Play@YSDC

Z-Day - 5:20 PM Central Time - Brooks High School, Omaha, Nebraska
In the security office-
Kate shook her head when Rachel started to move towards the exit. "Rachel, no!" she hissed. "They'll kill her...and you." She headed over to Kyle's cell and knelt at his side. "Hang on, I'll help you," she said. She tried her best, but there was little more she could do. "They messed you up bad." She looked over at the other cell. "They messed him up even worse."

"I never hurt anyone," coughed Kyle. "Those punks are bad news, but nobody listened to me. They should be locked up, not me." He tried to bandage his own wound, but he was too weak to help.

"Here, let me try, sonny," said Declan. His efforts were in vain as well. "If only I still had all me fingers," he sighed.

Jerry couldn't hear anything beyond the office.

Rachel Cohen and Declan McLeod,[b]Rachel[/b] and [b]Declan[/b] could hear the footsteps of [b]Darnell[/b] and the gang retreating into the lobby, where they paused. If she were to attempt to leave at this point, she would be spotted for sure. She then heard [b]Doug[/b] say "Which way, mon?"

OOC,Anyone who has not already tried First Aid on [b]Kyle[/b] may do so now.

In the special projects lab-
"I just hope Officer Kate's okay," said Kelly. "Roy is a monster, and his friend Darnell probably isn't any better."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," the principal reassured her. "She's a police officer, and she knows how to take care of herself. Besides, she has a gun, and Roy McCrumb is badly injured."

On the roof-
Adam kept one eye on the EMP device and the other on Dr. Saunders and the other scientists at the crash site below.

In the construction area-
Michiko went with Michelle and the scientists to the scene of the wreck.

Southeast of the school-
Emily accepted Donald's help in getting out of the car, taking Tiny with her. "You can't quit on me now, Montoya," she said. "You have to fix these wheels first, but before that we have to get Chuck out of jail." She turned to Donald. "Let's get inside, then. Take us to my son. You've got keys to every door, right?" She looked at the fire exit that led out of the east stairwell. "That's the nearest one. Let's go. Keith, you should stick with us."

Dr. Saunders managed to revive John Lee, the Chinese-looking teenager, and repaired some of the injuries he had suffered while she was at it.

"Unh..." he moaned, holding his head. "What happened?"

Michiko, Michelle, and the scientists arrived at the car.

She signals to Kate to indicate she will be cautious.
Rachel bites her lip and holds back from following the teenagers, to avoid being seen by Roy, Darnell, etc.
She whispers: "Erica, that was a foolish attempt at stopping those kids in the security office..." she adds, "They'll leave you behind, for sure."


Keith shrugs as if undecided, but says to Emily: "Yeah, I'm coming."

Emilio spits on the school yard. "Hey, I´m good at cars, bad with people. I´ll beauty up the ride, no worries. But then I´m off. Let´s get Chuck out of the slammer." He walks towards the door along with Keith, Donald and Emily.

Michiko:
-It's good that the dead aren't rising again here. Or we would be in trouble.

Jerry:
-It's all my fault! I wasn't able to convince them to stop, and wasn't able to protect the people in my custody!

"All right... sure. Nothing better to do at the moment," Donald confessed to Emily. "Besides, someone better keep an eye on you. Those were some bad cuts you had. Wouldn't want you springing a leak again."

In the security office-
"It's not your fault, Jerry," said Kate, standing up. "There was nothing you could have done. There were too many of them." She didn't hear a thing.

Kyle was too preoccupied to pay attention to what was going on outside, but Declan could hear just fine.

Rachel Cohen and Declan McLeod,"Well the adults want us out of the school so I say we go to my house which is only a few blocks away from here," said [b]Darnell[/b] in the lobby. "Mom was supposed to work this morning so if she was infected she was infected at the day care she works at instead of at home and if not she should be safe there and we should be safe as well. But I say we take the bitch with us as added insurance cause I do not trust that cop bitch. She will shoot us down as soon as she can." "I like the way you think, buddy," said [b]Roy[/b]. "We're keeping her." [b]Rachel[/b] could then hear some whispering, but she couldn't quite make out what was being said. "We will go upstairs and take more hostages then we can be left alone," said [b]Darnell[/b] after the whispering was finished. Finally, footsteps receded from the lobby down the hall to the north.

OOC,Anyone wishing to leave the security office will need to roll Sneak. The base skill level is 10%.

In the special projects lab-
"I wish Roy McCrumb had been killed," said Kelly, crossing her arms.

Principal Adler looked at her with concern. "Kelly, would you like to talk with me in private?"

"I...no, not really."

On the roof-
Adam watched with relief as the injured people emerged from the Mustang. They were hurt badly, but they had all survived.

Southeast of the school-
Dr. Bernard Smith and Michelle Marquez helped John Lee out of the car. "Let's get you all inside," said Dr. Smith.

"We'll use my office," said Michelle.

"Well, we don't have to worry about the dead any more," Stephanie reassured Michiko. "Not as long as the EMP device stays functional and we don't leave its area of effect. And even then, there won't be any new zombies, only the ones that are already active. Let's all go back inside."

"Ja," said Dr. Hausmann. "We will make everyone better there. Come, Stephanie." The two women followed the others to the fire exit, and Dr. Saunders, Dr. Singh, and Dr. Somerville went after them.

Donald opened the door to the east stairwell with his keys, leading the way inside.

In the east stairwell-
Donald, Emilio, Emily, Tiny, Keith, and the scientists made their way inside. The stairway itself was still barricaded, but they could enter the ground floor through the interior door.

Rachel talks to everyone in the security office: "Dammit! The kids are not going to leave Erica behind like they agreed - are we surprised by that? Even worse, they will snatch more hostages from upstairs. They whispered something else which I didn't catch, no doubt any of us exiting the security office will be shot at. We need a plan."

~

Keith says, "My belly aches, I think ate too many potato chips."

"So, where´s Chuck at? We need to talk to the sheriff, there´s got to be a misunderstanding..." Emilio opens the interior door and holds the door up for the others to get in. "Down the corridor and up the north stairs, rigt?"

In the security office-
"I wish I knew what to do," said Kate. "If we leave too soon and they're waiting for us, people are going to get killed. But if we wait too long, they'll get away. We have to at least find out where they're going, but if I tried to follow them I'm sure they'd notice me. Proper police procedure would be to call for backup, but the radios aren't working any more after the pulse, and the phones have been down since morning. The people upstairs aren't defenseless, at least. Becky has that shotgun, Principal Adler has the pistol and baseball bat, the coach has a bow and a saber, and some of the scientists are armed too. Maybe the coach or LaTanya could even talk some sense into Darnell and Roy, but they may be beyond that now."

OOC,Everyone in the security office, roll Listen again.

In the special projects lab-
"Kelly, I'm here to help you," said Principal Adler. "You need to talk about this with someone."

"Well..." she started, "all right. But only in private."

On the roof-
Adam watched everyone entering the building.

Southeast of the school-
Dr. Smith and Michelle helped John Lee enter school via the east stairwell.

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
"Any zombies that enter the device's area of effect will automatically go down as long as it's running," explained Stephanie. "The ones that went down already should stay down permanently, even if it fails. It would be sensible to destroy the bodies anyway, for the sake of hygiene alone. Once they start to decompose...I don't want to even think about it."

"They locked Chuck up in the security office, I think," said Dr. Saunders. "It's right off of the lobby. This way." She walked through the door to the east hall, nodding to Emilio. "Thank you." The others filed through the door after her, just as Dr. Smith, Michelle,and John entered.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Dr. Saunders led the way into the hallway. The doors to the cafeteria were still lying smashed open, and the lobby was a short distance ahead.

[Rachel Cohen: Listen 27%: 100! - Ear infection??]

Keith Stewart:
"I can't be doing with all this: too many people telling me what to do, it's like a double physics lesson. I'm returning outside for a smoke."

In the security office-
Jerry paused, his ears perking up.

Jerry Law,[b]Jerry[/b] heard several pairs of footsteps entering the lobby from the east hall. Most of the people approaching were women from the sound of the way they walked.

Declan heard nothing, as did Kyle. Kate, however, did hear something.

"We've got people entering the lobby from the east," she whispered. "A bunch of them. What do you think, should we risk going out there yet?"

In the special projects lab-
"Let's go down to my office," said Principal Adler. "In fact, we should all head downstairs. It's almost time for dinner." With that, he led the large group of assembled people into the hall and then the north stairwell.

On the roof-
Adam Donnelly took a good look around - and didn't like what he saw one bit.

Adam Donnelly,[b]Adam[/b] looked to the east and noticed a group of teenagers led by [b]Darnell Jones[/b] emerging into the construction site from a fire exit near the northeast corner. [b]Roy[/b] was carrying [b]Stephanie[/b]'s friend [b]Erica[/b], who looked badly battered and had a serious head wound. [b]Doug Marley[/b] was with them, and he and [b]Darnell[/b] both carried bloody baseball bats. [b]Heather Anderson[/b] toted an M-16. At the same time, [b]Keith Stewart[/b] came out of the fire exit near the southeast corner that he had just entered through.

Adam didn't hesitate. He raced downstairs.

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
Adam reached the landing just as Principal Adler's large group entered from the hall. "We've got a situation outside!" he said, out of breath.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Dr. Saunders led her group into the lobby.

In the lobby-
The first thing Michelle, Michiko, and the scientists saw when they entered the lobby was that the door to the security office had been smashed down.

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
Keith ducked back outside.

Keith Stewart,You are moving to the thread linked below. Do not read the posts above the one in the link. The other players are not to know yet that you are in that thread, so I haven't updated the Locations thread or the character list to reflect this. Also, make sure you keep [b]Rachel[/b]'s knowledge separate from [b]Keith[/b]'s. [url=http://www.callofcthulhu.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=160&t=2208&p=91958#p91958]Wild in the Streets[/url]

"Yes Kate, it's worth the risk. Maybe the other group will distract any watchers of the security office. Right, I'll go first - it was my idea to let the thugs go - back me up, please." Rachel smiles a little apprehensively, grips her pistol and nips out the door of the security office.

In the security office-
"I've got your back, Rachel," said Kate. The two women went around the corner, stepping over the door they had broken down to get inside. Declan went with them.

In the lobby-
Rachel and Kate emerged from the security office to find Dr. Saunders, Dr. Smith, Dr. Hausmann, Stephanie, Dr. Somerville, Dr. Singh, MIchelle, Michiko, Donald, Emilio, John Lee, Emily, and Tiny.

"Have you seen a bunch of teenagers?" asked Kate. "They've got Erica and her M-16."

"Oh my God!" said Stephanie. "No, we didn't see anyone on our way in. We entered through the east stairs. Is Erica hurt?"

"I'm afraid so. They knocked her out and took her hostage, but she'll live if we can rescue her."

"My son!" said Emily. "What about my son? Where is he?!" She started pulling Tiny towards the entrance to the security office.

"You don't want to go in there, ma'am. You've been hurt badly too. What happened to you?"

She frowned at Emilio. "He thinks he's a stunt driver. Rammed the fence and rolled Chuck's Mustang. Now get out of my way and let me see my son!"

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
"What happened?" asked Principal Adler.

"Four of the students came out of the fire exit into the construction area, near the north side of the school," said Adam. "One of them was carrying Erica, and she was badly injured. Two of them had baseball bats, and a girl with them had an M-16."

"Was it Roy?" asked Kelly.

"The big football player? Yeah, he's the one who had Erica."

"Oh, no..."

"Darnell and his gang have gone further than I ever thought they would," said the principal. "Thanks, Adam. Get back to the roof and keep watch. The rest of you, we're going downstairs." Adam ran back upstairs, and everyone else followed Adler down to ground level.

Donald frowned at the predicament and said, "At the risk of sounding heartless, I think it's in all of our best interest to return back to the others... safety in numbers and all. I don't have an assault rifle to even the score with a bunch of teenage punks... but the others in the school do. Those kids shouldn't be going far if they know what's good for them. If they do risk their own lives and head into the wild, well... I'm not volunteering for a suicide mission of retrieval."

Rachel says, "Donald is right: safety in numbers and it makes sense to stay together at the school; but, we must rescue Erica. Officer Wheeler and I have weapons, and although the punks have an M-16, I'm betting they can't accurately fire it - the odds are stacked in our favour. I believe we should give chase immediately."

Michiko
-So we have a band of dangerous teenagers outside. Well, we don't know how the city is, but probably they will find some resistance from other madman like them. I just hope that Erica-san escapes.
Jerry
-I will go help Erica. I feel responsible for her destiny.

Begrudgingly, Donald says "Since I have access to the school's locked areas, I'll tag along. But if we get off school property, I'm heading back." And he adds in, "If there's any firefight, you're not likely to find me sticking around. I don't pretend to be bulletproof."

Rachel says, "Thanks Jerry, and you too Donald - we'll need your knowledge of the school."

Realizing Keith has moved out to the yard, Emilio back tracks and leaves the crowd. "I´ll be right back, yall! Gotta see what happened to that Keith kid."

In the lobby-
"Yes, thank you both," said Kate.

"I want to help too," said Stephanie. "I owe it to her."

"Stephanie, nein!" said Dr. Hausmann. "It's too dangerous!"

"She's right," said Liz. "Your job is saving the world. Theirs is saving Erica."

"But how can I leave her behind, especially after all she's been through for us? We had to leave Kathryn behind at the airfield too..."

"But there were others who went to rescue her," said Dr. Hausmann. "You are needed here."

"Thank you, Stephanie, but they are right," said Kate. "if you want to help, go on in to the security office. Kyle was beaten almost to death, and he could use some medical attention."

"Well...okay." Stephanie and Dr. Hausmann entered the security office.

"What about my son?!" demanded Emily, but Kate had already left down the north hall with Rachel, Jerry, and Donald. Declan tagged along with them. Emily took hold of Tiny's leash and barged into the security office.

"Let's go to my office," said Michelle, heading down the west hall. "Everyone who's hurt should join us there. Emilio, if you find Keith, bring him my way!" Dr. Smith, Dr. Somerville, Dr. Saunders, and Dr. Singh helped John Lee after her.

In the security office-
Stephanie gasped when she saw the carnage that the teenagers had left in the cells. Kyle's injuries were bad enough, but they were nothing compared to the brutal blow that had slain Chuck Lubachek. She had seen a lot worse today and had an extremely strong mind, so it didn't shake her up too much. Dr. Hausmann also managed to keep it together. Even Emily didn't go completely to pieces when she saw her son lying dead, though she was filled with rage. "Those bastards!" she shouted. "I'll kill them all!" Tiny was not at all disturbed. He trotted over and relieved himself on the body, as if glad his master was dead.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Emilio made his way back down the east hall. The door to the east stairwell was directly ahead of him.

OOC,[b]Emilio[/b], roll Listen if you enter the stairwell.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
"How could Darnell do this?" asked LaTanya, distraught.

"It can't be true," said Coach Moore, reassuring her. "He's a good kid."

"I'm going outside to try to head them off," said Principal Adler.

"I'll come with you," offered Miguel.

"All right, but the rest of you get to the cafeteria. Stay together. Sharon, you're in charge until I get back." With that, he pushed open the fire exit, which had been left propped open. Miguel went outside with him.

Everyone else in the stairwell left through the hall door.

In the north hall, ground floor-
Rachel, Jerry, Donald, Kate, and Declan entered the hall from the lobby as Sharon Kaplan led a large group of students and teachers in from the stairwell. Both sets of double doors leading to the auditorium still had the metal bars through the handles.

"Oh, good, you're all right," said Kate. "Darnell and his friends murdered Chuck Lubachek and beat Kyle to within an inch of his life. Then they bludgeoned Erica unconscious, took her hostage, and escaped. Have you seen them?"

"Adam Donnelly spotted them from the roof," said Sharon. "They went out into the construction site near the north end of the school. My guess is they left through the gym. He also saw Keith Stewart exit through the east stairwell. Principal Adler and Miguel Garcia went outside to try to intercept them."

OOC,Everyone in the north hall, or who enters the north hall this turn, roll Spot Hidden.

On the roof-
Adam hurried over to the east side of the roof.

Adam Donnelly,[b]Adam[/b] got there in time to see [b]Roy[/b] stuffing [b]Erica[/b] into the trunk of the 1965 Mustang and the teens piling into the car. [b]Keith[/b] climbed in with them, apparently of his own free will.

Donald didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Damn it, I just fixed the gym door," he exclaimed. He turned in the direction of the most direct route toward the construction site and started heading that direction.

[OOC, Spot Hidden 25% (1d100=64)]


Rachel follows Donald. "We're going to be too late!"

OOC,How long did that post take you, Mr. Handy? - Dedication to pbp!

OOC,Thanks! It took about an hour and a half. If you think that's a lot, you should see the posts I wrote in the first two chapters, where all of the characters were together. Those typically took three hours or so each. It's become a lot faster since the characters got split up starting in Chapter 3. It was the auditorium doors [b]Donald[/b] fixed, not the gym door.

In the security office-
"Oh my God," said Stephanie, kneeling beside Kyle. "What happened?"

"Darnell and Roy damn near killed me," moaned Kyle. "Roy did a lot worse to the other guy. I warned everyone about them, but nobody listened."

Stephanie bandaged the worst of his injuries, but there was a limit to how much she could help. Dr. Hausmann took out her doctor's bag and treated him further, again with little to show for it. "I can handle it from here, Stephanie," she said. "This is going to take a while."

Emily stormed out as fast as her injuries allowed, taking Tiny with her.

In the lobby-
"Where has Emilio got off to now?" asked Emily, looking around. Tiny just barked, unable to answer her. A large group of people entered the lobby from the north.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Emilio pushed on through the door into the stairwell.

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
Emilio entered the stairwell. The fire exit heading back outside was just ahead of him. He could hear very well what was going on outside.

Emilio Montoya,[b]Emilio[/b] heard a familiar sound coming from outside: the Mustang being driven away from where he had left it. It was then that he realized that in the aftermath of the crash and being knocked unconscious, he had neglected to take the keys with him and had left them in the ignition. It had never even occurred to him that someone could take it.

In the north hall, ground floor-
"What about my brother?" asked Lisa. "Is he all right?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid he joined Darnell," said Kate. She didn't notice anything either, but Jerry noticed a trail of blood leading down the hall from the lobby. It led directly to the gym doors, which Donald and Rachel had just gone through to reach the construction site. Both of them followed, as did Declan.

"I'm coming too," said LaTanya. "Maybe I can talk some sense into Darnell."

"Darnell and Roy might listen to me too," said Ron Moore. Both of them went into the gym. Kelly went with them too, tears rolling down her cheeks. Lisa also tagged along.

The rest of the crowd moved south, into the lobby.

In the gym-
Donald. Rachel, Kate, Jerry, Declan, LaTanya, Ron Moore, Lisa, and Kelly entered the gym and began to cross it on their way to the east door, which led out to the construction site.

In the west hall, ground floor-
Michelle, the doctors, and John Lee entered Michelle's office.

On the roof-

Adam Donnelly,[b]Adam[/b] was helpeless to do anything but watch as the car with [b]Erica[/b] in the trunk drove through a big hole in the south side of the fence and turned right, heading west away from the school.

In the rear parking lot-
Principal Adler and Miguel raced around the northeast corner of the school, into the construction site.

In the construction area-

Principal Lawrence Adler and Miguel Garcia,[b]Adler[/b] and [b]Miguel[/b] rounded the corner in time to see the Mustang that had been stopped southeast of the school being driven away and through a big hole in the south side of the fence, where it turned right and was soon blocked from view by the building. [b]Miguel[/b] had his gun out, but the car was too far away for him to get a good shot off.

ooc,Whoops yeah. Oh well, maybe he fixed that door yesterday before all hell broke loose.

Donald opens the door in the gym and looks around for signs of others or a place where he can get a higher vantage point.

In the gym-
Peeking out the door, Donald saw Principal Adler and Miguel running through the construction area to the south. The principal had his bat, and Miguel had his pistol drawn. The only nearby vantage points that were high up were the roof of the school, which he could only access from the north stairwell (assuming nobody lowered the fire escape ladder at one of the other stairwells) and the roof of his small shack, some distance away beyond the garden - and to get up there, he'd need to climb.

OOC,With the door open, everyone in the gym should feel free to make a Listen roll, whether or not you go outside.

Failed the listen roll,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2390162/]Listen (29%) (1d100=83)[/url]

Donald noticed that the door he had just opened could use some greasing. He pointed to the distance, "Look, there!" indicating the principal and Miguel's location and immediately took chase.

[OOC, Listen 27% (1d100=35)]

Rachel hurries after Donald: "Be cautious, sir!"

"Puta!", Emilio swears and swings the door open. He runs out and tries to catch a glimpse of who is stealing his ride. He gets the shotgun in ready mode, pumping a shell in the chamber.

Jerry:
-What's the plan? We cannot simply appear. They are too angerous and could kill Erica

Michiko
-Is anyone else going outside? Not to rescue Erica-san but to see the damage in the city.

In the security office-
"All right, Brigetta," said Stephanie. "Anything else I can do?"

"Yes," said Dr. Hausmann. "Go get yourself something to eat, and ask them to send us some dinner as well."

Stephanie nodded. "Take care."

"Thank you," moaned Kyle as she left.

In the lobby-
Emily dragged Tiny down the hall to the east, looking for Emilio.

Sharon Kaplan was leading the group of faculty and students that had entered from the north hall.

"I think Officer Kate Wheeler was going to go out into the city, Michiko," she said, "but in light of what's happened she's going to be busy trying to save Erica. You should come to the cafeteria with us. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, and we can discuss our plans further while we eat." She led her group down the east hall.

Stephanie emerged from the security office and smiled when she saw Michiko. "Hi," she said.

In the gym-
"They've already gone out," Kate told Jerry, "so we might as well follow them. I don't actually have a plan." She hurried outside after Donald and Rachel.

"And if we don't save her," said Kelly, "they could do something even worse to her." Though afraid, the need to do something drove her on and she went outside with Kate. Declan, LaTanya, Ron Moore, and Lisa went after them, leaving Jerry the only one in the gym.

In the nurse's office-
"Lie down here," said Michelle Marquez, helping John Lee onto a cot. She surveyed his injuries from the car crash, but they were beyond her ability. "I'm no doctor. I'd better leave this to the professionals."

"Not much I can do either," said Dr. Helene Saunders. "I'm a Ph.D, not a medical doctor. I'll go up to the roof to relieve Adam so he can grab a bite to eat." She left the office.

Dr. Bernard Smith tried his best, but it wasn't quite good enough.

"Watch and learn," said Dr. Edward Singh, getting to work and managing to help somewhat. "My talents are wasted here. We should be back in the lab."

"No, we should be eating supper," said Dr. Liz Somerville, "but this is more important right now." She joined her colleague in expertly treating the young man. "You're going to be all right," she added with a reassuring grin.

John Lee managed to smile back. "I feel better already," he said. "It's great to have a pretty doctor like you looking after me. My name is John Lee. I'm from Cheyenne."

"I'm Dr. Liz Somerville, from the CDC."

"You're a medical doctor?" asked Michelle. "I thought you were a Ph.D."

"I'm both, actually."

On the roof-
Adam called down to the people emerging from the school: "Those kids all got into that Mustang and drove away, heading west! They locked Erica in the trunk. Keith Stewart got in the car with them, apparently of his own free will."

Southeast of the school-
As Emilio emerged, he heard the faint, familiar noise of the Mustang's engine in the distance to the west, though it was not visible. After a few seconds, he could no longer hear it either. Principal Adler and Miguel came running up to join him, out of breath.

In the construction area-
Rachel also heard the car's engine as it zoomed away, and from what Adam had just said it sounded like they were too late. Donald and the others also emerged into the construction area.

Southeast of the school-

Letting the shotgun point to the ground, Emilio greets the principal and the Miguel kid. "Where did your bud Keith go, Garcia?" To Adler he asks about the reason for him and Emily to be there, "We came here to get Chuck Lubacheck out of holding. How could you let some kids go whack him? And what the hell is happening?" Emilio reflects on what to do next while waiting for the replies. His feet almost start walking down the stairs of their own when he hears the voice from the roof declaring what went down. So that´s what that Keith was doing at the shop, looking for the wheels... What a serendipity for him and his mates that yours truly is a sucker and leaves the keys in the ignition!

Two steps down the stairs Montoya repeats, "So, what lead up to this? We take care of the monsters and end up worse off, after?!" Had the principal responded while Emilio had lost himself in his thoughts? He starts to feel all the bruises act up and realizes that he´s quite battered up. The cold steel in his grip feels oddly invigorating. He spins back and enters the school again. Intent on finding Emily again to rally some souls to get even.

Handy:

Donald (not hearing the car's engine any) continues running forward to meet up with the principal.

Rachel:
"Dammit!" She hunkers down and smacks the ground in frustration: "Erica will die for sure, and it's my fault."

"Anyone know where the punks have fled to?"

The excitement of the security office confrontation and the chase, is over, her adrenaline turns into lactic acid; Rachel lets herself flop backwards and lies looking up at the sky: "F_ck_n' hell."

Jerry:

-Wait for me, I'l go with you. With those punks outside and the threat of the zombies defeated, there isn't much to be done here.

Michiko:

-Very well, its' better that we recover for now.

In the security office-
Dr. Hausmann continued to treat Kyle's injuries, but she was a long way from finished.

In the lobby-
Stephanie nodded sadly in response to Michiko. "I know how you feel," she said as she walked with her into the east hall. "I wish I could do something more to help too, but we have already done plenty. It's just hard for me to take it easy when my friend Erica has been kidnapped - and for the second time today! We all owe so much to her. If it weren't for her, I never would have made it to Omaha."

Dr. Helene Saunders entered from the west hall.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Emily pulled Tiny through the door to the east stairwell while Vice Principal Kaplan led the large group through the broken double doors into the cafeteria. Stephanie and Michiko entered the hall, stepping around the body of Jacob Marley.

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
Emilio entered from the fire exit at the same time that Emily and Tiny came in from the hall. "There you are!" she said. "Those punks murdered my son! Which way did they go? We're going to track them down and kill them! Once Tiny gets their scent, they won't escape."

In the nurse's office-
"The CDC?" asked John. "What are you doing here? Some sort of school asembly?"

"No," said Liz, smiling as she soothed his injuries. "The CDC has set up a Crisis Response Center here at Brooks High to deal with the outbreak. Thanks to my friend Stephanie Bridges and Dr. Brigetta Hausmann, as well as several others who have helped, we've won an important victory here today. You know, they also came here from Cheyenne."

"There's no evidence that their signal actually accomplished anything," said Dr. Singh. "It is my research that will save us. We just needed the data they brought."

"I think you mean our research. And we know for certain that the EMP had an effect. So, Mr. Lee, you've come a long way. What brings you here from Cheyenne?"

"Well...it was a rough drive. Almost 450 miles, but I made it." He looked confused at the scientists' talk. "An EMP? So that was what disabled my car and all the lights - and all those...infected people."

"Oh, they're not infected. They're actually dead and reanimated. I know, it's hard to believe, but Stephanie figured it all out. Why did you come all this way? You must have had a reason for making such a difficult journey."

"I'd, ah, rather not talk about it. It's personal."

Southeast of the school-
"Come on," said Principal Adler, "we need some wheels if we're going to chase them!" Miguel followed him as he ran back north into the construction area.

On the roof-
"Very few cars will work!" Adam Donnelly shouted down from the roof. "All vehicles made after 1982 or so have electronic ignitions, and the EMP fried them. They won't start!"

In the construction area-
Jerry emerged from the gym in time to catch the conversation.

"Rachel, it's not your fault," said Kate. "I should have arrested Darnell before he did anything and nipped it in the bud. I thought I could handle this, but I never expected they'd be able to escape."

"It's not your fault, either," said the principal, rushing up to them. "It's those young delinquents who are responsible. We're going to need a classic vehicle to pursue them...the only thing that comes to mind is that old broken down school bus, but it'll take hours to fix. By then the trail will be cold. We'd be better off going on foot or by bike, but we need to figure out where they might have gone."

"I don't think they'll kill Erica," said Kelly. "At least...at least not right away."

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], [b]Jerry[/b], and [b]Rachel[/b], roll Idea.

Jerry was completly out of good ideas.
-They can't go very far, so we could follow them on foot.

Meeting up with Emily and the others, Montoya holds the door open. "They went west, with the wheels... Maybe we should go back to the shop, Lubacheck? Time to make use of Chuck´s legacy..." He claps his jaw together and grinds his teeth.

As Donald continued to run for the construction area, he had a thought occur to him.

EMP question,I'm no expert by any means, but doesn't an EMP only effect active circuitry? Meaning, anything that was shut off would still be operational. It's not like that stuff that happened during War of the Worlds where everyone's car was hosed. It might have only happen to the vehicles that were running at the time. Of course... I could be wrong. In which case, just ignore this rant. :)

[OOC: Idea 80% (1d100=54)]

Rachel:
"Thanks. But which ever way we look at it, the whole 'prisoner' saga has been a screw-up."

OOC,An EMP renders all electronic circuitry useless, whether it's running at the time or not. Semiconductors (such as computer chips) and transistors are ruined. Vacuum tubes, however, are only temporarily disrupted. The Soviets were mocked for continuing to use vacuum tube technology once transistors were readily availble during the Cold War, but this is the reason why they did. In the event of a nuclear war, their vacuum tubes would continue to function even after being exposed to an EMP as a result of a nuclear detonation. The EMP device on the roof uses vacuum tubes so that it does not fry itself. The only way to protect circuitry is to shield it, such as with the Faraday cage [b]Stephanie[/b] made by wrapping the laptops completely in aluminum foil. This prevents the pulse from reaching the electronics within.

Donald Woodridge and Rachel Cohen,Both [b]Donald[/b] and [b]Rachel[/b] realized that some detective work would be in order here. To figure out where the young punks were going, their best bet was to talk to people who knew them best and try to figure out where they might head. Some of those people were already outside with them.

ooc,Ok... I stand corrected. I was going by some silly movie I saw some time ago - where they shut off a helicopter a split second before the EMP, and then turned it back on afterwards. - BTW, is it safe to assume that Donald knows they aren't on school property anymore?

Donald continued running toward the construction site until someone mentions to him that it was pointless or he sees other people coming back toward the school proper.

Rachel:
"There must be a hideout for the punks to go to," she says thinking aloud, "to find out where they have gone let's ask their school friends." Throwing out the question: "Does anyone have a clue where Darnell and the others have gone?"

In the security office-
Dr. Hausmann kept working. She was now almost halfway done treating the worse of Kyle's two wounds.

In the lobby-
Dr. Saunders went down the north hall.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Stephanie walked with Michiko into the cafeteria.

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
Emily and Tiny made their way back outside with Emilio.

In the cafeteria-
Vice Principal Sharon Kaplan looked around the cafeteria at the long rows of tables. "Okay," she said. "We'll arrange seating as follows. The scientists will sit in the row of tables closest to the kitchen. Faculty and staff will be in the next row, students in the third row, and other visitors to the school in the fourth row.

"Dinner should be done in a minute or two," said Laura Shelley. "I can already smell it." Indeed, the pleasant odor of spicy food drifted in through the open door to the kithcen, where Amelia was no doubt still at work.

Stephanie and Michiko entered the cafeteria from the hallway.

In the nurse's office-
"Okay," said Liz as she continued treating John Lee.

"I would like to meet your friends and talk to them," he said.

"Of course. You'll have plenty of time to get to know them over dinner. They still probably won't be done serving by the time we get there. Just give us a couple of minutes to finish up. You'll still need to get plenty of rest and stay off of your feet, but within a week you should be good as new."

Southeast of the school-
Emily, Tiny, and Emilio emerged from the stairwell and made their way back outside. Everyone seemed to be gathering in the construction area to the north.

"First we're going to need more people," said Emily. "There are too many for just the two of us. We also need to know where those assholes went with the car. Tiny's a good bloodhound, maybe he can sniff them out."

OOC,[b]Emilio[/b], roll Listen.

On the roof-
Adam Donnelly happened to look back to the west. "Hey, everyone!" he called to the people on the east side of the school. "I can see that Tariq, Ali, and Lori are back! Alvin and Murray are with them, and so are a pretty blonde and a couple of Middle Eastern-looking men. I don't recognize them."

In the construction area-
Donald caught up with the principal and the others who were gathered outside the school.

"You're right, Jerry," said Kate. "I don't think they'll go to their homes. It's possible that their relatives won't be there, but they couldn't be sure of it. Lisa, Doug's your brother. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

"How do I know you won't kill him if you find him?" asked Lisa.

"Doug's not the one who killed Chuck Lubachek. Darnell and Roy did that. I'm hoping your brother will cooperate. Then maybe we can make a deal with him."

Lisa hesitated, but nodded after a little thought. "Well...there is a warehouse our dad owns. Doug has the keys, since he sometimes works there after school or on weekends. It's about a mile to the northwest. They might have gone there."

"Thank you, Lisa. It sounds like an ideal place to hide out. What's the address?"

Lisa shook her head. "You have to take me with you. I'll show you the way. It'll take a while to get there on foot. I don't have a bike, and we don't have a working car."

"All right, but you'll have to do exactly as I say so I can keep you safe. Who else wants to come with us?" She noticed Kelly's anxiety. "Are you okay, Kelly? Is there something you want to talk about? Why do you think they won't kill Erica?"

"It's Roy," said Kelly. "He...he can get very aggressive with girls, if you know what I mean."

OOC,Everyone, roll Listen.

Amilio hear nothing more than the chatter of the conversation at the construction area, barely making out every other word. By the sound of it they are discussing a place to go. "I believe we have some volunteers, over there. We´d better get the guns from Chuck´s stash, before we go."

Donald stopped running, putting his hands on his knees and panting as he listened to the others talking. He didn't hear anything else though. Inbetween breaths, he struggles out, "Alright... since they're off the school property, they're not my problem. I'm headin' back inside where it's somewhat safer... gonna make sure our doors are all locked."

[OOC: Listen 27% (1d100=40)]

Rachel:
"Sounds to me like a real 'nest of vipers', it'll take serious manpower to get in there and find Erica. Maybe we could strike a bargain, but what could we trade?"

"Yeah! What do you say, Emily? What do we have to trade to get the hostage out? We can repay them for murdering Chuck, later, when they live up the goods we offer..." Emilio asks his ex-boss´ mother.

Rachel:
"Emilio, everyone, is there something we have that they would want?
"You know, I just thought, can we threaten them? - I have a crazy idea of the EMP device in the back of a pick-up truck, parked outside the gang's hideout; a warning: 'Let Erica go, or we shut you down!'"

Emilio glances around with uncertainty, "Eh, yes - but I´d rather not actually give it to them... What I figgure is that we have a stash of illegal firearms to bargain with. Or rather, we could use those to free the hostage through superior fire power. Walking there, armed to the teeth could swing in either direction, though. Either they shoot the hostage or they´ll give up. If we offer the guns, and give them reasons for swapping the guns for the hostage we´d stand a better chance. Whatever else we have to bargain with is medical equipment which I´d like to keep to ourselves. Being as it is the merchandise belongs to the Lubacheck´s so I guess it will be a financial deal between the town and Emily in the wake of all this."

Rachel:
"Kate, what do you think about bargaining for Erica with weapons?"

"No ammo, of course...", Emilio adds.

In the security office-
Dr. Hausmann continued treating Kyle.

In the north hall, ground floor-
Dr. Saunders went through the door to the stairwell.

In the construction area-
Donald headed for the nearest door, which led into the cafeteria. As he passed inside, he noticed that it had been left propped open. Declan followed him in.

"I don't know about trading them guns," said Kate as she led Rachel, Lisa, Principal Adler, Miguel, LaTanya, Jerry Law, Ron Moore, and Kelly south. "Those thugs have already proved that they can't be trusted, when they took Erica with them. What guarantee would we have that they'd let her go, when they didn't before? Even if we didn't give them any bullets with the guns, who's to say they couldn't get bullets from some other source? It's too dangerous. It's bad enough they have one gun, but to give them more would put even more people in danger. Bringing the EMP device isn't an option either. That thing needs to be kept safe and operational, or the whole city is sunk. We can't risk it falling into their hands or getting damaged in a firefight."

In the kitchen-
Amelia Delacroix lifted her spoon out of the huge pot of gumbo and tasted it. Smiling to herself, she nodded. It was done. "Dinner's on!" she called through the broken door leading to the cafeteria. "Everyone take your seats!"

In the cafeteria-
Donald Woodridge and Declan McLeod walked into the cafeteria through the fire exit in the east wall.

"Dr. Hausmann and Kyle are in the security office!" Stephanie called back. "They'll need some dinner sent to them, and some needs to be sent up to the roof for Dr. Saunders!"

"What about the other prisoner?" asked Amelia.

"Nobody told you? He's...he's dead. Darnell and his friends killed him. They almost killed Kyle too. And then they took my friend Erica hostage and escaped with her." Stephanie slid down into her seat. "I'm the only one at this table now. Everyone else is doing something important."

"You've already done more than enough," said Vice Principal Sharon Kaplan, sitting at one of the second row tables. "Some of your friends will be here in a few minutes." Laura sat next to her, leaving a seat for the principal at the head of the table.

Becky, Chester, Julianne, Megan, and Enrico sat at another table in the second row. "Over here, Donald," said Becky, waving. "It's dinner time."

Teresa, Sunny, Elijah, and Diana chose a table in the third row. "Hey, Michiko, come sit with us," said Diana.

Lucy Armstrong sat at a table in the fourth row, sighing.

In the nurse's office-
"Almost done," said Liz. "Soon we'll be able to get something to eat. Some food will do you good, and the cook is excellent."

"i can't wait," said John Lee. "I'm starving. I haven't eaten since breakfast."

On the roof-
Adam Donelly waved to the new arrivals.

Southeast of the school-
Kate, Rachel, and their entourage walked some distance behind Emily, heading for the large hole in the fence.

"You're right, they can't be trusted," said Emily Lubachek. "They have to answer for what they've done, and I'm not trading anything of mine to them! They murdered my son and they have to go down! I don't give a damn about Erica, I just want their heads! We are going to need plenty of firepower. Doug's family is a Jamaican drug dealing gang that's been causing trouble in this neighborhood lately. You can be sure they're armed to the teeth, and any survivors from the gang will probably be using that warehouse as a hideout." She looked at Lisa with a mercenary glint in her eye. "Hmm...if you want to trade them something for Erica, how about Lisa? I'm sure Doug's family wants her back. If they turn over Erica and the killers, we'll let her go with them. I'm not letting them have those guns, but anyone who's coming with us is welcome to borrow what they need. I get them all back when this is over, though! Whoever's with me, follow me!" She pulled Tiny through the hole in the fence, leaving the school grounds and following Emilio.

Rachel Cohen,That Listen roll did succeed, thanks to your +15 bonus. You heard [b]Tariq[/b] and the others walking closer on the south side of the school. They are now visible in the street, not far from the hole in the fence.

Tariq led his group past the south side of the school, arriving near the large hole in the fence in time to see Emily, Emilio, and Tiny leaving through it, heading for the auto body shop across the street. With him were Erin Halloran, his son Ali on his bicycle, Alvin, Murray, Lori Desmond, Rashad Sadiq, and Samir Hossein. They got there in time to hear the exchange that had been taking place inside the fence.

"What's going on?" asked Lori. "Did I hear right that Chuck's been murdered?"

"Yeah!" snarled Emily. "Come with me, and we'll avenge his death together."

Starting with the cafeteria door, Donald began to make sure that all possible entrances to the school were secured. He shut the door and made sure it was locked to the outside.

Watching both ways before crossing the street, Emilio walks over to the garage. He´s about to pull the door open and take a quick step back to cover the entrance with the shotgun. Before doing that he waits for the others to cross the street.

Alvin told the others what he had heard as well

Tariq looks at Rashad, Samir, and Erin.

"I don't really feel like getting involved in a family feud. I thought everyone in the school had decided to obey the law and wait for the police to return?"

Rashad waves a hand to stop the group. Listen, before we get into there and involved in a possible shootout, we should talk about this a bit. And, to be honest, I really need to piss. Where are the bathrooms?

Rachel Cohen speaks to Kate and others, but, ensures Lisa is out of earshot:
"I agree about the guns and EMP device; trading Lisa though, that is a brilliant idea. Do you think Lisa wishes to return to her family?"

In the security office-
Dr. Hausmann was now more than halfway done treating the worst of Kyle's injuries.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
Dr. Saunders went up the stairs.

In the cafeteria-
Doanld closed the fire exit and made sure it was locked. He and Declan then stepped into the kitchen, where the nearest exit was located.

In the kitchen-
Amelia was filling bowls with hot, steaming gumbo and loading them onto a tray when Donald and Declan walked in. The kitchen's fire exit had been broken in by the zombified Jacob Marley, but the barricade that was blocking off the exit looked to be solid and in good shape. It wouldn't last any longer than the door had in the event of another attack, but it would buy a little time. If the scientists were right and the dead were dead for good, that was unlikely, though he knew all too well that there were other dangers in the city.

"Are you two still working?" asked Amelia, picking up the tray. "You should take a seat and have some dinner."

In the nurse's office-
The scientists finished treating John Lee and helped him to his feet.

"There, you're good to go," said Liz. "Let's get you to the cafeteria and get some fine cooking in you."

"I'll go see if I can help Dr. Hausmann," said Dr. Smith. "I'll eat with her in the security office.

"So will I," said Michelle. "We'll be over to the cafeteria once we're done, but at least we can have the soup there." She and the doctor left the office.

On the roof-
Adam continued to watch the exchange below, checking the machine every so often.

Southeast of the school-
"I don't think we should get involved either, Father," said Ali. "This is not our fight. Let's go get something to eat." He walked through the hole in the fence.

"Well spoken," said Samir, following him.

"Why would I want to avenge your son's death?" said Lori. "I never even liked the guy. He always creeped me out." A thought occurred to her. "Is Kyle okay?"

"No, they damn near killed him too," said Emily.

Lori gasped. "What?! How could this have happened?"

"This rent-a-cop did a piss-poor job, that's how." She jerked a thumb at Jerry Law. "He was supposed to be guarding the prisoners, and he let those punks butcher my son!"

"It wasn't his fault," said Principal Adler. "He was outnumbered."

"So, Lori, will you come with us now?"

"I don't think so," she said. "I have to see how Kyle's doing." She walked through the large hole in the fence. "I'll point out the bathrooms to you," she added to Rashad as she led him onto the school grounds.

"I can't be sure," Kate replied to Rachel, "but I'd think Lisa would want to go back to her family. We could ask her. I don't like the idea of waiting too long. Anything could happen to Erica. We should get the guns and come up with a plan, but let's not spend too long." She led the others with her across the street, to the driveway in front of the auto body shop. They joined Emilio, who had seen no traffic whatsoever when he looked both ways. It would be unlikely for any working vehicles to be around, but old habits died hard and it paid to be safe.

OOC,[b]Rachel[/b], roll Psychology to get a read on [b]Lisa[/b].

Speaking to Declan, Donald shook his head as they approached the next exit to the outside, "Children these days. What has gone wrong with the world? Here we are in the Apocalypse and these people take it amongst themselves to shoot at each other and take hostages. Life is too short for this... doubly so what with all those zombies wandering about."

-Thank you very much. After all it happened, some delicious food is perfect.

Erin was thankful to finally be off the roof of her house but now felt slightly overwhelmed by the activity around the school. Tension was high and Erin had no intention of getting involved. She pulled Ali closer to her as she stood next to Tariq, observing the situation and waiting to follow his lead.

Rachel:
"Emilio, what have you got in this arms stash - anything impressive?"


[ooc: Psychology (1d100=79)]

"Kate, if Lisa doesn't want to return to her family she can swap herself for Erica's sake, but, afterwards return to us at the school?"
Rachel proposes the idea of the swap: "Lisa, ..."

By the door to Chuck´s Auto shop, Emilio smiles, "I´m not at liberty to say, even if I knew. It´s all up to Lubacheck. I know of it not what it contains." He starts to move inside, dropping the door for anyone of the others to follow.

Standing up with the aid of Dr.Liz Somerville, John Lee stretches a little to see where his body aches from the crash. Wincing, he relaxes and attempts to straighten up his clothing a little. ""So - Dr. Somerville? - what's the food like round here? After what I've seen today, I thought I wouldn't be able to keep anything down, but I am starving! Oh and, thanks for helping me out." Before Liz can even reply, he hastly pats himself down.

Mr. Handy,This patting-down is to check for the cased-DVD, John Lee also has a shocked look on his face.

Rashad smiles. Thank you. He turns around and gestures vaguely to Samir. Yo man, you mind watching my back? Hate to get shot in the back taking a piss, you know?

Mr. Handy,I want to convey that Samir should follow Rashad so they can discuss something. Is there any sore of skill check that would be involved in that?

"Well said, Ali," Tariq says, gathering his family.

"Let's go inside, eat, and use the bathroom. Maybe we can help the wounded or talk to someone in charge. Getting into this fight isn't going to help anyone."

Handy,Tariq is planning to use the bathroom as well with Rashad and Samir.

John Lee,The DVD case is in your backpack.

Rashad Sadiq,You don't have to roll anything for that. [b]Samir[/b] might roll Psychology, but I think he would get the idea even if he failed the roll.

Alan says, "I have not used the bathroom in the school for years. Am not sure I will be allowed to now."

In the security office-
Dr. Hausmann kept busy working on Kyle.

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
Dr. Saunders continued up to the roof.

In the kitchen-
"Tell me about it," said Declan to Donald as they returned to the cafeteria. "Why, when I was their age, I never went around shooting at anyone. Well, except the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the B Men, but they had it comin'!"

Amelia followed them back to the cafeteria, carrying her tray full of bowls.

In the cafeteria-
Donald and Declan returned to the cafeteria. They had already checked the fire exit there. The next closest exit was in the east stairwell, which meant first returning to the east hall.

Amelia entered the cafeteria with her bowls and walked around the counter. "Soup's on, everyone!" she called. She placed a steaming bowl of gumbo in front of Stephanie, who sat by herself with her chin in her hands, her head lowered. "Aw, why so glum?"

"They took Erica," said Stephanie, trying not to cry. "They took her and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Don't worry, someone will save her. In the meantime, there is something you can do. You can eat your gumbo." She went on to continue to serve the people seated in the cafeteria.

"Hooray, the science club is back together!" said Elijah when Michiko sat down at the students' table. "Well, Ali went home, but the rest of us are still here."

"I still can't believe everything that's happened," said Teresa.

"I knew all along aliens were behind it," said Diana. "I wonder what they look like? Maybe they can disguise themselves as humans!"

In the nurse's office-
Dr. Liz Somerville and Dr. Edward Singh helped John Lee to his feet. While he was still in a little pain, it wasn't as bad any more. He was able to walk okay, but it was a good thing he didn't have to do any running. "You're welcome," said Liz, smiling. "And please, call me Liz. The food here is excellent! The school has this great chef from New Orleans, Amelia Delacroix. She made us all a wonderful Cajun lunch, didn't she, Ed?"

"Oh, yes, fantastic," said Dr. Singh, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

Both scientists helped John into the hall.

In the west hall, ground floor-
Dr. Somerville, Dr. Singh, and John Lee left the nurse's office and entered the corridor. Ahead of them, Dr. Bernard Smith and Michelle Marquez were already in the lobby.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders reached the roof. "Hey, Adam!" she said. "I'll take over for you now. You go down to the cafeteria and fill your belly. And keep Stephanie company." Adam looked a little startled. "What, you think I didn't notice the way you look at her? Go for it, before someone else beats you to it."

"Dr. Saunders, we work together. I couldn't..."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "It's up to you, but you shouldn't deny yourself a chance at happiness. You shouldn't deny it to her, either. After everything that's happened, she could really use someone to lean on."

Adam sighed. "I'll think about it." He headed back downstairs.

Southeast of the school-
Samir nodded to Tariq and Rashad. "I must use the bathroom as well," he said. "After all that time on the roof..."

"Then let's go inside," said Ali. He led his parents, Lori, Alvin, Murray, Rashad, and Samir across the grass and the parking lot to the fire exit at the southeast corner of the school building.

"Well, I'm sure you can find the bathroom yourselves," said Lori. "I have to go see how Kyle's doing first." She tried the door handle. "It's locked."

Outside the auto body shop-
"Of course I want to go back to my family," said Lisa. "Only...please let Doug go too. He didn't hurt anyone."

"I can't promise anything," said Kate, "but if he and the rest of your family cooperate, we might be able to work out a deal." She followed Emily and Tiny into the shop. Principal Adler, Coach Moore, Miguel, LaTanya, Kelly, and Lisa also entered.

In the auto body shop-
With the Mustang gone, the garage consisted largely of empty space. Emily and Tiny joined Emilio inside and headed over towards the open trapdoor behind the counter. "The guns are in two crates downstairs," she said. "They're all packed up, so they'll need to be cleaned before they can be used. There's ammo in there too."

"Locked ? We'll try another entrance..." Tariq leads the way.

"Well, if the chef's that good, I'm certainly looking forward to eating!" smiles John Lee as the head off to the hall.

Donald shot a look at Declan, "Royal Ulster Constabulary and the B Men? Somethin' you'd like to tell me about?" He led the way to the hall. "I suppose we'll be posting a roving guard tonight to be on the safe side."

Rachel Cohen, in the auto body shop:
"Lisa, I'm delighted you want to return to your family, the sooner we can find Erica (and tend to her injuries), the better."

"Kate, am I missing something? I thought we are together to exchange people, it seems Emily Lubacheck and Emilio are preparing for a war."

Michiko:

-Yes, after saving the city, I think we deserve a good meal!

Jerry:

OOCV,where is he?

Rashad shakes his head in frustration. Of fuckin' course they're locked. He follows Tariq.

Alvin said, "Maybe they do not want us in the school. After all I am black and your middle eastern. It is like the man to keep us as thier monkey when they need us but when they do not, they get rid of us. We may not be able to get inside."

"The school has a number of immigrant employees, Alvin. Calm down. They locked the doors because they don't want zombies coming in."

In the cafeteria-
Declan went with Donald out to the hall.

"You're right, Michiko," said Elijah with a grin. "I'm starved, and it smells delicious."

"Just wait until you taste it," said Amelia, who had just finished giving the faculty their soup. She handed out bowls of steaming gumbo to each of the students. "Bon apetit!" She then went over to Lucy's table and gave her a bowl. "You can go ahead and start eating. I'll take the rest of it to the others. There's some time before the main course will be served."

Stephanie blew on her gumbo and dipped her spoon in, taking a taste. It was a little off, as the cook had been under a lot of stress and wasn't at her best, but it was not bad, considering. She was hungry enough that the taste was irrelevant to her, and she devoured it eagerly.

In the east hall, ground floor-
"Northern Ireland was a different place back when I was young," Declan said to Donald as they entered the hall and headed for the east stairwell. Behind them, they saw Dr. Smith and Michelle in the lobby entering the security office, as well as Dr. Somerville and Dr. Singh helping John Lee walk across the lobby. "The RUC were brutal, and they were at the beck and call of the unionists. The B Men, that's the Ulster Special Constabulary, were the worst of the lot. They often shot civilians. It shouldn't be any wonder that some of us shot back."

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], roll Listen.

In the west hall, ground floor-
"That's the spirit," said Liz to John with a grin. She and Dr. Singh helped him into the lobby.

In the lobby-
"Ah," said Liz, sniffing the air as she walked in with Ed Singh and John Lee. A pleasant, spicy odor wafted in from down the hall the east. "I can smell it from here. So, why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" she asked John as they walked.

Dr. Bernard Smith and Michelle Marquez entered the security office.

In the security office-
Dr. Hausmann kept working on Kyle. It would only take her another couple of minutes to finish with the worst of his wounds. She was so focused that she didn't notice Bernard and Michelle come in until they spoke.

"I thought you could use a hand or two," said Dr. Smith.

"Wunderbar," said Brigetta. "I'm almost done with this contusion, but you two could get started on the other one."

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders heard the commotion outside the school and called down to Adam: "There are some people outside the east stairs who are locked out! Have someone let them in!" She went to the southeast corner of the roof and called down. "Hang on, someone's coming to let you in!"

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
"I'm on it!" Adam called back. He hurried downstairs.

Southeast of the school-
"Well, someone's coming," said Ali. "Don't know why they're still afraid of zombies. They're not getting back up now. Maybe they're worried because of what happened while we were gone."

In the auto body shop-
"Well, we'd better be prepared for a war in case there is one, I guess," said Kate. "If this trade goes sour, we'll need to be able to defend ourselves. I want this resolved without bloodshed, but it's best to negotiate from a position of strength. I just wish I could call for backup."

Emily tied Tiny's leash to the counter. "Follow me, Montoya," she said, heading behind the counter and starting to climb down the ladder beneath the broken trapdoor.

Michiko eats very happy for still being alive...

OOC,I have edit the post

Emilio follows Mrs Lubacheck down the ladder.

"Thank you!" Tariq shouts up at Dr. Saunders.

"Ig everything still going well in the school?"

OOC,Sorry, I thought Saunders was talking to someone else (I was wondering how Ali knew). Maybe Michiko doesn't know gumbo is a kind of soup!

Rashad waves to Dr. Saunders as well. Thank you, friend!

Alvin muttered, "That was what they told us in Nam young whipper snapper"

ooc/Northern Ireland,[quote]"Northern Ireland was a different place back when I was young," Declan said to Donald as they entered the hall and headed for the east stairwell. Behind them, they saw Dr. Smith and Michelle in the lobby entering the security office, as well as Dr. Somerville and Dr. Singh helping John Lee walk across the lobby. "The RUC were brutal, and they were at the beck and call of the unionists. The B Men, that's the Ulster Special Constabulary, were the worst of the lot. They often shot civilians. It shouldn't be any wonder that some of us shot back." [/quote] Being British, and having grown up in the '70s and '80s, I have a slightly different view. No doubt the media in England were biased; but, I'm sure other media had a different bias - and children believe what they are told, more or less. I knew someone in the Garda (Republic of Ireland police), and she didn't share Declan's opinion.

Auto body shop:
Rachel says, "I'm ready for anything."

ooc,My apologies for the delay. I completely missed part of the last big post until today when I reread. Listen succeeded (right on the dot). [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2455090/]Listen (29%) (1d100=29)[/url]

Donald listened to Declan as they moved on to the next door. "Must have been ghastly. At least all this craziness isn't too much of a jarring shock to someone with your background." He nodded, winking "I am a great believer in the old addage 'That which does not kill us serves to make us stronger.'"

OOC,Don't sweat it.

In the cafeteria-
The soup wasn't up to Amelia's usual standards, but it was still nourishing and tasted okay to Michiko. Hopefully the main course would be better. The other students began to eat their gumbo too, as did the teachers at their tables and Lucy at hers.

Amelia took the tray of soup bowls out the broken open doors to the east hall.

In the lobby-
John Lee didn't say anything as Liz and Ed walked with him into the hall to the east.

In the east hall, ground floor-
"That's true," Declan told Donald. "Except when it costs you two of your fingers, that is." He grinned as he showed his three-fingered hand.

Declan followed Donald into the east stairwell.

Amelia emerged from the cafeteria as Liz, Ed, and John arrived. "Go ahead and take a bowl, each of you. Then you can go in and sit down. Young man, you'll be sitting at Lucy's table. She's sitting nearest the door. Doctors, you two should sit with Stephanie. She's lonely and could use some cheering up."

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
When Donald and Declan entered the stairwell, they saw that the fire exit leading outside was locked properly, but Donald also heard the people gathered outside talking. They clearly wanted to be let into the building.

In the security office-
While Dr. Hausmann worked, Dr. Smith took a look at Kyle's other major injury. He shook his head. "I don't know if there's anything more I can do for you," he said. Michelle, however, was able to make some headway, doing a lot to help him.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
Adam ran through the interior door and into the hallway.

On the roof-
"No problem!" called down Dr. Helene Saunders. "Things haven't been that quiet, unfortunately. Darnell Jones and some of the other kids went into the security office. They killed Chuck Lubachek and almost killed Kyle. The cops had them cornered, but they clobbered Erica, took her hostage, and escaped in Chuck Lubachek's old Mustang. The car is damaged after it rolled when Emilio crashed through the fence on the way in, but it still works. The people in the car were hurt, but thankfully none of them had any life-threatening injuries."

Southeast of the school-
"Is that why the doors are locked?" asked Ali.

"I guess," called Dr. Saunders. "They're still afraid of something else happening. There's no danger of the dead getting back up, so at least we don't have to worry on that score. It's the living that are the problem now."

OOC,Everyone outside the school, roll Listen.

In the auto body shop-
"I thought I was ready too," said Kate, lowering her head. "I should have been able to stop this from happening."

OOC,Everyone in the auto body shop, roll Listen.

In the secret room-
When Emilio reached the bottom of the ladder, he saw that Emily had pulled two of the crates aside. The labels on them said they contained pots and pans. She had picked up the crowbar and was prying open one of the crates. She tossed the lid aside, revealing four .45 automatic pistols and two pump action shotguns packed away inside, as well as boxes of .45 magazines and 12-gauge shotgun shells. "Good, you're here," she said. "Start grabbing guns and ammo and bring them up. I'll open the other crate."

Donald grimaced when he looked at the three-fingered hand. "Ow, yeah... that might be an exception." He continued travelling through the stairwell and asked, "Do you have any family out there Declan?"

Emilio checks one of the .45s to see if it´s safe to handle. Once it appears unloaded, he packs the four automatic in various pockets of his shop-overall.
Then grabbing one shotgun, he climbs the ladder. Without ammunition he stacks the guns on a workbench beside a vice.

John Lee shook his head to wake himself "Sorry Liz, this whole thing is just a little overwhelming, ya'know? But yeah, there's not a great deal to tell. I'm your average journalism student. I studied at Cheyenne univeristy, but ended up getting chased all the way here by some very slow dead guys!" He adds jokingly: "Shame my kung-fu couldn't save the day.... Say, what do you do for entertainment round here? I see you've still got some power in this place, you er, got any T.V.s? DVDs? Could do with a good horror film after all this."

In the east hall, ground floor-
"Sorry, we don't have power any more," said Liz as she helped John to the cafeteria doors, which had been smashed down. "The EMP device knocked it out in a large part of the city. The power might still be on beyond its area of effect, but you'd also have to worry about the dead roaming around. You'll be safer here."

OOC,The lights are not actually on. You're using sunlight coming in through the windows in order to see. Of course, it's early evening, and the sun won't stay out forever...

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
"Some family, back in Northern Ireland," said Declan. "I don't know what's become of them. I don't have anyone here, though."

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], you may open the door to let the people outside in if you wish.

Rachel Cohen, Auto Body Shop:

[ooc: Listen 27% (1d100=81)]

She strolls over to Emilio in order to check out the hardware. "Is there plenty of ammo?"

John Lee rolls his eyes, "of course, just assumed with the cooking and all, you know."

Rashad shakes his head. Maybe it would have been safer on the roof. He doesn'thear anything unusual.

OOC,Thought it was 30% for some reason.

OOC,The base skill for Listen is only 25%, and I don't see it on your character sheet, so that Listen roll would fail.

In the east hall, ground floor-
"I think they have an old gas stove," said Liz. "That wouldn't require electricity if it has a pilot flame."

"Well, let's hope this hasn't spread to Ireland," Donald say to Declan. "I had a wife, but she passed on last summer. Bad case of cancer." He shrugged trying to distance himself from the fact as he opened the doors to peer outside, looking to see if anyone was around that needed in before he locked them out.

ooc,The cafeteria doors were smashed down? Was that after Declan and I made sure it was secure or just something we overlooked? I started my security checks in the cafeteria.

"All that happened while I was gone? I said Kyle needed protection when I found him unconscious in the hallway."

While entering the stairwell, Tariqhears something.

"The Lord works in mysterious ways sometimes Don"says Declan crossing himself. "I doubt she would have had much chance out there and can you imagine her as one of them"Declan ponders for a moment"I have a bottle of Ireland's finest in the back of the shop. How about we go and have a drop in her memory. Everything is under control out here for now and I know my nerves could use a little fortifying after today"

MrHandy,Surely a little nip of whisky would give some bonuses against sanity rolls temporarily. A little dutch courage ;)

Alvin said, "Where are the eats at? A soldier needs food to go kill Charlie."

In the east hall, ground floor-
Liz, Ed, and John each took a bowl of soup. There was a spoon already in every bowl. All three of them entered the cafeteria. Amelia entered the lobby.

In the cafeteria-
Liz and Ed helped John Lee inside and into a seat at a table near the doors with a plain, tough-looking woman in her mid-thirties. "Hello," she said. "My name's Lucy Armstrong."

"Well, enjoy your meal," Liz told John. "We're going over to sit with Stephanie." The two scientists went over to the table closest to the kitchen, where a pretty blonde in a lab coat sat. Liz sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, Stephanie," she said. "Cheer up, okay? Everything's going to be fine now, thanks to you." Ed sat down on Liz's other side.

"Maybe we have a chance now," said Stephanie, "but our work is far from over. Nothing's ever going to be the same again, that's for certain."

Diana paused between spoonfuls of gumbo. "Hey, Michiko, have you ever seen a UFO?" she asked. "I heard there have been some sightings in Japan. I've always wanted to see one, but I never got the chance."

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
Tariq, his family, and the others with him entered the east stairwell once Donald Woodridge opened the door. Inside they met the old groundskeeper and his friend Declan McLeod, the elderly Irish shop teacher with two fingers missing. The stairway had been barricaded, but there was a door leading further into the school.

"The food's in the cafeteria," said Ali, sniffing the air. "I can smell it already. It's just through the door and to the right. Come on, let's go." He paused. "Did you hear that? Sounds like a vehicle coming this way on the street outside, from the west. It's bigger than a car." Tariq heard it as well.

Declan McLeod,Sorry, you don't get a bonus to Sanity rolls for drinking whiskey. Of course, your characters can go on thinking they do if it makes them feel better. ;)

In the security office-
Dr. Hausmann finished with one of Kyle's injuries. "Here, let me help you, Michelle," she said, working with the nurse on the other one. "Dr. Smith, you go on and get yourself something to eat. We can take it from here."

"Okay, if you're sure," said Bernard, stepping out into the lobby.

In the north hall, ground floor-
Adam continued into the lobby.

In the lobby-
Dr. Smith and Adam Donnelly encountered Amelia as she carried her tray into the lobby.

"That smells good," said the doctor.

"Thanks, help yourselves," said Amelia. "Go on over to the cafeteria and sit with Lucy and that Chinese kid that just came in. Adam, you can sit with Stephanie."

"Dr. Hausmann and Michelle are in the security office, looking after Kyle."

"I'll bring them some gumbo, then."

"Dr. Saunders is also up on the roof," said Adam. "She took over for me up there."

Amelia nodded. "I'll bring her some next."

On the roof-
Dr. Helene Saunders looked around and saw the approaching vehicle. "There's an old Volkswagen minibus coming down the street!" she shouted below.

OOC,Everyone in the east stairwell can hear her through the open door.

In the auto body shop-
"I can use that shotgun," said Kate, picking it up and inspecting it. "Just need some shells for it." She heard nothing unusual, and neither did the principal. Jerry Law wasn't paying attention either. Ron Moore couldn't hear much, nor could LaTanya. Miguel couldn't hear a thing. Tiny began barking and growling.

Kelly, however, did hear something. "There's a vehicle in the street outside," she said.

"I don't hear it," said Lisa.

In the secret room-
Emily pried open the second crate.

Rashad glances outside the door. Uh, anybody know a person who drives a Volkswagen Minibus? He moves away from the door. Just in case...

"It seems quiet but I'm not taking a chance of being caught lookin like an eejit again. I'm off to the workshop to get myself tooled up. says Declan and starts heading along the corridor"You boys coming with? There is enough gear in there for all of us."

"Shit!" Emilio gets down the ladder again to get some .45 ammo and two shot guns.

Rachel, Auto Body shop:

"A vehicle? Something is up - the last one was the Mustang escaping with the punks and poor Erica." She draws her "Desert Eagle" pistol and cautiously investigates.

[ooc: Is there a window?]

ooc,Um... who's with Donald and Declan in the stairwell besides Ali and Tariq?

After hearing the others talk about a vehicle, Donald looked out toward the roads and tried to see if he could make out any headlights or hear any engine before heading back in and securing the stairwell door.

"First things first."

Tariq closes and secures the door.

"I heard the Volkswagen but I have no idea who it is."

He walks with the rest towards the cafeteria.

Michiko looks with caution.
-No, I've never see one. I try to get an open mind, but I never believe much in that kind of things.

Mr Handy,What kind of gun can Jerry use? Are his skills just the base?

Rachel Cohen,[b]Rachel[/b] peeked out through the window and saw an old, green Volkswagen minibus with tinted windows pulling up in the street across from the auto body shop, not far from the large hole in the fence surrounding the school.

Jerry Law,[b]Jerry[/b] can use most types of firearms. His skills (which are also in the secrets I sent you when you first started playing him) are Handgun 50%, Rifle 40%, Shotgun 40%, and Submachine Gun 35%.

Rachel, Auto Body Shop:

"Something is happening, there's a minibus pulling up across the street, it is beside that hole in the school fence."

Rachel watches the minibus.

Holding turn:

John wolfs his soup down. This ordeal has left him hungry. In between sloppy mouthfuls, he slurps"You weren't wrong about the food! Say, is there anything round here I can help with?"

Alvin sighed and said, "Where are the eats? I need my food before I can go kick Charlie's ass!"

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
"This way," said Ali to Alvin. He led him and Murray through the door to the hallway, and Lori, Erin, and Samir followed, leaving Rashad and Donald in the stairwell.

Donald Woodridge,When he looked outside and around the corner, [b]Donald[/b] saw a green 1970s Volkswagen minibus with tinted windows parked outside the school's fence, not far from the hole. Two black men with dreadlocks got out on the passenger side and started walking around the front. The older of the two bore a strong resemblance to [b]Doug[/b] and [b]Lisa Marley[/b], and to the destroyed zombie that [b]Kate[/b] had identified as murder victim [b]Jacob Marley[/b]. He carried a submachine gun, and the other had a shotgun.

In the lobby-
Adam Donnelly went east down the hall with Dr. Smith while Amelia entered the security office.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Tariq, Declan, and the others entered from the stairwell, where they met Adam and Bernard coming from the lobby, which was straight ahead. The doors to the right had been smashed down from the inside, and through them the cafeteria was visible.

"Dinner's in here," said Ali, pointing at the cafeteria.

OOC,[b]Declan[/b] can reach the lobby this turn.

In the cafeteria-
"Well, now nobody can deny that there are aliens," said Diana to Michiko. "I just wish they'd been friendly. Maybe there are friendly aliens out there too. If we could only get in touch with them, they could help us fight the evil aliens!"

"I'm sure they'll find something for you to do," Lucy told John Lee. "Me, I'm a mechanic. I worked at an airfield in central Nebraska where the scientists' helicopter landed to refuel. We were lucky to get out of there in one piece."

Stephanie shuddered when Lucy mentioned the airfield. "What's wrong, Steph?" asked Liz.

"The airfield..." she said. "This is the second time Erica has been kidnapped today. She was lucky to escape the first time. That maniac Gardner..."

In the security office-
Amelia entered carrying her tray with a handful of bowls of soup remaining. "Soup's on," she said.

"Danke," said Dr. Hausmann as she worked. "We'll be done here in a few minutes."

"Well, you two can head on into the cafeteria when you finish up." Amelia placed a bowl on the floor each beside Dr. Hausmann, Michelle, and Kyle. "The main course will be served around six. Just make sure you lock him up before you go."

"Lock me up?" said Kyle.

"I'm sorry," said Michelle, "but we have to."

"Someone will only kill me then."

"We'll get someone to watch you-"

"There was a guard last time, and he didn't help! Look, can't I do something to track down those punks? I want to get them as much as everyone else."

"It's not my call. It's awfully dangerous, especially in your condition, but I'll ask."

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders continued to watch the VW minibus from her perch on the roof.

In the auto body shop-
"A minibus?" said Lisa. "My dad's got one of those! I wonder if he's come here to pick me up?" She started for the door.

Jerry took one of the four handguns, leaving three on the table. Principal Adler took another one. The weapons were empty, and they would need cleaning, as they had been packed away with grease on them.

OOC,All of the weapons in the crates are somewhat dirty after having been stored in the crates for a long time. Until someone cleans them with a gun cleaning kit, they use the middle Malfunction number.

Rachel Cohen,[b]Rachel[/b] saw two black men with dreadlocks get out of the VW minibus on the passenger side and close the door. The older one bore a strong resemblance to [b]Lisa[/b] and [b]Doug[/b], as well as to the zombie that [b]Kate[/b] had identified as murder victim [b]Jacob Marley[/b]. He carried a submachine gun, and the other had a shotgun.

In the secret room-
Emilio reached the bottom of the ladder, where Emily was dragging the two open crates. The first one had one shotgun remaining, as well as the boxes of shells and pistol magazines. The other contained a matched pair of M14 rifles, two M4 carbines, and several magazines for both.

"You're in an awful hurry," said Emily. "Something happening up there?"

Rashad readied his Uzi, standing out of sight of the door. Sir, do you know who these people are or what they want? Should we be worried?

Declan heads into the lobby.

Rachel, auto body shop:

"Lisa, wait," she holds her arm gently, "the punks from school kidnapped our friend Erica and all of us here want her back. You will not be kept against your will. I ask you, let's do something to make everyone happy: swap yourself for Erica." Rachel adds carefully, "Perhaps, we can pretend you are a hostage, I could walk out of the auto shop with you and demand an exchange?"

Michiko
-But even with the alien enemies we didn't have any contact, they are simply using our own deads against us. We do not have any way to contact the friendly aliens, if they indeed existe or care about us. Of course, we know something about our enemies: they have a mind akin to ours, since they are trying to destroy us.

Mr Handy,Does Jerry have the time to clean it?

So Jerry cleans what he can.

"Rashad? Are you coming?" Tariq calls back.

Alvin says loudly, "Food!"

Auto shop
In the secret room:

Picking up the ammo for the shotguns and the pistols, Emilio tells Lubacheck that there´s a car outside. "Mrs Lubacheck, let´s scramble. Someone´s out front." He starts up the ladder again. "Could be Chuck´s killers. Could be friends - don´t know." He looks down on Mrs Lubacheck. "Grab one of them M4 carbines, just press fire and godd bye to whatever you´re aiming at."

Donald said to Rashad, "I don't know them, but they're armed and they look like they have a score to settle." He pulled the doors shut and made sure they were latched before moving on. "Tell the others if you will, one man with a shotgun, another with a submachine gun. One looked like part of the Marley family. One of the Marleys died here tonight - for a second time. I'm going to finish my rounds and make sure our doors are secured."

"You know, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come to this school," Erin says to no one in particular.

In the east stairwell, ground floor-
Donald left into the hall, leaving Rashad alone in the stairwell.

OOC,[b]Rashad[/b], if you stay here, roll Listen.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Ali, Erin, Lori, Alan, and Murray entered the cafeteria, followed by Adam Donnelly and Dr. Smith. Donald entered the hall from the stairway, while Declan continued into the lobby.

"Rashad, why do you stay there?" asked Samir. He looked at Tariq. "If Mohammed will not come to the mountain, the mountain must go to Mohammed. Let us see what is keeping our friend." He returned to the stairwell.

OOC,[b]Tariq[/b], if you enter the stairwell, roll Listen.

In the cafeteria-
"Yeah, you're right," said Diana to Michiko, lowering her head as the crowd of people from the hall filed into the cafeteria. "At least we have proof that the aliens exist now. We have to keep our eyes open. Anyone could be an alien in disguise!"

Elijah turned to see who had come in. "Hey, Ali!" he said. "Come sit with us!"

"Come on in and take some seats," called Vice Principal Sharon Kaplan. "Adam, you go sit at the scientists' table at the back. Ali, you join the other students. Everyone else, have a seat at the table nearest the door with Lucy and John Lee. Amelia has gone to take soup to everyone who isn't in the cafeteria. I'm sure there's more in the kitchen. Ali, is your father with you? It's usually his job to serve everyone."

"He's right out in the hall," said Ali, taking his seat with the other students.

"Terrible things have happened," said Lucy to John Lee as Dr. Smith and Lori sat with them. "This is Dr. Bernard Smith. The two of us were at the airfield, and we were lucky to escape with our lives. Gardner had murdered some people and taken our pilot Erica Spears and Kathryn McCoy, the air traffic ontroller, hostage. He killed our co-pilot, the only other one who could have gotten us out of there. We thought he was going to take the chopper and leave us stranded for certain, but Erica made a break for it when he shot the co-pilot, and we took off before he could stop us. She knew he wouldn't shoot her, since he needed her to fly our bird. If it weren't for her bravery, we'd have been stuck there. The dead have been the least of our worries today, even here. One kid brought guns to school and was arrested, and the cops arrested this guy who owns the auto body shop across the street for murder. Just recently some kids busted into the security office and killed him, and they tried to kill the kid in the other cell. They kidnapped Erica when she tried to stop them, and then they stole the only car around that still works after the electromagnetic pulse."

"Oh, Liz," said Stephanie, "it was so terrible. Gardner would have taken me, but Erica stepped in and took my place. He...he was going to...Kathryn saved her, but it cost her her freedom. That madman had his hands on me." She shivered. "He killed three Nebraska State cops in cold blood with a grenade, including Bo Richards, who helped us get off the ground back at the truck stop." She closed her eyelids to keep the tears back. "Liz...I loved Bo..."

Liz put her arms around her friend and gave her a hug. "I know you're hurting, Stephanie," she said, "but you will be happy again, and you will love again."

In the security office-
"I'll leave you to it," said Amelia. She carried her tray back to the lobby.

In the lobby-
Amelia emerged from the security office as Declan entered from the east hall. "Hello," she said.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders watched the two men from her high vantage point.

In the secret room-
"What kind of car?" called Emily as she gathered up an M4 and some magazines for it. "What did it look like?" Emilio climbed back up the ladder with the shells and a bunch of the pistol magazines.

In the auto body shop-
Rachel moved away from the window to take hold of Lisa's arm, and the girl stopped moving.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Rachel," said Kate. "Creating a hostage situation could easily result in a shootout, and people could be hurt or killed. It's unlikely they have Erica with them, and they'll probably deny having her - if they even do. What would we do then?"

Lisa looked back and forth between Kate and Rachel. "What do you want me to do?" she asked. "I and I just want to go home."

Emilio came back up through the trapdoor with his load of shells and magazines.

Alvin said to Vice Principal Kaplin, "What cause I am grunt I am not good enough to eat except in the corner?"

Rashad casts one last look back at the door, and than hurries back into the hallway, heading for the cafeteria.

Declan nods towards Amelia "I don't trust this EMP thingy. I'm away to the workshop to pick myself up some artillery." he says "You should get kitted up too. This isn't over." Declan continues towards the workshop.

Tariq heads back to the hallway to see why Rashad is waiting.

In the auto shop

Emilio lays down his load and brings his shotgun to the ready and moves up to the front door. "What do we know?"

Rachel, Auto body shop:
"Kate, you're right. Lisa, go, now - it looks like your family are searching for you."

Emilio: "What do we know?"

"Easy with the shotgun, fella!"

"Those 'armed' men are heading for the school. We should stop them if Lisa isn't what they are after. Kate, what do you say?"

Erin goes to sit with Lucy and John Lee, appalled to hear Lucy describe the horrific going-ons of the day.

Michiko
-I seriously doubt that. They didn't bothered to attack us, they simply used our own dead. They are waiting that our civilizations be destroyed and only after that, they will appear, so pick the remains. Imagine, it's like if you are putting some trap to get a mouse or insects. You don't stay there, you go to your normal life and after some time you go inspect the trap.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Tariq, Rashad, and Samir all gathered in the hall outside the cafeteria. "Ah, there you are, Rashad," said Samir. "Tariq, do you know where the bathroom is?"

In the cafeteria-
"Well, I guess so," said Diana. "Only I hope they don't come back to check. That message we sent in their language told them that the job was done and they could leave, so hopefully they'll be gone for good. But if they didn't come to conquer or plunder the planet, why did they come? Were they acting on behalf of some other bunch of aliens? Or did they just think we're a potential threat to them and decided to exterminate us?"

"Alvin, we're not putting you in the corner," said Sharon Kaplan. "Those tables stretch along the whole row, and you're closest to the doors so you can sit down right away and take a load off. All visitors to the school, except for the scientists, are being seated in that row."

"Hi," said Lucy to the new arrivals. "I'm Lucy Armstrong, mechanic at large." She smiled at Erin. "And you are?"

Adam Donnelly hurried over to the table at the back of the cafeteria and sat across from Stephanie. He reached across the table and gently took her hands. "I'm so sorry, Steph," he said.

Stephanie blinked away her tears and raised her head, looking into his eyes. "Thanks, Adam," she said, sniffling.

"I'm here for you. If there's anything you need, anything at all..."

Stephanie squeezed his hands and nestled up against Liz. "Poor Kathryn. Gardner got away with her, and there was nothing we could do for her. Two of his men went after him to try to rescue her, but I don't know if they had any luck. We just had to get out of there, as much as I hated to leave her behind. We owe so much to Erica."

"You did what you had to do, Stephanie," said Liz. "If you hadn't gotten here, you wouldn't have been able to save the world."

"It doesn't seem very saved to me," said Ed Singh.

"This is her moment. Don't spoil it."

In the security office-
"Another minute," said Dr. Hausmann as she and Michelle finished up.

In the lobby-
Amelia walked with Declan down the north hall. Donald entered the lobby from the east hall.

In the north hall, ground floor-
Amelia and Declan reached the door to his shop. It was completely dark within, as there were no windows in the workshop. What meager light was in the hallway could filter in the open door. Luckily, he knew his way around that room even in the dark.

"The EMP seemed to work just fine," said Amelia, "but those walking corpses are the least of our worries. It's people like those crazy punk kids that are the real problem now. All I have is my meat cleaver. You don't happen to have an axe lying around, do you? Or better yet, a long gun?"

OOC,[b]Declan[/b] doesn't have an axe, but he knows that [b]Donald Woodridge[/b] had a couple.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders continued to watch.

In the secret room-
Emily followed Emilio back up the ladder.

In the auto body shop-
Kate took a couple of boxes of shotgun shells and tore one open. "Before you go, Lisa," she said as she started loading shells, "please tell us where the warehouse is. Otherwise, we'll never find it." But Lisa was already out the door.

The principal took four magazines and loaded one into his pistol.

"Well, who's out there?" asked Emily.

"Some guys in a green Volkswagen minibus," said Kate.

Emily gasped. "No! They've come for me!"

"Who's come for you?"

"Who do you think?! The Jamaicans!"

"Father!" shouted Lisa outside as her footsteps ran quickly away.

"My little Lisa!" cried a man with a Jamaican accent.

"Stay back Emily." Emilio takes a step away from the door and levels the shotgun at the opening. "If they come in here, we´ll gun them down. No one is coming for you mam."

Lucy's smile warmed Erin a little.

"I'm Erin Halloran, Ali's mother, Tariq's wife, and also a civil rights attorney. Nice to meet you, despite the circumstances."

Michiko:
-Who knows? I hope that they think we are done and they don't bothered to appear. I mean, the world is usually a mess, now it's even worst, with all the criminals or those who are potencial criminals like the students who commited the crimes being free to do what they want without any police.

Declan laughs. "Those kids are just a bunch of amateurs. Stick with me and you will be fine" he begins to root around collecting things into a canvas toolbag. Lengths of pipe, wiring and a few boxes of nails. " You don't want an axe they get stuck and slow you down. There is a good selection of pipes over in the corner if you want to swing something." He moves over to the welding kit, dons a welding jacket and throws one to Amelia "Not much good against a bullet but will help against knives and teeth" he says as he smashes the darkened glass out of a welding helmet. He grabs a set of heavy welding gauntlets and begins to push small nails through them from the inside. "Up close and personal like marching season in Belfast" he grins. "But just in case, I should get some range." he picks up a nail gun and puts a few boxes box of firing caps and a box of nail strips in his bag. "There is another here if you think you can aim it. They aren't like handguns though" he says to Amelia.

mr handy,is this too much for one turn? Here is how Declan is kitted now [img]http://www.tecnosupplies.com/assets/images/70ah2.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.sams-safety.com/Pics/Clothing/Welding/leather_cape_bib.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.sydneytools.com.au/images/products/bostitch%20f28ww.jpg[/img] + studded gloves

Rachel, Auto Body Shop:

She watches Lisa exit. She thinks, "That is our leverage gone out the door."

Rachel returns to the window and watches the events unfold.

Rashad waves to Tariq and Samir. Some men with guns pulled up in a minibus. One man with a shotgun. One man with a submachine gun. One looks like he's a part of the Marley family, or something. Donald locked the doors just in case. He pauses for a moment to catch his breath. It looks like there's going to be some shooting before too long.

Donald headed up to the main entrance doors and checked them to make sure they were secure, pushing and then pulling to make sure the lock was engaged before moving on to the next door down the west hall and in the stairwell.

Alvin grunted and sat down saying, "Where is the meal?"

"I am so sorry to hear that" John says, sadness mixed with pity washing over his face. "If there's anything I can do, just let me know". He nods in recognition of the new arrivals at the table, and gives off a slight, sad smile.

Rachel, Auto Body Shop:
[ooc: Spot Hidden (1d100=68)]


"This window is filthy."

"It's off the north hallway. Follow me," Tariq says, looking around to see if they are alone.

Jerry follow the group

In the east hall, ground floor-
Tariq led Rashad and Samir to the west, into the lobby.

In the lobby-
Donald couldn't actually get to the front doors, as they were completely barricaded, but he checked the barricades and made sure that they held fast. After that he walked down the hall to the west. The only exits on that side of the building were the stairwell and the auditorium, and the auditorium could only be reached via the north hall.

Tariq, Rashad, and Samir arrived. There was nobody else in the lobby, but they could see others nearby.

In the west hall, ground floor-
Donald walked past a few doors on his right. The door to the west stairwell lay ahead.

In the security office-
"And we're done," said Michelle. She and Dr. Hausmann got up and packed away their medical gear. "We'll go to the cafeteria and find someone to watch over you. We'll make sure you get the main course when it's ready, but you should eat your soup while it's hot." She locked Kyle in his cell.

In the cafeteria-
"It's nice to meet you, Erin," said Lucy. "I don't really know your husband and son well yet. I only arrived myself an hour and a half ago. Thank you, John. I'm okay. I just wish there were something we could do for Erica, but we don't even know where they took her."

"I know, Michiko," said Elijah. "I used to tutor Darnell and Roy. Roy's a butthead, but I'm surprised about Darnell. I never thought he'd become a criminal, and certainly didn't expect him to be the ringleader."

"There are still police," said Diana. "We've still got Officer Kate. And there are probably other cops out there in the city, but they'll have their hands full."

"The soup's in the kicthen," said Sharon. "If Tariq's not coming, someone else will have to serve you. Laura, go into the kitchen and get this man and the other new arrivals some gumbo."

Laura nodded and rose from her seat, heading into the kitchen.

"Stephanie, you've done a wonderful job," said Adam, squeezing her hands. "You did save the world, and you've also saved more than a few of your friends. Erica mentioned how you saved Mr. Foo and the others back at the motel with some pretty fancy shooting."

"Well, yeah," said Stephanie. "I wish we'd had room to bring Jenny with us. She's got a real head for science. I wonder how she's doing? Anyway, you've killed far more zombies than me or anyone else with the EMP device."

"Which was your idea. Stephanie, you are the single most amazing person I've ever known."

Stephanie couldn't help but laugh. "Are you trying to cheer me up or propose to me?"

"Well...how about we start with dinner and see where that leads us?"

She smiled. "Dinner it is."

In the north hall, ground floor-
"I have to deliver this gumbo to Dr. Saunders up on the roof before it gets cold," said Amelia as Declan entered his workshop and began to speak. "I'll catch up with you on my way back." She hurried down the hall and into the stairwell.

In the workshop-
Declan left the door open so that the faint light from the hall trickled in and helped him to navigate as he looked for his equipment.

OOC,[b]Declan[/b], it will take you the rest of this turn to find what you're looking for and equip yourself.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders kept her eyes on the scene below.

In the auto body shop-
Rachel returned to the window while Kate kept feeding shells into her new shotgun.

"I don't do windows," said Emily to Rachel. "You want it clean, get Emilio to do it, or do it yourself."

Rachel Cohen,Outside the bus, one of the men carried [b]Lisa[/b] over to the side door while the other pulled it open. The man with [b]Lisa[/b] put her down inside and climbed in after her while the other guy got in the shotgun seat. They slammed their doors shut.

"Are we just letting them take off?" Emilio closes the distance to the door and opens it, brings up the shotgun at the car and waits.

Donald continued his way to the stairwell making sure the doors there were still secured as well.

-I thinks it's a question of ruling a society. They follow the social constraints when it works. When the society stops working, at least by their that perception, they start to do whateaver they want, and create new rules to rule it. We are still working by the old rules, but if the world change drastically, we will probably change too, but I hope not in the same ways they did.

OOC,Hope my speech is understandable!

Rachel, Auto Body Shop:

"Are we just letting them take off?" Emilio closes the distance to the door and opens it, brings up the shotgun at the car and waits.

"I don't see how we can do anything else.
"I'm guessing the answer is 'no', but, is there any transport we can use to follow the minibus?"

"No not here. I had a car... But I smashed that one up and then the gangsters took it and drove off." Emilio says as he exits the auto shop.

Rashad follows Tariq. So, do you think these people will cause trouble?

Tariq speaks softly in Arabic to Rashad and Samir as he continues to the restrooms.

What he says,"Yes. The team of scientists here managed to stop the...they said undead. I had no idea you had a weapon like that. I've been trying to appear on their side, since they do seem to be the most powerful group in the area right now. I'm sorry it took such lengths for us to be able to speak alone. Samir, I am glad to see you on this "day of days", what are the orders?"

Alvin said, "yo man where is the eats at? What I have to go kill the food myself, should I go to my usual place and eat out of the dumpster is that what your saying cause I am black?"

Rashad keeps his head down.

Arabic Conversation,[color=#0000FF] Yes, my friend. What are we to do?[/color]

In the north hall, ground floor-
Samir paused and spoke softly in Arabic to Tariq and Rashad.

Tariq al-Tikriti and Rashad Sadiq,"I did not know of any such weapon either," says [b]Samir[/b]. "Of course, they keep our cells compartmentalized, so this biological attack could be the work of another cell. I find all this talk about aliens hard to believe. We cannot speak long, or the others may get suspicious. We need to do something about that EMP device. From the way things are going, I doubt the infidels can get back on their feet, but we must make sure. First we must gather as much information as we can about it and the scientists who devised it. From the sound of things, they don't have much of a presence guarding it, but we'll have to move quickly. Ideally, we want to steal the device and take it with us out of the city. If there is no way to do that, we must destroy it. We will also need to ensure that another cannot be built. [b]Tariq[/b], you were here before. What have you leanred?"

In the lobby-
Dr. Brigetta Hausmann and Michelle Marquez emerged from the security office as the three men were speaking in Arabic down the hall.

In the west stairwell, ground floor-
Donald entered the stairwell and checked the fire exit. That one too was secure.

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], you needn't worry about that so much. The fire doors automatically close unless propped open.

In the cafeteria-
"Please try to be patient, Mr. Drummond," said Sharon. "Everything is so chaotic today, so it's taking more time to serve everyone. Amelia is out bringing soup to everyone who isn't in the cafeteria. Tariq should be here serving, but I don't know where he's run off to."

Laura returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray with several bowls of gumbo, each with a spoon in it.

"What should the new rules be?" Teresa asked Michiko. "What are we supposed to do with bad guys now? We've already seen that we can't lock them up and take care of them, or someone will just come for revenge."

"Yes, but we can't just kill them," said Diana. "That would be wrong, and there's been far too much death already. Human life is even more precious now than ever."

Stephanie heard the conversation from her table and sighed wistfully as she resumed eating. "The world is a very different place," she said. "Have we really saved it?"

"Civilization is in tatters," said Dr. Singh. "I don't know if it will ever be rebuilt. Is humanity even worth saving, the way it behaves?"

"Oh, don't say that," said Liz. "We've seen the worst in humanity today, but also the best. It is definitely worth saving, and we will build a new world on the ruins of the old - starting today."

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
Amelia hurried upstairs.

In the workshop-
Declan finished collecting the items he sought and was ready to leave the workshop.

OOC,I'll come up with stats for the nail gun when I get a chance and add it to your weapons list.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders continued to watch.

In the auto body shop-
Kate finished loading her shotgun, looking worried as she joined Emilio outside.

Outside the auto body shop-
Emilio could already hear the tires screeching before he stepped outside. By the time he got out there, the minibus had pulled out and was already beyond shotgun range. Kate followed him, and they both saw the minibus make a sharp left turn at the nearest intersection east of the school.

"Now what do we do?" asked Kate, frowning. "How can we possibly find out where Erica is?"

OOC,[b]Lisa[/b] is moving to the following thread. Her player, if she ever gets one, should stop reading the current thread at this point, and should not read any posts in the new thread above the one in the link. All other players remain in the current thread.

Wild in the Streets

"Well, what´s the highest location in town? If two of us head there, we´d be able to scout further than the next street corner. We do need to get pretty high, though. The school won´t do. Is there a radio or water tower we can scale, somewhere close by? I don´t think they are very far away. They weren´t away for so long a time." Emilio suggests to Kate.

Donald headed up the stairs to check the fire door on the upper level next.

Declan shoulders his toolbag and says to Amelia. "Chemistry lab next. I have some things to collect up there" before heading out of the door.

ImpInTraining/ooc,Donald is doing a sterling job with the fire doors, we are all grateful. :P

Barandis/ooc,Have you any idea how much trouble your volcano is causing? ;)

Rachel, Auto Body Shop:
She follows Emilio and Kate: "I'm returning to the school to check-up on the scientists."

Tariq says,

In Arabic,"Improvised EMP weapons have very limited range - I doubt it would be effective."

Aloud, he says, "Frankly, I think the person talking about aliens is not entirely sane - the others are humoring her."

OOC,How come everyone expects Tariq to be serving when he hasn't had time to walk to the bathroom and wash his hands yet? He should be walking there a few minutes behind everyone else.

Looking at the blockade, Donald decides to take the outside route, so he makes sure he has his keys ready first, opens the fire door and peers out to see if there are any threats before exiting and making sure the door is shut and secured behind him.

Tariq hurries towards the kitchen.

"They are probably expecting me to serve the food.

I did see the EMP device. It is a bit of electronics rigged together in the science workshop upstairs. The dead it knocked out are supposed to stay down even if it fails. When they put it together, they also said that they sent a signal to a satellite. They thought the satellite was broadcasting a signal that made the dead walk, and that their signal shut it off. They were pretty confident it could not be turned on again. I think the person talking about aliens was misinterpreting what the scientists said about the satellite.

Apparently when the dead did walk, it wasn't some kind of biological thing, but electrical, which is why the EMP knocked them out. That explains why it could have been caused by a satellite - the satellite was broadcasting electrical signals that reactivated the dead."

In the north hall, ground floor-
Declan emerged from his workshop, but there was no sign of Amelia. She was apparently not back yet. He did see Tariq walking back to the lobby. One of the other men who had been with him, Samir, followed him. He motioned for the third man, Rashad to go with them.

In the lobby-
Dr. Hausmann and Michelle headed down the east hall, back toward the cafeteria. Tariq and Samir returned to the lobby a short distance behind them, still conversing in Arabic with each other and Rashad, who was some distance behind them.

Tariq al-Tikriti and Rashad Sadiq,"I doubt we could increase the EMP device's power," said [b]Samir[/b]. "We'd have to get it to an extremely high altitude, say over 30,000 feet, to have such a widespread effect. If it truly deactivates the dead, we wouldn't want to anyway. The loss of power to the country would not be as bad as the walking dead."

Southwest of the school-
Donald exited the building and made sure that the fire exit locked behind him. The field to the west of the school was deserted. To the north he could see two more fire exits on the west wall, both of which he knew led to the auditorium. They appeared to be closed from here, but he could make certain by going up to them.

In the cafeteria-
Laura served bowls of soup to all of the new arrivals before retaking her own seat.

"I know what you mean, Michiko," said Elijah. "It's just like in Lord of the Flies. We read that in English class, remember, Diana?"

"Yeah," said Diana. "And the lesson we learned at the end is that the adults are just as bad."

"Surely cooler heads will prevail," said Ali. "It's only a small number of people causing trouble. Everyone else is pulling together. We can survive."

"So many people died to get us this far," said Stephanie. "You're right, Liz. We will rebuild the world. They didn't sacrifice their lives for nothing."

"That's the spirit," said Adam.

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
Amelia continued the rest of the way to the roof.

On the roof-
Amelia emerged from the stairwell and walked over to Dr. Saunders. "I brought you some gumbo," she said, "fresh from the kitchen."

"Thank you," said Dr. Saunders. "I saw Lisa get in that minibus that stopped on the street outside, and then it drove away. It turned left at the corner and headed north, but I've lost sight of it now."

In the auto body shop-
Emily took Tiny by the leash and went outside too. Principal Adler and Miguel followed them.

"Poor Erica," said Kelly, sobbing. "There's nothing we can do now."

Outside the auto body shop-
Kate shook her head. "By the time we get to high ground," she said, "that minibus may be out of sight. There are plenty of skyscrapers downtown, but without elevators it'll be hell climbing up to the roof, not to mention all the time it will take. Could even be dark by then. Still, it's a chance if we can't think of anything else." She nodded to Rachel when she emerged with the others. "Yes, you can't leave the scientists unprotected. We've all seen what can happen. Good luck, Rachel."

OOC,[b]Emilio[/b], roll Idea.

He came this far, he might as well go the whole way. Donald continued toward the auditorium doors, trying to stick to the shadows where he could. No telling what was out there. When he was young, he was told there was nothing there to fear at night time that wasn't there during the day. Problem was, these days there were plenty to fear during the day, and being blinded by the darkness did nothing but exasperate the fears. So it was best to try to remain unseen by whatever might be lurking out there in the night.

alvin started banging on the table with his silverwear saying, "Food, Food, Food"

Rachel:

She sketches a wave to Kate, then she marches back toward the school.

In the street outside th shop

"Forget that..." Emilio turns back i to the shop. "Tiny! Come her, boy." He speaks to the Rottweiler and says, "Want to help catch the bad guys who whacked your master?"
Emilio looks at the crowd in the shop. "Does anyone have something Lisa touched or wore earlier? Tiny might catch a scent and track her down. We know what direction they went and she´s bound to exit at some point."

Declan grunts as he realises Amelia already left and he is talking to himself. "You are losing it" he mutters to himself as he heads towards the chemistry lab.

Michiko
-I don't doubt that we will prevail. The problem is all the damage they will create. We have a group that could be useful now doing others things, and are trying to save a person.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
Declan entered the stairwell and looked up the stairs. He knew that the general science lab was up there; that was where Stephanie had prepared the acid flasks. It would take him a few minutes to get there, as it was all the way down the northeast hall. Above him, he could see Amelia reach the upstairs landing.

In the lobby-
Tariq, Rashad, and Samir made their way down the east hall, continuing to speak in Arabic.

Tariq al-Tikriti and Rashad Sadiq,"No," said [b]Samir[/b], "if the EMP can truly take out the infected, blanketing the whole country with one would help them more than harm them. They would be back on their feet before anyone else, and then they would take over the world. That must not be allowed to happen."

In the east hall, ground floor-
Dr. Hausmann and Michelle entered the cafeteria, while Tariq, Rashad, and Samir followed a short distance behind. As they neared the cafeteria, they saw Megan Petrovich emerge from the open doorway.

Northwest of the school-
It was actually still light outside, though the sun was low in the sky to the west. There was perhaps a little more than an hour of daylight left, but Donald's digital watch had gone dead when the EMP had been first fired off. He guessed it was around a quarter to six. He made his way northwards along the school's west wall cautiously, but the area was still deserted. Plenty of corpses lay motionless on the ground to the west, beyond the schoolyard's fence. He soon reached the auditorium doors and was able to verify that they were, in fact, locked. He reached the northwest corner of the school. To the east was another auditorium exit, then the fire exit from the north stairwell, and finally the gym's fire exits. After that, he would have made a complete circuit of the school.

In the cafeteria-
"You have your soup," Laura told Alvin, pointing out the bowl she had placed in front of him. "I even left another bowl for your little friend." Murray was already lapping up gumbo from the bowl she had put on the floor. "The main course will be a little while yet." She began to eat from her own bowl.

"That's true," said Elijah to Michiko. "We have important things that need doing, and the people who are looking for her are exactly the sort of people we need for protection."

"But we have to save her," said Teresa. "I know we're vulnerable here, but we can't leave her to her fate."

Stephanie looked up when Dr. Hausmann and Michelle entered, carrying their bowls of gumbo. "Brigetta!" called Stephanie, waving.

Dr. Hausmann made her way over to the table at the back of the cafeteria and took a seat next to Adam, across from Liz. "It is good to see you again, Stephanie," she said. "Kyle will be fine, and now we can eat. It's been a long, exhausting day, and I'm hungry."

"We do need someone to watch over Kyle, just in case," said Michelle, sitting at the faculty table.

"I'll go," said Megan Petrovich. She picked up her bowl of soup and left the cafeteria.

On the roof-
"Okay, I'd better report back," said Amelia. "The main course needs looking after too." She hurried back down the stairs.

In the auto body shop-
Coach Moore and Kelly each took a pistol and a few magazines, leaving four for Jerry Law if he wanted them. Then they filed outside, along with LaTanya. "You coming, Jerry?" asked the coach.

Outside the auto body shop-
Tiny growled, but he didn't seem very enthusiastic about avenging Chuck's death. Still, he seemed as obedient as he ever got. "That's a great idea!" said Emily.

"Lisa didn't leave anything here," said Kate, "but she wasn't wearing her coat either. It's probably still in her locker in the school. That would be perfect for tracking her - her scent would be all over it! Let's go!" She hurried across the street to catch up with Rachel, and Emily pulled Tiny after them. Principal Adler and Miguel followed.

Coach Ron Moore, Kelly, and LaTanya emerged from the shop and joined Emilio.

Outside the school-
Rachel, Kate, Emily, and Tiny reached the hole in the fence. "Looks like we'll be sticking together a little longer," said Kate. "We're going to try to get Lisa's coat from her locker. The Lubacheks' dog might be able to track her down.

Michiko
-I'm not telling that our group is not doing an important thing. The fact that they are trying to save her is still a ditch from civilization against chaos. What I'm telling is that if those criminal youngs wheren't killing people and kidnaping people, we could have concentrate in other things.

Jerry
Jerry takes a pistol, the rest of magazines.
-Ok, I'm ready, and going with you!

Rachel Cohen:-

"Kate: good idea." Rachel considers Tiny: "Will the mutt be of any use as a sniffer dog?"

Alvin ate greedly but looked up trying to get attention so he could join the conversation nearby.

"Yeah, lets head over to the school and let Tiny take a sniff." Emilio takes the leach from Emily and starts towards the large building across the street.

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
Declan reached the upstairs landing, passing Amelia on the way. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," she said. "Gotta get dinner ready. Make sure you're back by six for the main course."

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders kept watch over both the EMP device and the school's surroundings.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Samir spoke further in Arabic as he went with Tariq and Rashad into the cafeteria, passing Megan as she went to the lobby.

Megan Petrovich,[b]Megan[/b] [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2536117/]couldn't quite make out all of the words[/url]. There was nothing that jumped out at her, but the whole thing struck her as a bit suspicious. She [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2536120/]couldn't put her finger on what[/url], however.

Tariq al-Tikriti and Rashad Sadiq,"For now, just gather information," said [b]Samir[/b]. "[b]Tariq[/b], your son [b]Ali[/b] was with the scientists, you said. He may know something. We'll talk more later."

In the security office-
Kyle gripped the bars of his cell and waited nervously.

North of the school-
Donald continued his circuit. The northern auditorium door checked out fine, but the door to the north stairwell had been propped open with a trash can. Whoever had done it had just left it that way and apparently forgotten about it.

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], consider yourself poked. ;) Good thing you checked the doors!

In the cafeteria-
Samir, Rashad, and Tariq entered the cafeteria. Laura looked up when she saw them. "Tariq, I already finished serving the new arrivals," she said, "but maybe you can see to yourself and your friends here, and you can keep an eye on the kitchen until Amelia gets back. You guys can sit at the table nearest the door, where Erin is."

"I've saved you a seat for when you're done, Tariq," said Erin. She didn't notice that Alvin wanted attention. Lori couldn't tell either, but Dr. Smith was quicker on the uptake.

"Hello," he said to Alvin. "I'm Dr. Bernard Smith. I'm with the group that flew in on the helicopter, like Lucy here."

"I know what you mean," said Ali to Michiko. "I don't understand why people fight and hate each other so much. One thing I've learned from my family is that diverse people can get along." He waved to Tariq. "Hello, Father!"

Outside the auto body shop-
Emilio followed Emily, Tiny and the others across the street towards the school. The coach and the girls went with him, motioning for Jerry to follow.

OOC,[b]Jerry[/b], do you load your pistol? It's currently empty.

Outside the school-
Emily let Emilio take the leash, and Tiny looked at him quizzically. "I'll go on ahead and see if I can bring back Lisa's coat," she said, hustling through the hole in the fence with help from Principal Adler. Miguel, Rachel, and Kate also went through it.

Southeast of the school-
Kate, Rachel, and Emily entered school grounds and started walking towards the east stairwell's fire exit, the closest way inside. "I assure you," said Emily, "Tiny is the best bloodhound around these parts."

Rachel Cohen-


"Okay, Emily, I am sure you are right about Tiny's ability -- it's just that, he looks a bit mangy."

Donald makes his way to the stairwell and moves the trash can, looking inside the building to see if there is anyone near at hand to ask if they had some reason for leaving the door propped open. Upon seeing no one, he closes the door and continues with the rest of the perimeter check.

"I may be a while up here" Declan says to Amelia "Save me a plate if I'm not down in time"

Donald says "Hey," to Amelia. "Did you need this door open for something? Just making sure our perimeter is secure."

OOC: Yes I load it.

Alvin said, "Hello Dr. Smith. I am the homeless guy who lives in the football field most time. Served my country in Nam."

Rashad takes a seat. Thank you ma'am.

Emilio waits for the jacket to be fetched.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders maintained her vigil.

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
"Sure thing!" called Amelia from below.

Declan walked through the door and into the hallway.

In the north hall, upper floor-
Declan made his way through the dim hallway. Without windows, not much sunlight made it here. He approached the intersection with the hall that would lead to the science lab.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
"I've been in the kitchen all this time," Amelia told Donald. "Have to get back there now, in fact. I didn't even notice the door was open. Please, go ahead and close it. The main course is at six, and I hope you'll join us." She left through the door and into the hallway.

In the security office-
Megan Petrovich entered the security office. Kyle cringed when he saw her coming.

"Relax," she assured him. "I'm here to look after you."

"Really? How can you protect me?"

"I was in Iraq, remember. I know how to fight."

"Yeah, but you don't even have a gun!"

North of the school-
Donald locked the door to the stairwell before proceeding to the gym's north door. After making certain that it was secure, he proceeded around the northeast corner of the building to the construction area.

In the cafeteria-
Tariq nodded to his son before proceeding into the kitchen to get some gumbo for himself and his friends.

"I was in college during the last years of the war," Dr. Smith told Alvin, "so I had a deferment and didn't need to worry about being drafted. Then I went to medical school in the mid-seventies. You've done this country a great service, sir. It's a shame that you've been reduced to such living conditions."

"Well, I guess we're all on equal footing now," said Erin, who waved for Rashad and Samir to sit next to her, which they did. "This isn't the sort of equality I had in mind, though."

Outside the school-
Jerry loaded his new pistol as he walked across the street, following the others. Coach Moore, LaTanya, and Kelly walked through the hole in the fence. "You might as well come on inside with us," said the coach to Emilio and Jerry. "There's no reason to wait out here."

Southeast of the school-
Kate tried the door, but it was locked. "Dammit!" she said. "Come on, let's head around to the north and see if we can find a way in."

"Good idea," said the principal. "The lockers are upstairs, so we'll need to go to the north stairs anyway." He followed her into the construction area, as did Miguel.

"Mangy?" said Emily to Rachel. "Well, I'm sorry if Chuck hasn't been able to groom him, what with all the zombies and with him being dead and all. Come on, let's go." She hurried after the others.

In the construction area-
As Donald rounded the corner, he ran into Kate, Principal Adler, Miguel, and Emily. He could also see others further south, heading for the school.

"Ah, there you are, Donald," said the principal. "We need to get back inside and into Lisa Marley's locker. She left with her father in that VW bus that came by before she could tell us where the warehouse is, but we might be able to track her down with the help of the Lubacheks' dog. We just need to get her coat so he can pick up her scent."

Looking across the school yard as he waits for the others to come back out, Emilio takes a seat on the main entrance stairs. He checks the shotgun and hopes he´ll spot that WV again...

Alvin smiled and said, "Thanks but with Charlie all around us still, you better be careful. I would hate like hell to see you get hurt."

Rachel Cohen-

"Emily, I'm sorry about Chuck.
"Tiny will do a great job, I'm sure."

She goes north with everyone else.

"I've worked up quite an appatite," Donald told Amelia with a smile and rubbing his belly at the same time. "I wouldn't dream of missing chow." He winked to the woman before securing the door and pushing on.

He ran into Kate, Principal Adler, Miguel, and Emily, and nodded to the principal, "I've been around the building, closed all unsecure doors. Almost done. Do we know which locker is hers? I'll get my tools and meet you there."

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders watched and waited.

In the north hall, upper floor-
Declan turned left at the intersection.

In the northeast hall, upper floor-
Declan walked down the hall, past the door to the now useless computer lab. Ahead, on the right-hand wall, was the door leading to the science lab.

In the north hall, ground floor-
Amelia returned to the lobby.

In the security office-

Megan Petrovich and Kyle Rogers,"I'm a skilled martial artist," said [b]Megan[/b]. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." "Can't you let me out, please?" asked [b]Kyle[/b]. "I want to help." "It's not my call. I don't even have the keys." She paused. "What do you know about [b]Tariq[/b]?" "The cafeteria guy? Not much." "He's been acting suspiciously lately. I just walked past him talking to two Middle Eastern guys I've never seen before. They were all talking in Arabic. I couldn't make out all the words, but I think they're up to something."

In the cafeteria-
Tariq returned from the kitchen with a tray containing bowls of gumbo and spoons for all of the new arrivals.

"Charlie?" said Dr. Smith, confused. "If that's you're way of referring to the reanimated corpses, you don't need to worry on that score. The scientists assured me they'll stay down for good."

"Really?" said Samir. "How do they know for sure?"

He shrugged. "I'm a doctor, not a physicist. That EMP doohickey interfered with the electrical process that animates them. And they won't get back up because of the message we beamed into space, even it weren't continually generating EMPs."

South of the school-
Tiny went with Emilio to the front stairs south of the school and plopped down at his feet. The front doors were still securely barricaded, so there was no way inside from here.

Outside the school-
Jerry continued following the others, passing through the hole in the fence.

Southeast of the school-
Jerry neared the southeast corner of the school. "And we will stop them," said the coach to Jerry. "We just need to get Lisa's coat so the dog can track her down."

"I know I can talk some sense into Darnell if we could only find him," said LaTanya.

"We'd better save Erica quickly," said Kelly. "I don't want anything to happen to her."

The three of them continued on into the construction area.

In the construction area-
"I'm not sure which one is hers," admitted Kate, "but we'll find it."

"They're all on the balcony overlooking the lobby anyway," said the principal, "so we'll need to go up the north stairwell. I'm sure I can locate the locker. Please meet us there to let us in." He, Miguel, and Emily followed her around the corner to the north side of the school.

Donald checked the last gym door as Coach Moore, LaTanya, and Kelly arrived. It too proved to be locked, and his circuit of the building was now complete.

Rashad's eyebrows raised. Message into space? What are you talking about?

Satisfied that the building was secured, Donald made his way to his shack to pick up tools that might be needed to break into the lockers. He recalled the last time he had to open a locker was a few weeks back when there was a rumor about Scotty McBride having some plans for a school shooting. Hard to believe those were the easy times.

Declan opens the door to the science lab and has a scan round the room looking for the chemical storage area.

Rachel Cohen-

"Well, good luck with Tiny."

Sharon

Sharon got up from her seat and excused herself. Although the zombie situation seemed to have been resolved, there were still issues to be dealt with. Such as food and water. It might be some time before order was restored, and in all likelihood the water systems would fail before them. In her opinion, they should start building up stocks to last them through the crisis.

She started walking towards the kitchen area to wait for Amelia to return. The cook would know the most out of everyone, and if the situation was bad . . . well then, there was no need to create unnecessary worry by letting everyone know.



Diana

Meanwhile, Diana continued her conversation with her friends. "So what do you guys think we should do if any bad people turn up? Sure, this place is safe now. But sooner or later people from outside will show up. What if they have guns? I'm sure there are lots of nasty people out there that would love to get in on what we have here."

ooc,how do you keep track of all this crap?

As if a disembodied voice whispered into his ear, Donald paused and remembered about his wheel barrel and the various tools he threw in there for possible weapondry. WIth a smile he headed back to science lab upstairs.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders remained at her post.

In the science lab-
Sunlight streaming through the windows on the east wall illuminated the room and enabled Declan to see, but it was getting dimmer, especially since the sun was now in the west. He noticed that the wheelbarrow containing tools, weapons, and electrical gear was leaning against the wall near the door where he and Donald had left it. He found the chemical storage cabinets easily enough, but he didn't know the first thing about chemistry. This must have been where Stephanie had gotten the acid to fill those flasks for the two of them.

In the security office-

Megan Petrovich and Kyle Rogers,"Aren't you being a little paranoid?" asked [b]Kyle[/b]. "[b]Tariq[/b] has worked here for years! His son goes to this school." "There's just something hinky about the way those guys were talking," said [b]Megan[/b]. I can't put my finger on it, but I have this gut feeling. It's never been wrong before."

In the lobby-
Amelia walked through the lobby, past the doorway to the security office and into the east hall.

In the cafeteria-
"If any bad guys try to come here," Teresa told Diana, "Rachel Cohen will kick their butts. She's awesome!"

"Yes," said Ali, "but she is only one person. We will need more defenders to protect the school. We will need a plan."

"Well, we do have a lot of people here,," said Elijah. "If we can organize everyone, nobody will want to mess with the school when there are easier targets out there."

"Those scientists who flew in with us on the helicopter," explained Dr. Smith to Rashad, "Dr. Hausmann and her assistant Stephanie, they told us that this threat came from outer space. They had been working on cracking the aliens' language, and they finally did it about an hour ago. They used a communications project that this school was working on with NASA to beam a message into space basically telling the aliens 'mission accomplished.' We don't know if it worked or not."

"I find this hard to believe," said Samir. "Has anyone seen these so-called aliens?"

"No," said Lucy, "but they did meet someone who had seen these mosquito-like creatures that had come out of the meteorites that fell last night. They have lethal stings that killed lots of people who were then reanimated electrically by the aliens, according to their theory, but the creatures couldn't survive long in Earth's atmosphere and soon died off."

"Do you believe them?"

"They seem to know what they're talking about, and they were right about the EMP."

In the kitchen-
Sharon looked around the deserted kitchen. Pots were simmering on the gas range, and more food was cooking in the ovens. It all smelled wonderful. There was a sink in the kitchen too, and plenty of containers that could be used to store water for later. Stairs descended into total darkness, leading to the basement, and the fire door lay flat on the floor just inside the doorway, which had been barricaded.

South of the school-
Tiny patted Emilio's leg with a forepaw and looked up at him.

Southeast of the school-
Jerry followed the others into the construction site.

In the construction area-
Ron Moore, LaTanya, and Kelly followed Donald and Rachel around the corner to the north side of the school.

North of the school-
Donald returned to the door to the north stairwell and unlocked it with his keys. Principal Adler, Kate, Miguel, and Emily entered the stairwell. Rachel, the coach, and the girls arrived from the construction area not far behind them.

South of the school

"Yes, my boy! We have to wait for a treat to sniff. Then we´ll head out hunting. Yeah. Hunting!" Emilio tickles Tiny behind the ear and gets up from his rear and overlooks the school yard.

Rashad listens intently. They've figured out the alien's language? Did they detect any other transmissions?

In the cafeteria-
Diana bit her lip. "Sure, I guess there are enough people here. Do you guys believe the scientists? I mean, alien mosquitoes? C'mon. What would the point of them coming here only to die be? There has to be more. If this was one of my sci-fi books, the mosquitoes would be the advance guard of an alien invasion force. Sent to throw humanity into turmoil. So the main invasion force has an easier time, y'know?"


In the kitchen-
Sharon continued inside to the basement stairs, and looked around for a light switch. She might as well have a bit of a nosy around before Amelia returned.

North Side

Donald held the door open until the last person passed through, then shut the door behind them making sure it was locked again. "I have the tools, do we know which locker it is?"

Rachel Cohen-

To Donald: "You are the most concientious handyman ever, the school is lucky to have you."

She says aloud: "I'm going to the cafeteria to get something to eat."

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders checked on the EMP device to make sure it was still working properly.

In the science lab-
Declan continued to stare at the rows of chemicals.

In the security office-

Megan Petrovich and Kyle Rogers,"Look, those punks are the real danger," said [b]Kyle[/b]. "You don't need to go imagining trouble when we've got plenty already. If you can talk to someone who can get me out of here, I want to go after those scum. They almost beat me to death." "That's more reason why you should stay here," said [b]Megan[/b]. "You're too badly hurt to go running around or getting into fights."

In the east hall, ground floor-
Amelia returned to the cafeteria.

In the cafeteria-
"I don't rightly know," said Dr. Smith to Rashad.

"I guess you could ask them yourself," said Lucy. "The scientists are all sitting at that table at the back of the cafeteria, near the kitchen."

Amelia entered from the hallway. "Main course is in ten to fifteen minutes," she said. "Tariq, you eat up, but I'll need you in there in about ten minutes to help serve."

"Oh, you're absolutely right, Diana," Stephanie said from the next table over, where she sat with the other sceintists. "The mosquitos couldn't possibly be the masterminds. They're being used as pawns by the true evil behind this. Shock troops like you said, or some form of biological weapon. I came to the same conclusion myself when I first heard how fragile those insects are. I don't know if the aliens plan to invade, or if they merely want to wipe us all out, but it's my hope that they went home after we sent that message."

In the kitchen-
Sharon easily found the light switch at the top of the stairs and flicked it, but nothing happened. She realized that the EMP device had to have fried the generator. All of the lights in the school had gone out when it had first been activated, and the only light was the meager sunlight coming through the window, which wouldn't last much more than an hour or so. The basement was pitch black.

South of the school-
Tiny trotted over to the side of the stairs and took a whiz while Emilio looked around. He couldn't see much from here, as most of the schoolyard was blocked by the building itself. The baseball diamond was on the west side of the school, and the football field was way at the back of the school grounds. From here he could see the parking lot and the street, but there was no activity nearby outside the school that he could detect. It was as quiet as the grave.

In the construction area-
Jerry hurried around the corner after the others.

North of the school-
Rachel, Donald, Ron Moore, LaTanya, and Kelly entered through the door. Jerry came from around the corner, rushing to catch the door before it closed.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
"I know exactly which locker is hers," said Principal Adler. "It's on the balcony not far from the entrance to the north hall. Third one on the right. Her brother's locker is right next to it. We might want to get into that one too. Thank you, Donald. Rachel is right. You're doing an excellent job, and I'm glad to have you. This way." He led the group upstairs.

"Take care of yourself, Rachel," said Kate. "If you find anyone in the cafeteria who wants to come with us, tell them to meet us outside the east stairwell." She followed the principal upstairs, and Miguel and Emily also went along.

In the cafeteria-
"Oh really?" replied Diana to Stephanie. "I guess all those hours spent watching old B-movies was time well spent. I don't think they'll give up that easily though. We managed to deal with all the zombies here, but everywhere else would be overrun by now. We're just a tiny oasis, nothing more. If there really is an 'invasion force', us stopping them here won't matter in the bigger scheme of things. For all we know, we could be the last people left. Unless you've heard any communications from elsewhere?"


In the kitchen-
Sharon rolled her eyes at her absentmindedness. Amelia didn't seem to be coming back any time soon. She went over to inspect the soup.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-

It was easy to tell Donald was flattered by Rachel's kind words. He smiled in response and tilted his head with a nod, "Thank you ma'am."

He looked to the Principal next and responded, "Just doin' what I'm paid for, boss. A custodian's job is never done." He followed along to the balcony where the lockers would be located, identified, and violated by his tools. He hoped he didn't have to damage the door to get it open. The lock would be easy to replace.

Declan finally remebers the rough quantities of potassium nitrate to sugar to cook together to make a dirty but functional bang. It's not semtex but it will do for a kitchen nailbomb. He begins to grab some likely looking equipment

Rashad turns around in his seat and faces Dr. Bridges. I do not think they will leave so easily. If they really want us, and they've got space ships, there's not really a whole lot we can do about that. Have you heard anything back from them?

Rachel Cohen-

It was easy to tell Donald was flattered by Rachel's kind words. He smiled in response and tilted his head with a nod, "Thank you ma'am."

She smiles at Donald and gives a slight nod in acknowledgement.

"Take care of yourself, Rachel," said Kate. "If you find anyone in the cafeteria who wants to come with us, tell them to meet us outside the east stairwell."

"Will do.
"Does anyone want food? I can get crackers or something sent over."

Barandis,I advise Declan to go ahead with the chemical bomb. The result should be spectacular :twisted: .

Michiko

-I don't know how the aliens mind work, but if they are similar to us I doubt. I mean, after all the work they had, just leaving the planet doesn't make many sense.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders continued to monitor the machine.

In the science lab-
Declan quickly found the chemicals he needed, as the containers were helpfully labeled. Together with the parts and tools that he had picked up in the workshop, he could start assembling a simple homemade bomb.

OOC,[b]Declan[/b], since you came from the workshop and you had this intention all along, I'll say you picked up whatever you needed in the workshop. It's better to work up here anyway, as there are windows letting sunlight in, unlike in the workshop. I also added the nail gun and nails to your weapons list. Roll Electrical Repair to start assembling a pipe bomb. You'll use ten nails per bomb (you have 50 in all, including what's loaded in the nail gun), and it takes ten minutes to build each one under normal circumstances. A failed roll will slow you down, and a very good success may speed things up. You started on it last turn, so that turn and this one count as two minutes so far. There will also be a gap of time between Chapters 5 and 6 to work on these, so you'll likely be building a bomb for the rest of the chapter, seeing as it's nearing the end.

In the security office-

Megan Petrovich and Kyle Rogers,"Please," said [b]Kyle[/b]. "Nobody wants them taken down more than I do." "I think [b]Emily Lubachek[/b] would beg to differ," said [b]Megan[/b]. "[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2586475/]I'm not going to change my mind[/url], anyway. Just sit tight and cool your heels."

In the cafeteria-
Amelia walked through the cafeteria and into the kitchen.

"We were in contact with Warren Air Force Base earlier," said Stephanie. "They were still operating at the time, and as far as I know they still are. I'm sure there must be other survivors out there, especially in rural areas with low population density. Omaha's a big city, and there are probably thousands still left alive here. That's enough to start rebuilding, but it will take years before we're back on our feet. We haven't had any recent communications, and we wouldn't have heard a response from the aliens. Right after we sent the message, we had to activate the EMP device to keep from being overrun. That fried our communications gear. And I do have reason to believe that the aliens left, or at least reason to hope. You see, there were communications that were intercepted previously sent from the Earth into space. Someone or something on this planet called them here to do this job. With our message, we spoofed those communications protocols and used the aliens' language to tell them the job was done. If their ships stayed around, there wouldn't be much we could do, but if they truly are gone, that at least gives us a chance."

"What if we could find a telescope and see if the ships are there?" suggested Elijah. "Dr. Saunders works for NASA, so she'd know where to find one."

"What if their ships have a cloaking device or something?" said Ali.

"Well, it's true that if we didn't see them, that doesn't mean they aren't there," said Stephanie. "But if we didn't detect them and they are there, that doesn't necessarily mean they have some form of stealth technology. It would be easy to hide a fleet of spaceships behind the moon, and we'd never see it. They'd only need to come out of hiding to initiate an attack. Still, if they can cross interstellar distances, chances are they have something along those lines to help them avoid detection."

In the kitchen-
Sharon saw that the soup was still hot, as it had been left simmering on the range. Amelia walked back in from the cafeteria and noticed her standing there. "Can I help you?" she asked.

South of the school-
Tiny trotted back over to Emilio, his business done. He rubbed against his leg.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
Jerry entered and made sure the door locked shut behind him.

Donald, Ron Moore, LaTanya, and Kelly followed the principal upstairs, while Rachel left through the door into the hall.

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
Principal Adler and Kate led Miguel and Emily through the door to the upstairs hall as Donald and the others arrived from below. Donald was condifent that he could pry off the lock from the locker without damaging the door by using the claw end of a hammer. He had done it before, and with luck the lock would even still be usable.

Declan begins building a timing circuit

In the north stairwell, upper floor-

Donald pulled out the hammer from his arsenal of tools available and said, "All right, point it out and stand back."

Alvin finished his soup and looked around to see if there was more food.

In the kitchen-
Sharon smiles at Amelia. "Ah, Amelia, you're back. I have a question to ask you. It seems we're going to be stuck here for a while. What's the situation of our food and water stocks? Do we have enough to take care of everyone? I'm just worried about how we're going to cope if more people turn up."

In the cafeteria-
Diana turns to Michiko. "Maybe they had something to gain from an invasion. They could have been offered power if they helped the aliens. But that seems a stupid thing to do. What about sleeper cells? Like alien spies that look human, but who are secretly gathering information to help with the attack."

After having rested his feet for a while, Emilio takes Tiny for a walk to the hole in the fence and waits for the others. That´s where the car sped away and there´s they´d begin the tracking. "Just wait a bit longer, T."

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders took another look around from her vantage point on the roof.

In the science lab-
Even though it had been decades, Declan's hands still remembered how to build a bomb, and he was making excellent progress.

OOC,Since you rolled such a good success, it will only take three more turns to finish making your first bomb, including this one.

In the security office-
Kyle slumped over on the bench, his head in his hands. Megan stepped out through the door into the lobby to see if anyone else was around.

In the cafeteria-
"Well, I don't think it was humans who called the aliens here," said Stephanie, "though you never know with some people. There are always those who might betray humanity for the promise of technology or in exchange for being put in charge of the survivors. But we believe there are other creatures on Earth allied with the aliens that summoned them here." Dr. Hausmann gave her a warning look. "I really can't say any more than that."

Alvin looked around, but there was no more food out in the cafeteria besides the soup that everyone was eating. The cook had just returned to the kitchen, so more would be forthcoming eventually.

OOC,Everyone in the cafeteria may roll Psychology. The base skill is 5%.

In the kitchen-
"We've got plenty of food," said Amelia to Sharon. "Normally we'd have hundreds of students, so what we've got will stretch longer. Unfortunately a lot of it is perishable, but I'm trying to cook as much of it as I can tonight before it has a chance to go bad. We still have enough water and nonperishable food to last everyone a few days, maybe a week. That will give us time to find new sources of food. In the long term, that will be a problem. There aren't any farms in Omaha, but if we leave the city we'll be exposed to those dead things. Unless we brought the EMP device with us, but that would condemn everyone else in Omaha. Plus, how would we transport all of these people? Although there is that old broken down school bus. It's from around 1980, so it wouldn't have an electronic ignition. All we'd need to do is get it fixed up. And maybe the scientists could build a second, more portable EMP machine we could take with us. That way we could leave this one behind here."

Southeast of the school-
Tiny went with Emilio to the southeast part of the school grounds, near the hole in the fence. The street beyond was deserted and quiet too.

In the north stairwell, ground floor-
Jerry went up the stairs.

In the north hall, ground floor-
Rachel proceeded to the lobby.

In the lobby-
Rachel entered the lobby and saw Megan Petrovich, the social studies teacher, standing guard in front of the smashed-down door to the security office. "Oh, hi, Rachel," she said. "I was hoping to have a word with you."

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
The coach, LaTanya, and Kelly followed Donald into the hall. Jerry arrived from below.

In the north hall, upper floor-
The principal, Kate, Emily, and Miguel reached the balcony. Donald and the others entered the hallway from the stairwell.

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], roll Listen.

On the balcony-
"Here we are," said Prinicpal Adler. He walked over to a pair of lockers and pointed them out. "This one belongs to Lisa, and this is Doug's right next to it."

Rashad couldn't read anything from the exchange. Other creatures, eh. He laughs. This sounds like a science fiction book or something, no offense. But than again, I guess nobody would ever think dead bodies would come back to life either.

In the cafeteria-
"You mean to tell me that you think there were other aliens already here?" Diana smiled to herself. "I knew it."

In the kitchen-
Sharon nodded. "We should check out the supermarkets as well. A lot of what's there will probably have gone bad by now, but there could be enough to salvage. That bus you mentioned . . . who should I see about getting it fixed up?"

Rachel Cohen-

"Megan, what is it you want to ask me?
"I'm on my way to the cafeteria. Come along with me, don't bother with guarding the security office."

"So where are we headed, Donald?" said Ron as they walked down the hall.

Donald shrugged, "Not far, I reckon," as he stepped up to the lockers. "All right, this shouldn't take too long at all." First he checked them to see if they were left unlocked as he had noticed some students left their lockers that way to speed up the book exchange between classes. Finding them locked, he began to work at the lock on Lisa's locker using his hammer's effective claw.

Listen Check - Failed,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2595814/]Listen (29%) (1d100=96)[/url]

OOC: Sorry, I was trying to get a feel of what Ron was doing. He is not mentioned much in the previous posts.

ooc for Ron,Maybe this will help.

Donald says to the principal, "So, you're hoping to find some clue in here then? Something that will give a hint of where they have taken the poor girl? It would be nice if we had a bloodhound ... do some tracking."

Imp,Awesome! Thanks.

"If we can't find a clue here, there may be something in his gym locker" Ron suggested. "Didn't I see someone with a dog outside?"

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders surveyed the neighborhood in all directions.

In the science lab-
Declan continued to assemble a pipe bomb with expert skill.

OOC,It will take two more turns to finish, including this one.

In the security office-
Kyle waited nervously for Megan to return.

In the cafeteria-
"Not necessarily aliens," said Stephanie. "There could also be other forms of life already on Earth of which we were previously unaware."

"That's possible," said Liz. "There could be all sorts of unknown creatures in the depths of the sea or deep underground. They could have been here all along. We're constantly discovering new species."

"But a species as intelligent as us, perhaps moreso?" said Tariq. "Rashad is right, it does sound like science fiction...but considering everything else that has happened today, I cannot rule it out."

In the kitchen-
"Good thinking about the supermarkets," said Amelia. "They do have a lot of nonperishable food that could last for weeks, maybe months. That is if someone else doesn't get there first and pick the place clean. Becky Clarke is the one to see about fixing up that bus. She's out in the cafeteria, eating. Donald and Declan should be able to help too. There's also the guy who worked at the auto body shop, Emilio. We wouldn't have gotten the generator up and running again in time to save the school without him."

Southeast of the school-
Emilio and Tiny continued to wait for the others.

In the lobby-
"I really can't leave it unguarded," said Megan, walking a short distance with Rachel but constantly looking back at the lobby. "I'll need someone to relieve me eventually, preferably someone armed."

In the east hall, ground floor-

Megan Petrovich and Rachel Cohen,"It's about [b]Tariq[/b] and those other two guys with him," whispered [b]Megan[/b] to [b]Rachel[/b]. "I heard them talking to each other in Arabic. I couldn't quite understand what they were saying, but I think it was suspicious. You should keep an eye on them."

In the north stairwell, upper floor-
Jerry reached the landing and walked through the door, into the hall.

In the north hall, upper floor-
Jerry emerged from the stairwell in time to see Donald. Ron, LaTanya, and Kelly reach the balcony.

On the balcony-
"That would be my dog, Tiny," said Emily. "He'll track those murderers down, don't you worry. We just need something with a scent."

Donald approached Lisa's locker with his claw hammer.

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], roll STR x 5 to pry open the lock. [b]Ron[/b] has been following along with the others for some time. You may need to go back some pages to see where they're discussing their plans. He hopes to be able to talk some sense into [b]Darnell[/b] and [b]Roy[/b] - if he can find them.

"Good, we'll need to track them down" Ron said. "I want to come with your guys, too. I think I can talk some sense into these boys. I've been their coach and veritable fatehr figure for the last 4 years. I can talk to them. I can get them to come to thier senses"

Strength x5 = success,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2607886/](str x5 =) 65% or less to claw open the locker. (1d100=28)[/url]

Donald makes excellent use of his hammer's claw and leverage, making short work of the lock on the locker. After which, he moves to the boy's locker and prepares to do the same.

In the kitchen-
Sharon nodded and smiled. "Thanks Amelia, I'll get onto that right away"

She left the kitchen and went out into the cafeteria in search of Becky


In the cafeteria-
Diana looked doubtful. "I find it a bit hard to believe. That there could be a species as intelligent as mankind living under the sea or underground, I mean. The pressure would be too great to support most kinds of life. Sentience can't have evolved naturally."

Rachel Cohen-

Megan,"Ok, thanks for the info., Megan."

She leaves Megan and continues walking to the cafeteria.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders continued her lonely vigil, eating her gumbo.

In the science lab-
Declan kept working on the first bomb. He was almost done.

OOC,[b]Declan[/b] will finish the bomb after this turn.

In the security office-
Kyle sat dejectedly in his cell.

In the east hall, ground floor-
Megan hurried back to the lobby.

In the cafeteria-
Rachel walked in from the east hall at about the same time that Sharon returned from the kitchen. Sharon saw Becky sitting in the second row of tables, where she herself had been seated earlier, with the rest of the faculty and staff.

"Oh, I don't know," said Liz to Diana. "You could make the same argument about sentience on the surface. There are all sorts of strange creatures that live in the depths that are rarely seen near the surface."

"That's true," said Stephanie. "The kraken was considered a legend until scientists discovered the giant squid. Those things are enormous!"

"Yes, and lifeforms can adapt to live in high pressure environments. They may be so used to it that they won't usually come up too far. I can't rule out the possibility of another intelligent species on Earth, but I'm not sure how it would communicate a message into space."

Stephanie shrugged. "Advanced technology? Maybe some sort of innate telepathic ability?"

"However they did it, it makes a certain kind of sense. They could have been living deep beneath the surface for eons. Then one day they come up and discover the surface of their planet is crawling with what they consider vermin."

"Right! And what would you do if you returned home after a long absence to find your home infested? Call the exterminator! That's what I think they must have done."

In the kitchen-
Amelia continued preparing the main course.

Southeast of the school-
Tiny paced back and forth, looking at Emilio occasionally.

In the north hall, upper floor-
Jerry walked onto the balcony.

On the balcony-
"Thanks, Coach," said LaTanya. "If Darnell won't listen to you, maybe I can get him to listen to me. I am carrying his baby. That has to mean something to him."

"I might be able to get through to Keith too," said Miguel. "I'm his best buddy."

Donald easily pried open the lock to Lisa's locker. The lock wasn't even visibly damaged. Kate opened the door and took out Lisa's coat, which was hanging on a hook inside. "Got it, thanks!" she said.

"Let's go, we're wasting time," said Emily, taking the coat from her. "I'll get this to Tiny. Everyone who's coming with, follow me. We'll take the fire escape, it'll be faster." Emily went around the corner and down the southeast hall. Kate, Miguel, and LaTanya followed her.

"I don't know if I should go," said Kelly, hesitantly. "It's going to be dangerous. But good luck, all of you." The prinicpal also remained on the balcony.

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], roll STR x 5 again to pry open the lock on [b]Doug[/b]'s locker.

Rachel-

"Hi," she says to Sharon, "I'm looking for something to eat."

"Sounds good" says Ron as he follows Emily towards the fire escape.

Strength Check Failed,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2616574/]Strength x5 (65%) (1d100=97)[/url]

Donald tried his hand at removing the lock from Doug's locker, but it was tough going and not giving way... so he put all of his strength into it this time, to no avail.

Rashad glanced nervously out the window. Well, if they did call the exterminators, so to say, then I'm not so sure they'll leave that easily.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders ate some more of her soup.

In the science lab-
Declan completed his first pipe bomb. It wouldn't do a tremendous amount of damage, but it would spread nails and shrapnel over a wide area. He had enough components to build more, if he wished to spend the time.

OOC,[b]Declan[/b], roll Electrical Repair if you wish to make another bomb.

In the security office-
Kyle waited for his guard to return.

In the cafeteria-
"Oh, the beings that called the exterminators aren't going anywhere," said Stephanie. "We still have to worry about them. But I'm hoping the exterminators themselves were fooled. After all, what exterminator is going to suspect that the vermin it came to wipe out can call it on the phone and tell it the job is done? Of course, we still have a lot of trouble left, and we have to make sure that the exterminators don't get called back. Humanity is an endangered species now, and we're going to have to get used to it."

Liz nodded solemnly. "We have to learn how to think like cockroaches now," she said. "The only way for the species to survive is to mimic nature's ultimate survivors."

"Please, you're both jumping to conclusions," interjected Dr. Edward Singh, speaking at last. "This is sheer speculation!"

Tariq rose. "There is still a little gumbo left in the pot," he said to Rachel. "I will get some for you. The main course should be ready in about five to ten minutes." He went into the kitchen.

In the kitchen-
Tariq entered and found Amelia working. "Rachel Cohen has returned and desires some gumbo," he said.

"Comin' right up," said Amelia. She filled a bowl, placed a spoon in it, and handed it to Tariq before returning her attention to her cooking.

Southeast of the school-
Tiny began pacing, walking in a circle around Emilio and winding the leash around his legs.

On the balcony-
When Donald tried to pull the hammer back, it slipped from his grip and sailed over the balcony railing, landing in the lobby below with a clunk.

"I could climb down there and throw it back up," suggested Kelly.

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], if you want to try to force open the locker door without a hammer, you'll need to roll STR x 2.

In the lobby-
Megan stopped and instinctively crouched low when the hammer fell from above, narrowly missing her. "Hey, careful there!" she called up to the balcony. She picked up the hammer and tossed it back upwards, but it didn't get anywhere near high enough and crashed back to the floor with a clatter.

In the southeast hall, upper floor-
Ron followed Emily and the others down the hall. Emily threw open the door to the east stairwell and breezed inside, followed by Kate, Miguel, and LaTanya.

Declan begins building another bomb deftly slotting the components together.

Ron follows Emily. "We should think about what our plan will be if we can't talk some sense into these kids"

On the balcony-
Donald wiped his palms clean, all that walking about must have gave him sweaty palms. He hadn't realized just how slippery they were until after the hammer sailed out of his grip. With a sheepish grin, he held up a finger to Kelly, "Let's see if I can just man-handle it open."

Bare-handed attempt succeeds,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2624881/]Strength x2 (26%) (1d100=23)[/url]

In the lobby-
Donald's voice comes from above on the balcony, "Sorry about that. Don't worry about it, just lay it next to the stairs, I'll get it in a few moments."

Rashad thinks for a moment. Do you know if the same thing is happening elsewhere? Are the... dead rising all over the world?

Rachel-

"Thank you, Tariq." She sits down at a table.

Michiko

-We actually don't know if they really exist, it could be simply the aliens who came here for some unknow reason. But if an ancient race exist in earth, we know this: they don't have power enouth to eliminate us. At least for now.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders slurped up her soup, nearing the bottom of the bowl.

In the science lab-
Declan got to work on his second bomb. It was slower going, but he was making decent progress.

OOC,It will take ten turns to finish the bomb, including the last one and the current one.

In the lobby-
"The stairs?" Megan called up to the balcony. "I can't really leave my post until someone comes to relieve me, but I'll put it on the security desk here in the meantime." She placed the hammer on Jerry's desk in the lobby and returned to the security office.

In the security office-
"You doing okay?" asked Megan when she returned.

"Just waiting her for someone to kill me," muttered Kyle.

"Look, I told you I'm not going to let that happen. The kids who beat you are gone, and they're not coming back if they have any brains."

"That's just it. They don't have any brains."

In the kitchen-
Tariq returned to the cafeteria while Amelia continued putting the finishing touches on the main course.

In the cafeteria-
"Come sit with us, Rachel," said Liz, waving her over.

Tariq came back and placed the bowl of gumbo and a spoon on the table in front of Rachel.

"I'm afraid this is happening everywhere," said Stephanie. "This morning I was in contact with various people all over the country and in other parts of the world, and it's the same story everywhere. First the meteors with those alien insects came, then the cities were swarmed with the walking dead. Michiko, if there are other creatures living on this planet that want us dead, I'm hoping that they can't wipe us out by themselves and that that's why they asked for outside help. But it's possible that they simply didn't want to take the effort or the risk. They'd want to keep a low profile, so that we don't even know they exist, but if they're desperate enough or we cause them enough grief, they could take matters into their own hands - or claws, or tentacles, or whatever they have."

"Oh, please," said Dr. Singh. "It's a biological impossibility, like young Miss Forester said."

"What about the reanimated corpses?" asked Liz. "Twenty-four hours ago you would have said that those are a biological impossibility, and yet here we are."

On the balcony-
Donald ripped open the locker with his bare hands.

"Wow, Mr. Woodridge!" said Kelly, her mouth hanging open.

"Good work," said the principal.

Inside the locker, Donald couldn't see a coat. Presumably Doug had it with him, along with his bookbag, which was also not present. There were various school textbooks and papers in the locker, along with other personal possessions.

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], roll Spot Hidden if you want to search the locker more thoroughly. The base skill is 25%.

In the east stairwell, upper floor-
Ron followed the others into the stairwell. The east stairs were barricaded, of course, but it was still possible to open the fire exit and go out onto the fire escape. Emily did just that, along with Kate, Miguel, and LaTanya.

Outside the school-
"Hey, Emilio!" called Emily from the fire escape on the southeast corner of the school as she waved the coat. "We've got it!" She lowered the ladder to the ground.

Tiny barked excitedly when he heard Emily call. He started trotting around Emilio in the other direction, unwinding the leash from around his legs.

Ron followed the others out onto the fire escape and climbed down when it was free to use.

Emilio jogs over to the scape and holds it while Emily scales it down. He is careful not to trip on the leash as Tiny drags him towards the ladder.

Rachel picks up her bowl of gumbo and carries it across to Liz where she sits down.
"Thanks."

Spot Hidden - failed,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2647511/]Spot Hidden (25%) (1d100=50)[/url]

Smiling, pleased with himself, Donald says "Always remember to take your vitamins, boys and girls." Donald set the locker door on the ground and took a cursory glance within the locker. Not seeing anything of interest, he stepped aside and started examining the locker door to see if there'd be an easy way to repair it. He imagined he'd have to hammer it flat again before he tried.

Rashad taps his fingers on the table. Is the army still functioning?

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders finished her soup.

In the science lab-
Declan kept working on his second pipe bomb.

OOC,It will take eight more turns to finish, including the current one.

In the security office-
"Look, if they come back, we'll be ready for them," said Megan. "We're also working on tracking them down. They're not going to get you."

"If you send a bunch of people out looking for them," said Kyle, "we'll be more vulnerable here. Tell me I'm wrong."

Megan wished she could.

In the kitchen-
Amelia tasted her food and nodded to herself. "About five more minutes," she said.

In the cafeteria-
"Well, the Air Force certainly is," said Stephanie. "I was in contact with Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne this morning, and they were operational at that time."

"Religion?" said Dr. Singh. "Pah, don't get me started on religion. There are plenty of natural diseases out there that affect only humans, though sometimes animals act as carriers."

"Well, there aren't any natural diseases that reanimate the dead, that's for sure," said Liz. "This thing was engineered." She smiled at Rachel. "You're welcome, Rachel. Any updates on the situation?"

"Actually, animals can be affected," said Stephanie. "I did see a reanimated dog, but I didn't see the dead go after dogs, just humans."

OOC,Anyone in the cafeteria may roll Natural History (base skill of 10%) or Biology (base skill of 1%), whichever is higher.

On the balcony-
Donald saw could probably repair the door in about ten minutes, but would it be the best use of his time? Yes, it was an eyesore and he couldn't stand leaving something like that unfixed, but there was so much that was messed up in the school that he needed to prioritize what was important. His rumbling stomach also reminded him that he was starting to get hungry.

Principal Adler searched Doug's locker thoroughly and soon found a baggie full of ganja in a cleverly concealed false bottom in a cigar box full of school supplies. "Well, well," he said to Donald and Jerry Law. "We should have had random locker searches more often. Might have turned this up sooner."

"You think he was dealing it, or just using it?" asked Kelly.

"Oh, it's quite possible he's a dealer, given what I've heard. There's not enough in here for him to sell. He probably has his main stash on his person or hidden somewhere else. What I just found was probably for personal use."

OOC,[b]Donald[/b], roll Mechanical Repair if you want to start fixing the locker.

Outside the school-
Ron joined the others out on the fire escape while Emily climbed down the ladder. Kate, LaTanya, and Miguel stood aside to let Ron climb down next.

When Emily got to the ground, Tiny hobbled up to her and licked her happily. "Good to see you, boy," she said, holding out the coat for him. "Get a whiff of this, and see if you can track down Lisa Marley." The dog sniffed the coat and barked with excitement, straining at the leash to go after her. "Good boy! He's got the scent, everyone!"

Rashad is stumped. Well atleast if there is still an army we can fight back against anything else that tries to attack us.

Jerry
-We could try to see if we find anything else useful n the lockers. Food or guns, anything can be interesting.

"Look alive, everyone" Ron said. "It would not do anyone any good to stumble right into their midst."

Donald frowned at indecision for a moment before putting the door inside the opened locker. "I'll take care of this later." He looked at the baggie that Adler found and chuckled. They had bigger things to worry about than a few pot heads. He said to the others, "Well, speaking of the herb, I'm getting the munchies. Guess I'll be heading down to the cafeteria if you're done with me."

Rachel Cohen-

"You're welcome, Rachel. Any updates on the situation?"

Rachel chomps her gumbo with gusto -- her manners are dreadful.
"Sorry! but I'm starving.
"Officer Wheeler and others are trying to get Tiny, the dog, to follow one of the students who was taken by the armed gang. It is thought the gang are holed up nearby."


[ooc: Natural History (1d100=14)]

Letting Mrs Lubacheck take care of Tiny, Emilio follows and scans the perimeter of the school yard and the road ahead.

On the roof-
Dr. Saunders looked around alertly. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and would set in a little over an hour. She wondered nervously what would happen when darkness fell.

In the science lab-
Declan continued assembling the bomb.

OOC,It will take seven more turns to finish. There will be approximately fifteen minutes of game time between Chapters 5 and 6. If you wish to start building a third bomb, you may, in which case you will still be here and probably almost done when the next chapter starts. If you want to go do something else instead after completing the second bomb, such as heading down to the cafeteria to get dinner, you may.

In the security office-
"We're all doomed anyway," muttered Kyle. "We're all gonna die."

"Don't say that," said Megan. "We saved the city, didn't we?"

"Did we? Seems to me that right after that was exactly when people stopped working together and started going at each other's throats. It's just like before this happened, except now there's no law anymore to stop the bastards from ruining everything."

In the kitchen-
Amelia continued her final preparations for the meal.

In the cafeteria-
"I think I know what's going on with the dog," said Stephanie. "It must have eaten the destroyed corpses. With nobody to feed dogs, they would be desperate enough for food, and eating the dead would contimate them with the active virus. If that's the case, any scavenger could turn: rats, or even birds. It's not something we need to worry about here as long as the EMP device functions, but we may be seeing more and more animals like that out beyond its range."

"Now that's a cheery thought," said Edward Singh.

"Thanks for filling us in, Rachel," said Liz. "I hope Kate and the others can find the gang."

"So do I," said Stephanie. "They're Erica's only hope. I wish I could help them."

"You can help them best by staying here where it's safe, Stephanie," said Dr. Brigetta Hausmann. "We still need you. It is science that saved us, and it is science that we will need to rebuild the world."

"She's right, you know," said Adam Donnelly. "Saving Erica is Officer Wheeler's job. Saving the world is ours."

On the balcony-
"You're welcome to try, Jerry," said Principal Adler, "but it's probably a waste of time. The amount of food we're likely to find is negligible compared to what we might get from neighborhood stores, and finding more guns is unlikely. Doug and Kyle somehow got their weapons past the metal detector, but they'll be the exception in this school, not the rule. I'm going down to the cafeteria to get some much needed nourishment, and I advise you to do the same."

He headed off down the hall after Donald, and Kelly tagged along with him.

Outside the school-
Ron reached the bottom of the ladder as Kate prepared to climb down above him. Emily took Tiny's leash and followed Emilio to the hole in the fence. The street outside was still eerily deserted. Everyone in the immediate area was likely already in the school. He didn't know how far those punks who had stolen the Mustang and kidnapped Erica had gone or where they'd find them, but he knew Tiny would track them however far they went - and so would Emily. She seemed even more determined than the dog.

OOC,Chapter 5 is now complete, and congratulations for surviving! Feel free to continue posting and roleplaying, but there will be no more dice rolling until Chapter 6 starts. There will be approximately 15 minutes of game time between the chapters, so you can get wherever you like within the school as long as you're not spending all of the time doing something else. Those of you who are going with [b]Emily[/b] and [b]Tiny[/b] will get to your destination around the time Chapter 6 starts. Each of you, please let me know what you intend to do (if anything) between the chapters and where you'll be when the new chapter begins.

Alvin will continue to sit in the cafeteria. He is waiting for food to come and puts his head down like he is sleeping but he is really listening to all that is going on around him.

Emilio will follow the blood hound to the hide-out. Shotgun ready!

OOC,The story continues in the Omaha section of Chapter 6. [b]Ron[/b], [b]Miguel[/b], [b]LaTanya[/b], [b]Emily[/b], [b]Tiny[/b], [b]Emilio[/b], and [b]Kate[/b] are moving to the following thread.

The Searchers

OOC,[b]Megan Petrovich[/b] and [b]Kyle Rogers[/b] are moving to the following thread.

Detention

OOC,[b]Dr. Helene Saunders[/b] is moving to the following thread.

Physicist on the Roof

OOC,Everyone else is moving to the following thread.

Suppertime