Age of zombies

[56] First day of work (part 3)

The cold wind whipped through Daisy's long, wavy blonde hair as she rode along the outskirts of the town, her horse's hooves crunching over the dirt path. The mountains loomed in the distance, the first dusting of snow already settling on their peaks, signaling that winter was just around the corner. She had a rifle strapped across her back, ready for whatever might come at her, though lately, it had been quiet.

Patrol duty wasn't glamorous, but Daisy didn't mind it. There was something about being out here, on horseback, away from the chaos of the town. It reminded her of home—well, the home she used to have, before everything went to shit.

Her partner for the day, a grizzled man named Cole, rode alongside her. He was in his late 40s, with a permanent scowl etched into his face. They didn't talk much, but that was fine by Daisy. Cole was good at his job, and he wasn't one for small talk.

They had just rounded the outer wall of the town when Daisy spotted something in the distance—a figure, stumbling through the snow-covered brush. At first, she thought it was a stray, maybe another scavenger or someone trying to sneak their way into Banff. But as they got closer, she realized something was off.

"Shit, look at that," Daisy muttered, squinting at the man ahead. "Is that guy missing a leg?"

Cole grunted, nodding toward the figure. "Looks like it. Let's go check it out."

They urged their horses forward, quickly closing the distance between them and the limping man. As they got closer, Daisy could see the man more clearly now. He was in rough shape—his clothes were torn, blood soaked through the fabric, and where his right leg should have been, there was just a crude bandage wrapped around a bloody stump. He was using a makeshift crutch to drag himself forward, his face twisted in pain.

"Hey!" Daisy called out as they approached, pulling back on the reins of her horse. "You alright, partner?"

The man's head jerked up, his face pale and sweaty. "Help... I was attacked," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. "Raiders. They took everything... left me for dead."

Daisy exchanged a glance with Cole, who just nodded silently. She pulled the walkie-talkie from her belt and clicked it on.

"Base, this is Patrol Two. We've got a man here, looks like he's been attacked. Missing a leg, claims raiders hit him. Gonna need a medical team out here, stat."

The walkie crackled, then a voice came through. "Copy that, Patrol Two. Medical team's on the way. ETA five minutes. Stay with him and keep him calm."

Daisy hooked the walkie back onto her belt and slid off her horse, approaching the man cautiously. "Alright, buddy, we got medics coming. Just hang tight."

The man collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily, his body shaking from the cold and blood loss. His eyes were wild, darting around as if expecting another attack. "I didn't think I'd make it... I thought they were gonna... finish me off," he panted.

Daisy knelt down next to him, her voice steady despite the chaos of the situation. "You're gonna be okay, alright? We'll get you patched up."

"Raiders," the man mumbled, his words slurring together. "They hit my caravan... killed the others... took everything. I was the only one who made it out."

Cole, still on his horse, scanned the area, his hand resting on his rifle. "Raiders, huh? How many?"

The man shook his head weakly. "I don't know... six, maybe seven? They were fast. They came out of nowhere."

Daisy glanced up at Cole. "Shit. If they're still out there, we might have a problem."

"Yeah, we'll need to keep an eye out," Cole replied, his gaze still sweeping the horizon. "But let's get this guy taken care of first."