"I accept the mission."

Markus grinned once more, and Ann started to become slightly nervous with the constant smiling. "Well then, that was easy."

Ann didn't ask even though a question popped into mind. She just smoothed the side of her pant leg while watching Markus stand up abruptly. It caused her to stand as well while sliding into a rigid form.

Markus's smile faltered for a moment while he spoke to her, "I already told you to drop the formality. You'll be alone for quite some time now. I hope you will find it easy enough to accomplish your mission."

Ann melted into a warm position while letting loose a smile of her own at the Warrant Officer.

----
3 days later:
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The road was slick with the sprinkles of rain that had started to fall. Ann walked down it alone while shouldering her rifle. No movement caught her eye as she slowed down to examine a vehicle on the side of the road. Empty, but for a few sticks of gum, a perfect time waster in the apocalypse.

What I wouldn't give for a mint.

Ann popped a piece of gum in with this thought in mind. At least it was better than nothing, but she still wanted the taste of mint on her tongue. The clouds blocked the suns rays for the moment as she popped a small bubble. Her body moved slowly done the road, rifle easily obtainable for any thing needed to be removed for her safety.

A gas station showed into view ahead with a small pile up of cars. Ann slipped her rifle down, and clicked it to semi-automatic. Her body, which was dressed in military regalia, inched to the closest car. Pressing against the door, she glanced around towards the other ones. Alone outside, but the inside was a different matter.

The door lay on the ground, a broken shelf wedged it at an incline inwards. Someone had tried to hold out in there, but was overrun at one time. She flicked the tactical light on on her gun, and shown it into the unlit building. Nothing moved in the light, so she took a step in with her jet black boots.

That was when the Rotter finally made itself known. It grabbed Ann's waist and caused her to trip back outside. Her rifle clattered loudly, but didn't slide away due to the strap she had attached to it. The Rotter had fallen halfway out as well, and was pulling itself towards Ann. She simply unholstered her sidearm, and aligned it with the things head.

One squeeze of the trigger, and the Rotter lay motionless on the ground. Ann rolled to her feet, and slipped the pistol away. She inspected her rifle for damage, found none, and then entered the building for a second time.

Nothing attacked her as she cleared the building. She found a nice place to set a fire, and made herself at home as she pulled out a map from her pack. She placed a compass on one corner, and made a few marks on a road. She glanced at a few red circles on the board which were still a good week's walk away, and back at her current position.

She wouldn't radio in yet as nothing viable would be reported, but instead made herself a small meal. It went down nicely as she sipped on a made ready tea that had been set to boil on the flames used to keep her warm, and provide light.

The morning grew nearer as Ann finished clearing out from the building. A few of the undead had shown up admiring the night, and she dispatched them with a few shots from her rifle. She kept walking down the road as the sun started to peak its orangish gold self from the rows of trees that covered it before. It's heat would soon start to dry up the recent sprinkling of rain that had dampened the ground.

Nothing found interest again for Ann that day as she made the long walk on an abandoned road. She knew not to expect anything for days as the nearest town was pretty far away, nearly 49 miles, and her average miles per day were 17 if she didn't stop.

She fiddled with her radio at times to see if any stations still aired anything at all, something that all lonely wanderers did. Ann didn't stop during the night though as she had nowhere to camp out safely. She prepared herself for a long walk as she slipped off her rifle to take care of a single Rotter.

She was disappointed by the lack of action she had seen so far, but also appreciated it. The silenced rifle wouldn't draw attention as she walked away from her first kill that day. She stopped walking once the sun's light faded away, and rummaged through her back for something.

She pulled out a night vision headset, and spent a few minutes fiddling with it to get it running correctly before slipping it on. The world came through in a clear green haze once she flipped it on. The small noises of the safe birds accompanied her on the nightly walk.

Even when sleep ebbed at her, Ann wouldn't stop walking until she finally arrived at a van on the road. Once it was cleared she slipped in to get a much needed rest.

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I don't know why these chapters are so much shorter than the other ones in the first book, but oh well. I hope it has enough for you!

Enjoy, and don't forget to comment!