Mark kept the pace of his truck slow. They had the whole truck boxed in with their vehicles. It wasn't long before the combined noises of the vehicles got the attention of a small hoard. Mark hated the feeling of being trapped in the middle with a circling hoard. These people were so calm about it though. As the hoard came at them, Death removed his long scythe and addressed them neutrally. "Hold your ground. Face death without fear." Mark watched with a blatant horrified expression. The people closet to the hoard, hopped off their vehicles and formed a line to stare down the hoard. They had to of lost their minds! Three lickers slowly approached them, their snake like necks tilting at odd angles to observe what they were doing. Mark didn't like this. There had to be more zombies hidden in the dark. They were just waiting for the Lickers to start them into a frenzy. This was insane! The Lickers walked up on the line, their long tongues slithering out of their expanded jaws.

The tongues licked up the bodies on the people in front of them. Mark was slightly impressed by the people's fearless insanity. After a good lick, the Lickers looked like they were no longer interested in the line and started to turn away. Mark couldn't believe his eyes. Why had they lost interest? They were walking back into the dark, when a scream broke out from the back of their group. Mark's heart leapt in his chest, his eyes dropping to the side mirror. All he saw was a Hunter jumping out of the darkness to slam a woman into the back of a truck. Pinning her against the truck, the Hunter tore into her throat and flesh like a frenzied animal. Mark held his breath, glancing back toward the Lickers. The Lickers were turning back to face the line again with hissing grins. The people on the line still held their ground. Even when the Lickers spun around, lashing their tongues out like whips to wrap around the necks of people along the line. The people were yanked clear off their feet and dragged across the ground toward the Lickers. Bloodcurdling screams and snarls started filling the open night air.

Still the people held their ground and not a single person opened fire! Mark rolled his window down only enough to yell out in frustration. "What are you doing?! Help them!" Not a soul moved or lifted their guns. What was wrong with them? The ground started to shake, and Mark exhaled his breath feeling defeated. It was a Juggernaut. The Juggernaut was as big as the trucks with hardened skin and if they charged... they could easily slam into tanks hard enough to destroy them. He had even seen them take tank guns to the chest on the news and still they charged on! The Juggernaut stopped a few feet away, its body tensing. Mark's hands shook on the wheel. It was going to charge at them and if it did... It would come straight toward him with little resistance. It was at that moment that Death rode out as a bell began to toll with a haunting deep melody. The sentries that had been running up behind the Juggernaut, skidded to a halt to screech in agony. The sound of the bells gonging was forcing them to retreat.

The motorcyclists suddenly whizzed around the trucks and around Death's horse. With small handheld scythes, they began cutting down the Lickers and Hunters as they dashed by them. The Hunters chased after a few bikes, allowing other riders to cut them down. The people along the line began pulling out canisters and popping pins. Tossing them out before them and causing a thick smoke to cloud them from view. Mark watched with fascination as the Lickers started coughing and curling their tongues back from the smoke. Was it hurting them? In the swirling cloud cover, Death faced down the Juggernaut. Removing his long scythe, Death spun it in his hand and kicked his horse straight toward the Juggernaut. The Juggernaut charged in response. Mark couldn't look away. This guy was the very definition to having a death wish! There was no way he could kill that thing like that. Right before they were to collide, Death turned his horse to pass by the Juggernaut. The Juggernaut didn't stop.

It had too much speed now. It would go until it hit something hard enough to slow or stop it. Mark froze in place, his eyes locked on Death. Death's horse made a shocking three-sixty turn and resumed running up behind the Juggernaut. Holding his scythe high, Death slashed out at the Juggernaut's back. With a deep roar, the Juggernaut arched its back and stumbled on its feet to tumble to the ground. The Juggernaut barely slid to a stop before the line of people. Mark could see a deep wound across its bare lower back. The Juggernaut rose up on its hulking arms, bellowing a roar to the line before Death rode up to slash at it this time across the back of its neck. Then it went down for good. Death trotted his horse down the line as the last of the hoard was dealt with, telling them sternly. "Those that died were faced with death and were afraid. Their cowardice killed them. A true Death Stalker can look into the eyes of death and live! Now let's move out!" Death kicked his horse into a bolt to get back up to the front, leaving everyone to load themselves back up onto their vehicles.

Mark grabbed his CB, calling back to Zero with a very unsettled tone of voice. "Zero? Can you believe this group...?" Mark removed his finger from the button to listen to Zero answer back in a low tone. "You think he's bad? Death and his followers are neutral. You should see Conquest, Famine, and War." Mark huffed, replying grimly. "Who did you try to join?" Zero was quiet a long time, before he answered numbly. "I thought that would have been obvious given what I told you about how I met Mari." Mark put the CB down for a few seconds, before telling Zero coolly. "Let's hope we never meet the others then." Zero agreed in a way that made the air on Mark's arms stand up. Zero was terrified of these guys. Which got him thinking to himself. Was Zero afraid of being recognized? Zero knew where to find that man's tattoo... but he couldn't recall ever seeing Zero's neck. Gripping the wheel tightly, he focused on following the group onward. Although, his mind was ablaze with chilling thoughts.

They hadn't traveled for very long, when they took a turn off the main highway to a little enclosed community. All around the community was a rather thin wooden fence and a simple iron gate. Nothing fancy or that would really protect them if they were attacked. There was only two people even watching the gate... or more like sitting by the gate. As Death approached, they scrambled to their feet to welcome him and everyone inside. Mark averted his eyes to some of them. The people that lived here were not shy about walking around naked. The place was done up in one large circle of houses with a large barn at what would be the far end. Behind the homes were little farming boxes and stationed around the place were windmills. As they headed to park the vehicles around the interior walls, Mark's eyes fell upon the brightly lit center piece to this community. It was a large dead white tree that appeared to have skeletons hanging from its dead branches by nooses like decorations. What made it scarier was that they were not moving to the wind... they were alive.

Death rode his horse up to the front of Mark's truck, waving his hand to gesture for him to follow him. Zero followed Mark without being told. Mark took it really slow so that he didn't get the trailer stuck. Death led them all the way to a hut looking house on the end and pointed to the parking spots for it along the wall. Mark reluctantly obeyed. Pulling into a spot along the wall to park. Mark turned off the engine but didn't get out right away. Part of him was against this whole thing. He didn't understand why in a world falling apart, why people would round others up that didn't want to be with them. This felt like a cult and he wanted no part in it. He was thinking about turning the truck back on and flooring it through the thin walls. Until Sean and Zero started yelling in inaudible bursts. Grabbing Becky, Mark rushed from the truck and ran back toward the RV. There Zero was being held down by two men and Sean was being pulled from the RV trailer by two more. Mark raised Becky, yelling out aggressively. "Let them go!"

The men didn't listen. So, Mark turned to face Death with a murderous look. Death rode up slowly to Mark, stating aloud in a cool tone. "Gently now. We're not trying to hurt them." Mark started to move closer to Death, but quickly stopped himself short. Being this close to Death, he decided it wasn't safe to get any closer. He could see why this guy was called 'Death' and was respected now. His horse was undead. The horse was a skeleton with sheer white strips of fabric acting as its mane and tail. While a sheer grey fabric covered the rest of its body to act like its ashen skin. The horse stuck out its nose toward him, opening its mouth like it wanted to bite him. Death pulled back on the reins to coax the head back, asking him smugly. "Something wrong?" Mark didn't even know how to even begin answering that question. There was so much wrong with these people. Mari let out a scream, drawing Mark's attention back to the RV. She was being pried from the trailer. She thrashed and kicked out at the man holding her.

Zero tried to stand up, screaming out loudly. "Leave her alone, you bastards!" Chica burst from the trailer, looking around confused before rushing over to Mark's side. A woman than rushed into the trailer. Mark turned his eyes back on Death, snapping out. "We told you that you could have what you wanted! Just let us go!" Death straightened up in his saddle, uttering out casually. "I told you. Your stuff has no value to us. However, we have a right to know about everyone with you. So be honest. Is this everyone?" Mark gritted his teeth but nodded, then added softly. "Plus, three horses in the trailer. Now what do you want with us?" Death waited for his men to confirm his words, before informing him dismissively. "For now, you'll stay with us for the night. In the morning, you'll be escorted to the barn with all the other new souls. There, I'll brief you all on why you're here. For now, go to your hut and rest." Death turned his horse around to ride farther down to address a truck that was unloading other new people.

The people released them, gesturing the four of them to the hut house. They gathered their survival bags and locked up their trucks. Only after did they make their way to the hut. The hut was square and barely big enough for the four of them. It was just a single room with the walls made of bug screens. The roof was made of wooden shingles and held up by pole supports. The door was nothing more than a sheet. It was like a budget cut version of summer camp. Every house was designed like this, except for the large barn. Mark got everyone inside, noticing that someone was stationed a short distance away to watch them. Sitting down on the wooden floor, Zero hugged Mari close to keep her calm, while discreetly asking him. "What do we do now? The longer we stay the more danger we'll be in." Mark nodded, his eyes looking over Zero in the dim light coming from outside. Zero was wearing a bandana around his neck. Now more than ever, he felt his suspicions creeping up on him.

Removing a small flashlight from his bag, he mumbled out to himself. "Let me do something first..." Mari rose off Zero to hug Chica. Giving Mark the perfect opening. Leaning forward, he grabbed Zero's bandana and clicked on the flashlight. Without removing the bandana, he checked Zero's neck. It only took a second to confirm his suspicions. There on the side of Zero's neck was a similar tattoo to the ones these people had. The difference was that he had a white tribal horse skull wearing a blue crown and a silver upside down horseshoe that had a blue bow across it. Quickly clicking off the flashlight, before the others saw it, he sat back with a disappointed look. Zero adjusted the bandana, telling him through clenched teeth. "Mark, I'm begging you... Don't." Sean glanced between them, slipping in curiously. "What was that about? Mark?" Mark locked his jaw. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. So, he just shook his head with clear frustration. Mari lifted her head from Chica's fur, shakily whispering. "I killed him... I didn't mean too... I just wanted to hurt him. Are they doing this because of me?"

Zero rubbed her back without looking at her, comforting her softly. "No. This guy wants something else. I've heard rumors that he's a necrophiliac. He doesn't fear death, he's fascinated by it. They used to say that he could control them. He's never been attacked by them." Mark snorted, grunting out darkly. "Could be because his horse is a walking pile of bones." Sean's eyes widened and Mark nodded to him, stating out just as shocked. "Ya, I'm not kidding. How he managed to get a saddle on that thing... I don't know how he could have possibly done it." Zero ran a shaky hand through his bangs, whispering out. "I'm sure you don't want to know. We just need to come up with a plan to get out of here." Mark shrugged, retorting in an icy whisper. "I can't plan for something, when I don't know what is coming. So, feel free to chip in and help out at any time."

Zero slapped his backpack in frustration, growling out through clenched teeth. "God damn it, Mark! I don't know this guy! All I can tell you is rumors and how bad things will get VERY quickly. These guys don't play around. If they can't convert you, they'll kill you! Or worse... They'll make you wish you were dead..." Mark leaned forward, sneering back bitterly. "And what do they do to people that belong to another leader? These leaders are all friends, right? Or are they rivals?" Zero didn't answer. Instead, he gave Mark a murderous glare. Mari sniffled softly, breaking them up by innocently slipping in. "We can't fool them. Without the tattoo from the other leader... They won't believe we are one of them." Sean eyed both Mark and Zero closely, before whispering coolly. "Guys, stop. If you know something-" Sean stopped short as a naked man opened the sheet to their hut. All the guys quickly averted their eyes with embarrassed faces. Mari's eyes went wide though as she mumbled out to herself. "Oh, sweet Jesus."

Zero's hand shot up to cover her eyes and she covered Chica's. The man chuckled at them, then set down a tray with bowls of soup. Giving them each a smile, he told them welcomingly. "You all must be hungry. Here. Eat up. You'll need your strength for tomorrow." Sean picked up a bowl, stirring his spoon around in it. Mark guessed it was a type of beef stew. Did they have cows here? Sean gestured to the bowl with his spoon, asking curiously. "What is this?" The man chuckled happily, starting to leave the hut as he answered sweetly. "It's fresh meat. Don't worry. We don't let anything go to waste around here. First rule you learn here. You kill it. You eat it." Zero and Mark dropped their bowls at the same time. Sean was blowing on the spoon, when Mark covered his mouth to keep him from tasting it. While at the same time, Zero snatched Mari's spoon before it reached her lips. Both Mari and Sean made disgruntled noises, until Mark discreetly told them. "Don't eat it! I think it's the guy we killed." To Be Continued...