Chronicles of the Walking Dead

Tuesday 01 July 2008

“...the Department of Homeland Security has announced today that they have changed the National Threat level form Elevated Risk (Yellow) to High Risk (Orange). This has been the first time the National Threat Level has been changed since the system was enacted in 2002. Also Secretary Michael Chertoff has asked the American people to please remain on alert since Intelligence assets in the Middle East have identified a highly credible threat to the American people that possibly involves the release of a Biological Weapon in a major American city. House Democratic Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has released a public statement that the Bush Administration is only attempting to use fear to distract the American people from the troubles that are currently being faced in Iraq. In other News...” - , , EST 01 July 2008, CNN Headline News

“...there is no credible threat to the United States. The Bush Administration is only continuing to use the same fear tactics to distract the American people, and to influence the elections this November. We have seen the same intelligence reports and do not find them to be anything more than rumors and manufactured reports to cause heightened since of fear among the American people. Terrorists have not gained access to the non-existent Iraqi WMD...” - Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Majority Leader, Congressional Press Conference, EST 01 July 2008,


Thursday 03 July 2008

“...we have been receiving reports from the Democratic Republic of Calstopia since early this morning of a severe outbreak of violence and rioting. Calistopia was recently in the news yesterday due to the kidnapping of Peace Corps workers by 'the Righteous Path', an armed group that has been operating against the US backed government. Reports indicate that the rioting started after a group of US Army Rangers led a rescue attempt of the Peace Corps workers. We have learned that the US Army Rangers, known by the Iraqi Insurgency as 'the Death Dealers' were able to rescue all but one of the Peace Corps workers, but the Rangers suffered heavy casualties...” - , , 0930 EST 03 July 2008, CNN Headline News

“...we are receiving reports that the government of the Democratic Republic of Calistopia has requested assistance from the United States and their other allies to help evacuate the island nation. The United States and United Kingdom has ordered their military forces in the area to assist in the mandatory evacuation of the island. We have news reports that the US and UK Embassies nearly being overrun by rioters, and the scene there makes the fall of Saigon look like a well organized public outing...” - , , 2000 EST 03 July 2008,

"...the President of the Democratic Republic of Calistopia has requested that the United States and its allies use nuclear devices to sterilize their island nation, to stop the spread of what he is calling an extremely virulent outbreak that has driven the infected populace insane. The leaders of the nations of Cuba and Venezuela have opposed any attempts to sterilize the island nation claiming that this has been nothing more than an attempt to quell a popular uprising against the US-backed government..." - , , 1300 EST 04 July 2008,


Friday 04 July 2008

“...reports of a series of terrorist attacks have occurred during all across the United States, targeting the large Independence Day festivities have been coming in for the past two hours... Initial reports have stated that terrorists have released biological agents in aerial explosions using the fireworks as their method of dispersal. Further reports indicate that similar attacks have occurred throughout Europe and Israel. As the reports of the attacks spread, the news has sparked incidents of public panic that has started groups of people to civil unrest with reports of isolated rioting in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston. In other news...” - , , 2100 EST 04 July 2008, CNN Headline News


Saturday 05 July 2008

“...these are not the bodies of the dead returning to life, as rumor and public hysteria have claimed. These are victims of a bio-terrorism attack, and any sort of vigilante killing of these victims is a prosecutable as an act of premeditated murder. In other stories, the United States military has continued to commit atrocities in major urban areas as troops fire upon unarmed crowds of demonstrators, looters and other panicked citizens. President George W. Bush has refused to comment upon these actions at his time, and has once more asked for the American people to remain calm in this time of crisis and follow the direction of both Military and FEMA personnel during the evacuations of the affected cities, and once more assures the populace that the situation is well in hand. To recap the top stories...” - , , 1230 EST 05 July 2008, CNN Headline News


Monday 07 July 2008

“...the Commonwealth of Australia as of twenty-five minutes ago instituted a national quarantine, and all flights that are inbound to Australia have since been diverted to other locales. The Prime Minister has released a statement that has placed the nation of Australia in a state of emergency, and that martial law is now in effect in an attempt to ensure that the spread of the effects of this horrible plague that has been spreading around the globe will not infect the shores of Australia. The Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force have been ordered to create an exclusion zone around the nations air space and territorial waters that will not be penetrated...” - , , 1825 EST 07 July 2008, CNN Headline News

“...earlier this morning the CDC has released the following report; those whom have been bitten by these infected have been infected themselves. The infected will become reanimated between one to five minutes after death. Once they have become reanimated, they become extremely violent and prey upon the living. If you have been bitten you must please isolate yourself from those who are not so affected. Those officials whom are responsible for the administration of aide shelters are asked to begin screening all refugees immediately to find those whom have been bitten so that they can be isolated and receive special medical treatment...” - , , 1345 EST 07 July 2008, CNN Headline News

“...elements of the 101st Air Assault and 82nd Airborne Division have been successful in their effort to hold onto La Giardia National Airport and the majority of southern Manhattan in an attempt to secure a safe zone that can be protected from assault by natural boundaries. These units have been able to come up with a very effective counter measure for dealing with the Reanimates in large numbers. Details will follow so that other units can be able follow their examples... Lieutenant General Mark Anderson has established their headquarters on Liberty Island while Elis Island has since become a secure location where the survivors from New York City and the surrounding areas have been transferred awaiting transportation to one of the safe zones on the east coast...” - , , EST 07 July 2008, CNN Headline News


Tuesday 08 July 2008

“...we have confirmed that those who have been bitten become infected by the Reanimate Virus, and they will succumb to their injuries within 72 hours. The infected victim will reanimate between one to five minutes once their bodily functions have ceased. The only way to ensure that this does not occur is to cause damage to the brain. Once the brain has been damaged or destroyed the Reanimated Life Form ceases to function. Injuries to other areas of the Reanimates body has no adverse effect on it’s ability to function. Once again let me state that...” - Dr. Robert K.C. Biggs M.D./PhD., Spokesperson for the Center for Disease Control, CDC Press Briefing, EST 08 July 2008, CNN Headline News


Wednesday 09 July 2008

“...the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has released a recommendation that local law enforcement and emergency services are to form ‘Clean & Sweep teams’ whose duties would be to seek out and discover reanimated life forms... please be cautious during this since recently discovered medical reports are that all bites are fatal since they transmits the infection... All medical examination of these Reanimated Life Forms have confirmed that these victims are in fact deceased and recently reanimated...” - , , 1438 EST 09 July 2008, CNN Headline News

“...reports just in from New York City have confirmed that all of the bridges and tunnels connecting the city to the mainland have been destroyed, but we cannot confirm whether or not that these actions have been taken to keep people out of the city or in the city at this time...” - , , EST 09 July 2008, CNN Headline News


Thursday 10 July 2008

“...we have received recent reports that the LAPD and California National Guard has pulled out of South Central Los Angeles, and set up a defensive line on the outskirts of Beverly Hills in an attempt to protect the evacuation of citizens to the recently activated FEMA relocation centers.” - , , EST 2008, CNN Headline News


Saturday 12 July 2008

“...there is a state of martial law now in effect in the United States of America as of 8am this morning. All citizens must understand the dire consequences of this phenomenon, should the government be unable to check the spread of this situation. Because of the emotional attitude of the citizens toward the victims of this phenomenon, and the issues of the morality regarding the disposition of the deceased, it is the order of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; by command of the Federal Government and the President of the United States, citizens may no longer occupy private residences, no matter how safely protected or well stocked. Citizens will be moved into central areas of their resident or nearest, city. The bodies of the dead are to be delivered over to specially equipped squads of the Army National Guard for organized disposal. During this state of emergency a curfew is now in effect from 7pm to 7am, anyone whom is caught out during these hours will be detained without counsel. Also during this state of emergency the federalization of all local and state law enforcement agencies and all emergency services is now to be considered to be to in effect...” - , , EST 12 July 2008, CNN Headline News

“...the President of the United States of America has placed the United States under Martial Law to deal with the rapid spread of the infection that has reanimated the recently deceased. Reports of these Reanimated Life Forms have been coming in from all across the globe. Teams of researchers are working at the CDC in Atlanta and at the US Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases at Fort Dietrick have been working day and night in an attempt to find a method to counter the effects of this horrible bio-terrorist attack. But we have received unconfirmed reports that the Center for Disease Control headquarters in Atlanta has been overrun by Reanimated Life Forms earlier today, the United States Army and United States Navy has announced their intentions to send in a detachment of special forces and special operations personnel to extract the research teams from the CDC... The majority of the world’s major cities have reported outbreaks of people whom have been infected by this horrible infection. In an attempt to contain the plague in New York City, units of the United States Army National Guard destroyed the bridges connecting Manhattan Island to the mainland earlier today over the protest of several groups who feel that the action would do nothing more than abandon the survivors in the city to those whom have been infected by the plague...” - , , EST 12 July 2008, Fox News Channel

“...By the order of the President there is now a state of martial law now in effect in the United States of America as of 9am this morning. All citizens must understand the dire consequences of this phenomenon, should the government be unable to check the spread of this situation. Because of the emotional attitude of the citizens toward the victims of this phenomenon, and the issues of the morality regarding the disposition of the deceased, it is the order of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; by command of the Federal Government and the President of the United States, citizens may no longer occupy private residences, no matter how safely protected or well stocked. Citizens will be moved into central areas of their resident or nearest, city. The bodies of the dead are to be delivered over to specially equipped squads of the Army National Guard for organized disposal.” - , , EST 12 July 2008, CNN Headline News

“...the passage of the President’s package of initiatives to deal with the current threat, and placing the nation under martial law shows that we can act in a bi-partisan manner to achieve a resolution to the current crisis...” - Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Congressional Press Conference, EST 12 July 2008,

“...the Speaker has attempted to take credit for the recent bipartisan cooperation that passed the president’s proposals with her recent announcement dealing with the current crisis is a farce. It was due to the conservative democrats that had been elected in 2006 that the resolutions where passed, the Speaker attempted repeatedly to block many of the initiatives that where needed to deal with the aftermath of the release of the bio-terror agent that she herself has stated were nothing more than a figment of the imagination of the Bush Administration in an attempt to use fear to effect the November Elections. We have worked together with the Republicans to deal with this threat to the Republic. And that is what matters, not mere party politics, and it is time that the Old Guard of BOTH parties need to recognize that fact...” - Rep. D (D-xx), , Congressional Press Conference, EST 12 July 2008,


Sunday 13 July 2008

“... in the aftermath of the declaration of Martial Law, the Bush Administration has used the United States Armed Forces in an attempt to quarantine the infected cities and areas of the United States while the President and other high ranking members of the Administration have been secreted into bunkers while leaving the American people to at the mercy of those poor souls whom have become victims of this bio-terrorist attack...” - , , EST 2008, CNN Headline News

“...roughly an hour ago we received a report that orders had been issued for the President, the members of the Cabinet, the members of both Houses of Congress, and the members of the Supreme Court as well as their immediate families have been moved to various Continually of Government Bunkers across the country by the Federal Emergency Management Agency...” - , , EST 13 July 2008, CNN Headline News


Monday 14 July 2008

“...the Department of Defense has acknowledged this morning this morning that both Hong Kong and Shanghai have been destroyed by nuclear weapons, those responsible for this action has as of this report not yet been determined.” - , , EST 2008, CNN Headline News

“...People’s Republic of China has used Nuclear Weapons in a desperate attempt to contain the outbreak of the infection in Hong Kong and Shanghai. We have learned that this was not the first time that China has used nuclear weapons to contain an outbreak of this infection. The so-called above ground nuclear ‘tests’ that where reported earlier this month where in fact an attempt to contain outbreaks of where al-Qeada had originally tested this horrible bio-agent. The island nations of Japan and Australia have maintained their self-imposed quarantines by cutting themselves off from outside influences. Initial reports from Tokyo have indicated that Japan has yet to suffer form an outbreak of this horrible infection... In other news Los Angeles has become a horrible battleground between the Reanimates and California National Guard...” - , , EST 2008, CNN Headline News


Tuesday 15 July 2008

“...government officials have been receiving an alarming amount of a number of reports of mass suicides across the United States, and around the globe. We have learned that entire families have chosen to commit suicide rather than suffer from the horrendous effects of this rapidly spreading infection...” - , , EST 2008, CNN Headline News

“...all survivors still trapped in the cities are requested to travel to the nearest safe zones within their area so that they can be evacuated before the use of both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons. The US Army, the US Air Force, the US Navy, the US Marine Corps and the US Coast Guard will continue to assist in the rescue of those whom have been trapped in their homes with helicopters and extraction teams. The Red Cross and FEMA will continue to maintain the operations of the Evacuation Centres as long as possible...” - , , EST 2008, CNN Headline News


Wednesday 16 July 2008

“...as of this morning the city of Los Angeles has been lost, completely overrun by the Reanimates. The remaining US Army and National Guard units have been given orders to withdraw from the area immediately since it is believed that President Bush will authorize the use of tactical nuclear weapons on the exceptionally large concentrations of reanimates in an attempt to kill as many of the reanimates as possible. If you are still trapped in the City of Los Angeles you are requested to please take the efforts to do your best to get out of the city or to a secure fortified location within the next twenty hours...” - , , EST 2008, CNN Headline News

Sunday 20 July 2008

“...we have just received news that the fighting in Cuba has ended, and that the Cuban Junta that overthrew Castro has unconditionally surrendered to the elements of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. We have learned that the Junta has agreed that the entire Guantanamo Provence will be under the direct control of the United States to be used as a evacuation centre, and annexation of territory directly surrounding the US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is to be expected for the expansion of naval and marine facilities located there...” - , , Fox News Live, EST 20 July 2008, Fox News Channel

Monday 21 July 2008

“...further news and instructions will be made over the Emergency Alert System using this and other channels. Once more, FEMA has requested that all major television and radio channels be turned over to the Emergency Alert System as to centralize the attempts to get out information on how to get to the various safe zones that have been established by the United States Army all across the United States. All further news and instruction will be made over the Emergency Alert System using this and other channels. This is Erica Hill of CNN Headline News signing off...” - , , EST 21 July 2008, CNN Headline News


“...we have been asked to turn control over the airwaves to the Emergency Alert System. All further news and instructions will be made over the Emergency Alert System on this and other channels. This is of Fox News singing off....” - , , EST 21 July 2008, Fox News Channel


“...all survivors are requested to travel to the nearest safe zones within their areas... US Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard helicopters extraction teams will continue to assist in the rescue of those whom have been trapped in their homes... They will maintain the operation of the Evacuation Centers as long as possible...” - EST 21 July 2008, Emergency Alert System News Update


Friday 25 July 2008

“...while few foreign governments have survived the outbreak of this plague, but rest assured that the United States Government is still functioning at this time and attempting to take actions that will bring this plague under control. Talks with representatives of other surviving nations has been able to come to an agreement that will pool resources and information in coming up with a viable counter-measure for the bio-terror agent that is responsible for the current state of world affairs...” - , , EST 2008, Emergency Alert System News Update


Monday 28 July 2008

"...the city of Los Angeles has been lost, completely overrun by the Reanimates. The remaining US Army and National Guard units have been given orders to withdraw from the area immediately since President Bush has authorized the use of nuclear weapons on the abandoned city in an attempt to kill as many of the exceptionally large concentration of reanimates... If you are still trapped in the City of Los Angeles please do your best to get out of the city in the next twenty hours..." - EST 28 July 2008, Emergency Alert System News Update

“...I repeat, I have not authorized the use of nuclear weapons for use against reanimate life forms here in the United States or elsewhere. I have authorized the United States Armed Forces to use of Fuel Air Munitions on overrun population centers when it is felt needed by the commanders on site...” - Pres. George W. Bush, Official Presidential Announcement, EST 28 July 2008, American Forces Network News Update

Tuesday 29 July 2008

“...the President has said that we are now authorized to drop a couple of MOABS on those cities that we can confirm have indeed been overrun and evacuated of all survivors. Now a MOAB will level a city without us having to bother using any messy nuclear devices that we would have to go in afterwards when this mess is over, and have to clean up all that dangerous radioactive contamination. And with the strong possibility that there will be some reanimates that just might have survived a nuclear blast showing up and causing even more problems, and believe me... those damn things are hard enough to have to deal with, without adding dealing with them wearing the protective gear to survive in a radioactive contaminated environment to the mix...” - LTG Thomas Robinson, Site-R Pentagon Media Center Press Briefing, EST 29 July 2008, American Forces Network

“..yes a team of military personnel used a low-yield Special Atomic Demolition Munitions to destroy the CDC headquarters in the heart of Atlanta shortly after the city was overrun by reanimates. The reason we used a nuclear device was to make sure that the biological and hazardous materials being contained there would not be released or fall into the wrong hands. And using an extremely low-yield nuclear explosive device was felt to be the best thing for us to use since it’s effects could be easily contained to the area in question... We did not take this decision lightly, in fact it took over 48 hours of debating the issue for us to make this decision to even use a SADM...” - LTG Thomas Robinson, Site-R Pentagon Media Center Press Briefing, EST 29 July 2008, American Forces Network

It seemed like they had been walking and running for ever. Gear heavy on the young female officer, a cut on her leg burning from the sweat that had been dripping into it. Starting to question why she had taken this job instead of being a pilot like she had first planned on doing. No she had to be the first female to be put on the front line....little did she know her front line would be this mess.

She must have looked like the worst leader ever....or at less that was how she felt right now. Only her and only one of her men had made it out of a common rescue mission. Over ran by the reanimated dead only minutes after they got to where they needed to go. Roads seemed unusable as they made there way back to a known safe house. Guns loaded and ready for anything that crossed their path. Her breathing rather heavy as fatigue started to take over. What must have been one of the last working GPS telling them they only had a few more miles to go. She could not help but pray that the roads would be clear which would help speed up their trip on foot.

They had lost radio contact it seemed, but that would happen when your radio was broken. Shot to hell when one of her men was bit and he let his gun go wild. That soldier alone took out two people. A cocky comment leaving her lips after she forgot she was not alone, "Jesus loves you Onica but know what....God hates you. But its okay because Jesus loves you. I swear if I ever find the guy that made those t-shits he gets a round even if he is not a damn stich."

CW3 Nathaniel Hale Spaight looked over at 2LT Onica P. East, as they took a few moments to catch their breath. "We can get to the safehouse in under two minutes lieutenant," he explained. "See... There is the lingerie, sex toy and porn shop that is right next door."

"When we get there," Spaight said looking at the lieutenant and lifted her arm to look at her ripped sleeve. "When we get back, we're going to have to search each other's bodies and makes damn sure neither of us has a bite."

"Ready ma'am?" he asked.

She could not help but think that was the worse place of a safe house, but hell she was not the one that built it there and they guys that had been stationed there must have loved the location. Never once stopping the fast walk they where in. Even when CW2 Spaight lifted up her arm to look at it, only to have it pulled away from him rather fast. "I know what we are going to have to do soldier. I may have been born at night but it was not last night."

Yea she was ready, even if she did not want to. The idea of getting undress and searched by a male was a little on the odd side for her...well unless the male was her boyfriend and Spaight sure as hell was not him. Stopping just before the crossing the street to get to the safe house in order to clear the area. Making sure there was no reanimated corpses around to give them a run for there money. Finding none she would sign for them to make there way to the front door and into a safe area. Maybe even a hot shower and a good meal depending on how much supplies the safe house had. Surely enough to last a platoon a few months, which meet just two people would last all the more longer.

"As you were my dear little butterbar," Nathaniel Hale Spaight looked at the young second lieutenant. "I'm not most of your 'subordinates'... I actually am here helping you. And volunteered to take on te role as your platoon sergeant. The hell we just went through wasn't your fault."

"That damned CBS Embedded Journalist asshole who opened the chained doors so he and his cameraman could get into the courtyard," Spaight said shaking his head as they passed the lingerie shop, causing him to look away. But it wasn't fast enough to hide the fact it had made his ears turn bright red and the hints of a blush on the rest of his face. "And just to get a better spot to take some pictures, fourty people are dead."

"I sure as hell hope that bastard burns in hell," Spaight growled as they got into the safehouse. "We need to take time to think... How should we moe on from here?"

As soon as they got into the safe house, before she took anytime to think she made sure the house was cleared and secured. Once she felt all that could be done to keep them safe was done she would answer Spaight's question, "Well. There should be a radio around here. The best thing we could do is stay here and try to radio base to send us reinforcements. After that wait orders. It would be useless to try and go back out there, from what I can see everyone is dead or deadish."

Words spoken as she started to remove her gear layer by layer, "After we get the radio up and working then we need to see how much supplies is in these safe house and try to reinforce the doors and windows on the first and second level. We don't want anything getting in." As soon as all her gear was off, and the officer was now just in her utility bottoms and that worn out green t-shit she wore under her blouse. "So who wants to check who first."

Spaight looked at the second lieutenant and smiled. "Now you're thinking," he said looking at her seriously as he removed his body armor and sat everything out on the table in the breakroom. "You did everything right out there. So don't sell yourself short. This place is very secure. All we have left to do is double-check the steel shutters on the doors and windows, and if the platoon assigned here before us didn't mount the internal shutters. We'll have to work together as a team to install each of them as quickly as possible."

"Rank has it's privaliges Lieutenant," he said standing before her in his ACU pants and the tight-fitting long-sleeved underarmor tee-shirt. "I volunteered to work with you, to make sure that you could handle anything that got thrown at you. And since I have the rank and experience that you would hopefully listen too, the brass felt having me around was a good idea."

"If you want me to check you first," he said as he stripped down to his boxer-briefs and tee-shirt. She could see horrible scars barely hidden by the tight-fitting underarmor body hugging underwear. "I will. If you want to check me first. So be it. I don't mind."

"I know I felt a few of them bitting down on my armor..." he explained. "But I didn't feel them breaking the skin. These underarmor body suits are amazing. There are more sets of theses things that you could wear as well. When we contact the higher-ups, we'll need to tell them about this."

"That reminds me," he said softly. "We have several spare back-pack radios upstairs. As well as the communications satellite uplink up on the roof, near the sniper's nest."

Gave him a smile as he spoke, but it quickly faded as he started to undress. Letting her eyes wounder some but quickly regaining herself as she walked over to him. "I guess they are." Hands running of some parts of his body, her bright eyes looking over every inch to make sure he did not get bit or scratched by one of the undead. After a few minutes she was done and found that it was not her turn. Backing away from him as she started to remove her shirt and undo her belt.

Funny how a nice body was a shocker to see on an officer....it seemed to make them well more human I guess. Binding down to take of her boots so that she could slide off her pants. She did not have any scars that he could see, even if that large gash on her leg would most likely leave one now. Caused when she ran into a piece of broken car glass. But she did have ink, a mix of scars and tribe made up most of them. Her body fit, as if she went to the gym on a normal bases. A natural hour glass shape and slider build to it, sure as hell not fake in any way. "Search away."

"When you brushed up against the wreck," he asked as he checked the gash on ther leg. "There wasn't anything already smerred on it, was there?"

Spaight had brought out the first aid kit as he treated the gash on her leg, he poured a mixture of proxide and alchol to clean the wound. He had apoligized for the stinging pain as he took care of it. He explained what he was doing as he bandaged her injury. Not many knew that he had served as a combat field medic before he became an infantryman.

He took his time to check for any other scratches and possible bites, his hands hand roamed over her body. And gently probed a few spots with his fingertips. His hands and fingers had been gentle and for the most part caressing as he searched for any other injuries. Under different circumstances his touch might have been, erotic.

"No, the only thing on it was my blood after I got caught up on it." The muscles in her lower leg jumping slightly to the stinging the medication caused when he was cleaning it. Listening to him, taking in everything as he walked her threw step by step on what he was doing and why he was doing it. Taking a back step when he stood up to check her. His touch sending a slight chill up her back, goosebumps forming on her arms.

Once he was done she quickly threw a shirt and her pants back on. Not worrying about anything else right now besides trying to hide the slight blush on her face. "So the windows, lets see if the guys that where hear before us where lazy or if they did there job. After that the radio and trying to get some back up. Then inventory of everything we can use....they maybe get a little r and r."

"Yes ma'am," Spaight said hiding a smile as he tried to not notice the slight blush that had spread across her face. "When we first arrived I had walked through the place with the Platoon Sergeant. The only downside is that they left the remains of the six soldiers who had died during the three days they were setting this place up."

"I know the interior shutters down in the basement are already in place," he said as he pulled his combat trousers and boots back on. "Those would be the hardest for us to install by ourselves."

"The windows on the first and second floors won't be a problem," he said looking around. "The only gap would be the open patio roof on the second floor.... But it's high up off the street, and has chainlink fence, and cercintina wire all over it... They made sure that it'd be able to be a secure location for a breath of fresh air..."

"So your saying this place is very much secured then?" Asking more or less to make sure she heard him right. Taking a walk around the room they where in, looking over the items they had in it, "How about supplies? What do they have here and how much? I know that these places normally have enough food to last a good size platoon at less a few months." It was starting to become clear that she was trying more or less to find things to do or talk about. It seemed that what happened out there was starting to sink in and she was somewhat shaken up. What would happen if they could not reach the base, what would happen if everyone left was just in a just as bad spot as they where.

The sound of a deep breath would brake the quite that she had left them in or a few minutes.

Spaight nodded. "Pretty much," he said. "This place is very secure for the most part. There is enough food and supplies to keep the platoon and researchers fed for two months. With our current size... I'd say we're good to go for well over a year. This was a garage, and has plenty of fuel in the tanks. Diesal. The Bradley that was parked in the garage is fuly stocked and supplied. It's a wonderful bug-out vehicle."

"If you need anything ma'am." he said softly as he touched her shoulder. "I'm here... I have a feeling, that the base won't be able to help us. Because if they could have, they would have given us some airsupport when we responded to the distress call of those scientists."

"I have a feeling they will order us to bunker down," he explained.

East tried to smile but it really didn't work, it was clear that she would be worried. Then again she would be nut not to worry, "Well we can at less try. Whats the worse that can happen....not answer right." She knew he would be here, hell they might be together for a while. Unless they some how magically they got picked up and brought back to safety. But was anywhere really safe anymore. The feeling that was washed over her when he said they might be told to bunker down made the corner of mouth to twitch.

"Lieutenant?" CW3 Nathaniel Spaight said as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "It's going to be okay, we will adapt, improvise and overcome. That's part of being in the Infantry. If I didn't think you had it in you, you wouldn't be here. Trust me. I'm one of the few people that really believed that some women would be worthy of filling frontline combat positions. In all honestly I think that they should have opened combat support positions to women first, instead of going all balls out and putting women right into active frontline combat roles."

"But I know that you've got what it takes to do this," he said looking into her eyes. "Now smile lieutenant... I'm not beneath hiting a butterbar to wake them up. And get their attention. You might be a woman, and I don't believe in hitting women. But I don't have a problem taking one over my knee and spanking them."

"You're the boss here lieutenant," he said as he brushed some of her hair back behind her ear.

"I want you to take a deep breath and not to overthink everything right off the bat," he said in all seriousness. "We take everything by the numbers. We deal with each thing as they come. And when we've double checked this place. And know it's safe, and we've called in to the higher ups. I think getting a shower and something to eat is in order."

"The last two interior shutters that need to be put up are right here in the front room," he said. "The interior shutters for the front door are already put in. And I locked them down when we arrived. Are you ready to put these two in..."

Really didn't have much to say about the CW3's comments, after all she was one of the few female's that volunteer instead of being voluntold. Sure it had been ballsy but not many cared. After all what girl did not dream of doing the work of a grunt instead of being stuck behind the wire. But right now she was really wishing she was still behind the wire instead of trapped in this building. A slight smile forming on her face as he told her he felt that she was doing a fine job and how he was not scared to more or less put her in her place.

Taking a long look around the room they where in, making sure the shutters on the windows in here and the doors where secured before turning back to Spaight. She was still kinda shaky but with his pep talk she was feeling a little better. Moving to a door way to make sure the other rooms looked just as secured...and it looked like her platoon leader was right. The building was secured and safe besides for those two shutters that needed to be put in, "Well don't just stand there and look at me. Lets get them in before something tries to get in here."

Next thing was to try and radio the higher ups at the base. That would more or less make or brake there hopes of getting out of this building or if they would be stuck here until lake of food and water made them move. And the idea about a good shower and meal at less brought some hope back to her mind.

Spaight nodded as he checked the shutters that needed to be installed. "There's extras..." he said thoughtfully. "When we have time we can put them on the doors of the stairwell... The people who built this place enclosed the stairwell and put doors on it. That means we can shutter them up as well if we need to."

"That'd allow us to slow anything down if they get in here," he said thoughtfully as he took his tee-shirt off and tossed it on a nearby table so he could . "We have enjoy fuel for generartors to last months... If not a year, if we play our cards right."

"If we use the other buildings around us," he said grinning as he moved the first interior shutter into place and held it there for her to mount it. "By getting into them from zipline access from the roof, we could raid them for food. The bodaga next door might have alot of canned goods that we'll be able to extend the food we already have stored."

"Sorry ma'am," he said looking at her bashfully. "But zombie movies were one of my guilty pleasures... I can't believe that a group of Iraqi scientists who invented this... This virus that is able to actually create a way to reanimate the bodies of those infected by it."

"Sorry ma'am, I should have said Reanimated Life Forms.." he said shaking his head. "Or R.L.F. as the ancronim. The politiicians and Brass both said not to use the term Zombie."

"I hope you don't write me up for that slipp," he said mischeaviously.

"We literally have all the time left in the world to get the shutters put up on the stairwell doors if base dose not answer the radio. As for hoping building, the buildings next door don't look that far. If we have long enough ladders we can use them as a bridges to get next door then use a zipline to get to the shops across the street. After all I thought that looked like a gun shop across the street. Plus using ladders as bridges would be easier to get the boxes of food from one building to the other don't you think?" Talking as she was working. Helping grab the shutters they needed install and moving toward the windows, "Humm maybe instead of installing all the shutters on the stairwell we can use some of the shutters to secure that bodaga. Give us more time to strip that place clean before anything gets into it."

She also remembered seeing a gas station not far down the street. But she did not have a plan yet about getting the gas safely from point A to point B. "And let me tell you. I'm so going to write you up for calling the dead things out there Zombies and my big toe is going to reinforce it because there is no way in hell anyone gives two shits about what you call those things right now okay. Do you watch the news, it seems we take a step forward and run two miles back. Last time I heard something there pulling troops out of major cities and making large save zones out of electric fences and brick walls. Makeshift towns and shit for the once that are not bit. The only thing that's going to be allowed into towns soon are helicopters to pick up anyone that looks....Alive."

"Plus....I like zombie movies too. Really before this stuff happened I had plans to go see that new zombie movie that was going to be coming out next week." The shutters where a little heavy, but it looked like it only took them about a half an hour to finish securing the rest of the building.

Spaight nodded. "That's a good idea." He said looking around. "We have some latters in the garage section of this place... Inculding plenty of cable for ziplines. If if we use them right, we could use them to move heavy amounts of supplies from buidling to building without having to carry it."

"Securing the Bodaga is a great idea," he said grinning. "I knew I liked you for some reason. You're as devious as an old warhorse like me."

"Then lets get working, we don't have all day. No telling when those R.O.F.s are going to start swarming around. I don't think there going to have a cup of tea before going looking for there next meal." okay garage....seemed like the radio could wait. After all they had all night to call in, they might only have hours to secure the bodaga and maybe try to secure some of the other buildings just long enough to get what they needed. Moving into the garage do doubt in her mind that Spaight was right behind her she went to looking for ladders. And Jackpot!

"So we have one 40' ladder, three 32' ladders and two 24' ladders. Seem the government though we might need a to clime a few things while out here. Wounder what else they left for us....So what did you find?" Calling out to the other end of the garage.

CW3 Spaight found more creates of food. "T-Rats... He said looking up. And enough HDRs and HCPs to open up a shelter."

He walked over and looked at the things she had found and smiled. "This is totally Bitchin'," he said with his hands on his hips. He had forgotten to put his tee-shirt back on and wasn't trying to hide the scars on his back and chest. "This is going to make our lives here last much longer. I estimate that we have enough food and supplies to last close to a year here already. If we clear that Bodaga out, and use the persihables we find there first... Tht's about another month or two we'd get out of those supplies."

"We might be able to monitor these things for a year," he said looking at 2LT Onica P. East and grinned. "We might not be scientists to study the effects. "But if the people back at base can monitor our recordings.. We might be able to come up with something close enough to make all this death worth the effort put into it."

She could not help but smile and remind him about food in the Bodaga, "Most can goods are good for a year maybe more. No telling how much they would have in there storage. Play our cards right we might have about two years worth of food, plus we can stock up on over-the-counter medical supplies. What else would they sell there that could be of use besides DVD, cheep books and board games to keep us from going nuts?"

Then it seemed like she a light bulb went off in her head, "They sell those street maps of the town don't they?"

"Oh yeah," Spaight said nodding. "With maps of the city we can set up a command center on the top floor were the scientists were suppose to set up their gear... We could divide the city up into search grids. And then use the ladders to create ziplines from here to other buildings and use them to get around fast when we do our recon of the area."

"Hell," he said seriously. "They have everything from Candy and Sodas to beer and porn. They might not have alot of everything. But they have a little of everything there."

"Yea, just what I was thinking." She had started leaning the ladders against the wall, but her train of though seemed to get lost as soon as he said 'Porn.' Of course he could have picked anything else to go with beer but he had to say porn. Seemed like guys will be guys no matter what rank they where. "The candy and soda sound good...I'm not much of a beer and porn person."

She just had to give him a little bit of a hard time to lighten the mood, more for her sakes then his. "But anyways let get this stuff to the roof and work out a plan."

"Me either... I like the more artistically done stuff if I'm going to look at it, or make it." he said with a laugh as he looked into Onica's eyes. "Don't look at me like that Lieutenant, you've seen some of my photos. They're all over the battalion headquarters and the Company orderly buildings. I take pictures of all the men and their families as morale boosters."

"In fact the platoon was scheduled next month for me to take portraits..." he said as they started carrying what they had found to the roof. "It's one of the things I've done to help with morale for the dependents and personnel. It's worked actaully... When I retire I plan on opening a a photo studio."

"Hell," he said grinning. "I've already got a few people who pose for me on a regular basis. And even have someone who has me doing the photographs for their website. I make a pretty good bit of money for it. When we get a break i'll show you some of the photos i've got..."

"Don't worry," he said mischeaviously. "I won't show you the nudes, unless you want to see them."