Crossed 3

"You decide and you act. And then you drive on. Because you stick around to worry about how things turned out, or you just let yourself get curious, you'll lay yourself open to a surprise you won't come back from."

- Cindy

Plot
The group are in the middle of a street, huddled behind some cars, avoiding the Crossed. Fortunately, the Crossed appear to catch wind of easier prey and go off in another direction. The group goes into a store to salvage supplies. Scott wanders outside and steps into a bear trap. He is then shot with an arrow from high above. The group runs outside and opens fire on the shooter -- a kindergarten teacher named Ann Cooke. Ann falls from the roof onto the ground below. She explains that she thought that Scott was one of the Crossed and she will do anything to protect her charges -- a group of kindergarten children. The chilren emerge from hiding to protect the dying Ann Cooke. They ask her why she shot Scott and she says that she shot him to keep him from screaming and alerting the Crossed.

The group brings Ann and the children into a tunnel beneath an overpass. Ann grows delirious from her injuries and keeps repeating "There was no food. No food. They're children. What was I supposed to do?" Cindy does not like the implication. She forbids her son Patrick from associating with the other children.

Meanwhile, Kelly calls Thomas to her side. She relinquishes her pride and realizes that she will not be able to get along on her own being blind. She asks Thomas if he would look after her. Thomas agrees.

Suddenly, a police officer comes upon them. He has been on his own for some time and now has one of the Crossed trapped in the back of his police cruiser. He levels a gun at the group and tells them that he doesn't like the surplus of firearms that he is seeing, and demands that they surrender all their guns. Cindy reluctantly complies, but only to see how this all plays out.

They eventually return to the tunnel where they discover that Ann has died from her wounds. They must now decide what to do about the children. They know that Ann has been teaching them how to hunt and kill and that they have likely resorted to cannibalism. They also know that it would be impossible to bring them along as they journey towards Alaska. Reluctantly, Cindy and Stan come to a grim decision. They elect to put the children out of their misery.

Appearances
Featured Characters:
 * Ann Cooke
 * Cindy
 * Geoff
 * Joel
 * Kelly
 * Kitrick
 * Patrick
 * Scott
 * Thomas

Notes & Trivia

 * Issue shipped with three alternate covers of limited distribution.


 * Joel appeared last in Crossed #1.


 * Although never stated, it is implied that Ann Cooke's kindergarten class have resorted to cannibalism to survive. This is part of the reason why Cindy and Stan shoot them.