Outbreak: Long Road Back by Robert Van Dusen

right then that nobody talked about their families or other little small talk things anymore. Nobody talked about what they did for a living. If they had kids or were married. He did not have much in the way of family or anything so there was little for him to be concerned about back in Tennessee save a brother he had not spoken a word to in ten years.
    Hanes marched them past the doctor’s office. That little brown haired lieutenant called out to Sergeant Hanes as the group moved past. Pittman found himself a little envious as the other man signaled a halt and moved towards the woman at a trot. He watched the two of them speaking together out of the corner of his eye.
    “Alright, folks! On me!” Hanes shouted as he walked back towards the squad. The man looked around at the trainees as they approached. “Alright, mission change. This afternoon we were supposed to continue training on tactical movement and such. Looks like now Lieutenant Haskins wants our help doing a health and welfare inspection over at the Blue Diamond trailers on the other side of the compound. We’re gonna double time it over to supply, sign for ammo and come right strait back here. I’m not expecting much trouble but everybody just keep your heads. These asshats are going to try and provoke you into doin’ something but don’t you guys fall for it.” 
    With that Hanes called Frays on the radio and told her what was going on. “Crap.” the woman muttered over the radio. “I’ll be right there. Want me to link up with you guys at Supply or at the Aid Station?”
    Hanes was quiet for a moment as the trainees got to their feet. “No, make sure they finish getting the range together.” he said quietly. The last thing he wanted was Frays there after what a couple of the mercs had done to her little brother. “It shouldn’t take that long. I’ll brief you when we get done.”
    Frays rolled her eyes and turned back to the ‘range’. The plan was that a couple Engineers would come over and build a backstop with their Bobcat loader. Two guys had come over with the machine and started tearing up the ground building up a giant pile of dirt for them to set their targets against tomorrow morning. She was somewhat glad that Lacey was apparently off doing something else.
    She grumbled and turned back to watch the men working. The backstop was already about half done a little bit over a half an hour ahead of schedule. Frays frowned to herself. This is dumb. Frays thought growing frustrated as she dug out a little foil package of peanuts and tore it open with her teeth. I should be there. Those guys don’t know what they’re doing.
    The man directing the loader driver kept giving her the eyeball. She did not recognize the guy and it was starting to creep her out a little bit. Frays shrugged it off and turned away from the jobsite. Ideally she was supposed to both supervise the work and provide security since there was a chance of the Bobcat’s engine noise drawing enough of the walking dead for them to pile over the top of the wall some five hundred meters away.
    The range was going to be as far away from the structures as they could manage and still have them within the FOB’s protective walls. There were improvised watchtowers every couple hundred meters along the perimeter making her job seem somewhat redundant to her. After all, there were four men with rifles in two different towers right there in front of her and they had not even raised their weapons all morning. The sound of the Bobcat’s motor idling brought her attention back around to the two men working on backstop. The soldier ground guiding the loader was walking towards her at a quick pace.
    Frays stole a glance at the man’s nametape as she waddled over to meet him. “What’s up, Sandoval?” she asked. A droplet of sweat slowly started the trek down the side of her cheek and she wiped it away.
    The big Hispanic guy tossed his head towards the backstop. “We’re almost done