A breath of fog rolled over the ground, curling around the trees and obscuring the area below inch by inch. Ava could feel the atmosphere shift around them, becoming slightly colder and the air heavy with moisture—just like it had been a few days ago when the infected tested the line. Her hands gripped her rifle tighter, and she let out a slow breath in anticipation of the inevitable. As a shrill shriek pierced the silence, she pressed the bud in her ear, fearful that she wouldn’t hear the commander’s order over the sharp, unnatural cries. After the loud symphony of screeches, she shouldered her rifle, lifting the scope to her eye. She could see shadows below, shuffling about in the thick mist. Her finger hovered over the trigger, but she was patient. Her breathing was even and her hands were steady as the nanites began to regulate her stress levels. Under normal circumstances, her mind would have been racing and fear would have rendered her inert in a threatening environment such this. Even so, the eeriness wasn’t lost on her. She wondered how it was that the conditions of their surroundings changed so suddenly when the infected arrived.<br/><br/>Ava wasn’t able to think of all the possibilities for very long. A zombie-like figure stepped into her crosshairs, and she lined up her shot. As soon as the commander gave the order, she squeezed the trigger. The bullet zipped through the barrel, landing between the infected man’s eyes. Blood sprayed from the back of his head and brain matter decorated the tree that his lifeless body slumped against. She continued to eliminate the infected in her zone, and while not all the shots were as clean as her first, they were just as effective. It was a wonder that she was able to focus with the slew of voices that entered her ear. She managed to listen for pertinent information while downing one parasite infested body after another.<br/><br/>The commander spoke of the enemy leader, informing the ranks that he’d been wounded and was in the process of retreating. Ava looked in the direction of the lake, able to see the figure darting through the fog with a loosely dangling arm, barely attached to the shoulder. She followed him through the scope, listening as others responded in the negative. They were either too preoccupied with clearing their zones, or the shot was out of range. The latter was the case for Ava. Though she could have made an attempt at taking him out, there was too much tree coverage in her path. Every time she thought she might, he disappeared behind one thick trunk or another. It was clear that the infected leader knew the forest well. “Negative.” Ava replied finally. She was beginning to think that they were being too defensive. Before long, they would be out of ammo and other provisions. They seemed to be a lot more organized than even she gave them credit for with all her knowledge of them.