A brief break, from the main character and more about Max.

Max leads Ruth back outside the direction he had entered your guys compound, and away from it in the direction he had come to your compound. They move through the darkness pretty quickly after a short while, they are a pretty good distance but Ruth realizes they are heading toward the water.

Ruth stops Max and says " Why are we head toward the water? Instead of inland more? I mean I am suppose to put these messages out in darkness for the military to see right?"

Max nods and says " Most of the sub Military groups like that of the Colonel's Men and so on, don't travel the Shore, many of them from what I can tell are reminded of the days before Black Tuesday when they go anywhere near the ocean, and from what I can tell they avoid as best as they can seeing it."

Ruth looks at Max and asks " How did you get that information?"

Max smiles and says " Not all of the Colonel's men are bad, just some of them. A few would give me water or bits of food from time to time and give me warnings on the best places to travel. I mean sure, they have some pretty bad people with them. But them and sure many of them are working toward whatever the Colonel's real goal is. But most of them from what I can tell, are just people who survived and aligned themselves with the strongest person."

Ruth nods and says " But what about there urges to have sex?I mean they must be adding to the plight of the women that are captured in some way correct?"

Max nods and says " That is true, many of them still have the urge to do that. Some of the guys who give me food and water do so because my mother asked them too. So it goes to show that my mother is at least ok, it is also one of the reason's I might not be able to stay with you guys. Thou for the most part the few guys I have contacted with that I talk to, you know to get info on my mother and a few bites. They don't know were I stay anyway, most of the time I just go out at night and find them. Some of them walk around with different colored filter over there flash lights if they are on patrol. It is one of the easiest ways to tell them apart."

Ruth looks at Max and asks " you mean like red light or blue light or green light? coming from a flash light?"

Max nods and says " They, traded them from me. For water, and have been using them since. The batteries that the flash light requires is not a problem, because get energy from being shaken. So it makes them look a little foolish but they have unending light you know?"

Ruth just nods and says " I understand, so you want me to put a message in out for the military to watch out and be fair with the guys with the red blue and green light flash lights in some way?"

Max thinks for a moment and says " They are not all good guys the ones with the flash lights I would say only the Red and the blue, but we should keep moving."

Ruth nods to the kid, as they get close to the shore. They are about a mile from your guys base at this point, and he leads her another mile up shore to the south before turning to the east and walking inland.

Max then says " There are a lot of roads they avoid, for personal reason's as well. Superstition, is a huge part of how the Colonels men seem to operate. Some of them are paranoid if they do to many bad things. That the plague will return to get them, so they avoid roads were they have done bad things and other stuff. It is really kinds strange as a whole but it helps us. They avoid almost the 2 to 4 mile area around the coast, meaning we can walk a good way down the coast with no problems."

Ruth smiles to herself when she thinks about what Max said and then says " Out of all the nicest houses and things movie stars had. It sounds to me like the Colonels men can't go get them based on there own strange practices. I mean, they are starting to trap themselves in there own sick little world formed by there sick little minds. At some point the Colonel or one of his men are going to do something to them selves that will end the issue of these people so why do we need the military to free them?"

Max nods but then adds " One of my contacts says he is worried that, the Colonel is crazy, **** use and a number of other things may be driving the Colonel even more nuts and has drove more then one of the contacts to believe that he might start killing people out of paranoia that includes the women they use as whores."

Ruth nods and then adds "There is only one problem, with the women they use as whores. The rampaged infectious sexually transmitted diseases. I mean, it is important for us to free them but if the black Tuesday plague has affected them and they have the urge the men and I myself and others have to fuck something, they will infected others. And this is not good for humanity."

Max nods but says " The Colonel has a set of clean whores and a set of dirty whores, and the men who are considered dirty can only have dirty whores. I have heard that if a man has sex with a woman before it can be determined her value. The man is killed, so I mean I have gained a lot of information over the last 16 weeks or so. Some of the messed up things I have heard about thou as I listen to the colonels men in the darkness. Makes me want to kill them all."

Ruth then asks Max " So what does this mean your mother is? Dirty or Clean?"

Max thinks for a second and says " The guys who have done things for my mother to help me, have informed me she is Clean. They are clean. Which is another good reason to maybe prevent from killing them if it can be helped."

Ruth then asks them as they keep walking to find a good spot to leave one of the quotes and information she asks " So these guys, Red and Blue? Do they travel together? Stick together?"

Max thinks for a second and then says " Most of the time Red and Blue, are together. They are a two man scout group, on night patrol. They inform me that because of what they do during the night they tend to get a tad bit better treatment then some of the others since most of the Colonel's men don't like to work at night."

Ruth smiles and asks " So by what names do you call them, since if anyone asks you it is unsafe for them to have used there real names."

Max say " I use to call them Watch Dog's til they gave me food and water, and information. Yet to come up with anything better to call them Red or Blue, thou no one else know this."

Ruth smiles and says " So I can call them Mr. Red and Mr.Blue in the one of the quotes or bits of information for the military, and they could use these names should they make an **** or make contacted with them to assure themselves these people are safe to make contacted with you think? I had heard the military is using none lethal rounds so they can capture and identify people and how dangerous they are before they are dispatching them so this information might protect these guys."

Max nods and says " I think they might respond to it, since I am like Mr Red. Got any water for me today. They tend to bring different things to me, one day one brings food the next one brings water this is to prevent anyone from thinking the resources are being used for nothing more then there own personal use I think. It's the best I can guess but they say my mother is safe, so to some degree that makes me happy."

Ruth then asks one final question before they finally reach the two and half mile mark from being away from the shelter. And painting the first message and that is " Why did you call them the watch dogs?"

Max smiles and says " The first time they came looking for me because of my mother they were whistling for me and calling for Max like I was a dog."

Ruth smiles and says " Ok I got the message then."

Ruth looks at the road, and sprays the basic bits of info that need to be there and then sprays "Keep an eye out for Mr.Red and Mr.Blue, and if you can tell them you know that The Dog Max is safe. They might respond better when you talk to them." Then she leaves a bunch a numbers including the fake phone number and the Area code and the military call numbers all in a way that no one can make sense of it.

Max looks at the message and says " That looks like it means nothing if anyone sees it other then Mr.Red and Mr.Blue, how do you expect the military to make sense of it."

Ruth smiles and says " The numbers mean different things, they will figure it out they should realize, this is coined names. To help them figure out some people from other people. My daughter and I are operating scouts for the military, I have to leave messages and quotes and so on to make sure the message is understood. But not just numbers because someone will figure that out on it's own."

So the two of them walk around dropping more messages and doing this or that, and Ruth hands Max another bottle of water. And so on, it seems clear that Max was not kidding when he said he knew the area's that they did not travel in. around the time she drops the 4 message Max looks around and waves her into the darkness and walks away from the message himself. He has no paint on himself so there is no reason for anyone who sees him to think he did it.

A moment later, it seems like two guys go walking by. One with A Blue light, another with a plan one. The one with the blue light says to the other " I need to talk to this kid over here a minute, His mother asked me to do it. So please give me a moment."

The man walks up to the kid and says " Your not in the area I normally run into you in, I hope everything is alright."

Max nods and says " I was just out for a walk seeing if I could find anything to eat or drink. I found this bottle of water."

The man says " Well, if you would like to give me a sip of the water I will give you a a small bit of food."

Max agrees and the guy takes a sip of the water and then hands Max a half a candy bar. And he says " Your mother said to tell you to keep your nose clean."

Max nods and says " Mr. Blue, if you are ever asked by anyone about a dog named Max please stay calm and let Mr.Red know the same. I would prefer nothing bad ever happens to either of you."

The guy looks at the kid funny and then says " I will keep that in mind, and if I get the chance to tell Mr. Red I will. I have to go before the other guy starts to wonder what is taking so long. So be well kid."

Then Max adds " This might be the last time you see me for a while so if you can tell my mother I am fine, and staying out of trouble that would be nice. Tell her for the sake of safety I decided to leave the town or something."

Mr.Blue nods and says " I can do that, thou kid. You really need to stay away from the other men the Colonel is having around. I try to stick to patrols with people who will not hit you or do things but you know what I mean."

Max nods and says, " You better go!" So Mr. Blue runs off down the road, either he or the other patrol man notices the message, or the paint. After they are long out of sight. Max drops into the darkness with Ruth.

After a short while Max says " We can go now, they are gone."

Ruth asks Max " How did you know they were around? I heard nothing."

Max then adds " I have been trying to stay alive for 16 weeks, people who wish to take what I have or even do harm to me. I have learned to hear things before I need to hear them."

Ruth nods and says " lets get back now." The two of them weave in and out of the burned out buildings and other stuff. For the next 25 to 45 minutes.

Max says " I want to grab the stuff I left in a burned out a building if that is alright?"

Ruth only asks " I hope is light and easy to carry." Max nods as she leads him over to his stuff and he picks it up and carries it with him back to the main camp. After this it is only 15 more minutes for them to fully cover, the 2 and half miles they walked away from the main camp but this time they are not going down to the beach as they had before. They are cutting this way and that making sure that no one can pick up tracks or directions or anything he is really moving it.

Ruth asks Max " If we are 3 to 4 miles were we left the last message how far from there camp was Mr.Blue? I mean I saw the flashlight."

Max nods and says " They are a pretty good distance that is another reason they do not go as far as your camp or the burned out buildings I stay in, I would say they are over 5 to 6 miles from there main camp if not more. It is hard to figure since I have never walked deeper into the area they hold to figure out real distance and I never asked Mr.Blue or Red it never came up. But it also does not mean that we should use caution when returning."

Ruth looks around with the infrared Goggles, from time to time never seeing any more heat signature around her then her own body and that of Max. At least after Mr.Blue and his assistant wandered off. When they finally get back to camp, they are greeted by Tommie and Alex.

Tommie says to Max " It seems you did what Alex asked, you have returned her in one piece. So good job kid. We watched you walk back in, we were pretty sure it was the two of you."

You of course nod and greet Ruth back with a kiss, and then turn to the kid and say " As much as I would like to allow you to stay in the same room as us, meaning myself and the girls I would prefer if you did not. You can have the girls old room, right there. If you need anything you can ask for it through the vent or wait til we get up. We have a few rules, but they are basic things."

Max nods and says " Well, I guess it can't be any worse then what I have been doing to keep alive. Plus my mother said rules build Character."

Ruth says to you " I will sleep with Max to night if it makes him feel better, I think he earned it. I mean if I am going to adopt him til his mother is returned to him the least I can do is share the living space with him." She leans over and whispers into your ear saying " I know no funny business." You of course nod.

You then add " I guess that is fine, I mean if he would like that I mean you both did something important today."

Ruth then adds before going into the room, " I got to update you on something maybe with Max's help in the morning."

You shrug and say " I don't know how soon but you can explain to Max, the rules on food and water and so on. I mean your mostly the one who will be giving it to him anyway."

Ruth nods and leads Max in to the room, she closes the door behind her and says " This room, is warm as you can tell. I have to warn you there may be times you hear one of the girls or more then one of the girls having sex with Alex. You have to understand it is because we were affected by the plague. As best as we can tell you were not and neither was Alex."

Max nods and says " I understand, I might be a teen but I am not stupid."

So Ruth points to Max to put down his bag of stuff, and she rolls out two or three sleeping bags and gets under one and calls Max next to her she rolls up into a ball holding max as the two of them drift off to sleep.