My mind returns to the conversation I had with my mother when she finally came to understand the nature of my work. I remember her in my doorway when I spoke the words out loud.

We are losing.

Saying it was both liberating and damning. I had voiced what I had figured out by reading between the lines. My fate in many ways was set due to that utterance. Unless something drastic happens or is discovered the zones would expand and consume all.

So, I am here now in this place in a very bad situation. The rational side of me understands this. The emotional not so much. I want to live my instincts scream. Simple as that. The odds are not good.

My fear of death and conscience war within me. Fight or flight. The age-old battle within every human mind in times of extreme danger. I am not leaving the people to die here. That is certain but part of me still wants to. I cannot deny that.

I continue to move down the road the wet fog-bound air smothering everything in grey and silence. The darkness now dominating. Danger can come from any direction but was mainly behind. I was nearing the hospital.

Then a thought hit me. The hospital!

I realised then that this would be the place where the unknown following would make its move. If like I believed it could control the other undead it would use the hospital as a source of numbers to overwhelm us. It would be like what happened in Portland when most of the city fell. I have no clue about the number of undead in there.

If we continued, we would die. I quickly ran different scenarios through my head. All bad. Until the only realistic one was left. It sucked for me it sucked hard!

As I was thinking a figure came out of the fog from the direction of the group. It quickly became clear it was Sarah. Lit up by glow sticks like me. Easy to identify.

She was covered in more signs of battle and her face was not even hiding her exhaustion.

“Harrington.” She greeted me. Too tired to try any verbal sparring.

“Goldsmith.” I replied just as tired.

“Henry has briefed me on what you think is behind us. The group will be passed the hospital soon. Are you sure about what you think?” She normally would critique all of my theories or thoughts. It must be bad if she is just rolling with it. Hell has officially frozen over.

“Yes. The thing behind us has been trying to fuck with my head since Henry left.” I was in no mood to dance around the issue and just ploughed into it. “I think it is controlling the undead behind us and as soon as we pass the hospital it will gather as many as it can and overrun us. Numbers will be too many and then we die.” Time for the blunt assessment.

Her face quickly shows her thoughts on this. She is mulling it over and working the angles like she always does. It was going to come to a bad conclusion no matter what track she took. I had done the same.

“I have a plan.” I decide just to push ahead. Time was against us.

She looks at me with a large dose of scepticism at those words. I can be bothered to fight so I tell her.

“I have to kill it or distract it long enough for you to get further away. The only way to do this is to go back and find it. One of us must hold it back. In this case I. I am the most experienced with the undead.” There I said it.

Her reaction was clear from the shock. She knew it was a death sentence. We had no idea what was out there but it was smart and calculating. She opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off.

“You know this is the only way.” I wish I could have heard my voice because I was strangely calm now that I knew what had to be done. She hesitated briefly but did speak.

“I understand.” That was all she could say. She was no fool and knew this was the only option that would get any of the others out alive. Not doing anything guaranteed that we would all die.

She looked at me hard for several long seconds. I believed I could try to understand what she was thinking but I was never sure. So, I let it be. I had more important things to deal with.

“When will you go?” She asked. She was adapting this information into the current plan.

“As soon as you head back and warn the soldiers, they are the new rear guard.” No time like the present. Boy, will they be happy about that bit of information.

“Ok. Is there anything messages you want to be passed on?”

“No. I have everything already arranged.” Which I had as part of my will that all Operatives had to create. Really short life expectance and all that.

She only nods and is lingering for some reason. Or just making everything that needs to be done is. Not sure.

“You best get going.” I tell her as I hate waiting. She seems like she wants to say something more but heads back toward the group. Like Henry, I watch her until she disappears and she does not look back like him.

I know what I now have to do. But the reality hits me then. I am committed and not calm as outwardly presenting anymore. I feel like I am going to piss myself! But this has to be done. I don’t feel like the stoic hero marching into danger clear mind and a determined eye. My heart rate surges and I am trying not to panic.

I pull my shit together once more. Quite likely for the last time.

I once more head along the road and head back into the zone for the second time today.

The natural light is now just barely able to get through the fog. The world around me is now grey with a lot of dark. I advance slowly. I have to be on the alert to ambush. I am surprised I am not shaking.

Thoughts, fears and regrets pass through my mind. I am trying to keep focus. But these thoughts keep coming.

The fog is damp as always. The moisture has drenched my outer armour and kit long ago. The ground is wet and slick. The cold air in my lungs with every breath. I continue going. Focusing on what has to be done.

Suddenly I spotted a zombie coming out of the fog. I turn and leap forward. We clashed violently. Both forward momentums cancel out each other. I staggered back but remained standing. I get my bearings.

My axe was swinging as fast as I could. The zombie was faster and I missed it just by an inch. My shield was still up and I blocked the zombie’s fists.

The attack was furious. Impacts rock through my shield but it holds. I am knocked back by the onslaught but remain standing. I attempt to counter but the attacks continue.

I back up to give myself room but the zombie keeps coming. My shield is now creaking under the strain. My arm is aching now. I have to change tactics.

I leap forward pushing the zombie back with the impact from my shield. I get a brief moment of respite. I lift and swing down with the axe. This time hitting the zombie on the head. Not a fully penetrating blow. Good enough to injure and confuse it.

I quickly follow up and continue my attack. Blow after blow fall on the zombie’s head. The skull collapses. Black gore flies all around as my axe carries brain matter and black blood with each blow.

The zombie collapsed and I stop. Breathing heavily and swaying slightly I stand over the body. My shield arm is aching from the shoulder to the hand. I think it’s ok. I am not sure. I cannot risk a proper inspection for injury here.

I quickly look around. Searching the fog for more dangers. I do not see anything. I use this time to recover as much as I can. I am worn out now.

I am next to the cemetery once again. I decide to cross the wall into the cemetery. I do this to try to keep the focus on me. I wander deeper scanning for dangers.

Again, a zombie came from the fog and battle started again. I brought it down quickly. Another and another came. I quickly move to prevent being overwhelmed. I strike and dodge. I keep moving. My body is aching but I keep on.

Blows are exchanged. My shield blocks the zombies. Barley. My axe does not make a killing blow. Glancing blows only. They too are moving fast.

One tries to pin me in place while the other tries to flank me. I use the gravestones to my advantage. They block when I position myself well. This is not as often as I hoped. Anger rages within me. I am going to lose if I don’t change this up.

I again push forward when they part to try to flank me. The anger helps press the attack. I catch it as it moves forward to attack time on point. The axe collides with the head and goes in deep. With a sickly crunch. Collapsing a lot of the skull.

I rip it clear. Spinning to face the other. Just getting my shield in place to block its attacks. I am again on the defensive. This is getting old fast!

Like the other time, my attack connects and its skull collapses under the blow I deliver. I quickly make sure both will not get up again by destroying their skulls. This leaves me panting again trying to recover. My body is complaining about the abuse it has been going through today. Exhaustion is a fact that may kill me.

I look around for more threats but I am alone for the moment and use it to recover as best as I can. I can just make out the remains of one of the earlier battles we had fought clearing the cemetery the first time.

Standing. No leaning back onto a gravestone I get a feeling of being watched. I get into a combat-ready position as fast as I could with my body stiff and sore. Looking around I seek my target.

The eyes and vague shape are to my right. I turn to face it. Relief and fear cross my mind. Relief at the appearance that my plan is working and the thing out there is focused on me, not the others. The fear that the thing out there is focused on me!

I hate my life right now.

We stand there for a few minutes or seconds just looking at each other. I have to risk looking around to make sure I am not being approached outside of my eye line. Nothing but us. This only increases my growing unease.

The air is stiller than normal in the zone somehow. The cold and damp are more noticeable. The silence is almost total. The only things I hear are my breathing and rapidly beating heart.

The thing begins to casually walk forwards. Finally, I get a good look at it. It is not what I was imagining at all.

The figure is of a man about as tall as me. Well-built physically. I cannot give him an age but appears to be about his late thirties. He is dressed in ruins of a good suit with the shirt open with no tie. It is covered with what I think are blood splatters. His hair is long and black. Skin jet black with a strange sheen like the hair. His features are Caucasian maybe with a bit of Asian. His glowing eyes dim as he approaches. They are solid blood red with no irises.

If he turns out to be a fucking Vampire, I will lose it and leave!

He? I will go with that. Stops a few meters away. We stand looking at each other. Then he does the last thing I would have expected.

“You hear the call.”

Not a question a statement. The voice had inflexions in it that no normal voice had. It was difficult to hear because it was so strange. With no accent, I can identify.

“You do not heed. You still you will serve.”

I was processing that when it leapt forward and attacked.

Here we go!