Shadows of JiangXi

[arvg]

It had taken most of the day for the mechanics at Fort Allison-Waldor to fix the damaged tail fin. But at last the Social Credit was able to set out again, to return to the zone and zeroing in on the survivors.

It had been a harrowing twenty-four hours, a large number of recruits hadn't survived the death trap of HangZhou, out of those who had, half of them were still battling inside the ruined streets for survival. Only a couple had managed to make it past the city and were heading towards the great plains.

Enrico Alvarez sat ontop of the Social Credit, a pair of binoculars zeroing on the highway and the canal. He'd watched the crash of one of the improvised vehicles, sweeping now down towards the canal where a lone figure was trying to guide two tied-together boats along the shattered canal.

Somewhere, out there, was an unknown hostile that had killed a squad of highly trained marines. High Command wanted it contained, however they had wisely decided against trying to force ill prepared, ill equipped, half radiation-poisoned recruits to capture him. A group of specialist marines were in bound from New Hong Kong to deal with the menace.

They were outside the radiation zone, the great plains had been largely spared bombardment. Leaving it with relatively clear air, breathable so long as the people inside of it took their anti-radiation medicine. A couple of Coalition Doctors were standing by next to a small tent, ready to examine the recruits as they made it to check point Alpha. Any found too sick to continue would be loaded onto the Social Credit and sent home.

A number of ATVs and tanks of fuel had been unloaded as well, one for each of the survivors. Once they arrived at Alpha, they would be able to go on towards the coast, and check point Beta.

"Let's see who is going to make it first," Enrico murmured to himself, sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying the warm afternoon air.

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