ZRP-2 Chapter 8: Survivors One and All

"I see," Estel said. She found a blanket, two in fact, and wrapped one around herself before tossing the other at Eve, where it opened like a parachute and covered her. "Cover up Eve, it's going to get cold."


--Elsewhere--

James and Marcus were in the opposite direction of Eve and Estel, though they didn't know it. As far as he knew, the two of them could have been back in the convoy and on their way to the town. All he did know, was that his legs were tired and his lungs burned from running, and he and Marcus came to a stop. Marcus, a hunting rifle in his hands, kept a look out as James bent over and gasped for air. "We can't stay here for long," Marcus said. "James we need to keep moving."

Cristina Jaskulski had gone prone at the sound of footsteps, pressing herself against the damp earth of a small depression in the ground. She shuffled slightly bringing her rifle to her shoulder as she examined the pair from the relative safety of her position. They seemed tired and somewhat at a loss about the local area. She had learned a lot in her stay here in the area that was. Normally she would have let them pass and go to face their fate, but today after watching a group get torn apart and taking out a sole runner because it had make the mistake of being to close to her observation spot... She couldn;t just let them go so blindly.
She stood slowly her rifle raise at them. "Hands up drop the gun" Cristina had no intention of shooting them or harming them. Quite the opposite in fact but she however did not know their reactions to her. Cristina was covered in mud, dirt and bits of plant matter. Her face smeared with it obscuring her features and preventing anyone from easily recognising her. It might have explained why they had failed to spot her, either way they could see her now.

Marcus blinked, and when he saw that the newcomer had them dead to rights, he sighed and dropped the rifle before lifting his hands. James coughed a bit, dropped his own gun and followed suit, saying "This......this really is not my day."

Cristina looked a bit surprised when they both dropped their weapons. "Where are you two from? I am guessing your not from around here" She inquired, well aware the noise they where making could bring the undead down on their heads. "You'd know to move quiet like a little mouse... Yours stealth is... How would you say? Terrible" She winced at the slip of the tongue, her Polish accent was rather obvious at times and she did not have a complete mastery of English.

"Back west, Washington state," James said. Marcus said "Close by......used to be my hometown really. And we don't exactly have military training......or any training in stealth." James caught the new persons--who he realized was a girl--slip of the tongue, and said "You're not from around here yourself, are you?"

"No but I've been living in these parts a lot of them are overrun with walkers your running could have led them right too you" Cristina cautioned them, lowering her rifle deciding that they where friendly enough. "This will sound strange but if you want to last the night grab your guns and follow me if you can" First she threatened them and now Cristina decided to take them in, or at very least help them survive the night.

James and Marcus traded a look......and then quickly grabbed their guns and started following the stranger. "Why help us?" James asked.

"I watched a whole group get eaten today that and you would not make it through the night without me" Upon that note Cristina pivoted and began to lead the group back in the direction she had emerged from. She moved at a swift pace along what appeared to be an old animal trail, thick plants grew around the edges and the ground was boggy in places under foot.

"We've made it through worse," James said defensively. "Two years of this hell, and I'm still here."

"You have no idea what mess you have run into" Cristina commented freezing suddenly and dropping to one knee rifle raised. Nothing, yet the birds had stopped singing. Shit, it was beyond critical to listen to the environment, it gave early warnings. The sudden silence hanging so thickly over everything was unnerving. Her dark brown eyes scanned the undergrowth for any sign of movement yet the wind rustled the plant growth making it a near impossible task. After what seemed like an age she stood up glanced back at her two companions and led the way again as if nothing had happened.

The next leg of the journey home was uneventful until they reached a bog.. A few walker shuffled through it idly yet they where never the real threat. The ones hidden in the dark, filthy waters where the real threat, there was no telling where they were or how many there were hidden under the surface.

James and Marcus got down low, both guns raised though they wished they had some manner of sound suppressor. "How many?" James whispered.

"The ones under the surface are the real trouble..." Cristina whispered in a hushed tone. "We will have to go around unless you want to lose a foot?" She waited for their opinion on this, she knew that she would be able to make the journey back to her current place of rest... These two did not look so good to her.

Marcus exhaled, which may as well have been a sigh and said "We go around. It'll take longer but it'll save us the trouble." James nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Follow me then" Cristina said as she lead them away quietly as she could. The walk seemed to last for an age and even she was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue. Yet never the less she pushed on until a familiar dilapidated building came into view. It was roughly a flat box shaped building, situated on a ideal hill with good views of the surrounding terrain. There where however no walls or fences. For the present however it was just a small smudge in the distance, but the fact that she could see it spurred her on. "See that building? That's where we are going"

James nodded, and Marcus said "Damn.....how long a hike is that going to be?"

"About 2 hours if we move and don't run into trouble" Cristina answered. "If you two need a break we can rest, night is still a way off... You don't want to be out here when night falls far too many walkers out and about, those screamy fitty ones..." She frowned trying to remember the word for them. "Joggers? It is... Your word is Sprinters?"

"Runners," James said. "Fucking hate them.....and no, every second we stay put is another they can get closer." Marcus agreed.

She nodded but stopped and looked at him. "Wait? What? Followed? By who?" Cristina was uncertain how the undead operated but scent had to be part of it, hence why she was covered in mud and switched to different trails to avoid leaving a strong scent.

"We had to lead some of the undead away from our convoy," James said. "They may have lost the scent, but I'd rather not test that theory right now. You?"

"Crap okay fine let's just get moving now and hope no one turns up to munch on us during the night" Cristina responded as she began to make her way towards her homestead.

"We should be fine," James said confidently. "All we need to do, is watch each others backs."

Cristina made no reply simply moving them forward.

The hike was.....well, not the most strenuous James had ever taken, but it was the first in a long time and he felt a bit rusty, despite his youth. Marcus had more trouble, but didn't slow them down.

They neared the building without trouble and it seemed clear, the front was boarded up and there was no clear entrance. Cristina gave little time for questions she made her way to the side of the building where a rusting van provided some added help in reaching the flat rough. Slinging her rifle over her shoulders she jumped up and grabbed onto the edge and hauled herself up with a bit of a struggle. When she scrambled over the top she turned around and whispered. "Come on"

James had Marcus go first, helping him up while he stayed on the ground. When Marcus was up, he helped James get up in turn.

Up on the rooftop it was clear that this was Cristina's home. A small tent weighed down by several rocks on each of the corners occupied the centre, hidden on the south side of it where several barrels with the lids removed, collecting rain water, one had a muddle towel dangling over the edge of it. Near the tent there was a fold able camping chair and a table constructed from small wooden boxes with a sheet of plywood placed over the top weighed down by two broken bricks.

Cristina observed them and smiled when they made up, she made her way to one of the barrels and splashed some of the water onto her washing the mud from her face slightly, wiping the rest off on the muddle towel, revealing a rather beautiful young face. The face may have been familiar to anyone who watched the Olympics. "Welcome to my home it's not much but it is safe and oh yeah I am Cristina by the way" Her thick Polish accent contrasted heavily with the commonly encountered American.

"Thanks, looks cozy and......wait a minute," James said, staring at Cristina. "I recognize you. You were.......you were an athlete or something right?"

Cristina smiled widened. "Glad to see my fame hasn't died Olympic biathlon, silver medallist for Poland" She unslung her rifle and rested in down on the table. "Care telling me your names?"

James and Marcus traded a look, with the latter shrugging his shoulders. James then said "James Martin. This is Marcus."

"A pleasure to meet you then, settle down if you'd like the barrel on the right is fresh water the barrel on the left is cleaning water" Christina said spotting the look. "I trust everything is okay? I don't carry this gun because it looks fancy"

"No that wasn't why we traded the look," Marcus said. "Just......not that many people we've met along the way have asked for our names. Our goods sure."

Cristina nodded. "Well... Your some of the more friendly people round here Tojo and Ivan aren't the most social... Ivan would have killed you and desecrated your corpse and Tojo would have broken your legs and left you for the walkers"

"Tojo and Ivan?" James asked, concerned.

"Two nasty as bastards who live in these woods... Tojo is by the river and Ivan moves" She informed them kneeling down on the warm roof top. "I've never spoken to them but I've seen what they do... They avoid one another however quite happily butcher and rape regardless of age or gender... So watch your ass if you go near the river especially"

"Well......not the worst people we've ever come across," James said. "If you like, we can help you get rid of them."

"Oh they aren't no trouble for me my main trouble is the walkers and the religious nut jobs" Cristina responded. "Where were you heading before you tried to lead walkers away from your group?"

James thought for a moment, then figured Cristina earned his honesty. "We had attacked a Shepherd camp, killed them and taken then ammo, some supplies, and were on our way back to our camp. That was when we ran out of gas and got jumped. Some of us, like Marcus and I, drew the attention of the zombies and led them away. Last I saw, the convoy was moving out without us."

Cristina listened to the story and did not reply for a few moments, clearly thinking. "I best stay away from those woods for a while then..." She trailed off and reached for her rifle pointing with her free hand at the movement of a dozen walkers in the distance wandering aimlessly down the route they had taken to get here. "Crap maybe they won't come this far but it seems to me that rest is over"

"Fuck," James swore as he got down low. "We going to have to move? We're guests, so if you want us to leave......Marcus and I should be fine."

"What and leave me here alone? Either we bug out or stick together and fight it out" Cristina argued startled that they seemed so eager to leave. In her eyes she had just saved their lives.

"Well yeah but....it looks like this is your home," James said. "Not going to be responsible for pushing you out of your home."

"It is time to move any way what with the dangers pressing in... Too many to kill in close combat and shooting them just brings more into the area" She headed over to her fresh water barrel and filled up a canteen of water. "Well if we are going to go we should go now who knows how many of those things are making their way here"

Marcus nodded, standing up. "Alright, we move now and head south; that's where we live anyway." James was hesitant to bring Cristina with them back to the compound; on the one hand she saved them (or at least took them somewhere safe) and wasn't a threat. On the other hand, given the current climate back at the compound having her there may not be good for her.

Cristina was already ready to make a dash for safety. "Your home is secure right?" Not that Cristina was presented with much choice, to stay here would probably mean to face certain death and she had to get back home. Some day she would return to Poland and find her family. She could not afford to allow herself the stubborn luxury of a last stand defending a temporary home.

"Secure as we could make it," Marcus said. "Though it's taken some beatings recently." They moved to the edge of the roof, ready to go down the way they came.

"Let's go then before your pals arrive I really don't want to meet them" Cristina urged, more walkers shuffled down the slope following the original dozen. "Good thing we aren't taking the fight to them... It is how do you Americans say it? Time to skedaddle?"

"Vamoose, amscray, skedaddle, get the hell out of dodge?" James suggested brightly. "Either way, we run."

Cristina climbed down and waited for them to do likewise. Her whole body itched to run but in order to escape she would need a calm mind, clear head and more importantly need to stick together with her new found allies.

They followed suit, Marcus and James, and let Cristina lead the way.

Cristina led the way south, moving as fast as she dared to. Night would be arriving in a few hours, she did not want to get caught in the open when it did, nor did she want to get caught by the undead.