PROJECT ANDERSON

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: SARGE

The sun was was going to set soon, so we needed to find shelter; before they decided to release the Crawlers again.

This is turning out to be a pretty fucked up situation.

Actually it was more than fucked up, we had more questions than answers; and we didn't even know if we could find any other survivors.

"I'm sorry that I even mentioned that woman." Melissa said breaking me out of my thoughts.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Sissy, she tricked all of us." Johnny said reassuringly.

"She didn't trick us...she lied to us about her husband not believing her." 

"Andie was right not to trust her." I said with a sigh. "Hey Amber how did you know that she was lying?"

"Oh, she left this behind." She answered as she passed a small brown leather book through the window. "Its a boring read until you get to two weeks ago."

"You read her diary?"

"She left it and I needed something interesting to win my viewers back." 

"And you thought reading someone else's journal was the right thing to do?" Johnny asked disappointedly.

"I was just trying to share my experience with my audience." She shrugged.

"How exactly is reading someone else's diary sharing your experience?" I asked, but the more I thought about it the madder I got. "Your experience means that you are going through it...not someone else."

"Leave her alone Sarge, that's just how she is." Melissa defended. "She likes to take other's stories and make then about her."

I waited with baited breath for how Amber was going to defend herself, but to my surprise she didn't.

What was going on between those two, this morning they couldn't stand each other and now Melissa was defending her? It just didn't make sense.

"Stop at that hotel over there." I instructed as I pointed to a large Hilton building on the left side of the highway.  "We can all have our own room.  if we stay there."

"A place like that has to be crawling with Crawlers." Melissa said skeptical.

"If our theory about that farm is correct I doubt there will be that many." Johnny said as he headed towards the hotel.

"Either way stay close." I ordered as we pulled into the empty parking lot. "Melissa, you and Amber are in control of the children...Johnny and I will cover you."

"Yes sir." She confirmed with a nod.

"Is that a part of their training?" He asked as we got out of the truck.

"They're still on probation, so of course it is." I answered as grabbed our bags from the bed.

"How long is that going to last?" Amber asked softly as she waited for someone to get her.  out.

"Until you both prove to me that you can work together without trying to kill each other." I answered sternly. "I'm just trying to help you both."

"Help us with what?" Melissa asked with her arms crossed.

"Not get us all killed with your petty bullshit."

"Just because I don't like her doesn't mean I want to see her or any of us become one of those things again."

"You could have fooled us." Johnny laughed as he placed his bag on his back.

"Come on John boy lets go ahead and check out the lobby while the girls get the children out." I said as I grabbed the younger man's arm. "We'll wait for you there."