Chronicles of the Apocalypse: Reckoning (2022)

Chapter 12: Family Reunion

At Taker city, the white house now Taker base, Caleb finally wakes up with Dodge by his bed.

Dodge: Welcome back to the land of the living.

Caleb sits up.

Caleb: How long have I been out?

Dodge: A few days....maybe more.

Caleb sits up out of his bed.

Dodge: You arrived at the gates...alone...dehydrated...for a while, we weren't sure if you were gonna pull through.

Caleb sighs.

Caleb: Thanks.

Caleb rubs his eyes, before turning back to Dodge.

Caleb: Shit. The others, Kyle, Shawn and Rachel...Sarah!

Dodge: I don't know. It was just you.....they haven't shown up yet...

Caleb: but that doesn't mean they're dead.

Dodge: Can't be too hopeful, though, right?

Dodge stands up and walks to the door.

Caleb: So, what? Am I a prisoner here?

Dodge turns to Caleb.

Dodge: No...consider yourself a guest.

After the events, Kyle, Shawn, Sarah and Rachel found a car which greatly reduced the time of traveling, but a couple thousand miles back, after an unrippable motor stop, the four had to abandon it and continue on foot.

Rachel: Fuck...I'm so goddamn hungry.

Kyle: I know, we are too.

Sarah: Well, then I guess we better start looking, then.

Shawn: That would help our hunger die down.

The four continue on as Shawn speaks to Kyle.

Shawn: You good?

Kyle: What do you mean?

Shawn: I mean....about back in Chicago with Charlie and Elijah....

Kyle: You saved my life. I get it. Maybe he would've shot...maybe he wouldn't have....but either way, you saved me. Thank you.

Shawn: Gotta look out for family.

Kyle: They wanted to be apart of the family....

A few hundred meters later, they were blocked by a heap of dirt and rubble, presumably from a landslide that happened sometime in the past. Seeing no other way, Kyle, Shawn, Sarah and Rachel climbed down on the side towards the river at the bottom and to their pleasant surprise, after a few hours of walking, they arrived at a hydro-electrical power plant. From inside, Kyle, Shawn, Sarah and Rachel spot moving figures.

Shawn: Looks like the place is occupied.

Kyle: Yep.

The adults share a look before nodding and turning to Rachel.

Rachel: What are we gonna do?

Kyle: We need to lay low. At least until it gets dark, so we can figure out what to do.

Rachel's stomach begins to growl.

Rachel: You guys are the pros...but if I starve it's on you.

The four stand back up and watch. A few hours later, after night fall, the four could clearly see that the hydro-electrical plant had functional electricity.

Rachel: What do we do?

Sarah: We could pass through, but I'd hate to pass through another area with bandits.