IV - Horror in the Woods
"Why the hell do we have to go so soon?" yelled Richard. "We need time to plan how to go in and out. How many rogues there are. Where the families are being held captive. We need more time to gather supplies."
"You're talking about time we don't have!" exclaimed David. "Every day, the people in Houlton suffer! For the past three months, these people had to endure agonizing experiments just so they can fulfill Black's ideology! Are these people made to suffer? We can't afford to waste more time!"
David and Richard stood a few feet away from each other in one of their rooms inside the motel. George and Lori stood outside the door, trying to not look inside. However, they could hear both men arguing.
"Want to go inside?" asked Lori.
"I don't know," replied George. "I really don't feel like getting involved."
"How am I going to benefit from this?" asked Richard.
"Don't you give a damn about these people?" asked David. "They're suffering for God's sake!"
"Like you give a damn, David! I know the only reason why you want to go is to rescue your living wife who we don't even know if she's there!"
"That's not true!"
"Oh yeah, you know that is!"
"I'm the leader! My decision is final! We're going to Houlton tomorrow!"
"Fine! Fine."
Lori and George entered the room. Richard grumbled as he headed to leave the room.
"Out of my way," said Richard.
Lori and George closed the door softly. Richard walked out in the moonlit parking lot. The candle in the room flickered violently.
"That didn't sit too well with him, right?" said Lori.
"I don't know. He's just a little concerned about his future. It's true, this doesn't benefit him."
"It doesn't benefit me either," said George. "Yet, I don't want to see innocent people suffer."
"Why is that?" asked David. "Besides saving the people, why do you want to fight with us?"
"I'm young. I see a future with you guys. You guys are family."
David looked at the candle. He then walked towards the window and looked out into the parking lot. Richard was gone.
"Maybe that's why," whispered David. "Richard doesn't feel the same."
"Do we look for Richard?" asked Lori.
"Leave him alone for a little. He needs time to cool off. Like the other night."
"Yeah," said Lori. "Before he popped some bullets the other night."
Tabby, Ronnie Anne, Clyde, Rusty, and Zach were inside Clyde's room playing with a ball. Lynn and Lincoln knocked on the door, one carrying a bow and her arrows.
"I got the door," said Tabby. "'Sup Lincoln. 'Sup Lynn."
"What are you guys doing?" asked Lincoln.
"We're just throwing around this ball and catchin' it," said Rusty. "Wanna join?"
"There's no time to play with balls!" exclaimed Lynn. "A dangerous man is on the loose and nobody is doing anything!"
"Who are you talking about?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"Richard," said Lincoln. "You see–"
"No, let me explain it!" interrupted Lynn.
"You sure? I thought I could explain it better, but if you really want to–"
"You know what? Nevermind. You can explain it better than I can."
"Okay. So guys. Remember when we were in Portland…?"
Richard walked into the woods with a flashlight. He crossed the main road and walked north, towards the cabin. However, he passed by the cabin and headed somewhere else.
After a few minutes of jogging, he found himself next to the pond where he confronted Bill earlier. He removed his revolver from his holster and allowed it to glimmer in the moonlight. He opened the cylinder, finding all six chambers full. Then he closed it and admired the pond once again.
"...and so then Richard decided to shoot D to 'take him out of his misery'. That's when Lynn arrived and saved the both of them."
"Don't forget he was about to shoot Becky too!" exclaimed Lynn.
"Lynn, you interrupted me like a hundred times!" grumbled Lincoln. "Maybe you should've explained it."
"Whatever, they got the point. Right?"
The former fifth-graders agreed.
"Well, what do you want us to do now?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"We should look for him and spy on him!" suggested Tabby. "If the adults won't do anything, then we'll take matters into our own hands!"
"Guys, isn't that a little dangerous?" asked Clyde.
"Yeah, Lori did tell us not to do anything to Richard," said Lincoln.
"What's more dangerous is that Luan, Benny, Wavehead, and Vonda are out there and Richard can harm them!" exclaimed Lynn. "Besides. No roamer for miles!"
"Let's go search for them and bring them back!" exclaimed Zach.
"Let's split up!" said Tabby. "I go with Ronnie Anne!"
"I'll go with Rusty!" said Lincoln.
"I'll take… Zach," sighed Lynn.
"What about me?" asked Clyde.
"You stay here," said Lincoln. "We have walkie-talkies. If Richard comes back, tell us. If Luan and the others come back, tell us."
"When the moon goes above that hill, that's when we come back!" said Rusty.
"Alright!" said Clyde. "Good luck, comrades! I expect you guys to have great success with this mission!"
Ronnie Anne, Tabby, Lincoln, Rusty, Lynn, and Zach left the motel room.
Lincoln and Rusty headed westward of the motel.
Ronnie Anne and Tabby headed northward of the motel.
Lynn and Zach ran northwestward of the motel.
The night was young and the moon remained under the hill.
Bill listened to the cassette player when he heard a knock on the door. He walked towards the door and opened it, nearly gasping at Richard's towering size.
"Where are the others?" asked Bill.
"Back in the motel," replied Richard. "Your concern should be with me, Bill."
Bill walked back to the table and sat next to his Ruger.
"Close the door. What do you want?"
"I need you to convince David to let us stay here longer. You don't understand how safe this place is. No roamer for miles in here."
"It's very isolated. You sure you want to stay here? The rest of your group don't seem to keen on that idea. I'M not too keen about that idea."
Richard pulled out his revolver. He looked at it, then looked at Bill.
"This is not about what you want. This is about what I need to establish a future. I got this woman in the group that I care about. A lot."
Bill squinted while his mouth remained open. He started breaking into sweats as he paced back carefully towards his rifle.
Clyde whistled the Flight of the Bumblebee as he waited for his friends to return. As he looked out the window, he saw the ray of a flashlight shine into the parking lot. He then saw Luan, Vonda, Benny, and Wavehead walking to the RV. Clyde activated his walkie-talkie.
"Comrade Lincoln? Luan and the others are back!"
"Okay! Rusty and I are coming back! The others should be back soon. The moon is rising!"
Zach shone the flashlight at the trees ahead of him, panting as he struggled to catch up to Lynn.
"Lynn! Please slow down!"
"No way, dweeb. You gotta catch up! We have no time to waste!"
"Can't we just take a break?" puffed Zach.
"Fine! The cabin should be over there. Rest over there! I'll be back in a few minutes!"
Zach walked to the cabin, holding his knees as he caught his breath. He heard a voice inside the cabin and saw movement through the curtains in the windows.
"Oh, maybe Bill knows where Richard is!" Zach said to himself.
"Her name is Carol Pingrey," said Richard. "She's beautiful. Intelligent. Kind."
"I don't think I know a Carol Pingrey," said Bill. "She's somewhere back in the motel, I assume?"
"Yeah. I'm sure you had people you cared–"
Zach opened the door and walked inside the cabin, keeping his eyes on the door handle.
"Sorry, Bill, I need to ask– oh."
Richard turned around and pointed his revolver at the floor. Bill grabbed his Ruger and slowly lifted it away from the chair. Zach trembled as he planted his foot outside of the cabin.
"Hey kid. What's your name again?" asked Richard.
"Zach. Zach Gurdle."
"What are you doing here?" asked Bill.
"I… was going to ask you some stuff about Tim Crowley. You know my friends and I have some theories ourselves to the K.H.A.N.'s ideology–"
"You need to leave Zach," said Bill. "Go back to the motel."
"No, no, he's fine here," said Richard. "Zach, after what happened to one of your friends, do you really want to go against the rogue soldiers in Houlton?"
"I guess not."
"I don't give a damn if you don't want to go fight the rogues," said Bill, pointing his rifle at Richard. "You're not taking this place. Final."
"I should just go," said Zach.
"Hey, Zach," said Bill, "Tim Crowley would've trusted you to take these tapes–"
Richard lifted his Python and shot Bill in the chest.
Zach flinched, holding on to the door covering half of his body. Bill lied on the floor groaning with his hands over the hole in his vest.
Richard lifted Bill's Ruger and placed it back in the corner. He then turned around and looked at the boy behind the door. He moved his hands towards his pockets and crouched to the ground.
"Zach. Who else knows that you're here?
The boy trembled. He looked at Bill lying in the ground groaning.
"Hey, Zach. Look at me."
Richard placed his Python in the floor. He then grabbed Zach's right shoulder.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Just tell me who knows you're here."
"J-J-Just Lynn. She's–"
Richard unsheathed his combat knife and stabbed Zach in his chest. Zach coughed blood as Richard leaned closer to him, pushing the knife deeper. His coughs transformed into gasps as he fell on his back, leading Richard to pull out the knife.
"I knew it," said Bill. "Whole reason I wouldn't give you this place… was 'cause I couldn't trust you. You're a dangerous man, Richard."
Richard walked over to Bill, dropping the knife near his hands.
"Go stop me then."
Bill grabbed the knife and picked himself up. Before he lunged at his attacker, Richard cocked his Python and pressed its trigger, shooting Bill in his throat.
Bill dropped to the ground with the bloody knife in his hand as Richard left the cabin.
Richard fled to the woods, as Lynn popped out from the opposite side. He saw a couple shrubs move where Richard was, but before she chased after him, David, Lori, Vonda, George, Tabby, and Ronnie Anne arrived.
"What happened?" asked Lori. "We were on our way here for the tapes, when we heard gunshots!"
"I don't know!" exclaimed Lynn. "Something got shot inside this cabin!"
"Where's Zach?" asked Tabby.
They all walked inside the cabin where they spotted two bodies in the ground, one of their own.
"There's… Zach," gulped Lynn.
"Check their vitals!" said David. "Bill has a vest on!"
Lori crouched to feel Zach's pulse. She shook her head and stood up. George walked over to Bill.
"Oh, I don't think he's alive. Look at his neck."
David looked at Bill's corpse. Most of the group were running in the woods after hearing the gunshots. David did not stop staring at Bill.
"Oh my god!" gasped Luan.
"What happened here?" asked Benny.
"That's what we're trying to figure out," said George.
David looked away from Bill and ran out of the cabin.
"David? Where are you going?" cried out Lori.
"Stay!" yelled David.
David ran into the woods, the same area where Lynn spotted the movement of shrubs and bushes. The rest of the group were arriving at the cabin when they saw David disappear into the woods. Lori and George looked outside, wondering why he left in such a hurry.
David pushed branches away from his face and ran about, trying to find where Richard went. He looked in the ground and found large footprints and small footprints, trying not to waste any more minutes.
Richard took light, soft steps as he walked around the pond, drying his hands from the pond water. He looked at the hill in the distance and saw the moon rising above it. An owl hooted hundreds of meters away to which Richard paid attention to. The hooting grew increasingly in volume as the owl flew closer to Richard. As he looked at the bird flying in the sky, he noticed the stars, still in the same location. He then heard the brush of two branches rubbing against each other.
David popped out of the bushes and tackled Richard to the ground, wrapping his arms against his. He kept his hand on Richard's head, shoving his face to the dirt.
Richard moved his hands to his holster as David continued pushing his head into the dirt. He removed his revolver from the holster, but David stomped on his arm, causing Richard to press the trigger as he yelled in pain.
The shot went off, scaring the owl and other birds away from the woods.
David fell as Richard pushed his legs away from his arm. He stood up along with Richard and lunged at him again. This time, however, Richard saw his face.
"David?"
Richard took David's tackle to his chest. He gasped and groaned as he smacked flat into a tree. He attempted to point his Python at his best friend, but David punched him in near his eye. He fired another shot, scaring David away.
David moved back as Richard placed his hands on his face. Richard grabbed the barrel of his revolver and swung it at his jaw.
"Fuck!" yelled David, covering his bleeding mouth with his hands.
Richard moved closer to David with a clenched fist. David quickly kicked Richard's left hand, making him drop the gun. He growled and swung his hands at David's cheeks.
David grabbed Richard's fists and then his throat. Richard then grabbed his throat as well, pressing against it, while he continued to hold Richard's throat with a tough grip.
"Why'd you do it?" yelled David.
Both men tried shoving the other to the ground until Richard made a kick. David released his grip on Richard's throat, pressing on his stomach instead. He groaned as Richard lifted his fists.
"What the fuck are you talkin' about?" hissed Richard. "I didn't–"
Richard landed one punch at David's forehead and another at his lips.
"–kill the kid!"
As he landed more blows at him, David raised his arms and blocked his head. David moved a step forward and swung his right fist at Richard's nose, knocking him to his knees.
Richard gasped as he clumsily stood up, watching David walk even closer to him. He opened his eyes in terror as David landed another blow at him in his right eye.
"The fuck is wrong with you?" exclaimed David.
Richard kicked David's knee. As David knelt down, he punched Richard in his abdomen, causing both of them to fall in their knees.
Richard clawed at David's face as he tried to poke his left eye in. David grabbed Richard's arm and bent it behind him, making an attempt to break it.
"I didn't do anything! Stop!" screamed Richard.
Richard headbutted David and shoved him into a tree. As David tried to regain his balance, Richard grabbed one of his legs and one of his arms. He lifted David.
"Shit! Put me down!"
Richard spit his blood out and smirked. He dropped David to the shallow pond, creating a large splash of water. He grabbed David's shirt and pulled him out of the water.
David stood up behind Richard and wrapped his right arm around his neck. He kicked the back of his legs, dropping him to his knees. David then forced Richard closer to the water.
"No, man! You gotta believe me! I didn't kill Zach!"
"I don't believe you."
David pushed Richard's head into the water. Bubbles and blood infested the water as David lifted Richard. Richard struggled to catch his breath went David pushed him back into the water. Then, David pulled Richard out of the water and shoved him into the ground.
Richard coughed as David also tried to regain his breath. Water spilled to the dirt floor, creating mud. Richard then began fuming.
Richard yelled as he tackled David's legs. David fell to the ground as Richard knelt above him, punching his face over and over.
"Fuck you, David! Fuck you for not believing me! You never did!"
Richard panted as he stood up, watching David lie flat in the ground as he groaned in pain. He looked at his knuckles and shivered. He touched his bloody and bruised knuckles, moving away from David.
"Oh, Jesus."
He then heard movement in the bushes. He trembled as he walked closer to the bushes, wondering who found him and David fighting. However, it was a roamer that found them both alone in the woods and it lunged at Richard.
"Christ!"
Richard fell while the roamer stumbled to the ground next to David. The roamer looked at David as he pushed it away from him. The roamer raised its arms and tried to claw David's face.
Richard stood up and panted. He saw the roamer trying to kill David, and he did nothing but shiver. He walked away as David continued to fight off the roamer.
David beat the roamer's forehead with his fist, but the roamer's skull was stronger than he expected. It felt more fresh than the other roamers. David groaned as the roamer leaned closer to him.
Suddenly, a gunshot was fired. The roamer's brain splattered onto the dirt above David. Some drops of blood managed to make its way onto his face, but none in his mouth or eyes.
David lied flat in the ground, looking at the stars in the sky as Richard walked above him.
Richard held the revolver in his hands, still trembling. He then lifted his left hand, placing the revolver back into his holster and offering to help David back to his feet.
"That was close, wasn't it?" said Richard.
David looked at Richard. Then he saw his hand and raised his own.
"Oh yeah."
David grabbed Richard's hand and stood up. Richard coughed as both of them limped away from the pond.
"As I walked outside, I saw Zach and Lynn wander into the woods," explained Richard. "They– I don't know what the hell they were doing, so I followed them. The two of them got separated, so I followed Zach because if we're being honest… Lynn can take care of herself."
"That's true," said David.
"Zach walked to the cabin. I wondered why the hell he was going there. But he looked tired as shit. He was breathing strangely and that's when I wanted to say something. But… I didn't. And that was my mistake."
"What happened in the cabin?"
"I don't know. I heard a scream so I ran inside and found Bill holding a bloody knife. Then the next thing I know, I find myself shooting Bill in the chest and then in the neck."
"Why'd you walk away?"
"It was a long ass day. I needed to figure out what the fuck just happened. Then you came in here and I lost my cool."
David remained silent. Richard wiped his nose and rubbed the blood into the rock.
"I admit I killed Bill," said Richard. "I felt angry at Bill and I guess that's why I found it so easy to kill him. It was just like with Jake. Both men attacked one of our own, and that's why I lost it with both men. But David… I didn't kill Zach."
"Hey, I'm sorry. No need to feel guilty about that. I can already feel enough guilt coming from Lynn. You should've seen the look on her face when she found Zach… she's not getting any sleep tonight."
Richard and David heard movement once again in the bushes. George and Carol revealed themselves.
"Oh, thank god you guys are still alive," said George. "Though, you two don't seem alright."
"What happened to your faces!" exclaimed Carol. "Were you two fighting with each other?"
"We're fine now," said Richard. "Don't worry about us."
Carol looked down at the killed roamer and sighed in relief.
"Oh, so that's what you shot."
"Anyways," said George. "Something urgent came up. Lori needs you back in the cabin."
"Let me patch you up," Carol told David, though looking at Richard.
"I'm fine. Patch Richard up first."
Carol grabbed Richard's shoulder and rubbed it softly. She helped him walk back into the woods.
"We're going back to the RV. All my medical supplies are there. Oh, you poor thing."
"I'm alright, really."
"Maybe I don't want my man to have a busted up face. Walk faster."
The group continued to murmur among themselves. Tabby, Rusty, and Lincoln felt heartbroken upon seeing Zach turn into a roamer. There was no major transformation. It just happened. Lincoln was once again reminded about Lola.
However, with Lola, she was bitten by a roamer. He couldn't understand how Zach turned into a roamer if there were no bite marks on him.
"Maybe the infection went inside their wounds!" said Sam.
"Hmm," though Lisa to herself. "Airborne disease. Sounds familiar."
"I had an open wound," said Dana. "But nothing happened yet!"
"But you're still alive," said Lana.
David walked to the cabin, taking out his knife.
"No, don't," whispered Lori. "Don't kill them yet. You have open wounds."
"But… they need to be taken care of."
"They're not going anywhere. We can take 'em out tomorrow."
David nodded. He placed his knife back into his belt and looked at the group.
"We all need to go back to the motel. This… can wait."
"We're just going to leave Zach here like a mindless monster?" asked Tabby.
"We have to. I… don't have the strength to do it. We need a shovel so we can bury them. We can do all of this tomorrow. We ALL have to rest."
"What about my tapes?" asked Vonda.
"We'll get them tomorrow. Lynn, come with me."
"What is it? Did you…" Lynn said as she leaned closer, almost whispering. "...kill him?"
"No. I need to know what happened. So far, everything he said checks out."
Lynn clenched her teeth.
"I know you feel like Richard is to blame," said David. "Truth is… I'm responsible. I should've told you guys to never go out on your own. Then, Bill would've never stabbed Zach."
"But–"
"Lynn… is it not true that you and Zach separated from each other?"
"It's true."
"See, that checks out. I got more questions…"
The next morning rolled around. The group were back in the cabin. However, this time, the RV, Vanzilla, and the other van parked behind the gray car in the driveway.
David had a couple strips of bandages on his face, and wraps of bandages on his knuckles. He opened the cabin door and stabbed the reanimated forms of Bill and Zach.
Rusty, Tabby, Lincoln, and Clyde huddled together as they watched one of their friends go. Even Ronnie Anne felt a sting in her heart. But Lynn felt the biggest sting of all.
Vonda grabbed the tapes and inserted them into the cassette player. And sure enough, they worked.
"...there is this whole idea they have that we will destroy ourselves as we overpopulate the planet. They believe there are too many weak people making no useful impact on the world. I don't know why the K.H.A.N. believes it, but the important thing to know is that they do…"
Sergei patted the dirt for Zach's grave. A wooden cross stood above his grave, in courtesy of Jeffrey's idea.
"...in a world filled with the strong and the intelligent, technology will no doubt surpass our current understandings of science. And they will do whatever it takes to create that world. And I believe that they are creating a plague to wipe out the weak."
Richard sat on the passenger seat of the van. Sam happily sat next to Luna. Luna leaned on Sam and moved her leg slightly. Both girls gasped, leading Sam to kiss Luna while Carol and Richard winked at each other.
"...the infection. It's airborne. It's contagious. And it is no doubt, dangerous. However… it is not the infection itself that is always fatal. It is the bodily fluids of the infected that will kill a human…"
Vonda looked at Sherry's vest. She whispered to herself, telling herself that she tried her best to help Sherry. She looked around and felt more at peace. Sherry was gone. Out of sight. Out of mind. Vonda looked around the RV and quietly put on the vest. She smiled and took it off, putting it inside her backpack.
"...the man who knows most about the infection is Dr. Steven White. Unfortunately, he is working for Quentin Black and the rogues. I believe under duress, so making an ally of him is not out of the question. And last of all… chances are… you are infected. And you don't even it know it yet."
The RV left Medway. With the few miles left behind, the next destination was clear. The Louds were only hours away from entering Houlton and saving their family.
End Credit Song
Santa Monica Dream - Angus & Julia Stone
REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE LOST:
Harold McBride and Howard McBride (Chapter 1)
Chaz and Rocky Spokes (Chapter 3)
Lola Loud (Chapter 5)
Francisco (Chapter 6)
Tad, Liam, and Chester "Chunk" Monk (Chapter 8)
Missy Bolts and Lucy Loud (Chapter 10)
Darcy Homandollar (Chapter 11)
Derrick "D" Tyre Chery (Chapter 12)
Zach Gurdle and William Brooker (Chapter 13)
REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE GAINED:
Vonda Crowley, Becky, and Dana (Chapter 3)
Wesley "Wavehead" Hill (Chapter 4)
George Cane (Chapter 6)
Jeffrey Salas and Preston Salas (Chapter 12)
REMEMBER THOSE WHO STILL REMAIN:
Lori Loud
Leni Loud
Luna Loud
Luan Loud
Lynn Loud
Lincoln Loud
Lana Loud
Lisa Loud
Lily Loud
Clyde McBride
Ronnie Anne Santiago
Bobby Santiago
David Jones
Richard Bolts
Sergei
Carol Pingrey
Sam Sharp
Rusty Spokes
Benny
Tabby
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