SurvivorZ: Grave Harbor

42

NATE

Patricia Tatum wasn't the only one going under an assumed name and dreaming of escape. Sergeant Nate Crispin, otherwise known to Mystic as Chris Lambert, was also preparing to depart. He and Sergeant Paul Roy had discussed contingencies ever since Emerson summoned them yesterday to inform them of Mike and Donna's deaths.

Rupert obviously suspected something. Instead of his office, they met at the zombie pens. He dismissed the unorthodox venue as coinciding with his regularly scheduled inspection, but more likely, it was to cover for the detachment of security guards hovering around him for his protection.

The Mystic leader was scared. He had lost not one, but two people in as many days. Three, if you counted Mike, which Nate doubted Rupert was doing. Over the past few hours, the community felt colder to him and Sergeant Roy than ever before.

Their original strategy had them staying for a week before deciding to "move on" in search of greener pastures. Now, with Mike dead under mysterious circumstances and the scrutiny on them tighter than ever, splitting up and accelerating their plans seemed prudent. In their short time here, they already learned enough of the group's character, security, and ingenuity to formulate a report for the colonel.

Mystic was a deeply mistrustful bunch, but the goldmine they were sitting on justified their caution. In their time here, they found no evidence to suggest that the group had the means to stand against a heavily armed assault. Quite the opposite, in fact. They were a community of builders, gatherers, and thinkers, not warriors.

What they built here, an electric oasis in the middle of a dead city, would soon be the envy of every outsider spotting lights shining in the darkness. It was only a matter of time before a stronger group arrived to lay siege to their kingdom. What they needed was the one thing Harvard could provide in abundance – a strong defense.

With Mike gone, it was up to the two of them to report their encouraging findings to the colonel. After a quick game of Rock Paper Scissors, Nate won the right to head back to Harvard, while Sergeant Roy would stay undercover in case negotiations went badly and they needed a man on the inside.

"So you're really leaving us then?" someone called from behind as he loaded the Ford Taurus for his departure.

Nate turned, recognizing the voice of Gary Nessbaum. Gary was his shift supervisor while he was working maintenance at the eastern edge of the compound. The menial job, intended to keep him out of the way, provided him with a daily walk past many interesting sites, including the zombie pens, the oil tanks, the food plantation, the metal scrapyard, and an abundance of warehouses presumably containing a wealth of vital supplies. He'd seen enough to know that Harvard and Mystic needed one another if they both wanted to outlast the coming winter.

"Hey, Gary. Come to see me off?" Nate said. "As great as this place is, it's really not for me. When I fell in with Mike and Roy, I had every intention of grabbing a boat and sailing south for the winter. Since that's not looking like an option anymore, I might just see how close to Florida I can get by road."

Gary waved at him. "Bah! Florida. Why would you want to spend the end of the world dealing with storms, gators, and dead snowbirds?"

"Always wanted to visit Orlando, but I could never stomach the crowds," Nate replied. "Now I don't have to."

Gary's smile dropped from his cheeks. "I heard about your friend. I'm really sorry."

"Thanks, but we weren't really all that close. The three of us sort of fell in together along the way."

Gary looked around. "I guess that explains why Roy hasn't shown up to see you off."

Nate tossed his loaded pack into the back seat and closed the door. Maintaining the illusion of distance between them only served to bolster Sergeant Roy's cover in the eyes of Emerson and the others. "That's how it goes. You hook up with others until you find a group that fits. I asked him if he wanted to come, but he's taken a shine to this place. Good for him."