A Shephard- ZoC Main Story Vol 1 Chapter 14

Part 14 - High and A Winner Got A Hot Hand
(Alternate Title - Put On Your Favorite Chase Music)

The decision is immediate. You’re getting the hell out of here. There's only one way out of this building, one of you, and five of them. Maybe you’re starting to develop those instincts Mr. Green and Wolf yam on about, but it all screams to just leave.

You hastily don the backpack, and look over to Lucy.

Shit, she’s still sleeping. And you’re not sure how you should wake her up without scaring her, although those same instincts from earlier are telling you to. With one final glance out the window, you turn back and grab Lucy, now resting in your front arms. In one hand you tightly grip your pistol and she now lays in front of you. Good thing she still is very light, as you start to run down towards the stairs. Those ancient memories of bounding down the stairs christmas morning, three at a time, coming in handy right now as you fly downwards.

Lucy, still knocked out in your arms, can’t comment on this amazing feat of yours and you’re a bit sad she missed it. Oh well, you’ll have to brag about it later.

Running out of the bottom stairwell now, you’re relieved to see no one still in the lobby. Running a bit slower now, you jog up right to the broken front doors you entered through earlier. You can see across the road one man in a blue outfit gesturing angrily towards the man in green. You note the disparity between the outfits; the guy in the green sunrise suit looking very much worn whereas the blue stalker’s outfit was much more clean, organized, and had an air of professionalism about it.
No more time to speculate, they’re a bit busy so you decide now is the time to leg it. Practically sprinting out the front door garners the immediate attention of the two as you make an abrupt right and head towards the eastern exit.

You not sure which one of them gave the command, but you heard an angry “STOP, OR-” but you didn’t care as you your mind was now occupied by a third stalker in blue, very much the spitting image of his compatriot, pop around the corner of the entrance, leveling his gun at you.

“Fuck!” you exclaim, as you attempt to change course once again to your right. The bulk of Lucy in your arms not making the maneuver any easier.

Through dumb luck or your skill in turning, the man missed his opportunity to fire as you now accelerate yourself towards the back wall.

Desperately scanning for an out, you see it through a tree that was lodged through the wall, leaving a gap of broken bricks around it. You leg it up and over and find yourself out of the compound, the echo of footsteps emanating from the other side behind you. But there's another obstacle, a fence, and you decide to hook left along it, hoping for a break that would let you through.

You run for what seems an eternity before you dare look back, the sun casting long shadows of the complex you left behind in the distance. You didn’t notice anyone following you at the moment, but now was not the time to slow down. The now heavily fogged lenses of your mask and ragged breath a testament to how intense that escape just was.

You were done around the Agroprom Institute, their arrival told you. Whatever they wanted, they could have. You were leaving, and not the way they came.
You jogged on for a bit longer, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows of the trees, providing some nice shade.
It was about this time that Lucy finally stirred in your arms. Seeing as it had been long enough, you decide now would be a good time to break, and figure out where the hell you were.

You lay her down against a tree, and promptly dump your back and open your canteen. You hastily check the geiger counter for any dangers, and find none. Nearly ripping off your mask, you dump most of the water on your face as you greedily drink as much as you can; the run being absolutely exhausting.

The splashing of which seemed to finally rouse Lucy.

She stretches for a bit until she notices you leaning over a bit aways from her, a mixture of sweat and water dripping from your face.

She bolts upright and hurries over to you, but you wave her off.

“I’m fine, just had a bit of trouble.”

“What-”

“Sleep fine?” you ask earnestly, trying to deflect her worry.

“Sleep was… nice. Different than… usual?” she ponders out, seemingly struggling with the concept.

You’re honestly too tired to ask, but know you can’t collapse here as you still have some distance to go before you feel really safe.

The distraction to keep her from panicking working, you briefly explain what was going on, everything from the calm exploration of the complex to the panicked extraction from the same place.

“...and now the biggest issue-” you finish, pointing at your PDA, “is that we're in one of those blurred parts of the gps; where it’s not exactly sure where we’re at.”

Interference from The Zone was a real thing, and still not understood at all. If you were off the well documented parts on the PDA map, you might as well be halfway to Crimea.

Your breathing finally having calmed down, you slowly move to pick up your backpack again when Lucy approaches you.
Pausing you notice her look around for awhile, staring at some of the terrain around you.

“I… know?... where we are. I can get us south, to the swamps. It’s not far from here.”

You didn’t want to go back there again, not a fan of how long it’s been coupled with the likelihood for another blowout.

But you were familiar with the place, and once there, you could get back to the Cordon. From the Cordon, back North.

It was going to be a long trip, but you’re not sure you want to chance running into those stalkers again. The way the lead stalker pointed at you instead of shooting; were they after you?

Fuck, maybe the information broker turned over the wrong couple of rocks, and now they were after you?

Problems to sort out later. You still had some daylight left, and felt the need to move. At least until you could find some shelter in the swamps.

“Okay, let's get going.”

Her hesitation seems to imply you should rest longer, but you shake your head dismissively.

“I’m fine, we should really keep going. Plus it’d be easier with the weight off my shoulders.”

You wince prematurely, as any woman would hit you for commenting about her weight like that, but you forget Lucy isn’t exactly “normal” and she just shrugs, and starts walking.
You find in this little journey she has a knack for navigation. It’s like she’s been on this trail plenty of times before, and knows what to look out for.

Maybe she has? You’re not sure. She’s walking to you now, being more independent, offering suggestions. The stark contrast to this morning gives you hope that you’ll be able to reopen that conversation soon.

It’s a little before dusk when you are standing over the familiar golden reeds of the swamp, most of it laid out before you. As you cross the railroad embankment, Lucy simply points to a small collection of hovels to your left.

Half an hour later, you are there. You briefly manage to throw out your tarp in the old, dilapidated wooden structure before you collapse on it, exhaustion of all of the days activities setting in.

Lucy walks over and removes your backpack, and you promptly roll over, staring up into the darkness.

“Thank you Lucy, you saved me once again. “ you mutter, as you continue to gaze into the abyss above you.. She even kept her promised, your rifle did.

Hearing no response, you shift your head over as you are dragged into sleep. The pleasant sight of her sitting there, beautiful hair unrestrained now by mask and hood, small smile, and beautiful eyes comforting you as you slip into sleep.