Derrick had lost track of time, but eventually enough difference was put between him and the infected to where he was no longer able to hear them, nor see them. Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, he slumped down and took in a breath for a moment. He really hadn't expected to have to deal with so many of them so soon, but wasn't that the way these assignments usually went?<br/><br/>Now the most important matter would be locating the group, Franka in particular. She knew what he needed to know, and he couldn't very well let her die without getting said information. So with caution, Derrick moved silently but with a purpose. He eventually came to some footprints and leaning down some, a close examination was given to them. They were fresh, within the span of an hour maybe two at the most. They also weren't that of the infected. The steps while they were definitely that of people running, they were more deliberate in comparison to the wild frenzied pace that came with anything that wasn't human anymore. So it was with this thought Derrick slowly followed the trail.<br/><br/>A good deal of time passed before exiting the forest, the sight that greeted the weary man was that of a dried up river bed. Following the footprints, he started to feel more at ease due to the freshness of the prints. With any luck, the group might still be close by. With his pace sped up, Derrick grinned brightly for a split second when he saw that the group was in the middle of what seemed to be a short break.<br/><br/>Jogging gently towards them, he stopped and walked the rest of the way before speaking clearly but keeping his tone down so that someone would hear<strong>"I really hope you all weren't waiting for me, that would be downright stupid."</strong>