph, and Lang arrived.]

Deidre: "What do you see in there, kid?"

Lincoln: "Everyone's tied up down there. Well, almost everyone. Bobby and Lori are chained to the walls, Dad is out cold in the middle of the room, and Lily is locked up in a cage."

Rita: "What?!"

Lincoln: "And that's not all. Alex is also filming them with a video camera."

[Rita gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she thought about Alex.]

Rita: "He's filming them as well? That son of a bitch!"

Lola: "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Deidre: "Are you absolutely sure everyone's in there?"

[Lincoln looked through the window again to make sure.]

Lincoln: "Yep... It looks like everyone is there."

Lucy: "What about Castleton, pray tell?"

Lincoln: "No... I don't see him."

Deidre: "Like Lang said, kids, he must be on the other side of the bridge. But we can't do anything about that now. We've got children to worry about."

Rita: "So how are we doing this?"

[Lucy looked through the window and thought for a moment.]

Lucy: "As soon as that hell-spawn is back upstairs, I'll see if I can sneak in through the window. Once I remove everyone's restraints, we'll get them all out the same way. Lincoln and Lola, you both stay out here and keep watch while I make my descent into the cellar."

Lola: "And how will you get everyone out?"

Lucy: "I'll use their binds as a makeshift climbing rope so we can all make our escape. But you and Lincoln must bear your strengths and help us get out through the window."

[Lincoln hesitated for a moment, but then accepted.]

Lincoln: "Okay then... That's a good idea."

Lucy: "But we need to hurry. I've been in that barn, and at the very end of it, I've seen...things... Unspeakably gruesome things."

[Lincoln gulped.]

Lincoln: "Do I even want to know what those things are?"

Lucy: "If you value your innocence, then that door is best left unopened...to you."

Lola: "I'd heed her warning if I were you, Lincoln. It's already too late for me."

[Lincoln shook his head as he regained his thoughts.]

Lincoln: "Mom... You and Deidre know what to do, don't you?"

Rita: "Of course, honey."

Deidre: "Right away, L.A.."

Rita: "Just do me one favor. Okay, Lucy? When your father wakes up, could you please tell him that I'm alright?"

Lucy: "I'll be sure to tell him that, Mother."

[Lincoln then looked over at the two officers.]

Lincoln: "Officers Joseph and Lang, you can protect all of us from any more of Alex's goons until we get everyone out."

[Joseph and Lang looked at each other for a brief moment before looking back at Lincoln again with smirks on their faces.]

Joseph: "Normally, we wouldn't take orders from a child, but... I think we can make an exception."

Lang: "No problem, kid. We'll keep you covered while you take care of things."

[At that moment, Lucy noticed Alex and the other bikers starting to go up the stairs. The third one put the still running camera on the floor in front of everybody before following the others up.]

Lucy: "Look, Lincoln! The coast is clear. We best get ready."

[Lincoln pounded his fist in his other hand before speaking.]

Lincoln: "Right then! It's time to put 'Operation: Break-into-Alex's-hideout-and-rescue-Bobby-Ronnie Anne-and-my-sisters-and-also-think-of-a-shorter-name-for-this-operation' into action!"

Deidre: "Damn, that's a mouthful. If anything, I'd simply call it 'Operation: Piss Off Mr. Big' for short."

[Deidre let out a chuckle as she finished her sentence.]

Lincoln: "Sorry about that. We tend to use long codenames and then try to think up shorter ones, though we mostly come up short, no pun intended. It sort of runs in the family."

Deidre: "Well, Rita, I gotta say, you have one odd, but pretty interesting family."

Rita: "We're not just odd, Dee. We're Louds, and we're proud."

Deidre: "Loud and proud. Heh. That has a nice ring to it."

[Rita then gave her sixth daughter a kiss on the forehead for good luck.]

Rita: "You be careful in there, sweetie. Do what you can to save the others."

Lucy: "I won't let you down, Mother."

Lincoln: "Here, Luce. You might need these keys."

[Lincoln took the ring of keys out of his pocket and handed them over to Lucy.]

Lincoln: "That woman who took me to her van had them on her. They should unlock Lily's cage, and hopefully unlock Bobby and Lori's shackles as well. And you also might need this for luck."

[Lincoln pulled the goth in a warm embrace as a sign of good luck.]

Lucy: "Thank you, brother. I will do my part as quickly as I can. But be prepared. For once I make the rope, one of you will have to tie your end to something sturdy."

Lincoln: "I'll do it."

Lucy: "Very well. Lincoln, Lola, Mother, let us all pray that everything goes well."

[Rita nodded before getting down on one knee to speak to Lincoln and Lola.]

Rita: "Okay, Lincoln. You and Lola keep a close eye on everything. Once Lucy frees everybody, help them get out through the window. Deidre and I will have your backs in case any of those bikers see you."

Lincoln: "Thanks, Mom. I'll do my best."

Rita: "And Lola, whatever happens, please don't get upset if anything goes wrong, okay?"

Lola: "I'll try not to, Mommy."

[With that, Lincoln and Lola stood by their mother while Lucy carefully opened the window and made her way down into the nearly dark basement. She then grabbed on to the edge of the window as her mother looked down at her.]

Rita: "Be careful in there, Lucy. And whatever you do, don't let Alex see you."

[Lucy nodded before letting go of the edge and dropping down into the cellar. Lincoln then carefully shut the window to avoid suspicion from Alex or his henchmen if they come back.]

Meanwhile, inside the hideout...

[T-Bone was being held on the second floor of the hideout, handcuffed to a table as three bikers, one male and two female, guarded him. T-Bone looked at the bikers as he tried to talk some sense into them.]

T-Bone: "Sara? Jolie? Melvis? Why are you guys doing this?"

Sara: "We have to, T. He'll kill us if we fail him. They wanted to do so if we didn't join him."

T-Bone: "Can't you see that he's just using you? He doesn't care about any of the brothers and sisters like Rodd did."

Melvis: "But you're the one who killed him... Aren't you?"

[T-Bone chuckled appallingly.]

T-Bone: "And you actually swallowed that bullshit?! Who the hell told you that?!"

Jolie: "Yolantha did... At least, I think that was her name."

Sara: "I thought she said her name was Yuri?"

T-Bone: "That bitch! She was in on Alex's whole plan the entire time! She had to have been! She went into the basement with me and must've knocked me out just so I could take the fall for Rodd's demise!"

Melvis: "Are you sure about that, T? She was pretty upset when she broke the news to us. Then everyone went wild and started killing each other after that."

T-Bone: "I'll bet she was putting on a show for the others to force sympathy before taking advantage of the chaos! I mean, why the hell would I even want to kill Rodd? Huh?! He's been like an older brother to me just as he's been to the rest of you!"

[The three bikers looked at one another, unable to find a good excuse.]

T-Bone: "Are you three really going to waste your lives working under that narcissistic asshole?! How long will it take before he eventually decides to get you all killed when you've outlived your usefulness?! You guys better pick your side now because the lives of over a dozen children and their parents, if not many other lives in Royal Woods, rests on your consciences!"

[The three bikers looked at one another, now feeling conflicted from their former comrade's words. Could Alex actually throw them away when his entire plan is finished? After thinking about this, the bikers gave T-Bone different responses.]

Sara: "Sorry, but we can't."

Melvis: "I... I don't know... I just... I don't know who to believe at this point."

Jolie: "I do... I mean, how long have we known Alex Santiago for the asshole that he is? He's the bad guy here! Not T-Bone!"

[Melvis and Sara looked at each other for a moment as Jolie stood by T-Bone.]

Jolie: "You guys can either stay undecided or be at Alex's mercy if you want to. But T-Bone's been with us for years, and he's been a loyal comrade ever since. And if you want to rat me out to Alex, then go ahead. Try it."

[T-Bone sighed with a smile. He was glad that one of his old friends was still on his side, but it wouldn't be enough to stand up to Alex and his loyalists. He just had to hope the other two can come to their senses before it's too late.]

Meanwhile, in the basement...

[Bobby's head remained drooped down in despair as he stared at the floor. The remaining Loud kids were still worried for Lincoln, Lola, and Clyde while their father remained unconscious in the middle of the room, his hands also tied behind his back. None of the captives could notice the gothic girl entering through the window as she went behind each of her siblings with a piece of broken glass to loosen their ropes. Then, as Lucy was undoing Leni's bonds, the second-eldest Loud sibling gasped when she noticed the goth.]

Leni: "O-M-Gosh!"

[Lucy immediately put her hands over Leni's mouth before shushing her.]

Lucy: "Shush... The walls have ears, Leni."

[Ronnie Anne and the other Loud sisters got the memo before Leni spoke in a hushed tone.]

Leni: "Lucy, thank goodness you're alright. But I don't see any ears."

Lana: "Have you seen Lola? Is she doing alright?"

Luna: "And what about our Lil' Lincoln?"

Lucy: "See for yourselves."

[Lucy pointed at the window and her sisters and Ronnie Anne saw Lincoln and Lola watching them from the other side, much to their relief.]

Lana: "They're okay."

Luan: "Way to emphasize your point, Luce."

[To no one's surprise, Luan laughed while nearly everyone groaned in annoyance. Lynn Sr. was still out cold, and Bobby was still too depressed to even care.]

Luan: "Get it?"

Lucy: "Anyway, we have a plan for all of us to escape this place, and it requires your help. But we must hurry, for Alex will most likely return to check in on all of you."

[Lucy then removed the gag from her eldest sister's mouth, allowing her to speak freely. And as Lucy began to look for the right key to unlock Lori's shackles, the pregnant blonde looked over at Ronnie Anne, who had an expression of relief on her face as she looked towards the window, now knowing that Lincoln, Lucy, and Lola were safe.]

Ronnie Anne: "Thank god they're okay. Especially you, Lincoln."

[Lori then took one look at her dispirited boyfriend and tried to talk to him in a hushed voice.]

Lori: "Bobby! Can you hear me? Lucy's okay! And so are Lincoln and Lola! We're going to get out of here!"

[Bobby sadly looked at Lori for a brief moment before going back to his slump.]

Lori: "Bobby, why won't you answer me?"

Bobby: "Oh, Lori... This is...all my fault."

[Lori looked at Bobby with a shocked expression.]

Lori: "Bobby..."

Bobby: "I really mean it, Lori... I led all of your siblings into this trap because I couldn't think of a plan. Lisa wanted to come up with a strategy and I simply ignored it."

Lynn: "To be perfectly fair, we ALL kinda ignored what Lisa was about-"

[Lisa shushed Lynn before she could finish her sentence and the young jock stifled herself.]

[Bobby sighed again as Lori continued to stare at him.]

Bobby: "My dad's right... I only end up making everyone's lives worse. If Ronnie Anne and I hadn't gotten you involved in our situation, this wouldn't have happened. Lincoln, Clydesdale, and little Lola wouldn't have been taken away. And Lily wouldn't have been...been..."

[Tears started leaking from Bobby's eyes as he thought about Lily getting hurt.]

Bobby: "I am so, so sorry... Ronnie Anne and I only got all of you hitched to our wagon and we kept dragging you along until we were right over the cliff. You shouldn't have to put up with a loser like me. I'm such an idiot and an awful boyfriend."

[Bobby then looked directly at Lori with his tear-streaked face.]

Bobby: "I think you better forget about me, Lori. Just make your escape with your family and take Ronnie Anne with you. She'll live a far better life without me."

Ronnie Anne: "What?! Bobby, you can't be serious!"

Bobby: "It's okay, Nie-Nie. You don't have to worry about me now. You'll be safer with them than me, and so will Bumblebee. Just leave me to my fate. I don't deserve to be a dad. I don't think I even deserve to live on this earth anymore."

[Lori stared at the Hispanic semi-adult for a bit before speaking to him in a stern tone.]

Lori: "Roberto Santiago!"

[Bobby's eyes shot open in surprise before he looked over at Lori, who was still sporting her stern face.]

Lori: "Will you snap out of it already?! We are only in this mess because you literally allowed yourself to get fooled by your father's manipulations! You know he's only using your flaws to belittle you!"

Bobby: "But..."

Lori: "But NOTHING, Bobby! You can't give up just because you made one mistake! I know you're flawed but aren't we ALL?! The reason I love you so much is because of how considerate you are, like how willing you were to try and rescue me and Ronnie Anne..."

Bobby: "Well, that is true... But..."

Lori: "And that's not all! Who was the guy who wanted to stay by my side when I became pregnant? Who took me into his house when his father tried to object? Who tried his very hardest to earn my forgiveness after that Halloween incident? Who was that selfless man who wanted to give himself up for my brother's safety? Who wanted to help me make the graduation list? If anything, I think you've made my life better."

[Bobby smiled lovingly at his girlfriend's reassuring words. Ronnie Anne wanted to retort for how cheesy this all was, but she knew this wasn't the right time for it.]

Bobby: "Awwwww, Babe... What was I thinking? You truly are a muy determined woman. How can I ever turn away from someone like that? Especially if her name is Lori Loud, who I love so very much?"

[Lori blushed as she smiled back at her boyfriend.]

Lori: "I know... You're determined as well. I'm so happy to have you by my side."

[Bobby and Lori stared into each other's eyes, which was the best they could do under their restraints. But nonetheless, Bobby and Lori still had each other and their unborn son despite the situation they were currently in. Most of Lori's sisters watched with awe at the sight while Lucy was still searching for the key to the shackles.]

Bobby: "Lori... I might've told you this before, but you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I could just kiss you if I wasn't held back by these chains."

Lori: "Oh, Bobby Boo-Boo Bear, I don't blame you. You and I may be shackled to these walls, but you are literally the key to my heart."

Lucy: "I think I've found it."

"Oh, will you look at this?! A couple of poor saps!"

[Bobby and Lori snapped out of their loving gaze as the sound of Bobby's horrible father broke the moment with a chuckle. The big man marched down the stairs and picked up the camera before standing in front of the couple with the device aimed at them. Lori and the rest of the girls gave Alex glares of disgust as he continued filming while Lucy hid in the shadows.]

Alex: "So sorry to ruin your precious momento, but is there anything else you would like to say before your imminent fate? Come on..."

[Bobby looked up at his father with a pleading expression on his face.]

Bobby: "Papi...I'm your son... And Ronnie Anne is your daughter... You can't do this."

[Alex eyed Bobby with a look of indifference on his face when he heard what he said.]

Alex: "Yeah, you just keep on trying, Junior. Your pathetic guilt tripping isn't going to work on me. You and Ronalda both need to be punished and your friends will need to suffer for that to happen."

Bobby: "No! Lori and her family have nothing to do with this! It's me and Ronnie Anne that you want! Just let them all go! They won't have to bother you again if you just leave them alone! But most of all...let Lori and my baby go... Please..."

[Bobby's eyes began to well up with tears as he brought up his girlfriend and unborn son. Of course, Alex maintained his uncaring gaze as he coldly answered his son.]

Alex: "My decision is FINAL, mijo. Once I deal with all these degenerates, I'll be returning to Royal Woods to enact my final phase: The liberation of the entire town and the beginning of its cleansing. When the Mayor surrenders her seat to me, I will go easy on all the people living in town...except for the whites and their kids. The whites are simply the worst. When I take over your puny town, it will be a place where only the strong and mighty survive! A place where only the adult will survive! If anything, I'll force the whites out of town lest they meet what you and the Louds will face! And every child and teen they have will serve me until they turn 18! And before that cesspit of a town becomes whole again, you are going to see true pain for everything you, Ronalda, and all these Louds have done to me and your madre."

Leni: "But there's innocent people in town! Our friends are there! Little children, too!"

Lisa: "Our second-eldest sibling is right! You are talking about a genocide of total proportions! Child slavery!"

Luna: "Yeah! You're not gonna turn Sam into a slave!"

Alex: "That's none of my concern! What'll become of your amigos y amigas will be up to me while I'm in charge. It's just a shame that none of you will get to witness my victory speech when this town becomes El Jefe's Woods, and I become its emperor! Not that anyone will remember you for long."

[At last, Lori lost her patience at Alex's rambling.]

Lori: "Oh my God, could you LITERALLY be any more delusional or short-sighted, Alex?!"

Alex: "Qué?"

Lori: "You heard me, asswipe! Are you seriously blind to the fact that you abused AND murdered your own wife?! And how you've made your own children's lives MISERABLE for years to come? Have you even been listening to ANYTHING that Bobby and I said to you back at the prison? Or was your head too far up your own ass for you to even process it all?!"

Alex: "Wha-? Are you...criticizing me? You better not be doing so, or else!"

Lori: "Ooooh! I'm so scared! You think you're so tough because you have a bunch of criminals helping you out! Or are you simply doing all this just to compensate for something that's not there?"

Lisa: "Oh snap!"

Lori: "Also, the liberation of the entire town? El Jefe's Woods? Emperor? What do you think this is? The Russian Empire? You literally think you can build a new order in Royal Woods with a group of brainwashed small-time crooks? How or where are you even going to get the money to keep your so-called order under control? Huh?! You honestly think this whole town could secede from the entire state of Michigan?!"

[Alex pointed his finger at Lori as he kept glaring at her.]

Alex: "Hey! El Jefe always finds ways of getting things done! So, you better fuckin' watch your mouth before I put you and your fuckin' mistake in the fuckin' ground!"

Luan: "Hah! I doubt it! You couldn't control your own two kids, so what makes you think you can control an entire town?"

[Alex turned his head towards Luan and pointed his finger at her.]

Alex: "I have the law on my side!"

Lori: "There you go again, trying to bluff your way out of your problems! You probably only got a few disgruntled officers who were desperate enough to side with your cowardly ass for whatever reason! That does not excuse all the shit you have done to my family OR your own for that matter! If no one wanted to buy your crappy used motorcycles when you still had your business, no one here wants to buy whatever bullshit you are spouting out of your ass right now!"

Luna: "Preach it, sister!"

Lori: "And another thing: You keep going on about how you were robbed of the chance for a loving family because your real parents abandoned you as if you were LITERALLY the only person in the world to go through that experience! You have got to be one of the most hypocritical people that I have EVER had the misfortune of knowing! And that's saying a lot from someone who's had one for a friend once! You want to talk about hypocrisy? Then find a mirror and take a good hard look at it!"

Ronnie Anne: "Ooooh! You're on fire tonight, Lori!"

[Alex growled as he spoke back to Lori.]

Alex: "Shut the fuck up, bruha! You are treading on muy MUY thin ice!"

Lori: "I LITERALLY cannot stand being in the same room with somebody who uses those stupid enough to follow him in his deluded plans, and neither can your own two kids or anyone else you have wronged in your entire life! You are the perfect characterization of an abusive sociopath with delusions of grandeur who sees those who follow him as nothing but mere pawns in his crazy schemes! So, please, for the love of your own son AND daughter, do this whole world a favor and LITERALLY...GROW...the FUCK...UP!"

Alex: "Why you little- YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, PUTA!"

[Finally having enough, Alex dropped the camera and lunged at Lori, grabbing her by the neck with both hands. Lori choked as she felt the cold hands of her boyfriend's father wringing her neck. Everyone in the basement gasped in horror before the Loud Sisters started protesting, while those watching from outside were equally shocked. Lily put her hands over her own eyes, not wanting to see what was happening to her eldest sister.]

Leni: "STOP IT! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HER!"

[But Alex paid no mind to any of them as he continued to strangle Lori. Bobby struggled against his restraints until they were unlocked by Lucy. Then, in a fit of rage, Bobby quickly got up on his feet and gave his father a good punch in the jaw, causing the big man to ease his grip on the young woman. Seeing his baby mama getting harmed in such a savage way wasn't going to stand for the young Latino.]

Bobby: "Get your fucking hands off my girlfriend, you puto! I'm through with your madness!"

[Alex rubbed his jaw for a bit and gave off a small chuckle before grabbing his son's wrist with such an intense grip that it started to hurt him.]

Alex: "You think you a tough guy, eh Junior?! Well, fine then! Before I end your puta's life, I'll break your fuckin' arm, and then I'll break your FUCKIN' FACE! And when I'm done with you, your hermana, your amore, and all those wretched, worthless, white-trash Louds you call familia will be history!"

Lynn: "THAT DOES IT! GET THAT LOUT!"

[Most of the Loud sisters and Ronnie Anne broke from their loosened bonds as well and dog piled on Alex like a pack of wild wolves. As the kids all fought Alex, few of them managed to rip the big man's shirt off, exposing his body. Lana also managed to bite Alex in his surgical scar, causing him to yell out in pain. Lynn was on Alex's back as she yanked his mustache hard before biting his head, causing him to let out another pained yell. Lori couldn't do anything to help as she was still recovering from that near-death experience, combined with the baby inside her and the chains still attached to her wrists. Lily also watched the whole thing take place from the cage as she rooted for her siblings.]

Lily: "Make bad man go boom, sisters!"

Alex: "Someone get those little shits off of me!"

[At that moment, a few of Alex's bikers ran down the stairs and aimed their guns at the Loud kids, but they didn't want to risk shooting their own leader. Lincoln, Lola, and Rita watched the whole thing from outside and were getting increasingly worried.]

Alex: "Fuckin' shoot them already, you' idiotas!"

Male Biker 1: "But they won't be still!"

Male Biker 2: "And you're movin' around too much!"

Female Biker: "Yeah! What if we end up hitting you, El Jefe?!"

Alex: "Just do it! I'm giving the orders here! NOW FUCKIN' SHOOT!"

[Suddenly, the lights went out before a big boom of thunder sounded. What could be heard from the darkness was grunting, punching, and kicking noises. Lincoln and the others kept watching, unable to tell who was winning the fight.]

Male Biker 1: "Goddamn it! The lights are out! YEOWCH! Something bit my leg!"

Male Biker 2: "We need help, Jefe! Those kids have us pinned down!"

Female Biker: "They're hiding in the dark! We can't take them all on!"

Alex: "Fuck all of you! It's every man for himself! But I'm not leaving alone!"

[During the chaos, Ronnie Anne let out a scream and felt herself being moved up the stairs before the sound of a door being slammed followed. Lincoln's fear rose again when he heard his friend's terrified scream, which was noticed by his mother and two of his younger sisters.]

Lincoln: "Ronnie Anne!"

[By the time the lights came back on, the three bikers were knocked unconscious, but Alex and Ronnie Anne were nowhere to be seen. Lucy then handed the key ring to Bobby.]

Lucy: "Free your soulmate now, Bobby. Me and the others will get the rope ready."

Bobby: "Gracias, Lucy."

[After taking the ring and picking the right key, Bobby then walked on his knees over to Lori, unlocked her chains, and embraced her tightly as he started kissing her face numerous times.]

Bobby: "Are you okay, Lori?"

[Lori wrapped her arms around Bobby's neck as the Latino continued to kiss her passionately, moving to her neck.]

Lori: "Much better now that I'm free. You really are my knight in shining armor, Bobby."

Lynn: "Uh, I hate to break the moment, Bob-O, but where's Ronnie Anne?"

[Bobby and the Louds looked towards the top of the stairs and saw the closed door, knowing full well where Ronnie Anne was. Luna slowly went up the stairs and heard voices coming from behind the door.]

Luna: "Hush, you guys! I hear voices."

Lana: "Really? What are they saying?"

Luna: "I'm not sure, but there's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on out there."

[On the other side of the door, Alex had Ronnie Anne over his shoulder, but was now surrounded by his remaining bikers, who were armed with guns and melee weapons. He had managed to grab Ronnie Anne during the fight in the basement and ran up the stairs, hoping that the rest of the gang would deal with the kids while he made his escape. But the moment he was out of the basement, he was now being held at gunpoint by his own crew. The big Latino raised his free hand in shock and confusion before speaking.]

Alex: "What the fuck you doing?!"

[At that moment, T-Bone walked down the stairs and stopped in front of Alex before crossing his arms. Behind him were Jolie, Melvis, and Sara.]

Alex: "You let this murdering asshole go?! What the fuck is wrong with you all?!"

Sara: "You shut your fucking mouth, Santiago! You're finished!"

T-Bone: "These guys and gals are tired of being your little pawns, Outlaw Al. You best try and come clean with them if you know what's good for you."

Alex: "Hey! Have you all forgotten that this fat-ass killed Rodd?! You seriously can't be listening to his loco bullshit! I am your guide to greatness here!"

[However, the group kept their stern faces and their guns aimed at Alex, no longer buying whatever he was selling.]

T-Bone: "Face it, Alex! They heard what you said while you were down there. Are you going to tell them about how you orchestrated Rodd's death? About how you forced me to take the fall for the whole thing? How you managed to manipulate most of the remaining members of BoEMC and SoEMC to be complicit in your sickening agenda? How you basically led half of this group to fend for themselves back in town? If you ask me, I think your takeover of Royal Woods is nothing more than a mere smokescreen for your small-time plan! But look around you, Mr. Big... You're going to lose your pointless little war and your ideology is about to go down in flames. Now why don't you let that little girl go and give yourself up?"

[As Alex looked around, he felt like his whole world was falling apart all over again. His henchmen and henchwomen were now turning against him just like Gena and her crew did back in Fernville, and he wasn't going to stand for it at all.]

Alex: "FINE! If that's how you want it, then you can all burn with the rest of these degenerates! And if you're not with me, then may lightning strike down on us all!"

[Suddenly, as if on cue, a streak of lightning went right through the roof of the cabin and a couple of fires started in both the floor and the damaged roof. The fire on the floor began to spread fast, so fast that a few bikers were engulfed in the flames.]

[Alex immediately made a beeline for the back door with Ronnie Anne. The fire started to spread up the stairs, forcing T-Bone, his friends, and some of the remaining bikers to retreat to the second floor.]

Alex: "Adios, you worthless traidores! I hope you and all those kids suffer for your disobedience!"

[A few of the bikers ran out the front door, only to get shot at with bullets. Others ran out the back door and went across the bridge, but as most of them made it to the other side, the bridge was washed away by the rushing river as the remaining bikers fell into the water and were swept away.]

[Deidre, Joseph, and Lang went into cover behind Alex's car and taking out their pistols and opening fire at the bikers escaping from the front, making sure that none of them approached Lincoln and Rita or tried to take a shot at them. They and the four Louds also saw the smoke coming from the building, giving everyone the impression that they had to act fast.]

[At that same time, Bobby, Ronnie Anne, and the rest of the Loud Siblings were still working on the rope when they heard the big boom coming from upstairs, which was soon followed by the agonizing chorus of masculine and feminine screams and gunshots.]

Luna: "We better speed this up, dudes! It's not sounding too good out there! Also, I think the door's getting hotter!"

[Everyone's eyes widened before they all turned their attention to the third-eldest Loud sibling.]

Lisa: "Can you smell smoke?"

[Almost in response to what Lisa said, Luna picked up the smell of smoke coming from behind the door.]

Lana: "I do, Lise... And I can hear crackling, too... I think there might be a fire!"

[Everyone could make out the crackling of fire mixed with the screaming and gunfire, then they saw the smoke coming from behind the door and everyone's eyes widened with shock and fear.]

Leni: "Oh no! We're all, like, going to be barbecued!"

Luna: "Hot damn! Lisa, how much time before we burn, baby, burn?!"

Lisa: "Given the amount of time we have before the fire spreads down into the basement, I calculate that we have approximately two to five minutes before the whole structure is engulfed and consumed by the flames!"

Lucy: "Then we've got no time to lose! We're getting out of here one way or another!"

[Once the escape rope was finally made, Lucy threw one end to Lincoln, and the white-haired boy grabbed onto it while Rita wrapped his arms around her son to keep him from being dragged down into the basement. Lincoln then tied his end of the rope around his waist while Lola helped.]

Lincoln: "Okay, Lucy! The rope is secure! But you better hurry before you're toast!"

Lori: "Hurry, everyone! We need to go right now!"

[The first one to climb the rope was Lynn, having had a lot of experience of climbing in gym class, and she managed to climb to the window in less than 10 seconds. Next was Luna, who took about 10 seconds before Lynn pulled her to the surface when she reached the top.]

[As Lana climbed the rope, one of the bikers fired his shotgun at Joseph and Lang, hitting the Asian-American officer in the chest and sending him flying back a few feet, much to Joseph's horror. Lang's body twitched for a few seconds before it went stiff as a puddle of blood formed underneath it.]

Joseph: "Lang! Officer down! I repeat! OFFICER DOWN!"

Deidre: "Shit!"

[Enraged, Joseph started shooting at a faster rate, taking out three more bikers as they continued to push towards the left corner of the burning cabin. Just then, T-Bone showed up from around the right corner and started shooting at the escaping bikers with a shotgun before joining Deidre and Joseph behind the car.]

Deidre: "T-Bone, you made it out!"

T-Bone: "Yeah! I thought you guys could use a hand! Sorry about your friend, though! I'm sure he was a good man!"

Joseph: "He damn well was! His grandparents are going to miss him when they hear the news!"

T-Bone: "Well, let's make sure these looneys get what's coming to them! No harm will be coming to Cowboy Al's family tonight!"

Deidre: "You're damn right, T!"

[As Lisa was now climbing up the rope, Lynn Sr. woke up to see a screaming biker go through the upstairs door and fall down the stairs before dying at the bottom as a line of fire followed, blocking the way out.]

Lynn Sr.: "AAAAHHHH! Fire! We're all going to die!"

Bobby: "Don't panic, Mr. Loud! We're getting out of here! I just need to free Lily!"

[With the key ring still in his hands, Bobby quickly used the correct key to unlock the cage before taking the toddler out and hugging her.]

Lily: "T'ank yoo, Boo-Boo Bear!"

[Lily then gave Bobby a kiss on the forehead.]

Bobby: "Awwww, you're welcome, little bebe."

[Bobby briefly nuzzled Lily's head before handing her over to Lynn Sr., who rushed over to the window and got his youngest daughter through it. The moment Rita saw Lily get out of the basement, she picked up the toddler and hugged her tightly. Luan made it up the rope next (but not before grabbing the video camera off the floor), then Lucy, then Leni. In spite of her condition, Lori managed to climb up the wall and get through the window before the others helped her back on her feet. Finally, Bobby was the last one to make it out of the burning building followed by Lynn Sr. as the entire basement was engulfed in the fire. Lori immediately embraced her boyfriend before kissing him passionately on the lips while Rita hugged her husband. However, Lincoln couldn't stop worrying about Ronnie Anne.]

Lincoln: "What happened to Ronnie Anne?!"

[Both Lori and Bobby stopped kissing before the Latino looked at Lincoln.]

Bobby: "I think Alex ran off with her! It was so dark in that room! we could hardly see a thing!"

Lincoln: "Dang it!"

[Lincoln looked behind the burning building and saw Alex marching into the woods with Ronnie Anne over his shoulder while the Santiago girl kicked and screamed. Bobby noticed this as well and was angry.]

Lincoln: "There he is! And he's got Ronnie Anne!"

Bobby: "Hey! Let go of mi hermana!"

Alex: "Fuck you all!"

[After giving everyone the finger, Alex picked up speed as he went into the woods with his daughter. Lincoln plucked up courage as he clenched his fist, not willing to let Alex have the last laugh.]

Bobby: "We can't let him get away!"

Lincoln: "I'll go after Alex! You get everyone else away from here!"

[Lincoln was about to go after Alex when Bobby grabbed his arm.]

Bobby: "What?! Are you loco, bro?! He's thrice your size! You'll never get him!"

Lincoln: "Dang it, Bobby! I don't have time for this! You need to get everyone else to safety before it's too late!"

[After breaking himself free from Bobby's grip, Lincoln ran off to follow Alex to the wooded area, much to the shock of his sisters and parents.]

Leni: "Linky, no!"

Lynn Sr.: "Lincoln! Stop! He'll kill you!"

[Luna and Lynn looked at one another before going after their only brother, not willing to let anything bad happen to him.]

Luna: "Hold on! I'm comin'!"

Lynn: "Me too, Linc! We're not gonna let you take him on alone!"

[Luna and Lynn ran after their brother as he continued to chase after Alex. Rita saw her son and two of her daughters running towards the woods and called out to them.]

Rita: "Lincoln! Luna! Lynn Jr.! Come back here!"

[But the three kids didn't listen as they disappeared into the woods. T-Bone looked over at the kids before turning back at Rita.]

T-Bone: "Go, Rita, Go! Get your family to safety! I'll save the rest of them!"

[T-Bone got out of cover and started to run before Rita spoke up.]

Rita: "Wait a minute, Mr. Bone!"

T-Bone: "I can't! Your dad will never forgive me if something happened to those kids! Now go! I've got a score to settle with Alex."

[With that, T-Bone ran after the three Loud kids, not willing to let anything bad happen to them. Rita looked back for a brief moment, still worried over her remaining kids as well as Deidre, who were still keeping the bikers busy alongside Joseph.]

Deidre: "You heard the man, Reets! Get back to your fam! We'll be fine!"

[At that moment, another biker came out of the house and threw a pipe bomb at Rita. This prompted the mother of eleven to run back towards her group as the bomb rolled under Alex's car. Joseph noticed the bomb under the car and her eyes widened at the imminent explosion.]

Joseph: "WATCH OUT, HAYES!"

[And in one swift motion, Joseph shoved Deidre out of the way just as the bomb went off, destroying the car and sending Deidre flying back a few yards before she landed on the ground.]

Deidre: "JOSEPH!"

[Joseph started screaming as she was caught in the blast and rolled on the ground as she was on fire. Deidre was so enraged that she fired a few more rounds at the biker, striking him in the head. But she didn't stop shooting the biker until her Glock was completely out of bullets. All of this caught the attention of Rita, who ran over to Deidre before grabbing her shoulders to make calm her down.]

Rita: "Deidre, stop! Deidre, we have to go!"

Deidre: "I can't! My leg is all busted up!"

Rita: "I'm not going to leave you here! Now come on!"

[And with that, Rita got the injured Deidre back on her feet and went to catch up with the others. However, getting back to them wasn't easy as she had her arms wrapped around Deidre as they walked. The undercover detective winced in pain with each step as Rita helped her.]

Deidre: "Just leave me here, Reets. I'm only slowing you down."

Rita: "No way! You've helped most of my family, so I'm returning the favor!"

Deidre: "But you're still missing a few kids!"

Rita: "I know, but I think that's up to T-Bone now."

"Wait for me!"

[Rita turned to see a young man running from the barn towards them. Rita could recognize the man as Castleton's cameraman as he caught up to her before grabbing his legs and breathing from exhaustion.]

Rita: "Sir, could you give me a hand with this woman?! We have to get back to my family and I can't do this alone!"

Wes: "No problem, Mrs. Loud! Your friend could sure use an extra hand!"

Rita: "I appreciate that!"

[And with that, Wes put his arm around Deidre as he and Rita helped the injured detective back to the others while the cabin continued to burn to the ground. In no time, Rita, Deidre, and Wes managed to catch up with the rest of the group before they continued to make their long trek back to the highway. They managed to get away from the chaos, but lives were still lost in the process and four kids were still missing. Bobby stood by Lori's side and held her hand as they walked, while Rita and Wes continued to help Deidre. As they started walking down the path, Lori stopped as she felt a pain in her stomach and moaned as she put her free hand on it. Bobby noticed this and began to worry about his girlfriend.]

Bobby: "Are you feeling alright, Lori?"

[Lori took a deep breath before answering Bobby's question.]

Lori: "I'm fine, Bobby. Or at least I will be when we get away from here AND when Lincoln, Luna, Lynn, and Ronnie Anne get back safely."

Lynn Sr.: "Now, don't you worry about them. I'm sure that T-Bone fella knows what he's doing."

[Of course, Lynn Sr. was trying as hard as he could to put on a brave face, even though he could not stop worrying about his remaining three kids and Ronnie Anne, who were all at the mercy of Alex. As the group continued on, Lucy looked over at Wes, curious on how he escaped.]

Lucy: "So, how did you managed to survive?"

Wes: "That butcher's partner came back into the barn sometime after the gunfire started. But as soon as he saw his friend dead in the back room, I knocked him out and locked the doors. He won't be coming out for a while."

Lucy: "So poetic... Thanks again, Sir."

Wes: "You're welcome. But anyway, you got anyone waiting for us on the main road? There better not be an ambush."

Rita: "My father's there with a friend of his. They're watching over my son's best friend, so we should be safe."

Deidre: "That's good! I really hope Clyde is doing alright."

[Lisa looked over at the strange woman while raising one eyebrow with intrigue.]

Lisa: "You seem to be extremely interested in the well-being of our male sibling's best friend, madam. Perhaps you would care to elaborate on this when the phickuntiatus, street name: dust, settles?"

Deidre: "Those are some big words for a little girl. Your mother must've had a lot of fish in her diet to have you."

[But as everyone was halfway down the path, Lori yelped and stopped in her tracks as she felt another sharp pain in her stomach followed by a splash of liquid dripping from her vaginal area and down her legs, which not only caught Bobby's attention again, but the others' as well. Lori looked down at her stomach and the liquid running down her legs as her eyes went wide with worry.]

Lori: Oh no! Not right now! Please! I'm not ready...

[Leni made a face as she stared at the liquid.]

Leni: "Ew! Lori, why couldn't you just hold it in until we get back?"

[Of course, being the genius that she is, Lisa got the idea on what the liquid was upon closer inspection.]

Lisa: "Uh, Leni...? I don't think that's tinkle."

[Bobby's eyes widened as he looked at his girlfriend, and his heart began to race upon the realization: Lori's water broke.]

Bobby: "Ay dios mio... The baby! He's coming!"

[Each of the Louds let out a collective gasp, with Lucy saying the word. Lynn Sr., on the other hand, started to panic frantically.]

Lucy: "Gasp!"

Lily: "Uh-oh."

Leni: "O-M-GOSH!"

Luan: "Ah, the dam's burst!"

Lana and Lola: "HOLY SHMOLEY!"

Deidre: "Aw, shit!"

Lynn Sr.: "Oh my God, it's-it's time! Rita, what are we going to do?! I-I-I think I'm starting to feel faint!"

[Rita let go of Deidre and put her hands on her husband's shoulders to calm him down.]

Rita: "No need to panic, everyone! We need to get back to the highway and fast! We'll call an ambulance when we get there! Now let's get going!"

[And with that, the group continued their trek to the main road. They had to be quick as they could now that Lori was going to have her baby and they didn't want to waste any time in case something happened.]

[Finally, the group made it back to the highway where Clyde, Katherine, Albert, and Mr. Dupree were still waiting.]

Albert: "There you are! Thank God you're okay!"

[As Albert embraced his daughter, he noticed a few people missing.]

Albert: "What the hell happened up there, Rita? Where's the rest of them?"

Rita: "Alex has completely lost his mind, Dad. Joseph and Lang are dead."

Albert: "What?! What about Lincoln and the other girls?!"

Clyde: "Is Lincoln okay? I don't think I can handle the bad news."

Lola: "That big brute took off into the woods with Ronnie Anne! Lincoln, Luna, and Lynn are going after him."

Lucy: "They must have a death wish or something... Lucky them."

[Clyde gasped in shock, feeling like he was ready to start hyperventilating. Deidre limped over to the boy and leaned over in front of him before putting her hands on his shoulders, something which Rita caught sight of.]

Deidre: "Take it easy, kid! Just breathe normally. It's going to be okay... I hope."

[And with that bit of reassurance, Clyde slowly started to calm down a bit.]

[As Bobby and Leni set Lori down on the ground, Lynn Sr. gasped as he spotted his van wrecked and on its side before running over to it.]

Lynn Sr.: "My baby! Oh my God, what happened to you?!"

Bobby: "It's a long story, Mr. Loud! And I'll surely pay for the damages!"

Albert: "For heaven's sake! How did things escalate this badly?!"

Deidre: "It was my fault! I was supposed to lead Joseph and Lang in Castleton's absence, but Alex's goons took them both out!"

Mr. Dupree: "No need to blame yourself for this, Deidre! I told Albert that not everyone was going to survive that onslaught!"

Albert: "Well, what about T-Bone?!"

Deidre: "Your friend's gone after them, too! He wants Alex dealt with as much as everyone else!"

Albert: "He has, huh? That has got to be the bravest thing he's done."

Rita: "I'm not sure that's going to be enough, though."

Mr. Dupree: "Don't worry about your kids, Rita! I managed to call for backup while you were gone. Hopefully, they'll get here before Alex does anything life-threatening to them."

[Clyde then noticed Lori in pain as did Albert and Mr. Dupree.]

Bobby: "How are you feeling, Babe?"

[Lori gripped her hands on Bobby's jacket as she breathed heavily.]

Lori: "About as...hiii...fine as a...hiii...elephant with a tack in her foot! Ouch!"

[Albert's eyes widened as a thought struck him.]

Albert: "Rita, Is she...?"

Rita: "Yes, Dad! Lori's going to have her baby soon!"

Albert: "Really?!"

Clyde: "At this time?!"

[Clyde now felt like he was ready to faint knowing that Lori's baby was coming, but Deidre stood right by him.]

Deidre: "Please try and stay calm, Honey! Try not to think too much about this!"

Mr. Dupree: "Well, looks like this just complicates things."

Bobby: "Why now, Babe?! You're not due for two more weeks!"

Lori: "Fifteen days! Hiii! And why don't you tell that to...hiii...to the baby?!"

[Leni then yelled at Lori's stomach upon hearing what her older sister said.]

Leni: "Can you hear me, little one?! Your mom says you're not due for another two weeks! Can't you wait a little longer for Aunt Leni? Pretty please?"

[Everyone looked at Leni in confusion while Mr. Dupree sighed as he put his hand over his face.]

Leni: "What? Somebody had to do it."

Lisa: "Well, simple matters aside, it seems that our eldest sister's water broke due to all the stress that's been going on around her. Most notably from her kidnapping to the escape from Alex's hiding grounds. Plus, considering the fact that our primary mode of transportation is temporarily out of commission, we unfortunately lack the means of reaching the local medical establishment on our own without the need to walk. To put it simply: We are stranded."

Lynn Sr.: "A real shame too! I could've gotten us all there in no time!"

Bobby: "Oh god! Oh shit! Shit! Shit! FUCK! Why did I leave Lori with you guys today?!"

Lola: "Alright, everybody, just calm down! My sister's in labor! SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!"

[Lola grabbed her twin by the shoulders and shook her as she screamed those last few words. Lisa then slapped her older sister across the face to make her stop.]

Lisa: "Pull yourself together, woman! She hasn't fully dilated yet!"

Lola: "Thanks, I needed that... But I'll get you back, toots!"

[Lola raised her fist at Lisa as she said that. But of course, the young genius was unfazed by that threat.]

Lori: "Ah! Can any of you guys quit fooling around and call me a fucking ambulance already?!"

Luan: "You're an effing ambulance, Lori!"

[Luan laughed while most of the group groaned. Not even Lynn Sr. or Albert could laugh at a time like this and simply gave each other worried glances. Lori, on the other hand, growled furiously at the comedienne.]

Luan: "But seriously, somebody better start calling for an ambulance."

Lynn Sr.: "Now, wait a minute, everyone! Let's not get too hasty! Maybe the van can still run?"

Rita: "No, Lynn! We are not leaving without Lincoln, Luna, Lynn Jr., and Ronnie Anne! If we are to deal with Lori, we have to call an ambulance right at this very moment!"

Lana: "Mom's got a point! Besides, I can't fix the van without my tools, but maybe we can put her upright so that Lori will have shelter! It's raining cats and dogs out here!"

Leni: "Not a bad idea, but I'm not seeing any cats or dogs. It's all water."

Bobby: "But none of us have our cell phones! And I know that Alex destroyed mine."

Lucy: "I might've found them in the barn, but it's too risky to just go back there and get them."

[Albert took his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to his son-in-law.]

Albert: "Here, Lynn! Use mine!"

[Lynn Sr. took the cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. After a couple of beeps, the operator answered.]

Operator: "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

Lynn Sr.: "It's a medical emergency! You've got to help me out! My ambulance is having a daughter! She's in baby right now and we need a labor over here quickly! I mean, my d- My daughter is in labor, and we need an ambulance over on Interstate 75! Please get her to Royal Woods Hospital as fast as you can! STAT!"

[Lynn Sr. hung up before handing the phone back to Albert. They had no idea how long it would be until either the ambulance or Dupree's backup arrives, and Lincoln, Luna, and Lynn were now on the other side of the woods going after Alex, risking their lives to save Ronnie Anne.]

Meanwhile...

[Castleton and Koch had just gotten through the last wave of bikers before finally arriving back at Alex's hideout...only to find the bridge destroyed.]

Koch: "Shit! The bridge is washed out! Goddamn weather! Now what'll we do?!"

[Castleton took a deep breath and dropped his assault rifle. Then, after taking a few steps back, Castleton sprinted to the river and jumped off the broken end of the bridge to the other side, much to Koch's amazement. Castleton turned around and waved his hand at Koch.]

Castleton: "C'mon, Koch! Get your ass over here! You're going to have to jump!"

[Koch looked down at the rushing water for a moment, then he took a few steps back as he prepared to run.]

Koch: "I hope you're quick to catch me, Cass!"

[And with that, Koch ran before making the jump. However, Koch barely made it and hung on to the other end of the bridge for dear life over the river. Castleton then grabbed his former partner's hand and pulled him up to safety.]

Koch: "Jesus... How can you make a jump like that?"

Castleton: "I didn't participate in the Olympics for nothing, you know? Maybe you need to do more exercise."

Koch: "Yeah... Maybe when I find a new line of work, I'll take that into...consider...a...tion?"

[Before Koch could finish, something caught his eye.]

Koch: "What the fuck?"

[Fearing the look on Koch's face, Castleton slowly turned his head to look at what his former partner was seeing, and his eyes widened to see...Alex's cabin in flames.]

Castleton: "Oh... No..."

[Castleton ran over to the burning building while Koch followed him. As they approached the destroyed car, Castleton saw Lang's lifeless body on the ground with a huge bullet wound in his chest and a puddle of crimson liquid under him as his dead eyes stared up at the sky. Castleton then approached the dead officer with a shocked expression on his face before crouching beside him.]

Castleton: "Shit! We've got a man down! What the hell was he doing back here?!"

[As Castleton closed Lang's eyes, he and Koch heard coughing coming from nearby. Castleton looked up and gasped as he saw Joseph laying on her back on the ground in front of the cabin, her face charred as she was barely clinging onto life.]

Castleton: "Joseph!"

[Castleton ran over to his gravely wounded comrade and knelt down while Koch followed behind.]

Castleton: "Are you alright, Joseph?"

[Joseph coughed for a bit before answering her commander's question, ignoring the other man beside him.]

Joseph: "Sergeant... I'm so...so sorry."

Castleton: "What the hell happened out here?!"

Joseph: "Alex... He finally jumped the gun on us... One of those bastards...shot Lang."

[Castleton took another look back at Lang's dead body and mentally cursed under his breath before speaking to Joseph again.]

Castleton: "What about Wes, Bonneville, the Louds, and the Santiago kids?! Where are they?!"

Joseph: "They... I don't know... I think they got out okay... But... I'm not too sure..."

Koch: "What do you mean you're not too sure?! Did they all make it out or not?!"

[Joseph took one brief look at Koch before returning her attention to Castleton.]

Joseph: "I think...I saw...Santiago...make off...with one of...one of his kids... The girl..."

Castleton: "That must be Ronnie Anne... Did you see where Alex took her?"

Joseph: "Don't know... I...couldn't see..."

[Castleton sighed. He was glad that there was some good news, but he was still worried about his comrade and the remaining four kids.]

Castleton: "Just hang in there, Joseph! Did you try calling for backup?!"

[Joseph coughed out blood before speaking again.]

Joseph: "It would... Wouldn't make a difference..."

Castleton: "What do you mean? Why wouldn't it make a difference?! Answer me, damn it!"

[Joseph looked her supervisor in the eyes as she answered his question.]

Joseph: "Captain Palmer... He was...conspiring with Alex..."

[Castleton's eyes widened upon hearing this shocking revelation.]

Castleton: "WHAT?!"

Joseph: "Palmer...sold us out..."

Koch: "Oh, shit. I guess the secret's out then."

[Castleton quickly turned his head towards Koch.]

Castleton: "You mean you knew about this?!"

Koch: "I'm afraid so. Alex told me everything while I was in captivity. That whole attack on Royal Woods was nothing but a distraction, and Palmer was in on the whole thing."

Joseph: "Sergeant... This is it...for me... I ain't gonna... gonna make it..."

Castleton: "Don't you dare say that, Joseph! We're going to get you to a hospital!"

[Joseph then reached into her uniform and pulled out Castleton's badge before handing it over to him. The sergeant took the badge before Joseph lowered her hand as her eyes welled up with tears.]

Joseph: "My babies... Tell them...I love them... Please... My...babies..."

[Upon saying these words, Joseph closed her eyes as she finally succumbed to her injuries. Castleton looked down for a few moments and his fury built up before he finally screamed up at the sky. He then drooped his head down and breathed heavily as he thought about his fallen comrades and how they died trying to save their commanding officer as well as the Louds and Santiagos. And yet, he couldn't make it back in time to save them.]

[Koch walked beside his former partner and slowly put his hand on his shoulder, but Castleton immediately flinched and turned around to face Koch with burning anger in his eyes.]

Castleton: "Don't fucking touch me, asshole!"

[Koch raised his hands in defense while Castleton kept glaring at him as he breathed heavily again.]

Koch: "Woah now, hey! I'm only trying to help here! I'm just as livid about this as you are."

Castleton: "How?! You hardly knew these fine people! They had families waiting for them at home! Seniors! Children, for God's sake! And what do YOU have?! Huh?! What have YOU got to lose?!"

[Koch sighed and put his hands in his pocket as he looked away from Castleton. He wanted to respond to his old partner's comment, but he knew that Castleton had a point to his harsh words.]

Koch: "Maybe you're right, Castleton. I've got nothing left, not after having a hand in Alex's fucked-up plan. I wasn't able to reach the rank of sergeant or obtain my own TV show like you did. Hell, I've never even gotten myself a wife and kids like you did. But listen to me, I know that I fucked up, but I want to atone for it. I want to make up for everything I put them through. It's you and me against a common enemy now. Besides, if I had any idea Palmer would do this, I would've given him a piece of my mind long ago. You don't have to forgive me for my actions, but the least you can do is trust me until all this is all over... Okay?"

[Koch took one hand out of his pocket and extended it to Castleton. The former police sergeant stared at his partner for a few moments, still distraught over the deaths of Joseph and Lang, but begrudgingly took it anyway.]

Castleton: "Fine... But after this, we are done. And if by some chance that they allow you to walk as a free man, you are to leave town and never show your face around here ever again. Am I clear?"

Koch: "Understandable."

[Castleton took a deep breath and calmed down.]

Castleton: "Let's just get going. Alex Santiago is going to pay for all of this, but we need to make sure everyone is okay first."

[And with that, Castleton and Koch made their way down the dirt road in search of the Louds and Santiagos.]

Meanwhile, back at the main road...

[Everyone continued to observe Lori's condition. They had relocated the eldest Loud sibling into Vanzilla after putting the vehicle upright and she laid in the third-row seats with her head on Bobby's lap as he held her hand.]

Deidre: "How is she doin', Reets?"

Rita: "I think her contractions are stable for now, but it's going to be awfully painful for her in the next hour or so. And as a mother of 11, I should know."

[Lynn Sr. was on the verge of tears as he watched his eldest daughter. He always feared seeing one of his daughters go through the pain of labor as he did for his wife 10 times, but he never expected that moment to come this early.]

Lynn Sr.: "I really hate seeing her in so much pain."

Deidre: "Well, if that damn ambulance doesn't get here in time, we'll have to deliver the baby ourselves."

[Rita immediately turned her head to Deidre as her eyes widened.]

Rita: "What?! Deidre are you crazy?! I'm a dental assistant! Not a midwife!"

Deidre: "Rita, you helped me after what happened with Katrina and her girls, and I will never forget that, even its only in the short term. Besides, you remember that training we had in health class?"

Rita: "Don't remind me, Dee."

Deidre: "Well, this may be our one chance to put all that training to good use. Or at the very least, help your daughter deal with the contractions. Besides... I, too, have given birth once."

[Rita stared at Deidre for a bit when she heard what she just said but decided not to question her about it and focused on the matter at hand.]

Rita: "Alright then, Dee. Let's do it for Lori and the baby."

[As soon as the two women approached Lori, Rita held her eldest daughter's other hand before Deidre spoke.]

Deidre: "Hey-a, Lori... I know this isn't the most proper introduction, but I'm a friend of your mom's and we're going to make sure you pull through this."

Lori: "Please help... I literally...don't know...how long I can...last."

Deidre: "It'll be okay, honey. Just remember to take deep breaths."

Bobby: "Thanks again, Miss, uh... Sorry, I didn't catch your name before."

Deidre: "It's Deidre, Bobby, and you're welcome."

[While Deidre helped Lori go through her breathing sessions, Rita turned her attention to her husband.]

Rita: "Lynn... Me, Deidre and Bobby may need some space. Could you take Clyde and the girls and move them across the road?"

[Lynn Sr. nodded and walked with the kids across the road while Albert and Mr. Dupree followed them. Once they were across, Clyde and the Louds settled near Mr. Grouse's damaged station wagon.]

Lynn Sr.: "I think Mr. Grouse is gonna have something to say when he sees his car like this."

Leni: "I'm more worried about Linky...and Ronnie Anne."

Luan: "I know that feeling all too well, Leni. I hope Luna and Lynn get back okay as well."

Lucy: "Well, I still have my tarot cards. Maybe they can tell us something."

[Lucy then took her tarot reading card deck before pulling out a random card.]

Lisa: "I still don't believe that those cards can predict the future, but alas, I won't stop you from doing this ritual."

Lynn Sr.: "What does it say, Lucy?"

Lucy: "There will be a struggle between the forces of good and evil... And someone will sacrifice his life to protect an old friend."

Lynn Sr.: "Awwwww, ding dang damn it! Why can't there be any good news for a change?!"

[And with that, Lynn Sr. covered his eyes as he started sobbing while his daughters comforted him.]

[As this was going on, Katherine looked over at Luan and saw the camera in her hands. Curious, Katherine exited the black van and approached the fourth Loud girl.]

Katherine: "Hey, kid... Where did you get that camera?"

Luan: "What's it to you? You probably won't be interested in it."

Leni: "Luan got it from Alex's basement. He and his goons were trying to film us."

[Luan facepalmed as this happened while Katherine raised an eyebrow.]

Katherine: "Do you mind if I see that? It could be important. Please?"

[Wes walked over to the news reporter and put his hand on the camera.]

Wes: "I think I'd better show you, Miss Mulligan. It is my camera after all."

[And with that, Wes took the camera from Luan and guided Katherine into the black van, entering it through the back in order to keep themselves dry from the pouring rain.]

[At that moment, Deidre took another look at Clyde and started to relieve another past memory.]

An apartment, 13 years ago...

[The front door in an apartment is opened, and Palmer walks in with a drunken and depressed Deidre before setting her on the couch. It had been hours since Deidre killed Winona, and now she was in a very bad state. Palmer then pulled up a chair and sat beside Deidre as she stared at the ceiling.]

Palmer: "There you go. A little rest is all you need after all that."

Deidre: "Thanks, Sergeant."

[Deidre put her hands over her eyes as she lamented over her recent actions.]

Deidre: "Why did I have to go and shoot her? *hic* She just had to...get under my skin. I've got no lead, I've got no career, I've got no life, I've got no brother, I'm in fucking ruins."

[Deidre groaned with a sob as Palmer patted his hand on her shoulder for comfort.]

Palmer: "Don't beat yourself up over this, Deidre. I'm sure we'll find Katrina somehow. She's not going to get away with her crimes for long."

Deidre: "How though? No other department would want me working for them...not after what happened to Winnie. I'm a dangerous person."

Palmer: "I know this is hard, but you have to be strong for me. I'll see If I can't find you another job while we're at it. Okay?"

[Deidre slowly moved her hands from her face as she looked up at her supervisor, feeling a sense of comfort.]

Palmer: "Don't you lose hope just yet, Deidre. No matter how long it takes, your brother's death will be avenged. You can bet on that."

[Deidre smiled.]

Deidre: "Thank you, Sergeant Palmer. You're so understanding."

[After a few seconds of silence, Palmer finally spoke.]

Palmer: "I should be getting home now. My wife is probably-"

[Palmer was interrupted by an abrupt kiss on the lips by Deidre. Palmer was quite surprised at this, but he didn't push her away. The poor woman was such a mess that he didn't have the nerve to stop her. Palmer just let her continue to make out with him before laying on his back as Deidre was now on top of him.]

Back in the present...

[Deidre knew all too well what happened after that. She transferred to a police station in Detroit and started experiencing nausea while on duty. She later discovered that she was pregnant, and that the baby was Palmer's. After speaking to him about it, she was told that Palmer had his own family to worry about and that what the two had shared weeks before had to be kept secret in order to avoid the risk of a scandal. Being unable to take care of the baby by herself due to her job and living conditions, she had no choice but to give him up for adoption shortly after he was born. She wanted to tell her son the truth, but she felt it would be too awkward if she did it at this time.]

[At that same time, Bobby was getting increasingly worried for Lincoln and Ronnie Anne in addition to his now-in-labor girlfriend.]

Lori: "OW! This literally isn't how I- AH! How I pictured having my baby!"

Bobby: "I know it hurts, Babe. But you have to pull through this for your family, and for me."

Lori: "What do you think I'm trying to do, Bobby?! I want this baby out as much as you do!"

Bobby: "You just try to hold out until the ambulance arrives, okay? I love you."

[Lori nodded as she held Bobby's hand whilst feeling his fingers run through her hair. As Bobby continued to comfort his girlfriend, he looked over at the woods to his left.]

Bobby: "Lincoln, little bro... If you're still out there, please be safe. The same goes for you, Nie-Nie. I really can't stand the thought of losing you."

[Lori could also see how worried her boyfriend was for the safety of his sister and her own remaining siblings, something that she shared greatly, especially Lincoln.]

Well, everyone, the moment is almost here. Lori's baby is about to be born soon, but it had to happen at such an inopportune time when Alex is still out there with Ronnie Anne. The die has been cast and the stage is set. And with the lives of Lori, her baby, and Ronnie Anne hanging in the balance, Alex Santiago loomed larger as a threat than before, even in spite of losing his backup. Lincoln, Luna, and Lynn would be up against someone tougher than any of their school bullies. With Castleton and Koch reunited, this could be their final case before they go their separate ways. And with T-Bone running ahead of them, they would soon have a common enemy and would be ready to face Alex once and for all. The final confrontation is about to take place, and the end is within sight. But once the clouds have settled... Who? Will? Triumph?

stanningjonarbuckle: Thank you.

Gamelover41592: It was, wasn't it?

wollyworld: Very tense, indeed.

MoreABoutThomas: Vee is basically a figment of Deidre's psyche, manifested sometime after the loss of Deidre's brother.

Boygenius2020: Yeah, that nightmare is over.

DarthWill3: Don't worry about Lola. She'll be fine.

Guest: Considering her actions, she SHOULD feel guilty. BEYOND guilty, in fact.

Guest 2: Plenty.

Mike The Red Engine: Thanks. There's plenty more death to come.

batdude365: A, that'll be explained in the next chapter. And B, you'll just have to wait and see.

Guest 3: Soon.

Guest 4: I'll bet you can't.

Guest 5: Sorry for the wait. I was offline for a few days due to a hurricane.