After Death

Chapter 15 (Into the Line of Fire)

Chapter 15: Into the Line of Fire

Rudolph Alinsky

Estimated, August 2025

About 39 months after outbreak

California, Home

Season 4

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"Dada, why are people dying?" Juna asked me as we watched holes be put into the walls, the dead falling to the ground, and Ethan's people losing their lives. She held my hand as I held the gun in the other, unable to move, unable to speak. Airianna held my arms as we watched the town crumble before our eyes. I don't think it would have made a difference if we had shot at them so I didn't, I couldn't.

Airianna took the gun out of my hand, I didn't stop her, she could do things I couldn't and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

"I'm sorry, Dad," she said as she gave me a sad smile and ran into the fight. Maybe it makes me a bad father but I didn't run after her. I just watched as Juna cried besides me.

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Airianna Alinsky

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I was still practically recovering. I'm not sure if someone can ever fully recover from brain damage that traumatic but I could stand, I could shoot, that was enough.

I feel bad for myself during those moments, a twelve year old prepared to die even if it wasn't guaranteed to be meaningful. I thought about what I was doing to my father, to my little sister but I also thought about what I'd be doing to them if I hadn't done what I did.

I tried to kill everyone I could see but the sound of the guns going off and the smell of the smoke that filled the air after they began lighting whatever they could find hit me worse than a bullet, I felt light headed. I tried to let it pass but it was practically unbearable. I hid behind some cars and passed out, that's all I remember of that night.

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Ethan Warren

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Guns and bullets weren't doing shit. It was only a matter of time before they broke through the walls, or broke them down. I felt a tear roll down my face as I watched my people die or fall back in fear. I had no idea what to do, we were helpless and they looked to me to stop that.

I won't act like the scared little leader that's always too afraid to do shit. That's not what these people need me for. I need to be more than that and not just for them. I just wish I knew how the hell to do that.

Thomas shook his head at me, signalling me to tell the people to stop fighting back but I knew if I did that, it wouldn't make anything better. It wasn't a matter of who would surrender first, only death could end this.

Thomas knew how this would end, I knew how this would end, we all did. We just didn't want to admit it. We didn't want to give in, we wanted to be stronger than this. This war would shape the future of our home, if we lived long enough to see it.