[color=00a651]"Two days."[/color] Alex muttered to himself. [color=00a651]"Two days I trek across this God forsaken state to get here and what's the first thing I find? My brother, a group of friendly survivors, hell, a damn dog? No, of course not,"[/color] He continued to talk to himself as he watched the infected in the reflection of the knife strapped to his rifle. [color=00a651]"A fucking infected is the first thing I run into after two damn days!"[/color] He let out a small sigh as he brought his rifle back down and slumped against the fence separating them. [color=00a651]"Two days. Hell, I'm surprised my luck lasted as long as it did."[/color] His stomach growled softly and he looked around the area again.

He was hiding in an alley between two rows of brownstone houses with their back doors facing each other. From what he could see nearly all the houses had been looted, or attacked. Broken glass filling windows and doors left open showed the ones that had been looted for all their worth. Others had no glass in the frames at all and door hanging from hinges, no doubt busted and torn as the infected swarmed whoever had been inside. Most of the back doors were cordoned off by small brick walls about waist high separating small patio areas off from each other leaving a walkway just large enough for two people to walk shoulder to shoulder down. A few of the walls had iron bars on top of the brick walls but as far as he could see along this stretch the house behind him and one other had full taller fences separating them from the others.

The one Alex was at the wall was made of brick just a little over five foot high. The other fence was a simple wooden fence, or at least it was at one point, as someone, or more likely something, had crashed through the wood leaving gaping holes along it. As far as he could tell this one house was the only one that hadn't been looted, and now he knew why. He sighed again and rested his head against the wall to stare up at the sky as he heard the infected on the other side continue to shuffle in the fenced off area, every now and again he'd hear a scraping of metal against concrete as the infected bumped against the overturned chairs or table inside with it. 

[color=00a651]"Two damned days."[/color] He muttered again as he let his head loll from side to side taking in the area around the brownstones. To his right, probably at least five blocks away, he could see what looked like apartment building rising into the sky. He assumed they were apartment buildings at least because he could see that fire escapes were crawling up some of the sides he could see. Off to his left looked like office building probably just as far away as the apartment building, maybe even farther. His stomach growled again, a little louder now but still not loud enough for the infected to hear over its own shuffling steps.  He leaned his rifle beside him and placed his head in his hands to try and think. [color=00a651]"I can always leave this building,"[/color] His voice was muffled even more at he muttered into his hands, [color=00a651]"I could move and search the apartment buildings."[/color] He shook head no. [color=00a651]"No, no they'd probably be just as looted or destroyed as these homes here. And those that aren't may be boarded from the inside hiding a few survivors, or god forbid, a few infected. And that's just what I need, to be trapped in a small room with one of more of those things."[/color]

He brought his head away from his hands to look over to his left at the assumed office buildings. [color=00a651]"They may not have as much stuff to loot, but they may not be as bad off as the apartment buildings. Break rooms and water coolers may still hold some food and water at least. I could probably scrounge something useful from any supply closets. May be able to even barricade a room or two, may block off a floor to hole up in for a bit."[/color] He vigorously shook his head. [color=00a651]"No, gotta stay on the move, can't stay in one place to long as long as I'm out here alone. And any buildings that large I'd definitely need to know the layout for all possible exits before I even tried to hole up in one. My best bet is still this place for the night."[/color] He leaned his head back against the wall to stare up at the house taunting him from the other side of the wall. [color=00a651]"I'm just gonna have to take a risk and kill the damned thing."[/color]

He looked away from the house to the fence's door to his right. It looked like it had originally been an iron barred gate but whoever had lived in the house had done a little work to it, filling in the spaces between each bar with thick pieces of wood and then a strip of iron banding across the top and bottom. [color=00a651][i]It's a decent, solid door. Good enough to keep one infected within it's confines at least.[/i][/color] Alex thought to himself, possibly the first time all day that he hadn't voiced his opinions aloud. [color=00a651][i]I don't wanna open the door though that's for sure. I want to be able to keep both hands free in case that thing somehow surprises me.[/i][/color] He turned around to assess the wall for his plan. [color=00a651][i]If I can make just enough noise I can get that fucker on the other side to climb over. That'll be my best bet. As soon as I see it's head I can run him through with the knife on my rifle. Dispose of the body afterwards and then I can search to my heart's content.[/i][/color]

Happy with his plan a small smile formed on his lips. [color=00a651]"No time like the present."[/color] He said as he gripped his rifle again in both hands and whistled softly. On the other side of the wall he could hear the infected stop in it's tracks at the new sound. He could only imagine that it began to crouch like he had seen some do before, reminding him of predators on the hunt, as a soft growl was the only answer to his whistle. It was waiting, listening for the sound again, it's cue to begin the hunt of it's newfound prey. Again, Alex let out a soft whistle and on the other side of the wall a louder snarl escaped from the infected as it's former shuffling steps picked up into a run. In his planning the thing must have wandered closer to the brownstone's back door giving Alex a few seconds to ready himself, but a few seconds was all that he needed.

On the other side he could hear the infected scrape against the brick wall, flesh on rough stone, the sound of it sent a chill up his spine similar to how nails on a chalkboard would, but he couldn't let that bother him now. Hands appeared at the top of wall and he could hear it's booted feet scraping against the bricks as it began to pull itself over the top. As it's head appeared and it's eyes locked onto Alex it opened it's mouth to snarl, but before it could Alex thrust with the rifle planting the knife to the hilt right between the infected's eyes. [color=00a651]"Good riddance."[/color] He said as he pulled the rifle back letting the infected fall back inside the wall with a dull thud as his smile broadened. [color=00a651]"Time to clean the place up now and grab some grub."[/color]