Chapter 66: They came. They saw. They conquered
'I believe this Government cannot endure, half slave and half free.'
Joel ran into the hospital as fast as he could. He screamed Becca and Ellie's name as he ran up the stairs. He was frantic with worry. He didn't know if they would be able to keep them at bay.
Nothing was going right and everything was going wrong. He's never second guessed himself like this before. Maybe it's because he just didn't have himself to worry about. There were very important lives at stake.
Becca and Ellie met him halfway down the stairs. He saw his wife's face become physically relieved as she looked at him. Ellie seemed surprised too. He didn't blame them. He's always been reckless and without fear. He used to think they were great assets to have during an apocalypse, but he's realized it doesn't do anything for him. He only ends up hurt and alone.
Becca wrapped her arms around him tightly. She closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her forehead. He felt so helpless and useless. He didn't know what to do.
Ellie looked up at them and frowned,'There's a lot of them isn't there?'
'Yeah.' Joel admitted freely. He didn't want to lie to the girl,'There's about a hundred of them. In about a half hour they're gonna breach.'
Tears filled Becca's eyes as she sighed shakily,'Any word on Betsy, Maria or the baby?'
He shook his head as he felt his chest tightening with sadness,'I searched the town hall and didn't find them.'
Becca clung to him as the tears fell from her eyes,'I hope they went to Maria's underground bunker.'
'Tommy and Francis are missing.' Joel averted his eyes between the two women,'I'm afraid they took them. It seems like something Tommy would do.'
Becca let go of him as she leaned back against the wall. She was feeling lightheaded,'They took them. I know they did.' She shook her head, whispering,'We may never see them again.'
Ellie's face crumpled into tears as Becca wrapped her arms around her. Joel stared at them and scrubbed his hand over his face. He felt like screaming and sobbing.
He didn't want to tell them it was going to be okay. He didn't want to lie to them. He was struggling to accept everything himself. He knew there would be casualties. This is a war.
'Harold said there's plenty of people to fight. There's plenty of weapons and ammunition.' He snorted,'Don't think I didn't see you two up there. I can't hear too well, but my eyes work just fine.'
Becca rolled her eyes and sighed,'I knew you were going to see us. We can shoot. No one saw us up there, Joel. Not without us knowing. We want them dead just as much as you do. Maybe more.'
He scoffed and cupped the back of her head, kissing her forehead,'I don't think that's possible, baby girl.' He placed his hand on her belly, smiling when he felt their baby kicking against his hand,'Baby wants in on the action too.'
'Of course.' Becca grinned,'It is your baby.'
He snorted as he looked over at Ellie, seeing the uneasy look on her face.'You okay, kid? Where's Lizzie?'
Becca looked up at Joel warily and shook her head. They two girls had an argument. Lizzie wanted to run away while Ellie wanted to stay and fight with her family. They ended up sedating and locking Lizzie in one of the rooms.
They didn't want to take the risk of her running away and getting herself killed. She understood why Lizzie was afraid. If she were her age; she would be afraid too. She envied her outlook in the world.
Lizzie feared death. They feared enslavement.
Ellie sighed as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying,'I'm going to check on Lizzie.'
She ran down the stairs, leaving the two of them standing alone in the middle of the stairwell.
Joel sighed as he placed his hand on the wall over her head,'Trouble in paradise?'
She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest,'They're entirely two different people. They butt heads sometimes.'
He smirked as he nuzzled into her cheek,'Like us?'
She laughed softly as she placed her hand on his chest,'Yeah, but we always figure it out. They love each other.' She smiled tearfully,'Like us.'
'I love you so much.' He whispered into her ear without hesitation,'I'm so in love with you. I fall more in love with you everyday. I don't regret anything we've done together. Only except I wouldn't have wasted any time. I feel like I was put on this earth to love you and I-'
'No.' She shook her head as tears blurred her vision,'Don't you say goodbye to me, Joel Miller. Don't you fucking dare. We've just got here. Please don't die. Please. I don't care if you lose an arm or both. I'll take care of you. I'll still love you no matter what. Just come back.' She held his face in her hands, whispering shakily,'Please come back. I can't do this without you either. I don't want to.'
He kissed her longingly and deeply. She moaned softly into his mouth as her tongue tangled with his. They haven't showered or brushed their teeth in over two days, but it didn't matter. Neither knew when they were going to have this again.
He reluctantly let go of her and kissed her forehead, whispering,'I gotta get going, baby girl.'
She sighed and slowly nodded, gently patting his chest,'I know.' She cleared her throat as he stroked her hair,'I meant what I said. You better come back to me or I'll go out there and find you myself. Penguin feet and all.'
He snorted as he kissed the top of her head,'I don't doubt it.'
She swallowed harshly and cupped his bearded cheek,'I'm so in love with you too. I love you more than anything in this world. You've given me everything I've ever wanted.' She frowned when she saw the unconvinced look on his face,'I don't mean money or material things. You've given me you. I have Ellie and this baby.' Her eyes searched his face,'You're the first man I've ever loved. So you have to come back so I can love you some more.'
He smirked as tears stung his eyes. He nodded and softly smiled at her,'Yes, mama.'
She smiled at that as he looked at her longingly. He wanted to remember every detail of her. As if he could ever forget.
Becca watched him run down the stairs and sighed. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed into them. She slid down the wall to sit on the steps, finally letting out all the emotions over the last five days.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Joel walked out of the hospital and saw Harold with over one hundred townsfolk. It was a mixture of men and women. Young and old. It brought a warmth within him.
They lost a lot of good people in the town hall shooting. Probably over seventy five, but they were just identified. There were plenty more.
Harold saw Joel walking towards him and placed his hands on his hips,'I was beginning to wonder when you would show back up.' He smirked,'I thought you ya changed your mind and decided to haul ass back to Boston.'
'You wish.' He returned his smirk and shook his hand,'I was checking on my wife and daughter.'
Harold narrowed his eyes as he looked over his shoulder at the gate,'Ellie isn't really your kid right?'
'No. She's not.' He shrugged,'She is mine though.' He chewed on his bottom lip as he took a step closer to him,'You got a problem with that?'
Harold chuckled as he held his hands up in surrender,'No problems from me.' He clicked his tongue and pointed towards the gate,'That's my problem right there.'
Joel turned around and stared at the gates. They were starting to break through. He could see the hands of the clickers as they clawed their way in.
He took a deep breath and shook his head,'Any course of action, Sheriff?'
'We have people on the roofs. They're gonna shoot and throw down Molotov cocktails.' He narrowed his eyes,'I think we can take 'em.'
Joel looked over at him and grinned,'That's the spirit.' He shook his head and sighed,'Don't exhaust all your ammunition or cocktails. This is just the beginning.'
Harold shook his head confusingly as kept his attention on the gates,'I thought about that too. In my experience, enemies come in waves. You send your weakest men out first, then your mid level guys who will get the job done, but only just enough to wear us down. Tire us out. Then they send their Calvary. The best of the best.' He smirked as he felt Joel's eyes on him,'I used to be a Marine before all this…shit went down.' He bowed his head, whispering,'You wouldn't know it the way I been acting.'
Joel was surprised to say the least. He never expected Harold used to be in the army. Maybe he would be useful after all. Shit, even he wasn't in the army. It was situations like this that humbled a man.
They waited and watched carefully as the infected breached through the gates. Joel and Harold gave each other a curt nod, wishing each other the best of luck. They were going to need it.
Joel climbed up a ladder onto one of eve scaffolds. He laid down on his stomach and perched the sniper rifle at the edge. He stared into the lens, making sure he had a proper target. There were so many of them. More than they expected.
The infected looked to be in various stages of the virus. Some heads were completely deformed, the fungi eating them from the inside out. Their faces reminded him of flowers. Deadly flowers. Some looked just like everyone else, except their eyes were different. He would never forget what those eyes looked like.
The infected swarmed the town as the townsfolk starred shooting at them. They threw Molotov cocktails, causing some of the infected to burst into flames. He could hear the loud pitched wails and screams as the infected burned to death. The stench of death lay thick in the air.
He smirked to himself. Oh, what a time to be alive.
He aimed for their heads and shot them down easily. One by one. He almost forgot how much fun this could be. Almost.
He heard a distinct clicking sound and turned around. His eyes widened when he saw an infected leaping towards him. He aimed the rifle at its deformed head and blew it clean off.
He shook his head in disbelief as he stared at the dead body. He didn't think clickers could fucking jump or climb. What kind of shit were these fuckers doing underground?
Deciding it was useless to be up high, he climbed down the ladder. He saw Harold fighting off an infected. He ran over to them and kicked the infected away from him and shot him in the head.
Harold looked up at him with wide eyes full of gratitude,'I guess ya figured it out too?'
'That they can fucking jump?' He nodded,'Yeah, I figured that out real quick.'
Joel reloaded his rifle and took out his pistol. He started shooting them with both weapons. Harold was standing next to him, shooting his own as the infected advanced towards them. They were going to be outnumbered pretty soon.
They ran into the jailhouse and closed the door behind them, making sure to lock it. They pushed the table against it for good measure. They already knew they could jump. God only knows what else they could do.
Joel looked him over to try and see if he has any injuries,'You get bit?'
'No.' He shook his head as he looked up at him warily,'Did you?'
Joel inspected himself and shook his head,'No. Would ya believe me if I did?'
'Yeah.' Harold swallowed harshly,'Cause men should be able to take each other at their word.'
Joel didn't have a response for that. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. If Harold was infected than only time would tell. Better he's locked in here with him and no one else.
He walked into the cell Tommy was kept in. Nothing seemed to be amiss except for the blood on the floor and the tattered and bloody flannel. Francis's cell looked about the same.
Joel turned to Harold and shook his head,'Where's the blood?'
'What blood?'
'From your deputy who was shot and killed.' Joel heaved an exasperated sigh,'Your deputy didn't get killed did he?'
'I said I was a marine not a detective.' Harold smiled wryly,'That seems more like your gig.' He shook his head and sighed,'I never came here to look. I was too busy with the shooting at the town hall.'
Joel started pacing back and forth,'I think your deputy is in on it.'
Harold's eyes widened in surprise and he snorted,'Who isn't at this point? I'm starting to suspect my dog's in on it.'
The windows and door started rattling as the infected struggled to get in. They both ran to the window, panic starting to set in.
Joel saw the clickers surrounding the small building. He shook his head and sighed. How many fuckers are there?
Harold frowned as he stared out the window,'They're too close for comfort. We can break through them being so close.'
'I know.' He nodded understandably,'There's a couple options. We could torch this place up and get the hell out or break this window and start shooting.'
Harold snorted and nodded,'Either one is acceptable.' He sighed as he cocked his rifle,'I can create a distraction while you make a run for it. You got a pregnant wife to look after.'
'And you have a family too.' He shook his head adamantly,'Ain't no way I'm leaving ya. You stuck your neck out for me and my family. Becca would have my ass if I left you.'
Harold pursed his lips to suppress his smile and shook his head,'I'm also the Sheriff and it's my job to protect this town.'
Joel rolled his eyes and nudged his shoulder,'I ain't begging ya so just shut the fuck up and let's starting killing before they kill us.'
Harold bristled at his words as he immediately went into soldier mode. He broke open the window with the butt of his rifle. They stepped back as the shards of glass fell onto the ground.
Joel looked up at him and shook his head. He was surprised by this guy. He always assumed he had just been a mechanic before the outbreak. He came to find that he was actually a very well trained Marine. This town didn't even fucking know what this guy was capable of.
Maybe Joel liked him a bit and secretly wanted to go shooting with him. Maybe. He wondered if he would go. That's if they made it out alive.
The infected started lunging at the open window, smelling fresh meat. They aimed their rifles at the clickers as they started shooting at them. Joel ran over to another window and broke it. He starred shooting at the mob of clickers.
If these were a decoy to tire them out it was working. He could feel the sweat dripping off his face. He was running on adrenaline and anger. God help anyone that dared to come into his path.
He cursed as his gun started jamming. He leaned back against the wall to avoid a clicker's hand grabbing at him. He heard the shrill wail of a clicker as it lunged for him. He tried to get his pistol out in time, but he wasn't quick enough.
He hated he wasn't faster. Back in his heyday, he could draw a gun as quick as ten seconds. He found himself faced to face with a clicker. It lunges at him and Joel kicked him in the chest as hard as he could, causing him to fall back. It gave him enough time to fix his rifle and pull out a pistol. He shot it in the head, watching the dark ooze secrete from his body.
Joel ran over to Harold and shouted,'You got the cell keys?'
'Yeah.' Harold shouted back as they stood back to back, shooting the clickers as fast as they could,'Why do you ask?'
'We're gonna lock ourselves in the cell.' He kicked a clicker as he lunged at him,'Ain't no way we're killing these fuckers this way. They're too strong. There's too many of them.
Harold nodded as Joel ran towards the first cell. He followed him and made sure to lock it from the front before closing the door.
Joel kicked the bed against the front of the cell, using it as a buffer. They started shooting at the clickers who tried to get in between the bars.
All of the sudden, they heard a big loud boom. They smelled the distinct scent of fire and burnt flesh. The clickers started wailing as their deformed bodies caught on fire. It was absolute chaos as they screamed in pain.
Joel cocked his head thoughtfully. Could clickers even feel pain? Did they feel themselves turning? Did that little boy he killed feel any pain? Did Riley?
Harold and Joel continued shooting as someone else was shooting them from outside. Joel was really glad he decided to put that mattress near the door.
Joel shook his head and sighed,'Who do you thinks doing this?!'
'This or the bigger this?' Harold rolled his eyes,'Cause there's a lot of this happening right now.'
Joel nodded and snorted,'Whoever it is has our fucking Molotov cocktails.'
Joel didn't have to wonder for very long. As the final clicker fell to ground, his eyes widened when he saw his wife and Ellie.
He shook his head confusingly, seeing them standing there with rifles in their hands. They had determined looks on their faces.
Becca frowned as she walked into the jailhouse and saw Harold and Joel in a cell. The same cell she had been in. Ever since she got back she avoided this place like the plague. She dreaded coming here. It was during one of the worst periods of her life. A time she was supposed to be joyous turned into a nightmare.
Becca walked over to their cell and shook her head confusingly,'Did someone lock you guys in here?'
Joel narrowed his eyes as he walked over to the door,'What the fuck are you doing here? You're supposed to be back at the hospital.' He glared at Ellie,'The both of
you.'
He hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but he was afraid for them. They're the reasons why the council is doing this. They didn't care if anyone knew their secret. It strangely felt good they didn't have to hide anything anymore.
Becca sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She was used to her husband's overprotectiveness. She didn't find it sweet. She found it annoying.
Becca leaned in close to him and looked him dead in the eye,'Let's get one thing straight. You don't tell me what to do. Ever. I refuse to have another husband like that Secondly? You say you're my husband and it's your job to protect me.' She nodded.'I'm your wife. The same goes for you too. Do you honestly think I would've just sat in the hospital while you were out fighting. I watched you from the roof.' She shook her head,'When I saw you running in here. I knew I had to something.'
'She's right.' Ellie shrugged,'Besides, es can't sick. It's better than us than someone else.'
Joel bowed his head and sighed. He couldn't argue with them. He didn't have to like it though.
Harold slid the keys underneath the cell so Ellie could unlock the door.
Harold grabbed both of the fire extinguishers to snuff out the flames that were smoldering the charred bodies. He coughed slightly at the stench. He looked at the deformed heads of the dead bodies in horror. He didn't remember seeing anything like this before and he thought he's seen every kind of infected there was.
Harold averted his eyes between the two women and smiled softly,'Thanks for the help.'
'You're welcome.' Becca nodded,'I do need to go back to the hospital though.' She turned to Joel and rolled her eyes,'You can come too because I know you're just going to anyway.'
Joel snorted and shook his head,'I should lock you two in a room so ya won't get hurt.'
'We're just fine.' Becca's eyes scanned him up and down,'You get bit or anything. I don't want you to be another Tess. '
He saw the small grin on her face and fell in love with her all over again. Becca five years ago wouldn't have the courage to do anything like this. Ben and David thought they could beat it out of her. They ended up just making her stronger.
'I ain't hurt.' He shook his head and sighed, looking over at Ellie,'Thank you both for doing this.'
'It's nothing.' Ellie shrugged,'You would've done the same for us.'
Joel nodded silently. He didn't even have to say a thing. They already knew.
Harold sighed as he walked over the dead bodies,'I need to check on my wife and kid.'
'Bring them to the hospital.' Becca nodded,'Its the safest place at this point.'
Harold nodded and smiled softly,'Thank you.'
The three of them walked out of the jailhouse and to the hospital. Joel had his arm wrapped around Becca's shoulder while Ellie stood close to Becca's side. They were all weary and exhausted, but they knew this was far from over.
It was only the beginning…