“So how bad are these things?” Jamie asked.

Walking beside her Jack nodded vigorously. “They have to be pretty bad for everyone to be called up.”

Heinz chewed his lip and thought about how to describe the creatures. “They’re fast but not particularly tough. No one weapon was good or bad, it was more about reacting to them in time. If we avoid getting ambushed we'll be fine.”

Jack and Jamie tightened their grips on their weapons and slowed to take another look around them.

Heinz couldn’t stop a frown and a short flash of annoyance. Everyone was moving at a slow enough pace already and his timer was ticking down minute by minute.

“Should we be this spread out then?” Jamie asked and glanced over at the next two in line.

Heinz, Jack and Jamie were clumped on the left edge of their scouting V formation. Well, it was less of a V and more of a gentle curve. Louise was immediately to Heinz right with Nathan, one of Jamie’s group members. Shane was to her right leading the remaining two members of the other group, Alex and Hazel. Phil and Tara took the far right. Each step in the line was about 30 metres apart.

“It’s the only way we can search our area in a reasonable time.” Heinz explained again.

There had been an issue in Courtmacsherry and less Reclaimers than expected had arrived to join the search. With less manpower the previous division of areas in I38-9G had been scrapped in favour of a new plan. A plan that gave each team more area to comb to make up for the difference.

Even with knowledge of their injuries, Heinz's team was given far too much land to search. They were a victim of their own success, being the only team in the zone with people across the fourth threshold and the only ones to have seen the Swarm they were hunting.

After a debate with Alisha, the five of them had reluctantly accepted that wounded or not, they were better prepared than most.

Jack and Jamie’s group had been paired with them and had none of these advantages.

After lots of reassurance from Louise and himself the group of five agreed to follow their lead, including moving in this formation. Reassurances only went so far though and they were still wary about the increased workload.

Some small Swarm would slip through the gaps in the widespread formation. The combined team of ten were too spread out to catch everything, but they weren’t here for the small slime. They were searching for the large kind they had found earlier.

“I know but keep in mind we aren’t as..” Jack waved his free hand at Heinz. “..strong? Tough?”

“Capable.” Jamie supplied dryly.

“..Capable as you.” Jack finished with a reluctant sigh. “You’re what, past the fourth threshold now? We were planning on crossing the third today before this went down.”

“I was on the third threshold when I fought them.” Heinz pointed out.

Jack paused. “Huh. That does make me feel a bit better.”

“It shouldn’t.” Jamie complained with a shake of her head. “They all got hurt at the third threshold. And it’s Heinz. His baseline for these fights is skewed.”

“We got ambushed.” Heinz said and pointed ahead with his halberd. “Something which would be easier to avoid if we were quieter.”

That did quiet them down and the three of them remained silent as they crossed into the next field.

“Besides,” Heinz spoke again after receiving a signal to continue from Louise’s group. “These ones weren’t all that bad. They were a little bit smaller than a person and had no armour.”

Jack and Jamie groaned.

“Not helping your case Heinz.” Jack said with a shake of his head.

“VAMP!”

They all turned at Louise’s shout. Heinz’s counter argument died as he led the run towards her.

They needn’t have bothered.

The lone Swarm climbed higher and higher into the sky away from them. Louise and Nathan must have disturbed it as they walked but the creature had chosen to flee instead of fighting both of them alone.

Louise lifted her arm behind her head and swung it forward.

Heinz was able to make out a glint flying through the air before the Vamp jerked in place. Seconds later the twitches faded until the Swarm was still. It fell towards the ground.

Heinz, Jack and Jamie slowed to a stop.

“See what I mean.” Jamie said in defeat. “Skewed.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Heinz ignored him and turned around to get back into position. He reached for the zone control as they walked back. The drawn out line wouldn’t start moving again until the all clear spread back and forth anyway.

Zone Control - I38-9G

Swarm Growth

35%

Local

80%

No change.

Louise signalled the all clear and they set off again a little slower than before.

Heinz let out a big exhale. This was going to take a long time.

Heinz stabbed into the side of the Springer’s mouth and drove it to the ground. Around him the sounds of battle began to die off.

Heinz shifted his foot to keep it pinned as the Springer squirmed below him. Sharing the Credits and Energy from kills could be tedious but they had to do it in situations like this where no one was in any danger.

Phil had frozen in place during the fight and even now was only slowly shifting about. One more person past the fourth threshold. Still, Shane hadn’t shown any reaction and - Heinz waved towards Jack and Jamie who just finished off a Boar together, there were plenty of people who needed the boost more than him. The 20 or so extra Energy he would receive for the solo kill wouldn’t get him much closer to the 1100 mark. Jack and Jamie were close enough to the third threshold that every sliver could make a huge difference to them. Especially if they did find anything with this search.

When Shane had shouted in alarm they had all rushed into the house expecting the worst. Heinz, Jack and Jamie had been on guard duty outside, halberds and the indoors not meshing well together. They broke in through the garage door to help instead of running back around to the front.

Thankfully it had turned out to be a more normal Swarm nest than the killers they were hunting. Judging by all the shattered bottles and plastic tubs, the nest had grown from the supplies in a brewing enthusiast’s project room. Unfortunately nothing was left untouched and he wouldn’t be restocking his own dwindling supply. The Swarm hadn’t even acted like they were affected by the alcohol.

Once everyone had struck the final blows and the all clear was sounded, Heinz made his way over towards Phil.

Phil blinked at him slowly.

“Tired?” Heinz asked.

Phil shook his head, starting slowly but gaining speed. “No. Just adjusting. Everything feels.. Elastic-y” Phil’s speech was the same as his movements.

Heinz shrugged. They all reacted differently to the threshold. “Any pain?”

Phil shook his head in a smoother motion than before.

“You got lucky then.” Heinz said as he clapped Phil on the back and stood to check on the others. “But don’t forget to assign your personal points.”

Phil winced.

Phil pulled him aside before they set off again. He still had a hitch in his step but he was mostly recovered.

“We should pick up the pace. Given how low the Swarm Growth has dropped to it’s unlikely that those creatures are here.”

Heinz felt for the zone control. As Phil said, it was down to a level they would have seen in the first few days of this mess.

“I’ll let the others know.” Heinz said with a nod and turned to do just that.

Phil caught his arm. “Don’t.”

Heinz stopped and raised an eyebrow. An eyebrow that moved into a frown as he followed Phil’s eyes towards Louise.

“Phil.” He warned.

Phil turned back and shook his head. “It’s not that. We can’t get complacent. The Rhino and Slaad were in this zone.”

“Slaad?” Heinz asked.

“The big swarm at the museum.” Phil replied with a touch of annoyance.

“Right...” Heinz pulled his arm back as Phil relaxed his grip. It was one of the weirder names they had come up with and he didn’t think it would stick.

“Just try to get everyone to move a bit faster and keep an eye out alright?” Phil asked, letting a little frustration bleed into his voice. He walked off towards Tara at Heinz's nod.

Heinz watched him leave. The day was starting to wear away at them all and it was far from over.

The following nine houses were empty of both Swarm and provisions. As the two groups grew used to working together their pace increased. Even without Phil sharing his thoughts, everyone began to relax. The edge of their assigned area was drawing nearer and it had been a fairly successful trip. They may not have encountered any of the ambush Swarm but they hadn’t really wanted to either.

Instead they had cleared several areas of Swarm, Phil had passed his threshold and so had Jack, Jamie and Nathan.

The next house looked undisturbed. It was tucked in a small gully and its narrow driveway and second floor were just visible from the main road ahead. There were enough signs of Swarm to stop them comparing it to Clogagh or the horse riding centre but a walk around showed no major disturbance.

The locked door and boxes of food left on the kitchen table was a promising sign that they’d be able to pick up supplies too.

All of this together put everyone in a good mood.

Until the scream.

“To the front.” Heinz ordered Jack and Jamie before taking off. He didn’t recognise the voice but he wasn’t sure he could have. It hadn’t been a scream of pain like he was used to.

“Out! Out!” Louise's commands broke the silence.

Heinz glanced in the windows as they ran past but there was no movement. He rounded the house, Jack and Jamie close behind only to slow.

Phil and Tara walked out, weapons held up and looking annoyed and confused respectively.

Louise and Jamie’s groupmate, Nathan followed after them. Louise had her arm around Nathan’s shoulder and guided him out.

“What’s going on?” Heinz called.

Alex, Hazel and Shane came around the other corner.

Tara and Phil looked towards Louise.

Louise closed her eyes and steadied herself. Nathan shuddered but didn’t shake off Louise's arm.

“There were bodies upstairs.” Louise said finally.

They reacted immediately.

Shane grabbed Alex, accidentally smacking him with the butt of his axe as he did so and shoved him towards the house. He reached to do the same to Hazel. Phil moved back towards the door while Tara moved to the drive. Heinz turned and moved away, putting Jack and Jamie behind him.

“It’s not Swarm.” Louise snapped.

They all turned back towards her.

Louise’s face was red and it seemed the tremors weren’t just Nathan.

“Swarm don’t sleep in beds. Someone's living here.”