A yell and a scream got Heinz up and running again.
He turned the corner of the museum to see Cian with his weapons held out. Cian turned as he heard them approach.
“Clear.” Cian said and stepped to the side revealing Kate and a dead Mane.
“Scared the shit out of me.” Kate complained, burying her hammer into the corpse one more time. She stepped back and held a hand to her heart. “I thought they were all gone.”
Control in zone I38-9G has reached manageable threshold.
Dropping zone barrier.
Heinz turned to see Louise, Phil and Tara right behind him with Luke and Trev at the corner. They were all refocusing after reading the message too.
“Well that is some good news.” Luke said and his hand fell to the side. The spearpoint rested against his leg and the cracked wood pointed up. Trev and his weapons had not survived the battle intact. “Louise, you said that you had been collecting food? Let’s collect that and we can send it back to Kinmore with Adam and Nicky when the clearing groups arrive.”
Louise frowned at him. “What about the museum and the guns?”
“The guns won’t be working for weeks if at all.”
A groan of pain from behind Luke sent him off around the corner, leaving Louise with her mouth open and a question on her tongue. Heinz felt for the zone control to see what they were working with as they followed.
Zone Control - I38-9G
Swarm Growth
35%
Local
65%
“Duty leave is full.” Phil said in surprise, reading something only he could see.
There was a moment's pause as everyone reached for their own messages before anyone spoke again.
“It must be the wall falling. Some kind of reward?” Cian asked.
Another groan of pain rang out.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Kate said and followed after Luke.
“So Heinz, I hear we are in the same industry.”
Heinz raised an eyebrow as Luke joined him at the back of the convoy.
“Are you really so stuck for conversation starters that you’re going with that?” He gestured at a skeletal bush beside them. “Everyone’s in the same industry these days.”
“What? No I mean teaching, well instruction or educati-.” Luke blinked in surprise and held his hands out.
Heinz waved him away with a smile. He seemed nice even if he was going to be a catalyst for the group breaking up. “I’m just giving you a hard time. You taught Tara?”
“Ah. And yes. Is it obvious or is this an educator's sense?” Luke tapped the spearhead still attached to a broken shaft. “History. Which came in handy in a way I never thought it would.”
“No sense. Tara doesn’t raise her hand and call people sir often.” Heinz replied, looking at Luke’s battered green helmet in a new light.
“Well. It’s a hard habit to break I guess. I met one of my teachers at a conference and I called them sir without thinking. I’d been a teacher for 6 years at that point.” Luke smiled.
“My students alternate between staring, jumping in fright or shouting my nickname.” Heinz said with a sigh. He turned and scanned the fields behind them.
“Yet they are never as bad as their parents. One time..”
Luke held Heinz back as the others continued into the driveway of the base house.
Adam was walking with a limp but Nicky was carried back on one of the two remaining tabletop shields. The Swarm had broken either her leg or arm. They were hoping it wasn’t both. Adam's shield was a crumpled mess back at the museum. It would be retrieved along with whatever prizes the museum held later.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do next?” Luke asked.
Heinz stiffened. Here it was. Confirmation of Louise’s plans. “I’m going to keep fighting the Swarm. Clearing zones.”
“Yes but what about the big picture? The thresholds, the System and the aliens?”
“Does that matter?” Heinz asked, growing agitated. Everyone was so caught up in the System, the Classifications and the council they were forgetting the world around them. He pointed at where Shane and Bella were lowering Nicky to the ground outside the house. “This is what we need to deal with now. Everything else we can sort out when we’re safe.”
“And we will need to cross thresholds and figure out this system to be safe.” Luke pressed. “You see what my team is doing. We are working together, perfecting our tactics and growing. You would be a little behind in terms of Energy but you could catch up.”
Heinz froze. 'What?'
“Nicky will be back up soon. Her attributes will see to that but we need more damage dealers. Your halberd would be a perfect fit.”
“Wait. Wait. I thought you were recruiting Louise?” Heinz interrupted.
“We were initially. We were here for both her and the museum.” Luke pursed his lips. ”Louise has passed the third threshold and she is driven. But something didn’t click and concerns were raised by the team.”
“What?” Heinz asked.
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Phil shouted over to them as the others began to wheel the wheelbarrows out of the house.
“Listen, have a think about it.” Luke said and started walking. “Talk to me or the team if you have any questions. I think you’d be a great fit and we could do great things.”
They helped pack up before heading out. Heinz was more confused on the walk out of the zone than he had been on the way in earlier.
Killian was in charge of the convoy of vehicles used to bring Reclaimers for clearing duty today. He fixed them with a wide smile at the sight of all the food and equipment piled on the road. He asked for them to wait a minute before disappearing. He arrived back with his minivan which had received a new paint job.
“It’s for ‘protection’” Killian explained. “Or that’s how my younger children explained it anyway. I’m sure the older ones were enjoying a taste of vandalism.”
They all took some joy from admiring the paint job while packing the car. The paint extended to the wheels and was cracked around the door frames. After a quick word with Killian, Heinz and Louise packed some specific items into the front passenger seat. Mostly food, it was what their team had picked out from their haul. Milk for Heinz, baby food for Phil and enough food for each of them for another day. There was little talk between Louise and him. Luke’s team picked out some food for lunch but took no more.
Lizard team formed up but they were one group short. The O'Malley father and son group was out on an assignment in another zone. Somewhat suspiciously, after Louise went off to speak with Killian, Lizard team was joined by Luke and the other four healthy members of his team. Their assigned destination, the museum and caravan park.
The swarm reacted to the teams of 15 moving through the zone quickly.
Lizard team was on a straight path from the road at the edge of the zone to the museum park. It was new ground for everyone and after barely five minutes of walking, they were running back towards a scream.
The fight, if you could call it that, was over before they got there. Someone had stepped on a Caltrop and had the bottom of their foot shredded. The unlucky soul had stepped right onto the camouflaged creature. The green spikes had no trouble piercing the rubber of their boot and they slipped on the wobbly surface. Their foot was not a pretty sight after being dragged across the spikes.
A teammate noticed and killed the Caltrop but that Reclaimer needed to be escorted out.
Team Lizard’s only encounter was with a Swarm similar to their namesake. The springer leapt from a copse of trees at their front guard. Shane and Rachel dodged the jump and the team made short work of the creature. Heinz was in the rear guard again and didn’t need to lift a finger. Phil was pleased to report that his duty leave had increased when he received a Bounty notice for the kill.
After an unfruitful search through the caravan park and surrounding area for Swarm they broke into five teams of three. With such a high concentration of third thresholds and the small area, they felt confident in their safety. Heinz and Kate were joined by Fred and they began breaking into the caravans.
It was destruction of property but it was agreed that Phil’s lockpicking talents were better suited to opening the museum. They took extra care with any caravans that looked like they could be moved. Housing was still an issue for Kinmore.
“So?” Kate asked as Heinz searched the cupboards. His halberd was as good as useless in these small spaces so she was standing guard while he packed.
“Some non-perishables but a lot of it’s out of date. Same with the medicine.” Heinz responded. He packed it all up anyway. 'Best before' was very much a suggestion now if it hadn’t been before.
“It’ll be used anyway.” Kate replied. She stuck her head in the next room to check on Fred before turning back to Heinz. “Have you any questions about the team?”
Heinz pulled a face. “Not really. I haven’t had much time to think about it. I’m guessing you have no complaints?”
“Oh plenty.” Kate replied with a laugh. “Luke’s great but he’s regimental. Our teamwork and plans are based on strategy games and we all have set square roles.”
Heinz shivered and smiled as Kate grinned.
“But we all get along very well and it works. I’ll cross the fourth threshold today.”
Heinz put a can of soup into the suitcase with a thump. That was the thing wasn’t it. He was two days of duty from the threshold at his current pace. How fast could he improve with a new team?
“Why me and not Louise?” He asked. Luke had given him an answer but it was full of holes.
“For me it was because you waited for Cian and I.” Kate said with a shrug. “I was pissed off but in hindsight it was the right choice. Our whole thing is teamwork and we need to be able to rely on each other. Louise we are all a bit suspicious of.”
Control in zone I38-KE has reached manageable threshold.
Dropping zone barrier.
“Well shit.” Heinz said and rubbed his face.
“Grab what you’ve packed and let’s get to the museum.” Kate said with a grimace. She stuck her head in Fred’s room. “One minute and we go Fred.”
Lizard team gathered at the museum with their spoils before heading out. The wheelbarrows were stuffed full and everyone carried a bag but they left a lot behind. Their haul included several old guns, a dodgy looking machine gun on a tripod and a box of ammunition. None of which was operational judging by Louise’s sour face.
Back at the zone border they were ushered into a van and the fifteen of them set off to join the clearing effort for the new zone. I38-KE turned out to be a zone due east of Kinmore and south east of Courtmacsherry. It covered a headland and there were few roads.
The drive to the zone was tense. Swarm growth was low in the zones they were passing through but this was Courtmacsherry territory. Both other groups noticed how agitated Heinz’s group were. After sharing a look, Phil promised explanations when they arrived. It was a tricky subject and not something anyone wanted to become public knowledge.
Whoever led the clearing effort for I38-KE had been informed of the danger. One team of Reclaimers was held back to guard the vehicles as Lizard team set out. Heinz couldn't decide if it was good practice or a worrying sign about relations with Courtmacsherry.
They got a message about the walls in I38-9I falling while they were walking to their set spots in I38-KE. This led to a lot of cursing. Reclaimers were being spread thin. Luke identified the zone as one to the north of Courtmacsherry which brought some relief and a sense of guilt.
It was as good a time as any to tell the other two groups about murder and monsters of a human variety.
Lines were drawn as the groups reacted to the news. Fred’s group was eager to return home and were not happy with everyone else’s refusal. Luke’s grew worried and they began a series of guarded conversations. Lizard team changed from a combined unit to three groups moving together.
“STOP THERE.”
Tara had spotted the people coming over the hill first. After an argument, Lizard team formed up with the weakest group and Tara at the back to her displeasure. They walked towards the newcomers and were now stopped about 20 metres away.
Luke sunk his broken spear into the ground and cupped his hands around his mouth.
“HELLO. We’re from Kinmore. Here to help clear.” Luke shouted across.
The group of 8 across from them spoke before someone similarly put their weapons down and cupped their hands.
“Where ar- you goi–” The shout was hard to hear with the wind.
Bella held the map out to Luke and pointed at an area on it.
“Another kilometre east.” Luke shouted back.
There was another discussion among the Courtmacsherry group.
“WHAT?”
Heinz felt like screaming but it would only worsen the situation. He understood Fred and Luke’s groups' fear and it had been the Courtmacsherry group that called out the stop but this was ridiculous.
“Another kilometre east.” Luke tried again, a little louder this time.
One of them seemed to hear this time and there was more discussion.
“How man- o- you?”
Luke turned back to them and dropped his hands.
“Did anyone count?”
“I saw 6 flags.” Tara said.
“I counted 7. Unless you aren’t including the guard team.” Fred countered.
“Should we be telling them that?” Rachel asked a little hesitantly.
Katy shushed her but Heinz heard her whispering to Rachel and the rest of their group. “Better if they think that there’s lots of us.”
“90.” Luke cupped his hands and shouted back.
He repeated this again when the other group froze and they heard it the second time. The Courtmacsherry group had another longer discussion.
“We go back. 9I. 9I.” The Courtmacsherry group began to retreat with one of their group walking backwards to keep an eye on Lizard team. Several stumbles later they were out of sight.
“Let’s get this over with.” Heinz said with a shake of his head and started walking again to their assigned area.