Margret suggested they bind the captives' hands, and the group quickly complied.
They loaded everything into the van, tying some items on top, before heading back to the family community.
Upon their return, as they unloaded the supplies, the Head of the Family confronted them.
"When will you stop bringing in new faces here without my approval?" He growled. "You know what? I hate visitors. Next time you bring someone new, I'll send you out with them! Because I am the boss here, not you!"
Fred stepped forward, trying to calm him. "We're sorry, but we had no choice. These people… they're the reason behind all this mess."
The Head of the Family narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? Are you trying to say they turned people into this… shit? Goddamn it!" He clenched his fists. "Fine. Then put bullet into their heads or give them to me, and I'll give them a 'welcoming treat.'"
Fred shook his head firmly. "No, we can't torture them. We need them to help us find a solution to all of this!"
The Head of the Family huffed in frustration. "Fine! If that's what you want. But keep a close eye on them—I don't trust them for a second. If I noticed any strange behavior from them, I will kill them! That's a promise."
Just then, Juliet emerged, cradling Susan's child in her arms. "Where's Susan? Why isn't she with you?" she asked anxiously.
Jane's expression darkened. "We lost her."
"Bitten?" Juliet asked, her voice trembling.
"No," Jane replied bitterly. "She was killed by them."
"What! You mean to say they killed Susan?"
"She saved, my life Juliet." Fred said.
"Then, why are their still breathing?" Juliet shouted with anger.
Fred interjected gently, "Please, Juliet, you need to calm down and please watch over Susan child. Treat him as if he were your own."
Juliet, was furious and walked away with anger without looking.
Later that night, around 10 PM, as the community slept, one of the lab staff quietly slipped out of the room where they were confined. Holding a flashlight, he crept into the storage room where their supplies were kept. From his bag, he retrieved a syringe containing the virus.
Margret stirred in her sleep, noticing the open door. Curious and cautious, she stepped outside. Before she could react, someone grabbed her from behind, injecting her. She struggled, her muffled cries waking Jane, who screamed and alerted the others.
Harrison rushed out, finding Margret collapsed on the ground and the trembling intruder standing nearby. "What happened to her?" Harrison demanded.
Jane quickly explained what she'd seen.
Fred's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the fuck!"
Furious, Harrison tackled the man, struggling with him before stabbing him in the head. Blood pooled on the ground as silence fell over the group.
Suddenly, Margret stirred, her eyes wild. She has turned to a zombie and lunged toward Jane, growling, but Jane held her back. No one had the courage to kill her by stabbing her head—until Michael stepped forward, raised his gun, and shot her in the head.
Everyone stood in stunned silence.
Harrison and Fred later discussed burying Margret when the Head of the Family stormed in. "What the hell is going on? I told you to kill these people, but you didn't listen!"
He pulled out his gun and shot the last surviving lab staff member without hesitation. "First thing tomorrow, you're leaving. All of you!"
Fred protested, "You can't do this! We had a deal!"
"Deal's off," the Head of the Family snapped. "I won't risk my people because of your stupidity. Leave my community by morning or you face me!" He stormed out.
Fred reassured the others, "Don't panic. I'll talk to him tomorrow." They loaded the bodies into a truck and prepared to bury them.
The next morning, Fred approached the Head of the Family, who was eating breakfast.
"Can we talk?" Fred asked.
"I don't talk while eating," he replied curtly. "You should be leaving already."
"Please, let's stick to the plan. We have all the equipment ready to start working on the vaccine today."
The Head of the Family paused for three minutes before relenting. "Fine. But if you don't have results in one week, I'll kill all of you. No one leaves alive!"
"Okay, if that's what you want." Fred responded
Fred returned to the group and explained what the head of the family said. Harrison was furious. "Fred, are you insane? You gambled with our lives?"
"I had no choice," Fred replied grimly.
Jane intervened. "Enough! Let's focus on burying the bodies first."
Fred and Harrison drove the truck out of the community. After parking in a desolate spot, Harrison asked, "Why'd you stop?"
Fred stared out, his voice breaking. "I miss my girlfriend, Sam. I love her so much… I don't even know if she's still alive."
Harrison sighed. "Man, you have to face reality. She's probably gone. The world's gone to hell, and everyone's just trying to survive."
Harrison's voice softened. "I cheated on my wife once. She found out, slapped me, packed her things, and left. When the outbreak started, I looked for her… but when I finally found her, she'd turned into a zombie. I feel so guilty."
Fred placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, man."
They drove another two kilometers, passing hordes of zombies and the ruins of humanity. Eventually, they stopped to bury the bodies before returning to the community.
Upon arrival, Fred called for a meeting to discuss producing the vaccine and setting up the equipment. The Head of the Family grudgingly gave them space to work, but supplies were running low. They needed more drugs, food, and even a zombie for experiments.
Fred, Jane, Cassandra, and Harrison set out to gather what they needed, heading south to find a pharmacy.
At the largest pharmacy they could find, they forced open the locked doors and packed as much as they could. As they worked, Harrison suddenly stepped back.
"You guys go ahead," he said quietly. "I'm not coming back."
Fred spun around. "What the fuck are you talking about? What's wrong?"
Harrison hesitated. "When we got here, I went to the restroom. A zombie was inside—it attacked me. Bit me on the leg."
Fred's face fell. "You should've called for us! We could've cut off your leg!"
"It's too late now," Harrison whispered, trembling. Moments later, he collapsed, convulsing. Cassandra sobbed as Jane and Fred struggled to process the loss. They had no choice. They shot him in the head.
On their way back, they heard a strange sound from the north.
Fred suggested checking it out, but Jane pleaded, "No! Sounds attract zombies. Let's just go home. Please, no more deaths."
Fred relented, and they returned to the community.
Michael met them at the gate. "Where's Harrison?"
Cassandra answered through tears, "We lost him. He was bitten."
The Head of the Family overheard and barked, "I don't do emotions. I'm sorry for your loss, but did you get the drugs and food?"
Fred snapped, "Is that all you care about? Harrison's dead!"
The Head of the Family shrugged coldly. "We're all going to die eventually. Let's just move on."
Cassandra wiped her tears. "He's right. Let's move on."
The group dispersed, each retreating to grieve in their own way, as the harsh reality of their fragile existence weighed heavily on them all.