the living are hungry hodnes [ lexark ]

38] get her back

Elyza has the group stopped for some rest before night fall. They are stopped at a small side of the road gas station/tourist shop. She had pushed them hard through the night and through the day, and got them there in just under 24 hours. They are stopped a few miles out from the compound.

She made everyone rest, so they are all prepared for what's to come. They have to make the remainder of the trip on foot, through a mile of woods, and another mile and a half of open hilly terrain. Even though it will be dark when they head into Red Weather, they will still need to be hidden. Her plan depends solely on them being able to sneak into the Corp unawares. That's why she is doing what she is doing.

Elyza throws her knife into an infected's skull, before stomping on the head of the one she had dropped a moment before. She hunted down a small pack of the ghouls that were lingering around the perimeter. She has about 4 of their bodies, including the two she just killed. She needs just a few more.

Elyza closes her eyes, and listens to everything around her. She has been trying to keep her mind focused on the task at hand, but every time she closes her eyes, she sees Alicia's face. She has been trying not to think of what is going on at the Corp. Of them having Alicia and Maree for over a full day so far. She can't let herself think about what Jayson could be doing to Alicia. It drives her mad knowing that she is so close, and has to wait. Right now, she can't just go storming the castle, slay the ugly dragon, and live happily ever after. No. She needs to deliver a Trojan horse past the walls of the castle, first. Then she can slay all the stupid sheep, before slaying the ugly dragon, and then finally living happily ever after, with her Hodnes.

She hears shuffling footsteps a little way behind her. She grips her knife, turns around and throws without opening her eyes. She hears the impact of the knife, then the falling of the body. She continues to listen for more ghouls. Then she can start dragging all of these back and start preparing them.

Elyza has been completely still and silent for the last 10 minutes. She has a knife in each hand, waiting. She can hear a small group of infected coming her way. She opens her eyes, and sees 5 of them looking at her, arms stretched out for her, jaws snapping. She lets both knives go into the closest ghouls, then reaches behind her back, and grabs two more blades. She slams them into the top of the next two's heads, and kicks the third back a few yards. She yanks the blades out, and walks over to where she kicked the last one. She looks down at the infected, and all she sees is Jayson's face looking back at her. She puts her foot to the ghouls throat, and presses down. Her foot goes through rotted skin, and tissue until it reaches the spine. She bares her teeth at him, and presses down with more pressure breaking its neck. She then let's out a small cry before slamming both blades through its skull.

Elyza needs to compose herself, and paces for few minutes before she starts moving the bodies. While she makes the trips back and forth, she goes over her plan multiple times. She is trying anything she can not to think about Alicia. She can't let her emotions get in the way. She can't screw this up. She needs to make her way through the Corp quickly, and efficiently. She is one of the deadliest soldiers on the planet. She needs to act like it.

On her second to last trip, she sees Nick and Ofelia coming out to greet her. She really doesn't want the company right now. She throws the two bodies she was dragging onto the pile she started, and turns to go grab the rest.

"Is that breakfast?" Nick asks. "I mean I'm not complaining. Throw a little ketchup on it, maybe some Mrs. Dash, I'll be fine."

Elyza doesn't say anything back, just continues walking to the last of the bodies. When she returns, she sees that Nick and Ofelia are standing really close together in a semi-embrace. They are whispering like lovers do. She thinks this must be a new development? Does her Hodnes know of this? She growls at the sudden pain that floods her.