Tala and Chitto originally thought about picking a table in the far right corner, but then they changed their mind and asked the server if it was okay to sit closer to the entrance.

They figured that way if the shit hit the fan, they could hightail out of there in a heartbeat.

At first, they carefully watched everyone and everything, but since there were no traces of blood or guts or people behaving weirdly, they started to relax. And ate. And ate.

So, after finishing four plates of food and then a bowl of ice cream with all the toppings he liked, Chitto realized it was one of the biggest meals he ever had. It was hard for him to even move.

“I hope the zombies don’t come for us now. Why did I eat so much? I won’t be able to run.”

“Oh, I think you will,” Tala said, thinking that she ate probably more than Chitto, yet she did not feel bad at all. Actually, she was wondering if she should go for a plate of meatballs. She thought it was the only thing she did not try and it looked and smelled delicious.

I will not turn fat I bet. It must be because of the system. I have to feed the beast. Might as well. And what’s the harm in having just one?

But one turned into three and Chitto was unable to believe his own eyes.

“Since when do you eat more than I do?”

“Well, I probably didn’t. And I had a lot of lettuce and veggies.”

“No. You ate way more than me. Not just lettuce.”

“Whatever. Well, I think… I’ll have to take a serving of that crumble peach pie and then, I think I’ll call it a day.”

“Damn.”

"And you... you're full?" Tala asked him.

He looked at her and belched out an answer. After a while, seeing how everything looked so ordinary and boring he added, "Who knows, maybe nothing will happen. Maybe all of this will just blow away. Maybe nobody else is sick. Maybe he was under drugs. Maybe he was just crazy."

"A lot of maybes."

"But it... just would be hard to believe. Maybe it was just that guy. You know, maybe the taxi guy was right. Just drugs."

"I don't think so."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I am. Very sure," Tala said and started to think if she should just go back to the hotel, and accept that mission. There had to be a reason they wanted her to take it.

“It’s so bizarre all this thing happening. You think it’s somehow related to you?”

“I do not know.”

“Maybe it was drugs. I… I’m sorry, look at me like that all you want. But till I see another zombie, I just do not want to believe in it. Okay?”

“Okay.

"I mean, maybe what we saw was not real."

"Both of us?" Tala looked at him squinting her eyes. "Come on, Chitto. You're smart. Don't fucken' doubt yourself. You have to trust your eyes. And think fast. You know how that works."

"Yes, that’s true. But... this is just so bizarre.”

"Well, let's call Wille. See how he's doing. He gave me his card. See if he turned into the zombie yet, you know?"

Tala dialed the number but nobody answered.

"It does not mean anything," Chitto said. "He might just not... like us."

"Well, that's true," Tala agreed, then decided to call Howey.

He was not answering either.

But this time, Tala was more persistent and on the fifth try, she finally got him to answer her. "What's up, Howey? What, you’ve already forgotten about us?"

“No, not really,” he asked briskly.

"Where is your boss??"

“Do not know.”

“What?”

“I cannot locate him, but he had left me a strange message.”

“What, what did the message say?”

“He said how everything was going to go to hell now…” Tala looked at Chitto, nodding her head, saying, ‘Did you hear that?’. “What do you mean going to hell?”

“I do not know. But that’s what he said... Look I really can't talk right now.”

But Tala continued, disregarding his last few words. “But Howey, come on, tell me, what did he say originally to you about me coming to San Diego? He had to tell you a reason why he wanted me here.”

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“Look, I’ll tell you all I know, but not right now. I’m in a jam here. But… one thing I’ll tell you. The last message I got also said..”

“What?’

“That I need to take good care of, and…”

“What…? What else?”

“That I need to take really good care of you. That you’re now the key to everything, more than ever… Look, you stay put in that hotel, and I’ll find the way to get there. Might be a few days, but I’ll get there, you hear me?”

Then Tala swore she heard the gunshots and machine gun firing, and the line went dead.

“No shit," Chitto said, not needing to ask if that was a real gunfire. "You think he’s all right?"

“Hope so.”

“I kind of like him.”

“Yeah, I guess he’s all right, for a heartless, merciless assassin.”

“I wish I could have told him about zombies.”

Tala nodded her head, “Yeah... I think he has other things on his mind now. When he said he was in a jam, he was not kidding.”

“What do you think is happening to him?”

“Rampage. Mayhem. Killings. A lot of it. If you’ve seen how he dealt with the black suit guys who tried to kidnap us, you would understand.”

“Shit. I missed the best part.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Shit. That always happens to me.”

“Real John Wick shit.”

“Damn! I hate you!”

“At least now you know, the weird shit is going on. So, don’t mistrust your instincts. And don't go back to that 'I see it but can't believe it', attitude.”

Chitto nodded his head, finally agreeing with his sister. “So, then, what’s next?" he asked.

“Shopping, bitch, what else?” Tala answered.

Chitto giggled, drank his soda, and said, “Love when you use the words ‘bitch’ and ‘shop’ in the same sentence."

Rather than staying downtown where they could not find any big outdoor stores, they called for a ride over the internet, and fifteen minutes later a skinny guy in his late twenties pulled up in an old, small Toyota.

He got out, looking around as if he was not sure where he was.

Chitto waved at him, “Are you our ride to Redding Outdoors Store?”

“Oh, yes,” he said as he saw them. “Hi, I just expected… it does not matter, we better get going before I am ticketed for stopping here.”

“Shit, next time ask for a nicer ride, will you?” Tala, using Japanese, told Chitto, not impressed with the old Toyota at all. “I would not even look at the guy driving this car.”

“Of course, you would not… because you’re so superficial.”

“I’m just kidding,” Tala said, “This guy could drive a Mercedes Benz and I would still not look at him,” she answered him, still speaking Japanese.

Their driver smiled and turned around, nodding his head and welcoming them.

“Hi, I’m Drew,” he said and asked them, still smiling, “Are you guys from Japan?”

“Yes.”

“Cool. That’s really cool. You know, I know a little bit of Japanese.”

“Oh, here we go,” Tala said in Japanese, guessing she would hear a badly pronounced ‘Sayonara’ again.

But Chitto did not mind it, “Yeah, and what can you say in Japanese?”

The driver was going to say something but saw Tala roll her eyes and he suddenly stopped himself, “Oh, I rather not. I bet my accent is horrible.”

“Let him be, don’t encourage him,” Tala told her brother who was ready to goof around a bit.

“Just a bit?” her brother begged.

“No.”

She remembered a day when they met an exchange student from the UK in a small shop close to their home. He was asking for some advice and they ended up talking, sitting down, and having a drink. And it ended up with Chitto teaching him to say all the bad words, but giving him different, polite meanings.

The guy did not catch it right away as they kept their faces all straight, but when he tried to tell a young woman giving him a look, “I lick my own balls,” thinking he was saying “What’s up?” both Tala and Chitto broke into laughter, so he figured out he was being made a fool, and the jig was up. Then they all laughed and ended up drinking too much beer together.

It was a good day. One of the rare ones.

A day to recall.

Even now it made her laugh.

“I wonder what happened to Mark,” she suddenly said.

“Yeah. He was… such a fun guy.”

A moment passed as they both reminisced, but then Chitto bumped Tala’s knee and asked, “Just a bit?”

“No, not even a bit,” Tala answered, feeling very sober suddenly. “We’re not in Japan anymore. So, stay focused, okay?”

They arrived at the store half an hour later and asked the driver to wait for them there.

Each got a cart and went their own way.

When they ran into each other, Tala was not impressed with Chitto’s picking.

"You already bought stuff to go camping... let's get stuff now for the city living, what it could help us now? Batteries and shit like that. That's what we need."

"Okay... so, you do not want any of this?" Chitto asked, ready to cooperate

“Well, keep the sleeping bags, but the rest, lose it.”

“What else.”

"I need a good sturdy backpack. You should get one too. Or do you want to carry the shit inside some plastic bags?"

"Yeah, you got a good point there."

"Not too big to make you stand out in the crowd, but big enough that you can load it up good, okay? And... don't worry about the price."

"I so wish we could buy it online. I bet I could find something awesome there." "Yeah, I don't think they'll be making deliveries if zombies start eating people up, you know, so... the best you can, right now."

"I can't believe you picked a hammer,” Chitto said, staring at the hammer inside her cart. “From all the good stuff around, you… want your hammer."

“Hush."

"I guess you still have that Thor fantasy, don't you? Should buy you a pajama with a Thor on it."

“Would you? Where do you think we could find it?”

“Online, where else?"

"You think it would come in my size?"

"You're not that big. Besides, have you seen kids around here?"

"Hammer is good,” Tala said as she picked the hammer and held it comfortably in her right hand. “Besides, if there is no zombie apocalypse, I can always use it."

"What, you're gonna become a carpenter? Carpenter Tala?"

"No, I can always… knock your lights out, and give myself a break."

Chitto sighed, "Talking about a break. I'm tired."

"Yeah, I think we should go back. See what happens on TV," Tala said as she could see her brother suddenly drained and tired, looking down. "You must be exhausted."

“Not bad,” he said, but his slouching head and languorous stand indicated differently.

"Please, don't be sad," she told him, tapping his hand. "Maybe we can hit a swimming pool if nothing else is going on?"

"Yeah. That sounds good. I could use a sauna and a massage."

“Just don’t be sad,” she said. “I don’t want to see you hurting.”

"Are you kidding me? A day ago I was being used as a punching bag, and now I'm shopping like crazy in San Diego of US of A, two new phones in my pocket and a zombie apocalypse ready to break out!"

"Huh?"

"It's rather awesome. you have to admit it."

Tala was not sure if he was just covering up his fear or if he was truly feeling great. "But you know, even if things go to hell, I promise, I’ll always stand by you. No matter how hard it gets."

"Hey, we never had it easy. No matter what happens, we already lived through hell. Actually, I’m kind of sad that this day is almost over.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I think... this was like the best day of my life. If I'm to die tomorrow, or if one of the workers in this store turns bloody and bites me, you know... I'd be fine. Really. But... This day… I needed it. No matter what happens tomorrow."

Tala looked at him closer, seeing things she had not seen in her brother before, thinking if he did not just age 15 years in a single day.