The man stood there behind the ruined car, scope still trained on the big man. He knew the shot killed him, but you didn't take any chance's in this new world.

   Feeling positive that the man was down for good, he stepped out from behind his cover and weapon still up scanning for threats, moved slowly to the young women crying on the ground.

   He felt for her. To go through all that and survive. He knew she'd struggle with it the rest of her life. Nothing he can do about that. He could however, knowing that this group travels in teams of four with up to four teams in an area, get them both out of here before the rest showed up.

   Stopping over the big mans body, he calmly said, ""Ma'am, unless you want to go through round two with their buddies, we need to get moving right now." His voice startled her, he could clearly see that. But the was nothing for it. The others were on their way.

   He reached out a gloved hand, the other still holding his rifle up, securing the immediate area, and pulled the sobbing women to her feet. She was pretty, in a post ruined world way. She was skinny, the skinny that comes with missing two to three days of meals.

   The fact she was still alive was proof that either she was really good at scavenging, or she was with someone who was. She had dark brown hair that just passed her shoulders. This was actually the longest hair he had seen on a women since the extinction came about. More hygienic to just keep it shaved short.

   She had a hard build, like someone who had been athletic before the end. With a firm butt and still surprisingly perky breasts, she was one of the better looking females he'd seen.

   With this said, he had no lusts or dark ideas for her. To him, love was only a stupid reason to get killed for. He had lost everything he cared for at the start of all this. He was not looking to replace any of it now. Looking at her, he quickly goes over the four bodies, looking for anything useful.

   "Were do you live?" He asks while going through one of the dead mans pockets. He wasnt finding much Intel to make this contact worth it. She points down the road.

   Feeling frustrated, he asks "is there someone back there waiting for you."

   In a shaky, broken voice, she replied"He never came home. It's been four days, but he never came back." The tears renewed down her face as she said this, letting him know she was not lying to him. He knew what he had to do.

   "There's a small community about three days travel up the river," he tells her as he is going thru the big mans pocket,"we can head there where you will be.....fuck." He says abruptly.

   She stares at him, waiting for him to explain his sudden outburst of surprise. His body expression telling her that whatever it was is not gonna be good.

   He quickly stands and turns towards her, his hands tightly on his rifle, and says "If this man is who I think he is," pausing to look back at the body, as if that would change anything, he continues,"then we don't want to be her when the others arrive." He turns away from her and starts walking away.

   "What am I supposed to do, huh?" She asks, desperation in her voice. The man stops, and looks to ponder her question for a few moments before answering.

   "The way I see it, you have two choices. You can stay here and see how things play out with the others or you can come with me and maybe, just maybe, live to see another day. Your call." And with that, he turns down an alley and disappears.

   She stands there, looking after him, not sure what she needed to do. She could always go back to the hidey hole and wait on Ted to come back. But Ted was dead. She knew this deep inside. He was never coming back. That left her with one other choice. To follow this stranger who has already saved her life once. Maybe he could help her survive the rest of this new and dangerous world. With that thought in her head, she takes off after him. Afraid he'll get to far ahead of her and leave her behind.


CHAPTER FOUR IN THE WORKS. HAD SOMETHING PERSONAL POP UP

© MR.BOONIE