The Strangest is Yet to Come

11.

Filling in the adults hadn't taken long and as Samantha thought, thanks to Hopper, they now had a plan. Granted, there was an arguement between Murray and Erica about where the gate was but the Chief made them shut up and made the decisions himself.

So the plan was this; Joyce, Murray and Hopper were going to go underneath the mall, into the maze of tunnels to close the gate. Again. Steve, Robin, Dustin and Erica were going to go to the highest point in Hawkins to where Dustin's homemade radio tower was to help navigate them and the rest of them, they were being shipped off to Sesser, Illinois where Murray lived.

He was currently explaining all of his keys to Nancy while Samantha was finally tending to the cut that Jonathan had above his eyebrow.

"It's just a graze," he reassures as she wipes away the drying blood, "I'm fine."

"I know that," she hums, dabbing some antiseptic onto it, "Just...let me do this, yeah?"

He wraps his arms around her once she's tossed the trash away.

"This is it, right?" she asks in a whisper, "Once your mom, Hopper and Murray close the gate, it had to be over."

He nods, lips against her forehead, "Yeah, it'll be over."

"Hey," Mike calls as he and Max help Eleven up, "We should go."

And so they say goodbye to Joyce, who reassures them that they'll call as soon as they've closed it and reminds Will to stick close and do as they say.

Outside, Samantha goes ahead to open the door for Eleven before climbing into the backseat between Lucas and Will once more.

"Everyone in?" Nancy asks as Mike slams the door, shoving the key into the ignition.

Only it doesn't start.

"What's wrong?" she asks, popping her head between the seats.

"I don't know," Nancy mutters, turning the key again only to have the engine splutter in protest, "Come on!"

"Didn't your mom just buy this car?"

"Yes."

"Did you leave the lights on?"

"No."

"Do we have gas?"

"Yes!" Nancy snaps and her cousin pats her shoulder. Now was not the time to start arguing.

"Pop the hood," Jonathan instructs and Samantha climbs out with him, rounding the car to the front as he lifts the sheet of metal.

"What the hell?" he mutters and her brow furrows.

"What?"

"The ignition cable is gone."

"How is that possible?"

They get their answer when a car roars to life just halfway across the parking lot.

Billy.

"Oh shit."

Jonathan's arm wraps around her forearm, "Back inside. Get everyone back in the mall."

Nancy's obviously got the same idea, already yelling for them to get back inside and Samantha helps Mike with El this time.

Once inside again, Mike immediately starts trying to make contact with Dustin's group (or Scoops Troop as they had affectionately named themselves) while she paces back and forth.

They were done for. Billy had found them which meant that the big spider creature wouldn't be far behind.

Her pacing comes to an abrupt halt when she notices Nancy retrieving a gun from one of the men lying on the ground, having a look to see how many bullets are in the clip.