The Ones Who Remain/Issue 14

This is issue 14 of The Ones Who Remain, entitled: The Undesirables.

Issue 14; The Undesirables
It’s a dark and rainy night over-looking Cameron’s mansion -- the moon hidden behind the clouds. The front yard consisted a couple of lamps on the porch, where a few people are gathered and chatting, Kai among them.

The backyard however, consisted of one person who sat alone in the dark, drinking away whatever problems he has.

Inside the house, Mike sat on one of the couches, squashed between two other people; a woman who talked loudly with a Jersey accent, and another woman whose voice was nasally and high-pitched. They were driving Mike insane.

He just had so much going on in his mind that he couldn’t process what these two ladies were saying, and what annoyed Mike even more was that they talked so fast, and gave him no time to keep up with the conversation.

“Mike,” the Jersey woman said, nudging his shoulder. He instantly turned his head toward her, and she almost immediately puts her hand to his forehead. “Are you feeling okay? You’ve been out of it ever since you got here.”

“I’m good.” he simply said.

“You sure? You’re burning up?”

“I’m good.” he repeated. Mike knew she wouldn’t buy that lie. Mike was always a terrible liar -- he could never ever hide anything from Brenda or Nikki -- and it always destroyed him. Brenda lied to him everyday, claiming his mother was dead when she wasn’t, and Nikki...Nikki was one of the biggest liars he’s ever had the pleasure of knowing. When the two would sneak out of the zone and go exploring, Nikki was always the one that got them out of trouble if they were ever in a sticky spot with their parents or the other people who lived at Livingston.

“Alright…” she said, taking her hand off of his forehead.

“Anyways,” the other woman started, and just like that, the two were back at it. Mike only sighed and relaxed his head against the back cushion.

From across the room, Cameron and Ally sat at the dining room table watching him. Ally smiled at him, while Cameron appeared to be nervous. She told him everything. Why she wasn’t there for him during his childhood, and he just kinda pushed her away.

“I’m sure he’s just trying to take it all in.” Ally shyly said, putting her hand on Cameron’s pale arm. “No reason to worry.”

“Are you sure?” Cameron asked. She was getting fired up. “I don’t think he wants to believe it -- I think he hates me. What if he does hate me?”

Ally bit her lip nervously, preceding to pull Cameron’s head close to her chest. “It’s not like that, baby, it’s not. Just give him some time to think about it.”

Cameron tearfully nodded her head, and Ally gave her a long kiss on the side of the head, keeping Cameron in a tight grip.

Deléno, the young lad who lived with Amy, currently sat on the outskirts of the Jacksonville wall, with Bee and Jack, the two teenagers who Cal ran into earlier.

The three sat in the pitch-black, guns by their side, laughing and telling stories and typical teenage stuff. Bee sat awkwardly alone while Deléno sat close to Jack, his arm around her.

“So Bee,” Deléno started, a large smile flashing across his face. “You ever gonna tell us where you got that ridiculous name? Or nah?”

“Well I--I,” Bee stuttered. “Well, no, probably not.”

“I--I” Deléno mocked, his grin never leaving his face. “C’mon man, fill us in.”

“Del--” Jack started, grasping his attention. “Now’s not the time.”

“Why? What the fuck’s wrong with y’all.” he asked, looking from both Jack and Bee.

Bee almost instantaneously shoots Jack a death stare. Don’t you fucking tell him.

“He got jumped today. Again. Same guys as last time.” Jack calmly said.

Deléno’s smile fades -- a scowl replacing it now. “You fucking kidding me?” Deléno asked. He was getting furious. “Again? And y’all ain’t gonna tell me about this? Who did it? I’ll kill ‘em--”

“It’s fine, Del,” Bee quickly spat out.

“No it ain’t.” he retorted. “These fuckas fucked with the wrong fucking people.”

“They’re dead.” Jack quickly muttered. “Some new guy shot ‘em.”

Deléno shot both Jack and Bee looks that could kill, then looked to the sky. “Whoever this new guy is I’m gonna give him a fucking high-five and buy him some fuckin’ dinner.”

“He said his name was...Mal?” Jack asked, looking at Bee.

“Cal.” he corrected.

“Cal?” Deléno repeated. He quickly remembered him as one of Amy’s friends. “I think I know him.”

“Can we--we please not talk about this?” Bee asked, rapidly shaking his head. “I--I just wanna get things off of my mind.”

“Fine, pushy…” Deléno said, rolling his eyes as he said so.

Both Jared and Cal sat side-by-side by the firepit, staring blankly into the bright fire. It was no secret that the two didn’t have the best relationship, so, waiting for Adrianna and Nikki to get back was not only awkward, but very tense. They had both been sitting there for around an hour at this point, they were exhausted, ready to give out at any moment, but they weren’t gonna sleep until they knew that the girls were back safely.

Cal was more worried than Jared, and it could be seen across his face. His one eye was twitching and he couldn’t help but rub the top of his head rather quickly. “C’mon, Nikki…” he said under his breath. “...please come back.”

Back at Amy’s apartment, Adrianna remained with a shell-shocked Nikki, who lied on the couch staring up at the ceiling. Adrianna had gotten Nikki all cleaned up from before but Nikki had not said anything since the shooting. Adrianna sat at the end of the couch with Nikki’s head in her lap, gently stroking the young girl’s hair.

Adrianna knew that Nikki probably didn’t want to talk to her, but was there any reason not to try? The two never really got along, but despite that it killed Adrianna to see a kid in this much pain.

“Are you feeling any better, Nikki?” Adrianna asked, continuing to stroke Nikki’s blonde hair.

Nikki, as if unaware, just continued to stare at the ceiling.

Adrianna had no idea what was going on in her little mind, but the one thing she knew about Nikki is that she was never in much danger growing up; Nikki was always sheltered. Maybe she’s witnessed three or four human deaths in her lifetime and it was really never up close and personal, like Jerry’s shooting.

After sitting there in the silence for a few more minutes, Amy entered the room from the bedroom, in a pink bathrobe and pink bunny slippers.

Upon hearing the footsteps did Adrianna quickly turn her head in that direction, smiling at Amy’s ridiculous outfit.

“You still wear that kinda stuff?” Adrianna asked, as Amy took a seat on the couch opposite them.

Amy smirked. “Believe it or not, yes.”

“Does Luther still wear bear sweatpants?” Adrianna quickly asked, making Amy giggle. “Where is he, anyways?”

“He went to his friend’s place -- Sky, is her name.” Adrianna nodded.

“I wonder what he’s doing with this Sky--”

“Don’t. Even. Start.” Amy interrupted, to which Adrianna smirked. Amy then turned her attention to Nikki who hadn’t moved this entire time. “How is she?”

“She’s in shock still. Hasn’t said one word since I saved her.” Adrianna said, looking back down at Nikki’s blank face.

“She’ll be fine in no time.” Amy reassured. “But...I came to my decision about that favor you asked of me…” Adrianna nodded, and Amy used that as her cue to keep going. “...well, I won’t be able to accompany you. As much as I’d love to -- after all you’ve done for me and my brother -- I just can’t go back out there.”

Adrianna disapprovingly shook her head, but knew better than to make a big deal out of it. “Understood.”

“However,” Amy continued. “Luther is going with you.”

“Really?” Adrianna asked. “Is that alright with you?

“Of course not.” Amy smirked. “I tried talkin’ him out of it but he wouldn’t budge.”

Adrianna let out a little smile. “He’s changed, hasn’t he? I remember when he was only eighteen and could barely kill a biter.”

“He’s come a long way.” Amy then smirked. “Plus, he always had a thing for ya.”

Adrianna shook her head, still smiling. “Oh really?” she asked sarcastically.

Amy nodded her head. “Why else do you think he’d volunteer for the runs with you even though he was scared shitless?”

Adrianna’s smile turned into a smirk, raising her eyebrows at Amy. “Is that why you held a resentment toward me?”

Amy rolled her eyes, her smirk slowly fading. Adrianna’s smirk grew wider.

This is why Adrianna loved Amy so much. The two were similar in many ways; Amy was very protective over her younger brother, and Adrianna was very protective over her children. The only difference between the two of them was that Amy was successful in doing her job.

“Would you guys like some water, or anything?” Amy asked, changing the topic almost immediately.

Adrianna quickly diverted her attention back to Nikki, who faded away into unconsciousness during their conversation. “I don’t think it would hurt.” Amy said, to which Adrianna nodded. Amy quickly rose from her seat while Adrianna continued to look down at the sleeping Nikki.

In the deluxe apartment where the leader of the Jacksonville community stayed -- Liam, was his name -- Luther slept heavily on the couch. Despite having his own apartment, Luther was naturally scared of being alone and so he often spent his nights with Sky.

Sky sat on the floor beside the sleeping Luther...she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He had told her about his plan to leave a couple of hours ago, and Sky couldn’t show enough disdain. She was sickened by his decision, for both selfish and caring reasons.

This was weighing so hard on Sky’s mind, she kept wondering to herself, Could Luther survive without her guidance? Would he be able to make it without her emotional (and sometimes physical) support?

“No…” she whispered to herself, before placing her fingers on Luther’s forehead. “...you can’t leave.”

Luther’s eyes slowly opened -- almost like he was waiting for her to say those words -- and he let out a small smile. He loved the way Sky’s fingers felt on his head...there’s this warmth about them that is so comfortable.

“Hi beautiful.” he yawned. Sky playfully nudged his shoulder, which was his cue to sit up so Sky could take the spot next to him, which he did groggily. “What’s up?”

Sky’s smile faded staring into Luther’s eyes. “Don’t go.”

Luther sat back, relaxing his head on one of the cushions. “I have to, Sky, you know that.” Just from the way he slumped down and the heaviness in his voice did Sky know he was seriously considering going. She didn’t wanna believe him. “I just need to redeem myself. All the mistakes I’ve done in the past...me helping get this kid back could be my way of fixing my wrongs.”

Sky shook her head, before throwing her arm around the young man and pulling his head close to her. “Please don’t go.” she whispered.

“I’m sorry.” he murmured, digging his head into her neck, right above her chest. He planted a light kiss on her neck, to which her smile slowly came back. “I need to do this.”

“Then I’m coming with you.” she whispered in his ear.

It was the next morning, and Adrianna sat in the cold, white bathroom, her head resting on the black carpet, tears flying down her face. She had awoken from a nightmare just five minutes ago, one so horrid the thought of suicide entered her mind almost instantaneously from her awakening. She saw her children...her little babies...and watched them die over and over and over again. It started with them being small little heart attacks and quickly transitioned into them being torn limb-from-limb.

“Eliza--Nick--I love you so very much.” Adrianna cried. “Please be okay--please be okay--please my babies.”

“Adrianna?” the soft, fragile voice of Nikki called from inside the living room, right where Adrianna left her. Adrianna lifter her head off from the floor, wiping her face with her shirt. She quickly got up and exited the room.

Standing in the hallway was Nikki, who still looked out of it -- but better than last night, so Adrianna couldn’t complain. Adrianna, upon reaching Nikki, grabbed the girl’s shoulders and stared into her eyes. Adrianna knew that the last thing the girl needed was a lecture, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Do you have any idea what you did?” she nearly yelled. “You almost died out there -- do you even know what could’ve happened to you if I didn’t show up when I did?”

“Ye--” Nikki started, but Adrianna wasn’t having any of it.

“You could’ve been killed, tortured, raped! For all we knew you’d be tied in some basement with both of your fucking legs cut off right now!” Nikki felt the tears going back into her eyes, and desperately tried to shrug off Adrianna so she can wipe them. “And what about your mom? What about Mike? How do you think they would’ve reacted when they found out you were killed?”

“I’m sorry…” Nikki cried, her eyes red.

“Don’t apologize to me.” Adrianna spat out. “Go apologize to Cal. Or how about to Jared? The two of them are probably worried sick right now.”

“I’m sorry…” Nikki repeated. “...please don’t tell them. Please don’t tell Mike -- please don’t tell him.” She was getting worked up. “Please don’t tell anyone…”

Adrianna continued staring down at this young girl, and part of Adrianna thinks that maybe she shouldn’t have lashed out at her like this. But, how else is she gonna learn?

As Adrianna releases her grip on Nikki’s shoulders, the sobbing girl soon collapses against the wall, until she’s on the floor.

“Here,” Adrianna whispered, getting on one knee. “let’s get you cleaned up. We won’t have to tell Cal or Jared about this.”

“...And Mike?” Nikki inquired, looking at Adrianna with hopeful eyes.

The mention of Mike’s name again sets Adrianna’s mind racing. She understood that the two were close, but Nikki was just in a life or death situation, and all she could think or talk about was Mike. It was borderline obsessive at this point. But, for all Adrianna knew it was Nikki’s way of taking her mind off things, so Adrianna shook it off and offered Nikki her hand.

“Yeah, and Mike.” she smiled. Nikki’s sobbing turned into a gentle laugh as she reached for Adrianna’s hand.

“We live in one week.” Townley firmly said, looking between Cal and Jared, who uneasily stare at him.

Townley had just gotten finished explaining the plan to Jared and Cal. It was rather simple, send in a small group that looks normal enough, people who Echo wouldn’t recognize, and have them break in and get Mike.

“One week?” Cal asked, sitting back in his chair which is located directly in front of Townley, while Jared sits next to Townley. “We might not have one week. Mike might die in four.”

“We need that time to get prepare, go over the landscape. Give your friend a moment to heal. Her leg is in pretty bad shape so leaving tomorrow could only worsen her condition.” Townley yawned. It was too early for this.

“And how is this plan even gonna work?” Cal continued. “How the hell are we gonna send in a group in there without them even noticing? This plan sounds really last-second and shitty.”

“You got a better idea, kid?” Townley spat back. “ Look, Echo has so many people living in there. All I say, is if we can get some of their outfits and send in three or four people, we should be able to break him out before anyone notices anything’s up.”

Cal sighed. He didn’t think it was a good plan, but for what it’s worth he couldn’t come up with anything as good as that. If it was up to him, there would just be a major shootout and whatever happens, happens.

“I got one question.” Jared yawned. “Where do you plan on getting these outfits?”

Townley smirked. “You leave that up to me. When the time comes, I’ll have them ready.”

“That’s good to hear.” Jared smiled, patting Townley on the back. “Than--”

Jared was unable to finish his sentence before being interrupted by the front door being opened. Jared looked back in his chair to the door, while Cal hopped to his feet. “Nikki?” he asked, making his way slowly over to the door.

“Cal don’t…” Jared started, but again, was unable to finish his sentence before Adrianna slowly walked into the room, slowly followed by Nikki.

Cal almost immediately storms past Adrianna and wrapped Nikki in a tight hug. “You had me worried sick..”

Nikki, however, didn’t say anything to Cal. She just stood there awkwardly in his grasp.

Adrianna on the other hand took Cal’s seat in front of Townley, throwing her feet up on the table. “So, tell me we got something.”

“We’ve got a plan.” Jared initiated. “Not the best idea, but certainly not the worst.”

Adrianna nodded. That’s what she liked to hear.

“Where’d you find the girl?” Townley asked, crossing his arms. “These two told me she went missing yesterday.”

Adrianna hesitantly looked back at Nikki, whom Cal had taken by the fire, still holding her in his grasp. She thought about blowing up her spot right now and there -- but she promised she wouldn’t. Adrianna quickly looked back at the two men who patiently awaited her response.

“Saw her roaming the streets like some idiot. I took her back to my old friend’s place to clean up and get some new clothes.”

Townley nodded. He really didn’t care for all of these minor details, he just wanted to go over the plan one more time for Adrianna.

Jared, on the other hand, didn’t buy that story for one moment. He knew Adrianna for a year or two at this point, and if he knew anything about her it’s when she’s lying and when she’s telling the truth. He can hear it in her voice -- see it in her face.

“So, let’s get on with this, shall we?” she asked, faking a smile in the direction of Jared. Jared sighed and motioned for Townley to continue.

There was a coffee shop by the border of Jacksonville called “The Java Bean”. This place had a medieval theme to it, swords encased in glass all over the walls; a knight chestpiece and helmet in the middle of the kitchen.

In the middle of the shop, sat Liam Hoult, the leader of Jacksonville, and his girlfriend Sky. Liam had a recently-brewed coffee while Sky had a water.

“You can go.” Liam sighed, rubbing his temples.

“I want you to come with me, baby.” she exclaimed, grabbing his cold, large hand.

Liam chuckled. “You know I can’t do that, Sky. There are people here who need my guidance. Need my leadership.”

Sky looked at him with big, pleading eyes, to which he almost instantly looked away. “Don’t try to guilt-trip me.”

“Pretty pretty please?”

Liam shot her a fiery glance. “No.”

“Fine.” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Maybe I’ll just hook up with Luther while I’m out then...I heard I’m sharing a tent with him and he likes to sleep naked…”

Liam sighed again, taking another sip of his coffee. “Does he really sle--?”

“Yup.”

He shook his head. “Well, the answer is still no. Trying to make me jealous won’t work this time.”

Sky frowned, crossing her arms. “Fine.”

Liam leaned over to Sky and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “You’re adorable when you beg, y’know that, right?”

Sky rolled her eyes, before leaning in herself and giving him a big smooch. “And you’re very one-dimensional.”

Both Sky and Liam chuckled. “Yup, I know.” he said.

Day 5293 ~ 12:00 A.M.

A twelve year-old blonde girl lied in the front yard outside a small blue house, on a pink Disney towel. She stared up at the moon -- a great innocence and joy in her eyes. This was a younger Nikki.

Nikki absolutely adored the night-time, the moon and the stars were beautiful, it was normally quiet and peaceful, so much so that at times Nikki actually got the pleasure of listening to the crickets and the owls.

“It’s gorgeous, is it not?” the calm, soothing voice of Jennifer said.

“It is.” Nikki yawned, not even bothering to look up at Jennifer, but within moments, Jennifer is on her back next to Nikki.

“So, you wanna tell me why you’re up so late…?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” she bluntly said. “Boy trouble.”

Jennifer smirked. “I know the pain,”

Nikki turned onto her side so that she’s facing Jennifer. “Aunt Jen, how did you reel in Joel?”

Jennifer laughed. “Honestly? Sex appeal.”

That immediately turned Nikki off. There was no way she was gonna do anything like that. “That’s not much help.” she murmured.

“Yeah, I know.” she mumbled. “Why? Who is the lucky guy?”

Nikki immediately blushed. “Does it matter?”

“Of course it does!” Jennifer exclaimed. “Unless you want me to start making random assumptions…”

“Please don’t…”

“Is it...Harlan?”

“Aunt Jen sto--”

“What about Nick?”

“It’s Mike!” Nikki nearly shouts. Her face immediately turns a brighter shade of red as she realized how loud she was. Her aunt could only smile…

“He was my next guess!” she chuckled as Nikki turned away from her. Nikki looked at the dark road before her, the moonlight being the only form of light -- it was still gorgeous. “Now I promise, your secret is safe with me…”

Day 5293 ~ 3:56 A.M.

Jennifer’s warm. red blood runs along the road of Livingston. It was barely visible in the pitch black, and her corpse was only discovered by Emma five minutes ago who went out looking for Nikki.

Jennifer’s head was smashed open on the concrete, her bare arms showcasing many bruises. Brenda and another man examined her body.

“Do you think it was them bandits who robbed Charlie?” he asked.

Brenda sighed. “No, Harlan. They don’t kill. It musta been Echo or maybe that German clan who has been givin’ our runners trouble.”

The man -- Harlan -- buried his face in his hands. “Does that mean they killed the girl too?”

“We didn’t find her body. Odds are Jennifer fought back and gave enough time for Nikki to run away.”

That’s when Emma and another woman in her early fifties came sprinting up to the two.

“We can’t find her anywhere!” exclaimed the older woman.

“Where’s my baby, Brenda?” Emma nearly shrieked. “Where is my little girl?”

Harlan crossed his arms, looking from Brenda to the two women. “Emma, we don’t know--”

“How do we not know? She couldn’t have wandered off...what if they took my baby?”

“Can’t we start a rescue team?” Emma continued. The woman was in full-fledged panic mode at this point, her face red, her eyes watery.

“We shouldn’t do anything irrational.” Brenda said monotonously, trying to calm Emma down. “Maybe she’s with Mike.”

“I can go out.” Harlan quickly interrupted. “Emma if you’d like to join me, we can go out and see if we can find her.”

“Yes--Yes please.” she nearly pleaded, grabbing hold of Harlan’s collar.

In only a matter of seconds did a small number of more Livingston members arrived at the scene. With murmurs and cries of shock, Brenda had no idea how she was gonna explain this one...

“Mom?”

Brenda looked to where the voice came from, and on the far-right of the crowd came a thirteen year-old Mike, blonde hair that went all the way down to his lower back. He looked like a little girl.

Upon seeing Mike, Emma nearly shoots in his direction. “Mike? Do you know where my Nikki is?”

Mike immediately grew nervous seeing the fire in Emma’s eyes. “Uh, no ma’am. She got mad at me earlier today and wouldn’t talk to me.”

The tears suddenly started dripping down Emma’s face. She knew what that mean. If she wasn’t with Mike, where could she be?

In present day, Emma, in a long, black dress and with black high heels on, walks down the street of Echo. She sports a golden necklace with a red cross on it (which is used to let the others know she is a medic, or at least has some experience in the medical department).

She looked as miserable as could be.

Despite being the one who got Brenda -- her own best friend -- killed, she was the one who administered Mike’s punishment. Mike, the young boy she helped raise.

Emma could clearly remember waking up at midnight only to find Mike at her front door crying. Emma wasn’t one for letting emotions get the better of her, or showcasing any emotions really, but she’d always take the kid in. Always listen to his problems. Always offer guidance…

What has become of me? Emma constantly thought to herself. ''Why am I letting Echo get the best of me? Why did I hurt that poor boy...''

The thoughts stopped as soon as she reached the house that she was intended to. It was a fairly large two-story house. She could hear the classical music all the way from the street...God, how much she hated it.

She didn’t waste any time though, and proceeded down the walkway to the front door. She didn’t hesitate in knocking, and turning her frown upside down.

It took a couple of moments, but before she knew it, the door opened and there stood Johnson.

“Why, hello there beautif--” he started, but was almost immediately cut-off by Emma, who pushed past him. “...ul.”

“Y’know, I didn’t really take you for the classical kind, Dick.” she sarcastically pointed out. “See, I’m more of a pop girl, y’know? Ke$ha, Katy Perry…”

“Ew and ew.” he smirked. “I’m more of a rock guy myself, but this is Davie’s favorite. So, I figured why not, eh?”

“Where is Davie, by the way?” she asked, taking a seat on the couch.

“He’ll be here any moment.” Johnson said, taking a seat next to her. “So, how was visiting Cam’s?”

Emma grew uncomfortable; and Johnson knew it.

“What? You don’t think I’m keepin’ tabs on ya? I know you went there.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “So, how is Cameron?” Johnson asked, crossing his legs. “She was a nice girl -- could get really bitchy -- but nice overall.”

“Brian, how does it feel?” Emma asked, turning toward him, staring straight into his eyes.

Johnson shrugged his shoulders. “How does what feel?”

“Being Davie’s bitch?”

Day 5293 ~ 5:12 A.M.

Nikki lies in the back of pickup truck, her wrists tied together, her ankles tied together as well, and a blindfold covering her face. She didn’t know what was going on, all she knew was that she was scared and the road they were driving on was bumpy as hell.

She wanted to scream.. She just wanted to scream at the top of her lungs for her mom or for Aunt Jen or for anyone really. But she wasn’t that stupid. She knew how pointless it would be…

“Wir sind fast da.”

Nikki nearly yelped. They didn’t even speak English?

“Etwa gottverdammte Zeit.”

Nikki herself didn’t notice it, but she was shaking pretty badly, the fear getting the best of her…

“It’s okay, sweetie.” a soft voice whispers in her ear. Nikki immediately tenses up even more. “I’m not gonna hurt you, everything is gonna be just fine, dear.”

“Hör auf zu reden!”

After what seemed like an eternity (which in reality was about thirty minutes), the truck suddenly stopped, and Nikki suddenly felt a pair of hands grasp her ankles and her wrists.

“NO!” she violently screamed, trying to squirm away from these strange people...but to no success. “MOOOM!”

“Hör auf!”

Suddenly, Nikki feels herself being dropped to the floor like a rag-doll right on her head. If it wasn’t bad before, now she could feel her mind spinning -- she couldn’t even think properly.

Day 5293 ~ 5:30 A.M.

Nikki sat in a corner of a dark room, still blindfolded and dazed. She was honestly just glad to have her ankles untied so that she could have some freedom.

“Nat, what are we gonna do?” a man whispered. “They’re gonna take us out one-by-one!”

“We’re gonna bum-rush them. They’ll have no clue what hit ‘em.” a woman responded. “I’ll kill ‘em all if I have to.”

“Where’d you get the knife?”

“I picked it off one of the fuckers who trapped us here.”

Nikki whimpered at the sound of these two strangers talking about killing others, and the room went silent.

“Shit, when did she fuckin’ get here?” the same man whispered.

“I don’t know Nate--” a woman whispered back.

Suddenly Nikki’s blindfold was removed from her face, and like a deer in the headlights she stared, open-eyed at the man in front of her.

The man had dark-skin and dark brown eyes. He was shirtless, but a quick scan up and down his body from Nikki showed that this man was ripped. He had these huge muscles, and he was scary as a man could be.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, bending down in front of her. For a big, intimidating man such as himself, Nikki felt...comforted by his presence.

“I--I think I’m okay.” she nervously whispered. “My head is hurting pretty bad.”

Nate nodded, looking back at the latina girl who fiddled with a tiny knife. “She’s only a girl.” he said to her. He quickly turned back to Nikki who was now staring at the woman. “What’s your name?”

“Ni--Nikki.”

“Nikki?” he repeated. “That’s a beautiful name.”

“Thanks.” she whispered, looking down to the ground below her.

“My name’s Nate.” he smiled at her. “That back there is Natalya.” Natalya continued to stay where she was though, just staring at Nikki.

“Let’s get you out of these, shall we?” he asked, looking at Nikki’s wrists, which were still tied together. Nikki quickly nodded, and Nate looked back at Natalya. “Yo, Nat, can you pass me those?”

Within seconds, Nate had the knife in his hands, and he was cutting away at the rope between Nikki’s wrists. “Where is your family, Nikki?”

Nikki looked from the floor up to Nate, who was still cutting away at the rope. “They’re back at Livingston.”

“I know the place.” he sighed. “How’d you get here?”

“I was sleeping in my yard with my aunt and then I woke up here…” she sighed. She totally forgot about Aunt Jen...was she okay?

“Well, no need to worry Nikki; we’ll get you out of here. Won’t we, Nat?”

“Whatever.” she murmured. “As long as we get out too.”

As Nate finally finished cutting through the rope, Nikki looked back at Natalya who she noticed for the first time was actually moving toward the two.

“Now’s the time.” she said, taking the knife from Nate. “These cannibals are gonna pay…”

“Cannibals?” repeated Nikki. She gulped. This situation just became ten times worse on her…

“Hey, hey,” Nate said, getting Nikki’s attention. “I’ll get you out of here. There’s no reason to be scared.”

“Here they come.” Natalya harshly whispered, readying her knife.

Nate quickly jumped to his feet and nearly-sprinted to the opposite side of the door. He motioned for Nikki to follow his lead, and she quickly sprinted to the large man… and just in time too, an older German man, light blonde hair, very muscular in his own rights opened the door, and walked in, an M16 by his side.

His death was quick and painless. He fell to the ground with no hesitation, and as Natalya removed the knife from his chest, Nikki was about ready to throw up.

Nikki just stared at the corpse. His eyes were so...lifeless...it was like he was drained all of it’s life. Within seconds Natalya had the rifle in her arms and she was staring down the empty, dark hallway.

After sensing it was clear, she passed the M16 to Nate, who looked back at Nikki. “Stay close.” he firmly said.

Nikki slowly nodded. She was terrified though. She had no idea if she’d be able to move from this spot -- a guy just died in front of her.

Nikki doesn’t know what propelled her to do this, it might have been instincts, but she grabbed hold of Nate’s free hand. She looked up at this -- stranger -- and he faintly smiled. She trusted him.

Nate soon entered the dark hallway, gun at the ready, Nikki straight behind him and behind her was Natalya.

The three slowly made their way through the hallway, checking each door and intersecting hallways in their path.

“Wo ist Abel?” a loud voice could be heard at the end of the hall.

Nate stopped short, prompting Nikki to bump into him. He raised his gun, and like magic, another man appeared at the end of the hall. He sized up the three escapees, and soon his mouth opened wide.

“SIE ENTKAMEN!” he screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Shit.” muttered Natalya as Nate soon riddled the man with bullets.

The screams from the others in the house were both loud and frightful for the young Nikki, who desperately tried to drown out what was going on around her.

“The door’s at the next hall and to the right.” Nate said, looking at the two girls. I’m gonna hold ‘em off but you two need to run.”

“And what about you?” Natalya asked, although she knew the answer -- hell, even Nikki knew the answer to that one.

Nate sighed. “I’m gonna make sure that these bastards can’t harm anyone else ever again.”

“Why can’t you come too?” Nikki hesitantly asked. “We can make it.”

“There’s too many of ‘em.” Nate retorted. “Just hurry up -- go now. They’ll be here any moment.”

Natalya offered Nate a quick smile. “Thanks, Nate Dawg.”

“Thank you!” Nikki cried out, giving this stranger a hug.

Nate chuckled. “I’ll be fine, just go to your family.”

It didn’t take long Natalya to start sprinting down the opposite hallway, and Nikki almost immediately joined her.

As soon as Natalya made it to the back door, she kicked it open with all of her force. She held it open for Nikki to run out, and soon joined her.

Once outside, Nikki looked around at the location she was at. They were being held at a small log cabin, which was surrounded by a single dirt road and ton and tons of trees.

“Perfect…” Natalya muttered.

“Which way do we go?” Nikki nearly shrieked.

“Okay, let me thin--” Natalya’s cut off as soon as the shooting started back up inside the cabin.

“I don’t think we have time…” Nikki shrieked.

Natalya shot Nikki a glare that could kill. “Just follow me.” she said, before taking back off down the dirt road. Nikki quickly looked back at the cabin, hoping that maybe Nate would arise, but alas, she knew he wouldn’t.

Day 5293 ~ 7:23 A.M.

Natalya and Nikki stumbled along the side of the highway together. The two had been walking for almost two hours now in complete silence -- and that just made the tired and out-of-breath Nikki even more nervous than she already was.

“How much longer?” Nikki asked.

Natalya sighed. “To Livingston? Maybe another three or four hours by foot. If we could get a car or something -- that would be pretty awesome.”

Nikki nodded; and just like that they were back to silence. “How well did you know Nate?” Nikki soon asked.

“Not well. I only met him in there only a couple of days ago.” she mumbled. “He seemed cool and all, but there was no way I woulda laid down my life like that -- so he’s a hero, in my books.”

Nikki lightly smiled. “You think he made it out?”

“No.” Natalya bluntly stated. “There’s no way he’s makin’ it out alive.”

“Oh,” Nikki quietly said, her little smile disappearing.

Natalya continued to walk and show no emotion; while Nikki was just a mess still. She was still very shaky, and she’d be lucky if she didn’t pass out in a couple of minutes.

“Look, you weren’t there for as long as we were, Nikki,” she started. “You were only there for a few minutes, you didn’t see what we saw there. I’m sorry, but there was no way he’s gettin’ out of there...those people are fucked up.”

Nikki nodded, looking up from the ground to Natalya. “Thank you for saving me.”

Natalya smiled, and as far as Nikki knew, that was the only emotion Natalya expressed within these two or three hours.

“Stop right there.”

“Shit…” mumbled Natalya, looking at Nikki who froze up like a deer in the headlights. “...Nikki, stay back, I’ll handle this.”

“Get away from the girl.”

That’s when Nikki remembered that voice...she turned her head in the direction of the voice to see her mom, Harlan, Brenda, and Mike standing their, four guns pointed directly to the head of Natalya.

Natalya stepped forward, raising her arms into the air. “Look, I don’t know what’s goin’ on but we need some help.”

“Mom--” Nikki started.

Emma, who was already in tears, slowly walked past Natalya to Nikki, wrapping her daughter up in a bear hug.

“Mom, she saved me.” Nikki mumbled.

Brenda and Harlan quickly scanned over Natalya, who watched Nikki and Emma. “What’s your name?” Brenda asked.

Natalya looked back at them. “Natalya.”

“What happened back there?” Harlan asked.

“Cannibals…the non-dead ones.”

Harlan and Brenda looked from one another and then back to Natalya. “You think you could lead us there?” Brenda asked.

Natalya smirked.

Emma sat at the dining table with Johnson and Davie. The classical music still played in the background, as the three ate their lunches.

“So, what is it you wanted to discuss?” Davie asked.

“Business.” Emma simply said.

“Yeah, I know that.” he smirked. “What kind of business?”

“I’d like to help out more. Put me in the hospital.”

“The hospital?” Davie repeated. “You aren’t qualified enough...however, I know exactly where to put you.”

Emma leaned in. “Where?”

“You’re a smart woman, Emma. You know what it’s like out there. You know defense is key.”

Emma nodded, so Davie decided to continue. “Well, we need builders. People to help reinforce the gates -- people to keep an eye on things.’

“Isn’t that what he does?” she asked, motioning to Johnson, who rolled his eyes at her.

“Let me be clear; I have plenty of people doing it. But you -- you are a woman who doesn’t let your emotions dictate everything you do. That’s what I need.”

Emma again nodded, leaning back in her chair. This is exactly what she wanted. “Just tell me where to get started.”

That night, Jared, Townley, and Adrianna sat together in the dark, with a small candle being their form of light. They stayed in Townley’s bar, to avoid having to do all this business talk in front of Nikki -- who was still shaken up.

Adrianna looked up and down the list of names in front of her, which read:

1.) Cole Townley  '''2.) Suzanne Ponzio  3.) Chris Kris  4.) Andre Miller  5.) Reynold Fox  6.) Hope Urie  7.) Eddie Toepher  8.) Luther Calderon  9.) Skyler Rivera '''

“This is our group?” she asked, yawning.

“Yup.” Townley moaned. “We got nine, plus you four. So that is thirteen.”

“You think that’ll be enough?” Jared asked. “Doesn’t sound like much.”

“We could always use an extra hand or two.” Townley sighed. “But I don’t see anyone else stepping up to give us the help we need.”

The trio of Deléno, Bee, and Jack walked down the streets of Jacksonville together, pistols in their hands. While Bee was not much of a shooter -- admittedly so -- Deléno and Jack were big into guns, and Deléno is one of the better shooters in the entire city of Jacksonville.

“C’mon Del, do we have to go again?” Bee complained, lagging behind the two more skilled marksman.

“What’s the matter Bee?” Deléno smirked.

“Y’know how much I hate this shit. You only like going because you’re better at it than us.”

“I’m doing it to freshen up my skills.” Deléno retorted. While Bee is partly correct, what was the point of admitting it? “And yours too. If you ever leave this place, you think you can survive out there? Nuh-uh, I doubt it.”

“Guys,” Jack interrupted, looking between the two boys. “We’re here!”

Deléno and Bee looked slightly up ahead where a bar stands. Normally in Jacksonville, it’s normal for everyone to kinda just spend whatever supplies they have in return for alcohol, but for people like Bee and Jack -- the poorest of the poor -- they were unable to get it, so they were forced to steal it, and since Deléno was too stubborn to waste his own stuff…

The trio looked around to make sure that there was no one around, and while there were a couple of drunkards and people talking to themselves, there was really no one they had to worry about ratting on them.

Deléno took the position next to the door, and Jack and Bee stood behind him. Deléno took out a small paperclip and, like he has done a million times before, within seconds he had the door opened.

Deléno, Jack, and a hesitant Bee quickly entered the bar, and are quickly met face-to-face with Townley, Adrianna, and Jared.

Townley immediately grabs hold of Deléno’s gun, turning it on the young lad, while Jared grabs Bee by the neck, putting him in a light, but sturdy choke-hold. Adrianna just kept her rifle trained on Jack’s face, finer lying gently on the trigger.

“Fuck.” muttered Deléno.

“What the hell are you doin’ here?” Jared asked tightening his grip on Bee’s neck.

“Let him go!” Jack nearly yelled, drawing her gun on Jared.

Adrianna nearly pulled the trigger right then and there, but stopped herself. It’s only a kid.

“Jack, be cool.” Deléno calmly said. “Lower the gun.”

“Only if he lets go of Bee.” she steadily said.

“I’m gonna ask again.” Jared started. “I could break your friend’s neck right here...what are you doing here?”

“We only came bye for some booze.” Deléno said.

“You little shits were gonna steal from me?” Townley asked, not taking his focus off of Deléno in front of him.

“You do realize that’s a crime punishable by death…” Adrianna started.

“We’re sorry.” Bee gasped from Jared’s grip.

“I should kill you three right now.” Jared muttered.

“Let...him...go…” Jack said, her gun still trained on Jared.

“Lower your weapon, girl.” Adrianna said, slowly approaching Jack.

“Jack, lower the gun.” Deléno mumbled, looking at her. “They won’t kill us.”

Jack couldn’t take her eyes off of Bee, however, who was clearly struggling in pain with Jared.

“Drop the fucking gun kid.” Jared forcefully said.

Jack, almost like a robot, dropped the pistol. It landed on the floor with a thud, and within moments, Adrianna had taken Jack to the ground like she was a rag-doll. She quickly shoved Jack’s face into the wooden floor, and pointed her gun at the back of her head.

“Don’t hurt her,” Bee desperately tried to say, although the words wouldn’t come out.

“Look man, there’s no need to do something irrational.” Deléno said, his hands still in the air.

“We could kill you all right now and no one would care. Do you realize that?” Townley muttered.

“Look, we’ll do anything, just don’t hurt us.” Jack called from the floor.

Jared and Townley, almost like the idea popped into their minds at the same time, looked from the kids, to each other, smiling.

Day 5293 ~ 7:09 P.M.

At the cannibal’s log cabin, a group of seven sat around the large, dining room table together, eating some sort of unrecognizable meat. But, all of these people weren’t just older men who knew what they were doing was wrong.

At the end of the table was a little girl, maybe four years old. And directly next to her was a little boy, maybe a year older. They unknowingly sank their teeth into Nate’s meat.

“Warum Sie nach unten schauen?” one of the older men, maybe sixty or seventy years old, asked, looking at the little girl.

And before she could respond, bullets whip through the cabin fast and rapidly, and within a minute, all whom sat at the dinner table was dead.

Natalya emerged from the doorway, Harlan close behind her. She looked at the deceased family and smiled...