<div style="text-align: justify;">With a long, drawn out sigh, Ashley leaned forward, head in her hands, and wiped her fingers over her eyes.  They were burning from staring at the screen in front of her for so long.  Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself away from the console before her and stood, stretching her tired limbs in an effort to relieve the kinks.  <br/> <br/>Looking around the room, she took it all in.  There was simple, standard shelving along the back wall, creating four short aisles filled with a multitude of various weapons and other provisions.  Beyond that, the only other items in the room was a desk and four cots.  A long staircase lead up into darkness, ending at a door that eventually lead to the chaos that reigned outside.  Cement floors and walls made the room feel stark and cold.  But what else do you expect from a military bunker?  <br/> <br/>She’d been here for well over a week and hadn’t spoken to anyone but herself – verbally at least.  Loneliness was seeping in and she missed the human contact she’d taken for granted till now.  <br/> <br/>Looking down at herself, Ashley grimaced at her attire.  She still wore the same faded blue jeans, black tank and red vest she’d arrived in a week ago.  While they looked only slightly worn and dirty, they could definitely use a wash, as should she.  She longed for a change of clothes and a long, hot bath.  Since she wasn’t sure how long she’d end up here, she’d had to make due with sponge baths.  Unfortunately, that didn’t help the state of her hair.  Her normal pale blonde locks looking stringy and unkempt as she ran frustrated fingers through it while she worked, which was why she currently had it up in a high pony tail to keep it out of the way.<br/> <br/>A soft ping sounded from the console and she returned to the seat she’d occupied so often of late.  Strings of code flew over the monitor – meaningless to most, but Ashley was no novice.  Her fingers alternated between tapping rapidly over the keys and pressing various items on the touch screen while her eyes were steady on the incoming data.<br/> <br/>In the midst of her deciphering the line commands, a second stream became noticeable, cleverly hidden beneath the first in an elegant pattern she could almost admire.  But said admiration was cut short when she realized what it was – a trace.  Cursing, she moved faster, back tracing the hack until she found its origin.  When she did, a cold chill shot down her spine.<br/> <br/>Springing into action, she raced around the room, grabbing the pack she’d prepared in advance, throwing a few last minute items into it before slipping into a jacket and shrugging the pack on over it.  A few final items went into her pockets and she tucked an M6A Magnum into the holster at her side.<br/> <br/>Glancing around the room, she tried not to panic, fingers clenching into fists as she tried to calm her nerves.  She really didn’t want to do what she was about to do, but she had no choice.  Fear nearly overwhelmed her and she wondered how the others in her family dealt with it day in and day out.  She wasn’t like them.  Ashley wasn’t a soldier and, until now, had never been in such a tenuous situation before.  <br/> <br/>Taking a deep breath, she returned to the desk, leaning over to tap out a quick message and engage the emergency program she’d written for just this occasion.  Line commands few over the screen for just a moment before it started to blink, groaning once or twice as the virus she’d activated did its work.  <br/> <br/>Turning, Ashley made her way quickly up the stairs, grabbing an M7 submachine gun and the SS/M49 sound suppressor attachment from the rack on her way.  At the top landing, she knelt down and pulled a panel from next to the door.  Twisting a few wires together, she secured them and tapped on the COM pad inside before replacing the panel with a slight smirk.  <br/> <br/>Standing, she put her ear to the door and listened.  She knew there wasn’t anything there or her sensors would have gone off, but she did it anyway.  Hearing nothing, she gently opened the door, peeking out and assuring herself nothing was waiting to chop her up into little pieces.  Stepping out, she quietly made her way through the corridors to the outer door, again peeking out the door before exiting.<br/> <br/>What she saw shocked her for a moment.  Sure, she’d seen pictures of warzones, but she’d never been in one herself, so she wasn’t prepared for it all.  It was eerily silent all around, something unheard of especially in the heart of New York City.  The city was in ruin, it seemed.  Sure, many of the buildings still stood, but they were riddled with rubble, garbage and who knew what else.  Ashley really didn’t want to think about what else.  Her stomach was already in knots, fear threatening to cripple her.  She didn’t want to consider the multitude of lives lost all around her.<br/> <br/>With still trembling hands, she swallowed hard and started down the road, sticking to the walls and more hidden paths as best she could.  Sure, she wasn’t very good at the whole stealth thing, but it was better than just traipsing down the middle of the road, she was sure.  <br/> <br/>The sun was high as she’d started out.  She made her way as far along her memorized path as she could, stopping only twice to rest and replenish her body with water and a power bar from her pack.  It was slow going, as she knew it would be, but she had to keep going.  She didn’t think she’d arrive at her location by evening, having left too late in the day, but she wanted to get as far from her previous location as possible.<br/> <br/>She heard them before she felt the warning vibration in her pocket.  In the distance she heard vehicles of some sort.  She wasn’t sure if they were friendly or not, but she suspected the latter.  So, moving more quickly, she ducked into the closest building, an apartment complex from the looks of it.  Making her way through the lobby, she found a small office in the back.  Closing the door, she knelt down by the window, propping the submachine gun against the wall, and reached for the COM pad in her jacket.  <br/> <br/>Just as she’d suspected, the sensors at the bunker had been breached.  Her eyes flew to the window and she looked out, scanning the horizon until she saw it.  The sound was only a faint, rumbling whisper as she watched the fiery smoke billow into the air in the distance.  It was quickly gone, but she knew what had happened.  <br/> <br/>“Thank you, Zane,” she whispered, grateful for her brother having talked her through the setting of the explosive charges.  The trigger computations and setting the wires had been easy, but Zane, her oldest brother, was the true demolitionist in the family.<br/> <br/>Wishing he were here, she considered her next move.  How long would it take them to realize she hadn’t been present when the bunker blew?  Wiping a hand over her brow, she sighed, fatigue starting to overtake her.  Looking around, she considered staying where she was, but decided to move from such an insecure location for the evening.  It would be getting dark soon and she wanted to find a safe place beforehand.<br/> <br/>Exiting the office, she found the staircase and proceeded cautiously down into the basement level.  It was musty and dirty, but she thought it might be more secure than above ground.  Following the pipes, she found the boiler room and scoped it out.  It wasn’t a nice option and would probably be uncomfortable as hell, but it seemed safe enough.  Dropping her pack, she grabbed a few items from it and set to work.  <br/> <br/>Twenty minutes later, she had a semblance of a motion detector outside the door and was ensconced inside.  She sat on the floor, knees to her chest and arms wrapped around them as she tilted her head back against the wall.  Tears made tracks in the dirt on her face as she quietly cried, soft sniffles sounding in the room as she lamented her situation.</div>