The Two Survivors - Chpt 4-3 [English - US]
The Two Survivors [English - US]
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The Two Survivors is a fan comic and book series, created by Antony Bindilatti and in suggestion and in partnership with Priscilla2Warrior, also known as Priscilla McGee. The series brings together different stories from the characters from famous series such as Claymore (trademark of Norihiro Yagi and Madhouse Studio) and The Walking Dead (Robert Kirkman and Telltales Games by The Walking Dead: Michonne), all focusing on some journeys, some action. and some fun with your favorite characters (and some less).
The story focuses on two young girls: Priscilla and Paige. Priscilla is a newly formed Organization warrior after taking her place as Number 2, and Paige is one of the survivors after a zombie apocalypse devastated Georgia and turned victims into Walkers.
And when the two survivors meet, a long, tireless journey begins and they will have to fight to survive.
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The sun was bordering the horizon. Paige was revitalized, even if she was coughing little by little. Alice finished packing her children's clothes. Daniel and Raj put away the medicine they took from Christine's cabin. Priscilla watched through the window as the guards patrolled with their weapons in their hands. The only hope the group had was to get out of the Jungle Predators' camp. But as Marlon had the numerical and technological advantage, this put the group of survivors at risk of certain death.
In the midst of preparations, they hear something touching the floor. The sound was like a soft object being thrown through the window. The group saw that it was a very full cloth bag. Paige, Daniel and Raj took it and, seeing the contents, tried more medicine packs. To their surprise, a human figure with a hood covering its head appears, entering the head with more stuff. When she took the hood off, it was Christine.
“Christine?” said Priscilla with a tone of surprise.
The nurse asks for silence by raising her index finger to her lips.
“Guys, listen. Our time is short. I heard you are planning to leave here.”
“Have you heard?” Alice asked.
“What are you going to do?” Paige asked, afraid of being turned over to the Predators.
“I brought you some supplies.” Christine replied, pulling more bags from her back. Mostly it was non-perishable food, medicine, bottled water, flashlights and batteries. “You'll need it to survive far from here.”
Daniel, Raj and Alice's children were taken aback by the blonde nurse's selfless gesture. But they thanked her for the supplies.
“You know that by helping us you are putting your life at risk. Are you sure about that, Christine?” Priscilla asked her, even knowing that the young woman had helped the group with medicine to save Paige.
“I do, Priscilla. I have taken the necessary precautions to ensure that my involvement in your escape won't be discovered.”
“Why don't you come with us?” asked Mark.
Christine looked at the young boy. She emitted a serene smile even though her heart was filled with fear and sadness. “I would like to go with you. But if I go, Marlon will find I ran away with you and he'll kill me as well as you."
“Marlon may have authority in this place. But outside his camp, he would lose his strength to make us do his dirty work.” Paige replied.
“Yes. Even if he comes to kill us, I won't let him do it. Not as long as I have a chance to stop him.” replied Priscilla decidedly, clenching her right fist.
Christine was astonished. However, she smiled at the brave swordswoman. “You know, you're weird. However, seeing that you carry the potential to protect your friends, you are a beacon capable of bringing light and hope to this cruel world.”
Christine got up. She kept her gaze on Priscilla and the other survivors.
“I have to return to my place to make sure Marlon doesn't suspect me of helping you guys. I will prepare my things to leave here. If luck is on our side, maybe I will catch up.”
Driving to the window to return to the medicine shed. Before leaving, Paige called her one last time. She turned her gaze to the group.
“Christine. Thanks for everything she did for us.”
The nurse smiled. “I should thank you for meeting you.” Then she left the same way she entered. She ran as fast as she could to return the Predator's drug structure.
////
With the moon high in the sky, the group found themselves in the middle of the camp's vegetation. They watched the patrolling guards with their weapons loaded. The patrols held the flashlights in one hand, pointed straight ahead.
“Very good. We'll do the following. When the guards pass this way, we will immobilize them and take their weapons.” said Daniel very quietly.
“But we need to do this very quickly so as not to arouse suspicion.” completed Paige.
With that said, the others agreed.
The two Predator gunmen walked at a slow pace. Entering the group's line of sight, the guard on the left was grabbed and pulled hard by Priscilla. She caught him by the mouth, preventing him from screaming or making any sound about to call for help. The one on the right was hit in the head with a piece of wood, splitting it to the point of bleeding and leaving the man unconscious for a long time.
Daniel grabbed the body of the guard, dragging him to where the group was. As for the other shooter, Priscilla held him tightly, depriving him of oxygen to put him out for good. That done, the guard lost consciousness, closing his eyes afterwards. The Organization's female warrior puts him down and rejoins her group. Daniel, holding the strong branch in his hand, slashed at the other with fury, making a sound like bone being broken and dislodged from the body. The blow broke the connection from that Predator soldier's neck down.
“Daniel, the man has been suppressed. There was no need for you to do that.” said a scared Alice.
“For every day we waste doing their work, we must discount our pain on them to make them feel it.” replied the man with the blood bathed branch. Leaving that primitive instrument on the ground next to the downed guard, he and Paige grabbed their AK-47 rifles.
With nothing else to answer, the group proceeds towards the camp yard. There, Priscilla needed to retrieve her sword and the weapons they left behind.
In the courtyard, survivors spotted a small force stationed there along with three pairs on patrol. In total there were eleven soldiers. Too many to take them down with just sneaky attacks. Not to mention there was a tower with a spotlight illuminating the area, which would make it more difficult.
“Searchlight. Now things are going to get more difficult.” Paige replied.
“We need to turn off their electricity generators if we want to take the searchlight away from them.” Raj said.
“And how will we do that?”
“I've disabled a generator before. I can do it again.” replied Priscilla with a serious look.
“After that time, I imagine they put up more defenses.” said Daniel of that little operation in getting medicine from Christine's hut.
“They may have a numerical advantage. But I am a warrior for the Organization.”
“Of course. A warrior, but without a sword.”
“Daniel, don't be fooled by appearances. She has superhuman abilities. She managed to drive Marlon's men away with just a look.” replied Alice, remembering the time Priscilla used her Yoki to fend off the guards who dragged her away while Paige succumbed to the cold.
“Yes. But I doubt my Yoki will work on them to scare them. However, I can maximize my speed and catch them by surprise.”
“Whatever tactic you have, we need it to work.” replied Raj.
Priscilla shook her head forward. Then she used a charge from Yoki, running to find the electrical power generators. The remaining survivors kept an eye on the courtyard as guards patrolled.
Priscilla ran like lightning across the open sea. She remembered the location of the generator that had once disabled the searchlights to get to the medicine shed. However, since there were several generators in the camp, she had to search the camp for the others.
Arriving at the place before, the warrior noticed the reinforced security. More guards were keeping an eye on the perimeter. One of them carried a PK machine gun while most carried Uzis and Skorpion SMGs. If it were to adopt a frontal attack tactic, the result would be useless. However, Priscilla is a warrior of the Organization. She used her Yoki for a swift charge. She didn't have a sword skill similar to the Quicksword of the warrior Irene, but her speed could match that of Teresa of the Faint Smile, the strongest of all in the Organization.
On the charge, she took the guards by surprise, knocking them down with her blows and breaking the generator to the point of not being able to fix it and reactivate the searchlights. Then she went after the others.
The group was patiently waiting for Priscilla. Daniel was sitting on the floor with the AK in his lap. He wanted to go out shooting the Jungle Predators, but he couldn't to the point of putting the escape plan in jeopardy. Paige chatted with Alice and her kids and Raj kept an eye on the courtyard and then around the guards. Things seemed stagnant when they had to wait for Number 2. Marlon's men had no idea that the prisoners had escaped and were in the undergrowth, waiting to attack.
In the middle of that lull, the spotlight went out of nowhere, making the guards nervous.
“Ah shit. The searchlight went out.” exclaimed one of the guards.
“Huh? Have the light bulbs not been changed?”
“No! These bulbs still work. We just don't know if the generators are having problems.” replied one of them, taking the communicator out of his pocket.
“We'd better ask the lads who are guarding them to make sure they aren't failing like last time.”
The guards went to inform their boss and the teams that monitor the power generators. As portable communicators were powered by batteries but had limited range, it was easier to communicate in the event of a breakdown or lack of energy and light. However, they didn't expect Priscilla to approach them, knocking them out by surprise. Daniel and Raj were amazed by the warrior's speed, running from one soldier to the other, hitting them in the head, torso, lower limbs and vital points. No gun opened fire.
When the last guard fell, Priscilla felt her body get heavy from using her Yoki. Paige and the others rushed to her aid. As they approached, the warrior turned her face, showing the veins emerging near her eyes, the sharp teeth and the golden iris. She utilized her Yoki to the point of approaching the 70% limit. The group was amazed to see her in that state. Paige put her hand on her shoulder, calming her down.
“Priscilla, I know you used a good amount of Yoki. You need to rest a bit to stabilize yourself.”
The warrior's breathing gasped, as well as her heart racing. Her friend's voice soothed her, slowing her heartbeat as she ceased using her Yoki. Priscilla's eyes closed, then reopened, revealing the iris returning to silver.
“Thanks, Paige. Glad to hear your voice again.”
Paige smiled to see her regaining her physical appearance. Alice, Mark and Andrew rushed to her rescue and helped her to her feet. Daniel and Raj grabbed more AK magazines to replenish their weapons.
“Well Priscilla, we are impressed that you opened a path to our freedom.” said Daniel, putting another rifle cartridge in his bag. Raj handed the Marlin rifle back to Paige, along with the ammo and her purse. Priscilla, in turn, picked up her sword and pulled it up from the ground to insert it back into her carrier.
“At last. After so long, I can now wield this sword once more to protect those who need help.” said the warrior in her thoughts.
The survivors took the weapons of the knocked out guards and prepared to leave Marlon's camp. Although Alice hated the idea of carrying a gun and seeing her children carrying one, she had to let it go as she needed to fight for survival and protect them at all costs. Only Priscilla opted for the sword, saying that she feels better with it than with a firearm, in addition to not having practice to use them.
With nothing else left behind, Priscilla, Paige and the others continue together until the exit of the Predators' camp.
////
At the same time that the survivors were running for the exit, a small group of guards searched with their flashlights lit to ascertain whether the prisoners were asleep or awake.
As they passed the window, they shone their lights down on the floor. To the guards' response, the hut was empty. There was no one who was sleeping or awake.
“The prisoners. They are no longer at the hut.”
“Inform the chief. We have fugitives on the loose!”
////
Meanwhile, in the largest hut of the Predators' camp, the chief of the raiders rested in his quarters, lying on a bed of his own with a mattress and sheet. He was shirtless, feeling the cool air rush through his body.
Besides Marlon was Celine. She was lying on his right side, sliding her hand over his chest. The two rested after a night out, away from their men and the reports they received from the labor camps.
And just before they fall asleep, they hear a beep followed by another. That sound came from the portable handheld radio he and his men carry to communicate with each other. Marlon didn't like hearing that sound in the middle of his private night with Celine, however, he had to pick up that device to answer it.
“What now?” he asked through the communicator.
“Sir, the prisoners! They are no longer in the hut!” informed one of the Predator gunners.
“Define 'no longer in the hut'.” asked Marlon with a bitter tone of voice.
“We went by their hut to make sure they were sleeping. When we looked out the window, there was no one inside, awake or asleep. They fled.”
Celine also wore a bitter expression upon hearing the guards' message about the survivors' escape. Marlon brought the communicator close to his mouth, his voice rising as he gave his order.
“Inform the others and get the bikes ready! We'll go after them and show them what happens to fugitives from the Jungle Predators!"
“Yes sir.”
Pressing the off button, Marlon slams the device down on the dresser. Celine stands up, moving herself away from her boss's side.
“Fuck! If those bastards think they can get away from me, they're dead!”
Marlon gets out of bed to pick up his clothes and put them on. Celine did the same.
“They couldn't have gone out on their own. Someone from the inside helped them with our resources and weapons.” she said as she pulled on her tank top.
“My men would never help them,” said Marlon after putting on his pants. “They are too faithful to our cause.”
“We both know they wouldn't betray us. But what about those who are not directly connected to us?” she said, pulling on her pants and boots.
Marlon put on his shirt and jacket. “There is no one who can operate outside of our operations. Unless…” he said, until young Christine came to mind.
Finishing dressing, Celine looked at her boss. She was somewhat aware of who he was imagining. Instead of saying who was responsible for it, she opted for silence, listening to his order.
“Go with the others and prepare the bikes. I will handle this matter personally.”
“Yes sir.”
Celine left her boss's office on his orders to help his men to fill up the bikes and go after the fugitives. Marlon stared at where she was before. He wore an expression of pure spite towards a single person he knew who could have helped Priscilla, Paige and the other prisoners escape.
“If she hasn't left that place, surely she will learn not to challenge my authority.” he said in his thoughts.
////
During their escape, the group finds the ATVs parked near the Predators' weapons depot.
“ATVs. The vehicles the Predators use to rob any ghost town and ambush hapless travelers.” said Raj seeing one up close.
“We can use them to escape.” Andrew said.
“We could, but we don't have the starting keys.” Paige replied, seeing the switch contact without the starter.
“If we go after them, we would lose time that should be used in our escape.” replied Raj.
“What do we do then?” asked Priscilla.
“I have an idea. If we can't use these vehicles, then let's destroy them so those bastards don't come and use them to hunt us down.” replied Daniel with a lighter in his hand.
Having said that, he opened the access door to supply them with fuel, threw some gasoline on the vehicles and set them on fire. That done, the group was met with rifle and submachine gun fire, all coming from the other guards who were still standing. Priscilla drew her sword and countered the shots, protecting her colleagues. The brunette, Paige and the doctor opened fire on the Predators, but saw that there were too many to take them down. In response, they had to run as far as possible.
“The prisoners are escaping! Stop them!” yelled the Predator soldier with a Galil.
A small group of soldiers rushed to stop the fugitives. As they approached the ATVs, an explosion came from the fuel tanks, throwing pieces of the vehicles to different corners around. The men standing nearby were hit by the blast. Some were covered in flames, others had shrapnel piercing their bodies.
////
The group ran to the furthest corner of the camp. Priscilla and Paige turned their gazes to that place, seeing that smoke emerging and slowly consuming some wooden structures that were close to the destroyed quads. There was nothing else to be done there. All that was left was to run away.
////
As the prisoners continued their escape, Marlon drove his ATV to Christine's hut. The guards who were in front of the gate opened it, giving space for their boss to pass.
When he gets close to the door, Marlon asks a man armed with a Skorpion to leave him alone with the medicine girl. He had his sunglasses covering his eyes filled with rage.
In the medicine room, Christine looked at the bottles and pills in a glass cabinet with a refrigerator running to keep them safe. She was mildly concerned about Priscilla, Paige, and the others who helped them escape the Jungle Predators' camp.
Suddenly, she hears the door open, turning her gaze quickly to see who's arriving. It was Marlon. Her heart raced at his sudden arrival.
“Ahhh. Boss.” she said in surprise. “I didn't expect you to come here all of a sudden.”
“Normally I send one of my men to get some medication or a first-aid kit in case they've had an accident. But this is not the subject I want to address here and now.” replied Marlon with a serious look.
Christine imagined that he was aware of the escape, but opted for disinformation as she was always isolated from others and avoided mentioning her involvement with the group.
“But then, what would it be?”
Marlon placed himself on the side of her desk. He gestured for her to come closer. The young nurse took a small step forward, though she had a dread about what he would bring later.
“We had a small issue with our main workforce. They decided to revolt and leave us in the lurch. Of course, they couldn't have run away on their own without at least some kind of help.”
Christine continued to stand her ground, even though her heart was pounding. She sees the scary man removing his glasses, revealing his bitterness at that, then fixing them on her.
“Were you here in this cabin when the prisoners escaped?” he asked Christine.
“But of course, boss. I hardly go out unless one of your men authorizes me.”
“Indeed?” he asked with a questioning tone. Marlon removed a pack of cigarettes from his pants pocket, taking one to smoke inside the cabin with medicine. Christine looked on with displeasure at his act, but she couldn't ask or complain to him to the point of being overpowered by his position as boss.
Then he releases smoke from his mouth. “And why have I been receiving information that some of our supplies, weapons and ammunition have been gradually diminishing?!” At that speech, Marlon hits the table with his fist, giving Christine a fright.
The Predator evil-master gets up from the table and proceeds toward her. She tried to back away, but there was no more room to dodge or escape.
“One of the prisoners who was nearly dead was suddenly recovering, and that indicates someone within the Predators was helping her. But none of my men would be able to do that.”
“But sir. I rarely go out and I would hardly have known that one of your prisoners was sick.” she replied, scared.
“Really?! And how did she get the medicine to treat herself?!” he yelled aggressively, slapping Christine across the face, making her fall to the ground hard.
The young woman collapsed in disgust, holding back her sadness as tears flowed from her eyes and the bottom lip she had cut was bleeding.
“Someone managed to sneak in and get past here. Anyway, you helped them behind my back!”
Marlon glared at her. The young nurse placed her hand on the table, leaning on it to get up. Christine wiped the sleeve of her lab coat across her lip, wiping a little of the blood oozing from it.
“I… I couldn't stand by while someone needed help. You've kept me here too long without even seeing… sunlight or a friendly face.” she said as she leaned against the table, holding back her tears.
Marlon showed no signs of compassion or remorse for her after the slap inflicted on her. Then he heard the blonde nurse speak one last time on the verge of reacting bitterly.
“You keep me trapped here the same way they do. Since the day you and the Predators found me wandering in the woods, I've only done as you say, depriving myself of anything and a few people who were there for me when I needed it most. You used me the same way Priscilla and Paige and the other people who went into the woods.”
In response, he walked over to her and pinned her against the wall.
////
Still at the camp, Celine approached the blast site with two armed guards. One of the soldiers approached her to pass the report.
“What is the situation?!” she demanded.
“Ma'am, the prisoners knocked over our generators. They eliminated some of our men, took some weapons and set our quads on fire.”
“I get it. It shows that we are dealing with well-organized prisoners.”
“Wh-what do we do now?” asked the man after passing his report to Celine.
The woman in question removed her Beretta M9 from its holster and pressed the trigger against his head. The other soldiers knew what they needed to do.
“Anyone else have a question about what to do while the prisoners escape from us?!” she asked in an aggressive tone. For her answer, no question. “Then, after those bastards!”
Even with few ATVs left, the Predators grabbed some jeeps and motorcycles and used them to go after Priscilla and Paige's group. Celine boarded one of the vehicles, requesting to go ahead.
////
After he had had enough with the nurse, Marlon walked out the door of the medicine shed. The malefactor directs his gaze to the guards of the place.
“Stay here and wait for my return and don't let her escape. You can shoot her if she tries something funny.” ordered the vicious man towards the two guards armed with Type 64 submachine guns.
They responded with a nod. Marlon continued on to the ATV and went to join the others in the hunt for the fugitives.
////
In the middle of the forest and vegetation, Priscilla, Paige and the others run away from the Predators' camp. They used flashlights to light the way and see what obstacles were visible to cross. The sky was gradually changing from black to blue-gray, allowing the survivors to see an improvement in their eyesight.
During the escape, Raj stopped for a while to catch his breath. Paige and Daniel paused for a moment in answering it.
“Raj, is everything okay?” asked Paige.
“I am fine. I'm just… I'm not used to running anymore.” he replied with his hands on his knees.
“Raj, we need to run as fast as possible. If we stop, the Predators will catch up.” said Daniel, warning that rest breaks, even short ones, could be too dangerous.
“I know, Daniel.”
Priscilla approached them. She had her sword in her hand to cut some branches and roots.
“We need to go! If we stay here, they will catch up with us.”
The warrior and Paige helped the doctor to his feet and continued his escape. They were almost four and a half kilometers away from the camp. At their current pace, they could reach the gate in less than forty-seven minutes.
Meanwhile, the Predators approached with their vehicles in the direction the group had taken. The sound of the engines was perceptible in the survivors' ears. Paige, Alice and the others were scared.
“Oh no! The Jungle Predators.” cried Alice.
“They are approaching with their vehicles!” Andrew shouted.
The group saw the lights increasing as they approached.
“What will we do, Mom?!” asked Mark, startled.
“Keep running! I will hold them!” replied Priscilla with the sword in her hand.
Priscilla ran towards a tree while the others ran towards the exit. Using a portion of her Yoki, the warrior struck the trunk at an angle so that it plummeted towards the main path of the survivors.
With that done, the tall tree succumbed under its own weight, falling to the point of blocking the route. Then Priscilla did the same with some others, using them as barricades. On the last one, she lands a blow to knock down the tree and proceeds to the exit, rejoining her friends.
The Predators and their malefactors arrive with their vehicles at the place where their targets have been. The path was littered with fallen tree trunks, blocking the route to cross.
“Damn it! They blocked the route with trees!” shouted one of the soldiers.
“We will not be able to cross with our vehicles.”
“Forget the vehicles! We'll go after them on foot!” ordered Celine, stepping out of the jeep with her G3 rifle. The other soldiers started to do the same. Most of them carried assault rifles, submachine guns and RPG-7 rocket launchers. Only three of them carried light machine guns, but they needed an additional soldier to help load ammunition.
During the chase, Marlon catches up with his men and reunites with Celine and their troops. He did the same when his ATV stopped next to the other jeeps and motorcycles.
////
In the medicine hut, the blonde nurse remained lying on the floor, recovering from the violent act committed by the head of the robbers. Her right hand gripped the wooden wall of the building, holding her to her feet. Her face was still bruised after the blow Marlon landed on her. Christine's weeping had ended after Marlon's departure after going after Priscilla and the group, which for her the place was quiet again.
However, her nightmare would return with force. Upon hearing the sound emerging from the door, and opening, Christine spots one of his guards entering. Her eyes widened in fear. The man in turn issued an evil smile with some broken teeth, aiming his attention at her unprotected legs.
“No, please…” Christine said in fright.
“Ahhh. Don't worry, baby. I guarantee that after this, you will feel better. Much better.” replied the assailant approaching her, putting her hands on his pants.
The vile human creature discarded the belt and zipper to release the virile member and abuse her the same way as his boss. During the approach, he let out a vicious laugh as he undid his pants.
Outside the hut, another human figure was approaching the spot guarded by the other Predator soldier. This one was not wearing civilian clothes such as jeans, shorts, button-down shirt, tank top or any type of footwear. The man wore brown boots, a kind of green leggings to cover the shins and the top of the shoes, partially faded green pants, green jacket accompanied by suspenders and a belt full of ammo pouches. To top it all off, he wore a North American M1 steel helmet, once used by the army during World War II, and with a design of a golden oak leaf to symbolize the rank of major. As a set of weapons, he carried an M1 Garand rifle, a holstered Colt M1911A1 pistol and an M1A1 Thompson submachine gun on his back.
The man had white skin, blue eyes and gray eyebrows, with some lines around the eyes, eyelids, mouth and forehead, as well as a little beard.
The American soldier was approaching the guard, drawing his attention as he headed towards the cabin. The Predator man raised his Norinco Type 64 submachine gun.
“Hey you! Back off! This area is restricted!” ordered the guard to the American soldier.
The man in the helmet did not answer. Instead, he withdrew his pistol from its holster and pressed the trigger several times, killing the guard to the point where his body hit the wall and landed motionless on the floor.
The sound of shots caught the attention of the other one who was inside with the nurse. He was close to Christine, almost climbing on her to the point of ruining her a second time. He turned his face towards the door upon hearing the sound of knocking on it, spoiling his happiness at having fun with her.
“Ah, fuck!” he growled. He got up and headed towards the only entrance to the cabin, picking up his gun from the wall and pulling on his pants as he went.
The ugly assailant approached that object, demanding who was knocking on the door. In the meantime, he said that there was nothing interesting for unauthorized people to enter. However, no response. His eyes narrowed in anger when he heard more knocking.
“Who is there knocking on the door when I told them there is nothing for unauthorized people?”
He placed his left hand on the doorknob, pulling her close in order to answer his face. His unhappiness came in the form of a barrage of bullets from the Thompson, tearing through his chest and slicing through to hit the wall. Then his body fell to the wooden floor. Christine was scared to watch that scene. The assailant's eyes were wide with pain, fear and horror after being hit.
After that, she sees a boot emerging from the door, stepping a little on the blood that spilled from the downed body. Then the rest of the soldier's body appears with calm steps. He kept the Thompson submachine gun in hand, approaching the fallen nurse.
“No. Don't hurt me!” she said, startled, raising her left hand in front of her face.
“Don't worry. I won't hurt you.” replied the American soldier. He knelt down with a piece of tape to treat Christine's face, placing his gun beside him.
The nurse received his medical treatment. With a little water, he got it drunk to clean the cuts Marlon made on her. Then he removed another sticking plaster from the first-aid kit and handed it to her to clean her crotch. The soldier got up to head for the door, turning to give her some privacy.
“Once you're done cleaning up, grab everything you can and get out of here. Because this camp will disappear from the map after I burn everything I have of those bastards.”
“What will happen to me?” asked Christine upon hearing that he was going to set fire to the Predators' camp.
“I'm giving you a chance to escape from this place. I guarantee you will be fine. As for that group and that young swordswoman, I'll see what I can do to help them escape.”
Christine saw her rescuer heading for the door to leave the cabin. He was about to put his plan into action, to burn down the camp until there was nothing left of the Predators to use. Be it buildings, weapons, vehicles and supplies. However, she called him once more.
“Wait.” her voice made him stop for a moment. The soldier's eyes turned to her. “What is your name?”
“My name is Tony Greenleaf. Major Tony Greenleaf.” replied Tony.
“Christine.” introduced the young nurse to the Major.
“Nice to meet you, Christine.” concluded Tony. Then he walked out the front door, leaving the blonde nurse alone.
////
The sky was already clear and the sun was rising over the horizon. The survivors continued to run away from their pursuers. As they ran towards the exit, the more difficult it became when they saw the traps that they themselves had installed by obligation of Marlon and his men.
The first trap was the barbed wire fence. As Priscilla had a sharp sword capable of cutting anything, she struck that wall of metallic wires with sharp points capable of inflicting pain and making unsuspecting people get trapped in them. The blow snapped the wire as if it were nylon threads. Thus, the group proceeds with the escape. Paige, Alice, Andrew and Mark led the way, with Raj, Daniel and Priscilla last.
Everything looks easy after crossing the barbed wire, but the next obstacle is the pits containing rotten wooden stakes and the minefield. These two are the most difficult for those who don't have metal detecting equipment or to locate the holes without putting their own leg.
Paige and the others looked around the forest for the dangers awaited by the Jungle Predators for any unsuspecting adventurers who entered or left their territory. Priscilla kept her sword in her hand touching the ground for holes or other forms of traps. Fortunately there was nothing that could be triggered to bring the group to a grisly end.
////
Seven minutes passed, Priscilla, Paige and the others arrived in an area where the vegetation was removed and few trees could be seen with numerous burn marks. Few skeletons were seen tied between the branches. Some had missing bones, which suggested they had been blown up going through the mines.
“It's here, people. The Predator's minefield.” said Daniel approaching Paige and Priscilla.
The two girls looked at the boy, then at the open area. The terrain was well prepared to be overcome by anyone without specific equipment.
“I imagine you've been here before,” said Paige.
“I have. Once, when Bernard and I were in custody and working for those bastards. That was way before you arrived.”
“However, we don't have metal detectors to find mines.” Raj said. Since Christine didn't hand over one for fear of drawing too much attention from the guards, the group would have to get through the hard way.
“We need to get through this place so we can get out of here.” Paige replied.
“I can use my sword to feel if there's anything metal. I can slide the tip on the floor. If I find one that might sink, I'll let you know where it's safe to step on and where it's not.” Priscilla replied.
“It's risky,” said the dark-skinned boy.
“We don't have many options.” Andrew replied.
“If we keep arguing, surely those robbers will catch up with us.” completed Alice.
Daniel sighed in discomfort. But he accepted the decision of the others.
“Fine. Let's go ahead.”
The group begins its journey across the minefield. Priscilla went ahead with her sword in her hand. The others had to follow her in line. As this could take a little longer to cross, it was the only way they had without running the risk of stepping on the traps.
The first trap detected was a rotten wooden floor covered in dirt. It wasn't big enough to hold several wooden stakes, but it was big enough to install a Teller mine.
“This corner has a mine. We'll have to take the other side." warned Priscilla, turning her gaze to the others.
Paige, Alice and their children, Raj and Daniel accompanied the warrior to the other side. The path became winding as they found more traps on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Predators arrived at the barbed wire barricade. Marlon and Celine walked over to the tangle of cut wires. The boss picked one up from the ground, lifting it with his bare hand. He furrowed his brows as his hatred for the survivors grew.
“These prisoners think they can escape us. They will regret doing such a thing!” he exclaimed, slamming the barbed wire to the ground.
One of the soldiers approached him.
“Send two patrols ahead. We will see if our prisoners manage to escape while crossing the field of traps that they themselves have prepared.”
“Yes sir.” answered the assailant with the Skorpion in his hand.
A small group consisting of twelve men went ahead, followed by another of fifteen. Everyone was running to catch up with Priscilla, Paige and the others. Celine approached her boss with the Gewehr 3 rifle in her hand.
“That girl with the sword is certainly not from around here. She carries a completely archaic weapon compared to ours, but she has powers that we don't understand. But after all, how did she end up here in this world?”
“It doesn't matter where she's from or how she came into this world, Celine. She will be dead when I get my hands on her.” replied her boss in an aggressive tone. His eyes might be behind his dark glasses, but his mouth and eyebrows said it all.
The Predator trusted officer kept her attention on him, then turned her gaze forward. Even if she has countless questions about Priscilla, none of them would be of any value as she is part of the rabble.
////
Back in the minefield, the group was halfway there, with some traps to cross. Priscilla located the next one with her sword. This time it had a much greater width and length and could accommodate a carpet of sharp spikes, ready to pierce the flesh of unsuspecting travelers and drive them to a horrible death.
“Another trap, folks. This one is pretty big. We'll have to turn around.” warned the warrior to the group.
Alice and her children, Paige, Raj and Daniel agreed with her. However, as it was wide, in order to cross it it would have two opposite directions to choose from. Both are dangerous if they are to choose blindly. If they are going to take a direction and, due to a bad feeling, they realize that there are more traps than the other, it would delay the escape. And since there was a person with a longer object about to clear the path, it would be more difficult if he were to separate the group in two.
Mark approached the warrior. He saw her sliding the tip of her sword across the dirt-covered wooden floor.
“What happened, Priscilla?”
“We have two directions to choose from. The one on the right and the one on the left. If we go one way, we might find more traps than the other. And consequently we can lose more time to come back.” answered a troubled Number 2.
“Both are dangerous, Priscilla. If we don't make a decision, surely the Predators will catch up with us.” replied Daniel.
“Yes. But I can't tell you to go in opposite directions to the point of putting our lives at risk. You could trigger a Predator trap if you take the other side.”
While the group discussed which way to go, Paige took her Marlin rifle to visualize with the telescopic sight the place where they were before crossing the minefield. To her and the group's bad news, the patrol came in large numbers. The shooter's eyes widened.
“Guys, we don't have much time to choose. Look!” called Paige.
Priscilla and the others were amazed to see Marlon and Celine's men cross the minefield with ease. That's because there were some soldiers equipped with metal detectors.
“There are many of them. We cannot beat them in the open field.” said Raj, carrying an AK-47 in his hands.
“I can hold them off from here with the Marlin rifle. But we will be overwhelmed if we stand here.” Paige replied, raising her rifle in the direction of the Predators.
“I will stop them.” replied Daniel.
“Alone?!” asked Alice, startled.
“That is suicide!” exclaimed Priscilla.
“Do you have a better idea? If you don't make a decision, we will surely die at their hands. Also, I want to make them pay for what they've done. For Bernard and the others who died doing their dirty work.”
Priscilla would refuse Daniel's plan to sacrifice herself for them in order to cross over. Raj placed his left hand on her right Spaulder, making a gesture that it wouldn't work if it was going to make him give up the idea. She sighed.
“Very well, Daniel. I let you hold them. But be careful. We don't know how many there are.”
“Don't worry about me, Priscilla. Go. Protect the others.” said Daniel, taking the path that the warrior paved between the mines and the wooden stakes.
The survivors took the left path to cross the wide Predator pit. Paige followed the group as the last member in line, shooting at Marlon's soldiers from a distance. And when the group advanced, she stopped to accompany him.
Daniel, however, once he reached a certain range, began shooting at the Predators at medium range. On the other side, Predator soldiers returned fire on the survivors. Most weapons were submachine guns and assault rifles, where projectile effectiveness was lost at long ranges.
During the exchange of fire, Paige managed to incapacitate and eliminate some oncoming assailants. One of the operators carrying a metal detector was hit by one of her bullets, falling over one of the dug pits, triggering a Teller mine. The explosion lifted chunks of flesh, earth, and stone into the air. Daniel pressed his finger on the AK-47's trigger, unloading the entire clip of ammo on the Predators, with some hitting them squarely. And when he heard a “Clack!”, he would remove the empty magazine to insert a new one and continue the attack.
The Predators arrived in numbers to suppress the survivors' advance, but casualties soared when some guards and soldiers were downed or seriously wounded. Some of the specialized troops arrived to try to reverse the situation with heavy weapons, such as machine guns and RPG-7. Paige saw those weapons as she accompanied Priscilla and the others. As those weapons had greater firepower compared to assault rifles and submachine guns, she aimed her Marlin rifle at the first soldier with a PK, dispatching him in the head.
Daniel did the same when the heavy troops arrived. When a man arrived with an RPG-7, he pressed the trigger, wounding him to the point where he fired the rocket launcher nearby and was hit in the chest with the weapon itself.
Hearing another “Clack!” Daniel ejected another empty magazine and grabbed a new one to reload his AK-47. However, the intensity of the enemy fire increased when Paige and the others got further and further away to the point of providing support.
When the group finally broke through, the young shooter called for Daniel to join them. His response, even from afar and with the sound of gunfire echoing, was to flee. Then the young man was hit by several projectiles from weapons captured by the Predators. Paige was horrified to see him hit and fall to the ground before the enemy patrol. Priscilla called her, pulling her by the hand to flee as shots grazed her body and head.
“Paige, we have to go! There is nothing more we can do for him!” called the warrior, pulling her ward out of range.
The two girls ran to join the rest of the group. The young girl's eyes were fixed on Daniel's body from afar. As Priscilla said there was nothing left for him, her attention shifted forward.
Meanwhile, a small detachment of soldiers approached the dark-skinned boy's body. They could see him breathing even though there were several bullet holes in his body where blood was seeping out, staining his shirt a dark red. In the middle of the crowd, the boss of the bandits approached him, causing some men to distance themselves from him.
Marlon's eyes were fixed on Daniel. The index finger of his left hand pulled back his glasses to show the grudge held by the fugitive. The boy in question coughed up blood as he managed to stay awake as his life slowly fell apart.
“Tell me where your puny friends have gone, and maybe I'll put you out of your misery for good!” said the head of the Predators to Daniel.
The boy remained on the ground, bleeding and close to death. The two held their gazes for a moment, while the other remained standing, not caring too much for his victim's life.
In response, Daniel summoned what was left of his strength to say his last words.
“Go fuck yourself!”
The answer did not please Marlon very much. He pulled his Walther P38 pistol from its holster and, pointing it at the survivor's head, pulled the trigger, ending Daniel Ramirez's life once and for all. The boy's hand fell to the ground, without a sign of life. His eyes remained open, demonstrating the horrors of his death.
Marlon saw Daniel's body motionless as he sighed and held his P38 in his hand rigidly. Celine approached him as her superior holstered her gun.
“They can't be too far from here. If we hurry, we can intercept them before they reach the exit.” informed Celine carrying her G3 rifle.
“Go on Celine! Stop them. But leave only those two girls. I want to see them suffer as they watch their friends die.” Marlon ordered her.
“Yes sir.” concluded the faithful Predator officer. She proceeded forward accompanied by several assailants. Marlon followed the survivors along with a small detachment of guards.
////
Deep in the forest, the group of survivors continued their flight away from the Predators' camp. Priscilla and Paige ran the fastest, with Raj, Alice and her children trying to keep up with the two girls.
The group was still hurt by Daniel's sacrifice after he stayed behind to hold off the Predators. However, this gain of time was enough to cross the field of traps set up by the prisoners under Marlon's orders. Now all that's left is the gate out of the once forested park that many people visited before the zombie apocalypse.
Paige stopped for a second to look at the place where she had been until the moment of the boy's separation from the group. There were only trees, fallen branches, leaves and bushes. Other than that, she could hear the sound of birds flapping their wings and chirping to each other.
When the warrior noticed her ward pause for a moment, she called out to her.
“Paige. Everything is fine with you?"
The shooter turned to answer Priscilla's call.
“I… I'm fine.”
“We can't do anything more for Daniel. He stayed to hold them.”
“I know. It's just…” she answered until she was interrupted when Alice and the others approached the two. “…I just can't stop thinking about one thing.”
Not knowing what it would be, Alice asked. “What would it be, Paige?”
The young survivor looked back, then at the group.
“What would have happened if none of this had happened?”
“You mean we took the path to Jungle Predator territory?” asked Mark.
“I would say it's all of those things. The Predators and the zombie apocalypse. I wonder what would have become of us if none of this had happened.”
Andrew approached Paige. He placed his hand on her right shoulder, comforting her.
“You know, some things might not have been prevented even if we knew about this apocalypse, or our being captured by the Predators.”
“We could have a simple and very ordinary life, and these guys could have had a little more decent life than robbing and killing.” Raj said.
“But if nothing had happened, we wouldn't have had the chance to meet.” concluded Alice smiling at Paige.
The young shooter smiled and agreed with everyone else. Indeed, the apocalypse made unusual companions with only one goal: survival. Paige's first company was the warrior Priscilla, arriving out of reason to the hospital where the shooter was hospitalized. Next was Alice and the children Andrew and Mark, then Richard, the owner of the restaurant for truck drivers, but he did not survive long in the Predators' camp. And finally there were Raj, Christine, Bernard and Daniel Ramirez, where the last two died to get their freedom and the nurse was still in the camp waiting to leave after them. Even with a small group, survivors have all the means to face any adversity that could threaten their lives.
The moment of peace and silence was fleeting. They hear the sound of movement through bushes and woods, and dry branches being snapped by boots and shoes. The group prepares to face whoever approaches them. Paige, Raj, Alice and their children raise their rifles to shoulder level, aiming the iron sights forward, covering rear and front.
Several bullets tear through the leaves towards the group. The Organization warrior took her sword from the carrier and placed herself in front of her friends, deflecting the projectiles in different directions. Some grazed tree trunks, some fell to the ground, and some were knocked back to the Predators.
The group returned fire, knocking down some of Marlon and Celine's soldiers who were coming through the forest. However, they realized that they had the numerical advantage. By repelling the last bullet, Priscilla shouted for everyone to run towards the exit.
“Run!” shouted the Number 2. With that said, the others followed her running towards the gate, despite the hail of bullets glancing past them. Sometimes Paige and Raj turned to fire at the Predators, even as they ran forward to the point where they lost their aim.
Alice, even though at first she was against the use of weapons to kill and seeing Mark and Andrew carrying one, had to open fire to protect the lives of her children and their protectors. Her children did the same. The projectiles of their weapons hit different targets amidst vegetation, such as rocks, trees, bushes and the Predators. However, the attackers received few casualties due to them being well blended in with their surroundings and survivors running while shooting.
Priscilla, Paige and the others approached the gate to escape. However, a sudden event caused the group to stop running towards the exit. Celine, who was with the soldiers who intercepted them, emerged from the woods with her Gewehr 3 assault rifle raised to the line of her shoulder, opening fire in the direction of the survivors. One of her bullets hit the chest of the two boys' mother, causing her to scream in pain and fall to the ground.
“Mother!” shouted Mark and Andrew. Priscilla, Paige and Raj all turned in response to Alice's scream. They rushed to her aid while the two girls went on the attack.
Paige continued firing while Priscilla deflected the bullets, pinning a few Predators in non-vital spots and on the weapons. Raj asked Alice's children to apply pressure while he removed the bullet lodged in her chest.
The situation turned against the survivors. Several armed men surrounded the group, pointing their weapons in readiness for false movement.
“Don't move!” ordered one of the men armed with Type 56 rifles.
Paige held her hands up, leaving her gun on the floor for the taking. Priscilla, seeing that she couldn't do anything like the first time, gave herself to the Predators. Two soldiers approached to bring her to her knees, holding her arms to prevent any reaction. Raj, Mark and Andrew were separated from Alice, leaving the woman to bleed to death.
“Mother!” screamed the two boys being forcibly pulled by the Predators.
“Mark! Andrew!” Alice screamed in pain and fear.
The Organization warrior watched that scene of terror, of seeing a mother being separated from her children. It reminded her of her cruel past in Musha, where her family had to live under quarantine because of a Yoma among the population and couldn't enlist the services of a Claymore warrior. And unfortunately, when Priscilla was a human child, her family fell victim to the creature that lurked like a human by digesting brains and guts. His parents and sister were killed. The Yoma had the form of her father, devouring her older sister's entrails.
During the siege, Celine and Marlon approached the survivors. The Predator chief smirked as he glared at the young warrior.
“At last, we meet again. I wondered how far you would go with this.” said Marlon to Priscilla.
“Leave Raj and Alice alone! She needs help!” cried the warrior, asking that she receive medical support. In response, she received a blow to the face, scarring the right side of her cheek. The robbers' boss laughed at that scene.
“Leave them alone? I'm sorry, but you're not in a position to ask me for anything. Furthermore, you dared to evade your obligations. As a consequence, fugitives must be punished with death.”
Priscilla tried to contain herself by picking up the sword from the ground while Marlon mocked her. She had the perfect opportunity to overpower her captors and use her only weapon to kill him. However, in doing so she would go against the Organization's sacred rule not to kill humans. As Paige once said during her time in captivity, she was no longer in her world. She was in another world with completely different rules and situations. And since the Organization did not operate in it, Rimuto, the other founding members, the Men in Black and the other warriors, would not know that Number 2 had violated this rule.
In an instant, Paige called her, trying to make her revive her spirit as a warrior and protector in the face of this situation.
“Priscilla, what are you waiting for?! Take your sword and stop them!” called her.
Marlon laughed at that. The warrior's eyes turned to him. Alice was trying to hold back the bleeding on her own, her eyes drenched with tears. Raj and the others were being held in custody by them.
“Yes girl! Grab your sword and finish me off!” mocked the Predator chief. Celine was nearby, not caring about the current situation of the survivors. She kept her rifle in a guard stance.
Paige looked at it all with distaste. She tried to suck up the young warrior once more, but it had no effect. Then the malefactor ordered his men to bring the shooter closer.
“It's no use, you poor wretch. Even if you try to change her mind, your friend won't do anything to help you and your friends. The moment you entered my territory, she had the chance to stop us when her vehicle was destroyed. However, she did not accept it.”
“It has passed. Priscilla may not have finished with you when she captured us. But now, I know she can…” said Paige, being interrupted by Marlon's punch in the face.
“…can what?! Trying to stop me from tearing you apart?!” he replied, throwing more punches and kicks at her, hitting her face, stomach and chest.
Priscilla and the others watched that scene of horror. Seeing Paige being beaten in a vile and cowardly way began to nurture in the warrior a kind of distaste for those who abuse power to do any kind of evil, especially those who practice any cruel and inhuman act on the defenseless and the wronged. The warrior's brows furrowed, her heart began to race and her blood boiled with rage.
After Marlon's last punch, Paige's face was on the ground and marked with cuts and bruises. Her mouth was dripping with blood. When he grabbed her by the hair, Marlon pulled her up.
“It doesn't matter what you do or what you say. I HOLD the power here! And with it, I can finish you off as I see fit!” said the Predator chief one last time.
When he raised his closed fist to strike her once more, Marlon didn't notice Priscilla's sudden response. Her eyes changed color from silver to gold and her pupil took on the shape of a cat. The warrior used her Yoki, maximizing her strength and speed. The guards who stopped her were slammed into a tree and onto the ground, their bones broken by the impact.
With her surroundings slowing down when using her Yoki to run at a frightening speed, Priscilla grabbed her sword and advanced on Marlon, delivering a slashing blow to him and the guards. Then she stopped about four meters away, kicking up the dust with that charge.
His eyes were wide with fright. Young Paige, who was being held by her hair, fell to the ground. The warrior's act and skills scared him. However, what scared him the most was when he looked at his left arm, which she used to grab Paige, her hand was gone. Together, the right hand to punch her is also gone. Marlon looked at the guards who were on the survivor's side. The two of them were staring at each other, their lids pulled back to their maximum. And when looking at the warrior, the sword was bathed in blood, with a scarlet red drop falling, breaking in contact with the earth.
“How… how did you…” he said in astonishment. In an instant, his head split in two horizontally. One that caught on the bridge of the nose and one on the neck. Then his body toppled over like a rag doll, with the pieces of his head landing in opposite corners. The guards that were caught in the blow fell dead to the ground. The one on the right was quartered in the middle and the one on the left was cut from the right shoulder to the waist on the left.
That scene ended the morale of the other robbers. With their chief killed by Priscilla, they no longer had the strength to fight. Fear took hold of them, making them give up to the point of running for their lives.
“Boss!” shouted one of the Jungle Predators, armed with an Uzi submachine gun.
“The boss is dead! The boss is dead!” shouted one of the Jungle Predators, armed with a Skorpion.
Priscilla's eyes continued to emanate from Yoki. In a single motion, she was eliminating the men holding the prisoners, freeing Andrew, Mark, Raj, Alice and Paige.
“That girl is not a human! She… she's a demon!”
“Run!”
“We can't face that witch like this! Let's get out of here!"
Celine was horrified by it too. However, she still had the strength to face the survivors. Seeing her men flee, she called them to retaliate.
“No! Ignore that order! Stay and fight if you don't want me to kill you for desertion!” she screamed angrily, trying to raise her gun to shoot the survivors and her own men.
There were too many to try to encourage them again, either by force or authoritarian leadership. It had no effect. Priscilla struck several sword blows at the soldiers who tried to shoot her down. One of them opened fire, but failed to hit her. Instead, she cut it in half along the vertical line. His finger pressed the trigger, even as a piece of his body fell to the ground, hitting a tree and rocks.
Celine saw her men running in fear of the warrior. As she was alone, she let out an angry roar and pointed her gun at the survivors. She knew that if she tried to take down the warrior in her current state, it would be a waste of bullets. Instead, she chose to slaughter Raj, Alice and her children.
The Predator lieutenant pointed her gun at them, putting her finger on the trigger to fire. With one eye closed and the other open, she gritted her teeth as Raj and the boys were locked in iron sights.
“I have you now!”
With her finger pulling the trigger close to her, the black-haired woman struck a cruel blow to the point of claiming the lives of the survivors while they rescued a person in danger. However, Celine didn't realize that Paige saw her preparing to kill them and threw herself to stop her. Marlon's trusted woman felt her body being thrown with force, losing her precision and the group of her range, missing the shots. The boys and the doctor listened to the sounds of gunfire, thinking they got them right. However, they saw that the young survivor prevented Celine from doing this, allowing the continuation of Alice's rescue.
Paige and Celine rolled and wrestled on the floor to take one's gun. The two threw punches and kicks at each other and sometimes switched places, with one being on top to dominate the opponent. Celine had a tight grip on the gun, but Paige was shaking it and shaking it about to make it drop. In the middle of the fight, they throw the Gewehr 3 rifle away from them, starting to punch in the face. Paige lands several blows to the Predator lieutenant's face, cutting her lips and causing her nose to bleed. On the last punch, Celine retaliated by holding it and hitting Paige in the stomach with a kick. The young survivor got away from the attacker, trying to recover from the counterattack.
When the two got up, there were more blows with the purpose of knocking the other down. Celine got the upper hand and prepared to finish Paige off with the Beretta M9 pistol. However, the girl knocked the gun out of her hand and made her drop it on the ground, kicking it in the middle of the fight when she tried to take it to shoot Celine. The two wrestlers placed their hands on their shoulders, assuming a stance similar to that of Greco-Roman or sumo wrestling. The fight remained at a stalemate. Their eyes remained fixed, their breathing could be noticed along with their exhaustion. And just as Marlon's right hand would retaliate, Paige hit her with her head, causing Celine to lose concentration with a broken and bleeding nose.
Then it was her turn to receive the blows from the survivor. Paige threw several punches at Celine, hitting her in the face, abdomen and chest. Upon receiving the last one, Paige managed to knock her down and ran to get the Beretta M9, but was knocked down in the process. The opponent's hands held her by the leg. In the dispute, Paige landed a kick, getting rid of her in order to get the gun.
With her attacker down, the girl crawled as fast as she could to reach the M9 on the ground, mustering the last of her energy to end the fight at once. Celine, regaining her consciousness and sight, got to her feet and spotted the survivor standing next to her gun. She tried to run to stop her, but the young woman with light brown hair caught her first, pointing the barrel towards her chest. After that, she heard the sound of gunfire, feeling something go through her chest. Then another shot. And one more. And another one. Celine took a slight step forward, looking down at his bloodstained chest as she placed her hands on him. And as she tried to take another step, Paige pulled the trigger one last time. This time the bullet went through her head. The Predator lieutenant sighed one last time. Her eyes rolled up and her body fell backwards to the floor. Paige held the M9 as her arms swung, releasing her as she fell to the ground exhausted, but she was still alive.
////
Out of reach of the survivors, the rest of the Predators ran in different directions to save themselves. Upon arriving at the minefield, they were met with rifle shots, hitting them in the head and body. The ambush was carried out by Tony Greenleaf, carrying his M1 Garand through the bushes. He aimed through the iron sights, taking down his targets at an extraordinary pace. When the last bullet left the barrel, the En Bloc clip was ejected along with the spent cartridge, emitting a loud “Ping”, but barely perceptible at the distance where Tony was from the Predators. With a new full clip, he inserts it into the gun's internal magazine, then gives the operating rod a slight push.
New shots sent the Predators into extreme panic, with some falling into traps set by the prisoners themselves. Those who managed to escape ended up in the middle of the forest, where they were never seen again. And that was the end of a bandit faction that reigned with an iron fist and fury over unsuspecting survivors who entered an abandoned forest park.
////
Back on the road where the group was, Mark and Andrew were close to Paige. They and Raj finished extracting the bullet in Alice's chest. Now the boys' mother was safe, but she needed to recover from the surgery and the blood loss.
When the young girl woke up, she had the two boys in her sight.
“Paige.” called Mark.
“Are you well?” Andrew asked. He and his brother helped her to her feet.
“Yes. I am fine.” Paige replied. “Where is your mother?”
“She is fine. We helped Raj save her.” replied the younger brother.
“That was close. Raj said she lost a lot of blood. If Priscilla hadn't reacted, she would certainly have died.”
“Yes.” agreed the young girl to the two boys.
The three went to Raj and Alice. They spot the boys' mother breathing slowly as she rests. As there is no suitable place to dispose of the bullet and the surgical materials already used, the doctor had to put them in a plastic bag and dig a hole in the ground to bury them.
“Clinically she is fine. We would almost have lost her if Priscilla hadn't intervened. But, we did it.”
“We are lucky to have met you,” said Mark.
“And also nurse Christine.” completed Andrew.
“Yes. You and she were able to help us, especially since you were a doctor and she provided surgical supplies and medication when we were both close to death.” completed Paige.
“True Paige. I must also thank her for her help.” Raj replied, smiling at the three of them.
The four reunited survivors retrieved their items and weapons, as well as grabbing more ammo from the Predators' bodies in order to continue their escape. However, Paige noticed that Priscilla was missing, while the ground ahead was littered with bodies torn apart by her sword. Figuring the trail would lead to her protector, she proceeded with the Marlin rifle in her hand.
Paige walked calmly among the bodies and branches. Her eyes were fixed forward and to the sides by some element of surprise. She kept the rifle in her hand and unlocked it.
“Priscilla, where are you?” thought the girl as she looked for the other one.
Arriving in a clearing, she sees a golden-haired figure with very simple pieces of armor, along with a sword bathed in blood and several torn bodies. Paige knew the figure was Priscilla.
The warrior was motionless, not moving or turning to see who approached her. But she felt Paige's presence as she walked towards her. Being a little closer to the warrior, she heard a human girl's cry. Paige was startled to hear it. The crying was coming from the Organization warrior.
“Priscilla?” called Paige.
The warrior in question didn't respond. Instead she was crying.
“Priscilla. Are you alright?”
“I killed them. I killed them. I killed them.” she said several times. “I killed them. I killed humans.”
“Hey. It's alright.” Paige said, comforting the warrior. Standing beside her, Paige's arms slid across Number 2's chest, then hugged her. “Shhh. It's okay, Priscilla.”
“I… I killed humans, Paige. I… I violated the Organization's most sacred rule. I… I'm a disgrace to them all. Now, I will be seen as a deserter for killing humans, even if they are murderers.”
“No. You are not a deserter. You have done something few in your world would do, and that is to risk your life and some of your customs to protect those who trust you.”
“But… what if the Organization finds out I did this, my comrades will come after me and execute me.”
Paige kept her friend in her comforting embrace. “Don't worry Priscilla. You are in my world. I believe that there are no other people or agents of that Organization that you talk about so much in this world to the point of denouncing you in your world when this is all over. And besides, we could live together here, even if most of it got lost in the apocalypse.”
Hearing that, Priscilla raised her face to look into Paige's eyes. “Are you sure about that?”
“I do. You, me, maybe Alice, her boys, Raj and Christine. We can live happily together as a family. And we can go exploring new places and maybe even Terminus.”
Priscilla looked around, then at Paige. As much as some things related to her world may not make sense to Paige, the warrior tried to overlook even if it made her feel some weight for being part of the Organization. She wiped away her tears with her hands, flashing her ward a smile.
“Well, by the looks of it, you're doing a little better. Come on, Priscilla. The others are waiting for us to leave.”
“You're right, Paige.” agreed the young warrior. Then the two proceed to where the group was.
////
The two survivors reunited with Raj, Alice, Mark and Andrew. The boys' mother was on her feet, albeit a little weak from her current state. Raj and Paige carried her during the trip. As the group proceeds to the gate, they spot a human figure on the side of the right frame. It was nurse Christine, waiting to join the survivors now that Marlon, Celine and the Predators are gone.
“Do you have room for one more?” asked the nurse, smiling at them.
“Christine.” called Paige smiling, running to her.
“Paige, Priscilla, everyone. I'm glad you made it.”
Seeing Alice half weakened, Christine was shocked.
“Alice, are you okay?”
“I… I will be alright.” replied Mark and Andrew's mother.
“Alice was shot by the Predators. It was lucky that we were able to save her.” replied Raj.
“Daniel sacrificed himself for us.”
“I am very sorry for what happened. You will need help on the way. There's a small house not far from here. We can use it to rest after this dangerous journey.”
“Good idea, Christine.” Paige replied.
The group and the nurse continued their journey out of the forested park. On the crossing to the other side of the gate, they see the same scenario since the first time they were there before entering Marlon and the Predators' circus of horrors. Priscilla looked at Christine. She felt that she had gone through a cruel episode at his hands as the group fled away from the camp. However, she chose not to ask or broach the subject with Paige and the others around.
Away from the group, Tony watched them go into the distance on the horizon. He stood with a stoic gaze, keeping the M1 Garand rifle on his back along with the Thompson and the machete. Then he proceeded back into the forest.
-x-
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