The screams fill the air and drown my mind as I leap from the bed of the truck, trying to make sense of the chaos before me. Dani's voice is nothing more than an echo in my mind as I roll to my feet, lunge forward, and bury my knife into the skull of a Feral who bares the Widow's mark on its bare, bloodied chest.

Campers attempt to flee from the Feral's, a handful sprinting past me as I dart inside the camp, but most of the survivors are trying to defend the Big House.

I grab the wrist of a scout I vaguely recognize as he runs past, his makeshift armor and face covered in blood. "Felix and Octavia, where are they?!" I demand, whirling him around to face me.

The young man jumps out of his skin, fumbling for words with a wild look in his eyes. Over his shoulder, I spy a starving Feral barreling its way over to greet us, so I yank the scout out of the way and stab up into the offending Feral's jaw. The creature freezes as its blackened blood spills over my hands like thick oil, its hands barely having enough strength left to try prying itself from my grasp. I toss it aside as the young man sputters out, "T-the big house! They're in- They're in the big house!"

He sprints off without another word towards the cabins, where more campers attempt to fight back but are very quickly getting overwhelmed. 

We couldn't have been gone for more than a few hours; how did an entire hoard sneak up on the camp? I scan the Feral infested clearing between the Big House and me, noting the bodies already on the ground. 

Then the realization hits.

"Cassandra!" Dani's voice rings out from behind me, snapping me from my racing thoughts, and I whirl around to see her leveling her shotgun at me. Panic overtakes me as I very vividly remember her saying that my survival depends entirely on whether or not everyone is safe, and I draw my bow at her in a challenge. Her gun goes off, and I wince, but the only thing that hits me is a rush of air. 

A mangled corpse skids to a stop in the dirt just beside me, its head blown to bloody bits, and I jump away from it, startled. "What..?" I glance back up at her, lowering my bow, as she runs up beside me, Josh and Sparrow right behind her. 

"I can't fucking help you if you jump out of the truck like that!" Dani growls, firing away at another Feral that got too close. 

I stare at her, bewildered, and nod. "I need to get to the Big House," I tell them, gesturing to the large building where the bulk of the Ferals are gathered. "My family is in there!"

"We're all going to get out of here," Josh assures me, giving me a reassuring grin. "Your brother and sister, too." 

I wish I had his optimism because the more I examine our chances of even getting to the building, the more my head starts to echo the thought that I might be the last of my family.

Dani dodges a Feral as it leaps at her, slamming the butt of her gun into the back of its head with a sickening crack. "Not if we can't get there; this place is overrun!"

Over Dani's shoulder, I spot Jocelynn among a group of armored scouts slowly making their way towards the Big House, formed in a circle with what appears to be other campers in the center. I sling my bow and pull out my knife again, gesturing to the others. "Follow me! Sparrow, you and I are in front, Dani and Josh, take up the rear!" 

The trio exchange weary glances but nods without argument. Sparrow steps up beside me with Dani and Josh behind us, and we slowly make our way towards Jocelynn's group, where they've been cornered at one of the cabins. Sparrow slashes at a Feral trying to get at Josh and kicks its body out of the way while I stab another in the top of its skull. Josh and Dani follow suit, shooting at Feral's trying to sneak up on us, but for the most part, the Feral's have gotten wise and are beginning to keep their distance, seeing that we're too much of a threat to them to try and kill. 

"Oh my God, you're alive!" Jocelynn exclaims when she spots us. "We thought this herd got to you before you got back!"

Dani shoves her way forward to speak. "How long has this been going on?!"

"I don't know! Everything was fine an hour or two after you left, and then these assholes came at us from the river!"

Josh shoots a Feral who had gotten too brave for its own good and kicks its body away, glancing back at us, concerned. "From the river? Why didn't the scouts report before the herd got here?"

I motion to the body of the Feral Josh had just shot, my expression grim. "They likely weren't expecting a herd."

Josh glances down at the body, confused, but his eyes widen when he sees the Widow's mark on its arm, half-chewed and very fresh. "Holy shit, the herd took out the Widow's?" 

Dani, Sparrow, and Jocelynn's eyes snap to the body on the ground, worried. 

"Yeah," I growl. "Doesn't look like our friends here were expecting it either, and it looks like the Widow's just bolstered the hoard's numbers." 

Sparrow tightens his grip on his katana, standing at the ready as we examine the survivors Jocelynn's group managed to save. "At least we don't have to worry about the Widows anymore! Now come on, less talky-talky, more shooty-shooty!"

Dani turns to Jocelynn and her group, gesturing to the Big House with her shotgun. "We're going to join your kill circle and get these guys to the Big House for evacuation," she tells Jocelynn. 

"Where's Matt? Didn't he leave with you guys this morning?" Jocelynn asks, glancing around at our group. 

My heart skips a beat as I search for the asshole. "He was in the truck; where the Hell did he go?!" 

Dani swears under her breath, looking conflicted. "God damn it, that asshole better be alive for his sake! Josh, take these guys to the Big House, I'm going to hunt that fuck-wit down, and I'll meet you there!" 

Sparrow whips around to face Dani, confused and looking a little offended. "I'm sorry, you're going to risk your life for that sludge-ball?"

Josh pats his shoulder and gives him a look that communicates something I'm missing. Sparrow finally rolls his eyes, readying his sword. 

"Don't get yourself killed for that prick," Sparrow tells her.

Dani nods with a slight grin. "Believe me, he'll wish he was dead when I get my hands on him." She turns to look at me as though she has something to more say but seems to think better of it and departs with a nod directed at me, the meaning entirely lost over my head. 

"Come on," Josh says, gesturing to The Big House while I watch Dani disappear into the chaos. "She'll be fine; we have to get these guys to the evac vehicles and find your brother and sister." 

I nod, readying myself as our now bigger group takes an offensive stance around the wounded survivors and slowly makes our way towards The Big House. My arms grow sore as I slash and stab at Feral's who get too close, and my knife nearly slips from my fingers several times, coated in blackened oil-like blood, but I force myself to push on, sweat dripping from my face as my adrenalin from the lumberyard starts to wear me down. 

We manage to push our way to the front porch of the Big House, where a dozen remaining scouts are beating back the infected and erecting a crude barrier to put between them and the house. When they see us coming, a few of the scouts shout, "Survivors inbound!" over their shoulders, while others help to clear a path to the stairs so we can enter. 

The moment we step inside the chaotic house, arms wrap around me, lifting me off my feet. I open my mouth to scream until I realize that Felix is the one who is all but crushing me in a bear hug. "Cassy! We thought the hoard got you!" 

He sets me down to catch my breath, and my sister grabs my shoulders, shaking me. "Why did you leave us here?! We thought you were dead!" 

"Let me catch my breath, damn!" I demand with each shake. 

"Your hand!" Octavia exclaims, looking down at my bloodied knife and hand. "Are you bit?"

"No, Tay-Tay, I'm fine," I assure her. She's so worried that she doesn't even bristle at the nickname, and I suppose that's a good thing. 

"Where's Dani?" A cold voice interrupts our reunion, and I freeze when I see Ethan glaring down at me.

"She went to find Matt," I tell him. 

Ethan snarls in rage, stepping into my space and towering over me like he's about to throw me through the window to the Feral's outside. "And you just let her?!"

Felix and Octavia jump to my side as Josh and Sparrow step between Ethan and me, but it's Leon's voice that freezes Ethan in his tracks. "Danielle is a grown adult, Ethan," he says, his presence demanding the attention of everyone in the room. Making his way downstairs, Leon is in full military gear, looking like he's ready for war, which might as well be true. "I'm glad to see the rest of you are safe," Leon continues when he reaches us. "We're beginning the evacuation of the other campers and getting ready to head to the rendezvous. You and your family will be coming with us." 

I bristle at his order; though I know that we were likely going to be leaving with his crew anyway, the idea of being ordered around by him and expected to follow his lead without question strikes a nerve. 

He reminds me of Father in every authoritative way there is, and it raises a field of red flags. 

"Fine," I growl. "But I'm not going anywhere until Dani meets us here."

"I thought you were in a hurry to leave," Leon notes. 

"Not before I thank her for saving my ass," I retort. 

He gives me a significant look-over before nodding. "Then you'll help me get the campers loaded onto the escape vehicles. Two of them have already left, and we have four more before the camp is evacuated." 

"Then what are we waiting for?" I ask, taking my bow out and knocking an arrow. "We have some campers to evacuate." 

Leon nods and leads the way to the side of the Big House, where the remaining escape vehicles are located under an overhang. The scouts post themselves at the front and back entrances of the large carport while I start helping everyone escorting campers into the vehicles. A short bus, a delivery van, an RV, and a small moving van are all that's left of the escape vehicles, and I waste no time getting people on board. 

"That's it, we're going to get you to safety, alright?" I attempt to sound soothing to everyone, but I can't even convince myself that we'll make it out of this in one piece, much less alive and uninfected. 

As we load campers into the vehicles, the fighting eventually finds its way back towards the side entrance, where the scouts are starting to have a hard time keeping up with the Ferals. 

"Start loading up!" Leon orders as the last of the campers file onto the second to last vehicle. 

"Dani and Matt aren't back yet!" I tell him, taking a shot at a Feral who broke through the ranks of scouts protecting the doors. 

"If she's not here in the next two minutes, we have to assume she won't be here!" Leon says, throwing supplies into the RV as the last campers file onto the bus. 

"No!" I exclaim, turning to go back inside the house to search for her. "She said she'd be here, so we wait! I'm going to find her!" 

Lightning quick, Leon snatches my arm and whirls me around to face him, his eyes cold and impossibly calm as he stares down at me. "I will not risk the lives of those left for the chance that two might get here on time. Get in the RV." 

"Let. Me. Go," I growl, matching his energy as my free hand floats towards my knife, daring him to force my hand.

Felix grabs Leon's wrist from behind me, and I can feel how firm his grip on Leon is through their tension. "Please don't touch my sister," Felix says with a dangerously even voice. 

Leon stares my brother and me down for what feels like an eternity before he finally lets me go, reclaiming his hand from my brother. "You have five minutes to find her and get back, or we're leaving without you." 

"Then don't wait up," I growl, turning my back on him as I head back towards the house, Felix trailing after me. 

"Where are you going?" Felix asks once we're inside. 

"Leon plans on leaving without Dani and Matt," I growl. 

"I thought you didn't like Matt?" 

"I don't; I'm more concerned about Dani."

The image of Dani dangling in the window above me seconds after catching me flashes in my mind. I know I'm not super heavy, but her shoulder is still suffering from catching me like that regardless of how well she's hiding it, and we haven't even had a moment to catch our breaths today. On top of that, Matt isn't the most reliable combat partner from what I've seen from him; I wouldn't even be surprised if he took the truck and left by himself. 

"I thought you didn't like Dani, either?"

"She's an idiot, but I don't hate her. Hard to hate someone who saved my ass several times already." 

Felix nods like he solved a riddle in his head and isn't willing to share the answer with me. I shake it off as I make my way through the building, where very few remaining scouts are getting ready to head to the vehicles. 

"Have you seen Dani and Matt?" I shout above the commotion. 

"Not yet, no!" One of the scouts shouts back. 

Another one chimes in with, "I noticed two people taking cover by the cabins but haven't gotten a good look with these damn Ferals in the way! If that's them, we can help you clear a path to get them to the vehicles, but be quick! I don't know how much longer we can last here!"

"Then we'll make this quick!" I answer them. "Felix, get back to the vehicles and wait for me there."

"What? No, I'm going with you!"

"I need you to stop Leon from leaving without us," I return, stopping my brother in his tracks. "He might be willing to leave people behind, but I'm not, and the others probably haven't even realized that she's not back yet. Please, Felix. I'll be fine." 

Felix looks me over, battling internally with his options, but finally relents, deflating. "Don't do anything stupid, okay, Cassy?"

I give him a grin as I dig the locket out from my pocket and hand it to him. "You know me, buddy; it's not a stupid idea if it works. So hang on to this, okay? I'll be back." 

I don't spare him a backward glance as I take my chance and sprint through a gap in the Feral's and steadily make my way towards the cabins where the scouts pointed out two people were taking cover. Luckily for me, most of the Feral's have made their way to the Big House, which is going to suck on the way back, but the closer I get to the cabins, the more clearly I can hear arguing. 

"...should have taken the damn truck when we had the chance, damn it!"

"And go where?! The Big House is right there; we can make it if you stop being a whiny bitch about it!"

"I'm not risking my ass to get back to those bastards just to stay under watch again!" 

A Feral is banging on the cabin door with purpose, raging and ready to sink its teeth in the two arguing inside. I knock my arrow and draw it back, taking aim. The moment the cabin door opens, my fingers slip, letting the arrow loose, and my heart sinks as I can't stop it.