III - The Piranhas
Lori handed a water bottle to Lana. However, Lana remained frozen, sweating as she stood ahead at Chunk's van.
"Don't look," said Lori. "It's alright. It's over now."
Lana took a deep breath, but continued to stare at the van. Lori then stepped in front of her and knelt down. Lana looked at her.
"Hey, listen to me. It's really hot out here and you're sweating too much. You have to drink up, okay?"
Lana nodded. She then looked back at Chunk's van.
"No, hey, look at me."
Lori moved Lana's face back to her. Their eyes met.
"You don't have to look over there anymore, okay? I know, I know you're still shook up. But it's over now, okay? Look at your big sister. Does she look scared?"
"No..." said Lana softly.
"You know why that is? It's because we're safe now. Nothing is going to happen. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen."
Lana nodded.
"Please don't be too harsh on that guy," said Lana. "He... he saved my life."
Lori nodded.
"Drink up," said Lori.
Lana opened up the water bottle and took a sip. It felt refreshing like the cool air of the AC inside Vanzilla. Lori grabbed another water bottle and looked around the van.
"Stay here, guys."
Lori's siblings nodded affirmatively. She then walked over to the RV.
David shoved George inside the RV and handcuffed him to the door handle. His shades fell on Vonda's boots. The door remained open. The group members inside the RV looked at George. Lori stood in silence.
"Now what?" exclaimed George.
"What the hell were you thinking firing your gun into the van?" hissed David. "There were people inside for God's sake!"
"They were gonna shoot at my car anyways. I had to get the drop on them first. You know, element of surprise and all that? But obviously it failed. I don't know, I guess my adrenaline was pumping too much."
"I could've handled them."
"Really? Because at the time, I didn't. All I know is that if I didn't do something, they were just going to shoot up the entire car. You know bullets can pass through cars? Probably not this beast of an RV, but my car is small and fragile. Body's practically made of paper. And they would've hit the little girl who patched up my tire."
Lori looked back at Vanzilla. She saw Lana looking ahead into the road as her sisters tried to talk to her. She then glanced back at Lori.
"I don't know if she's related to any of you, but someone had to think of her. I would've been fine letting them count to zero if it were just me behind the car. But it wasn't just me."
"And in turn, you put three other people in danger. No, not just three, the whole group!"
Lori looked at David, using her hands to motion David to calm down. She then looked back at George. She handed him an open water bottle.
"Thank you," said Lori, "for making sure my sister was safe. I'm sure you were being careful not to hit anyone inside the van."
"Yeah," said George. "Yeah, exactly."
David sighed.
"You asshole... you should've told us these were Piranhas," said David.
"How... how do you know that? You are local to the area. What are you, like a cop?"
David looked angrily at George.
"Hey, I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean for them to come here! I was trying to get away from them y'know."
David shook his head.
"Not a cop," said David. "But I'm from Manhattan. And I heard... they have piranha tattoos in the back of their neck. These ones did."
"I know I asked, but once I saw the license plate on this RV, I figured you guys weren't from here. But you are. Heh, Michigan. The hell are you doing with an RV from Michigan?"
"It belonged to someone close to me," said David. "Jesus, can't believe you actually led these Piranhas here. And the fact that you didn't tell us... were you going to use us as distraction? So your wormy ass can slip away?"
"Maybe."
David slammed his hand on the door, causing the group members to flinch. But not George.
"I didn't know who the hell you people were. You guys pulled out your guns on me. I figured this group was going to be full of grown men like you... and women like yourself... Missy."
Missy rolled her eyes.
"But then I saw you kids... and, fuck, I wanted to tell you guys. But we were already leaving, you know? And goddamn it, did they get here fast. Those motorcycles, man. I should've learned to use one. They're perfect for maneuvering these roads."
"Are there more of them coming?" asked David.
"I don't think so. But then again, we are getting closer to Albany... where they operate. And as soon as they find out we killed their people, they're gonna come here. Could take hours. Could take minutes."
David looked around. He saw the zombified body of Russ rise up.
"Hold on," said David. "Give me a sec."
David walked over to the zombified Russ. He pulled out his knife and stabbed Russ in the eye. He then walked back to the RV.
"The hell?" asked Richard. "Was he bit?"
"Don't know. Maybe he was infected with the virus and recovered, like Lynn."
"Why didn't you just shoot it?" asked George.
"Would've attracted the roamers. Plus, we need to conserve the ammo. If getting closer to Albany means more of this... then we're gonna need all the ammo we have."
"Heh, I guess so. Still planning on heading to Albany? Even after what you've seen?"
"Why would I change my mind?"
"You heard of the Piranhas. You know what they're capable of. You've seen it firsthand. They don't give a damn if children get in the way of their goals. These people are monsters... and you wanna go straight to their base?"
Tabby lowered herself. She was starting to feel a sense of dread. Liam sighed, surprised at how fearless he felt at the moment. Perhaps because of what he knew that the others didn't.
"If a resident of Albany were to escape from the Piranhas, where would they go?" asked David.
"I... I don't know."
"Where were you gonna go?"
"Moving around upstate. Trying not to get bit by the Piranhas."
"This involves family. Unless you could tell us with 100% certainty that they're not there, then you can't convince us to not go to Albany. So we will be going."
"If you're scared about them recognizing your car, then we can keep you in here," said Missy.
"No, it's the only car I have with a radio that's connected to their frequency. You know, the one they use to communicate between each other," said George. "I need that car."
"We can help you escape without getting detected," said David.
George chuckled. Becky looked at him curiously.
"You guys seem to be mistaken," said George. "I don't want to escape. No, not without taking down someone first."
"And who would that be?"
"Sherry. Sherry Crowley. The one in charge of the Piranhas. The one who had my wife and my daughter killed. I'm not leaving this place until I see her get taken down. Dead or alive, she's facing justice."
David turned towards Vonda. Vonda was visibly shocked. She stood up from her seat at the booth table. Both D and Wavehead looked up at her.
"Did you... did you just say Sherry Crowley?" asked Vonda.
"Yeah. Wait..."
"That's my mother's name!"
The group members looked at each other, confused about the reveal. Tad smiled, thinking it was some kind of joke. However, no one around was laughing, so his smile quickly soured away.
"Vonda...?" asked George.
"H-How'd you-"
"Your father. I kept in contact with him. Ever since I started the case nine years ago. My god... look at you. You're... taller."
Vonda smiled though it quickly faded away.
"B-But I don't recognize you..."
"You wouldn't, no," said George. "We only ever met once. When you were four. Tim would mention you from time to time. Speaking of him, where...?"
Vonda lowered her head. George gave a soft understanding nod, though he seemed hurt as well.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thanks. But I don't understand. My mother... leader of a gang...? This seems a little too unbelievable."
"I agree," said Richard, walking closer to George. "The hell is this, a novella? I don't know how he got your mother's name. Maybe from a database or something. Statewide surveillance?"
"It's the truth," said George.
"Yeah, I bet it is, huh? Vonda's mother is the leader of a gang? And somehow Tim never mentioned this to her?"
"He didn't want anyone to tell Vonda."
"And so what, you and Vonda just happen to cross paths? You're from Albany. She's from Ann Arbor. That's hundreds of miles apart. I call bullshit."
"And how do you think I got Tim's information in the first place?"
"Vonda, didn't your father say in the recordings that he would get harassed by FBI officials?"
"Well, yeah..." said Vonda.
"So he stalked your father and got your mother's name. And now he's saying it out loud in the hopes that you, Vonda, will hear him. And now..."
Richard took out his revolver and cocked it.
"I want to know why."
"Wait, no!" gasped Vonda.
"Hold on," said David. "I believe him."
"David-"
"Trust me on this, Richard."
Richard stared at David before nodding. He put his revolver away.
David unlocked George's handcuffs. David then handed a walkie-talkie to George.
"Get your ass up. You're going to get back in your car and do what I asked you to do earlier."
"You weren't really asking. More like telling."
"Exactly. You will tell us everything you know about Sherry, the Piranhas, and Tim."
"Aye, aye, captain."
George rubbed his wrist as he headed back to the white car, walkie-talkie in hand. As Lori prepared to leave, she asked David a question.
"You're from Manhattan?"
"I never told you?" asked David.
Lori shook her head.
"Mmm. Well, now you know."
Richard approached David.
"I don't know why you believed him that easily," said Richard. "Piece of shit is still hiding shit from us."
"I know. Let's say you're right. If George has info on Tim, then he certainly has info on his recordings, his radio messages, his websites, anything connected to him. And in turn, that's information connected to the rogues. That's valuable information."
"Holy shit..."
"David... that's really smart," said Lori before smiling. "You really are the better choice."
"Well, in any case, I still don't trust him," said Richard. "I'm headed back to Sergei's car. And I don't care how hot it is. I'm wearing a vest."
David nodded.
"Let's head out," he said.
George spoke into his walkie-talkie while he drove the white car along the road.
"Our Albany office began investigating the Piranhas nine years ago. Oh, how time flies."
Sergei had the walkie-talkie sitting on the passenger seat while Carol and Tad were now back in the car.
"Our office found out who the leader was pretty quickly. The only one without the piranha tattoo on the back of the neck. However, we could never catch her red-handed with a crime. No hard evidence, no prosecution."
Lori listened in to the walkie-talkie as George continued to speak.
"I was personally assigned to go undercover to get a full gauge of the human trafficking ring that the Piranhas were running. There were things... things I saw that I will never forget. Before then, I visited her estranged husband, Tim Crowley, and her sister, Meredith Hilda. Had to find out more about Sherry. If only... I had left it there. If I had not continued my mission, I wouldn't have been marked as a target. My family... wouldn't have been marked. Only then did I started losing sight of everything. I hated Sherry so much I wanted to kill her... and I wasn't the only one."
Chunk had the walkie-talkie on. Sam was attentive to the walkie-talkie in particular.
"I was so close... so close to getting her. Then... then everything fell apart. And after everything fell, they quickly gained control of large portions of New York. Especially areas around the Erie Canal. But even then, with all the territory they now control... I don't wanna give up on my mission. It's all I have, really..."
"Seems like we're not so different," said David. "George... what do you know about General Quentin Black?"
"General Quentin Black... that name does sound familiar..."
D and Wavehead were listening in before the latter quickly stood up and looked around.
"Wait, where did Vonda go?" asked Wavehead.
"Anything I have on Tim would be back in my office," said George through the walkie-talkie. "You could look around the files. See what you can find."
"One second, George—" said David. "Lori, is Vonda back there with you guys?"
"Nope. She's not in the RV?"
George spoke into his walkie-talkie.
"What's going—"
"Boo!" exclaimed Vonda, jumping out from the backseat.
"Oh, Jesus... fuck!"
"I really scared you, huh?"
"What the hell was that?" asked David.
"Vonda's—"
"—here!" interrupted Vonda. "Sorry about that, George. Hope I didn't scare you bad."
"She's in the car with you?"
"Where else can I be?" said Vonda.
"Vonda... what did I say about doing shit on your own? All that stuff I said about being a team player... it just went right through your ears, huh?"
Vonda turned around and looked at David behind the steering wheel. She smiled and waved.
"Should I stop and bring her back?" asked George.
"No! David, don't. I need to ask George some stuff. Privately."
"Ugh. Go on."
Vonda smiled. George placed the walkie-talkie away.
"Last time I saw you, you were this little girl with red-orange pigtails, hiding behind your father. It was adorable, the way you clung—"
"All that stuff you said about my mother... is it true?"
"Is that really what you came here for?"
"What else? You can't just name-drop her and pretend like I don't want to know more."
"It's just... it's a lot to process. I mean, you just found out what she is. Do you really want to know more about her?"
"Why not?"
"I... I just don't want you to think badly of her."
"And what makes you think I already don't? She left me and my dad. It wasn't easy for him to raise me— trust me, I'm not exactly the most obedient daughter. I know, I know. Pretty obvious, right?"
"I suppose."
"You know, my stupid drunk aunt would take care of me when my dad was off working. She has my mother's blood... it's no wonder she's just as cruel as she is. She didn't give two shits about me. Like she didn't want to take care of me. But my dad couldn't leave me alone in the house... so I don't know what you mean, George. You can't make me think badly of my mother. I already do."
George looked straight ahead at the road. His face was unchanging, if only a bit more remorseful.
"But you already fucking knew that. My dad's told you right? I didn't exactly hide how much I hated her. That must be why we never met again. You guys couldn't have talked about my mother if I was around."
"Your father didn't lie. You're a smart girl. But I don't understand why you want to know more about your mother if you hate her this much."
"I want to know what it is that she did after she left us. If it was fucking worth leaving us for."
George sighed. Vonda then handed him his pair of shades.
"I got your glasses back. Now, can you please tell me?"
George looked at his shades. He chuckled and grabbed his shades.
"Alright," he said. "2006 was the year your mother joined the syndicate. The Piranhas. Not as Sherry Hilda, your mother's maiden name, but as Sherry Crowley. That always stumped me. Why she would use your father's surname. Anyways, she rose up through the ranks fairly quickly. However, she's never one to obey orders. She's a very ambitious woman. That didn't sit well with her leaders. So she gathered a group of loyalists, many of them former seamen from her time at the Coast Guard."
"She was in the Coast Guard?"
"Yeah. 'Til she got dishonorably discharged. Apparently she assaulted her superior after the two got into an argument. Most likely an argument involving their illegitimate drug operation as we arrested the superior a while back in a separate incident in connection to a drug trafficking case. It's no coincidence that many of her loyalists were part of the same regiment. Most likely involved in this drug operation too. Hell, maybe she even worked with the Piranhas before 2006. However, our records on the Piranhas before 2006 are practically non-existent. Anyways, it was this very drug operation that kept the Piranhas running. It was a lot of money they were making... but I guess it wasn't enough because they expanded onto human trafficking territory."
Vonda was surprised. She then heard the radio creak.
"Yo, Gus here. Ain't heard nothin' from Russ. Tried contacting his ass like twelve times now."
"Understood. I'll have Bruna and Joan move eastbound on 90. As soon as you get the go-to, you move westbound."
"Got it."
"Those were the-?"
"Yeah. Piranhas."
George turned his car to the right, moving the car away from the empty highway. The vehicles were now moving in a more crowded road with abandoned cars.
"George, is this a safer route?" asked David.
George grabbed the walkie-talkie.
"It is. Might be a little harder to navigate with your vehicles, though."
"That's fine. We're used to it."
George placed the walkie-talkie down.
"One of the biggest changes Sherry made was moving the Piranha headquarters from Hudson to Albany. That year and every following year, crime skyrocketed and not just in Albany but in New York City too. We had all the major offices in the state working on the Piranha case. That's when the crimes committed by the Piranhas were being shown in the news. And in response to all the heat they were getting, Sherry had her people fire back at us. She waged war with the local cops and the FBI. I still remember the names of the people killed in the ambush that day. The first victims. Zachary. Vincent. Clint. Franklin. My co-workers. That was in 2008. It was then when I felt it was too unsafe for my family to stay in Albany. So I moved them to Buffalo. And yet still... the Piranhas found them. And on June 5, 2009... my family ended up on the news too."
Vonda shook her head softly.
"She made an example of me. Cross her and she will not hesitate to take out your family. And for years, that's how she was able to keep most of the agents away. But that was her mistake. At that point, I had nothing to lose. My family was gone. I didn't care if I died. So I continued my investigation after her. I did... things I'm not proud of. All so I could find her and kill her. That's right. I didn't want to arrest her. I just wanted... to kill her."
"Do you still want to?"
"I do. It was my boss that helped me understand things better. She helped me heal. But then... Sherry killed her too. And this... this was a month ago. Now, I've been driving all over the state, looking for her. Last I heard, she was in the old headquarters in Hudson. So she may not even be in Albany. But I might as well go and check it out."
"God. This person... she doesn't even feel like my mother. It's like you're describing a whole stranger. I mean, she practically is, but still... the fact that I have her blood... how could you look at me and not hate me?"
George looked at the rearview mirror and glanced at Vonda.
"Why would I hate you for something you didn't do?" said George.
"You never felt like you wanted to kill her family?"
"No. I always thought it was a cowardly move what she did. My daughter had nothing to do with our war, just as you don't."
"Well, now I fucking hate her. First, she abandons me and my dad and then she does all this fucked up shit? How come she gets to live while my dad doesn't?"
George looked away from the rearview mirror. His eyes always seemed to be hiding something.
"If you don't mind me asking... how did your father pass away?"
"You don't have to sugarcoat it," said Vonda. "He got killed. He's dead."
"Sorry. What happened to him?"
Vonda looked at the rearview mirror. Her eyes couldn't make eye contact with George's. She couldn't tell if he was listening. She told the story anyways.
Birds flew across the orange sky lit up by the setting sun.
"David to all. This is a good place to stop at."
George grabbed his walkie-talkie.
"We park here?" he asked.
"Yeah."
The group members came out of the vehicles, parked alongside the abandoned vehicles. Vonda stepped out and walked away from the vehicle. She then stopped and looked back, seeing George still in his seat.
A knock on the window alerted George. He lowered the window.
"Hey, come out with us," said Vonda. "Richard's gonna set up a campfire."
"Okay. I'll be there in a minute."
Vonda nodded and walked away. George closed the window. He opened up his sun visor, showing a picture of a woman and a small girl attached to his mirror. The picture was a bit crumpled. He smiled and closed the visor. He walked out of the car and towards the group hanging out by a small field past a couple trees.
"Looks like you join us after all," said Sergei. "Tonight, we eat alphabet soup."
"I have my own food. Thank you though."
"What are you going to eat?"
"I don't know, it's some kind of... mushroom soup."
"Is it good?"
"It's food."
"Come. We have spices. I can make that soup taste much better."
"Lead the way."
A campfire was started.
"Is there a way to cover the light from this fire?" asked George.
"Why? I thought this place was 'posed to be safe," said Richard.
"Nowhere's safe. Just less dangerous. Can't hurt to make it even less so, right?"
"Look, you promised us safe. If this place ain't safe-"
"Richard. It's fine," said David. "Imma' grab some tents. Should block the light out pretty well."
George looked at David as he walked back to the RV. Richard sighed as he rubbed his hands.
"George, I hope you don't mind me asking," said Missy, "what happened to the other agents?"
"Same thing that's happened to everyone else," said George, looking at the group. "World went to shit. Agents went down with it. If it weren't for my boss... I wouldn't even be here."
"Ah. I guess this mean the FBI's not around anymore, huh?"
"Not the Albany department. Not the Buffalo one. Probably not the New York City one either. Washington? Who knows."
"You think the government's still standing?" asked Wavehead.
"They have to, right? Even with everything I saw... part of me believes D.C. is still standing. I mean, you would think the government would protect the capital at the very least, right?"
"With what army, though?" blurted out Vonda.
Richard and Missy looked at her.
"Come on, he knows about the rogues already."
"Really?" asked Richard, looking at George. "How'd you know about 'em?"
"I heard some podcast recordings from Vonda's father," revealed George. "I tried to see if he would spill anything about the Piranhas. But he never did. However, I did hear Tim ramble about soldiers who were working with some organization to release this virus. He called them rogues, just like Vonda said. Ran by this general... you said Quentin Black earlier, right?"
"Yeah, David did," said Richard.
"Vonda told me you guys are going after him. I think it's a crazy plan but..."
George looked as Richard stood up suddenly. He turned around and saw headlights beaming faintly on the road. The headlights then grew brighter as a car could be heard approaching.
"Oh, shit," whispered George. "Everyone, get to cover, now!"
David came out of the RV, holding two tent bags before noticing the headlights. Richard ran towards him, motioning him to get back inside. Missy motioned the rest of the group to follow her to a cluster of trees. Lori prepared to follow her before seeing Lincoln, Lana, and Lucy already behind a group of bushes. Lori motioned her siblings to follow her, as well as Sam, Benny, Francisco, Bobby, and Ronnie Anne.
George watched from behind the cover of a tree as the car slowed down next to the RV. Richard continued walking towards the road before coming to a stop in front of the car. The car stopped as well. Two men and a woman came out wearing blue-dominated clothing.
Richard placed his hands over his eyes, shielding them from the bright headlights.
"Hey there," said Richard. "What can I do for you?"
A man wearing leather gloves looked around the trees and fields. He could see nothing except for the campfire and the stacks of cans circled around the fire.
"How you doing?" asked the man.
"I'm managing."
"Yeah, I can see. It's nice to see another survivor like us out here. For a minute there we thought there was no one left in New York. So... we're glad to see you."
"True. Everyone I meet are either dead or... almost dead."
"It's a big world. Yet here we are. Isn't that crazy?"
Missy tapped George in the knee as she remained crouched behind another tree. George looked down.
"How did they find us?" whispered Missy.
"I don't know," George whispered back.
Richard scratched his head. He looked at the RV. He noticed David was gone. He then continued to look around.
"Yeah," nodded Richard. "Turns out the world isn't as big as we thought."
"Right, right. Anyways, it looks like you're about to eat. We're sorry for disturbing you but we're looking for a tall fellow with black shades, a buzz cut, probably wearing a bulletproof vest with an FBI logo on it. We're wondering if you've seen him around or anything like that."
"It's like what I said. Everyone I met... dead."
"Yeah. Or almost. Got a lot of cans around the fire. Why don't you introduce me to the rest of your group?"
"Ain't no one else here but me."
The man chuckled and looked back at his friends. He then looked back at Richard.
"It's a big world, right?" smiled the man. "We ain't have time for this."
The man drew his pistol faster than Richard could. He then fired a shot into Richard's chest, causing him to collapse to the ground. Missy gasped, causing the man to turn his pistol towards the trees. His two friends drew their weapons and took cover behind their car. However, the man could see nothing but trees and the fire. He pulled out his walkie-talkie.
"We found 'em. Pull up now."
"Copy that."
The man panted as he continued to look at the car. Sweat dripped from his face.
"Don't you think I'd recognize that car, Agent Cane?" yelled the man.
George took a deep breath as he held his Glock 19 pistol.
"I'm giving you one chance to come out!" yelled the man. "Or else I finish this son of a bitch off!"
"Hey, ain't it better the let him live?" asked the woman. "Sherry wants live people, doesn't she?"
"Yeah," said the man. "But Georgie-boy here ain't givin' me much of a choice."
The woman nodded. The other man, wearing multiple chains around his neck walks around the car.
"They're not coming out," he said.
"We're going to fire!" yelled the man with the leather gloves.
George looked at the frightened survivors next to him. He looked down and sighed.
"Alright, you got me!" exclaimed George.
The man raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"Finally. Guess this guy's a friend of yours, eh?"
"What do you want?"
"I need you to come out with your hands raised in the air."
George took a deep breath. He placed the Glock 19 in his back holster and raised his hands before coming from his cover.
"He shows his face," said the man. "Now, I need your other friends to come out."
"They're not a part of this," said George.
The man tilted his head towards Richard, who lay in the ground, motionless.
"Seems like they already are," said the man, before looking at the other man. "Why don't you get all his friends out?"
The man with the chains nodded and walked forward, leaving the cover that was his car. He aimed his MP5 submachine gun at the trees, moving slowly with each step. George gulped.
"You already have me. It's over!"
"It's not over until Sherry says it's over."
The man with chains peered into the darkness, seeing some motion behind the trees. He tightened his grip on his MP5.
Richard then opened his eyes widely and took out his combat knife. He rolled over sideways and stabbed the man's left ankle. The man with the leather gloves screamed in pain and fell to his knees. The other man looked at his direction and aimed his gun at Richard. The woman did the same. She then turned towards George and gasped before ducking.
George fired two shots into the man's back, causing him to drop to the ground where his chains glittered from the reflection of the campfire.
"Fuck!" grunted the man with the bleeding ankle.
Richard stabbed him in his left hip, causing the man to scream in pain again. He then saw the woman aiming her UZI at him. He quickly rolled to the front of the car, avoiding the gunfire. He groaned as he clutched his chest before pulling out his revolver.
George ran back to cover before the woman unleashed more gunfire, this time aiming at him. Fortunately for him, he made it behind the tree in time, with splinters splitting off the bark.
Dana shrieked as bullets flew past the group. Becky was hyperventilating as she held her pistol. Carol covered her head as she remained low in the ground, shaking.
Richard looked up, getting ready to attack. However, he then heard the sound of Missy's gun going off. He looked into the trees, seeing his wife's shadow. He then decided to crawl back around, hoping to flank the woman.
The man with leather gloves clutched the knife wound in his leg as he grabbed his walkie-talkie.
"Help. Help!"
Richard used his knife to stab him in the chest, causing him to cough out blood. He then grabbed the man's pistol and slid it under his car before grabbing the back of his shirt and forcing him to stand up. However, the man just couldn't get a good footing and stumbled down.
The woman dropped an empty magazine into the ground and loaded another one into her UZI. She then stood up and fired her UZI into the trees before backing up against the RV. She reached for the door handle. She then had her arm flung away as the door was kicked open. She turned around and saw David aim at her with his Remington shotgun. Before she could turn her gun, David pulled the trigger, sending a volley of pellets towards her, ripping apart her face, collarbone, and shoulder. Her body dropped to the ground.
David pumped the shotgun and walked around the car. The man with the leather gloves lay lifeless in the ground as Richard was struggling to stand up himself. David then saw headlights in the distance and the roar of the engine that accompanied it. He grabbed Richard by the back of his bulletproof vest and moved him towards the field before hearing gunshots. He dropped to the ground as the car drove past them. A man, who was popped out of a car window, fired at the trees with his pistol. The car then continued forward, speeding away from the field.
Missy ran towards the field and to Richard.
"I'm okay, just go back!" panted Richard.
Missy grabbed Richard's arm and helped David walk Richard back to the trees.
"They're... coming back!"
Missy dropped Richard to the ground and grabbed her AR-15 rifle.
Lynn was prepared to run to the campfire to retrieve her bow. However, Francisco grabbed her arms.
"Don't," said Francisco. "You won't make it in time."
Lynn huffed as she pulled her arms away. She lowered herself as all she could do is watch the car come back.
Becky gulped and moved her head out of cover. She aimed her pistol at the approaching car and fired multiple bullets. She cracked the windshields and windows, but none of her shots hit the attacker. Missy fired a burst of shots, all hitting the driver's window, and some striking the driver.
The car honked as it swerved to the side, eventually colliding with George's white car, causing the attacker to fly forward into the windshield. The man's forehead left a blood stain on the windshield before an airbag sent him back to his seat.
The horn continued to blare. Richard stumbled behind the trees as George and David walked towards the crashed car. Missy ran towards the trees and looked at the kids.
"You guys alright?" she asked.
The group members nodded. Becky gulped hard before nodding herself.
"Thank god for vests, huh?" chuckled Richard.
Missy chuckled nervously as she sighed. She wiped the sweat as removed the bulletproof vest from Richard.
The group members came out of cover. Carol looked up at Becky, seeing her shuddering. Tad then walked over to her.
"Hey, you alright?" he asked.
Carol nodded. Tad helped her up as Becky watched.
"Becky, are you okay?" asked Carol.
Becky nodded as she turned around and put her gun back in her holster.
David and George jogged towards the car before coming to a stop. David aimed his shotgun at the passenger, the attacker. The man was still alive and was groaning heavily. George opened the demolished driver's door. He grabbed the driver's body and removed him from the car, stopping the horn. George then dropped him, revealing a bullet wound on his face.
The passenger was tossed towards the ground.
"Hey! I give up! I surrender!" groaned the attacker. "Fuck!"
His face and beard was lacerated with multiple small shards of glass. His left shoulder was dislocated and his lips were cut.
"How the hell did you find us?" asked George, aiming his pistol at him.
"We saw our friends... the bodies... but nobody on 90. So we just went to the closest detour to Albany. Surprise... we found y'all here."
"Do the others know we're here?"
"They do. But I can tell 'em to back off."
Gus reached for his belt, which made David point his shotgun at him.
"No, no! It's just my walkie! It's just my walkie."
George and David glared at the man as he turned it on.
"Gus here by Coleman Mills. Standby. I repeat, standby."
"Hey, Gus, you guys alright?"
"Peachy."
Gus turned off the walkie-talkie.
"What do we do with him now?" asked David.
"I guess we can kill him," said George.
"No wait!" gasped Gus. "I have a message!"
"Yeah?"
"From Sherry."
Vonda raised her eyebrows. She walked closer to Gus, along with a few of the others.
George lowered his gun. He then placed his hand on top of the barrel of David's shotgun, nudging it downwards. He then crouched and leaned closer to Gus.
"What message?" asked George.
"Head to Utica. She'll be waiting for you there. I can give you specific directions, but you gotta let me come with you. I-I don't know the directions off of my head but I know where to go."
"Why does she want me to go there?"
"She says she just wants to talk, but you… you already know what's going to happen to you."
"What if I refuse?"
"Look, we have this area surrounded. We know you're here. If your group tries to escape, my people will kill them. There's just no way they're getting outta here safely. But if you go to Utica, then your group can leave. She can hand you guys passes."
"Passes?" asked David.
"Yeah. For the toll booths."
"Toll booths?" asked George.
"Yeah. As long as you each got one, you're able to come in and out of New York safely. We can forget all this ever happened. But you all gotta have one."
"Bullshit."
"Honest. You know Sherry. All she wants is you."
"You're asking me to give myself up."
"Yeah. Play the hero. Save your group."
George stood up. He rubbed his chin.
"What happens after she finds out these people killed her people? What will she do to the group then?"
"Lie," said Gus. "Say it was you all along. I'll lie with you."
George looked at David. Lori and the others came out of the bushes.
"Put him… out of his misery already," said Richard, breathing heavily. "This fucker is obviously bullshitting."
"That's what I'm thinking," said David.
"No, wait," said George. "The Piranhas had me surrounded before already. I was only able to escape because I was just one guy, but all of you? You're a whole group. You guys'd be very hard to miss."
"So what, we're supposed to trust this asshole? You think Sherry's gonna believe we didn't kill anyone?"
"I didn't say that."
"Hell, even if she believed us, what's stopping her from just killing us indiscriminately? This could very well be a trap."
"We're already trapped. We can leave our cars here and go on foot, maybe find another car on the way, but you're gonna have to forget about going to Albany."
"Nah, Albany is important."
"Really now?"
Lori pulled Bobby to the side.
"You're going to have to tell them," she whispered.
"About what?" whispered Bobby.
"Your family. Whole reason we're even going to Albany is because they think your family might still be there."
"But my mom might still be there."
"We can always come back for her later."
"You're asking me to abandon my mom?"
"Come on... you know I love her too. But think about your sister. Think about me. Think about my siblings."
Bobby grit his teeth. He knew Lori was right. He gulped and nodded. He then walked back with the group.
Bobby cleared his throat.
"Hey, about Albany..." said Bobby.
Lincoln stepped forward.
"Hold on, Bobby," said Lincoln. "I have an idea."
David, George, and Gus turned towards Lincoln. The group members looked at each other confused.
"What if... we pretend like we're handing George to Sherry against his own will?"
"I don't know what you mean," said George.
"We don't have to lie about not having killed the other Piranhas. Sure, we can if you think it'll better our chances, but that's not the point. If these passes are real, then Sherry might give them to us if she thinks we captured George for her. Like this. We find George. We listen to him and kill Piranhas. We then find Gus. He tells us about the passes. We listen to Gus and knock George out. We then let Gus take us to Utica and we hand over George. George, tried to 'fight back' and when Sherry sees this, then she'll think we're not friends with George after all. She's going to think we're on her side."
"Yeah," said Gus. "That sounds good! Clever kid!"
"You think his plan will work?" asked George.
"Sure, why not? You getting betrayed by your 'friends'? I mean... that's cold, man. And I'm sure Sherry will eat that up."
"Only thing is..." muttered Lincoln, "...that means we have to give you up."
"And?" asked Richard.
"That wouldn't be right."
"Hey, kid," said George. "It's alright. You're only giving me up temporarily. I always find a way to escape."
"Yeah, good luck with that, motherfucker," said Gus.
David aimed his shotgun at Gus. Gus raised his hands and chuckled.
"Move that shit away from me. You need me alive, asshole."
David chuckled.
"Yeah," said David. "Missy, you could take those shards off of his face, right?"
"Yeah."
"Don't bother being careful. Just do it quickly. Don't care if he screams."
"Got it."
"Oh, hey wait, Jesus," said Gus, his voice sounding more fearful. "I got the message. I'll play nice. Fuck."
George pulled the Piranha upwards. He handcuffed him and handed him over to Missy.
"Wait, I gotta update my people," said Gus. "Hand me my walkie."
George pulled out Gus's walkie-talkie.
"Say the wrong words and I'll shoot you on the spot," said George.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
George turned on the walkie-talkie and held it close to Gus's mouth.
"Hey, Bruna. Gus here. I got a couple guys here who were with George. However, I told 'em about Sherry's message. Guess they weren't George's friends at all because, hell, they ain't give a shit about turning him over to Sherry. They just want us outta their asses."
"This group... are giving him up?"
"Yeah. Guess they don't feel like dying for someone else's lost cause."
"So what... these guys are working with you right now?"
"Yeah, yeah, we're just chilling right now. George's in handcuffs right now."
"Alright, sounds good. Sherry won't get to Utica until tomorrow. Want us to come get you guys and-"
David shook his head.
"Nah, it's all good," said Gus. "These guys over here got a whole camp and all. I'll just chill with them."
"And the others?"
"Well, you know Agent Cunt over here likes to show off. He's managed to cap 'em all."
"By himself?"
"Nah. Group over here got a few strays but it's alright. We killed some of theirs as well, but it's okay now. They're willing to give up George and call it even as long as we give 'em a pass."
"Damn. Alright. Heh, Agent Cunt. I like that."
"See you tomorrow."
"See ya."
George moved the walkie-talkie away. David sighed.
"Really?" asked David.
"Had to make it sound believable. Believe me, it's better this way."
"Carol," called out Missy. "You want some practice stitching?"
"On him? What if I mess up?" asked Carol.
"Wait, has she ever done this before?" asked Gus. "Come on, I'm helping you guys out."
"Don't worry," said Missy. "She's the best person you can ask for. Trust me, you don't want anyone else here treating you."
Gus sighed. Missy smirked. She then looked at Richard.
"Hey, honey, why don't you come over too? I'll check you out."
Richard nodded. He and Carol followed Missy and Gus to the RV.
"Oh, hey wait," said Lincoln. "I'm sorry, Bobby, what were you going to say earlier?"
"Oh, um. Nothing. It's fine."
"Okay."
George turned over to Vonda.
"Guess we're going to pay your mother a visit," said George.
"What will she do to you?" asked Vonda.
"Don't worry about that. I'll escape before she can do anything."
George walked back to his crashed car as Vonda stood there, sighing.
George looked at his crashed car. He sighed and walked inside it, grabbing his picture from the sun visor. He pulled his jacket and his vest out of the car. Luna and Sam then approached him.
"You need any help?" asked Luna.
"No, thanks, I got it. Any chance your sister can fix this car?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if she could with the right tools."
Both Luna and George smiled.
"We have an open passenger seat in our van. You can come with us."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, Sam and I wouldn't mind."
"Yeah," said Sam. "It gives me an excuse to show off our CD collection. We got some good tunes that I think you'll like."
"Alright."
"Guys, roamer!" exclaimed Dana.
"I got it," said Tad.
Tad pulled out his ninjato sword and walked over to the roamer. He stared at the roamer, gulping hard. He grit his teeth as he gripped the handle of the sword tightly. It happened again. Just like back when Carlos and his gang attacked his group, he felt useless. He swung his sword, cutting through the roamer's neck. He watched the roamer fall down. He looked back, seeing almost no one paying any attention. Not even Carol, who was already inside the RV. It was almost as if the roamer wasn't a threat. Then, he noticed Becky staring at him. She quickly broke eye contact and looked down at the roamer before walking away.
The cars drove away from the area, leaving behind the bodies of the Piranhas they killed. At this point, they have already killed eight of them.