Claireâ€™s heart was pounding hard in her chest and she was still trembling a little when they turned into the alley. When she stepped out of the hummer she was able to calm down a little but the events were still replaying in her mind. That really had been too close for comfort. Some days she wondered how the hell she was able to keep a level head in situations like these, especially after losing three people in a row today. Her mind drifted to the rest of the group Johnny and Brady were a part of. She wondered if they had also been infected or killed by those things, contemplating if it was even worth it to search for them, praying for even a small amount of confidence. Was their group really only down to five people? More importantly, she wondered if they were the only ones left in the city now.<br/><br/>She pulled a book of matches out of her pocket, lit one, and tossed it on the body once it had been soaked in kerosene. As much as she did not want to do this, she figured she might as well finish what she started. After seeing how quickly Brady had turned, she was not going to say that their group being the only group left wasnâ€™t a possibility but at the same time she didnâ€™t want to be without hope. Five people taking on some huge powerhouse company was absolutely terrifying to her. What if something happened to her and there was nobody else to take her position? The group would probably fall apart if something happened to her. Tensions were pretty high amongst the group right now, it really did not make it easy for her to gather her thoughts, and it felt like the smallest thing would tear them apart, she didnâ€™t like it.<br/><br/>There had to be more people out there, who were willing to fight against these things and take back the city. With any luck they might find some people lurking around the safe zone. Maybe they should start making more of an effort to fight back. Instead of running away like they have been, maybe they should try to find weaknesses and fight back. She wasnâ€™t a fan of the thought but something had to be done, and this was the time to discuss it. She didnâ€™t want to see someone turn again for as long as she still lived; it really turned her stomach in knots. There had to be a way to kill these new mutations and they had best find what that was before they were wiped out. The thought of starting a log about these things hit her suddenly, and Claire turned to face the group that had decided to help out.<br/><br/>Claireâ€™s eyes scanned the alley for a moment, out of habit, to be on the safe side that nothing would be lurking nearby.<br/><br/>The fire was not big enough to draw attention so they would have some time before they had to move again. â€œWell, itâ€™s down to us now.â€ She murmured, not coming off as positive as she would have liked before she spoke her mind. If she was filled with doubt, the group would be filled with doubt as well, she wanted to prevent that. â€œI think we need to start keeping up with the notes we have on these things. Itâ€™s obvious theyâ€™re changing. We might need to rethink our strategies.â€ There was a moment of pause while she went over the thoughts in her head. It was difficult thinking of ways to explain everything so the group would be satisfied with her decisions. She expected protests, morale wasnâ€™t exactly fabulous right now, but she didnâ€™t want to argue. Quite frankly she really didnâ€™t have the energy for any sort of arguing.<br/><br/>With the glow from the fire behind her Claire paced the alley a bit, deep in thought, â€œI donâ€™t want a situation like this to happenâ€¦ to catch us off guard like that again. Iâ€™m sure all or most of you would agree.â€ She stopped walking and faced the group again, running a hand through her hair while she assessed the condition everyone was in. â€œI know things are intense right now, but once we head to the safe zone and settle down I think we should scout for some more supplies. We really need to work as a team from here on outâ€ She folded her arms and had a look in her eyes that didnâ€™t leave room for arguments. There was an air of determination about her but she really was not feeling confident on the inside. It was always like this whenever she was forced to keep the group together.<br/><br/>They followed her every move and looked up to her, she always pulled them through tough spots to the best of her ability. She hated to seem like a whiner but she was always worried that one day her guidance would not be enough. What happened with Brady didnâ€™t help her self esteem either, she was still recovering and it might be awhile before she was fine again. The same could be said for the group as well. Brady had been the kind of guy who would lighten the mood whenever things got rough. Now that nobody like that was in the group things might get a bit chaotic. That was why she had to step up her game in making sure the group stayed together. They have become a sort of family since they banded together, Claire didnâ€™t want to see that fade. In a way she depended on them like they depended on her.<br/><br/>Taking in a deep breath she looked to the burning body again. She wondered if they stay there just to make sure that he was dead. They seemed to have a weakness to fire, that might have changed now so she wanted to be cautious. â€œAlso,â€ she continued, speaking softly, â€œif our bullets are useless against them now, weâ€™ll need more firepower; we might even have to experiment a bit.â€ What she meant by that last bit, even she wasnâ€™t sure. It was one of those moments where she felt like it was the right thing to say at the time. The one thing she was right about, however, was that they really were going to need more firepower or at least find some other way to deal with these things. She refused to be pushed back any further, it was time they took a stand for their fallen comrades, for this city, but most importantly for themselves.