DAY THREE OF THE OUTBREAK...

Once the AIS had put down every Deadman in the building, Mrs. Hecox and her children were escorted out of the basement by Zachary Shaw. The entire foyer was obliterated, a massive hole replacing where the front door used to be. Dozens of fallen Deadmen were scattered all over the floor, and bullet holes covered the walls and windows. Mrs. Hecox had finally composed herself, but she still did everything she could not to look at the remains of her husband. She held Natalya's hand as she and the rest of the children walked out of the building. The AIS officers walked beside them with their guns in hand, still determined to eradicate the undead threat.

Aaron stared at the floor as he followed his companions out of the building, his heart breaking a little more every time bloodstains appeared. He hardly said a word the entire time once the Deadmen had attacked. And he wondered how things would've been if he had just stayed put instead of heading to the Distribution Center. Would they have survived longer? Shorter? Or at all? Aaron wouldn't have met Kat, so they would've let an innocent child die, which certainly didn't help the fact that hundreds of children were probably getting slaughtered by the Deadmen elsewhere.

They were escorted through the front door (or rather the crater where it used to be). The bodies of fallen Deadmen littered the streets. Mrs. Hecox urged the kids not to look at the mess of gore that used to be their friend Scotty before quickly returning her view to the road in front of her, lest she would resume her tears.

"Aaron," Nika said softly. The gun Mr. Hecox gave her was holstered in her pocket. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Doesn't feel like it," Aaron replied, wiping away a tear.

"Actually, the lass is right," another voice said, that of a male. "All of you are gonna be safe in no time."

Aaron looked to his right to see Colonel Schaefer himself walking next to him and Zachary Shaw. He had only seen propaganda posters and news footage of him. And now the first person to witness the origins of the Deadmen was right there beside him.

And just like everyone else who lived long enough to believe his lies, Schaefer was the good guy in Aaron's eyes.

"Troy Schaefer?" he asked.

"In the flesh," Schaefer replied with a grin as he stroked his beard. "And like my comrade Shaw said, we're here to rescue you and your friends, lad. Everything will be fine."

"But hardly anything has gone well today," Aaron replied.

"Really?" Schaefer said. "Not a single thing? You seem to have made a new friend."

Aaron and Nika glanced at Kat, who was more towards the front of the line. She looked back at them with a small smile before returning her view to the street.

"Yeah, me and the other AIS officers were acquainted with Kat," Schaefer continued. "She'd constantly run away from home, so we would take turns inviting her over for dinner. Sadly, we had to stop giving her Ration Cards once the shortage began."

"Poor girl," Shaw added.

"But I'm glad she seems to have found a little group to call her family," Schaefer said.

"Welcome, bruv," Jonah told Kat, followed by an awkward nudge. She rolled her eyes and chuckled at the gesture.

"And all of you are together, so there's another plus. My own wife and son are my motivation for getting out of here, so let these kids and your caretaker be your motivation, too, lad."

Aaron smiled. "Thanks, Colonel Schaefer."

"You can call me Troy, lad," Schaefer replied. "And the pleasure is all mine."

Aaron turned to Nika and took her hand. "Thank you, too, Nika. If we're gonna survive this thing, I'm glad we can do it together."

Nika blushed. "Wow, that was sappy. But cute! And I certainly couldn't agree more about sticking together."

"Hey, what about me, bruv?!" Jonah shouted from the front of the line.

Aaron chuckled. "Yes, I want you there beside me, too, Jonah."

"Cheers!" Jonah replied again.

"You, too, Natalya!" Aaron continued. "You're part of the Cod Squad, too, remember?"

Natalya didn't respond. And since she didn't turn back to glance at them, they didn't notice the grim look on her face.

"Well here we are," Shaw announced.

The group approached the crosswalk of a new street. Fences were placed up around the alley, one side holding back Deadmen and the other side blocking off equally ravenous citizens desperate to survive. Multiple AIS officers stood around three buses. The first two were full, but the one on the far left was completely empty. And that's where Mrs. Hecox and her children were headed.

"Let us in!" one of the citizens shouted. "Why the hell do they get to go first?!"

"Women and children first, gentlemen," Shaw replied. "Then you'll get the chance to join them."

"Where will this bus take us?" Mrs. Hecox asked.

"We've developed multiple skyscraper-like structures all across England that will work as the last safe havens for humanity," Schaefer replied. "We call them Babel Towers."

"How safe are they?" Jonah asked.

"Safest place in the world, lad. Plenty of water, electricity, even some indoor farms with crops and animals, all of it under the safe watch of the AIS. You kids will never see another Deadman in your life once we get there. You will still get a decent education, and that kind young lady will still be able to take care of you."

Aaron and Nika looked up at Mrs. Hecox, and the three of them exchanged hopeful smiles before Shaw assisted Mrs. Hecox into the bus. Each of the kids took turns stepping into the vehicle until Schaefer followed the final child into the bus. He turned to look back at Shaw. "Only let twenty-four more people on the bus. Focus on families with young children. And if anyone tries to get in without your permission...you know what to do."

Shaw cocked his gun. "Yes, sir." Shaw walked back outside. "All right, ladies and gents! All families with children, please approach the bus!"

Aaron and Nika sat in a row next to a window with a view of the crazed citizens, who now crowded around the bus like the Deadmen they were trying to escape from. Natalya and Mrs. Hecox sat in the row in front of Aaron and Nika while Jonah and Kat sat behind them, all six of them positioned on the right side of the bus. And soon more Londoners of all ages and sizes entered the bus, moving right past the kids and making their way to the back.

Schaefer pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Rhodes, Carlyle, depart the station. Start heading north of London toward Matheson Babel Tower. And steer clear of the main duo. You know who I'm referring to."

"Roger that," two men replied from the device. Then a woman's voice took over. "Troy, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, Tabitha," Schaefer replied. "How are you and Edgar holding up?"

"To be honest, dear, we're all a little frightened. The boy's been crying for a while already." Tabitha yelped for a moment, and Schaefer looked out the window to see the other two buses slowly departing. "I guess we're moving now. When will we see each other again?"

"My bus will be right behind yours. We'll reunite at Matheson in a couple of hours just as long as we keep the Deadmen off our backs. But don't worry, darling. Once we get there, nothing will ever be able to harm you or Edgar ever again."

"I really hope so. We love you, dear. We'll see--" The audio faded out with a crackle as the bus continued its journey down the street.

"Uh, sir!" Natalya shouted.

Schaefer placed down the walkie-talkie to see the kids and Mrs. Hecox, all of them staring out the opposite window in horror. He turned to his left to see the Deadmen breaking down the fences and charging toward the last bus. Many of them started attacking the citizens left behind, but those who got close enough started pounding on the windows until cracks formed, hissing and screeching like wild animals in captivity. The people on board the bus backed away as far as possible, fearfully watching the monsters scratch away at the glass.

"Shaw!" Schaefer exclaimed. "Get on now!"

Shaw jumped into the bus, firing at the horde of Deadmen fighting their way toward the bus door. He slammed down on the lever and closed the door, chopping off a rather grabby Deadman's hand in the process. He strapped his rifle to his back and sat beside Schaefer as the bus sped into motion.

The vehicle shook wildly as it rolled up and down the street, crushing the Deadmen and those unfortunate enough to be trapped with them underneath the tires. Aaron and Nika clutched hands once again and moved closer together to prevent themselves from flying out of their seats. Aaron quickly looked around to check on his friends, all of which were doing the same thing with the person next to them, including praying that today wouldn't be the day they die.

"Fucking hell," Shaw muttered under his breath. "Don't you think all the corpses getting crushed will blow the shit out of our tires?"

"Language, sir," Schaefer replied. "There are children here."

"There were also children out there, too. Probably getting eaten alive thanks to us."

"Shut up, Shaw."

Nika rested her head on Aaron's shoulder, both of them terrified by the thought of the bodies being crushed underneath the bus. Nika kept her emotions under control, but Aaron did nothing to fight back the sobs. He had been crying ever since Mr. Hecox's sacrifice earlier to the point his cheeks were moist and sticky from his tears, and he didn't feel the sting of embarrassment of losing his cool in front of his friends.

"We're okay," Nika whispered. "Say it, Aaron. We're okay."

"W-w-we are..." Aaron muttered, but the words couldn't leave his tongue. He was trying to encourage himself while also simultaneously holding back more fear, but he could only manage to do one at a time. And the cries continued like waters through open floodgates.

Nika took his hand. "It's okay," she said softly. "We're all terrified, too."

The bus continued its journey down the road. A Deadman would occasionally jump at the windows but would soon be run over or blasted to bits by the machine gun-armed AIS vehicles traveling beside the bus. Those same vehicles were able to eradicate most of the creatures chasing after them since they left the bus station, and the resulting massacre left bloodstains smudging the back windows. The already terrified citizens would flinch with every shot, even though it wasn't aimed at them.

The bus made its way across the Tower Bridge. Mrs. Hecox, defensively holding Natalya in her arms, looked out the windows to see London in ruins from their view from the middle of the Thames. Fires broke out at the edge of the city. Abandoned cars were positioned all over the bridge, and the bus carefully curved around a few of them as it continued its path toward the supposed safe haven.

Schaefer picked his walkie-talkie back up. "This is Colonel Schaefer here. I'm on Bus 263 on our way to Matheson Babel Tower. We're crossing the Tower Bridge and heading on toward Mill Hill to get to the Forest of Bowland within three to four hours. Are there any other buses out there? Respond."

"This is Lieutenant Richmond responding from Bus 187," a voice replied. "We're right in front of you. Just turned left past Trinity Garden Square. No signs of the Bloodletter or Binge Eater yet. And Bus 316 is still on its course a few kilometers ahead of you."

"Any other reports?"

"Two buses broke down near Buckingham Palace. Five traveled east to the Lovecraft, Blackwood, and Victoria Towers. Many of the boys are still holding off the undead forces near Scotland Yard, but casualties are rising fast." The man paused before screaming the rest. "Watch out! The Binge Eater is approaching you!"

A little girl on the bus shrieked as the Binge Eater jumped at the side of the bus. Her head crashed through the glass with ease, leaving behind gashes across her face, and she sunk her teeth into a man unluckily close to the window. His screams soon filled the air as he was lifted out of the bus to his doom, where the Binge Eater ripped his arm out of his socket before abandoning the rest of him to the horde. She spat the dismembered arm back into the bus, where it landed on the floor in front of the others.

Schaefer, Shaw, and even Jonah dropped loads of swears as they watched that innocent civilian die a horrible death. Schaefer unsheathed a hunting knife and prepared to lunge at the creature before a gunshot rang out inside the bus. Then the people looked at the Binge Eater to see her left eye missing, her bloody eye socket releasing red mist into the wind. Another gunshot followed, blasting her fingers off and destroying her grip on the bus's windowsill. She flew back into the horde of Deadmen and disappeared behind the bus, drowned out by more gunfire erupting from the AIS vehicles surrounding them.

The last thing any of them heard from her was a loud shrill cry. "SCHAEFER!"

But none of the citizens seemed to notice, instead distracted by the fact one of the most powerful Deadmen known to the people of Englad was seemingly defeated by two twelve-year-olds. Aaron held a handgun in one hand and gripped around Nika's arm with the other, smoke rising from the barrel.

"Nice shot, lad," Shaw said.

"Actually, I just shot out that thing's eye," Aaron croaked as he lowered the weapon. He turned to look at Nika. "She's the one who finished it off for good."

"Well thanks to the both of you, we have one less problem to deal with. Who knows? You two could become part of the AIS one day."

Aaron and Nika exchanged looks, greeting each other with shy grins. Nervous laughter followed the exchange, both of them liking the praise, as temporary as it was.

"That is if we live long enough," Jonah chimed in, and with that he received miffed looks from everyone on the bus. "Too soon, innit? Sorry, guys."

Sadly, Jonah was right. A new obstacle appeared in the form of an explosion of red mist. The bus in front of them violently swerved around, scraping against a few dormant cars lining the  He streets before weakly continuing its trek. A giant pile of corpses remained where the explosion came from, and everything around it was soaked in blood.

That's when Aaron finally saw him. There were massive open wounds all over the creature's body where the blood trailed out of it, and his arm seemed to be dangling off his shoulder. The sunlight gleamed off his helmet, and the red X came into view as he turned his head toward the citizens on the bus. Crimson blades materialized in his hands out of his own blood, and he hung them down by his sides as he watched the citizens pass by.

"Schaefer," he spoke in a sinister voice. "I'm not letting you live this time."