Chapter 3: The New Decision

Rayford, GA – November 24th 2009, a few hours later

The storm has helped the survivors from Fairfield to find some supplies for themselves in the house. They know, though, that it wouldn't last, considering the fact that they attract them like bees to honey. The four of them are now on a platform that is linked to the bridge. They are there because they can hear the Savannah survivors talking in the safe room there. Of course, those four survivors have no idea that the other group of survivors can hear them from the bridge.

"So, what was the name of that girl, Zoey? Are you going to do anything about her?" Rochelle asks.

"Man, don't asks me about it, I am a nervous wreck right now." Ellis answer her.

"What are you nervous about? You got your chance, you screwed up, now you're going to watch Nick take care of business." adds Nick teasingly.

"Well, to be honest, I think she's taken." Rochelle reveals.

"What makes you say that?" The mechanic asks.

"It's a woman thing." She responds with a wink.

"Yeah well, did you noticed anything like that, Coach?" the conman asks.

"I'll have to agree with Ro. The way she looked at the man with her on the bridge could only be the look of two lovers." Coach says.

"Really? How the hell did I missed that?" Ellis asks in astonishment.

"You were too busy ogling her to notice it, young'un." The black man told him.

"Oh shit, you're right man." The mechanic says after a moment, his face looking forlorn at the end. "I just remembered now that she seems happy despite all the shit that happened. Maybe he's the reason she is happy after all."

"Most likely. Alright, let's get going, people." Coach says.

"Well, this is interesting." Francis drawl in amusement.

The other three survivors roll their eyes at Francis' comment.

"At least, you won't have any competition for Zoey's heart, Bill, at least, not anymore." Remarks Louis jokingly, causing the older man to slightly blush.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm the one that chooses who I want to be with. I'm sure this Ellis is a sweet guy, but he's not Bill for me." Zoey replies in defense of her man.

Bill's heart warm at hearing her say those words. It always take him by surprise by how much she loves him.

"Well, all I'm just saying is that-" Louis starts before being cut off by Francis.

"Yeah, well, the sounds I've heard from the bedroom last night was fun. Could al-"

"Would you shut it?! I can hear them coming this way." Zoey cuts him off, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

The Savannah survivors make their way to the Fairfield survivors.

"You made it! Now all you have to do is to fill the generator and you would be able to get across the bridge." Louis says to them.

"Hey, thanks for helping us." Coach responds. "We're heading to New Orleans. If you guys want, you all can come with us."

The Fairfield survivors look at each other, knowing that an offer like that was coming. The four of them were all thinking the same thing to each other as they had discussed it while they were looking for supplies in the house.

Flashback

Bill, Zoey and Francis come back to the bridge, settling down their findings.

"Well, it's not much, but it's better than nothing." Bill says.

"A-freaking-men." Francis drawl.

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if they want us to come with them." Louis tells his friends. "I, for one, would want to go with them."

"I… I don't know, Louis." Zoey responds with a tremor in her voice.

Bill look at her, knowing how she feels.

"I'm not so sure either. That will depend on where they want to go and who or what is there." Adds Francis.

"And it would also help with your hatred of island." Add Louis with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, it would!" The biker exclaims happily.

Zoey shakes her head then makes her way to Bill's side.

"I know you're reticent to join them. But personally, I think we should, at least, hear them out." Zoey tells him softly.

"Yeah, it's just… I don't want to experience what happened in Millhaven again, darling." Bill starts. "At the same time, I should have thought about my island idea better. I mean, we may need to come back to the mainland for supplies in case we can't get everything we need to survive, and things may turn to shit that way. At the same time, the army and CEDA has abandoned us. I don't know if I can trust others except you three. And yes, I mentioned back then that I would never leave our own behind, but I simply didn't trust those soldiers, hence why I said that at the time."

Zoey nods, knowing that Bill has a point.

"Perhaps, we can trust these people. I'll bet they do not know about the fact that they are infected, but asymptomatic like us and that the military and CEDA has abandoned survivors of any kind." She says.

"Yeah, I guess we should, at least, give these people the benefit of the doubt." The older man says softly.

"So, what's the decision, then?" Francis asks.

Bill and Zoey exchange a look, then they turn to the other two.

End Flashback

"Yeah, we'll come with you, guys." Louis answers Coach.

"That's great!" Rochelle exclaims in delight.

"Yeah, that is really awesome!" Ellis enthuse.

"Of course we had to have more people coming with us." Nick comments with fake joy.

"Well, you're welcome to stay there anytime, Nick." Coach says.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The conman dismiss.

"Is he always like this?" Asks Francis.

"He's been like that since we've met him." Rochelle responds to the biker.

"With that kind of attitude, he deserves a punch in the face." The biker says, flexing the fingers of his left hand.

"I'll have you know I can take you anytime, you greasy vest wearing monkey." Nick replies.

"Alright, that's enough, guys." Zoey intervenes.

Francis backs off, but Nick just brush her off.

"This bickering is pointless." Bill says once he's sure the two men won't hit each other and that Zoey won't throttle both of them in frustration. "Alright, you guys, get the bridge down. We will cover you all from the balcony over there. Once the bridge is down, we will join you at your vehicle. Better have space for eight people though."

"Aw man, that means leaving the Jimmy Gibbs Jr. stock car behind." Ellis complains.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but we would have been forced to leave it eventually." Coach tells him.

"Yeah, yeah I know. Just I didn't expect it to happen so soon." The mechanic replies.

"Alright, let's get that generator filled up, then let's get out of here." The large black man tells his fellow survivors from Savannah.

The four Savannah survivors go to the elevator to the left, while the Fairfield survivors make their way to the house's balcony.

On their way to the balcony, they could hear Coach giving them a small pep talk.

"We do this, then get back to the car." He says.

The four Fairfield survivors arrive at the house, Louis going to the mounted gun on the walkway while Bill, Zoey and Francis make their way to the balcony. Francis goes to the small balcony on the other side of the house while Zoey and Bill go to the front one. With them setup, they start firing on the infected down on the street, providing covering fire to the Savannah survivors.

Savannah survivors

The moment the elevator reaches ground floor, the four survivors pour out of the elevator.

"Alright, let's get those gas cans, but first, I need to make something clear here." Coach starts. "We go in pairs looking for the gas cans. Second, only one of the people in pairs get a gas can, the other covers them. We clear?"

"Crystal clear." Rochelle and Ellis says together.

"Yeah, whatever." Comes the answer from Nick.

"Rochelle, you're with me." Coach says, going in the direction of the house where the Fairfield survivors are holdout.

She nods, then she and the black man make their way to the front, passing in the street besides the house. Nick looks at Ellis, a frown on his face.

"I'm warning you, I'm not taking the gas cans." Nick warns him.

Ellis let out a short laugh followed by a "Yeah, whatever you say." in derision.

Nick sighs, then follows the young mechanic, both of them going into the opposite direction of the other two.

Fairfield survivors

"That's relatively smart of Coach to do this in pairs." Zoey comments.

"Yeah, but they better be fast otherwise those infected fuckers will fuck them up real good." Bill says.

The younger woman nods, knowing from personal experience that it can be true. God knows how many times the four of them had gotten into that sort of situation where they had been separated in pairs and had been pinned down by the infected in the beginning of their trek in Fairfield. Good thing they had gotten better though as they went through many hordes of the infected during their trips.

"Look out!" exclaims Francis, bringing Zoey back to the present.

Indeed, there is a Charger behind him, about to charge. Coach has the gas can in his hands about to leave when the Charger arrive there. With Rochelle firing on a horde of common infected, Francis didn't hesitate and starts shooting the big infected. It doesn't take long for him to bring it down.

"Thanks Francis!" Coach hollers, running to the generator with the gas can.

The Fairfield survivors see Coach and Rochelle getting to the generator with the black man emptying the gas can's contents into the generator. Once done, the two of them go back to where they come from, most likely because there is at least another gas can there. Bill and Francis swap places in order to bring a different power from their vantage point. From there, the Fairfield survivors manage to decrease the number of infected trying to kill the Savannah survivors down in the streets until they weren't any left. During that time, Ellis and Nick come back with their own gas can, emptying it into the generator with Coach and Rochelle doing the same with their own. Silence then greets the survivors.

Savannah survivors

The ground starts to shake. The Savannah survivors look at each other, knowing only one infected can do that.

"TANK!" Louis screams.

Then all hell breaks loose on the Tank, the eight survivors firing everything on it, bringing it down fairly quickly.

"Okay, next time there's a Tank, we bring it to the bridge. The eight of us can bring it down much faster than if it were only four of us." Coach says.

"That's sounds like a plan." Rochelle agrees.

Then Coach and Rochelle went down the streets towards the store at the end of it while Nick and Ellis returns where they had been, knowing there are other gas cans there.

Coach and Rochelle

Once inside the store, Coach and Rochelle see two gas cans.

"Alright girl, there's two gas cans. We should take both of them out of the store but only bring one at a time to the generator." Coach says.

"I'll follow your lead, Coach." Replies the young woman.

The two of them take the gas cans, Rochelle dropping hers once they are out of the store. At that point, infected starts pouring out, coming for the survivors. The black woman starts firing on the infected while Coach makes a run for the generator down the street. With Rochelle covering him, he manages to make it to the generator, dropping the gas can's contents into it. Once done, the two of them returns to the store's entrance where the other gas can is. Rochelle grabs it wordlessly then she makes a run for it, Coach shooting with his shotgun at the coming infected that targeted the woman with the gas can. Soon enough, the female reaches the generator, emptying the can's contents into it.

"How many more do we need Coach?" Rochelle asks.

"About four." Coach replies, pointing at the gauge on the side of the generator.

"Let's check the house where our four friends are in. They could be some cans in there." Rochelle proposes.

"Alright, ladies first." Comes from the black man.

Rochelle raise an eyebrow in amusement, but went in first anyway. Knowing Coach hates stairs, the young woman goes up to the second floor while the black man is looking on the main floor.

"I got one!" Exclaims Rochelle, showing Coach the gas can she found.

"I got one too." Coach tells her, showing his.

Rochelle goes down the stairs again with her own can, Coach on her heels. They go to the generator where Rochelle empties her can first, Coach doing the same thing soon after.

"Alright, just two more!" Coach says happily.

"Actually, it's only one." Rochelle corrects the older man.

"Well dang. That means Ellis and Nick manages to bring one while we were either in the house or when we made our trip back to the store for the second can." The black man remarks.

"Most likely." The young woman concurs.

"Hello!" Hollers a female voice that isn't Rochelle.

Both of them look up, seeing Zoey trying to get their attention. In her hands, there are 2 pipe bombs.

"Here, take this." She tells them, throwing the two items to them from the balcony.

"Thanks, Zoey." Rochelle says.

"You guys are alright." Coach adds.

Nick and Ellis

The mechanic and the conman make their way to the back of where the elevator is, checking for gas cans. Finding none in the building they are in, they make their way out, following the street until they find themselves between two buildings a bus and a truck are park on the right side of the road. At the end of it is a barrage most likely made by the military. One of its pillar has fallen down, giving an opening to the street that leads back to the generator.

"Alright, the way I see this is we need a few of those gas cans. Let's grab as much as we can, then put them out there. Once we're done, you grab one of the cans and we make a run for it." Nick says to the younger man with him.

"And what will you be doing during that time?" Ellis asks.

"Me, I'm going to cover your ass so you'll survive. What kind of question is this?" Nick retorts.

"Alright, alright. No need to be testy about this." The mechanic says soothingly.

"Fine, whatever." Nick sighs.

The two men go to the building on the left side. Once inside, the two of them starts to look for gas cans, Ellis going to the left while Nick goes to the right.

"Hey, I found two over there!" Ellis exclaims.

"Alright, well get them out of the building in a safe place. I'm going to check up there to see if there's any." The conman replies.

Ellis nods, grabbing the two gas cans, putting them outside the building while Nick goes up the stairs in order to see if there's any cans on the second floor. Not seeing any, the conman goes to the walkway outside, seeing two gas cans on the left side of the walkway. A bull sound-like is heard and the next thing Nick knew, he's being pinned down by a Charger!

"Ah shit, shoot this thing off of me!" Nick screams out.

Ellis' eyes widens then he turn around, seeing Nick being pummeled by the Charger. The young mechanic manages to kill the big infected that was harming the conman, who falls on the ground once the Charger dies. Nick starts to get up, winded by the Charger's pummelling.

"Hey, man, you alright?" Ellis asks.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Nick tells him. "Alright, let's get these cans to the generator.

"Agreed." Ellis responds.

The mechanic grabs one the gas can while Nick grabs the other and the two of them goes through the hole in the barrage, Nick dropping his gas can there so he could protect Ellis while they make their way to the generator. It doesn't take long before the two of them reaches the generator, Ellis pouring the can's content in it. Once done the two of them goes back for the gas can that Nick brought closer earlier. Nick grabs it, before he and Ellis make their way to the generator once more. They arrive there at the same time as common infected makes their way there as well. Ellis starts to shoot the infected with the Fairfield survivors doing the same from their balcony. Nick arrives to the generator, pouring the gas can's content into the generator. Once done, the conman turns around just to see a Hunter pounce on Ellis.

"Shit, a Hunter pounced on Ellis!" Nick exclaims.

The conman along with Bill and Louis shoots the Hunter down before it could harm the mechanic.

"Hey, thanks a lot." Ellis says in relief to Nick.

"Don't mention it." The conman replies.

"There, I saved this for you." They hear Bill says.

The two of them look up, seeing the old veteran throwing a med kit to the two of them. Ellis grabs it gratefully.

"Wow thanks a lot, man." The mechanic says.

"Hey, I take back what I said earlier. You guys are alright." Adds Nick.

Savannah survivors

Just as the two of them are going to go back to grab one of the gas can that Nick found earlier on the walkway, the conman and the mechanic sees both Coach and Rochelle coming, both of them having a gas can. Coach drops his besides the house where the Fairfield survivors are holding out and Rochelle reach the generator, that the ground starts to shake.

"Ah hell, not again." Ellis whines.

Rochelle pours the gas can into the generator, looking behind her, seeing the Tank coming up to them.

"Oh shit, Tank!" She exclaims.

"Shit, there are two Tanks!" The four Savannah survivors hears Zoey hollers directly after.

Indeed another Tank comes in from the other side of the road, effectively pinning the Savannah survivors.

"Goddammit, no one is going to die today." Bill says from the balcony, firing his M16 on the two big infected down the streets.

Zoey grabs a bile jar that she found while searching the house earlier and throws it on the Tank coming the closest of her hold out position. The bile jar breaks on the big infected blinding it momentarily, also attracting lots of common infected on the Tank. With the big infected otherwise being busy trying to clear a path to the Savannah survivors, the second Tank is being shot down by the survivors down the street and Francis and Louis. Bill and Zoey are firing on the Tank that is being mobbed by the common infected. Then all eight survivors fires on that Tank, bringing it down for the count.

"Damn, that was a close one." Coach says in relief.

"Yeah." Nick says, out of breath.

"Alright, we're missing one gas can, then the bridge should go down." Coach says to his fellow survivors.

"Good. I know exactly where to look." The conman says.

"Yeah, that walkway you were on earlier." Ellis adds.

"Exactly."

"Alright, then lead the way, Nick." Coach tells him.

"This way." Nick says.

The other three survivors follows him through the street, going through the barrage. There, the Savannah survivors goes to the building where Nick leads them up the stairs on the walkway where the two gas cans are. There, Coach grabs one of the two gas cans then the four of them make their way back to the generator. Coughing sounds could be heard close to them.

"Shit, I think I hear a Smoker." Rochelle warns.

"Then let's be careful, and let's make sure we stay together." Coach says.

The other two men nods, then the four of them make their way through the barrage. As they make their way through the street, they hear a pitch scream.

"Ah shit, something's got me!" Ellis screams, trying to free himself from the Smoker's tongue.

Right before the Smoker manages to bring the mechanic to it and the other three Savannah survivors could free Ellis, the Smoker dies, the smoke coming from its body.

"Zoey, nice shot." The four Savannah survivors hears Bill complements his love.

Ellis takes the tongue off of him, then he makes his way to his fellow survivors, who resumes their run to the generator down the street. With the common infected starting to pour out, Coach runs to the generator, emptying the gas can into it. Once done, all eight survivors could hear the bridge starting to come down.

"Alright, the bridge is coming down." Coach says in jubilation.

Fairfield survivors

Bill, Zoey, Francis and Louis could hear the bridge coming down.

"Alright, let's move out, people." Bill announces.

"Let's get the hell out of here." Louis adds.

Francis goes to Louis in order to help him get down while Zoey and Bill get to the ladder, the two of them going down the street in order to join the Savannah survivors. Soon enough, Francis goes down the ladder, with Louis following him. Once the four of them are on the streets, they wait for the bridge to come down completely. Then all hell breaks loose. The moment the eight survivors can cross the bridge, infected starts to pour in, the ground shaking indicating that at least one Tank is on its way. The survivors didn't have much time and they all know it.

"Alright, let's haul ass!" Bill exclaims to the other survivors.

"Let's get to the truck on the other side. It will have enough space for the eight of us." Coach remembers.

"Alright then, let's go!" Zoey says.

And the eight of them runs on the bridge, Rochelle, Nick, Ellis and Bill doing it backwards so they could shoot the infected coming after them. Zoey and Coach, along with Francis, who is helping Louis, reach the truck, Coach opening the driver seat door in order to unlock the back doors of it. Francis and Louis gets into the truck while Zoey starts to help the other four survivors shoots the infected. Rochelle, Zoey and Nick go into the truck while Ellis and Bill cover them, then the mechanic follows goes in, with the old veteran following behind, closing the doors of the truck going in.

"Alright, step on it, Coach." Bill says.

"You got it." Coach responds.

Then, the large black man steps on it, the truck gaining speed, crossing the bridge and by-passing the Tank in time before it could hit the truck. The eight of them are now officially on their way to New Orleans.

The End

Author's notes

First of all, thank you for reading this fic.

Second, there will be a sequel that would start at the beginning of Dark Carnival when the survivors arrives at Whispering Oaks. Hope it will live up to expecations.

Cheers! :)