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Chapter 20
Clara
“Say something please.” He asked and I turned my attention to him in the mirror for a moment before scanning outside again, I couldn't say this if I was looking at him. I wasn't that brave.
I closed my eyes and pretended I was talking to Matt.
“I was fourteen when I first figured out what the army really did. I don't know if that makes me innocent or sheltered but its true. I figured then that this was what I wanted to do. Nothing else had seemed even remotely appealing and I liked the idea of protecting people, of making a difference, of maybe helping us get back to a life worth living.”
“I knew my parents would never approve so I started talking to anyone in the army I could find, asking them as many questions as I could think of. After a month or so I think quite a few people actively avoided me but I didn't care. Every answer I got was what I wanted to hear. I knew there
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Clara.We searched the house in teams of two, checking each of the rooms for danger and drawing the blinds and curtains as we went. Once the house was cleared and semi secure we huddled in the sitting room.“How we doing this Wheeler?” Bubble asked his eyes flicking to me for a second and I worried that they were going to change their usual habits because I was female.“Don't worry about me.” I stated firmly.“You sure, we usually all bunk together.” Wheeler stated.“Yeah that's fine” I said, feeling too tired to care at the minute.“Okay then. I'll go grab a couple mattresses. Rigs wanna give me a hand?” Porter asked while Bubble set a chair down in front of the front window and perched himself on it.“These are yours.” Jake informed setting three bags down by the wall where I was standing, “Sleep with them next
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ClaraI pulled aside the curtain on the front door to double check and noticed two dead just past the cars.“Clara?” Jake questioned and I knew what he was asking.“I've got this.” I stated determination and necessity taking over and I pulled open the front door and led the way outside in a quiet run towards the two dead that were advancing.I pulled the knife free of my leg sheath as I moved, I twisted as I came level with the first one, swinging out my arm and catching its throat. It wasn't dead, just slowed down but I could finish it off once the second one was down.I moved as quick as my body would allow, pivoting around the second dead letting my weight carry me as I hit the back of its knee with my boot knocking it to the ground. I stabbed my knife once and it was done. I made my way back reaching the other just as it started to stand and repeated the move that had seen to
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ClaraWe stopped in a reasonable sized town with a collection of short streets filled with shops, some that had been completely trashed, others not so much. I dropped from the trunk wincing as my stiff legs hit the pavement. I was tired but overly alert as I glanced around. There had been a few dead on the outskirts of the town but no movement in the street, I just couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched and that had me feeling really nervous.“You okay?” Porter asked when I didn't move from my spot but continued to scan store windows.“Yeah, just a bad feeling.”“Well don't discount it, gut instinct has saved my ass more than I care to admit.” He stated back before following the guys. I brought up the rear, heading into a clothing store that was well lit by the early evening sunlight.I walked the perimeter of the store, glancing in alcoves, my hand rest
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Clara.It took a good ten minutes of silence and heavy breathing before my heart rate returned to normal and I could think again. Porter had pushed the brunette girl into the first truck with him and I sat listening to their conversation over the walkie while scanning the night around us.“What's your name?”“Hannah.” The timid voice sounded, just a whisper.“Well Hannah I owe you a thanks.”“You're welcome.”“How did you come to be here?” Silence followed that and I wasn't sure if she answered or not.“Well, I'm Porter, This is Wheeler our team leader and Rigs. Then there is Bubble Jones and West in the other car.”“We're looking for survivors, are there any more of you or do you know where there could be anyone else?” Wheeler asked his tone gentle.“My brother. We got separated two days
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Clara.We followed the trail for three days mostly on foot, back tracking every few hours to move the trucks before edging forward again. We found signs of three more places he had likely stayed in and all indicated that he was still clean, alive and mostly unharmed. Eventually the blood trail dried up completely and we started going house to house, looking for signs of recent disturbances, foot steps in the dust, things missing off shelves, half eaten food.It was a full week into our assignment when we stepped into a house with a small fire still lit in the hearth and a warm cup of tea on the table.”“Shit, he was here. And not long ago. Split up, fan out lets find him.” Wheeler stated after testing the tea. He was frustrated we all were. The days were long, the nights short and living in such close proximity was testing every ones nerves, it hadn't helped that no matter how fast we moved or how of
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ClaraI watched Porter as he checked then loaded a pistol and a shot gun before passing them to Danny. “Here, if your going to be helping you need to be armed. There's a bag of knives in the back of our truck too, I'll sort you some out when the guys get back.“Thanks.” Danny stated checking the guns himself before placing them at his feet then he handed out drinks.I accepted mine with a forced smile and genuine gratitude. Now that the adrenaline had worn off my body was crashing. I had barely slept in days.“Okay enough. West, Jones go get some sleep. It's going to be an hour or so before Bubble and Rigs get back anyway and you both look dead on your feet.” Wheeler commanded and I just nodded, not having the energy or inclination to argue with him.I carried my cup of hot tea up the stairs with me, Jake on my heels. After six nights of sleeping in the same bed it didn't en
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Clara“You look better.” Wheeler commented from the same chair he had been sitting in when I left.“I feel better, how long were we out?”“Four hours.” Bubble answered from his seat next to the dying fire.I just nodded knowing that they guys wouldn't have let us sleep so long if we needed to move sooner. “So what's the plan?” I asked, dropping my bags by the door and taking a seat on the sofa.“Back to the original mission. We're not too far out from team eights sightings, maybe a four hour drive. We're probably too far behind now to get any kind of lead but we still have three weeks before we are due back at the compound so it's worth checking it out.”“Sure.”“And Danny and Hannah?”“They are going to ride with us, Danny can handle himself by all accounts and Hannah has already shown she can
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Clara.Every minute that passed felt like a lifetime. The trucks were silent for so long, every one of us lost in our own thoughts, trapped in our own horror at the thought of losing the compound. It had taken years to build it up to what it was, I just hoped that it was enough to hold until we got there, hoped that we would make it before any attack and we could alert everyone.Day turned to night and day again, we switched drivers three times, stopping for only a few minutes and sleeping on and off in the cars and still we rode in silence.There was no joking, no telling stories no random conversations or questions just short terse instructions issued ever so often. I wasn't sure if the silence was making it worse or not but every nerve in my body was highly strung, my heart rate accelerated my mind turning a hundred miles a minute and yet the only thought that seemed to take hold was that we had to make it.
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