"Remind me how this goes, Sam?" Dr. Meyers mutters as I stand at the front gates. I sigh, knowing I'd rather be reading my Bible in my tent.

"Alright, okay. First tell Justin Miles, Runner Eighteen, on the door to raise the gates."

"Raise the gates," She tells, although her voice is not nearly as enthusiastic as Sam's is, and surprisingly I don't feel as pumped about running either.

I'm just going to go with I'm not feeling it today and not think that Sam's enthusiasm has anything to do with it.

As the gates are opened, I find myself straining my ears in efforts to hear their words over the gunshots and the alarm of the gates being opened.

"Then ask if Runner Five is ready."

Wait, he's been asking me this whole time? I thought he was telling me I'd better get ready... huh. I nod slowly at the new realization.

"Runner Five, ready?" The doctor questions before mumbling, "What do I do if Runner Five isn't ready?"

Sam scoffs at the question, "Runner Five's already."

'Is that a compliment, Sam?' I don't whether he hears me over all the noise or not but he gives no reply.

"So, gates are open..."

"And then you say covering fire and-"

"Runner Five," She interrupts, "special mission for the hospital. Go!"

I race out the gates just like always, the noise behind me slowly coming to a stop as it all goes quiet; All except for my feet hitting the ground with its oh-so-familiar rhythm, that is.

I wonder how much longer I'll be here until Mullins decides they need me again.

I snort at the thought. Mullins doesn't need me, not now. Sure, they did pay a pretty penny-Or really, a pretty paper to have me but that's because I was so young and they were hoping they could make me one of the people that do their dirty work. In a way I guess they did, sending me here for this mission, but I don't even know who in Mullins is in charge of this mission anyway.

I don't know anything about this mission.

It takes me a good ten seconds to realize there's music playing in my ears, but seeing as it's 'Five Hundred Miles' which I've heard five hundred times I opt to ignore it and go back to my thoughts.

It's not like I want to go back to Mullins. There was only two people I talked to there and they're gone-just like everyone else I cared about. I do like staying here in Abel, more than I probably should, really; But I want to know what I'm supposed to be doing here. I want-

I feel myself lurch forward as my foot slams against something hard. I hit the ground with a thud and a hiss of pain, both from the fall and from the fact that I stubbed all of my toes. I quickly reach back and grab my axe, rolling over on my back and preparing myself to swing if it may be a zom, but it's not. And luckily for me there is no zombies nearby to be attracted by the amount of noise I just made.

With a sigh of relief I push myself into a sitting position, determined to take a look at whatever brought me to the ground face first.

It's... a box. A metal one, rusted so badly I can't even guess what color it might've been. It's also dented, horribly-as if it had been run over by a car and then hit with a hammer several times. The latch is broken, but still attached meaning no matter how hard I pull or tug it won't open, much to my frustration.

"Runner Five, are you alright?" Dr. Meyers asks. "You've been still on the scanners for about five minutes."

'I'm fine. I just tripped and fell.'

"Sam, what did she-"

"Fell? Are you alright? Did-did you hurt yourself?" He interrupts with a voice laced with concern.

"She fell? Runner Five, if you hurt yourself you'll need to-"

'Nothing's hurt but my pride, and maybe my toes,' I tap quickly on the mic. 'Just found a box and it won't open. Give me a second.'

I grab ahold of the dented handle at the top of the box, and bring up my foot to smash down on the latch with as much force as I can muster in the position I'm in. I'm kind of thankful Sam and the doctor can't see me out here because of how silly I must look right now. Hair messier than usual, dirt covering my face as I sit on my rear trying to kick at a box.

"Runner Five," Sam says, "what are you doing-"

I bring my foot down on the latch once more, feeling a twinge of pain in my ankle as the latch finally snaps off with a satisfying clank. I open up the box and pull out the few things that aren't damaged, which is a wrench, a Bowie knife-

Sweet.

-and an unopened packet of jelly beans.

"Finding anything useful there, Runner Five?" Dr. Meyers questions a moment later as I shove the items in my backpack.

'Depends.' I stand and dust the dirt off my rear.

"On what?" Sam questions.

'Whether or not you like jelly beans.'

"That's all you found?" He asks incredulously. "You spent all that time for jelly beans? I mean I understand if it was a curly wurly but-"

'Fine, if you don't want them I'll eat them,' I respond with amused grin. I start off jogging again, refraining the urge to giggle at his reply.

"Oh, no. I'm eating them."

'Alright, but I'm at least keeping the Bowie knife. Tell the doctor she can have the wrench.'

"The what? But you said..."

'You really think I'd be perfectly fine having nearly sprained my ankle to get that box open only to find jelly beans?'

"I-well... No, you probably would've kicked the box again."

"Do I want to know?" Dr. Meyers asks, and I can hear Sam sigh.

"No. Not really."

"You're doing well, Runner Five," She says, changing the subject. "Just excellent. With all the medical supplies you picked up a while ago our Medical Center's no longer at breaking point. We're keeping up with low grade infections and accidents-"

'What about Caleb?' I ask, glad I'm tapping and not talking because the slight concern I feel would definitely show. Sam replies instead of translating the code into words.

"What about Caleb?"

'Did bringing in those medical kits help him? He said the entire reason he stayed is because you convinced Janine that he should stay because he was sick.'

There's a pause before Dr. Meyers mutters a small, "Sam," and the radio operator sighs before telling the doctor my words.

"Caleb's doing just fine, Runner Five," She assures. "You see him everyday, remember? There's no need for you to worry."

'You do realize every time someone has told me that something goes terribly wrong, right?'

There's another pause.

"Uh... you know what, we're not going to answer that question. In fact, I'm not even going to say that question aloud because if I do it will undoubtedly happen," Sam forces out a laugh. "Now uh, what were you saying, Maxine?"

"Since we've gotten everything now under control at the hospital," She states skeptically, and I smile at the look I imagine she's giving Sam right now, "it's time to start investigating the contents you found at the old hospital outside Abel."

"The special, mystical box of mystery that Runner Five picked up on the way here?"

I press my lips together to keep from laughing and raise my hand to my mic to tap out a sarcastic comment but Dr. Meyers beats me to it.

"Yeah, that seven year degree I got was in mystical mystery," She laughs. "You weren't one of the people who believed in those anti-zombie charms at the start of the outbreak, were you?"

There were people like that?

"Of course not," He replied, although his answer doesn't seem very certain. It really doesn't sound certain at all. "And I never got a special protective tattoo either."

Dr. Meyers and I both crack up at that, although only one laugh is heard.

"What? Those tattoos people got on their b-"

"You will never see that bit of me to find out," Sam retorts, and by now I've had to stop to catch my breath from laughing so hard. "Besides, have you seen me having got bit by a zombie? Maybe it worked."

After a few deep breaths to get my breathing steady I start off again, still giggling as their words repeat in my head.

"After this mission I have an invisible rabbit to sell you," She jokes. "No, don't look for it; You can't see it. All this aside, Runner Five, we're going to ask you to head towards the spire to the South."

"Where the swarms are?" Sam asks, and my steps falter slightly.

"Where the swarms are," She confirms, and I internally groan.

'Didn't even have to say out loud.'

"Be quiet," Sam grumbles.

"I'm sorry about this but I badly need a confocal microscope and the university buildings are the best place to look," Dr. Meyers reasons. "You're likely to encounter a lot of shambling dead. I'm sorry."

I hear a snicker through the headphones. "Should've made Runner Five get one of those tattoos-"

"They're unhygienic."

'Hell would have freeze over before that'd happen.'

"Whatever Five said," The doctor agrees, "and it's better to just run."

I give a nod in affirmation, although I know neither of them can see me. The university isn't too far from here, but the idea of getting that close to swarms and swarms of zombies makes me feel uneasy. I know the Township believes I'm lucky, and I know God has protected me this far, but that doesn't mean I should go out and throw myself into a horde.

And it seems that somehow I'm always the one put into this situation...

The closer I get, the more gray blurry figures I see. I'm still a good ways away, but still I see a lot of dead people.

Sums up college just about right. Well, from what I've been told.

"Are they coming online?" Dr. Meyers questions softly.

"Yep." He drags out the word. "Wow. Look at that. Janine knows her stuff. Security cameras all over the university on our little screen here... Wow, there's-"

"That's a lot of zombies."

"Yeah, a lot."

'Not making me feel any less anxious here.' I grab my axe from my back.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Five," Sam mutters. "Why do they... cluster like that?"

"We don't know. It doesn't really make sense. Other hunting animals will spread out unless they're working on a hunting formation to bring down an animal."

"Like us?"

'They aren't animals, though. Animals, even the ones that hunt down prey, are alive.'

Sam doesn't tell the doctor my comment, but I ignore the slight annoyance as I pull my shoulders inward to make myself seem as small as possible. I know it will do little to keep the zoms from seeing me as I continue to approach them, but if I can hide well enough when I reach the campus I won't have to worry about taking out a hundred or more zombies with an axe, a Bowie knife and a wrench.

That would've made such an interesting movie title...

"Yeah," She continues, "it might be an instinct behavior. They're very weak individually-very strong as a pack. They're more likely to defeat us as a massive unit, but it doesn't explain why we seem to see them cluster more in certain places."

"Like the hospital?"

"And here. As if they know the places were most important for our long term survival," She mutters. I can tell she's thinking hard on it.

I try to remember if it was like that in America, but honestly I don't know since I was in a very populated area, so the outbreak spread like wildfire. And I was so scared for my life and Wes's and hers that I didn't really think about any statistics or studies.

Sam hums in reply. "Maybe they're just looking for a cure like the rest of us."

But how can you cure someone who's already dead?

"I don't think there is a cure, Sam," Dr. Meyers sighs, "but if Runner Five can make it through there, we might start to find some answers."

Answers... The thought sounds nice but the thing is will finding this one answer only add more questions?

I hope not. I hate when that happens.

Just a bit farther until I reach the university, and with each step I see more and more of the walking dead. I swallow thickly as a lump forms in my throat.

"Look at that," Maxine mutters.

'What?' I asks, looking around for whatever they see that I don't. But all I see is undead zoms.

"Mmm... what is that?" Sam asks, and again I repeat my question, and again I am ignored.

"It looks like a makeshift lab. And a tent in the middle of the university concourse-where they would've been surrounded by fencing. Do you see the fencing?"

Sam scoffs. "See where a big hole's been ripped through it in it. Pretty sure it wasn't Godzilla."

If I wasn't running towards death itself I would've laughed.

"It looks like zombies got in," Dr. Meyers sighs. "They must've put in work right up to the end. Ya know, I think my girlfriend was working up somewhere around here."

I raise a brow at that. Girlfriend? But then I shrug it off. Growing up Baptist I was taught that such a thing was a sin, but I was also taught that I shouldn't judge or condemn because it's hypocritical and moronic. Not to mention it will only push others away from Christ instead of towards Him.

"Paula was working here?" Sam asks in surprise. "You never said."

She laughs lightly. "Yeah... Where's Runner Five?"

"Uh, there." I enter the campus and give a small wave with my free hand, my other one gripping my axe tightly, just in case a zombie notices me. "Got you on the first security camera coming into the campus, Five."

I press myself up against of the buildings as a loud moan fills my ears, I  grip the axe handle with both hands before taking off.

Unfortunately for me, I'm seen.

"If you keep on in the direction you're going you'll come to the-nice swing, Runner Five," Sam praises as I bury my axe into a zombie's head. I reluctantly grab the zom's shirt to keep it from from falling. I lay it on the ground gently, not wanting to attract anymore by making noise by letting a zombie corpse hit the floor.

"A-anyway, keep running in the direction you were going in. You should come to the tent lab we've been talking about but hurry. There are zombies everywhere."

It takes everything in me not to make the 'Nicolas Cage meme' face.

He's probably dead now.

I start running again, doing my best to avoid the undead as I possibly can, although there are a few I have put an axe in their skull. I keep myself running or pressed against walls, until I see the lab. It's out in the open, so I'll have sprint for it. With a deep breath and glance down at my trusty axe, I dart towards the lab.

"You're making good time, Runner Five," Dr. Meyers states. "You're just getting to the lab now. Oh, what in the were they doing in that lab that was so important? If they were medical researchers for the university the government would've tried to chopper them out."

I shrug off my backpack and put down my axe before emptying the contents of said backpack.

"What are you doing, Five?" She asks.

I tap a reply.

"She uh, she said if there's not enough room and she'll need to leave something she'd rather do it now instead of wasting time trying to dig all of it out of her bag," Sam replies.

'And don't worry, I'll keep the jelly bean," I joke, earning a less than amused huff in reply.

"Anyway," Sam says to Dr. Meyers I'm assuming, "did you hear anything at the time? Close to the ground? Near to the uh... grapevine? Something?"

I search through the papers and files, although there aren't very many that I can tell. And the most of the few papers I find are unreadable, as if it were made to not be understood. I put the equipment that was left behind in my bag and continue searching for whatever might be useful.

I knew I should've paid more attention in health class.

"I was working nonstop emergency shifts at the hospital." Her voice is soft, weak almost. "At first trying to cure them, and then trying to sedate them, and then..."

There's a pained sigh that escapes her lips.  "Eventually we just started giving morphine overdoses to patients who arrived with the bite. It's not a bad way to go. Peaceful-"

"Runner Five, behind you!"

I spin around just in time to have a zom grab at my shoulders. With wide eyes I jump back in panic, the zom's grip on me pulling it along. My back hits the table, causing some of the items to fall and hit the ground, causing noise, but that's the least of my worries.

I grab a hold of its shoulders, keeping it from reaching forward and biting me-infecting me. I make an attempt to push it off, but this one's persistent, and the panicked commands from Sam and the doctor are no help.

In my efforts to push the zombie away I trip, falling to to the side and bringing the undead monster with me. It lands on top of me, viscously growling and snapping its jaw in efforts to take a chunk of flesh from my face, but thankfully my grip on its shoulders is strong enough to keep it at bay. The fact that my right knee is in its chest helps too.

"Five, do something! Find a weapon!"

I clench my jaw at hearing his command, my heart pounding so fast I can hear it pulsing in my chest. There's a pounding in my head as fear flows in my veins, making my breathing fast and shallow.

I look to my side-mostly to keep the zoms from taking off my nose and making me a female Voldemort-and see my Bowie knife that fell off the table. It's only an inch away, lying on the ground waiting for me to take it, but if I let go of even just one of the zom's shoulder, it could use that to pull forward and sink its teeth in me.

"Five, you have to get that thing off of you," Dr. Meyers instructs, voice practically dropping with panic. "If it keeps growling like that it'll attract more of the undead and you will die."

Guess I don't have much of a choice then.

I push my knee farther into the zombie's chest to get a bit more distance, and I nearly gag as I feel the skin starting to rip. In a split second my right hand leaves the zom's shoulder to grab the Bowie knife. I reach up and stab it in the head before it can turn to bite my arm, and after it goes limp I throw it off me.

'So what were you saying before, Doc? About the hospital?' I tap, breathing heavily and shakily standing up.

"Is she alright? Is she bit?" The doctor asks, but I shake my head at the camera.

"No, she-she just... wanted to continue what you were saying before," Sam answers. His voice sounds almost as breathless as mine. Was he hyperventilating?

"Oh... uh, right. We got some living samples of their blood... but I was too tired to make anything of it. I did hear that some hospital out West managed to stop a couple from reanimating by putting them in an insulin-induced coma. Although, of course, they were in an insulin coma."

"Holy moly. Runner Five. Runner Five!" Sam yells in a voice that isn't as panicked as before but still panicked nonetheless. "There are eight zombies headed for you position from all over the campus."

My eyes widen in panic as I hear the chain link fence rattle. There are already some outside...

"It's like they know Runner Five is there."

"Yeah, they've got extra tingly spider sense, or hearing. One of those."

I send a glare at the camera before signing, 'Now is not the time to be funny, Sam.'

"Right, sorry. We-we need you to grab what you can from that tent and get running, Five."

I give a nod in affirmation, and simply put my Bowie knife and wrench in my already stuffed bag. I slip in on and grab my axe, before making my way towards the exit. My foot hits something and kicks it ahead some. A case or something. I don't know. I just have three words on my mind as I race towards the few zombies that are headed towards me.

Swing and run.
Swing and run.
Swing and run.

"Do-do you see that? On the floor-the case, the... what is that?" Sam mutters as I hack off anything flesh bag's head. "Doc, does that-is that your name written on the case? Dr. Maxine Meyers? And some numbers-VS72."

"Oh... oh, I think I know what they were doing." I hear a heavy sigh and I blanch. "Runner Five, I know you're surrounded-"

Oh no.

"-but you have to loop around and try to pick up that case. It's important."

I breath in deeply. 'Are you trying to get me killed?'

"Five, if the doc says it's important-"

'My life's important! I'm surrounded by the living dead and you want me to run and attract more?' I tap before nailing my axe into another zombie's head.

"Runner Five, please," Dr. Meyers pleads, and I grit my teeth in annoyance.

I swear to all things good if I get bit my zombiefied corpse if specifically coming for y'alls asses.

I push myself to run faster, looping around just as the doctor instructed. I have to take down three zombies-all beheaded-before I reach the case. As I reach to grab it another zom lunges for my arm, but I grab the case and dodge it before it can take a bite of me. I slide the handle of the case down my arm so I can still grip my axe and swing it in a undead skull if needed.

I better get some damn peanut butter for this. It'd have been different if it were maybe one or two of 'em, but no. There had to be those eight that were coming and the freaking twenty-something that were hanging out around the fences!

"Wh-what is that thing?" Sam stutters, and I would've smiled if I weren't so ticked off. Normally I'll do a job without complaint but nearly dying twice in a day puts a damper on my mood.

"Paula was working here. I-we hadn't seen each other for days and I didn't know what the team was working on for sure but-"

"Wow. That's crazy. You think she left you a clue?" His voice almost resembles that on an exited child, and I almost smile until I realize I'm still a bit mad at them.

It's not a good thing if I like them so much I can't stay mad at them...

"Paula had been talking about the possibility of it but there was no time to synthesize; No time run tests-"

"Don't just leave us hanging, Doc. What's in the box?"

"If it's VS72," There's a slight hesitation in her voice, "it could be... it could the start of a vaccine."

I blink at that, automatically thinking, Maybe this was something worth almost dying for.

A/N: Long chapter. I know, I'm sorry. I really hope you all liked and please comment and vote and a big thank you to those who have commented and voted on this story in the past. You guys are the best!