To Be A Rebel

Chapter 4: Far Away

I groan as I stretch, my shoulder popping loudly and painfully. I've been awake for a few minutes now, most everyone has. Even with what happened last night, even though almost all of us who got out are feeling drained and exhausted, we've all risen early. The only ones that are still asleep are the babies, but they kept us up most of the night so I don't plan on waking up either of them anytime soon.

It's cool out, which is why I have a blanket wrapped around me. It's not exactly soft, but it's something. It helped keep me from waking Sam up with my shivering, so I can't say I hate it.

Almost everyone is sitting outside. Even after going to the camper van and splitting up the group so we could have some extra space, it still felt crowded. There are thirteen of us out here, including the babies. So six in one and seven in the other. It hasn't been fun and the camper van smelled way worse than 'funny' as Sam said, but it was in there that I found the blanket, so it's not all bad.

But now we're all outside. Tom's keeping watch up in a tree, for Ministry soldiers and for zombies. Runner Two, Kaylen Sikora, and Runner Seventeen, Summer Swan, are ready with weapons just in case Tom spots a zom. We still have some of the weapons we stole from the armory. They fire at zombies just fine, which is why we can't figure out why they didn't fire at the guards.

It was said the Minister had dealt with them personally. What could she have done to them to make them not shoot at her soldiers?

The question plagues my mind, and I'm sure it plagued Janine's most of the night. She says we did something, and she's right. We did. But she doesn't truly believe that. We were supposed to take Abel back. She sees this as a failure for the most part.

Janine is pouring over what she knows. She has a notebook she keeps writing things down in at a makeshift desk just outside the camper van, occasionally questioning Nicole, probably trying to see if the Minister's done any changes in Abel's defenses or if Nicole might know anything about Van Ark's research being started up again.

Nicole is happy to sit and answer Janine's questions. With her right hand now ruined, she won't be going on runs as much anymore. She was trained to be an operator, but she does have experience as a runner and apparently as a doctor. Or at least, she has some medical knowledge.

But ultimately, Nicole has no chance of going out on missions with us. At least, it seems that way. Right now the only way she can help is answering Janine's questions.

Jody is helping Maxine and Paula make breakfast. It's not easy since we're having to make with what we've got, but I think they're making something with the oatmeal and canned peaches we've been saving in the van.

The other two runners are off doing their own thing, probably looking for more food. And Sam...

He's nowhere to be seen.

That actually worries me slightly, since we're out in the open, and there are zombies. He has the pistol Nicole grabbed from the armory with him, or at least, I think he does, but that doesn't stop me from being any less scared for him. I mean, he's immune, but they'll still try to eat him.

So I head out, tying the blanket around my waist to keep it from falling and dragging in the snow. My aching legs send bolts of pain through the muscle as I force myself to jog. You'd think I'd have gotten use to being sore by now, but I honestly still think it sucks ass. But I'm trying to get used to it. I'm going to have to run through soreness anyway, since we're trying to find a way to get out of being radio silent.

Having them monitor our coms so we're unable to communicate is going to kill us. I believe Janine is letting us have this day off since most runners were imprisoned and need to rest at least a day after having been neglected by the Minister and Ian for a month.