31 May 2012
Tom slowly pushed the door made of pallets open. Harry through a grenade out, securing the area from any beasts or rivals for our territory. I kissed Mark lightly. "Stay safe babe." he whispered in my ear. I grinned. "Like Tom or Harry would let anything happen to me. You just focus on getting Rachael better. We're going out scouting for The Stragglers." I explained pulling him into a hug before leaving.
Our current base was in the industrial estate, now abandoned it was a good place for the human tribes too hide. The Bites generally stayed within the city centre, it's easier for them to feed and turn others there... Usually on tribes that have scares food and provisions left. The only time Bites ever came to this part of town, was if someone had led them here... We were always sure to cover our tracks.
Tom pulled out the keys to the old truck we'd scavenged soon after it became apparent that disease had spread. We needed it for our long term plan. The Stragglers were our sister tribe. Although they were on the other side of town, we often converged, they were in on our plan, and being predominately made up of six males to the two females, they were key in it. Rachael had family out in the rural area that surrounded the city. They said that the Bites there were less, but they'd been growing in population since the disease could be transmitted through saliva and not just DNA. They'd managed to set up a community on a small island in the river Blackwater that was completely free of anyone with Bites, and only accessible by boat. But like most places it had effected their female population the most. With over half of the female population in the entire country being taken over by the Bites or dying from the infection. No one knows why it's mainly females that catch it, I heard it's something to do with the DNA found with the X half of the DNA. And as women are made up of two, it makes us more likely. The news reported this morning that it could also be to do with blood type. But their theories haven't been proven yet.
Rachael has contracted the Bites virus. The Stragglers have confirmed cases that they've had people come back from the virus...but they've mainly been males. If things turn sour we know that we'll have to kill her. We all promised each other that we'd do it if it ever happened to us. The Stragglers have a same philosophy.
Tom started the truck, I sat beside him and Harry was perched on the roof, ready to shoot anyone who had suspected infection. We set out for abandoned suburbs where The Stragglers can usually be found looking for people to recruit to our plan. Plan Oasis.
Bites - Chapter 2 • Opuss № I