PROJECT ANDERSON

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR: SARGE

I knew that everyone was starving and wouldn't stand for much more driving without something in their stomachs.

"Melissa...at the next opportunity you can stop and we can eat." I ordered through the back window.

"Are you sure about that?" Melissa asked from behind the wheel. "We're still in the middle of nowhere and I haven't seen anywhere we can stop."

"We'll be fine for a few minutes...we need to eat something." I retorted. "Just find a clearing or something and take a break."

"I'm not sure that is such a good idea Sarge." Johnny protested from his spot beside me. "There's no telling if there are anymore archers out here or Crawlers for that matter and I don't feel like being shot at or bitten."

"That's why you don't let your guard down at any point...the enemy could be anywhere and you never know when they're going to strike." I explained softly. "That's something that you learn when you are in an active war zone and right now son...we are."

"I didn't think that this was a war." He laughed softly. "I mean when I think about war...this isn't the first think that comes to mind."

"I know, but not all wars are just fighting...we do get some down time, especially if you work on base." I said with a smirk.

"I've heard stories about the bases, but they didn't sound as fun as they did in the movies."

"I know what you mean...they could be more fun, but when you are on a battle field the atmosphere seems to change, you no longer feel like you are going to make it...you just have two choices...run and be seen as a coward or fight and die a hero."

"And which did you choose?"

"I chose to run the first time and got shot in the thigh, the second time I chose to fight and nearly got blown to bits when the helicopter I was in got hit wit heavy artillery...the last time I decided to work on base in the hospital." I answered with a small sigh. "Until I was shot during a drill and was sent back home to recover...a couple of months before this all started."

"When did they take your wife?" He asked softly.

"A week and a half after they started testing the virus...they said that they needed her for some new medication." I answered with another sigh. "I didn't even know where she was until I started working at the lab a few weeks after they took her."

"Did they take her or did she willingly go?"

"I don't know...I wasn't there they kept me in the hospital for three extra days...I guess they wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to try and stop them, which I would have done even with my lame leg."

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that Sarge." Johnny said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. "I really am."

"I'll be fine John Boy." I retorted with a fake smile. "I just need to stay positive and remember why we are doing this."

"Are we going to stop anytime soon?" He asked his sister in the cab.

"I'm still trying to find a place, just give me a fucking minute." Melissa answered bitterly. "There aren't a lot of clearings around here, so it may take me a few miles."

"What about houses? Do you see any of those?" I asked hoping that maybe we would be able to find Andie early."

"No on that account too, there's nothing here." She answered with an annoyed sigh. "I'll let you know when I find somewhere semi-safe to stop."

"Alright." I said looking through the back window at the still sleeping littles. "How can they sleep through all of this?"

"Their babies...they could sleep through a tornado if they wanted to." Johnny answered with a small shrug. "Babies are weird like that."