was donning her jacket as well. Lee thought about telling her to stay put, but there really was no purpose to it. Besides, they might need a medic.
He took the metal stairs as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake anyone sleeping inside the building, but the sounds of the disturbance outside were already beginning to cause people to stir. In the small quarters constructed in the middle of the building, lanterns and flashlights were beginning to flicker and glow.
"What time is it?" he asked Julia as she followed him.
"Almost three."
Damn. Lee grit his teeth. You can't pay for a good night's sleep nowadays .
They reached the bottom of the steps, turned through the short hall to the front doors, and slipped out of the Camp Ryder building. From the elevated entryway, Lee could see clear to the gate. A flashlight illuminated a small bubble of existence there and it consisted of two men and the chain-link fence that divided them. All through the shantytown of Camp Ryder, more lights were coming on and people were poking their heads out of their little shacks , try ing to see what the yelling was about.
L ee began to run for the gate . Sleep and cold stiffened his joints now, particularly his left ankle, and he c ouldn't hide his limp as he ran . Ahead of him, Lee could see that the sentry was stepping away from the gate, pointing his rifle at a man on the other side, some strange, bulky looking bear-man , with wild eyes and wire beard stained with blood. The crazed man on the outside had his fingers woven through the chain-link and he was shaking it and yelling.
For a moment, Lee slowed his pace and raised his rifle, wondering why the sentry was not taking this infected out. Then he heard Juli a's voice huffing alongside him: "Is that the guy from the woods?"
"What?" Lee asked, but then realized who she was talking about. The man and the woman, and the two children, with their blankets and coats draped heavy and thick over their shoulders. The ones Jim had tried to make contact with, but had run away .
The bear-man shook the gate again. "Get out here! I know you can help! You said! You said you could help! Get the fuck out here and help me, goddammit!"
Lee stopped at the gate, rifle ported. "What the hell is this?"
The man on the other side looked at Lee. " You were there! You were with that guy that said he would help! Where is he? It's my wife and kids…w e need help!"
Lee leaned closer and hissed through his teeth. "Would you shut the fuck up? I'm going to help you, but you gotta be quiet!"
The man lowered his voice. “Please…”
Lee nodded to the sentry.
"You sure?" The sentry was shocked.
Lee skewered him with a look . "Yes, I'm sure. Open the damn gat e. "
The sentry hopped to , and Lee leveled his rifle at the strange man who stood outside the gate, wringing his hands and looking about nervously . "Put your hands up and don't make any sudden movements. I'll help you, but you need to cooperate with me first, or you're not getting shit. Understand?"
The man’s wild and desperate eyes locked onto Lee. Then he nodded and raised two dirty, blood-stained hands .
Lee turned to Julia. Her matted blonde hair was bulging out in odd directions and there were dark rings under her wide eyes. "Go grab the team and tell them to suit up. Better grab your medic pack, too."
She nodded rapidly and ran for the Camp Ryder building.
Lee turned and found that there was no longer a fence between him and the bear- man, and only about ten feet of open space separated them. His arms were still raised up, but now his head had leaned back and his eyes were staring up at the sky and they looked hopeless.
"Are you listening to me?" Lee asked.
Th e man didn't look, but he said, “Yes.”
Lee spoke slowly and clearly. "Kneel down, and put your hands on top of your head, interlacing your fingers."
The man complied, going to his knees with a sudden collapse, like a wounded beast.
"Do not move, just answer my questions. Do you
He took the metal stairs as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake anyone sleeping inside the building, but the sounds of the disturbance outside were already beginning to cause people to stir. In the small quarters constructed in the middle of the building, lanterns and flashlights were beginning to flicker and glow.
"What time is it?" he asked Julia as she followed him.
"Almost three."
Damn. Lee grit his teeth. You can't pay for a good night's sleep nowadays .
They reached the bottom of the steps, turned through the short hall to the front doors, and slipped out of the Camp Ryder building. From the elevated entryway, Lee could see clear to the gate. A flashlight illuminated a small bubble of existence there and it consisted of two men and the chain-link fence that divided them. All through the shantytown of Camp Ryder, more lights were coming on and people were poking their heads out of their little shacks , try ing to see what the yelling was about.
L ee began to run for the gate . Sleep and cold stiffened his joints now, particularly his left ankle, and he c ouldn't hide his limp as he ran . Ahead of him, Lee could see that the sentry was stepping away from the gate, pointing his rifle at a man on the other side, some strange, bulky looking bear-man , with wild eyes and wire beard stained with blood. The crazed man on the outside had his fingers woven through the chain-link and he was shaking it and yelling.
For a moment, Lee slowed his pace and raised his rifle, wondering why the sentry was not taking this infected out. Then he heard Juli a's voice huffing alongside him: "Is that the guy from the woods?"
"What?" Lee asked, but then realized who she was talking about. The man and the woman, and the two children, with their blankets and coats draped heavy and thick over their shoulders. The ones Jim had tried to make contact with, but had run away .
The bear-man shook the gate again. "Get out here! I know you can help! You said! You said you could help! Get the fuck out here and help me, goddammit!"
Lee stopped at the gate, rifle ported. "What the hell is this?"
The man on the other side looked at Lee. " You were there! You were with that guy that said he would help! Where is he? It's my wife and kids…w e need help!"
Lee leaned closer and hissed through his teeth. "Would you shut the fuck up? I'm going to help you, but you gotta be quiet!"
The man lowered his voice. “Please…”
Lee nodded to the sentry.
"You sure?" The sentry was shocked.
Lee skewered him with a look . "Yes, I'm sure. Open the damn gat e. "
The sentry hopped to , and Lee leveled his rifle at the strange man who stood outside the gate, wringing his hands and looking about nervously . "Put your hands up and don't make any sudden movements. I'll help you, but you need to cooperate with me first, or you're not getting shit. Understand?"
The man’s wild and desperate eyes locked onto Lee. Then he nodded and raised two dirty, blood-stained hands .
Lee turned to Julia. Her matted blonde hair was bulging out in odd directions and there were dark rings under her wide eyes. "Go grab the team and tell them to suit up. Better grab your medic pack, too."
She nodded rapidly and ran for the Camp Ryder building.
Lee turned and found that there was no longer a fence between him and the bear- man, and only about ten feet of open space separated them. His arms were still raised up, but now his head had leaned back and his eyes were staring up at the sky and they looked hopeless.
"Are you listening to me?" Lee asked.
Th e man didn't look, but he said, “Yes.”
Lee spoke slowly and clearly. "Kneel down, and put your hands on top of your head, interlacing your fingers."
The man complied, going to his knees with a sudden collapse, like a wounded beast.
"Do not move, just answer my questions. Do you
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