James hadn't sleep in two days. It's not that he hadn't wanted to, if anything he'd love to drop right then and there and conk out for a few hours but he couldn't. No, in this would you had to keep moving if you wanted to survive, especially on your own. He didn't regret travelling alone, in fact he preferred it. When he found some useful supplies there was no need to share them, any food scavenged was his, and he got to choose when to leave an area and when it would be okay to stick around for another day or so without having to bicker with someone else.<br/><br/>He had tagged along with a fellow soldier at one point, but the man was always butting heads with him. He thought just because he had outranked James in the army that gave him the right to hold that over his head now. Well he had one less pack now, and a couple dozen bruises and busted ribs to replace it. Shouldering the second pack, James stopped when he crested the hill, scanning the area before even daring to exit the shelter of the treeline.<br/><br/>Jogging across the deserted highway, James located the building that once upon a time had been a gas station and convenience store. He needed to stock up on things, especially food. Much of the store had already been ransacked, shelves lay on the floor, their contents either taken or trampled. Climbing over one rack, James found a package of beef jerky forgotten under the counter. He dropped one of his bags and placed the packet inside, adding whatever he could find that would keep him going. Cans of various things, a few scattered packets of sugar, and, to his delight, half a container of coffee! Storing it all away, he once more shouldered the bag and picked his way into the back of the shop where he found a small restroom. He hoped the sink worked and was connected to a still safe well. His canteens had been emptied this morning and it wouldn't be long before he would need more. Testing the taps, he was disappointed to hear nothing for a few seconds until a gurgle had him watching a slow trickle of clean-ish water pooling in the basin. Using his hand he tasted a small amount, deeming it safe, if not clean, James positioned one canteen under the trickle and waited for it to fill, ever alert to anyone who may come into the small shop.