"What brings you here anyway?" Lisa prodded as they entered her walled-off community.

"I was hoping I could enlist some help." Doug explained, "I've become aware of a large stash of food that could serve myself and your community. But I admit I'll need help getting ahold of it."

Lisa stopped walking and folded her arms. "We already have a stockpile."

"Right," Doug nodded, "But that won't last forever. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to diversify our sources of food. We should take advantage while we can."

Lisa hesitated, considering his proposal for several seconds. Finally, she nodded and agreed. "Alright, I suppose you can come with me."

Doug exhaled loudly, relieved. "Great! Thanks!"

Together, they headed towards the front gate which led to the main courtyard of the compound. The ten-foot-high stone walls had been constructed long ago around the property. A pair of guards stood watch near the entrance, weapons slung across their chests. Their faces were obscured behind visors, protecting them from the sunlight.

As they approached the arched entranceway, Lisa gestured toward the guards posted outside. "He's with me."

The guard closest to Lisa grunted noncommittally and returned to scanning the surrounding area. As soon as they were past the gates, Lisa motioned towards the mansion ahead surrounded by hundreds of tents and people milling about. Along the walls surrounding the compound, makeshift turrets had been erected with scaffolding and lumber where more guards stood watch from every angle.

Inside the mansion, Doug surveyed the interior. Large windows illuminated the space with natural light, revealing a spacious kitchen that had been converted to a soup kitchen for the needy, a large dining room, a study, and a massive parlor complete with couches, tables, chairs, lamps and bookshelves.

Doug noticed a large banner hanging over the fireplace. On it was written: "Welcome Home!"

A large throng of people had congregated inside, most of them sitting at the tables eating their bowls of soup and bread rolls.

"You've really got quite an operation here." Doug remarked as he glanced around. "I can tell you've brought in a lot more people since the last time I was here."

Lisa smiled "Thank you. My family used to live here when we were younger. I became the heir after my parents passed away. After the Rapture hit, I decided to open up my home to other survivors."

"You're a very generous person." Doug said sincerely.

Lisa blushed and averted her gaze. "Thank you."

Doug chuckled softly. "I'm sure everyone here appreciates having somewhere safe to stay."

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Lisa nodded and guided him towards the kitchen where the soup line stretched far beyond the countertop. Dozens upon dozens of people waited patiently for their turn to receive hot meals and fresh baked breads. Most of them wore dirty rags, but others sported expensive suits and dresses. Some had scars covering their bodies, while others bore tattoos that decorated every inch of skin available.

Most of the people waiting in line didn't bother speaking to each other, instead choosing to keep silent and focus solely on filling their stomachs. One elderly woman broke free from the crowd and approached them nervously. She appeared frail and weak, but her eyes betrayed a fierce determination.

When she reached them, the old lady extended a trembling hand towards Doug. Her wrinkled fingers trembled as she gripped his shirt collar tightly. "Please…" she whispered hoarsely, "please save my grandson… he's dying."

Doug stared at her blankly. "Uh, sorry ma'am. Who?"

"His name is Danny." She replied, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. "He's fifteen years old, but he's sick. His fever's spiked, and he's bleeding everywhere. Please, please help him."

Doug blinked, taken aback. "I'm sorry... I'm not a doctor."

"Then you must have something better than medicine!" The old lady shouted. "My grandson needs you!"

Doug felt a pang of guilt. "I..."

"Hurry!" She implored, clutching his arm tightly.

Lisa placed a loving hand on her shoulder, "Linda, I promise you. We're doing everything we can to save him. Just give us a little bit more time."

Reluctantly, Linda released her grip on him and returned to the line.

For several minutes, Doug watched the old lady approach various members of the community before approaching Lisa once again. "Please, I beg of you... Can you save my grandson?"

Lisa place her hand on her shoulder again, reassuring her once again. "Don't worry, I'll do everything I can to get him treated. Now go back to the line. You're holding things up."

After a brief moment, the old lady reluctantly obeyed. "Thank you." She muttered quietly. Then she hurried off towards the line, disappearing amongst the rest of the starving refugees.

Doug turned to Lisa and gave her a questioning look. "Is her grandson going to be okay?"

"As far as I'm aware, he doesn't exist. At least not within our compound anyway." she sighed, "Linda's a little... shall we say..."

"Senile?" Doug offered.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. She wanders all over the neighborhood, trying to talk to anyone she sees. Sometimes she goes out onto the streets looking for her grandson Danny." Lisa shrugged apologetically. "It'd probably be easier if I told you he died two decades ago."

Doug shook his head sadly. "That's terrible."

Lisa nodded sympathetically. "Sorry. But yeah, sometimes I feel guilty lying to her. Not because I want to, but because each time someone has tried to set her straight she goes off the rails."

They both fell quiet until finally Lisa spoke up again, "So how are you planning to get this food anyway?"

Doug rubbed his chin. "Well, I was hoping you could help me round up some volunteers, some weapons, and transportation."

"That's a tall order." Lisa laughed dryly. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"If you're willing to help me, then yes." Doug responded firmly. "This will require a great deal of preparation though. The group who's guarding it aren't too friendly."

Lisa cocked her head slowly, "Wait, is this a raid? Are you planning to rob them?"

"Sort of, but it's not really their's." Doug quickly backtracked, "This isn't about greed, it's survival. These guys have guns, but no ammo as far as I can tell. So I need to bring enough firepower along to ensure nobody gets hurt."

Lisa pursed her lips thoughtfully. "How many people are coming with you?"

"Just me right now," Doug answered honestly. "But I think five would be good. That's plenty strong enough to overpower these guys without killing anybody."

She considered this. "Alright. Let's make preparations then. You're welcome to choose some weapons from my armory, and I'll gather volunteers. But please, can I get your reassurance that none of them will get hurt?"

Doug looked at her solemnly. "Of course."

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