Embrace The Madness: Cataclysm

15. Atrocities

[day 175]

"We should really get going" Rose smiled apologetically.

Jude stood before her, looking down with an uneasy look, or maybe that was just his face.

"B- before you go," he said, lifting his hands up, "could you and your friends help me with something really quick? Please, it'll only take a second."

Rose looked behind her and saw the trio standing together, alienated from the crowd.

"Fine..." she said, as she gestured them to come to her side, "what do you need?"

"Just carrying some boxes. Please come with me" Jude looked around the room, making sure no one saw him.

The group took notice to his attempts at anonymity, but followed nonetheless.
Jude led them to a dark corner of the room to which there was a door. He opened it, revealing the blinding sunlight.
Reluctantly, Rose led the three outside with Jude.
He took a few steps forward until he was in between the wall and the metal fence, out of earshot from everyone.

"There's no boxes here..." mumbled Oliver.

"Why are we here Jude?" Noah asked.

The estranged man stopped and pivoted on the cracked tarmac.

"All I ask is that you listen," he said, to which he received quiet nods, "ok great... now, have you ever, by any chance, heard of the A.F.D.C?"

He stopped talking so that they would answer, he pressed his hands together as if he were praying.
Everyone was lost, they had no idea what he was referring to. But Patrick had a slight spark of remembrance.

"Yeah... yeah we saw that checkpoint? Remember?" He turned to Rose and Oliver, Rose eventually caught on, but Oliver didn't, "sorry, it's been a while."

"That's it? Just a checkpoint? Who was there? Was there any guards?"

"Mate, how long have you been inside? There's no one left" Oliver said.

"Ah no! Wrong, that's where you're wrong friend..." Jude wasn't impressed at the dumbfounded expressions he was getting, "you haven't seen the scouts?"

"Scouts?" Rose asked.

"Yeah! The A.F.D.C basically, right, was this contingency plan that the man put up in case anything happened" Jude pointed to the sky when he said the word 'man'.

"Man? Contingency? What the fuck are you talking about?" Noah seemed frustrated with these fantastical stories.

Jude clenched his fists and let out a grunt, he them outstretched his arms for some reason.

"Fine. Fine! I'll show you," he said as he marched over to a gate. He began to search his pockets for a key to a padlock.
When he eventually unlocked it, he pushed the gate open just enough for him to slip through, "well? Let's go."

Oliver began to follow Jude, slipping through the gate.

"I wanna see if this guy's legit" he whispered.

Noah let out a sigh and followed, pushing the bag of guns through first, eventually pushing himself through as well.

"Someone's gotta stop him from getting killed" he whispered.

Rose looked back at Patrick, who just shrugged his shoulders. She let out a sigh.

"Come on" she said.

Jude led them through the dead streets, along the walls of shops, then a street of terraced houses.
The windows were grimy, some were smashed. Various items such as tools, food and clothing were scattered along the pavement and were spilling out on the road.
Patrick had to avoid a baby carrier, which didn't have any blood in it, but Patrick still thought of the worst outcome.
To their right we're cars which were irregularly parked, some were just on the road, their doors open and windows caved in.