JOURNAL EXCERPTS

The way to the first point of destination »
The way to the second point of destination »
The way to the third point of destination »


Excerpt 2

<...illegible...> southbound, King and Archie are moving from the north and Freeman and I are going East. This is the third massive hunt that I am taking part in but in the past I was always paired with the old man. I still have not found the time to visit him, even though I was planning on setting everything aside and just going to see him. I guess this just further shows how hectic my life is.

We jumped from [6/0] portal to [100/0] and separated there. Freeman went north and I went south. We will attempt tracking Critter every ten minutes. It has been almost twenty-four hours and Critter can be almost anywhere at this point.

We got him. Freeman picked him up; I was only seven clicks away when it happened. Critter is somewhere north and out of the range so the locator cannot give us an exact location.

I am following Freeman, trying to catch up with him. The northern group is following us so our net would be wider and the southern was ordered by the Chief to move to the "border".

I am moving northeast. My locator is silent and Freeman is much better at tracking than I am so I am not wasting my batteries.

[89/-11] I am on the road again, moving northwest. I should get caught up with my partner shortly. He is great with locators and lasers but he does not move about as well as I can.

[100/-22] I actually passed him. I should have told him not to go north but to cut through to the road but I did not think about it back then and neither did he. So I am moving northeast at a leisurely pace. The locator is silent.

[108/-30] I caught up with Freeman. The locator is steadily showing the direction, which means the distance between us and the target is getting shorter and shorter. We are moving northwest.

[108/-30] I caught up with Freeman. The locator is steadily showing the direction, which means the distance between us and the target is getting shorter and shorter. We are moving northwest.

[89/-49] The road turns east here. The locator still shows approximately north direction. We decided to split and move around the mutant infested lands. I am still moving northwest; Freeman went east and will later turn north.

[84/-54] I am back on the road again, moving north. Freeman crossed the infested lands and turned north. We still cannot figure out where exactly Critter is. The rest of the group is still far behind, though we should not have any problem dealing with Critter ourselves without any backup. I wonder if he is still carrying the stuff or gave it to his accomplice?

[84/-60] I am turning northwest. It looks like the thief is on the other side of the mutant infested locations. The locator is showing northeast direction. Freeman fell behind.

Radiation level is increasing with every step of the way; it looks like the road is leading straight into the epicenter, I should be ok but Freeman may not be.

[72/-72] Radiation level is so high that I am feeling quite unwell. The road is turning northeast, which is great.

[77/-77] I made through it, the radiation level is dropping. I did not go through the epicenter but it was till quite an experience - I did not bring any med kits with me; the backpack is full of batteries and weapons only.

[82/-82] The desert is no more; it feels like I am walking onto an elevation. Critter is easily traceable through the locator moving northeast. Freeman is still far away - [96/-63]. If I recalculate our direction the thief should be somewhere close, somewhere behind the next mutant infested location, probably on the same road as I am.

He definitively picked up the pace and is moving away from us. I doubt he noticed us gaining on him…maybe he knows us and was tracking us? Theoretically, it is possible…

[96/-96] The elevation is no more; I am actually descending now, but the angle is so steep that it hinders the movement more than it helps. The distance is getting to be less and less.

[101/-101] He turned; the locator is definitively showing east and not north anymore. Freeman just got to the road and is trying to catch up now. I am turning southeast. It looks like we got Critter cornered - his only option other than us is a narrow corridor in southeast direction. Even if we do not catch up with him, there will be someone waiting there for him.

[105/-97] A beautiful valley is straight ahead. The locator still shows south and it looks like we are moving parallel to each other with me being slightly behind.

[106/-96] - actually it is [100/0] already. I was suddenly attacked by a band of stiches. Since I was carrying a heavy load I was not able to put up much resistance. I did notice some building up ahead but could not make it out. I warned Freeman that he should take the road a bit further. Once I heal myself I will go back to intercept them.

It must have been a derelict arsenal, just like the one I found in [-174/14] last week…I will figure it out later, right now catching Critter is the number one priority.