5 - Den of Bandits

“You will tell me what I wish to know one way or another,” I threatened in a slowed deepened voice as I caressed the sharp blade of the axe with my finger. “Now, shall we begin?”

Worry and concern kept every notion of sleep from my grasp. I haven’t slept at all in over two days; I didn’t want to sleep. I propped my feet on a table while Rachel laid on the bed. Her slight breathing was all that pierced the deafening silence. I wasn’t at all surprised by her unconscious state. Though, as she neared 48 hours, I grew more concerned that she may not awake at all. The bandits gave her quite the beating. Though the town seemed quiet, I made sure that any infected or bandit that dared to attempt entry into our refuge would be met with disaster. An automatic rifle lay on the table next to me, ready to be fired at a moments notice to ensure our safety. In the meantime, I battled the pressing desire to sleep with beef jerky and some magazines I found at the local grocer. Who’s who, tabloid gossip, the hottest celebrities, local news; it all seemed so trivial now. My eyes grew ever more heavy just before sleep washed over my body. The events of our escape that I so desperately wished to forget came flooding into my mind before my eyes fully shut.

******

Blood flowed from his nose as a result of the punches I landed trying to obtain the information I desired. I tied his hands using some zip ties I found on his companion's dead body. His resistance only served to fuel my anger. His quivering body led me to believe that he was about to crack. He was surprisingly strong for a coward.
“Tell me!!” I shouted as I slammed another fist into his abdomen.
He released a violent cough and spit some blood as he slumped to the church floor. A light whimper escaped his lips. My anger slipped into rage. An infected man heard my shout and began to bang on the closed church doors, injecting a new idea into my mind. With clenched teeth, I yanked him to his knees and spoke in a slow angered tone, “You leave me no choice but to feed you inch by agonizing inch to that infected man outside the doors unless you tell me what I need to know.”
Though he continued his whimper, he remained silent.
“So be it,” I said as I wrenched him to his feet and threw him against the door. The infected man intensified his attempt to enter the church.
“Come on!” I loudly threatened.
“Stop!” he screamed through labored breathing before breaking down into a sob. “Prigor. They took her to Prigor.”
I peeled him from the door and let him fall to the floor. I glared at him and motioned for him to continue.
“Our camp is located at Prigor, 3 miles North East of Cherno.”
The rest of the information flowed out like a broken garden hose. There were fifteen bandits in total, twelve after the two I killed and the one I captured. I leapt to my feet and began rummaging through the equipment for anything I could use. While I searched, the bandit decided to share his life story. Though annoyed, I listened anyway. His name was Ben, Ben Reid. The bandits had taken him and his wife captive. When she refused to join their cause, they beat her to death. Out of fear of receiving a similar treatment, he joined them. He rambled on about regret toward cowardice and wishing he could go back and make a different decision. Abigail's many words on redemption echoed throughout my head. She always could see the good in people. I released a mournful sigh at her memory and mustered up a small inspirational speech about redemption and atonement, in her honor. She would have been proud. My speech, to my surprise, actually convinced him to help me. I hated trusting a bandit but I couldn’t rescue Rachel on my own. Twelve to one aren’t the best odds, however, the two of us, a plan, and the element of surprise could very well win us this battle. Two communication units, military grade remote detonated explosive devices, ammunition, and their weapons were all that I had to work with. As I surveyed the equipment, my rescue plan formed into a beautiful masterpiece. Using the vehicle left behind for the bandit's return to the Prigor base, Ben would drive right into their fenced base, with me in the trunk, and park in an inconspicuous area. After leaving the trunk unseen, I would then place the remote detonated explosive devices underneath any other vehicles to prevent their pursuit. Ben would distract the other bandits while I found Rachel and set her free. The three of us would escape in the car and detonate the explosives after leaving the area, thus destroying their capability of pursuing as well as drawing in every infected nearby for them to deal with. We set the plan in motion. I only hoped it could be accomplished as easily as it sounded.

******

The engine of this old jalopy hummed with a sputter. It was difficult to hear anything over the loud engine and the enclosed trunk in which I resided offered an increased feeling of claustrophobia. My mind raced with regret and my chest weighed heavily as if every dark possibility of betrayal and/or failure I could imagine was already in progress. Our speed decreased as we rounded a corner. The many scenarios rolled through my brain. Would he betray me? Where might this plan go wrong? How will I die tonight? Will I be tortured instead? I didn’t much care for pain. Our speed decreased into a stop with a soft squeal of the brakes. My nervousness peaked when Ben lowered the window to speak. The scenarios I imagined flooded back to me. Their speech was muffled due to my being in the trunk. An eternity of a moment later, we began to move again into their base. Ben parked and exited the vehicle. Five minutes past before I even dared to move. Using a safety latch, I opened the trunk ever so slightly to see several men gathered around Ben, welcoming him home. Apparently, they thought him to be dead. I had to give him credit, though. He knew how to draw a crowd. They followed him off to a point I could no longer see. I carefully lifted the trunk and slowly climbed out, trying desperately to remain silent. The noisy old shocks on the car were not my friend. Finally outside, I grabbed my AK rifle, utility belt, and lightly closed the trunk and surveyed the camp. The night critters were loud in song; almost deafeningly loud. The darkness of night enveloped the entire area, casting many shades of black and grey across the landscape. Though full, even the moon had difficulty illuminating the earth. The soft moonlight glow gave me enough light to distinguish the looming shadows of the few buildings within the fences. Behind me stood several tents that appeared to be supply tents. They had parked their vehicles in the center of the enclosed area. Opposite of me stood a house with a guard tower on top, though it was not occupied. A small military barracks laid to the right of the house. Several silhouettes marked the windows of the lit barracks that cast a slight glow on the surrounding area. I noticed a second gate to the rear of the base as I past by the vehicles. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I tip-toed my way to the house keeping an eye out for any guards I may have missed. I placed a few of the explosive charges underneath the vehicles on the way. I snuck around the left side of the house to avoid the soft light from the barracks. I gazed through the two windows. One lead to a dark room with several stacked shelves and containers.  The second window showed a larger room. The flickering glow from a fireplace fire eerily illuminated the room. Two people stood inside. I also noticed a rope hanging from the ceiling and tied around a pair of handcuffs. I saw a person in those handcuffs. Though slouched, the person was nearly dangled in an upright position due to the rope and cuffs. Unless the bandits made a habit of taking people, the person in the cuffs was Rachel. I peered around the corner of the house to see a man standing guard at the front door. I turned to inspect the windows for openings or weaknesses. I chose the window to the room full of shelves. It was old and difficult but I was able to spread the bottom window from the top just enough to slide the combat knife from my belt to unlatch the lock that held the bottom window closed. It took some work but, finally, I was able to raise the old window and carefully place my rifle inside. Next, I climbed through the window as well. It wasn’t as easy as I remembered so many years ago when I would sneak out of the house when my parents grounded me. Once inside, I made my way to the door and cracked it open. Down the short hallway, the two men were listening to some type of Russian music. Suddenly, the window squeaked. I cringed in fear and tried to catch the window before it slammed shut. I failed. The music suddenly lowered in volume followed by the hushed tones of the nervous men. The floorboards creaked as one of them neared my door. I grabbed my rifle, hid myself behind the door, and grabbed my combat knife from my belt once again. The door slowly creaked open and a flashlight beam pierced the darkness of the small room. He entered, carefully scanning with the beam.
“What was it?” one man called from the other room.
“There’s nothing back here but old shelves.”
“Good, get back here. My fishin' story ain't gonna wait forever!”
The man shook his head and started to back out. Before he could, I launched myself from behind the door and clamped my hand tightly around his mouth. I then drove my knife into his throat and pushed outward. He struggled in pain and to be released. I continued my strong grip on him as I carried him to the ground, preventing a loud noise when he finally died. His thrashing ended and I pulled his body from view behind some shelves. I caught a glimpse of my hands in the dim light. They were drenched in blood.
“Hey! Where you go?! You ain't gettin' out of my story that easily, punk!”
He gave up waiting and walked down the hall to the room. A simple repeat of the previous method ensured a quick and quiet death for the second bandit. I searched their pockets and recovered the keys to the handcuffs. I grabbed my rifle and quickly yet quietly ran down the hall toward Rachel. It was a grotesque scene that appeared even worse in the firelight. She looked quite terrible and bloody, as if she had been tortured. Why they wanted to capture her; torture her, I couldn’t figure out. I unlocked the cuffs and cradled her in my arms as she slumped to the floor. She was delirious from the events of her capture.
“Please… I beg you… Stop. Just kill me,” she whimpered softly.
“Rachel, it’s me. Michael, from Cherno,” I responded, “I’m going to get you out of here. I need you to stay with me.”
I placed one arm under her shoulder to help her stand. I discovered a back door I didn’t notice from the outside. I unlocked the door and we left the house. Almost to the car, a loud shout emerged from the house. The guard from the outside must have gone in and discovered the dead bodies and missing prisoner. The barracks suddenly turned into a frenzy as the door burst open and several men poured outside, scrambling toward the house. The last man out headed toward us. I raised my rifle expecting to have to use it. Just before I fired on him, he revealed himself to be Ben. He helped me load Rachel into the back seat of our jalopy. We looked up as one of the bandits spotted us, called out, and began heading toward us with his rifle extended outward.
“You are a good man, Michael, better than I,” Ben said as he tossed me the keys, “Your mission here is complete, mine is not. Now go!”
He grabbed the detonator, raised his rifle, and began spraying bullets toward the house. The other bandits joined in the fight as bullets pinged off of the bodies of the vehicles with a metallic twang. I fell into the driver seat of the old car, fired up the engine, and took off, bursting through the rear gate as bullets hit the car's body. Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the countryside with a piercing sound as the light of a hundred fireplaces lit the landscape in every direction. I couldn’t help but feel remorse for Ben. He was a hero in his own right, although, he didn’t know it.

*****

I awoke from my slumber, disoriented. I held my hand up to block the sunlight that trickled warmly through the boarded window. My eyes took a moment to adjust from the darkness of sleep. I took a death breath of stale cabin air and sat upright, running my fingers across my eyes. Rachel began to cough as her eyes opened for the first time in two days. She eyed her surroundings carefully then let loose a slight grunt as she turned her head to face me and asked with a weakened voice, “What happened?”

4 - Captured

...I peeled the bandit's body off of me. Before me stood a woman holding a bloody axe, posed to strike if I made the wrong move…

I figured she would swing that axe down upon me as well, but another glance into her light brown eyes revealed caution instead of hate. Her light complexion with dark blonde hair that was covered in mud, cuts and scrapes across her skinny form told of many struggles. I would have considered her attractive if it weren't for the blood covered axe. I slowly stood to my feet with my arms extended as if to surrender to let her know that I was a friend. Her face broke out in a painful expression as she limped a step backwards. The circular shape of blood that soaked through her bandaged leg betrayed a gunshot wound. She remained silent and didn't seem interested in beginning a conversation, so I took the lead. Calmly, I relayed my name and my intentions of not wishing to harm her and that I only desired to escape the bandit. Something I said must have convinced her that I posed no threat because she lowered the bloody axe and let out a teary sigh as if she teetered on the edge of a mental breakdown. She began sharing the most interesting story. Her name was Rachel and the bandits were searching relentlessly for her and I had gotten caught in the middle of that search.

Voices outside the rear window interrupted her tale. I counted four of them. They came to investigate the shooting. From their conversation, I deduced that they were looking for the bandit that was laying on the floor dead. He must have been part of their group. I glanced back at Rachel to see a nervous wreck. It was going to be rather difficult to escape this situation on my own. Adding an injured woman to equation wasn't helping. It also didn't help that the city was still darkening under the colorful evening sky. I didn't intend on lingering around to see what would transpire. I sprang into action. I grabbed the backpack and the tactical vest from the dead bandit as well as the gun that slid out of reach during the struggle. I checked the ammunition level in the AK-47. Only a few shots had been fired. At the same time, Rachel gathered a few things of hers as well. I carefully opened the closet door, desperate not to make any noise for the bandits were just outside the school. I had Rachel wrap her arm around my shoulders and use me as a crutch to help her walk, or rather, stumble as quickly as possible. The voices seemed to be originating from the rear of the school building so we headed out the front entrance. We were very exposed in the middle of the street. Rachel spotted an alleyway across the street with greater cover than we currently had. The alley reminded me of those old gangster movies, only more apocalyptic from overgrown weeds and ivy combined with the rancid scent of rotting flesh. She was surprisingly fast for having to limp and requiring my support to walk. We may survive Cherno after all. The ever increasing feeling of urgency burned across my chest as my mind churned out anxiety like a broken firehose. The person who recommended to remain calm during adversity obviously had never been chased by murderous bandits during an infectious epidemic. Down the alley, we rounded the corner to discover our path blocked by several of the infected. I released Rachel’s arm so she could support herself against the building while I laid down my equipment and grabbed the axe. She was in no shape to fight. I advanced around the corner once again to face the infected. It was difficult to determine just how many crowded the alley. I swung that axe with a ferocity I'd never used before; one, two, three, four; I chopped through them like a hot knife through butter. Although, in this case, it was flesh and blood instead of butter. Several infected later, I ended the struggle and I felt quite satisfied with my slaughter. With a smile, I retreated. When I rounded the corner, my retreat was suddenly halted as I stood face to face with a bandit in the very spot where Rachel and our gear once laid. Once again, the barrel of a rifle was shoved in my face, only this time, the bandit’s demeanor was vastly different from my last encounter. The weapon shook under his frightened grip as he silently debated pulling the trigger. I used his hesitation to my advantage. I grabbed the barrel of the rifle and yanked it out of his hands while I simultaneously connected a direct punch to his nose. The hit was more painful to my hand than I had imagined. Before his blood could even drip out, I landed a hard kick to his abdomen. He stumbled backwards into several trash cans. The corner of my eye revealed a second bandit creeping up to my position. I threw myself to the asphalt as automatic weapons fire erupted throughout the alley. The bricks above me exploded into dust and hundreds of small particles as the bullets tore through the walls. I grabbed the rifle I had thrown behind me and returned fire. The weapon shook vigorously as each round exited the barrel with a deafening crack. The random blind fire wasn't aimed well enough to kill my enemy, however, it provided the chance I needed to escape. I jumped to my feet and grabbed my axe while I emptied the remainder of the weapon's magazine before I sped around the corner and down the alley where I had just chopped down the infected. I burst into the open street. A church to my right enticed me to enter with it's unbarred doors. I kicked open the door and ran inside. There wasn't much option for hiding. Next to the door sat a stained glass window adorned with decorative long curtains that reached the floor. I formulated a new plan. I removed the vest from my person and placed it along side the empty rifle as bait to lure my pursuers away from the curtain. Like a child playing hide and seek, I wrapped my body in the velvet curtains and waited.

The bandits didn't keep me waiting for long. The large door cried a lonely creek as it cautiously swung open. Footsteps whispered to my ears that my targets had entered the church and surrounded the abandoned equipment. My breath hastened as I silently slid out from behind the curtains. They were slouched over the equipment. I raised the axe over my head and swung it down with such a force that it became lodged in his body. He slumped to the floor. I placed my foot on his back for leverage as I lurched the axe from his skull. I transitioned to an unstable composer and faced the second bandit. The blood smeared over my face from my earlier slaughter aided my act. His eyes were wide open and his hands shook in terror. His cowardice and fear forced the pistol out of his hands and he stumbled to his knees before me. He placed his hands behind his head and begged for mercy. I gripped the axe in my hands in an intimidating manner as I slowly lowered myself to his kneeled level. I peered directly into his eyes allowing for a dramatic pause to heighten his rampant emotions.
“I need to know exactly what your people did with that woman in the alley. You will tell me what I wish to know one way or another,” I threatened in a slowed deepened voice as I caressed the sharp blade of the axe with my finger. “Now, shall we begin?”

3 - Cherno

…I turned around just in time to see Davis swinging the butt of his M16 at my head. It connected hard with a sickening thud. I could feel my mind losing it’s grip on consciousness. The world then snapped to darkness… 

*It smelled like heaven! A greasy meat lovers pizza laid in that beautiful box with the overhead cabinet light shining down on it as if a heavenly choir was about to sound off around the kitchen. I eagerly placed three slices on my plate with a handful of chips. Suddenly, Abigail burst through the kitchen door that led to the garage. Surprised to see her I asked, "Hey, babe. I thought you were pulling a night shift at the hospital tonight?”
"I am," she responded quickly. "I forgot some paperwork that I needed."
She scampered off to the bedroom to gather her papers. I made my way to the living room couch, longing for that first delicious bite. I switched on the TV to the evening news as Abigail emerged from the bedroom in haste to get back to the hospital. She was always sure to say goodbye with a kiss, as she did this time as well. Before she left, she shouted from the back door, "By the way, my mother is stopping by your garage tomorrow to get her car worked on." She closed the door leaving me behind with that horrid sinking feeling when something bad is about to happen. There are a million things I'd rather do than work on that woman's car. "Is he actually a good mechanic?" I mocked. I'll show her a good mechanic. My mocking was abruptly ended as the commercials finally ended and the main news began. For the past few days, the reporting has been centered around the tourist island of Taviana where a rabies like virus had been infecting dogs. According to the channel host, the virus was spreading rapidly amongst the canine population. The first cases of human infection had been reported, as well, after the dogs began attacking people.*

I regained consciousness to a barn floor filled with dirt and the moans of an infected man just outside the barn.  My heart felt like it was in my head, beating like the kick drum of a rock band. I struggled with standing up. My entire body felt like lead as I tried to summon the strength. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and checked my surroundings. The barn was empty; cleaned out of all it’s positions. For that matter, all my gear was gone as well, except for the clothes on my back. Apparently, Davis had no use for the documents as they still laid across the floor where they had fallen after I was struck down. There was my map on the floor with the words “A Life For A Life” written across the top. That’s a strange way to show gratitude for my saving his life. I shook my head in disgust as I gathered the remaining documents, folded them up, and placed them in my coat pocket. I might as well not leave empty handed from this failed quest. I tried to open the door of the barn but it was jammed shut. Must have been another form of “gratitude” from Davis. The door was so old that it was barely hanging on to it’s frame. A good kick released me of my prison. I must have been unconscious for several hours as several shades of pinks, yellows, and oranges were beginning to paint the sky in a breath taking display as the day gave way to the night. The situation was far from ideal, though. For whatever reason, the infected seemed more active at night. I glanced over the map. All my choices were death but through different means. Either I take to the vast mountains of Chernarus and die of dehydration or I take to the coastal city of Cherno and get ripped apart by the infected. I carefully weighed the options and decided on Cherno. It was less than a mile south east of my current position. Because Cherno is the largest city in the state of Chernarus, I figured there would be a greater chance of finding supplies than in the mountains. It was a gamble either way.

I arrived at the city limit of Cherno. The city was truly a sight to behold. Abandoned and rusting vehicles littered the streets combined with piles of debris from the early stages of the infection when the military tried to eradicate the infected hosts. Glass was strewn about from looters after they ransacked the stores looking for anything that wasn’t bolted down. Weeds were far overgrown as mother nature tried to retake her earth from human occupation. The wind whistled as it blew through the cracks of the buildings, echoing an unsettling feeling of loneliness and desolation. I used a metal pole that I had grabbed off the broken door of the barn to kill any infected that I came across. There wasn’t much time left until the shadows of the night covered the city. I entered a supermarket in hope of some food. The broken glass crunched beneath my feet as I stepped inside. The store was in disarray with many of the shelves overturned. Hope takes on many forms and today it was manifested in the form of an unopened can of green beans. After I managed to open the can by scraping it against the damaged cement floor, I leaned against a shelf and partook of a hearty meal. I remembered seeing scenes like this in those old zombie movies. I had always wanted to see a scene like that in person, although, this isn’t how I wanted to experience it. However, those movies were fiction and far from reality unlike the current situation. The sound of footsteps stole my attention from my feast. I expected another of the infected, but, instead, a person in bandit style clothing aiming an AK-47 straight at me stood outside the store. Fearfully, I took a step backward careful not to avert my eyes from the weapon. I tripped over a fallen shelf and stumbled behind a low rise counter as the sound of machine gun fire rang out through the store. The lead tore through the walls, flinging plaster in every direction. At the edge of panic, I wrenched my sanity back from the grips of fear. Behind the cabinet, I was out of the line of sight but not the line of fire. He shouted something about finding the perp as I pulled myself into the back room through an open door. Another deafening volley of lead hellfire ripped through the thin walls of the store. I hauled myself to my feet and made a break for the rear entrance. I could hear the bandit rushing through the front of the store. I burst through the loading dock doors and jammed both doors shut with a piece of debris. I tried to take a quick breath but the shooter had other ideas. He sprayed a short burst of lead into the door. In a split second, I surveyed my options of escape. The bandit began to bang against the door trying to loosen the debris. I spotted a school building a short distance away. My only option was the school as the area was blocked in every direction. I dashed forward to the school as the bandit finally broke through the barrier. He was quick to discharge a few more bullets from his weapon. One of the bullets grazed my side before I made it to the school. It was an intense pain but I continued on. I arrived at the school and crashed through the doors. I stole a glance behind me just long enough to see the bandit loading a fresh magazine into his weapon. I identified what I thought was the stairwell door. Unfortunately, my Russian is close to non-existent. It was actually a large storage closet filled with metal shelves and document boxes. If this was home in California, I would have had several boxes for my childhood transgressions. The one lonely window in the room was barred from the outside and it was too late to formulate a new plan. I tried to quietly close the door to the storage closet when I heard the bandit set foot into the foyer of the school, but a slight squeak escaped the rusted hinges. The sound of the footsteps indicated that the bandit had altered his course and was slowly approaching the storage closet door. I stood behind the door as silently as possible. I didn’t even breath for fear of him hearing me. The suspense and imminent danger was sheer murder on my adrenal glands. The handle of the door began a slight spin. Fear boiled up from my gut to my chest when I heard a slight click. The latch that held the door shut had released the door to invite my attacker into the room. I wasn’t going to just lay down and die, though. I was going to go out fighting. I saw the barrel of the AK poke around the corner. I summoned every last ounce of my strength and I rammed the door into my assailant then immediately grabbed the barrel of his weapon. I did my best to yank it out of his hands but he reacted too quickly and we both lost grip on the weapon. It hit the floor and slid out of reach. I immediately threw a punch at the bandits face but he was too fast. He ducked the punch and retaliated by grabbing the deep graze wound in my side. In pain, I dropped my guard ever so slightly. He used this to his advantage by lunging at my abdomen. He threw me against the metal shelves, knocking over myself and several of the shelves. In the mess, I noticed an axe had fallen to the ground. I tried to reach it but failed as the bandit climbed on top of me. He reached for my throat and began to squeeze, trying to suffocate me. It was a battle of wills. The few seconds felt like hours. I squirmed as much as I could muster to try and release his strong grip but he was too strong. I could feel myself fading away as he continued his strong hold around my throat. I wanted nothing more than for one last breath. Suddenly, the bandit released his grip. I felt the warmth of his blood drip on my neck just before he completely collapsed. With my airway unrestricted, I gasped for breath and began a series of hard coughs as I peeled the bandit's body off of me. Before me stood a woman holding a bloody axe, posed to strike if I made the wrong move.

2 - 50 Shades of Greed

...The noise from the crash and the gunfight had drawn the attention of many of the infected. I grabbed what supplies I could, piled them into the SUV, and drove away...

The storm raged on as it had for the past twenty four hours. The rain poured down in heavy sheets, the lighting gave an eerie glow to the dark mountainous landscape, and the thunder rocked the earth like a small earthquake. This storm was not like a typical springtime storm. It sounded like an angelic army waging war against a league of demons. Despite the low visibility, I managed to find shelter in an old barn. It was even large enough to accommodate a comfortable fit for my SUV. I lit a small fire for warmth and light with some logs I found in the corner of the barn and some matches I already possessed. As the storm drudged on, I rummaged through the supplies I grabbed off of the bandits and the wrecked Humvee. I found a little food, water, some rifles and pistols, and ammunition. I also found a map among the Humvee supplies with strange markings. Another blinding flash of lightning illuminated the barn as a crack of thunder shook my shelter. I returned my gaze to the map. It appeared as though a certain small area of Chernarus was of particular interest to the owners of the Humvee, although, it didn't reveal why. My curiosity peaked at the mystery. Maybe there was a small camp or an outpost in this area with others. I figured they would like to know the fate of their people. Hopefully the storm will clear up throughout the night. As soon as the storm does clear up, the "place of interest" will be my next mission.

I am pleasantly awoken by the warmth of the sun piercing through the cracks in the barn walls. The air around me is cool, crisp, and refreshing to my skin. I had forgotten the beautiful sound of the birds chirping in the morning air. It almost made me forget about the outbreak that is upon us, that is, until I heard the growls and moans from a few of the infected outside the barn. I check to be sure that all of my new equipment is stowed away in the SUV before I embark on my quest. I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the SUV. My dark brown hair is oily to the touch and my light skin shows a light hint of a reddish brown from the mud and dried blood of the infected. I haven't showered or bathed in days. I imagine I smelled like the men's locker room after a long football game. I hop into the driver's seat and turn the ignition. The SUV fires up with a beautiful purr and I drive off to complete my new quest.

*She was a vision of beauty, sitting there across the table. Her dark brunette hair shimmered in the morning sun that poured through the dining room windows of our California home. Her deep blue eyes sparkled with a caring and a playfulness that made her an amazing doctor. She certainly knew how to wear blue jeans and a t-shirt as well. She was thumbing through our old wedding photo album. Wedding of Michael Howe and Abigail Briggs was the title. Wow, was it really fifteen years ago today that we were married? Many said we wouldn't last. Her inability to say no to a hurting individual or a friend in need and my stubborn, get-it-done attitude that we each fell in love with, was often our downfall. However, here we are. Our fifteenth anniversary. We were particularly excited. With her being a doctor and my owning an auto mechanic shop, we don't often have time for just the two of us. I kept peering over my newspaper at her and then averting my gaze as she tried to catch my stare. The article was just barely interesting enough to keep me from a full on stare. It was about a new development of a "Super Rabies" virus as the author called it. It was infecting animals on the tourist island of Taviana, particularly dogs, causing them to become more aggressive. Thus far, the situation was contained and being dealt with. It was one of those stories you read and forget a few minutes later.*

"Pull off to the side of the road, behind that power station checkpoint. It would probably be better to go on foot from here."
That statement startled me. My mind dwelled so deeply in a memory that I had almost forgotten about my passenger. Shortly after leaving my hideout in the barn, I came across a man, trapped in a car with the infected all around scraping and clawing, trying desperately to reach their next meal. I had grabbed a road flare from my SUV, lit it, and threw it off into the forest as bait. The ones that did not chase after the flare were easy enough to kill with a few quick chops of my machete. He thanked me for my assistance and introduced himself as Davis. We had a short conversation and he seemed alright, so I granted his request to join me on my journey.

I drove around to the far side of the power station and parked. We each grabbed a rifle from the SUV's gear. I was still hoping for a small camp in the area, but that didn’t mean they would take kindly to strangers. It’s always better to be prepared. We slowly and carefully crossed into the forest and made our way up the hill to our destination. We hit the top and peered into the area. It was abandoned. One house painted in a dingy white sat before us. Behind the house was an old barn that appeared as though it would collapse under it’s own weight. To the right of the house lay a small shed that was already in the process of falling apart as one of the walls had already broken apart. The area was fenced in with wood planks and completed by a metal gate on the left side. The back fence had fallen over outwards as if something had burst through. As we converged on the gate, the smell of death was in the air. We discovered the body of a man laying there inside the opened gate, torn apart by the infected, leaving the most putrid smell. I’m surprised anything was left at all after the storm. He appeared to have been shot multiple times. Dozens of empty bullet casings spread out around him as if there were a firefight here at some point. The small holes in the wood plank fence and the side of the house confirmed my theory. Davis and I began a meticulous search of the grounds starting with the house and shed. These were empty with nothing of use left behind. We then concentrated our focus on the barn. We wheeled the door to the side. We couldn’t believe our eyes. Weapons and ammo laid strewn about the floor of the barn. Crates stocked full of food and water littered the corner along with containers filled with gold and drugs. Another two bodies laid in the middle of the barn, shot through their chests. They bared the same clothing and markings as the bandits I killed just a day or so ago.  We started to search through our findings. While Davis gathered the weapons and ammunition, I rifled through a folder I found. The documents seemed to be written in code, with instructions, plans, and seemingly negotiation terms. My mind filled with questions. What is the importance of this barn? Who is it important to? Did it belong to the Humvee drivers or the bandits? If it belongs to the Humvee drivers, are there more of them? Are there more bandits? My deep thinking was interrupted by the words of my acquaintance.

“I’m sorry, my friend,” he said.
Puzzled, I turned around just in time to see Davis swinging the butt of his M16 at my head. It connected hard with a sickening thud. I stumbled backwards trying to regain my footing. My mind fully intended to return upright and fight back but my body had other intentions. I awkwardly staggered to my knees. I could feel my mind losing it’s grip on consciousness. The world then snapped to darkness.

1 - To Save A Life

I waited impatiently for the slab of meat to finish cooking over the fire. The smell drove me wild and reminded me that I haven't had a decent meal in months. It's been quite a long time since the survivor camps were destroyed. I've spent my days roaming the mountain sides trying to stay alive. My hand, in an unconscious habit, strayed to my side to be sure that my DMR rifle was still present. Even in the middle of this mountain forest, death seemed to lurk around every tree, just waiting to devour its next victim. Speaking of devouring a victim, my meat seems to be fully cooked now. Out of my pack, I grab a small bag of Pistachios and my last Coke. Despite this infection, today, I shall eat like a king!

I finished the incredible meal, put out the fire, and was working myself into a nap; or a food coma, as if after a Thanksgiving day meal. The thoughts of a Thanksgiving meal comforted me until I was abruptly awoken by the sound of vehicle engines and gunshots ringing out across the forest. I quickly grabbed my DMR rifle and made my way South West to the top of the hill, where I thought the sounds were coming from. I breach the peak just in time to see, in the distance, a Humvee that was bellowing smoke from it's engine and flying down a mountain road closely pursued by a black SUV. The shots originated from the SUV. One shot hit the Humvees tire, causing it lose control. The Humvee turned sideways in a cloud of dust and smashed through the guard rail where the road veered sharply and started sliding down a steep hill into a valley. On it's way down, the Humvee suddenly overturned and came to rest upside down in the valley. The crunching and scraping of the metal shot shivers through my body. I winced with pain as if I were the one in the crash. The smoke and massive dust trail that followed plumed outward like a mushroom cloud as it hit the valley floor. To my surprise, a man and a woman climbed out of the wreckage. I peered through the scope of my rifle to get a closer view. The man was a bloody mess but relatively unharmed. The woman, on the other hand, was injured with a broken leg and was bleeding badly. The pursuing SUV waisted no time. They drove a short distance down the road and found a less steep hill that led down into the valley. I saw two automatic weapons peek out of the SUV windows and began to suppress the overturned Humvee. I wanted so badly to help the survivors but I couldn't get a clear shot on the SUV. The man did his very best to defend himself and the woman but he caught a few bullets in his chest from the suppression fire. The SUV came to a halt beside the wreckage and five bandits jumped out. Bandits are the most despicable people that prey on the innocent and each other. Two of the bandits ran ahead to finish off the male survivor by firing a bullet into his head. Next, they grabbed the injured woman and kneeled her down before their leader. This was my chance to help. The leader unholstered his pistol and aimed it at the womans head. I couldn't make out the words but he was shouting at her while waving the gun. My hands were trembling from adrenaline and nervousness as I peered down my scope at the leader. The range was about 480 meters. I adjusted my crosshairs on the leaders center mass to take into account travel distance and gravity. I stilled my breathing, calmed my nerves, and fired the first shot. The bandit leader fell backwards, dead. Time felt like it had sped up at that point. I did my very best to calm my sporadic emotions as I was bordering on utter panic. I realined my rifle and took another shot, killing a second bandit as they all ran for cover behind the SUV. Three bandits remained. Shots rang out across the valley in my general direction. A few rounds landed with a thud close to me, kicking up dirt in all directions. They still didn't know my exact position. I wiped the sweat and dirt from my face and took aim once again. I fired off two more rounds before I caught a third bandit in the head as he peered over the SUVs hood. His head snapped back as he fell out of sight behind the vehicle. Two bandits remain. I can only imagine that the bandits were in a full fledged panic by now because one of the remaining two bandits tried to get in and start the SUV and drive off. He barely got his keys in the ignition before I nailed him in his head and side. The final bandit gave up and made a run for the forest to the North of his position. I did my best to lead the target as I fired. Three rounds to the back later, he fell face first into the ground, dead. As quickly as my trembling body would allow, I ran down to the wrecked Humvee, intent on saving that woman's life. My chest burned from the running but I made it. She was screaming in pain and partially delirious from the blood loss. I yelled to her to hang on and that I would help her. If I could get the bleeding under control, I would be able to save her life. In desperation, I turn around to the lifeless body of the leader to search for some bandages and other medical supplies. I keep shouting for her to hold on and that she will be ok. While I'm frantically searching, I hear a faint metallic click followed shortly by a single gunshot. My heart dropped harder than a bowling ball onto asphalt. Horrified by what I might see behind me, I slowly turned around to see the woman clutching a pistol with smoke rising from the barrel. She lay there; void of all life. The world faded out for a moment. I could have saved her if she had just held on. I kneeled there, unable to process all that had happened. Several minutes later, the world snapped back. The noise from the crash and the gunfight had drawn the attention of many of the infected. I grabbed what supplies I could and piled them into the SUV. I drove away with a few tears flowing from my eyes. I despise this infection.

Introduction

It's been two years since the outbreak. I have been spending my days just simply surviving. Day after day of scavenging and running from the infected gets tiresome after awhile. It is just me alone in this foreign state with the infected. Some days are so bad I wonder if it is even worth it to continue on at all. It wasn't always like this, you know. Even after the outbreak, people banded together to keep the morale of the camps uplifted and to keep our society going. However, days turned into months and months into years and hope slowly began to fade away. Our humanity was stripped from us as people reverted to violence in our decaying state of hysteria. Eventually, our camps were torn apart from the inside; scattering the remaining survivors across Chernarus, Russia. Now, you cannot trust anyone. Most of the living are now bandits who are looking out only for their own needs. I have started this journal in the hopes that my story will be told and that my life will not fade away as just another unfortunate soul that died in the aftermath of the infection.