Mark got out his blanket from the truck bed, then curled up in the back seat of the truck. The silence unsettled him for a little while, until the blanket finally warmed up to his body heat. Dosing on and off, he got as much sleep as his body allowed him. Then a bright light shined over the truck in the night. Slowly Mark sat up to peek out the window. Along the road they had been driving on earlier, a motorcycle drove by. Mark waited to see if it would stop or come back. It didn't. Swallowing nervously, he released the breath he had been holding. Forcing himself to lay back down after a few minutes, he tried to fall asleep again. This time it was much harder to do. He wasn't sure that he liked the idea of meeting new people. There was strength in numbers... but humans tended to turn on each other more often than not. Mark was just settling down, when someone knocked on the door by his head. Mark jerked upright, his hand dropping to Becky across the floorboards.

Recognizing that it was Zero, he popped the lock and let him open it. Zero opened the door but sat into a low crouch. He looked worried and that set Mark's blood racing. If he wasn't awake before, he was now. Zero gestured in the direction of the road, asking him in a discreet whisper. "Did you see the bike?" Mark nodded, whispering back. "Ya. But he left. Hasn't come back. We should be safe." Zero raised an eyebrow, before retorting gently. "What? That is the sixth time the same bike as come through." Mark blinked a bit shocked. He must have slept through the first few times. He must have been more tired than he thought. Mark shrugged casually, asking him. "What do think? Should we risk moving?" Zero shook his head, anxiously saying. "No. It will only draw attention to us. I think he's a scout. He might be patrolling for possible hoards." Mark glanced back at the road, questioning softly. "What makes you say that it's the same guy? It's so dark." Zero snorted, mumbling out dryly. "The bike. Same weird model. It's electric and barely makes a sound."

Mark shot Zero a curious glance. He knew Zero was a mechanic... but still. To recognize a bike with that much detail. Zero pointed to his night vision goggles, adding honestly. "Don't look at me like that. I can see in the dark and... I tried to steal a bike like that a few months ago. Sue me." Mark rolled his eyes, saying nothing at first. As the thought crept up on him though, he told Zero. "You say it's electric? Then he must be from somewhere close by in order to charge it, right?" Zero nodded, mumbling out. "That's what I'm worried about. I think they heard our trucks earlier and are-" Mark cut him off to finish. "They're looking for us." Zero nodded, slipping in calmly. "To run a patrol at night... They are either desperate for supplies or they are looking for recruits." Mark stiffened, whispering back a bit harshly. "Why would they want recruits?" Zero blinked at him with sarcasm, before uttering out casually. "Depends on who they are. They could be cannibals. People trying to rebuild. Gangs looking to expand territory. All the above. Who knows? Everyday brings a new type of threat."

Mark couldn't deny that. Both of them flinched as the light came back. Zero wedged himself into the truck across the floorboard, closing the door enough for it to barely be considered closed. In silence, they both peeked out the window. The bike slowed on the road and the rider brought something to his mouth. Zero lowered his goggles to get a better look, whispering to him casually. "A walkie. Shit... He must know that these trucks aren't normally here." Mark pulled the blanket off himself, firmly asking. "If he comes closer... We need to act." Zero nodded in agreement, pulling his machete from the sheath on his thigh. The rider switched off the light to his bike, the soft hum of his bike drawing closer. Zero started creeping back slowly, uttering out under his breath. "He's going for the RV." Zero silently opened the door, staying low as he snuck out and headed around the back of the RV. Snatching up Becky, Mark exited the truck and carefully walked around into sight of the RV door.

Holding Becky at the ready, he saw the man click on a flashlight and shine it into the RV window. Mark cleared his throat, instantly drawing the man's attention to him. Wincing at the blinding light from the flashlight, Mark gruffly asked the man defensively. "What are you doing?" The man's voice was muffled a bit by his helmet, but he raised his free hand to show him a gun and snapped out. "On your knees! Drop your weapon! How many are with you?!" Mark didn't comply. Instead, he snapped out darkly. "I asked you first." The man faced Mark more aggressively, retorting back. "I gave you an order!" Mark squeezed the handle of Becky, debating about complying. When Zero stepped soundlessly from the shadows and sliced the backs of the man's Achilles tendons. Mark's heart leapt from his chest at the man's bloodcurdling scream. Zero calmly walked around the man with a weird predator look on his face. The man aimed the gun at Zero, but Zero suck his machete into the joint of the man's gun arm.

The man whined in agony, unable to hold his gun or even hold his arm up. Zero removed his machete, letting it hover over the man's body menacingly. As the man rolled to his wounded side, he began to plead with Zero desperately. "Please! Don't! I'm sorry!" Zero slowly crouched down, holding the machete between his legs as he uttered out in a detached tone of voice. "They all say that... but how often did you ignore those pleas yourself?" The man grasped Zero's vest desperately, while Zero started to place his machete across the man's throat. He was going to slit the man's throat! Rushing forward, Mark shoved Zero away from the man. Zero rolled back to his feet, yelling out heatedly. "What are you doing?!" Mark shook his head, uttering out seriously. "I won't let you kill him. He might have information-." Zero's grip tightened on his machete, cutting him off to sneer out. "He won't tell us shit! And the longer we keep him alive the worse this gets. He's a fucking Horsemen!"

The man pleaded out between whines. "No! I'm not with them! I just found the jacket!" Mark was torn emotionally at this predicament. The door to the RV opened and Mari stepped out with her katana drawn. Behind her, Sean sleepily peeked out while trying to keep Chica inside. Mark raised a hand out to them, warning them seriously. "Stay back!" Mari gasped, causing Mark to look back. The man was reaching for the discarded gun with his good hand. Just as he grabbed it, Zero impaled his blade through the back of the man's hand and twisted it slowly to cause the man pain. Mark pointed Becky at Zero, shouting out. "Stop it!" Zero reached down, yanking the jacket collar down to reveal the tattoo along the man's neck. The image was of a grey horse skull that was within an upside-down green horseshoe with a long black scythe. After allowing them all to see, Zero removed the gun from the man's grip. Mari lowered her sword to point at the man with fearful eyes, telling Mark in a sudden shaky voice. "I've run into these types of guys before. They believe in something to do with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They killed my grandfather!"

Mark extended his hands out to try and calm both Mari and Zero down. Keeping his voice calm, he stated out. "Now let's think about this. I've never heard of these guys. We should-" Mari rushed forward before Mark could finish, slicing the man's throat open with her sharp katana blade and spattering Zero in his blood. Mark stood in awe as Mari slowly lowered her sword, distraughtly sneering to the dying man with cold eyes. "Your life belongs to Shi now. Can you feel his cold bite? Can you taste the innocent blood you've spilled?" The man clutched his bleeding throat, desperately trying to stop it. Mari sniffled, her hand starting to shake as she staggered back, asking Zero with tears in her eyes. "Zero... What have I done?" Zero's predatory look was gone, replaced with a look of grim regret. Mari dropped her sword, rushing past Sean to get into the RV as she burst into tears. Mark looked to Sean, who appeared to be just as rattled by this whole turn of events. Zero finished the man off by using his machete to behead the man.

Staggering to his feet, Zero murmured out to Mark under his breath. "The Horsemen have four different leaders all over Los Angles. Mari and her grandfather ran into a man known as 'War.' He had him drawn and quartered in front of her. She ran... and he chased after her on a red horse. She got away only because she slipped through a fence." Zero raised his eyes to stare directly at Mark, upon adding firmly. "I almost became one of them. But they are truly lost..." Zero suddenly stiffened, his eyes going wide in horror. Both Mark and Sean turned to look at what he was staring at. Sitting on a tall ashen grey horse was a man cloaked in grey robes with a shiny chrome skeleton mask and a noose around his neck. He wasn't alone either. Behind him were groups of men in grey leather jackets and they all were heavily armed. They had armored vehicles that some people were hanging onto. Others walked or rode on more electric bikes. All were behind the Horseman though. The strange man on the horse, moved ever so casually toward them. His body haloed by the lights of the vehicles behind him.

Mark inched closer to Sean, hefting Becky back up at the ready. Zero quickly moved forward to pick up Mari's sword, then called out to the rider. "We're just passing through. Your man attacked us." The rider pulled his horse to a casual stop a few feet away, answering in a smooth calm tone. "Death comes for us all. His pain is over. I'm more concerned where you think you can go in these... perilous times. I think you should take a walk with me. We know a place you rest your weary bones." Mark waved the rider off politely, answering nicely. "Thanks, but no thanks. We have to be going." The rider lifted his chin high, stating out firmly. "I wasn't asking. You're coming with us... Dead or alive. It's your choice." The rider flipped his grey robe back off the side of the horse to reveal a long and all too real scythe. Mark looked to Zero for advice. They couldn't take on this many men, but after hearing what had happened to Mari's grandfather... He didn't want to go with them either. For the first time, he saw Zero shake with fear.

Mark boldly stepped forward, asking more confident than he felt. "We just want to be on our way. Whatever you want... you can have it." The rider leaned forward, resting his arms on his saddle horn as he chuckled out wickedly. "I don't want your things. Don't you see, boys... I'm here for you. For I am Death. And for those worthy... I'll save your soul." Death took his reins loosely and turned his horse around, addressing the others. "These are the last souls for the night. Let's head home." Death's horse reared beautifully, before settling and casually walking back through the crowd. A group of lesser horsemen rode up in armored cars and trucks to block their escape. A few even hopped down to take the body of the dead man and his bike. A slender woman with pure white hair tied up in a ponytail, pointed at them with her gun, ordering them with a smirk. "Well, boys? You gonna play nice? Let's get going." Mark hesitated from going to his truck, when Sean moved to take the katana from Zero.

Zero eyed him with worry, but Sean coolly told him. "I'll ride in the back. I wanna keep the dog company." Mark finally understood what he was doing. These people hadn't seen Mari. She was in the RV all alone with Chica. Zero gave him the sword, telling him in a neutral tone. "Take care of the sword." Sean nodded, moving to Mark soon after to kiss his cheek. Mark patted Sean's back, watching him slip into the trailer. Zero locked the door behind Sean. Then both Mark and Zero moved to their vehicles. Mark closed the back door, then climbed into the driver seat. Turning on the car, he let himself sigh heavily. He didn't know what to expect from these people... but he was sure that it was nothing good. To Be Continued...