Hey, dudes and dudettes! As you can see, yet another long chapter has been uploaded, although this is the shortest chapter I have written yet. Another chapter is in the works as you read this and who knows if it will be shorter? For those wondering, you can always expect a new chapter in 2-3 weeks after the last update of the story. As always, feel free to leave a review and hopefully you enjoy this story!
Updated: April 1, 2021
"Hurry! We're losing him!" yelled a voice.
"I'm working as fast as I can!" yelled another voice.
Lt. Lead was yelling orders at a medic, who was applying pressure on the left eye of General Black. Blood was squirting out, prompting the medic to apply rags on the general's face. The horrified onlookers— locked to their seats in chains— were woken up by the sight of this. Lynn Sr. and Rita— already awoken— looked at each other, feeling terrified.
"I'm telling you, I heard and saw Lori. I recognize her hair from anywhere," whispered Rita.
"You sure?" Lynn Sr. whispered.
Rita nodded. The medic wrapped a large white bandage around General Black's left face. The helicopter roared as it flew through the sky, the sun beginning to shine on it.
"Oh my God! My daughter survived! That must mean the others survived as well!" joyfully whispered Lynn Sr. before he coughed.
"Are you okay?" asked Rita.
"Yeah. I just got some smoke in my lungs. It's fine— I'm fine."
The medic grabbed a blood bag, checked the sticker on it, and grabbed a tube. He grabbed a needle and stuck it in the general's arm, sticking the tube on the needle. Blood began to run through it, and suddenly, the entire area inside the helicopter was quiet. All the hostages looked at the general. After a few seconds, they looked down in disappointment.
"He'll be stable for now. I gotta get Dr. White's medical supplies to remove the fragments inside his eye socket, once we arrive there," said the medic, who wiped his bald head with a towel before putting his cap back on. "Or better yet— let Dr. White handle him."
"Alright. You did good, Donovan," said Lt. Lead.
General Black grumbled as he woke up. Donovan and Lt. Lead looked down at him, surprised.
"No anesthesia?" Black groaned.
"We didn't think you were awake, sir," said Donovan. "How do you feel?"
"Like I'm having the worst hangover of my life. Shit, how close are we?"
"A couple hours away, sir."
General Black nodded. He looked at the hostages around him, fear trembling in their eyes. He smiled.
The Chinook roared through the morning sky, for what felt like hours. Rita looked outside and saw patches of trees and fields of grass and soil. She then turned towards the general, who was sitting behind the pilot's seat, facing the hostages.
"I once had a daughter," said General Black, his one eye staring ahead. "Her name was Tess. Lived long enough to get a driver's license. Not long enough to smoke a cigar."
Lynn Sr. gulped as he held his wife's hands tightly.
"I knew how dark the world was. Yet... I wanted a pure world for her. All the darkness that I was a part of... I didn't want her to witness it. She never did... lucky me."
The helicopter blades filled in the silence of each pause.
"Cancer got her. The cells turned malignant... and attacked every part of her body... and she fought and fought and fought... until she could fight no more. The very nature of her genetic makeup couldn't protect her. Oh, how mad that made me. Of all the darkness that happens in the world... and that's how she goes. I know what I thought to myself that day. This can never happen again."
General Black then looked around at the hostages.
"Genetic engineering will soon perfect our fragile bodies. Parents... you understand that you would do anything for your children. I know you don't see it right now... but everything that I have done and will do is for the greater good. The weak will be filtered out of this world. You will be tested on... and your lives will be sacrificed to contribute towards scientific progress."
Rita let a tear out of her eyes.
"And no more children will die from something their body should be protecting them from. The future is for the fittest."
The blades of the Chinook slowed down. Rita looked outside and saw a military base outside— which seemed to be a former airport. Around the military base were four large buildings, structured like prisons. Barbed wire and fences surrounded the base and the buildings. Standing near the runway was a balding older-looking man in a lab coat and glasses as well as two rogue soldiers next to him.
The loading ramp opened up, to which General Black slowly walked out of. Both rogue soldiers saluted. One of the soldiers, whose name tag stated 'PINES' then walked inside the helicopter while the other one— whose name tag stated 'JETT'— stood still next to the doctor.
"Welcome, General Black. Woah! That doesn't look nice," said Dr. White. "I'm assuming your trip didn't go so well?"
"Just a little miscalculation that I made. I didn't expect them to escape so soon and kill us like that in great numbers. But otherwise, it went great, Doc. The trip went great. Now, remove the fucking fragment out of my eye."
"Let's get right to it. Welcome to Houlton, General."
Chapter 3: The Journey Ahead
I - Rise from Hell
Light from the morning sunrise shimmered onto the town of Royal Woods. However, Ketcham Park was eerily quiet. No chirping from birds. No noises being created by insects. No buzzing from mosquitoes. Only the sound of crackling fire and the soft groans of the living dead.
The killed rogues— paler than ever— were rising as enemies of mankind once again. Blood stained the uniforms that they disgraced and their faces were either burnt or half-melted, adding to the horror that faced the survivors from the battle who were trying to escape the park. However, the fire continued to spread throughout the park, getting close to the entrance. The log cabin where the adults were kept in began to catch on fire.
"Benny," said Lori. "Think you can walk up the hill?"
"Yeah, it just... hurts a lot to breathe," panted Benny. "Agh, my ribs hurt like hell too."
"Take off the vest. It will feel better if you move around without that thing squeezing you."
Benny nodded. He reached into his back and unzipped his bulletproof vest. He held on to it as he removed his shirt.
"Oh my god, Benny. You got a nasty-looking bruise."
"Great. How are we supposed to find ice in this weather?"
"I don't know. We gotta get you back home," Lori told Benny. "Cover your mouth with something. The smoke... it's making it hard to breathe."
Benny placed his shirt over his mouth and nose, shielding his lungs from the smoke of the growing inferno. Lori turned on her walkie-talkie as she pulled up her blue tank top to cover her mouth, exposing her stomach to the floating soot. They both began to walk up the hill.
"David. I'm taking Benny home. I don't know where you went... but you gotta leave. We'll meet up at the treehouse. Everyone... will meet up at the treehouse. David, you there? David...?"
Lori coughed. Another voice spoke out of the walkie-talkie.
"I tried contacting him too," said Bobby. "I don't think David has his walkie with him, babe."
"Bobby? Where are you?" Lori groaned before coughing again.
"Looking for David, babe. Just get outta here."
"Bobby, I'll look—"
"The fire hasn't spread too much here! Just go!"
"Okay."
Lori lowered her walkie-talkie as she made it to the top of the hill. She and Benny looked around the fire, finding rotters slowly walking through them. Their faces were drenched in sweat as they walked past the burning trees and smoking benches.
"Lori... the rotters," said Benny, his voice muffled.
Lori looked at the nearby logs, seeing the fire rage over the bodies that lay next to them.
"Ignore them..." panted Lori. "Just keep walking towards the entrance."
Benny nodded slowly, noticing Lori appearing distraught. He then followed Lori as he stumbled along the bike trail, coughing here and there.
The metal chains holding the swings began to catch on fire. The slide began to darken as the fire consumed the leaves on it.
Bobby ran past the playground, using his green button-up shirt to cover his nostrils and mouth. When he saw a wandering rotter— its clothing partially scorched— turn its head towards him, he raised his M16 rifle so that his eyes lined up with the iron sights of the rifle. He then pressed on the trigger and let out a loud gunshot, killing the rotter. He saw another rotter stumbling past the playground, missing half its face— its skull being exposed. He walked closer to the rotter and squinted in disgust, feeling his stomach churning as he gagged. He then shot it right at the exposed skull, quickly dropping the rotter into the ground as blood poured out the hole made on the bone. He then moved his eyes away from it, shaking off any feelings of repugnance.
"David!" he shouted, though his shouts were muffled by his shirt. "Anyone? Anyone out there at all?"
Bobby rotated around, scanning his surroundings, but all he could see were the flames getting bigger. His large worried eyes could not see a sign of life anywhere. Not near the benches. Not near the burnt garden. Not near the helicopter. Not near the playground nor the crates nor the log cabin.
As he prepared to leave, Bobby suddenly found himself trapped by the flames in the distance. He realized that he didn't know where the entrance to the park was. He could barely see the sky above him, almost completely covered in smoke.
"Hey, kid!" shouted a voice in the distance.
Bobby turned around and looked near the crates. He saw David running away from the crates and towards him, holding a knife and a map on him. Bobby smiled, though his lower face was not visible to David, who approached closer and closer. He then noticed the crackling branches from a nearby tree ripping itself apart from the rest of the tree.
"Hey, watch out!" exclaimed Bobby.
David looked above and quickly came to a stop as the burning branches fell in front of him. He jogged around it, though he saw two rotters coming his way, prompting him to take out his M9 pistol. Though he slowed down, he did not stop jogging. He kept moving while aiming his pistol at the rotters before firing at the two of them in rapid succession, striking both of them in their heads, dropping them dead.
"The hell are you still doing here, kid?" asked David.
"Saving you," said Bobby.
"Where's the entrance? I don't know jack shit about this place!"
"Uhh..."
Bobby looked around, unable to trace his steps back. The flames were getting brighter and the heat intensified.
"Oh..." groaned David, "...don't tell me— you're not from around here?"
"I was...!"
"Was?"
"It's my hometown... but I don't live here anymore. Look, I'm just... I'm just having trouble finding the log cabin!"
David squinted his eyes and looked around the burning park as he began to cover his mouth with his sleeves.
"Hey, earlier... why didn't you answer your walkie-talkie?" panted Bobby.
David shuffled through his pants before letting out a breath of frustration.
"Damn... left it back at the treehouse. Sorry, kid. Hope I didn't have you too concerned."
"It's alright. We just gotta get out of here."
David squinted at a burning cabin. His eyes widened before he patted Bobby.
"There!" exclaimed David.
"Oh man... hope no one was in there."
"Yeah. Just get us outta here."
Bobby placed the walkie-talkie back into his pocket and ran in the direction of the cabin while David followed him. In the distance, on the opposite side of the park near the end of the bike trail, rotters slammed their hands on the metal gates where two ladders lay against it.
A pacing noise against the floor with the occasional creaking filled the air of the living room. Cereal was being poured onto an empty bowl in the kitchen. A small lamp was on, providing light to those huddled around the couch.
Ronnie Anne continued to pace around while Carol was covered by the drapes as she peered through the small crack in the barricaded window and out into the street. Lincoln walked into the living room, carrying two bowls of dry cereal.
"One bowl for Chaz... and one bowl for Liam," said Lincoln, handing the named survivors their bowl of cereal. "Sorry about the lack of milk. Milk's gone bad."
"Don't fret," said Liam. "This a normal breakfast to me in them dry periods before my cows calve some babies."
"Awesome."
"I don't get how you two could eat so early in the morning," said Lola.
"I usually get up this early in the mornin'," said Liam.
"I eat when I'm stressed," said Chaz.
"Me too," said Leni, taking one of Chaz's cereal crumbs. "I'm sorry, can I have some?"
"Uh, yeah, sure!" smiled Chaz.
"Leni?" said Lincoln. "You know we have more in the kitchen, right?"
"Yeah but it tastes better when the food is being shared."
"Um, I don't think it does..."
"Alright, Lincoln, just go and get my blanket!"
Lincoln sighed.
"You know," said Lisa, "this does seem a little illogical. I didn't take Leni to be the type of human to feed off of altruism. I always assumed it was the other way around."
"I don't think it's altruism," said Lincoln before whispering. "She just really likes Chaz."
Lisa faced Leni, who was giggling while Chaz placed pieces of cereal in her mouth. She rolled her eyes before sitting down next to the couch, concentrating on the pacing of Ronnie Anne.
"If you may, Ronalda," stated Lisa, "can you cease your incessant pacing?"
"I can't help it," groaned Ronnie Anne. "Ugh, why is it taking forever for them to come back? The gunfire stopped like five minutes ago!"
Ronnie Anne then began to walk towards the door.
"I should just go out and see if—"
"No!" exclaimed Carol, grabbing Ronnie Anne's hand as it came in contact with the doorknob. "We don't know if they won. The last thing we need are the soldiers—"
"—rogues," interrupted Tabby.
"—sorry. Last thing we need are rogues spotting you."
"It's the not-knowing that's killing me," said Ronnie Anne.
"I know. And I know you would hate to hear this but... please be patient. Just... give them time."
Ronnie Anne huffed before drawing her hands away from Carol's. She then walked away.
Carol looked down before closing the drapes, joining the rest of the group.
The black smoke billowed into the sky, where it lightened into a grayer color, then a whiter color. Lori continued to stare into the dark billowing smoke resembling the color of the soot on her face. Her watery eyes then made it more difficult to focus onto the imaginary images that the smoke produced, until she completely looked away upon being nudged by Benny.
"Hey, you alright?" asked Benny.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Didn't get hurt one bit," sighed Lori.
"I didn't mean physically... I meant if you are... y'know... emotionally all right?"
Lori looked around, finding herself on the corner of her street next to a stop sign. There were cars parked next to the sidewalk. Wrappers and empty soda cans rolled along the street, where cars no longer moved around.
"I... I killed people," she whispered.
"Bad people. No one's gonna miss the rogues."
"Not just them... I got Flip killed. I destroyed the barrels and burned the park... people couldn't get out because of me. Until the Yates came with the ladders... and then they got killed. All of them. Because of me. And the worst part of it all was that it was literally for nothing. I didn't save my parents. We couldn't stop the rogues and rescue anyone!"
"Hey, hey, don't be so hard on yourself," whispered Benny.
"Why aren't you more upset about this? That was your family back there too. That was your chance..."
Lori then noticed Benny shaking his head softly.
"I-I'm sorry," said Lori. "I forgot."
"It's... it's okay," sighed Benny. "I know how it feels to blame yourself for a loss that you think you could've prevented. After all, I told my dad that it would be safer in the city..."
"No one could've known what was going to happen," said Lori. "Is that why you wanted to help out? You think that would have made up for something?"
"Not exactly. Nothing could make up for that because it wasn't my fault. It was the rogues. They killed my dad and then get to make us think it's my fault? They take your parents and kill our people and then get to make you think it's your fault? That's how they win. And I sure as heck don't plan on letting them win."
"Thank you... Benny," sniffled Lori. "You don't know how much this means to me. I can't thank you enough."
"You don't have to thank me. I'd do anything for Luan... including rescuing her parents. Even if I have to cross the other side of the country to do it."
"Okay, lover boy," chuckled Lori as she wiped her eyes.
"Just... just don't tell her I said that," smiled Benny before stopping in front of the Loud residence. "Well... we're here."
"Hey, Lori. This is Bobby. We're here in the treehouse."
Lori picked up her walkie-talkie.
"I'll come in a couple minutes," she said.
"Alright, babe. I love you."
"I love you too."
Lori placed her walkie-talkie in her pocket and walked towards her house. She took a deep breath as she walked up the porch stairs. She then looked back at Benny.
"You're not planning on hiding your injury, right?" she asked.
"Well..."
"I really think we should tell someone about your injury. It's gonna swell up. And in this apocalyptic wasteland of a world... that would be a... what do you call it...?"
"A liability. I know. I'll tell them. On my own."
"Sure. I'll only be here a minute."
Lori took the keys out of her pocket and placed one into the doorknob. Benny held up his bulletproof vest in front of his chest as Lori unlocked the door.
The door opened. All eyes were on Lori and Benny.
"Finally!" shouted Lola. "You guys are back!"
Lori closed the door without locking it. Luan smiled as she saw Benny enter.
"Where's Bobby?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"He's in the treehouse... along with everyone else," said Lori.
"Are... are Mom and Dad there?" asked Lincoln.
"We... couldn't save them," murmured Lori.
Lincoln felt his heart sinking. Luan's smile formed into a frown. Lynn looked at Lucy, both showing a rare expression of sorrow. Leni looked at Lori, appearing confused. Lana and Lola faced each other, shocked by what they just heard. Lily remained asleep on Luna's arms.
"So... what, they're...?" muttered Luna.
"No, no. They're alive," said Lori. "They're not dead."
The Loud siblings all sighed a breath of relief.
"You coulda' led with that," groaned Lynn. "Jeez, you really scared me there."
"So wait..." said Lincoln, "...what do you mean you couldn't save them? Are they still in the park?"
"No, the rogues moved them away."
"You didn't follow them?" exclaimed Lola.
"They left in a helicopter. What was I supposed to do, build a helicopter out of scraps and follow them?"
"It's okay," said Lana. "No one's blamin' you. We're just a little lost."
"What about my dad?" asked Rusty. "Didja' see him?"
"And my parents?" asked Tabby.
"I-I don't know," said Lori. "I got questions too. I'm actually headed to the treehouse, regroup with everyone else, see what I can find out. But I just want you all to not worry. The rogues are gone. As far as I know, everyone's safe. But you have to stay here. The fire in the park... it's gotta attract the rotters. They might be out in the streets."
"You're leaving again?" asked Lola, her voice sounding less shrill.
"I won't be long. Benny, here."
Lori handed Benny her walkie-talkie. Benny nodded as Lori waved at everyone. She opened the door and quickly shut it after stepping outside.
"And there she goes," said Benny.
"Oh man, you have no idea how glad I am to see you," said Luan before she hugged Benny.
Benny groaned.
"What's wrong?" asked Luan, letting go of Benny.
"I... I got shot," he revealed.
"What? Oh my god, did I hurt you?"
"No, it's fine! Don't worry... the vest caught it. It's just my left ribcage. I think it's bruised."
Benny lifted the side of his shirt, revealing a large purple bruise on the left side of his chest. Luan placed her hands over her mouth in shock while Lisa observed the wound.
"I would advise applying a cold pack over it," said Lisa. "Unfortunately, due to a lack of power, we are unable to sustain a frozen solid state of water to provide for you."
"Yeah, I figured."
"We got some cold cans in Chunk's van," said Luna. "They're inside a cooler. Maybe they're still cold?"
"I'll see," said Benny.
"I'll come with you," said Luan hastily. "You shouldn't... work yourself too much. Let me do something n...ice for you."
"Good one. Let's go."
"The car's unlocked," said Carol.
"Thank you, Carol."
Benny opened the door and allowed Luan to walk out first before he did. Then after walking out, he closed the door.
"That reunion was lackluster," said Lucy in her monotone voice.
"I agree," said Rocky. "There's something fishy going on. I think Benny or Lori's hiding something."
"You think so?"
"Well, only one way to find out. We get him to tell us everything. I can't be the only one here that's curious to know what happened in the park."
"I wanna know too," said Zach.
"Maybe without the details?" asked Clyde.
"Nah," said Rocky. "All the deets. Can't leave nothing out."
Benny looked inside the van through the back windows. He spotted a cooler sitting next to the passenger door. He stepped back and began to walk to the passenger door with Luan following him.
"Did you... kill anyone?" asked Luan.
"No. I tried to but I missed. Then, I got shot— because I missed."
Benny opened the passenger door, groaning as he pressed softly against his chest.
"I thought you were going to be careful, Benny."
"I opened the door slowly."
"Not that. I mean the rescue mission. Sure, it's great that you took a shot at it. But did you have to get shot for it?"
"Nice one," said Benny.
"I didn't mean to make a joke," said Luan, reaching for the cooler inside the van. "You could've died."
"I knew the risks."
"You think you have nothing to lose?"
"Don't be so clingy, Luan. We're just friends."
A saddened Luan opened the cooler and grabbed a cold soda can. Benny grabbed the can as Luan closed the cooler.
"I'm not... hopeless, Luan. I don't want to die. I didn't go in there expecting to get hurt. But it happens. And I don't want you to get so hurt seeing me get hurt."
"I get it. It's just... I don't know."
Benny lifted up the side of his shirt and placed the soda can against his bruise, flinching and groaning the moment the cold can made contact with his skin.
"You look... fit," murmured Luan as she blushed.
"Um, heh... thank you," said Benny before he looked at the intersection, noticing rotters crossing it to get to the park. "Why don't we head home?"
Luan nodded. She closed the passenger door and made her way back inside her house.
As soon as she opened the door, Luan found herself surrounded by the group. Benny looked around, wondering what they each wanted.
"What's going on?" asked Benny.
"You tell us first," said Rusty.
"I, umm, I grabbed a soda can. Fanta, I think."
"Not that," said Rocky. "We wanna know what happened at the park."
"Are you sure, guys?" asked Benny, closing the door.
"Yeah," said Francisco. "You're not hiding anything... right?"
"No, it's just that some pretty violent stuff happened back there. But if you want me to tell it, I'll tell it."
"Every detail," said Rocky.
"R-Really? Aren't you too young to be hearing this?"
"Please, I played Mortal Kombat. Nothing scares me."
"I don't need to hear this," said Clyde.
"Don't be such a wuss," said Lynn, grabbing Clyde's arm.
"He can't help it," sneered Francisco. "Why don't we let him go?"
"You know what?" scoffed Clyde. "I'll stay."
"Great."
"Me and Chaz are going to the kitchen," said Leni. "So we don't have to hear the story."
Leni reached into Luna's arms and slowly grabbed Lily before walking into the kitchen with Chaz. Lily remained asleep in Leni's arms.
"Go with Leni," Lisa told Darcy.
"Okay."
Darcy followed Leni into the kitchen.
"Alright," said Benny, taking a seat on the table in front of the couch. "Lori, Bobby, and I got to the treehouse..."
With the sun rising above the horizon, the air warmed up. Lori was breathing hard as she slowly walked past the driveway and into the backyard of the house with the treehouse. Sweat rolled down her soot-blemished face as she took careful steps, as to not draw attention to herself while the survivors all chattered with each other around the extinguished campfire.
"Look who's back," said Richard. "Glad to see you made it out."
Lori nodded before spotting Bobby talking with David. A smile formed on her face as she walked over to her boyfriend. Bobby then turned around and flashed an open smile.
"Babe!" he exclaimed.
Lori opened her arms and wrapped them around Bobby, who hugged her back. She then kissed Bobby before he flinched.
"Woah," chuckled Bobby. "That's not a good taste."
"Sorry," Lori said, letting out a soft laugh. "Salty, right?"
"Yeah."
David handed Lori a water bottle without facing her. Lori grabbed the bottle and opened it, taking a sip out of it.
"Where's Benny?" asked David.
"Resting at my house," answered Lori. "Because he got shot."
"That sounds serious, I could get a doctor or—"
"No, the vest caught it. He's gonna be fine. Unlike..."
Lori looked around and raised her fingers, counting all the survivors in the backyard.
"...fifteen... of us? Only half of us made it back? Seriously?"
"Alright, don't give me that shit," said David. "Sorry about not responding to the damn walkie-talkie. I left it... in the treehouse."
"Seriously? Sounds pretty irresponsible to me."
"Oh, don't nag. Only my wife gets to do that."
"Your wife? Who you could be on your way to had you killed General Black?"
"Yeah, you couldn't have gotten him?" exclaimed one of the survivors, who seemed about Benny's age.
"Who the hell are you?" asked David.
"Name's Reggie Harrison. From Detroit. You sent me out there and you can't be bothered to remember me?"
"I didn't send anyone. You all volunteered."
"We volunteered because we believed in you!" exclaimed another survivor.
"Yeah!" shouted another survivor. "Ain't you a soldier? Ain't you 'posed to be good at this stuff?"
"You all lack discipline," said David. "A sergeant can't order a bunch of loosely-regulated militia fighters. This isn't an insult! You all managed to fend off rogues better equipped, better armed, better organized than us! Be proud you made it back here safely!"
"The goal was to save our family," said Lori.
"I know."
"You didn't plan on saving them, did you? You only wanted to get revenge on General Black! And people died because of your selfishness!"
"Look, not all of us made it— I know that," said David. "That was our chance to rescue our family... and I failed to lead you all into a successful mission. I know that. We didn't stop all the men and women responsible for causing pain and suffering to our families. I know that."
David looked around, finally facing everyone.
"But we got another chance. I know we do."
"What do you mean?" asked one of the female survivors.
David grinned, took out a small map from his pocket, and held it up in the air. Lori looked at the map, noticing a word on it.
"This map reveals the only thing we need to know," explained David. "The location of their main safe-zone. Yeah, that's right. You all heard that right. Main! This is where they pool all their terrorist-funded resources! This is where the rogues will be sleeping with both of their eyes closed!"
David faced Lori.
"This is where your family is."
Lori gasped silently as David faced the other survivors again.
"For the visually-impaired, what I'm holding in my hand and showing you all is a map of a town by the name of Houlton in the state of Maine! Now I know what you're all thinking. That's a long way from home. But if we can all pull it together and get our minds driven to the one goal of saving our family, then I got no doubt that we will make it. And we will stop the rogues."
"At what cost?" asked a male survivor. "How do we know they aren't dead already?"
"Yeah! They are not even my family!" yelled another survivor. "They were just neighbors!"
"Same here!" shouted another survivor. "My love for them ain't that strong!"
"I agree with you, David," said another survivor. "I just wanted the rogues outta my town!"
"'Sides, we got our asses handed to us on a platter with thirty of us! Now we got less!"
"We'll meet people," said David. "I know we will."
"And we'll lose more."
David sighed as the survivors all began to shout dissenting remarks. The survivors began to leave the backyard, leaving behind empty bottles of water on the lawn. Reggie then approached David, handing him his M16A4 rifle.
"Here's your gun back. I got some other folks to search for back in Auburn Hills," said Reggie Harrison. "As soon as I find them, I promise you, we will make our way to Houlton and rescue my dad. Don't know when I'll find them. It be best if you go to Houlton on your own for now. No use in waiting for me."
As soon as Reggie turned around, David grabbed his shoulder and forced the boy to face him while shoving the rifle back at him.
"The day I touch this again is the day you die," said David. "You take this gun and you don't let it outta your sight. Protect yourself and protect your folks. Your father and I will be waiting for you in Houlton. Hopefully after it's liberated."
"Thank you, sir."
"Good luck."
"You too."
Reggie placed the strap around his chest and jogged away from the backyard, following his older friends out of the property. David then turned around and leaned against a tree as he looked down at his map. The only people left in the backyard besides him were Richard, Missy, Lori, and Bobby.
"Let me see that," said Lori.
"What?" asked David. "The map?"
"Yes. The map. Let me see it."
David handed Lori the map. She stared at the map while feeling the light weight, yet rough texture of it. She saw the town of Houlton in a topographic style. She then saw a motto below the town name which read, 'Valuing the past, planning for the future'.
"Where'd you get this?" asked Lori.
"There was a large tent that Black slept in. It was by there," answered David. "Alright, you looked at it long enough. Give it."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? I need it for my new mission."
"Your new mission?"
"As well as Richard's and Missy's. Liberation's gonna happen."
A soft chuckle came out of Lori.
"Okay," she said. "But it's for our mission. You're not going alone."
"Heh, you're serious?"
"You need all the manpower you can get. So yeah, I'm serious."
"All the manpower we can get?" asked Richard. "Your group's coming?"
"We don't have anywhere to go. Our family is in Houlton. So that's where we'll go."
"Babe, are you sure about this?" asked Bobby.
"Yeah. We can't live here our whole life wondering whether our parents are alive or not. Everyone in the group needs their parents. I need my parents."
Bobby rubbed his head while nodding, his eyes drifting away.
"I know there's nothing in it for you," continued Lori. "Ronnie Anne is your only family left. It's okay to feel different about this."
"I don't. I'd go anywhere with you."
Lori smiled. She then faced Missy as she spoke.
"Lori," said Missy. "This trip could be really dangerous. As far as we know, it's like this... everywhere. We may come across terrible people who wished for a lawless world like this. They're gonna act like the world is theirs. And they would be right. These terrible people, as well as the rotters... this is their world."
"I figured," said Lori. "But I won't let the rogues separate my family."
"All right," said David. "So your group is comin'. Great! Houlton's a long way from here. I suggest getting everything you need ready. This is going to be a one-way trip."
"Actually, there's one place we should visit first."
"And what place is that?" asked Missy.
"Ann Arbor. Home of the 'crazy conspiracy nut-head'."
"How the hell did you know that?" asked Richard.
"Through a tape. Tim recorded himself in a lotta cassette tapes. In there, he revealed information about himself. Where he lives, what he does, who he knows, blah, blah. This guy... he knew a lot about the rogues. A suspicious amount of knowledge, I would have to say."
"Interesting," said David. "But I thought he was dead."
"Well... his daughter may not be."
"Tim has a daughter?"
Lori reached into her pocket and pulled out a photo of Tim and the redheaded girl. She handed it to David, who looked at it. He then turned it around before smiling.
"So, we go to Ann Arbor, to where Tim lived, find his daughter, get more information about the rogues?" asked David. "Think his daughter will know anything about the rogues?"
"Can't hurt to try and see. Best case scenario— Vonda's alive and we save her, all while finding more information about General Black and his rogues."
"Worst case scenario?" asked Missy.
"Worst case scenario— Tim's daughter isn't alive and we don't find anything about rogues. So all we did was waste a few gallons of gas."
"I don't know," said David. "Ann Arbor is a city. And a city means a whole lotta dead fuckers."
"We don't draw attention to ourselves," said Lori. "I mean, all they could do is see and smell, right? I don't think they can hear us."
A rotter growled while walking along the driveway and into the backyard. Lori turned around and raised her rifle. David took out a knife.
"Let's put that to the test," said David. "Richard, get behind it and yell."
Richard nodded. The glow from the rotter's golden eyes hid the pupil and the iris. Only from very close could a survivor see the pupils dilate and constrict. As David stood in front of Lori, Missy reached her hands out and placed it above the barrel of Lori's rifle, slowly lowering it. David then backed away as the rotter continued limping towards them, making a terrifying hiss.
"Hey, you ugly bastard!" yelled Richard from behind.
The rotter continued forward, raising its arms to grab David. However, David grabbed the rotter's neck and inserted his knife through its left eye. He then pulled out the knife, causing the roamer to drop down to his shoes.
"Damn thing didn't hear shit," said Richard. "Maybe that was a deaf one?"
"Maybe," said David.
"Maybe it was too distracted with you," said Bobby. "Maybe it didn't want to turn around and risk losing a meal right in front of it."
"Maybe. I'm no scientist. I don't know how it works."
"We can keep things quiet if you want," said Lori.
"Yeah. I'd say a few gallons is worth saving a life and getting information."
"So does that mean—"
"Yeah. We're going to Ann Arbor. We got a mission."
Lori smiled. David took out a rag from his pocket and wiped his knife against it.
"It's going to be a long journey," he continued. "A long journey into the unknown. We don't know what the journey ahead will bring. But the journey ahead always moves forward."
"I couldn't agree more," Bobby said.
"So, what's the first order of business?" Richard asked.
"We pack our things," said Lori. "In the meantime, my brother can come up with the best plan to get us there. He's good with planning things."
"All right," said David. "Let's go to your place."
"I'm telling you, it was bright everywhere," said Benny. "The whole place was in flames now and it seemed like Lori and I were the only ones alive. Then, we see David run by—"
The doorknob jiggled as Benny quickly turned around. He grabbed his gun and switched off the safety switch while the group members all backed up warily.
The door opened, revealing Lori, Bobby, David, Richard, and Missy. Ronnie Anne smiled and leaped off the stairs and into Bobby's arms.
"Bobby! You're back!" she exclaimed.
"I told you I'd be back, right?" Bobby said.
Ronnie Anne smiled as she released her arms from Bobby and placed her hands back into her pockets. Lori closed the door and shoved the keys into her pocket.
"Benny caught us up," said Lincoln. "You guys don't look too upset about what happened."
"Well... that's because all hope is not lost," said Lori, her voice sounding a little eager. "Our family's alive. The rogues moved them into a different place."
"Where?" asked Lola.
"The town of Houlton in the state of Maine."
"You're kidding," said Lynn, her voice losing its high energy.
"Maine?" asked Lana. "Where's that?"
"Maine is located on the most northeastern part of the United States," answered Lisa. "It's approximately a thousand miles from here."
"A thousand miles?" gasped Luna before facing Lori. "And where did you get this information?"
"The rogues left behind a map amidst the chaos," said Lori. "Guys, I know it sounds like nothing but a thousand miles will fly by like nothing. Think of it like a road trip."
"A very dangerous road trip," said Sam.
"Well, we'll have David, Richard, and Missy protecting us. I mean, technically we're joining them, so we're their back-up, but whatever, we'll make it. I know we can."
"Is it just them?" asked Luan.
"You say that like we ain't enough," said Richard.
"Guys, relax. I'm sure we'll pick up some more survivors on the way to Houlton. Our group will get bigger. There's strength in numbers. And as long as we stick together, nothing can stop us. I'd like to see the rotters try."
"All right!" exclaimed Clyde, walking into the living room. "I couldn't help but overhear. And you know what? I feel good about this. All I have to do is pack up my inhaler, my EpiPen, and some other things."
Lynn gritted her teeth as she looked at Lincoln, who was shifting the collar of his shirt. Then, they both looked at Lori.
"See? Clyde's got the right mindset," said Lori. "Look, guys— this is the only way we're going to reunite with our family. So what if it's far? That's what the rogues are counting on— that the distance is so great, it's discouraging. But we won't let them win. We'll get there. We'll get our family back. No matter what."
The group members all expressed interest and confidence in their eyes.
"All right," said Lincoln. "Looks like we all agree to go."
Lori sighed in relief. She then looked at him.
"Great," she said. "Let's start now. We're going to Ann Arbor first to retrieve some information on the rogues and save a girl. But before we leave, what do we do here— in Royal Woods? In other words, Lincoln, what's the plan?"
David grabbed a chair from the kitchen and placed it on the floor in the living room. He sat on it, paying close attention to Lincoln. Rocky stood next to the fireplace and stared at Lincoln.
"To clarify," said Lincoln, "with the exception of Sam and Carol, you all have your personal belongings?"
The group members nodded. Lincoln smiled as he grabbed a whiteboard and a marker from the table. He grabbed a rag and wiped the list of food items that were on the board.
"Alright, here's the plan. The fire in Ketcham Park is bound to go out. From what I heard, it appears that the soldiers—"
"Rogues," said David.
"—right. Rogues. It appears they left in a hurry. Now, the fire couldn't have burned everything. I'm thinking that they left stuff that we may need. I'm talking about water, food, equipment, maybe even information that will tell us more about the rogues. So, David, Richard, Bobby, Ronnie Anne, Clyde, Zach, Rusty, Rocky, Liam, Tabby, and I will go to the park. Sam, Luna, Luan, Carol, Lynn, and Francisco will hit Sam's house and Carol's house to get their belongings. Do not split up. One house at a time. It's important to note that there are still people in this town. They could be hidden inside their homes, could be hanging around supermarkets, stores, warehouses. We do not want to interact with them. Lori, Leni, Chaz, Benny, Lucy, Lola, Lana, Lisa, Lily, Missy, and Darcy will stay here in the house. Lori and Benny, you two are very agile and you seem to handle yourselves pretty well out there, but it's clear you two need a break. So, you'll have Missy watching your backs. Protect everyone here while we're out there. Questions?"
"Why so many people in the park?" asked Rocky.
"It's a big park," said Lincoln. "Plus, we all need to learn how to scavenge and protect ourselves. We may be doing this quite a lot, so we will have to start learning how to do it. And what better way to learn than in a familiar place? If anything goes wrong, we'll have David and Richard protecting us. Any other questions?"
"Why don't we talk to some of the other people here?" asked Francisco. "Sounds like an easy way to recruit people."
"Sounds like it, but you have to remember that a lot of these people never went to Detroit. They've probably never met a single rogue, so really, there's no way to motivate them to come and help people they barely know. It's a long trip and it doesn't really benefit them. Plus, we could be putting ourselves at risk to thieves."
"Ah, I didn't think about that. Good call."
"Where and when do we all meet back?" asked Sam.
"We'll meet back here at noon. So when the sun is straight up. Any more questions?"
Lincoln looked around, noticing the group members all getting prepared to leave. He then looked at David, who smiled as he put the chair back into the table.
"No questions? All right. No time to waste. Let's move it."