The radio crackled and hissed, occasional words and voices could be heard amongst the chaotic buzzing of the interference. The signal, had been weak for years, though small cities and communities had been set up across the country, safe havens from the living dead, it seemed technology like the majority of the American population, had hardly survived.

"Carrying child... a member of... dead..." Peter looked across to the black box radio, his eyebrows meeting in the centre of his forehead in a frown, intrigued by what he thought he had just heard. He reached over pulling the heavy metal box it towards him; twisting the tuner in an attempt to find a better frequency

"What is it?" Verity said, moving to kneel beside him and the radio, her knee pulled up to her chest and her finger lacing the hardy black boots she wore before venturing out into the wild once called America; "what did you hear?"

"A disturbing message, if I'm correct." He turned the tuner the other way and the voice of an old man came through loud and clear, they sat listening to it silently exchanges glances of both shock and curiosity.

"I repeat a member of the living dead has been sited, 50 miles north west of the base; the subject appears to be with child. We call for our soldiers and free lance hunters to retrieve her and bring her in. A hefty reward will be available to those who can perform this task. We must discover the truth..." Another voice, one of a woman, broke in; she spoke smoothly pronouncing every word with an articulate clarity.

"Are you seriously suggesting that the foetus inside her womb could have survived? I don't need to remind you professor that this is impossible."

"Impossible?" Fran said, appearing in the doorway of the small cottage, "It seems anything can be possible now..." She stepped inside, putting the logs she had collected onto the small fire in the fireplace. Peter had pulled a map from a large chest of drawers that sat in the far corner of the room, and was now calculating the specific location that the elderly scientist had given.

"Wait, that's by the mall!" Peter said standing up. "By God, it would be nice to go back there, get some gear and take the prize into the docs, check out what's going on down at the base." Fran sighed, looking at him, a concerned expression on her face.

"We lost two... friends the last time we were there Peter. Remember that?" Peter shook his head dismissively.

"And it could have been us if we hadn't stopped there." He said his piercing brown eyes staring into hers with conviction; Verity stood up between them. She knew full well of the 'friends' her mother referred to; her father, Steven, had been one of them and the other Roger an ex member of the armed defence like Peter. They'd had made a fortress in an indoor shopping centre back when the 'crisis' have first begun, before she was born. The details of exactly what passed during their stay were never fully given to her but she knew that it had, had fatal results.

"Besides," She interjected "you guys have an advantage over the others who'll be looking for that thing; you know your way round the place we can get the stuff quick, hide from the zombies, spy out the pregnant chick and take her down to the base." Fran now met her daughter's eyes, folding her arms and shaking her greying haired head.

"We? If we do go, you won't be coming, it's too dangerous." Verity sighed in anguish, and moved closer to her mother,

"Mother, most of the zombies are nearly two decades old! They're decomposed and immobile, I know how to handle myself; you brought me up strong."

"And smart" Said Peter butting in, "we could really use you sister. Fran, give the kid a chance, she's been out with me dozens of times, I've seen her in action; she's got more skills then you give her credit for." He said in his 'omniscient' way. Fran turned away from them in frustration and worry.

"I couldn't bear to lose you in the same way and the same place I lost your father. Do you understand!" she paused looking at Peter and Verity in turn and thinking for a moment before realising that she was fighting a loosing battle.

"Fine, let's get some stuff together, that place will be over run." Peter cocked his gun and smirked:

"Good."