Fandom WWZ - IC

[Safton]

Jonah followed along behind Miller in the pickup at a slow rumble, rocking back and forth in his seat as the grass was crunched underneath the tires as the vehicle rolled over gentle slopes. Ahead of him, Miller was struggling to keep up with Royce in the dark, who stalked across the pasture at a near trot, nose to the ground as he followed a scent trail only he was aware of. Twice he seemed to pause as if unsure, only for Miller to give him another sniff of the sweater, prompting the Dutch Shepherd to once again trot forward with renewed confidence.

It wasn't long before Royce froze in his tracks, eyes locked toward a slope ahead of him, muscles tense. Miller looked confused, turning back toward Jonah and signaling for him to stop. Decker nodded, shifting the truck into park before grabbing his rifle and stepping out to approach the man. "What've you got?"

Miller turned toward him anxiously, fiddling with the safety on his rifle. "That's him alerting to a potential threat," he said, nodding toward Royce who now bared his teeth while continuing to stare at the hill in front of them. "You hear that?"

Jonah paused, tilting his head to listen closely. After a moment, he heard it: a chorus of moans, along with the distant sound of snapping branches and rustling vegetation. Both men traded silent nods before creeping up the crest of the hill to glance over it. Just over one hundred yards away, they found the source of the noise. Though difficult to make out through the treeline and the darkness, a small horde of Infected -- at least two dozen -- had gathered around the base of a large hardwood, clawing and gnawing at the bark, bumping into one another... but all had their heads focused upward. Following their hungry gazes, he couldn't make out what it was they were so interested in... though he had a guess.

Decker set his pack down, reaching into to remove a night vision monocle before unslinging his rifle, raising it to his shoulder and looking down the telescopic sight. Using his free hand to line the monocle up with the rifle's scope was unwieldy, but eventually he managed to align the two optics and get the focus right. He was rewarded for his efforts with the sight of a person -- Ginny Wallace, presumably -- in the branches of the tree. She didn't look to be in great shape from what he could make out, but she was breathing at least. They would have to move fast to keep it that way.

Jonah muttered a curse under his breath, returning the monocle the ruck. "She's up there?!" Miller asked in an incredulous whisper.

Decker nodded. "We've got to get her down and back to the ranch, but the area needs to be clear before that happens. We could drop them, but the sound of gunfire will bring them in for a few klicks... and there's too many to take down by hand."

Miller chewed his lip. "Call for the rest of the team?"

Jonah shook his head. "I don't want Wheeler and his group out of our sight and besides, I don't think Ginny can afford to wait much longer. Who knows how long she's been up there in the cold?"

"What's the play, Sergeant?"

Jonah ran a hand across his jaw with a sigh before squaring his shoulders. "Get Royce and get in the truck. Drive down into that clearing and make as much noise as possible to draw them away from the tree. Once they clear it, you take off. Don't wait for me. Just get clear," he paused to point further downfield. "See that bend down there? Make good enough time and you can probably lose them there. Once you're certain you've lost the tail, we'll regroup at the ranch; let the rest of the team know what's going on. Have Doc on standby. Understand?"

Miller hesitated before sighing deeply. "I understand, Sarge."

"Good. Get ready; I need to grab a few things from the truck."

***​

Jonah watched as the truck tore down the hill, its diesel engine grumbling all the way. Miller drove to within thirty meters of the tree, before he began circling -- the man was doing donuts, honking his horn all the while. Decker watched anxiously until he saw the ghouls slowly turn towards the noisy machine, staggering into the field after it -- their would-be treed meal suddenly forgotten in favor of this new ground-level prey. In ones and twos, they started after the truck. Before long well over a dozen of them had taken after the vehicle, prompting Miller to flash his headlights at Jonah -- their agreed-upon signal -- before turning to race down the pasture with his newfound tail of undead.

Jonah wasted no time in racing down the embankment and running down the treeline. He nearly tripped and fell twice in the dark -- cursing under his breath as he continued to move. Within seconds, he reached the base of the tree, crashing breathlessly through the underbrush. He saw a young woman approach him and assumed Ginny had used the distraction to climb down the tree. He opened his mouth to address her when she stepped closer to him, illuminating her face in the moonlight. Not only was this not Ginny, she wasn't human. Not anymore. A gouge of flesh had been torn from her face and her eyes were the telltale shade of milky blue. She lunged at him with a guttural moan just as Jonah hefted the bush axe in both hands and swung with all his might.

The TREPE team members had given him suspicious looks when they saw him pack the brush-clearing tool on the flight... but there was no denying its power. The double-edged blade cleaved through the side of the woman's skull with the same ease as the saplings Jonah was used to. Her body went limp, falling at his feet with a thud. He jerked the axe blade free, doing a quick perimeter scan to ensure that there wouldn't be anymore surprises before staring up into the dark branches. From this angle, he couldn't even see if Ginny was still in the tree. "Virginia Wallace!" he called out.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

Norman was less than pleased with what he was witnessing within the farm house, even as the Reserves her hastily putting things back in order he felt is disgust for the men rising. "You will order your men back to their tents immediately. You will assist in returning the civilians back into this house as they were before." He could see Charlie's look of hope fade to that of displeasure and disappointment. "Once this is complete you will report to _ upon his return and give him a full debriefing of what has occurred here, rest assured Ms. Wallace will be given the same opportunity." Charlie saluted begrudgingly before turning and striding from the house, shouting commands at his men. Norman sighed internally before finding his own unit and relaying orders to set up a quarantine perimeter and start their decontamination protocols; there was no point in reinforcing their defenses if those here were already infected.

St. Boethius

 

[NanLia]

Ginny had worked at unbuckling the belt from around her, but her hands hand grown numb from the cold and it was a struggle. Eventually she gave up, and instead pulled the belt up over her head. Once free she started looking for alternatives, a branch that connected to the next tree, or perhaps hung out far enough that she could drop from the limb and make a break for it? Her ankle still hurt like hell but it was walk on it or die. Just as she was about to climb further out on the branch she was on hear head a rumbling noise coming from the forest's edge. At first she thought she was hallucinating: who the hell would risk themselves to come out here? But she saw the lights and heard the horn. She couldn't believe it! Some fool was doing donuts in the field, the best she could tell and she thought of only one person stupid enough to do this. "Katie." She hissed and started descending the tree as swiftly as her cold stiff limbs out let her.

Ginny had few regrets in life, despite the hand she had been dealt before she met Joe, but today she had added two more to the list: wearing the light cotton shirt she had on now, having left her jacket on the saddle with Moose when it had got hot, and dropping from the lowest limb of the tree she could find. She hissed as she hit the ground, sharp pain shooting up her leg from her ankle. She bit her lip hard to keep from crying out, making any other noise; lest she draw the dead back on her. She could still hear them around her, shuffling through the underbrush towards the noisy truck that had now taken off leaving her only the sound of moans and shuffling feet in the distance. She withdrew her knife and flipped the blade open, knowing she would likely need it between here and safety.
She had only taken one single step forward before she heard a voice in the darkness. "Virginia Wallace!" She knew well enough the man that called her was an utter stranger; no one called her Virginia, at least not since she was very young and only then when she was about to be scolded. She hesitated for the briefest moments before answering; what was the likely hood this person meant her harm, really? He could have left her in the tree. "Here." She called back, though started to limp her way in the direction she had heard the voice.

Safton

 

[Safton]

​

"Here."

Jonah let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding at the sound of a female voice emerging from the brush. He heard her moving toward him, going to meet her halfway. When she finally came into view, he immediately noticed her limping, favoring one leg as she approached -- her skin looked pale. He felt his heart sank, wondering if they had been too late, if the darkness was merely hiding a bite mark on that leg.

He set the handle of the bloodied bush axe down on the forest floor to appear as nonthreatening as possible. "Miss Wallace, my name is Jonah Decker. The military sent us from Nashville to help out at your ranch. I already talked to Katie, she said you were missing." His eyes flicked toward her leg. "What happened? Can you walk?"

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

​

Ginny was rather surprised to find herself in the company of someone in uniform she hadn't met before, he introduced himself to her and she shook her head. "Ginny, please. Miss Wallace was my mother-in-law." She was more than relieved to see someone from Nashville, or at least claiming to be from there; she hadn't heard anything about the status of their pickup since O'Donovan had left the ranch months before and she had started to believe they weren't coming at all.

He had mentioned her sister, which explained why he was out here looking for her: Charlie would never had risked himself or his men to come after her, she glanced momentarily down at her ankle before looking back at Jonah and nodding. "I'll run if I need to, Moose knocked me over earlier, getting away from them." She couldn't bring herself to call them Zack and they certainly weren't people, but zombie just sounded too odd. She shifted slightly closer, turning to glance the way she had come hearing more of them pushing through the trees and brush in their direction, she could only assume those that had lagged behind the truck were returning to find her. "We should go," She whispered nervously.

Safton

 

[Jackstack]

Houston ​

Jackson smiled, “What do you think…, you realize that this is the second or third time you’ve asked that?” and Houston shook his head, giving out a quiet chuckle, “Yeah, I’m used to asking people that…” and he saw Jackson lower his head. Houston could see that Jackson was thinking, his eyes were moving, as if he was searching for something. “Yeah, but wouldn’t we want to get some sleep? I mean, if we want to avoid any major cities, that could really elongate the time to get there.”, “I think that’s the price we’re going to have to pay. When one of us drives, the other can sleep in the passenger seat, or to the best of their abilities anyway.”. The talking has ceased, and it seemed that the decision has been made. Jackson let out a sigh, “Alright, I’ll make one last check, and we can head out of here.” and got up from the couch. Jackson walked back to his bedroom, and left Houston in the living room. Houston was prepared to leave, as he didn’t unpack at all. He looked back at the door and all his stuff was there. He looked to his right side and saw a pillow. He didn’t want to ask Jackson for a blanket, figuring that he was still mulling over the plan. He laid down, and started to count the number of stains he was on the ceiling. His thought came back, and this prevented him from sleeping, but he guessed it was better than having a nightmare. Again, the guilt of not reaching his parents in time was eating him away, the guilt of not waiting for his ex-girlfriend was eating him away, and his brother not answering his phone and calling back ate at him. The same old arguments would come back, “You could have waited, she was probably on her way, you left her to die.”, “ Your parents would be alive if you hadn't been so obsessed with your job, and so worried that they might fire you,”, “Your brother is dead, and there’s nothing you can do about it, strike three, you’re losing and next up to bat is Jackson.”, Jackson was now under Houston's area of concern. What happens if he dies while they’re getting gas, just because Houston couldn’t get the infected off. Or that he wasn’t paying attention and the infected came out of nowhere. Jackson was the last hitter and Houston didn’t know what he would do after that. Why was he so concerned with a guy he just met, was it because he saved Houston’s life, or was it because he dragged him on this trip because, Houston was too much of a coward to do it himself. Like he thought, he lost his parents, and now he’s substituting them with Jackson. If anything were to happen to him, Houston would be responsible. What if he had family, what would happen then..” and with that, Houston heard a baning on the ceiling, his eyes widened. Jackson came from his room, deliberately being quiet and looked up. It was a good twenty-five second before it stopped, and then Jackson just indicated to Houston to be quiet and went back in his room. It looked like they would just have to deal with that or fall asleep before it picked up again. There were no dreams, it was like he counted to three with his eyes closed, and then the light came back.

He could see Jackson with his stuff in the kitchen, he was getting something out of the fridge. Though, it couldn’t be much, becuase it looked like there was nothing in it. Jackson looked over back to the couch and nodded his head, “Need anything?” Houston shook his head ‘yes’, and went to the bathroom, he didn’t think that Jackson would mind. When he was finished, he walked out, “Did you make sure to wash your hands?” and Houston said, “With soap and water.” and they walked out of the dorm. The hallway was dark, but the window at the end of the hall gave adequate light. They walked down without incident, when they got to the stairs, Jackson asked, “Got everything”, and Houston said yes. As they walked down the stairs, Jackson in a hushed tone, “Okay, there might be some of those infected down there, just keep an eye out, my car isn’t far from the door.”, Houston hoped that Jackson would be able to defend both of them. He was carrying a suitcase and shotgun in one hand, and a suitcase and crowbar in another. Jackson had volunteered to transport the gas cans. Before they entered the main lobby, Jackson looked out the small, rectangular window. He looked back at Houston and made a ‘move’ motion with his head. The walked out into the main lobby, it was the same as they left it last night. The moved past the bodies, and over to the door. Jackson did the samething as he did when they were about to enter the lobby. He looked out the glass windows, and saw that there was nothing there, it was dead. They walked out and he indicated that the dodge dart was only twenty feet away. Houston saw the car and moved as fast as he could to the trunk. Jackson with his keyfob, unlocked the trunk door. Jackson ran over and pulled it up, that’s when they both started to put their things in, not caring in what order, just so that they would fit. Houston took the gas cans and put them in the back seat, “So we can easily access them.” and Jackson walked to the driver's seat. Houston shut the trunk and did the same, but he went to the passenger seat. As Jackson was about the start the car, a infected person came out from the side of the building, then another three followed suit. Jackson started his car and they were on the road away from the building.

 

[Safton]

​

Jonah was genuinely surprised when she corrected him on her name, declining the formality. Not by the correction so much as the fact that she had managed to maintain her sense of humor in the company of a stranger after going through what she just had. He was relieved to hear that her leg injury had been caused by Moose during his panic rather than a bite from Zack. The sound of the latter crashing through the brush -- ones that hadn't been drawn away by Miller's distraction -- shook him from his thoughts.

"We should go."

Jonah nodded. "Stay close, and let me know if you need help moving," he remarked, turning around and hefting the bush axe into both hands as he led the way back toward the edge of the pasture, in the direction he'd came from.

Jonah didn't know what Zack's night vision was like, but he'd rather risk being spotted in the open field where they had a chance to outrun them than risk bumping into more of them in the nearly pitch-black woods.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

​

Ginny certainly didn't need to be told twice to keep close to the officer, even if the man had found the clothing on the side of the road and was faking at what he was, he was still a safer bet than going it alone. She followed behind him as quickly as she could, though it was clear after the first few meters her ankle would not take any weight; she had sprained it in the past, but it felt far worse than it ever had before. She bit her lip to stifle any noise she made as each step brought searing pain up through her calf; she didn't need to give the dead anything extra to go on, they seemed capable of finding humans, or anything else living, without needing to see them half the time.

Twice on their journey out of the woods she dropped her knife, having to stop and feel around in the darkness to find it. After the second time she closed the blade and returned it to her pocket; her hands too numb to hold onto it effectively making the blade more dangerous to her than anyone else. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt at warming up, but she knew she had stopped shivering long ago, that her core temperature was too low for her body to attempt do anything but keep its organs alive.

Safton

 

[Safton]

​

Jonah had led the way toward the treeline and the pasture, turning around to glance over his shoulder at his charge every few steps to ensure she was still there and keeping a good pace with her leg. He heard periodic moans in the darkness, not knowing if they had been spotted or not but not remotely interested in finding out. They could have a pack of ghouls trailing them through the night without even knowing.

Decker's more immediate concern was Ginny. He had noticed her dropping the small folding knife for the second time, along with growing lack of coordination in her gait. Her arms were wrapped around herself. He cursed himself inwardly for not recognizing the signs earlier. Stopping, he set the bush axe down and hastily stripped off his uniform's jacket and walked back toward Ginny. "Here," he said, draping the garment over her shoulders. He gently took her right arm, looping it around his neck so she could lean against him for support as they moved.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

Ginny plodded along behind Jonah to the best of her abilities, constantly reminding herself to keep quiet, to bit her lip instead of voicing the pain she felt. Ultimately she was startled when the man turned to face her, senses dulled she wasn't even sure at that point she knew why she had been following him. He slipped the jacket over her shoulders, allowing her to slip her arms into the sleeves. Her skin tingled as the warmth his body heat left behind within the material started to counter the cold within her. "Thanks." She whispered but as he pulled her arm over his shoulder she attempted to resist.

"You should keep you hands free." Though she didn't have the strength or will to counter him, already feeling relief as they moved from not having to put her full weight on her ankle. They had a long way to go and she they couldn't afford to have him exhausted as well.

Safton

 

[Safton]

Jonah shook his head at Ginny's protest. "I'd rather have you close by so I can keep an eye on you. Besides, we can move faster this way. If we do run into more of them, I'll take care of it." He said, leaning down to pick the bush axe up in his free hand. He understood her hesitance, but he'd rather focus on long-term speed over fighting their way out.

As they hobbled along, Jonah split his attention between their surroundings and Ginny. He knew she had been dangerously close to going fully hypothermic and maybe still was. An idea struck him as grass crunched underfoot. "Keep talking to me," he said quietly. He wanted to keep her conscious and alert, in addition to being able to monitor her for signs of slurred or slow speech.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

As much as Ginny didn't want Jonah to risk himself she certainly wasn't about to protest his insistence. They were moving faster now, or at least she was, and the pain was lessening with every step.

"Keep talking to me."

She frowned hearing the request as it seemed odd but she soon understood. "I'm guessing Katie was panicked when you left her, losing it. At least tell me she wasn't doing it in front if my kids? Liza-May and Jacks?" She stuttered slightly as she spoke, finding her teeth clattering as she started to shiver once more. "Jacks is tough; he'll know I'm alright but Liza-May. Well she's sort of a princess when it comes to things like this. Can't blame her really, end of the world and all." She could still hear the moans and shuffling of the dead around them, possibly following. "We'll lead them home." She didn't trust the Reserves to help them handle this horde and they had been luck so far no one had been injured seriously when dispatching those that did wander to the farm.

Safton

 

[Safton]

The sound of Ginny's teeth chattering and her shivering was an ironic relief to Jonah. When it came to hypothermia, it was when those two things stopped that you really had to worry.

At the mention of Ginny's children, it clicked. The little boy and girl caring for Moose. He had assumed they were Katie's at the time, but now he knew.

"No," he responded. "Don't get me wrong, she was definitely... ah, 'distressed' when we showed up. She's worried about you and pissed off at Wheeler-- Charlie. She just about laid him out," he remarked, keeping his tone free of judgement. "But your kids didn't see anything. She kept it together in front of them. They were taking care of Moose. He's fine, by the way. Just had a scare is all."

Jonah's breaths were slightly more labored now as they lumbered across the field, sweat forming on his brow. Now wearing only a T-shirt and uniform pants, he knew their movement was the only thing staving off the cold for him.

"As for leading them back... there's nothing for it now. Miller -- the guy in the truck -- lured away most of 'em. I'm hoping whatever ends up following us back can be handled quietly," he said with a grimace.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

Ginny nodded, thankful Katie was at least projecting the image of a out together adult in front of her kids. The last thing she needed was to work that out on top of healing. She gave a small sigh hearing the kids were looking after Moose, the beast was just that; tall, leggy and incredibly skittish.

She made an aggravated noise at the mention of Charlie but she certainly didn't know the man that was helping her now and was not about to comment on a potential ally of Charlie: less she get left out in the dark worse off from where she was before. She could tell the task of walking, keeping aware of their surroundings and practically carrying her was wearing down on his stamina. As the crested a hill she knew they were near the farm house and barn yard; the residents and Reserves (begrudgingly) had taken care to eliminate light sources at night knowing they attracted the dead. Despite this they could see flashlights in use in the yard as people were moving about. "I'm good." She said, slipping her arm from his shoulder. "I can walk from here." She had little doubt he would be among those that would need to eliminate the threat quietly. "Thank you, Jonah, really. You and Miller are godsend, I don't know if I would have made it back alone." Or at all.

Safton

 

[Safton]

Jonah nodded. "Don't mention it, ma'am," he replied with a smile. He didn't protest Ginny's insistence on walking under her own power -- if he were in her shoes he might like to do the same.

Jonah cast a glance over his shoulder into the darkness, but was unable to make out any staggering forms making their way toward them and the house beyond. That didn't mean they weren't there, he knew. Turning back to the building, its outline barely visible, he said, "C'mon, let's get you home and get that leg looked at."

With that, he started down the hill toward the flashlight beams. It occurred to him that they would likely be indistinguishable from Zack to anyone on guard duty... not that the local Guardsmen seemed interested in watching the perimeter. Still, no point in taking chances. His radio had been in the truck, so he decided to improvise.

He held up a hand, "Hold up a second," he said before grabbing a flashlight from his belt. Hoping the crest of the hill would block the beam from the view of any ghouls behind them, he raised the light and clicked it on and off three times. He paused, watching the house and the surrounding area for any sign that they'd been noticed before repeating the flashes. This time, he was rewarded with three flashes from a light near the fence line, presumably from one of the civilians on guard duty.

Jonah smiled to Ginny with a shrug before starting forward again. Approaching the fence, a voice unfamiliar to Jonah called out from the darkness for them to stop. The man stepped forward, a farmhand maybe. "Who's there?" He asked anxiously.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

Ginny had paused when Jonah requested it, and she was certainly thankful she had. She would have never thought of signalling ahead to anyone keeping watch that they were approaching. She held her breath until she saw the return signal. She continued on with Jonah towards the house, though at a slower pace than before and upon reaching the gate to the farm yard she heard a familiar voice call out.

"It's me, Roberto." She replied and the man sighed audiably.

"Shit Gin, I'm glad it's you." Roberto replied, clicking on his light so he could work at the gates latch. "Its gone crazy here after those guys and the dog left with the truck to find you." He looked up to see Ginny wasn't alone but it didn't stop him from continuing. "Katies trying to tell the army to get off the land, like she owns the place, and Charlie is mad but he's not saying anything 'bout it. The new guys that came today: they aren't even answering her."

Ginny glanced to Jonah before moving through the now open gate. she was about to speak, ask what triggered it when the distinct moan of the infected rose behind them in chorus.

Safton

 

[Safton]

​

Jonah grimaced at the news that Roberto was giving Ginny. He had half-expected the farmhand to clam up after noticing him, but glad he didn't. This was a situation that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. They needed to do their due diligence in finding out what the hell had happened between the local reservists and the civilians they were charged with protecting. Initial signs pointed toward misconduct on the part of the former, but the last thing he wanted to do was make any half-cocked decisions on the matter. All of this in between doing the job they were sent here to accomplish in the first place: turning the farm into a defensible position.

Unfortunately, Zack had other plans. The collective moan that welled up behind them sent a chill straight down Jonah's spine as he swung around, raising the brush axe instinctively. "Go," he commanded tersely, staring into the darkness. "Grab your family, get to the house, and lock up, Ginny. My guys will handle this, but if any of your people are a decent shot we could use 'em on the line."

He heard distant shouts of alarm from the direction of the house, voices both familiar and not. The TREPE team wasn't large at less than a dozen men and they were only moderately-armed by typical military standards. They would need help to fend off this attack... and by the sound of the approaching moans, any hope Jonah had about it being a quiet task was off the table now.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

​

Ginny nodded at Jonah's instructions; no offense was taken, the man clearly knew what he was about. Roberto remained behind with his own rifle but Ginny headed towards the house as directed. There was no point in remaining quiet now that a horde was upon them, as she cam closer to the house she could see Katie atop the porch step scowling down at Charlie standing out front with his men. The second Katie caught sight of her she was running ."Oh god! Gin!" She threw her arms around her sister and hugged her. "You're alive, but... are you hurt?" Ginny was shaking her head, trying to get Katie to let her go. "Get Joe's gun, come back out here with it and the ammo in the chest, Then lock up the house keep everyone quiet." Katie frowned but Ginny gave her a look and the older sister was heading towards the house.

Ginny glared at Charlie, whom did not look in the least surprised she was alive, or remorseful for his actions. "There any juice left in the Genny?" She asked coldly, the man looked like he wasn't going to answer but then nodded. "Good, you know what we need to do, so get over there."

Charlie left, the Reserves heading to the fence line to line up and wait. Katie soon returned with Joe's deer hunting rifle and the box of bullets. She looked like she was going to protest what Ginny was planing but changed her mind. Ginny wasn't about to back down now; she just made it home and like hell she was going to lose it to a horde. She hobbled her way back to the fence line, she could see the figures in the dark but it was hard to see how many, bringing herself up aside Jonah she slipped the box of bullets into the pocket of his coat she was still wearing and immediately loaded the gun. "The bar has flood lights, behind us. " She said over the noise of the incoming infected. "Give the signal and Charlie will turn them on so we have a clear sight."

Safton

 

[Safton]

​

Jonah slid the rifle from his shoulder as he took a position behind the fence. Slowly, TREPE members and reservists -- along with more than a few civilians -- arrived, weapons in-hand. Decker did what he could to coordinate them, making sure everyone understood to take headshots only, arranging fallback positions if the horde managed to close in. He saw the Humvee rolling forward, one of his grunts manning the mounted machine gun. He waved them off; while the .50 caliber was powerful, he didn't want it to cut loose unless they had no other alternative. They had to conserve their ammunition for the weapon until the convoy arrived... and it was loud. Far louder than the carbines, deer rifles, and shotguns currently filling the line and in the open fields of Montana, the report would carry far and wide. The last thing they needed was to stop this horde only to bring half of McCone County's Zack population down on them soon after.

Decker had just finished shouting a set of orders when he saw take up a position alongside him, scoped rifle clutched in her hands as she informed him that the barn was equipped with floodlights, having already formulated a plan to illuminate the ghouls for their shooters. He stared at her blankly for a moment in the darkness, a demand that she head back inside where it's safe dying on the tip of his tongue. Even if it weren't for the fact that she had just made all their jobs easier, the look of grim determination on her face would have been enough. Stifling his reply, he gave her a single, stiff nod.

The moans had grown louder, forms vaguely visible in the darkness now as they began to crest the hill and move toward the fence. Across the line, men and women shouldered their weapons. Jonah followed suit, flicking off the safety on his own and bracing his rifle's barrel on the wire fence. "Now, Charlie!"

The floodlights came on a moment later, bathing the hillside in white light. He squinted for a brief moment -- his eyes had adjusted to the darkness -- before sighting down the scope. His heart skipped a beat at what awaited them. The ghouls numbered in the dozens, easily, with more coming down the hill with each second. Gunfire erupted up and down the line as Jonah found his first target, allowing the scope to settle over the head of an approaching ghoul -- his overalls covered in blood -- near the front of the group. His exhaled, slowly applying pressure to the trigger in a gentle squeeze just as his dad had taught him when he was a kid. The rifle bucked against his shoulder and he saw a spray of dark red in the scope as the zombie collapsed to its knees. Hastily, Jonah worked the bolt, sending the spent cartridge flying.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

​

There was a moment of panic within Ginny, as she saw Jonah's look of disbelief she had returned armed and ready to protect her own land; she had thought for certain the man would attempt to order her once more to the house and she wasn't certain she would disobey him a second time. She could argue the fact that she had listened to him; she had made sure her family and other civilians were locked up safe in the house, and the had instructed anyone with a weapon and worth a decent shot return to the line to help end the horde. The man hadn't been specifically detailed to advise that she was to remain behind. When he turned his attention to the ghouls she counted her blessing and lifted the rifle to her shoulder. It was heavy and bulky within her cold grasp, her hand still hadn't warmed up beyond the cool numbness she had felt after Jonah had provided her with his coat, but it would have to do.

She waited for the signal to be called, adrenaline pumping through her veins the wailing moan of the dead nearly drowned out by her sound of her own heart beat in her ears. She took a second to close her eyes, inhale slowly and try and calm herself, but it was of no use. Fight or flight drove her sense into over drive and as the flood lighting kicked on she winced at the sudden blinding. It took several seconds for her sight to clear, but when it did she took sight down the scope of Joe's rifle, it swaying rather unsteadily she shifted her feet into a position where; while it hurt to stand, she had better balance. She lined up the cross hairs within the sight, slipping her finger over the trigger and pulled. The shot went wide, missing the infected she had aimed for and glancing the arm of another behind it. She hissed as the rifled recoil shoved her shoulder painfully but she was not willing to give over so easily.

She quickly reloaded and brought he scope back up to sight the same dead she had been aiming for previously, this time taking the effort to exhale before pulling the trigger and was rewarded with the sight of the infected dropping, bullet having blasted through its cranium; far from a perfect shot but it did the job. Ginny certainly wasn't the best marksman on the farm, likely among the worst, but had she been using her crossbow it was unlikely there was any who could match her aim.

Safton

 

[DemetrioMachete]

It was several days of quiet travelling across multiple states for Merlin and Jack. They only ever stopped to get gas or switch drivers. Who ever wasn't driving was allowed to sleep.

Perhaps a week later, they finally arrived in Montana from Michigan. With Merlin at the wheel of his car, he nudged Jack awake.

"Wha? Damn, cracka, can't an old man get some sleep?

"We just crossed into Montana."

"Oh. Oh, really? Well I'll be damned. Where's all the folk?"

"Damn, did the rabies hit this place, too? It must be pretty bad if it demolished such a sparse population."

Jack chuckled a bit at this.

"Man look at you, using all them big ol' words! What you think you some scientist, now? A medical expert?"

Merlin scoffed at this. "You old rickety motherfucker I can say what I please."

Another hour or so, and the car was nearly out of gas. Merlin cursed under his breath, and left the car after he parked it on the side of the road. He locked the door, but kept the windows rolled down; paranoid about someone smashing them. They had everything required; just their weapons and a bottle of water each.

"What's the plan now, playa?" Jack asked.

"We're gonna see if any folks is left.. if they are, we should convince them to help us. Peacefully." As though that part needed to be emphasized to the gun-toting old man. Jack merely nodded his head in annoyance at this, carrying on with an exsasperated sigh. The two men moved onwards to the nearest residence.. an expansive farm; at least by Merlin's standards, that was conveniently labelled to belong to a family by the name of "Wallace"...
NanLia

 

[Safton]

​

Jonah fell into a rhythm: aiming, firing, working the bolt, aiming again. Reload. He should have struck every target with ease -- at this range, they were chip shots. He had been among the best marksmen in his platoon years ago. But, inevitably some shots went wide of their target -- the result of a jerked trigger or poor sight picture -- not many, but more than he was comfortable with. It wasn't simply him being a bit rusty, though that may have been a factor. He had forgotten the mind-numbing, all-encompassing adrenal stress that came with a firefight.

Admittedly, this was a one-sided firefight. But the sound and concussion of rifles going off on either side of him shook his concentration regardless. His ears rang, his nose wrinkling from the smell of burned cordite that permeated the air. Unlike any enemy he had faced overseas, it wasn't enough to simply put rounds on target. It was the brain that mattered -- despite his warnings, he saw more than a few ghouls continue moving even after having their chest riddled with incoming rounds, barely slowed.

Even striking the head wasn't always enough; there was a chance the round might graze along the curvature of the skull, making little more than a superficial wound in the scalp. Jonah had seen that firsthand, panicking when he saw his target's head snap back after his shot only for the zombie to amble steadily onward, seemingly unhindered. He panicked for a split second before forcing himself to finish it off with a second shot between the eyes -- this time it stayed down.

Jonah inserted a new magazine into his rifle with shaky hands, ramming the bolt home to chamber a round. He spared a quick moment to look up and down their ragtag formation, ensuring that they weren't being encircled. The line was unbroken -- fire seemed to be slackening up slightly. He hoped that was a result of lack of targets still standing rather than ammunition running low. His gaze fell on Ginny, rifle in-hand, defending her land and her family without hesitation despite being given every chance to take refuge with the others. Under different circumstances he might have admired her determination, but there were more pressing issues at hand as he raised the rifle again, finding his next target and firing.

NanLia ​

 

[NanLia]

As the two men started to approach the main entry way of the Wallace farms they would soon find flashlight's shone in their faces from two 'guards' at he main gate. It would be clear the exterior fences had been reinforced, some places with whatever material they had, others with more sturdy fencing. The two at the post quickly determined that those approaching where not part of the infected but other humans -the infected didn't wince and groan when blinded by a flashlight.

"Hey, hey you two, what are you doing out there?" One of the two called, though both men had rifles at the ready, they didn't appear to be aimed at either of the men. In the background a chorus of gunfire could be heard as the residents and military handled the horde threatening the back of the property.
DemetrioMachete

​

Ginny had done her best to keep up with the remainder of the firing line, but as it drew out her adrenaline wore down within her system she was finding it harder and harder to focus on her target, make her hands do what she needed them to. Once more this evening she became little better than fumbly. She was thankful to hear the gunfire slowly, and quick glance around soon found the number of dead nearly decimated, leaving less than a handful already being picked off. She reloaded the rifle but didn't raise it again, she simply clicked the safety into place and set it to lean against the fence; ready if she needed to be. With the last few infected now gone Ginny felt relief, she found herself simply sitting where she had been standing due to exhaustion, hands shaking once more she felt the urge to cry but managed to suppress it.

There were not cries of joy with the last of the dead downed, everyone watched the edge of the light to see if more followed. Without a doubt the noise from their gunfire in the night would have carried a fair distance drawing them inwards. Seeing nothing after a few minutes Charlie cut out the Generator and doused them back into darkness; at least this way if some infected did wander this direction there wasn't a spot light showing them their next meal.

Ginny closed her eyes bringing her knee up to her chest, the other leg too painful to move at this point and rested her forehead against her knee. She knew she should have been seeking out a med-kit to try and wrap up her ankle, but she was just too tired to care for the moment and she didn't want to admit the truth of the matter, her ankle was likely broken. She had sprained plenty of joints in her time on the farm, even broken a few limbs, but never had she felt the pain that her ankle was giving off now. Between Moose knocking her over, her dropping from the tree onto her feet and then the long walk back to the house she had little doubt she had weeks before it would be healed.
Safton

 

[DemetrioMachete]

Jack and Merlin shielded their faces from the lights as they hit their faces. The sounds of gunfire just now made apparent, they were wary of the danger in this area. Merlin began to regret showing up, here.

Jack was the first to speak up to the guards.

"We're a couple a' men lookin for a safe place to stay. Our car just ran out of gas bout a quarter mile from here. My name's Jack Stein.. 1987 boxing champion. And this here.." Jack braced the light in his eyes, pointing to Merlin. "This here is Merlin Perkins: The current Heavyweight Champion of boxing. Now you think you can lend us a hand, here?"

Merlin kept silent. He always found himself annoyed when Jack tried to get his way or Merlin's through star power. It wasn't bound to work every time, surely. The "Wizard" had to think of something in case being a boxing champion wasn't clearance enough for these people.

"Whatcha got goin on over yonder? People sick over here, too? Damn that rabies shit spread quick!"

NanLia

 

[Safton]

As the last of the dead fell, Jonah's eyes scanned the pasture in front of them. Before long, calls of "Clear!" began to sound up and down the line. The floodlights were doused soon after, throwing them back into darkness.

"Stay alert," Jonah called out. He fully expected others to filter in over the next few hours, drawn by the sound of gunfire. But, for now at least, they were safe. Turning, he was surprised to see Ginny on the ground next to him, one knee drawn up to her chest and her head pressed against it.

Jonah safed his rifle, setting it down before kneeling alongside Ginny. "Hey," he said softly. "We made it," he added with a small smile, which disappeared soon after. "You okay? How about we get you looked at. I've got a medic with me." He offered her his hand to help her up.

NanLia ​