Drenched

"If you train your brain to get used to mental fatigue...the task of staying on pace will be easier."

One of our Tourists had gone out to South Jetty, a quarantine zone.  When I arrived it was a blood soaked mess.  Looking up the sand dune I couldn't see the situation until I was on it.  A shambler had the older man and was aggressively biting him.  So right there - he was already infected and as good as dead.  Three large dogs, mixed breed, grabbed him by the arms and torso trying to drag him away as their carcass.  He screamed and shook his arms not knowing how to extricate himself. The dogs and the zombie both wanted him as their own and neither were giving up any ground and luckily they didn't notice me. 

I looked out at the ocean - it wasn't pretty.  A big storm was coming.  I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to outrun it.  The wind was starting to whip up. 

The noise was drawing more zombies.  The South Jetty - 1A Quarantine zone, only had the one easy path of descent / ascent.  I was going to be trapped between the attacking dogs/zomb and the new zombies shambling up the long sandy dune path. 

A1 Quarantine Zone South Jetty Dune

I ran.

Adrenalin pumping I ran and didn't look back.  I didn't want to know if I was being pursued or if they had turned in my direction.  I just kept running. 

I know reader you are dissapointed in the lack of heroics in this post.

Soon water burst from the sky like a visit from Poseidon.  The trails started to have little streams through them dunking my feet through, splash!  Splash.  I lost my favorite cap.  I don't know how - it was secured on, but I ran so hard I didn't notice it was gone until it was too late.  My eyes burned from the rain.

I came back to camp and circumvented people - I needed to think. 

What would the Commander do?  I wondered to myself.

Carlberg and his ilk were heading toward me purposefully and with great suspicion.  

"You came back alone"  Our new leader said in a taught ass-hole way.  I nodded still dripping, longing for a hot shower and to get away from the inquisition.  "Well.."  He crossed his arms.  I shrugged. 

"There was nothing and nobody there.  Not even footprints.  The storm was coming so I didn't get a chance to comb the beach but no one had been on that branch of the trail as far as I could tell."  I bloody lied, but that was the kind of day I was having.  I knew the Tourists with their mind set would never accept the true story. 

"Well, we'll have you run another mission then" Carlsburg said.  "He needs found"

By then because of the storm it was a deep indigo outside.  My feet squished whenever I walked.  I thought about saying, "NO" - but then rethought it.

"I would love to, and I know this needs done.  I wish Hero 13 was still here.  I sprained my ankle a bit, reactivated my plantar fascittitis so I can't run anymore today - I can barely walk."  They looked very suspicious but I was playing a good hand of bullshit with them.  They nodded and walked off finally. 

I know I haven't "won" -- there will be payback from that group for sure but I dodged the bullet for now.  I should have left for Rilea with Hero 13 I thought as I headed to my bunk house. 

As I sloshed into our dwelling the Commander was there, shirt off, doing push ups.  My day had just got better.  He was smiling as he did them and was even humming to himself.  Something definitely was going on, maybe it was worthwhile to hang around.  I had never seen the Commander quite so satisfied.