After The End

Animals

Jackson and I head back to the barrier as quickly as we can. When we arrive Abe, Dariela, Jamie, and Mitch come out to greet us. "Cut it kind of close out there." Mitch jokes.

I look over to Jackson, then over to Mitch, "A little suspense never hurt anyone, right?"

Abe hugs me tightly, before stepping over and hugging Jackson. "You did it."

Jackson shakes his head, once he and Abe are apart, "no, we did it." He looks over to the group, "How's Sam?"

Jamie nods and smiles, "He's safe. They were able to protect the infirmary during the attack."

Jackson smiles over to me, as Dariela continues, "And with the beacon down, we're pushing back the hybrids. Once sure a perimeter, Garrison is gonna recall Echo Team, and we're gonna bring back Clem and the baby."

As Dariela turns and starts to walk we all follow, Abe walking next to Jackson and I, "And it's not only here. The IADG and local militia have hybrids contained worldwide. They're eliminating stragglers as we speak."

I nod and smiles, "So we took down the beacon, stopped a hybrid army and the cure for human sterility is just on the horizon." I pause of a moment, "Anyone else need a drink?"

As we walk inside, with the hopes of getting ready for Clem and the baby, Knox, one of Garrison's right hands comes in, "Hey! Dr. Morgan. Garrison needs you all back in the command center now."

"Why what happened?" Mitch asks as we all turn around.

"It's Troy's dog. They just found Troy torn to pieces in an exam room. Soldiers had to corner the dog and put him down."

"But he was already dead." Dariela states.

"Yeah, well, it came back. As a hybrid."

I shake my head in disbelief, "What?"

"That's not possible."

"Whatever the thing is, you need to have a look at it, ASAP."

Knox turns and walks away and we all start to follow. Jackson sighs as he rolls his eyes, "So, what, these things are now infectious?"

"But if the hybrids can turn the animals, it doesn't matter that we've stopped the beacons or destroyed the hybrid nests," Abe comments from behind Jackson and I.

I nod, "Then Abigail can turn the entire animal population into her army."

Dariela nods, as I glance back to her and Abe, "But we still got the barrier. And as long as it holds, we can keep the spread under control."

As we walk along we were a jeep speeding up, when we look up we see it is missing a door and Clem is driving. "Clem." Mitch stops in his tracks and I almost run into him, since he and Jaime had been in front of us.

Clem stops the jeep, its tires screeching and we run over to her, "Dad!"

"What's the matter? Are you okay?"

"The baby! The baby's gone!"

"Where's the baby?"

"The hybrids came out of nowhere, and then Abigail came, and then"

"What happened to the baby?"

"The baby is gone!"

Jackson stretches out an arm to Clem as she gets out of the jeep, "Are you sure it was Abigail?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Clem nods, "Abigail came, and then, she took the baby. The hybrids came in and Logan is dead."

I place my hands over my mouth, "Oh Oh, my God."

Dariela speaks over her walkie, "Echo Team was hit in transit. The baby was taken. I want eyes in the sky now."

Jamie, who is now in tears, looks over to Jackson and I, "You." She shouts, "If you had put a bullet in Abigail when you had the chance, none of this would've happened, and Logan would still be alive!"

"I tried as hard as anybody to put her down!" Jackson shouts.

Abe looks over to Mitch and Jamie, shouting as well, "Logan was only out there because you and Mitch wanted to move Clem and the baby. If you had kept him here, where he was safe."

I step into the middle of the group, mostly between Abe and Jackson, and Jamie and Mitch, "Hey, calm down both of you! This won't change the past and it won't fight anything."

"Garrison's scrambling whoever he can send out now." Dariela steps back to the group. "But mobilizing additional resources is going to take time."

Abe shakes his head, "We don't have time. If I don't administer the drug in the next four hours, we lose our chance at the sterility cure."

Jamie sighs heavily as Jackson's phone goes off, "What, you think Abigail's gonna be easy to find? Every government agency on Earth is looking for her."

I nod and take a deep breath, trying to stay calm, "Okay, then we need to start thinking about our other options."

Jackson steps away before answering his phone. Jamie nods and starts to calm down, "All right, I'll, uh reach out to some of my Shepherd hunter friends, maybe they can help, somehow."

Dariela looks around the group, "Abigail's walking around with a baby in a world that hasn't seen a baby in ten years. She can't exactly blend in."

Jackson steps back over to the group, "I can get the baby back. That was Abigail, she wants to make a trade."

Clem looks over to Jackson, "Is he okay?"

"What did she say?" Abe shifts toward Jackson.

Jackson takes a deep breath, "he's fine. She's gonna give him back."

"Well, what's she want in return?" Mitch asks as Jackson opens up the tablet in his hand.

He doesn't answer Mitch so I look over to Jackson, "Jackson, what's she want in return?"

"She wants to get her hybrids through the barrier."

"What?"

Jamie steps toward a little bit, "What are you doing with the plane's navigational tablet?"

Jackson shakes his head, "it's the only way."

Mitch looks down at the tablet, "No, no, no, no, no."

As Mitch starts towards Jackson I step in his way, "No. Mitch I don't want to, but I knock you on your ass."

Dariela shakes her head, "That is the only thing that is keeping the hybrids from spreading, and infecting all the animals, Jackson."

Jackson nods, "we have to get the baby back."

"If you do this, you're gonna be no better than your dad." Mitch sighs, "or your sister."

"Jackson is nothing like them and you know that."

"That baby is the cure, and he is the only thing keeping mankind from extinction, and he is in the hands of a monster."

Dariela tears up, "You cannot negotiate with her!"

Abe turns to the group, "If we don't do as she asks, Abigail won't hesitate in killing that child!"

"We can't trust her to hold up her end."

Clem shakes her head, "What other choice do we have? Logan died trying to protect this baby." Clem turns to Jackson, "Let's get my baby back, Jackson."

Mitch turns to Jackson, still trying to talk him down, "Jackson. Think about it. Every animal in North America is gonna become part of her hybrid army. What then?"

Jackson nods, "one problem at a time, Mitch. One problem at a time."

As Jackson says this the plane smashes through the barrier and we all run for cover. Mitch taking Clem and Jamie, Abe taking Dariela, and Jackson taking me. When we run out of the way of the rubble Jackson and I hide behind a small concrete wall.

I look over to Jackson and shake my head, "you'd better know what you're doing, Oz."