Carpooling

Jack revved the car engine and sped down the highway.  He smiled as the CD played "Long Cool Woman" by The Hollies.  Smiling at Dawn in the passenger seat he laughed "Just like a road trip!  nice breeze and good tunes!"
Dawn looked at Jack and shook her head.  "Just pay attention to the road."
Ethan sitting in the middle back seat leaned forward and pointed ahead.  "There should be a gas station up ahead, near a cheese factory."  Ethan had been through the area, and was helping direct the group to where they might find some fuel.  "It was in ruins, but it had a big tank next to the building, maybe it still has some fuel left."
As the car topped a small hill, the sign from the distant gas station was visible.  Gleaming stainless steel storage tanks were on the other side of the road, denoting the location of the cheese factory.  Jack started slowing the car, steering clear of a tractor sitting in the road.  "Looks like there could be some wrecks in the road ahead."  He said, adding "Looks like some dead heads wandering around too."

The group enters the area

It is afternoon of Day 65, a few hours after the previous scenario.  The group is looking for fuel while heading east.  They are staying on rural roads and away from civilization (or the ruins of it) as best they can.  They have decided to stop at a ruined gas station and possibly a cheese factory (they are in Wisconsin after all) that is located nearby.  It is ER 4, there are 9 zombies and 3 PEFs.

The plan is to drive into the gas station area, deal withe the zombies and PEFs and hopefully get some fuel.  If the team can search the large fuel tank for four consecutive turns, they will find d6-1 units of fuel.  That plus checking the couple of vehicles, I hope to get enough fuel to continue the trip.

Of course the survivors don't activate the first turn.  <sigh>  One of those games, I just know it.

Jack hits the first zombie

Being in a moving vehicle, the team goes first but can't turn except to avoid a collision.  There is a zombie on the road, but I decide to just go ahead and plow it over.  Unsurprisingly, it is killed (bash 5 for the car versus 1 for the zed.)

Jack keeps speeding down the road, towards the wrecks

Struggling with the car, Jack swerved as he felt the hard thump and crunch of the undead as it went under the front wheels.  He kept on the gas, straightening out the sedan as it tried to skid off the road.  He actually managed to grin at the idea of being behind teh wheel again.
"Jack!  That's the gas station we're flying past!"  Ethan yelled gesturing to the right.
Beckie looked out the window, seeing zombies swarming the gas station lot.  "Uhh, guys...I don't think stopping is great idea..."

The first PEF moves up

It's a swarm of zombies!

This turn gets messy quickly, all of the PEFs pass 2d and move to contact the survivors.

Another PEF comes out of the car wrecks

"What the hell?"  Jack said, still driving the car at a breakneck speed along the highway.
Ahead in the back of a smashed pickup truck, a figure in camouflage stood up waving frantically to the car.  "Hey!  I need a lift!"  The man yelled, looking around the area.

We meet Gary

The next PEF is a survivor, Rep 5, armed with an assault rifle and the medic skill.  Meet and greet goes well, Dawn scores 3 successes to Gary's 1.  Sweet!  Medic and well-armed. Just what I need.  The last PEF comes out of the nearby cheese factory.

What is next?

The door to the factory swung open and a ragged group of people spilled out.  Pausing as they stepped into the parking lot, the group drew their weapons and took aim on the red sedan speeding down the road.  Their leader, 'Big John' pointed at Gary standing in the ruined truck.  "Get that bastard!  He's part of that group that killed Leslie!"

A gang emerges from the building

Wow, so what I figured would be zombies is a gang instead.  It is lead by "Big John" a rep ganger with a BAP and Hard as Nails.  There is a second ganger at rep 5, with a pistol, two gangers at rep 4, armed with machine pistols and two gangers at rep 3, armed with a SMG and Pistol.  I know it's a surprise, but the meet and greet goes poorly (both sides score 3 successes) and we go to In Sight checks.

Not so good for the survivors

The gang is a bit better

So this is a big mess of a turn.  I'll try and keep everything straight, but if I miss something, I'm sure you'll pick it up from the pictures.  Resolving the In Sight checks in order, we start with Gary and one of the gangers.  The ganger has a machine pistol, and while he probably should shoot a zombie (that is what is closest) he trades fire with Gary.

Gary kills two and is stunned

Gary manages to kill two with his assault rifle, and is knocked down by the machine pistol from the ganger.  He passes 2d, and is stunned.  All told, it's a pretty good result for the survivors.  The rest of the gang, with the exception of one is out of range to the car.  That makes things a touch easier.

Two gangers kill the nearest zombies

The gangers clear out a couple of zombies, and the last one takes a shot at the car (she needs a 6 to damage it) but misses.

Gang has all fired, time for the survivors to go

So there isn't much for the team to shoot at.  The gang is mostly in cover, although Dawn takes a shot and manages to knock down the leader (but not trigger his hard as nails.)

Dawn manages a hit

Beckie lets fly with her shotgun, into the mass of zombies.  She rolls well and kills two zombies.  I did make a mistake though, she doesn't shoot the nearest zombie.  I didn't catch this until much later, so it is what it is...

Mistakes were made.

The team passes 2d on man down (luckily Dawn adds a leader die for Jack). The gang also passes their man down test and decide to stick around.  Now, the zombies activate to finish the turn.  Whoops, I forgot about them.  Most just get closer, however I missed the one in the road in front of the car.  It saunters over to Gary, who is stunned and unable to defend himself.  Now everyone gets to witness the feast.

One feasts and a few more zombies appear

The survivors finally get to activate and manage to go first.  The zombies will activate second and the gang third.  Rather than face the gang in the open, with zombies close by as well, I decide to continue down the road and get the wreckage between the team and the gang.  Along the way, Jack runs over a zombie and Traci shoots another.  Beckie tries to shoot a few more as well.

Jack runs down one zombie

Traci kills one, Beckie misses

The zombies activate and close on the car.  One charges and manages to fall under the wheels, being crushed.

Silly zombie, charging the car

The gang stays put and shoots at a lone zed

The gang stays put as their leader stands up.  They pass 0d on the NPC movement chart, so do not move.  Zombies spawn from the gunfire and car noise.

More zombies!

Jack saw more zombies shamble from the shattered ruins of the gas station.  Scattered gunfire echoed from the cheese factory, Jack knew there were still some gangers alive over there.  Shaking his head, he punched the gas.  "Looks like we need a new plan!"  He said as the wheels squealed.

"Wait.  We're not stopping?"  Ethan asked from the back seat, looking around the area.

"Not here."  Jack replied.  "Like I said, we need a new plan."

Jack speeds off

Wow, turn three and the survivors don't activate.  They just speed ahead, leaving the table.  Except for all the PEFs, this was a rather short game.

The keeping it together check goes about like the mission went.  Dawn only manages 1 success, everyone else scores higher and would leave.  Luckily Jack and Traci don't have to check, and I decide Beckie isn't going to leave (she's infected and I want to see how that plays out).  Ethan does decide to leave though.  Dawn manages to roll a three for her Rep check, and stays at 5. 

Not my finest hour, but at least Dawn survived and can continue her journey.