"The Sinners" (Nature)

In the mansion, Seymour was explaining to Elliot and Olivia what exactly ‘the sinners’ were. “Do you two know what cavemen are?” They looked at each other, “Well obviously. They’re like the beginning of humanity. Quite wild, and tribal, not very sentient either”. “That’s exactly what the sinners are,” Seymour revealed, “Some humans regressed into a more primal stage, believing it easier to survive like that. Any living soul they encounter who is not like them, they will slaughter: Fun, Torture, Cannibalism. All keywords that fit them perfectly.” Elliot looked at Seymour intently, “Did you just say ‘Cannibalism’?” Regretfully, he nodded, “Food is a rare resource nowadays. Now maybe you understand why we have to avoid them at all costs. They may be primal, but they know how to fight with anything. That includes their own hands, swords, rocks, they even remember how to use guns. Their numbers are way up there too.”

But this raised another question from Olivia, “So if they’re that dangerous, how come we’ve never seen them in the past year? Why haven’t they invaded the base?” He leant in to answer, “How many times have you been outside the government base in the past year?” She thought and shook her head, “Once or twice, at most. Elliot’s been out there like four or five times though?” He looked away, as if he was hiding something, “And he’s also seen them I bet,” For once, the people-reader was the one being read. “Yes… I have. They looked exactly how you would imagine the cavemen did,” he turned to Olivia, “On one of the supply runs, we took cover. This large party, this indomitable mass of perhaps thirty maybe even forty of these tribal humans passed ahead of us. I passed it off as a one-off thing. I didn’t want to worry you,” She understood why he covered it up, but still wish he had told her. “As for why they haven’t invaded you yet, that’s not their ‘style’. They won’t attack anywhere that’s widely out in the open. They take down unsuspecting victims, wanderers, if you will.”

Elliot and Olivia began to understand. “Wait a minute… What if we lead them into the base? What if we used ourselves as bait? Would it work?” Elliot shook his head, “You’re not doing that, ever.” Seymour also shook his head, but for a different reason, “It wouldn’t work. They would just drift off into the shadows upon seeing you run into that place.” She shook her head back, “Not all the way into the base, what if we just got them within range of the watch towers? Leaving the guards to take them out? Could it work?” Seymour appealed to her idea, “I suppose that could work. But they have no sense of vengeance. You could take out a couple of them, but the rest would just run away. They wouldn’t fall for the same trick a second time. You’d have to catch them in the afternoon or evening as well. They seem to use the sun as a way of telling the time, and when to go outside. Oddly, they don’t seem to go out at night. Strategy, I would imagine.” They all thought hard for a plan.

“There it is!” Annabelle excitedly pointed to the helicopter wreckage. It had crashed into the side of a rocky hill. “Not so optimistic about survivors if I’m honest,” Andy remarked to Erica. Climbing the hill, they reached the crash site. “Ah yes. I recognise this bitch,” Annabelle referred to Sierra. The helicopter had landed upright, therefore the passengers in the back were slightly buried. “Wait,” Erica noticed something odd, “If she’s the pilot, why is she in the co-pilot’s seat? Why is there no one in the pilot’s one?” They nodded at Erica, feeling she had made a valid point. “I told you someone would survive. I also told you this was a Government chopper. Is the co-pilot alive?” Annabelle prompted Erica to check Sierra’s pulse, “Yes! Very faintly, but she’s still there. If we get her out, I may be able to treat some of the bleeding.” She gestured for Andy’s help. “She knows where my mother is. Keep her alive at all costs,” Annabelle was severe with that instruction.

Peering her head through the wreckage, Annabelle tried to see if there were any passengers, “Erica! Your friend is here!” She gave up on pulling Sierra out, rushing over to see what ‘friend’ Annabelle was referring to, “Oh my word! Tina! Andy, never mind the co-pilot. We’ve got one of our own over here!” He looked back at Sierra, feeling they had just forgotten about her, then obeyed with helping the other two. “Same strategy as last time, right?” Erica joked with Annabelle, “Alright Andy, get in there.” He looked at them, slightly worried, “What strategy?”

“This really isn’t what I had in mind!” Erica was lowering Andy down into the back of the helicopter. “Come on Andy, it’s only fair! This is the same strategy we used to save you last time!” Erica and Annabelle found it hilarious. “Alright, I’ve got her!” As he grabbed Tina, he looked over to see another passenger. “Wait, Erica wait!” She reeled him back in nonetheless.

Once he was back up, they laid Tina out. “Oh she’s alive as well. How tremendous!” Andy looked at Annabelle slightly worryingly. “There’s another passenger down there,” he began and swallowed hard, “Annabelle’s ‘whacky’ theory was actually correct. It’s your mum.” Annabelle’s face dropped, as she dived in to the wreckage again. “I can’t see her! The damn seat is in the way. Erica, lower me in! Please!”

After successfully reeling Gwen back out as well, they discovered she still had a pulse. “Looks like everyone survived, just this once,” Erica looked down at all three laid-out passengers. “I’m still worried about where the pilot got off to though,” Andy reminded them, “Should we wait to see if he or she comes back?” Annabelle shook her head, “It’s not important to us. My mother’s ok, that’s all that matters.” Andy grunted, “In the most respectful way, Annabelle, living in the apocalypse doesn’t automatically mean that you’re the boss of everyone.” She looked blown away by his remark, “Excuse me?” He snapped at her, “There we go again! Talking to me and Erica like we’re lesser! It’s like you don’t even care about us.” She was stuck for a response. “It’s because you don’t, isn’t it?” She shook her head desperately, “No! Of course not! But… Well, neither of you took the leadership position, someone had to!” He threw his hands up, “What? Are we not all equal here? Why must someone vote themselves as superior? Oh that’s right, you’re just a power-hungry teenager aren’t you?” Erica tried to calm Andy, “Listen to me, you’re not helping her at all. Just stop,” She tried to subtly push him away. “Power-hungry, am I? What else? Go on, tell me Andy. Everything you have to say, say it!”

Andy shoved Erica aside, “You’re crazy! Absolute psychopath! Heck, I remember when you flat-out killed two innocent people. You didn’t even wake up your mother, you were that guilty. Imagine if she saw you do those terrible things. Not mummy’s little princess anymore, are you?” Snapping, she pulled out her gun on him. Surprisingly, he walked directly up to it, so close that it was pressed above his heart. “I remember when you were a kid,” he lowered his voice, “So sweet and innocent. The interaction between you and your parents was something special. But now, when I look at you, I see someone I only met two years ago.” She began to shake, “Why are you doing this?” She went misty-eyed. “You found your mother. Erica found Tina. I couldn’t find Vincent…” Annabelle pulled her gun away from him, instead giving him a slap, “I will not kill you, ever.” He glared at her, “Stop it Andy! Listen, when my mother comes back around, we’ll ask her about Vincent, ok?” He breathed in deeply, and nodded.

Everyone gathered around the animal enclosure which Pierre had put Foxtrot in. “I let you in. I gave you home. This is how you thank me, Pierre? You let me die?” He shook his head, “No, of course not. According to you, this is a test. I’m not letting you die. It’s like you said, survival of the fittest.” Foxtrot shifted along the cage, begging for someone to release him. Not even the other agents would, afraid of being risen up against. “Agent Golf,” he tried his luck with the youngest resident, “I kept you alive. Gave you an occupation. Comforted you when your brother… you know what. Please, have you no mercy for me?” Zach glared at him intently, “You tried to erase my humanity only. You did the same to Elliot, and all these other agents. My name is not ‘Golf’, it is ‘Zach’. Elliot’s name is not ‘November’. Lily’s name is not ‘Lima’. Zoe’s name is not ‘Zulu’. Ellie’s name is not ‘Epsilon’. All of these people are human beings. They are not mindless drones at your disposal.” He backed away from the cage, noticing everyone turned against him. “Half an hour ago, half of you had your guns pointed at that man!” He pointed to Pierre, “Now you’re listening to his mindless nonsense? You pushovers!” The door at the other end of the enclosure began to rise. “What’s wrong, Foxtrot? Afraid of losing?” Pierre taunted him. “We’ll see who loses, my friend. In the long run.” He left him with a foreboding glare, turning towards the rising door, ready to fight.

Cradling his head in his bunker, Reed looked at the soldier in front of him. He was still distraught by the blood leaking from his throat. “Dear oh dear son,” Ethan’s hallucination appeared again, “Look at what you did. This poor man. It’s all your fault. You must feel guilt, Reed. You must suffer the emotional consequences.” His guilty thoughts were voiced in the shape of his father. “You couldn’t save me. You couldn’t save yourself. Now, you’re going to die in here. Might I say, what a rubbish way to go out. I always suspected you would go out with a bang, or at least something more colourful than… this.” Reed threw the glass shard at the hallucination in a fit of rage. “Excellent son. That’s what I like to see. Now, focus that rage at the people who did this to you. Save your new friends.” He gritted his teeth through his reddened face and scruffy hair, “For you, dad…” The hallucination faded away, as Reed primed the suppressed pistol, and equipped the baton on his side.

Eager to see the Sinners in action, Elliot and Olivia watched the streets from upstairs in the mansion. At the other end, Seymour was on the lookout to see if any were on the move. Checking his watch, and then the road ahead, he gave a thumbs up to his two friends. They crouched down for cover. “I don’t believe it,” Elliot was flabbergasted as the Sinners trekked past. They looked exactly how cavemen would, brandishing several makeshift wooden weapons such as wooden spears, splinter-covered knives, and even wooden hatchets. Elliot even noticed two of the Sinners had rifles, while some had bows and arrows too. Towards the back of the flock, five of the Sinners were bashing against marching drums on their chests. “Terrifying sure, yet incredible still,” Olivia remarked in amazement. As she raised herself up slightly further, she was already too exposed. One of the Sinners that had been looking around pointed to her in the mansion. The drums stopped, the rest of the warriors looked up, letting out an enormous war cry. “Run!” Seymour commanded them, pulling out his sword. Several spears shot and broke through the windows, sticking to the walls and the roof.

“Get into the cellar!” Seymour sent Elliot and Olivia down, along with the rest of the group. “Elliot,” he called down, prompting him to turn back, “Look after your lady, my friend.” Rather than coming down into the cellar with them, he closed the door, leaving himself upstairs still. “Seymour, no!” Elliot banged on it desperately.

Turning away from the door upstairs, bolting all the locks and coding all the padlocks, Seymour turned to face the front door and the windows. The Sinners had surrounded the place, with maniacal grins and heavy breathing. “Let’s have it then!” He yelled out, before repeating the same taunt in French. Smashing through the windows and breaking down the front door, the Sinners flooded in. Seymour let out an enormous war cry, charging at them with his sword…