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Aberrant: Dead Rising - Chapter 10d: The Price of Mercy


Dawn OOC

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The raiders had been gone for only a day when Caleb returned with the news that their vehicles had been seen again to the north. "They waited until the people from Fox's left!" the tall man raged, his face twisted with anger.

"What are we going to do?" a woman asked Gabby, fear filling her eyes.

Caleb looked to her, expecting the orders to defend themselves. Others were looking, as well, to her. She was starting to get used to it, but at moments like this, it was still a heavy burden.

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She took a deep breath, shifting that weight on her shoulders that was starting to become comfortable if only through consistency. She looked around the room, "Let's not jump conclusions. They might also have had an accident or something happen and we were the closest place they could get to."

Her eyes flicked to Caleb, "Just to be sure, post a double guard and have the fastest two of your men follow behind me. I'll fly out and see if I can talk to them." She held up a hand as Caleb started to protest and murmured, "Better one person take the risk, and one with....advantages, than to put a whole group in danger. I'll be cautious and your men will be quick. It's the best way right now."

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Caleb protested, even when he wasn't openly protesting. But Gabrielle wasn't going to risk any other member of her flock, and so she winged out into the late afternoon light. Even before she arrived, she could tell these weren't the same people who left her compound just yesterday. Or rather, they were the same in appearance, but vastly different in attitude and demeanour.

She alighted on the ground in front of them, feeling the strength of God in her heart. The lead car stopped, and the blond man who had been sensible yesterday disembarked. "Gabrielle," he said in greeting. He paused awkwardly and added, "We've come to get directions to the other Refuge."

The people behind him gazed at her dully, their expressions empty and disparing.

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She nodded, "Alright. I'll need to go back to St. Magdalen's and get the radio; I was brought back here on a sled being flown by some of the others so other than a vague direction I'm not completely certain of the location. I'll call them and get directions by highway for you."

Her brow furrowed and she took a step closer to the blond man, her concern artless. "Is everything okay?" Her eyes swept over the despairing crew, "What happened?"

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  • 5 weeks later...

"Des Moines is... gone," the man said. Gabriele wished she had gotten his name, but like so many of them, he'd refused to give it to her. They'd also been unwilling to say where they were from, so perhaps with the destruction of their home, the veil of secrecy had been lifted. "We went back and it was just gone." The de facto leader's voice cracked, and he looked away, blinking to hide tears.

Gabrielle’s heart broke for them as they all visibly struggled to hide their anguish. She could see it in their eyes; they had left family and friends behind in what was supposed to be a place of safety, and returned to find them gone.

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She had no words for the grief they were feeling; they'd all known it since Z-day, but each iteration was too personal, too raw to touch when it was still fresh. Another part of her reached out to them instead, a balm, however temporary, to their grief. It didn't erase the pain or make them forget their loss, but when the angel looked at them with her sad and compassionate eyes, for a moment it was a lighter burden.

Click to reveal..
Activating Sooth, I can put in a roll if'n you want, Dawn. It's just for effect at this point.
"Keep heading towards the college. I'll fly ahead and get the radio; we were planning on heading towards the Refuge ourselves today or tomorrow to help with a group of people that they're rescuing from a prison. A larger group would be safer." Left unsaid was the compassion that their remnant shouldn't have to face the dangers of travel and risk losing more members; but it was in every expression and movement the young leader made.

At the blond man's halfhearted nod she climbed up on one of trucks to give her altitude and flew off back towards St. Magdalen's. She lighted on the main building, meeting Caleb and quickly explaining the situation to the security force that had been expecting an invasion of force, not desperation.

The farmboy kept his compassion more reserved than his angel, but he nodded. "Most everything was ready anyways. Tommy and George can hold down the fort while we're gone."

"I thought you were staying, too," Gabrielle asked in surprise.

He didn't voice his opinion of their return 'guests', he just gave Gabrielle a level look. "They'll be fine here by themselves. Six well-armed men behind fences and walls. Besides, most of the zombies in the area have already been cleared out."

Gabrielle sighed, "I'm leaving the radio here then, just in case."

By the time the despondent caravan arrived at the gates of St. Magdalen there was a near frantic pitch of preparations occurring. Several large vans and busses were parked just inside the fencing; women and children were running back and forth from the vehicles to piles of supplies that were piled out in the courtyard area. Blankets, clothes, books, camping gear, propane tanks, medical supplies, even toys and collapsible furniture was being tetrised into the vehicles with efficiency.

Gabrielle herself was standing in the midst of the organized chaos, holding a shortwave radio in one hand while she directed the gates to be open and several of the women to set up a makeshift buffet for the visitors and the soon departing enclave.

"...probably about sixty or seventy of us. We're bringing supplies for the people coming back from the prison and the survivors of an enclave in Des Moines."

The radio crackled and a man's voice emerged from the static. "We heard about Des Moines from a trader that came back from there. Good to know more people made it out. I'll have the welcome matt out; any idea when you're going to get here?"

“From the directions you gave, barring any major highway roadblocks, probably in five or six hours. Depends on how much longer it takes to finish eating and packing up.” Some of the older women of St. Magdalen’s cajoled the refugee’s out of their vehicles and plied them with hot cooked food and the comfort of lost pleasures like hot chocolate and cold sodas while Gabrielle finished making arrangements with one of Fox’s men named Ger.

“We’ll be looking for you. Gerald out.”

It took two more hours to really get the caravan going, but the highways were blessedly clear and zombies had little chance to bother vehicles cruising at 80 miles per hour and above. Gabrielle was able to scout ahead of them, redirecting the route for roadblocks, abandoned pile-ups, and two washouts from the uncontrolled flooding that occurred in the high summer. They made up the lost time easily and Gabrielle lighted on the half-finished wall near the gate an hour or so after sunset.

She was lit up by the hurricane crank flashlight/multitool that was strapped to the belt that held her rifle on her back; it lit her face and wings up in an eerie cool light. She waved at the guards in the darkness, calling out, “It’s Gabrielle from St. Magdalen’s in Hayes. Gerald said we’d be expected. The caravan’ll be here in ten minutes or so.”

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"Right," the guard replied, though he didn't sound too sure. "Come on in, then. Welcome to Fox's." Clearly, he didn't know that Gabrielle had been here once before.

When the caravan arrived, there was some confusion. Some of the men expected to have to quarantine them, but Ger waived it. “We know they’re clean,” he said, “Dan and some others just went there and verified they’re friendlies.” The others accepted his statements after a moment’s pause.

In a short time, Gabrielle had seen to the survivors of Des Moines. “Do we know what happened, exactly?” Ger asked, watching the survivors settle down. “The group Bond found didn’t seemed just as shaken.”

“Group Bond found?” Gabrielle asked, hoping for clarification.

“Yeah, they claimed to be survivors from Des Moines, too.”

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Gabrielle sent one of her people off to let the refugees know, hoping that some sort of happy reunion might come of this. She thought about asking Ger how many Bond had rescued, but it didn't matter right now. It was however many it was, and there was much to be done before Fox and his people and their own batch of rescuees made it back to the Refuge.

To Ger she explained, "They came to attack us at Hayes; retribution for what we had done under Elijah's direction. They corralled most of the zombie in the town and tried to set up some sort of fire trap. We managed to stop most of it, but not before one of their own people was killed and several other severely injured." She sighed, her eyes sad, "They thought they were going home, and then that was taken from them as well. They need solace, a reason to have hope again."

Her people had been moving the entire time she Ger conversed: tents were springing up, grills were being set up and started, supplies were being stacked up in a central area, and the younger members of the congregation were sent out to ask the people still awake and about in the Refuge if they or anyone they knew possessed certain skill sets. Medical training, psychiatric training, and counseling were at the tops of the lists. They were also instructed to invite anyone they found over the staging area for a hot meal and to ask them if there was any shortage of necessary items at the refuge that they could help with.

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Ger looked past her. "Did you leave anything behind," he asked gruffly, "like the kitchen sink?"

"We brought one of those, too," Caleb said evenly from his position just behind Gabrielle. For a moment, the angelic nova thought he was being funny, but he added, "We couldn't be sure of what you'd have."

Ger just looked at him and nodded. "What else do you folks need then? Anything? Or just for me to get the hell out of your way?"

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The two members of Magdalen's exchanged a look and Gabrielle turned back to Ger. She shifted her wings in thought and discomfort; she'd never flown so far before and the muscles of her back and shoulders were several hours past protesting. The stares from the Refuge passerby's weren't helping either, though she kept reminding herself that if they weren't attached to her back, she'd be staring too.

"Well, if there's anywhere here with power and hot running water, it'd be a much better idea to set this up to funnel people there for medical check-ups, getting them clean and warm, and if there's room, bunking them down there. We've got enough propane and wood with us to heat up quite a bit of water if you don't, but it'll take a lot longer and we'll probably run out before we're done. Also, do you have a doctor or nurse? Or any sort of mental health professional? We brought Josephine with us, she was an RN, but these women are probably going to need a lot more than.....well, a lot more than one woman can do alone."

She took a breath, banishing the shadowed thoughts all this was brining up, "So, we could use any modern up-and-running buildings you might have, and anyone with medical or counseling training. Other than, just willing hands and hearts. From what I was told about this prison there's likely to be many people needing comfort tonight."

Caleb shifted uneasily behind her, clearly agitated himself; it was easy for Ger to sense the same kind of anger he'd felt when he'd heard about this sick 'Paradise'. Elsewhere all around Fox's Refuge Gabrielle's congregation continued spreading out, letting people know they were there and that they were both offering and asking for help.

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"Dr. Shattuck went with them to do immediate care," Ger said gruffly. "Dr. Singh is around here somewhere, I'll have security rouse him. As for hot water - it's best to take over both sets of showerhouses for a few hours and let them get clean that way. Violet's got some rooms, but she's with them, so we can't ask about using them. And we might be able to take a few through the command building, in guarded groups." At Gabrielle's expression, he clarified, "Restricted area."

"Can't you unrestrict it for this?" Caleb asked, frowning.

Ger shook his head. "That's Fox's call, and he's gone with them," he explained. "Walker's the only super here, but he doesn't have that kind of authority." He shook his head. "It's not personal. It's just procedure."

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Gabrielle sighed but nodded, "Alright." Chairs and a small folding table had been brought over to them, along with a hand-crank multi-use flashligh/floodlight. Gabrielle pulled out a notebook and a pencil and began sketching out shapes on the page. "Could you tell me what each of these buildings are for and if we can use them?"

Ger took the pencil and they began going over the buildings one by one, deciding that they could condense most of the contents of the garage, the supplies building, and the extra things being stored in the cafeteria and clinic into storage areas in the armorie and dormatories where Fox's men lived. Ger dispatched a few people to get the process started and to have guards on the armory so no one tried to nab an illicit weapon in the chaos. Gabrielle's people started moving the medical supplies to the clinic and distributing the other comforts likes clothes, blankets, and care packages made up of baked and fresh foods, toiletries, extra clothes, and the stuffed animals Josephine had suggested that they loot from the children's section of a Target on the way to the refuge to the rest of the buildings designated as available emergency shelters. Ger and Gabrielle discussed how to control the flow of people into the refuge and went over the people and resources available from both refuges.

The flurry of activity as well as the number of new people in the refuge was pulling curious onlookers out from their tents now. Rumors were beginning to circulate on who, and what, had shown up at the refuge. Gabrielle's wings and her close proximity to the current highest ranking member of Fox's security team in the refuge made her and easy figure to pick out. The curious and frightful and just plain bored were starting to crowd around the activity, making a natural peremiter at the edge of the lights provided by the new camp lights and fire pits that had sprung up.

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Yesterday...

This compound was larger then the last few he had seen. Most likely it had more people too. That gave Abraham hope. He wondered how kind these people were. This new world had bread a harsh breed of people mostly. Still, even the harshest man could still be righteous. Walking up to the front gate he called.

"Pardon me, but might I beg entrance in to your compound. I am known as Father Abraham."

As he was put in the spot light he smiled kindly up. He held up his arms slightly so they could see he had nothing but his priest robes and a cross around his neck. The Bible he held in his hand the only other possession he felt he needed anymore.

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"Hey, Father, all are welcome if they follow Fox's rules. Captain Morgan Fox owns this place. No killing, no thievin', no hurtin' others in general," the first guard said. He paused to spit a line of tobacco juice out. "Other than that, no weapons. Gotta problem with that, just talk ta Fox. He's the one who can exempt ya."

"Come on, this is a man of God," another guard said. He opened the gate into a small, fenced-in area. A small building constructed of a wooden frame and tin siding waited to the side. "I doubt he worries about that stuff much."

"It won't be a problem," Father Abraham assured them, entering the gate. This place was better; a handful of children were dashing by the fence, playing. They slowed to stare at him, their eyes wide. Then they were off again, fearless and playful in this refuge from the dead.

Over the next two hours, he was shown to a bunk in that building and examined by a tired-looking Indian doctor. The building was segregated inside into individual wire cages, with doors that locked on both sides. It didn't take much to figure out why.

After cooling his heels for the next twenty-two hours, he was released into the Refuge. "Welcome, Father," the guard said, nodding. "There's some visitors over that way - they're preparing for incoming wounded. They'd probably appreciate your help."

"And one's an angel!" the other guard on duty exclaimed.

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"An Angel? This I should see." Abraham gave them both a kind smile and walked in the direction they had indicated. If only angels were among them, he mused. He quickly turned his mind to the task at hand. They said they were preparing for wounded so his aid would be needed. He saw the group forming and approached. Then suddenly stopped. The crowd was gathering around a guard and a woman with...wings? Was it possible? Regaining his composure he made his way through the crowd to the woman.

"Hello, I am Father Abraham and I hear you have some wounded coming in, I believe I can offer some aid."

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Gabrielle and Ger both looked up at the voice; Fox's man nodded to the priest, having heard about his arrival the day before. Gabrielle looked the man over with open curiosity. Her voice was light and pleasant when she spoke, just the perfect mix of interested and innocent to put anyone at ease. "Father Abraham? Are you a priest, then?"

There was a note of hope in her voice and quick exchange of glances between her and a tall, well muscled blond man hovering at her side. There was certainly an unearthly air about the winged woman, a sort of sanctity and serenity that surrounded her in a haze of calm. She was dressed nicely but simply in jeans and sort of halter that was obviously sewn together to accommodate the over six foot each wingspan emerging from her shoulder blades. A slender length of chain held a small charm around her neck; it was the right shape and size to be a saint's medallion, but the gloom made it nearly impossible to make out the casting. Her clothes were dusty from travel and her hair still tangled from hours in the wind, but she was radiant. A regal creature amidst a world of destruction, despair, and above all the horror of death.

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Abraham chuckled and held up the Bible. "In truth my first name is Father and this just happens to be the only reading I have on me." His voice was light hearted and made it clear his joke was meant to be only that.

"I am not only a priest but I have some very basic knowledge of treating wounds. If there is anything I can do to help you all I would be glad to. All I would ask in return perhaps is a name to put to that....angelic face. Even a name for your companion would be welcomed."

Every once and awhile she could see him glance around the area. He seemed to be trying to decide something in his head.

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She smiled warmly, relief and hope shining through her expression. "I'm Gabrielle. Gabrielle Celeste Alma Andrews," she held out her hand as her full Christian name rolled off her tongue. Her father had taught her that a priest could learn a lot about you just by knowing your whole name, and if your priest knew you well then they were in the best position to help you serve God and achieve Grace.

She motioned to the man next to her, "This is Caleb." The tall youth quietly filled out the rest of his name for the newcomer and shook hands as well. Gabrielle smiled beatifically again, "You're truly God-sent, Father Abraham. From what I've been told about the prison these women are being rescued from, they'll need more than just band aids and new clothes." Her expression clouded at that thought, but she pushed past it. "We don't know exactly what condition people will be in when they arrive, so we've been figuring out what we can with what's here and what we brought. If it's alright with you, perhaps in the morning you would be willing to hold Mass? And confession?"

The last was said with a hint of some need, something masked but hurting in herself or in someone she cared about. He'd seen it before in congregations, in the pews during Mass or the prayers said at the foot of statues after or in the quiet tones of the confessional where only he and God were there to hear. Caleb wouldn't quite meet the Father's eyes, but every line in his body screamed the tension and pain that Gabrielle's voice only hinted at.

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He shook her hand and placed his other on her shoulder. His voice very soft and his smile now purely caring. "My dear Gabrielle you have nothing to fear. Once we have seen to the physical wounds we will see to the wounds to the soul that I am sure all here have suffered. I am not a phantom who is going to vanish come sunrise. Our Father in Heaven directed me hear and I will remain until there is no more need of me. Now I will go aid where I can with getting ready for the wounded."

With that he turned and walked towards where the activity seemed to be at its highest. Perhaps this was the place he had been seeking. That however was a subject to bring up tomorrow or the day after. Before these people could truly help others first they needed some help.

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Gabrielle and her shadow watched the priest wander off to the center of the chaos with lighter hearts and hopeful smiles. His presence, everything that was happening, to them is seemed an affirmation from the Lord that were finally and truly back on the righteous path. She took up her seat again across from Ger and resumed their planning with much more energy and hope than she had started with.

Eventually there was nothing left to plan, no more people or supplies or thoughts to move about. It was the quiet in the Refuge before the coming storm. It was the time to wait.

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She let the planning peter out before she said anything, pulling her stool closer to young soldier to give them at least the semblance of privacy. "Is everything alright, Ger?"

She was a little more used to the constant presence of other people's emotions around her, and even more than before she had been reborn other's pain called out to her for what she could offer as a balm. He could feel that at this moment he held her entire attention, a strange sensation for a generation of people encouraged, even required to spend so much of their life multitasking and little encouraged to create close, lasting relationships with others. Stable lives, after all, weren't nearly dramatic enough to fuel consumerism and voracious capitalism. The tv's were silent now, though, and the billboards and magazines were nearly six months out of step with a postapocalyptic zombie world; and an angel was watching him with impossible blue eyes and wings that nearly circled the two of them in.

"You seem....unhappy." Her voice was low and soft, insistant in it's caring, "Is there something we could do, something to help? It would be nice to see you smile." From anyone else, the line would have been flirtatious and coy; with Gabrielle there was simply too much of air of innocence about her for it to be taken as anything other than it was: an honest desire to see another human being happy enough to show it.

Click to reveal..
Gabrielle has Natural Empath and Soothe (though she hasn't made the latter activate yet).
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"Who isn't unhappy right now?" Ger said weakly, his eyes not meeting Gabrielle's for a moment. When he did, she saw him flinch away. Finally, he said, "Have you tried to grow anything? I mean, plant it in the dirt and get crops to grow? Have you? Has it worked?"

He stared at her intently, as if the answer was incredibly important. And maybe it was more important than the surface implications of his questioning - the earth had always given her bounty freely. What did it mean that she had stopped that gift?

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She answered carefully, her own improved mind going over the implications and the possibilities. "No, we've been living on the canned food at the school mostly. We wanted the power station up before winter and we have enough to get us through until spring at least."

She glanced away from Ger, remembering the dark square patches of earth she'd seen when she flew in. Those must be fields... Had the z-plague somehow infected the ground? It could spread through water, right? So it was possible, and maybe it was killing off new plants....except there were weeds growing around the college, and other plants that were pretty short-lived....so why wouldn't their fields grow? Is this why so many of the ones like her didn't have to eat? What would this mean for her peo-....The Lord provides.

It was her mantra and her hope; the only way she knew to keep going. She took a deep breath, centering herself and turning back to the young soldier. He felt a hand on his shoulder and sense of serenity pass from the angel to him.* "The Lord provides, Ger. We have food for now, and there are plants growing. Maybe not what we're used to eating, maybe not the high yield crops we're used to, but then we don't need as much food as we did before. We have the time to figure this out. We might have to learn to like dandelions and crab-grass salads, but we'll live." She smiled at him at the last of that, her own conviction not the burning blaze of fanaticism but the soft glow of someone that had as much faith in the people around her as she did in her god. Caleb behind her looked less confident, but he kept to his silent support of his angel.

*

Click to reveal..
Activating Soothe
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Ger was silent, then shook his head. "No, that's all platitudes, designed to make me think it’s ok when it’s not,” he said, his voice thick with pain and emotion. “The Earth has stopped growing crops for us. It’s not letting us make food anymore. So what if we live off weeds and flowers? Don’t you see what this means?

It means that the world has given up on us.

Ger stared at her with wide eyes, and she could see how deeply he felt this. His despair, now that he’d unleashed it, rose up like a tsunami and it was all the worse because she was touching him. Her false calm kept him quiet, but she could feel his emotions rising against what she was doing. “God is gone. He’s withdrawn his blessings. Once, we were given food freely, then we had to toil to gain sustenance from the earth. Now, we can’t even do that. God loves the supers, not us. Not anymore.”

His hand was tight on his holstered sidearm, but Gabrielle didn’t feel that she was threatened by him. His pain seemed far too personal and self-directed to endanger her.

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"Ger, the Earth never grew crops. We did. This must be how Adam and Eve felt, leaving the Garden and having to learn how to provide for themselves." Her voice was soft and thoughtful; her eyes linger on the gun for a moment and then sought out his. "War, Pestilence, Death, and Famine, Ger. If these are the end times, then we are facing them all. God may be testing us, but he has always kept his covenants: with Abraham and Moses and Noah, and most of all with his Holy Son, Jesus Christ. We are never abandoned by our Father."

Her hand slipped down his shoulder to rest on the hand on his gun. "Tribulations, whether personal or planetary, are not pleasant and never easy. You are here, Ger. God has a plan for you as He does for all His children, and in this time of struggle and strife he has sent those amongst us who can help and guide and heal." He could feel warmth spreading through him from her, a feeling of hazy summer afternoons where everything in the world was warm and bright and right. She smiled at him, her faith and conviction shining through. "God loves you, Ger. The supers aren't a denial of that, they're proof. God will always love you."

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"I... I don't know if I can believe that," Ger said hoarsely, "not anymore. I can't!" His face fell, and to Gabrielle's shock, the man put his face forward into his hands. His shoulders started to shake and sobs eked out through his fingers. The angel watched as the big man broke down completely, the fragile shell he'd been hiding behind gone in the face of her sincerity and faith.

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The angel's wings pulled in around the two of the, granting some protection from curious onlookers, as Gabrielle slipped her arms around Ger. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

"You can, Ger. Look around you. Look at the people here, how they are building new lives together. Look at tonight and everything that will be accomplished before the dawn. Night is always darkest before the light, it is the way it must be, or how could ever understand how beautiful and special the day is?" He could feel that warmth radiating off of her again, as she were made sunlight. "Remember, your life is not yours. Your body, your mind, your soul is given to you as a gift from the Heavenly Father. Any time your life feels like a burden, remember that it is not your burden. Your Father is there, with you, always. Listen to your heart and it will guide you, listen to your soul and it will tell you what is right and what is righteous."

She shifted and took his hands in her own, pulling them down from his face so that she could look him in the eyes. "And if your heart is broken and you cannot hear your soul, then trust in those that have given their lives up to God. Do you think it mere coincidence that led Father Abraham to this place just in time? He is here for many reason, many prayers, but one of those reasons, Ger, one of those prayers is yours."

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Ger was quiet for a moment, his crying stilling. "I can't believe," he said softly. "Trials from God are things like losing your house or having a loved one die. They aren't zombies. Maybe you're right. But I can't feel it right now. It's all too... lost."

And Ger looked the same. Lost. He was calmer, thanks to Gabrielle's powers, but she could see it wasn't truly better. This wasn't a cure, but it might be a first step.

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"Alright," she said softly as she stood up and gave him a sisterly kiss on his temple. "Just try to remember, even if you can't believe in God right now, He still believes in you."

She smiled and held out a hand for him to stand as well, "Until then, we have quite a few people here and on the way depending on us." The smile became an encouraging grin, "Idle hands and all that. Let's go see what's been done and what still needs doing, okay?"

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  • 2 weeks later...

Walker had an ability that made him unique – even amongst the so-called ‘supers’. No, it wasn’t his ability to count to twenty without taking off his shoes, which was kind of impressive and all, but when you got right down to it, most folks could count to twenty without taking off their shoes, so that wasn’t a very unique ability at all, now was it?

Besides, Walker didn’t usually wear shoes anyway.

No, the thing that made him a one of kind commodity in a post-Z world was his ability to pass undetected by the zombie hordes all around them. A deader could be standing inches from him, and if Walker didn’t want the zed-head to know he was there, then it didn’t. Simple as that.

So it should come as no surprise that Walker was the Refuge’s primary scout, and did most of the local reconnaissance in the area. Which is exactly what he’d been doing – and had been doing since before dawn that day – when he’d first spotted the massive caravan barreling down the highway in the direction of the Refuge. Even without the honest-to-god angel flying point, a caravan that size would have attracted Walker’s interest. Throw in a flying woman with a five meter wingspan, and it was impossible to ignore.

So Walker decided to cut short his current circuit of the area a bit and started circling back around towards the Refuge. If the caravan was heading towards Fox’s Refuge then he wanted to know what was going on, and even if all of those vehicles just passed right on by, Ger would still want to know about it. And anyway, from the direction that Walker knew he would wind up approaching the Refuge from, he figured he’d have a very good opportunity to perform one of his other major duties around the Refuge: finding holes in the perimeter security.

Walker regularly made a habit of entering the Refuge without using the Main Gate. He also made a special point of doing so without using his ability to turn invisible (which ability was not how he evaded detection from the zeds – half of them didn’t even have eyes so whether Walker was visible or not didn’t even matter to them), since the entire point was to see if the perimeter guards would spot him attempting to ‘break in’ or not – which they had no real hope of doing if they couldn’t even see him.

When the guards managed to spot him they got big kudos for it, when they failed, Walker reported as much to Ger. Depending on the circumstances, this could result in nothing more than a tightening of security in that area, or it could result in the lax guard or guards being royally chewed out. Either way, the end result was that the Refuge was becoming increasingly secure, and already Walker was beginning to find it difficult to sneak in without being spotted.

This time however, he managed to get in undetected, which was disappointing but not entirely surprising under the circumstances. Walker could tell immediately that the caravan had indeed come to Fox’s, and it almost seemed that an entire new Tent Town was springing up before his eyes. Needless to say, the perimeter guards were a bit distracted.

***************

Walker approached Ger and the angel in manner that was, in his mind, very casual and non-stealthy, but he still managed to more or less appear out of nowhere right next to Ger.

Ger”, Walker said matter-of-factly, by way of a ‘hello’, his strained and damaged voice barely carrying over all of the nearby activity. By way of explanation, he offered, “Saw the caravan from the highway about twenty miles out. Figured I’d come see what was goin’ on.”.

Walker turned his carapace eyes briefly in Gabrielle’s direction, nodded politely (but with a motion of the neck and head that seemed just a bit ‘off’), and said simply, “Ma’am.

Then he turned back to Ger and continued in his oddly truncated way of speaking, “Jus’ so y’know, found another hole in the perimeter. Northeast corner. Spread’s too wide there. Almost fifteen seconds between patrols. Let me slip right in.

Having said so much, Walker turned his head to the side in a single, eerily graceful motion and let out one rough cough. Then he turned back to face the Refuge’s head of security, and the angel at his side, and waited.

Walker was good at waiting.

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Ger jumped at Walkers arrival and his hand twitched toward his gun. He recognized the man fast enough to pull away from that action. Walker noted that the man looked distraught as he faced him. "Walker, thanks for the update. I'll... shift things around. Have you met Gabrielle?" At Walker's head shake, Ger said, "Walker, this is Gabrielle, who's the leader of another refuge. Gabrielle, this is our best scout, Walker."

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Gabrielle nodded and gave the man an only slightly nervous smile. "Pleased to meet you, Walker."

The way the man moved gave Gabrielle the willies, but she put on her brave face and tried not to let it show. It wasn't fair to judge people just because it was dark, the world was full of zombies, and they moved kind of how you would think a spider or praying mantis would move if it were man-shaped. Her brow knit as she listened to the strain in his voice as he gave his report, but hesitated to say anything. Now wasn't really the time to ask about something that might be sore subject for the scout.

Caleb stepped into the short silence that followed and offered to Walker and Ger, "If you need more guards, I can send some men over to help out while we're here."

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Though his strange eyes gave no indication of having moved, Gabrielle nonetheless felt Walker's gaze shift back towards her as she spoke.

"Pleased to meet you too, ma'am", he offered in return.

Gabrielle most certainly did not give Walker the willies, but she did make him uncomfortable. Since coming to Fox's, Walker had come across more than one woman whose beauty was quite literally beyond easy description. Especially for a man of limited vocabulary like him. Gabrielle was one of those women. Though, looking closer, he realized she was really just a girl. Which only made him more uncomfortable.

When a man is confronted with a woman whose beauty would rank higher than a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, it generally takes that man a certain amount of self-discipline and willpower to keep from staring at her like a fool. Needless to say, when a man is confronted with a woman whose beauty is entirely off the scale, things can become much more... awkward.

Fortunately, Walker's self-discipline was nearly as superhuman as Gabrielle's beauty, so he managed to not be any more creepy than usual. Even so, women like Gabrielle or Violet reminded him that he wasn't the only one whose appearance had been changed by whatever it was that had created the so-called 'supers'. He wondered if it left them feeling as isolated as it did him.

Idly, Walker wondered how Ger kept it together so well. The guy spent more time around supers than he did, it seemed. Though now that he was looking at him, Walker noticed that he seemed more than a little troubled. He'd have to keep an eye on him, in case there turned out to be anything he could do to help (which Walker doubted), and in case whatever it was caused Ger to become derelict in his duties.

Originally Posted By: Gabrielle
Caleb stepped into the short silence that followed and offered to Walker and Ger, "If you need more guards, I can send some men over to help out while we're here."
Walker appreciated the young man's offer. At the same time, he knew that Ger and his security team took their jobs seriously, and he wasn't sure if they would appreciate 'outsiders' stepping in and offering help that they might not feel they needed. And it was Ger's call anyway, so he remained motionless (disturbingly so) and waited to see what the man's answer would be.
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Ger shook his head. "No, people have to learn to cover their own gaps without outside help. And as far as I know, you folks aren't staying."

"Not to my knowledge, sir," Caleb said, nodding. "Still glad to help."

"And I thank you," Ger said. He looked around, his red eyes avoiding anyone else. "I need to see to some patrols." Almost before he was done speaking, he'd turned and walked away.

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Walker watched impassively as Ger left, his neck seeming to rotate further than a human neck should be able to as his pitch black eyes followed the head of security's progress away from them.

Then, in one smooth motion, Walker brought his face and eyes back around to bear on Gabrielle and Caleb.

"You folks need any help here?"

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Abraham had gathered a group together and was teaching them basic first aid and how to identify more serious wounds. He had spent plenty of time in hospitals in his life and had picked up a few things. Everyone was tense. He was doing all he could to keep them occupied so that when the wounded arrived no one would try to go too quickly. For those who could not seem to pick up the first aid he started instructing them on how to comfort the victims.

"Everyone has some way that they can help. Whether it be treating wounds, running for supplies, carrying wounded, or just talking." He gave them all a smile.

As time continued to pass and he had nothing else to teach people he started walking around and giving short prayers for those who wished them.

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Gabrielle's eyes flicked to Ger, sad and hopeful at the same time, but she let him go. She managed to smile at Walker, and shrugged, "Of course, if you don't have duties or obligations somewhere else."

She motioned him to follow here and three of them set out about the camp, helping where it was needed either with sure hands or kind words.

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