The Event: The Beginning Read Online Free Page A

too slow to react however, and I planted my sword in the top of its skull before it could attack me.
                  As they fell, I felt movement behind me, and turned and swung at the same time. Jeff just managed to get his rifle up in time to block it.
                  "Whoa! It's just me! I saw you headed this way with your swords out, so I came over to see if you needed help.” he said as I lowered my weapon.
                  "Oh, well, sorry. I didn't know it was you. Maybe announce yourself next time.” I said as I stooped to clean my blade off with a rag I had found and kept on me.
                  "Are you okay Sheldon? You seem more than a little upset. You're actually shaking.” Jeff asked. Shayne and the others had come up by then as they noticed what had happened as well.
                  "I have never killed anyone before. I mean, I know they are sick, and would have killed me, or Mark, or all of us if given the chance. And while I was prepared to do it in the Navy, that was different. That would have been an act of war, in defense of the country and all that. I guess I wasn’t ready for the actual killing of someone by my hand, even if it is considered self-defense.” I admitted to them. We had defended the hospital from looters, and infected before, but nothing like this, and I hadn't actually fired a shot or swung my sword in defense of the building yet. It felt weird. I was kind of sick to my stomach, but proud and glad at the same time that I defended my friends against something deadly.
                  "You did well, man. I would've been stuck in that RV for who knows how long if you hadn't seen them behind me. I couldn't just throw open the door with two of them there. You saved me.” Mark told me. I could tell it was both an honest sentiment as well as just trying to cheer me up. It did make me feel a little better, actually.
                  "Alright, let's finish getting these RV's so we can get out of here.” I said, shrugging it off. I would have to learn how to live with the fact that while I might be defending those I care about, I was still killing people to do it.
                  We didn't have any more encounters while we were there, and we found the other three RV's we wanted fairly quickly. After we had them all lined up at the entrance, we went in search of supplies. Extra parts mostly, nothing else of value or use was there. We found several gas cans, plus a few siphon hoses, so we siphoned all the gas out of the ones we were leaving behind and filled first the RV tanks, then filled the cans. After we had everything we could salvage, we each got in our own RV's and headed back towards the hospital.
                  We pulled up in back of the hospital, parking behind the rig. I told the guys to leave the gas tanks in the RV storage areas and bring the parts inside so we could pack them up. We had quite a few storage bins from the hospital supplies we could use. Once everything was put away, it was about three o'clock. I asked for the ones who volunteered for guard duty to meet me in the cafeteria as soon as possible, and a team to the RV's to place the sheet metal over the wheels. I then sipped on some tea while I waited for the guards to show up.
                  "Alright guys, here's the deal. We are going to try to outfit the RV's this evening so that in the morning we can load up the supplies and take off. We are going to have to watch carefully tonight for infected, as well as looters apparently. I want at least three people per door, with two runners and ammo already there. Don't fire unless you have to, and then make it count. If everything goes well we will be out of here by noon tomorrow. Keep us safe guys, I'm counting on you.” I told them, looking each of them in the eye. They all nodded back at me, and then went their separate ways, some to nap before their