FORTRESSES

"SEND WHAT EVER FORCES WE HAVE DOWN TO THE COMMUNITIES"

"TOBY HEAD TO AKIMINISKI AND GATHER THE REMAINING SOLDIERS, EVEN THOSE WHO ARE ON GUARD, HALF OF YOU RUSH SOUTH TO MARATHON AND MACKINAW!"

They rushed to do as they are commanded and they got out of the building. The whole town is immediately is in panic as a loud siren rung through the town, people who can fight rush towards the football field that has now turned into a training course for their soldiers, they grabbed their arms and hopped onto small trucks. They start to leave towards the communities. Toby headed to Akimiski on horseback and the other half headed down to Marathon.

Within 4 hours The group that went down to Marathon arrived at the town and they have set sail on the small boats that they created, some of them has already made it half way of the great lake and the others stayed back to defend them, seeing what is happening to the town they started to help the best they can.

"FIRE AT THEM AND TRY TO KILL AS MUCH AS WE CAN, USE THE SNIPERS, HEADS MIGHT ALIGN!"

They aided on the northern part of the town while the others tries to flank on the weaker side of the massive horde, but there seems to be no effect to the massive horde. One of the soldiers have a bright idea and then grabbed a flare gun and put his hands up, he presses down on the trigger and a green flare flies high into the sky and the people on Marathon seems to notice it.

"Flares?"

"NOT RIGHT NOW KEEP AT IT AND YOU'LL BE DE-"

"RETREAT BACK TO THE BOATS!"

They see a distress man screaming and they are one of the people that appeared to take over them. He starts to panic as he drags a boat into the lake by himself, he calls for help but no one seems to respond. His small body is tiny compared to the boat that he trying with all his efforts to push into the water, but is was all for naught. He approaches the man and he seems to be have been noticed, he asked for the person to help him but he just aimed the gun.

"You don't get to run"

He kills the man and then kills himself, his buddy noticed it and rushed towards to him.

"Wh...why...n-"

They start to get completely overran by the overpowering horde, he looks behind him and he sees more flares up in the sky, all he can do is smile as he looks onto the flares. He looks down to the corpse of his deceased friends and kisses him on the lips, he pulls his body up and hugs it tightly as a runner jumps onto him and eats him. Some of the people that lives in Marathon got onto boats and is now heading to Copper harbor, they call waved at the people waiting there as the sun rises and they start to prepare for them to dock.

"10 Boats? Why are there only 10 boats?"

"How many was with Oscar when he went there?"

"25 Sir... Where's Kyle?"

"he followed Zach into Marathon, Eugene.. now we have no idea where he is"

"Not even on the boats earlier?"

"Yes sir, nor this ones"

"Nor the ones landing"

"Bruce? Why are you here?"

"I need to stretch my rusting legs a bit"

"You're still wounded"

"Nothing that would stop me.. All right lead me and your men to Mackinaw and maybe their there"

"Sure... All of Company 5 and 9 come with me!"

2 Companies followed Eugene to Mackinaw, they got onto horses and solar vehicles and headed to the city, while the remaining companies ensure that the people who are landing on the harbor is safe and they can be quickly transported to Maple Grove as soon as possible. By the time they got the city the sun is already high up in the sky and they also see the Mackinac bridge, destroyed. They stopped and looked over the bridge above the lake and all they can do is look in shock and fear knowing that the Mackinaw is in a bit of a problem.

"Sir, we got word from one of the signals that the Horde came from the south of the city"

"And the bridge is destroyed, who did Tobias put in charge there?"

"Oscar I think"

"Well, what do we have?"

"A massive, punch to the groin Bruce"

"Hmmm... how did they move the Horde so fast, or they were already preparing it, we have no 'horde' activity for the past 6 years, the only ones we faced were small ones or strayers"

"But this one is sudden and big?"

"Yes"

"All right men we have to make a detour, a big one"

"It will be 8 to 9 h-"

As Eugene was about to give his command a group of cars and men on horseback arrives. Its some of the men that is from the ruins of Marathon, but not a lot of them. They greeted their fellow men and they fully regrouped, and they can probably leave for Mackinaw as soon as the horseback-riders catch their breathe fully.

"Eugene"

"Kyle... Where's Zach?"

"We don't know... He just disappeared with some of the men probably back to Mackinaw"

"Tobias?"

"Hearst, this is some of the men that was with Tobias before they got the news, we now have a deal with Hearst and we should take back Marathon from this sudden heard"

"You got that right"

"But first, Mackinaw?"

"Mackinaw, and Norfolk... this might be familiar to Zachary and Oscar right?"

"Mainly to Zach, he was talking about how familiar it was... the past week went by so fucking fast I feel like I have a whiplash"

"Right?"

"Are you guys done checking?"

"YES SIR! WE'RE READY FRO DEPARTURE!"

"Good"

Kyle whistled signaling their detour to Toronto and then to Norfolk. They got on and they headed wishing to see a city intact. Back at Hearst Tobias and Schmidt works on both of their communities' communication and relationship in order to have a strong front to the people on Anchorage, something that will be easy now hearing of what is happening.