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Chapter 2 by ChickenchChowMein ChickenchChowMein

Where does Hannah take you?

A city government building

Hannah's hideout was the city's central government building. You weren't in one of the big cities- the undead were far too numerous there, so it wasn't an oversized monument of a building or anything. In fact, if not for the sign out front, you'd have just mistaken it for another unassuming two story office building. Someone had spray painted across the front of it in big red letters: 'Camp Life'. A high iron fence surrounded the building, equal parts decorative and functional. Panels of corrugated aluminum, car hoods, and other junk had been fixed to it, presumably to keep wandering undead eyes from seeing in. On the second story, windows were boarded up. And up on the roof you could see a sandbag fortification of some sort at one of the corners. All in all, the place had a real Mad Max feel to it.

"Home sweet home," Hannah chirped as she pulled up to the gate.

Here and there, between gaps in the impromptu fence cover, you could see flashes of movement.

"I don't get it! I just don't get it," you said, voicing the one question that's haunted you since day one. "How the hell did the military- the U.S. MILITARY get beaten by this? Tanks, planes, machine guns... all gone? How?"

Gods, you were beginning to rant like a madman! Hannah didn’t deserve that. It wasn't like she'd done it. Hells, you were probably scaring the crap out of her! You quickly looked away and lowered your head in embarrassment.

Up ahead, the gate slowly squeaked open.

"They're not gone. Not all of them, anyway. I don't know how many tanks or planes they have left, though. Gods know, it's hard enough just to find fuel for this car. But I've seen them moving men and gear north... I think it was a week ago now. Scott says to steer clear of them, they got enough to worry about and might shoot us for undead on sight. Apparently he's seen it... when they tried to retake New York. ...And as to how the undead got the better of them, well your guess is as good as mine," she explained in a far more sympathetic tone than you expected.

Two rifle toting women stepped out to usher you in through the gate. In the cracked rear view mirror you watched them hauling it shut the second the car was through. Hannah drove you around back to where others are working on a truck. Blue tarps were strung up on poles to make a halfhearted tent to further sheild them from view of zombies that might creep up to the fense. She pulled in under a second tarp.

"Home sweet home," she said, cutting off the engine.

"Why the Cent-gov building?" you asked.

"That's easy. It's a big sturdy building. The military was using it at one time, so it was already pretty fortified when we arrived. Oh, and there's a bunker in the basement. Scott says it's left over from the Cold War," she explained.

"Who's Scott?" you ask.

"Oh, I guess you'd say he's our leader; the boss-man. He'll decide weather or not your allowed to join the group," she answered.

You followed her in through the back entrance. Sandbags were piled around it in a semicircle, with a small gap just large enough for people to pass through one at a time. A helmet sat atop the fortification, but no one was manning it.

Inside, you steped into a dimly lit hallway. Just as your eyes were beginning to adjust a flash of light assaulted your retina. Sparks sizzled across the floor, stopping inches from your feet.

"Shit!" you screamed and shielded your eyes, stumbling back.

"Shhhh! There's a noise ordnance in camp," Hannah warned, holding an index finger to her lips.

And suddenly the light was gone. When you tentatively lowered your hand you saw an older looking gentleman, crouched on the floor behind a steel security gate. He wore a welding mask and had a flux-core welder in his hands. Hefting the welder in one hand, he fliped the mask up to reveal a receding hairline and a set of thin framed glasses. He mumbled something in another language, maybe Italian, and Hannah nodded her head and waved down at him.

"That's Greg. Pretty sure I could walk faster than he runs but he's great at fixing things," she said as you followed her deeper into the building.

"What'd he just say?" you asked.

"Haven't a clue. Devin has a translator book that we use to talk to him," she answered. "Now come on. You'll need to go talk to Scott right away."

"Okay," you said halfheartedly.

You followed her into the main lobby, which had been converted into an open bunk room and up a wide flight of stairs to the second floor. It had been months since you'd even laid eyes on a woman. As such, you couldn't help but notice just how perfectly formed her ass cheecks were as she walked ahead of you on the way up. You let out a quiet sigh. All too soon you stood at the door to the mayor's office.

"Go on, you'll be fine," Hannah said, slapping you on the shoulder.

You walked through the door and were met by a man behind a desk, wearing army fatigues. A half smoked cigar sat in a tray to his right, a constant wisp of smoke rising to the ceiling from it.

"Hey I was suppose to speak with you," you said looking at him as he wrote something down on his desk.

He raisd a bushy eyebrow and looked up at you with one, intense eye.

"Yes, right... Come in here and have a seat," Scott said from beneath an even bushier mustache.

"Alright, first thing's first. What's your name, son?" he asked.

"John," you answered.

"Alright, John. My name is Scott Green. I was a lieutenant in the National Guard but quite clearly the NG and the military as a whole, is no longer around. Now I'll be honest. If we are going to make it, we need more people. So let me just ask you this: can you take order's and be a goddamn human being?"

"...It's been a while since I felt human," you admitted.

"Son, your not alone. But if you're willing to play by our rules, I think you'll find that that human side of you is still there. Now, can you do that?" he asked and took a long puff from his cigar.

"Yes Scott, I can," you answered sincerely.

"Okay than, looks like your with us. Tomorrow I'm organizing some missions but for tonight why don't you just meet with everyone and find a bunk to get some shut-eye," Scott said.

"Alright, thanks Scott," you said and stood up.

"Oh and one last thing, son. If you're not an asset to the group then your a burden. There are no free rides around here. If dont follow orders and help out, I'll throw you to the wolves myself. Understand?" Scott said with a dead stare.

You of course nodded and walked out, breathing a sigh of relief as the door closed behind you.

Now what?

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