The sounds of the Carriers were louder in the loft as it drifted in through the open windows. Jack had tied a heavy rope to a beam. He held the rest of the rope in a large bundle and he looked out the largest window. Martha stood beside Jack, her arms wrapped around her body as she stared blankly around. She didn’t seem to know where she was. She smiled weakly when Ethan appeared at the head of the ladder and climbed up to them at the window.


“This place is a mess!” Martha said to Ethan in greeting. Her voice sounded small and Ethan had to bend closer to her to hear. “Why is it that you boys or so messy?”


“What are you talking about?” Ethan asked, bewildered. Martha gestured to the hay that laid scattered around on the wooden floor. “Would it kill you or Roy to sweep up here every once in a while?” It wasn’t her words that sent a chill down his spine, but her tone. Martha looked around.


“Where is Roy?”


“Mom, are you?” Before he could ask, they heard a loud gunshot. He jumped in surprise and looked back the way they came. Roy. Ethan took a step back towards the ledge, but Jack quickly stepped in front of him to block his way, shaking his head silently. Then came the dull thumping sounds, a whacking and wet chopping noise which made Ethan’s stomach turn with dread.


The sound continued three more times then stopped.


Varrick appeared at the ladder and joined them in the loft.

“She said to go ahead.” He said to Jack.


“Excuse me?” Martha said to Varrick politely. He turned to her, an eyebrow raised. “Have you seen Roy? Is he home yet?” She asked. Varrick furrowed his brow as he stared at her. He looked questioningly to Ethan, who desperately shook his head. 


“We don’t have time for this!” Jack said impatiently as he leaned to look out of the window. “That one from the house is comin’ now too!” He unzipped the lime-green fanny pack that was buckled around his waist.


“Varrick, you’re just gonna have to help her!” Jack gestured to Martha with a nod of his head while he pulled out a wad of plastic shopping bags from the pack. Ethan could see the logo of a pig wearing a sailor’s hat printed on one of the bags. He handed three of the bags to Ethan. “Triple them up, trust me on this.” He instructed as he threw the rest of the rope out the window.


Jack shook out the plastic bags and placed one inside the other. He then put his hands inside the bags and grabbed the rope, using the bags as gloves.


“Use them like this to hold the rope and kick off from the bottom of the window.” Jack said. “The bags will protect your hands, but you’ll go pretty fast. Don’t panic and flail your legs, or you’ll bang yourself up. Watch how I do it and try to copy me. I’ll be at the bottom to catch you.”


Ethan nodded, trying to keep everything straight in his head.


“Alright, boss!” Jack yelled down to Ness. Immediately, she started to yell at their attackers outside.


“C’mon, ya asshats! Come and get me!”


There was a loud bang and the snarls seemed to grow louder. Ethan had only a second to realize that Ness had opened the door below them before Jack jumped from the window. Ethan watched as Jack expertly repelled down the rope. He hopped off the side of the barn and was on the ground within seconds. He looked left and then right before he waved at Ethan to come down.


“Go on, I’ll help her down.” Varrick said. He placed a protective hand on Martha’s shoulder. The woman mumbled about her husband being late to dinner and asked Varrick if he would be joining them.


“I made a roast!” Martha declared, “I always make extra, so there’s plenty for everyone.”


”That’s very kind of you, Ma’am.” Varrick said with a wave at Ethan, “Sounds delicious.”


Ethan nodded and grabbed the rope. He backed slowly out of the window and leaned back. He tried to keep his eyes on Varrick and his mother as he took a few quick breaths to calm his nerves and tried to kick off from the barn in imitation of Jack.


Although warned, his falling speed surprised him so badly that he slipped at first. He slammed against the side of the barn, biting his lip as his chin bumped against the wood. Metallic liquid filled his mouth. He scrambled to get a footing when at last he felt Jack’s hands steady him and Ethan’s feet hit the dirt of the ground.


He looked to his left and caught a glimpse of a Carrier as it stumbled into the now open barn door. What the hell is she doing in there? He wondered as he heard Ness yell once more from inside. The Carriers snarled in response.


Above him, Varrick smoothly scaled the barn. One hand gripped the rope and his other was wrapped around Martha as the two of them descended. As he watched them, Ethan noticed smoke swirling from the loft window above. Before he had a chance to mention it, Ness’ head appeared in the window.


“Varrick!” She called to him with a wave of her arm.


Varrick hurried back to the side of the barn where Ness, apparently having untied it, threw the rope to the ground. Jack snatched it up and began bundling the rope up to put it back in his pack. Ethan had only a second to wonder how Ness was going to get down before she threw down her bat and then jumped from the window, a trail of fresh flames licking after her as she went. Varrick caught her easily.


“What did you do?” Ethan croaked in horror as he watched the barn being engulfed in flames, the snarls of the Carriers barely audible from within. Varrick set Ness on her feet. “It’s the only way to get rid of them all in one go without exhausting ourselves to a dangerous point.”


“But if they come out-!”


“They won’t,” Ness replied certainly, “Carriers may be ruthless, but they’re also pretty stupid. They’ll sit there and burn for as long as they’re distracted.”


“Distracted?” Ethan asked, and then he noticed flecks of blood were splattered everywhere across Ness. He glanced over at Ness’ bat, laid in the grass, and felt the bile rise in his throat when he saw it was covered in fresh blood as well. But she cleaned it, before we–


“Where’s Roy?” Martha asked. Ness’s eyes flicked to the barn. Martha caught the movement and her own eyes slowly moved to the burning building.


“No . . .” Martha muttered.


“Mom, please,” Ethan whispered, having no idea what it was he was asking from her.


“No!” Martha screamed as she ran for the door of the barn.


“Mom!” Ethan yelled, and at the same time Ness ordered Varrick to grab Ethan and hold him back. She ran after Martha. Ness reached out a hand to stop the other woman who was trying to find a way through the flames when an explosion blew the both of them off their feet.


“Ness!” Varrick immediately let go of Ethan and ran over to Ness who laid sprawled in the grass a few feet away. “Ness? Hey! You better wake up, now!” He shook Ness’ shoulders forcefully, his voice growing louder as she failed to respond. 


“Wake up! Right now, you hear? Wake up! Vanessa!”


“Don’t call me that.” Ness coughed groggily as her eyes snapped open. Varrick sighed in relief. He helped her slowly to her feet. Besides a few aching joints and superficial cuts caused by flying debris, Ness was intact.


“I take it you used one of Cordelia’s bombs?” Varrick asked.


“Remind me to tell her the recipe needs a tweak.” Ness groaned as she rubbed her neck. Varrick chuckled lightly, giving her shoulder a small squeeze. “Usual cleanup?” He asked. She nodded. “Check the house before you get the survivors inside. Once we’re settled in a bit, I’ll talk to them both before we–“ her voice trailed away when she caught sight of Ethan and Martha. 


Martha laid in the grass. The force of the explosion had thrown her backwards, and she had landed hard on her back. Protruding from her throat was a large splinter of wood. Smaller fragments littered her body like that of a porcupine’s quills. Martha gasped as blood gurgled from her mouth. She grasped her son’s hand and her lips moved in desperation but she uttered no words.


Ethan felt his mother’s hand go limp in his own as his eyes stared ahead and the world around him burned.