We are not far from the hospital. Nowdoc was the name. When we find a group moving down the road. We had stopped as I checked the map. We were crouching down. They came out of the fog and were right on top of us before they realised, we were there.

“Hello.” I said to them rising. A man span and pointed a large knife in my direction. Terrified. “Hi I am a Zone Operative there are two others with me. We are here to help.”

The group was traumatised but the chance of help could not be ignored.

I was able to talk to them before they panicked and bolted. They were clearly being affected by the zone and were twitching and looking around fearfully. The group consisted of a man, a teenage boy and three kids all under six. The kids are clinging together utterly terrified.

Closing to them I lifted my faceplate. I remember the training in how to deal with those trapped in a zone. I had to remind myself that zone effects were bad for me but a lot worse for them.

Now that I was close, I could see the man and teenager were wounded. Mostly superficial as far as I could see. The kids physically were ok as far as I could see with my brief inspection.

“We are here to help.” I tell him as calmly as possible. The knife was still pointed at me.

“I am going to show you a map of where to go. Ok?” He nods to me still not relaxing. I slowly open the map to show him.

“We need you to go here.” I pointed to the rally point. He looks at the map and then at me.

“Ok.” That was the first thing he had said.

“Do you see any other people back there?” I asked.

He nods and seems to need to gather himself to speak.

“We… we were going to Nowdoc. To…to find help.” He slowly came out with.

“Nowdoc has been overrun.” I tell him. He visible slumps at this news. “Head to where I have shown you.” He nods about to leave then stops.

“Are you coming?” He asks.

“No. We are going on to see if we can find any others.” I tell him.

“They’re everywhere. The monsters.”

“We know. Remember do not stop at Nowdoc. Go the rally point.” He nods and they begin to shuffle off down the road. I make a decision.

“Karlsson escorts them past the hospital then double back. We will wait here.” He nods and follows them. They are quickly lost from sight.

“This is going to get worse. A lot worse.” Mannford said from next to me.

“A level one event. Hell yes.” I answer.

We stand there waiting for Karlsson’s return scanning around. We are nearly at a turn and my map says it’s for Ballyloskey Road. We are next to surgery and Pharmacy. Milbrae Surgery according to the map.

I notice movement in the fog.

“Movement to my left.” I say quietly.

“I have movement in the opposite direction.” Mannford tells me. I put away the map and get ready. We stand back from each other.

Before I can say anything else they attack.

Ape-like figures surge from the fog and attack. There are two in front of me. They make hooting sounds as they attack.

The lead is introduced to my axe. Which from the sounds surprises them? I think. The axe strikes true into the lead’s head. Collapsing the front part of its skull. Blueish blood explodes from the wound. More as I pull the axe back.

The second pause was long enough for me to get my shield to meet it. It collides with me knocking me back into Mannford. Thankfully neither of us is too staggered by the impact and quickly recover.

“Fucking be careful!” Mannford snarls behind me.

I ram the creature with my shield and as it staggered back my axe bites into its neck. Rage surges through me faster and hotter than I was expecting. Blue tinted blood flies from the wound the creature goes down. I strike again at its head to make sure it stays down. Rage

I spin around to find Mannford finishing off the two that had been attacking him. With heavy swings to their heads with his bat, his face twisted in rage. My rage died down as quickly as it came.

“Fuck! These are the things from the zone that the RCT was sent in to clear!” I exclaim.

The creatures were ape-like. Short legs and long arms. The hands had claws and the skin was almost bark-like. Their eyes were a solid blue with no pupils and their mouths had a lot of teeth.

“Creatures and Grave types in one zone! What the Fuck!” Mannford was shocked.

“We need to be ready. Did you feel anything in the fight?” I asked.

“Anger. No, a lot of rage.” He answered. Looking at me. I think with a look of worry.

“Me too.”

“I don’t remember that in the limited briefing packet we got.” I said to him.

“Neither do I.” He agreed.

Great. Looks like things we thought we knew we getting thrown out the window.

“You, ok?” I ask. He checks himself and me. My shield has some light claw marks.

“All good except got the blueish blood on me.”

“Me too.” I tell him.

“I never heard or seen a zone with different threat types before, have you?”

“No. I have nearly always been in Grave types.” I tell him.

“We need to let our commands know.” I nod to this. How was the question? Sending someone back was the most logical but that could endanger the mission.

Karlsson reappeared as I was mulling this over. He was just as shocked to find the corpses of the creatures. He and Mannford were discussing it. Along with the new mental effect.

“We need to check the pharmacy there.” I tell them. Pointing to an almost invisible outline in the fog.

“Why?” Mannford asked.

“It’s a lot closer to the road than the hospital is. Plus, might be survivors.”

“What about these houses on the other side?” Karlsson pointed out.

“Pharmacy first then houses.” I decide.

We cross the car park to the Pharmacy. There were several shops next to Pharmacy. All are unlocked and open. Except for the Pharmacy. The door was locked and barricaded. I wipe the moisture from the glass to look in. Karlsson and Mannford are looking around for dangers.

The interior is dark and what I can see is in shambles. Before I can knock on the glass and say anything to see if there is anyone inside. A zombie comes around the corner.

“See it.” Karlsson quickly takes it out and checks for more. This zombie is different the body is not rotten and has its throat ripped out.

I move closer and make sure my fear is correct.

“I think that this was one of the locals.” I tell them. They quickly come over to look.

“Shit, I had heard the rumour but I was never sure.” Karlsson said.

It was widely rumoured that those killed in a Grave zone could rise to add the numbers in the zone.

“Let’s look at your mace.”

He lifted the mace and matter from the zombie was still there and the red was evident in the black ichor.

“Fuck!” Came from Mannford. Karlsson paled.

“Right let’s get moving the faster we are done the faster we can get out of here.” I say to them. I get no arguments.

I knock on the door glass and call out.

“Zone Operatives call out for assistance.” Nothing. I turn and shrug. “Let’s go we have not the time.”

We check the houses across the road. Most are empty but we find evidence several were attacked. Two more “fresh” zombies were put down.

We were burning daylight too fast and we had hardly gotten into the zone. We had to push in.

As we were walking along the road Mannford spoke from behind.

“Movement behind us.”

We turned to meet any threat. A figure was moving in the fog coming towards us. As the fog revealed it, we identified it as Keller. She seemed releved to finally see us.

“Thank God… I found you at last!” She exclaimed.

“Keller, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“Orders from command… The zone is still expanding but at a slower pace. The rally point has been abandoned for one further back at a school.” She handed me an additional map with the new command/rally point. “I have been ordered to assist you in the field. Also, more Operatives are inbound to help. No ETA yet.”

She became less confident again after delivering her message. Well, this was just getting better by the minute. I am getting sick of making these decisions I am being forced to here.

“With Keller back, we could use her as a runner.” I think out loud.

“No, she doesn’t have the experience.” Mannford replied. “I’ll do it.”

We look to him. He is making sense. We need someone who can deliver messages back to command and survive the trip.

“Ok. Head back and tell them about the mixed threat types and the fact that the hospital is mostly overrun. We will be heading up this route to the former base camp.” I show him the route on my map he nods.

“Good luck.” He says and heads back down the road. He quickly disappears into the fog.

“You saw the corpses on the road back there?” I ask Keller.

“Yes, what were those things? Wait were those the creatures we were expecting?” She was catching up fast. This was good.

“Yes. This is a mixed threat zone. We have also discovered that the creature back there causes you to suffer from fits of rage when they are close. So, stay alert.”

We continue along the road encountering the occasional zombie shambling around. They are taken out quickly and quietly as possible. They are however slowing us down.

Keller is sent to take out two of them and is starting to get the feel of how it is done. It is not far until we stop again next to a Charging Service Station. The solar panels on the roof are covered in moisture like everything else. The station is empty and abandoned. The name Kelly’s above the door. I motion for the others to come closer.

“We have reached Chapel Street.” I tell them. “To the right as we advance will be a graveyard.”

“Shit! You think this is where the zombies are coming from?” Karlsson asks.

“It is most likely but with this zone, I do not know.” Keller had gotten quieter as we had moved forward. If that was possible. We had not come far but she was not handling it as well as I hoped.

This life was hard on the toughest of us. It was constant wear on the body and mind. Combat veterans were the closest in understanding.

“Karlsson check across the road. The stores might have survivors.” He looks at me oddly but heads over.

“How are you doing Keller?” I ask her when he is out of earshot.

She blinks rapidly taken by surprise at the question, I think.

“Err… Ok.” She answers.

I look at her not believing that one bit.

“Really?” I ask. Not hiding my scepticism at all.

She hesitates again with her answer.

“No, not really.” She admits. She slumps at this confession.

“Good.” I tell her. She gives me an odd look. “If you said yes, I would be concerned or I would know you are lying. This is your first training mission. You have been thrown into a Level one emergency. Things are FUCKED. Focus on things one problem at a time and we will get through this. Ok?”

“Err… Ok.” She answers again.

Yes, this was my great attempt at a pep talk. No idea if it would work but I think I had to try.