II - The Storm
-Day 1-
"What's going on?" asked Lori.
Luan continued to stare out of the window of Vanzilla glumly.
"Hey, did you hear me?" asked Lori
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about the play. You know, Romeo and Juliet."
"You're thinking about Benny, aren't you?"
"Yeah! I know it's weird and all but… I don't know, I just wish Benny didn't take the lead role."
"You should've auditioned for Juliet," said Lori. "Is that what you're regretting? Not auditioning?"
"No. I just wish Benny thinks of me more than just a friend. Death is such a preferable alternative as well."
"Ahh, I see," said Lori. "Lucy's poems got to you, right?"
"You'll get with a boy eventually, Luan," said Leni. "But even if you don't, that's okay. Life is not all about boys, you know."
"Well of course you would say that," said Luan. "You're a beautiful flower. People pick beautiful flowers from a garden all the time. People being Chaz in this case."
"I think you read enough of Lucy's poems," said Lori. "Look, Luan, it took me until junior year to get my first boyfriend. And guess what? He turned out to be the best boyfriend ever! What I'm saying is, why worry about that little stuff when you could worry about something bigger?"
Luan sighed. She couldn't help but smile.
"You're right."
"Of course I'm right," said Lori. "Also… you do realize that flower quote is talking about death, not love, right?"
"I must've gotten the stanzas messed up," giggled Luan as she rubbed the hair out of her temple.
Lori smiled as she looked ahead at the road. Her eyes awaited for a wonderful yet quiet day.
-Day 731-
Lori frowned as she looked into the laboratory. Her eyes awaited for a long and difficult day.
"We have to give him up to the rogue army," she said. "Like Black claims. He's reasonable."
"In exchange for Luan and Lynn?" asked David.
"I need them back. Hana… she could handle herself if it comes down to that."
"Alright," said David. "Ready to interrogate him first?"
Lori nodded as she took a deep exhale. Her walkie-talkie crackled.
"In position," said Luna.
Luna remained prone in the woods outside the prisons with her M110 rifle. Sam was next to her with a pair of binoculars in her hands and a rifle by her side.
Benny snuck out of the town with his ninjato sword, moving towards the woods. He also carried an M4 carbine with him along with a bag filled with ammo.
Leni looked outside the infirmary and found Jace and Preston walking up to each other. She groaned and went outside.
"Are you guys going to fight again or will you behave this time?" said Leni.
"We came here to apologize," said Jace.
"Both of us," added Preston.
"When we fought, we didn't realize how stupid we were and… we didn't think how we could've hurt our friendship."
"I just felt pressured by this world. I only had my Uncle Jeff, so there weren't a lotta people to talk to, so when I met you, I didn't wanna let go."
"I don't know. I thought for some reason, you were obligated to go out with one of us, but I didn't see that you wanted to take it slow with us."
"And for that..." said Preston.
"We're sorry," said Jace.
Leni rubbed her arms and smiled softly before lowering her head.
"I'm sorry too," said Leni. "I like you guys too, and I guess I have been sending some signs… but we have other things to worry about than being a couple! It was wrong timing, guys. Very wrong timing."
"Yeah, I don't know… we're stupid boys," said Jace.
"If I'm being honest with you two, I'm not looking for a relationship. It's going to take me a while to get over Chaz."
Preston and Jace looked at each other. Jace scratched his head while Preston rubbed his chin.
"Umm, Leni?" asked Jace. "If you don't mind us asking…"
"...who's Chaz?" asked Preston.
"Oh come on, guys. You know… Chaz! I didn't tell you guys about Chaz?" gasped Leni, to which the boys shook their heads to. "OMG. Sorry, guys! Have a seat in the… hmm. Why don't you two come inside?"
Leni, Preston, and Jace went inside the infirmary, unaware of the incoming storm, signified by the distant rumbling of thunder.
The lightbulb above the captive's head flickered. The prisoner was sweating as he stared at the roamer in the corner of the room. David, Dr. White, George, and Lisa watched from the other corner of the room.
"Hey, over here," said Lori, snapping her fingers. "Paying attention?"
"Yeah," stammered Jett. "What is it?"
"I just asked you a question. Who is General Black working for? Remember, if you comply, we will find a way to get you back to Black."
"Okay. General Black? He's workin' for an organization. The K.H.A.N. Periods between the letters. Or you could just say the KHAN. Think that'll be easier."
"Krissen. Are you familiar with that name?" asked Lori.
"I think that's the leader. I mean, that's what the K in KHAN stands for."
"Why is he working for her?"
"Number of reasons. He provides an army– excellent security. He does much of the dirty work– such as testin' on many of these poor fellows. You know I've never took pleasure in doin' my job. But you have to see that I had no other—"
"Shut up. What's the experimentation for?"
"They're tryna' create a cure. Your whole enzyme thing? It ain't gone work. The doctor here is just pullin' your strings."
Lori looked at Dr. White. He crossed his arms and shook his head. She turned around and pistol whipped Jett across his cheek. He hissed in pain as a bruise formed on his left cheek.
"Okay, okay! It might work, but I really don't know! They don't have a scientific mind like the one of the little girl over there!"
"I thought they had the cure," said Lori. "They created an infection and never decided to make a cure for that? What else are they doing?"
"They're trying to control hordes of the infected," said Jett. "I've heard stories about roamers turning their eyes from golden to red. It means they're under the control of someone."
"I've heard those stories too," said Dr. White. "Some of the things they're doing. It's mad science."
"If you heard that…" said Lori. "Then you must've heard where the Wasteland is."
"That ain't no story," said Jett. "It's in Nova Scotia. Or as we call it now, Nova Terra. I know it's Latin for something but I forgot what it was–"
"New Earth," said Lisa. "New Land. New World."
"I was… that far from Houlton?" gasped Lori.
Jace and Preston listened to Leni carefully.
"He and I liked each other so much. That's why his death was so painful. And I just don't want to experience that all over again."
Leni folded her arms and placed them on her knees. Jace and Preston wrapped one of their arms around her shoulders and moved closer to her so she felt comforted.
"You're not losing us," said Preston.
"But I can understand why you would want to get over Chaz first," said Jace.
"Thank you, guys. You two are the best."
Leni kissed Preston's cheek then Jace's cheek before lying her head on their arms. Then, a thundering noise from the distance alerted the three survivors.
"Was that thunder?" asked Leni.
"That didn't sound like thunder," said Jace.
Jace and Preston realized that they heard something terrible. A storm was about to come.
"So is that it?" asked Jett.
"I still have a whole lot of questions left," said Lori. "But we don't have a whole lot of time left. Maybe I could ask one more–"
An artillery shell struck the top of the barracks, shattering a part of the rooftop and sending debris from the roof into the inside of the building. The building shook, and the laboratory shook along with it.
"What the hell was that?" asked Lori.
"I don't know," said George. "I'll check it out."
"I'm coming," said Lori.
"Wait, please get me out," said Jett, ready to break down. "Get me out!"
Lana and Lily ran to Lincoln's arms. Clyde exited his room and looked into the main halls of the barracks. There was a large hole in the rooftop, one that displayed the first of the many bombings that would occur.
"What's happening, Lincoln?" asked Lana.
"I think we're under attack," he replied. "Everything's going to be fine. Just stay close to me."
Another artillery shell rained down from the sky. It landed on its target– the infirmary roof. The explosion sent debris flying off the roof as it shook the entire building.
Leni, Jace, and Preston all yelled as the items inside the building shook and fell to the ground. They quickly picked themselves up and ran to the room where the wounded were held. Luckily, it was empty since all the wounded recovered or were recovering at a bed in their cell or room. However, Haley was there, though she was fine, just frightened. Carol came down from the top floor of the infirmary building with a crying Zoey in her arms. An injured Mrs. Coleman was right behind her.
"Oh my god!" gasped Carol. "We have to leave now!"
"Where to?" yelled Jace.
"The sewers," said Haley. "Filthy as it sounds, we'll be safe there! It's certainly better than dying. Just try not to breathe in the poop."
"I have to go the church!" exclaimed Preston. "Can't leave my uncle there!"
"I'm coming too," said Jace.
"Me too—" said Leni before being stopped by Jace.
"No! You're going with Carol and Haley! It's safer for you! Go!"
Another artillery strike caused the air to tremble. This time, it landed on the courtyard of Unit D.
Vonda and Ronnie Anne leaped out of their cells and looked around the prison halls. The civilians were in a panic. Both girls grabbed their weapons and ran to the end of the prison, peeking out of one of the gated windows.
"Couldn't just leave us alone, huh?" sighed Vonda. "We have to get these people outta here."
"How?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"The prison buses. They're bulletproof. And they move faster than people."
Ronnie Anne tilted her head as she nodded softly.
Lori, David, and George ran out into the runway. They looked around, and luckily for them, they didn't hear more artillery shells raining down from the sky. Bobby ran out from Unit B where he was trying to find his sister. Lincoln and Clyde looked out the window from where they stood in the barracks. Jace and Preston watched the fighters of Houlton, including Becky, mobilize to the burnt town. Even Kimi ran out of the infirmary to watch what the humans were up to. In a single minute, the world seemed to be revolving at this very moment, and it all seemed like a single second passed by. And before she knew it, Lori stood in front of the infirmary building, before the very force that she was going to fight against.
Humvees stood at where the former entrance gate stood. Machine guns, turrets, mounted guns all aimed at the community guarded by a bent meshed fence. Rocket launchers and other explosives were at the disposal of the army. The rogues wore heavy armor, some even carrying ballistic shields. The rogues further out in the back carried mortar launchers and there were even a few snipers hiding in the woods. An M1 Abrams tank stood in front of it all, Sergeant Brick himself manning it, but the man who truly was in front of everyone was the one man himself.
General Quentin Black glared at the community with anger. His one eye was almost blood-red with fury. And his fury also took shape in the form of gigantic firepower.
"Lead!" yelled Black. "Uncover the captives!"
Lieutenant Lead walked to the three captives that knelt in front of the tank but behind Black. He took the sacks out of their heads one by one, first revealing Luan.
Benny's breath grew wearier and desperate as he prayed that nothing was going to happen to her. Luna tried to get a clear aim at Black, but was unable to act as she was too mesmerized in the moment.
Lead took out the sack from Hana's head.
Becky watched from the roof of a burnt house, shaking her head. David gulped as he thought about the possible fate for the captives.
Lead took out the sack from the head of a battered Lynn.
Clyde squinted and gasped while Lincoln felt his own heart sink lower and lower down his chest. Vonda and Ronnie Anne trembled in fear.
Lead then walked up to a rogue and grabbed the curved katana from him before handing it to Black. Black raised it in the air and then looked at Lori.
"One last chance. Surrender!"
Lincoln looked away and looked at his younger sisters. Lana and Lily stared at their older brother, their faces asking many questions without their mouths saying a word.
"We have to get you guys out of here," said Lincoln. "Pack up your stuff. We're leaving."
Bobby ran inside Unit A, finding his sister and Vonda at the end of the hallway.
"Niní!" called out Bobby.
"Bobby! Look what's happening outside!"
"I know, I know. We have to get these people out of here!"
Ted and Kotaro came out from their cells.
"There are a couple prison buses in a lot outside," said Kotaro.
"We gotta get these folks out there soon," said Ted. "There's gonna be a hell of a fight. And I know ain't no one in here want to take part in that."
"Uh huh. Let's go," said Bobby. "Everyone! Follow Ted and Kotaro! Follow them to the buses!"
The civilians inside the prison began to follow the men as they walked outside the prisons. Meanwhile, in the barracks, Lincoln and Clyde made it their responsibility to evacuate all the civilians.
"There's gonna be a couple vehicles outside!" said Lincoln. "But I need you all to pack up your things first! Remain calm and do not panic. Everything is going to be fine. It has to be."
Sergei marched to the Patton tank in the end of the runway. He saw many of the fighters mobilize near the barracks and armory, awaiting orders from Lori. Some civilians waited for instructions and evacuation vehicles from inside the barracks. Sergei sniffled and placed a stick of gum inside his mouth as the thunder rumbled closer to the town. The drops of rain poured into his skin as he climbed onto the tank.
Brick sat on the mounted seat on the tank, the gray clouds behind him, as he watched Black hold the katana high. Sage and Jade were by his side, awaiting for orders. Moss was at the burnt town, also waiting for orders. Coal and Hoover each led their own squads and they all looked at the sorry community.
"We can make a deal!" said Lori, trying incredibly hard to hold in the fear in her voice. "I have one of yours–"
"No negotiation!" yelled Black as he lowered his katana. "There are only two choices you have. Either, you give yourself and your whole family up, then give up David Jones and Vonda Crowley, then surrender the entire town and its civilians to me or… I kill everyone in this town… then these three girls… then you."
"There's gotta be another way!"
"There isn't! There isn't another way. This is the only way, Lori. The only way everyone in the community will live!"
Lori looked back at the community. Many of the fighters turned towards her. Black walked behind the captives and raised her katana again.
"You know how easy I've been to this community?" said Black. "I could've slaughtered you all back when you first attacked us in Royal Woods. But I have a larger project in mind. And you all ruined it! And this project is bigger than all of us!"
Black took a deep breath and licked his lips.
"So, that's why I'm giving you one last chance now."
Lori turned around and held up a picture. It was a picture of a young brunette girl about Leni's age. She stood in front of a car, hugging a younger Quentin Black. Black gasped softly.
"This was your daughter, right?" asked Lori. "There doesn't need to be any more fighting. We can all just… leave each other alone. I realize that now. There are countless rogues who won't be able to return to their family because of us… and for that, I'm truly sorry! But you have to realize that blame goes both ways!"
"Where'd you get that picture?" asked Black.
"In your office," said Lori. "It was in a basement deep down the barracks. She's really pretty, Black! And she looks so innocent here. But I learned from Dr. White that she died many years ago. That must have broken you and I totally get it."
Lori sniffled as she tried to keep her composure.
"I get it, General," she said. "But please don't take it out on us. Just think about your daughter. I mean, look at yourself. What would she say if she saw you like this?"
Black lowered his katana. He gulped and placed his fingers on his eyes.
"She… she wouldn't have said anything. Everything I'm doing is for her. After everything is done… not one more person should have to die in their bed, praying that the cancer would go away. Only the strong will survive."
"Your daughter wouldn't even recognize you now!" exclaimed Lori. "It wasn't her fault that she died young! And it's certainly not yours! So stop trying to save the world from something that you can't defeat! And that's... that's okay, Black. It's okay. It's no one's fault."
"My daughter…" said Black, his voice breaking, "...she was too weak for the world. Ain't nothing changing my mind."
Lori gasped as her eyes shot open. Black raised his katana.
"Nothing at all."
Black swung the katana down. The katana quickly made its way down. And down. Until it cut into Lynn's shoulder.
"NO!" yelled Lori, pulling out her revolver.
Hana and Luan turned around unable to grasp what just occurred.
Lynn groaned as blood flowed out from the gash in her shoulder. She looked at a gleaming light from her right side. And so did Black.
Thunder clapped across the sky as Luna shot her sniper rifle at Black. But Black grabbed Lynn and jumped down to the ground, using her as a shield. The bullet struck Lynn in the chest, causing her to cough before she collapsed to the ground. And she lay there, blood flowing out of her shoulder. And she remained there, bleeding to death.
The air froze. The raindrops splashed against the ground slowly. Luna choked with disbelief before tears flowed out of her eyes. Sam then covered her mouth before looking at Luna, who screamed and sobbed.
Lori shot her revolver at Black, managing to shoot his left ear out of his head. He yelled as blood leaked from his head. The rogues fired back at the people of Houlton. And the people of Houlton fired back at the rogues.
A firefight between the two armies commenced.
George grabbed Lori and ran with her inside the infirmary building before any of the rogues were able shoot her. David went inside a Humvee and drove to the town where the first assault would take place. The other Humvees guarded against the rogue army, creating a stalemate with the mesh fences representing no man's land.
"I need everyone to mow down everything you see on sight!" yelled Captain Moss.
"You heard the man!" exclaimed Sergeant Hoover. "Go! Go! Go!"
The rogues advanced to the burnt town. Many of the homes were still intact enough to be used as mini-forts by the Houlton army.
David and Becky secured the center of town with many of the fighters. They waited for the army to approach. Then, they fired their weapons just as the rain poured harder.
Moss approached the town center with a convoy of Humvees and fired at the fighters on the top of each roof. He used his own SCAR rifle to kill some of the fighters, having no problem with running out of bullets since his Humvee carried tons of ammo.
David shot an M4 at the rogues, but found it difficult to bypass their armor. Becky shot her suppressed pistol at the rogues, when she realized that her aim wasn't as good as she thought it was. She ducked from the incoming fire, using her shaking hands to cover her ears.
The Humvees continued moving towards the town center. The rogues continued shooting at the fighters at the roof. As they approached the center of town, the rogues mounted their machine guns and aimed at the fighters.
"Move!" yelled David.
The rogues shot their machine guns at the fighters in the town center, destroying the benches, statues, fountains, and a decorated field. They finished off the damage that the napalm bombings couldn't inflict.
"Firing mortar!" yelled Hoover.
He and a couple rogues fired a few mortar shells into the air, some of them landing on houses many yards away. The roofs were blown off, killing a few hidden defenders.
"Retreat!" yelled David. "Move to the barracks! Now!"
The fighters moved away from the town center as the Humvees began to surround the destroyed park. Many bullets splashed against the pond as the friendly Humvees drove away.
Moss and his rogues fired bullets and tossed grenades into the homes, flattening them all. The streets were destroyed and the rain began to flood the potholes that they created.
"Where to now?" yelled one of the rogues.
"The barracks!" ordered Moss. "We're blowing that shit to hell!"
Brick drove the M1 Abrams tank towards the Units, passing the firefight that occurred by the infirmary. The rubber tracks pushed against the dirt, crushing all the pebbles and twigs under it.
Luna and Sam set down their scopes and rolled over to the bushes in their sides. The rogue controlling the machine gun scanned the area, trying to find more fighters to kill. Luna sobbed quietly into her hands as Sam tried to keep herself from losing her mind.
"Damn. It's not safe here," said George. "We have to go."
"Go where?" asked Lori.
"I'm going to the prisons. You run to the barracks. Try to help the civilians leave this place. I have to defend!"
"Okay, go!"
George ran out of the infirmary and remained low behind the Humvees as the firefight continued. Lightning flashed across the sky as thunder followed. The storm raged on.