Bang! Bang-bang!

Before he can put it to his shoulder all the way, you fire off a trio of shots. Both men fall to the ground, injured but alive. Betty runs up and jerks their weapons away from them.

"You just tried to fire on a Lieutenant, shit bag. You're lucky a bullet to the arm is all you got. Now, who were you two talking about just now?" Betty says.

"Father Nao, the pastor. He said that the military's fallen apart and deserters are taking advantage of us all," one of them winces.

"Oh, fantastic. They got a crazy reverend telling them what to do," Betty says.

"There's more coming. We better retreat!" you say.

"The military's still plenty together and they're your best chance of survival, once the horde arrives," she says to the two men before running off with you.

"Well, that was a close one," you say back at the Humvee.

"No kidding! That was some fancy shooting you did. I know you left them alive on purpose," Betty says.

Just as you're about to start the engine and move on, a figure appears in the road. You fetch your binoculars.

"It's a human," you say. "It's a woman. A young woman, dressed in a police uniform."

Betty steps out and levels her rifle on the newcomer.

"That's close enough," she says.

"Are you really with the military?" the police woman asks, raising her hands.

"Yeah, we are. And you're a... police officer?" you ask.

"I am, actually. My name is Claire," the police woman says.

"What is it you want, Claire? You're men already gave us a warm enough welcome back in town," you say.

"I know. I saw. Father Nao has most of the town brainwashed," Claire says. "Supposedly he saw this all coming. The man isn't right in the head. But they don't see that. They just see one out of a thousand crazy predictions actually came true and now he's a damned messiah. But some of us saw through that and we need your help."

"What exactly is it you want?" Betty asks.

"Well, right now I want you to come with me. Father Nao has already sent a possy of men with guns to kill you. They can't be far out," Claire says.

"Where are you taking us?" you ask.

"We're going to the old steel mill. From there we can plan our next move," Claire says.

You glance at Betty and she nods.

"Okay. We'll come with you," you say.

Claire nods and fetches her radio off her belt.

"Chief, I'm bringing in help. But have everyone on high alert. We might be coming in hot," Claire says into it.

"Roger that," crackles the radio reply.

"If this is a trick...," Betty says menacingly.

"No trick. No games. We'll talk on the way to the steel mill," Claire says, as she quickly hops in the Humvee with you.

You sit beside Claire as she directs Betty away from town, towards an abandoned industrial complex. But you don't make it there before the sound of another engine catches your ear. Then gunshots ring out. You can here them bouncing off the Humvee's rear armor.

"Shit! Well, we can't outrun them," Betty says.

"Just keep driving," you say.

You take a deep breath and then kick your door open. Leaning out, you unleash a full-auto barrage from your M16. Despite the uneven terrain, you keep your aim level. The bullets tear a neat line across the center of the perusing truck's windshield. A moment later, it swerves off into the ditch and flips.

"Jesus, Drako! Remind me never to piss you off," Betty says.

Claire just stares at you in awe.

Following Claire's directions, you arrive at the old steel mill. You notice a couple of riflemen on the roof as Betty pulls in. She leads you through the decaying remnants of the factory floor, until you reach an area of the building that's been mostly blocked off with old equipment and scrap bins.

"Okay, we're going in through here. Every other path has been blocked off. We might starve to ****, but the zombies won't get through," Claire says.

"How many of you are there?" you ask.

"About thirty. Most of the police **** and a few families fled town. We didn't know where else to go, so we held up here," Claire explains.

"Claire! Thank goodness you're alright!" a woman in police trousers and tight fitting t-shirt says.

The woman runs up and wraps her arms around Claire and kisses her.

"Sorry for worrying you, Chief. This is the help I was telling you about on the radio," Claire says.

"I can't thank you both enough," the woman says. "I'm Lisa, Chief of the Weaton police ****."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Lisa," Betty says, shaking Lisa's hand.

"I'm sure Claire has told you why we're here," Lisa says.

"Yes, yes, she has," Betty says.

"Then you can get us out of here?" Lisa asks.

"We can carry a few of you back with us, and we should be able to get an armed convoy out here in a few days," Betty says.

"The rest of us will be dead by then," Lisa says.

"After today, Father Nao will probably send the whole town after us," Claire says.

"Well, how are you for vehicles and fuel?" you ask.

"We have three cars. One of them is mine. The others belong to the police ****," Lisa says.

"Definitely not enough to transport thirty people into the mountains," Betty says.

"There are some National Guard trucks in town. Not that it's much help," Claire says.

"We have some gas canisters and diesel. It might be enough for the trucks if we could just get to them," Lisa says.

"Betty, what do we have for explosives?" you ask.

"A whole case of grenades," she says.

"Hm... should be more than enough for a distraction," you say. "Lisa, do you have any information on the location of the National Guard trucks?"

"They're parked next to the EMS station," Lisa says.

"How do you know they haven't been moved," you ask.

"Because I took the keys," Claire says, holding them up.

"Good thinking, Claire," Lisa says, giving the girl a playful rib.

"We have to get them tonight," Betty says.

Betty heads out with Lisa to stage a distraction, while you and Clair and two deputies make your way around to the opposite side of Weaton. You glance at your watch. In just ten minutes, the first explosion is due to go off.

You make it to the other side of town, and park your vehicle by the edge of the forest.