Episode 13

"Dad!" Bella yelled as she and Dale ran through the camp and found Abraham talking with Steve.

"Oh, good, the teenagers are back from their little rendezvous. We're ya'll careful? Can't be popping out babies in the middle of the end of the world, now, can we?" Steve chuckled, and Bella sneered, lunging at him.

Dale quickly grabbed her around the waist, and she glared at Steve.

"Why don't you shut the hell up! We got bigger problems than you, psycho!" he yelled, and Bella looked at her father.

"Dad, we're going to have to leave camp."

"What are you talking about?" her father asked, and Bella pointed as Dale let her go.

"You see that enormous cloud of dust?" she asked, and Abraham and Steve looked.

"Yeah, what about it? It's an old dust storm. We got them all the time in Baker County," scoffed Steve, and Bella shook her head.

"No, it ain't. It's hundreds, maybe thousands of those things, and they are headed straight for us!" said Dale, and Abraham looked at his daughter in disbelief.

Bella searched her father's eyes and scowled.

"You don't believe me? Come on," she said, grabbing her father's hand and leading him to her bike.

She grabbed Dale's binoculars and straddled the vehicle.

"Get on," Bella said, starting the engine, and Abraham got on the back of the bike.

"Dad, where are you guys going?" asked Charlie, and his father raised his hand.

"Just stay there. We'll be right back," he said, and Bella took off.

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Bella pulled off the road at the spot she and Dale were at, and Abraham looked through the binoculars. He sighed, looked at his daughter, and nodded.

"Okay, kid. You were right. We will have to move camp, but where? The city's overrun, and so is back home."

Bella nodded and thought for a moment. Where could they go that was close and would provide safety from the oncoming horde? She looked at her father and smiled.

"Grandmal Park. It's surrounded by a deep chasm, and as long as we cross the bridge and go to High Point, we should be safe. Most of the horde will fall into the gorge if they follow us," she said.

Abraham looked at his daughter, impressed.

"How much time do we have?"

Bella looked at the speed of the monstrous group and shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe three-four hours. At the moment, they are moving slowly, but once they hear the vehicles, they'll pick up the pace."

"Alright. Let's head back," said Abraham, and Bella sped back to camp.

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Everyone rushed around camp, packing and loading their vehicles. Since one of the families was lost during the attack, Andy and Teresa searched through their things, took what the group could use, and left the rest.

"Hey, Abraham? You got room in the back of your truck for my bike?" asked Dale, and Abraham pointed to his daughter.

"Talk to Bell. I'm taking the car with Megan and Charlie."

Dale nodded and walked over to Bella.

"Hey, you think both bikes will fit in the back, and I'll ride with you?" he asked, and Bella nodded, giving him a thoughtful look.

"Sure. Now, who's picking who?" she teased, and Dale chuckled.

"I'll make room, but what about your brother?"

"Oh, Terry's taking his truck and trailer. I'd rather ride with you, best friend," he teased, grinning, and Bella laughed.

"Alright, best friend. Go get your stuff."

Dale nodded and ran off. Bella shook her head, noticing Charlie arguing with their parents, and curiously walked over to them.

"No, I want to ride with my sister!" Charlie screamed.

"Hey, kid, what seems to be the problem?" she asked, kneeling beside her brother and looking at her parents.

"I want to ride with you and Dale, but Dad and Uncle Steve said no," he huffed, and Bella grabbed his shoulders gently.

"Charlie, shsh. You can ride with me and Dale, right, Dad?"

Abraham made a face and gave his daughter a serious look.

"You watch him. Don't let him out of your sight!" he said, and Bella nodded, straightening and taking her brother's hand.

"Duh!" she said, giving Steve a smug look, and led Charlie to their father's truck.

"You okay now, kid?" Bella asked when they reached the truck.

Charlie nodded, sniffing, and climbed into the backseat. She handed him a bag of chips and a water bottle.

"Just hang tight and stay here. I'm going to help Dale load the bikes, and we'll be on our way."

Charlie nodded, and Bella shut the door. Dale and Bella loaded the motorcycles, secured them, loaded the ramp into Terry's trailer, and got in the truck.

"Alright, Charlie. You ready?" asked Bella, but there was no response.

She and Dale looked in the backseat, and Charlie was gone.

"Shit!" cursed Dale.

"God damn it, Charlie!" Bella yelled, and they heard giggling from the backseat.

Bella and Dale peered over the seat and saw the ten-year-old laughing on the floor. Bella shook her head and sighed in relief, starting the engine.

"I swear, Charlie. You've got to stop doing that shit. No wonder why I smoke pot and drink. You drive me insane, kid."

Her brother busted out laughing, rolling on the seat, and Dale chuckled. Bella made a face, swatting him in the thigh, and he looked at her.

"What?"

"Stop encouraging the little monster," she said, and Dale and Charlie laughed.

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The convoys of vehicles began to move, and Abraham and Megan were first.

"Take care of each other, little bird," Bella's father said over the radio, passing the green truck, and Bella nodded.

Terry was next in line, and he saluted his brother as he passed, and Dale waved.

"See you when we get there," he said over the radio.

Edmond and his family were next, then Teresa, Andy, and Bonnie in the next car, Liam's truck, the Jeffersons, and Bella and Dale brought up the rear. The convoy turned onto the main road and slowly headed for High Point.

"You think this is gonna work, little bird?" asked Dale, and Bella scoffed.

"Sure thing, big bird, or is it Oscar the grouch?" she teased, and Charlie laughed.

She glanced in the mirror and saw the cloud was closer than expected.

"Dale," said Bella, grabbing his arm, and he looked at her in alarm.

"What's wrong?"

"Look at the cloud. The freaks have picked up their pace," she said.

Dale looked out the back window and cleared his throat as he grabbed the mic.

"Abraham, time to take things up a notch. Those things have picked up their pace and coming fast."

"Okay, everyone, we are about to turn. Once you hit the bridge, step on it," said Abraham.

The convoy turned on the bridge, but the car ahead of Bella spun out of control, crashed into the stone railing, and fell into the fifty-foot-deep chasm. Bella slammed on the brakes and stared in horror.

"Sammy!" Charlie screamed, and Dale saw the horde getting closer.

"Step on it, Bell!" he yelled.

"Hold on, Charlie," Bella said, slamming her foot on the gas, and the truck jumped forward.

The rest of the convoy made it out of the danger zone, but Bella, Dale, and Charlie still had a distance to go.

"Little bird, where are you? The rest of the convoy made it to High Point, except you and the Jeffersons," said Abraham over the radio, and Bella grabbed the mic.

"The Jeffersons didn't make it, but we're coming," she said, blowing a shaky breath.

"What?" asked her father, and Dale took the mic.

"We'll explain when we get there. We just made itpastd the bridge, and Bella, look out!"

Bella plowed through two zombies, and blood and guts splattered over the windshield and down the sides.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" said Dale quickly, and Bella stopped, shutting the engine off.

"Charlie, get up here. Bell, lock the door and put the console up. Get down and don't make a sound," he whispered.

Charlie climbed down to the passenger side floorboard, and Bella and Dale got down on the seat with their feet toward the driver's side. Bella turned the CB down and held onto the mic. They didn't have much room, so her back was pressed against Dale's chest, one of his arms was stretched under her head, and the other rested on her side.

She was surprised she didn't feel uncomfortable or awkward being so close to a man she barely knew, and she relaxed a little. Dale rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"You comfortable?" he asked, and she nodded.

Charlie reached for his sister's hand and held it.

"I'm scared," he whispered, hearing the mutants run into the truck, and Bella squeezed his hand.

"Me, too," she whispered.

"Bella?" said Abraham faintly over the radio, and Bella sighed.

"Be quiet, Dad. We're stuck in the horde just after the bridge. The freaks are all around us," she whispered, shivering, and Dale wrapped his arms around her.