Through Rough Times - A Zombie Apocalypse Adventure (alternate-timelines.com Edition)

[ukron]

Chapter 49: Ghosting

Date: October 21, 2018 (late afternoon-early evening)
Location: Cebu I.T. Park
Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines

Kimberly sat in the cafe with her boyfriend. The two of them matched last June when the guy came back from Canada and they became workmates. Her friend Gillan should have known that it was not mutual despite him pursuing her. She lead him on for my nine months until this guy came; a guy who happened to be Gillan's classmate in high school.

On the fourth day of the outbreak, everyone around the world knew about the outbreak. The outbreak has not reached the Philippines...for now. But be careful what one must say?

Kimberly however felt bad now that he had ghosted and lied to Gillan. Even worse, they both knew he was on the other side of the globe as the Killer Pandemic became known. He has not posted in three days. All of his friends and family members back here in the Philippines are concerned for his safety. Being caught on a global crisis on the other side of the globe is probably the worst thing for one to happen.

Everything seemed to be in order, until screams and people running around Cebu City's famous nightlife district followed by police vehicle racing towards the scene. It was not the usual crime. Last December 2017, the whole I.T. Park was evacuated after a WWII-era vintage city-buster bomb was unearthed in a nearby construction site. This time however was met with many SWAT vans and at least one truck full of soldiers belonging to the Philippine Army from nearby Camp Lapu-Lapu.

One SWAT officer armed with an M4 rifle entered the cafe and ordered everyone to evacuate. Outside, throngs of people were being herded by police officers. As she and her boyfriend stood up, they could see some officers from the Department of Health and some of the authorities put-on some Hazmat gear. This was followed by gunfire, causing the crowd to run and scream. Kimberly ran with her boyfriend towards the evacuation point and the only thing she could think of was feeling bad for ghosting Gillan's advancements towards her.

"I hope you're safe, Gill." It was the only thing she could think of.
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"Evacuation of I.T. Park ongoing after reports of Infected sighted. Avoid at all costs. PNP and AFP proceeding to neutralize threat."
- Police Regional Office 7 (@pro7official) of the Philippine National Police on Twitter
Retweeted by Cebu Daily News, Sunstar Cebu, Rappler, DND Philippines, and 1.3K others

"LOOK: AFP and PNP personnel overseeing the evacuation of Cebu IT Park in Barangay Apas, Cebu City due to sightings of Infected."






Cebu Daily News (@cebudailynews) on Twitter
************************
Author's Notes:
Ghosting is breaking off a relationship by stopping all communication and contact with the partner without any apparent warning or justification, as well as ignoring the partner's attempts to reach out or communicate.

[ukron]

Chapter 50: Innocence Lost (Part 1)

A child should never have to experience the horrors of war​
- War Child UK

Date: October 20, 2018 (Z-Day +3; 8:10 AM)
Location: On the way to San Diego

Gabrielle just sat their silent, her MP5 hanging by the sling. Gillan was there to comfort her. "Hey, let's just be positive alright." Her friend said. Deep inside, he was just as worried as her and his best friend Mike. The girl looked like she was depressed and said nothing. They followed the convoy as it sped down the freeway which had a few car crashes and some sporadic walkers that were too slow to follow the pickup truck, the SUV, and the SWAT Van.

Overhead, Gillan could see various planes and helicopters taking off from San Diego. "They're still evacuating the city." He thought. Yet, he knew that not everyone could be saved. Thankfully, other refugees did not only take to the sea. Other fled to south to Baja California before the Mexicans closed their border to deal with their internal outbreaks. Other fled to the hills of southern California or the desert of the American Southwest were it was expected the Infected would be lesser in number.

"I can only pray." Gabrielle replied while clutching her submachine gun.

Suddenly, Jules opened the window. His face was worried. Gillan knew it was something bad.

"Merde!" The Frenchman muttered. "You gotta to hear this!" He pointed at the radio.

"...Conflict continues in the Taiwan Straits as the People's Republic attempts to take over Taiwan in the midst of the outbreak in the mainland...It is unknown if President Xi Jinping is alive or if the military is control...In other news, despite the best efforts of the Philippine Navy and the Coast Guard, some infected refugees from China have managed to wash ashore in the provinces of Illocos Norte, Illocos Sur, Zambales, and Pangasinan. Panic has spread throughout the capital of Manila as millions of residents evacuate to the country side. Sources confirm that President Duterte and the cabinet may be evacuated to Baguio to serve as a temporary capital. The AFP and the PNP have all been mobilized and dealing with the threat...

"Oh no." Gabrielle said as she placed her hand in her mouth, forcing herself not to cry. Gillan embraced her to try to comfort her. The bad news is that the virus has reached the Philippines.

"...Infection has also been reported in Cebu City..."

"Oh my God...no..." It's reach my hometown.

"How long till those things reach Bohol?" Gabrielle asked, teary-eyed and worried.

"I don't know to be honest." Gillan said, not wanting to disappoint the girl he likes. "...but the fact is, if Luzon got it first, then our troops in Visayas and Mindanao have time to mobilize. But Bohol is one boatride away If I have to be blunt, your sister and whoever is guarding her right now may have plans where to evacuate. Be it in the mountains or the boat. I hope my parents are fine as well." Gillan said, the thought weighing on him heavily. The pair continue to sit there while listening to the news on the radio, which have been reporting that the situation has gone grim.

Their home country was no longer spared of the Killer Pandemic.
*****************************************
Date: October 21, 2018 (Z-Day +4; 11:10 PM-16 hr difference)
Location: Bohol, Philippines

It was close to midnight. Normally, a 13 year old girl would be preparing for school the following day. Semestral break was just around the corner. Every student in the Philippines at this period would be excited to go home, slack-off, or celebrate the incoming Halloween season by trick-or-treating, going to Halloween parties, or watching horror stuff on TV. Now Semestral break just came early, like it did five years ago during the Bohol earthquake, since the Department of Education ordered all classes to be cancelled due to the virus that was turning everyone into walking cannibals.

Things were different for the 13 year old Alexandria. For the past three or four days, she'd been crying as her parents and her older sister Gabrielle were stranded in America when the Killer Pandemic swept the globe. She had been trying to contact them via Facebook or FaceTime but couldn't do so since the lines were flood since Z-Day. She hoped that they were fine, that by some grace of God they had made it. Sadly, there was no way of knowing for sure. It was only her nanny and some relatives that have been looking out for her.

"Why it'd have to happen?" Alexandria asked herself, eyes red from crying. "Mama, papa, ate[1], why do you have to be away in all of this?"

Her nanny came to comfort her and told her to be strong. In front of them, the ANC 24/7 channel showed the footage of SWAT, Special Action Force, and soldiers of the Philippine Army engaging small hordes of infected in rural Luzon while also showing footage of the quarantine of a district in Cebu City. The news channel did not attempt to blur the graphic images.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door followed by an authoritative voice.

"PNP, AFP, please open for your safety."

The nanny went and was greeted by a mixture of soldiers, policemen, and CAFGU[2] paramilitary personnel. They were armed with M4 carbines while the CAFGU personnel had a mix of World War II and Cold War-era weapons such as the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, the M3A1 Grease Gun, and the Elisco M16A1[3].

"Unsay ato? (What's up?)" The nanny asked the armed men.

"Maayong gabii maam. Kita ka sa balita atong mga na takdan sa sakit. Kung ma paakan ka, mahimo ka ato pareha ila. Walang tambal kung ma paakan. Karon, ang gobernador ay nag hatag ug direktibo na mang hatag ug mga karaan na armas sa mga residente para maka protecta sa ilang kaugalingon. (Good evening ma'am. I'm sure you have heard of the news about those who get infected with the disease. If you get bitten by one of those Infected, you will become one of them. There is no cure nor vaccine for those that get bit. Today, the governor of the province gave a directive to handout surplus weapons to randomly chosen residents so you could protect yourselves)."

"Kung kita ka atong mga natakadan, pusila sila sa ulo kay dili na to sila mga tao. Pila man mo kaabok diha? (If you see one of those Infected, shoot them in the head because they are no longer human. How many of you are in this house.)" The officer asked.

"Duha rami. Iyang ginikanan ug ate na stranded pa sa America. (Where just two in this house. Her parents and her older sister are stranded in America)."

The officer looked a bit worried. Sighing, he signaled his men to bring over a crate and handed an M3A1 Grease Gun with a suppressor and an M68 Aimpoint for the nanny and an older Beretta 92 to the young Alexandria, along with a couple of ammunition for both guns. Both just stared the guns they were handed at.

"Para na sa inyo para maka protecta mo sa inyung balay. (These are for you for home and personal protection)."

The officer and some of the soldiers demonstrated how to use the gun. It came with a heavy heart among the security forces of arming a minor with a gun but in times like this, what choice does a person have in order to live?

After the demonstration, the officers and the soldiers left in a station wagon and headed out to the next house to distribute surplus weapons. The nanny then turned to Alexandria, telling her that the gun is no toy and that it should be kept in an easier place of access in case the Infected come crashing through. The thought of holding a gun weighed heavy on her. But if it came to protecting and surviving, she had to use it.

For a girl in her first year as a teenager, Alexandria was slowly starting to adjust to the world that came crashing apart in just less than a week.

********************
Author's Notes:
One of the reasons that always scares me if being separated from your family members during a catastrophe. This one of the reasons why I wrote this story in the first place, inspired from No Escape starring Owen Wilson.

[1] Ate means older sister in Filipino
[2] CAFGU stands for The Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit, variously called Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit, Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit and commonly referred to by its acronym CAFGU (pronounced "kahf-goo") is an irregular auxiliary force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The CAFGU was created on July 25, 1987 when President Corazon C. Aquino signed Executive Order No. 264 entitled "Providing for the Citizen Armed Force". The creation of the unit was based on the "clear, consolidate, hold and develop" strategy adopted by then-Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos in dealing with insurgent-infiltrated villages.

CAFGU units are components of the AFP Ready Reserve detailed to Military Auxiliary Service. Article X, Sec. 61, sub-paragraph 2 of Republic Act 7077 describes this manner of service as follows:
Military auxiliary service entails services rendered in meeting local insurgency threat. Reservists serving under this category will be organized into Ready Reserve units. They must be issued and allowed to carry firearms: Provided, That these reservists will be utilized only for the defense of their respective localities and will not be employed outside their localities. Elected/appointed local government officials are expected to perform their duties and responsibilities in their respective peace and order council levels or similar organizations efficiently and effectively to enhance a total integrated system approach against threats to national security. The Secretary of National Defense shall prescribe the rules and regulations to implement this section in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.

CAFGU units are administered by, and under the operational control of, regular units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Philippine Army infantry battalions assigned to this function are also referred to as "Cadre Battalions". Deactivation of CAFGU units assigned to these battalions result in the return of their status as regular infantry battalions.

The CAFGU units are tasked to prevent the re-infiltration of insurgents into communities that have already been cleared of their influence by combat operations conducted by regular units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The CAFGU units are issued surplus small arms from World War II or the Cold War; typically the M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, the M3 Grease Gun, M-14, or M-16 rifles now that the PA and PMC have switched to the Remington R4A3 to replace the aging M16A1 assault rifles, and receive a monthly stipend of Php 2,700.00 (about US$57).
[3] Elisco is a local gun manufacturer in the Philippines that produces licensed Colt M16A1 assault rifles for the AFP.

[ukron]

Chapter 51: Emergency State (Part 2)

Date: October 21, 2018 (Z-Day +4)
Location: PLA-N Naval Base
Qingdao, People's Republic of China

Corporal Zheng Hue stared at the two trucks and the missiles they were carrying, although the political situation was so confusing that no one could tell exactly who was commanding and who was still sitting in the Politburo. Behind him, he could see the fires of Qingdao with background noises of gunfire and explosions. The city was under siege by the jiang shi. The higher ups at the Central Military Commission began sending waves of PLA soldiers to counter the other waves of jiang shi all around China.

The corporal knew he had the right choice by joining Zhang Shengmin. This man of value had seen the advantage of taking the advantage against imperialist vermin in this moment of weakness of the United States and their Japanese puppets. The news was excellent according to the officers, the glorious Navy had managed to eliminate the American forces and the liberation of Taiwan was immediate.

But the corporal wondered why he had to keep these missiles if the victory was so close and the rally of all China and all his people behind Shengmin.

This moment of doubt did not last very long when the blade pierced his throat and a firm hand blocked his mouth, the corporal was dead.

Captain Chiang Wen He Special Forces, Unit "Siberian Tiger" did not have the doubts or the souls of the corporal he had just killed. The mission was clear, take back the missiles to the putchists and convey them to a military base still held by the "loyalists".

The situation seemed chaotic even for the captain and his men.

Hong Kong and Shanghai had been overwhelmed by these cannibal monsters and it seemed that Beijing was going to follow.

And to add to that putchists had taken control of some ships and missiles and threatened to transform not only Taiwan and Japan but also all of China into a radioactive desert.

[stevep]

   Well that sounds a very serious mess in China which could be bad for everybody if it really goes pear shaped!

   On the previous post given the population of the Philippines do the authorities have enough spare guns to arm pretty much every civilian? That sounds rather a lot. Unless its specific to that locality?

[ukron]

chapter 52: Emergency State (Part 3 - International Crisis and Political turmoil)

Author's preface: (development of Chapter 51)
Date: October 17-23, 2018 (Z-Day from Z-day +5)
Location: Beijing (People's Republic of China)/PLA Command Bunker (Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia)/ NORAD HQ (Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado)/ Mount Weather EOC (Loudoun County, Virginia)
Source: "Chinese Reactions to the 2018 Outbreak" by A. Rumsfield published in NY Times during summer 2021.

Introduction and foreword.

The old imperial city was no longer a city without its inhabitants. It seems obvious that the 21 million of the ancient Chinese capital's inhabitants (plus another 1 billion if you count) have been a kind of easy prey for the virus, but the death of Chairman, General Secretary, and President Xi Jinping and the following political turmoil that affected politburo had been one of the reasons why the Chinese population paid an heavy price during the "bloody October". The "pattern making" and political purge into People's Liberation Army and various part of regional Communist Party, lead by Xi Jinping following his "election" in 2012, along a economical boom but also a demographic crisis can be see as why the "Asian Dragon" had been so much hit by the 2018 outbreak. In this short text, we want readers to understand how China was the victim of his own political "Particularism".

This text was written on witness reports and testimonies from former PLA, MSS, and CPC members but also from NORAD, DOD, NSA, State Department, CIA, MI6, DGSE, FSB, and Mossad officers.

I offer particularly warm thanks to G.B. (callsign Swordfish) and J.L. (callsign Ishtar) for their help, this outbreak survivors are involving into a writing of a history of 2018 outbreak and consequences on our world and society.

Early stages and oubreak. (Part 1)

The People's Republic of China has been always the "homeland" of one of the most widespread illness never see: the flu, including the deadly "Spanish Flu" that killed five percent of the world's population between 1918 and 1920; killing more people than the First World War which just recently ended at that time. Even with these "teachings" and the technological and medical improvements at the end of the 20th Century, it was impossible to predict how, where and when the new virus will merge. The high pressure of demographic and the development of vast urban center following the 1980s and 1990s during the Opening Up and Reform-era lead by Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping, places like Shanghai or Nanchang had nightmarish sanitary conditions despite the economic growth due to the application of poor sanitation standards or rampant corruption among health officials. The SARS outbreak that emerged in Guangdong Province as early as November 2002 was only noticed to World Health Organization by February 2003. This is an evidence of deliberate attempt to hide outbreak in order to avoid disastrous economical and political consequences. Despite the international pressure and the development of a health monitoring in the beginning of 2010s, it seems credible that Chinese authorities try to hide first wave of infections from the international community.

Some rumors have been reported about Chinese origin of the "Killer Pandemic Virus", I can't deny nor confirm such works.

The Cause? (Part 2)
"It seems doubtful that the PLA had the capacity to develop such powerful bioweapons despite the massive governmental investment in biology and genetics. Many pinpoint that the Chinese Communist Party secretly obtained records from the former Unit 731, an Imperial Japanese Army group that researched on biological warfare and conducted one of the most inhumane human experiments equally rivalling that of Dr. Mengele's experiment on the Jews. Some say the Soviets handed the data over before the Sino-Soviet Split, having obtained the records abandoned by the Japanese once the Red Army invaded Manchuria during the final stages of World War II.

However, one of the most strange but interesting theory about the "Killer Pandemic" outbreak is the theory discuss by Seymour Hersh in his book ("The Collapse: An History of 2018 Crisis") published last year, where the author tell the story of Xiǎo Zhāng, a Manchurian refugee who fled from a small city near the North Korean border on October 1st, 2018 (two weeks before Z-Day)."

We hereby publish an extract:

"It had been two days that the police and frontier guards have closed the border with North Korea. Nobody knows what happened and a lot of inhabitants believed that a kind of pro-American putsch had happened in Pyongyang. Local authorities said nothing about the situation. The second day after, we saw army tanks and vehicles headed towards frontlines with soldiers wearing masks and suits. At this moment, my family were terrorized by a "chemical war" and we joined a group of people that was being evacuated by the People's Armed Police and the Public Security Bureau to a bus. Then we saw a scene that I will never forget: a man moved slowly towards a group of soldiers mounted on a tank. They ordered him to step back, but he didn't listen to them and they shot him with a machine gun. I swear this was not normal since nobody is foolish enough to charge on a full-armed tank unarmed. Even worse, the man still twitched on the ground even after being hit by a machine gun fire. No one could survive that. He continued twitching on the ground, attempting to grab one of the soldiers, until one of the officers took out a pistol and shot him in the head. He stopped moving for good. Today, I still believe that this Jiang shi[1] came down from North Korea, specifically from Pyongyang."

This witness confirm intercepted files and documents delivered by PLA High Command to Politburo about "mass riots after a disease in northern Manchuria" but we can't deny or affirm the Chinese/North Korean origins of the virus that struck the humanity as not much evidence has proved this theory to this day.

Author's Notes:
[1] Jiang Shi so known as a Chinese hopping vampire or hopping zombie, is a type of reanimated corpse in Chinese legends and folklore. The characters for "jiangshi" are read geung-si in Cantonese, cương thi in Vietnamese, gangsi in Korean, and kyonshī in Japanese. It is also known as phi dip chin in Thai, "hantu pocong" in Malay, and "vampir cina" in Indonesia. It is typically depicted as a stiff corpse dressed in official garments from the Qing Dynasty, and it moves around by hopping with its arms outstretched. It kills living creatures to absorb their qi, or "life force", usually at night, while during the day, it rests in a coffin or hides in dark places such as caves. Jiangshi legends have inspired a genre of jiangshi films and literature in Hong Kong and East Asia.

Other Theories (Part 3)
There were multiple theories regarding the origin of the Killer Pandemic Virus (KPV), ranging from a secret military bioweapon, a mutation of rabies that so happened to fall on this date, bioterrorism (state-sponsored or not), a space-borne virus sent over by extraterrestrials, and even supernatural intervention. Readers should be advised that so far we have no proof of what actually is the cause of the virus and our partners within the WHO, CDC, NHS, DOD, and other organizations have pledged to disclose the so-called cause once a definite answer has been found. We believe in the right to information to all people of the world.

"The virus struck the world within the middle weeks of October 2018.

Many said it was the Rapture, the Second Coming of Christ, the End Times, Armageddon, Doomsday, Kali Yuga, or Ragnarok, depending on what one believed in.

Others thought aliens sent it over from space as form to weaken our forces for the impending invasion. It never came.

Some say it was the globalists of the so-called New World Order in play, to control the remaining population into submission once-and-for all to establish a one-world government.

Some people thought countries out east manufactured the virus such as Iran and China and sent it over to the United States and their respective allies. The two countries were the primary suspects (according to conspiracy theorists and far-right survival groups) for obvious reasons. One is that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not established diplomatic relations with the United States since 1979 while often engaging anti-American rhetoric and threatening to attack American allies in the region such as Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia for the past 40 years.

Many blamed the People's Republic of China due to its rising military, continued aggression in the East and South China Sea as well as the Taiwan Straits, the ongoing trade war initiated by the Trump administration, and the fact the PLA tried to overtake Taiwan at the height of the outbreak in the mainland. Sources from the CIA and the DoD revealed that a hardline faction of the PLA attempted to use China's nuclear arsenal to attack Taipei and American bases in the Asia-Pacific region once the Communist Party's leadership collapsed. As the outbreak worsened, all these theories were disregarded since evidence pointed out that both the Iranians and the Chinese had no capacity to biologically engineer or mutate a virus (i.e. Rabies, Anthrax, etc) in this advanced form exhibited by the Killer Pandemic for at least several more decades. This in addition to the fact that both countries were horribly affected by the Killer Pandemic itself in which the Chinese being the worst hit globally in what is known as 'Bloody October' in their area."
- Callsign Swordfish's contribution (contributor wishes to remain anonymous for now)

[ukron]

Troubled Waters - New Orleans (LA) - Part 3: The Gathering Storm

Date: October 17, 2018 (Z-Day; 9:50 AM)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Boris Karpov could not just rely on himself. He had just arrived into a foreign country plagued by living abomination. In a certain way of thinking and acting, Karpov likes to be alone, exactly like he was during the first Chechen War. He had learned so much about the brutal and tormented aspect of the human mind. He was a monster among the murderers and rapists but nearly two decades after this dark and bloody period of Russia, he don't know if he was able to reach the same point of tolerance against death and barbarism. A lot of people think that when you have a military training or a war experience, you should be able to carry on but this a myth, it will be always traumatic to plunge again in a maelstrom of violence. Karpov just sat on his old and rusted bed, he drink a little bit in the poor quality imitation of Jack Daniel's bottle and scream :"Я жив" (I am Alive). Taken from an unprecedented momentum, he raise up, take the bottle and opened the door.

Very few people had the misfortune to survive the New Orleans hell but those who survived had very likely seen the same thing as Karpov by opening his door that day: the whole main hall of the hotel, one floor below, was covered with blood, with scattered suitcases, with various organs torn off. Animated bodies of some customers waded grotesquely in this foul bath, an oppressive metallic smell took you by the throat and seemed to accompany you everywhere. An old memory of Grozny returns to the mind of Karpov, who quickly chased away this black idea with a swig of Whiskey, especially that Karpov saw the way to escape this hotel turned into slaughterhouse. The door half broken on its hinges revealed a passage to the street. It was now just to eliminate or bypass the Infected, link up with any survivors, and find his niece Olga in the middle of all these chaos.

[ukron]

Chapter 53: Innocence Lost (Part 2)
Date: October 21, 2018 (Z-Day +4; 9:00 AM)
Location: Tagbilaran City
Bohol, Philippines

Alexandria cried herself to sleep. In fact she had less sleep at all. Her thoughts we about her sister and her family. It had been four days since she had talked with her older sister Gabrielle. She can only wish she was safe.

At breakfast, she merely picked on her food served by her nanny. Alexandria didn't have the appetite to eat.

"Alex, come eat your breakfast my dear." Said her nanny.

She took a few bites before going back to her room crying again. Her eyes had became red at this point. The local newspaper was delivered to their house, the headlines stated:

KILLER PANDEMIC CONTINUES TO SPREAD, WHO DECLARES WORST PANDEMIC IN HISTORY​

That did not help her nor the TV which showed endless broadcasts of the situation in Luzon. Other provinces have now reported sporadic cases of the infection, likely brought by refugee boat people. That was likely the case for nearby Cebu. The police and the military were executing the Infected, but she doubted that is just a short term solution. The virus was now taking hold of the Zambales and Pampanga province. President Rodrigo Duterte made an announcement that Martial Law may soon be declared, causing riots to erupt around Metro Manila. Riots that could have hid certain carriers among the chaos. The capital had reported infection...yet. However, it's a no-brainer what happens once the virus reaches the capital of over 12 million people, a bloodbath would ensure. The Malacanang Palace was barricaded with lots of heavy equipment while the Presidential Security Group was reinforced with Special Forces coming from all branches of the AFP. The presidential chopper was on standby, along with multiple boats right at the Pasig River.

Knowing she could not cry for so long, Alexandria decided to pass the time by reading some of her lessons for school.

After all, the government gave them an early break. She was busy trying to take things off her mind when a scream erupted, followed by the moans that gave off its unholy presence...
*********************
Author's Notes:
Alexandria is actually based on Clementine from TellTale's The Walking Dead Video Game.

This is where I emphasize again how bad it is to be separated with your family in a time of a crisis or how bad it is to be in a foreign country when all stuff boils down. Take the example of Jeffrey Grimes in the spin-off comic The Walking Dead: The Alien. He was taking a vacation in Barcelona, Spain when the zombie apocalypse began. Rick would never find out what happened to his fate.

[ukron]

Chapter 54: Innocence Lost (Part 3)

Date: October 21, 2018 (Z-Day+4; morning)
Location: Tagbilaran City
Bohol, Philippines

The Infected, they were finally here. There we three of them, pounding on the door with their fists. It held, but not for long. Cracks were forming while the hinges were about to fall off.

"Alex, run they're coming!" Her nanny shouted. The nanny was packing up with whatever food, supplies, and other things they can carry. They would escape through the backdoor. Alexandria just took what stuff she could carry, leaving most of the things she wanted.

Her nanny had the stuff but in the haste, they left the pistol at the room. "I must get it back!" Alexandria yelled.

"Alex, come back here, it's too dangerous!" The nanny yelled. The little girl came running, with the Beretta in hand. She handed it over to her nanny just as the Infected broke through the door. Her nanny hesitated and was mauled. Those things bit threw her throat, spilling blood around while they dug out her guts. It was a gruesome scene for 13 year old.

She screamed naturally and stood there paralyzed in fear while her nanny was being torn apart. The gun was just at her feet.

She picked it up, hands shaking as she aimed down the sights at the nearest infected.

"Gotta aim for the head." She said as she remembered what the authorities told her yesterday.

Alexandria aligned the sights at the forehead and then pulled the trigger. The recoil caught her off guard but the bullet successfully pierced the skull of the Infected. It fell with a thud. The gunfire attracted the other two Infected that were attacking her nanny. They got up and turned towards Alexandria. She did the same thing. Hands shaking with fear, she aligned the sight but missed her shot. The bullet hit the throat of the infected, but it continued. In panic, she shot more bullets at its chest. It stumbled but continued its advanced. One lucky shot put it down. However, the other was already next to her and was about to pounce on her. She then placed the barrel of the gun, pulling the trigger, thus killing the last approaching Infected.

"Get away from my house!" Alexandria shouted.

She stood there trembling, tears falling for her eyes. At the age of 13 just killed three Infected. Her nanny was dying of blood loss. She was going to turn soon if she did not put her down.

It was a complete change from childhood to adolescence. However, unlike most teens who grew up crushing on celebrities or looking forward to the next prom, Alexandria was different now. At that moment she defended her home, her innocence was lost. She was now a fighter and she was deemed to survive this all. More moans were heard coming from the direction of the outside. They were then replaced by a volley of automatic gunfire which then silenced the moans. A group of soldiers and policemen in green camoflage came, astonished to see a little girl with a Beretta. What was shocking to them was the the bodies of three Infected laying in the floor with bullet holes along with a fourth that looked badly mangled. These did not look like ordinary policemen, the camo and the patches they had with the acronym RPSB indicated they were from the Regional Public Safety Battalion of the PNP. Alexandria dropped the gun at the sight of the policemen, but they did not need to be afraid. They knew she acted in self-defense.

The policemen asked her what happened and explained that the Infected broke into their house. After listening to the explanation, the policemen and the soldiers removed the bodies of the Infected and placed them in body bags. As for her nanny, one policeman took out a knife and stabbed her in the head to prevent her from reanimating. She was already dead at this point. Alexandria could not help but look.

Several KM-250 utility trucks of the Philippine Army were waiting outside, alongside civilian utility trucks and busses. One garbage truck was used to collect the bodies of the Infected for disposal. Alexandria was invited over as the authorities were slowly going to evacuate Tagbilaran to various points in the countryside where there were less people.

"So are you the only one here?" Asked one of the Army captains.

"Yes." She replied, still crying. "It was just my nanny and I. My nanny got bitten had to be put down."

"Where are your parents?" The captain asked.

"They're in America with my older sister. They're stranded there. I haven't heard from them ever since."

The captain nodded and sighed in pity. He knew of the situation in the United States - an ally of the Philippines - was bad. The Department of Foreign Affairs had evacuated its embassy in Washington along with their consulates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Houston. However, thousands of Filipinos abroad are currently unaccounted for. The captain could only wish Alexandria's family was safe.

"Well, it's better to leave a note in case they return. Right now, this convoy is evacuating to the town of Anda in the western part of the province."

The local AFP garrison in Bohol came up with a better strategy to empty the provincial capital so once the offensive began, there would only be a few Infected to take care sure. The Infected were slow and may follow the evacuation convoys, but the CAFGUs were slowly taking care of the scattered ones. Alexandria then wrote a note and taped in the front door before she boarded the military truck for evacuation into the countryside. The note said:

Papa, Mama, Ate

I'm in Anda. Meet me there. Nanny didn't make it.

~Alexandria

As the truck drove on escorted by the Army and the police, Alexandria leaned back. The thoughts of killing her first three Infected weighed heavily on her. She was just a 13 year old girl getting to know the world better, but now she had to fight to survive. She thought her older sister currently stranded across the Pacific was doing the same thing, fighting to survive. Indeed her older sister thought her to fight and to stand her ground when she was bullied by her classmates just a few weeks ago this while thing started. Her older sister Gabrielle was bullied herself too but she overcame it and passed it on on to Alexandria. Now, she became a fighter, both physically and mentally. Before napping for the long journey to Anda, she prayed that her sister and her parents would make it home safe. It may take months or even years but she believed they would eventually make it home.




CAFGU armed with M-14s on patrol



PNP RPSB conducting clean-and-sweep


Across the island of Bohol, the neighboring island of Cebu was also dealing with their Infected. Nobody knows how the first infected arrived in Cebu but blame had it on some Chinese tourists that probably hid their bites and turned in the nightlife district.

Several camps were set up in the mountains and several islands (Bantayan, Camotes, Olango) that dot the province of Cebu. The Philippines' second largest city was deemed to be loss should it be overrun with the Infected. Police and Army units from Camp Lapu-Lapu were slowly terminating the Infected in the hospitals while sections of the city were in lockdown after the sights of Infected were reported. A forward operating base (FOB) was set up in the Fort San Pedro, a Spanish-era fort that overlooked the Port of Cebu City. The AFP command deduced that with enough fortifications and high walls, the fort would definitely hold up against hordes of Infected.

The bridges linking Cebu to Mactan Island was destroyed so that the AFP and PNP could secure Mactan Cebu International Airport and the nearby Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, home to the Philippine Air Forces' 208th Tactical Helicopter Squadron, 205th Tactical Operations Wing, 220th Airlift Wing, 5052nd Search and Rescue Squadron, 505th Search and Rescue Group, 1304th Dental Dispensary, and 560th Air Base Wing. There were two C-130s, 1 C-295, 4 F/A-50 fighter jets, and a handful of UH-1 Hueys and MD-520G armed scout helicopters. The base was built during the Cold War to house America's Strategic Air Command bombers in the case of a World War III with the former Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. In November 2013, it housed several C-130s, C-17s, C-5s, and even an Antonov An-12 during Operation Damayan, the international community's humanitarian effort during the Typhoon Yolanda. The airport and the airbase would a strategic purpose of the AFP for projecting power into Visayas and Mindanao for the upcoming offensives against the Infected.

A contingent of Coast Guard and Navy coming from Naval Base Rafael Ramos were patrolling the waters of Mactan, carefully accepting refugees from Cebu and killing those Infected that manage to be swept by the waves.

The AFP in the province were ready to meet the threat head-on.



Philippine Army Light Reaction Regiment in the grounds of Fort San Pedro​
**********************************
Author's Notes:
- I actually had Alexandria's nanny survived in the original script. However, when I reviewed it, I realized that she could never lose her innocence and be "broken" by the outbreak if her nanny survived. I know it seems harsh but that's what happened to Clementine after she knew her parents turned into zombies and once Lee died. It's a zombie apocalypse story after all and death is everywhere.

[ukron]

Chapter 55 : Elyseum Fall
Date: October 20, 2018 (10:10 AM; Z-Day+2)
Location: Lyon-Mont Verdun Air Base[1]
Northwest of Lyon, France

President Macron massaged his forehead while the base was full of activity, officers and ministers running in all directions like ants facing a flood.

"Sir the latest reports of activity indicates that the Swiss government has declared martial law and massively deployed its troops in the streets of Geneva and Lausanne," said an officer of the Air Force.

"Can we confirm that they are undergoing an infection?"

"We do not know sir but it appears that they take very seriously the risks of a massive refugees incoming from Germany and Italy. Even their own citizens are encouraged to carry rifles around their backs."

"Holy crap, if even Switzerland is affected, the situation may worsen from hours to hours." The President said. He thought of a mountain fortress like Switzerland would be immune to all this. They had weather two world wars and the Cold War and now falling into a walking plague was a bad way to end things.

"Sir." shouted a ministerial officer running towards the President.

"We finally have reports from our embassy in Madrid. They abandoned the building and retreated to Madrid Barajas airport where the army and the local police would still hold defensive positions. On the other hand no news from the government since the Moncloa Madrid palace burned. It appears the Spanish Royal Family was evacuated to castle near the Pyrenees or to carrier off the coast of the Balearic Islands."

"Then our allies collapse too." A voice said with an embarrassed view of all the occupants of the room.

"We still have good news sir. The Belgians have established with the Dutch a security zone north of Hainaut, and it appears that their position is holding and stable."

"Yes, but how long before it collapses? People are fleeing the cities and being left alone, the situation is even worse than the 1940 exodus."

"Sir, excuse me for interrupting you but it's not a whiner we need but a man with an iron fist. We can not afford to lose a President after the fall of Paris." said the Army Chief Staff.

"We have ordered that all elements of the 2nd and 3rd divisions fall back out of cities but if we lose the cities, we lose the ability to attack effectively. Let us add that there are still thousands of civilians still trapped in Paris, and that we have the duty to save them."

"We can not afford to waste resources and men to save people already infected. It's a very difficult decision Lecointre but I would be the only one to assume it, you said we needed a man with an Iron Fist for saving France, we also need crucial decisions."

The President turned to Air Force Chief of Staff Philippe Lavigne.

"What is the state of our aircraft and bases?" The President asked.

"For the moment our protection forces complemented by the infantry units withstand the shock, our aircraft should not have too much trouble taking off. Our aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is still docked in Corsica while the rest of the fleet is at good shape in the Mediterranean. As for our overseas deployments, we unfortunately do not know if they can make it back home."

"Very good, we must prevent at all costs for the infected to leave Paris. Can we block or slow down the down?"

"Yes, we could use fire bombs on the A86 and E50 but these roads are full of cars and refugees..."

"I make the decision"

"Very well, Mr. President."

An atmosphere as icy as death had settled in the emergency bunker.
************************
Author's Notes:
[1] Mont Verdun Air Base has been designated as the French version of Mount Weather where the French President alongside other cabinet members would be evacuated in case of national emergency.

[stevep]

Mar 28, 2022 12:59:30 GMT ukron said:

Chapter 55 : Elyseum Fall
Date: October 20, 2018 (10:10 AM; Z-Day+2)
Location: Lyon-Mont Verdun Air Base[1]
Northwest of Lyon, France

President Macron massaged his forehead while the base was full of activity, officers and ministers running in all directions like ants facing a flood.

"Sir the latest reports of activity indicates that the Swiss government has declared martial law and massively deployed its troops in the streets of Geneva and Lausanne," said an officer of the Air Force.

"Can we confirm that they are undergoing an infection?"

"We do not know sir but it appears that they take very seriously the risks of a massive refugees incoming from Germany and Italy. Even their own citizens are encouraged to carry rifles around their backs."

"Holy crap, if even Switzerland is affected, the situation may worsen from hours to hours." The President said. He thought of a mountain fortress like Switzerland would be immune to all this. They had weather two world wars and the Cold War and now falling into a walking plague was a bad way to end things.

"Sir." shouted a ministerial officer running towards the President.

"We finally have reports from our embassy in Madrid. They abandoned the building and retreated to Madrid Barajas airport where the army and the local police would still hold defensive positions. On the other hand no news from the government since the Moncloa Madrid palace burned. It appears the Spanish Royal Family was evacuated to castle near the Pyrenees or to carrier off the coast of the Balearic Islands."

"Then our allies collapse too." A voice said with an embarrassed view of all the occupants of the room.

"We still have good news sir. The Belgians have established with the Dutch a security zone north of Hainaut, and it appears that their position is holding and stable."

"Yes, but how long before it collapses? People are fleeing the cities and being left alone, the situation is even worse than the 1940 exodus."

"Sir, excuse me for interrupting you but it's not a whiner we need but a man with an iron fist. We can not afford to lose a President after the fall of Paris." said the Army Chief Staff.

"We have ordered that all elements of the 2nd and 3rd divisions fall back out of cities but if we lose the cities, we lose the ability to attack effectively. Let us add that there are still thousands of civilians still trapped in Paris, and that we have the duty to save them."

"We can not afford to waste resources and men to save people already infected. It's a very difficult decision Lecointre but I would be the only one to assume it, you said we needed a man with an Iron Fist for saving France, we also need crucial decisions."

The President turned to Air Force Chief of Staff Philippe Lavigne.

"What is the state of our aircraft and bases?" The President asked.

"For the moment our protection forces complemented by the infantry units withstand the shock, our aircraft should not have too much trouble taking off. Our aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is still docked in Corsica while the rest of the fleet is at good shape in the Mediterranean. As for our overseas deployments, we unfortunately do not know if they can make it back home."

"Very good, we must prevent at all costs for the infected to leave Paris. Can we block or slow down the down?"

"Yes, we could use fire bombs on the A86 and E50 but these roads are full of cars and refugees..."

"I make the decision"

"Very well, Mr. President."

An atmosphere as icy as death had settled in the emergency bunker.
************************
Author's Notes:
[1] Mont Verdun Air Base has been designated as the French version of Mount Weather where the French President alongside other cabinet members would be evacuated in case of national emergency.

  For a moment there I wondered if he was going to use the big fire bombs!  Which might be required but would be a hell of a call for a leader, destroying his own countries capital.

[ukron]

Chapter 56: Fire and Forget
Date: October 20, 2018 (Z-Day+3; 6:00 PM)
Location: Cognac – Châteaubernard Air Base/E50 Highway, unknown French Army Avant Poste




In the long line of cars, trucks and motorcycles leaving the desolated French capital, no one could have guessed that more than 5000 meters above them, a pair of watchful eyes scrutinized them attentively. The slender figure of MQ9 Reaper's sleek glide through the air like a leaf, unaware of the dangers and trammels.



Sergeant Cléa Duchemin, 25 years old, guided the machine with precision from a 1/33 Belfort guiding station, her attention was entirely focused on the column of vehicles.

"Impact in 30 seconds." The voice repeated.

The sergeant thought for a moment about her family in the Loir et Cher, if they had evacuated or not and finally to her little sister of 7 years. A touch of disgust and rage rising in her in one blow as it was more that likely that her family was below, in this long column without a tail or a head...but no, she had to fulfill her duty to the Republic. So cruel and so cowardly, she thought. The shadow of the incendiary charge slid on the screen before reaching its target, a puff of light invades the big part of the screen. And just like that, it was over so quickly but not for her conscience.

5000 meters lower, the incendiary charge consumed most of the cars killing thousands of refugees and the Infected that pursued them in a ball of heat and light. Some lucky survivors will testify to the fierceness of the flames since a lot were either devoured by the Infected or burned alive...one of the most despicable acts of the "Killer Pandemic crisis".

[ukron]

Mar 29, 2022 14:27:35 GMT stevep said:

Mar 28, 2022 12:59:30 GMT ukron said:

Chapter 55 : Elyseum Fall
Date: October 20, 2018 (10:10 AM; Z-Day+2)
Location: Lyon-Mont Verdun Air Base[1]
Northwest of Lyon, France

President Macron massaged his forehead while the base was full of activity, officers and ministers running in all directions like ants facing a flood.

"Sir the latest reports of activity indicates that the Swiss government has declared martial law and massively deployed its troops in the streets of Geneva and Lausanne," said an officer of the Air Force.

"Can we confirm that they are undergoing an infection?"

"We do not know sir but it appears that they take very seriously the risks of a massive refugees incoming from Germany and Italy. Even their own citizens are encouraged to carry rifles around their backs."

"Holy crap, if even Switzerland is affected, the situation may worsen from hours to hours." The President said. He thought of a mountain fortress like Switzerland would be immune to all this. They had weather two world wars and the Cold War and now falling into a walking plague was a bad way to end things.

"Sir." shouted a ministerial officer running towards the President.

"We finally have reports from our embassy in Madrid. They abandoned the building and retreated to Madrid Barajas airport where the army and the local police would still hold defensive positions. On the other hand no news from the government since the Moncloa Madrid palace burned. It appears the Spanish Royal Family was evacuated to castle near the Pyrenees or to carrier off the coast of the Balearic Islands."

"Then our allies collapse too." A voice said with an embarrassed view of all the occupants of the room.

"We still have good news sir. The Belgians have established with the Dutch a security zone north of Hainaut, and it appears that their position is holding and stable."

"Yes, but how long before it collapses? People are fleeing the cities and being left alone, the situation is even worse than the 1940 exodus."

"Sir, excuse me for interrupting you but it's not a whiner we need but a man with an iron fist. We can not afford to lose a President after the fall of Paris." said the Army Chief Staff.

"We have ordered that all elements of the 2nd and 3rd divisions fall back out of cities but if we lose the cities, we lose the ability to attack effectively. Let us add that there are still thousands of civilians still trapped in Paris, and that we have the duty to save them."

"We can not afford to waste resources and men to save people already infected. It's a very difficult decision Lecointre but I would be the only one to assume it, you said we needed a man with an Iron Fist for saving France, we also need crucial decisions."

The President turned to Air Force Chief of Staff Philippe Lavigne.

"What is the state of our aircraft and bases?" The President asked.

"For the moment our protection forces complemented by the infantry units withstand the shock, our aircraft should not have too much trouble taking off. Our aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is still docked in Corsica while the rest of the fleet is at good shape in the Mediterranean. As for our overseas deployments, we unfortunately do not know if they can make it back home."

"Very good, we must prevent at all costs for the infected to leave Paris. Can we block or slow down the down?"

"Yes, we could use fire bombs on the A86 and E50 but these roads are full of cars and refugees..."

"I make the decision"

"Very well, Mr. President."

An atmosphere as icy as death had settled in the emergency bunker.
************************
Author's Notes:
[1] Mont Verdun Air Base has been designated as the French version of Mount Weather where the French President alongside other cabinet members would be evacuated in case of national emergency.

  For a moment there I wondered if he was going to use the big fire bombs!  Which might be required but would be a hell of a call for a leader, destroying his own countries capital.

I won't expect french to use WMDs on their own capital considerring How Paris is capital for maintaining France's unity.

[ukron]

Mar 30, 2022 13:07:21 GMT ukron said:

Chapter 56: Fire and Forget
Date: October 20, 2018 (Z-Day+3; 6:00 PM)
Location: Cognac – Châteaubernard Air Base/E50 Highway, unknown French Army Avant Poste




In the long line of cars, trucks and motorcycles leaving the desolated French capital, no one could have guessed that more than 5000 meters above them, a pair of watchful eyes scrutinized them attentively. The slender figure of MQ9 Reaper's sleek glide through the air like a leaf, unaware of the dangers and trammels.



Sergeant Cléa Duchemin, 25 years old, guided the machine with precision from a 1/33 Belfort guiding station, her attention was entirely focused on the column of vehicles.

"Impact in 30 seconds." The voice repeated.

The sergeant thought for a moment about her family in the Loir et Cher, if they had evacuated or not and finally to her little sister of 7 years. A touch of disgust and rage rising in her in one blow as it was more that likely that her family was below, in this long column without a tail or a head...but no, she had to fulfill her duty to the Republic. So cruel and so cowardly, she thought. The shadow of the incendiary charge slid on the screen before reaching its target, a puff of light invades the big part of the screen. And just like that, it was over so quickly but not for her conscience.

5000 meters lower, the incendiary charge consumed most of the cars killing thousands of refugees and the Infected that pursued them in a ball of heat and light. Some lucky survivors will testify to the fierceness of the flames since a lot were either devoured by the Infected or burned alive...one of the most despicable acts of the "Killer Pandemic crisis".

Actually there is an artistic licence here, considerring French Air Force only begun to employ MQ9 Reaper as a bomber in late 2019/early 2020.

[stevep]

Mar 30, 2022 13:08:53 GMT ukron said:

Mar 29, 2022 14:27:35 GMT stevep said:

  For a moment there I wondered if he was going to use the big fire bombs!  Which might be required but would be a hell of a call for a leader, destroying his own countries capital.

I won't expect french to use WMDs on their own capital considerring How Paris is capital for maintaining France's unity.

  Its unlikely true and a desperate measure but its something they might consider if it would give the rest of the country a better chance.

[ukron]

Chapter 57: America's Finest City
Date: October 20, 2018 (Z-Day+3; 16 hour time diff, dusk)
Location: San Diego, California


The survivor group just made it on the city. They notably did see some checkpoints have been abandoned with dead bodies, some with shots in the head and some torn apart. They did not need to know what happened here. As they got to the Midway and Mission Hill districts, the group saw how chaotic San Diego was. Traffic lines and jams stretched for miles. The airport and the seaport were used as evacuation points to various safe zones. Various planes and choppers were seen flying back and forth. Looting and rioting was also occurred, which is something unusual for this peaceful city in southern California.

"Christ, it's worst than I thought." Spencer said, Angela leaning to his side.

"Your friend is here right?" The girl asked.

"Yep, but again I hope he is alright. Looking how shit has gone in the past few days."

Behind them, the four friends had the same thoughts. "So this is San Diego?" Jules told to himself. "I wish I visited here at more normal times."

"Mate, we'd all wish the same." Gillan replied.

"Heh, I'd prefer a T. rex rampage over a zombie apocalypse any day." Mike responded with a reference from The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

"I'd prefer everything was normal again while I could enjoy the beaches here." Gabrielle added.



California Army National Guard checkpoint​

The group drove down past many checkpoints set up by the police and the military. The authorities did not care if they brandished weapons or not, survival was the thing now. Most of them were focused on the evacuation efforts that they simply did not have the manpower to spare to quell the riots and the Infected in the suburbs. They were then redirected towards another portion of the city that would lead to the naval base. However, the traffic was shit and they knew they needed to rest for the night.


Massive police presence in San Diego assisting in the evacuation.


At Hillcrest, the group tried to look for a place to right before four people screams of help could be heard. Rushing towards the source, the group saw a group of for young people - three male and one female - trying to fend off a horde of 30 or so Infected. The men were seen trying to fend off the Infected. Only one of them was armed with SIG Sauer P229. He was on top of an SUV picking off shots at the Infected. The two men where fighting the Infected with baseball bats. The girl was just there, hysterically screaming.

"Shit we gotta help them!" Francis shouted.

The four survivors saw the convoy and screamed for help. Immediately, the three LAPD SWAT men and the U.S. Navy veteran got to their feet and fired at the horde with their weapons. It was over in two minutes, all the Infected lay dead.

"Any of you have been bitten?" Ray shouted.

"No, no. None of us were." The man with the P229 said.

"Alright, you may come down now." Jim said.

The four survivors went down to meet their rescuers. Gillan, Gabrielle, Mike, Jules, Spencer, and Angela followed right behind, guns drawn. The other four survivors then introduced themselves.

"Thanks for rescuing me and my friends. My name is Nathan Wallace." The man said.

"My name is Keith Floyd." This is African-American man with a baseball bat said.

"I'm Darren. Darren Andrews." The other man dressed in a suit also armed with a baseball bat.

"My name's Tamara Smith." The hysterical screaming girl dressed in a blue denim jacket, a tube top, and denim skirt said.

The group then introduced themselves to the four survivors. Like them, the other four were also on their way to the naval base for the evacuation. However, it was getting late. Both the Infected and other deranged survivors could be roaming the place.

"I know a place were we can hold up for the night. My friend used to live there." Tamara said.

"Used to?" Angela asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She died at the hands of the Infected when they started popping up around San Diego. She was out shopping for supplies."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Gillan said.

"So where is this place of yours?" Francis asked.

"It's called Park East Apartments located in 4027, 111 W Pennsylvania Avenue. Not the ideal place, in fact its very cramped up but it's closer to the naval base."

"Alright lady, lead the way." Johnson said.

Nathan, Keith, Darren, and Tamara climbed aboard the SWAT van. Tamara led the way to the apartment. The group arrived there. As they drove, they saw several cars and people on foot heading towards either the airport or the naval base. There were no Infected in this area. Arriving there, the group then secured the empty apartment by barricading the doors while assigning rotations who will guard against both the Infected and the looters. They then settled for night. Hopefully, by tomorrow they could escape this madness in the mainland and head to the so called "refugee camp paradise" of the Hawaiian Islands.