Jane drove back to DC, a heavy heart burdened by the knowledge that those she passed on the road were likely to meet a grim fate, bitten by the relentless onslaught of zombies. The reality of the impending doom weighed on her, and she knew that everyone was at risk.
Upon reaching DC, Margret informed Jane that Luis's wife and daughter were currently out of the country. A tinge of relief washed over Jane, but it was short-lived. When Jane said she will be leaving the country too soon, Margret asked about Jane's sudden decision to leave the country, Jane remained tight-lipped.
"Nothing," Jane replied cryptically.
Sensing that there was more to the story, Margaret went to Fred post and tell him that Jane said she's leaving the country. "Why is she leaving?" Fred asked Margaret.
"I don't know, maybe you should talk to her."
Fred was surprised and went to confronted Jane, urging her to speak up why she's leaving. Frustrated, he raised his voice, "Jane, can you please speak out!"
Jane, now compelled to reveal the unsettling truth, disclosed, "Very soon, everyone will turn because Luis and Gomez have cut the fence wire, and those monsters are out moving around."
"What?" Margret exclaimed in shock.
"Where is Luis?" Fred demanded.
"I don't know," Jane responded, her hesitation revealing that she was hiding something.
Fred, determined to take action, suggested going back to the Zone, fixing the fence wire, and setting the area ablaze. Jane objected, citing that it was already late. Margret proposed drawing the zombies back and bombing the place. "We still can't do that!" Jane shouted.
"But something need to be done!" Fred said out of frustration.
"Besides, what caused that shit! What kind of virus is that?" Stone, expressing his fear, questioned the origin of the virus.
"We need one of the Zombies," Jane explained. "We need to run tests on it to understand what caused the virus, so we should all go back."
Stone said he's not going because his scared, besides they need someone to stay behind with Johnson in DC. "I will stay behind."
Despite Stone's reluctance to go back to the Zone, the rest of the team prepared to return. Stone, left behind to ensure the safety of DC, received a call from his wife, prompting him to rush home without a second thought.
Upon arriving, Stone was greeted by a heartbreaking scene. His entire family had turned into zombies, but his wife has not fully transformed yet. Weak and unable to speak, Stone asked his wife what had happened, tears streaming down his face.
************
Jane, Margret, and Fred arrived at the Zone only to find it eerily empty. The absence of zombies left them bewildered, as if the world had suddenly transformed into a haven of warmth, fragrance, and softness.
"What the hell just happened?" Fred voiced the perplexity struck.
"I think the world is in trouble," Margret speculated, her words echoing the unspoken fear that gripped them.
Jane asked them to turned the car and leave the Zone, determined to alert others about the impending disaster. As they were about to departed, Jane took with her the zombie hand she had broken on the van the other day, and withdraw the blood.
"Why would you pick that? It's damn scary, mehn," Fred expressed his discomfort.
"We need to find out what causes this disease, so we'll use this for testing," Jane explained, holding onto the gruesome artifact.
Their journey back to DC was marked by the grim reality of the unfolding apocalypse. Zombies devoured people, and cries for mercy filled the air. Jane, visibly distressed, was particularly concerned about her two daughters. The gentleness in her eyes betrayed the worry that only a mother's heart could understand.
"I wish they are safe," she whispered to herself, her voice carrying the weight of a mother's love.
On their route, they encountered a group of people desperately waiting for help. Jane, compassionate despite the chaos, stopped the van and offered assistance. Five individuals—Harrison, Williams, Susan, Tori, and Gladys a three years old baby—joined them on the journey to DC.
Jane had to drive through a gruesome scene—cars involved in accidents, blood-stained streets, and the silent aftermath of a world in chaos. Stopping the car, "Why did you stopped the car?" Fred asked her.
"I need to see my daughters. Drive everyone to DC, and I will join you guys with my daughters." Jane left even before Fred could say a word, she entrusted Fred with the responsibility of taking everyone to DC while she went to check on her daughters.
Arriving home, Jane was met with a devastating sight. One of her daughters lying dead on the floor, soaked in blood, while the other had been consumed, leaving only her discarded clothes. Jane was heartbroken, and started crying but couldn't mourn the lost of her daughters as two zombies were approaching, Jane fled into a room, locked herself in crying bitterly. In her hideout, she was feeling the threat of the zombies.
Suddenly, on the outskirts of the chaos, Jane heard commotion from her neighbor's house. peeping through the window, she discovered a zombie attempting to breach their entrance. Acting swiftly, Jane grabbed her late husband's gun and burst out with anger then eliminated the zombies in her apartment, then help her neighbor with their zombie threat. After ensuring her neighbors' safety, she urged them to flee, handing over her car keys for a swift escape.
-------------------
Meanwhile, Back in DC, Fred faced a horde of zombies at the entrance. "holy shit!! How are we getting in?" Fred with confusion.
Williams, one of the newcomers, claimed he could draw them away. Skeptical, Fred allowed him to try. Williams rushed into a parked car, revved the engine, and successfully lured the zombies away by pressing horn repeatedly.
After Williams' successful diversion, Fred used the opportunity to gain entry, only to learn from Johnson that many had left to reunite with their families, and none had returned.
"Where is Stone?" Fred inquired.
"He was the first person to leave," Johnson replied.
Suddenly, Margret screamed. "Ahh! No oo!"
Fred asked for an explanation of her sudden noise, "What the hell is that noise for?"
Margret directed their attention to the security camera feed. It was Williams, being devoured by the very zombies he had tried to distract. The shocking sight left them in a chilling silence, the grim truth of their perilous reality sinking in.
Susan, one of the new comer survivors said, he was the only one that can tell us what really happened.
Fred, curious and desperate for answers, asked, "Him? How?"
"He's from Tacoma, one of the survivors there. He's the only one who can tell us why people are turning into this," Susan explained.
Everyone was feeling sad, until Johnson break the silence, he said, "I'm going out. I want to go and help those in need, I will be taking the van with me."
"Are you out of your mind? You saw what happened to someone right now, did you have a death wish?" Fred confronted Johnson.
"Come on Fred, they're people that need help out there, and we should help them! We can't just sit our ass here and fold our hands while many people craving for who to help them out there!" Johnson responded.
"But it's dangerous Johnson, listen to Fred please." Despite Margret's pleas, and trying to confused him, Johnson remained adamant. Fred attempted to reason with Johnson calmly, warning him of the dangers, but Johnson insisted on his mission. He picked the van key, step out and drove away, tensions rose between Fred and Margret.
Margret blamed Fred for not stopping Johnson, "Why did you let him leave? You should've stopped him!"
Fred defended his inability to control Johnson's choices. "Seriously? It's my fault now? You saw what happened Margaret, he won't listen!" In the heat of the argument, Margret accidentally pressed a button triggering a computer alert: "Thank you. In the next 40 minutes, the bombing will take place."
Panic engulfed everyone, and Fred demanded an explanation. "What the hell is that? Who set it? I don't want to believe Johnson is the one." The ominous announcement left them bewildered. Fearful of Johnson's potential involvement, Fred urged everyone to evacuate DC immediately. "Everybody, out!" Fred screamed.
In a rush, they gathered their belongings and transferred them to another van. With trepidation, they drove far away from DC, using a telescope to witness the impending destruction. After 40 agonizing minutes, DC was engulfed in an explosive spectacle.
The group, now displaced and haunted by what their next faith would be, contemplated their next moves.