Dawn on 18 February saw two bands of survivors, each unaware of the other's existence, setting out to scavenge the warehouses along West Street in Barberton City. Both groups were made up of survivors thrown together by circumstance. One consisted of detective McReady, who had been out on patrol when the outbreak occurred; Rob Shyder, who had flagged down the policeman's car as he ran down a street pursued by a rager; and Ruth, a well-armed survivalist who had grudgingly joined the others when they pulled up alongside as she attempted to repair her broken-down car. The other group was made up of detective Becky Smith, officer Wayne Brezinski, and Jim Grivas. The two police had arrested Grivas for suspected fire-raising and had been taking him (and his petrol bomb) back to the station when the rage virus first manifested itself.
At the north end of West Street Becky and Jim forced the door of a warehouse and had a look inside while Wayne stood guard. At the other end McReady stopped the car and suggested they cautiously explore the area before breaking into any buildings; Ruth impatiently left the car, slamming the door, and began hacking at the padlock on the nearest door with a machete. All that noise brought a couple of ragers out of an alley opposite, and Ruth did not hear McReady and Shyder’s shouts until the ragers were nearly on her (see pictures below).
Too late, Ruth heard them and turned around; she managed only to get off a wild burst from her assault rifle before the nearest rager grabbed her and tore her to pieces. [She rolled two fails on three dice and the rager got a gruesome kill.] The sight and sound of the rager attack was too much for detective McReady, who took to his heels and was never seen again. Rob froze in terror and was jumped by two ragers who bore him to the ground. It looked like his number was up as the two attempted to savage him as he lay on the ground; however he recovered, beat them off with his baseball bat, and was able to get up and run off into a cluster of storage containers at the end of the street. [He needed three successes on Q4+ and to survive two free hacks and managed both!]
At the other end of the street Smith, Brezinski and Grivas heard the gunfire and rushed back to their van. (Picture below.) Becky drove, racing at full pelt up a back lane parallel to West Street towards the sound.
Rob dodged amongst the containers, trying to be quiet, as the ragers stalked him. The arrival of the police van at top speed distracted the ragers and Rob stepped out from behind a container waving frantically to the driver. Becky was going too fast to stop but the van squeezed through between two containers, losing its wing mirrors in the process, and skidded to a stop in the street. (See picture below.) Rob ran after the van; its rear door flew open, Rob dived in, and the van drove off leaving three frustrated ragers behind.
The next day the police van, now containing Becky Smith, Wayne Brezinski, Jim Grivas – still notionally under arrest but in fact a full and equal member of the team – and Rob Shyder was making very slow progress through Barberton City. The roads in this area were strewn with obstacles and broken glass, and it was Brezinski’s turn to walk in front of the van checking for glass and nails and moving any small obstacles. A sudden movement ahead caused Brezinski to stop and ready his shotgun – a survivor, hearing the sound of the engine, had broken cover and run towards it, pursued by two ragers. (Picture below.)
Another rager attacked Brezinski, whose shotgun was now jammed, and Sammy, the survivor who had made a dash for the van, and dragged them both down. As Rob watched the rager bit them both and coughed infected blood onto them, and within seconds the two were convulsing in the throes of the virus. Rob was able to dive into the back of the van before first the original rager then Brezinski and Sammy threw themselves at the windows. The van rocked as the three pounded, snarling and snapping, on the glass. At this point Jim, who had been cowering in the van, had a great idea. The petrol bomb he had been arrested for carrying was still somewhere in the van. He scrabbled about in the back for it and found it miraculously unbroken. Shouting to the others what his plan was Jim lit the Molotov cocktail, opened the rear window and as Brezinski threw himself forward smashed the bottle onto the tarmac. The flames engulfed Brezinski and Sammy (picture below) who ran about briefly and expired. The third rager dived on the driver’s window and pushed the glass in; as he tried to get his head and arm through Becky shot him.
The commotion had attracted a lot of attention – this time luckily not so unwelcome as before. Two survivors ran from a nearby building and joined the group. They were Stu and Steve, and they had been hiding in their workshop since the virus hit. Becky came out the van to organise the group. Stu and Steve checked a nearby car, causing everyone to wince as they repeatedly turned over its engine but were unable to start it. After a few breathless moments everyone unfroze and Becky and Rob went to check the only other nearby car, which turned out to have four flat tyres. They would have to carry on on foot. Jim had the good sense to pick up from Brezinski’s still smouldering body his pistol, which appeared to be in working order. Again Becky organised them, with Stu, Steve and Rob being told to stick together and help one another and Becky and Jim, the two with guns, acting as scouts and fire support. As they neared a large building which they would have to pass by, Jim waved them to a halt, saying he could hear something round the corner. Becky quietly told them the plan – that she would shoot at one rager and draw the others out. The men could then could rush the infected as they rounded the corner. Becky stepped around the corner, shot one, and dodged back. The other three ragers raced around the corner, right into Stu, Steve and Rob who immediately battered one to death. The second headed for Jim, whose lack of familiarity with firearms cost him his life. (Picture below.) The rager charged Jim, who fumbled with the pistol and was unable to get a shot off; the rager dived on him and tore at him with nails and teeth. As Stu and Steve hesitated the third rounded the corner and Rob was the only one to react. He whacked it with his bat but his luck finally ran out and he was dragged down and killed. The rager who had killed Jim was then shot by Becky and the one who wad killed Rob was finished off by Stu and Steve before it could rise.
And that was it. It all fell quiet, and the three survivors salvaged what they could. They found that Jim’s pistol was jammed solid. With no ragers in sight, but no useable transport either, the three set off on foot to look for food, shelter before nightfall.
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| Stu, Becky and Steve. |
Postscript.
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