Kayla scrunched her face as she treated Mike's wounds in her house. He had come back from his failed attempt to capture Reed and his mother, who had escaped from Walker's clutches.He had been beaten up by Walker's men, and had barely made it out alive.He was bleeding and bruised, and he was crying like a baby.He wallowed in self-pity, vowing to exact his revenge on Reed, who had always been one step ahead of him.He cursed Walker, who had finally cut him off, saying he was useless and worthless. He lamented that he was about to lose the house, the car, the money, everything.Kayla scrunched her face in irritation at Mike's display of self-pity, her patience wearing thin as she cleaned his wounds. "You need to stop wallowing in self-pity and start thinking about what you're going to do next," she said, her voice laced with frustration.Mike's eyes narrowed at her words, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "Reed has always been one step ahead," he muttered bitterly, his fists cl
Slam! Slam! Kayla felt a hard slap to her cheek as Mike gave her a hard slap across the face. Without warning, another searing pain exploded across her cheek as Mike's hand connected with her skin in a vicious slap. Kayla staggered backward, her hand instinctively flying to her face to cradle the stinging sensation. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked up at him filled with rage."You don't ever talk to me like that!" Mike screamed, his eyes red with rage. "You've gone and done it now, stupid! Get out of my house!" Kayla screamed.Kayla felt a surge of pain and fear, but also anger. She clenched her fists and spat back, "No, you get out! This is my house, not yours! You have no right to be here!""I said shut up!" Mike shouted, and hit her again, this time on the other cheek. Kayla staggered back, but quickly recovered and hit him back, hard.She felt her nails dig into his skin, drawing blood. Mike cursed and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her towards him. Kayla kicked and scra
Reed checked the address on his phone again. It matched the one his mom had given him.He had no idea why Ralph would check into this rundown motel in the middle of nowhere, but he hoped it had something to find.He swayed through the road, dodging potholes and broken streetlights and silence, except for the occasional howl of a stray dog or the roar of a passing truck.Reed felt a knot in his stomach as he drove. Reed’s mind then wondered to Mecca and the secret organization of scavengers.Were they really under attack by the mysterious enemy? And if so, why hasn’t he heard of anything?But that has to be something for another day, now he has to focus on finding Ralph,Reed reached the motel, a shabby two-story building and rundown building that looked like it could collapse at any moment with a neon sign that flickered "Vacancy". He parked his car in the empty lot and got out.He saw a few people around, mostly old folks and weary-looking who had nowhere else to go, sitting on the
As Reed sat on the bed, his eyes darted through the trash can to a receipt. He went to pick it up, hoping it was a clue.He scanned through the receipt and saw that it was a bus ticket.It had Ralph's name on it, and a date that was five months ago. "He probably paid cash to avoid being tracked," Reed thought. He read through the receipt and saw the name of the bus terminal: ABC MOTORS. He also saw their address, and it was not that far from the motel.Maybe he could catch up with Ralph there, or at least find out where he went.Reed decided to leave the motel right away. He grabbed his jacket and the receipt, and headed to the door.He did not bother to pack up Ralph's stuff, or to lock the room.He figured no one would care, or notice. He just wanted to him before it was too late.As Reed ran down the stairs, the clerk shouted, "Hey, you find anything?" He had seen Reed enter Ralph's room, and he was curious what he had found.He also wanted to make sure Reed did not steal anything,
Reed knew he had gotten somewhere. He had finally found a clue that could lead him to Ralph, but he also knew he had to see his daughter and mother before he went on this new lead. So he took his car and drove back to the cabin, where they were staying, he owed his daughter and mother his presence, his attention, his time,So he decided to stop at a convenience store on his way to the cabin, to grab a toy for his daughter.He wanted to surprise her, to make her smile. He knew she loved stuffed animals, especially pink ones. He hoped he could find one that she would like.He parked his car by the store and got out. The neighborhood didn't seem like a good place. It was filled with graffiti walls and people buying drugs in broad daylight, courtesy of Walker's drug trafficking syndicate.Reed cursed under his breath. He hated Walker, he hated what he had done to the city. He had to stop him, he had to expose him, he had to put an end to his crimes.He entered the store and greeted the ca
Reed slowly approached the cabin, his eyes scanning the dark woods for any sign of movement. He had been driving for hours, avoiding the main roads and the checkpoints. He parked the car behind a thick cluster of trees and he checked his pistol, making sure it was loaded and ready and a toy he had bought for Mandy.He didn't expect any trouble, but he couldn't afford to be careless.Walker was still on the prowl, Reed got out, then walked to the cabin.He then stood before the rustic cabin, its wooden exterior blending seamlessly into the darkened forest backdrop.The only sounds were the occasional rustle of leaves and the gentle symphony of nocturnal creatures and the annoying sounds of crickets.He moved with a cautious step, mindful of the tranquility that enveloped the surroundings.His movements were deliberate as he approached the cabin, his breath barely audible in the stillness of the night.The soft glow emanating light in the windows from within suggested that everyone was
Kayla clutched the phone, her voice trembling as she whispered into it.“Please, can you come and pick me up?” Her words were choked, the desperation palpable. “Reed, I need you.”Reed’s voice crackled through the line, suspicion in his tone. “Why? What happened, Kayla?”“It’s Mike,” she replied, her voice breaking. “He attacked me. I managed to call the police, but he ran off, and I don’t know where he is. Reed, I’m scared.”Margie, stood nearby, her disapproval evident. “What does she want?” she snapped, her patience worn thin.“Mom, hold on,” Reed said, his eyes never leaving Kayla’s trembling form. “Kayla, what are the police saying?”“Honestly, they ain’t much help,” Kayla confessed. “They’re treating it very lightly. Reed, please, I won’t cause any problems. And I know Mandy is there with you. Mike told me before it all went down. She needs her mother, Reed.”Reed’s jaw tightened. “So this is what it’s all about, huh? You want to take Mandy away from me?”“No, Reed,” Kayla plead
Reed's car rolled to a stop in front of Kayla's apartment building. It wasn't a grand building, just a cozy apartment nestled in a quiet corner of the cityReed reached inside, Reed’s approaching the stairs, his eyes caught sight of pieces of shattered glass scattered strewn across the floor.The window by the stairs had been smashed, shards glinting like malevolent stars. He rapped his knuckles against the door, the sound echoing in the silence. “Reed?” Kayla’s voice came from the other side, a mixture of relief and fear. “Yes, it’s me,” he replied, his voice hoarse. The door swung open, revealing Kayla’s tear-streaked face. His eyes widened as he took in her disheveled appearance—the bruise on her cheek, the blanket she covered herself with.Before he could react, she lunged forward, arms outstretched. Reed stepped back, avoiding her embrace. “Sorry,” Kayla whispered, her voice fragile. “Are you alone?” Reed asked, scanning the apartment behind her. The living room was a war zone: