– A Quiet Moment
The group encourages Breddy and Raven to take a break after everything they've survived.
Tyler smirks. "Go get some fresh air. You two deserve it."
Mason laughs. "Yeah... and don't pretend this isn't a date."
Everyone teases them until Raven rolls her eyes and grabs Breddy by the wrist.
"Come on, hero."
The two walk to a quiet lake surrounded by pine trees. For the first time in days, there's no gunfire, no screaming, just birds and the sound of water.
They fish together, joke about Breddy's Walmart days, and Raven admits she's never met someone who can fight zombies with a shopping cart one day and a claymore sword the next.
Breddy laughs.
"You know... I never thought I'd survive long enough to have a moment like this."
Raven smiles.
"I'm glad you did."
The two sit together on a fallen log. Their shoulders touch. Raven quietly rests her head on his shoulder.
Just as Breddy reaches for her hand...
A loud THUMP... THUMP... THUMP...
A military helicopter flies overhead.
Both of them immediately stand.
Several more helicopters appear over the trees.
Then a voice echoes from loudspeakers.
"Attention all survivors. This area is now under military quarantine. Remain where you are."
Raven's smile disappears.
Her face turns pale.
Breddy notices.
"Raven... what's wrong?"
She keeps staring at the helicopters.
"...They're not here to rescue us."
"How do you know?"
She slowly grips her pistol.
"...Because I know who they are."
The helicopters circle overhead as black armored transport vehicles roll down the highway toward the group's headquarters.
– Ghosts of the Past
The helicopter hovered above the lake, its blades shaking the trees as dust and leaves flew into the air.
Breddy tightened his grip on the Claymore sword strapped across his back.
"Military..." he muttered.
Raven's eyes never left the helicopter.
"...They're here."
"You know them?"
She stayed silent.
Black armored trucks rolled down the road toward Breddy's house.
One after another.
Five.
Ten.
More than twenty soldiers jumped out wearing black tactical gear with no country flag on their uniforms. Their helmets hid their faces.
One of them spoke through a loudspeaker.
"Attention survivors. Lay down your weapons. You are entering a government-controlled quarantine zone."
Breddy frowned.
"Government? Then why are they hiding their names?"
Raven quietly answered,
"Because they aren't the government anymore."
Breddy looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
She sighed.
"They're called Black Shield."
"They were supposed to protect the country..."
"...until the outbreak."
"They abandoned civilians."
"They erased towns."
"They killed anyone who knew too much."
Breddy stared at her.
"...How do you know all this?"
Raven slowly reached into her pocket.
She pulled out an old silver military dog tag.
Breddy's eyes widened.
"You were one of them?"
Raven nodded.
"I wasn't proud of it."
"I left."
"I refused an order."
"What order?"
She looked away.
"They wanted us to eliminate an apartment building..."
"...because there was one infected child inside."
"I couldn't do it."
"So they branded me a traitor."
Breddy stayed quiet for several seconds.
Finally he smiled.
"So..."
"You chose innocent people instead."
Raven nodded.
"I'd do it again."
Breddy gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm glad you did."
For the first time in years...
Raven smiled without forcing it.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
An explosion echoed from the direction of Breddy's house.
Smoke rose into the sky.
"No!"
Both of them sprinted through the forest.
When they reached the hill overlooking the house...
Everyone in Breddy's group had their weapons aimed at the soldiers.
Tyler.
Mason.
Shijiki.
The manager.
Everyone stood ready.
The commander stepped forward.
A tall man wearing a black combat coat.
A scar stretched across his face.
His cold gray eyes locked onto Raven.
"There you are."
Raven whispered,
"...Colonel Graves."
The Colonel smiled.
"I've been looking for you."
Breddy slowly unsheathed the Claymore.
"You picked the wrong house."
The Colonel laughed.
"No..."
"I came for the right people."
He pointed directly at Breddy.
"I've heard about the Walmart survivor."
"The man killing hundreds of infected."
"I want to see if the stories are true."
He slowly drew a massive combat knife.
Then smiled.
"Let's find out."
– Into the Lion's Den
Smoke drifted across the front yard as the Black Shield soldiers surrounded Breddy's headquarters. Their rifles never lowered.
Colonel Graves stepped forward.
"I don't want a war."
The group remained silent.
"I want one man."
His eyes settled on Breddy.
"You."
Breddy tightened his fists.
"What do you want from me?"
The Colonel pulled a folded map from his coat and spread it across the hood of a military Humvee.
"There is a scientist."
"He is responsible for the virus."
The entire group froze.
"What?" Mason whispered.
The Colonel pointed to a red circle deep in the mountains.
"His name is Dr. Victor Kane."
"He disappeared before civilization collapsed."
"Our intelligence confirms he is hiding inside an underground research facility."
The Colonel looked Breddy directly in the eyes.
"You will enter the facility."
"You will eliminate Dr. Kane."
"And you will recover every document, hard drive, and research sample you can find."
Breddy crossed his arms.
"And if I say no?"
The Colonel's expression didn't change.
"My soldiers will keep your friends in protective custody."
"They'll be treated well."
"But you won't see them again until the mission is complete."
Silence.
Raven stepped forward angrily.
"I'm going with him."
"No."
Graves shook his head.
"This mission requires one operative."
"I know your military history, Raven."
"Which is exactly why you're staying here."
She glared at him.
Breddy placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay."
"No, it isn't."
She looked ready to argue, but Breddy smiled.
"I'll come back."
"...I promise."
One by one, the rest of the group approached him.
Tyler pulled him into a quick hug.
"Don't do anything stupid."
Mason chuckled.
"Actually... do something stupid."
"It usually works."
The manager held out a hand.
"You've carried us this far."
"Come home."
Even Shijiki, usually joking, looked serious.
"I'm saving your room."
"You better come back and complain about Walmart again."
Everyone laughed, easing the tension for a moment.
Colonel Graves opened a military supply crate.
Inside were brand-new weapons.
An assault rifle.
A combat shotgun.
A suppressed pistol.
Extra magazines.
Grenades.
Medical kits.
Night-vision goggles.
A tactical backpack.
"This equipment belongs to Black Shield."
"If you survive..."
"...keep it."
As Breddy reached for the Claymore sword strapped across his back, Raven gently stopped him.
"Wait."
She carefully unbuckled the sword from his shoulder.
"You'll never fit through the tunnels carrying this."
She rested the legendary blade against the wall.
Instead, she unsheathed her own combat knife.
The blade was worn from years of use, its edge polished from countless battles.
She held it out.
"I've carried this knife through every mission."
"It saved my life more times than I can count."
"If anyone deserves it..."
"...it's you."
Breddy accepted the knife carefully.
"I'll bring it back."
Raven smiled softly.
"I know."
Without thinking, she stepped closer and kissed him on the cheek.
The entire group went silent.
Shijiki grinned.
"Finally."
Breddy blushed.
"I... uh..."
Raven smirked.
"Now you have another reason to come home."
Colonel Graves folded the map and handed it to Breddy.
"The laboratory is forty miles north."
"Expect infected."
"Expect traps."
"And if Dr. Kane is still alive..."
"He'll be expecting you."
A military helicopter roared to life behind them.
As Breddy climbed aboard, he looked back one last time.
Raven stood holding the Claymore sword against her shoulder, watching him leave.
She whispered so quietly that only she could hear it.
"Come back to me."
The helicopter lifted into the stormy sky, carrying Breddy toward the underground laboratory... and the man who may have started the end of the world.