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Chapter 10 - Picking Up an Old Friend

At the wreckage of the U.S. Cassidy, with the sun setting, Sarah, Cassandra, Caleb, Marcus, Margaret, Maya and other survivors finish up salvaging weapons, medicine and any other useful items.

Margaret: I think that's all the useful shit we could find.

Maya approaches Cassandra with a guitar.

Maya: Look at that....

Cassandra laughs.

Cassandra: Wow. Ain't that something? All the strings are still attached to.....

Maya: Yeah, maybe when we find a new place, I'll settle down...write a few songs down.....get my mind off of things.....Ashley was going to help me write some more songs down....

Cassandra: Yeah.....

Sarah looks out into the distance to notice the sunset.

Sarah: It's going to get dark soon...I hope Kyle's on his way to Archly Gate by now.

Caleb: You're worried about him, huh?

Sarah: He's my husband and the father of my unborn child. Of course, I'm worried.

Caleb: Yeah, I'd be worried about my husband too if I were you....that came out wrong I mean if I had a wife that was out there in the wasteland against terrible odds, I'd be worried.....that also didn't sound right....uh...

Sarah: Caleb, I get what you mean.

Caleb: Well, if you want, you can catch up to him.

Sarah: You guys need help with the salv-

Caleb: Sarah, we've got enough, and we've recovered what we can. Go on. Go be with your husband.

Sarah: No way. I'm not leaving you all vulnerable like this.

Marcus: Really, Sarah? We're fine. Go on.

After some hesitation, Sarah complies.

Sarah: Okay. I guess I better get a rifle and pistol then. Make sure I'm good on ammo. Who's got a map to Archly Gate?

Cassandra: You won't need a map. I'm going with you.

Sarah: Cassandra, I'll be fine.

Cassandra: Going across a wasteland with Condemned, Krens and God knows what else? Plus, that's Kyle Desipich's kid you've got in there. 

Cassandra points at Sarahs' belly.

Cassandra: You need someone watching you.

Sarah nods her head.

Sarah: Look, I appreciate you all. Really. I do, but I'm not having you all risk your lives for me....

Cassandra: Sarah, you don't owe us anything and neither does Kyle. It's our choice to fight with you.....

Sarah: I don't really have a choice to let you go with me, do I?

Cassandra: Not really.....I don't want anything to happen to you.....plus I want to see James....I'm worried about him.

Sarah sighs.

Sarah: Fuck it....let's just get going.

Marcus: You're not going on foot. 

Marcus turns to a Cassidy passenger.

Marcus: Murray?! How many trucks we got?

Murray: We've got four transport trucks.

Caleb: Take two trucks and escort these two ladies to Archly Gate.

Meanwhile, the barge that Kyle, Jake, Shawn and James are aboard continues its route to Archly Gate.

Shawn: Hey, James. You want to play luigy?

James: What? Why?

Shawn: Because I'm bored and I need something to do.

Shawn hawks a luigy and spits over the edge.

Shawn: I think it might hit somebody.

Jake: James, you sure this damn thing's still on the right track?

James: Look, man, I implanted the navigation to go straight to Archly Gate. You want something to do while we're on the way? A coloring book? A flight movie? Look, a UFO!

Shawn: Hey, kids, behave or we will not be going to Disneyland or Universal Studios!

Kyle: James, how long before we're in radio range of Archly Gate?

James: We're past the mark. Ohh....if we're lucky, Bowers will have the cookies and milk for us.

Shawn: We're in summer, not Christmas, James.

Out in the distance, an nearby outpost is being attacked by Condemned as well as barges.

Jake: Holy shit.

Kyle: someone's getting the crap beat out of em out there.

Suddenly, a transmission is broadcasted through the groups' radios and a familiar voice is heard.

Woody: Can anyone hear me out there?! Anyone out there picking this up?! I'm holding them off as long as I can, but I won't be lasting forever! This is Woody on Truck 86! I need some help out there, otherwise I'm going to be putting my head between my legs and kissing my hairy ass goodbye.

Jake: Is that who I think is?

Kyle: I don't fuckin believe it. 

Kyle talks in his radio.

Kyle: Woody Dalton, is that you?! This is Kyle Desipich!

Woody: Kyle Desipich?! I'll be goddamned! You're alive?!

Kyle: "I'm alive"?! You're alive?! What the hell happened to you two years ago, man?!

Woody: Now's not really a good time to explain that! Where are you, son?

Kyle: We're on our way, Woody. See that extra barge coming in on your East? That's us.

Woody: You hijacked a barge? You got some balls hangin from you, my boy!

Kyle laughs.

Kyle: "Hangin balls". You haven't changed! We'll get those barges off your ass. Just hang on!

Kyle and Shawn get onto the rocket turrets on the barge and shoot at the barges.

James: See those ammo crates on the barge? I bet they're rigged with explosives!

Jake: Nice call, James!

Kyle and Shawn shoot down the two Condemned barges after hitting their explosive ammo crates, before parking the barge.

Kyle: Let's get down there, guys!

James rips out the navigation system.

James: Now, stay and be a good barge.

Kyle, Jake, Shawn and James repel down the settlement to help Woody fight off the Condemned army.

Kyle: You taking on the Condemned by yourself again, cowboy?!

Woody: I guess I should've learned after my fight with Scorcher!

Jake: (sarcastically) Well it looks like you've definitely learned from your battles!

Kyle, Jake, Shawn, James and Woody engage the Condemned in a gunfight, before emerging victorious. Afterwards, Woody reconciles with his former allies as he laughs.

Woody: I was not expecting to you run into you boys after all these years!

Kyle hugs Woody.

Woody: It's good to see you, son. It's been too long.

Kyle: It sure has. Two years too long.

Woody: Jake.

Jake: Woody. See you still got your hat.

Woody: This hat's given me good luck. Give me some love, brother.

Woody hugs Jake.

Kyle: You remember James and Shawn?

Woody: Yeah, you two were on Jackies' rig. God rest that poor bastards' soul. C'mon. Help me get some of this ammo on the truck, before the fucking mutants come back. Fort needs every bullet we find.

Woody tends to an ammo crate, before giving a look of sorrow.

Woody: You know; uh.....part of me was hoping that if I ever saw you again, I'd see Walter standing with you...he didn't make it, did he?

A brief pause.

Kyle: Scorcher captured him...tortured him....broke him...he killed himself....right in front of us....

Woody takes off his hat and places it on his chest to give a respectful moment of silence for Walter.

Woody: I'm sorry...he was a good man...he saved my life.....

Woody places hat back on head.

Kyle: You said the fort. You mean Archly Gate? Is Bowers there? We've come to see him.

Woody: Yeah, Bowers has got the place out real nice. I came there last year with my family. Hoping to start again. I take this route to trade out supplies and just happened to be here when the goddamned Condemned show up.

James: Did he happen to have a data disk? Bowers? Because we really need it. It's urgent.

Woody: Bowers was bitching about some kind of disk for months....you guys need that for something?

Kyle: Uh....long story. Let's grab the supplies and go.

Afterwards, Shawn and Jake help Kyle onto the barge.

Kyle: C'mon, James. You're driving.

Shawn helps James onto the barge.

James: Dude, how many times do I have to say it? You cannot drive a monster! You stare out into the beautiful mountains of a wasteland and hope the navigation system takes you to the right place.

Woody climbs onto the barge.

Woody: I don't give a fuck. It's good enough for me.

Meanwhile, Sarah and Cassandra, along with a small convoy of survivors, are en-route to Archly Gate on the back of a truck.

Sarah: How long before we reach Archly Gate?

Murray: A few more miles, ma'am.

Sarah speaks to Cassandra, who is sharpening her arrows.

Sarah: Back there.....I wasn't trying to be rude...it's just I-I don't want to lose someone close to me again.

Cassandra: You're my sister too, Sarah.....and so was-so is Ashley.

Sarah: You remind of her a little....we would always talk about if we made it to the point where we have kids.

Cassandra: Sadly, Maya and I haven't had the chance to have that talk...I would always talk to Mom about it though.

Sarah laughs.

Sarah: What'd Alexandria say?

Cassandra: She'd tell me "good luck"...it was both fun and hell for Mom and Dad to raise me, Blake and Maya...I wonder if Blake, Mom and Dad....Uncle Zed.....if they were still alive, what'd they think of us? Think of me?

Sarah: They'd be proud of you.....and they are, Cassandra.

Nightfall, the barge continues its route to Archly Gate while up above, Woody looks down to the ground to notice a large army of Condemned heading towards Archly Gate.

Woody: Whoa....that is a shitload of firepower they got.

Shawn: Are we in radio range of Archly Gate yet? We better warn Bowers that Condemned are on their way.

Kyle talks in his radio.

Kyle: This is Kyle Desipich to Archly Gate. Does anyone read me?! 

All there is static through the radio.

Kyle: Goddamn it! I'm just receiving static!

Up in the sky, Mina on her Queen Wasp creature along with an army of Manticores watch.

Mina laughs.

Mina: Silly little boy. You die here and now. 

Mina turns to the Condemned drones in Condemned language.

Mina: Stand down. He is mine.

Mina drives down and uses the beam power of the Queen Wasp to attack the barge.

James: Well, I was staring out into the beautiful night, but now my night is ruined. Mina's back!

With her high beams, Mina's Queen Wasp creature attacks the barge, causing severe damage to the barge.

Shawn: Whoa! That beam is burning up the barge! Watch out!

Jake: Shit! She's too fast! I can't get an aim at her!

Jake laughs.

Kyle: Fuck! I can't get her either!

In the distance, Archly Gate is visible.

Woody: Look, there it is! Archly Gate! We can make it! We can make it!

The Queen Wasp Beast uses his high beam weapon to critically damage the barge, causing it to descend out of control.

James: Fuck! The bitch got us! We're going down!

Kyle: James, slow this goddamned thing down!

James: Oh, it's going to slow down alright...when this bitch crashes.

Shawn laughs.

Shawn: That's funny.....We're all going to die.

The barge crashes, but Kyle, Jake, Shawn, James and Woody land on the grass while the barge is destroyed.

Kyle: Everyone okay?

Shawn: Uh.....let me answer that question when the world stops spinning.

Suddenly, bright searchlights are ignited as Bowers and a group of A.O.W Soldiers approach Kyle, Jake, Shawn, James and Woody.

Bowers: Hold your fire. They're friendly. 

Bowers turns to Kyle.

Bowers: Kyle Desipich? What the hell are you doing here, son?

Kyle: There's an army of Condemned on their way, Bowers. I'll explain on the way.

Bowers: Okay, men! Load up! Get on the radio and warn the fort we got Condemned inbound! Now!

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