I do not own Highschool of the DEAD or its characters.
Updated: 10/19/13
Tomasa awoke to find the spot beside him empty. Feeling with his hand, he could tell it was still warm from Shizuka's body. Lying in the dark, his mind churned with thoughts of the world since Z-Day had hit. He raised his head as he heard the rustle of clothing and could see the shape of the buxom blond slipping back into the bed beside him.
"I thought you had left," he said quietly.
"No, just had to pee," she replied as she cuddled back next to him. "Besides you're too warm right now for me to run off to a cold bed."
Smiling, he kissed her lightly on the forehead and snuggled in next to her. "Thank you," he whispered as she stroked his face with her hand.
"You're welcome," she said as she ran a fingernail up and down his chest. "Is there anything else I can do for you…hmm?"
He took her hand in his and kissed the palm. "I'm not ready yet, but I'll take a rain check if it's okay. I would like to spend some more nights like this with you though if possible."
She kissed him softly on the lips and nodded, "Once we get settled in this camp of yours, we'll see what we can do."
Looking at his watch, Tomasa said, "I think we need to get up and start looking at getting this show back on the road. I want to get out of the city as soon as we can, even if it means pushing harder than we have been."
She nodded again, "I used to love the city, but now, it scares me. I want to get out in the country and breathe some fresh air that doesn't stink of rotting corpses."
Tomasa rolled over and pushed her down on the bed, claiming her lips in a passionate kiss. Shizuka responded, clutching him to her and moaning as they broke for air.
"Are you sure there is nothing I can do for you right now?" she asked with a giggle as she ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.
"Let's just call that payment on account" he said as he smiled and crawled from the bed.
000
As she slipped out of Tomasa's room, Shizuka found Rika standing in the hall, leaning against the wall. "Hey," Rika said. "You have fun?"
Shizuka stepped over and hugged her friend, "You know it wasn't about that."
Rika smiled, "Yes I do, but it doesn't mean it couldn't have become about that."
Shizuka shook her head on Rika's shoulder, "He's not ready yet. He was almost at the point of breaking down. I'll need to keep a watch on him the next few days. Did you get any sleep?"
Rika shrugged her shoulders, "A little. Somebody had to ride herd over this bunch through the night."
Shizuka leaned up and gave her a quick peck on the lips, "Will this get any better when we get to the camp?"
"It should, we are supposed to have more troops there and real defenses that will give us solid warning if we are getting attacked by Them. We'll still need to have guards all night but…well we'll see when we get there."
Shizuka stepped back and started down the hall, "Good! I can't wait to get there!"
Tomasa came out of his room as Shizuka disappeared into hers. His eyes immediately fixed on Rika, "Hey Sarge, how is everything?"
Rika smiled, she could see he was more rested than before, "Good, nothing much going on. Lot of zeds around, but nothing we need to worry too about much."
Tomasa nodded, "I'm going to the roof and try to get in touch with HQ. I want to know who the hell is running around in a tank out here. Go ahead and start getting everyone up, I want to get out of the city as soon as we can."
Rika nodded and tossed off a half-hearted salute. She turned and started down the hall banging on doors and calling out, "Rise and shine! Get up, pack up and move to the lobby!"
000
Kohta and Saya had been up for a while. They had eaten a little bit from some MRE's, gotten good baths and were piled up in an easy chair with Saya in Kohta's lap, cuddling.
"Mmmmm…" Saya murmured as they broke their kiss. "We need one of these when we get a place."
Kohta smiled gave her another little peck on the lips. "We should try to find one of those recliners where we could sit like this or lay back."
"That would be nice," Saya said as she laid her head on his shoulder. She sighed, "Well I guess we better get up and finish packing. That's Rika's second trip down the hall. She'll start kicking in doors next!"
Kohta laughed as Saya stood up and starting checking the room to see if they had left anything.
000
Takashi snorted awake to find Saeko's foot pushing on his face. Somehow during the night she had gotten turned around in the bed with her head towards the foot. He chuckled as he reached down and tickled her in a sensitive spot, after which she squealed and kicked him upside the head.
A minute later they sat holding each other as Saeko kissed him over and over on the growing bruise, "I'm sorry my love! I didn't mean to do that to you!"
Takashi chuckled, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have tickled you like that with your feet so close. I should have known you would kick out."
She looked at the bruise again and said, "Well it doesn't look as bad as the one Rei gave you last week, but now you match with one on each side."
He frowned at her as she broke down into giggles and then laughter as they heard Rika banging on the door.
000
Paddy slowly opened his eyes to the sound of Rika's knocking and calling out. Taking a moment to remember where he was, he looked down at Rei who he was spooning with. Remembering with a smile, he hugged her a little closer and whispered in her ear, "Rei? Honey, we have to get up. Sarge is banging on the door."
She muttered a little and rolled over to face him. Opening her eyes halfway she looked up and smiled, "Ohayou, Irish."
"Ohayou," he replied as he leaned over and kissed her softly.
They cuddled for a moment before Rika banged on the door again calling for everyone to be in the lobby in fifteen minutes.
Getting up they dressed and packed what Rei had with her before Paddy headed out the door, where he found Saeko just about to knock.
"Ohayou, Patrick-san," she said, quickly regaining her composure. "Is Rei about ready?"
"Ohayou, Saeko-san, yes, come on in. I have to go get my kit from the other room. Meet you downstairs, Rei!" he called back over his shoulder as he bumped fists with Takashi in the hall.
Saeko smiled and leaned against the wall as Rei shoved the last few items in her pack, "So…how did things go, sister?"
Rei blushed lightly, "Very well. He is kind and gentle; he understood and had no problems with what I had to tell him. He is willing to accept me the way I am and work through it with me."
Saeko walked over and gave her a hug, "Wonderful! That is the type of man I thought he was. I'm so happy for you!"
They turned and walked out the door meeting Takashi in the hallway. Rei stopped as she looked at him with her head cocked to one side, "What happened to you?"
Takashi just sighed.
000
They reached the lobby with Rei still snickering about Takashi's 'accident'. The others were already there with Saya and Kohta sitting on a couch while Alice and Zeke lay on their laps. Walking up to them, the girls kissed Alice on her forehead while Takashi patted her.
"Saya-chan is going to ride with me today! Yaaay!" Alice exclaimed.
"Going to split the team up, Saya?" Takashi asked with a grin.
"Baka. We've been neglecting Alice so I am going to ride with them for a while. Rei, you and Saeko should join me too. Giba and little Masahiko are the only two males in Stryker 2 so it should be fun."
"Sorry but I need Rei and Saeko in Stryker 1 today," Rika said as she walked up. She had three web belts in her hands with holsters, pistols and clip holders on them. Holding them out she told Rei, Takashi and Kohta to each take one. "Toda is going to give you instruction today on the care and use of the M92 semi-automatic pistol. I want you wearing these from now on so you need to learn as much as you can."
"What about Saya?" Kohta asked as he set Zeke down on the floor.
"Saya does fine with the MP5. I know she has that Luger, but there is time later for her to practice with a pistol. You've had some training with a pistol and had been showing Saeko how to use it, but I knew you didn't have one to carry."
Kohta nodded as he cleared and checked his M92 and then showed Takashi and Rei how to do the same.
Tomasa came out of the stairwell with the last roof guard and walked over, "How's it look? Everyone accounted for?"
Rika nodded, "Just waiting on you. Find out anything?"
He shook his head, "No, HQ doesn't know of anyone that should - or would - have a tank in this area. Closest base they know of with tanks is a hundred kilometers to our west."
"Hmm…that's not good. Well, we're ready when you are," Rika said.
"Load'em up," he replied.
000
Minutes later they were loaded and on the road, keeping about 20 meters between them. They began their normal pattern of weaving through abandoned cars while pushing aside what they needed to. When the road got too full, they switched to the other lanes to get by. They worked their way down into the Ebina area and then cut south to try to cross the Sagami River at Kadosawabashi.
They were crawling up a hill in a business area and Kohta was using his binoculars to watch the road before them. As his line of sight topped the hill, he focused ahead and saw the bridge they were looking for with a tank sitting on it.
"T…ta…TANK! TANK ON THE BRIDGE!" Kohta called out as Tomasa called for an all stop as soon as he heard him.
"Paddy! Back us up and get back down behind the hill. I'll tell you when to stop," Tomasa said in a much calmer voice than he or Kohta felt. Behind them the convoy ground to a halt with every other vehicle turning left to cover each other.
Tomasa climbed on top of the Stryker and stood up as they eased back. When the tank disappeared from his line sight he keyed his mic, " Stop and shut it down Paddy."
The lieutenant, Kohta and Toda all climbed down and met Rika as she came over from the command Humvee. They walked forward, then got down and crawled till they could just see over the crest of the hill, getting a clear view of the scene below.
The Kadosawabashi bridge was a long high flat-span with a slight arch to it. It was surprisingly clear of vehicles and the tank was about one third of the way across, with its gun pointing up river.
"Does anyone know the type?" Tomasa asked.
"Looks to be a JSDF Type 74," Toda said with Kohta agreeing with him.
They watched for a while before Rika spoke up, "I'm not seeing any movement."
"Not seeing many of Them either," Kohta said. "Whatever they were shooting at is smoldering to the north of them also." He looked up at the sky, "With that smoke from the fire and these low clouds it's getting darker by the minute. I bet it's going to rain soon."
"I wonder if they're asleep in the tank, the top hatch is open," Toda said.
Tomasa sighed, "I don't know, but I guess we are just going to have to go down there. I had hoped to get an idea of who they were before we did."
"I'll go," Rika said. "I'll take Tatsumi and two others and check it out. It's only about a klick and a half so it shouldn't take too long."
"Alright go ahead," the lieutenant said. "Kohta, leave your binoculars and I want you on the .50. Send Takashi forward, I want him to observe how Rika works."
Nodding, Kohta crawled backwards and climbed back onto the Stryker. Finding Takashi standing in the left hatch, he told him what Tomasa wanted. Takashi followed Kohta's example and low crawled up the slope till he reached where Kohta had been. Picking up the binoculars, he looked over the scene with interest.
As soon as Takashi climbed down, Saeko stood up in the left hatch to watch his progress with a slightly concerned look on her face.
"Don't worry, Saeko, that's as far as he's going," Kohta told her as he checked over the machine gun.
"Kohta-kun? What would happen if the tank decided to attack us?" she asked.
He winced and sighed, "Have you ever heard the phrase 'like a hot knife through butter'?"
000
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'like a hot knife through butter'?" Shion told Saya back in Stryker 2.
"You mean this thing is no protection against it?" Saya asked with worry on her face.
"Strykers are designed to go against infantry and other light skinned vehicles. Tanks are designed to kill other tanks and break down defenses like roadblocks and small buildings. If it fired its main gun on us…well, we might never even know it," the female soldier said.
KOHTA! The pink-haired girl shivered at the thought of him being up front near that thing.
Alice came over and wrapped her arms around Saya, "What's wrong, Saya onee-sama? You're shaking."
Hugging the little girl to her she said, "It's nothing, munchkin, I just got a chill for a moment. I'm all right now."
She looked up to meet Shion's eye who was thinking the same thing she was.
"Don't worry, Saya, the lieutenant and Sarge know what they're doing," she said.
000
Takashi watched as Rika and her team worked their way down the hill towards the bridge. Leapfrogging each other, taking advantage of cover, they did not try to hide their presence but were cautious all the same.
There was nothing for it though when they reached the end of the bridge. After a moment of watching, he saw Rika step out and start up the middle of the road with her hands held out to her sides. The others followed her making a diamond formation, keeping their weapons pointed to the sides or rear, never at the tank. Takashi understood that they were trying not to appear threatening.
She stood for a minute after she reached the hull before she pulled out something and knocked on the front with it.
Nothing happened.
She waited a long minute and repeated her action. With still no response she looked back at the watchers and shrugged as if to say 'I don't know'. She then climbed onto the tank and made her way to the open hatch. Taking a quick look she leaned in and then ducked back. Still not getting a response she took a longer look and then leaned over into the hatch looking around. Saying something to Tatsumi she turned and looked to the west as he climbed up and looked in the tank himself.
Turning back toward the convoy she waved for them to come ahead.
Getting up, the trio climbed onboard the Stryker. As Takashi climbed inside Saeko grabbed him and gave him a quick kiss. "I don't like being away from you when it's dangerous like that," she whispered.
Smiling, he hugged her and then opened the rear hatch above him. He stood in it and watched as Tomasa got the convoy rolling again.
000
"Hell if I know what's going on," Rika said as Tomasa jumped from the Stryker to the deck of the tank. "It's been lived in, but there are no bodies and no sign of where they went, then there is that," she said as she pointed up stream.
They had finally found out what the tank had been shooting at. In the middle of the river, still smoldering, was a ship or large boat. It looked like the type called a party barge; companies rented them out for office gatherings and to entertain business clients. It was half sunk, artillery holes piercing the hull, hung up on a sandbar, and a steady stream of burned bodies drifted from it down river.
"Looks like it was drifting down river and they decide to knock it out rather than let it hit the bridge," Rika said.
Tomasa nodded as he called Toda and Paddy over to check out the tank. A few minutes later they reported back.
"Number one, it's out of fuel. Number two, the batteries are dead," Paddy said. "Other than that I don't see anything wrong with it."
"It's got a bunch of.50 cal. and belt fed 7.62 onboard. We can pull that and take it with us. I don't see anything else useful other than maybe some Gerry cans," Toda told them.
"Get the ID numbers off of it and we'll call it in to HQ. Maybe that way they can figure out where it came from. I don't want it, so let's just close the hatch once we get what we want and leave it here. They'll come to get it if they decide too," Tomasa told them.
Nodding, the two men went to work stripping out the ammo and other items.
Rika walked over to where the lieutenant was standing at the bridge rail as Paddy and Toda finished loading the loot in the APC with Takashi's help.
"What now, boss?" she asked as he looked down river with field glasses.
"I want to get on the river road for now. It looks clear from here and hopefully we can make better time."
As they climbed back aboard their vehicles, thunder boomed and lighting flashed. They crossed the bridge and turned left, making their way down to the road running along the riverside, as the rain started to come down. The road was surprisingly clear and in no time they were moving twice, or more, their normal speed. They did have to slow up once in a while when the road passed under another bridge because there was always a knot of abandoned cars there.
By midafternoon they had arrived at Sagami Bay and turned onto the western shore road heading south. The storm clouds parted and they watched a beautiful sunset to their west, as they raced south into the growing night.
A/N: Another chapter bites the dust. Between cancer recovery and having to go back to work for a living, this one has taken a while. Working on the next one and maybe doing a collaborating with this Russian I know. Also got something totally different on the back burner for days I have writers block on this.
As always, please leave a Review and/or Favorite and give all my stories a read.