All Chapters of The Compound (The Compound series book1): Chapter 1 - Chapter 10
41 Chapters
Chapter 1
  Jake. I pulled the jeep into its usual spot in the large makeshift garage and kept the engine running while I waited for the guards on duty to pull the exterior doors closed, keeping an eye on the rear-view mirror for any signs of trouble. I didn’t expect any, the last three hours of our drive back had been eerily quiet with no signs of movement, even the rats were absent. It was strange not to encounter something, but my brain was too tired to puzzle it out with any seriousness.Three weeks we had been gone, and all we had to show for it were a few boxes of supplies, some new entries in the log and a very tired team. I scrubbed my hand over my eyes and forced them to open wide. I had never really mastered the art of sleeping on the move, so after a solid three-day drive back to the compound I was exhausted. We all were.“Home sweet home. My beds never looked as good as it does now.” Ca
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Chapter 2
  Clara. I watched Jake and his unit disappear around the corner before slowing my pace and heading in the direction of the rec room where my best friend would be. I grumbled to myself as I let our conversation play back through my head. Not that it was much of a conversation. The guy barely acknowledged that I existed.I hated that I was crazy about a guy who didn't feel the same way, even more than that, I hated the fact that everyone seemed to know about it, not that there was any chance of keeping something like that secret when we all lived in each others pockets. Everyone knew everything about everyone else, it was just the way of the world for those who called the Compound home.I groaned aloud as my thoughts turned back to Jake, I don't know exactly what it is about him that makes me lose my cool but somehow I couldn't manage one simple sentence without coming across as a love sick puppy. I was sur
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Chapter 3
  ClaraI sat waiting for around ten minutes until the original guy came back and sat back at his desk without saying a word. Minutes later with a foreboding looking man entered the room, eyeing me for a while before speaking and I had to fight the urge to squirm in my seat while under his stare.“Miss West?” The newcomer questioned, holding out his hand for me to shake.“Yes.” I smiled slightly.“I'm commander Hicks, I hear you want to sign up?”“Yes sir.”“Okay then, come with me.” He stated before leading the way through the old guards room and down a corridor I hadn't seen before.He stopped at a large room filled with metal equipment that looked like it could be used for torture. “This is one of our training rooms. Have a seat for a moment.” He said and took the second chair in the room so that he was facing me.
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Chapter 4
  Clara. I was over the moon as I left A block. I already had orders, something to actively do, granted it was only moving my stuff into my newly assigned room with the other recruits but it was something, a step in the right direction.I forced my body towards the rec room, hoping that Matt would be there, it was still lunch time, so classes were out for a while yet and I couldn't wait to tell him.Every one of my muscles ached and my legs felt like jelly as I forced them to carry me along the familiar corridors but as tired as my body was, my mind was on over drive. This was it. My career. I was in the army. I smiled again, unable to keep it to myself any longer I picked up my pace.Matt was sat on one of the sofas in the rec room, what had once been a staff room, with his arm around Maddie and a smile of his own on his face. He saw me and excused himself, coming to my side just inside the rooms e
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Chapter 5
 Clara.The minutes ticket by slowly and I tensed every time I heard footsteps echoing through the block while I waited to see if Mum was home.“Are you sure you are okay Clara? You’re worrying me sweetheart.” Dad asked from his seat on the other sofa. His face was lined with worry as he watched me, and I couldn’t really say I blamed him. I was sure that by now I was green, and God only knows what my face had looked like while my mind had been turning with thoughts of how to even start this conversation.“I’m fine Dad. I promise.”“You’re not pregnant, are you?” He asked and I just about chocked at the thought.“God no! Why would you think that?”“Well, your getting older, and you and Matt are very close these days.” He stated with a shrug of his shoulders and a pink tinge to his cheeks.It took a moment for his words to t
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Chapter 6
  ClaraDays turned into weeks and they all blurred together as my training took hold. The commander hadn't been wrong when he said I was being thrown into the deep end, I was definitely out of my depth the first couple of days, but a week in and I had gotten the hang of things, even if I did go to bed each night feeling as though I had been run over.It took a few days for my fellow recruits to accept me, they had expected me to lag behind and I did in the beginning, but I wasn't one to quit, or one to accept being second best. I pushed myself, harder than I ever had before. I cried, I sweat, I bled, I ate, I slept and I did it all over again.It was three weeks before I saw Matt again, the longest I had ever gone without him and I swear I was starting to have withdrawals, he too seemed overly eager to spend time with me, but we both knew and accepted that that wouldn't really be possible for a while, he had his traini
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Chapter 7
  Clara.Our last day of official training went the same as every other day, if not slightly more intense, something I wouldn't have thought possible. They recapped on everything we had learnt previously and offered us some advice for our final evaluations.Graduation day dawned early and bright. And I spent the first ten minutes of the day staring at the ceiling wishing for Matt or my Mum, which was probably a little pathetic but I could use some moral support. I was just going to have to content myself with the knowledge that they would be there watching.The evaluations would be held in the main courtyard and was open to anyone who wanted to watch, over the years it had become a little like a spectator sport, people even made wagers on the outcomes.With a sigh I stood and readied myself for the day, dressing in my army blacks, attaching the holsters that we were required to wear which would hold the weapons w
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Chapter 8
 Jake.“Six teams, six targets. Keep to ground, don't engage unless necessary, get what you can and get out. We are looking for medical supplies, lab equipment, anything you feel may be of value.” The chiefs voice rang out around the meeting room, a large table with a map separating him from us. “Team one.” He called and I watched the five guys and two girls step up to the table.“This is your target, deploy on readiness.” He stated handing them a sheet of paper and pointing to their destination on the map.“Team one is the only seven man team so the rest of you lucky guys and gals get to be responsible for the newbies, one per team.” He pointed to the wall where I knew that the five newbies were waiting for their orders.I don't know what the hell was wrong with me but I actually kind of hoped my team was assigned Clara. It was weird, unexplainable, She had drove me up the wall
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Chapter 9
 JakeMy eyes flicked from building windows to side streets and cars, ignoring the mess and the destruction I scanned for movement, even the slightest twitch but saw nothing I had been doing this for so long now that I had learnt t trust myself, I got a sense, a gut feeling when shit was about to hit the fan and right now everything felt calm. But we had a newbie in the truck, so I wasn’t about to take any chances, especially not when that newbie was Clara West.“Clara you got anything?” I asked after a second scan on my side of the truck and seeing nothing but not wanting to tear my eyes away from scanning to check on her unless I had to.“One dead in a building window, one walking down an ally, No threat.” She stated clearly, calmly. No panic and I took a second to turn and check her, she was positioned side on as was I, her head on a light swivel as she scanned the area, her shoulders seemed tense bu
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Chapter 10
  Clara.My heart pounded as I listened to the guys talking through the radios, their chatter somehow easing the shit storm of emotions that had gripped me when I pulled the trigger. It had been instinct, as soon as I saw the gun aimed in our direction I fired, not thinking, not caring. Then the blood had rushed through my veins so hard that nothing else mattered, all I could see were the dead, the infected, the danger. It kept me focused, alert so I wasn't knocking it but as soon as the danger had passed I was second guessing myself. I had shot someone. Killed them.I breathed hard, not someone, something. He wasn't human.“We're at the half way point.” Wheelers voice sounded, letting us know that we had another four hours before we would reach our target. Four hours of possible dangers. It was actually exhausting being so alert all the time. I let my eyes close for a second and took a deep breath. Even the
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