Part Thirty One

Eden: Paradise Lost

Chapter Thirty One

DJ was speechless as Terry breathes heavily as he looks at Kris who smiles as he limps over to the others as Kris and DJ kicks eyes as DJ turns and walks off. 

Anthony: Boss!

DJ: Tell the men to surround the building. We lost. 

Finch: But we can't just…!

DJ: If you value breathing you'll shut up and follow. 

Kris: Off so soon?

DJ stops and balls his hand into a fist. 

DJ: Do what you want with these nobodies. My men stay with me. 

Cayce: No, sir. 

Cayce stands by Kris as other Zero Company soldier's begin to do the same. 

Cayce: Not this time. You made the terms, you set the deal. They won. We're falling in line. 

DJ: Do as you wish. 

Kris: We're going to need to work together. 

DJ: Maybe in hell. Which I imagine we'll be seeing each other in by dawn, hmm?

Kris: Release my people from your brig, and maybe I can call us even.

DJ: Have you men. They serve me no purpose. 

DJ and a small number of his forces head inside the building as Cayce turns and salutes Kris along with the other soldiers. 

Cayce: Cayce Lynn, pilot and Zero Company Lieutenant at your service. 

Kris: These men with you, can they operate those tanks you got at the entrances by the front gate?

Cayce: Yes, sir. 

Kris: Tell them to man up now. 

Cayce nods as Kris faces his own group. 

Kris: We'll need to take precautions now before it's too late. 

Nick: What do you have in mind?

Kris: We'll wait till we're at full capacity.

Lance: What shall we tell these civilians?

Kris looks about at the many faces. 

Kris: Everyone! Listen up!

Kris walks out a bit away from the group so all eyes and ears can fall onto him.

Kris: In a matter of hours, a large horde of the undead will be upon us. We have nowhere to run, nowhere to go. Our backs literally against the wall. They will converge on this area, hundreds of thousands strong. And they will be here to kill us all. As far as I know,  we're all that is left of Eden. So because of that, we cannot fall. Cuz if we fall, then paradise truly is lost...and we...we border on extinction. So when the time comes, I need all of you, to be ready. I need all of you to be strong.

Lyndsey grips Miles' hand as Rebecca and Nick so the same. Terry spits out some blood as he attached his gun belt as Shane appeared and folds his arms.

Kris: I need all of you, to stand with me, to stand with each other, to fight alongside one another! To stare down that sea of the dead and face that face, knowing you won't have to do it alone! together, we will triumph, together, we will live to see the sun rise on another day! And once we do, help will come, that I can promise! Survive the night, survive the morning! And let's save Eden...are you with me!?

Everyone erupts into cheers or determination and will as Mary appears pushing past some people as she hugs him as Dustin and Makayla come over to Lance glad to see him as Brianna comes over and holds a hand out to Kris.

Brianna: Don't know what you did. But I gotta thank you. 

Kris: No you don't. You're one of us. It's what we do. 

Mary: Boss...how did you..?

Kris: I'll fill you in later...are you okay?

Kris looks Mary over as Mary nods meekly. 

Mary: I'll be fine, Kris. 

Kris: I'm glad you guys are okay. 

Lance: Now that we're all together. What's the plan?

The group all come together as Lance stands next to Kris. 

Kris: When the time comes, well all have to take posts. Shane, did you find any back exits out of here?

Shane: Just a hangar gated off and more abandoned unused buildings and homes. Makes up the outer rim of the base, but no, those barriers are still intact, and blowing them leads out into open land with even more zombies waiting around. 

Lance:So, nothing?

Shane: No. 

Kris: Women and children are going to need escape, if they can't, they'll need a place to be secured and defended. 

Dustin: One area full of kids and women and no way out, what if the base gets overran?

Kris: we'll need people to be locked in as well and willing to give their lives to protect them.

Dustin: I'll do it. 

Lance: You're one of the best soldier's we have. We could use you on the front lines. 

Dustin: I know, boss. But those kids will need me more. 

Lance nods as he can't disagree. 

Kris: Amber, Lily, you think you could help back him up?

Amber: Yes, sir. 

Lily: I think so. 

Kris: Miles, I'm going to need Lyndsey to go with and…

Miles: Sorry sir, Shane made it crystal clear, she won't be leaving my side. 

Kris: Miles…

Lyndsey: I don't want to leave him...I won't allow him down. 

Lance: She's better off with him. 

Kris: I'm just looking out for your safety, it's going to get dangerous.

Lyndsey: I appreciate that sir. I do...but I won't leave him.

Mary: How many areas are there to cover, Cayce?

Cayce: Bout six, north, south, east and west are a given. But there are sectional areas in the northeast, and northwest. 

Kris: East is the main area, which is this choke point here correct?

Cayce: Yes, sir. The tanks block off the main entrance, and the structure walls barricade off the rest of the area. 

Lance: The structures are weak against heavy pressure though, enough of them can probably collapse the entire wall. 

Cayce: True, but that pressure has to be equal missile fire, so they won't collapse. 

Brianna: But they can be overrun. 

Cayce: Yes. 

Kris: Which side has the easiest infiltration points?

Cayce: Here, and the northeast.

Lance: I'll cover the northeast. 

Mary: I'll help. 

Kris: Northwest, Terry, think you can handle it?

Terry: Should. 

Shane: I'll take the west point. 

Nick: I'll cover the north. 

Makayla: I'll take the south. 

Miles: Leaves me with you and the east, Kris. 

Rebecca: Is there anywhere I can take up a post that covers a large area?

Cayce: Yes, actually. There's a building we use as a sniper tower in the North that can cover almost everything, except directly South. 

Rebecca: I'll take point there. 

Cayce: I'll be in the sky with the gunship, able to lay cover and provide updates. 

Kris: Then it sounds like we have what we need to do. alright, when the time comes, everyone be ready. Tend to your spots, prepare. Cayce isn't it?

Cayce: Yes. 

Kris: I need you to go out and fly the area, we need to know how long we have before the Horde gets here. 

Nick: I'll accompany.

Kris: Everyone, let's get ready. 

Mary: What about Zero Company?

Lance: What about them?

Mary: We'll need them. We'll need their guns, their experience.

Kris: They'll come around on their own or they won't. With or without them we need to hold. 

Kris turns and heads off as Mary looks at Lance who shrugs as he and her head towards their area as Cayce and Nick jog towards the helipad where the gunship is. 

Rebecca goes up the sprawling circular staircase up to the tower in the North as she sets up stacks of ammo caches at strategic spots as some men add mounted guns and extra ammo as Rebecca situates two .50 cal sniper rifles and her SVD. 

Makayla in the south has her group getting into place as they lined up along the wall and put ammo boxes around as Brianna paced over towards her. 

Makayla: What do they have you doing? 

Brianna: Checking on everyone, I'm not assigned a post. Kris feels I'm better off doing my own thing. 

Makayla: Freelancing. Your favorite. 

Brianna: Absolutely. 

Elsewhere, In the Gunship

Cayce flies the gunship pass some buildings as Nick leans down and looks over as Cayce turns the gunship and begins flying over the oncoming walking dead, the streets from miles and miles packed with undead as Nick and Cayce watch the sight with stunned silence as Kolton watches the gunship flying over as he blended into the horde, smirking his undead grin. 

Elsewhere

Brianna watches as Lance directs some men as Mary fires her bow and arrow into a nearby target as she hits a bull's-eye, Brianna whistling.

Miles helps some men learn to aim properly as Lyndsey watched close by. Kris helps set up some torrent guns that are mounted to the upper rim of the gate along the barricade as shells are loaded and reloads are placed all about as the Tanks are loaded with shells being placed all around them as the outside area is cleared, allowing me to place landmines in tight clusters. 

A man hoists a rocket launcher from out a or weapons cache and Terry nods as he tells him where to bring it, Brianna patting him as Terry smiles at her and nods as Dustin is showing some men in the nearby building vantage points inside as Amber and Lily are talking with women who are armed as kids are playing together trying to show their not scared. 

Shane bolts his rifle as he eyes his men who are setting up makeshift posts all about the area as Shane looks to see the hangar not too far off from his line of sight as he could see the Jet. Shane looks up as he hears a whirling and can see the Gunship returning to the base as Shane puts a stick of gum into his mouth. 

DJ watches the movement from his office as Finch and Adam sit quietly on a leather sofa as Anthony leans against DJ's bookshelf. 

Anthony: What are we going to do?

DJ: You know what…

Finch: This is bullshit!

DJ: Good thing you don't have a say.

Adam: Why are we waiting around?

DJ:. Because, their order needs to be established. And because we're still getting out of here once the shit hits the fan. 

Elsewhere

Cayce and Nick come over and meet with Kris as Nick hands him a red dot infrared  image of the area as Brianna, Miles and Lyndsey hurry over. 

Cayce: it's massive...and they're getting closer. 

Kris: How far away is this?

Nick: 25 miles or so.

Miles: At that rate that's what...two hours, maybe less?

Kris: Whoever corralled them has runners strategically placed to prod the walkers into moving fast, it's like a locust swarm just moving in a breeze. 

Nick: What do you want us to do?

Kris: I want everyone to get an hour of sleep. We'll meet up here at…

Kris checks his watch to see it's 1: 16am Kris: 2:15am. Till then get some shut eye. 

That's an order. 

Kris heads off as the others look about nervously. 

End of Part Thirty One.