Chapter 2

"My girls!"

Shocked, Amanda looked at Megan. The voice sounded like it was their sergeants, and if that was him, Amanda couldn't believe that he was still alive.

"Is that?" Amanda asked, and Megan smiled happily at her as she nodded.

Shaking, Amanda stumbled over to the counter and she pushed the talk button.

"D.J.?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"Amanda? Oh, thank god, you made it." He exclaimed, relieved.

"Yes, I just got here." Amanda cried happily.

Their sergeant and their closest friend did survive. D.J. was about six foot three inches, very muscular; Megan and Amanda used to tease him that he was a brick wall. He had beautiful brown eyes, tan skin, and he kept his head shaved.

His demeanor seemed like he was a hardass, but once you got to know him, he actually was a very funny guy, and was a big teddy bear.

"So, you and Eddy are okay?" D.J. asked and Amanda's heart sunk.

"He didn't make it." She stammered as she fought back the threatening tears." There was a pause for a moment, and then the radio clicked on.

"I am sorry, Mand. You and Megan will be with me soon." He said and Amanda walked away from the counter. She felt like her world was crashing down on her. Eddy was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

"We will be leaving as soon as the sun comes up and we should arrive by nightfall. Over and out." Said Megan.

"Over and out." Said D.J.

Concerned, Megan followed Amanda into the living room and she sat on the couch beside her sad friend. They were silent for a moment and then Amanda looked at Megan.

"I can't believe that he is alive. I mean I can, but I can't." She rambled and Megan laughed as she patted her shocked partner's shoulder. Amanda took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay, okay. Well, since there is still a little daylight left in the day, why don't we go ahead and pack up the rest of what I have and then in the morning all we will have to do is go." Suggested Megan and Amanda nodded. She felt like keeping busy would keep her mind off of things.

Seemingly, Megan had at least sixteen cases of MREs, a large duffle full of weapons and guns, ammo, and she had a few gas cans full of gas. They loaded the boxes of the made ready to eat meals with Amanda's boxes, and they added the can's of gas with the others. The truck bed was stocked full and Amanda closed the top.

They loaded the bag of weapons into the backseat with the ones that were already there. They made sure that everything was locked and then they went back inside the house.

Evidently, night fell and Megan and Amanda dimmed the lights and secured covers onto the windows which Megan had done every night since the mutants showed up in her town.

Silently, they stayed in the living room and throughout the night, Amanda heard sporadic screeches of the few mutants that ran past the house. There weren't nearly half as many as there were in the city and Amanda was thankful for that.

Unfortunately, the screeches made Amanda think of what happened with Eddy and how much she really missed him. That day would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Soon daylight had begun to light up the sky around the little house, and it was time for the girls to get a move on. Evidently, neither of them slept really well, maybe only a few hours asleep. Sleep was overrated in the apocalypse.

Quickly, the both ate an MRE, and then Megan sadly looked around her home one last time.

"Well, many memories were made here, and I am really going to miss this place." She breathed and then she sighed heavily.

Her and her boyfriend, Tommy had bought this place right after he had proposed to her. They both wanted kids, so they picked a three bedroom home with a big yard.

Unfortunately, Tommy didn't make it through the first wave of infection. He had gotten infected with the parasite and then within a week later, Tommy had passed away. Gently, Amanda touched Megan's shoulder and she turned to her with misted eyes.

"Come on." Amanda said softly, and Megan nodded.

Cautiously, they walked outside with their handguns drawn and they made it to the truck. Quickly, they got into the truck and Amanda looked at Megan thoughtfully.

"So, where are we headed?" She asked as she turned the key in the ignition. Megan smiled at her as she pulled a notebook from her backpack and she opened it up to a hand drawn map.

"We are headed to Florida." She said and Amanda nodded as she pulled out of the driveway.

The girls had lived in the southern part of Georgia, so they knew that it wasn't going to take them long to get there.

"When we get close to the base camp, we should be able to contact them on our two ways." Explained Megan and Amanda nodded as they turned onto the empty highway.

After a while, Megan started getting antsy and she gave Amanda a pleading look.

"Uh, we need to pull over soon. I need to stretch my legs." She said as she twisted uncomfortably.

Willingly, Amanda took the next exit and she turned down the street at the light. Seemingly, they saw an abandoned supermarket and she pulled into the parking lot. Surprised by how the building was intact, Magan and Amanda stared in awe for a moment. The windows were dusty and dirty, but they weren't broken, and the girls looked at each other.

"We may find more resources inside that we can take to the camo with us." Suggested Amanda as she watched her friend study the building.

After a moment, Megan looked at her and she raised an eyebrow.

"Guns, or shall we take the more subtle approach?" Asked Megan as she pulled her hand gun out of its holster.

"I think…" Amanda trailed off as she saw a mutated man stagger their way from the side of the building.

"What?" Asked Megan as she turned her head and saw what Amanada was staring at.

"What is that?" She exclaimed as her eyes went wide.

Frozen in shock, they watched the mutant stagger toward them as he dragged his foot. Noticeably, his skin was the same sickening yellow green color that Eddy's skin had turned and he had the same glassy looking eyes.

Surprisingly, the sunlight had no effect on the mutated creature and Megan threw her hands up in the air in disgust.

"These things can walk in sunlight now!" She exclaimed angrily.

"I am not sure if they are the same creature as the others. It's looking directly at us and it hasn't gone into a frenzy." Stated Amanda as they both continued to stare at the creature oddly.

Silently, they watched the mutation stumble up to the truck and they could hear it making low growl and grunting noises. Suddenly, Megan began bouncing up and down and she made a high pitch squeal as she looked at Amanda.

"Well, whatever it is, let's do it a favor." She said as she bravely hopped out of the truck. Quickly, she holstered her gun and then she pulled her knife from its sheath from her side.

Evidently, the mutant growled at her and then it slowly staggered toward her. Amanda watched Megan bravely walk up to the humanoid creature and without hesitation, Megan stabbed it in the skull. Coagulated blood splattered her face, arm, and clothes as she yelled a disgusted cry.

At that moment, she pulled the knife from the creature's skull and then the body fell lifelessly to the ground. Megan wiped the knife on her pant leg and then she slid the knife back in its sheath.

"Pull closer to the door. Just in case we need to make a quick getaway if there are any more of those things around." Said Megan as she climbed back in the truck and Amanda nodded as she looked at her friend and covered her nose.

"Oh, wow. You reak!" Amanda exclaimed and Megan made a face a ther.

Obediently, Amanda pulled the truck closer to the front door of the building and the girls got out of the vehicle. Amanda grabbed her shotgun and her metal baseball bat that she had modified to have spikes sticking out of its sides and the end was filed down to a point.

"That's badass!" Megan exclaimed as she eyed the modified weapon.

"What, this. Yeah, it's alright." Amanda said and Megan gave her a sideways glance as she rolled her eyes.

"Ready to do some shopping?" She asked with a smirk and Amanda nodded.

"Let's go!"

Megan grabbed the door and she quickly pulled it open. Silently, they listened for any noise as they cautiously peered inside, but they didn't hear anything.

Surprisingly, the place wasn't just a grocery store, but it was a supercenter that sold everything you could ever possibly need. The place was a lot bigger than what they expected it to be. Amanda signaled for them to stay close together and to keep their eyes peeled for anyone or anything that might come their way.

The smell of the building was awful. The stench of musty clothing and old moldy food filled the air and Megan made a gag face.

Since they were sure they were alone, Megan walked over to the carts and grabbed one of them. The loud ear piercing screech the cart made when she moved it, echoed throughout the store, and after that, there was nothing but silence.

Amanda sighed in relief and then she looked at Megan.

"Try less noise!" She whispered and Megan dramatically gestured to the carts. Amanda shook her head and then she looked at her.

"We need backpacks, or suitcases." She whispered and Megan nodded.

Cautiously, the girls walked through the store with their guns drawn and they began checking the isles. Thankfully, there was no sign of life or the infected and they were able to find a couple of rolling suitcases and some backpacks.

"You go get food, and I will get medical and essentials." Stated Amanda as she tapped her radio.

"Meet at the front door in fifteen minutes." Said Megan and Amanda nodded.

Quickly, Amanda found medical supplies and she stuffed two backpacks full. She then filled the rolling suitcase with anything that she could find that would be useful or needed. Megan began filling the backpacks and suitcase up with all the non-perishable foods she could find.

Suddenly, Amanda heard clicking from the radio and she immediately rolled the suitcase and carried the backpacks to the door. At that moment, Amanda heard the clicking again and she realized that Megan was sending her a distress call.

"Shit!" She mumbled under her breath as she pulled her shotgun and placed the bat on the suitcase.

Swiftly, Amanda ran through the isles, and she finally found Megan toward the back of the store by the milk section. The sour smell of the milk and the decaying food hit her nose and she covered her face with her forearm.

Noticeably, she saw Megan was staring at something in the milk cooler and that is when she noticed the soft pounding noise. Amanda looked at the milk cooler and then she gasped.

There were more of the mutated creatures that resembled the man that Megan had killed outside in front of the supercenter. Horrified, Amanda pointed her gun, but Megan put her hand up and Amanda looked at her oddly.

"Look. They are too stupid to figure ut how to open the door. They are stuck in that cooler." Megan whispered and Amanda looked at her thoughtfully.

"Well, then let's get out of here. I don't want to stick around and find out if they can figure it out." Amanda whispered and Megan looked at her as she swallowed hard and nodded.

Quickly, the girls filled up the suitcase with food and then they headed for the front of the store.

Suddenly, they heard a loud mutant screech and the sound of breaking glass. At that moment, the sound of growls and grunts filled the empty, silent store and the girls looked at each other in fear.

"Time to go." Amanda exclaimed as she grabbed her two backpacks and her suitcase. Megan grabbed hers and they quickly got out of the store and shut the door. They threw everything in the truck as fast as they could and got in just in time to see the swarm of mutants break through the door.

The creatures swarmed the truck angrily, and Amanda immediately put the truck in gear and slammed on the gas. Happily, Megan hollard as they easily plowed through the mutations and they sped out of the parking lot.

"Whoa!" Megan exclaimed as she looked out of the back window.

Seemingly, Amanda glanced up at the rearview mirror and saw that the creatures had stopped running after them and they angrily screeched at them.

"Why aren't they dying?" Amanda asked as she focused back on the road. Megan faced forward and shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe the mutants are evolving and now they can walk in the sun. Let's call them day walkers." She suggested and Amanda nodded.

"Okay, so we have night walkers and day walkers. Let's just hope that that's the only thing they have evolved into." Said Amanda as she raised her eyebrows at Megan, and she nodded in agreement.

Finally, the girls were getting closer to the base camp according to Megan's drawn out map, and they started to hear clicks come through on their radios.

"Delta A to Delta 1, do you copy?" Megan asked after she had grabbed her radio and put it to her mouth.

"Delta 1 to Delta A."

Amanda and Megan sighed a sigh of relief as they looked at each other.

"What is your position? Over."

"We are about to pull up to the base camp. Be advised, we have supplies." Said Megan.

"Ten-four."

At that moment, Megan and Amanda saw a sign with an arrow on it, and that was one of the things that Megan had written down on her map.

Amanda followed the sign and she turned down an old gravel road. Surprisingly, it looked like they were pulling up to an old prison. There were tall fences with razor wire wrapped along the top and bottom of the fence and there was a rolling chain link gate that had to have been at least thirty foot tall.

Along with the razor wire fence, there were thirty foot tall steel walls that corralled the place and men and women in army gear stood on top of the walls and they were pointing their automatic rifles straight at the truck. Nervously, Megan and Amanda looked at each other and swallowed hard.