ZRP-2: Chapter 5: Pariah's Warning

(James)
"We don't have much choice. If we don't take down the guns, we're doomed."
=There was a tapping noise on glass behind us, and I looked in the rear view mirror to see riled pointing to the right, so I  made a right at the next turn. He then pointed left, and for the most part it went on like that. There were more walkers around though, and he had to stop with the directions to fire=

(Sam)
=No time. I dropped the gun and went back to my pistol, loading a fresh clip=

I finish reloading right as the explosion erupts in the middle of the horde.
"Hell yeah!"
No time to celebrate unfortunately, the zombies keep coming. I empty my clip into them again, taking out very little compared.

Eve didn't fire. Instead she reloaded the SAW as fast as she could before going prone and began firing again, aiming up to stitch a line of fire across their chests.

(Sam)
=There was another roar of gunfire, and the walkers were once more cut down as the turrets on the bus were reloaded and fired again. I crouched down and leaned against the car=
"We can't keep this up. We're running out of ammo."

(James)
=We came to a stop, apparently in the right spot. But there were still walkers everywhere, but that didn't stop Riley and his partner from firing, clearing space for us to get out=
"Hibiki, stay close, and keep the katana ready. Save your ammo."

=Then I climbed out=

(Andrew)

=I continue to fire and then hear the rifle click empty. I sling it over my shoulder and switch to the .45=

Well...we've done our job...

=Sarah continues to put down accurate fire as we stop and then hold our position=

Now let's let the others do theirs...

Eve clicked empty. Last belt.
"I'm out."
She panted with exhaustion, feeling sore. She struggled to her feet.
"We...have to...plug the hole."

Hibiki drew her katana. "We have to hurry."

(Sam)
=I almost thought we were going to die. Once the bus ran out of ammo again, we'd be sitting ducks for the walkers. But more soldiers came in, four of them anyway, and began firing into the walkers, giving us some more breathing room. One came over and handed us a spare clip or two for pistols=

*Riley*
"We need to get to the roof of this building!"
=He gestured to the mid sized, four story building we all stood in front of=

"Setting up here is suicide!"
=Just to prove a point, he fired into more walkers as they came towards us=

(James)
"Got it. Hibiki, we need a door!"
=I took out my smg and fired, but there were so many=

Eve reloaded her pistol. 
"We need to retreat Sam."

Hibiki made long, sweeping slashes, trying to make an opening.

(Sam)
"We can't afford to. We have to hold this position long enough for the counter attack to work."
=Whatever the hell it was=

(James)
"Dammit, we need that door now! Hibiki, keep them off me!"
=I moved for the door and fired a quick burst into the lock. It splintered, and I kicked the door open=

"Riley, move now!"
=They didn't need to hear it twice. Carrying the mortar, they ran through=

"Hibiki, come on!"

Hibiki brought up the rear, keeping them at bay until the mortar team was in. She then kicked the door closed and pushed back 
"Go James! Call me if there's a working door ahead! If not, don't fucking dawdle!"

Eve fired a few rounds off.
"Sam. I love you. Alright? Yes I'm expecting to die. Now waiting for the cavalry."
Eve was slightly hysterical, but managed to keep her cool.

(James)
=Before I could answer, I heard a crashing noise as Riley broke down the door to the stairs=
"We're good. Let ,e find something to block the door."

=I looked around. We were in the hall of a small apartment building, the doors numbered and some open. I ran into one, empty and devoid of life. But there was a desk, and I dragged it with me out through the door=
"Move back!"

=I then rammed the desk towards the door=

(Sam)
"Love you too, but don't let that stop ya!"
=And I kept firing=

Eve smiled a hit.
"Who said I would go down without a fight?"

Hibiki threw herself out of the way as the desk hit the door.
"Thanks babe." She said. "Let's move."

(James)
=There was more pounding on the door, and the desk budged a little, but not enough. So I followed her up the stairs, and it was four floors later that we found Riley and his partner setting the mortar up on the roof after we emerged from the little door=

*Riley*
"Good, you're here. Okay, we can aim and fire, so just keep us safe."
=He got out the walkie and began shouting into it=

(Sam)
"I don't know. First time for everything right?"

Hibiki nodded. "Of course."

"Sam, the only time I will ever go down without fighting is if we have sex." She shot back, taking another shot. "I got this far. Not going to go down in the fetal position."

(Sam)
=I was too pumped on adrenaline and fear to really blink at that=
"Now really isn't the time Eve!"

(James)
=I watched as they set up, listened for orders, and then fired off a shot. It was kinda interesting to see actually, and hear too=
"That aughta do some damage."

--Artillery Location--

=None o the Shepherds were prepared when the first shot hit them. It landed on one of their vehicles, exploding in a shockwave of fire and shrapnel=

(Pariah)
"Counter mortars! Take cover!"

*Riley*
"Firing again. Move it a little to the left."
=They altered the position, and fired again. This time, the round hit where they needed it to: the ammo for the artillery guns. At the entrenched position of the Shepherds, there was suddenly a much louder explosion, more smoke, and more dead=

(Pariah)
=He screamed in fury=
"Dammit! Pack up, move to a new position!"

=Every shepherd there moved as quick as they could, but the explosion and their mere presence attracted more walkers. Most of the horde began moving for them, despite the shots being fired. The Pariah climbed into a truck, men already piling into the back even as it began to move, abandoning the guns and any poor souls unlucky to be left behind. Other vehicles began moving, following the Shepherds=

(James)
=A voice came through on the radio, signaling a direct hit and a retreat. That was enough to make me breath a sigh of relief and sag down against the door=
"Well, that gives us some breathing room then."

"Making a point! I'm not going into a lecture of my fetishes and fantasies am I?" She said back.

Hihiki sighed. "We just need to plug the hole and see about recovering any leftover ammo."

(James)
"Right......now we just need to get back, put the door with a swarm of zombies outside it, into the truck surrounded walkers, and then drive back through. Piece of cake."

*Riley*
"More or less. I do have a suggestion though, if you're willing to hear it?"

(James)
"Shoot."

*Riley*
"Once at the door, we remove the hinges, and use the door as a makeshift shield. Just bash through the walkers until we get tithe truck."

(James)
"That's.....not bad."

(Sam)
"Yeah please don't...."
=The conversation was cut short as the bus moved, turning first and then coming into a parallel park along the hole in the wall=

"WOOHOO!!! They stopped the artillery!"

Eve dropped her gun and started shaking.
"We're still alive?"

Hibiki smiled. "Not bad."

(Sam)
"For now....."
=And then I promptly pulled her into a crushing bear hug, shaking from laughter=

"We're still alive!"

(James)
=A few minutes later, Riley and his partner collapsed the mortar, and we were back on the grond floor. I was at the door, knife out as I worked to remove the hinges=
"Okay, so we only get one shot. Riley, you and your partner fire into them, keep them back on my left. Hibiki, use the sword and cover my right. On three?"

Crushed, Ev did the exact opposite. She melted into their hug crying.
"I thought....I...."
She just cried in the end.

Hibiki nodded. "Yeah."

(James)
=Once the last hinge was taken care of, and Riley moved the desk out of the way, I suddenly felt the pressure of the horde pressing agains the door=
"Alright, one....two....THREE!!!"

=And then I shoved forward,using the door as a battering ram, shoving walkers back a few feet. Riley used his gun to fire to my left, clearing some of the walkers while Hibiki....she did what she did best=

(Sam)
"Hey come on, no time for crying."

"I was scared for you, ok? I'm a fucked up girl who can't stop crying. You're going to have to deal with me." Eve said.

Hibiki slashed and slashed.

(Sam)
"Yeah well the fucked up little girl needs to grow a pair, and fast. Crying every time this happens or every time we narrowly avoid death is going to make you nothing but a burden if or when we have to move fast."

(James)
=The door didn't last long, mostly because of the weight and the walkers pushing against it.so I dropped it, whipping out my smg and firing a burst into them=
"Get to the car now!"

=Riley and his friend hopped in the bed of the pick up while Hibiki and I stayed out. I moved for the drivers side=
"Hibiki, get in!"

I pulled the machete from my back, sneaking up on the human. I'd have shot him, if I knew he was alone.

I swung the machete at his neck and covered his mouth as he died. I'd gotten used to killing since the beginning.

Kill or be killed. That was the only law left.

Eve fibally calmed down. "Least I broke down after it was over and jot during the waiting." Eve pointed out, calmer.

Hibiki threw herself in. "FLOOR IT!"

(Sam)
"Yeah, that's a plus."
=I let go though, stepping back to head for the wall=

"Come on, that won't be the last of them."

(James)
=I jumped in, put the pedal to the metal, and we took off. I pulled a helluva u-turn, knocking over walkers or crushing the, beneath us and then we were on our way back to the compound=
"Okay, the guns are down so the defenses are still secure. But how much ammo did we use up......"

"Too much." Hibiki said.

Eve touched Sam's arm, then drew back. "I'll try..."

(James)
=It was a grim thought, one that stayed with me as we drove back to the compound. Once back at the gates, they opened the doors and we moved in. I climbed back out and found Cooper waiting=

*Cooper*
"Sounds like you put their guns out of commission. Good. But we're not out of the woods yet, the walkers cost us a lot of ammo."

(James)
"How much we have left?"

*Cooper*
"If they attack now and it's all of them, we may have enough for the entire siege. But after.....we won't have much ammo left for anything else. We've been working on making more but that'll take too long."

(Sam)
"Do, or do not. No try."

Eve's hand fell away.
"I don't deserve you, and you don't deserve to deal with me."

Eve turned and ran away, not sure where she'd run to.

But out of Sam's hands and not burdening her was all Eve thought.

Hibiki sighed. "Fuck."

(Sam)
"Fucking really?"
=And I ran off for her. Because I had nothing more important to do during a siege, than make sure she was emotionally stable. Again=

*Cooper*
"Yeah. So leaving may not be that bad an idea......but only if there's no other way. We can still come out on top."

I lowered the body slowly to the ground as my group came in after me.

Aron: "There's three more outside. No way we can be quiet about this."

I nodded, sheathing my machete and adjusting the sling of my rifle so that it was at my front again.

I brought the sight to my eye and aimed at one of the survivors, I slowly pulled the trigger back, waiting for the signal to shoot.

Aron: "Fir-" He stopped as a young girl ran over to one of the men.

Aron: "Aw shit."

Eve had found a wall and punched it a few times, added a kick, then just screamed. She couldnt take it anymore. She honestly didn't think she could.
She kicked the wall again, then cried out in pain as she felt it pop. She fell on her ass, but felt it was just popping. Nothing serious.
She looked up as Sam approached. "Why do you keep following...when I've just proven I suck?"

Hibiki clicked her walkie. "Sam, my daughter still in one piece?"

(Sam)
"Because I'm your friend. Your adopted sister. I'm not going to let you run off on your own when you have these......moments."
=I grabbed the walkie=

"I think the wall she assaulted is in more danger. But yeah, she's fine."

(Pariah)
"Damn, they are proving to be clever. Contact the others, inform them to hold back. We'll find refuge somewhere, and then attack when it gets dark. They'll never see us."

Hibiki sighed in relief. "Thanks Sam."

Eve looked up at Sam. "You're more then that to me. But I'm such a fuckup you hate me." Eve looked at her sneakers. "I can't even laugh with you. I can only cry." She managed to look back.
"I'm too scared...and I don't know how to do what you say."

(Sam)
"Dammit Eve, I don't hate you. But I'd be lying if I said you don't frustrate me. Do I know you're going through hell, yes. Do I respect the effect that has on you, of course I do. But always having these moments, especially in the most inappropriate of times.....it puts a strain on me."
=I bent my knees, kneeling before her as I gripped her shoulders=

"And when we have.....when you have people depending on you, then you put them at risk."

Eve shakily reached up to touch Sam's face. The right side. 
She sniffed, her free hand on Sam's. "Sam...I....I...."
Eve didn't finish. She just looked at Sam.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could say.

(Sam)
=Even though I knew it would send off the wrong signals, and even though I knew that it might cause more problems than needed.....I kissed her, full on the lips. It lasted for a full six seconds, before I pulled back=
"Apology accepted. Now come on, we have a siege to break."

Eve managed to kiss back for the last two seconds...
"You're so good to me Sam. You've given me so many chances...and you keep finding the strength to give me one more.."
Eve smiled, her tears glistening a bit as a final few rollled down her cheeks. "Ok." She gently pulled Sam into a hug.
"Thank you for loving me."

She slowly began to stand up, albeit shakily. She twisted her foot, popling the tension away. "Lets...go fight for our future "

(Sam)
"Future? Please, who thinks that far ahead. I just want to live for the next few weeks at best."
=But the moment passed and I stood up. There was a war to fight=

(James)
"Okay, so we took care of their guns, so the walls are safe. What does that mean for the next few hours?"

*Cooper*
"They'll probably try and probe for any weaknesses, see where they can hit us for better effect. They might also wait until later, for night. We'll have a harder time seeing them."

Eve smiled.
"I need something to fantasize about."
The moment passed, she rose with Sam. "Lets...go." she said softly.

Hibiki frowned. "Cooper. Got any floodlights?"

*Cooper*
"Yeah, mounted on the walls. Well, near the corners anyway. You planning to use them to flush out the Shepherds at night?"

(James)
"How are they going t attack us though? The walkers are still out there, so that means they can't attack us on foot."

(Sam)
=We walked back to the wall, the turretspn the bus swaying back and forth=
"Yeah well save the fantasies for when you have alone time. We have work to do."

"Exactly cooper. Plus, there are a mountain of walkers...here's my idea..." she grinned. "We make a catapult. Load it with flares. When they fire, we hit the floodlights to blind them, then launch the flares. Lead the walkers right to them."

Eve blushed. "I'd rather save them for alone time with you..."

(Sam)
"Yeah....just a bit too soon."

(James)
"Make a catapult? With what? And we don't have much time either, we have maybe three hours before it gets dark."

"That's the future I'm fighting for..." she said. "Not...that...I should shut up and stop digging a hole for myself, right?" She said embarassedly.

Hibiki crossed her arms. "Give me some planks rope and a shallow bucket."

(James)
"What's wrong with just throwing the flares? Most of us have a pretty decent throwing arm."

*Cooper*
"And you just know how to make a catapult?"

(Sam)
=I recovered the SAW from the ground, and walked to the ladder for the wall=
"No, but I would stay focused."

"Well. I was gonna wing it. But alright."
Hibiki shrugged.

Eve blushed, then recovered her dropped handgun. "I will."

(James)
"So, come nightfall we start putting all those years of football to good use."

*Cooper*
"Looks like it."

"You need to group them close together but far enough they are doomed quickly. We'll need to use the mortar to destroy their chances of a successfull counter."
Hibiki sighed.

*Riley*
"Uh, we only have one shot left for the mortar. After that.....it's a confetti cannon really."

(James)
"Well, that's just great."

"Save the mortar then. Use flares and grenades, molotovs even, and make the areas Pariah has his men beacons of for the undead." She said.
Hibiki scowled. "It's really our only choice with low ammo."