AM13 Outbreak Shorts

Crackdown - Fifteen

"People have gone." Rachael wakes me up in a state of panic. "Rhys, Jordan, some of the others. They've gone. They've taken supplies and gone."

"Huh? What?" This is a bit much to be dragged from my sleep about! I was dreaming about Katie then, she was back in my arms, and it's a harsh reality to be woken up alone. "What's going on?"

I prize my eyes open to see a very stressed young girl standing in front of me, raking her fingers through her hair. Rachael is a teenager, she should be in school. This whole reality really isn't fair on her. For a brief second, I want to hold her and tell her that it'll all be okay, but I don't. I can't. Not only would that be very inappropriate, no matter what the state of the world, I also can't guarantee anything. It really seems like everything is only getting worse.

"It's...that group, those teenager boys your brought here not so long ago. They've gone."

Maybe less mouths should be a relief, but I don't feel that at all, instead, my blood runs icy cold and my head falls into my hands in dismay. I let out a groan that can only mean one thing. I've failed. I wanted to make this a safe place for everyone, I wanted to ensure that everyone would survive this, even if I didn't want the position of authority, I didn't want to make mistakes.

I'd say that people preferring to take their chances on the streets with the infected is a huge mishap on my part! Even if they are teenage boys think they who know it all.

"Did anyone see them go? Does anyone know where they are?"

"Erm, yeah." Rachael shifts awkwardly. "Ryan did. He's the one who told me."

Why couldn't Ryan go? I thought nastily to myself before I caught myself at the last minute. That wasn't a helpful thought at all. No, focus on the boys instead.

"Right, I see." I swallow down the thick ball of emotion that lodges itself in my throat. "So, now I suppose I need to decide what to do about it." I press my palms into my eyes, trying to block all of this out for just a moment. "I guess I should probably go out looking for them"

"No!" Rachael jumps in sharply. "What do you mean? You can't go anywhere! We need you here. Those boys left knowing the risks out there. You shouldn't harm yourself for them."

"Trust me, I agree with you," I reply wryly. "But us humans need to stick together, don't we? It's us against them. Plus, I want to keep everyone else here motivated, so I need to show effort to search for them. And they took supplies?" She nods. "So, I need to replace them."

It won't be an unnecessary trip, even if it feels that way at the moment, chasing after some idiots who want to risk getting themselves killed, but I do have to do this. If anything good can come from it, then I should go anyway. I keep thinking that we need to move on anyway, so this might be a time to sort it out.

"Shall I come with you?" Rachael asks desperately. "Or someone else, maybe?"

I think about Enrico, as I do often, and I immediately shake my head. I'm making this decision, if there are any consequences it should be me who suffers them. "No, I go alone."

I send Rachael away and pump myself up as I get dressed. I need a break from this stifling nightmare anyway. The situation with Katie isn't going to improve anytime soon, I don't know if it can with Ryan here, turning her head at every opportunity, so I might as well channel my energy into something else.

As I leave the building, I consider saying goodbye to everyone, to let them know what I'm up to, but I force myself not to bother. There will only be one person whose reaction I'm after anyway and since she doesn't seem to care there isn't any point.

No, get in then get out. That's a much better plan.

Only...it doesn't feel like a good plan. If I'm honest, everything feels a bit off today. Either my instincts are going crazy, which hasn't ever happened before, because of all of this or there really is something to worry about. I certainly keep a firm grip of my gun as I move at any rate!

I walk my way around the building from the safe area out the back, mentally trying to work out which way these idiot guys would've gone in, but my inner danger alarm is whirring too loudly for me to think straight. I need to turn it off...

"Holy mother of..."

All of a sudden, it becomes very clear why I'm freaked out. There are infected everywhere. None of us are escaping ever.