Nightfall, at the port, the caravan trader group has arrive as Kyle, Shawn, Rachel, Margaret, Sarah, Chris and Rocky spy on them from afar.
Margaret: Well...they definitely have more guards than we anticipated. It seems a bit risky...but Chris says caravans are usually commanded by a captain,
Kyle: So, if we capture him, the others are bound to surrender!
Rocky: Bingo.
Shawn: Alright, Kyle. How do you want to play this?
Sarah: Let's do this quietly.
Shawn: Aw, where's the fun in that?
Kyle: No, Shawn, Sarah's right. These guys are just a caravan and just supplying these guys with goods. Let's not use a lethal strategy on these people.
Shawn: Well, you're the boss.
Kyle: All right. Chris, Shawn, with me. Sarah, Margaret and Rocky give us cover.
Rocky: Sure thing. By the way how's the Achilles rifle working out for you?
Kyle: The Achilles rifle is working like a charm.
Rocky: It's what I like to hear.
Kyle, Shawn and Chris manage to sneak their to the caravan, knocking out any guard in their way, before the three finally manage to approach head tug boat. Kyle, Shawn and Chris enter the tug boat with the captain having his back turned. Shawn whistles, causing the captain to turn to them with his hands up.
Tugboat Captain: Don't shoot! I surrender! Please! Take the goods! You can have the goods!
Shawn: We don't need your boats, but we do need your tugboat!
Tugboat Captain: Sure! You can have the boat!
Chris: Order your men to stand down and no one gets hurt! At once! Do it!
The Tugboat Captain speaks into the microphone.
Tugboat Captain: Attention, crew! We've been commandeered. Surrender at once! I repeat stand down!
Kyle: Good boy!
Shawn uses the butt of his rifle to knock out the tugboat captain.
Shawn: Thanks for the boat, buddy...
Chris grabs the tugboat captain hat and hands it to Chris.
Chris: Thank you, kind sir.
Chris places the hat on his head and begins to turn the wheel of the tugboat, steering the boat forward.
Chris: Alright. Man your stations! Let's get there on the haist around 4:00 in the morning. They'll be tired after their morning prayer.
James drives the Myrmidon afar, parking right outside from the bridge. Cassandra, Caleb, Sarah, Rachel, Abigail, Joseph, Margaret, Marcus, Kayla and Savannah are on the train, waiting for the go ahead. After some time of driving the boat, Kyle, Shawn and Chris finally make to the bridge.
Chris: Kyle, Shawn, we're about to reach the bridge. There, see that fire at the very top?
Shawn: We see it.
Chris: That's the control post. Used to be anyway, before they turned it into a goddamn shrine. That's where you have to. I'm gonna distract the guards.
While steering the boat, Chris speaks to the guards.
Chris: Yo! You ashore! Can you catch the line?
Fanatic: Ready!
The fanatic catches the line of the tugboat.
Fanatic: Hey, sailor! What'd you do to your barge?! Can't really sell anything, can you?
The Fanatic laughs.
Chris: Haha! Funny! (quietly) Asshole.
The tugboat stops under the bridge as Shawn turns to Kyle.
Shawn: Race you to the top?
Kyle: First one to make it buys the other dinner.
Shawn: With what money? We're in a post-apocalypse.
Kyle: Good point.
Kyle and Shawn use the roping line connected to the bridge to climb up, finally reaching the top of the bridge. Kyle and Shawn sneak through the fanatics, taking out their guards, even throwing a few over the bridge quietly. James speaks through Kyle's radio.
James: Guys, the Myrmidon is quietly moving into position, we'll be ready to act on your signal.
Chris also manages to find his way up and joins the two. Eventually, the two are discovered and fired upon. After a brief gunfight, Kyle, Shawn and Chris finally reach the bridge controls, along with Sawyer.
Sawyer: So you got me, you damned sinners...you took Kayla, the one who was chosen to reproduce our population and now, you have me! You even sided with the sinner who brought electricity to our midst....
Chris: It was just a stupid flashlight.
Shawn: Look, old man, we're just passing through....
Kyle: So I suggest you let us through peacefully and Kayla herself asked us to take her and her sister along.
Sawyer: Sure...first you kill off the local cutthroats, and then you will switch to us? Will you harm elders and children, too? Rape our women? Or is it enough for you?
Sawyer reaches for his gun.
Kyle: Don't do it.....Please don't do it.
Sawyer: To hell with the sinners!
Sawyer pulls out a gun, but is shot in the head by Kyle, causing him to fall off the bridge. The fanatics witness this and are in shock and awe.
Fanatic: No! Our leader!
Fanatic: The sinners have killed our prophet!
Fanatic: Kill the sinners!
Chris: I think we'd better get the fuck out of here now!
Kyle speaks into his radio while Shawn pulls the bridge control lever, lowering the bridge.
Kyle: James! We got the pastor and are lowering the bridge! Get ready to ram the gate!
James: I see the bridge lowering now, Kyle!
James turns to the other survivors.
James: Full-steam ahead!
James pulls on the train bridge accelerator as the fanatics open fire on the bridge controls. As the Myrmidon drives over the bridge, it begins to collapse.
James: Fuck!
Cassandra: The bridge is collapsing!
Kyle, Shawn and Chris jump onto the roof of the moving Myrmidon, just as Chris slips to the side.
Kyle: Chris!
Kyle and Shawn pull Chris back up. The three men looking back. In the Myrmidon, Kayla looks back at the bayou, with a smile of relief.
Kayla: Thank god.
YOU ARE READING
Chronicles of the Apocalypse: Across the Ruins (2024)
ActionSet months after their losses both of homes and loved ones, Kyle and what remains of his group must travel across the wasteland in a brutal and bloody journey to find a new home. R for Strong Bloody Post-Apocalyptic Violence, Disturbing Images, Per...
