We made our first scouting trip into the nearest town. It was much like all the other places I have been since this all started. What wasn't the same was what we where after on our trip.

Before we headed into town L.T. hooked a large tank and pump trailer to the back of the humvee. When we got into town our first stop was behind a strip mall. Bianca looked around with confusion. "Why are we stopped back here? Isn't it going to be easier to get in from the front?"

"When we go in the stores we can go in through the back entrances. I have keys to all of these shops. I own the strip mall. But what we're after first is right under our feet. Keeps your eyes open." L.T. stepped out and walked back to the pump trailer. Bianca and I took up positions to cover him. He opened a hatch in the concrete and ran the hose from the pump trailer in. Walking around to the nearest store door L.T. said, "That's the used cooking oil from the restaurant at the end. I make biodiesel out of it. I can run my generators, truck, and this hummer on it."

We entered the first store. The shelves were stocked with auto parts. L.T. handed me the keys. "You and Bianca go through the side door there. It will lead you into the next shop. It's a Thai grocery. Grab anything useful. I am going to gather up supplies to convert the hummer to run on bio or S.V.O."

"What?"

"Straight vegetable oil."

"Oh." Bianca and I headed for the door.

"And grab me some fish sauce while your there." L.T. said as he headed for the shelves of parts.

Bianca and I stepped into the adjoining store with our guns at the ready. Everything seemed quiet. We began to fill the packs we had brought in with supplies. When I got close to the front counter I noticed a hand written note. It read: L.T. We stayed as long as we could but we decided that it was time to find our families. Thank you for all that you did for us. If you are reading this than you must know what is going on. We have locked one of the things in the bathroom. God bless and keep you.

When we headed back to the auto parts store L.T. was at the counter He was reading another small note scrawled on a receipt. He was obviously affected. I put my hand on his shoulder. "L.T. there was another one in the grocery." I handed him the note. After a few moments L.T. turned toward the door.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand." Swinging the door open we discovered a pair of undead shambling toward the humvee. I don't know where it came from but L.T. drew a huge knife and charged the pair. With two fast swipes he halved the head of one and almost completely severed the head of the other. He wiped the knife on one of the corpses and went to stow the hose from the pump truck. Without a glance in our direction he said, "Mount up."

We rode home in silence.

L. T., Bianca, and I stocked up before we left the base. We scavenged as much supplies as we could fit into a military Humvee and set out. We tore through whatever city it was the base was stationed in (I never bothered to ask). Out the windows of our Humvee we could see the chaos in the streets. People looting as others were attacked by the undead. There was a building on fire. People came staggering out. "Stop!" I found my self shouting. The Humvee came to a stop. I reached for the door handle but felt a stone hard grip on my arm.

"Look," L.T. said pointing to the burning figures. A man came running toward one of the figures with a blanket. The burning figure latched onto it's rescuer and began tearing at him with it's teeth, setting the rescuer ablaze as it devoured him.

We spent that first night in the Humvee at a campsite off the main road. That's where I wrote my last post. From there we continued to L.T.'s house; more of a stronghold really; situated a couple miles from a neighboring town. It is stocked with supplies to which we added what we had brought from the base. L.T. says he has enough supplies for two months by himself. Figuring in what we brought from the base we should have enough for almost a month for the three of us. Our plan is to wait things out here for one to two weeks. Hopefully things will have quieted down in the towns by then and we can begin regular scouting for supplies...and survivors.

It's Happening...Again.

Bianca and I have been imprisoned since my last post. We've been literally behind bars constantly questioned and examined by medical teams. Despite this it was an amazing feeling to again have a shower and hot meals regularly. However regular life is all coming to an end once again.

The day following my last post; I'm not even sure how long ago that was; Bianca and I began scouting the military fence line for any place we could get through. After several days and nights of observation we found an area that only seemed to be patrolled every few hours. The fence there ran over a section of dirt. We planned to dig underneath of it and then fill it back in to prevent any undead from getting through after us.

With our supply packs, weapons, and a small military style shovel we headed to the breach point. We waited several minutes after a patrol passed on foot. I had Bianca stand guard about 25 yards from where I was digging. Frantically tearing at the earth under the fence I was making faster progress than I thought I would when mid-stroke with the shovel I heard it, "There's one on the fence line. It looks like it's using a tool!"

I swung around just as a soldier came into view and raised his rifle. I tried to speak but as I raised my hands I heard the gun shot. The soldier's head opened up and he fell to the ground.

"Keep digging." Bianca said as she stepped from the shadows.

I was dumb struck. I stared at her and the soldier on the ground in front of her. She had just killed him. She kneeled next to me.

"He would have killed you James."

Just as she said it a soldier, older than the others I had seen, stepped into view behind her. I saw him strike her with the stock of his rifle and she fell to the ground. I raised the shovel and then everything went black.

When I awoke I was in a cell. Bianca was in the cell across from me. Before long the old soldier, L.T. is what he said to call him, came in to check on us; something he did almost everyday we were there.

There was a constant stream of doctors and military investigators testing us and questioning us. The only person that treated us like humans was L.T. He told us that the outbreak had been contained and that orders were to maintain the perimeters by any means necessary. To maintain those perimeters they had called almost all retired military personnel back into service which is why he was there. He had served in combat most of his career. He had disobeyed orders and brought us in alive; an act that got him put on base duty instead of perimeter patrol.

The testing and questioning began to wane until one day it stopped completely. So did the meal service. Bianca and I went almost two days without seeing anyone. It was looking desperate. I couldn't think of any way out of the cells. After everything we had survived we were going to starve to death in cages. I was ready to give up.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand." L.T. stepped into the hallway and unlocked the cells. "The perimeter has been breached. The outbreak is spreading again. I figure you two are my best resource for survival at this point."

He handed each of us a rifle and a tactical vest loaded with pistol and supplies. "Thanks L.T." was all I could manage to say.

We've been on the move ever since. I hope this is still getting out there to others who are surviving. Keep fighting and keep checking back for more information.