Chapter 2: Scavenge, Search, and Rescue
Marcus and Ed scavenged all the nearby campsites, Ed found a large backpack and put it on. He and Marcus stuffed the backpacks with all the food and medicine they could find, Ed found a machete and looked at it lustfully, it was brand new and looked expensive. "I bet I can take down those psychos real easy with this." He told Marcus. Marcus shook his head and walked out of the tent, the two walked over to the cabins. They entered the first one which had three psychos in it, they ran at the two men who put them down with ease. Marcus bashed one's head in with his board, and Ed chopped off one's head. They then took down the third one, after that Marcus and Ed scavenged the luggage that lay on the floor. Ed found a .22 rifle with 10 bullets, he loaded the gun and cocked it. "So much for our annual fishing trip." Ed told Marcus. "Yeah." Marcus replied somberly. "So what next year camping at Crystal Lake?" Ed asked sarcastically. Marcus ignored his comments as they walked to the next cabin. They found it empty and picked clean, Marcus just shut the door and walked off the porch. "Today went downhill fast." Marcus told Ed. "I know, any chance we can just hole up in a cabin with the rest of the tequila till this all blows over?" Marcus asked. "Somehow I doubt it." Marcus replied. "Yeah me too." Ex uttered.
From a distance they heard a noise, they looked up and across the camp. "You hear that?" Marcus asked. "Yeah gunshots, somebody might still be alive up here." Ed replied. The two men started running towards the sound, they passed up the ranger station and kept going. The gunshots were getting closer, Marcus pinpointed the sound to a stream down the hill. They quickly sprinted down the hill towards the source of the sound, Marcus and Ed jumped over the hill and landed. "Colten? Strant?" They heard a voice shout. They spotted a woman who looked to be around 25 wearing a yellow jacket, yoga pants, and boots holding a rifle shooting off a hoard of those things. Marcus and Ed joined in, the three of them started shooting at the psychos. After they were all down the woman looked at them, her hair was black and in a ponytail and she looked to be of Hispanic descent. "Thanks." She told them. Marcus was taken back by her looks, she was a pretty woman. "No problem, I'm Marcus. This is Ed." He replied. "Maya." She told them. "Are you alright Maya?" Ed asked. "Aside from getting attacked by psychopaths and watching mu two best friends die? Yeah I'm peachy." Maya replied in an aggressive and sarcastic manner. "Sorry I asked." Ed said. "So is it this bad everywhere?" Maya asked. "Man I hope not, we got some survivors at the ranger station that seem to know what's going on. But we didn't have time for orientation." Marcus replied. "Well let's get the hell back there." Maya told Marcus. "Do you want to take point or should I? She asked him seeing his leadership skill.
Marcus led the two up the hill and back to the ranger station, they worked their way through the woods. "What the hell are you doing up here anyway?" Marcus asked Maya. "Me and a couple guys from my unit come up here to do some deer hunting." Maya replied. "You're in the army?" Ed asked. "You don't miss much do you? Anyway we were on our way back when those psychos rushed us out of nowhere." Maya told them. "What happened?" Marcus asked. "You see me? You see Colten or Strant? You do the math." Maya replied. Marcus turned around and looked at her angrily, she then knew at that moment Marcus was noty the type to get smart with. They continued into the parking lot, the trio approached the ranger station and Marcus opened the door. Everyone was dead, most of them looked like they were torn apart except for Thomas. "What the hell?" Marcus asked in a confused tone. "I thought you had survivors holed up here?" Maya asked. "They were fine just a second ago." Marcus replied. "Well obviously not anymore." Maya replied in a sarcastic aggressive tone. Marcus took off his belt and walked towards Maya who started backing away in a scared manner. "Hey Marcus cool it, somebody might have survived." Ed told Marcus. Marcus put his belt back on and watched as Ed checked Thomas's corpse for a pulse. "No he's dead…." Ed told the other two. "Yeah." Marcus simply said. "Well let's see if he's got a wallet on him or something." Ed told Marcus. "What the hell Ed?" Marcus asked in a shocked and disgusted tone. "To check his ID for Pete's sake." Ed replied defensively.
Just then Thomas's corpse came to life, it had the same look about him as the rest of the psychopaths. It pounced on Ed pinning him down, Thomas then bit into Ed's neck. Ed screamed in pain, he finally found the words to speak. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!" Ed shouted. Marcus sprang into action, he took his 2x4 and smashed Thomas's head in. He and Maya helped Ed to his feet, Ed looked at Thomas's corpse then back at the duo. "He was dead, I swear that guy was dead! How the hell does that happen?" Ed asked in a scared tone. "I don't know man, it doesn't make sense." Marcus replied. "We can't stay here, come on. Let's grab what we can and head out." Maya told the men. She raided the supply locker, she put all the bullets, snacks, and pain meds she could find in there. Marcus and Ed grabbed the weapons out of there, once their backpacks were full Marcus walked outside with Maya and Ed following him. "So what are you two doing up here romantic getaway?" She asked Marcus and Ed. Marcus ignored her snide remark, he was more worried about the copious amounts of blood oozing from his best friend's neck. "Fishing trip, sort of our annual get out of the rat race and relax and drink till you puke ritual." Marcus replied. "And our get hit on by hot bait shop clerks ritual." Ed said happily. "She wasn't that hot Ed." Marcus said cynically. "Don't listen to him, he's jealous." Ed told Maya defensively. "She had a fucking mustache." Marcus said with a laugh. "It was just a little one." Ed muttered in defeat.
They left the ranger station and made it to the industrial supply store, Ed looked at the keys in his hand. They matched the logo on the back of the pickup truck parked outside the warehouse. "So what now?" Maya asked Marcus. "I don't know, I guess we head to town and try to find…somebody." Marcus replied. "Yeah or…" Ed told the group with an idea. "Or?" Maya asked. "I kinda took Tom's walkie talkie, maybe we can raise someone on it." Ed told the other two. "Jesus Ed, why'd you do that?" Marcus asked Ed frustratingly. "I don't know, I figured if he had a radio there must be someone on the other end." Ed replied m "So you robbed a dead guy, and you expect his friends to help us out?" Maya asked. "Who said they're his friend, who knows they might have hated the guy." Ed replied. "Dad." A woman's voice sounded through the radio. "Oh shit." Ed said regretfully. "Dad is that you?" The voice said. "Hello?" Ed asked taking the walkie talkie from Ed's hand. "Who are you? How did you find this channel?" The voice asked. "Listen we're here on Mt Tanner, my friend's hurt and needs medical attention. Can you help us?" Marcus asked her. "Can you make it to Spencer's Mill? I got a group of survivors at the church, if your friend doesn't look too dicey we'll let you in." The voice replied. "The church in Spencer's Mill. You got it, we'll try not to look too dicey." Marcus told her. Ed gave Marcus the keys to the truck, Marcus got behind the wheel and Maya got in the passenger side, Ed jumped in the bed. Marcus started the truck and left the warehouse, they drove down the road and to the bridge.