The duo followed the horde's trail, being careful not to be detected by any of the members. The Witch felt the grip tightened on her hand as they approach the boathouse. When the horde reached the house, some of the members began banging on the front door. Several members began attacking the barricaded windows, breaking the glass and bending the planks.

The duo suddenly stopped short. Bill looked around for another entrance. He spotted a staircase leading to the balcony. Bill thought they could enter the house through the balcony.

That's when he noticed the stairs stood near one of the windows the horde was attacking. Maybe they had a better chance if they went around the back? As his eyes continued to scan the area, Bill remembered the horde will enter an area from different directions and would surround any potential victims.

He also noticed a few members of the horde were heading to the back of the house. Bill knew the Survivors were attracting the horde to that house, even if they weren't covered in boomer bile. Only one question remained, though. Should the duo enter the boathouse from the balcony or the back door?

Bill narrowed his eyes as he stared up at the balcony. There was a object on said balcony, which he could barely make out. He took a few steps closer to the house, trying to get a better look. When enough moonlight casted onto the object, Bill recognized what it was.

A turret stood on the balcony overhead. Bill blinked as he stared up at it. I usually don't use these type of guns, he thought. but if it shoots bullets, then I'll use it.

The Witch moved closer to him. She wondered what he was staring at. The Witch turned toward him, opening her mouth to speak. "Let's go up there," Bill beckoned, interrupting her.

The Witch closed her mouth. She thought he wanted to meet up with those humans. The duo made a dash toward the stairs. As they approached the stairs, a few infected nearby detected their presence.

The small group of infected gave chase while the rest of the horde broke into the house. Bill and the Witch rushed up the steps. When they reached the top, the Witch spun around upon hearing the groans of the infected citizens. She knew why the other infected had suddenly followed them.

They were only there to kill Bill and she wouldn't allow it. The Witch raised her forearm, then lunged at them. The infected in front yelled as he charged up the steps. The two infected met on the middle steps. With one swift motion, the Witch slashed the man's abdomen.

Blood gushed from his wound as the man's corpse collasped onto the stairs. The Witch kept her arm raised as the rest of the group charged at her. She slashed them with her nails, killing them in one blow. When they were all dead, the Witch whirled around, then went back up the stairs.

When she reached the balcony, the Witch turned her head toward the veteran. He was using the turret, shooting members of the horde coming from the trees and from the entrance of the park. The horde probably knew the duo was here, the Witch thought. Bill was right about this place no longer being safe.

The Witch snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing Bill groan. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted a woman punching him in his back. The Witch let out a growl as she lunged at the infected woman. The woman didn't turn around or didn't even flinched.

Bill had let go the handles of the turret and was turning toward her. The woman had reeled her hand back, preparing to throw another punch. Suddenly, her fist paused in mid air as her eyes widened. Bill widened his eyes before lowering his gaze.

Not only he had been splattered by the woman's blood, he also noticed long, bloodied nails pertruding from her chest. Bill took a few steps back, knowing who had killed her. The Witch had gritted her teeth as she pulled her arm out of the woman. The woman collapsed onto the balcony.

The Witch raised her eyes toward the elder. Her anger immediately melted away as her lips curved into a smile. "Thanks for that," Bill said, wiping the blood from his shirt.

Suddenly, the house shook as if a little explosion had took place. The Witch immediately wrapped Bill into a hug. The shockwaves from the explosion weren't strong enough to knock them off their feet. She tightened her grip on him regardless.

As the house began to settle back down, the duo departed. They turned toward a huge hole in the wall, wondering what had cause that explosion. "Ewww... Ahh, shit," cried a muffled voice.

The duo exchanged glances. The cry sounded like it came from the first floor. The Survivors! How could they forget?

Bill made his way toward the stairs. The Witch followed, close behind. When they reached the stairs, Bill began descending the steps. The Witch, on the other hand, hesitated.

What if the other Survivors really think she's a threat and try to kill her? What if they also tried to kill her Bill, too? The Witch doesn't want anyone - or anything - to harm her man. Maybe this isn't a good idea...

The Witch reached her arm out to grab Bill's shoulder, but he was out of her arm's reach. Her eyes widened before she rushed down the stairs after him. Bill reached the bottom steps, then scanned the area with his eyes. His eyes landed on the crates with the firearms.

His beady eyes widened. That's more like it, Bill thought, recognizing the three type of weapons as pistol, an automatic shotgun and a M16.

Bill began making his way toward the weapons. Suddenly, a huge flock of infected rushed into the room through the windows and door. Bill immediately spun toward them as they headed his way. "That's a crock of shit," he muttered before disappearing into the crowd of infected.

The Witch froze on the bottom steps as she stared at the horde entering the house. When she realized she could no longer see Bill, the Witch began panicking. She raised her arms, letting out a terrified scream. Gunshots began echoing throughout the boathouse, but none came from her precious Bill.

XXX

The three Survivors were huddled in a corner of the boathouse's only bathroom, shooting and shoving away the members of the horde. "Be there in five minutes," said John over the radio.

The Survivors ignored him as they tried to wipe the bile from their faces. The trio had been sprayed with boomer bile before Louis had taken it out. Zoey pulled out her pipe bomb, preparing to throw it when a scream broke out.

She froze, still clutching the pipe bomb. Zoey turned. Louis and Francis were still shooting as if they didn't hear someone scream just a moment ago. Francis ceased fire to reload his shotgun. "Guys, did you hear that?" Zoey asked.

Francis didn't reply as he began loading shells into his shotgun. Louis turned his head toward the former college student as the bile evaporated off his face. "You mean that scream, right? Yeah, I heard it," Louis replied, shoving away an infected woman.

Zoey blinked, lowering her arm. "That scream... it sounded so familiar," she said.

She turned to Francis as he resumed shooting the horde. Zoey narrowed her gaze. "Francis, you said a witch kidnapped Bill, right?" she asked.

Francis grunted, but didn't change his posture or didn't turn to look at her. "Yeah, I did," he replied. "I told you guys several times already," Francis quickly added.

Louis blinked as he began reloading his M16. "Why did ya asked?" Francis demanded, turning to first look at Louis, then Zoey.

Zoey had switched back to her pistols as Francis narrowed his gaze at her. She began firing her pistols at the infected. "Louis and I heard a witch's scream," Zoey answered.

Louis wiped boomer bile from his brow with the back of his hand. "There might be a witch inside this house," he added.

"And you two think this is the same witch that kidnapped the old man?" The biker asked, blinking. "How do you know that? She looked like every other friggin' witch we'd encountered before!"

"There might be a possibility that Bill is with her," Louis answered calmly.

Francis narrowed his eyes at the Junior Systems Analyst. "Really? Then how come we haven't heard or seen him?" he demanded.

He cocked his shotgun. Empty shells fell from the weapon. "And since when there was a Witch? We searched this whole damn house and I hadn't heard any of her cries," Francis added sharply.

Louis didn't reply. Within that moment, the horde was defeated. As the last few infected dropped dead, Francis loaded the last few shells into his shotgun. Louis and Zoey, meanwhile, had exited the bathroom. They made their way to the pile of ammunition.

When the duo reached the counters, they began collecting more ammo. Suddenly, they heard a growl coming from behind. Zoey and Louis immediately whirled around. Their eyes widened in horror at the sight of a witch, whowas standing on the bottom steps of the stairs.

Blood dripped off her nails as the emaciated infected glared at them. She pulled her mouth back into a snarl as Louis and Zoey froze in their spots. Francis finally exited the bathroom. He began making his way toward his teammates.

Suddenly, a door he hadn't noticed before flew open. Francis spun around as a man emerged from the under the stairs. Francis raised his weapon, preparing to shoot the man. The man's eyes widened in horror, realizing what the biker was about to do.

The man raised his hands in front of him as if signaling Francis to stop. "Francis, hold your fire!" cried the man. "It's me, Bill! Don't shoot!"

Francis kept his shotgun pointing at the older man as his eyes widened in realization. Louis, Zoey and the Witch had turned toward the duo at the sound of Bill's voice. Louis and Zoey were glad that their teammate was alive. The Witch was relieved that the horde hadn't take the veteran away.

Francis began examining his teammate with his eyes. He blinked repeatedly at the sight of Bill's blood stained shirt. "Bill, man, what the hell happen to ya?" he asked, staring at his shirt. Bill lowered his arms before looking down at his shirt.

Just then, his two other teammates and the Witch appeared. Louis let out a low gasp at the sight of Bill. Zoey raised her hands to her face, gaping her mouth in horror. The Witch, on the other hand, seemed unfazed about the veteran's appearance.

She knew he wasn't covered in his own blood. Bill looked back at Francis just as he had turned his gaze onto the Witch. The middle aged man's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the Witch. To make it worse, she had blood dripping off her nails.

Francis began to assume that the Witch may have attacked Bill. He didn't know why that Witch kidnapped his friend, but he'll make sure she'll never do it again. Francis raised his shotgun, then pointed at the infected.

The Witch narrowed her eyes at him as Francis placed his finger on the trigger. Zoey and Louis had risen their weapons, but, unlike Francis, had clicked off their flashlights. The flashlights didn't need to be on, since the room was brightly lit. "We'll be there in three minutes," John said.

Zoey and Louis had pointed their weapons at the Witch, who'd begin to growl. Bill decided now he should say something before they shoot the Witch. "Wait, people! Do not shoot her just yet!" he exclaimed. "I have a better idea."

Everyone turned toward him. Francis adjusted the shotgun in his hands, but still had it pointing at the Witch. Her growling had ceased, but she was still glaring at the biker. "What is your idea?" he demanded.

Zoey took a step closer to the Witch, still pointing her pistols at the other female. Louis stayed back. "What happened to your chest?" Zoey added, staring back at the blood stain on the war veteran's olive shirt.

Bill opened his mouth to speak. Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. The quake was followed by a deafening roar. The Survivors knew all too well what was heading their way.

"TAAANK!" Louis yelled, opening fire on the infected as it charged into the boathouse through the front entry.

The Tank swung its broad arm at the bald man. When its fist made contact with Louis, he went flying. He crashed into the former college student, the veteran, the Witch and the biker as if they were bowling pins and he was a bowling ball.

The Survivors and the Witch lied on ground in a pile. The Tank cheered before rushing over to them. The five of them pulled themselves to their feet. Bill was the first one back on his feet when the Tank reached them.

He spun around in time to the fist before it made contact with his body. The elder was sent flying. The other Survivors' eyes widened in horror. The Witch let out a ear piercing shriek before going after him.

Bill flew out the opened back door and over the deck. He flew into the water. The water let out a big splash! on impact. The Witch rushed out the door and made her way toward the edge of the deck.

She was hoping Bill was okay. He may have fallen in shallow water, but he could have landed on something hard, like a rock. That is, if the current hadn't begin to drag him out to deeper water.

The Witch jumped into the water. She flailed her arms, splashing up water as she searched. Her eyes darted around the area. She was hoping Bill was still in the shallow waters.

The Witch would drown if she ventured into the deeper water. She ducked beneath the surface, then waited for her eyes to adjust before continuing her search. Air bubbles rose from her nose and mouth as the Witch tried to shriek.

The Tank headed toward the opened doorway, determining to kill the war veteran. The two of three other Survivors gave chase, opening fire on the brawny infected. Louis removed the molotov from his thigh, then raised his forearm. He was preparing to set the Tank on fire.

When the Tank reached the doorway, Louis threw the molotov. The molotov seemed to fly slowly through the air. Louis' eyes widened as he watched. He hoped he hadn't thrown too far or too late.

He hoped it'll break on the creature and set it on fire. Fortunately for Louis, the molotov cocktail crashed and shattered on the ground near the Tank, splashing the flammable fluid onto the infected. Fire from the burning news paper quickly spread along the fluid.

The flames began spreading around the Tank's body. The Tank roared in pain. It continued to go after Bill, despite being consuming by the flames. Zoey and Francis stopped short as the wall of flames were blocking off the back door.

They spun around. "Looks like we gotta go around," Zoey said, beginning to reload her pistols.

Francis rolled his brown eyes. "No Shit, Sherlock," he muttered.

Louis and Zoey ignored him as they made a dash toward the front doorway. Francis followed, walking casually, as if his other teammate wasn't in any danger. The trio exited the house, then made their way toward the back. As they approached the deck, the Survivors thought they heard someone call out.

The Survivors immediately jogged over. When they reached the deck's edge, they spotted the Tank. The fire had been extinguished, but the Tank's body still smelled like burning flesh. It was chasing after Bill, who had nothing to use to defend himself.

The Witch chased after the Tank. She was filled with rage. Her eyes glowed like burning embers as she flailed her arms. The Tank roared in pain as the Witch was slashing his back.

The Survivors watched in bewilderment. The Witch was trying to save Bill from the Tank? They didn't really believe what they were seeing. Maybe the Tank was preventing her from finishing off Bill, so she's trying to kill both of them?

The Survivors weren't so sure. They hopped off the deck, then opened fire on the Tank as they gave chase. Bill tried to dodge the Tank's punches, but he was moving slowly. His body was battered and bruised. Bill tried to duck, but the Tank struck him as he was bending his knees.

He cried out in pain as he went soaring through the night air. Bill closed his eyes, waiting for the painful impact onto ground to come. The Tank cheered, splashing up a lot of water as the other Survivors finally caught up to him. The Tank's cheers were cut short when Francis had smacked its spine with the butt of his gun.

The Tank let out a loud roar before whirling around. He spotted the Survivors and the Witch, who'd reeled her arm back, preparing to stab him. The Tank let out a groan before throwing a punch. Francis didn't bother to move, until after he got punched.

As he was sent flying, his two remaining teammates began backing away from the Tank, but were still shooting it. The Tank did another cheer, splashing up more water. Just then, it felt itself being pricked. His cheering ceased as the pain began to rapidly increase.

The Tank let out a roar of pain before lowering its gaze. The Witch glared up at it with her arm stuck in his side. She had stab the Tank with her nails. The Tank let out another roar before trying to shake her free.

The Witch began screaming as she first shook up and down, then from left to right, all the while, her nails were still in his side. Francis hurried over to his teammates as they continued to shoot the large, enraged infected. He joined them.

Francis shook his head in disbelief when he caught sight of the Witch hanging from the Tank's side. The Witch continued to scream as the Tank shook his body. Her grip was beginning to loosen. Her nails began sliding out of the Tank's wound.

The Witch knew in any moment she'll fall. She tightly closed her eyes. Gunfire and the Tank's roaring rang in her ears. As she continued to slide out of the Tank's wound, she began wondering what had happened to Bill.

The Witch imagined war veteran's body covered in wounds, bruises and scratches. A pool of blood spreaded from him as he floated lifelessly in the water. His eyes were glazed over as blood streamed from his nose and mouth. His bottom lip was cut and bruised.

His face was frozen in shock. The current was carrying his body down the river. The Witch's eyes began to water at the thought of her Bill being dead, when the Tank let out its final groan. Her eyes flew open as the Tank's corpse fell backwards.

The Witch screamed as she was dragged down into the water with it. The three Survivors ceased fire, then began reloading their firearms. Suddenly, they heard someone call out. The Survivors were sure they'd heard someone this time, since the area was silent.

Bill moved his arm, disturbing the water around it. He was trying to get his team's attention. Bill was losing air as he bled out. The Tank's last punch had immobilized him.

Bill knew he should try saving his breath, but he didn't know how much blood he had left in him. He thought he might bleed to death before he'll run out of oxygen. Bill winced as pain washed over his battered body.

Blood streamed from his wounds and was filling the water around him. His heart loudly pounded in his chest. "Need some help over here!" he called as water began filling his mouth.

He immediately began to choke. Bill's vision was blurred as he believed his teammates may not know of his absence. Air bubbles rose from his mouth and nose as he choked on the water.

Bill thought he was about to die. His body went limp. His eyes were fluttering close. If only they knew...

Suddenly, through his blurred vision, Bill saw two legs heading toward him. He hoped this person was his teammate and not an infected. Even if the person was an infected, it wouldn't matter, since he was already dying.

Upon reaching him, the person bent down and scooped him up. When he was out of the water, Bill began coughing. He spat out blood and water as the person pulled him closer to them. He began shivering as a light breeze blew toward him.

The water had been cold and he was soaked from head to toe. Bill let out another cough before looking up at his savior. Staring down at him was none other than the Witch. Bill really didn't care before, but now, he was very grateful she'd come to his rescue.

Death was practically in his face. Water dripped off her hair as the Witch scanned the veteran with her eyes. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of his wounds. The Witch knew they never should have went to that boathouse.

She knew he'll get hurt if they went looking for his team. The Witch clutched him tightly as a sob escaped her throat. She closed her eyes just as the first few tears began streaming down her ashened face. The Witch knew it was a bad idea.

Bill's eyes were glazed over as he stared up at her. He opened mouth to speak, but his teeth began chattering uncontrollably. He needed to be dried off and to warm up. The Witch opened her, then gritted her teeth as more tears began streaming down her face.

Suddenly, she heard splashing. The Witch gazed up. Several feet ahead of her were Louis, Francis and Zoey. The three Survivors were aiming their weapons at her.

The Witch pressed the veteran tightly into her chest as she began to groan. She believed the other Survivors were going to take her Bill away like they did a few times before. She wouldn't let that happen. They'll have to kill her if they really wanted their teammate.

The Witch let out more groans, trying to ware them off. The trio slowly approached her, keeping their weapons aimed at her. "Drop Bill, or we'll shoot you," Francis threatened, narrowing his gaze.

Louis had a terrified expression on his face. He knew the Witch's very dangerous, especially when aggravated. Zoey tightened her grip on her hunting rifle as she peered into the scope. Francis gritted his teeth as he glared at the infected.

The Witch was on the verge to attack. Her groans grew louder. Louis and Zoey shrank back, startled by her groans. Francis appeared unfaze as he moved closer to the Witch. Bill turned his head toward his approaching teammate.

Bill opened his mouth to warn the biker that she will attack him if he continued to threaten her or approach them. The only sounds that came out of his mouth were groans. He spat up more fluids before losing consciousness. Louis let out a gasp, tightening the grip on his assault rifle.

Zoey removed the scope from her eye. Both of her eyes widened in horror. "Oh god, not Bill!" she cried.

Francis cocked his shotgun as he placed his finger on the trigger. The Witch had lowered her gaze. She closed her eyes as she felt more tears on the rims of her eyes. "Bah-eel," she whispered.

Suddenly, the Witch cried out. Francis had shot her in her hands again. Blood began to stream from her new wounds as she dropped the veteran. She was splashed in the face when Bill hit the water.

Instead of attacking the biker, the Witch covered her ears with her arms, then spun around. She began screaming as she took off. Francis was about to give chase when he felt a hand clap his shoulder. He turned around.

Zoey gazed up at him. The Witch's screams ceased as she disappeared from view. The Survivors thought they won't see that particular witch anymore, although they could be wrong. "Let her go," Zoey said, removing her hand from his shoulder.

The biker didn't reply. Louis was examining his seemedly dead teammate. He placed his ear on Bill's chest. When he heard Bill's heart beating, Louis let out a sigh of relief.

He lifted his head as Zoey and Francis were approaching him. "So, what's the verdict?" Zoey asked.

Louis let out another sigh. "He's alive, but I don't know how much longer he has left to live," he replied. "We have to get him some first aid."

"We could just leave him here," Francis suggested.

Zoey and Louis narrowed their gazes at him. "What? He's too much trouble to keep around in this state," Francis added quickly.

"So, you want us to leave him here to drown?" Louis blinked. "He's our friend, remember? Would you prefer if we let you drown?"

Francis adjusted the shotgun in his hands. "Nah, I can't drown. I'm indestructible," he reminded Louis.

Suddenly, shouts, shrieks and groans filled the night air as another horde appeared in the area. The Survivors dragged their unconscious teammate onto shore. Within that same moment, the horde's members were surrounding the humans, attacking them from different sides. The Survivors huddled in one spot, then took on the horde.

XXX

Two ocean blues eyes fluttered open. Through his blurred vision, Bill managed to make out two legs, which were in front of him. He shifted his eyes. He spotted two more pairs of legs.

He heard voices, but couldn't make out the words. Bill pulled himself to a sitting position, then rubbed both eyes. He placed a hand on the ground beside himself. Bill let out a low gasp when he felt the cold, rickety wooden floor.

He peered down at it. That's when he realized he was on a deck. A light stood on his left, lighting up the deck. As he stood up, Bill felt the deck rock.

The deck rocked lightly from left to right. Bill turned, then immediately shielded his face from the light as he faced it. That's when he realized, I'm on a boat. How the hell did I get here?

The indistinctive conversation went on as Bill turned his head toward the three humans. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he noticed the Survivors had their backs to him. Another light breeze blew pass him, but it didn't really bother him. As he thought about it, Bill realized he wasn't soaked with water anymore.

Bill looked down at himself. He noticed the blood stain had vanished from his shirt. His eyes widened in surprise before he moved his hand over to one of his injuries. That's when Bill realized all of his injuries were gone.

His face twisted with confusion. I don't believe this, he thought. I woke up on a boat, I'm dry and my injuries are gone. What the hell is going on here?

One of the other Survivors turned around. The shortest Survivor blinked her eyes when she took notice of the veteran. "Hey, guys. Bill's awake," said the woman.

The two other humans turned in unison. Bill blinked when he realized who the humans were. Zoey, Francis and Louis stood a few in front of him. She went over to the veteran, then handed him his flashlight.

Bill stared down at it before looking back at the young woman. Zoey frowned when she noticed Bill's facial expression. "Bill, what's wrong?" she asked.

Louis also frowned, but didn't say anything. Francis' expression didn't change. Bill turned from teammate to teammate, noticing their injuries were gone. Apparently, when the Survivors aboarded the fishing vessel, their injuries had been healed.

Zoey turned to Francis. "What's wrong with him?" she asked Francis.

Francis shrugged. "He must've had a nightmare," Louis replied, making his way toward the elder.

Bill, noticing this, took a few steps back. He didn't want his teammates to think he was losing his mind, so he decided to speak. The last thing the Survivors needed was one of their own becoming insane. "People, there's nothing wrong with me," he assured them.

Zoey blinked. "Are you sure?" she asked. "You have been acting strange lately."

Bill narrowed his eyes at her. "No I haven't!" he snapped, then immediately calmed down.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "I've been very stressed lately. I don't mean to worry y'all."

"We've all been stressed lately," Zoey reminded him. "especially when that Witch kidnapped you."

Louis' eyes lightened up. He almost forgot about that Witch. Maybe Bill had the answer as to why she'd abducted him? Louis finally reached the veteran, who began rubbing his eye with his hand.

He blinked before speaking. "Bill, do you know why that Witch kidnapped you?" Louis asked.

Bill stopped rubbing his eye, then turned to Louis. He lowered his hand, but didn't answer his teammate's question. The boat became silent as Louis, Francis and Zoey waited for Bill's answer. Francis narrowed his eyes at Bill.

"C'mon, Bill. We don't have all night," he exclaimed, breaking the silence.

Unbeknownst to the Survivors, they had a lot less time than they thought. The boat was heading toward shore. The Slaters hadn't really spoken to the Survivors, since they aboarded their boat. The Survivors didn't bother to speak to the Slaters, especially since the couple had been bickering with one another.

Also unbeknownst to the Survivors, the Witch hadn't really left the area. She had hid inside of the shed - which none of the Survivors checked - until the boat arrived. She then snuck onto said boat, and had hid inside of the chamber where the catches were kept before the Survivors had gotten on board. The Witch had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

Just like the Survivors, her injuries were also healed. The Witch poked her head out of the chamber's entrance, and that's when she noticed the Junior Systems Analyst, the biker and the former college student were staring at the war veteran. From where she was, it appeared they had their eyes narrowed as if they were upset with him. Maybe they were going to harm Bill?

The Witch leaned forward as Bill's teammates surrounded him. Her eyes widened in horror. They're actually going to hurt him, she thought, becoming angry. How dare they do such a thing, especially after he'd been badly injured?

The Witch let out low groans at the thought. None of the humans seemed to notice. Bill let out a sigh, noticing the stares of his teammates. "I think it's because she loves with me," he answered finally.

Francis, Louis and Zoey stared at the veteran, but didn't reply. The Witch suddenly stopped groaning. Her eyes lightened up when she realized Bill does know that she loves him. Bill blinked, turning from teammate to teammate.

"She obsessed with me," he continued. "She won't leave me alone. Whenever I tried to leave, she'll flip out. She also asked me if Iloved her."

Francis crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, really?" He sounded disbelieving. "What else did she tell you? That you should take her to a salon to get her nails done?"

Francis chuckled softly at his own joke. Zoey blinked."W-wow. She likes you, Bill?" she asked, not really believing what she was hearing. "That's... something I wouldn't have expected."

She turned away just as Louis made a face of disgust. The image that suddenly appeared in his mind sickened him. "Uh, congratulations?" he said, avoiding Bill's eyes.

Louis felt like he was going to hurl. Bill narrowed his eyes at his teammates. "I am serious here, people!" he exclaimed.

Louis swallowed the vomit that had been tickling at his throat before placing a hand on Bill's shoulder. Bill turned his head. "Don't worry about that Witch," Louis said, still avoiding Bill's eyes. "She's long gone."

"Yeah. We won't be seeing her anymore," Zoey added.

Bill shook his head. "You people are wrong," he said. "It may appear that she's gone, but I know when we get to shore, we'll cross paths with her again. It happened many times before."

Just then, the fishing vessel had ceased movement. The quartet dropped their discussion, then exchanged glances. They rushed over to the railings, then looked around the area. There were nothing but trees and a few shrubs in the area.

"Well, here we are," said John over the intercom. "Watch your back. You never know what could be lurking in these woods. I suggest you travel lightly."

XXX

'I suggest you travel lightly,' echoed throughout the Survivors' minds as they traveled through another seemedly abandoned city.

They can't believe the Slaters had stripped them of their weapons and kicked them off their vessel. The Slaters also left them for dead when a horde appeared. "Thanks for the firearms," Amanda had said and waved when the boat was pulling away.

The Survivors sweared, shouted and threatened to harm the couple, but it didn't matter at that point. They had weapons and a vehicle, while the Survivors had nothing. The only weapon they managed to keep were their pistols. Bill managed to take one of his teammates' spare pistols before getting off the vessel.

So now, each Survivor had one pistol as they tried to fend off the horde. When it seemed like they were being overwhelmed, an unlikely person came to their rescue. Everyone, but Bill, stood in shock and awe as the Witch seemed to appear out of thin air, then attacked and killed members of the horde.

It seemed the Slaters had left the Survivors a little gift before making their great getaway. The Witch let out a growl as she slashed infected after infected. Blood gushed from the common infected as their bodies collasped to the ground.

"See? What did I tell you?" Bill shook his head. "Son of a bitch seems to know where I'm at all times."

The Witch turned her head. She growled at him for insulting her. Bill ignored her as he scanned the area with his eyes. His eyes landed on a city, which wasn't that far from them.

From where he stood, it appeared the city was filled with destruction. Bill narrowed his gaze, thinking there was probably no one alive in that city. Whoever remained there were probably infected. He thought there was no point going through that city.

"Hey, guys, let's go through that city!" Francis called suddenly, interrupting Bill's thoughts. "There's probably someone there to rescue us."

Bill opened his mouth to protest, when a slab of rubble smacked him on the side of his head. The rubble exploded on impact. Bill groaned in pain when he hit the ground. His groan was drowned out by the sound of a Tank cheering.

Francis, the Witch, Louis and Zoey spun around as the Tank charged toward him. Their eyes widened in fear. "TAAANK!" Zoey, Francis and Louis yelled in unison.

Bill placed a hand on his head as he pulled himself to his feet. His eyes widened at the sight of the Tank. "TANK!" he yelled, raising his pistol.

Bill began opening fire on the Tank. His team were also shooting the Tank. The Witch was about to rush over to Bill to check out his injury when she remembered what he'd told her earlier that night: "If you fend off the horde, and we can find my team then, if I can convince them, you'll be able to tag along,"

The Witch's eyes widened. If she assisted his team, then they may let her stick with the group. Which meant she can still be with her man without the fear of being killed by his teammates. The Witch rushed over to the Tank.

Upon reaching it, she began slashing the Tank's side. Zoey, Louis and Francis quickly joined her in attacking the Tank's side. Bill joined them after reloading his pistol. Even with the efforts of all five of them, it wasn't enough to kill the Tank.

In fact, they were agitating him more. To make their situation worse, not only did another horde appeared, but with it, was another Tank. The Survivors had to cease fire, then flee. The Witch followed close behind, attacking any infected that had gotten too close to them.

The pentad ran toward the city's entrance. A barricade blocked the road leading in and out of the city. Maybe the military were trying to prevent the infection from entering the city? From the city's appearance, it seemed like the infection had already broke through their defenses.

Who knows, maybe there's someone willingly to rescue them somewhere within the city? That sparked a little hope within the Survivors as they climbed the barricade. The barricade wasn't too high or too steep for them to climb. The Witch followed, keeping a close eye on her Bill.

She didn't want him to get hurt again. That's when the Survivors found themselves inside of another city overrun with the infected, searching for rescue. This city seemed more forsaken than Philadelphia. The Survivors tried to take refuge in a few places, but kept having to leave, due to an infected detecting them and, from their groaning and snarling, alerted the rest of the infected in the area.

The Survivors did not have any good weapons on them. There was a reason why they never really travel during the daylight hours - the infected could easily spot them. The Witch spent part of the morning protecting them. The pentad soon took refuge in a greenhouse located on top of an apartment building.

They spent most of the daylight hours inside of the greenhouse. The Witch sat down beside Bill, who took a long drag on his cigarette. She watched as he removed the cigarette from his lips. He let out a long sigh.

The Witch placed a hand on his. Bill looked down at their hands for a second, before looking at her. A smile crossed her lips as the Witch stared into his eyes. Bill placed the cigarette back in his mouth as he stared at her.

The Witch leaned in, then pecked him on the cheek. She pulled away as a smile crossed her lips. Bill blinked, but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned away.

Zoey brushed hair from her face as she and Francis began conversing. Louis checked his gun holster and pockets for any spare ammunition for his pistol. It turned out he didn't needed any spare ammo for his pistol - its ammunition was infinite. Louis could never run out of ammo for his pistol, even if he tried.

Louis let out a low sigh before lowering his weapon. He began wondering if all handguns had this effect to them. He turned around to ask. His eyes suddenly bugged out at the sight of the Witch, who'd placed her head on the veteran's shoulder while he smoked his cigarette.

Bill seemed unfazed about the Witch having her head on his shoulder. She still had her hand on his as she smiled, closing her eyes. Louis blinked repeatedly, not believing what he was seeing. "WITCH!" he yelled, pointing at the duo.

Apparently, Louis didn't notice the Witch had followed him and his team, until this very moment. Zoey and Francis immediately dropped their conversation, then spun around. Their eyes widened in surprise. "WITCH!" they cried in unison.

The Witch let out a gasp of surprise, then began groaning. She first glared at Zoey and Francis, then turned her glare onto Louis. She stood up, then raised both arms, preparing to attack. Francis removed the pistol from his gun holster.

He began reloading his weapon as the Witch's groaning became louder. She had a strong urge to attack. Zoey stood up, then began backing away. Louis gasped, which caused him to drop his pistol.

Bill's eyes widened, knowing what was about to happen. He quickly stood up. "There's going to be hell to pay if you keep aggravating that Witch," Bill warned, pointing a finger at the infected beside him.

Louis froze. When his pistol hit the rooftop, it clattered. Bill shot Louis a glare as he placed a hand on the Witch's shoulder. "This is not how I wanted the new recruit to introduce herself to my team," he said, turning his glare onto the infected.

The Witch's anger suddenly melted. She let out a gasp. Bill hadn't forgotten his promise of her joining his team, she thought. Bill turned from teammate to teammate, narrowing his eyes.

"You people should no better than to piss her off," Bill continued. "She'd killed you once and I'm pretty damn sure she will not hesitate to do it again."

Francis repeatedly blinked. "Have you lost your damn mind, Bill?" he demanded. "She's a homicidal bitch and, if you hadn't noticed, was about to attack."

"That's because y'all were agitating her," Bill replied calmly. "As long as we don't give her a reason to attack, then she'll remain calm."

"Francis is right. We can't risk having her on our team," Zoey interjected. "She'll do us more harm than good."

Bill blinked as he turned his gaze on her. He opened his mouth to ask, "how the hell do you know that," when the sound of a plane's engine cut him off. The pentad immediately looked up. A military jet flew overhead, partially sideways in the early evening sky.

Zoey, Francis and Louis stood up, then immediately equipped their pistols. A jet, especially an operating one, meant there were probably more Survivors around. This pilot probably isn't infected, unlike the last one they met. There was still a chance for this group of immune to be rescued and taken to a safety zone.

The Survivors just have to get to that jet. The Witch, on the other hand, didn't want to meet up with any more humans. She feared that the pilot may take Bill away, as she believed everyone and everything else would. The Witch had become very paranoid after losing Bill more times than she feared.

"That plane looks like it's heading to the airport," Francis said, as he watched the jet disappear from view.

"The C-130's nice flying," Bill added, recognizing the model of the jet as he equipped his pistol.

"Unless someone has a better plan, I say we head there," Zoey said before brushing dirt from the seat of her jeans.

That's when the Survivors finally looked around the area. There were two tables in front of the wall furthest from them. One table had four first aid kits, and a pump shotgun and a submachine gun lying on top. The other had four pipe bombs and four molotov cocktails on it.

Potted plants either hung from the ceiling, stood on top of tables and the floor or laid strewn about around the room. Dirt and the dead plants had spilled from the broken pots. The Survivors each strapped a pack onto their backs, then equipped a weapon. They then went over to the explosives.

As the Survivors took one explosive, then strapped them onto their thighs, Bill stared at the pipe bomb he'd picked up. "I rather have a grenade, but this'll do," he said before strapping onto his thigh.

Louis had retrieved his pistol from where he dropped it. As the Survivors turned to leave, they heard a moan. They spun around. The Witch had pouted her lips, staring back at them with big, sparkly eyes.

She batted her eye lashes. The Survivors turned to face each other. Three of the four man group wondered what they were going to do with that Witch. "Well, since she's an infected, she will be very dangerous to the entire group if we let her follow us," echoed throughout their minds.

They then remembered the Witch appearing out of nowhere and protecting them from that horde. She also assisted them in attacking the Tank. She even protected them, when they didn't know she was there. Maybe she wouldn't be that bad of an addition to their team...

The trio also wondered what would happen if Bill wasn't there to calm her down during their trip to the airport? They hoped that wouldn't happen. Every member's vital to the team. If they lost a teammate, then the entire team is affected.

The sound of a pipe bomb beeping snapped the trio out of their thoughts. They turned to see Bill standing on a ledge, peering down at something. Francis, Louis and Zoey moved closer to him. That's when they noticed a group of infected surrounding a pipe bomb.

Bill had probably thrown it. They attacked the air above it, but that didn't cease the beeping. Instead, the bomb exploded. The infected individuals exploded into a shower of blood and guts.

The explosion also caused the hanging plants to rock violently. The Survivors began hopping off the ledge one-by-one. Bill was the last one on the ledge. He was just about to hop off when the Witch grabbed his shoulder.

Bill turned to her, narrowing his eyes. The Witch still had her lips pouted as she gazed up at him. She still wanted to go with them, even if they were going to encounter another non infected person. The Witch knew as soon as the person does anything she doesn't approve of, she will not hesitate to attack.

The Witch removed her hand from his shoulder, then grabbed his arm as she stared into his eyes. "Wich ahh Bah-eel?" she asked.

Bill blinked, still having his eyes narrowed. "Yes. You're part of the team," he replied. "otherwise that arguement would have been pointless."

Silence fell over them as the duo stared into each other's eyes. Suddenly, the Witch leaned in for a kiss. She closed her eyes as she puckered her crusty, bruised lips. She tightened her grip on Bill's arm.

"Whoah, whoah, whoah! Jesus, Bill, what are you doing?" Louis demanded suddenly, after turning back to them.

The Witch's eyes flew open. She turned to see Louis looking up at them, placing a clip into his submachine gun. Zoey and Francis had already exited the greenhouse. They were shooting the infected roaming on the rooftops.

The Witch pulled her lips back into a snarl as she glared at the bald man. She can't believe that man had rudely interrupted them. Bill shook his arm out of her grasp, then raised his pump shotgun. "Nothing, Louis," he answered quietly.

"Let's get moving," he quickly added.

Bill hopped off the ledge, then hurried over to his other teammates. The Witch and Louis followed. He wondered if he really saw his teammate about to kiss the Witch, when the trio caught up with the biker and the former college student. They just were entering a building through one of its windows.

The group began traveling from building to building, searching for useful items and a way back down into the streets. Bill was searching an apartment unit's bathroom. He didn't find anything he could use. As he turned to leave, Bill heard the front door close.

He blinked before stepping out the bathroom. It must've been the wind, Bill thought, although he wasn't so sure.

Bill turned to the door, pointing his flashlight at it. He raised his weapon, then slowly approached the door. As he near the door, Bill thought he saw something glowing in a corner. He immediately turned toward it.

His flashlight shone on the object. The object gasped, then began groaning. As Bill stared at it, he immediately recognized the shape. "Shit, Witch," Bill whispered, eyes widening.

He took a few steps back as he reached for his flashlight. The Witch narrowed her eyes at him. She began approaching Bill. Bill took another step back, in which his boot made contact with a wall.

Bill aimed his shotgun at her, clicking off his flashlight. The Witch's eyes widened in horror. She raised her arms as to shield herself. "Bah-eel!" the Witch cried.

Suddenly, Bill lowered his weapon. The Witch's heart pounded in her chest before she slowly lowered her arms. "I'm just horseshittin' ya," he said. "I knew it was you."

The Witch narrowed her eyes at him as a low growl escaped her throat. Bill turned back to the door. It was about time they regroup with the others. He began walking.

"Bah-eel?" the Witch asked suddenly.

Bill stopped short, then turned around. The Witch reached out and grabbed his wrist. It was the same wrist she remembered breaking back at Mercy Hospital. How did it heal so quickly?

She pulled him closer to her. Bill blinked as he looked at her. "Luhh Wich nahh," the Witch commanded.

XXX

Louis went over to Francis, who was bashing an infected's head with the butt of his shotgun. Louis blinked as blood from the infected's head gushed onto his face. As the body collasped to the ground, Louis wiped the blood from his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

Francis, meanwhile, began reloading his weapon. "Do you know how I can talk to Bill without having to worry about that Witch?" Louis asked. "Whenever I tried to speak to him, she'll become angry and pulled Bill away.

Francis turned his head. "Huh? Witch? I thought we left her back at the greenhouse?"

Louis shook his head. "She's currently following Bill," he said before pointing at the room where Bill, Zoey and the Witch are in.

Zoey had gone into that room a moment earlier, wondering what had happened to her teammates. Francis immediately lost interest in the subject. He began making his way toward a stairway. "I also saw them about to kiss," Louis quickly added, realizing his teammate had lost interest in the subject.

For all they knew, Zoey could be witnessing Bill and the Witch kissing at that very moment. Francis suddenly stopped walking, then turned around, knowing Louis' statement had peaked his interest. "Whoah! Bill was about to kiss that Witch?" he asked as a smirk appeared on his face.

Louis nodded. Francis blinked, not really believing what he was hearing. "I would never expected anything like that from the Old Man..."

He turned, noticing a window. Francis went over to it, then peered out. His eyes scanned the area as he thought about what he'd heard from his teammate. Louis turned back to the room where his teammates were.

"Hey, Louie. Come check this out," Francis suddenly called.

Louis turned back to him. Francis motioned his brawny arm for Louis to come. The bald man made his way to Francis. Francis then pointed his finger out the window.

Louis peered out. Parked in front of a hotel's entrance was a car. Louis turned to Francis, not understanding what he was trying to show him. "Look!" Francis called, still pointing his finger at the car.

Louis turned back to the vehicle. That's when he noticed its windshield and windows were blinking, indicating the car was armed. Louis turned back to him as Francis' smile grew wider. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Francis asked before cocking his shotgun.

Louis blinked, but didn't reply. He knew what his teammate was planning, but would it be worth the trouble he's about to cause? Francis chuckled before breaking the window with the side of his weapon. Louis gulped as he anticapated the trouble that was about to happen.

XXX

"Ah, hell!" Bill swore as the car's alarm went off.

He knew either Francis or Louis had shot the vehicle, since Zoey had been with him the whole time. Bill didn't even know there was an armed car around, until the very moment the alarm went off. Within a moment, the horde would arrive. The Witch blinked repeatedly as the noise rang her ears.

She wondered where the noise was coming from as she, Bill and Zoey searched for an exit. That's when the first wave of infected arrived. The Survivors opened fire on them. The Witch began attacking other members of the horde, trying to protect Bill.

The Witch could honestly care less for Zoey. As they were shooting, the two Survivors noticed a red steel door inside of a hotel across the street. The safe room used to be the hotel's kitchen. Louis and Francis were already inside.

They were calling out to Bill and Zoey. Louis stood in the doorway while Francis was healing himself with a health pack, although he didn't need it. Louis shoved, then shot any infected that decided to attack him. He watched as his teammates and the Witch made their way toward him.

His eyes widened when Louis realized the horde wasn't attacking the infected. He turned back to Francis, who was now collecting more ammo for his shotgun from a pile of ammunition on top of a counter. "Francis, what's suppose to happen?" he asked.

Francis didn't even look up. "Oh, you'll see," he answered mysteriously.

Louis repeatedly blinked before turning back to the door. Zoey was the first one to reach the safe house. She ran pass Louis, who had stepped aside. Zoey went over to the pile of ammunition. Louis peered back out the door just as Bill took a step into the room.

It only took this one little step into the safe room for the Witch to no longer detect his presence. As soon as Bill's boot made contact with the kitchen's tile flooring, the Witch began to panic. She frantcially looked around. What happened to him?

One minute, he was a in front of her. The next minute, he was gone. How did Bill magically vanished into thin air when he was standing in front of her? The Witch didn't have a clue as to how and why he kept disappearing.

The Witch covered her ears with her arms, then began screaming. Bill heard her screams and immediately turned back to the opened doorway. Louis cringed from the screaming. Zoey's eyes widened.

"That sounds like the Witch," she said, stating the obvious.

The Witch spun around, preparing to run away. Bill blinked. "Wait, I'm right here!" he called out to her as she began running down the road. "Where the hell are you going?"

Her screams drowned him out, making it appear that she was ignoring him. Bill was about to head out the safe room, when he heard chuckling. He turned around. Francis was covering his mouth with his hand, letting out low chuckles.

Zoey twisted her face in confusion as the biker laughed. She wondered what was so funny. Louis knew why he was laughing. He rolled his eyes before looking away.

Bill narrowed his eyes at Francis as his eyes filled with tears. Was it really that funny? "What's so funny?" Bill demanded.

Francis suddenly broke out into loud laughter. He was laughing so hard that his sides began to ache. Francis clutched his sides as the veteran glared at him. Louis turned back to the opened doorway as the screaming continued.

His eyes widened when he noticed her. Unlike before, the Witch hadn't left the area. Instead, she was running around in circles, screaming her head off. "Can you lock that door?" Zoey asked.

Louis nodded, then reached for the door. Francis turned back to Bill, who'd crossed his arms over his chest. Francis wiped a lone tear from his eye as his laughter ceased. He noticed the angry expression on the older man's face.

Bill wasn't in the mood for horseplay. Francis then thought about it. Is Bill ever in the mood for horseplay? "Hell, I guess Louis was right," he said, mostly to himself.

Bill opened his mouth to ask him what he meant by that when he heard a metallic CLICK! He knew that Louis had closed the door. Bill spun around. "NOOOOOOOO!" he yelled.

It was too late for him to do anything. Within that same moment, the Survivors froze in their spots. "We're kicking ass," Zoey exclaimed before becoming completely motionless.

Bill stared ahead as the words, 'We're safe... for now,' once again appeared in front of them."Bah-eeeeel!" screamed the Witch as she continued to run in circles, not realizing Bill was inside the safe house across the street from her.

Bill heard her screamed his name, but was unable to respond. Instead, he began wondering why the world freezes inside of the safe house, but doesn't outside of the room. He also wondered if his teammates noticed this, too.

XXX

Author's Note: That's the end of chapter seven. If you readers have noticed, then you'll know this is the longest chapter of the story so far. I don't even know the Witches can't detect Survivors that are in the safe houses. My only guess is the safe houses are only Witch-proof, since the rest of the infection can enter those houses.

Ah, Game Logic, what would you do without it? The main reason this chapter is longer than the previous ones is because I had recently gotten a better copy of Left 4 Dead one and two, which really motivated me to write. My first copies of the games were messed up, so I was glad to get the games again for my eighteenth birthday. Anyway, I finished this chapter in the last week of September, but I decided to wait 'til October to submit it.

P.S: The trailer to the Sacrifice Downloadable Content has been released (or leaked?) last night. You should go check it out! It's EPIC!