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The city streets were empty.
Well not exactly, there were still cars, but they were rusty and with some vegetation already growing around them, and there were the brown stains of dried blood in the corners wherever you looked.
It felt like the intro to a video game Charlie had played once, in another time she would have found that image to be awesome, her thought now however is that the Croats could be hiding there among the shadows of the buildings and that they could attack at any moment. moment, and it could be the end.
She takes a deep breath and continues walking, the only person who should be able to notice her nervousness is the girl who is holding her hand and who must surely be noticing the slight tremor that was there. Jo doesn't mention that, she has her other hand on her gun and her gaze darts down the path looking for potential targets, but Charlie is sure she noticed because seconds after the tremors started the other woman started holding her hand a bit tighter.
.
.
.
The Croat population around the old camp had grown enormously over the last few months, moving was always a risk, but standing there felt even more so. That night they and the rest of the group set up a makeshift camp on top of a hill just outside the city, and Jo ended up taking the first watch.
It was after midnight when Charlie emerged from one of the tents and headed towards her.
"Insomnia?" Jo asked.
"Sort of. I think I’m not used to sleeping alone anymore.” Charlie said sitting next to her.
"I'm sorry, my shift doesn't end until after two in the morning."
“That’s okay, I’ll keep you company until then.” Charlie said scooting over next to her.
"Thanks."
"At least it's not so cold, remember the time we had to keep watch in that warehouse in November?"
"I remember you came up with a pretty creative way to keep us warm that night"
Charlie blushed.
“That's right, but changing the subject, why are we going to a camp that will take weeks of travel to arrive when your friend's is only a few days away?”
“We have decided that this is not a good idea.”
"Why not ? A shorter trip would greatly reduce our risks, I know about the problems with supplies but that's the way it is practically everywhere, and...”
“I don't want to see him okay?”
"Why not ?"
“It's not just that, the other camp has much better security, and supplies, it's really a community, it's a place where we could really live and not just survive.”
“Okay, I understand, but why don't you want to see your friend?”
"It's hard to explain."
“Try.”
“He became harder, we all changed but with him it's different, it's like they took away everything that made me like him and only the mission was left, it hurts to see him like that, and it scares me because I know that in a few years I will I will probably be the same.”
"You are not going to."
“I want to believe, but it’s hard sometimes.”
“Is that an X-Files reference?”
Jo smiled and facepalmed.
“How did I end up dating the biggest nerd in the universe?”
“I think it's a combination of good taste and just pure luck.”
“That was a rhetorical question.”
Charlie laughed.
“You really are, you know?”
“The biggest nerd in the universe? Yes, I am well aware of that.”
"No, I mean that too, but I was referring to luck, meeting you was the greatest luck I've had in recent years."
“Thank you, you are that for me too.”
Charlie rested his head on her shoulder, Jo kissed her lightly on the forehead, and they were silent like that looking at the sky and for a moment forgetting all about the infested city on the horizon.