Red Tide² ━ FTWD

CHAPTER 8: Collateral Damage

RED TIDE

chapter eight: collateral damage

[ season 2, episode 3; ouroboros ]

DAY 19

Through the binoculars, Katie quickly tallied the people aboard the launch. One, two, four, eight — her mind went blank. Eight? She counted again, then came to the same conclusion. Somehow, they'd managed to gain people on this mission. The Zodiac had a bright yellow life boat in tow, with two people she didn't recognize aboard.

Thankfully, they hadn't seemed to lose anyone. Her daughters were alive aboard the Zodiac. Bloodied, and clutching at their weapons like a lifeline, but alive. She'd have to check them for bites and scratches once they arrived, but they didn't look hurt.

As the Zodiac approached, Katie rushed down with the other parents to greet those arriving. Worried voices overlapped as Madison reached out to help her daughter from the raft, and Travis fussed over his son. Katie held out a hand to assist her eldest from the Zodiac as she stumbled onboard. Katie felt the same sick sensation she had at the parking garage upon seeing Meghan's crossbow soaked in blood and viscous fluid, as well as her shirt and skin.

"It's not mine," Meghan rushed to assure. Then, at the look on Katie's face, she added, "One of the dead."

"You're not bit?"

"No, I'm fine, so's Heather," she nodded to her younger sister, who was currently being helped out of the Zodiac by Chris. The second her feet were underneath her on the loading deck, Heather ran to greet her mother with open arms, all but tackling the woman as she buried her head in her shoulder. When they pulled apart, she was talking a mile a minute.

"—there were so many, it was like the dorm all over again, and we didn't have a way out—"

"We got separated," Katie overheard Daniel say, and her eye caught on two strangers. A woman maybe in her thirties, and a young man with scarring burns covering all she could see of his face. From the stench that clung to them, and the purple swelling around the wound, she guessed infection had set in. He wasn't going to make it, that was certain. "I almost lost the kids."

"You brought them back," Madison assured as Alicia went to help the woman out of the raft.

"No." Strand's word brought both to a standstill, the crew falling silent as they all turned to stare at their captain. His sharp eye hadn't left the two newcomers, watching them as if he half-expected the both of them to turn into flesh-hungry monsters at any second.

Alicia tried to appeal to his better nature. "They're dehydrated—"

"I don't care," he cut her off firmly. "There's no room. Not here. Not where we're going."