"If you cling to life, you live in fear of death."
Chapter 11: Won't Back Down
Part I - Swarmed
The walls of flame continue to burn through Houlton as the barbed wire on the fences that have fallen has stuck to the roamers' bodies. A rage runs through JuJu's body as he continues to shoot the roamers with his Honey Badger.
"JuJu!" Yells Marcus. "We gotta get inside! There's too many!"
He turns his head and nods as he signals Lucky to follow him. The three and others by the gate retreat deeper into the community as the horde of roamers follow slowly behind.
They all start to run towards their homes as the three bust through the front door before closing it. JuJu looks out of the window and sees other people in the community attempting to get into their homes before getting bombarded by the herd.
"Fuck, man!" JuJu yells as he throws his rifle onto the ground. "This is fucking bullshit!"
Lucky growls and barks at the front door, hearing the roamers outside.
"JuJu," Marcus replies. "Try to relax, bro."
He turns his head and glares at him.
"Relax? How the fuck am I supposed to relax if we're getting our home destroyed!"
JuJu sighs as he walks toward the backyard and glances at Emmanuel's grave through the sliding door. Lucky notices this and stops barking as he goes to juju and lays by his leg with his big ears drooping down.
"We can never catch a break, can we?"
"Nah, J. We can't. But we've been through a lot of shit. We can get through this too, alright?"
JuJu nods.
"Alright, I have a plan. I don't know if it'll work, but it's better than nothing."
"What is it?" Marcus replies.
"Since the front of the house is covered by roamers, we gotta hop the fence from the backyard. Lucky can jump it too. We gotta kill a couple of roamers along the way. You in?"
Marcus sighs.
"I'm in, let's get it."
JuJu nods as he walks back into the living room and grabs his rifle, slinging it on his back. Lucky gets up, sensing the urgency in the air as his pointy ears perk up again. Marcus then opens the sliding door as the three stand in the backyard. JuJu takes a deep breath and glances at Emmanuel's grave once more.
"This is for all of us…" He mutters. "We'll hop the fence this way. You ready?"
Marcus nods.
"On three. One… Two… Three!"
They break into a sprint heading toward the wooden fence. Lucky follows closely behind, his agile movements surprising for a dog his size. JuJu and Marcus hop the fence, making it look easy with their athletic ability as Lucky also hops it. A few roamers from the horde notice this and stumble towards them. JuJu takes out his rifle, fires in short bursts, and takes out the few roamers coming their way.
"Let's keep movin'." He says. "We should head to the armory. There are probably some people there, plus, more ammo.
"Good idea."
The three then jog toward the armory in the military zone. As they get there, JuJu reminisces from when he and others broke out of the prison and notices the downed helicopter still in the same place as it was when it was shot down, just without the ball of fire around it. From the corner of his eye, JuJu spots Lisa and three others, Kotaro, Ted, and Sergei, running out from the armory rolling barrels of some kind away from the building.
"Lisa?" JuJu says to himself. "The hell are they doing?"
He then looks ahead and runs into the armory with Marcus and their dog as they restock themselves with ammunition for their weapons.
"We gotta be quick with what we gotta grab J," Marcus says.
"I know," JuJu replies. "I just need a couple rounds for my revolver and my rifle."
Marcus drops his FAL rifle and picks up a SIG MPX submachine gun.
"This is more my style," He smirks.
"You good to go?"
"Yeah, J. Where to?"
"I think we should head to the church. I bet we'll find more people to help us. And we'll take down this horde. Strength in numbers."
"I'll take your word for it, Man."
The two and their dog bust through the door of the armory and head straight for the church. They come across small groups of roamers that broke away from the herd and take them out one by one. JuJu uses his rifle and knife occasionally as Marcus uses his new SMG, firing directly into their undead skulls.
Suddenly, in the distance behind them, a loud explosion is heard near the armory.
"The hell was that?" JuJu asks.
"I don't want to know," Marcus says. "The roamers are blocking off the road. We gotta go the long way around."
"Good idea."
They run through the back alleyways of buildings and eventually get to the church before the doors bust open with George, Vonda, and other survivors coming out.
Vonda looks at JuJu, Marcus, and Lucky as she nods her head.
"Good to see you three are still alive."
"I'm a tough nut to crack, Von," JuJu smirks. "Good to see you too."
The three join them and start firing their weapons at the roamers in the streets. After some time, they see a tank coming towards them.
"Uh, please tell me that tank's on our side."
Then, Sergei opens the hatch and tells everyone to head back inside the church and take cover.
"I'll take care of this for you!" Sergei continues.
JuJu goes into the church, followed by the others, and hides behind the seats. Marcus, Vonda, and Lucky sit in the same section as him as they all watch Sergei fire an RPG at the herd, hearing explosion after explosion as JuJu looks at Vonda.
"I don't know where the hell he got a tank, but I'm not complaining."
"Same here," Vonda replies. "George said it's from the Piranhas"
He raises an eyebrow.
"Piranhas?"
"Oh right, you weren't there with us. It was another threat to us before we came to Houlton. They won't be a problem anymore anyway."
Lucky gets closer to Vonda and licks her face playfully.
"Hey, boy!" She chuckles, down!"
"He really likes you, Von."
"Guess so. He's a good dog."
Moments later, Sergei looks back at the others from the tank.
"We going to the front gates! We're taking out all the roamers from here to Medway!"
Everyone nods as George gives a thumbs-up and leads everyone out to the streets.
"Von!" JuJu yells. "Where you heading?"
Vonda turns around and looks at JuJu and the rest.
"Going to the infirmary! I think Lynn and the others are there!"
"Bet! We'll come with!"
Vonda nods as the three follow her toward the infirmary, fighting small groups of roamers along the way. She aims her bow quickly and precisely and doesn't miss a shot, hitting every roamer in the head. On the other hand, Lucky occasionally pounces on other roamers and bites their throats before JuJu fires a shot in their heads, making the brain matter splat onto his white shoes.
They eventually get there moments later and they bust through the door. They see that there are dead roamers on the floor but they hear voices down the hall. They follow the voices until they get to the room. They are instantly met by the others, Lynn, Clyde, Leni, Lily, Ronnie Anne, Dr. White, Haley, Lincoln, Lana, and Carol, holding something close to her. He walks up closer and notices that it's her baby.
"Woah," he says. "Congrats Carol."
"Thanks, JuJu," she replies.
"What's her name?"
"Her name is Zoey."
She then shows JuJu what her daughter looks like under the pink blanket she's wrapped around.
"She's beautiful… Looks just like her mom."
She sighs and smiles as JuJu turns around and sees a couple of group members covered in blood.
"Holy shit. Why are y'all so bloody? And y'all stink…"
"It's a long story," Ronnie Anne says.
He nods and then notices that Lynn is lying on one of the hospital beds. Her leg is showing a huge burn mark, and of course, JuJu goes straight to her.
"Lynn! What the hell happened?"
"Well, hey to you too, bro. But some of the Napalm got my leg, it hurts like hell, but I should be fine."
"Why are you always putting yourself in these positions LJ?"
"I don't know JuJu. Wrong place at the wrong time I guess. Don't worry about me, okay?"
"Alright…" He sighs before turning around and facing the others. "So, what's the move?"
Lori then busts through the door with Bobby and a few others behind her. Her worried expression changes to relief, and she looks at Carol with her new daughter. The two talk for a little bit before Lori wipes a few tears from her eyes.
"I'm glad all of you are okay," she says after wiping her nose. "The herd's almost gone, we can finish this."
Everyone nods in determination.
"I'm gonna need a few to come with me and help Sergei clear the rest that is left out here. Who's coming?"
"I'll go," JuJu says. "Marcus, stay here with Lucky for me, alright?"
"I got you," He nods.
"I'll come too," Vonda says as she puts a hand on JuJu's shoulder. Showing how much she cares about Houlton and her friends. Then, a few others join in to help as well when Lori smiles.
"Thank you," she says.
As they prepare to head out, JuJu glances around the room, taking in the faces of those he's fought alongside. He feels a sense of camaraderie, a bond forged through the trials and challenges they've faced together.
"Alright, let's do this," JuJu declares, gripping the handle of his revolver. "We clear the streets, secure our home, and make sure this place stands strong."
With determined nods from the group, they exit the infirmary, leaving Marcus, Lucky, and the others behind to guard the wounded and the newborn Zoey.
As they step back onto the streets, they find themselves facing a scene of chaos. The once orderly community is now a battleground, with the remnants of the roamer horde still posing a threat, but not as much as before. The streets are covered in body parts and blood, followed by lone roamers that have broken off from the horde. They can hear the distant explosions from Sergei's tank, signaling that the frontline is still holding.
JuJu follows the group through the narrow streets, picking off roamers silently to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Vonda gracefully handles her bow, sending arrows with precision, while the others use a mix of firearms and melee weapons.
As they approach the heart of the conflict, they notice that the numbers of roamers are thinning. The combined efforts of Sergei, the tank, and those on the front lines have taken a toll on the undead.
"Damn, Sergei did work with that tank."
"Damn right, Ju," Vonda replies. "I'm surprised we're actually getting through this. Even though we lost some people…"
"Everything worth fighting for involves sacrifice, Von. It's not how we'd like it to be, but that's how it is."
Vonda sighs as she pulls back an arrow and shoots a roamer in the head.
"I guess you're right. But I need to talk to you, like privately."
She then turns her head toward Lori.
"Hey, Lori! Me and Ju are gonna branch off this way and see if there are any more roamers."
Lori nods as she continues scanning the area as Vonda and JuJu branch off in another direction until they are near the church again.
"What is it, Von?"
"I want to talk about you and Lynn."
JuJu's eyes widen and his face turns red.
"Uh, Wh-what do you mean?"
"Ju, it's pretty obvious that you like her, man. You probably thought I was oblivious to it, but I've known from the get-go. The way you act around her, the way your expression changes, and the frequent times you two spend together… and just so you know, you aren't the only one."
"Huh?"
"Clyde likes her too. I don't know how she feels about him, but just saying, I say you're better for her."
JuJu runs a hand through his dreads, processing Vonda's words. The revelation catches him off guard, and he stammers a bit before finding his words.
"I... I didn't realize it was that obvious. I mean, I do like her, like a lot, and we've been through a lot together. But Clyde? Really?"
Vonda chuckles.
"Yeah. I've seen the way he looks at her, and the poor guy practically turns into a nervous wreck whenever she's around. But listen, Ju, I'm not here to tell you what to do. I just wanted to make sure you're aware of the situation."
JuJu nods, a mix of emotions swirling inside him. The chaos around them serves as a stark backdrop to the complexities of human relationships.
"I appreciate you being straight with me, Von. It's just... everything's been so intense lately."
Vonda places a hand on his shoulder, offering a supportive smile.
"I get it, Ju. We're surviving, and that's the priority. But don't forget that life goes on, even in the middle of all this madness. If something's meant to happen, it will."
As they continue clearing out the remaining roamers, JuJu reflects on Vonda's words. Lynn's image lingers in his mind, her resilience and spirit shining through even in the darkest moments. The tangled web of emotions becomes a backdrop to the larger fight for survival.
Eventually, they regroup with the others, and the combined efforts of the community prove effective in completely eradicating the roamers. The once-besieged Houlton begins to regain a sense of order as the survivors gather in the town square.
Sergei pulls up in the tank, a victorious grin on his face.
"We make good team, comrades!" He says with his thick Russian accent.
Lori steps forward, addressing the crowd. "Today, we faced a horde like never before. But we stood together, fought together, and we prevailed. Houlton is still standing because of each and every one of you. Let's rebuild, let's remember those we lost, and let's keep this community strong."
The crowd erupts in cheers, a mixture of relief and pride washing over them. As the day transitions into night, Houlton begins the process of healing. The injured are tended to, the fallen are mourned, and the survivors find solace in the camaraderie that pulled them through the darkest hours.
In the quiet moments, JuJu sits by Emmanuel's grave, contemplating the events that unfolded. Vonda and Lucky join him, silently offering their company. The night sky is adorned with stars, a poignant reminder of the vastness of the world beyond their struggles.
"Life's a strange thing, Ju," Vonda says softly, breaking the silence. "We navigate through it the best we can, and sometimes, unexpected things happen. Embrace it when it does."
He nods, appreciating the wisdom in her words. Houlton, though scarred, stands resilient. And amid uncertainty, amidst the ashes of chaos, life finds a way to persist, much like the flickering flames that dance in the remnants of the once-raging inferno.