"Nick was the one who came up with the idea," Sparrow talks excitedly as we eat a quick breakfast outside. "Since our RA was going to be that stuck up about Nick fostering a cat, we gift-wrapped everything the RA owned while he was visiting his family out of town!" 

Octavia nearly spits chokes on her coffee while Felix and I laugh. "How did you find that much wrapping paper?" 

"Oh, some of it was wrapping paper, some of it was newspaper, all of it was covered in fine-grained glitter," Sparrow muses. "Nick and I had glitter on our hands for weeks, but it was worth it to see that bitch of an RA walk around looking like a human-shaped disco ball!" 

My siblings and I laugh at the imagery, thankful to Sparrow for distracting my nerves and anxieties about what we're about to do. As we finish breakfast, a familiar blonde man saunters to our table and nearly sits in Sparrow's breakfast, greeting us with, "Sup, Zombie Bait." 

Sparrow quickly snatches his plate out of harm's way, glaring at the man who doesn't seem to care that he's invading Sparrow's personal space. "Matt," Sparrow growls, his voice even. 

"Don't give me that, Sword Boy," Matt rolls his eyes. "Just wanted to swing by and tell you and Zombie Bait here that we're about to get this shit show started." 

"My name is Cassandra," I growl to Matt. 

Matt smirks. "I know who you are." 

It takes an awful lot of willpower not to punch the smug look off Matt's face, though luckily for him, his very punchable face is rescued by the appearance of Dani and Josh, both of whom are decked out in scrap armor themselves. 

"Morning," Josh greets, watching Matt with careful eyes. "We're about ready to get started." 

Matt scoffs, rolling his eyes. "I just told them that, Goldie. Come on, we got our own shit to deal with." Matt jumps from the table, shooting a smirk my way. "Good luck, Zombie Bait." 

Josh groans as Matt stalks off. "Matt, your siblings, and I are going to get the campers in position to leave and radio you when we're ready. Good luck out there." 

"You too," I answer, standing and brushing myself off. "And hey, look out for them until I get back, alright?" 

Josh smiles with a nod. "You can count on me; I'll make sure they're safe." 

Octavia groans and rolls her eyes. "We can take care of ourselves, Cass. We're not kids anymore." 

"I know," I reply. "That's why I'm leaving you here to lend your expertise and help Cottonwood uproot and leave." Octavia is still irritated, though Felix smiles, pulling the three of us into a group hug. "Listen," I whisper. "I'm going to give you the locket again, Octavia." 

"What?! Why?!" 

"Because if anything were to happen to me while I'm gone, I trust you two to finish this for me." 

As we part, Octavia glares at me as I slip the small metal locket into her pocket and adjust her jacket. 

"I hate you," Octavia growls. 

"Love you too," I smile. 

"Come on," Dani says, gesturing to me. "We gotta get you and Sparrow armored and briefed on what to expect." 

Nodding, I let Josh usher Felix and Octavia away towards the Cottonwood command center while Dani leads Sparrow and me to what remains of the armory. Though most of the armory is packed away in the escape vehicles, Dani hands me and Sparrow a set of body armor each, and the two of us take turns getting changed in the privacy of the empty armory. As I step out, adjusting the body armor to fit comfortably, Ethan and Jones approach, looking serious. 

"Alright, kids," Ethan starts as he gets closer. "Once the bait scouts get the Widow scout's attention, we're on borrowed time. We got three dirt bikes to work with on this lure attempt and five of us, so some of us will have to get a little chummy." Ethan pulls a map and lays it flat against the nearby picnic table. Cottonwood, the lumber yard, and the confirmed location of the Widow camp are marked on the map. "Three of us are going to serve as the bait for the Feral's at the yard, getting the attention of as many of those bastards as we can before funneling them through the woods towards the rest of us here. From there, we'll spread out and shepherd the Ferals to the Widow camp over here, circle around, and meet back here before heading to the rendezvous." 

"Why are we meeting back here if everyone is going to be gone?" I ask. 

"Make sure there aren't any stragglers," Jones replies, his voice gruff. "Leon says the scouts spotted a Widow scout in the woods not long ago, so they're bound to know we're up to something. We'll be circling back to ensure our people get out before meeting up at the rest stop." 

Nodding, Ethan rolls up the map and tucks it into his belt pouch. "Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for stray Ferals, too. This will make a lot of noise, so the woods may be full of the bastards. Arm up; we leave in five." 

As the five of us ensure our weapons are sharp and loaded, Dani approaches me with a severe look. "Hey," she greets. "You'll be riding with me. You and I, along with Jones, will get the Ferals' attention at the yard and bring them to Sparrow and Ethan at the halfway point. I'll need you to guide me through the yard." 

"Sure thing," I reply, checking over my quiver to ensure I have plenty of arrows and trying not to think about being attached to the back of Dani in the next few minutes. 

"Are you alright?" She asks, leaning against the armory as she watches me. 

"Yeah, why?" I lie, getting irritated at everyone asking me if I was alright. 

"You just seem worried, is all," Dani answers, and I can't help but scoff. 

"I'm riding with a bunch of strangers through a Feral-infested wood on a mission we may or may not survive," I snip. "I'm well beyond worried." 

To my surprise, Dani doesn't snap back and instead flinches, looking guilty. "Sorry," she says after a pause. 

Sighing, I deflate. "Don't be. I shouldn't snap like that. We're all stressed enough as it is." 

"Well, if it's any consolation, I believe we'll be able to get through this," Dani assures. "My brother will ensure your siblings are taken care of, and we'll meet up with everyone at the rest stop." 

I breathe a humorless laugh. "You sound awfully confident in this plan." 

"Of course, it's Leon's plan," Dani replies, and the complete confidence of her words serves only to irritate me further. 

Alison was right; Leon has Dani and Josh wrapped around his little finger and ready to sacrifice their lives at the drop of a hat. 

I'm not going to let that happen.

Once the go-ahead is given through the walkies, we walk our dirt bikes out of camp, and I lead the way to the lumber yard. The forest is quiet and still, with only the gentle fall breeze blowing through the leaves and the occasional bird call filling the area with sound. The path we take is the old deer path I led my siblings through when we first fled the mill, just wide enough to let us walk the bikes through. A steady stream of reports come in from Cottonwood informing us that the scouts succeeded in getting the attention of the Widow scout who had been watching the camp and that the campers, with my siblings in tow, were boarding the escape vehicles. 

Dani, Jones, and I branch off from Sparrow and Ethan at the midway point between the lumberyard and the Widow camp. We walk a mile before we jump onto the bikes and start them up, the engines roaring in the otherwise silent forest. After a quick mic check to confirm we can hear one another, I direct Dani through the woods with Jones close behind until we break through to a clearing. 

A cold stone drops in the pit of my stomach when I register the scene before me. Dozens of Ferals litter the empty lumberyard, a significant more of them now than when my siblings and I were forced to flee. I can feel Dani tense through her body armor as I quickly assess the scene as we drive not-so-merrily through throngs of infected who seem just as surprised to see us as we are to see them. My arms snap around Dani's middle as I shout directions to her, guiding her through the complex as we weave through the crowds, Jones not far behind us. 

The Ferals, true to word, snap and swipe at us as we ride past them, and one of them nearly yanks me off the bike. A quick glance as we circle the complex tells us the plan is working, with the Ferals chasing us in an attempt to take a bite. 

A high-pitched screech echoes above the roaring and shouting of the Ferals around us, and the pit in my stomach only grows. 

I frantically scan the chaos around me, searching for the source. To the left? The right? Behind us? 

Dani's cry of "Holy shit!" and sudden sharp turn careens us to the left as a mass of angry, flailing, blackened limbs falls from the roof of the factory. Our dirtbike loses balance, and we hit the ground in a tumble of limbs and swearing, taking down several Ferals as we slide several feet. The distressed cacophony of screams where the gangly beast lands catches my attention as I try to push a dazed Feral off of me, and I catch sight of Jones driving headlong into it, having paid more attention to where Dani and I were going rather than what we were trying to avoid. 

The massive and limber Banshee juts a clawed hand out at Jones, catching him in the chest and batting him into the dirt before it wastes no time pouncing on him. Its knife-sharp claws rip the poor man to shreds, and all he can do is scream. 

With no time to process just how quickly the situation degraded, the dazed Feral in my lap I have been trying to push off regains its senses and lunges, dragging me to the dirt as it writhes and claws at my arms and chest, its jagged teeth raking across the body armor that covers my arms. 

"Dani!" It's the only thing I can scream as I struggle to push the hefty body off of me, the edges of my vision very quickly beginning to fill with other Ferals as I desperately reach for my knife. 

A thunderous crack fills the air, followed quickly by the sharp, acrid scent of expelled gunpowder, and the Feral above me drops to the side. Wasting no time at all, I crawl out from under the corpse. I barely have time to register that Dani is behind me, grabbing the back of my body armor and quickly dragging me towards a metal door leading into the lumber mill. 

She desperately shouts, "Hurry, stand up, or we're getting overrun!" 

The Banshee is all I can focus on as it rips Jones's body armor with ease, feasting on the flesh it once protected, though the Banshee's feast doesn't last long. It grips Jones in its large claw-like hands and throws his corpse across the lumberyard, wailing in what I can only imagine is dissatisfaction at its meal, and its eyeless leathery face snaps in my and Dani's direction as Dani throws open the metal door. 

With my feet under me at last, I bolt backward until I can turn, shoving Dani inside and slamming it shut behind us. A massive weight smashes into the door before we can throw the lock, nearly knocking me to the ground as I shove my body weight against it.