This isn't listed in the categories but I think more people should probably give it a chance. It's inspired by the old radio dramas and is about a group of survivors trying to live in a world overrun by zombies. This started out as a recurring dream and I couldn't get it out of my head. The characters are mine and not from We're Alive. I hope you like it. All comments are welcome.

Chapter 8

True to my word, I began searching through the applicants that Roadie provided. It took me over a week to get through them all. Some I discarded as soon as I read through the short backgrounds they provided us. A few I rejected because I knew they were best suited where they were in the compound than back out in the chaos. A few candidates I knew personally, having had a hand in rescuing them myself and felt a few could handle themselves in a difficult situation. While most of those we brought back with us were adjusting well to life at the compound, a few were eager to return to help others.

Another week passed when I finally exhausted every possible reason not to accept certain candidates. Knowing I could count on their input, Aenne and Gabriel would often sit with me for hours on end and would discuss my reasons for wanting to move a person forward or keep them back. I would closely scrutinize them during meal times, learning their schedules and shadowing them to see how they handled themselves. They were all well aware that I was looking into training new recruits and that I was evaluating those I hoped would succeed. Each day I would send back stacks of those I felt could not be eligible.

Once I was satisfied, I made my way slowly to Roadies' office in the back of the building with the remaining files stuffed into a messenger bag of those I would accept. I made sure to wait until it was close to dinner time when I was less likely to run into anyone who wanted to know who made the cut. Roadie knew I had to be close to finalizing the list when I failed to send any files back as rejected and waited for me in his office. He looked as I walked in and closed the door behind me, leaning back in the high back chair to rest his feet upon the desk in front of him.

"It's certainly taken you long enough to go thru the applicants, Moll," he said as he raised his arms and interlocked his fingers behind his head. I walked up and dropped the stack on the desk by his feet.

"You wanted a serious answer so I made a serious effort. I don't take people's lives I won't be bullied into accepting anyone just because they can fill out your application," I said as I sat down heavily in the plush chair in front of the desk.

"What I see is a short stack, barely enough to refill most of the positions we need," he said, moving his legs as he leaned forward to spread the files to view the names. "And I notice that Kyle's name isn't on any of these folders."

"We both know I would never be able to trust him to have my back, no more than you would. He looks out for himself first and that makes him a liability," I said in disgust. "I wouldn't trust him to be in any team, even if it meant compromising the safety of every last man, woman and child here at the compounds."

"And yet we trust to man the first outpost," he said and looked at me. "What does that say about our safety?"

"It says we had a disagreement and I was outvoted," I said through gritted teeth. "No woman will work with him, Roadie."

"Lily's agreed to take him on," he said and I snorted.

"I stand corrected. No sane woman will work with him," I said and leaned forward. "Why are you even considering giving Lily another team? She's unstable!"

"She's not…"

"She got her team killed, Roadie!" I said loudly as I stood up. From the look on his face, I knew I hit a nerve and backed down my tone. "Or have you forgotten that already?"

"No, I haven't but she's my friend, Moll, and I'm worried about her," he said quietly.

"And I worry about everyone that goes out there with her," I said and moved away from the desk. "She was never been meant to be anything more than a driver and after Sam…" I paused as my voice caught in my throat. "After Sam she's become overly aggressive to everyone who's worked with her. She should never have been allowed to go back." I turned and leaned against the desk, refusing to look at him until I could blink back the tears in my eyes.

"I couldn't stop her from forming her own team," he said. I turned back to him angrily.

"You knew how she felt when Sam died. We were lucky to make it back alive after she stopped and dragged me out of the vehicle. If you hadn't stopped her we wouldn't be having this conversation right now," I said and slammed my fist on the desk angrily. "She was right to be angry. I should have insisted he follow me when I went to rescue Aenne. I thought I could trust him to follow my instructions but he went off on his own and now he's dead. I carry his death as a reminder that they need to know exactly what they're getting into when we go out there! Once something goes wrong, it goes very wrong and people end up dead."

"We all regret what happened to Sam, Moll," he said as he looked at the tears that fell down my cheek. "You shouldn't blame yourself. He was a good kid who thought he was going to rescue someone. We didn't know then what these things were capable of."

"They tricked him but I shouldn't have left him alone. Not ever. We stick together!"

I walked away from the desk, wiping furiously at my eyes and trying not to lash out at him when he came and put his arms around me. I looked up at him and finally noticed the fine lines that had become deeper and deeper around his eyes.

"You asked me once to help you make the hard decisions," I reminded him. "Don't let her go back out there."

"Train with her, Moll," he said as he brushed my hair away from my eyes. "You'll see she's changed."

His promise felt hollow to me but I shook my head all the same.

"If I feel she's too unstable, you'll keep her off of active duty permanently. And I want her to see one of the doctor's we brought back recently. I want them to guarantee that she won't go off the deep end if I give her a team of her own." I demanded as he gave me a slight smile. He walked back to the desk and opened one of the drawers, handing me a file with the medical lab seal on it. "Have you seen this?" I asked as I noticed the seal was intact.

"I'm leaving that for you to decide. Read it and get back to me."

I took the file and stuck it in my messenger bag, not wanting it to cause even more questioning looks than I was already getting before I left. I found Gabriel waiting for me outside Roadies office with a picnic basket and a blanket. I smiled at him as he took my hand and we headed to the back door to head up to the roof to look at the stars.