III - Melting Point
-One Week Later-
All of the members of the group, except David, Carol, Jeffrey, Lisa, Lana, and Lily, walked closer to downtown Baltimore, the inner city where the risk of running into swarms and even a herd were really high, though the risks would be worth it if they found a clue to where Luna and Dr. White were. The group all together as a pack made it easier to take out roamers, both lone and grouped. Their movement, however, was sluggish and noisy.
"I'm going to go ahead," said George. "See what can I find around there."
Lori nodded as George jogged lightly towards the intersection in the road.
"We're not going to find them," said Sam. "Not at this speed."
"It's the safest way to move around the city," said Lori, checking her surroundings. "We need the fuel to make it to the capital, so we can't use our vehicles."
"We should split up- we can cover more ground like that."
"It's too dangerous."
"Yeah, agreed," said Jace. "We're going to find Luna like this, don't be such a downer."
"We're moving slower than a fucking turtle!" exclaimed Sam. "If we split up, we could find Luna much faster than whatever the hell we're doing now!"
Jace shook his head.
"Sounds like a good way to get us killed."
"This- this is going to get Luna killed! Every second that we're wasting now could be her last!"
Members of the group began to murmur among each other.
"What about this… X-Tribe?" said Jace. "We can't risk other lives to save two!"
"One of them is my girlfriend, you prick!" yelled Sam.
"What about the doctor?" said Vonda. "He's arguably more important than any of us, right? We should risk lives to save him."
'Thank you, Vonda. Can't forget about the doc too."
"That's assuming they're still alive," said Preston.
"Shut the fuck up!" yelled Sam.
"C'mon, Sam…" groaned Benny.
Jace approached Sam as she looked at him with an angry glare.
"Look, Sam. I wanna find Luna as much as you do, but you need to calm down, okay?"
"Don't tell me to calm down. What the fuck do you even know about saving people? I can save the girl I love- unlike you!"
"Can you guys keep it down?" ordered Lori.
"What the hell is that supposed to-"
"You couldn't fucking save Leni," said Sam. "How the hell are you gonna save Luna?"
Jace shook his head and grew an angry look at Sam.
"You don't get to talk about saving people," said Jace. "The reason we're here looking for her is because you couldn't fucking protect her. This is on you."
"At least I actually know HOW to save her! What about you, huh? What did YOU do when you left Houlton? When you left Leni alone with a gun to her head? That's right. You weren't even there!"
"Sam, stop," said Luan to no avail.
"Don't you fucking dare!" yelled Jace. "Look who's talking! The one who couldn't fucking save her little brother! Little! Brother!"
"Yo, chill," said Benny as he approached Jace.
Tears formed in Sam's eyes as her throat stung her.
"And where the hell is Alex?" she hissed.
Benny placed his hands over Jace's chest.
"Chill, Jace, don't-"
Jace shoved him away and yelled as he punched Sam in her arm. Sam yelled as Jace threw another punch, though she grabbed his arm and punched his jaw.
"Guys, stop!" yelled Bobby.
Jace screamed as he tackled her against a car, causing her to groan in pain as her back awakened by the jolt of sharp pressure. He prepared to throw another punch aimed at Sam's face, though she quickly moved her head, causing the car window to crack as Jace held his fist in pain.
"Fucking hell!" screamed Jace.
Sam kneed Jace in his groin and tackled him to the ground, where she wrapped her hands around his neck. Jace clenched his teeth as he grabbed Sam's arms, struggling to set himself free. He then swung his fists at Sam's face, smacking blood out of her mouth with each hit. Her cheek was bruised. Her temple was cut. Blood poured out of her nose.
Lincoln tried to pull Sam away from Jace, but he got a kick to his stomach, causing him to groan in pain as he fell back on the pavement of the road.
Jace turned his body slightly to the right as he gathered momentum to toss Sam to his left, causing her to roll away from Jace. He quickly stood up as he kicked Sam.
Suddenly, Preston grabbed Jace's arms and locked them against his shoulders.
"C'mon, chill out, man," whispered Preston.
Sam stood up, groaning as she limped towards Jace, holding her left arm against her chest. She then punched Jace's stomach with her right hand, knocking the wind out of his lungs. She panted as Bobby wrapped his arms around her body, holding her back.
George panted as he ran back with the group, where he found a couple roamer corpses in the ground. Lori placed her hatchet back into her belt and walked over to Jace and Sam.
"You two caused a scene and attracted roamers over here!" she scolded. "You two, come with me. You two got some explaining to do."
Bobby held Sam as she followed Lori, blood dripping from her lips and her temple. Preston held Jace as he followed Lori, blood seeping from his knuckles while a bruise formed around his neck. Both exhausted and sweaty fighters refused to look at each other, while the group stared at them awkwardly as they stormed over to the sidewalk.
The sun continued to rise high in the sky as a fan blew cool air into the large cell. Luna lied sat against the wall with Dr. White, each of them hearing the clacking of noises from the kitchen. Luna couldn't find a way out of the school, since she found nothing in the cell and in the bathroom- which the prisoners had to ask permission to go to- that could be of any help. She continued to stare at the busy movements that occurred outside the cell as the residents of the X-Zone began to leave the cafeteria.
"Hey, doc…" said Luna in a dejected voice.
"Yes, Luna?"
"How's Nova Terra? I mean, how does it look like? How is it like living there?"
Dr. White shifted his glasses around and shrugged as he looked up.
"It's almost all countryside and abandoned towns- unless you account for the ones that the First Nations people took up. It's all beautiful nevertheless, just like the main city, capital, where all the citizens of the KHAN live. The streets are clean, the houses and buildings look nice, technology and jobs are bustling… it's like a utopia."
"But it's really a dystopia, right?" commented Luna.
"It's certainly worse out here than there. That's the thing. You wouldn't even think it's a dystopia. The police are friendly… the rules are more lax than you think… people respect the soldiers there… and the soldiers respect the people. You know, Krissen wants her people to see her as a hero, not a dictator who rules with an iron fist."
"She seems so important- it's a wonder we never really questioned you more about that dudette who turned our entire world into a living hell just so a select few can be in heaven."
"I don't know enough about her to tell you anything important," said Dr. White.
"Then what about this… why don't you talk about your family? You- you rarely bring them up."
Dr. White looked down and faced Luna.
"You think by just asking that, you'll be able to find out?"
"Sure, yeah. C'mon, dude. It's better than just sitting here all bored."
Dr. White nodded and then looked ahead into the empty cafeteria.
"Talking about my family remind me of all the terrible things I did for them on my path to create a cure."
"Right, the cure to save humanity… to save your family," said Luna. "Seems like they don't need saving if they're in Nova Terra."
"That's another thing. Talking about them reminds me of the terrible things I did to them as well."
Luna faced the doctor and softly cleared her throat.
"What do you mean?"
"When I had the rogues lock up Lori and George in the prison as part of the plan to liberate the prisoners… I was given time to do anything I could. I had one of the rogues send a written message to them detailing a location that they needed to get to… because I was about to betray the KHAN. It's some rebel territory far away from the capital, but it's still within Nova Terra, and there are still roamers that lurk around. They have to survive out there in hell every day because of my mission. I don't even know if they're alive anymore."
"We made you betray the rogues," said Luna.
"Your group didn't make me do anything," reassured Dr. White. "I did something and I gotta take responsibility for it."
Dr. White then turned towards Luna.
"But it will all be over soon, right?"
"No, it won't," said Luna. "I'll make sure of it. Even if it means I don't see the light of day or step foot on Nova Terra."
Luna and Dr. White both looked back at the empty cafeteria, empty cans on the corner of the cell.
Jace, seated on the sidewalk, stared at a fire hydrant with scratch marks on its edge and stains of blood below it, before Preston snapped his fingers in front of him.
"Hey, you with me?" asked Preston. "Wanna talk about what happened there?"
"I-I think Sam hates me," said Jace. "She blames me for what happened to… Leni and my sister."
"She doesn't hate you."
"Bullshit. She's had it out for me since day one. Thinks I'm tryna' steal Luna from her. I don't even like her, like that anymore… you know? She's my friend."
"Jace, look at me. People say anything in the heat of the moment and they end up regretting it later. I know it, remember when I dissed your sister? You know, if I could take it back, I would not have said it in the first place."
"It's fine. We're cool, you know?"
"Yes, we are. And you're going to be cool with Sam, you just gotta talk to her. She's going through a lot. You know Luna is the reason why she hasn't lost the will to live? It's beautiful, really."
"It's a bit morbid," smiled Jace. "But yeah… I agree. I guess I just kinda forgot how stressed out she is from losing the only person she loves. You're right. I was the one who threw the first punch. I should be the one apologizing. Give me a moment, Preston."
Jace stood up from the sidewalk while Preston gave him a pat with a smile.
"You got this, bro."
Sam sat on the sidewalk parallel to the one Jace and Preston were at. Sam was fiddling with a guitar pick as Lincoln sat down next to her.
"You kick hard," Lincoln nervously chuckled. "You work out in your spare time or something?"
Sam smiled as she looked at Lincoln before fading into a frown.
"No. Sorry about that, Linc. I… was just so angry, I didn't think."
"Your head's clear now, right? I wouldn't want another kick."
"Haha, yeah, you're good, dude."
"You should talk to Jace," said Lincoln, causing Sam to face him. "My sister Luna wouldn't want you guys to fight."
"I don't like him. And he doesn't like me either. We're just going to end up arguing again."
"Please, do it for Luna. He's a friend and you're her girlfriend. She would want you guys to get along. She loves you more than anyone, and she wouldn't want to lose you."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry, I kicked you."
"It's okay, it'll be a funny story to tell Luna."
Sam and Lincoln stood up, with Sam wrapping her arms around the boy. She then walked over to the opposite sidewalk, meeting Jace in the middle of the road. Lori uncrossed her arms and prepared to walk over to them before Bobby stopped her.
"We got to keep looking for Luna, right?" he said. "Let's keep moving while they talk it out."
Lori nodded. Jace rubbed the back of his head as he looked at Sam's eyes.
"I'm sorry-" both of them said before they nervously giggled.
"You go first," said Sam.
Jace nodded as the group began to walk ahead. Sam continued to fiddle with her guitar pick.
"That's a nice guitar pick you got there," he said.
"It's Luna's," said Sam.
The guitar pick moved around her fingers as she softly plucked it across an acoustic guitar. Luna hummed as Dr. White sat on a bed, reading a book as he held it up with one hand. She slowly tuned the guitar over and over until the strings ran in harmony with her hum.
Woodrow walked over to the cell with a plate in his hand and a cup of water in the other. He opened up the cell and walked inside, smiling at Luna before handing her the plate.
"Haven't seen you in days," said Luna, grabbing her plate of food. "I've been meaning to ask something. Why the masks?"
"Some people here find it very difficult to hunt out there. It makes them feel like monsters, you know? I'm not gonna lie. What we do out there- we are monsters. But only when we wear the masks. 'Cause without 'em, we're just normal people. Well… as normal as we can get. It's sorta like a second identity, you get me?"
Luna nodded as she took a sip of water.
"Plus, some people don't like showing their scars. It makes 'em feel weak, you know? Reminds them of the colossal power that nuclear weapons got against us humans. We're like ants compared to those explosions."
She nodded again then sighed.
"Won't the doc get meals like I do?" she asked.
"Of course, where are my manners?" smiled Woodrow. "But before I fix him a plate, tell me, can you sing? Well, silly me, of course everyone can sing. What I meant to ask was… can you sing well?"
Luna placed the meat from her plate into her mouth and shrugged. She placed a napkin over her mouth.
"I do the best I can, you know?" she gulped, before taking another bite of the meat. "This tastes… unique. What is this?"
Woodrow smiled.
"It's human. Human meat."
Luna's eyes grew wide as she began coughing the food out of her throat. She gagged out the food and coughed before tossing her plate to the ground, shattering it to big pieces.
"What the bloody hell! Hu… human?"
"Yeah. It's meat from your friend that died back in Wilmington."
"Oh, Jesus!" shouted Luna. "Eating a fucking person is one thing but you're making me eat Reggie? What the actual bloody fuck is wrong with you? This is cruel punishment!"
"Relax, we're all eating people here," said Woodrow, standing up.
"How will that make me relax?" exclaimed Luna as she began to hyperventilate.
"The meat from your friend was going to spoil, I had to give it to you. Figured it'd be one last way he could help you guys out."
Luna gagged as she tried to remember how Lisa taught her to get rid of ingested poison. She opened her mouth and was ready to stick her finger inside before Woodrow grabbed her arm.
"Don't you dare," said Woodrow. "I don't wanna clean up more of your mess."
"You made me eat a human. You're sick."
"I'm sorry. I'll feed you animal meat now. But you gotta sing a song for me."
"No!"
"Do it or I'll keep feeding you people human meat!"
Luna took a deep exhale before reluctantly nodding. Woodrow walked away to get a broom in the corner of the cell as Luna quickly grabbed a shard from the broken plate and placing it in her pocket. Woodrow turned around with the broom in his hand, walking over to Luna.
"Got a song in mind?" asked Woodrow as he swept the plate shards.
Luna nodded as sweat dripped from her long pixie cut hair, falling down to her eyes and covering her ears. She placed the pick on the guitar strings and cleared her throat before glancing at Woodrow. He placed the broom away and smiled. She closed her eyes and exhaled.
"I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
And I fear no evil 'cause I'm blind to it all.
And my mind, my gun they comfort me."
Luna glared at Woodrow as he squatted down.
"Because I know I'll kill my enemies when they come.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell on this earth for ever more."
Luna looked at Dr. White and continued plucking her guitar.
"Sad I walk beside the still waters and they restore my soul.
But I can't walk on the path of the right because I'm wrong."
Woodrow rubbed his hands over Luna's forehead and moved her hair away from her eyes. She closed her eyes again.
"I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…"
The sun remained high in the air as Jace and Sam walked together, following the group. Jace wore a navy blue shirt with ripped sleeves while Sam stuck with her 'The Who' shirt. Preston walked with them, wearing a basketball jersey.
"It's not like people beat her up," said Jace, "but I could tell. She would have a shitty day right after another shitty day. But Alex wasn't the one to complain. I… hated that. I wish she could just tell me why people would harass her. Growing up, I kinda figured on my own. Bullies… they don't like anyone who's different. There was these neighbors I had. Super religious. Super douches. One of their kids was in Alex's grade, so when she went to high school, she really had it rough with him at the start. I was all worried but Alex told me to not worry so much… but still… I hated what that kid would say about her. Then, one day, Alex came home with a black eye and a cut in her lips, kinda like mine right here. She lied again, saying she wasn't watching her steps but only 'cause she wanted to protect me or something. It didn't matter. The next day, I skipped school and followed the kid to the high school… and then I asked him why he hit my sister. He was talking about how she sinned and all that crap, and I told him he shouldn't hit girls. Then, he told me Alex wasn't a girl, therefore he was allowed to hit her. That got me so mad, I just… lost it and I started hitting him. At the end… I got my ass kicked. But it was worth it. 'Cause he couldn't smell for the next couple months. Alex didn't like what I did, but she respected it… I think she secretly wanted to fight him too, but she didn't want to a bad role model for me. It was just me and her most of the time, you know?"
Sam smiled.
"You kinda remind me of my little brother. You know… Simon. Similar thing happened a while ago. When the kids at his school found out I was into girls... well, y'know. Kids are cruel. But I'd keep telling him to not let the things they'd say about me get to him. The things they'd say– I didn't mind. But he did. This one kid went up to him and called me a dyke. Funny, 'cause, where the hell did he learn that word? Makes you wonder sometimes... but anyways– it was enough to get Simon mad. He really gave him a beating, like... damn, he took pride in it. He said he gave that kid a black eye and popped out a couple teeth. I wasn't happy with what he did... but I knew he did it 'cause he loved me. Still... it just had to stop, y'know?"
"Yeah," said Jace. "There's something about dissing loved ones that really piss people off."
"I'm sorry for bringing up Leni," said Sam. "And Alex."
"I'm sorry about bringing up Simon. And for trying to beat you up. You're kinda strong, you know that?"
"So I heard," smiled Sam. "You went really crazy for someone who wants to rescue my girlfriend."
"Yeah… she's like my best friend. And it also pains me when you two aren't together. You and I may not be the best of pals, but I respect anyone who would love and care for Luna. That's you, Sam. You'd make a great wife, y'know?"
"Thank you, Jace. I didn't know you cared that much about my relationship with her. I thought you were more… envious."
"Sure, at the start, it may have ticked me off how affectionate you two were with each other, but now? Whole different story. If I'm being honest, that mushy stuff you do with each other? Makes my heart jump with joy."
"Really?"
"I ship you guys, Sam!"
Sam giggled as she and Jace hugged, though Jace groaned.
"What happened?" gasped Sam as she released Jace.
"Still got bruises in my ribs," said Jace as he let out a small laugh.
Lori smiled as she looked back from the front of the group. She turned around and found a cluster of cars on top of each other, creating a wall and blocking the roads ahead of her in the intersection in the distance. Lori continued walking ahead, finding two large pieces of lumber placed in an X formation.
"Not this shit again," puffed Lynn.
"This might be a good sign," said Lori. "This must mean we're getting closer, right?"
"Closer to our death?" said Vonda. "Yeah, I agree."
"Let's see if we can take an alley," said George.
Suddenly, flames engulfed the wall of cars before it reached the lumber of X. Then, one X-Tribe member walked around the wall of cars, then from every alley, from every building, even from the sewers. Members of the group looked around as they each began to look visibly terrified, including Lori. Each member of the group was grabbed and held at gunpoint by an X-Tribe member except Lori.
Then, the commanding masked survivor, the X-Tribe woman with dreads, walked in front of the wall of fire and held an ASP behind Lori's head.
"We been following your group," she said. "We usually don't attack large groups like this- 'cept when we were in Wilmington- but I've been patient. Y'all stick together like glue and that's so motherfuckin' annoying. Now we done being patient."
"There was a teenage girl and a doctor," said Lori, still looking away from her captor. "Where'd you take them?"
"You ain't asking any motherfuckin' questions, you got that? We're gonna beat you all down, then we're gon' take you someplace where you'll never escape alive. And you, boss lady? We gon' let you watch it all happen."
The X-Tribe members formed a small circle around the intersection as two of them pushed Kotaro and Hana into the middle. Some of the members were struggling to keep some of their captives calm. Lynn was quickly smacked in the head with a hockey stick, knocking her down, while Becky struggled to grab her own machete. Her captor grabbed her dagger and prepared to slice her face before Becky covered it with her arms. The dagger cut the skin of her arms, causing her to yell before another masked survivor thrust his mallet into her back, causing her to fall to her knees.
"What are you doing to them?" asked Lori, her eyes widening.
"Eh, eh, eh! Zip it! No fuckin' questions!"
The masked survivors grabbed Hana's katana and Kotaro's rifle before some other X-Tribe survivors surrounded the captives. Then, they began to punch, kick, pull, and scratch Hana and Kotaro. Some of them pulled out their pipes and sticks and began to beat them to a pulp.
Luan ran ahead towards the middle of the circle before being held back by her captors as she screamed.
"Let her go, you freaks!"
Suddenly, Luan was shoved to the ground and beaten on the spot her sword being taken out and tossed away. Benny struggle to help her, but he was beaten as well while the rest of the group watched.
Hana moaned as blood was pouring out her face. Kotaro groaned as bruises filled his arms and legs. Benny screamed as he felt his stomach being repeatedly punched. Luan cried out in pain as her face smacked against the pavement.
Bobby was left speechless like his sister, Ronnie Anne. George fidgeted around, before being kicked behind his leg, causing him to fall to his knees. Vonda gasped and tried to help George before her arm was smacked away. Sam, Jace, and Preston watched in shock as their friends were being mauled by the masked savages. Clyde covered his eyes. Lincoln felt tears bubbling up as he watched his sister get beat over and over. Lynn screamed and stood herself up with her hands.
"Y'all are gonna fucking pay!" she shouted before being beaten again with a hockey stick.
Some of the survivors beating Hana, Kotaro, Luan, and Benny walked away from their bleeding bodies and moved towards Lynn. She was picked up and dragged to the middle as she flailed her arms around. The survivors began to pull apart her shirt, her pants, her shoes, her hair. She shrieked in fright, causing Lori's heart to sink as she never saw Lynn so scared in her life before.
"No, no, stop," muttered Lori.
"Shut up," ordered the commanding masked survivor.
"STOP!"
"Shut up!"
The commanding enemy smacked Lori with her ASP, causing her to fall on one knee. Lynn cried out for help as one of her bra straps was ripped apart. Lori pulled out her revolver and moved it towards her captor before she smacked it away from her hand. She moved to grab her hatchet before her captor held her right arm. She then tried to take the ASP from her captor before she grabbed her left arm as well, her captor pressing the ASP and her palm against Lori's chest as she folded her arms against it. She then shoved Lori's back, still holding her arms, against a car in the left road of the intersection. The captor and Lori were face to face with each other. Lori stared at the eyes inside the mask. The masked captor laughed.
"What's a scrawny girl like you gon' do against me? You're in no position to fight back!"
Lori took a deep exhale and lunged her teeth into the side of the captor's neck, biting into her jugular vein as deep as she could. Her captor screamed as Lori ripped a piece of her flesh out, along with a ripped vein that spewed out blood. She coughed and gagged as Lori spit out her piece of flesh, blood dripping from her lips and teeth. After Lori grabbed her ASP, the captor fell to her knees, struggling to close her neck with her palms before falling face-down into the pavement.
The members of the X-Tribe all stopped their relentless beating, shocked and unable to move as they looked upon the body of their superior. Lynn shivered upon looking at her sister. Bobby and Lincoln were unable to close their jaws as no words came out.
Lori quickly shot the X-Tribe members to her left and right, the ones that held George and Becky hostage. Both George and Becky grabbed their Glocks and began shooting the other enemies that held their friends hostage as Lori shot the ones beating Lynn. Some of the members began to run away before Becky grabbed her automatic rifle and gunned them down, assisted with George and his shotgun. Lynn quickly crawled to Bobby's arms as the bloodshed continued.
Then, there were three.
An X-Tribe member wearing a black face mask, struggled to drag himself away from the wall of fire as one of his legs was riddled with shotgun pellets. Lori knelt down and placed that hatchet against his neck as two of the X-Tribe members, held captive by her group, watched.
"No… please…" begged the masked enemy.
"Where is my sister?"
"Luna? I don't know…"
"A slow death or a fast death?" asked Lori.
"None, please…"
"That's not an option. Answer the question or you're getting a slow death."
"I don't know, I swear!"
Lori shook her head as she pressed the blade of the hatchet against the enemy's throat, causing him to yell before it turned into a cough. She stood up and saw the roamers approaching from the road without the wall of cars.
"Babe…" whispered Bobby.
"No time," said Lori. "Take the injured and get them back home. Take Clyde with you. Please go now."
Bobby nodded as he and Clyde helped Lynn, Luan, and Benny to their feet. Kotaro and Hana limped around a wall of cars as they took an alternative route back to the shelter, following Bobby and Clyde. Lori and the others, including two masked captives went around the wall of fire, letting the roamers devour the dead attackers.
"Look at what you did to my people," said one of the masked enemies. "Me and Antonio. We'll never tell you where we live."
Lori pulled out her hatchet.
"You won't have to."
She swung it down on the unnamed survivor, slicing his right hand off. He hissed in pain as blood began to drip from his open wound.
"You wanna live and get that fixed up?" said Lori. "Take us to your home. Shouldn't be too far now, right?"
"Okay, okay. Let's go quickly then."
Lincoln looked at Lori as she ran ahead with the captives while the rest of the group followed her. He gulped and can only watch as the monster inside Lori continued to rage about.
The flaming limber of X continued to rage in the distance until the group no longer saw it. Lori, George, Becky, Preston, Sam, Jace, Vonda, Lincoln, and Ronnie Anne with the two captives as they approached the X-Zone in the distance. They stopped at an intersection, where Lori saw an apartment building close to the X-Zone where members of her group could set up a temporary base.
"How many of your people are in here?" asked Lori.
"There shouldn't be that many," said Antonio. "More than half of my people were sent out to other places to… hunt. There's no way you can sneak in without being spotted. All of you against them? Not a chance."
"Which is why we won't be sneaking in there," said Lori. "You'll open the fences and you'll leave them unlocked. If you don't do that… we're sniping you."
"Wait, what about him?" asked Antonio, pointing at his fellow survivor.
"He'll join you… if you can tell us about the traps in this building."
Lori held the amputee's shirt and moved him to the entrance door.
"Ain't no traps," said Antonio. "Look for yourself."
Lori signaled George to come closer and then she looked back at Antonio. Then, she nodded.
"Okay," she whispered.
Lori opened the door and George kicked the amputated captive inside the building before closing the door. Antonio yelled in protest as Becky held him back. Then, after a few seconds, an explosion shattered the windows and puffed smoke out of it.
"A grenade trap," said Vonda.
"I was expecting roamers or alarms, but a grenade trap?" scoffed Lori. "You really tried to kill me like that?"
"I fucked up," said Antonio. "I fucked up."
"More traps upstairs?"
"No."
Becky held out Antonio's right hand and held her machete up high.
"No, please!" begged Antonio in a panicked voice. "There are no other traps 'cept the ones in the entrance in the other buildings! I swear to God! I swear!"
"You have a funny way of invoking His name," said Preston.
"Let him go," George told Becky. "He's not lying."
The group members began to walk inside the apartment building, using their flashlights to scope out the corners not lit by sunlight. Lori then faced Antonio and placed her hatchet back into her belt.
"You get everyone and you tell everyone what we did," said Lori, "but you do not tell them we're here. Want more of your people to live? Get as many of them together so they could leave the X-Zone. Whoever stays behind…"
"May the Lord have mercy on their souls," said Preston.
The masked enemy showed fear in his eyes before walking away, headed for the X-Zone. Lori and Preston walked inside the building, joining the others in setting up the temporary base.