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Don heard a loud shot, then someone sprinting through the swamp noisily. He quickly searched the body on the ground and came up with a few pieces of jerky, a machete and a baggie of tobac. He put the tobac in his med-kit, crunched down a piece of the jerky and put the rest in his MRE kit, and finally recovered his butterfly knife, wiping it down and stashed it back in his wrist holster. He shoved the machete in his waistband, and turned toward the shot, and crept towards the area.

"I'll never talk, you cant make me!"

He chuckles, a thin trickle of blood running from his nose and into his widely grinning mouth.

"Also, kill the hillbilly, I doubt he knows anything, look at him."

"As much as it pains me to admitt it, the basard's right, he is just a hill billy." Alex stated,
He sat down on a broken log
"Excuse me for a second, I gotta dig out this bullet,"
Alex pulled out a set of small tweezers and started digging in his shoulder

Stranger could see pretty well considering it was the middle of the night. He looked up at the full moon. It was exceptionally bright out. That was good, but it also made them more visible. "Hey Aaron." "Yeah?" "How close are we-" CRRRACK! A tracer streaked between the two, hitting and going through a tree to the duo's left. "Get down!" Stranger flipped the selector switch on automatic and released a stream of bullets to his right. "Who the hell is shooting at us!?"

"Oh do take your time, I've got all the time in the world."

Mutters Charles quietly.

"You know, I had wished these hillbillies would kill you lot, but it seems they are not quite up to the task. You should be thanking me too, the one I killed."

He gestures to the fallen mud man slumped in a puddle, throat cut.

"He was about to shoot one of you, and he actually had a better aim than me. Shame I killed him so soon, one down could have helped my chances here."

Lilian grabbed the rifle and emptied the ammo passing it to one of the others. She smashed its stock into the bandit's side. "seems solid enough, will work as a splint for now". She used some cloth from the dead mudman and began to fix up Alex's leg before taking the tweezers out of his hand. "You have to be a little more careful digging out a bullet, especially in a place like this."

Don walked through the clearing, seeing the group he had been shadowing and the man he had knocked out earlier. He started talking *we gotta work together peeps, there are mortars, snipers and all sorts out there and if we stick together....it won't be unpleasant* He quickly rolled a tabac stick, and shoved it up between his lips. *anyone got a decent light?*

"Yeah, be careful, more mudmen might show up and shoot the lot of you. Not that I'd complain in the slightest."

Turning to the woman he speaks again.

"I really wouldn't try that again if I were you."

*why'd you try and kill us in the first place*, asked Don. *You only had to leave that hill-billy alone to finish the job without evidence*.

He put the tabac roll into the rawhide pouch he had for his medkit.

"Alright, if they're not gonna talk, let's just tie them up and leave them, the crocs will get them." The group nodded their heads in agreement.Jeff handed Micheal a bit of paracord, and Micheal went to them, tying their hands to a tree. " Get out of that." The group walked off, the bandit yelling in the distance. Jeff took point, looking at the map Stranger gave him. " This way," Jeff pointed out in the distance. The group walked for hours, chatting but staying alert into the night. The group stopped, finding a relitively dry area to sleep. Jeff and Alex took first watch, while the rest of them fell asleep. " So, Alex, what are you going to do after we hit the coast?" asked Jeff.

Aaron and Stranger had been in small firefights for most of the night. After Stranger got through his first clip he decided to sling his M16 and use his revolver. He had more ammo for that anyway. He didn't really expect to hit anything anyways. He just wanted to scare them off. That wasent working. By the time the sun came up the two were extremely exhausted. They had made it out to the other side. The others were no where to be seen, however. They had a quick bite to eat and a short bite to eat before heading out again. He just hoped he could find them again.

As they walked Stranger noticed the lump on his wrist had gotten bigger. The cancer was progressing. It had probably spread. He figured he didnt have much time left.

Aaron asked Stranger about his wrist and was informed about his new friends situation. "you know I think it may be the best idea to try and find a place to shack up so you can get a bit of rest" Aaron stated as he was concerned at Strangers fatigue after the long night of battle with the unknown source combined with his condition. They were in truth both pretty tired so Stranger agreed with Aarons plan of finding some shelter. Aaron paused and pulled out a small map and compass and got his bearings " East of here is the remnants of a small suburban community that mostly escaped the wrath of marauders and such so I think that's the safest bet" he announced suddenly putting the map away in his ruck. With that the duo started the slow trudge east to secure some defensible shelter and patch themselves up a bit.

"See this scarf on my wrist, thats the name of my wife," Alex told Jeff
"About a year ago, some bandits raided my farm house and they stole her from me. I remember them talking about the coast as I lay on the ground bleeding, so I'm going to try find out what happeneed to her,"
"Pretty slim chance of finding her" Jeff stated
"Then I'll kill all those bastards that came to my farm that day."
"What about you Jeff? Why are you wanting to go to the coast?"

" I'm sorry about your wife," Jeff said. "My wife and daughter died as we tried to escape the city," said Jeff, pulling out a necklace with three rings on it. " We each wore a ring, and this is all I have left of them."
" Why am I going to the coast though? I need the supplies, and I want to help these people out. I kinda consider my self a peacekeeper. I like to do right, and helping these people get things that they can take back to Hospis is how I'll help."
Jeff tapped Alex on the shoulder, let's get some sleep. Jeff and Alex walked over, waking Lillian and Micheal. Jeff laid his head down, thinking about the coast and what could be there.

"LETS ME GO. IF YOU UNTIE ME, I WON'T COME AFTER YOU, JUST LET ME GO."

Shouts Charles, struggling against the paracord tying him to the tree. The machete he had claimed earlier tucked up his sleave.

"So... How much time you think you have left?" Aaron asked Stranger to break the silent. Stranger clanced at the lump on his wirst. "Oh I don't know... Maybe a... Year...? And thats probably me being optimistic." "How would you know?" "I had a friend a few years back. He lasted about that long. His tumor was about my size. Mine's probably spread though. Thats why I figure I have less time left." Aaron nodded. They walked on.

As Stranger entered the town he saw why the place hadent been sacked by junkies yet. As they entered the suburb they were greeted by several armed guards and a guard tower with a browning .50 caliber on it. Plus just about everyone in the town had some kind of firearm. They were gonna go some day. But they sure as hell wernt gonna go silently. Aaron parted with Stranger, "I'll go find us something to eat and drink, and someplace to sleep." While Aaron worked on that, Stranger went out to the local trading post. He needed ammo.

He was directed to the local store. As he turned a corner he saw the store, but he also saw someone else. There she was. A thin, blonde girl, maybe 23 or 24. She was standing out in front, smoking a blunt. He recognized her. He hoped she didnt recognize him. But as he passed her head turned. "Hey. I know you don't I?" Stranger sighed. "...Yeah. I know you. You went to the same highschool as me... What was your name again?" "Stranger. Thats my name. I dont go by my old one anymore." She gave him a weird look. "You've changed. I remember you used to get pushed around so much in highschool. Now look at you." The two continued to chat as Stranger entered the store and began trading for 5.56 rounds.

With a satisfied grunt, Charles finishes freeing himself from the paracord restraints, machete in hand. Turning to the hillbilly still tied to the tree, he leans foward, tearing the cord away. Tossing the man the machete, he chuckles, drwing another of his blades from his belt.

"You will gather those you can who are able to fight, and you will track the people who killed so many of you. If you do not, I'll kill everyone, one by one."

Wide eyed, the man nods quickly, backing away into the undergrowth, knife in hand.

Don slipped past the group of guards in the makeshift tavern, and sidled his way up to the bar. *any way to get anything harder than alchohol here?*. The bartender pointed at the side door.

As Aaron walked into the old manor house that now served as a tavern and inn he noticed a post board hanging by the front double doors with a few pieces of paper attached to it. Examining the board and its numerous pieces of paper Aaron discovered that the board he was looking at was a community work board and the pieces of paper were work requests that others in this camp wanted done and were willing to pay to get done. " I should tell Stranger about this later" Aaron commented to himself as he pushed open the doors to the inn and went into the smokey interior of the once grand house. "Howdy friend" said a tall muscular man standing behind a makeshift counter "You look like the north bound end of a south bound mule son, would you be interested in a place to sleep for the night by any chance?" the large man inquired. "Actually that's exactly what I'm looking for" replied Aaron gratefully "and some grub to recharge the old battery if you can swing it" he added quickly. "No problem" said the the thickly built gentleman as he handed Aaron the key to room 4 on the upper floor of the inn "Just make sure to settle up with me in the morning and I'll have that food brought up to you momentarily" he added to which Aaron thanked him and turned around to go find Stranger and inform him that they had a hot meal on the way and a place to lay their heads for the night to come.

Don walked into the side room. A thick pall of narcotic smoke surrounded him, and a low buzz of conversation. About six or seven people sat around a Hookah, smoking and chatting. A serving girl came in behind him with some snacks, and a bowl of grain alchohol sat in the corner. Don sat down, reaching surrepetiously around and took a roll of gold pieces out of one addicts pocket. He made a show of puffing on the pipe, but didn't take any of the opium. *what for a baggie of weed?* The dealer answered *looking at your piece, 24 shells, and two magazines for the glock*, Don answered *half the weed for that* *done* answered the dealer, and they handed over. Don walked back out and saw Aaron come in.

The fun had started, it was Lilian's turn to keep watch. Sitting in the dark cold swampy air, eyes scanning the surrounding for any real fun that might show up. Throw in some mosquittoes and it was to be a great deal of fun. There was nothing else to do, but perhaps talk to Michael; though he sort of scared her.

With a slight chuckle, Chales presses the newly found pistol against the hillbilly's head, gesturing fowards. Machete in hand the man slowly walks fowards, about a dozen of his men walking nearby in the undergrowth, guns in hand. Several metres behind them walked about six others, all armed with assault rifles and each with a skull mask upon their face.

Alexander walked up to the girl called Lilian, and stop beside her as they both stared out into the undergrowth.
"Aren't you meant to be sleeping?" Lilian asked
Alexander gave her a sideways glance "I couldn't sleep, and you looked far to lonley to just let you stand here by yourself"

They both just stared out into the swamp lands surounding there camp

Through the buzzing of insects and the gentle slap of water, Alexander thought he could hear crocs moving out in the water

"Well then we can both enjoy staring at trees, and water and bugs."

Stranger couldent believe that they were heading back towards the Congaree again. It was early, the sun had yet to rise. "Cmon," Aaron patted him on the shoulder, "Ill bet your friends are still in there. We took the shortcut. Plus we are getting paid to do a little recon. Its not that bad." "Yeah. I guess... And I hope you are right. They might be in there still... How bad could it be anyways? Spying on some rednecks?"

In less than an hour they were slogging back into the thick of it. They were not on any trails either. This was going to get interesting.