In the woods, the Reapers continue tracking the survivors. Lynn looks down a former campfire, slowly tracking, then smirks. At the hydro-electrical plant, Cassandra, having just told the plan, vents to James.
Cassandra: No. No. No. I don't give a fuck. You tell them no.
James: Cassandra, I can't just have this hanging over my head.
Cassandra: We've finally got something going good and...you can't just throw it away.
As James and Cassandra argue, Kyle looks over to Sarah.
Sarah: You still want to go through with this?
Kyle: It's for the best.
Sarah places her hands on Kyle's forearm.
Sarah: And you're okay with me staying with you guys?
Kyle: I had a feeling if I did say no, you would've followed me anyway.
Sarah smiles.
Sarah: I'm not abandoning you this time.
Kyle and Sarah stare into each other's eyes, before Shawn walks over to the two, after using the bathroom.
Shawn: Morning, you guys!
Kyle folds his lips as Sarah shuts her eyes.
Shawn: Uh...did I interrupt something?
Kyle: No, Shawn. You didn't.
Cassandra: All it takes is one bullet. One knife and then I end up a widow. Do you understand that?
James: I don't like it..... I can't just let them do this on their own, either. They're family. Shawn, Sarah and Kyle. They're family, honey.
Cassandra sighs in disappointment, but gives a look of understanding. Cassandra comes back into the room and glares at Kyle, Shawn and Sarah for a moment.
Cassandra: If anything happens to him, his blood is on your hands.
Cassandra leaves as James comes into the room and sighs.
James: Okay, you two can go to the armory and gather some supplies. Marcus is running it.
Kyle: Thanks, James.
Sarah goes over to James and hugs him, where he hugs her back. The three make their way out and start to make their way towards the armory, but only a few steps later, Maya and Jenny run over to them.
Maya: Kyle! Sarah!
Confused, the three adults turn to Jenny and Maya.
Shawn: What is it, Maya?
Maya comes up to the group of adults.
Maya: It's Rachel! She's gone! She took one of our horses and rode off.
Kyle: What?!
Shawn: Gone?! What do you mean gone?!
Jenny: She took my fucking horse and rode on out of here! Didn't say a word!
Sarah: Damn it.
Shawn turns to James.
Shawn: James!
James: I know. I just heard!
Kyle: Which way?
James: C'mon.
Kyle turns to Jenny.
Kyle: Jenny, please tell me you have other horses?!
Jenny: I do. Follow me!
Kyle, Shawn, James, Sarah, Cassandra, Jenny and Maya head towards the front gate.
James: Has she ever pulled stunts like this?
Shawn: No.
Kyle: I don't know what the hell is going on.
Maya: Don't worry. We'll find her.
Jenny: Here! Take these horses and go find her! And my horse!
Jenny hands the group three horses as James kisses Cassandra and heads out. Kyle and Sarah ride together, Maya rides with Shawn and James rides solo as they follow Rachel's tracks.
Sarah: Stubborn kid.
Jenny: Here! Take these horses and go find her! And my horse!
Cassandra: You guys go find her! Be safe!
Jenny hands the group three horses as James kisses Cassandra and heads out. Kyle and Sarah ride together, Maya rides with Shawn and James rides solo as they follow Rachel's tracks.
James: Look! tracks!
After some detours, like a landslide blocking their, the group tries to track Rachel down.
Kyle: Agh! This is taking too fucking long!
Shawn: He's right! We're gonna have to split up! Maya and I will check this route to see if she's detour on the highway. You three keep following those tracks just in case.
James: Sounds good. Be careful. There's a still infected and hunters nearby. Here, take this!
James tosses Shawn an S.A.T radio as the group separates.
James: Stay safe, bro!
Shawn: You too!
After Shawn and Maya separate, Kyle, Sarah, and James continue trying to track Rachel down.
Sarah: Is there any place nearby she would've gone to, James?
James: There is an old highway on the other side from here. It looks to an old bookstore, we usually scavenge that place for any sort've supplies.
Sarah: Hey, was this a good idea?
Sarah hugs Kyle from behind. Kyle sits and thinks for a moment before he sighs.
Kyle: It's for the best.
Sarah frowns and leans her head against Kyle's back. Meanwhile, Shawn and Maya continue on until they hear something on their side. Maya looks over and sees Reapers running towards them.
Maya: Shawn! We got company!
Shawn looks towards the woods and see some aiming guns at the two.
Shawn: Fuck!
Maya pulls out her gun and starts to fire at them as the Reapers start to fire at the two as well. Shawn and Maya stop the horses, get down and finish the shootout with the Reapers. After the two eliminate them, the two take a breath.
Shawn: Shit.
Maya: Who are these guys? Bikers?
Shawn: Not just any bikers....Reapers.
Finally, Kyle, James, and Sarah arrive at the old book store and could see the tracks leading up to it. James signals the two to stop. Kyle and Sarah pull out their guns but stops when they see what James was pointing out. There was a large family of deers on the parking lot, feeding on the grass. James smiles at the sight of this.
James: Even with the world gone to hell, you gotta take moments like this.
The deers then heard the sound of neighing of Rachel's horse, then run away as the four adults make their way into the bookstore, the automatic sliding door had fallen over and left a hole large enough for them to go through. The bookstore was a few stories high with a big empty space in the middle, leaving enough vegetation to grown inside. Just up ahead from the entrance was Rachel's horse tied up to an old bench, but Rachel herself is nowhere to be seen.
Kyle: Rachel!
Sarah: Rachel!
Their voices echoes in the large empty bookstore.
Rachel: Up here!
Kyle and Sarah are surprised that she answered.
Kyle: Jesus Christ....
Kyle turns to James.
Kyle: You stay here. Keep an eye out.
James nods.
James: Of course. Yeah, this isn't my conversation anyway.
Kyle and Sarah head over to the broken escalators and walk up it to the second floor. James contacts Shawn in the radio. In the woods, Shawn responds.
James: Shawn, do you copy?
Shawn: Yeah, what's up?
James: We found the kid. She's in the bookstore. You two might want to head back to the plant
Shawn: Copy that. Maya and I ran into some trouble trying to-
Suddenly, Shawn is knocked out by Lynn. Maya pulls out her pistol, but Lynn aims her pistol at her.
Lynn: Easy, honey.....be smart.
Outgunned, Maya drops her pistol. In the bookstore, Kyle and Sarah find Rachel sitting outside an old magazine store, reading a magazine.
Rachel: I seriously don't get why famous people mattered so much back in the old time? Seems like a waste of time if you ask me. Especially these famous girls...they all worried about what dress to wear; what color to paint their toenails.....what perfume to wear....strange time the old world.
Kyle: Get up. We're leaving. Now.
Kyle gestures to Rachel to follow him.
Rachel: And if I refuse? What happens, then? I believe you said if I disobeyed you at all, you'd leave me to die. So go ahead, Kyle. Leave. You're already planning to, anyway.
Kyle: Do you even get how important you are to Dodge? That fact that your father even wants you back? Most parents in this apocalypse leave their kids to die. I mean, running off like that. Putting yourself at risk...it's pretty fucking stupid of you.
Rachel: Well, aren't we all disappointed in each other, then?
Rachel tosses the magazine aside.
Sarah: Rachel, what do you want from us?
Rachel: Admit that you both wanted to ditch the first chance y'all got.
Kyle: James is smart and he knows how to-
Rachel: I don't give a shit.
Rachel stands up and takes a few steps forward, placing her hands over her face.
Kyle: Hey, I'm sorry, but I trust James more than I trust myself with this.
Rachel: Stop bullshitting me. Both of you. What are you two so afraid of? That I'm gonna end up dead like Elijah and Charlie? I know how to use a gun and I can take care of myself.
Kyle: Using a gun isn't enough in this world! You've seen how many close calls we've had?
Rachel: Well, we're still alive, aren't we?
Kyle: And now you'll better chance at staying alive with James! Have you forgotten that the Reapers are chasing us because of what I did to protect you?! Do you think for one second that Lynn will exercise restraint because you are a kid? They will kill you if given the chance. This way, you survive and go home to your Dad while the Reapers are chasing us. This is for you. Don't you see that?
Kyle turns his back to Rachel while Sarah touches Kyle's shoulder.
Sarah: Kyle, maybe we need to reconsider this. Ask what she wants.
Kyle: She's just a kid. She doesn't know what the hell she wants.
Rachel: The hell do either of you care for? I'm not your kid.....I'm not her.
Kyle and Sarah turn to Rachel.
Kyle: What did you just say?
Rachel: I don't mean any disrespect, but I overheard you both last night....talking about....about Rose. And I-
Hearing Rose's name hits a nerve in both Kyle and Sarah.
Sarah: Rachel.
Kyle: Rachel...don't....Don't you dare say her name.
Rachel: That's why you two aren't together anymore, isn't it?
Sarah: Rachel...please. Stop.
Kyle sighs.
Rachel: I'm sorry you two lost your daughter, guys. I truly am....but I've lost family, too.
Kyle: You don't know shit. You have no fucking idea what a loss like that can do to you.
Kyle glares at Rachel.
Rachel: I have lost...friends...family....my mom....I've lost a lot....people who have cared for me.....people...
Rachel slaps Kyle across the face in frustration.
Rachel: Except for you two and Shawn! James! So don't tell me that I'd be safer with my Dad, because a lot more safe with you....then I feel with him.
Sarah gives a questioning look.
Sarah: What do you mean by that?
Rachel sheds tears and gives a frightened look.
Rachel: My Dad lied....I didn't get lost. I ran away from him. Ever since my mom was killed by raiders, my dad has been so angry....so angry....he...
Rachel wipes a tear.
Rachel: He takes his fucking frustration out on me.....beating me....saying it's my fault....I get so scared of him....that I'm afraid one day, he's gonna kill me....I just feel like there's nothing I can do about it....
To plead her case, Rachel lifts up her sleeve on her right wrist, revealing multiple suicidal scars.
Rachel: I tried killing myself....multiple times....but the Takers intervened...so I ran away... hoping that the wasteland would just kill me...but honestly, if you take me back to the Takers, to my Dad, it'd be signing my death warrant....because rather die out here, then spend another day being beat by my Dad for the rest of my fucking life.
Rachel breaks down, before sitting down, her head in hands. Sarah sheds a tear, before walking over and hugging the child.
Sarah: Oh, baby...it's okay...I'm sorry. We had no idea....
Kyle: You're right, kid...you could never be our daughter....and I sure as shit am not your fucking father. I'm sorry you're going through this....but I'm not gonna watch another little girl die....so whether you like it or not, we're going our separate ways and you are going back with your dad.
Sarah stands up, appalled and approaches Kyle.
Sarah: Kyle, you cannot seriously consider that. After what we just heard....I mean, the least we can do is-
Suddenly, James rushes up the escalators.
James: Guys! We need to wrap this up!
We got infected coming this way!
The four head down to the bottom of the floor, get on their make their escape.