“It sucks that they took my stuff.” [Ryner]
“…” [Jessica]
Ryner complained as he sat in the dark room while looking at the pot on the portable gas stove. Sitting across the table was Jessica, whose profile was barely illuminated by the small flames of the stove.
“Sure, Omari was nice enough to negotiate for us, but they still took three guns and six mags. I’m down to one 1911 and two mags.” [Ryner]
“…” [Jessica]
Besides the exile, Ryner also received a “fine” where his supplies were taken. Omari stood in his defense to reduce the penalty as much as possible. In the end, Ryner gave up some food and other items that didn’t hurt him too much, but the loss of most of his firearms was a big blow. Still, he accepted it to bury the hatchet and left with Jessica after getting some directions from Omari.
The two made their way through Alpha Prototype’s streets. Sometimes, it was a peaceful, uneventful journey. Other times, they would run into zombies. In such cases, Ryner would dispatch them without much trouble, or they would take a different road to avoid them. After carefully walking, running, resting, fighting and hiding for hours, the duo took shelter in a small coffee shop called “Caffeine Night”.
The front of the place was covered in large windows to allow anyone passing by to see inside, including the two sets of doors. The first floor had some wooden chairs and tables for four people, a counter to serve customers and behind it, a blackboard where the menu’s items were written. The second floor was for the residents and had several rooms like a bathroom, bedrooms and a storeroom.
“You okay, kid? You haven’t spoken much since we got here.” [Ryner]
“… I’m fine.” [Jessica]
Jessica answered Ryner weakly, lacking energy. It was night and the two had chosen to hide on the second floor of the coffee shop. However, Ryner believed that they could have arrived at their intended destination before the end of the day if they had kept moving. But, they had chosen to stop and rest at Jessica’s insistence. It wasn’t because she was tired or too scared and couldn’t keep going.
It was because someone who was taking refuge inside the coffee shop saw the two and called out to them.
“Hey, I’m back. Bad news, the toilet isn’t flushing anymore and there’s no more water. But, no worries, I used some hand sanitizer gel to stay clean.” [???]
Suddenly, the door opened and a man walked in, shining a work light at them and illuminating the windowless room. A desk was placed against a wall while on the opposite side was a bed. At the center was a table where Ryner and Jessica sat at.
“Well, damn. Did you drop a load or is it safe to go in?” [Ryner]
“Not a good thing to say before a meal, Ryner. And please, not in front of Rose.” [Man]
“You’re the one that wanted to eat again at 10 pm.” [Ryner]
“Haha, sorry, sorry. Just, meeting other people was such a relief that I’m feeling hungry. I haven’t been eating much since, you know…” [Man]
The man put the work light that was in the shape of a bar that could bend in a L-shaped on the desk and turned it to illuminate the table as much as possible. Then, he joined Ryner and Jessica at a free seat, so his features were no longer hidden in the dark. He appeared to be in his late twenties and possessed a slender build. He wasn’t bad-looking and was slightly taller than Ryner. There was nothing remarkable about him, but he was resourceful enough to survive for two months on his own.
His black hair was cut short and combed to the right. His eyes were brown and had a tired, but energetic vibe to them, showing that the zombie outbreak hadn’t beaten him yet. His fair skin was clean since he took care of his hygiene as much as possible, though his white T-shirt and black pants were a bit dusty. The man had introduced himself as Tom on their first meeting when he had desperately asked the two to stay with him, which Jessica had accepted.
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“Is it almost done?” [Tom]
Tom asked enthusiastically and lifted the lid of the pot. Simmering away was a mix of brown beans, green peas and diced carrots, all poured out of cans.
“Looks ready, but, hmm, there’s no meat…” [Tom]
“The beans are pork-flavored, so it’ll do.” [Ryner]
“No, we need real meat. Just give me a minute, I’ll go check the storeroom for canned meat, like bacon. This shop doesn’t just sell coffee, after all.” [Tom]
Tom turned off the stove and got up to search for more food. He was about to take the work light, but decided to use a flashlight he kept on him instead.
“I’ll leave this here so that you don’t sit in the dark like a shady cult. Real glad you guys had a portable power supply.” [Tom]
“Remember not to make any loud noise. But, if things turn bad, shout and hide on the top bunk bed in the next room. Don’t come here. Also, don’t use your gun.” [Ryner]
“Relax, I won’t lead any zombies back here. Man, despite looking harmless, you sure say some cruel things. Later, Rose!” [Tom]
When Tom exited the room, Ryner and Jessica were alone again.
“… So.” [Ryner]
“…” [Jessica]
“You gonna tell me what’s wrong?” [Ryner]
“…” [Jessica]
“Or why you wanted us to stay here with Tom?” [Ryner]
“…” [Jessica]
“Or why you introduced yourself as ‘Rose’ to him?” [Ryner]
“…” [Jessica]
Ryner looked at Jessica who stayed quiet and was staring at a D-Rubicon keycard on the table in front of her. The young woman, having received new clothes, was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a light blue T-shirt and a thin, knitted, yellow jacket. Her hair was tied in a bun behind her head and she had removed her red glasses.
“Jessica?” [Ryner]
Jessica didn’t react to Ryner’s laidback questioning and calmly stood up.
“… I have something to do.” [Jessica]
She declared and left the room. Ryner watched her retreating back, not missing how her gaze, though focused, was a muddy black and reflected no light. Looking at her seat, he saw that she had forgotten the D-Rubicon keycard. When he picked it up and turned it around, there was a picture of an employee on the other side. The face had been completely scratched off with a sharp object.
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“I got a report. Perimeter cameras showed that four infected wandered in, just the Walker-type. Your team may have to deal with them in the morning.” [Omari]
“…” [Carmelita]
“Also, we should hurry and clear the roads.” [Omari]
“…” [Carmelita]
“Carmen, are you listening? Carmen!” [Omari]
“Yeah, yeah, I’m listening. Don’t shout. It might kill us.” [Carmelita]
Omari, who was working at his desk, looked exasperatedly at Carmelita, who was grumpily sitting in front of him.
“We’ll deal with the Walkers.” [Carmelita]
“And the roads?” [Omari]
“The highways are still good, aren’t they?” [Carmelita]
“But we can’t access them with the cars blocking the way! Alpha Prototype’s massive! We’ll need vehicles to travel effectively.” [Omari]
“A bike can get through.” [Carmelita]
“It’s too dangerous and it can’t carry much!” [Omari]
Carmelita grumbled under her breath and waved his concern away. Omari sighed tiredly, but let it go and decided to call it a day. He knew she wasn’t in the right state of mind to keep talking about work.
“… Do you resent them for Rowan’s death?” [Omari]
“Of course not. Stop asking me that.” [Carmelita]
Carmelita stood up and started pacing around the room like an irritated bear.
“Even if he’s my ex, he got what he deserved. Rowan’s a disgrace to Platoon 106, former soldier or not… I just need time to accept he kicked the bucket… In such a goddamn stupid way.” [Carmelita]
“I know, I know. Just, we might be working with them again, so if you want to keep some distance, say the word and I’ll see what I can do.” [Omari]
The black-haired woman stopped and exhaled the air in her lungs to calm down.
“There won’t be any trouble when we meet them again. IF we meet again… It’s night.” [Carmelita]
“Those two will be fine. They might have already made it to the university. And in the off chance they haven’t, there’s plenty of places a resourceful person can safely hide in. Ryner’s a fighter and Jessica seems mentally tougher than she looks. What’s the worst that could happen?” [Omari]
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Tom, who had quickly found a can of bacon from the storeroom, was in a good mood. He had met new companions that were nice people and one of them was even a beautiful woman. As he was making his way back to them, he stopped by the stairs leading to the first floor. A desk was placed in front to block the way. He peered down into the darkness, shivering in fright. From his experience, zombies did not react to his flashlight, but he did not want to risk being detected.
“Tom.” [Jessica]
Suddenly, a voice softly called out to him. He turned around and lit up the hallway. Standing there was Rose, the blonde-haired woman accompanying Ryner.
“Oh, Rose. I was just on my way back. Look. Bacon.” [Tom]
Tom happily showed off his find in a quiet voice. His heart was beating strongly, though he wasn’t sure if it was because the undead outside might hear him, or because he was alone with such an attractive girl.
“Did, uh, you need something from me?” [Tom]
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Item of interest
Portable gas stove:
* Uses a can of gas to light a fire.
* Easy to carry.
* For cooking. And possibly other stuff.