"Even with these ponchos," Roberta said as she updated the appropriate map, "I'd rather not try to push through a herd.

"Let's try walking the perimeter in the other direction.  There has to be more than one way in.  Or if we happen to see a hardware store, we could get a pair of bolt cutters and go right through the fence."

She folded the maps and wished they'd just brought bolt cutters in the first place.

"Let's take our time and stick to the plan."

"You're good at this shit." Ophelia said. "Really could've used you for most of the stupid shit I've done. There is a small place, one of the old neighborhood Ace Hardware stores a few streets over. It's not far from where my grandmother used to live."

With Ophelia began to slowly lead Roberta towards the store by threading her way among the cars and lesser traveled allies so they could avoid as many undead as possible.

"Early on, I ran into a man who was good at getting out of trouble," Roberta said wisrfully, thinking of Rod.  "He kept me alive early on and I learned how to stay that way from him."

She'd tried not to think of what had happened to Rod.  Would it have ended differently if she'd been with him?  Had they been keeping each other alive?

Roberta shook her head to clear it and pay more attention to her surroundings.  The ponchos weren't proof against people.

"How are the people left around here?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"There are a handful. Maybe a hundred in the entire city." She replied. She seemed to think of what to say next. "I don't understand why they would stay. But, I think it is real psychosis. I think they genuinely believe that they are better off surviving by staying in the city. I know they are dangerous. The very first team to come into the city, months before the plan to get supplies from the camps medical center, well, they came into the city to find an armory. They enlisted the help of a small family still living in the city. They went missing a day later."

"We'll avoid them, then.  If we can," Roberta said.  People almost always were a concern.  It was hard to tell who the bad ones were until it was too late.  Just look at all the damage those men on the ship were doing.

"Let's look at crowbars while we're there," Roberta said after some further thought on their current mission.  "There may be some doors that need persuading as well.

"And some zip ties or something to stitch the fence back up.  No reason to let them in behind us."

Half an hour later Roberta and Ophelia were moving through the Ace hardware. They had found two pairs of bolt cutters, several crowbars, and zip ties. But thinking better of it, Roberta found a display of padlocks. They would hold the weight of bodies better than zip ties. Just in case.

Roberta made sure to get a pack of padlocks that all used the same key.  She didn't want to be fumbling around for the right key if they were in a hurry.

"Let's find a place without too many around on either side and go through there," Roberta suggested as she worked her bolt cutters to see how they acted.

They headed back to the fence in order to find a good place to pass through.  On the way, she handed Ophelia one of the keys from the padlock set.  The other she stuck in her pocket and shoved it all the way down so she wouldn't lose it.

OOC: Roberta Johnson rolled 5 using 3d4.  Serendipity Check.
Roberta Johnson rolled 8 using 3d4+2.  Athletics Check.

Their luck ran out the minute they exited the hardware store. Rain. It was humid and overcast when they came outside. Weeding their through some of the undead scattered about the street they tried to hustle along to find an place free of the shambling beasts, then the first peel of thunder rolled across the sky. Ophelia gave her a meaningful look.

They reached the fence and began searching for a good spot that would allow them to enter without having to face too many undead if it came to a fight. In a narrow strip behind a parking facility they came across their spot. On the other side of the fence was a series of shipping containers set out in two neat clusters as impromptu shelters. There was a narrow, open corridor between the clusters that most likely provided access. It was a reasonably clear area, only a handful of the things shuffling about in view.

As they began to cut the fence with their cutter with Roberta cutting down from the top and Ophelia cutting up from the bottom the rain began to fall. It washed the smell from their tunics, hands, and legs as well the very air around them. Roberta almost smiled. Almost. As the wire links in the fence were cut it began to loose more and more tension making the lost flag. It occurred to her that the post were left loose on purpose to cause them to rattle loudly, which they were beginning to do, as a warning mechanism to intrusion.

The undead nearby on both sides of the fence did indeed take notice. As the beasts moved toward the sound hungrily, Ophelia led Roberta into the compound quickly. With nod she motioned towards a container an took of, Roberta ran after her, and moments later the two women were laying on their back atop the container panting in the rain.

"Well, we made it in." She panted to Roberta.

"That was close," Roberta whispered as she rolled over to look at how many had followed them.

"If you have some string, we can lower a radio over one side and then climb down the other.  But first, let's see if we can thin some of them out with my spear.

"You want to give it a try?" she asked, offering the other woman the spear that Rod had made her.  "Lean over and I'll hold your legs.  We don't need to get them all at once, so take it easy."

"Yeah, yet's try it out." She said.

Roberta held her legs as Ophelia patiently drew in the undead in the area and killed them with the spear. Roberta was impressed, used aggressively, her spear was a real terror to behold. A grim verification of her choice to make it to be sure.

It took about fifteen minutes, but they finally cleared the immediate area of undead. They had a moment to breath, the make their next move with some safety.

"I'd like to close up the fence with our locks so we don't have any big surprises on the way back," Roberta said.  "We can take a body in the wheelbarrow and reapply out disguises once we're inside a building and out of the rain."

She wasn't sure how well the gore would stick on a wet poncho, though.  They might have to dry them off first.  Maybe find a bathroom with a lot of paper towels or something.

Before heading on, she made sure they hadn't left anything behind in their dash to get onto the shipping containers.  It would be disappointing to find they'd lost their crowbars just when they needed them.

The shelters were neat. Prefabricated living quarters built inside cargo containers that could be shipped via truck, train, or ship. Each housed a small bathroom facility with toilet, shower novel over a drain basin, a sink, and a stacked washer-dryer combo at one end. There were two double bunks along on wall in the center with four narrow lockers between them, opposite of the lockers was single door, at the far end was a small refrigerator, stove, sink, and pantry unit. There were six lights along a central boom stretching from end to end of the container.

Inside they found hastily emptied lockers, some canned goods in the pantry, a stack of bottled water, there was a map the compound on one wall, and a small collection of books on a table folded out from the wall near the kitchen unit. Mostly historical romance and fantasy novels, though there was a single book title 'The Historical Significance of Malevolent Forces'. It was a governmental publication. It was produced by Department of Defense with an actual publication code, FM04-88c, and marked as being published by the US Navy print company at Gulf Port, Mississippi.

They found towels to dry of with, and there was even clothing to change into that fit reasonably well. The rain did not abate. Thinking on the issue it occurred to the women that the rain could mask their scent and their outline to the undead. But, how could they use the scent trick again in a hurry once the rain stopped?

"Do you know where we need to go from here?" she asked the other woman as she looked through the lockers and pantry.  She was looking for something they could fill with goop, her new name for the infected entrails they were using.  If it did stop raining, they could open a Ziploc or a Tupperware container and get smearing.

The shipping container would also make a nice way point on their way out if they needed a break.  They were nice units if they could power them up.  Another project down the line, she supposed.

"Here." Ophelia said as she thrust a roll of trash bags at Roberta. "Yes, I was in here twice before it fell. Ahead and around that large white building. There is a series of trailers from big trucks, mobiles medical centers, and there is where the meds should be."

And there was the unspoken 'and hundreds of undead as well' to add to her general directions.

"We'll fill a bag each with enough goop to cover us and then head for the prize," Roberta directed.  "In and out.  Quiet and slow."

Roberta wondered what a mobile medical center looked like.  Was it something they could drive out?  She didn't have the best driving record with big trucks, but it was something to consider if the vehicle was big enough to push it's way out.

"This might also be a good time to use one of the radios," she added.  "Draw them away from where we need to get.  We just need to put it somewhere they can't reach and won't get wet.

"Maybe put it under a vehicle or something."

She pulled one of the stereos out and turned the volume down while she made sure it worked.  She then put it in a trash bag, feeling through the bag to make sure she knew how to turn it on and turn up the volume.

Billy Ray Cyrus poured form the radio. It was loud. It was echoing off of the containers and cars. It was achy-breaky to her soul. But, it was working. Even with the drumming of the rain on cars, containers, and the skull of undead the music began to pull them to radio. The women slipped to the side of a container and edged back to the fence. Running along the base of the fence they came out at the end of the row of containers and peeked around. There were hundreds of shapes shuffling through the rain towards the sound of the music.

Ophelia looked around and shot every on of the undead that came within twenty feet or so the pair. There were only six, but it did take her ten shots to finish the job. After she reloaded the pistol she motioned for Roberta to follow and they moved out together. They slipped between cars, around a bus, got down low and dick walked through an area of Army issue pup tents, also known as a sleep system, and finally came to the corner of a building that low and squarish. It was admin building full of offices for faculty, staff workers, and custodial staff members. Opening a door and slipping in they had a straight shot down the length of the building to a far door. There Roberta could see just past Ophelia to a line of semi trailers bearing big red crosses and the words FEMA, medical utility center, oncology and congenital diseases. There were several more in line behind it but she was unable to see what was there.

"All right, looks like twenty or so dead still out there." Ophelia said. "Lets try to get to the first trailer."

She opened the door. It slipped open, hung up for moment, then if fell to the ground with a crash. Roberta cringed, almost running back down the corridor, and then relaxed when nothing seemed to happen. Then as if on queue from the noise the rain stopped.

"Back up!" Roberta hissed at the other woman as she grabbed her arm.  "Back to one of the offices with a door.  Let's goop up and see what they do for a minute."

She wanted to regroup now that circumstances had changed.

The office was tiny, barely eight feet wide and maybe ten feet deep. One wall was lined with slim, wide filing cabinets that left a narrow path around a wide desk pushed up against the wall. College posters for the various clubs and teams adorned the walls. The door was wooden with a pain of glass taking a third of the door. Dirty blinds hung at the top pf the door's window into the room. But, other than the window in the door, there were no other windows in the office.

Closing the door behind her, Ophelia immediately lowered the blind. They could hear the shuffle and bump of undead in the corridor outside. Opening he bags in the room had the effect of emptying their stomachs. Both women retched painfully for several moments and then fought to stay in the room as they smeared the detritus over their ponchos.

In hindsight, Roberta thought they should have looked at respirator masks at the hardware store.  Leaving the empty garbage bag behind, she shuffled up to the doorway and looked out to see how congested it was and if it looked as though they might be able to slip out.

Ideally, they'd be able to wait a minute for a gap, and then head back out to look at the trucks.  To stay on mission, they should definitely not try and take any of the trucks, but she at least wanted to survey the option for a second try.  Right now, she just wanted to stick with what they were going for.

However, she did pull out her phone and set it to record.  Getting video of what was here would be helpful for planning a second mission.  Particularly, what specialty trucks were available and how they might get out of the compound with the least resistance.

It took several minutes for the hall to clear considerably. Roberta estimated over a hundred undead were inside the building. So many nooks and crannies always made such places dangerous. But, once they were in the hallway they found that they could shuffle right past the undead lingering about. Soon enough they were outside with fresh air, sunshine, and the steam off the pavement. And almost immediately began dripping sweat.

Walking to the trailer was actually not a problem at all. Climbing up the side ladder to the non-public entrance to the trailer was a bit tricky with sweaty hands and the baggie ponchos snagging as they climbed. The inside of the trailer was well laid out, but stifling hot since it had been shut up for over a month in the growing summer heat. The wave of heat was palpable like a slap in the face. Without waiting to check the nooks and crannies, Ophelia went to the back of the trailer and opened the public access doors letting a bit of a breeze pass through the trailer.

Standing in front of a locker holding most of the meds on the list, Roberta checked the sunset and her old wristwatch sundown was on them. It wouldn't be long before darkness fell. And hopefully the temperature of the trailer with it.

"I hate to say it," Roberta admitted, "but I think we should stay here for the night.  I'd rather not travel with this many around in the dark.

"Let's pack up what we're taking and secure the entrances for the night."

She looked over the list of what they were missing.  If there was time before it got too dark, they could check a few other trucks that looked promising.

"Good thinking." Ophelia said. "Your time on the road was a real learning experience for you. Most survivors I know tend to be more of the 'you lead, I'll follow' variety."

The women shrugged off their ponchos and hung one near each of the doors. It wasn't pleasant but it did help to keep the undead from wondering too close. They quickly got their fill of the needed medicines. Taking all that was available in fact. And several other medicines that were not on the list for clotting bleeding wounds, fighting infection, and pain mitigation. The supplies in the truck were wonderful, but their stock had been depleted during the months the camp had been active.

Ophelia closed a curtain in one of the two small examination areas and started working on a meal. Roberta could soon smell macaroni and cheese and hear the sizzle of SPAM. She frowned. But hey, it was a hot meal and despite herself she was afraid that the SPAM was growing one her. At least she didn't have to cook and her stomach was always thankful.

Looking around Roberta spotted a medical transcription point, basically a small desk that folded from the wall with a laptop locked into a small cradle. On a whim she hit the power button and the computer began to slowly power up. In minutes a screen appeared that prompted her to enter a FEMA administration identy number. Stumped she looked about for any left behind credentials and was shocked to find half a dozen badges for FEMA aide workers hanging from chairs, lamps, or wall hooks. She typed in the ID number for on Martha Newcastle, Assistant Director, Medical Operations - Murfreesboro.

Instantly the screen changed to present her with nearly twenty files onscreen and half a dozen tabs to access in the quick bar at the bottom of the screen. The center of the screen showed the FEMA logo with the words Medical Aide Murfreesboro around it.

Roberta pulled out her notepad and prepared to copy.  She looked for a supply inventories for the local site, including medical equipment.  Even if they didn't take it with them on this trip, they'd know where they could find some.  She was particularly interested in the medicines they hadn't yet found from their list.

The second thing she was looking for was a FEMA deployment listing.  She wanted to know where other camps had been put up and their relative size.  It would be nice to know if there were other camps nearby they could scavenge from.

After that, she just flipped through screens to see what other information was available.  She figured the information was only as good as the last connection they had with their network.  Though, it did give her an idea.

If they were able to get one of these trucks up and running with full power, they might be able to link back up to the network.  She was assuming each of them had their own satellite hookup for digital communications.

Speaking of which, she started rummaging around looking for sat phones.  They didn't need cell towers to work and the satellites were already solar powered.  It was a long shot, but if she was going to find them laying around anywhere, it would be at a FEMA site.

Roberta ate as she rummaged through the files on the computer. It was very basic. A list of the meds on the trailer, patients seen and scheduled since the trailer was put in place, and notes on the proposed future needs of the trailer and its patients. There was a software suite for use with networking via satellite based communications. But, oddly, there was no facility for conventional phone lines or radio based communications in the trailers. It occurred to her that the original design for them had been for very remote use. Then she found the specifications for establishing 'in-theater nuclear emergency management protocols'. It was a hardened network designed to operate in an environment suffering the effects of electromagnetic pulse, irradiation, and atmospheric electromagnetic interference. That was a sobering thought since she had learned of the use the nuclear weapons.

She had no idea of what that network could provide since there was a some physical disconnect to the satellites. Most likely a simply matter on the ground in the camp; disconnected dish, disconnected primary power, or misaligned dish came to mind immediately. She could figure that out later.

On the wall behind the lad coats and wind breakers was a map of Tennessee. It showed another camp near Knoxville along highway 75 southwest of the city. There was another camp just north of Knoxville as well. But it was in an area shaded in, including most of Knoxville, with a pink highlighter with a red nuclear hazard symbol stamped over it. She found similar listings for camps and radiation hazards over Nashville and Bristol on the border with Virginia. But near Memphis there were four camps. Three off them along the Mississippi River. There was a camp in Chattanooga but there was no updated info on the area. There were two rural area camps. One in east Tennessee near the Appalachians. It had a big pink highlighter question mark over it. The second was in Jackson county in western Tennessee. It had an green marker square around its little red caption for Camp West 01. There was also a green code that read 'A/2/75I(AR)' and a date that would have been posted somewhere around thirty days ago.

The most disconcerting was the red marker arrows that followed across the map through areas where Roberta knew massive undead migrations were passing through, and many others were fighting in to survive. Most of that was farther east and south of this region. A thought crossed her mind. Ophelia had passed through some those areas to the west on her way home. She turned to asked the other woman if she understood what the listing out west referred to when she realized that Ophelia wasn't in the trailer.