OUTBREAK: A Survival RP (IC/ENDED)

[Armeia]

The APCs were heading for Iowa, the students having totally abandoned the fort at Northwestern. "Where are we going once we get to Iowa?" asked Cade, reaching for a first aid kit and wrapping his bullet wound with a bandage. It wasn't that deep, but that didn't keep it from hurting like hell. He'd need further care when they arrived in Iowa.

"I dunno," shrugged Cody. "Maybe we'll resupply, if the national guard left their stuff lying around like they did at Northwestern. The U of Iowa is there too, maybe they'll be kind enough to help out some fellow students."

"I thought you guys were supposed to be smart!" said Ava, sarcastically. "We seriously don't have a better plan?"

"We're working on it," Cody replied. "For now we have to treat our wounded and restock."

Ava sighed and laid back on the back seat, wiping a tear from her eye. She was still shellshocked over the death of Christie, and she felt like she'd never be the same after that experience.

[Beiarusia]

Samantha Tallow // New Evanston

Henry stared in disbelief as Vincent broke down and had an anxiety attack right in front of the doctor he was threatening. He shook his head, whispering "fucking hell" under his breath for no one to hear.

He sprung to life as the gate shuddered open, revealing Sarah and her crew, and the girl, Sam, made her way over to Vincent, desperately signing something to him in what appeared to be a very much silent, but still aggressive argument. He marched over to them, dirt and gravel crunching under his feet as the afternoon sun shone down waves of heat in line with his rising frustration.

He grabbed Sam by the arm, quickly signing You come with me, and then pointing at Vincent, barking "Sort this shit out!" at him. He then began to lead Sam away. They couldn't deal with any of this right now.

Sam was staring up at Vincent, willing him to agree with her when Henry suddenly arrived at her side, grabbing her injured arm and pulling her away, the sudden jolt sending pain shooting through the limb and forcing the girl to stumble as she was led away. The man’s grip was tight as he dragged her along. Steeling herself Sam dug her feet into the ground, wrenching her arm free with more pain to greet her. Cradling her arm Sam looked towards Henry with a spark of anger in her eyes, glancing back towards where Vincent had stood but quick enough to return to Henry should he try and grab her again. Something was happening at the front gate, Vincent having gone to join the others in their confrontation.

It could only be Sarah.

With little thought of the situation or of Henry, the girl turned to run towards the gate. She was not going to be treated as some child to be hidden away while the adults played their games, blindly following whatever decisions they made. Whether or not they treated her as such Sam was very much a part of this group. She had a voice (figuratively speaking) and a right to take a stance.

She hesitated to approach Vincent, his rifle raised alongside all the others, choosing to lose herself instead with another group that didn’t seem to mind her presence if they even cared to notice the girl. Sure enough the convoy Sarah had led back into Chicago was back. Sam stood there, fist clenched tight, watching the scene unfold and hoping that things would not end in bloodshed. She didn’t notice but tears had long since started to fall.

[Alouite]

Jean nodded to Henry and said. "I'm starting to pick up on that. I expected Americans to never tolerate such a leader. It amazes me how that could happen." Suddenly Vincent approached Mean telling him to take the Armory. Jean nodded and said "Sounds good to me." He drew his handgun and opened the door to the Armory. He saw the various weapons along with the newly taken riot gear and smiled. This would last them for a while. No one was inside, so he closed the door to the armory and yelled "All clear." He re entered the Armory and placed a table against the window so it blocked the lower half. He would leave that building free or dead. When the others arrived be barricaded the door with a few chairs and then returned to his position.

[New Grestin]

// DAY 29 // 6:30 PM // NEW EVANSTON

Sarah walked, head cast down as she collected her things. A handful of books, some clothes she'd found, and a small handful of food. She walked out to the gate, never even looking at Vincent. Rifle slung over her back, she walked just outside the gate, and finally looked back to him. Tears in her eyes, she spoke.

"You can keep this fucking place."

With that, she started down the road, wiping her eyes. She'd failed, in more ways than one. She looked down the road, seeing a handful of infected and burn out cars. Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again. As she walked from the compound, she heard footsteps running behind her. She slid the rifle off her back and swung around, finding it's steel barrel level with Ian's face. He looked at her for a moment, wide eyed.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's just me."

She dropped the rifle and embraced him, tears streaming down her face. The rifle clattered to the ground as three others approached. Paulson stuck his hands in the pockets of his labcoat, still bloody, and sighed. Sarah, still hugging Ian close, looked over to them.

"Why?"

Alan crossed his arms, still wearing his vest and badge. He wore a camouflage army cap, aviators resting on the bill.

"Fuck those guys."

Paulson chimed in.

"He thinks he's some kind of revolutionary."

He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I'd rather keep this"

He opened up his messenger bag, revealing a laptop and the hard-drive.

"-out of that idiot's hands."

Sarah looked over to Alison, expectantly.

"Frankly," he said, "I just don't like him."

Sarah laughed and finally released Ian. He smiled, hands stuffed in his pockets. The group stood around for a moment, then Alan sighed.

"So, what now?"

Sarah shrugged and adjusted her coat. It was going to start getting cold as the sun cast a red hue against the sky. Night had just barely begun to fall. They needed to get inside, soon. She looked down the road towards Old Evanston. It wasn't the best idea, they only had maybe six weapons between the five of them, not counting pistols and knives. Sarah looked back to them.

"We can set up camp down in Old Evanston, at least for the night."

With that, the group nodded amongst one another, a succession of shrugs and nods and they were off. Sarah grabbed her rifle from the pavement, Ian slid his off his back. Sarah rubbed the tears from her eyes. She was out in the wastes again, but at least this time, she wasn't alone.

[Wallenburg]

Hugh Garmany || Southwest of Toledo || Day 29

"Well, that's a very moving speech," said the captain sarcastically. "I'm sure you spent many sleepless nights preparing it. Now, if you'd like to get back to reality, I want to know why exactly I should spare you or anyone of your group."

"I--I can't believe you," stammered Hugh. "You would kill us simply for the sport of it? What do you have to gain from erasing us? How are we a threat? You attacked us. We would have been past Toledo and heading for Pennsylvania if you hadn't captured us."

The captain stood silent, considering Hugh's argument. "True. You're right. It's our fault that this ever happened. But--"

He was interrupted by the screams of a soldier and, quickly following, gunfire. Running out to discover the cause of the commotion, the captain left Hugh and his group alone in the large room, which appeared to be a storage area.

"Um...Hugh? This might be a good time to leave," said Lauren, the screams and gunfire intensifying. Hugh quickly agreed and they made their way out of the building.

The compound outside was in chaos. Soldiers were retreating to the left, firing blindly as a wave of infected stormed over a collapsed section of the wall. "Holy shit!" Lamar shouted out as they all tried to find a way out that didn't involve running across either the infected or the soldiers.

"What about our supplies?" Hugh shouted out as they ran between buildings.

Lauren struck down an infected child as it stumbled towards them. "They're still in the car, parked over here next to the wall." Lauren pointed in one direction and kept running. Turning through the compound, they saw the SUV sitting near the scrap metal wall, appearing untouched by the soldiers. They quickly got into the car as the infected started to appear in the rear window. Turning the ignition, Lauren tore through the compound, driving alongside the wall until she found the main gate. Soldiers were pouring through, some in an armored car, trying to escape the horde. Lauren accelerated the car and rolled over a young private, crushing him under the heavy vehicle. As the surrounding soldiers began to realize that their prisoners were escaping, Lauren tore down the road and made for the interstate. "Grab a gun and shoot them if you need to," Lauren called out to the entire group.

They made it to the interstate without further incident, still driving quickly to avoid being caught by the army. They sped through the outskirts of Toledo and only slowed down as they approached Lemoyne.

[The Olog-Hai]

Lamar said "It's a wonder they didn't get around to taking our supplies. Blind luck, I say."
He picks up a gun, and watches for trouble. Every one in a while, he'll see an infected, mostly not bothering to shoot them, except when they get within 40 feet.

[Wallenburg]

Lamar said "It's a wonder they didn't get around to taking our supplies. Blind luck, I say."
He picks up a gun, and watches for trouble. Every one in a while, he'll see an infected, mostly not bothering to shoot them, except when they get within 40 feet.

Hugh laughed. "I know, right? If they had taken the time to unload the car we would have been royally fucked." He watched the neatly built suburban communities pass by as they slowly returned to rural Ohio. "Although it looks like they took the weapons that were on us at the time. That sucks. I really liked that rifle."

[Australian Antarctica]

Vincent waved the group off, trying to be somewhat friendly. It would suck to have a bunch more people who hate them running around. Hell, the Army hates us, the raiders hate us, why not have more hate us? Vincent thought bitterly. When they were firmly out of sight, the twenty or so people remaining began milling about, unsure of what to do now. Vincent quickly grabbed a spare piece of plastic and formed a megaphone "Alright, listen up!" he yelled, stopping everyone in their tracks "Unlike the past, let's have our new leader elected Democratically. The candidates will be me and Luke!" a few people nodded uncertainly, while most gave loud applause "Alright! All for me!" 13 hands shot up, all original residents "Well, sorry Luke, better luck next time. Now, onto the next order of business. Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for your part in the revolt, even if you didn't bear arms and help us, you still helped us by staying out of the way. Nobody got hurt. Now, I'd like to formally re-establish the New Evaston Defense force. I'd like to have two wings, an offensive, and a defensive wing. Luke, it would be an honor for you to lead the offensive wing. Jean, Major I mean, I'd be honored if you led the defensive and training wing. Lastly, I'd like to establish a work schedule. Report to Eddie with the job you would like to have. No more being told what job you have to do. That's not to say you can slack off, you still need to work, but you can pick your work. Well, I lied actually, there is one more issue, food. We have enough for over two more years, and that's if we all over eat! No more beatings for stealing a little extra, just don't go overboard and start hoarding. If you want more, ask. That is all, thank you" Vincent bowed, out of breath, and shaking a little bit. A round of applause resonated throughout the compound, probably heard for miles. He walked and shook hands with each resident, trying to keep his image up. Finally he settled down in Sarah and O'Neil's former home. He'd almost dozed when he remembered Sam. Vince hadn't seen her since their fight during the coup, and he wondered if she hadn't gone with Sarah. He frantically searched the compound, finally finding her crying in one of the Dorms. Vince sat beside her, his face filling with relief.

[Tayner]

-Snippety-

When Vincent took a vote, he won naturally. He was the one who actually lead the coup. Luke's part in the revolution was just as important but less known. Luke literally lead half of they loyalists' army away from the compound and brought back guns and ammo. If there was time for propaganda, Luke would've won anyway.

"Better luck next time "

Vincent said, and Luke responded with "You're going to need the luck next time." And a few people in the crowd laughed. Major was appointed to the defense force, and Luke was the leader of the offensive force. Once Vincent wrapped up his speech, Luke hollered to the crowd. "Alright, if you want to join the offense force, line up here, if you want to be in the defense force, go over to Mr.Jean over there!" And he pointed at Jean. "Don't forget to return your weapons to the armory."

Three people lined up next to Luke, all of them were members in the coup. Luke told them to stand at attention, and they did. He told them about the basics of combat, and rules of engagement. He then told them that every day, at 09:00 they would report outside of the armory for PT. The thought brought up moans from the group, but they all responded with a "Yes Sir!"

Like dismissed the group and got in his truck. He drove it into the garage and grabbed his duffel bag, and stuffed all his firearms into it. Once he stocked the armory, and organized it, he went into his dorm, where he saw Sam crying and Vincent trying to comfort her. Luke walked to his bed, and tossed the duffel bag onto the bed. He withdrew his South Carolina State Flag and hanged it on the wall over his bunk.

Luke went back to his truck and grabbed his Marines uniform. He returned to his spot in the dorm and put the uniform in his locker. He sat on his bed, and went through his duffel bag, finding his Confederate Battle Flag, and thought. I wonder if I could fly this. Luke decided to ask Vincent later, seeing as how the man was occupied with comforting Sam. Luke then sat on his bed, resting his back on the wall, and whistled The Marine's Hym.

[New Grestin]

// DAY 29 // 7:30 PM // OLD EVANSTON POLICE STATION //

The group sat around the fire, wind howling outside. Crackling, the flames illuminated their tired faces. A skinned raccoon sat over the fire, slowly roasting as the crew milled about. Alan and Paulson sat in the corner of what was once an office, playing cards. Alison read one of the books she'd snagged from Sarah. Ian drank from his canteen, watching the flames crackle and pop. It took him a moment to realize it, but Sarah wasn't with him anymore. He stood, looking around, but finding her nowhere. He wandered the building, eventually finding her curled up in the armory. He watched her as she laid against the wall, crying. She looked up to him, tears streaming down her face.

"It's all my fault."

He walked over and slid down the wall, landing right next to her. She wept, hands over her face. He put his arm over her. He spoke, quietly.

"Hey, it's not your fault."

She paused for a moment. Her eyes met his.

"It's not. Really."

She looked to the ground, eyes solemn.

"Before I ran into you guys, I could have shot him. I could have shot Vincent, I could have shot Luke, and I could have left."

Ian held her close, hearing the wind outside. It shrieked as it blew through the shattered windows. He brushed her hair out of her face as he spoke.

"You can't change what happened. We just have to keep going. We'll be fine."

She smiled at him, he returned it. The two embraced and walked back to the fire. Alan had begun to strip the cooked carcass, handing everyone bits and pieces of it. The two sat down and ate. The meat wasn't exactly great, in fact, it was overpoweringly gamey, but it was something. Paulson spoke up.

"So, what now?"

Sarah shrugged, then swallowed.

"No idea. I know there's a few campsites around Evanston, we could set up there, find a few cars. There's still a decent amount of gear in the armory-"

She motioned down the hall.

"-so it's not like we're going to run out of guns any time soon, but we should try and grab an RV or something."
"Why an RV?"

She sighed.

"Spacious, mobile, if we can find some propane, some models have built in ovens. There's also the issue of the bandits."
"Bandits?"
"Yeah. Those bodies outside? Those were most of them, but there might be a few still hanging around."
"And what about New Evanston?"

She stopped eating for a moment, then looked to Paulson, her eyes solemn.

"Fuck em'. If I ever see Vincent again, I'm going to pull his teeth out with-"

Ian cut in, chuckling.

"Alright, alright. Some of us are trying to eat."

The group shared a brief chuckle, then returned to their meal. Sarah ate quietly. She meant what she said. They might be able to move on, to get over it, but if she had the chance, she was going to make him suffer. Dark thoughts flooded her mind as she ate, thoughts she'd repressed for some time. She needed retribution.

---

Everyone packed it in early that evening, everyone but Sarah. Once she knew Ian was asleep, she slipped out from next to him and crept out into the main hall. Paulson sat, drinking a thermos of coffee and holding an assault rifle. He watched her approach.

"Where are you going?"

She walked into the moonlight, recalling that Paulson drew the short straw for first watch. He couldn't help but look her over, his face red. She spoke quietly, yet forcefully.

"Paulson. You've got a razor, right?"
"Uh, yeah, why?"
"I need it."
"Um, ok?"

He handed her a small razor and she quickly ducked into one of the restrooms. She quickly went to work, slicing off bits of her hair. It felt strangely cathartic as she watched herself. She jumped slightly as she finished, feeling warm blood trickle from the cut onto her neck. She reached back and wiped it off, never moving her gaze from the mirror. She looked down at her hands, coated in fresh blood, then back to the mirror. She smiled and wiped it onto her own reflection.

Sarah left the bathroom in a rush, every cell in her body firing as she walked into the armory. She felt incredible. Grabbing a rifle from one of the lockers, she looked it over. The optics were dead-on, just the way she wanted it. Sarah slung it over her back and walked past Paulson towards the door. He watched her, then spoke.

"You're going back, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Just be careful."
"I know."

With that, Sarah disappeared into the night, hatred in her heart and a rifle in her hands.

---

In any other circumstance, seeing a woman in a tree would simply be an odd experience. These were not regular circumstances. Sarah was about sixty yards from the compound, watching the guards do their rounds. Hank, the preacher, was among them. Still smiling, Sarah leveled the rifle on a branch and lowered her cheek onto the stock. The crosshairs lined up on Hank's bald head. Her finger eased over to the trigger, and she squeezed. The round shrieked towards the man, the rifle shuddering in her hands.

Hank stood for a moment, clutching his throat, then collapsed. His lifeless body fell from the wall, landing to the ground with a wet thud. Every cell, every aspect of Sarah's body screamed in triumph. Sarah jumped from the tree and sprinted into the nearby woods, leaving the rifle behind. She wanted them to find it, to realize they'd fucked with the wrong person. As she ran through the brush back to the police station, she smiled. Even after everything that happened, even after finding someone that she could be with, she still enjoyed the euphoric rush of violence.

---

Sarah slinked into the building, Paulson watching her as she laid down next to Ian. He roused for a moment.

"Where were you?"
"Bathroom."
"Oh."

Ian laid back down, sliding his arm over Sarah. She smiled and leaned in against him.

[Alouite]

Jean moved the table and chairs and exited the armory. The day was otherwise calm and he skipped the vote since he knew Vincent was going to win. He was again walking over to the armored car when a loud gunshot could be heard. From the sound it was a sniper rifle long distance. Some one had picked off a local. He turned and saw the pastor, a man of god collapse to the floor. Jean was hardly religious but this struck him very badly. A flashback to the mission in the Central African Republic suddenly came by him. He saw the Imam collapse to the floor in a slow motion, the same man who gave them shelter and rallied the local children into the Mosque to avoid being slaughtered by the Christians. The memory combined with the last few days of experiences gave him a final push. Suddenly PTSD set in. He looked around him his senses in the same position as they were back in the Mosque. He bolted for his Armored car and grabbed his rifle and headgear before sprinting back and said "Ce fut les tyrans était-ce pas?" He remembered that they spoke English and said "Was this her?"

[Tayner]

Luke was finally dozing off when he heard a gunshot. He jumped up, grabbed his SOG Hatchet, and sprinted outside. A guard was trying to counter snipe the attacker but it was useless. They would have either relocated or retreated by now. Another guard was leaning over Hank trying to administer first aid, but her efforts were futile. Hank was already dead. A guard ran out the gate a few minutes later and found a rifle about sixty yards from the walls.

Luke inspected the rifle when the guard gave it to him. Definitely a police rifle, definitely one of the exiles. Luke concluded that it was Sarah, in an unstable state. Luke, marched with the rifle into Vincent's house, and found him sitting at a table. Luke plopped the rifle right over the book that he was reading and said "Sarah just offed Hank. I'm going on a retaliation mission. This is definitely police issue, so I'm going to the Old Eviston PD. I'm taking Jean." Luke said to him in a cold voice.

"You sure?" Vincent replied.

"Yes."

"Do it." Vincent said with a nod. Luke exited the building and saw Jean with a rifle shouting something.

"Was this her?"

"Yes. Your coming with me, your my spotter." Luke said as he approached Jean. "I need some Armor."

"Ok, I got some in the armored truck." The two then geared up, and headed to Old Eviston. The positioned their snipers" nest on a hill overlooking the police station. The wind was calm, and the group asleep. Jean whispered "We're about 75 Yards from Sarah." He then said "The flags by the front door are resting, no wind. Prime time for a shot."

"Copy." Luke rested the crosshairs over the back of her head, that looked freshly cut. No, this would be to easy for her. Luke raised the crosshair up to Ian's head and took a slight breath in. He projected the bullet to land in the man's eye. Luke jently squeezed the trigger, and a loud crack rang through the air. Right in the Ian's eye. He probably took some hair off of Sarah too. "Let's go."

With that, the team cleaned up the gear, and Luke unloaded the rifle, and tossed it onto the ground, it was a simple message. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The sprint back to the compound was short, and they entered through the gate. Jean went off to attend to his own affairs and Luke advised the guards to be on high alert, and to use night vision optics. Luke entered Vincent's building, the President's House, with dirt and sweat on his face. "It's done. I got Ian."

[Wallenburg]

Hugh Garmany || Outside Elyria, Ohio || Day 29

The sun was slowly tumbling downwards towards the earth, bleeding red in its death. Lamar was driving now, with Rebecca next to him, marking off their progress in Hugh's road atlas. Lauren was trying to attend to Hugh's broken rib, but it was going poorly. She had to satisfy herself with the hope that they hadn't made his injury worse.

"We'll have to stop soon," said Rebecca, pointing at the sun with a red marker.

"You're right. Where are we right now?"

Rebecca looked back down at the atlas. "Near some place called Elryia. It's...10 or so miles from Cleveland."

"Lamar, could you exit when you see a sign for Elryia?" Hugh asked, wincing as his rib moaned through the bandages. Lauren gave him a short, concerned kiss as they came up on the town, infected meandering about the highway with no clear purpose nor much interest in chasing the car. The weaker ones are the most fascinating. They seem to retain some human emotion: hope, fear, curiosity. These poor freaks probably haven't seen a meal in days. They've given up.

Then a runner slammed into the side of the car, licking one of the windows. The group startled as the infected figure stumbled off the highway into the brush.

[Vacif]

Day 29
7:45 PM
Cincinnati

After driving around the burned out ruins of Indianapolis, which took significantly more time, and fuel than they wanted (Luckily, there were plenty of abandoned cars to siphon from), they arrived at Cincinnati. The outer areas were a ghostly sight, always the sense of being watched, but there was never any sign of life. The entire place was dead. The suburbs (The ones that were still intact) seamed frozen in time. A perfect Sunday afternoon, without people. It didn't help that it was sundown. Morgan radioed ahead, and asked if it was always like this. They replied after a few tense minutes of waiting, they were ready for them at the North-West gate, and they replied that the majority of the surrounding area was a sea of suburb, and forest. With so much area to cover, it wasn't like other cities, where it was urban sprawl, and they could simply close off a few roads, there were entire forests, and miles of suburb to watch over. No easy task, of course, with so much land spread apart, there wasn't as much infected in the suburbs, they claimed that majority of them were near the walls, or in fallen sections of the QZ, obviously, the survivors didn't control all of the city, but they had a fair chunk, or chunks of it under wraps. They'd be meeting with the group of the University of Cincinnati once they got off the 52. Like many fallen quarantine areas, some areas remained devoid of vehicles, while others were cluttered with the metal corpses, likely from when people broke quarantine, and hit each other on the way out. Brass thought the entire place would be a ghost town at the rate of people he'd seen in the past 2 hours, excluding those in the group. He was pleasantly surprised to see signs of life, on the overlook, he could see the walls of the Cincinnati QZ, and tents pitched on the tops of buildings, Not so much that he saw small crowds of infected roaming the streets, but at least they weren't alone in the suburbs with the ever so lasting feeling of being watched. While the streets weren't as cluttered as downtown Chicago, it was still a pain to move around. Feeling it was a good time to stop, and rest, they got off the highway, and drove into a small inn. Better than the dingy motel down the road at least. They'd set up inside, the truck's would be parked in front of the door, under the roof covering it. A team would be stationed on the roof, while 2 stayed with the trucks, they would camp in the lobby of the one story hostel. They'd sleep, and eat in rotation. Brass had first watch on the roof with Rogers. They'd meet up with the University group tomorrow, today had been enough travelling. They'd had good luck recently, he just hoped it would continue. But knowing the cruel world that was this Earth, he could only enjoy the peace while it lasted. He kept down low, in the shadows of the sign on the roof, cradling his M4 in his arms while watching the road ahead. Rogers was doing the same thing, but looking the other way.

[New Grestin]

// DAY 29 // 8:45 PM // OLD EVANSTON POLICE STATION //

Sarah jolted awake. A gunshot echoed throughout the destroyed city. She looked around for a moment, everyone was confused. Then, Alison's eyes grew wide and she pointed to Sarah. More specifically, the corpse that now laid next to her. Sarah looked down at Ian's body for a moment. Her body froze, her ears rang, violent shaking overtook her. She hung over him for a moment, shaking him and begging him not to die, but it was hopeless. He was dead. The group stood around her for a moment, unsure of what to think. Alan was the first to speak.

"What the fuck happened?"
"Someone fucking shot him, idiot."
"Hey, fuck you, dude."
"Sarah?"

Paulson knelt down next to her. She could hear his voice, but the thought refused to register. She simply sat, staring at Ian's corpse.

"Sarah?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, she batted Paulson's hand away.

"Don't-don't fucking touch me."

She broke down, completely. Rage blinded her, and now he was dead because of it. She grabbed the handgun from Ian's body, placed it against her head, and pulled the trigger. She expected something, anything, but instead, she only heard a click. The gun had jammed. Paulson wretched it from her hands and tossed it away. Sarah stumbled over to another corner of the room and curled up against it. Alan sighed and hefted the body over his back and carried it outside. They'd need to strip his gear and bury the body tomorrow. Paulson sat down next to Sarah, trying his best to comfort her and hoping, desperately, they wouldn't lose two people tonight. Alison simply sighed and took over Paulson's guard duty.

Sarah sat, crying, until morning. Her mind racked itself for some reason to keep going, some reason, anything. Paulson watched her and sighed. Sarah finally choked something out.

"Everyone I know dies, and it's my fault."
"What?"
"I shot one of the people in the compound."
"What?"
"I wanted revenge. They don't deserve it."
"Jesus fucking christ, Sarah."
"I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have, and Ian's dead."
"Fuck."

The two sat for a moment. Alan finally returned from outside, and Paulson walked over to him. The two spoke for a moment, but Sarah couldn't hear what they said. Alison joined them. They looked to her, then back to each other. Sarah began to pass out from exhaustion as they continued to talk amongst one another.

---

Sarah awoke the next morning with a start. The fire had been stamped out, the wind still blew through the window nearby. She rose and looked around, but there was no one. A note was stuck into the wall with a pocket knife. She tore it off, tears welling in her eyes as she read.

Sarah. We talked about it, and we think it's best we go our separate ways. I'm really sorry. I wish things could have happened differently.

Paulson

Sarah slammed her head into the wall, tears falling down her face. She fucked up, she fucked up and now she was alone, again. A small pile of gear had been left for her. A few magazines of ammo, some food, and little else. Sarah was completely numb by this point, thinking little as she gathered her things and raided what was left of the police station. Throwing a jacket on, she tied her trusty bandanna over her face and slid her goggles down. Stepping out onto the main road, she looked around. There was no sign of the group. She sighed, and checked her compass. West it is, then. She breathed in, then slid her rifle off her back and started walking. Just as she had begun, she tripped over something and fell face-first into the ground. She stood up, sighing with frustration. Her heart sank. It was the rifle she'd used to kill Hank. Sarah started to tear up again, but shook it off. It didn't matter now.

Nearby, she found Ian's body, still left behind on the road. He'd been stripped of his equipment, but he'd left his clothes. Sarah shook her head and muttered some semblance of an apology.

Thoughts bounced around in her mind for a time, as she walked. In mere hours she'd had power, lost it, then lost her new group. Such was the way of things now, she supposed. Stepping out onto the interstate, she looked around for a moment. Devastation surrounded her. Broken cars, mutilated bodies, and debris was scattered about. She checked her compass again and started down the interstate. Trudging along, a single prevailing thought sat in her mind.

Nothing matters anymore. We're all going to die.

---

Character appearance updated.

[Tayner]

Luke entered the dorm, with a blank expression on his face. His mind was off thinking. But he wasn't wondering about how his recent actions affected Sarah, or about the man's life he just ended. It was thinking about if Sarah found the rifle or not. The message was clear, but if she found the rifle it would be insult to injury. He didn't even bother putting his pistol in the armory, he just tossed it to one of his friends and asked them to do it.

Luke was exhausted. The walk from the President's house to his bunk felt longer then the sprint back to the compound. He entered the dorm, and saw Sam, apparently feeling better, sitting on her bed. How would she react if she found out what I did? What would she think? Luke asked himself. Truth be told, Ian was the first survivor he killed. Luke collapsed onto his bunk, and entered sleep. But he wasn't greeted by nightmares, he was greeted with him and his brother being on a hunting trip when they were fifteen with their dad.

The three were sitting in the deer blind wearing their cammo suits and orange vests in the middle of winter. The blind overlooked a small pond, and a small opening in the woods. After hours of waiting in freezing temperatures a magnificent 20 point buck strode to the pond, and drank its share. Luke raised the rifle, a .308 hunting rifle with a x10 zoom, and aimed right where the beast's heart was, about sixty yards away, and squeezed. Crack the deer fell, and the family went to collect their prey. Luke follow that exact same process when killing Ian.

Luke awoke the next morning, feeling better rested. His recruits joined him after breakfast and they did a few laps around the interior of the wall. After they did fifty push-ups outside the armory, followed by a healthy two dozen jumping jacks and a water break. Major's men joined in on the PT early on, and the milita was growing exhausted. Luke then built some makeshift dummies with some help from the recruits, and grabbed some sticks. He instructed the group on how to properly melee a target and different ways.

[Beiarusia]

Samantha Tallow // New Evanston

Sam had spent most of the evening alone in the dorm, crying until she was too numb to shed anymore tears. Vincent had stopped by at some point, trying in vain to comfort her, the girl saying nothing, pretending to be asleep so that he would leave which he eventually did. Now it was dark, the sun having set not too long beforehand, the girl left alone with her thoughts. In the end there had been nothing for her to do. Sarah was gone and Sam was left in the dark, trailing behind the intentions of others once more.

She clenched her fists. Not like this.

The girl was decided, moving quickly to find her paper pad and a pencil, scribbling a message before tearing free the sheet and laying it on top of her cot. It read:

Vincent, I’m sorry but I have to know for myself. I need Sarah to tell me with her own words. Even if you hate each other she is my friend. I know that you are a good person and that you only want what’s best for everyone, but I am not a child to be toddled along. I have my own opinions. My own right to think separately from you or Luke or Henry. My own ability to make decisions. I’m going to talk to Sarah. I am going to ask her myself if she really is the bad person you claim her to be. Maybe she will lie but I will have at least tried. Please don’t try and follow me. I’ll be back when I can, but if not then please don’t blame yourself. I’m not afraid if I am standing for myself for once in my life. Sam.

Content with her farewell, Sam grabbed Foley’s backpack, checking to make sure that the handgun was still in its place. Slipping the straps across her shoulders, she exited the dorms, careful to avoid being seen by anyone patrolling. There was a commotion near the front gate, perhaps infected? It didn’t much matter. Sticking to the shadows the girl reached the eastern wall of the compound, lacing her fingers through the fencings and climbing with some difficulty what with her busted arm. Reaching the top she threw her legs over and began her descent, losing her balance and falling the last few feet to the ground. Rolling so that she was upright her eyes scanned the immediate vicinity, finding nothing in the darkness. Scrambling to her feet she skirted around towards the street, making sure to stay well enough away from where the men on watch could see her. Satisfied that she was well enough away she moved onto the street, skirting the edge in case she needed to hide.

There was a town not too far from here. It made sense to assume that Sarah (and those who had tagged along) would go there, Evanston being the closest place to offer shelter. All Sam had to do was to follow the road signs. Hopefully she would make it before Sarah moved on. Determined, the girl walked briskly, wanting to get to her destination quickly but not wanting to tire herself by running should she need to exert the energy elsewhere.

A long while passed with the girl following the road, feeling as if she was making little progress. There had always been a car to whisk her away to wherever it was she needed to be, all her life taking for granted just how far a mile or several really was. Her phone had long since died so Sam couldn’t even use Google Maps to check her progress. There was Foley’s GPS but she was uncertain how to work it or even if it would be helpful at this moment, feeling it would only tell her where she was and not where Evanston was. All she could do was continue walking, knowing that eventually she would make it.

Day 30

The sun was shining, its light having awoken Sam who had spent the night inside a small sedan. She had been more tired than she would have liked to admit and, knowing that a tired mind would most likely get her killed should her perception lapse, had opted to take a nap in a relatively safe place. She had slept longer than intended and was hurrying to make up for lost time.

Evanson had been further out than she had assumed – though it could be that she walked there and that her sense of distance was skewed when not riding inside a vehicle. The city was as dead as Chicago had been but appeared to be clear of infected, a good thing as Sam was ill prepared to deal with such a situation. As luck had it she ran into no one, normal or otherwise. Sticking to the main road she made cursory inspections of all the main shops and buildings, feeling that the small group would have stayed somewhat close to the main road. She found nothing until she reached the police station, the bodies of the recently dead alarming her. They were most likely bandits and had been dead for longer than a night, but their being here was almost a sign pointing Sam in the right direction. The station was an important place, something that Sarah would have taken note of. Moving closer she saw that the earth had been disturbed near the entrance. A grave. Fearing the worse she made to open the main door, peering inside only to be greeted by nothing, the station exuded a sense of foreboding. Arming herself with Foley’s handgun – it made her feel somewhat secure – she moved inside, searching briefly before finding the remains of a fire, still somewhat warm. Not too far was a discarded note, the words striking Sam despite its message not being meant for her. Letting the paper fall she left the police station, unwilling to give up now that she had been so close.

Sam decided to try the interstate next. If Sarah or anyone for that matter was moving then that was the most likely way to do so. It was the only chance Sam had to find the woman, and she would bet everything even if it ended in failure. She had to at least try. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t do that much.

She couldn’t go back to the others until she had seen her decision through.

[Wallenburg]

Hugh Garmany || Elyria, Ohio || Day 29

Night quickly ensnared the survivors, leaving them exposed and blind in the streets. Lamar kept the headlights off as the sky turned purple. The others looked around for shelter, but the infected were too thick.

"Drive south, away from Cleveland," Rebecca told Lamar.

Rolling to the right, Lamar pulled the car over a speedbump and kept driving. The infected thinned out, and soon something caught Hugh's eye. "Over there!" he shouted.

Lamar hit the brakes as Hugh pointed to a UPS truck, half pulled onto the sidewalk. Lamar pulled the SUV into an alley and they ran over to the truck, breaking open its rear doors.

Crates filled the back of the truck, crates never delivered to their long-dead receivers. Hugh shifted a few crates around and went back to the car to bring in a few blankets from the Indiana motel. "We may as well try to sleep well," said Hugh, closing the doors behind him, tying them together with a spare shirt and some duct tape.

And like that they had found shelter, sleeping on a pile of boxes from Amazon.

[Dubrovka]

Day 29, Night
Desmond was jolted awake in the middle of the night with a gunshot extremely close. He looked around, still seeing that no one had come into his celler, he was still safe. He settled down for a moment before he finally decided to see what was going on. He grabbed his pack and slung it around his shoulder and latched on Max's pack as well. They both walked up the small amount of stairs to the celler door, where Desmond opened it as slowly and as quietly as humanly possible. He motioned for his dog to stay still. He poked his head out and took a look around. Some guards were laughing on the gate, one talked about how "That bitch didn't even have a chance!". Desmond was disgusted at the actions of these people. He decided to leave tonight, thinking about how to sneak out of the city. He finally decided that since he had no part in the revolution or the people who had come back, they wouldn't have any beef with him. He slung his rifle around his shoulder, called his dog, and began the walk out of the celler.

At first, no one really noticed him. He wasn't a big player in anything going on, so no one really noticed him much when he walked by. "I'm just a traveler... I'm just a traveler...". To Desmonds suprise, no one really stopped him when he reached the gate. Everyone saw him, everyone knew he was going for the door, but no one stopped him or called to him. Desmond pushed open the door and walked out of the camp, his dog following. He heard some chatter and rustling from the guards, but no calls to stop or no gun shots. It was a lot more peaceful than he thought it would be. With that, he slowly walked out of that crazy ass place and down the road from whence he came.

Once Desmond was a couple hundred meters away from the gates, he stopped for a rest. He patted his dog on the head and checked his watch "5:30" it read. Desmond was suprised he was so lively at this late at night, he is ussualy not even a night person. As he looked around, trying to get his bearings, the smell of a campfire caught his nose. He followed the smell to a small camp inside the Evanston Police Station only a stones throw from the city. He looked inside a blown out window but found no one except that girl that was a bitch to him, realizing that she was the only one there. He decided to sit tight and watch her until morning. Even though he didn't like her, he didn't feel like he wanted to leave her to die.

When morning came and she awoke, she found a letter with a knife holding it in place. Once she finished reading it she broke down and slammed her head against a tree, sobbing. Desmond felt sorry for her, losing her entire group within a day. She gathered her things and began to walk. Desmond still decided to follow her from a distance. It was morning, the sun just cracked over the horizon, but Desmond was still wide awake. He didn't even know why he was following her, he had a sort of protective instict for people after he let his friend die in front of him on the 7th day. He made a promise that day that he wouldn't let anyone else die if he could have something to do with it.

He followed the girl for a little while. She trudged along in a strange way, looking like she was drunk with sadness. Desmond decided it would be better if he stopped playing stalker and revealed himself. He stood up and walked towards her before calling out "Hey girl! Its the new guy from New Evanston! The Cop?".

[Charlia]

"I see..." She quailed a little at the sight of the dog. I hate dogs... Recovering quickly, she shook her head. "I don't really know--I think it's that way, though." Luckily enough, she was correct.

Hans followed her directions and headed that way. The sun was close to setting, so he'd better come up along it soon. Thankfully he did, he saw lights and... people? Or were they raiders? He had his AR ready, just in case. He drove up, only to see a semi. And a gang of armed survivors. He stopped a hundred yards or so from the scene.

"Umm, Charlotte, you know what's going on here?"

"No." They had cleared up--something else was going on. She got out of the car and walked towards them. "Hello?" She braced herself, preparing to feel bullets ripping into her. "Please don't shoot me?"

[Altito Asmoro]

Nikolas "Nick" Kharchenko / Melody Hanson
Day 29
Indiana

Nikolas and Melody settled down at an abandoned house on their way to the highway. It's already night, and it's dangerous to stay outside. Fuel is almost running out, endangering the road to the east more. Fortunately, the house has a can of gas, somehow left inside the house safely.

As Melody and Nikolas put their supplies inside, a scream was heard below.

"Melody, stay there." said Nikolas as he looked for the basement, common in the houses in America. He stumbled upon a locked basement, but he didn't wanted to searched it for now, both of them are sleepy and need some sleep. So Nikolas, with the help from Melody, pushed a sofa until the sofa was atop the door led to the basement, barricaded it. They barricaded the doors at front and behind, before settled in to sleep.

Melody slept at upstairs, at one of the bedroom, safely, while Nikolas locked the bedroom from inside with some of water bottles and food, pistol on hand, as he looked outside, the night is still long. He put himself beside Melody, to sleep as well. He pushed a chair at the door as a way to barricade it more.

[Cumberlanda]

He exited the car as well, limping. It was starting to hurt now, badly. His previously blue jeans were a dark and sickly red, at least his right leg was. His shirt, more of the same. His face was cut due to some debris from the Northwestern debacle, and the shock, or adrenaline, had just run out. He had his rifle out. Not aiming at anything. He got equal to where Charlotte was, and motioned for her to stay put. He looked up at a guard and waved.

"Hey, you! Don't shoot her! Or me!"

[Australian Antarctica]

Eddie and his friend Duke had been sharing a ciggarette on guard duty when the newcomers arrived. The pulled their rifles, trained on each of their chests "Who the hell are you?" Duke sneered, then remembered the new leadership's rules "You need a place to stay?" his tone softened "All we ask is that you remove any weapons, just find a bunk to crash. If you need medical treatment find either the Marine or the Belgian, they both know first aid. Go right on in"

---

Vincent collapsed after he'd read Sam's note. Each word stung like a thousand wasps, all aimed at his heart. She had left in search of the very woman who'd killed a Preacher, who beat a man for trying to survive, who threatened himself for brushing off a little sprained ankle. A monster in every sense of the word. Picking himself up off the ground, the first rays of light shining through the window. Morning already. Had it really only been a month since everything went to shit? Then Vince got to thinking, there was a radio in his new house, as well as a CB in the semi. Probably the rural states like North Dakota and Montana would still be mostly intact. Putting as little weight on his bad ankle, he dashed to the semi, grabbed the CB, then ran back to the house. Getting to work, he crossed, cut, and spliced wires until he had a two way radio made, able to both receive and now transmit. Giddy as a school boy, forgetting about his pain on loosing Sam for a moment, he quickly built an antenna and hooked it up outside where a group had gathered, fascinated by their new leader's ingenuity. Murmurs spread through the crowd, each both wondering and fearing what was being built. Their past leaders hadn't exactly set the bar high on niceness. Finally, Vincent was done. He cranked the volume and hit the transmit button "Hello, anyone out there?"
After a few moments, a voice boomed from the speaker "This is a restricted Government channel, please state your business"
Vincent's face was one of many emotions, happiness, fear, relief, and hard thought "This is the Republic of New Evanston. 9 clicks northwest of Chicago. There are barely any survivors here. Where is the U.S Government operating out of currently"
The man on the other end took a moment to respond "I'm not supposed to say this, but we are currently Headquartered in Casper, Wyoming. You are in Chicago you said? Last I heard it was obliterated"
Vincent was taken aback by the man's wording, not that they obliterated it, but that it was destroyed "That's correct. The Green Berets tried to kill us, for almost two days they hunted us in the streets. Finally they gave up and blew it to kingdom come"
The man on the other end hesitated "That's above my clearance"
"Understood. Anything you can tell me about the rest of the country?"
"Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, the Dakotas, and the southern half of Idaho is under government control. There are scattered pockets of survivors over the country"
"Roger that. Any way you can get us supplies?"
"We'll have an airlift going over the area in two days, I'll make sure some of the cargo is 'lost in the turbulence'"
Vincent smiled as the rest of the crowd cheered "Roger that. We have generators running so there will be lights on to help you find us. Thanks"
"My name's Sergeant Dawson by the way"
"Vincent"
"Nice to talk to someone besides the usuals here Vincent. My guard shift is coming up, so I've got to go"
"Contact me next time you have a chance"
"Will do. Eagle 1-1 Out" then the signal went dead.

The crowd milled around for a moment, before getting back to work. Vincent just sat back in his chair, a dumb grin plastered across his face.

[Charlia]

Eddie and his friend Duke had been sharing a ciggarette on guard duty when the newcomers arrived. The pulled their rifles, trained on each of their chests "Who the hell are you?" Duke sneered, then remembered the new leadership's rules "You need a place to stay?" his tone softened "All we ask is that you remove any weapons, just find a bunk to crash. If you need medical treatment find either the Marine or the Belgian, they both know first aid. Go right on in"

Charlotte sighed, entering. I don't have any weapons anyway... She looked back to see if Hans was coming. If he wasn't, she would follow him--he saved her life, after all. She felt she was safer with him than with a group of strangers.

[Cumberlanda]

Eddie and his friend Duke had been sharing a ciggarette on guard duty when the newcomers arrived. The pulled their rifles, trained on each of their chests "Who the hell are you?" Duke sneered, then remembered the new leadership's rules "You need a place to stay?" his tone softened "All we ask is that you remove any weapons, just find a bunk to crash. If you need medical treatment find either the Marine or the Belgian, they both know first aid. Go right on in"

---

Vincent collapsed after he'd read Sam's note. Each word stung like a thousand wasps, all aimed at his heart. She had left in search of the very woman who'd killed a Preacher, who beat a man for trying to survive, who threatened himself for brushing off a little sprained ankle. A monster in every sense of the word. Picking himself up off the ground, the first rays of light shining through the window. Morning already. Had it really only been a month since everything went to shit? Then Vince got to thinking, there was a radio in his new house, as well as a CB in the semi. Probably the rural states like North Dakota and Montana would still be mostly intact. Putting as little weight on his bad ankle, he dashed to the semi, grabbed the CB, then ran back to the house. Getting to work, he crossed, cut, and spliced wires until he had a two way radio made, able to both receive and now transmit. Giddy as a school boy, forgetting about his pain on loosing Sam for a moment, he quickly built an antenna and hooked it up outside where a group had gathered, fascinated by their new leader's ingenuity. Murmurs spread through the crowd, each both wondering and fearing what was being built. Their past leaders hadn't exactly set the bar high on niceness. Finally, Vincent was done. He cranked the volume and hit the transmit button "Hello, anyone out there?"
After a few moments, a voice boomed from the speaker "This is a restricted Government channel, please state your business"
Vincent's face was one of many emotions, happiness, fear, relief, and hard thought "This is the Republic of New Evanston. 9 clicks northwest of Chicago. There are barely any survivors here. Where is the U.S Government operating out of currently"
The man on the other end took a moment to respond "I'm not supposed to say this, but we are currently Headquartered in Casper, Wyoming. You are in Chicago you said? Last I heard it was obliterated"
Vincent was taken aback by the man's wording, not that they obliterated it, but that it was destroyed "That's correct. The Green Berets tried to kill us, for almost two days they hunted us in the streets. Finally they gave up and blew it to kingdom come"
The man on the other end hesitated "That's above my clearance"
"Understood. Anything you can tell me about the rest of the country?"
"Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, the Dakotas, and the southern half of Idaho is under government control. There are scattered pockets of survivors over the country"
"Roger that. Any way you can get us supplies?"
"We'll have an airlift going over the area in two days, I'll make sure some of the cargo is 'lost in the turbulence'"
Vincent smiled as the rest of the crowd cheered "Roger that. We have generators running so there will be lights on to help you find us. Thanks"
"My name's Sergeant Dawson by the way"
"Vincent"
"Nice to talk to someone besides the usuals here Vincent. My guard shift is coming up, so I've got to go"
"Contact me next time you have a chance"
"Will do. Eagle 1-1 Out" then the signal went dead.

The crowd milled around for a moment, before getting back to work. Vincent just sat back in his chair, a dumb grin plastered across his face.

"Alright, just be careful with her, she's worth quite a bit." he said, handing over his AR. "Her too" he motioned to Charlotte. "So, I noticed a bit of a commotion, everything alright here? Looks like someone went and built a... radio antenna... Okay..." he said, trying to contain his hope. If they could make contact, he could know. He could hope. He first decided to head to one of those medical guys. The Belgian, or the Marine? Eh, he'd look for both. Of course, finding a Marine would be easier than a Belgian. Marines had a way of... walking or whatnot. You could tell who was in the service or not. He had no idea if a Belgian walked any different. "This place will work. It will have too. You alright?" he asked to Charlotte.

He walked up to one fellow, a man with a rather bushy beard.

"You the Marine?" he asked, noticing the "recruits" nearby, doing exercises.