Dümped

"Genseng… and now this monstrosity. What has the world turned into?" Ray muttered, grabbing Vasili's bag.

They wasted no time, heading out to find Isaac so they could leave. But no matter how much they searched, he was nowhere to be found.

"The Genseng might have gotten to him," Mike said grimly.

Just then, Isaac appeared out of nowhere, sprinting toward them.

"I had to lose them," he panted, falling in step with the group.

When they neared Jeff's bunker, he quietly split off, leaving the others to go ahead.

Hours later, Jeff came sprinting into their camp, gasping for air. He bent over, hands on his knees, struggling to speak.

"They're coming," he finally managed. "Genseng. A whole lot of them."

Ray and the others sprang into action, grabbing whatever they could find to build barricades. Then they waited, tense and silent, ready for the fight ahead.

One of them walked into the camp. They fired.

Another followed. They fired again.

Ray's gut twisted. Something's not right.

The Genseng were aggressive, loud. But these ones barely made a sound.

Then he saw them—more coming from the right. And the left.

"We're being flanked!" he shouted. The others turned, adjusting their aim, firing in every direction.

Then, out of the smoke and gunfire, she appeared.

The tennis player from the supermarket. The one they had shot. The one who had killed Vasili.

"That's her," Mike breathed, pointing. "The beautiful girl that killed Vasili."

Sandra didn't hesitate—she raised her gun and fired.

She missed.

"Wait! Hold fire!" Ray barked.

Reluctantly, they all stopped.

Ray stepped forward, gripping his rifle. "Who are you?"

Silence.

He tried again. "What do you want?"

The woman met his gaze.

Her lips curled into a smile.

"All," she said.

"All what?" Ray thought. And he wasn't the only one.

The tennis player raised her hand—then snapped it down.

The Genseng charged.

Gunfire erupted as they attacked. Bullets tore through the first wave, dropping a few, but there were too many. They moved fast, relentless.

"We're getting overrun!" Mike shouted.

"Fall back!" Ray ordered.

They scrambled toward a barn, firing as they moved. The door slammed shut behind them.

For a moment, there was only the sound of their ragged breathing.

Then—

Thud.

Something slammed against the door.

And then another.

They weren't safe yet.

The Genseng kept banging on the barn doors. A plank of wood was dropped behind the door, barricading it. Everyone stepped back.

"Sandra, the children are in Matthew's office. Get them and leave," Ray said.

"No, I want to help," Sandra protested.

"You are helping." Ray took her to a weak spot behind the barn and kicked it. A plank of wood splintered away, leaving a small opening. "Go."

Sandra hesitated but then crawled through.

"Give up now, or you'll regret it," said the woman in the tennis outfit.

Ray took a breath. "We'll surrender—if you promise not to harm us."

"You have a deal," she said.

"You can't trust them! They're monsters, for God's sake!" Jeff shouted—just before a branch impaled him through the chest.

Ray stumbled back as Jeff collapsed. He turned to see Isaac standing there, his arm reverting from a gnarled, bark-covered limb back to flesh.

"Issac… you're one of them?" Ray's voice shook. "But you can speak. Since when?"

Isaac stepped forward, shoving Ray toward the doors. "We can discuss that later. Open them."

The others raised their guns at him.

"Don't think about it," Isaac warned.

"Like hell I won't! You're not taking me alive!" one of the men shouted. He fired, but Isaac's right arm exploded into a mass of branches, forming a shield. The bullet lodged harmlessly into the wood. With his left hand, Isaac lashed out—his fingers twisting into long, jagged branches that shot forward, piercing the man from several feet away.

Isaac pulled his hand back, the branches retracting into flesh. He exhaled in irritation.

"These damn martyrs… always making things harder than they need to be."

Sandra rushed to get the kids. As they slipped away, she glanced back—Ray and the others were being led away by the Genseng.

No time to think. She grabbed the children's hands, and they ran into the woods, unsure of where they were going.

For three days, they walked, stopping only for brief thirty-minute breaks. Exhaustion gnawed at Sandra, but she pushed forward. Then, at last, they heard it—the sound of rushing water.

A river.

The children took off toward the noise.

"Wait! Be careful!" Sandra called, chasing after them.

When she caught up, they were frozen in place.

By the river stood Jackfrost, TomTom, and Merlin.

The moment they saw her, they ran to her. Well, Merlin did—hugging her, then pulling the others in, as if on their behalf.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sandra asked, breathless.

"Looking for you, of course. Remember—no one gets left behind," Jackfrost said with a grin.

Sandra exhaled, a half-laugh escaping. "Boys, meet Matthew and Mark—"

"Luke and John," Merlin interrupted.

Sandra shook her head, suppressing a smile. "No, not Luke and John. Jake and Greg."

They would be coming home with us.