Days Since Incident: 1,095
Time: 17:32
Place: Marlboro Rd, heading North
Climate: 71°F
The walk back to the campsite was eerily quiet. The Outriders walked in the front, on guard for even the slightest movement. The civilians trailed behind, waiting for the perfect opportunity to run. Hector and Kayla were officially scared of Grace. If she was willing to kill an elderly woman, what was to stop her from killing anyone else so close to death? Captain Grae, Rayn, and Doc remained in the back, partly to keep an eye on the civilians, and partly to steer the group.
Though they had been walking for no more than 45 minutes, it felt like an eternity. They were slowly, and carefully, trying to pass by abandoned vehicles, and overgrown plant life. The trip back was difficult for vehicles to pass by, so the group was forced to walk the rest of the way back. The civilians were too weak to move any faster, so the group found themselves stopping here and there. The only reason any of the Outriders tolerated it was because of the kids.
“Can we stop again?” Kayla pleaded. The group had only been walking for a few minutes since they'd last stopped.
“Move, or die here! We cannot waste precious time.” Captain Rayn yelled from behind. “Keep moving!”
“The kids can’t continue! They’re tired, hungry, and weak!” Kayla replied harshly. The group immediately stopped, and turned to look at the kids.
They were tired, no doubt. They looked to be lightheaded, swaying slightly as they tried to stand still. Captain Rayn and Grae were not heartless; they knew they couldn’t continue on.
“Mike. Ron.” Captain Grae ordered. Without another word, Mike and Ron approached the kids, and bent to one knee. The kids fell onto Mike and Ron’s backs, drifting off into a painful sleep.
Mike and Ron then continued walking, leaving Hector and Kayla to wonder if they were going to get any help for themselves. Grae walked behind them and said menacingly, “ Move or die!”
The group continued walking for another hour until they abruptly stopped. The Outriders immediately brought out their weapons Mike and Ron stood back; the kids still fast asleep.
Hector and Kayla stood behind Mike and Ron, though they remained curious as to what stopped the group. Captain Grae, Rayn and Doc ran towards the front.
They were only a few yards away from the campsite. The camp ground was five acres wide, surrounded by a thick stone wall that stood over 70 feet high. There was one visible entrance: a steel gate that was surrounded by barbed wire and large thick wooden spikes. For added security, a deep trench was added, and filled with acetone, perfumes, and other flammable liquids. It was occasionally lit whenever too many chasers were around. There was just one problem: they had an unwanted visitor.
What stood in the front of the gate, was another Hybrid Chaser. It was taller than the one before. It looked to be mixed with a tall human and monkey; there were still patches of hair visible throughout the body. It stood about nine feet in height, and had a dark blue aura around him.
Captain Grae and Rayn could not believe it; another one? It was unheard of to see more than one Hybrid Chaser within the same month, let alone, the same day. But it was altogether abnormal to see two inflicted by two different Grim Reapers. They were obviously drawn to someone or something.
The Outriders were no match for it. A regular Chaser, perhaps, but not one blessed with double the power and stamina.
Captain Rayn could easily distract it, allowing the group to push past and enter the campsite. But there was no guarantee that he would survive it. He took down only a handful before; each more difficult than the last. And he knew who the Hybrid was after…
Captain Grae looked at the Hybrid and let out a deep sigh. The Hybrid Chaser just stood there, looking at the entrance, as if waiting for something to show up.
Grae was tired, beyond tired in fact. Her body was at the point of collapse, but she pushed herself to move. Rayn and Doc noticed she was close to fainting, and attempted to carry her most of the way. But Grace was stubborn. She only offered any assistance to the kids, who looked suspiciously like Kayla and Hector.
Grae knew deep down the only way past the Hybrid Chaser, was to distract it. And she knew the only one capable of dealing with it, was herself. She had the most kills of any Chaser, Hybrid, and Reaper than anyone else in the campsite. But she also knew Rayn wouldn’t let her do it.
“What if we distract it with a gun or another weapon?” Lori asked. “If we created enough noise, it would look away?”
“No, there is no chance of that working. It’s looking for something, and it doesn’t look like anything will change that,” Doc noted. “Besides, if there was a way with guns, don’t you think the guards on the wall would have dealt with it?”
She pointed to the wall, and as predicted, a group of guards just stood there with their guns hanging off to their side. One saw the group and shrugged; there was nothing they could do.
“What if we went through the training grounds?” Doc suggested. “We would have to walk around towards the back, and through a few traps, but that’s our best shot.”
Captain Rayn thought it over, and looked at the civilians. He thought of Grae, who was past the point of movement.
“I’ll distract it. Doc, get the group to the front entrance.” The group turned to face Captain Rayn as he ordered everyone. “Grae, I need you to-” But as he turned around to look at Grae, he noticed she was gone.
The group turned to the Hybrid Chaser, after hearing a string of bullets fired. Grae, clutching onto one arm, shot the Hybrid Chaser. It turned to her, a gruesome smile stretched across its face.
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