-Day 5-
Alarms and sirens scattered throughout the entire town as the sun fell down to the earth. The sky had a tang of orange and pink pigment scattered across the horizon. Streetlamps flickered on and off in the sidewalk. Windows in every home went opaque and the air conditioners no longer blew air. As usual, gunshots were fired, along with the shouting of protesters.
The stadium was locked down by the National Guard and by local police forces. Every roamer that escaped from the gates of the stadiums were shot down by law enforcement. However, not all those who escaped were roamers.
The protesters continued to shout at the riot police, sometimes throwing stones at them. A police officer hollered at the protesters, ordering them to go somewhere safe. The truth was, in the eyes of the protesters, there were no safe places except their dark homes. Meredith Hilda couldn't stand dark homes, especially with a niece that she barely interacted with, unless she counts the amount of times she had conversations with her while holding a bottle of liquor.
A helicopter landed in an empty parking lot outside of the hospital near Palmer Field. The chief of police of Ann Arbor awaited near the gates of the parking lot, which also served as the entrance to the hospital. A couple rogue soldiers came out of the helicopter, scanning the surrounding area. The chief gulped as he saw General Quentin Black step out of the helicopter.
"How are you, Chief Adams?" greeted the general. "You know what it's time for, am I correct?"
"Yes," said the chief, shivering as he thought about what he was about to be ordered to do. "But, I believe she's protesting with the others. We don't have to storm inside their homes and slaughter everyone. I can't do that to innocent women and children."
"You understand that the Meredith and Vonda aren't innocent?" insisted Black. "But to save you guys from storming inside each individual home, you and your guys are going to be doing something different."
"As long as my family is guaranteed safe passage to Nova Scotia, I'll do anything you say," said Chief Adams.
"And that's why you and your family will enjoy a hot meal in Nova Scotia. But you won't be calling it that anymore. When the whole world goes to shit, and the strong make it out alive, it should be known as Nova Terra."
"Nova Terra?"
"New Earth. New Land. What I want you to do is order your men in blue to shoot down the protesters. Sacrifice the lives that would no doubt suffer in the new world to take out the one threat that would destroy the future that we have planned. We got Tim and his daughter in Detroit. Quirino's forces should handle Sherry."
Chief Adams grabbed his badge and sighed. General Black looked around the hospital and spotted dozens of people trying to get inside the gate. The general looked at his men and nodded his head while motioning his index finger and middle finger across his neck. The rogue soldiers raised their weapons and sprayed bullets through the gates. Adams' jaw widened and he held his breath as the people were slaughtered outside the gates.
"People will suffer a worse fate in New York today," said General Black. "Quirino's forces will storm New York some time after Operation Dust Zone. It will be hell over there. This mission is for the greater good of this world, don't forget that."
Chief Adams softly lowered his head and raised it again. General Black continued to stare at him.
"Well? Are you going to follow orders?"
"Right, the order," gulped Adams.
Adams nervously pulled out his walkie-talkie. He turned it on as he eyed the bleeding bodies near the gates.
"This is Chief of Police Ferdinand Adams. To all riot control forces, I order you to eliminate any threat you encounter in the containment of the infected by any means necessary. The infection causes its victims to become aggressive and that is enough I can tell you about the protesters. This is an order."
The rogue soldiers stormed inside the hospital. Gunshots went off. General Black walked back into the helicopter, holding his hand out for the chief. Adams climbed onto the helicopter and both men awaited the soldiers' return. The gunshot stopped and the rogue soldiers climbed back into the helicopter.
Meredith Hilda held a liquor bottle with a cloth and a lighter. The protesters were becoming violent and turning into rioters. The riot police unleashed tear gas on the crowd, which resulted into the lighting of hundreds of bottles. The Molotovs were tossed into the gas, causing a streak of flame to spark within the tear gas. Suddenly, bullets flew away from the gas and towards the rioters, striking many of them. The riot police focused their attention away from the stadium in which the roamers were now escaping from.
More Molotovs were thrown across the air, setting cars, trees, and buildings ablaze. The police moved towards the fleeing rioters in a thunderous motion, shooting anyone they see. A frightened driver raised his hands as an officer walked to his car. The officer raised his rifle at the windshield and pulled the trigger. Many pieces of glass shattered as the riot police shot their guns at the windows of stores and houses near the stadium.
Meredith sobbed as the tear gas attacked her lungs and eyes. Her upper left limb was missing and the rest of her body was painted with blood. She let out her last breath, apologizing to Tim and Vonda. The fire engulfed the many bodies that lied in near the stadium.
The roamers came out of the trail of gas, hungering for the souls that ended them. The officers shot the roamers' bodies, but they failed to hit their heads, resulting in the officers' gruesome deaths. Their screams matched those of the rioters that fell near the stadium.
The red sky reflected the anger of the rioters and the blazing streak that consumed central Ann Arbor. General Black, Chief Adams, and the rest of the rogue soldiers flew out of the chaos that they created. Adams looked away from the burning town while Black stared at it.
"You understand that I don't enjoy seeing this, right?" said Adams.
"I don't enjoy seeing the world burn, either, if I have to be honest with you," replied Black. "The last thing I wanted was a world on fire. But this is only a microcosm of what was. The world was already on fire before. And according to a buddy of mine, we were walking in the midst of it."
-Present Day-
"No, I won't kneel," spat Luna. "Your group won't be happy about what you're doing."
"You don't know shit about my group," said Jayden. "Get on your knees!"
"I wouldn't hold that shit on me if I were you. You're asking for death right now."
"Luna, what are you doing?" gasped Sam.
Lynn held Rusty, Liam, Zach, Tabby, Lucy, Meli, and Clyde back as they watched the scene unfold before them. Carol stood behind them, holding a small revolver, Lola held her buck knife, while Lana held her heavy wrench tightly.
"I need you guys to walk behind the cabin. I think shit's about to go down," said Lynn.
"I can cover you," said Wavehead.
"No, I need you and D to protect the others."
"Okay, got it."
Lynn grabbed her bow and drew and arrow from her quiver. Before she took a step towards the RV, Clyde grabbed her shoulder.
"Stay safe," whispered Clyde.
"You too, Clyde. I'll be fine," smiled Lynn.
"Lynn, wait I got an idea. It involves with Jake," said Lucy.
"Okay hit me with it, what's the plan?"
"I would listen to your girlfriend," said Jayden. "I'm giving you one last chance before I pump some lead into you."
"Luna, I think you should listen to him," whispered Chunk.
"You need to chill with that. Put that shit away and fight me with your hands, pussy!"
Jayden lowered his pistol and shot it. Luna yelped while falling to the ground on her knees. Blood poured from beneath her left shin as she placed her left palm in the ground, her head low, and her arms on her right knee.
"Come on! Who's next!" yelled Jayden.
"Luna!" yelled Sam, as she looked up at Jayden. "Why'd you do that?"
Jayden aimed his pistol at Sam.
"Looks like you want to be next."
"No, no, I'm next," said Sergei. "Leave them alone. They don't deserve death."
"You're saying you do?"
"I just want you to settle down. We all need to calm down. Your group and my group are going to return some point later. They won't be happy to find out that we did this. It would drive a wedge between us and your people back at the community."
"Yeah mate. There's no need for any of this," added Chunk.
"Community? You gullible fucks! There is no community! Your group are being sent to trap to end their pitiful lives!"
Luna gasped as tears of pain fell from her eyes. Sam held her tightly, whimpering as Jayden moved his pistol towards Sergei and Chunk.
"Why? What did we ever do to you guys?" asked Sergei.
"It's not that you guys did anything to us. It's that we need all the supplies that we can get. Even if we have to kill other people for it! You see, there was a point in time when we had nothing! Not even a bottle of water to feed the many of us! There used to be more of us, but… shit happens!" replied Jayden.
"We have nothing as well. Maybe some shit that will last us for a few days, but then that is it. We are all desperate, but we wouldn't kill for some supplies!" said Sergei.
"Yeah. We only killed to defend ourselves," said Chunk.
"You would kill anyone who defies you! Like Jake! If I were to lower my gun, you guys would kill me!"
"Lower your gun now or Jake will die!"
Jayden looked to see Jack on his knees and Lucy pointed Jason silver M1911 at his head. Lynn pulled the string back in her bow and aimed it at Jayden.
"Drop your gun right now or I will shoot him," demanded Lucy.
"No. You'll kill me the moment I dropped my gun!"
"Well, we tried it the easy way. Now we do it hard way."
Lynn pulled the string back in her bow and aimed it at Jayden. As she released the arrow, Jayden ducked and shot his gun at Lynn and Lucy. They tackled the door to the cabin and ran inside, dodging the bullets.
"Son of a bitch!" growled Jayden as he took out a magazine for his pistol. "Looks like I gotta hold one of y'all at gunpoint to teach this bitch a lesson."
Sergei grabbed Jayden's right arm and pulled it backwards with immense force, snapping Jayden's arm and rendering it useless. He let out a strong yell before smacking Sergei with his gun. He grabbed Sergei's neck with his left hand and choked him. Sergei fell to the ground with Jayden on top of him.
Suddenly, a bullet went through Jayden's arm forcing him to let going off Sergei. Lucy shot at Jayden again as he ran towards the woods, Lucy aimed the pistol and shot Jayden through his left leg, as Jayden fell flat into the ground. Jason ran out of the woods aiming his pistol at Jayden.
"What the hell are you doing here?" groaned Jayden. "What happened to Bret and Mike?"
"I know what you were planning on killing us and I already dealt with Bret and Mike," replied Jason.
"You know? How the hell did you know!?"
"That doesn't matter, your people are group to die tonight. Oh and this is going to hurt a lot."
"What are you-"
Jason pulled out the machete he took from Mike and stabbed Jayden in his right leg. He screamed in pain as the blade was ripped out.
Lynn came out of the cabin with the string of her bow drawn backwards. She pulled the string forward as she grabbed her arrow. Luna looked at Sam with her jaws left open. Sergei smiled and sighed in relief. Luna then smiled as well.
"Thank you, my love," gasped Luna as she fell to the ground.
Carol came out from behind the cabin, along with the other kids, running to Luna. She turned Luna over and saw a bullet hole in her shin. Lynn walked over to Jayden and spat on it, while Sam began to sob. Jason grabbed Jayden and dragged him to the cabin.
"You guys alright?" asked Jason.
"No, Luna got shot!" exclaimed Chunk.
"Is she going to be okay?" whimpered Sam. "Please tell me she will!"
"She will be okay. She will be. I just need to bring her inside the cabin," said Carol. "You guys need to rescue the others! Go!"
"Right! The rest of the group!" exclaimed Sergei. "They're walking into a death trap!"
"I know, I warn them. But they still need are help, anyone who can fight come on!" said Jason.
Sergei ran inside the cabin and grabbed his rifle. Chunk followed behind and grabbed his shotgun. Carol, Lucy, and Lynn brought Luna inside the cabin, while D and Wavehead grabbed a couple magazines for their pistols from the van. Sam walked inside the cabin with hopes of assisting Carol with stabilizing her girlfriend. Jason knocked out Jayden and tied him up.
Sergei, Lynn, Lucy, Chunk, Jason, Wavehead, and D dashed into the forest, following the groups' trails that led them into the big campfire. The kids dashed inside the cabin, closing the door. Jayden remained in the grass next to Jake, as thunder boomed across the sky.
Lincoln looked quietly into the campfire. The crackling sounds of the embers filled the silence in the gaps from one thunder to another. He turned to look at Lori, who was focused on the enemy in front of her. Bret struggled trying to break free from David grip.
Ronnie Anne looked at her brother, who held his daughter that he always wanted in his arms. She was worry just as much as Bobby for Darcy and everyone's safety, almost as if Darcy was her own daughter as well. However, she knew that what she felt couldn't match Bobby's worries. Still, she was worried her Darcy's safety as well.
"If you don't let us go, you will die," said Bret.
"Shut up, they will kill us if we do. You were planning on killing us!" exclaimed Lori.
"Well, I understand how you feel. Wanting to kill me for trying to kill you. I wish I could do the same thing with Major Brown. He was the one who killed my mother with a grenade launcher back in Boston. Mike knows it too. After all… he's my brother. But you guys aren't too concerned about that, right?"
"What was your plan, you lead us out here and kill us all," asked David.
"Fire is one of the most beautiful thing that nature has to offer. It provides heat. And heat provides life. But life leads to death, and it only makes sense to die by something that would provide life. Not following me here, yet? I was planning on throwing Darcy into the fire along with that Meli girl."
The group remained silent. Bret continued with his story.
"Look, it doesn't have to be fire. I could've planned to drowned them. But I didn't because fire has life. It moves and seeks to engulf, burn something. Or someone. I can see why Major Brown used fire to kill his enemies. Still doesn't make what he did right. But I understand it. And what I planned on doing was as right. I hope you guys understand."
"How is it right?" asked Bobby. "What did those girls ever do to you?"
"Jake contacted us earlier, telling us that they knocked him out. Pretty smart girls. Everything that happened after was because of Meli and Darcy. And that's why we planned to tossed them into the fire. Justice."
"You're sick," said Becky. "Sick pyromaniacs. That's what you guys are."
"You should've seen the dead ones burning up in flames to haunt us as we fought them off. Beautiful. We are just like them, now and in the afterlife. Walking in the midst of fire. Just like Darcy and Meli will be. Just like you guys in a couple minutes. You guys aren't following me, right?"
"We are," said Richard. "I can see that you guys are batshit murderers."
"It's funny that you mention that," said Bret. "Jake said he was running away from something while having his hands tied up. He mentioned a tall, blond man with hair in his jaw. We later found his walkie-talkie and pieces of his shirt and blood lying in a ditch. You can imagine our anger after we saw that, right?"
"He attacked a member of our group. Of course, I went after him. I don't feel ashamed about it."
"I don't know if his alive or not, but none of you will be soon."
The Looters spread out and surrounded the group and got ready to shoot the group.
"Look at that! Another act of justice has to be done soon. Your all going to die one way or another."
Two Looters had their guns aimed at Richard, as they were ready to shot him down.
"That's what you think but your wrong. It will be the other way around!" exclaimed Richard.
A bullet flew through the air and struck the chest of the Looter to Richard's right. Another bullet struck the Looter to his left, creating a hole through his shirt and in his chest. Both Looters dropped to the ground. A burst of bullets erased the face of the Looter behind David and a burst of pallets tour through the limbs of another Looter behind Becky and Dana. The Looters aimed their weapons behind Lori and fired into the trees. While some of the group took caver behind the trees
David and Richard knocked out Bret and Mike and through them into the ground as they got behind a tree. A Roamer that hared the gun fire came out of the trees and growling towards Luan, but Richard grabbed it by the neck.
"I gotta make you useful," said Richard, while turning Roamer around.
A Looter stood behind Lincoln, with his rifle aimed at the trees in front of them. Richard shoved the roamer to the Looter. The roamer sunk its teeth into the back of the Looter's neck, biting his flesh off. He screamed in agony, while the roamer sunk its nails into the Looter's arms and pressing him as they both fell to the ground.
Lincoln and Ronnie Anne crawled towards Bobby. Benny grabbed his straight-edged katana and stood up. A Looter turned around to the other Looter's screams and dived into the tip of a katana. Benny shoved the katana in and out, killing his first victim ever since the apocalypse started.
The other Looters looked at Benny and raised their weapons, but one of the Looters was shot in the chest and head, causing him to the drop next to a small campfire. The drizzle dropped more raindrops on the group as the other Looters faced the trees behind David and Richard. Another bullet struck a Looter's head, and another Looter was shot in the abdomen and the chest and then the neck. He gasped as he fell to the ground, blood washing the ground below the group.
David looked around as an arrow flew across the camp and into the roamer's head. The roamer dropped to the ground with the arrow stuck in its head.
Sergei and Chunk propped out of the tree behind Lori. Jason, Lucy, Wavehead, and D came from behind David and Richard while Lynn revealed herself behind Leni and Carol. They all looked at Lori, who was looking down at Bret with holding her box cutting. She looked towards Bobby who was holding a frightful Darcy in his arms, she looked at Jason who slowly shocked his head. Lori nodded walked towards Bobby and took Darcy out of his arms and held her close.
Millions of raindrops rained over Boston where the group decided they weren't going. The group turned on their flashlight and saw a couple roamers heading to the camp. Lynn and Wavehead made it their job to protect the group from the roamers. David and Richard walked over to the smoldering campfire, picking guns along the way. Becky, Dana, Benny, and Luan rummaged through the Looters' backpacks, taking them along with them. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne stood up and helped Leni up to her feet. Shocked by what occurred, Leni held Lincoln close to her. Jason asked Sergei and Chunk to bring Bret and Mike back to the cabin.
Lisa held out her hands for Lincoln to grab since her glowing glasses were stained from the drops of rain. Lisa flicked her glasses, causing the lens to fade into transparency. Ronnie Anne helped Bobby up as he continued to stare at his daughter in Lori's arms. Lynn walked over to Lori and offered to help her up. However, Lori stood up on her own and walked away from the camp with Darcy clinging on to her, her hands shaking and her breaths rapid.
"So I got two of them," D told Wavehead. "And you got one of the others."
Both boys walked back to the cabin with the rest of the group following them. The rain diluted the blood on Lori's face, though it was still obvious that something bloody occurred in the Looters' camp.
"Here, you can have your gun back," said Lucy.
Jason took his gun and put it in his holster. He looked down at Lucy and picked her up, catching her by surprise and walked back to the cabin.
David looked at his RV and saw Jayden lying in the grass with his hands tied around his wrist. He faced the sky and closed his eyes, letting the rain wash off the blood in his face.
Sergei and Chunk dropped Bret and Mike next to Jayden and Jake.
"Luna, Sam. I have to be honest with you guys. I don't even know if she'll be able to walk again with that leg," said Carol, eyeing the wounded girl. "I need Lisa's input on the situation– oh they're back!"
Carol opened the cabin door and allowed the group to come inside. Lori gave Darcy to Bobby and rushed towards Luna, giving her a quick hug. Luna's eyes expanded.
"Lori, you have red gunk on your face!" gasped Luna.
"Don't worry. It's not mine," said Lori.
Lori walked back towards Carol and wrapped her hands around her. This surprised Carol, but she hugged her friend back, knowing that she needed some kind of comfort.
"Thank you for saving her," whispered Lori. "You've done it again."
"It's my job… but Lori! What happened out there?" asked Carol.
"Too much happened that's all I can say," replied Lori.
Lori released Carol and held Bobby and Darcy tightly. Tabby walked downstairs into the living room, holding Lily. The toddler was cooing and making baby noises, holding Rafo, the stuffed giraffe. Bobby walked and took the stuffed giraffe and gave to Darcy to calm her down tears fell from Darcy's eyes as she held her stuffed animal, Lori held Darcy close to her not wanting to let go. Becky rubbed her arms as she walked upstairs. Dana and D followed her. Lisa flicked her glasses and handed them to Carol.
"Twist the lens counterclockwise to go backwards. Twist them clockwise to go forward," whispered Lisa. "You'll see what happens. I'm going to check up on Darcy to see if she is mentally okay."
Carol placed the glasses on, raising her eyes as she watched a silent-film type of recording of the group surrounded. The fire blazed in the one-way lens, causing her to cover her mouth with her hands. She twisted the lens clockwise and watched the scene unfold before her. She gasped, now seeing her friend differently, as she watched Lori started down at Bret a clod stare ready to kill him. She took off the glasses, now looking at the survivors staring out the window or lying in the floor. Lisa was gone.
The candle inside the cabin continued flickering, with the silence that was associated with the somber nights that they each knew about very well.
"What's the bag of food and water for, where are you taking it?" asked David.
"I'm going to let the four of them live," said Jason.
"Why they tried to kill us?"
"I'm only giving them a days worth of food and water. They won't make it long without more then that, I just want to make it very hard for them to survive. They will most likely kill each other for the bag. If not then thrust or hunger will kill them."
"Fine, I'll let you handle it. We'll be leaving in a few minutes."
Jason held Mike machete on his shoulder as he started down at Bret, Mike, Jayden, and Jake.
"I got to say Bret, today is not your day," said Jason.
"If you going to kill us just get it over with," hissed Bret.
Jason placed Mike's machete against Bret's throat and looked him in the eye.
"I could but I won't. I'm going to leave you four out here, with just one bag of food and water."
"That isn't going to last us long!" yelled Jayden.
"I know. I suggest you ration it with the four of you and leave Boston. But I doubt you will last long and will probably kill each other," said Jason.
"Then why not just kill us?" asked Jake.
"Killing you would be too easy. I want to make it harder for you guys, because off the things you done. You deserve to suffer for your actions, that's why I'm leaving you here with almost nothing. But I want you to know if you four somehow survive and we ever see you again. I will kill you.
"You bastard! Your going to pay for this! You and those girls that knocked me out," screamed Jake.
"Darcy and Meli aren't the ones that knocked you out. There are smart yes but for there age, there just two little girls who have never killed the living or dead," said Jason.
Jason removed the machete from Bret's neck and stood up.
"You better pray that we never meet again."
Jason kicked him in the face knocking him out and did the same thing along with the rest of them. He dragged the four into the cabin and left them there as the group got into their vehicles and drove off.