Several hours had passed.
By now, the rain was pouring heavily.
Water streamed from the roof and ran down the sides of the house, while the steady drumming against the attic roof made it difficult to hear anything outside.
Andrew remained near the open attic window, binoculars raised.
The school was still visible through the rain.
Visibility had deteriorated considerably, but the building's main entrances and several of the surrounding streets could still be observed.
Shane sat a short distance away, keeping watch through another section of the window.
Ramirez had been downstairs checking the house once more when he returned to the attic.
He was carrying something.
"Found these."
Andrew lowered his binoculars.
Ramirez held up two unopened bags of chips.
Shane glanced over.
"Seriously?"
Ramirez shrugged.
"They were in a closed kitchen drawer."
He tossed one of the bags toward Shane before opening the other.
Shane caught it.
Andrew looked at the bag for a moment before taking it.
"Still sealed?"
Ramirez nodded.
"Completely."
Andrew inspected the packaging briefly before opening it.
The familiar sound of the bag tearing open seemed strangely loud in the otherwise quiet attic.
Shane opened his as well.
For a few moments, the three men simply ate.
Nobody spoke.
Outside, the rain continued pouring.
Andrew eventually raised his binoculars again, chewing slowly as he watched the school.
The neighborhood had become almost completely deserted.
There were no bandit patrols outside.
Every occupied house they'd identified earlier was quiet.
The rain had driven everyone indoors.
Shane looked toward the school.
"Looks like everyone decided to stay inside."
Andrew nodded.
"Can't blame them."
He adjusted the binoculars.
"At least it makes our job easier."
Ramirez leaned against one of the wooden beams, eating another chip.
"So what's the plan?"
Andrew lowered the binoculars.
"We keep watching for now."
He looked toward the school again.
Another flash of lightning briefly illuminated the dark clouds overhead.
Andrew turned to face Shane and Ramirez.
"We'll make our move when our main force arrives."
Shane remained quiet for several seconds.
Then he spoke.
"What happens if some of them surrender?"
Andrew lowered his binoculars slightly.
"We take them alive."
Shane nodded.
"And then?"
"We question them. See what we can find out. If there are more of them out there."
Shane glanced toward the school.
"I'm not talking about interrogation."
Andrew looked at him.
"I'm talking about what happens afterward."
He paused.
"If we're serious about bringing order back, we can't just shoot everyone we decide is a problem."
Ramirez nodded.
"Otherwise we're just replacing one kind of lawlessness with another."
"Exactly."
Shane looked back toward the school.
"But there's another problem."
Andrew waited.
"Keeping people like these alive costs resources."
He gestured toward the rain outside.
"Food. Water. Guards. Medical care. A place to keep them."
Andrew nodded.
"I've thought about that."
He looked toward the distant school.
"We can't build a civilization by feeding dangerous people. Spending resources on potential threats."
Shane gave him a questioning look.
"So what do we do?"
Andrew was silent for a moment.
"We'll have to establish and reinforce laws."
Ramirez looked toward him.
"Like the ones before?"
"I would say similar, but things have changed and we need to adapt."
Andrew lowered his binoculars.
"Courts. Evidence. Witnesses. Sentences. Those will still be a thing. But the jail and prison won't be for everyone."
He paused.
"The death penalty remaining an option."
Shane nodded slowly.
"For people who are genuinely dangerous."
"Yes."
Andrew's expression hardened.
"Someone who steals food because they're starving is different from someone who deliberately murders people and takes their supplies."
"Someone who commits a crime because they had no other choice is different from someone who enjoys hurting people."
Ramirez nodded.
"So we'll separate them."
"Of course."
Andrew looked toward the school again.
"People who can eventually return to society can be imprisoned to be rehabilitated."
He paused.
"But murderers, rapists, torturers, raiders and others who deliberately make themselves a continuing threat..."
He left the sentence unfinished.
Shane understood.
"Death penalty."
Andrew nodded.
"Of course there will be other people, like judges, who will have to deal with the headaches those things will bring."
Shane leaned back.
"That sounds a hell of a lot more reasonable than just deciding who lives and dies ourselves."
"That's the point."
Andrew raised his binoculars again.
"We're trying to restore civilization."
His eyes settled on the school.
"That means we need something more than just guns."
••••••
The convoy pushed through the downpour, rain hammered against the Humvee's roof as the windshield wipers swept back and forth, struggling to keep the road ahead visible.
Behind it, the two troop transports followed. Inside, soldiers sat beneath the canvas covers that shielded them from most of the rain, with their wet-weather gear offering them protection against the weather when they dismount.
Inside the Humvee, the occupants remained relatively dry, their rifles secured between their knees and against the seats, ready to be brought up the moment they needed to dismount.
The convoy continued through the downpour, the rain growing heavier as the road approached an intersection.
The driver of the lead Humvee slowed slightly.
Something was ahead.
Dozens of figures stood scattered across the intersection.
Walkers.
Some stood motionless in the middle of the road, their clothes completely soaked through. Others leaned against the crashed vehicle or simply stood beneath the rain.
Several had collapsed onto the wet asphalt.
They weren't dead.
They simply weren't moving.
The Humvee continued approaching at a reduced speed.
One of the soldiers in the passenger seat leaned forward, staring through the windshield.
"That's a lot of walkers."
The driver nodded.
"Looks like they're barely moving."
Another soldier glanced toward the figures lying on the road.
"Rain must be messing with them."
The lead Humvee slowed just enough to pass between two groups of walkers.
The creatures barely reacted.
One slowly turned its head toward the vehicle.
Another remained completely still.
The Humvee passed within only a few yards of them.
The heavy rain hammered against its roof, drowning out most of the engine noise beneath the constant roar of water.
The first troop transport followed.
A few walkers shifted as it passed, their heads turning toward the sound.
One stumbled forward.
But the convoy was already moving away.
The second transport followed behind, maintaining the same pace.
Inside, several soldiers watched through the gaps in the canvas.
"Those things didn't even notice us."
"They noticed."
The soldier beside him glanced back toward the intersection.
"They just couldn't hear us properly."
Another walker finally began shambling after the convoy.
It took several seconds before the others started reacting.
By then, the vehicles were already disappearing down the road.
The rain continued to pour.
Within moments, the intersection was quiet again.
The walkers slowly returned to their aimless wandering, barely reacting to anything beyond the steady sound of the storm.
Ahead, the convoy continued toward the school.
······
The convoy finally reached the outskirts of the neighborhood.
Hale surveyed the area.
"Stop, we're here."
The Humvee slowed before coming to a halt.
The two troop transports stopped behind it.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Rain hammered against the vehicles, turning the surrounding houses and trees into little more than dark shapes through the windshield.
Hale looked toward the forest.
There should be a team left somewhere around here to rendezvous with them.
But with the rain coming down this hard, finding them would be difficult.
"Can anyone see them?"
The soldiers inside the Humvee scanned the tree line.
Nothing.
Hale frowned.
"They should be somewhere along the edge of the forest."
He then looked toward the nearest house.
A brief flash of light appeared through one of the upper windows.
Hale turned toward it as the light disappeared.
A moment later, it appeared again.
Hale stared at the window for another second, recognizing the light signal.
"There, get us to that house."
The driver gave him a nod.
The Humvee started forward.
Grabbing the radio, Hale contacted the two trucks.
"Inform everyone to be ready to dismount. We're here."
The troop transports followed at a reduced speed.
As they approached the house, Hale could make out the outline of one of the Rangers standing at the front door.
"That's them."
The convoy stopped.
Hale opened the door and immediately stepped into the rain.
Despite the wet-weather gear, the heavy downpour quickly soaked parts of his uniform underneath it.
He waved toward the house.
Another figure appeared near the entrance.
One them raising a hand.
Hale returned the gesture before walking toward them.
Wyatt and Keller remained beneath the shelter of the entrance, keeping themselves out of the rain as Hale and the others approached.
"Sergeant."
Hale looked past them toward the interior of the house.
"You two alright?"
"Yeah."
Wyatt glanced toward the forest.
"We had to get out of there when the storm hit."
He gestured toward the storm.
"We weren't equipped for this. Couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything, and we were getting soaked."
He nodded toward the house.
"We cleared this place and took shelter."
Hale gave a small nod.
"Good call."
He looked toward the garage, where he presumed their Humvee was parked.
"Any enemy patrols?"
"No. They don't seem to go this far, and now with the storm, they're staying inside. The lieutenant ordered us to contact him when the main force arrived."
Wyatt answered.
"Good. We'll contact him immediately."
Keller looked toward the convoy.
"Is that the whole platoon?"
"Most of it. We had to leave the ones who volunteered for the operation back at Terminus. They aren't trained for this kind of situation."
Hale turned toward the troop transports.
"Get everyone inside. Keep the vehicles concealed."
The Rangers nodded and began helping direct the soldiers from the transports.
The soldiers moved quickly through the rain toward the house.
The additional wet-weather gear Hale had ordered brought along proved useful almost immediately.
Within minutes, most of the soldiers were inside.
Hale followed them, shutting the door behind him.
The sound of the storm became noticeably quieter.
He looked around the unfamiliar house before removing his gloves.
"Alright."
He reached for his radio.
"Let's see how the lieutenant's doing."
He switched his own radio to the secure frequency used by reconisance team.
"Alpha Two to Alpha One."
Static crackled.
A moment later, Andrew answered.
"Here Alpha One. Report."
"Main force has arrived."
There was a brief pause.
"Just in time. What is your status?"
"We are currently in a house near the edge of the neighborhood, secured by Wyatt and Keller. We have brought additional bad weather equipment for the reconisance team."
"Glad to hear that. This storm could play to our advantage. We need to act while they have their guard down."
Hale looked toward the rain-covered window.
"Understood. The convoy is concealed and we are ready to move out."
"Good."
Andrew's voice remained calm.
"There's still a problem."
Hale waited.
"Wyatt and Keller told me they took shelter in a house, but they didn't exactly specify where this house is. I can't see your position from here either."
Hale glanced toward Wyatt.
"Understood."
Andrew paused briefly.
"I need you to tell me which part of the neighborhood the house you're in is located."
Wyatt looked toward the street outside before looking back at Hale and answering.
"One of the houses near the forest. It's the first house they passed when entering the neighborhood."
There was a brief pause over the radio.
Andrew spoke again.
"I know which one you're talking about."
Hale nodded.
"Good. We brought some additional wet-weather equipment for everyone."
"Perfect. I'm going to send Ramirez out to find you. We found a raincoat in the house. It isn't perfect, but it'll do its job. He'll use it to keep himself as dry as possible."
Hale nodded.
"Alright. We'll wait for him."
"Once he reaches you, he'll guide you to our position."
Hale brought the radio closer.
"And Collins?"
Static briefly crackled through the channel.
Collins' voice came through.
"We're here."
Hale looked toward the radio.
"Status?"
"We're fine. We've been staying inside since the rain started."
Collins paused.
"We also found a raincoat."
Andrew spoke again.
"Good."
Collins continued.
"We need some of that wet-weather equipment. We can't do much with only one raincoat. I can send someone to meet with you once you get here."
Andrew considered it for a moment.
"Do that."
"We'll wait for them."
"Alright."
Andrew continued.
"Once Hale's people reach your position, I want everyone regrouping at my location."
Hale glanced toward the soldiers gathered inside.
"Understood."
······
Several minutes later, everyone had regrouped inside the house.
The living room was crowded.
Nearly thirty soldiers had gathered inside, filling most of the available space. Wet-weather gear remained on everyone, with water still dripping from coats and boots onto the floor.
Weapons were kept close at hand, while the soldiers stood or leaned against the walls, waiting for the briefing to begin.
Andrew stood near the center of the room with Collins beside him.
Hale stood among the soldiers, while the rest of the reconnaissance team gathered nearby.
Andrew had cleared a space on the dining table and spread out a rough map of the neighborhood.
It wasn't a military map.
It was a hand-drawn sketch made by Quinn during their observation of the area.
The streets, houses, and the high school had been marked out, along with several notes and circles indicating the positions they had identified.
Andrew placed his right hand on the map.
"Alright. Here's what we know."
The room gradually fell silent.
Andrew pointed toward the sketch of the high school.
"This is the school."
His finger moved across the surrounding streets.
"We've identified three occupied houses between our current position and the school."
Three houses had been marked on the map.
"We've been watching them for several hours. We know they're occupied, and we've got a general idea of how many people are inside each one."
Andrew leaned slightly over the table.
"Normally, there would have been patrols we'd have to deal with."
Andrew pointed toward several areas around the houses.
"But the storm changed that."
He looked around the room.
"They're staying inside. No one's been outside for some time."
Andrew then pointed toward the school.
"The same applies here."
He moved his finger toward the upper portion of the building.
"There's normally someone watching from the roof."
Shane nodded.
"That's not the case tonight."
Andrew shook his head.
"Not in this weather."
He tapped another section of the building.
"There are also sections of the school with no windows."
His finger traced along one side of the building.
"They can't see anything directly outside these walls."
He looked toward the soldiers.
"Those are our blind spots."
Andrew paused for a moment.
"The rain is giving us an opportunity."
He pointed back toward the three occupied houses.
"We take these first."
Hale looked at the map.
"We form three teams and take the houses at the same time."
Andrew nodded.
"Each team gets one house."
He looked toward the reconnaissance teams.
"You already know which houses we're talking about. You'll guide the assault team you'll be part of into position."
A few soldiers nodded.
"We move through the blind spots and use the rain to cover our movement."
Andrew's expression hardened.
"Once we're in position, you're to wait for my signal."
He looked around the room.
"And when we move, we move fast."
Nobody spoke.
"We take control of those houses before any of them can raise the alarm."
Andrew paused, his finger moving between the three marked houses.
"These houses are far enough from the school that whatever happens there shouldn't immediately alert the people inside."
Andrew straightened.
"Once all three houses are secured, we move on the school."
After he said that, Hale stepped closer to the table.
"There's something else."
Andrew looked toward him.
"The prisoners?"
Hale nodded.
"We questioned the two we brought back before leaving Terminus."
He pointed toward the school.
"They gave us some information about how the bandits are using the building."
Andrew stepped aside, allowing Hale to look over the map.
"According to them, the largest group usually gathers around the cafeteria and the main hall."
Hale pointed toward the central section of the school.
"That's where most of them spend their time when they're not sleeping."
He moved his finger toward another section.
"There's a side entrance near the gym. They use it for moving supplies, and it's usually less crowded than the main entrance."
Hale then pointed toward the eastern side of the building.
"There's another entrance near the administrative offices. Fewer people usually stay in that section."
Andrew studied the map.
"What about the roof?"
"They confirmed that it's normally used as a lookout position."
Hale glanced toward the window.
"But with this weather, whoever normally watches it is probably inside."
Andrew nodded.
"That gives us three possible entry points."
He pointed toward the gym.
"Alpha Two takes the gym entrance."
Collins nodded.
Andrew moved his finger toward the administrative section.
"Alpha Three takes the eastern entrance."
Patel gave a brief nod.
Andrew then pointed toward the upper portion of the building.
"Alpha One takes the roof."
Shane looked at the map.
"Assuming we can reach it without being seen."
Andrew nodded.
"That's why we're using the blind spots."
Hale looked toward the other soldiers.
"The prisoners don't know exactly how many people are inside. Their information is based on what they normally saw."
Andrew nodded.
"So we treat it as intelligence, not certainty."
He looked around the room.
"Once the houses are secured, each team moves directly to its assigned entry point."
Andrew tapped the map.
"We get inside, clear our assigned sections, and link up."
The room remained silent for another moment.
Outside, thunder rolled across the neighborhood, followed by the continuous pounding of rain against the windows.
Andrew looked around at the soldiers.
"Everyone understand?"
A series of quiet confirmations came from around the room.
Andrew nodded.
"Good."
He looked back down at the map.
"Then let's get into position."
·······
They moved forward, maintaining a loose formation.
The rain continued to pour around them, limiting visibility and muffling the sound of their movements.
Each soldier kept his weapon at the ready, watching a different sector as they advanced.
Some kept their attention toward the houses on either side, while others watched the yards and windows ahead.
Andrew periodically glanced toward the surrounding buildings, making sure nothing had changed.
They moved slowly and deliberately, using fences, trees, and abandoned vehicles as concealment.
Eventually, they reached the wooden fence bordering the property.
Andrew raised a closed fist.
The team stopped.
Ahead, beyond the wooden fence, stood the house.
A faint light glowed behind one of the curtains.
Andrew watched the window.
A figure briefly passed across it.
Someone was definitely inside.
A thin column of smoke rose from the chimney, quickly disappearing into the rain.
Andrew raised his radio.
"Alpha One to the other teams. Status?"
Collins answered first.
"Alpha Two. In position."
A few seconds later, another transmission came through.
"Alpha Three. In position."
Andrew looked toward the house.
"Alright. All teams, move in."
Before moving Andrew placed his radio back in the pocket on his vest.
Then the team crossed the backyard.
They reached the rear of the house without being noticed.
Andrew stopped beside the back door.
He stared at it for a moment. There was no visible lock or barricade
Looks like we might have caught them with the pants down.
Looking back to his group, Andrew made a hand gesture towards the side of the building.
Several soldiers moved away from the main group, following the side of the house toward the front.
Andrew watched them disappear around the corner.
The rest of the soldiers silently took their positions around the rear entrance.
Shane moved beside him.
Ramirez covered the opposite side.
With the front team moving in position, Andrew looked toward the nearby window, the dim light visible from inside.
He checked the back door and found it unlocked.
The soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons.
Andrew gave the signal.
The rear team moved through the doorway.
At almost the same moment, the front team entered from the opposite side.
Chairs scraped across the floor.
Someone shouted in confusion.
Andrew stepped through the doorway, his MP5 raised.
The house was dimly lit, with only a few lamps illuminating the rooms.
Empty bottles and cans covered a nearby table.
Several of the occupants were clearly caught off guard. One was still sitting on a couch, while another stumbled to his feet.
A man near the hallway suddenly reached toward a rifle leaning against the wall.
Andrew fired.
The man dropped before he could get his hands around the weapon.
"Contact!"
Gunfire erupted deeper inside the house.
Andrew moved forward as the soldiers around him returned fire.
"Clear left!"
"Moving!"
The front team could be heard engaging occupants from the other side of the house.
The sudden exchange of gunfire lasted only a few seconds.
Then the house fell quiet again, except for the rain pounding against the windows.
Andrew raised one hand.
"Hold."
The soldiers stopped.
Everyone listened.
Nothing.
Andrew looked toward Shane.
Shane nodded and began moving down the hallway.
"Clear!"
Another soldier checked the room beside him.
"Clear!"
Andrew moved farther inside.
The smell of alcohol and smoke was stronger now.
Empty bottles were scattered across the floor, while drug paraphernalia lay across one of the tables.
It was obvious what the occupants had been doing before the soldiers arrived.
They truly hadn't been expecting anyone.
One of the soldiers reached one of the bedrooms and pushed the door open.
His rifle swept across the room.
Someone was sitting in a chair beside the bed.
The soldier immediately raised his weapon.
But the man didn't react.
He was slumped forward, his head hanging loosely.
"Lieutenant?"
Andrew looked toward the doorway.
"What?"
"I've got someone in here."
The soldier approached carefully.
The man remained completely motionless.
A small table beside him was covered with empty cans, bottles, and drug paraphernalia.
The soldier waved a hand in front of his face.
Nothing.
"He's completely out of it."
Andrew stepped closer.
Before he could say anything, a thin trail of blood appeared beneath the man's nose.
It ran slowly toward his upper lip.
The soldier frowned.
"That doesn't look good."
The man's body suddenly slumped sideways out of the chair.
He hit the floor with a dull thud.
The soldier immediately crouched beside him and checked for a pulse.
A few seconds passed.
He looked up.
"He's dead."
Andrew stared at the body for a moment.
"Make sure he doesn't get back up."
The soldier drew his knife and made sure that the body won't reanimate.
Andrew gave a short nod.
"Let's move on."
The soldier stood and followed the others.
···
The lower floor had been secured.
Andrew was checking the living rooms one last time when one of the soldiers approached him.
"Lieutenant."
Andrew turned toward him.
"We found something upstairs."
Andrew's expression tightened slightly.
"What did you find?"
"One of the rooms was locked."
The soldier paused.
"We found the keys on one of the bandits."
Andrew nodded.
"And?"
"There were two girls inside."
Andrew was silent for a moment.
"Are they alright?"
"They seem physically alright. Scared, though."
Andrew nodded.
"Did they have any water?"
"Not much."
"Get them some."
He glanced toward the kitchen.
"Food as well. Something that doesn't need to be prepared."
"Yes, sir."
Andrew thought for a moment.
"Find some spare clothes too. And give them a couple of lamps."
The soldier nodded.
"What about leaving them here?"
Andrew looked toward the staircase.
"We'll be back once the school is secured."
He paused.
"Tell them their captors are dead. They don't have to be afraid of them anymore."
"Understood."
Andrew followed the soldier upstairs.
The two girls remained inside the room, keeping their distance from the soldiers.
Food, water, spare clothing and two battery-powered lamps were placed inside.
Andrew stopped in the doorway.
"We're leaving now."
The girls looked toward him.
"Stay here until we come back. Don't leave the house."
He gestured toward the hallway.
"Your captors are dead. Nobody else is coming for you."
One of the girls slowly nodded.
"We'll be back."
Andrew stepped out and closed the door behind him.
He checked the other soldiers.
"Secure the house before we leave."
The soldiers checked the remaining rooms and doors.
Once they were satisfied, they closed the doors behind them and returned downstairs.
Andrew looked toward the windows.
The rain was still coming down heavily.
He raised his radio.
"Alpha One to Alpha Two and Alpha Three."
Static crackled.
"Alpha three the house is secured."
After few seconds another response came in.
" Alpha two, house secured."
Andrew paused for a moment.
"Move to the next phase."
After putting back the radio Andrew stepped out of the house.
The rain immediately surrounded him again, hammering against his wet-weather gear.
The rest of the team followed, weapons ready.
Andrew looked toward the school.
It was barely visible through the downpour.
"Let's move."
The soldiers left the house and began crossing the yard.
They kept close to fences and buildings, avoiding the open streets whenever possible.
The other two teams were already moving into position.
Nobody spoke unless necessary.
The rain covered the sound of their footsteps.
Andrew stopped near the corner of a house and looked toward the school.
The building was only partially visible through the rain.
He checked the roof.
Empty.
No sentry.
Andrew looked toward the section of the school they had identified earlier.
A long stretch of wall faced them.
No windows.
No doors.
Nothing that would allow anyone inside to see what was happening immediately outside.
Andrew pointed toward it.
"That's our approach. Let's go."
Shane nodded.
The team moved again.
They crossed the final stretch of ground, staying close to the buildings and using the rain as cover.
As they approached the school, Andrew slowed.
He raised a fist.
The team stopped.
Ahead of them stood the high school.
Dark and silent beneath the storm.
Andrew looked toward the others.
They were finally in position and the assault was about to begin.