As things progressed, Aimée sent Micah to the back to make sure everything was still secure, which luckily it was. While he was back there, he checked in on the other kids, ensuring that they were still playing cooperatively, he returned back to Aimée.  The two exchanged a silent glance just as the katana wielding female made it to the roof of a nearby building.  Her gaze remained on the woman momentarily before shifting back down to the horde of zombies, still looking for fresh meat.  It wasn’t the first time her once innocent eyes took in a gruesome murder, but it didn’t necessarily affect her any less.  Why the two that were at that very moment being pulled apart thought hiding in a vehicle was a good idea wasn’t clear to her, but like others before them, they were two more victims of a hungry crowd.  Nothing was discarded save for items that weren’t digestible such as bones.  Intestines were tugged out from cavernous holes, the organs being shoved into gaping maws, as they tried to fill their constantly starving bodies.

“Aimée… I uhhh…”

Shifting her attention towards Micah, she released sigh at the sight of his pale exterior.  The other male was heading back into the apartment, so she followed suit, dragging Micah along with her.  It didn’t’ take him long to calm back down, his color returning instantaneously.  She forgot how much he hated witnessing massacres, but it wasn’t like she could shield him from everything.  The sun was beginning to set, and she was starting to wonder if they were going to end up sleeping in the apartment even though the door was busted.  Figuring they probably had no choice, because the rescue party probably wouldn’t be able to get back to them, she tried to keep resentment from being shown.

She was tired, very tired.  Due to the food raid last night, and remaining on watch since early morning, Aimée was running on about fifteen minutes of sleep.  The only thing the young girl wanted to do was go to bed, but that wasn’t an option. It was never an option, and for as the man started to ask a bunch of questions, she started to fade in and out.  The seventeen year old went onto autopilot and would probably remain that way until they actually moved out.  With the help of Ron’s football as well as tape and pens Micah retrieved, the stranger was able to communicate with the woman on the other roof, which was a good thing.  At long last the guy introduced himself as Austin Griffin. Apparently he was once with Special Forces, but no long was with the unit. So, who was going to be rescuing them?  Chewing on her bottom lip as she introduced herself, Aimée wondered if she was making a mistake trusting a stranger. The kids trusted her, and if something happened to any of them, she would never forgive herself.  Shaking the thought out of her mind, Callahan directed him to the stairs so that he could go out onto the roof to keep watch.  Nodding her thanks as he tossed Micah the shotgun and the box of ammo, the FBI agent spun around, jogging to the backroom.

“Okay, kiddoes… here’s the plan.  You guys pack just like what you did when we moved to this apartment.  We’re going to be going with Austin… to somewhere safe.  Since we’re going to be running and carrying our stuff, make sure you pack only what you need.  I can always come back and get the rest at a later time.  Angela, help out as much as possible.”

Jogging into the bedroom she was sharing with Micah, she found him already packing.  Realizing he didn’t need her help, she moved to a third room, unlocking it with a key. Inside was the weaponry she was given by the FBI, as well as a ton of ammo she pilfered from the gun stores throughout the city.  Shoving it all into a bag that she could shove over her shoulder, she grabbed the ammo for her shotgun, and sat the bag in the hall near the front door.  Little by little, the hall was filling up with bags that would be easy to transport, and she was glad they all had experience with this before.  Not only that, but they really didn’t have a lot of stuff, aside from food, and other necessary supplies.

“Okay, when he whistles, we’re going to run down the stairs, just like we’ve practiced before.  Angela, you will need to carry Alaya, and I want Ron and Tara right with you. Micah will lead the way, and I’m going to be in the back to make sure nothing sneaks up behind us.  Austin is going to be firing from above us, so don’t freak out if you hear shots being fired all around.  Keep moving no matter what happens, okay?”

The group nodded, and although Alaya had no idea what was really going on, she gave a thumbs up. It was incredibly adorable, and for a moment, Aimée forgot all about the bad, and was able to enjoy the little things that made life worth living.  Everyone grabbed the bags, and soon there was nothing remaining on the floor.  In all actuality, there wasn’t all that much left in the apartment save for a few things here and there and of course furniture. Speaking of furniture, she and Micah moved the couch and entertainment center away from the door, so that they could vacate the premises as quickly as humanly possible.  Not even a full five minutes later, Austin whistled, and Micah led the group down the stairs.  She had forgotten to remind them to be quiet, but it was something they already knew.  Bringing up the rear, she couldn’t figure out why they had stopped on the third floor. Apparently some of Austin’s rescue team had made it inside of the complex, and the two groups converged on the third floor.  Quick introductions were made before they jogged down the rest of the stairs, and exited out onto the street.  Now, the kids were in-between the rescue squad, which actually made her feel a lot safer.

Please let this go smooth…

They were sprinting down the street, their path cleared by Austin’s sharp shooting skills as well as the skills of those rescuing them.  It became obvious that there would be no need for her or Micah to use their guns, which was a good thing because about fifteen feet outside of the apartment complex, Angela took a dive while tripping over a random leg.  Aimée snatched Alaya from Angela, and the two began running again. Alaya was sobbing something about her teddy bear behind left behind, and it wasn’t until it was pulled out of a bag and handed to the girl, that she realized it hadn’t been abandoned.  Things were chaotic, but they were managing to be quiet. Even while Alaya was crying, it was barely above a whisper.  As they ran, she couldn’t help but glance back and see if the woman wielding the katana was anywhere near them. Surely she was going to come along with them, at least to get out of the city, right?  Callahan was also slightly worried about Austin. It wasn’t right for him to stay behind, and part of her wanted to run after him. If he hadn’t been for one of the men that were protecting them stopping her from running back, she probably would have.

Come on, Austin…

Everything before him began to glow with an orange hue as the sun set behind him on the city limits. He had since ceased firing, allowing the zombies to clamber around the base of the building the female he’d been covering had climbed up. She was impressive, clearing herself a path and hauling herself to safety the way she had. She seemed almost comfortable with it, like it was familiar. Austin hated to think how long she’d been surviving solely on her wits and sword.

Down the street another group of zombies had surrounded the vehicle that had served as a temporary refuge for the two straggling survivors that had trailed behind the woman with the katana. The vehicle hadn’t lasted long. The sheer weight of the zombies trying to get at them had broken the windshield. From there it had been a grisly scene that Austin forced himself to ignore, as he was focusing on protecting the target with the largest chances of survival. They may have been part of a group. If so, that would explain how they had been able to survive so long despite their poor physical condition and survival instincts.

Across the street, Austin saw the oriental woman catching her breath and for a moment they locked eyes. Austin merely nodded and picked up his weapons, walking back into the apartment to plan their egress.

“So we have seven children, including yourselves, is that correct?” Austin questioned the teenage boy and girl who seemed to be in charge.

“Right,” the boy responded.

“Okay, here’s the plan,” he instructed, “I’m going to go to the roof and watch for the rescue party. At the same time I’ll be able to keep a path from us to the vehicles clear with my rifle. Once they get here, I’ll give a whistle and you guys move as fast as you can from here to the vehicles. My people will be waiting there. Pack what you can, but pack light. We can always come back later and retrieve anything you leave behind. Keep the children between you, arm whoever is comfortable with a weapon, but do NOT fire unless they come within ten feet of you. I’ll be above picking off any that look like they’re coming for you. If we’re quiet about this, it shouldn’t be too complicated. Once you’re clear, I’ll follow on my own.”

“What about that woman on the roof?” the girl asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that… Anyone got a pen, paper, some tape and a baseball…? Or a fist-sized rock?”

“I think there’s something in the kitchen…” the boy revealed, walking towards a set of drawers beneath the vinyl countertop and pulling them open until he came across a drawer full of odd junk, including paper clips, staples, rubber bands, loose coins, push-pins, and other such odds and ends. Triumphantly, he pulled up a handful of pens and pencils along with a legal notepad and a roll of scotch tape.

“Alright,” Austin stepped forward to grab the stationary and began to scrawl a quick message on a strip of paper before stripping it off.

“Now… a baseball?”

“I have a football in my toy box,” a little boy spoke up for the first time. Austin looked down at him and smiled, turning and crouching to be at his eye level.

“Could I borrow it? I need it to help someone. I’ll try to get it back, and if I lose it, I’ll get you an even better one, I promise.”

“Mmm… Okay,” the child responded after giving it some thought, smiling and glad to be helpful to the big people. He ran back to his toy room and returned carrying a small, child-sized football. It was big enough and heavy enough to make it from rooftop to rooftop with a good throw though, and so Austin smiled.

“Thanks, champ! What’s your name?”

“Ronald,” the boy told him.

“Nice to meet you Ronald,” Austin introduced himself, taking off one of his gloves and extending his right hand to shake the child’s own, “I’m Austin.”

As he stood up and began taping the message to the football, he realized that was the first proper introduction he’d given.

“Sorry,” he said, addressing the girl and boy who seemed to be in charge, “I forgot to introduce myself after all the fuss. I’m Austin Griffin. Alpha Company, 2-20th Special Forces. Unfortunately I’m not part of a larger rescue. My unit disbanded. I’m just trying to do what I can.”

“Aimee Callahan,” the girl said, reluctantly taking the hand he offered forward, “Child Protection Division, FBI. These kids are the reason I’m in Chicago. As things got worse, we kind of got stuck.”

Austin merely nodded, though very surprised such at her youthful appearance. Perhaps she simply looked much younger than she was.

“Micah Lorey,” the boy said, “I’m helping Aimee.”

“Got it,” Austin said, pulling his gloves back on. Adjusting his sling, he began to head out the door.

“Where’s the stairs to the roof…?”

“I think if you just keep going up the main stairs there’s a door at the top,” Aimee responded, “but it might be locked.”

“Got it, get everyone rounded up and pack your things. I’m going to alert our friend across the street and set about clearing a path. I might be able to cause a distraction or two to get them to look the other way as well. Stand in the front hall and get ready. As soon as you hear me whistle, run like hell. There will be people outside to help guide you.”

“Thank you,” Aimee acknowledged the plan, nodding in appreciation.

“You’re welcome. Be ready,” he told them. And as if it were an after thought, he unslung the shotgun from his back and tossed it to Micah, along with a box of ammunition from his cargo pocket.

“Just in case.”

With that he headed toward the end of the hall where the staircase that connected each floor was and ran up to the top. Austin wondered how much time he had left before the rescue party arrived. Miles seemed pretty concerned when he left. Hopefully they’d have enough room in the vehicles. He was curious who would be coming along. They’d all find out soon enough. It’d be nice to complete this whole mission without taking any casualties of his own. The two that had been eaten hadn’t been his responsibility from the get-go, and so he didn’t feel like they were a personal loss on his part. However, he had helped rescue that woman, and so he felt that from now on, she was at least partially one of his to protect.

When he got to the top, a quick turn and shove on the door handle proved fruitless. Taking a short step back, Austin removed his body armor and put down his weapon, providing him better balance as he lifted his foot and heaved it forcefully against the door on its locked side, kicking it open. Grabbing his weapon, he quickly stepped out to clear the rooftop of any unwanted guests, but none were there.

After putting his armor back on, he walked over to the edge of the roof that bordered the street, adjacent to the building the woman had escaped onto.

Hoping to get her attention, Austin grabbed a small stone off of the rock that covered the rooftop and hurtled it across the way, letting it clack against the asphalt that covered the opposite roof. Austin watched the asian woman’s head perk up at the sound and her head turned toward it. Austin quickly launched another stone right behind the first, waving his arms wildly after the second stone came down on the other side.

Looking in his direction, the swordswoman’s attention was caught by the erratic flailing across the street. She waved one arm over her head in acknowledgement and walked to the edge, curious what this man was up to.

Austin reached into his pocket and grabbed out the toy football, showing it to the woman and mimicking the act of throwing it towards her until she got the idea. She clapped her hands together once an held them open, palms out, signaling she was ready to catch it.

Taking a few steps forward, Austin reached back and launched the missile as hard as he could. He didn’t really care if it was catchable, as long as it landed on that roof. And so it did. The ball sailed about ten feet over his target’s head and skittered along the ground behind her. She jogged back and read the message that was attached, nodding back at him in response to his plan.

Unslinging his weapon from his back, Austin used the scope to peer of into the distance, watching the road his people would be coming from. Just over the horizon, he spotted a cloud of dust forming. They needed to hurry, what little sunlight was left wasn’t going to last much longer, and he didn’t have the proper equipment to be taking 200 meter headshots in the dark.

Austin estimated they were about ten minutes away, and so he began to execute his plan. Aimee and Micah had been able to give him about 200 extra 5.56 rounds, more than enough to get him through, he thought as he took up a kneeling position at the edge of the roof, looking down at the mob of zombies in the street. Thankfully, they hadn’t continued to draw much closer to the apartment building than the few stragglers he had put down, but even still, he’d never seen so many at once.

He worried for his own community, as its proximity wasn’t far from the city. If these numbers continued to pour from the city in search of food, they wouldn’t be safe for much longer where they were. They would need to prepare to move soon, something none of them wanted. They were comfortable where they were, sleeping in make-shift beds with many of the comforts they had enjoyed prior to the outbreak thanks to the carefully rationed electricity generated by Samuel Henderson’s solar collector and the extensive plumbing experience they had in Raul Perdomo.

Come to think of it, Austin almost felt guilty about what little he could actually contribute to the community. His ability to plan, organize, and lead DID in fact make him an asset. They were much more comfortable and better off because of him, but he didn’t have any real-world skills to help them at the time, though he was exceptionally good at killing zombies. If and when they had to move, however, his special skill set would become more useful.

It was still awkward to think of them as zombies. Zombies. Those things from the movies. How in the world something like that actually came to exist for real was more than incredible. Every morning, Austin expected to wake up in his bed, or on a cot in Pakistan, or in a sleeping bag in a field in the Helmund province of Afghanistan. Anywhere to prove that he was dreaming all of this. But this was one nightmare he never woke up from.

As he reflected on the past 2 ½ months that had brought him to this point, he searched throughout the cars in the bunch. He needed noise to distract the zombies surrounding the asian woman’s rooftop. Something that would draw their attention. Unfortunately most of the vehicles hadn’t had their alarms activated when they were abandoned, and almost all of the stores had been looted months ago, their alarms going silent.

“Pft! Cra-KOW-KSSSH!”

Austin began to target windshields, his silenced weapon hiding his exact position, but the ballistic crack and the shattering of the glass proved enough to turn some undead heads in another direction.

“Pft! Cra-KOW-KSSSH!”

Austin repeated the process, generating more and more noise further down the street. Destroying the windshields would make these vehicles ineffective for refuge from zombies in an emergency, but he liked to think he was doing future survivors a favor by preventing them from thinking that they’d be safe behind the coffins of glass and aluminum.

Repeating the process further and further down the street, eventually the zombies began to move away from the building, shambling towards the noise down the road. Austin hoped that enough of them would leave that it would make the woman’s escape much easier.

The driver left the vehicle idling as James went jogging off in the direction of the make-shift bunkers. It looked like they were coming back for reinforcements. Miles looked at her over the rim of his glasses, the serious gleam in his eyes communicating enough to get her pulse to spike.
 
"He's back at the complex we've been using to store supplies. A bunch of kids holed up in there. He's decided to stay back and defend them while we," he said, gesturing to himself, "..come back here to get help. Meaning, you, and a few other vehicles to get all these people on less-than-hostile territory."
 
"Is anyone hurt?" Jaz asked as she went to toss her things in the back of the Grand Cherokee.
 
"Not yet they're not, but we don't have a whole lot of time before those Walkers find their haven. There were hundreds of them." He was loading a few things in himself, watching her the whole time. She was grinning. Looked like it was going to be an exciting morning after all. She went to grab extra ammunition.
 
Twenty minutes after the team had arrived, they spun back around, peeling off into the desert toward the city-scape that stood like an ominous cloud in the distance.  There was her vehicle and two others, with Miles getting his weapon ready and James attempting to radio Austin. They weren't too far out of range, but the radio signals had been misbehaving lately, so it was difficult to get a clear message in or out.
As they began the procession between vehicles down the long, barren streets of the city, Jaz could hear the moaning in the distance, and judging by the sheer volume of it, figured that there were more than enough Walkers to go around.

"We could stop here." she said, leaning in toward James. "That's the apartment in the distance right?"

He nodded, looking back at her. "We're going to make a run for it?"

She nodded. "This place is open. Makes it easier to turn around." she gestured to the building. "It's not all that far. We're just going to need adequate coverage if that horde comes ambling along this way. "

He nodded, turning back and signaling to the other vehicles. Everyone piled out except the drivers, and Jaz prepared to get out herself, but James stopped her.

"I'd actually prefer it if you stayed here and helped create that cover you were talking about?" he said. She glared down at him, but didn't argue. So she settled in the bed of the Grand Cherokee, pulling out her gun from its strap across her back.

The men disembarked, jogging in a line up the sidewalk before disappearing inside the apartment complex.

For the night, they were okay. To be in the company of a child brought a comfort, but also an ache in Lennox's chest. The young girl earlier, after they had settled into an abandoned apartment he had made sure was completely empty from roof to basement of zombies, had learned who she identified herself as. She called herself Ria. The apartment's windows were blocked up and so was the door. Before he allowed the two to settle, he silently placed things in front of both entries, and planned a good escape route if they were to need it. Vehicle was ready to go, only having taken things out they needed for the night, but leaving the majority inside the trunk.

Ria now was settled inside his sleeping bag, Lennox with his back against the wall. Idly, he would watch her sleep. It was different from when he first found her. Now she held a serenity about him which made him breathe out in content. At least she wasn't traumatized. She looked rather happy and content. There was a reddish color in her cheeks he didn't see, but he knew the color was a good sign. Before she was so pale, and this he promised to take care of her, even if it was despite him because he originally wasn't planning on stopping to build a caravan, but hey, Lucy wouldn't be too happy with him if he were to just leave this girl by herself. A smile at the thought of Lucy and him getting in a fight. The little things he missed, even if he couldn't stand when she was upset with him. The way her brow scrunched in frustration, or nose cringed in disgust with one of his many "amazing" perks to him.

It's true, you don't really know someone until you live with them. She had no idea what she had gotten herself into when she moved in or married him, but she had broken some of his childish habits and made him into a man. Though he wouldn't be fucking caught dead letting his friends, or anyone for the matter, know that. Well, he doesn't have to worry about that now. One thing he loved about a child, there was no judgement held in their innocent eyes. And if he could help it, he'd keep Ria like that from now on.

In the distance he heard some moaning and groaning, and took the defensive as well as the offensive. A watchful eye to the babe before silently lifting his form over to the windows and peeking through a crap. Nothing outside. Must be a night feast for feeding, and from the sounds he could make out, gun shots were being made. Being a familiar sound, he knew it was some distance away, so they were good for now. He returned back to his spot on the floor, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. He let all his other senses take over. Mainly hearing and touch. Zombies tended to not be very graceful in their walks.. er runs. It was like every video game or movie he ever watched. They were just out for the kill with no conscious or brain.

Run, run, run...

The thud of her feet as they pounded against the concrete and cars she scaled became rhythmic almost immediately. She let her body take over for her, the fight or flight instinct riding heavily in her genes. She was a fighter, sure, but when there's no winning there's certainly no point in fighting. And living? That was the most important thing there could ever be even if the world was fucked up beyond words as the moaning around her indicated.

She felt her sword jiggling loosely against her side. Another familiarity she couldn't live without. Of course she wouldn't draw it while running the way she was. She was good with her weapon but hurdling cars she had no idea what she was landing on. The last thing she wanted to happen was to be impaled, on her own sword, only be consumed by zombies. Some endings are bad, and some just can't even be addressed.

Then she heard shots. The zombies around her started falling to the ground quickly. The shooter was above her, she could tell. She didn't have time to evaluate as thoroughly as she wanted, but she was thankful for the help. Someone using ammo on a stranger was not a normal occurrence these days, but Reiko was happy to take what she could get. She waved a hand quickly, hoping her savior would recognize it for what it was- truce, thanks, appreciation, whatever he or she wanted it to be.

She wanted to look back at the people following her, she wanted to save them, there was some humanity left in her, but she knew that survival was for the fittest now. She had tried to lead them out of harm's way, but they wouldn't take her hand or her advice and now they were left to be zombie food. Only seconds after she thought it she heard the first scream behind her. Pity, it meant the meatheads were gaining on her, or there were a lot more of them than she'd though. At least they have a distraction now.... She regretted it the moment she thought it, but refused to let it affect her movements.

Run, run, run...

The thudding matched her heartbeat, slow, steady and determined. Soon it didn't matter if she had her weapon out or not. Her movements were slowing as the horde of bodies became thicker. Slicing and slashing she used all muscle and power she could muster desperately searching for an out as she did. Then she saw it.

The fire escape ladder was nearly out of reach, but she was sure she could reach it. And if not? Well, she'd go down fighting. Wading through the bodies, her sword cutting through their bodies like butter she cleared a path and started sprinting. The metal lid to the dumpster she was using as a jumping point would hold her light frame- or so she hoped. Extending one leg she pushed off, one step across as the dumpster and she was air born, fingers of her left hand extended. She sheathed her sword as she jumped and felt both hands grasp the cold metal of the ladder above her. She pulled herself up quickly and glanced back. The zombies wanted up, but they were pushing, shoving and otherwise too stupid to figure out how the contraption worked. She climbed anyway and quickly.

It only took her a few minutes to reach the roof but the adrenaline was long gone. She collapsed and hoped for at least a few minutes before the fight began again.