The outskirts of West Side looks like a complete hellhole. Black Breech had some sun, but there is nothing but a black cloud lingering over West Side. Some houses are still burning from all the chaos that's ensued the last couple days. Many buildings look like fire tried to engulf them from the outside but were able to resist the catching.
Damaged vehicles and destroyed barricades populate the barren ghost town. Blackened corpses stacked several feet high flicker with orange flames that are still burning. The grass has been turned to ash, and all the bark on the trees flake off in little cinders. Everything looks like it has been completely scorched. Whether the military came in with flamethrowers or just naped the entire area is yet to be determined. Regardless of what happened, they purged the area clean because there are no shamblers, no croakers, no yellowcake, and no signs of life. Since my house was closer to the river and some of the quarantine zones, there's a good chance they didn't turn that to ash.
Why didn't Kate come with us?" Eric asks as he stares at the destruction on his side of the road.
I crush the steering wheel and clear my mind, "Because she's keeping an eye on Jamie and Rebecca."
"Does that mean you are going back?"
"Yes."
"What's the plan?"
"Get some armor from the house, grab whatever Adam, and the others aren't using and plan some kind of assault."
"So, who's this other group that guy was rambling on about?"
"Good chance it's Blair. If so, then him and Liam are in the making of join together and taking over Black Breech. Once they gain control of that rural area, then it will be only a matter of time until they start expanding and taking over suburbs and possibly cities."
"Fuck." Eric sighs as he crosses his arms and silently runs his mouth. Almost like he's trying to train his lips to say what's on his mind before being verbal about it. He takes a deep breath and clears his throat, "I left him there on purpose."
"What?"
"I didn't know what to do, but those things were closing in. I figured the gunshot would draw them to me, so I left him there because all the attention would have been on him." Eric rubs his head like he's trying to find some kind of justification for what happened. "I did a terrible thing back there, and it's tearing me apart on the inside."
"It was either you or him, and that asshole would not have hesitated to leave you there to the croakers. He forfeited his right to live the moment he kidnapped Rebecca and Jamie." I reply.
"It doesn't make it that much easier."
"Listen to me Eric. If you would have shot him, the croakers would have ripped your throat out before you could have even shouted in pain. Those things do not fuck around, so you can't fuck around when they're around."
"Yeah, but…"
"No buts. Only survival." I cut him off.
I turn onto the road that will take us back to my house. The quarantine zone Eric, Adam and I went to the other night is still intact and has been fortified since the wyvern attacked. A series of buses and cars form a barrier to the entrance. Razor wire has been draped over the makeshift barricade as several stands have been perched up along the arches of the bridge. The wire isn't going to stop the shamblers and croakers because that's what the watchouts armed with marksman rifles are for. If anything, the wire is to deter people from trying to get in or out.
A familiar feeling of bliss fills my heart as I pull up into the driveway of my house. Although it's during the end of the world, there's something that makes me happy about seeing my house in one piece. It's like those times my family and I would get back from vacation, but on a much more emotional level. Mainly because every moment could be my last out there.
The curtain on the top floor wisps back and forth like someone was keeping watch. I fold the stock on my battle rifle and brace the collapsed weapon up against the dash towards the door. The curtains on the bottom floor slowly move to the side as someone carefully peeks out. A pair of glasses reflect a small glint of light towards the vehicle. Another row of curtains on the opposite side of the house opens up, and a woman brandishing a shotgun pokes her head around the edge of the window.
The front door opens up and Adam comes out with his AR. Eric and I get out of the jeep and hold our hands up.
"Holy shit! You're still alive!" Adam cheers. He throws his arms around me. Emily, Melissa and Lauren all rush out and swarm around us. Emily embraces Eric and kisses him all over the face.
"Let's head in where it's safe before we get all formal." I state.
"Right.' Adam replies.
Everyone makes their way into the house and swarms around us again. Eric and Emily can't keep their hands off one another while everyone else takes turns hugging me.
"Where's mom and dad?" I ask.
"Capps and Tavor are on their way to get them out of that quarantine zone. They've been doing a handful of tasks for the leader there in exchange for custody over them." Adam clenches his hands in excitement. "We're this close to finally getting out of this shithole!"
"So where does your grandparents live?" I ask.
"Around Arbuckle. About fifty miles from here." Melissa answers.
"Up in the mountains?"
"Yeah. There's a lot of streams, and my grandparents own several cabins they would rent out to travelers during the summer."
"What gave you this idea?"
"We went to check on my family a couple days ago. There wasn't anyone home, but my sister left me a note saying that her and my parents were going to my grandparents." Melissa says.
"I see." I state as I think of a way to play this off.
Adam and everyone else have their hearts on leaving as soon as possible, but that conflicts with the task at hand. What happens if Capps and Tavor get back before I can save Rebecca and Jamie? Will Adam be willing to wait for me or will I even return at all? Even if me and Kate manage to save Rebecca and Jamie, does that mean it will just be us four if everyone here leaves? I want Kate, Jamie and Rebecca to be with us, but I also want to be with my family again. The entire situation is leaving a sick feeling inside my gut.
Peace is just an hour drive away, but it feels so far away. Kate's life is dependent upon my return, and even if I just left with Adam, there would be no way I could ever know peace. The muscles in my throat constrict, and the blood flow in the lungs cause me to hold my breath. A feeling of paralysis sets in and locks me in place.
"Are you okay Matt?" Lauren asks.
"Yeah. It's just a little tired. I think I'm going to lay down."
I head up stairs and shut the door. It looks like someone has been sleeping in my room. Probably Lauren since all the comics have been strung out. An image of a naked girl laying on the beach has been pressed down into the trash can. It appears Lauren has thrown all my special magazines away.
A small feeling of joy forces me to laugh at the innocence that remains in Lauren's heart. I sit down on the bed and do everything possible to avoid the inevitable. At first, I was all for this but now I'm having second thoughts. How are Kate and I going to take on two groups? There's got to be at least thirty people combined.
A strange buzzing noise erupts from underneath the bed. Almost like something is vibrating. My heart skips a beat as I try to calm myself down. The sound of wind whistling douses my left ear to the point that only the vibrating noise is auditable from the right side of my head. I get down and look for the noise. It sounds like it's rattling the cardboard shoebox. I push the box out of the way and reach underneath the bed.
A dusty old cellphone that hasn't been used in years shakes in the palm of my hand. The screen is cracked, and it isn't turned on. The battery is corroded, and the dried acid has eaten the black paint off the sides. Yet it continues to vibrate like it's still active. My thoughts tell me that it's just the shellshock and trauma that's causing these delusions, but for some reason, my feelings disagree. I put it up to my ear and contemplate on whether to give into this distorted psychosis or fight it.
"Hello?"
Raw feeling leaves me stunned as I remain silent. There is no way. Is my mentality that far gone? Is this similar to those episodes my grandpa would have when he came back from Vietnam?
"Matt? Is that you? What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"A lot has happened Samantha."
"How so? Do we need to meet somewhere so we can talk? We can meet at the park if you want."
"I really wish we could, but I can't."
"What's wrong?"
I sit down on the bed and let my heart talk, "Well…most of my family is here, and we aren't far from finding a home, but there are some people that in trouble, and I don't think luck, skill or knowledge is going to save me this time. What am I supposed to do?"
Samantha takes a deep breath, "You've been through the gates of hell but kept on walking for these people. Just like you did for me, your brother and your parents. You know what is right, and what is wrong."
The imaginary words physically embolden me. A huge rush of energy courses through my body, "Thank you Samantha. That's all I needed to hear. I'm going to finish this job, and then I'm coming home."
"I will be waiting."
The line drops. I squeeze the phone and take a deep breath. The idea that this fight does not have a determined outcome is not bringing any comfort. Not to mention the odds are not in our favor. The only reason we were able to successfully raid that store was because the wyvern was chasing off the competition. This time there are hostages, and there is a high possibility that bringing the wyvern to Liam's would only end in disaster.
The only choice we have is to try and sneak in which is easier said than done. Liam, and the others will be expecting us tonight so there's going to be more security around the weak points surrounding the compound. The morning would be the best time to do a hit and run. Kate is probably the faster of us two, and she's got a suppressed gun. She can draw their attention, retreat to the woods while I sneak in to look for Jamie and Rebecca. I can't hit Blair's group the same way like yesterday. He's too smart for that. A plan slowly comes to mind. Hopefully Kate will have some details, and the both of us can come up with a functional plan that won't be F.U.B.A.R the moment it's implemented.
I peek outside and look around. Everyone is downstairs conversing back and forth on what they plan on doing when they arrive at Melissa's tomorrow morning.
"What about you?" Lauren asks.
"First thing I'm going to do is find a nice plot of land and start preparing for the winter. Mom and dad? They'll probably be happy that me and Matt are still alive. As for Matt? I have no idea." Adam says.
"He'll probably go dig him an underground hole and somehow make it into a fort." Emily jokes.
"Matt always did want a bunker of some sort ever since he started reading those manuals." Adam laughs.
Everyone except Eric seems to be enjoying themselves on thinking about the future. It looks like he is just going through the motions to avoid being asked what the problem is. Which is fine. The less they know, the better. I creep over to my parent's bedroom and look around for the keys to mom and dad's personal firearm safe. It didn't seem right to take something so sacred from them. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. I get down on the ground and reach underneath the nightstand. An odd shaped metallic box has been velcroid to the underbelly of the wooden platform. The sticky fabric tears with a crunchy stretch as the box comes loose.
I take the key out of the box and open the safe. An immense sense of joy comes over me as I take dad's Italian semi auto shotgun out and look it over. He's done a lot of customization to it since he got it. There is a stock sleeve filled with double aught buckshot as well as a side rail with five slugs. Dad even mounted a speed load chute on the loading port as well as a strobe light underneath the barrel.
In a custom leather holster is a five-seven handgun. A red dot sight is mounted on the top rail while a milliwatt laser rests on the hinge of the under railing. A green trail shoots out from the device and throws a dot on the wall, and the red dot works. The strobe light on the shotgun rapidly clicks and causes the emitted light to violently flash between black, white and purple.
Hanging up on the top rack is a set of body armor, some flak leggings, and a ballistic helmet with a closed visor. This must have been the aftermarket stuff dad bought back when he was working on and off the S.W.A.T team.
I cinch the armor up, throw on the flak leggings and mount the five seven holster to the armor. Dad did own three sets of armor, but Adam has one, dad was wearing the other and this is the last one. Which means Kate will be hanging back and providing support. I put the speed load belt on and shove the speed sticks in the pockets.
The five seven magazines rest on the left side of my hip. I have four speed sticks loaded with five three inch magnum shells, a belt full of double aught buckshot, the five extra shells in the stock sleeve, five slugs, and three five seven magazines. There is also the battle rifle and revolver but this is already weighing me down to where it's impossible to move at a desirable rate.
I pick the helmet up and blow the dust off the visor. The bullet resistant glass casts a reflection that mimics the room. In the bottom corner is someone standing at the entrance. I pretend I don't notice and continue cleaning the helmet off. Hopefully avoiding a conversation entirely.
"You're leaving. Aren't you?" Emily asks.
The statement causes me to freeze up. Several contradictions come to mind but trying to offer an explanation will end in an argument. Emily's tone doesn't seem provoking. Yet it sounds like something is troubling her greatly. Emily shuts the door and sits down on the bed. She is going to press me for information. Sneaking out the back is out of the question once Emily grows bored of the conversation.
I sling the shotgun over my shoulder, "I can't leave her behind."
"You don't have to do this alone."
"It's not your fight."
"It is absolutely our fight." Emily stands up and blocks the way forward.
"Emily, all of you are so close to finally having a place to call home. Don't give it up because of the bullshit I have to deal with."
"It's not home if you're not there!" Emily's voice cracks from trapped emotion.
"I fought tooth and nail to give you a way out. You and Eric are only one day away from having a future together. Melissa and Adam. Lauren, Jessica and Fleming. All of you are hours, maybe even minutes away from a life you all deserve to live. Don't throw it away." I reply.
"What do I tell Adam or your parents then? That I let you leave without stopping you? What if something happens out there? Are we supposed to assume that you're dead if you don't return?"
"I will return."
"Do you really think you and that girl of yours can walk away with your lives if you do this all by yourselves?"
"We've survived worse."
"Matt, listen to me…"
"Emily? Quit dragging this out. There's no need for anyone else to get involved." I interrupt.
Adam and Melissa are standing in the hallway while Lauren muzzles her way into the room. She puts her arms on the door and tries to act like a physical barrier to prevent me from leaving.
The situation is about to boil over, and things could get much worse. Eric probably doesn't know where the exact whereabouts of Liam's compound. With how dedicated everyone seems on trying to help, it would be a bad idea to just leave and not tell them where Liam is holed up. Considering he has patrols and for them to run into Liam's gang would spell disaster. That means they will know where the threat is. It would be nice if they would just accept the gift of having a place to call home, but that does not seem like the case. Yet, there's no point in fighting.
"Where is it?" Emily asks.
"It's out around Black Breech. In between West Side and Bowson. It would be best to avoid the main highway as much as possible because Liam has patrols running up and down the main highway. If you choose to help, Eric can show you where it's at. Kate and I don't plan on attacking the compound until tomorrow. So you don't have to decide now, but I would advise all of you just leave. As for me, I'm not going to leave Kate."
Everyone in the hall converse over what should be done over the matter. I waste no time and make haste. Lauren steps out of the way and lets me through. The choice is up to them. They can help if they want, and they can go about it safely since Eric has a general area where I'll be. Everyone is aware of Liam's patrols. My conscious is somewhat clear, but there are still doubts.
I bust out the front door and check underneath the jeep's hood to make sure nobody tampered with the spark plugs when Emily and I were arguing. Nothing looks like it's been messed with, and the spark plugs remain in place. I fire up the engine, shift into gear and pull out of the driveway. If they want to help, then I trust in their ability to handle themselves when things go wrong. Eric protected the group while I was with Kate, and everyone survived due to his leadership. He knows what to do. So this time, I'll leave it up to him to make the final decision…