"Right, thanks!" said Simon, and headed in that direction.

Sarah put the truck in gear and followed after.

Traveling up Blandford Rd., the vehicles came to the intersection with Ashmore Ave. to their left. Up ahead they could see the Hamford Library on the right.

The Hamford Library was a modern structure made of glass, aluminium and steel. Abandoned in front were an Army lorry and civilian Land Rover. Behind them was a Hesco barrier surrounding the building in a perimeter. The lorry had been parked in a gap between the building and barrier to act as a kind of gate. It had been moved forward enough to leave a considerable space, making the barrier insecure.

Concentrated in front of the library but also spilling out into the street was a large crowd of infected. They seemed agitated and were moving faster than their normal torpid state. As they approached another infected stumbled out from behind the barrier through the "gate".

https://www.google.com/maps/d/...GxjG&usp=sharing
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:25, Tue 08 Dec 2020.

Sarah left some space between their own vehicles in case they needed to maneuver as she slowed to a halt.

In reply to (MED) Sara Teixeira (msg # 59):

There seemed to be a lot of infected milling around the front of the library, men women and children civilians with a few police and military personnel spread in among them. Alarmingly, the front doors were breached and more were coming out.

As they sorted this out, two bloody male infected shuffled closer to the front Land Rover and a male and female approached the rear vehicle.

The radio crackled. "Calshot Group from Alpha 2-1. Do you read? You are no longer visible. Unable to provide cover. Say again, unable to provide cover fire. What is your status, Over."

At this point the infected had reached the 2 vehicles where they idled in the road. There were two each on both vehicles, shuffling up to the the driver side doors on the right-hand side of the vehicles. They started to wordlessly hammer on the windows. Fortunately all vehicle windows were covered by a kind of chickenwire screen that would hold for several minutes at least. However, a crowd was now coming their way. The advancing crowd was not packed tight at the moment and were dispersed a little. If enough converged in front and around them they could easily be blocked in.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:11, Wed 13 Jan 2021.

"Time to leave, I think," said Simon.

"We don't want to get overrun and we've identified where they are congregating."

In reply to Simon Craddock (msg # 61):

They easily pulled away, knocking over one of their attackers.

Blandford Rd. had been a nice boulevard with red brick row-houses, now gentrified. Some were turned into shops and take-away places.

They noted more infected coming out of the row-houses. As well, there seemed to be a small crowd of infected gathered a few blocks ahead on the left, in front of some kind of building, possibly a pub.
This message was last updated by the GM at 04:43, Sat 27 Mar 2021.

They pulled up just outside a public house, the Hamworthy Liberal Hall. It was up ahead, on the right. There was an alley to the right, and row houses to the left.



There were 40-50 of the infected clustered around the front of the structure. They were clearly agitated by someone or something inside, attempting to batter down the front doors.

Suddenly, as series of shots were fired from inside the building.

Clearly, they were trying to get inside.

Some of the outer ones noticed the vehicles and started drifting towards them. Eyes locked onto them in that eerily focused yet mindless way they had.

Steven asked "Can you use the vehicle to knock some of them down ?" He did not want to egress from the transport so he was hoping whoever was in the pub might make a run for them.....



-

In reply to Steven Wall (msg # 65):

Around 40 were clustered around the front of the building. A dozen more were wandering around the side.

Six or seven of the slower infected were now closing in on the idling vehicles. They could easily plow through (or even mainly go around) the ones that were oncoming. If they rammed into the crowd at the front entrance then they would certainly knock many down and crush more than a few. Then the rest would close in on them and they would be severely outnumbered.

Off in the distance they heard a helicopter over the more critically-pressed port area but couldn't see it from their vantage. The thumping and popping of gunfire and explosions (mortars and grenades) was almost constant.

Along the street doors were opening and figures shambled out into the watery light.

"This is starting to get untenable. Lets go down the side and see if there is another entrance or even around the back, but don't get stuck at a dead end or we are all dead."

Steven continued to hold his Glock at the ready from his position in the vehicle.



-

"Right," said Simon, starting to drive slowly around the building/block.

In reply to Simon Craddock (msg # 68):

The Liberal Hall building had two narrow laneways, one down each side.

From their vantage point, they could see the left laneway had a fence on the left, building on the right. There was one infected, just standing there in the lane. The lane was fairly wide, with a wheeled rubbish bin on the right.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:27, Fri 11 June 2021.

Sara followed Simon without knowing what he was up to.  It seemed they were more sight seeing than picking up survivors.

"Can anyone see doors or windows on the side ?" Steven craned his neck to see once they drove down would they even be able to get in the building. "Perhaps park across the laneway and we can jump out clear the single infected and see if we can get whoever is in the building out ?"


-

In reply to Steven Wall (msg # 71):

They turned down the lane along the left side of the building.

The laneway was maybe 5m across. On the left hand was a fence, beyond that a block of 2-story row houses. The building on the right was 2 stories as well but with no visible exits or windows, just a solid white wall. Near the end of the alley a walled area of some kind jutted out of the building, like an extension of some kind. By standing on the Land Rovers they could climb on that and look for some other way in.

Or else they could follow the lane as it turned right and went around the rear of the building.

The infected, a man in a bloodstained housecoat wearing a single slipper, was near the end of the lane. It didn't seem like he noticed them. He looked to be trying to climb the wall of the addition for some reason, fingers scrabbling on the stucco surface.

Steven got the driver to cover the lane with the Land Rover and then he jumped out and waited for anyone else. Then he would lead them forward while double tapping the single infected and checking for windows or doors.

He would take a peek around the corner and then continue if it was clear.



-

In reply to Steven Wall (msg # 73):

The American Marine nodded and stood up in the roof hatch. He checked the GPMG's ammo and pulled the charging handle back and forth to chamber a round. "Ready to rock, Amigo."

Sarah left plenty of room between her vehicle and the one Steven had just climbed out of.  She craned her neck around to make sure they weren't being closed in on from behind.

The two vehicles pulled into the left hand laneway. Armoured Land Rover in front of the flatbed cargo carrier. Sara parked offset so Simon could back the Land Rover up without hitting her.

Stopping about 15m from the man, Steven bailed out. The man's back was to them at first. But then he seemed to notice them and slowly turned around. Raising his stubby G36K up Steven shot him twice in the head. Blood and brains sprayed out backwards onto the stucco wall. He flopped backwards, open housecoat exposing his stained underwear and copious body hair. Empty shell casings rang off the pavement as his

Not sparing him another glance, Steven moved past him. He noted the extension jutting from the side of the club seemed to be some kind of walled-off open-air courtyard, like an enclosed smoking area. Peeking around the corner he could see a group of eight zombies. They had been feeding on someone. But now having heard the shot they were already up and moving towards fresh prey. In his direction.

Steven looked back and then tried to get up, onto and probably over the wall before the other zombie's arrived. He thought that there might be a door or something that lead from the main building into this area.


-

In reply to Steven Wall (msg # 77):

There were some plastic trash bins on the far side of the alley he could use to climb over.

Failing that if someone pulled a Land Rover up he could climb up on the bonnet.

Steven would use the plastic bins to get a leg up and over. Sitting on top for a second or two to try and see if anyone not dead was about.


-

In reply to Steven Wall (msg # 79):

Precariously piling the bins up he used them to clamber up onto the wall.

The enclosed space was indeed a "smoke pit" containing several picnic tables on green outdoor carpet. There were coffee tins filled with cigarette butts. The inside walls were covered with adverts for different brands of beer. A closed wooden door led into the club itself.

The crowd of zombies rounded the corner, coming into sight of the idling Land Rovers. But for the moment their eyes were still on Steve and they tracked him, veering in his direction.