The Good Land: No More | TWICE & ITZY Book 2

21) A Final Stance

"How did this happen?" Chaeyoung exclaimed.
"Since the radio tower is on, a high-pitched frequency must have caught their attention." Mr Im answered as he gathered the settlement together, all were worried. The horde walked ever so slowly, but the danger was unmissable.

Mr Im stood in front of the worried crowd, taking a stance to get everyone online, "Everyone calm down, what we need to do now it to keep them out of the settlement, block every entrance and keep a look out.
We must not enrage them, but if they attack, give them hell."
They all dispersed, with weapons at the ready and blockade items near the entrances, a few left oil barrels at the front and the warehouse if the situation goes terrible.
Others prepared their personal belongings ready for their escape, Chaeyeon and Seungyeon gathered the vulnerable people near the edge of the port.
JB had packed his medical equipment just in case of emergencies.

"Sir, what can we do?" Momo asked.
"Help barricade the doors and equip yourselves for a fight." Mr Im said.
"Why is it taking them this long?" Yuna pointed out, they were't running nor were they acting as savages.
"They're like animals, they stalk their pray before pouncing on them." He answered with a confused look, "They're still human, just corrupted."

The whole settlement was busy, keeping the vulnerable away from danger, stashing food rations into boxes knowing that help will arrive, they must survive this horde, but something was a little off from them. As they started to show up, instead of the infected rushing in for the kill, they waited at the entrance as if they were commanded. It had been a few hours and more started to appear.

"Sir, there's too many. What do we do?" One of the guards called out.
"Don't shoot! It'll inly aggravate them." He demanded.
"They're just waiting, they would have attacked us by now." Nayeon spoke, "Is something controlling them?"

Chaeyeon turned to her sister with fear in her eyes, "You don't think—?"
"Only one person can control them." Chaeryeong looked at Mr Im, who immediately what they were talking about.
He murmured the name, "Kim Yerim."

"D-Did you say Kim Yerim?" Mina's face grew angry.
"She was the first one... our first experiment.""Dammit!" Tzuyu growled, she grabbed him by the collar, "It was you! You took her away!"
"Tzuyu, there's no time for this." Sana pulled her back.
"What are you guys talking about?" Lia asked.
"There's another side of the story we haven't told you about." Momo whispered leading the five girls away.
"Are you saying she's doing this?" Nayeon watched as he frantically nodded is head.
"The infected's bloodlust has surpassed, she's the only way."
They had to deal with the situation, they had be ready for any sudden movements or else their efforts had gone to waste.

"Okay, then let's defend the settlement before the boat comes." Jihyo spoke, her friends nodded.
The settlement was still in panic, the girls gathered together ready for preparations for the horde, equipping themselves with a weapon. It was only a matter of time until the infected snapped.
Everyone knew they were worried, no one had spoke. Jihyo took a step forward, her posture straight and her eyes determined already catching the attention of her friends.

"This is a dangerous situation, but I'm happy that we've made it this far, I'm proud how everyone has grown. I know this is hard, but we've been through a lot... we can do this. I promise, whatever happens, infill not let anyone get left behind or get hurt."

Those words touched them, and in fact it motivated them to speak out. Yeji was next, "I may have been the last person to join this group, but hearing other people's stories and tragedies point out how we can go through the pain. This group has a lot of aspects." She smiled.

Dahyun stood up, "I'm just thankful for all your support, without you all I would have died."
Each of them shared their gratitude, their inner thoughts and feelings, getting themselves ready for the inevitable.
"Come on, let's kill to survive!" Yuna exclaimed as the others cheered.

There they stood, a barricade blocking their way to their enemies. It had since doubled in numbers, bigger than 50, they assumed. Take a long deep breath and soon you'll be fine, it'll be over soon, that's what everyone told themselves.

The dark clouds loomed over the city, casting a few drops of rain and there she was... standing; above the infected. Her face melted and drooped to one side, the pure hatred in her face stood out amongst them all. The leader, their controller: Kim Yerim.

She raised her hand in front of her pointing straight at Mr Im, growling at the sight of him, she screamed loudly.

Charge!

The infected followed her command, pushing forward over the barrier. The girls started to shoot their way to survive. After one kill and another, they were unstoppable, yet more were coming.
"Let's spread out!" Sana called as they divided into equal halves.
The horde was relentless, but this is what had to be done

The settlement had turn insane, everyone let their bullets fly hitting and killing those at the front line. In the heap of the moment, a few people daringly attacked hand-to-hand combat. The girls hung back to see it unravel, only then they saw the biggest foe.
"It's Yeri." Tzuyu pointed as the infected leader had a grin on her face.

Ryujin and Yuna aimed at her, but as they pulled the trigger she disappeared.

In an instant, she appeared right near them, punching and pushing them away as agroup.
Momo took a shot directly behind a knee, staggering her to the ground. Though, she didn't back down, Yeri rushed to Momo grabbing her by the neck.
"Dammit! Momo!" Jeongyeon shouted and shot twice at her back. It didn't work.
"Get off her!" Tzuyu tackled her to the ground.
Yeri struggled out and growled at them, behind her there were more infected coming straight their way.

Sana and Lia helped Momo on her feet whilst they gathered as a group.
"We're not going to back down, right?" Yeji smlled.
Jihyo glanced at her friends, determined as she was.
"Never!"

Bullets flew everywhere, ricocheting off metal scraps clanking onto the ground as blood poured out of the unfortunate souls, their flesh ripped out like chunks of meet. Black sludge covered the ground like thick water. The battle was not that long, Yeri, the controller, had fallen. Her eyes still filled with rage. She stumbled to her feet, looking around her, her followers had reduced until it was only her.

Yeri screamed, and more infected had joined.

Then, someone stood in front of her, a gun pointed towards her face. When she looked, all she saw was blurred image, Dahyun hesitated to pull the trigger, but it had to be done.
"Yeri..." She spoke as the used-to-be girl growled at her, "I'm sorry."
Pulling the trigger, a loud crackling thunder echoed only for Dahyun closing her eyes to remember the old times she was with her. Her first friend from The Good Land.

"Dahyun..." Mina said as she pulled her into a hug.
"More are coming!" Ryujin shouted.
They ran at the edge of the art trying to hold their ground, eaves upon waves of infected didn't seem to be going well.

'There's too many!' Jihyo thought, she scanned every part of the settlement. The oil barrels were left untouched especially the ones near the warehouse, then it clicked.
"Seungyeon!" She shouted, "Get everyone away from the entrance!"
Jihyo sheathed her gun.
"Jihyo, what are you doing?" Dahyun pulled her back.
"Promise me that you'll get to the boat safely."
"We're doing it together, you're not going to be left behind!" Jeongyeon cried.

"S-Someone needs to keep the monsters at bay." Jihyo took her gun and ran into the opening and lead the infected towards her. Inside she saw an opening at the back, slipping through the crack; barely escaping their grasp.
A ladder arched to the warehouse, she climbed up to the roof.
The infected where fixed on her, a few were trapped inside. Jihyo overlooked her advantage, seeing those red barrels at the front.

"What is she doing?" Chaeryeong gasped.
"Being a dumb hero."
She took her aim at the red barrel and fire...
The sky had turned red, the whole settlement was on fire. The warehouse was blown into scraps and pieces. Jihyo laid on the floor.

"It's done, they can escape... this was my sacrifice to them. They deserve it, to be free, to be safe. Please let them be safe." Jihyo grew heavier, the light faded, but someone reached out their hand.
"We're not leaving you." Nayeon's voice boomed, holding out her hand and then that's when everyone, her friends, protect her.
Each step grew slower and slower, each bullet fired grew louder and louder.
"Stay with us! Until the boat arrives!" The voices rang in her ear, her eyes heavy as she was dragged along. She must stay alive to see the light again.

Everything went black.