"Okay, guys," Sam says softly, almost as if he's afraid he'll disrupt the peacefulness that surrounds us if he speaks too loudly, "you're on the edge of Ram's Gate Forest. Now be careful. This is where things went wrong before."

Janine purses her lips. "Precautions have been made, Mr. Yao. Runner Five and I are carrying extra sidearms, and I imagine Ms. Spens is poised to flee at the first sign of trouble."

"Possibly even sooner, Janine, if it seems like a good idea." Amelia says with a shrug before flipping her blonde hair off her shoulder.

She gets an eyeroll in reply. "Colonel Sage entrusted us with a delivery of vital medical supplies to his New Aberystwyth colony, and we misplaced that delivery. We must correct our mistake. After the affair the necropolis, after he saved..." She trails off, her eyes seeming to get a glazed overlook to them before she shakes it off. "After he saved Runner Five and Dr. Meyers at the sewage plant, we own the man a great debt. Mr. Yao, does Veronica have a direction for us?"

"Yeah, I've got her on Roufflenet. She's calculating the most likely position of the lost supply crate. Ah... Callista?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" I ask as I flick some snow off a low hanging branch, trying not to internally complain about spending my New Year's out in the cold after spending my New Year's Eve out failing a mission.

"Um, yeah. Veronica wanted me to say sorry... again. She might have lost all her memories of her experiments, but she remembers she has to apologize." He sighs and mumbles under his breath, "Yeah, I know how that feels."

I frown. Is he talking about last night? He can't blame himself for what happened. It was a small mistake. He made it because he was trying to get us to safety. None of us were hurt, and the reason we lost the crate was because-

My thoughts are cut off by the moaning of nearby zombies.

"Uh-oh. Sounds like we have company," Amelia says, biting her lip. "Time for me to go, I think."

Janine scowls as she eyes the rustling of snow-covered bushes about fifty feet away. "Those zombies are emerging from patches of woodland behind us, Ms. Spens. The only possible escape route is forward, with us."

"Guys, Veronica says there's a lot of confusion in our reports. She needs to know exactly what happened when we lost the supplies," Sam says, and I cock a brow. How is there confusion in our reports? I'm sure they'd all sound relatively the same, unless someone-ahem, Amelia-lied, but wouldn't Veronica know if there was an outlier that clearly was nothing like the others?

Janine's reply to Sam is a curt nod that he can't see, and I bite my tongue to hold back the question bubbling in my throat. "Give her all the information she needs, Mr. Yao. Five, Ms. Spens, we may be able to lose the zombies in the forest. Run."

I send a glance back at the zombies. It's hard to tell if they're V-Types or not, but it's best not to test our luck. After last night, I can assume it's not on our side. So we're quick to get moving, snow sloshing under our shoes. Well, it's more like slush now. It's harder to stay balanced, but it makes it harder for the zombies, as well.

We have to get rid of the zombies before we find that crate. It was very big and awkward, and unlike last night we don't have a trolley with us. Janine is right to suspect Amelia will abandon us if things go south, because she will. And the two of us will be massively slowed down if we have to carry the crate by ourselves.

A sudden shiver runs up my back, although not from the cold. I glance around, feeling a sudden pressure of dozens of eyes on me, and yet I see nothing.

"Uh, does anyone else feel weird?"

"What do you mean, Runner Five?" Janine asks, and I shrug, grabbing at my backpack strap.

"I don't know, like we're being watched? I mean, I just feel like there's someone else around here."

Janine looks around. "I don't see anything, and we'd hear anyone wandering around. You may just be worried because of all the zombies we encountered last night. There's no need to fear. Things become much less frightening when there is daylight."

I nod, keeping my head forward, although my eyes glance this way and that, wondering if this feeling could mean something for us later. It will. It always does.

I wish that these feelings could just mean nothing for once, like the silly normal dreams I get the pleasure of having every once in a while. It's the dreams I get about me living a normal life, or well, one where zombies don't exist. There's always some adventure or chaos thrown in there, probably influenced by my real life or any books I've been reading, and the people I care about are there, with different names or jobs.

But they don't mean anything. They're dreams that normal people get, and these feelings like the ones I'm having right now could be perceived as normal anxiety that normal people get, and I'd believe that if I didn't know it always had some significance.

"Janine, Callista, I've patched you in on a private channel," Sam says lowly. "Now I know you guys are running, but Veronica says this is important."

I inch my hand up close to my mic and give it a few quick taps. 'Detour?'

"No, no, nothing like that. She's talking about the reports. Said there's too many differences in them to come up with a conclusion. There are no cams in the forest, so I didn't actually see what happened to the supply crate. Uh, if I tell you what I remember, can you tell me if I'm missing anything?"

'Of course.'

"Thanks, darling. Uh, okay. So it started just after you arrived in the woods, and it was raining-er, sleeting, I guess? Now, I remember because Sarah and Adora had-"

I shout when the ground disappears beneath me, and suddenly everything becomes dark, the sun having just disappeared from the sky. And I'm cold, wet. Snow and rain hit my skin harshly as I'm jolted back, reliving Sam's memory of last night.

It's been a while since this has happened. I'd forgotten how jarring it is.

"So glad to come on this mission and get caught in the rain, Janine," Amelia spits, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "This Abercrombie and Fitch jacket cost a fortune, and it's soaked!"

"You volunteered to come along, Ms. Spens. Feel free to turn back."

My eyebrows go up at how... commanding she sounds. Janine always sounds commanding, but this is different. From Sam's perspective she's much scarier. No wonder he always jumps when she yells his name. He didn't see how she looked but even here, trudging along in front of me, she looks a lot more intimidating.

I look down at myself. I wish I could see my face to see if he sees me any differently than I see myself. Shame that I can't.

"Oh no, you don't," Amelia huffs. "Colonel Sage is signing treaties on very favorable terms with those he considers allies, and Fort Canton is every bit as much his ally as Abel. I want to learn all I can about him."

"Oh, be extra careful, guys. The trolley that crate's on squeaks like anything, and Runner Thirteen spotted V-Types near that forest yesterday!"

Sam's voice shakes slightly, and I tip my head to the side. Why does he sound so skittish? He didn't sound like that last night. I don't think he did. Is he this nervous on the inside?

"Thanks for the warning, babe," I reply, and I flinch at just how southern my voice sounds. I know I have an accent, but Good Lord, is it really that thick? Is that how I sound to him? I thought it was just enough that you could tell I wasn't from a northern state. Hm...

"If there's V-Types, we'll be counting on you to guide us through, Mr. Yao," Janine says before her face twists. "Ms. Spens, I see you eyeing the supplies. Don't think I haven't noticed that lockpick in your hands. There'll be no thievery on my watch."

I flinch at the loud sound of a growl coming from nearby, followed by more. There is movement in the trees, rustling just loud enough to be heard over the rain and snow. Sam lets out a shout in fear.

"I hear zombies. Oh, oh no!"

"Sam?" I call.

"I-I'm sorry. I panic when the people I care about are in danger."

"Stay calm, Mr. Yao!" Janine snaps, her eyes narrowing at the zombies heading our way. "There are three hostiles headed in this direction." She pulls out her pistol and fires. One, two, three bullets fly into the air. All three are perfect headshots. The force of the bullets cause the zombies to stumble back, but they soon regain their balance and look ahead once more. "Sidearm has no effect. V-Types."

"This is your fault, Sam!" Amelia shouts. "You're supposed to keep us safe!"

"Find an exit route at once, Mr. Yao."

"Okay, hold on," He replies shakily. "Uh, just give me a minute. Um... oh, I don't have any cams. I hate not being able to see! But I've got a map here. Oh, hang on. Ah, aha! Oh, head north until you reach a waterfall. That's your quickest way out of the woods. It isn't far. Run!"

"Yes, sir," I chirp, pushing the trolley onward. My feet sink into mud and slush, and when I comment on it, Sam sounds like he's about to seize up.

"I should have known that taking that path would be muddy. Why am I so terrible at my job?"

My eyes widen. Is that really how Sam sees himself? He's the best operator I've ever had, and I'm not just saying that because he's my husband. He's kept me alive through situations that many would say should've have ended in a painful death. Anyone else would have failed, but he kept me safe.

We've going to have a very long talk when I get home. Many of the people I care about are struggling, and while I can't help them all, I know I can help Sam. After how much he's helped me, I don't think I could live with myself if I did nothing with the information he's unknowingly given me.

We keep going until we reach the waterfall, which I remember. The river is too fast to cross, not to mention there are chunks of ice and slush in it that would definitely hurt if they hit us. But there is a ledge just big enough for us to cross behind the waterfall.

"It's kind of like the waterfall from Jurassic Park," Sam says with a laugh, and I smile, but it quickly drops when I slip on a rock, nearly bringing the trolley and the crate down with me. Amelia, surprisingly, gives me a hand.

"It's hard to keep the crate steady with all these rocks," Janine mutters, and he gasps.

"Oh God! That's my fault! I should have thought of that."

I let out a yelp when the crate falls off the trolley, laying across the rocks at an odd angle.

Amelia crouches down to try to pick the crate upright, or possibly look inside at the hazmat suits and syringes that are spilling out. I can't really tell since I'm too preoccupied about... something. It's obvious Sam doesn't remember because in this weird memory of his it doesn't happen, but I know I was distracted by something.

Janine pulls out her pistol again as I try to push the crate upright with Amelia. "At least the zombies are slipping on the rocks."

My breath catches in my throat as I look ahead. "But there's loads more up ahead. We're surrounded!"

"Oh God!" Sam chokes. "That's like a trap. They can't do traps, can they?"

"Options, Mr. Yao," Janine demands, her jaw clenched.

"Oh, r-right! Oh, yeah. Uh... well, you could try jumping into the water, like the Fugitive. Uh, no. Sorry. That's stupid. Oh, hold on. The cliff behind the waterfall is full of caves, like a giant Curly-Wurly. I love Curly-Wurlies. They're too narrow for the crate, but-"

"We could leave the crate behind, come back for it later," Amelia suggests as I start looking around.

"What are you doing, Ms. Spens?" Janine shouts, and she rolls her eyes.

"Calm down. I was just securing the lid."

I blink, and before I know what's happened, I've got hold of Amelia's arm and am pulling her away from the crate as it tumbles off the ledge and into the water below. There are more sounds of growls and without thinking I immediately start pulling Amelia towards a cave entrance-the first one I see.

"This way!" I yell.

"Wait, what's happening? What happened?" Sam asks, his voice strained.

"Mr. Yao, the crate has been lost. It was knocked into the water. Ms. Spens is unharmed and Five has found a cave entrance."

"Then follow that cave path. The zombies sound like they're right on top of you." He audibly grimaces at the sound of a zom moan. "Run!"

•

"...And that's what I remember," Sam says as I'm suddenly flung back into the present, no longer soaked to the bone but still cold because of the bite in the air. Waves of nausea and dizziness hit me out of nowhere. I'd forgotten about the effects that come with going back and forth when I'm awake. So much of it happens when I'm asleep I'd almost forgotten I could even do things like this when conscious.

"Where are you now?" He continues.

"We're deep in the forest, Sam," Amelia replies. "I'm sure there will be saplings here come spring. And that isn't what happened at all, by the way."

I turn my head so fast I almost get whiplash, and Sam sputters in shock.

"Amelia? I'm on a private channel with Janine and Five!"

A giggle slips past her lips. "Oh, please. I know Abel's private frequencies. And I can tell when I'm being shut out. Janine gets this smug look on her face."

I blanch. "And just how many times have you snuck in on our private frequencies?"

"Are you talking about when you and Sam talk to each other? I may have listened in on the few times I went on a run with you, or when one of Fort Canton's runners did and I happened to be with Nadia while she was on coms.  You're not very good at hiding it, you know. You start grinning like an idiot. I don't know how you were a-what was it? An A.M.T.B. agent?" She grins when I stiffen. "Oh, no need to look so upset. It's not like you two ever talk about anything above PG-13. Well, actually, there may have been a few times-"

"Anyway," Sam interjects very loudly, and I'm sure his face is just as red as mine. "My story is totally what happened. The crate fell into the water because you were trying to open it."

"I would never be so clumsy."

He sighs in annoyance, but then goes quiet. "Oh, hang on. Update from Veronica. She's working out how the tides would pull the crate. She thinks it's washed ashore south of you."

Janine nods before pointing in a direction. "South is that way, Five. Hurry, through those ferns."

"And once we're clear of them, Sam, let me tell you what really happened," Amelia states, and Janine and I share a side-eye before I roll my own.

I know Sam's story had some details that weren't accurate, but he was pretty accurate for the general story of what happened last night. I was preoccupied to see if Amelia pushed the crate into the water, but I remember pulling her back. Why would I do that unless there was danger nearby, such as the crate about to knock her off the ledge because she was messing with it?

Although the fact that he puts so much on himself is heartbreaking. Having never been a radio operator, I don't always think about how hard that job is. Some people even think his job is easy when compared to runners, since he's safe in Abel while we're out running.

But he is here when it's all done, knowing that every narrow escape we make could have been something far sadder if he had made a mistake. He's here after someone dies, left in that shack to remember his mistake while the death of his runner reminds him to not make such a mistake again.

The weight of Abel rests on his shoulders, and I feel a pang of guilt at the fact that I had to see into his own flawed memories to see how he really sees himself.

Amelia clears her throat once we get through the ferns. "Alright, as I recall, it was a pleasant run until the thunder started-"

My stomach churns as I become weightless, falling until I'm running again on soaked ground, slick with slush and sleet. Thunder rolls and I'm pelted with cold rain.

"You know, Five, you don't have to get soaked every time there's a mission in the rain," Amelia says smoothly. "I can get you one of these cozy Alberta Ferretti jackets for a good price."

"This is no time for fun or joy, Ms. Spens," Janine hisses, and she looks different than before. In Sam's memory she looked intimidating, but here she looks more like a snob, her face constantly twisted into a sneer and her shoulders tensed. "We are duty bound to deliver this crate to Colonel Sage, and now I shall go on about duty in such a fashion that the word will eventually lose all meaning. Duty, duty, duty, duty, duty. What's more, don't think I haven't noticed that lockpick in your hand, Spens! I'm incredibly suspicious of you for literally no reason!"

Amelia rolls her eyes, and she looks a lot... prettier than she did in Sam's vision as well. Her eyes look brighter and her hair is shiny, even in the rain.

Shouldn't be surprised this is how she sees herself.

"It's a hairpin, Janine. Some of us do care about our appearance."

"Be super careful, guys," Sam says, sounding less jittery and more like himself. "That trolley you're pulling makes a lot of noise, and Runner Fifteen spotted V-Types near that forest."

"Thanks for the warning, babe," I say.

"Yeah, thanks, Sam," Amelia says in a flirty tone. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

"I'm going to call you a bitch just because I'm jealous that compliment wasn't directed at me," I say with a sneer, before slapping my hand over my mouth. I know for a fact I did not say that.

But I don't have time to dwell on it since moments later there are moans of zombies, and Janine pulls out her pistol with lightning speed and fires, a scowl on her face.

"Your warning is far too late as usual, Mr. Yao. Where is your sense of duty? Three zombies are headed for us, but I haven't landed a shot as I'm distracted by your smile, Ms. Spens."

I snort.

"Sam, we need a way out. This outfit is just too fabulous to die in." Amelia gestures down to her clothing dramatically.

"Hold on, let me check my map." Sam hums in thought for a second. "Ha! Got something. Head north until you reach a waterfall. That's your fastest way out. Just run!"

"Yes, sir," I reply, my grin being a little more devilish than chipper.

We head off, running as fast as we can, just like before. This is the easy part to remember. I grimace as my feet sink into the mud again, but when I comment on it, there's no reply from Sam, but Amelia.

"Oh, I know. This is going to ruin my boots, and they were comfortable too. What size shoe do you wear, Five? They'll be dirty, but you Abel folk are used to hand-me-downs."

I ignore her comment and continue on, pushing the trolley through the mud and snow and past dead bushes and other plants.  The waterfall is there, along with the river that we can't cross. We busily clamber up to the ledge, the trolley squeaking loudly as we pull it and the crate across it.

"Okay, guys, the waterfall looks like the one from Last of the Mohicans," Sam says, and it gets a smile from me, but it drops when I slip on one of the rocks, causing the trolley to wobble. I hiss at the sharp pain that shoots up the side of my calf, and I look down to see a deep gash there from sliding against a sharp rock.

Amelia grabs my hand and helps me back up. Sam didn't see this happen, and I didn't mention it, so in his memory, it didn't happen. That's probably why there were a few moments he knew I was distracted but didn't know why.

"We're on the ledge, Mr. Yao. It is impossible to keep the crate steady on these wet rocks." Janine grits her teeth in irritation. "How could you choose such a precarious route?"

"I-I'm sorry, Janine. I'm sorry! I'll do better next time," He promises, and I yelp when the crate tumbles off of the trolley, clattering loudly.

"Damn," Amelia curses. "Five, help me get it upright. The lid's cracked open. There are hazmat suits and pressure cuffs spilling out."

I do so, but am distracted by the cut on my leg that's bleeding heavily, but not burning closed. It's because Amelia doesn't know I'm immortal, so to her this is just a bad cut.

"Hurry, both of you," Janine barks. "I sight five more zombies approaching."

"Oh, God! It's a trap!" Sam squeaks. "I couldn't bear it if anything happened to Amelia." He sighs. "She's too beautiful to die."

I roll my eyes.

"We need options, Mr. Yao! Not unprofessional babbling!"

"Right, sorry! Try jumping in the waterfall, like in Black Panther. No, I'm sorry. That's stupid. Hold on, this map says the cliff behind the fall is riddled with caves, like a Curly-Wurly. They're too narrow for the crate-"

"But not for us," Amelia finishes. "We'll leave the crate, come back for it later. Or my forces could retrieve it."

Janine scowls. "Your unscrupulous nature never ceases to disgust, Ms. Spens. Step away from the crate."

"Calm down. I was just securing the lid."

"We cannot leave the crate surrounded by zombies, and I will not cede it to you. Runner Five, grab Ms. Spens."

I do so, pulling her back as Janine kicks the crate off the ledge and it goes tumbling down into the water. My eyes go wide in shock and Amelia gasps.

"What have you done?!" She shouts, but Janine just purses her lips.

"It was necessary to thwart your piracy. Miss McShell will be able to trace its location, if it survives the fall. But you will not be able to retrieve it without us."

There are more growls, and I glance around in search of somewhere to go. Amelia shakes her head.

"Damn your hard-headedness. I can see a cave entrance. Come on, we've got to get out of here." She takes off, grabbing my hand and dragging me with her. "Run!"

•

"You should have reached the riverside by now," Sam says, and Janine nods curtly.

"We have, Mr. Yao. We arrived as Ms. Spens was finishing her ludicrous story."

Amelia scoffs. "Please. I didn't exaggerate a thing. Well, nothing important."

"You accused me of paranoia, when you clearly volunteered for that mission in hope of stealing the supplies!"

"Don't be silly. I have people for petty theft. All I wanted was a peek inside to assess Sage's inventory. The man's getting very popular and powerful, so he's relevant to my interests. Admittedly, I might have had my forces retrieve it, but you can't blame a girl for embracing opportunity."

"Guys," Sam pipes up, "I've fed both stories to Veronica, and she can't work out the exact location because of the inconsistences. But the crate's within a half a mile of you."

I hear distinct growls that make me sigh in annoyance. Just when we thought we'd lost them. I spot a zombie coming out of some of the trees upriver. It's missing most of its head.

"I recognize the shirt it's wearing," Amelia says. "It's from the waterfall. The same pack must be chasing us now."

Before I can reply I spot something else. They appear on an outcrop overlooking us-people. I can't see their faces, but I know they're alive because they're carrying guns, and we haven't had weaponized zombies since Moonchild was alive. Janine starts to explain to Sam what we can see, but her voice is cut off by gunshots as the men shoot the zombie, taking out its legs and slowing it down.

"Impressive," Amelia says, crossing her arms, but then her eyes widen when of them shouts.

"It's them! It's the people who tried to steal our crate!"

I blink, trying to figure out why his voice sounds vaguely familiar.

"Oh my God. That's Jones!"

"Who?" I ask.

"You remember. That idiot who couldn't tell Janine from Jody and thought you could tell him where his missing wife was." She rubs her temples at the memory. "Janine had to fake an accent, which she did horribly, and you-well, you're performance was kind of entertaining, honestly, even though he did hit you pretty hard with his gun. Still, you got a good laugh about it, after we saved Abel from his-"

I gasp. "From his zombie attracting device!"

"Open fire, boys!" Jones shouts. "We can't let them get away!"

A/N: Here you go, guys! Can you spot some of the differences between Sam and Amelia's stories? I'll give you a hint for one-look who Sam said spotted V-Types in Sam's memory and Amelia's. Also if you need a refresher on Jones, since it's definitely been awhile since we've seen him, go and re-read chapter 12. That's where he makes his appearance. Please be sure to vote and comment! Thank you and have a blessed day!