With the commander’s orders issued, Ava relaxed a bit. She took a breath, resting her back against the trunk of the tree behind her. The irregular boom of gunfire finally ceased as the infected retreated in the direction of the lake. The remainder of the day was uneventful and silence hung thick in the air once more. After taking some time to compose herself, she returned her watchful eyes to her zone where the dead body tempted her gaze. She wanted to lower herself to the ground and cover him up somehow, make it so that she couldn’t see those red, irritated eyes or the horrified expression that had frozen upon his face. Briefly she wondered if anyone else was as bothered as she was, but it was doubtful. They were all seasoned hunters, and had seen far worse than a few infected host bodies—and she would too. The worst had yet to come, and she had to steel herself for whatever awful onslaught awaited them. From that realization on, she did her best not to let herself get distracted with sentiment. It helped that nightfall did somewhat cloak the body from her sight. It also marked the return of the infected puppets that continually tested the line.<br/><br/>Her sleep shift was restless, and since she had forfeited sleep the evening before she could have used an hour or two. Every time her eyes began to close a gunshot went off, forcing her to restart the process of relaxing herself. Ava relied on her training to get a good handful of minutes in before she took over for the next person. Even without sleep, it wasn’t difficult to remain alert. The unnatural noises and the whiz of bullets was enough to keep her awake.<br/><br/>Soon enough, the sun was beginning to rise and Ava listened as the commander issued his next set of orders. Unlike a select few, she would remain in place while others relocated to alter their formation come midday. After a lull in the contact made by the infected, soldier’s began to climb down from their nests, coordinating with their neighbors to cover them and their zone while they found new places to perch. In a matter of hours, all the units had secured a new location and when they had, they relayed the execution of the order. By then, the lull had turned to a complete stop of all advancement. Ava began to wonder if the infected were reorganizing, trying to find a way around the seemingly impenetrable line they had formed. So long as there were fresh bodies to seize, it was wishful thinking to believe that they were retreating. As the sun began to set, she was grateful for the return of the muted atmosphere—even figured she would get some much needed rest.<br/><br/>Refreshed after a somewhat peaceful night, Ava was awake for sunrise. There were a few new bodies on the ground, but not as many as the day before. It was more of the same, nothing truly out of the ordinary that she could tell. At high noon, she had a bite to eat; some jerky she'd been nibbling at every now then to conserve her rations. She washed it down with some water, which she'd also been modestly sipping at. That night, Ava was beginning to fantasize about small luxuries like showering, and being able to pee without an audience-- not that she believed anyone was paying her any mind. For someone who cared a lot about their outward appearance, being out in the field was a challenge. All she wanted to do was groom herself, especially since the ghillie suit made her look like an actual swamp monster.