They were about 200 meters from the roadblock when Lucy fired the first grenade. Evans heard the snap of the blank over the engines roar, saw it soar overhead and slam right on target. Flames erupted from the armory. The soldiers at the road block turned around just in time for Lucy’ second grenade to impact towards the center of their group. The remaining soldiers opened fire at the truck. Evans aimed the car towards what looked like the weak spot in the roadblock. He then drew his pistol and started to fire out the driver side window.

Another rifle grenade soared overhead. A rifle shot shattered the front window and impacted next to Evans. He heard a grunt to his right as Lieutenant Ricci opened fire.

The driver’s side mirror was blown off when Lucy opened up with the Auto Gun. Evans could barely see the roadblock now, the window was too cracked. But all in all, the plan seemed to be working pretty well. He took the pistol and started to smash the window.

They were only a few meters away now. Evans yelled, “Brace for impact!” The truck hit the roadblock. Evans heard a smack next to him. The truck broke through. It stalled for a moment. In that brief pause, Evans heard a clatter behind him.. Evans got the truck in gear and floored it.

After they were suitably far away, Evans pulled to the side of the road and shouted, “FUCK YEAH! THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!”

He was met with silence.

Evans looked to his right. Lieutenant Ricci was slumped over on the dashboard, not moving. Fuck. Lucy has some more bandages in the back. He slid out and ran around back. When he jumped in, he saw Lucy lying dazed on the bed of the truck. She looked up at Evans, “I think I’m dead Goldfish. Been fun.” She rolled over. Evans pulled out his flashlight and pumped it. She was lying in a pool of blood. Fuck Fuck Fuck.

Evans quickly turned Lucy onto her back, ran to back to the cab of the truck and floored it. Not stopping until he saw someone wearing a forest green uniform with a rifle ahead of him. He slammed on the brakes and ran out, “I NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION NOW!”

A soft voice called from the truck, “And the nearest radio or telephone. I’m Lieutenant Jane Ricci. Now please, before I pass out again.”

The soldiers eyes widened and he called out to the nearby building, “SERGEANT WINTERS! WE NEED A GUIDE!”

A private ran out to the building and saluted Lieutenant Ricci, “Where to go Ma’am?”

Evans grabbed him and pulled him into the truck, “Guide me to nearest medical place with a radio or telephone. FUCKING NOW!”

“Uh right. I’m Private…”

“DON’T CARE!”

“Sorry… straight down this, take the third left, and keep going. There is a roadblock at the Medical Station.”

Evans floored it in the truck. It felt like an eternity. The Private next to him was trying to wake Lieutenant Ricci.

A few soldiers were standing in front of the roadblock. One stayed back with his rifle, and another, a Corporal, calmly approached, “Password?”

The private from the previous roadblock leaned over Evans, “Bison.”

Evans then took over, “We need two Stretcher bearers right now!”

Lieutenant Ricci slightly opened her eyes and coughed out some blood, “I can walk, I need your radio.” She slipped out of the truck and started to stumble towards the building marked with a red “X.” The Corporal ran towards the Lieutenant and started helping her, he then called over some stretcher bearers. Evans guided them to the back and dragged out Lucy, who groaned softly.

The stretcher bearers ran into the building. Evans yelled back to the Private, “You can go! I don’t need you!” He then ran after the Stretcher Bearers. They entered a well lit room and yelled to a doctor. A small alarm went off. Evans looked down at Lucy. Her face was completely pale. Her jacket was entirely soaked in blood. A Nurse forced him out of the room.

Lieutenant Ricci stumbled towards him, “Evans, I need you to drive me. Radio is down. Let’s go, now.”

“Lucy’s in there Ma’am, she might die,” Evans gestured over his shoulder towards the operating room.

“And a whole hell of a lot more people will die if we don’t fucking move now,” Lieutenant Ricci coughed out some blood, drew her pistol, and pressed it onto Evans’ head, “Now I’m going to ask you one more time, before my pistol accidentally goes off.”

“You can’t drive yourself Ma’am?”

“Well, even if I wasn’t occasionally passing out from blood loss, I don’t know how to drive.”

“Right Ma’am,” Evans held his hands up, “Just let me leave some information about Lucy in case… In case she doesn’t make it.”

“Quickly Private, They might notice I’ve been shot and try and help me,” Lieutenant Ricci holstered her pistol. Evans pulled out some paper and wrote Lucy’s information on it. He slipped in and handed it to a nurse and then went back outside. Lieutenant Ricci put her arm over his shoulders, “Let’s go.”

Evans helped her back to the truck. The sun was starting to come up. He picked her up and put her into the cab of the truck. He then went around and sat in the drivers seat, “So where do we need to go Ma’am?”

“Yes, first, straight down this road, I’ll give you turn by turn directions. If I pass out, just hit me a little bit.”

Putting the truck into Gear, Evans started driving down the road. The soldiers at the roadblock quickly raised the arm and got out of the way. He heard Lieutenant Ricci counting to herself as they passed each road. After five blocks, she tapped him, “Next left, then immediate right.”

Evans followed her directions for ten minutes. They slowly started to pass a further and further bustle until they finally reached a row of buildings with a large flag hanging over the center. Evans stopped the car.

He pulled Lieutenant Ricci out and helped her to the building she pointed out. All the windows were boarded up. Using his free hand, he knocked on the door.

There was a clatter, followed by a few seconds of silence. A slit opened up at eye level. A pair of blue eyes stared out. The door opened. A short blond Major was standing there. His Jacket was unbuttoned, revealing a rainbow tie. He pulled his glasses off, pointed at Evans, and looked at Lieutenant Ricci, “Jane, who is that?”

“It’s a kid I picked up on the go,” Lieutenant Ricci pulled her arm off Evans and started limping in. Evans followed behind her. The Lieutenant sat on a chair, “So Ben, where is Elise? I have news, and it’s about her pet thing.”

The Major nodded and yelled to the stairs, “ELISE! JANE IS NOT DEAD!”

“Yay!” There was a patter of feet. A diminutive woman wearing goggles appeared from the stairs. She was wearing a blue, obviously non-uniform dress and a pair of black combat boots, “Ooh, and a new kid.”

Lieutenant Ricci took a breath in and out. The two people sat in chairs across from Evans and the Lieutenant. Lieutenant Ricci gestured to Evans, “This is Private Evans, I met him while wandering, the 198th decided to leave me.” Lieutenant Ricci then pointed to the Major and the woman in the blue dress, “And these are the Majors. Elise Anson and Ben Fitzroy.”

Major Anson reached into a jar and pulled out some cookies and offered them to Evans. Major Fitzroy cocked his head at Lieutenant Ricci, “So why are you bleeding?”

“I got shot,” Lieutenant Ricci pulled up her jacket and pointed to her bandaged wound. Major Fitzroy tried to poke it, but Major Anson slapped his hand. Lieutenant Ricci then pulled out her map, which she had marked up, “Air Artillery, about here when I saw it last night. It was still cabled into position though, it looks like it will be moving within the week. We should move those new artillery pieces into place about here and start sending feelers along the front to check for any other ones.” She then pulled out a notepad and opened it up, “This is a sketch I made, I saw three guns on each side, and a larger piece in the front.”

Major Anson nodded, grabbed the map and sketch, and skittered back upstairs. Major Fitzroy put his feet on the table, “So Jane, I need you to fill out the paperwork for your undeath. We sent it in after the 198th out without you, and it’s your fault that you aren’t dead.”

Lieutenant Ricci gestured down to her bloody jacket, “I’m going to next door to the medical building now. You can do that yourself Ben.” She then got up and started to limp out of the building.