Extra

by Stayrr

Third

27. Code Zulu Alpha 1-32

"Better to have and not need than to need and not have." Sky Ishiyama is a nerd with Photographic Memory who after the bumps and turns in his life, turned to be a Doomsday Prepper. The story takes place in our world where our MC was diving through the Dark Web just for fun and discovered something that could only be found in books, movies, novels, manga, anime, or games. Zombies, Walkers, Freaks, Infected, Biters, or whatever you may call them. They're fucking real. Ever wondered what you could do in a zombie apocalypse where you actually know what you're doing? Actually surviving properly while preventing stupid deaths? Doing what is right and necessary? Or better yet, actually doing what you shout in the monitor when you're watching a film? Our MC is coupled with the knowledge of not just fighting z's but actually surviving by securing his home, finding allies, scavenging for supplies, building a community and so much more

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Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse! #Chapter 1 - Read Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse! Chapter 1 Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 1: 1

Year 2019

Day 1

6:00 AM

tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap*

I was tapping on my phone, eyeing every person that walks by, checking each one, careful not to miss my friend I was waiting for. I'm at an airport, rows of large white tiles adorned the floor, a long glass wall separates me from the people coming and going. A few stores at my right side is selling clothes, souvenirs, food, toys and even a few items for comfort on the flight. On my left side, walking on a few steps, seems to be the area where authorized personnel can only come in and it's guarded by two security guards with one carrying a rifle while the other one has a shotgun slung on his back. The person with the shotgun also has a leash on his hand and a German Shepherd lies down on his feet, seemingly relaxed but it's eyes just darts around, looking at people passing by.

vibrate* *vibrate*

I felt a buzz on my hand that was holding my phone, as I face the screen, a call from my aunt pops up and as I was about to answer it, it stops and a missed call notification pops up followed by a text that says:

"Heyo! I know u don' lyk to ans cals so I txt u pz plz buy me tjos sweet peenut thins u used to buy wit de nips on it! O! Ths is Aya!"

Investigating the sender's text, it was probably my little cousin. Considering all the spelling errors, I replied:

"You're talking about 'Trailmix', right? I'll buy a bag and those are not 'Nips' they're 'MMs' by the way."

I stood up and I started walking towards the store and I noticed someone familiar. She's wearing a flight attendant uniform and she's carrying on her lap a small red bag with a cross sign on it. On her table, a large cup of coffee sits with an eaten cake while the fork with pink bits on it is placed on the side of it.

I remember her from my high school.

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I could say that we're good friends back then, we used to compete for our grades a while back and some other things. She's very beautiful I'd admit, even now. Most of my classmates, even from other sections used to try to ask her out, but she seems disinterested at the time and was more focused on studying.

I walked past her since the candy store is the one further from the coffee shop. I contemplated on greeting her, but I think she won't remember me because It's been years since we last met.

"She might not remember me. It's good seeing her though." I said to myself.

However, as I begin to push the glass door, I saw her reflection behind me then I felt a couple taps in my back and then I heard her voice, "Hey! Sky, right? Remember me?" she said.

As I turned around to face her, she removed her cap and her black hair flows through her shoulders and she pointed to herself, "It's me, Kaley!" she said while smiling brightly.

"Oh, Hi! Ahaha… I thou-" before I even got to finish my sentence, she leans close to me and she squints.

"Stop doing that! I know what you're doing; you have the best memory out of all the people I know." she said.

I scratched my nose as she continued, "I saw you look at me earlier, I'm pretty sure you thought that I wouldn't remember or recognize you earlier, am I right?"

I pursed my lips to a smile, "She read me like a book." I said to myself.

After a chuckle, she continued, "I got that right huh? What are you buying here? Is it those dried cranberries you used to munch on back then?"

I replied, "Sort of, I'm getting a bag of 'Trailmix' for my cousin at home, and yeah, now that you mention it, I'm also getting a bag of those cranberries. It has been a while since I have eaten those."

"That reminds me, still eating those strawberry shortcakes huh?" I added then I noticed she bit her lower lip into a smile, sort of embarrassed or maybe happy that I also remembered what she liked from back then. She linked her arm with mine then she pushed the door in front us towards the store.

"Let me join you then, I'm gonna grab some things too before I head back." She said.

We began to walk towards where the baskets are located and I grabbed a basket. We began walking to the aisles looking for the stuff I'd like to buy.

Then she said, "So, I'm pretty sure you won't talk unless I start, so, how's life been treating you? I remember you said that you wanted to be a programmer?"

I nodded and said, "Yeah, I've become one but in the end, I've only worked for a few years then I decided to continue the family business. How about you though? I remembered you were studying to be a nurse, what happened? The uniform suits you though."

"Hah! Well, you know, life happened, I shifted for a few times too. I really can't decide at the time on what I want to be. My mom said to take it easy and relax for a bit so we traveled to Indonesia, Spain and Paris and something clicked. I said to myself that I want to travel all over the world, but I want to get paid too, so here is the best solution!" she said as she grabs a few candies and placed it on my basket. I just smiled at her while I carefully rearranged the candies in the basket.

"But why did you quit being a programmer? It pays well right?" She asked.

"Yeah. Well, like you said. Life happened… to be exact- I hated my boss and might have done something irreversible. Hahaha!" I laughed as I replied.

She chuckled and she gave me a pensive look. Then she said, "Haven't changed I see, I remember you always doing things your way." she squinted while she smiled at me.

She walked beside me, just sliding her fingers through some of the packs of candies in the aisles.

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I continued, "Yeah, well I really hate working at that place and I can finish what they have given me for half the time. I told them about my performance and I asked for a raise, but they just decided to pile more work on me without proper compensation while the other guys just slacked off. I might have said something that ticked them off…oh! Here it is."

"Hahaha! Like that one time you snapped at our teacher for teaching the flowcharts wrong." she said.

"Yeah! I remember that! He was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Biology teacher, why the f.u.c.k did they let them teach a Computer subject?! That's nuts! I really couldn't help myself that time." I looked back at the old times.

I finally found the bag and I grabbed two. She then found the bag of cranberries that I was looking for and she handed it to me. After one more look around at the aisles to see if she would pick anything else, we went to the cashier to pay. I paid for everything as I slid my card on the cashier's device.

"Thank you for shopping! Please come again!" the cashier said.

I just nodded at her and we head back.

As we're leaving the store, I said, "So having a break now?"

She nodded, "Yeah, we were supposed to fly to Japan, but our pilot had an accident earlier. He was sent to the hospital and I was supposed to wait for his replacement, but the flight was delayed at first but then it was cancelled afterwards so they told me to go home. I saw the cake in the shop and I stopped by to eat, then I saw you walking past me."

She sat next to me on the bench I was sitting on earlier. We're casually chatting and I mentioned my friend I was waiting on.

"Oh? So, what was your friend like?" she said.

"He's an old veteran from the US, we met at a convention in San Diego and we became friends when we figured out that we watch the same TV series, 'The Pacing Unliving'." I said.

She places her hand on her forehead as she began to laugh, "Yeah, I can totally see that happening, that is so like you, and what's up with that title? Is that a parody? Your friend, is he like, scary-looking or something?"

"No, actually, he looks like an old guy you'd see feeding pigeons on the street, you can't see in his face that he served in the military though he's still strong as an ox." I said.

She smiles and said, "Well it's nice you get to have new friends, I remembered the first time talking to you back then, you'd always sit alone, always minding your own business, I even thought that you were mute that time!"

I gave a laugh and remembered back. it's just like she said, I was almost invisible until she was the first one to talk to me. After she introduced me to some of her friends, I started to open myself up bit by bit although I usually started speaking my mind without filter. I could be a blunt asshole sometimes but most of her friends preferred that instead of being an untruthful prick. I was really thankful to her at that time and what she did for me when she first transferred.

vibrate* *vibrate*

A few minutes pass, my phone buzzed two times. My cousin and my friend, Oscar, finally contacted me. I checked my cousin's email first.

"Yo! By me 2 bags 4got 2 tellyou I'll pay u bac"

I just chuckled, 'as if she would pay me back', after that I checked the other email.

"Hey kid. Emergency. Code Zulu Alpha?" at the bottom of the email there's a link that shows a news article about a drug induced person attacking their hospital staff. It shows a video of a man dressed in a pilot's uniform with bandages in his arm getting held down by a few security guards. As the video continues, I felt her lean in to watch as well. As I look at her, the bright face she was showing earlier is slowly replaced by a look of discomfort.

"Th-That's our pilot that got sent to the hospital earlier…" she said.

A cold wave of air washed over me as I feel something very bad in my gut as she said that.

"What do you mean?" I said as I try to get more information.

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Chapter 2: 2

"A maintenance guy was acting strange earlier in the staff cafeteria where we used to eat at. I thought they were just having a simple altercation as they were shouting at each other. But as James, our pilot was trying to talk to the guy and got closer, he suddenly pounced on him but he managed to hold him down on his shirt." She said.

"Then…" her hand tightened a bit on the bag she was holding. "The guy broke free and decided to suddenly bite James in his right arm, he stood up and ran outside the door where the guards chased after him. His arm bled a lot but me and the nurse there managed to give first-aid and we called the hospital after."

"F.U.C.K! Please don't let it be what I think it is." I shouted in my head, the painful churn in my gut is still occurring. I swallowed a bit of my saliva and I feel sweat coming out of my forehead.

She continued, "As the nurse was checking his arm, I could see where the guy bit him. It just bled a lot and not like that in the news where it's starting to discolor. Some time has passed but it shouldn't be looking like that."

As she finished speaking, the feeling in my gut is still there. I looked at her and I see her worried face. I checked at the gate and Oscar still hasn't come up.

I looked at the door on the left where the security is at and there are still there, but the guy with the rifle seems to be speaking with someone on his radio. The dog being held by the other guy is pacing around, he seems to sense something, giving him discomfort as he lets out a few whines. I grabbed my phone and sent Oscar a text.

"What is taking you so long old man? I feel something bad is about to happen, you might be right."

He replies, "I think Code Zulu Alpha is happening, and it's much more different compared than what we've seen before on the files. I'm at a checkpoint at the gate below, a medic is checking our temperatures. I'm close but someone is being held up at the front. Can you pick me up?" as he texted that, I turned to Kaley and asked if there is a faster way we could go down to pick Oscar up.

"I could go through that door, but I think they wouldn't allow you and I don't know what Oscar looks like." she said. I started to look around and saw something, I mouthed at her to follow my lead.

I walked near the guards toward another passage where the restrooms are and then I went straight to a yellow sign at the ground. I readied myself as I slid my foot towards the floor where the 'caution wet floor' sign was at. I slid it forwards and I kicked my foot up to make it look more like it's real.

slid*

THUD*

I tried to make it convincing as I flail my other hand holding the bags to hide my head as I fall to the floor. A thud was produced loud enough for the guards to hear and notice. Then Kaley sprinted to me as she 'gets' my plan.

"Are you okay sir? Can you…" she said a few sentences as she began opening the case and examine my head, though a small smirk is hidden in her face. One of the guards walked towards us and checked up on me. "You need to be careful sir; I think you haven't noticed the sign here." said the guard.

"I'm very sorry, I was walking towards the restroom but I got a text, I forgot to see where I was going…" I said while clutching a part of my head. I even let drool fall from my mouth.

"I need to take a closer look at you sir, I suggest we take you to the doctor's office inside, just in case of a concussion." she said convincingly.

"Nice job." I said to myself.

I tried to hold back my laughter as best as I can when I was being escorted inside now. The guard even gave me a pass to show employees in case someone questions my presence there. I was laid down in one of the few beds and the guard motions himself to go back to his station.

The nurse started to check up on me and noticed that nothing seems to be wrong. "Sir, you really need to be careful next time." she said as she eyes her phone. "I am being called down by the doctor, miss Kaley, kindly escort him back after a few minutes. I need to go down at the checkpoint. Excuse me." She made a small bow as she walked toward the other exit.

After she left, I grabbed a doctor's bag, filled it with different sorts of medical supplies available: antibiotics, ointments, bandages, pills, painkillers and a few bottles of alcohol. I picked up a white coat and a stethoscope and I wore both of these items and I noticed she's looking at me with confusion, "What are you doing? I thought we we're just going to pick your friend up? Is something wrong?"

I held her shoulders and I looked her in the eye, "There is something very wrong about to happen right now, I can't get into the details yet, all I can say is I've only heard whispers and seen a few reports of this but I really hope I'm wrong. On the case I'm right, we need to prepare, hurry." I motioned for us to move forward where the nurse walked at.

"Do you have family here now?" I asked as we walked towards a staircase where below, a group of people are being examined.

"W-wait a minute, I need to process this, you're sounding scary right now!" she shouted as she keeps following behind me.

"Contact them immediately, Tell them to prep-" I said as she interrupted, "I have my younger sister at home but my parents are away right now! Please tell me what's going on!" We're at the front of the door and we stopped walking. She's looking worried as I saw her brows furrowed.

vibrate* *vibrate*

As soon as she said that, her phone rings. As she picked it up a sound of a female voice comes, "Kaley! OMG! Where are you?! Some homeless dude at the street attacked Mrs. Tan outside! Her neck was bitten and there was blood everywhere! The guy kept on chewing on her so I called the cops but when they came Mrs. Tan is already dead! OMG! Please come home quick!"

"W-w-wait, WHAT?! Breathe for a moment and tell me what happened!" she exclaimed.

As I heard everything they were saying, I stopped her for a moment and told her, "Tell her to lock the doors and don't open it for anyone besides us. Have her pack clothes, food, water and medicine, tell her to wait for us and grab something for protection. The situation might be worse there. Do you still live at the same place we made that model rocket?"

"Y-yeah, the same place at the Bulacan area." she said.

She nodded and as I finished talking, I notice that she is just staring at me with a pensive look. "Is this connected with the incident with James earlier? Is this what I think it is?" Her look of confusion and worry is now replaced with a serious look. Her eyes are a bit watery but I see a sharp stare.

"She picked it up fast." I said to myself.

After a brief sigh, I nodded, "Yeah, I know it sounds crazy and you need to be with your sister immediately but we need to pick up Oscar first then we'll head to your place, I promise."

She just looks at me and said, "That's fine thank you, I don't have a car to go there immediately. I just picked up a cab going here." After that short talk, she proceeds to tell her sister what I said and as we're walking on the ground, I noticed Oscar among one of the groups and I texted him.

"I see you now, what's holding you up? Look near the stairs at I-15, I'm wearing a white coat with a flight attendant."

I saw his head start to scan around then it locks to my direction. Then I saw him tapping his phone. I felt a buzz in my phone followed with a text.

"Kid, is that a pack of cranberries? Let's do Project Sweets." the text reads.

I made a small salute and we headed to his group, I shouted "I'm looking for Col. Oscar Goodman, we need you to come with us." As he stands up walking towards me, a few guards walked toward me and places a hand in front of me.

As I was about to talk, Kaley took a step forward and said, "He's Dr. Ishiyama from St. Luke's and I was told to accompany him by the head of security to pick up a man named Mr. Goodman."

"Colonel, young lass. I'm flabbergasted that this no-ranks wouldn't let me through, I think I'll call their superior officer and have them removed from this post immediately!" Oscar interrupted.

I almost rolled my eyes from his over the top acting but Kaley said, "I'm sorry, Col. Goodman. You said that you need to have your shots now, is that right?"

Oscar gave the both of us a look of approval then he said, "That's correct, I broke my bottle of Insulin and I need to get to a clinic or a hospital to get one because I'm starting to get dizzy." he said as he raised one of his small bags and a medicinal smell wafted. After that, a clinking noise followed as he lightly shakes the bag.

The guards gave our group a look of hesitation and I opened one of the bags in my hand and said, "Grab a handful Col. Goodman, this could help for a bit with your sugar levels. If you hold us for long, I'm gonna call your supervising officer." I looked at the two guards and after a moment, they were convinced to let us go.

We walked back the way we came from and when the door closed behind us, we all gave a sigh of relief. "That went better than expected, good thing those guards didn't do anything." I said.

"Hah! That's what I like about this country compared to mine, people tasked with security here are very lax and some of them feels like they don't even want to get in trouble. When I waved my rank around them, they stood there like wet puppies!" Oscar said while still munching the berries from his hand.

"And who's this looker here? You're girlfriend?" Oscar said as she leans to me with this suggestive look in his face and his eyebrows going up and down.

"Umm, ah- she's ah-" I stammer as I can't believe Oscar would bring it up with me in this situation. He clearly knows I've never been in a relationship with anyone and he keeps on setting me up with people.

I looked at her but I can't see her face from this angle and I'm hoping she doesn't feel uncomfortable with that. However, all I heard was a chuckle from him, "Well, I'd be surprised if Sky would have one, all these years I've known him, never saw him on a proper date. I've been setting him up with anybody with potential but he keeps turning them down, I was worried he'd go to a temple to be a Buddhist Monk!" he cackles after a while.

"I see, haven't changed huh?" Kaley said, her back facing us, she keeps on walking forward.

"Well aren't you the same, hmm?" I rebutted. She throws a slight jab on my arm as I said it. We all remained silent as we walked towards the exit.

"Did you bring Betty?" Oscar said.

"Betty? The SUV? Of course." I said.

"Sweet! Alright, Alright, Alright…" Oscar said as he attempts to do an impression of a certain actor.

"That was so bad." I said to myself.

I placed my hand on my forehead as I relayed to him my plan to go to Kaley's house first. He agreed under the condition that I tell him the story about her. As I have no choice now, and it's not the moment to negotiate, I just agreed and we moved on.

As we're getting near the doctor's office, on the corner of my eye I noticed a figure coming out of the maintenance room. The person rushes outside, holding his neck, his blue uniform starting to darken from the top, a few streaks of blood trickling down the floor. It was followed by a loud bang coming from the other door he came from. He rushes to the other exit from where the two guards were stationed.

"AHHHH!!!" a shout was heard from where the guy rushed past.

BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

"F.U.C.K!" I shouted in my head.

A scream followed by a couple gunshots rang out. We tensed after that quick encounter but it was soon followed by another loud bang as the door from the maintenance room swings open. A figure, face bloody beyond recognition steps out, snarling, hands crooked, suddenly lunges at our group with speed. As he closes in, we heard a shout from behind:

"DUCK!"

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Chapter 3: 3

whoosh*

THUD*

I immediately ducked down while I pushed Kaley's head with me. At a quick glance, a blur of red appeared above our heads and the man in front of us was smashed by it. Turns out, Oscar grabbed a fire extinguisher and swung at the man approaching us. Blood spattered on the walls and everything fell silent. A moment passes and the man twitches again, it was followed by a downward swing of the fire extinguisher. I was staring in shock at what happened and Oscar picks up the keys on the man's waist.

"Never thought the day these old bones would still see some action." Oscar said with a long sigh.

I gave a look at Kaley and she's shaking and her face is pale, it must be the first time she saw something like that. I tried speaking to her but she's still in shock so I grabbed her shoulders to shook her awake. Still no response, it left me no choice so I gave her a quick slap to the face.

slap*

It seems to get the proper reception and she's now looking at me back with color on her face. She's holding her left cheek then she suddenly gave me a right slap, much stronger than what I did.

SLAP*

"Ow! Why did you do that?! I'm sorry! I was waking you up! We need to move!" I said as I held my stinging red cheek.

"Um, I'm sorry, it hurts a bit…" she said as we followed Oscar. I took a quick glance at the corpse and aside from his mangled head, a white crystalline powder of small amounts is near his collar and in his right sleeve.

"Drugs?" I took a mental note of what I found and decided that it's best to leave this place now instead of investigating the body.

Oscar motioned for me to open the door for him while he readies his fire extinguisher. As I open it, another horrifying site assaulted our eyes. Looking at the scene, I immediately noticed the maintenance guy that we saw earlier face up with bullet holes in his torso and one on his head.

What's next to him is one of the guards facing down, looking at his position, he seems to be pushed really hard and was thrown down violently, like his head was smashed on the floor. Blood has started to make a pool beneath their bodies as it still continues to pour out.

Looking at the corpses, Oscar decided to search the body of the guard lying down. He took his shotgun, it's a Remington 870 along with a few slugs located in the guard's belt. He threw me the guard's pistol, a Beretta M9 with an additional magazine.

I checked around and I saw a few people running outside or huddled up in a corner and some employees are trying to contain the situation. On one corner, I see a bloody strap that's possibly belonging to the dog I saw earlier, but the dog is missing. I pulled out the guard's belt which contains a handcuff, pepper spray, radio, badge, and his holster. A few security personnel are outside trying to stop other people from entering the airport.

I strapped the belt on and holstered the gun and I said to Oscar, "The other guard is not here."

"Another one?" said Oscar.

"Yes, there were two of them here earlier." Kaley added.

"No time to look for him, we need to get out of here now." Oscar replied.

"Do we just leave them here? Do we need to call the authorities?" Kaley said as she pointed at the two corpses.

"No, I think the people outside are already handling it. We need to leave now; we still have time. Good thing is that it's still early, we can stock up a few more supplies at home." Oscar said.

We headed outside but as soon as we stepped out the doors, we we're stopped by a few more security guards eyeing our weapons and the blood splatters on our clothing. "Stop! State your name and affiliation and report to me what occurred inside."

"I'm Mr. Ishiyama, this is Col. Goodman and Ms. Payan…" I relayed to the guard what happened to us inside the doors in front of the maintenance room. I mentioned the maintenance guy that we fought in self-defense and also the other guard missing earlier but he pointed at the back of their vehicle.

"We found him outside the doors when we responded, he's terrified. He said that one of the staff rushed outside, neck bleeding, pushed his partner with great force. He mentioned his partner lost his balance and hit his head hard and he started to convulse violently before he stopped moving. He said he shot the guy in panic as the maintenance guy has a deranged look in his face and it's staring at him differently." The guard explained.

He continued, "We're sorry you had to take care of the other one inside so our department will pay a visit to you guys for more investigation once this place is sorted out but I need you to surrender the weapons you took from our other guard since it's still our property."

"Hey, check the situation inside. I'll stay here." he said to his partner.

Oscar has a visible frown on his forehead but as I was about to hand over the pistol… a shout came from the inside followed by a few gunshots. It must be from his partner who went inside to check on the other maintenance guy that we mentioned earlier.

"All of you stay here, I'll check the situation inside." The guard said.

Me and Oscar gave a look and we both knew what each other was thinking, "He's not coming back."

"Aim for the head." I said before the guard left with a questioning gaze.

As the guard disappeared inside with a few others, Oscar immediately opened the mobile car the guard uses and went inside. He saw a box of donuts, 2 cups of coffee, a nightstick, a radio and the rifle the guard at the back was using. He quickly checked the magazine and put it back then he handed it to me. "Here you go kid; it's still full with bullets." he motions for me to take it.

As I sling the M4 on my back, the guard at the back lets out a long groan. "Ugh…" the guard says. As I take a closer look at him, he's visibly sweating and he is clutching his hand. He's breathing erratically but I surmise I could still talk to him.

"What happened back there?" I asked.

"H-He tried to grab my rifle but I can't shake his hand off, I pulled the pistol in my hip and shot him multiple times. When he fell down, he managed to hold onto my hand and he squeezed really hard, I think he broke a few of them. One of my fingers cracked horribly and bone came out. How is he so strong?!" He exclaimed while huffing a few times.

"I'm not going to lose my job for that right? That is clearly self-defense, right?!" he exclaimed.

"You're going to worry more about that hand than your job." Oscar said from the front.

I took a closer look at his hand and I noticed that a few dark lines are starting to protrude from his forearm. I gave a sigh and said, "You need to take a rest now, sleep and have plenty of water." I gave him a dosage of painkillers and a bottle of water.

"Let me get you comfortable, remove your belt and lay down." I said as I take the same items from his belt. I locked his side of the door as he laid himself lower on the seat.

"He's going to turn, It's too late for him now." I said in my head.

BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

A few more gunshots ring out and the crowd outside started to scatter and a few guards holding the crowd started rushing inside then we rushed to Oscar's SUV.

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Chapter 4: 4

"Can we still drive outside?" Kaley mentions.

"Yeah it's up to your government if they could notice it fast enough, but your country's traffic is the worst." Oscar said.

I looked in front of us and tried to look to the doctor's bag I took earlier. "Wait, I have something we can use to avoid traffic." I left the SUV and went to the vehicle in front of us. Oscar's eye lit up then he threw me an approving look.

I grabbed the keys I found on the doctor's bag and hoped it works on the ambulance in front of us. Oscar also threw the keys from the maintenance guy just to be sure.

click*

The door opened and I waved Kaley to sit next to me. I put my head outside the window and said to Oscar, "I think it's best you head back home first, tell everyone of Code Zulu Alpha and start Project SHTF. Try to have everyone be at the compound, I'll follow you shortly."

"Sure thing, kid." He motions his two fingers to a small salute and starts to back his SUV up. I reached to my side and pulled the other pistol I got from the guard.

"Know how to use this?" I offered the other pistol to Kaley.

"I know a bit." She reluctantly picks it up and she gave a deep long sigh. I gave her a quick glance and even though there's a slight tremble in her hands, her eyes are sharp as ever.

"She's strong." I said to myself while I looked at her.

I looked around the inside of the vehicle to try to familiarize myself on some of the controls. It's a regular manual-transmission type with a few extra buttons for the door locks, sirens and a built-in CB Radio. I started to flick the switch of the radio to channel 9 and I tried speaking on it.

bzzt*

"Oscar, copy?"

bzzt*

bzzt*

"Yeah, copy kid. I'll follow you behind. We'll split off at Valenzuela City, heading to the Bulacan area, right?"

bzzt*

"Yeah, keep close." I radioed in.

Most of the way goes smoothly as I flicked the switch on for the sirens. Aside from Oscar, other people took advantage of the open way to drive behind me. Aside from a few police cars speeding and other ambulances going around, Oscar safely split off at one of the intersections. Kaley made a call to her sister again and made sure she's safe and secure at their house.

It took us one more hour before we reached her driveway. I turned the vehicle off as I parked in front while she knocked on the door as she rushes to her house to meet his younger sister.

knock* *knock* *knock*

click*

Three quick knocks followed by a clicking sound from the other side and a teary-eyed girl opened the door and welcomed us. Kaley rushes in to hug her sister then I started to inspect the surroundings outside. Bloody marks still left the pavement along with a few 'Do Not Cross Crime Scene Area' on the spot where the incident earlier happened. A few residents are still outside trying to talk with each other, seemingly still unaware of what has happened.

"Sky, come inside." Kaley said to me.

I walked inside and was greeted by his sister by a small handshake and a quick up-down look.

"My name's Olivia, thank you for picking my sister up." Olivia said.

She looks like a typical highschool teen, brown hair, probably dyed, still wearing her school uniform and she has these sharp eyebrows that her sister also has. She's a few heads shorter than me and a head shorter than her older sister.

"Tell me what are the things that you have packed." I focused on the task at hand immediately.

"Wait, where are we going? I only packed clothes for a day." Olivia said, with a visible frown on her face.

"We're going to his place for now, remember what happened earlier here? It also happened at the airport, Sky luckily happened to be there and saved me." Kaley said as she is grabbing a large bag.

"Earlier? I've watched the news earlier and saw the news at the hospital. My friends at school also told me zombies are coming like in the movies. This is a joke, right?!" Olivia retorted.

"I hope it is, but I've seen it close and I know the guy in the hospital that attacked some of the staff. He's the pilot that was supposed to fly the plane I'm supposed to be at right now. Sky here is someone I know from back then and someone you could definitely trust. Why did you only pack a bag?! I told you to pack everything!" She started to go room by room to gather stuff that Olivia didn't pack yet.

"We need a place to settle for now and he has a place back at his home. Help me pack more stuff, grab all the things at the medicine cabinet upstairs and in this bathroom!" She started to also go upstairs as I stand guard inside the door.

"But! But! How about mom and dad?! What if they come home?! Kaley~!" Olivia hurriedly followed upstairs even though hesitatingly.

I turned their TV on and put on the news to get more information. I started flipping through the channels and all in the news right now are violence reports in the airport, hospital and the pier. There was still no mention of an outbreak or even the word zombies.

"Is the government still trying to hide the fact or are they still ignorant on what's happening here?" I said to myself.

"Sky!" Kaley shouted from upstairs and I decided to head up. I saw her now changed from her flight attendant outfit to a more casual attire, her black hair is now in a ponytail but there are a few bangs that hang from left and right covering a part of her forehead. She's wearing a white shirt covered by a black jacket and black-gray leggings with her pink sneakers. She carries a backpack and two other suitcases and she places it by the door.

She motions for me to head to their parent's bedroom.

"I left a note for my parents here in case they come back from their trip. After they retired, they started going to different places now and I'm not sure where exactly they are right now. Dad always brings his hunting gear when they take a road trip and they would usually camp on mountains or forests. I tried calling them earlier but it appears they are off the grid…" she said while she pauses. Her eyes are starting to water and a hint of red covers her face, I could feel she's upset that she can't contact her parents right at the moment.

"They will be alright, if they took to the mountains to camp, they will be the farthest from this thing and I've met your dad before, zombies would play dead if they see him." I say as I try to cheer her up.

She raised her elbows to wipe some of her tears and she opens the bottom part of her parent's closet. She lifted a black bag and unzips it.

"That's an M70 right?" I said as I saw the rifle.

"That's a sweet rifle. It even has a scope and a suppressor." I added as I took a closer look.

"Yeah, dad also bought one for mom when they took trips but mom doesn't like to shoot game, so he left it here. He figured if mom wouldn't use it, he'd teach me instead. I learned from him a few times then it got held for a while since I graduated and started my job. Can't say I'm not thankful for him teaching me. I just hope they come back safely." she said as she packs it up and told me to carry some of the bags down.

"In case they come home, leave a few supplies hidden somewhere they'd know where to find and I've written down my place in the letter by coordinates so they know where to find us. Also, you forgot something." I handed Kaley a picture of their family.

"I picked it up in your parent's bedroom, just in case. This thing could be over quickly but we never know, hope you're not upset." I added.

"What do you mean by that?!" Olivia shouted when she saw me gave the picture frame to Kaley.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 5: 5

"Are you saying we won't see them anymore?!" She's looking very upset and very close to burst into tears.

Before I say anything, Kaley hugged her tight and said, "He's just looking out for us, I also brought a picture of us too, see? I think this will fit in your wallet." She pulls up a small picture of them when they were much younger and handed it to her sister. Olivia kept quiet and took the picture, then she carefully placed it in her wallet.

She walks up to me and said, "I'm sorry for yelling, and um- thanks."

I patted her head and said, "No worries."

"I'm not a child you know!" she shouted and she became lively again.

Kaley facepalmed and said, "So what I got packed are a couple weeks of clothes, a few blankets, cans of food, a few candy bars, a pack of coffee and tea, a gallon of water, my M70 rifle, the pistol you gave me, a box of ammunition for the rifle, two flashlights, a couple packs of batteries, a few personal hygiene products, all the medicine supplies from the cabinet, my laptop, my phone, my power bank, my chargers, my wallet and my keys to this home. I hid a few supplies where the rifle was placed."

"That's great." I nod approvingly and then I looked at Olivia.

"Umm, I too brought a week of clothes, my phone, my charger, my pocket Wi-Fi, a few snacks and this!" she raises her hand and what looked to be a small stun gun is on it.

crackle* *crackle*

She tested it a few times and she gave me a grin. "Cool, huh?"

I raised an eyebrow and gave a faint smile.

"It's cool but it won't be able to do anything to those things." I said to myself.

"We need to bring the frozen products and other stuff in your refrigerator or in your pantry that might spoil. We're going to turn off the electricity here with the main switch. Last thing we want is your house burning down, we leave a few cans here for your parents when they come home, just in case." I told them.

"Oh! We have a generator here." Kaley mentioned. "I think we have a few containers of gas here somewhere." she went to the back of their house.

I saw their generator with three gasoline containers beside it and said, "This is good, but we have solar-powered generators at home, we could leave the generator here for now but we could take two cans of gasoline and leave one for your parents. The generator seems full and it could last for a while if they use it when the power goes down, let's go now."

We head outside and we started to place the bags at the back of the ambulance. I opened the door and there's a lot of tools here that could definitely be of some use, it has a stretcher, a wheelchair, an oxygen tank, a few IV drips and even a defibrillator along with a few other medical supplies.

"Looks like we hit the lottery." I said to myself.

As we are about to finish packing, a door swung open from next door and a figure started to walk out erratically which managed to catch my attention.

"Recognize that guy?" I pointed to the figure walking outside.

"Hmm?" Olivia looked behind at the figure.

"Wait, don't come near him." I said to Olivia as she takes a step forward to take a closer look.

"I think it's Mr. Tan, I remember him trying to push the homeless guy off Mrs. Tan earlier. I saw him get bandaged by one of the Medics." she said to me.

Time seems to slow down. I noticed Mr. Tan from the glass window of the ambulance door began to turn his head violently and picks up speed towards us. Kaley is in the middle of getting the last bag, walking towards the vehicle while Olivia is in the middle of the vehicle walking towards the guy. I noticed that Kaley saw the guy too. Olivia is in the middle of me and him and I cannot get a proper line of sight since the door of the ambulance and Olivia is blocking my view. I pulled out my pistol and I walked diagonally, away from the vehicle to avoid grazing Olivia.

BANG*

However, I saw a flash of light followed by a loud bang, the next thing I saw is Mr. Tan sprawled sideways on the ground. Kaley took the first shot; I saw her running towards Olivia and holding her tight. I walked towards the guy and saw it slowly stand up.

His right cheek is torn, blood flows continuously from his mouth and black lines are visibly jutting out, starting from his arms towards his shoulder then to his neck, his right eye is bloodshot and his iris is starting to deform from the perfect circle.

A few residents who heard the shot went outside and some who are already outside let out screams or hurriedly went back to their houses. But the ones who watched saw a man with a dismembered face crawl up and decided to swipe his arms around me. Fortunately, the distance is much closer now and there are no obstacles for the shot.

So, I pointed my pistol at him and I took the easiest shot in the world.

BANG*

One clean shot to the head, his head blew back from the impact and his body limped as it fell down.

"Oh my god! What happened? Did that guy kill Mr. Tan?"

"No, I think Mr. Tan tried to attack Olivia from next door."

"How could Mr. Tan move like that though, he's over 80, right?"

"I don't know, I saw him get shot earlier by Kaley, then he stood up again."

"What?! For real?!"

"Saw that too, It's like the movies."

"You mean Mr. Tan is a zombie? Stop kidding yourself."

"Well, how do you explain the homeless guy earlier who attacked Mrs. Tan?"

"…"

"I'm going to call the cops."

"I'm going to gather my things and move out; it's going to be dangerous here if what you're saying is real."

The residents started to talk among themselves as I see Kaley guide Olivia through the vehicle's passenger side. I raised the badge I took earlier from the guard at the airport.

"Everybody ears up! There are a series of reported violent behavior occurring across the country, the government is doing its best to maintain the order. Lock your doors and gather your supplies and start to preserve them as much as possible. If you see a person exhibiting strange behavior do not let them in! Make sure to guarantee your safety and those close to you as well. As long as we prepare and stay calm, this thing will be over soon."

I almost cringed as I paraphrased what a security detail from the movies would say to civilians. But there's no more choice here. It would be better to not have everyone fall into panic mode as their thinking capacity would suffer if they do. I just hope that everyone adopts a clear state of mind and prepare for the worst. I could only help people as much.

Before I entered the vehicle, I grabbed the mic from the ambulance and said one last thing, "If you have to fight one of them, aim for the head. Good luck to you all."

"It's up to yourselves if you could survive this thing." I said to myself.

A lot of the people gave me confused looks, some of them understood and immediately went inside and a few gave me looks of wanting to come with us. I shook my head and entered the vehicle. I proceeded to go back where we have driven from and a few flicks of the siren gets us through smoothly and quickly down the road.

Another hour passes and we arrived at the intersection from where Oscar broke off. At the right side you could see a few small shops and a gated community where the guard there is looking through his phone. On the left side, more stores are scattered about with a fuel station on one corner where my cousin works next to a terminal where more tricycles are waiting for passengers. A few of them are glued to the TV, which is inaudible from our side.

We passed by the public market and where one of my shops were located and made a mental note to grab everything from there later and close it. We passed by a few more stores and houses then I made a right turn after we passed the elementary school. From this street, only rows of houses, big and small could be seen. Aside from passing through a few local shops where people sell homemade refreshments, we finally managed to reach my home.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 6: 6

As I start to slow down the ambulance, the huge gate was opened by Oscar and my cousin Jared. The gate is about 6 meters in height made with steel and about 4 inches thick and it is segmented to four parts vertically. It opens from the inside and the two inner parts could fold to the outer parts and could be folded once more to hug the walls. The outer part of the gate on the right has a small door that can be opened from the inside through a lever and outside if you have the keys for it. It has a small handle outside and a slit for letters to be delivered. Each gate segment spans for approximately 3.5 meters. The whole place is approximately 500 meters each side enveloped by 7-meter concrete walls while a few floodlights and CCTVs are installed appropriately on each side.

Inside the compound, you could see five houses in the furthest part from the gate, behind that is a medium-sized pool with benches, tables and even a grill, perfect for eating outside. On the left side, several vehicles are parked, namely a blue sedan, a black SUV, a covered motorcycle and a white minivan. On the corner where the left wall and the front wall meets, two small boats and a jet ski are stacked vertically by a metal bar welded through the walls and the floor. On the right side, three buildings come into view, the closest one resembles a shed or a barn for animals, next to it resembles a greenhouse where the building is slightly translucent, and lastly, the last building looks like a working area, several tools are displayed on the walls and a few tables for woodworking, metalworking or repairing certain items etc.

As we drove inside, I parked the ambulance near the white minivan along with the other vehicles. I hopped outside the driver's seat and I was followed by Kaley and Olivia. I opened the door from the back to grab their bags and I felt a quick hit to the back of my knees.

click*

My left knee folded for a bit, but I grinned as I turned around to give the person behind me a high overhead kick. The person behind me got surprised and was caught off guard, it was Jared my cousin.

"F.u.c.k!" he exclaimed as he tried to block it. As soon as I saw his left arm rising up to block, I twisted my knee to redirect my high kick to a low kick towards his left leg.

swoosh*

thud*

He was too late to react from the quick switch and I managed to land a light hit on his leg. He groaned for a bit as he rubbed his left leg.

"Ohoh~ still training I see." Oscar gave me an approving look as he rubs his chin.

"We're about to head to Wilcon's Depot now to buy a few building materials but we saw you arrive from the cameras. Want to come with us?" Jared mentions as he swings the keys around his fingers.

I made a quick look around, "Nah, I'm going to have them settle first. Where's the truck?" I said

"Oh, our uncles drove them to Polo and started to get everything from your stores there, I also gave them the keys for the store here, so they'll stop by there too later." Jared said, his eyes darted to Kaley and Olivia as his eyes made this mischievous look.

"Hello ladies, I'm Jared his cousin, wink if you are taken hostage okay? Hey Sky, isn't kidnapping a crime? I'll file a- ack!" Oscar smacked the back of his head as he pulls him to his SUV.

"Let's go now, have Lois close the gate for us, we're losing time here kid." he said.

Before Oscar closes the door, his head perks up and he said, "Oh right, kid, I've talked to the others, we will have a meeting later at night." He gives a small salute and he drives off with Jared.

The door from the second house on the right opened and a kid in his teens walked outside eating a piece of bread, "Hmm?"

He looks at me and made an upwards nod as he goes to the gate and closes it. He has curly and long hair apart from his brother Jared which has straight and short hair, although they look the same, his skin tone is much darker than his brother. He is the same height as me unlike his brother that's taller than me by half-a-head.

He quickly went back to the house sparing us a small salute as he closes the screen door.

I motioned for Kaley and her sister to follow me to the house in the middle. It was the biggest out of the five in the compound. As we got nearer, I started to hear my dog barking and scratching the door in front. We walked a few steps up to the porch then I grabbed my keys to open the door. A huge Golden Retriever suddenly jumped on me, tails wagging and still barking at me continuously.

"Zeus, Sit!" I commanded my dog as he followed obediently. Zeus was still wagging his tail and the two behind me rushed past me to pet Zeus.

"Who's a good boy? Huh? You are! He's so cute!" they both kept on rubbing Zeus' body and now Zeus is laying on the floor kicking his foot in the air while his tongue is out visibly happy on what the two are doing to him.

I placed their bags down and I went back to grab the other bags and other supplies and gear. Olivia stayed with Zeus but Kaley followed from behind.

We are quiet in the way to the vehicle but I heard her mutter, "Hey, thank you again" she gives me a sideways hug then I ruffled her hair, slightly getting her ponytail loose.

She lets out a small hiss then she pulls the tie off, letting her hair dangle once more. She once again jabbed me on the shoulder as she picks up a few bags to carry.

As we walk towards my house, the screen door from the 2nd house opened once again then a small girl walked out wearing a simple attire and a pair of glasses with long flowing hair.

"Oh! Hi Sky! Mom! Sky's here!" the screen door closes then it opened once again then after that, an older woman walks outside and waved at me.

"Welcome home! Lois just walked outside then back and he never mentioned you coming back, good thing Aya saw you, that kid doesn't have a care in the world sometimes." she said.

She takes a look at Kaley then she gave me the same smile Jared did. "Can't believe I'd see the day you'd take a woman home! Aren't you going to introduce me?" she snickers.

I facepalmed, "It's not like that! Kaley, forgive my aunt, my family is a crazy bunch. Aunt Sharon, this is Kaley, Olivia over there still petting the dog is her little sister. Kaley, that crazy old lady is my aunt, Sharon." I introduced them. Kaley made a short bow while giving a smile and my aunt is still grinning from ear to ear.

"Oscar said there will be a small meeting later?" my aunt said.

"Yeah, I hope everyone believes me now, and I hope they come." I said solemnly. Kaley gave me a look of a person wanting to ask a few questions, however, she stopped herself and we continued to walk in our place.

Olivia opened the door for us as we walked in and I gave them a small tour inside. "This first floor here is the living room, I have a small space here in the corner for Zeus, he likes to watch the TV with someone accompanying him. A couple steps here is the kitchen and the dining area, there's another door here that leads outside to the pool and this little door here is the CR. You could help yourself with anything on the fridge and the cabinets, we also have a pantry here where we store other food supplies…"

I pointed to the stairs heading down and said, "That metal door leads to the bas.e.m.e.nt, I use it as a storage area."

I walked upstairs and guided them to one of the three doors on the second floor. I opened the one in the middle and gave them a duplicate key. "Here's the one for this room and this is the one for the front door below. You could unpack your bags here, place them however you want and I'll ask my aunt to include us for lunch today. There is an extension cord here and those over there are the outlets. The AC is here, turn it whenever you like we have solar panels here so everything is free basically. The CR is there near the staircase, same with the 3rd floor and the 1st floor. There's nothing at the rooftop though, if you'd like to use it now, I'll use the one upstairs. Rest up, I'll call you when lunch is ready." I gave them a small salute and as I started to go to my room next to theirs.

"Wait. Thank you again." Kaley said to me. I was about to give her a fist bump or a small handshake but she gave me a tight hug. She's hugging me for about 10 Mississippi's now and I could smell her fragrance, her arms wrapped around my torso, her chest pressed against mine and her head on the side of my cheek.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 7: 7

I don't know how to react.

I looked at Olivia and she's gesturing for me to hug her sister back. As best as I can, I gulped and slowly raise my hand to slowly wrap at her back, I slowly raise my right hand for a bit as I pat her back. Olivia facepalmed at the sight.

I hear a soft chuckle next to me and I feel her letting go, I instinctively rubbed my nose and I looked at Olivia, she's looking at me with a huge grin and she's giving me two thumbs up while slightly holding back her laughter.

"What does that mean?!" I said in my head.

"That was so awkward Sky!" Olivia finally busted out laughing as she points at me.

"You changed a lot but you're still the same." Kaley said.

I give both a smile and confused look at the two and I said, "A-Anyway, I'll leave you two here, I'm going to clean up a bit."

I opened the door to my room, grabbed a towel and a few clothes then headed upstairs. The 3rd floor is a gym. It has a bit of equipment for training one's body and half of the room hangs two large mirrors facing each other with a mat below. I headed for the shower here. I undress as I look at myself in the mirror.

I have black hair, short and spiky, though a few strands are starting to invade my ear and the back of my neck. I have a scar in my left eyebrow and a few isolated scars in my right arm covered splendidly by a tattoo sleeve of a dragon that starts from the shoulder and slowly overlaps to my neck and to my right hand.

I turned the shower on and steam started to fog the mirrors and the glass partitions as I stood face down, hands on the wall. I quickly finished my shower, I preferred to use the tub on the 2nd floor but I offered the ladies to use it instead. I headed to my room after and I put on my camouflaged cargo pants and white shirt. I strapped to my torso a holster that could hold pistols left and right. I wore a gray, unzipped jacket over to hide it.

I overhear the sisters laughing in the bathroom, I proceeded to let them have their own fun then I went to my aunt's place to ask her to include us with lunch.

I looked for Lois to accompany me to Puregold and Mercury Drug to stock up on supplies and spend money as long as it is still able to buy something, I took one of the cars and we drove off.

Its past 10:00 AM now, driving on the highway, I am noticing that the security around is starting to increase and the ambulances that are driving around is getting more frequent. We first stopped by Mercury Drug.

"What do I grab first?" asked Lois.

"I'll take care of the medicine counter, I'll buy whatever vitamins, supplements and other OTC drugs that they have available. You take care of the hygiene products grab tissues, deodorants, wipes, baby powder, napkins-" he cuts me off.

"Wait, napkins? As in what the girls use? Eww!" I jabbed his stomach as I give a menacing smile, "Yeah, napkins. Also tampons, panty liners, razors, band aids, bandages, lotion, sunblock and also that insect repellent kind…"

I saw his face red as a tomato but he said, "Alright I'll do it! But let me grab some things too! You're paying right?" he starts to bargain with me.

"Yeah, yeah, of course I will." I said.

"Great!" he grabbed a pushcart and headed for one of the aisles.

I head into the medicine counter and requested a lot of each medicine available either for fevers, colds, sore throat etc. I even bought some eye drops, lip balm and different vitamin supplements. The person stationed there and some other staff are eyeing me suspiciously and the lady serving me decided to ask me, "What are you doing with all of these?"

"Oh! Hahaha… Is it too much? I'm going around the Philippines this year, I'm going to be with some friends and I'm the one in charge on some of the supplies that we need." I say very smoothly.

"Really? That sounds nice, where are you going first?" the lady at the counter now became very interested and now her mind is off the suspicion that I'm starting to hoard medicine.

One box at the counter caught my eye and now I'm contemplating on buying it, a struggle started in my mind whether to do it or not.

"Well, people back at home would definitely need this considering on what's coming…" I said to myself.

The lady on the counter followed my eyes and her eyes also landed on the box. She raised her eyebrows when she looked at me again, giving me this suggestive smile. "Well, that thing, you might need a lot of it. Hmm?" she said to me.

I'm starting to sweat as she stares at me and I need to remain this air of confidence around me and I placed my hand up, "G-give me five."

"Really? Just five?" she starts to twirl her hair as she said it. My mind is now in shambles and I blurted out, "B-boxes."

"What? Say that again?" she looks visibly surprised.

"Give me f-five… boxes." I said with a tremble in my lip.

"Wow." she mouthed while both her eyebrows are raised. I saw her turn around and grab one. She starts to look at the bottom of the box and she starts to walk back to me with a single box in her hand. What happened next is possibly is in the top 10 of the most terrified I got.

She places her hand on the mic and she said as loud as the speaker could get. "Can we get four more boxes of Trust Condoms at the front, I repeat, can we get four more boxes of Trust Condoms at the front, thank you."

As she said that, almost every staff and customer have their eyes on me. The guard at the front gave a small yell and he started to clap slowly, I saw Lois on the floor, clutching his stomach dying of laughter.

I'm now stuck in a stare down with the lady in the counter, my left lip is now twitching and she's just staring at me straight in the eye as she computes my total. I gave her my card and swiped it on the POS system while still having eye-contact. I noticed her slipping a paper underneath with her number on it and I just smiled.

"Not gonna happen." I said in my head. However, I still took the piece of paper.

I also paid for the items in Lois's cart and I walk outside while the guard pats me in the back. Lois is still laughing as we drive to Puregold's parking area. The trunk of the car is filled with large plastic bags and I would surely be buying more items here than the last one.

I stepped out of the vehicle and I went straight to their customer help desk. Walking towards the desk, there is a few more people in front of me, either complaining about their service or returning an item. I am taking a quick look around and nothing seems out of the ordinary.

As it was now my turn. I asked for the catalog for some of the products that can be ordered in bulk.

The lady in front handed me the list of the items available, "Here you go sir." she gave me a courteous smile. I made a quick glance and some items I need are available.

"Can you deliver in my house? I'm gonna buy quite a lot and I think it won't fit in my car." I said to her as I also gave her my address to compute the necessary costs.

"We have two closed trucks here and they are both available, what items do you have in mind sir?" she asked politely.

"I would like 20 of these 6-gallon dried beans please give me five different kinds, 10 sacks of these oatmeal… wait, are they the ones ready to eat where you just put hot water or is it the one where you cook it for a while?" I asked.

"We have both sir, what would you like?" she answered quickly.

"Oh, give me the ready to eat ones, also I'll have 20 boxes of those baked beans and baked spaghetti-o's. I'd like 10 sacks of your Pedigree dried dog food and 10 boxes of the canned ones and kindly have the boxes have different flavors. Also, can you add 40 boxes each of your Bees Home natural honey, Kopiko black coffee, Kopiko white coffee, and Ricoa cocoa. Hmm, add 10 more boxes worth of the canned evaporated and condensed milk that you have. And a moment, Lois! Pick a few boxes of sweets and don't forget to get a few boxes of protein bars."

The lady in the counter splendidly listed everything I said and it made me think deep in contemplation. "Do I invite her? Probably won't work since I've just met her and I will sound crazy to her." I said to myself.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 8: 8

"But she has some skill in organizing everything to my taste, we could definitely benefit each other." I added to my head.

I took a look at how she works and even her workstation is in perfect order. All the lists are stacked neatly, her uniform has no creases whatsoever, her desktop computer is in order and I noticed she's doing a job for two people effortlessly. As I try to form my sentences in my head, she finished writing things down and she looked at me.

"Excuse me sir, I could have everything ready in 30-40 minutes depending on how fast the people carrying the items are. Is that acceptable?" she said to me confidently. Her hair is perfectly combed in the middle as she adjusts her glasses.

"That's good, you work really efficiently." I said to her.

"Thank you very much sir, do you need anything else?" she said as she adjusts her glasses again with a prideful smile.

"What's your name?" I looked at her directly in the eye. Lois saw what I was doing and I know what he's thinking right now, "Oh boy, someone's gonna get kidnapped, well, with money."

"Umm, m-my name is Rin. Is there a problem sir?" she's clearly taken aback by my question.

"Rin, how much do they pay you here? Considering in what you do here I think at the supervisor level?" I said to probe.

"Umm, not at all I get paid here at the minimum…" she said embarrassingly.

"What the fu- well Rin, I got a proposal for you. I want you to work for me. Right now." I went straightforward.

"Ah- Umm, are you serious? I just started here yesterday. It might look bad on my record If I quit immediately!" she said.

"So, you are thinking of quitting?" I quickly said.

"That's not what I meant, I just met you and this is my first job going to Manila and I don't even know where I'll work If I come with you, I even paid an advance of three months to the apartment I'm renting at Dalandanan." She explained to me in a concise manner her situation.

"That's not gonna be a problem, I'm Sky Ishiyama, I'm a private business owner and I sell a variety of goods for consumers at four shops located here and at Pulo, nice to meet you. I can talk to your employer here about your record, but I doubt you'd need to worry about that. I can even refund you from my own pocket the advance that you paid for your landlord." I reassured her.

"That sounds too good to be true." she shrugs and she now has a suspicious look.

"Still hesitating? Wait here yeah?" I said.

I went to their administrator's office and I spoke to her employer for a good 5 minutes. After that, the door opened and I was walking with her employer behind me.

"Rin, you're free to go, you never mentioned that Mr. Ishiyama took an interest in you. Don't worry about your records, I'll take care of it. Good luck!"

If her jaw could drop any lower, it would drop on the floor. "Let's shop for a bit first inside, your employer gave you a parting gift, here." I handed her a pushcart as I walked inside the shopping area.

"What do you mean gift? This pushcart?" she gave me a confused look.

I gave her a smile and said, "What that means is that you could fill it up with anything you want and that is yours." She turned her head around to look at her employer which is still smiling and gave her an 'OK' sign.

She turned to me again and she gave me a bow. I'm not sure whether she's in a hurry or the idea of having everything in a pushcart for free flicked a switch in her because she immediately disappeared going from aisle to aisle. I asked Lois to accompany her to tell her that it's not time constrained as I paid for the items I originally ordered. Lois also grabbed a pushcart for himself and tried to pack as many items that he could.

"Mr. Ishiyama your mom and I go way back, my name is Thelma. I used to work for her when you were still in her belly and she taught me a lot of things. I almost didn't recognize you, but those eyes of yours tells it all. I'll excuse myself, and sorry for your loss." she said as she walks back to her office.

"Sorry for your loss huh?" I remembered what she said. I remembered something very dark, something very unpleasant, the scars on my arm throbs as I remember. I shook my head and tried to forget that for now. I followed her to her office and handed her a piece of paper. She gave me a confused look and just before she flipped it over, I went outside.

After exactly 30 minutes Rin and Lois came back.

"Thank you for waiting for me sir, I'll check the crew if they have packed your items in the truck." she said before I stopped her.

"What did you bring here?" I asked her since the items she brought are now neatly packed on boxes while a single plastic bag is hanging upon the handlebar.

"Oh, very well, I've brought a stack of notebooks, a few rims of paper and other miscellaneous office supplies. They are in these two boxes. The other three includes clothes, hygiene products, a cleaning kit for my glasses, food and this heavy blanket." she said.

"Heavy blanket?" I asked curiously.

"I remember seeing this online and it said it could help with sleeping." she said shyly.

"Oh? Can you grab me one of those then? Lois, grab a few more supplies like batteries, duct tape and some WD-40 etc." I asked.

"Of course, sir." she grabbed another one then she proceeded to check on the truck while Lois went for another round in the aisles. After a while, she came back and said that everything is ready. I grabbed the bags from the car and placed it on the truck along with Rin's items. I asked Lois to ride the truck, so the driver knows where to go and I asked Rin to go where she's staying currently.

We rode for roughly 10 minutes before we reach the destination, she's very quiet on the car ride and we just listened to the radio while I'm driving. I stopped the car and locked it as we started to walk in a tight alley. A few turns along the way and what welcomed me is a very small apartment that she was renting. A small room has four beds in it and the window does not provide much air inside.

She took her big duffel bag which appears to contain all her stuff and a few knick-knacks and she said her goodbyes to the landlord. She raised her hand towards me, motioning me to pay her now of her advance. I give a sigh but I understood her situation judging from her living condition.

"Well how much is it?" I asked.

"Php. 4,500 (roughly $90)" she replied.

"Here, kindly keep the change. Consider it as a welcome gift." I gave her five Php. 1,000 bills.

She gave me a nod, then she placed it neatly on her wallet. We walked down and drove the car back, passing some more ambulances and police cars.

"Still no military action? This is going to be ugly if they don't do anything earlier." I said to myself.

"What's happening outside? Is a riot happening?" she said.

It just hit me that she has no access to the news while working there, I handed her my phone and showed her the news. I even showed her old files that I'm planning to show the group later. Her eyes never left the screen and she said, "H-hold on, is this real?"

"What do you think?" I replied.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 9: 9

She started to browse more files that I pointed to at my phone. She seems very apprehensive as she saw more. A few minutes pass, we arrived at the compound. She stopped looking at my phone then she handed it back to me with complex expressions.

"Here we are, better call this place your home too. I could be lying to you about what I showed you in my phone, but think of it like this… If I lied, you'd still be paid more, have better living conditions and have a boss that likes to joke around that has a sick sense of humor. If what I showed you is real, let's just say that you'd have a better chance here than the place you were living at. Fair yeah?" I said.

I looked at her and she was just starting to take in the information I gave her earlier. Judging from the look in her face, the half-doubt she was keeping inside her is gone but the look of worry is still there.

Also, I should let it out of my system, "Technically, I really kinda kidnapped her to be honest. But judging from her living conditions, also technically, I saved her by 'kidnapping' her. One bad thing and one good thing done, an equivalent exchange." I said to myself.

"So, what kind of work would you need me for, some sort of a secretarial job?" she asked before we stepped out.

"Yes, you have something that I do too. I could do what I hired you for but I'm sure I'm gonna be busy these coming days. What you have is very similar to mine." I said.

"And that is?" she looks at me, intrigued.

"OCD." I said very flatly.

"Oh." she chuckled. "My employer, Mrs. Thelma told me I have that, that's why she placed me in that position. Some people call it a bad thing, but I beg to differ." she said with a pensive look.

"I agree with that, they can call it whatever they want but I still think that having this is a good thing. Come on, I'll show guide you to your room." I said as I grab the bags behind the car. She grabbed her duffel bag and offered to carry some of the bags in which case I handed her two, I immediately identified where those 'boxes' were and I placed a death grip on it. We were greeted by my aunt and her family as we passed by them.

"Sky! bring the sisters down too, it's time to eat." She yelled as I close the door. Lois probably told them about Rin, so she never asked me why I brought another person along.

I walked her upstairs and guided her to the third door on the 2nd floor. I handed her the keys to her room then I told her to change, since she's still wearing her uniform from where she worked at. She tried to ask about her job description more but I waved her down and told her to go down to the next house on the left after she changed.

I then walked to the second door to check on the two.

knock* *knock*

"Hey, time to eat. Are you guys awake?" I said behind the door.

The door was opened by Kaley, I saw her sister sleeping on the bed while hugging Zeus and he gives me a look of needing help. It seems that Zeus can't wrestle out of Olivia's death grip no matter what he does. I gave an amused expression and then I looked back at Kaley, I noticed that her eyes are red while she's clutching her phone.

"Something happened?" I asked.

"Yeah…I just found out that Angel, my coworker, was attacked on their home earlier. The police said that someone under the influence tried to break into their apartment. Her boyfriend tried to confront the person but…" she said with a tremble in her voice. "Well… you get the idea. She's in the ICU and her boyfriend was pronounced DOA." She said after a sigh.

"Where were they staying?" I asked.

"Near the pier." she replied.

"Damn, those guys were close where it started on the news." I said to myself.

"I'm sorry…" that was all that came out of me.

We shared a moment of silence then I heard a door open. Rin was now changed into a simple attire and she gave us a glance and said, "Mr. And Mrs. Ishiyama, thank you for this opportunity I'm-"

"Nope! Nope! You got it wrong! I'm sorry Kaley, Ehem!" I immediately choked on her words.

"Let me introduce you, this is Kaley, Kaley this is Rin, the girl over there sleeping is Olivia, her sister. We know each other from way back." I explained.

"Oh, so you guys are just living together then?" she gave another question.

I choked the second time, "Umm, ah… technically speaking, yes we are, but umm-"

I stopped myself before I made it worse. "She's very straightforward, no breaking balls just fast balls…" I said to myself.

Kaley is smiling with her rosy cheeks that almost looked like a blush while Rin is kinda embarrassed as she just now understood that she misread the situation when Kaley explained for me.

We woke Olivia up then we headed to my aunt's house with Zeus following behind.

They are gathering the plates and other utensils at the table then I heard a call outside, it's probably Oscar or my uncles arriving. Turns out, it's both. I saw our old 8-wheeler truck as I open the gate with Lois. To my surprise, they are followed by a tricycle and two motorcycles. Oscar's SUV is in the back also followed by the truck from Wilcon's Depot. They parked near the other vehicles and I walked towards them.

On the truck is my two uncles, Zardon and Zeidrick. The one driving the tricycle is my former employee named Jo, the two behind him is his brother Mario with her twin Maria, but we call them Dong and Mari. There are three people inside the sidecar, Manilyn, Nora and Cleo. They are Jo's wife, mother and daughter. On the black motorcycle, it was being ridden by Mark and his GF Alice. On the blue motorcycle it was Malong and Ariel riding them. All three of the guys in the motorcycles is in my employ.

I instructed people who are able-bodied to first remove the supplies from the delivery truck from Wilcon's Depot, we'll see to the other truck later since I own it. I made other people help my aunt with the food since there are more people that came, she suggested for us all to eat outside because with our numbers, it would be crowded inside their place. Tables and chairs were taken out and placed outside then a plastic sheet was placed over the tables for ease of cleaning later.

Food is now being taken out and other utensils are stacked to one side with the plates. Each one grabbed a plate and started serving themselves. Before I grab my plate, I opened a can of dog food for Zeus and mixed it with rice, he's happily chomping down his food then I started to get some food for myself.

Today, aunt cooked fried chicken Adobo It's a traditional Filipino dish where you first fry the chicken then you start cooking it by sautéing it with garlic and onions, adding other spices, then the soy sauce, and then the potatoes. You let it simmer for a bit and it's done. Weirdly, if you have leftovers and reheat it, it would be much tastier. Must be because the chicken is getting marinated by the sauce and it starts to seep inside the meat.

I held the ladle and I scooped two servings of rice and a serving of the vegetables on one of the containers and I grabbed a bowl of Adobo. I poured some of the sauce over my rice when I grabbed a seat next to Kaley. Everyone seems to be enjoying the food and my aunt is also glad seeing everyone liking her cooking.

I checked my watch 12:30 PM, still no emergency broadcast from the government, I think they are still trying to contain it. I shook my head to their actions, but I understand their situation. They must absolutely, not cause a panic. As I look to the group of people in front of me, a weight of responsibility is now placed in my shoulders.

Kaley scooted next to my left side and she asked me, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." I replied as I swallowed another mouthful.

"How did you and Oscar really meet? And how come you've information about what's happening now before everyone else?" Kaley said very straightforwardly.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 10: 10

Some heads turned to our direction, some of them are also curious about things.

"I want to tell you guys everything later in the meeting, but some people are not here yet. Tell you what, I'll tell you the instead the story about how me and Oscar met, sounds good?" I said.

She gave me a nod and everyone else seems very interested.

"We both like watching or reading on topics about a nuclear fallout, a power grid attack, alien invasion, economic collapse and you know, a zombie outbreak. It first started as a hobby, I met Oscar on a convention in San Diego where I got seated next to him. It was a panel for a TV show that features zombies as the enemy, 'The Pacing Unliving'." I drank a bit of water then I continued.

"We talked a lot after the panel and we exchanged emails. We got to talking about what we would do in case that happened, then he introduced me into prepping. To give it a short explanation, it's preparing for a certain scenario, a backup of a backup of a backup plan. It's actually a rabbit hole if I go into more details on it since there is a different fit for every scenario. It's like asking someone after you watch 'The Pacing Unliving', what would you do in that situation? What would you prepare in case of a zombie outbreak? Like what would you bring with you? What would you fortify your house with? Something along those lines."

I got a few nods of understanding though some of them are still more focused on eating.

"It got really fun when I started, he helped me buy my first gun, which was a Glock 17 and he taught me how to use it. That's where I learned that he used to be a Combat Medic for the US Army. He's 64 now and it only shows when you see the white strands in his hair. Aside from him mentioning her daughter in the Navy which I've never met, that's pretty much all I know about him. Though we've been friends ever since." I was slicing off a chunk of potato that was too big for my spoon.

"When I went back to the Philippines, we're still in contact. Aside from continuing my parent's business, I still trained to use my gun. I even had a membership on a range in Quezon City and learned to use different kinds, though I still preferred on using pistols. In my spare time, I learned a lot of other things for self-defense, aside from already knowing Kendo and Karate ever since I was young, I've also learned different disciplines. Because in the book that Oscar gave me, it says that you can't always have a gun at your side, learning other forms of self-defense can be the one to decide whether you could protect yourself and those close to you. It's better to have and don't need than to need and not have." I said.

Oscar nodded at the last part.

"Wow, this is very different from the things that you used to geek about." Kaley said.

"Hah! Geeking out about something could be anything, you're right though. I even had a thought in my head to take it one step further. I also learned how to cook, grow my own food, catch fish, farm certain animals, perform basic first aid, fix certain household problems and car problems and so much more. I learned as much as I could take in during these few years, having a photographic memory helped me a lot in this case. The easiest ones to do are things like memorizing certain plants that which are edible and learning what type of medicine works with each sickness. The only thing I've taken time to learn is where you need to practice over and over since it takes time. You can say that I've become a jack of all trades, though there are differences in skill level for each one. Oscar even introduced me to one of his old buddies in the Army a few years back and they gave me this training from hell, it was actually the training for real soldiers and he left me there for 6 months! I thought I was gonna die at that time!" I concluded.

"Well, you finished it kid. I would've told them to keep you there for a year but my friend there told me you were ready." Oscar said.

"Hah! Ready for what? Vietnam? It was fun although it was hard." I joked.

He just raised his bowl and he gave a hearty laugh.

"But how did the both of you get this place?" Kaley inquired.

"Most of the veterans in the US are treated very poorly after they retire and some would have a hard transition to society when they come back after a number of years. Some would be lucky to have a roof on their heads and some would be left homeless, so much for being called a hero. Good thing I have saved a lot of money to help myself. I could say that I'm one of the lucky ones. My daughter is in the Navy but we haven't had much contact since my wife died." Oscar was the one to answer now and he continued.

"I lived alone in my old house and though I'm getting by good from working 40 years in the army, I felt really bored. Then I started to watch different shows online. I get really into the end of the world genre and in the art of being a prepper so I went to one of the conventions where I met this kid. I don't know what it is but I got really intrigued in this kid. The way he looks at things and how his head works is different." he said.

"What do you mean by that old man?" I replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Bah! You'll never get what I mean. To make a long story short, we became buddies and he was the youngest among all of them. When I got the news that he's flying back, I decided to sell all my property in Texas to move here. There's nothing for me there anyway, and most of the stuff here is very cheap. That means I could live the life of a king here. I contacted him immediately and said that I need his help to find a place here and he generously offered for me to stay at his house for the meantime. I stayed at his place and we 'remodeled' it while I started to look for a place to get." he said.

"This place here was owned by the Cruz family, right?" Oscar looked at me.

I nodded, "Their family is planning to move in Australia and they are selling this place lower than the market price it's really a steal. It even helped us greatly that my parents knew them. They planned to sell everything here for 64 Million PHP (1.25 Million USD) but they sold it to the both of us for 42 Million (825 Thousand USD). It's still pretty steep but Oscar footed most of it."

"And what we got to thank for that is the conversion rate kid, dollars converted to pesos would go a very long way." Oscar added.

Kaley now nodded herself, "I agree, that's the reason why most people here tried to work abroad."

"Well we spent more money and time renovating this place when the Cruz family moved out, we changed the gate, fortified the walls, added the floodlights, solar generators and panels all around, CCTVs, the barn, the greenhouse and some other things. Oscar explores the world a few times every year and I was in charge of this place ever since. We slowly built it up and here we are now." I said while drinking from my glass of juice.

"But why though? Just from a thought that something might happen?" Rin finally chimed in.

"Yeah, and because we can." Oscar and I answered at the same time. We looked at each other and started laughing.

"Seriously though, we really just wanted to build something of our own, there's nothing bad to come out of that yeah? We just wanted to feel secure and not blame ourselves when shit hits the fan. Honestly, I just started prepping as a hobby at first, we just rushed on building this thing with Sky when we witnessed that." Oscar put a lot of emphasis on the word 'that'.

Kaley and some people gave Oscar a questioning look but he laughed it off, Rin gave a quick glance at me and Zeus is now touching my leg, he seemed to have finished his bowl. In the end, we told them that we would tell them everything we know once everybody is here. The only silver lining here is that Malanday, this barangay, has still not been hit yet. I really hope that the others would come earlier.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 11: 11

I finished my food earlier than everyone else and I grabbed a banana, I broke it in half and gave the other half to Zeus. Everyone else seemed to be happy eating and chatting with each other, I headed to where the truck was and inspected its contents. It's filled to the brim with different sacks of rice, it ranges from the regular white ones to the special kinds like brown rice and the glutinous ones, though most of it contains the regular ones.

Jo approached me and he said, "Hey, thanks for taking everyone in. We hauled everything from the stores, I even brought everything from mine. I've brought fresh vegetables and fruit, a few groceries and all of the trays of the eggs and the salted eggs that we made. Aside from that, clothes and other things are in the bags."

"That's good, thank you." I said to Jo. He patted me in the back and we approached the group eating.

"Unc, have you cleared the store here?" I asked.

"Oh, not yet. I've called the store and I told Nathan and Arnel to stop receiving customers, they're probably tidying up and ready to pack by the time we get there." Zardon said.

"Okay, I'll come with you then." I said.

"Sure, and hey, Paco has been hit. It's about to start there now. It's getting closer." he said as I give a serious look.

I tasked the guys to load everything from the truck to the storage area then we drove for the store at the public market. Nathan and Arnel, the other two at my employ were waiting for us. We parked in front of the store and then they started hauling the sacks of rice, sugar, flour and salt first. What followed were different kinds of groceries for cooking, hygiene, and household supplies.

A few onlookers took notice of what we're doing and my next-door shop owners can't help but ask me.

"Hey, what are you guys doing? It looks like you're closing early." one of them said.

"Why are you guys hauling everything here? It's not like a super typhoon is coming, I know rainy season is coming but I think this is too much." another one said.

"Just being ready. Something is definitely coming though, watch the news." I replied.

A few others voiced their opinion on the matter and some tricycle drivers waiting for customers started to ridicule me. I paid them no mind as I talked to some of the shopkeepers.

"Something's happening, I suggest you guys do the same. Gather everything you can and secure your home. Wait for the government's help or try to help yourself." I said to them.

A series of laughter is what I received from the tricycle drivers again and some with the other shopkeepers. A very few of them have pensive looks.

"Change the channel to the news aside from that sports channel so you get what I'm saying." I pointed to the TV on one of the shops.

As the guy was about to grab the remote, one of the tricycle drivers shouted. He broke the bottle on his hand when he threw it in the ground.

crash*

"You f.u.c.k.i.n.g know-it-all better shut the f.u.c.k up! I'm watching that! You better not press that remote or I'll f.u.c.k you up like what I would do to this kid!" the guy slurred as he pointed at me. Although the TV's channel wasn't changed, other guys turned their radio on as they listened on it with their headset.

I gave him a look of indifference as I continued talking. "Do what you want, I said my piece. I hope you listen to me unlike this blubbering idiot here." I said nonchalantly.

"Oh, boy." My uncle said.

"The f.u.c.k did you say to me?!" he rushed towards me, his other 'friends' don't seem to mind what happens.

He's larger than me, he's very obese to say it bluntly, his beer belly and his flapping lateral muscles sways as he tried to punch me.

whoosh*

I tilted my head slightly to dodge, then I kicked upward toward his crotch. He felt the hit as he knelt down clutching his balls. He spat in my face as he cursed. I stared at him dead in the eye as I formed a fist and gave a clean hit to his chin.

crack*

He fell sideways on the pavement unconscious.

"Damn." My uncle remarked.

The place was now silent while the two other guys just laughed at their companion and they left him there unmoving. I just carried the guy on the side while I wait on the guys loading the truck. I received a text that my cousin Nicole and her GF Alicia just arrived home along with our few family members while another text was from my old college friend, Ken.

"I'm rolling there soon man, give me 30 minutes. I've brought my sister with me. Hope you don't mind I also brought my dog." he said.

"Great, no worries man, just come here quick, it's getting closer." I replied.

"Alright, man, peace!" he replied.

The truck is finally filled though there are still a few tin cans of cooking oil left. I placed it in front of the truck then I let them go first. Nathan and Arnel rode their tricycles but Nathan stopped before me.

"Hey boss, I got to tell you something. I think me and my family would head to her parents in Novaliches, they have a place there too. I appreciate that you invited us here but I think we'll try our chances there."

I looked at him and he seems to be decided.

"I respect your decision; I'll give you something before you guys go. I'll head somewhere first." I told him.

"Thank you, we'll drop by your house after Jane finished packing." He said.

He gave me a pat on the back as he rode his vehicle home. I went to a bike shop where they sell motorcycles and other accessories. I bought five full suits with their full-face helmets.

"This could help a bit." I said to myself then I called for a pedicab, a bicycle with a sidecar attached to it, to drive me home.

As I reach my house, I saw a car next to my gate. As the door opened, a woman about the same age as me walked out. She opened the trunk and when I saw what she's pulling out, I helped her immediately. We both pulled the wheelchair and she placed it on the other passenger door.

"Thanks." she said as I nodded.

"What's up man? Been too long since I last saw you." I said to the guy pulling himself out of the car, He placed himself properly on his wheelchair then he spun it himself and he gave me a fist bump. "What's up man? How long has it been, 6 years?" he replied.

It was Ken, my friend from college and his sister Kristine. I helped them with some of their luggage as I opened one segment of the gate so he could push himself in.

Their English Bulldog Peanut is looking around curiously, she saw Zeus running towards me and then they both just looked at each other as their tails slowly wagged, they seemed to be friendly as they interact.

I introduced Ken and his sister to everybody and everybody else welcomed them. One of them offered to push Ken's wheelchair but he waved them off, he gave a grin and he flexed his arms. He has bigger biceps than mine. Her sister laughed at the sight and Lois, who offered to push him was visibly surprised.

I told Lois to guide them to the house between mine and Oscar's as I go towards Rin.

"Hey, let's put you to work." I said.

"Of course, what do you need sir?" she replied.

"I'd like you to take make an inventory of everything that we have here. I trust you could make a fine system on it, sounds good?" I said.

She nodded and she smiled. She seems pretty excited on doing this sort of thing, so I let her leave and grab some of the notebooks she brought from the store.

A moment passes then there's the sound of someone ringing the bell at the gate. I opened the gate and saw Nathan and his family; they are packed and ready to leave. He brought out his tricycle and all of their bags is tied to the roof. I gave his wife and kids a small greeting as I grabbed a bag from the house.

"Here." I handed the bag to him.

"Thanks, but what's in here?" he asked while he puts it on his back.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 12: 12

"A parting gift, it has a revolver with a few extra rounds, a knife, a radio, a flashlight, a first aid kit and a couple days of food and water. If anything goes wrong, I need you to bring your family back here. If you get close here, we're always at channel 9. You're gonna be pretty far so I need you to stay alert at all times and explain to her family properly what is going on. Stay safe and aim for the head if anything happens." I said as I waved them goodbye after a strong handshake.

His wife doesn't seem to care about me and I think she doesn't believe what I said. I really found it surprising that he managed to convince his wife into packing up and moving, that woman is really a hard-head.

"Uh, h-hey boss." I heard behind me.

I looked at him and saw Ariel, he's scratching his bald head and he's still sweating from unloading the truck.

"I'm also of thinking of leaving…" he said.

One of my workers heard him say that and he immediately walked up to us. It was Mark, he has long hair and about a full head shorter than me.

"Dude! I'm telling you, It's an eight-hour drive there. You don't even know if she's still there, or even if she would come with you." Mark argued.

"I know, but I'd still need to try." Ariel said.

"Dumb f.u.c.k." Mark storms off.

Ariel is talking about his daughter that he left with his relatives when he was still young. He's been sending money to them to support her so he needs to make sure that she's safe.

"Boss, if she comes with me can she stay here?" Ariel looked at me.

"That's hard to say, I think it would be better for you to go further north. Head to the Quezon province, remember my Uncle Junior and Aunt Michelle? Head to their house, I'm sure they'll let you in. If you go there from your relatives, it would be a shorter distance to travel instead of going back here. I'll draw you a map." I explained as I marked the direction he needs to go. After that I gave him a bag that contained the same gear as earlier except the radio.

A few hours of checking everything, Aunt Sharon's Husband, Conrad, came home bringing more supplies and a few cases of hard liquor which was heavily welcomed by some of the group. I saw Rin saw the stacks and she flipped her notebook to previous pages to write some stuff down. She saw me checking my phone and she approached me.

"Umm, excuse me sir. I've finished listing everything you have in the bas.e.m.e.nt and on the other houses. What I've done is I've made separate sheets for each house and each room and a master list for everything. Sir Oscar helped me with naming the weapons and vehicles properly and the only thing not on the list is everything on your room sir. Or should I not include it?" she said as she handed me her notebook.

I take a quick glance and I was astonished. My smile is so wide, it almost ripped my cheek straight into my ear. What she did in the notebook is an artwork. I gave her a pat in the back as I handed her the keys to my room.

"Here, list everything but keep a tight lid on the number of our guns and ammunition. Keep that in a separate list and don't show it to anyone." I instructed as she nodded.

4:00 PM

Everyone seems to be busy doing their own thing so I took a seat on the stairs as Zeus followed me as he rested his head on my lap. "Everything is almost ready." I muttered as I stared at everyone. Kaley sat down to my other side then she placed her arm over my shoulder.

"It still looks like what happened earlier didn't happen." she said.

"Yeah, I-" before I finished what I was saying, a loud siren started ringing in our ears.

WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~* *WONGGGGG~*

The sirens that would sound for emergency situations like when the super typhoon Ondoy came in 2009. It rang for a full minute before it stopped then the door behind us opened and Olivia rushed out.

"Guys come here! Check the TV!" she shouted.

We followed her in the house as we stared at the screen. The President is on the screen geared in full combat attire with an M16 hung on his shoulders with soldiers at his back.

"This is the president speaking, I hereby declare the country, effective immediately in Martial Law! In a few hours, military personnel and the DDR or the Department of Disaster Resilience will be deployed and stationed at select places in every city and province. Several countries have already declared a state of emergency and they have set up FEMA camps like our DDRs. All concerned civilians are required to head to these places for the military's protection. It will have food, water, housing and emergency medical services."

"The military is doing it's best to defeat this…this… pandemic…those who are infected is ordered to be put down immediately! The information that the US has given us is that signs that a person is infected is its erratic movement, bloodshot eyes, high fever, violent behavior, dark veins on the skin and its increased strength and speed on a few cases. We are constantly monitoring and studying the infected to get more information. Do not, I repeat, do not! Attempt to save or try to talk to the infected! If you see any signs or any doubts that someone is, inform us immediately or try to take care of it yourself. Or, if there is too many, avoid the danger and run!"

"The CDC advised to gather your supplies and reinforce your doors if you are not able to go to our DDR camps. Conserve what you have and stay level-headed at all times. Avoid going out at all cost to avoid contact with the infected. If any chance you encounter one, a gunshot or a strong blow to the head immediately kills these sons of bitches! A mention of a cure or a vaccine is not apparent but they have started to work on it. They said to always keep yourself healthy, not just a bite or scratch will infect you, there have been reports of people dying of natural causes rising up from the dead. So, if you are staying near a cemetery, leave that place immediately! Those who have special cases like needing Insulin or other shots similar, I suggest you to stockpile on it or head to our DDR camps for it."

He gave a proper salute to everyone then the broadcast is replaced with reporters repeating what the president said and different instruction to get to the DDR camps and basic survival guides.

Everyone is silent, just glued to the screen. Some of the group got weak on the knees, some hugged their families tight and a few has the same sharp eyes as mine.

I immediately stood up and said, "It's starting now! We got little time left before we lockdown, is everybody here?"

My uncle Zeidrick rose up and said, "My son is still in the gas station and my wife and daughter is still at work at the noodle factory." We grabbed the sedan and drove outside, you could feel the weight in the air, there is a lot of shouting and sounds of running everywhere. I saw a few shops immediately closing down, a few cars speeding off and a few outside still watching the broadcast on the TV that one of the bakeries hung up on their shop.

My uncle dropped me off at the gas station to look for Russel, his son, because he works here. A few numbers of people are now swarming their small convenience store either buying everything they could carry, or stealing as they grab what they could. My uncle immediately drove to the direction where his wife is at and I saw Russel in a scuffle with a shoplifter, I pulled him out of the guy and the guy runs off with a few packs of ramen.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 13: 13

He lashed out at me, "Why the f.u.c.k would you do that?! I'm gonna get fired! Hey! Stop!" he saw another kid grabbing a box of candies and run off. Before he chases the kid, I grabbed his collar and turned him around to face me. "Dude, didn't you hear the siren and the broadcast?! Code Zulu Alpha is happening! Your dad dropped me here to pick you up, he went to your mom to get them as well, let's go now!"

"Wait! Let's grab some things first!" He rushed to the store before I even got the chance to stop him. I saw him grab his bag under the counter and he started filling it up with anything he laid his eyes on. When his bag was filled, I saw him pull out a shotgun under the desk. What surprised me was that he aimed it overhead.

"Oh boy." I said.

BOOM*

crash*

"Holy f.u.c.k.i.n.g shit! That's f.u.c.k.i.n.g loud! Everybody f.u.c.k.i.n.g stop!" he shouted.

He grabbed a basket and filled it up with potato ch.i.p.s. He even motioned me to help him grab a case of beer. Everyone is down in the ground while were looting this store. He has this smile in his face while doing this and even I can't help smiling a bit since this escalated quickly. I grabbed a few more items in the store mostly essentials then we headed out.

"Here dude, catch! Everyone else, continue." He threw me keys and he pointed at the small tanker parked on the side.

The people facing down has a look of confusion but they still got up and started taking things from the shop.

"We just shoplifted, open fired a gun, now we're stealing a vehicle. Can't believe we're doing this this early!" I shouted at him as we started to run towards the tanker.

"You told me it's happening right? We need to do this, you can't buy everything with money, dude park here!" he said as he pointed to one of areas where the gas pumps are.

As I parked it, he pulled the gas pump and started filling up the gas tank of the vehicle before he filled the tanker.

"This is gonna take a few minutes. It's half full so maybe 10 minutes tops." He said as he opened a bag of potato ch.i.p.s. A few gunshots started to ring out from every direction as we watch people and cars scatter about.

He handed me the shotgun, handle first, then he said, "That was exciting huh, keep that."

"Really? I thought you'd keep this to yourself." I said as inspect the gun. Though it needs some cleaning and some polishing, it seems to be in working condition.

"My hand hurts." He said as I almost spat out the ch.i.p.s in my mouth.

"Okay, then. I'll trade you for it later." I said as I placed it inside the truck.

"Great! Give me a rocket launcher later okay?" he said while he's grabbing another mouthful.

We both looked at each other and we laughed hysterically.

"Who am I Duke Nukem?!" I said to myself.

A few vehicles tried to get gas like us and Russel just told them that it's free, so they immediately picked up the pumps to load their own cars. A few minutes passed, my uncle stopped at the gas station giving us a honk, his wife and his daughter are at the backseat and a familiar figure was sitting next to my uncle. It was Ellen, an older woman who works as a pedicab driver. I waved at them then Russel steps forward and pointed at the tanker. Like father like son, they both gave each other a thumbs up.

Russel now disconnected the pump from tanker and we followed his dad back to the compound.

Everyone had shock after shock when I began to tell the story on how we acquired the small tanker. Russel just stood next to me trying to act out everything I said as he also provided the sound effects as I tell the story.

I saw the group's overall demeanor lighten up a bit since the broadcast. Well, I kinda expected this to happen when we were gathering everyone earlier, everyone is in a mix of excitement and worry but when the broadcast aired it was replaced by fear and helplessness, well, aside from a few others.

We placed everything in the storage area and also a few boxes of noodles from the factory. It's almost dusk before we settled down. The sirens are still blaring every hour and the broadcast is on loop. But every now and then the news covers other cities where the DDR has reached and a few places already hit. There's now a DDR camp near here which is a few blocks away from the school we would pass to get to this place.

It's located at the high school which was recently built a few years ago where next to it is the barangay hall where a small clinic and a huge hospital is also located. Ken flew his drone over there and we saw that it is now being barricaded and there are 2 medical trailers and three military jeeps stationed inside. They made a checkpoint at the basketball court where the trailers are parked and they seem to check everyone before they pass through.

A few soldiers are stationed outside and in the checkpoint area to improve security and ensure that the civilians don't do anything stupid. They are armed with M16s and in full combat gear while the people on the line are clutching their own bags hoping to get inside as soon as possible.

Something caught our eye in the screen as someone pushed over everyone on the line. The line got a bit crooked then it started to disperse. A guy was in top of another person, face down gnawing at it then it immediately fell down as it was shot by one of the soldiers. The person laying below was convulsing but was also immediately shot without a glance. A few people on the line started to protest but they were held at gun point, ordered to maintain order. Everyone else was now huddled in the ground while the checkpoint still continued accepting people inside. The line now has become a semi-circle crowding over the checkpoint.

Two more military jeeps with a mounted .50 caliber machine gun parked in front of the crowd. Ken now started to drive the drone back as the batteries are getting low, he said that he had to pack everything in a rush and he forgot to charge everything.

Olivia seems interested at the drone as she starts to strike a conversation with Ken. They talked for a while and when I saw her again, she has a DSLR camera hanging from her neck. Kaley then brought her again to Ken to thank him for letting her borrow the camera. He gave them a nod as he packs the drone to charge at his room later.

I looked solemnly at the gate and I checked my phone. "I guess this is everyone for now. I hope the others are safe on the other side." I mutter to myself. I looked for Rin and I saw her updating the inventory list as she adds the items we brought earlier.

I waved her over and she walked towards me.

"Anything sir?" she asked.

"You need to stop calling me sir, call me by my name." I said.

"Okay sir Sky- umm, Sky…" she gives an awkward smile then she continued. "But S-Sky, the guys are calling you boss, should I tell them to stop too?" she asked.

"Well, they've called me that for a long time it just stuck." I said.

"Oh, so can I call you boss too?" she said.

"Umm, fine, go ahead…" I felt defeated.

"Okay then Boss Sky! What do you need me for?" she said with a straight face. I just let the naming matter go fearing it might get worse.

"Ah- Yeah, I need you to have a list of everyone here too. Ask Oscar to have a simple checkup on everyone, I'll tell Kaley to accompany him, she had medical training before. It would be good if Oscar could teach her what he knows. Also, tell my aunt to get help from who is available to prepare dinner for everyone. I would be in my room or in the gym if you need me or if something comes up." I said as I head to my room first.

I checked online as I removed my jacket and the holster.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 14: 14

Every post in social media is about the epidemic, some people took pictures inside one of the camps while others have posted that they are against the idea of the camps, they thought that being there would be like putting your eggs in the same basket. A few people even said that they would head to higher ground and some people with boats decided to sail and stay in the water for a while.

I checked my email and saw that some of the people that I invited to stay at my place decided to go to the camps or stay at their homes, some of them didn't even reply. I immediately made an email to reply to everybody that the offer still stands, they could take anybody they trust with them and that I don't know if we could contact everybody using the Internet for long. I turned my laptop off as I changed my clothes and headed to the 3rd floor. Kaley and Olivia joined me along with the other guys towards the gym.

I started with a light jog in the treadmill, then I completed sets of stretches as I proceeded to the machines and then to the free weights. I lastly did core exercises and a few more stretches before I headed to the bathroom for a hot shower. The whole process took me two hours. I headed down to the 2nd floor just covered in my towel while carrying my clothes in a clump.

As I was about halfway towards my room, the bathroom on the 2nd floor opened.

I saw Kaley walking out, a towel covered her body and her hair is also held by a towel, exposing her neck. Her jade-like skin and rosy cheeks made my chest thump.

"Oh, hi. I just finished helping Oscar with everyone, he said he'd-" she said as she came out of the bathroom.

"Boss Sky, your aunt said that the- umm… sorry for the interruption." Rin came up then she stopped midway and immediately headed downstairs before I got the chance to say anything.

We both blushed at the same time as we looked at each other, she looked away but I just looked at her.

"W-what?" she said as she looked back at me.

"Nothing, I just thought that you're really beautiful." I said.

Her eyes widen and her cheeks became redder, same as mine, as I said it.

"Ayiee~!" a voice behind her shrieked.

Olivia was actually behind Kaley! She pushed Kaley to the side while hugging her and she looked at me with a grin. Her eyes moved about then she saw my tattoos.

"Whoa! That's cool!" she immediately approached me as she started to touch my arm.

"Did it hurt?" she said.

"Yeah, it was inked by thin bamboo, it took a week before it was finished."

"Oh, is that so? Sis! Feel Sky's arm, He's jacked!"

Kaley felt my arm and as she does it, she noticed one of the few scars that I have. Her eyebrow raised and she gave me a look. I pulled back my arm as she was about to ask about it. Olivia was still oblivious to what happened in that short moment.

"Let's get dressed, they might start eating soon. We'll also have the meeting later; everyone can ask their questions there." I said as I went to my room.

"Y-yeah, sure." Kaley said as she dragged Olivia while she gave me a concerned glance.

We went down together and we saw them still placing some of the utensils at the table. Kaley didn't seem to ask me about the scars that I have. As everyone is now gathered, we started to eat dinner together. One of the guys brought a Bluetooth speaker out and started to play songs as some of us started to chat among each other. We're now served with noodles with boiled eggs and vegetables, there's a few pieces of meat included. A small bowl of chili flakes sits in the corner if you want to add a bit of kick to it and my cousin Nicole, also aunt Sharon's daughter, is coming back for it, seemingly unaffected by the spice and thoroughly enjoying it.

As we finished eating, some of the group are visibly sleepy from the work we've done earlier. Add to that the toll in our minds of what is happening. Most of the people seems to be showing that they are doing fine, while a few others seemed stressed, which is understandable.

"While we're resting, let's have the meeting now that everyone is here." I said as I placed my laptop on one of the tables. Everyone gathered in front of me as I burp and taste a bit of the soup from the noodles that I ate earlier.

"Before we start, I'd like to thank you all for being cooperative and being here. It's been a very hard day for all of us and it's safe to say that we're all tired." I got a few smiles.

"Let me say what I got for you first then you can ask me all your questions." I said.

Everyone seems to agree on that so I started.

"A few years ago, while we were building this place for fun, and of course, security, there were reports lurking out there that what appears to be people exhibiting very strange behavior. You can see them everywhere since there are a lot of them in the Internet so we can't be too sure if it's real or not. However, take a look at this."

I first showed them a CCTV video of a businessman in a bus station lying down on the floor, a few seconds pass, it rolled over, and it smashed his head on the ground. The man started to shake uncontrollably then a guard approached the man to help him. As the guard was getting closer, the man suddenly props up, then it dashed towards the approaching bus and was hit dead on. I played the video again from another angle after the man got hit by the bus. The figure flew a few feet on the pavement, now unmoving. It then stood up for a few seconds then it fell like a puppet when its string was cut off.

The second one I played was from a phone camera, it shows a group of friends partying inside a house. One of the gals brought out a white, crystalline powder from a satchel and she snorted it, she gave a yell and everybody cheers her on. A few seconds pass, her eyes rolled over and she fell to the table she was standing at. It was then cut into an ambulance where an EMT is giving her CPR, the person touched her wrists to look for a pulse then he shook her head. When the body is being placed on a body bag, it suddenly clawed the EMT's neck and he bled uncontrollably. Both the EMT and the girl died that day where there was no explanation for how the girl managed to do that.

I started to show them video after video up to the most recent one. It shows a footage of a man in a maintenance uniform biting the neck of another guy in the same uniform, it then cut into another angle where a very familiar man, woman and older man was in front of it. The group now looked at me, Kaley and Oscar as they watched Oscar in the footage swing the fire extinguisher on the head of the figure.

Kaley was the first one to get a realization from the group watching it, "It's progressing or evolving, was it a timeline of the virus?" she asked.

I nodded, "That first video was in the 2016, and the most recent one was earlier this morning, I found the last one earlier and downloaded it." I continued, "It was first described as a rare phenomenon where people would just move even if they're dead, similar when a lizard's tail was cut and the tail that got chopped of still moves for a certain period. But other people thought otherwise, there were supposed to be a lot more of these videos but the craziest ones got removed a few minutes after it was uploaded."

"What happened in those?" Rin asked.

"I've seen one, it was in a lab, ten people are strapped to a bed while on the other room, a zombie was being taken apart. They've taken its teeth, nails, bone, blood, flesh etc. After they did that, they started pressing the teeth to one person as it draws blood, the same they did with the bones and nails. After that, on one of the people, they injected the blood directly to his body and one of them was fed the rotting flesh forcefully. It goes on and on as some of them started to show different changes and the scientist started to note down what they are. When the camera panned, it shows on another side more people to be used as test subjects." I said to the group.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 15: 15

Everyone was shocked from what they've heard.

"Sky is not trying to scare you for the hell of it but I think that people have also started on researching about the virus much earlier than we thought. The only problem with that is the methods they employ." Oscar said.

Oscar tried to diffuse the situation but what I haven't said was that I'm not sure whether those people are searching for a cure for the virus by studying it or they were the ones who created it in the first place. I think Oscar knew that too, he just tried to lay it off smoothly. I'd like to be perfectly honest with the group but I think in this case we need to do that gradually.

"So, what are we gonna do from now on?" Jared asked me as everyone's eyes are on me now.

"Well, we survive and wipe every zombie in this place, well, that's what I would do." Russel chimed in.

"Woof!" Zeus added in as though he's part of the conversation.

"We could wait this thing out? It would be dangerous outside; we have a lot of food and water…"

"We could maybe try to take more people in?"

"What if they're dangerous?"

"We could drive them away… or you know…"

"What? Kill them? Can you do that?"

"…"

"How about weapons? Will you lend us some guns?"

"Do you even know how to use one?"

"… Well I saw it in the movies…"

"Ha! I'm telling you, you're gonna shoot yourself before you kill one."

"I have a crowbar at the bike, we could always go melee."

clap* *clap*

I clapped twice to get their attention, I looked at each one of them then I spoke.

"Well the obvious answer is we try the best we can to survive. I'm not going to sugar-coat this. The only advantage we got over the people outside is that we are well prepared than most of them. We stocked up on a lot food and water that could last us a few years, more if we ration them properly. We have a small greenhouse here and we could even dig on a few more places here so we could grow more crop so we could have a source of food indefinitely. Same with the barn, we have a few farm animals in there and we could get milk and eggs every day if we take care of them properly." I said as I look at everyone.

"On security, we have been building this place for quite some time, look around, we have high walls and a huge gate. We even have CCTVs and floodlights installed. Me and Oscar have an armory where we could share our weapons with you just as long as we teach you first on how to properly use it and maintain it. We will have more to discuss tomorrow, so I'll request you guys to rest up because we will have lots of work to do when the morning comes."

"And one last thing, I invited you all here not only because of the goodness of my heart, nor because I'm a self-less human being. I decided to bring all of you here since not a single person could survive alone in this world, well, maybe you could, then good on you, but there will be a time where you will need people. People who you could rely on, lean your back to, save you when needed and trust wholeheartedly. This place is just the first phase of the plans, Oscar and I am cooking something for the long run. I just want you guys to support me in every decision I make. I'm not telling you to jump of a cliff and kill yourself when I told you to but just keep in mind that the decision that I will be making is in the group's best interest."

Some hesitant faces appear on the group, mostly from the people that haven't known me that long.

"I understand that some of you will have reservations in taking orders from me, but that is how Oscar and I decided beforehand in how we plan to run this place. To put it very bluntly, all of you are very inexperienced in this type of scenario, f.u.c.k, everyone else is, including me, though Oscar has been in the war, his role is very different from being the one in charge. Oscar gave me the steering wheel of this bus that we are driving, he himself decided to be the conductor where he could advise. Though you can voice your opinions at me, I will have the final say. Make sure you have a very strong argument if you wish to sway my decision, because if you know what type of person I am, I'm a very stubborn guy. I once convinced a guy when I was 10 to give me extra gravy and if not, I'll not move from the line." I said as I laughed.

I heard a few chuckles and a few grins.

"If any one of you think otherwise, I would happily guide you to the DDR camp tomorrow safely with a bag that I gave Nathan and Ariel when they decided to go their own way, no hard feelings. On the other hand, if you agree with me, I thank you with all my heart and will make sure you don't regret your decision. Speak now if you have other plans so I could prepare a bag for you tonight and whatever you've brought in the storage area, I'll give it back or replace it if we used it already. We have everything on record and we'll know even the tiniest grain of rice that goes missing, knowing that, we'll also know what you have brought in here. We'll share everything here except for the guns since we need to teach you first in how to use them properly."

I took a look at everyone and everyone is in deep thought.

"I think if you disagree with the terms Sky said you'd be pretty f.u.c.k.i.n.g stupid, this is a fortress if you ask me, a comfortable one to boot." Russel said.

"Though Sky said those strong words, he's much more lenient than the commanding officers at my unit. I'd be stricter than him if it was me, he's just thinking of you all since you're all civilians. We'll slowly tighten the noose as time goes by in a way you won't notice. But by the time you did, you would all be accustomed to the change in lifestyle. This will not be like your normal days as the time progresses." Oscar chimed in.

"I agree with Oscar, I was in ROTC training to be one of the officers, what they did there left the other ones with no breathing room, what they say is law. If you break one of them there will be strict disciplinary action. In this case he's still willing to hear your opinions." Jared added.

"Guys, I've literally traveled from Cavite to Manila and I'm in a f.u.c.k.i.n.g wheelchair, I'll add that to think about if you're worried about his leadership skills. He might think weird stuff from time to time but it's just pure curiosity." Ken pointed out.

"Thanks, I guess?" I said to Ken as he laughs.

I gave them a nod and they did as well. Everyone seems to agree to stay as no one speaks up after.

"Though we didn't technically vote, I think Sky still won the election." Oscar said as he gives a hearty laugh.

I'm not sure if everyone really decided to follow me but I'm happy that nobody objected and that reason and understanding is in their faces.

Olivia stood in front of everyone holding the camera Ken lent her. "I think we need a group photo for this?" she said.

Everyone's mood seems to lighten.

"That sounds good, actually." I said.

We gathered in front of the house as we posed.

click*

Olivia set the timer on the camera then she ran frantically to her position. She grabbed the camera to take a look at the photo then she scratched her head.

"I forgot the flash, ehehe~" she said.

It got a few laughs then after we took a proper photo, I told her to take individual pictures of everyone tomorrow so Rin could add that to everyone's profile.

I went back to my room and grabbed a rifle and my binoculars. I went to the 1st floor to make some coffee for a small thermos and I also made a few sandwiches. A few people saw me and asked me what I'm doing.

"I'm standing guard at the barn." I said.

"All night? What are you watching for? I think no one will be able to get past this gate, at least take your uncle Zardon with you. You've been busy, right?" My aunt Sharon said.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 16: 16

"Hey, we could do it for you. It's just standing guard, right?" Dong said. A few of my workers and friends also stepped up to volunteer.

"Isn't the CCTV enough for that though?" Olivia asked a few people nodded in agreement.

"It's good but it would be useless if anything happens at the gate and we're all sleeping in the house. It would be good to have a few people in rotation." Oscar said.

"I want to make you guys do this tomorrow so we have a proper schedule but let's start now since all of you are enthusiastic, who wants to volunteer for watch duty?" I said.

Zardon, Zeidrick, Mark, Malong, Dong, Jo, Conrad, Nicole, Arnel, Ken, Russel, Jared and Kaley raised their hands.

"Here's the plan, it's almost 10:00 PM, let's have 2-hour shifts until 6:00 AM form 2 pairs and I'll accompany everyone throughout the night. I'll bring out a few more guns and I'll make more coffee. Russel, grab a box of mosquito coils from the bas.e.m.e.nt yeah?" I said.

"Why me?" he said.

"Just go, want me to drag you there?" Zeidrick, his dad leaned over.

"Uh, sure…" Russel walked toward the bas.e.m.e.nt.

"I'll let someone pick their own gun on watch duty to whoever gets it here first…" I slyly mentioned.

"Really?" Russel's ear perked up.

"Oh boy." Zardon said.

"Smooth." Ken said.

As Russel was about to turn around, Jared sprinted past him and now the two are racing down my house as Zeus followed them. As they disappear from view, Lois comes up to me and hands me a box of mosquito coils. His dad raised his eyebrow as he chuckled. Everyone laughed when the two came back and saw Lois, they both gave looks of disdain. Turns out his mom asked for a box and he overheard the conversation.

"Hey! He's not included in the race!" Russel protested.

"Yeah! And I was first too!" Jared argued.

"Sky said to whoever gave him the box first, so technically I win." Lois defended himself.

"Better luck next time guys." I said to the two while they are still glaring at Lois.

Lois skipped his foot while he followed me to my room, he picked an M70 the same as Kaley's rifle, though it has a different colored stock and the scopes are different. He hung it proudly around the two as we walked back and he started parading it.

"So, who's gonna start watch duty with me and Lois?" I told everyone present.

My uncle Zardon raised his hand then I handed him the rifle in my back. He asked what I would be using then but I showed the pistols in my torso and I pointed to the binoculars at my neck. I then told everyone to rest up and we will call them later after the shift ends.

We climbed the roof of the barn and we sat down and started to glance around. Lois was playing with the gun but he fell asleep after a few minutes.

"This kid…" my uncle sighed.

"Pfft! Just let him sleep we're still here." I said.

My uncle was about to wake him up but he decided to light the mosquito coil and placed it near us. He seems deep in contemplation so I talked to him.

"You're not gonna get them here? It's fine with me you know. Considering what they did." I said.

"Why? They made their choice; they don't even give a f.u.c.k about me anymore after all I've done for them." He said as he sips his coffee.

"How about Kenny though? And Hannah?" I replied.

"…" he keeps quiet.

"Any idea where they are? The DDR camps?" I said.

"No, Kenny still messages me. The kid said they went to Mr. Chang's place. He said he's uncle is also with them with his family. I think they could hole up there for a time." He said.

"We could drop by there tomorrow. I'll come with." I said.

"No, they'll be safe there for now. I need more time to think." He said as he pours himself another cup.

He drops the subject as we continued to stare into the distance. Aside from the light coming from the DDR camp, it appears that they also occupied the hospital behind it as we saw a Red Cross Helicopter land on top of it. A few lights from other houses can still be seen everywhere though a few flashes of lights from muzzle flashes would appear here and there.

We were sitting in silence as I suddenly woke up from my bed. I checked my watch it says 7:00 AM. I immediately headed down as I saw uncle outside still up, chatting with my aunt and the others.

Day 2

"Morning kid, slept well?" he teased.

"Sorry I fell asleep. How did the watch go?" I said.

"No worries kid, don't sweat it. You're really tired from yesterday. I took over your post for a while, some fell asleep too. I carried you down and brought you up to your room. Kaley there tucked you in as she went outside her room for the second shift." He said.

"You still snore, did you know? Hahaha!" Kaley said.

"Better rest now 'Don, you're awake for the whole night." My aunt said.

"Yeah, let me grab some breakfast first. You guys done yet?" he said as he yawned.

I also yawned as I saw him yawn, now everyone made a yawn when they saw me, even Zeus.

"That's really weird, hahaha! I'll check the ladies if they're done. Some of them volunteered to help me cook, it's nice." My aunt said as she left for her house.

"Hey there sleepy-head." Lois said. He started walking towards the tables and he looked at me. Everyone laughed at his remark.

"Same to you man, we weren't even there for 5 minutes and you were already hugging the gun like a pillow." I rebutted.

Everybody laughed at the banter and soon, everyone was now at the tables in the swimming pool having our breakfast. Today they cooked rice with vegetables paired with scrambled eggs.

Oscar instructed my aunt to prioritize on cooking the food items that will spoil much sooner. Even the rice we used, we used the fanciest ones right away because since it's so soft when you cook them, after a while, the grains would start to darken and it would eventually spoil faster than the other kind. Even with the vegetables, we prioritized on using the fresh ones that Jo's family brought instead of the canned ones and the frozen ones. We'll start using some at the greenhouse if they are available to be harvested.

"What's the plan today kid?" Oscar asked while we're eating.

"We're gonna go outside." I said as I took a spoonful of rice.

"But why? We're pretty much secure here, why don't we just wait this out?" someone in the group stated.

"We need to scout outside. Yesterday night, I marked a few places where there were no lights turned on. A few people are still in their houses, but on the road here on the right, going to the DZRH radio station, most the lights are turned off aside from the few big houses."

"Ken here flew his drone at the area and there are seven houses there who only had their lights on, though were not entirely sure if there are more people. Some of the residents that are actually squatting in the area left and probably headed to the DDR camps yesterday though I still saw a lot of them not leaving."

"If we could secure this part of our gate and build some sort of a fence to the left side, we could have a big part of this street to reclaim if we start on clearing the right side after that. We then would have access to more land, houses, vehicles, supplies, the radio station, two basketball courts and fishing areas."

"Woah there, wait a minute, that is a big area. From here to that place? Can we even secure the place? And could even our numbers could do that?" someone said.

"If you check the end of the map here, after we pass the last house here, it would just be a huge canal system and the road we have is a few feet higher than the waters, so it's a natural dead end and it's impossible for the infected to come from that side. Even if they did, they would first get washed away. I didn't say that we do it in a day, I did say we're just going to scout the area for now." I replied.

"To secure that place, we need to have a few people guarding this side of the gate at all times. We eliminate the infected that comes from the left side and we build a small barricade for it for now. That's when we start to sweep the area on the right or we do it a bit for now as they start to build the barricade." I added.

Everyone slowly understood my intentions as they nodded a few times.

"How about the people still in their houses?" Kaley asked.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 17: 17

"We'll have them on our side as we'll recruit them. Let's just say that I'm gonna make them an offer that they can't refuse. Let's just hope that they have a good head on their shoulders and they don't do anything stupid. It would be easy to recruit the ones with their families; everyone wants to keep their family as safe as possible and 'safe' is something that we can offer. And the more people on our side, the faster we could rebuild."

"That sounds like a perfect plan." Oscar said with a smile.

The crowd showed their approval as they looked at me. We tidy up then I hear Zeus and Peanut barking at the gate.

The only issue with the huge gate is that we can't see who's behind the other side if you're standing in front of it. You'd need to be in a higher position or you could slide the metal part above the mailing box to get a look at who is behind.

"Who's there!" I shouted.

snarl* *growl* *bang*

The two dogs continued to bark at the gate. I climbed up the barn but the figure hugging the gate is too close to even see from that angle.

Ken's drone flew atop the gate and stabilized as it makes a few turns.

"Zombies! There's four in the gate! There's also a couple are coming from the left side and one from the right!" Ken said.

"Do we shoot them?" someone said.

I made Lois bring Zeus and Peanut to the house first while Jared lines a shot to kill the ones approaching.

psshew* *bolt slide*

psshew* *bolt slide*

psshew* *bolt slide*

psshew* *bolt slide*

He shot the ones coming from the left first. He turned and also managed to hit the one from the right.

"Got them?" I asked.

"Yeah, I missed once but the ones coming now are dead. How about the ones in the front now? He said.

A few of the guys now approached the gate carrying shovels, machetes and a sledgehammer while Oscar comes up with his shotgun. Some of the ladies led their kids at the house while a few is standing behind.

"Do you guys even know how to use that?" Oscar said as he pointed at the melee weapons.

"We just need to hit the head, right? Dong said while holding a machete.

"Yeah, that works but know that one scratch from them and we'll shoot you, right?" Oscar said.

"…" the guys fell silent and was slightly startled at what Oscar said.

"What I'm trying to say is that you need to be careful when dealing with those things at close range." Oscar explained.

The guys nodded. "We understand."

"How about this, I'll shoot three first and train you guys for the last one?" I said.

Surprise filled the eyes of the guys as I said it.

"Might as well learn some things aside from swinging it wildly!" I commented.

"Oh boy. He has that light again" Oscar said.

"What light?" the others said.

"That light in his eyes is when he starts something crazy and unexpected. He never failed though aside from a few stupid ones, so just ready your heart." Oscar said to the three.

"Get ready. We're gonna learn something new. Trust me." I said as I opened the small gate.

The zombies are in the middle part banging it when I ran outside the gate. They saw me outside so they turned their attention towards me. I lured them first on the left side of the wall so Jared will have a clear line of sight in case anything happens.

I pulled my gun and aimed at the sights. Three quick pops filled the air and the three zombies at the front chasing me fell down. I left the older guy on the left for the others, it stumbled down on the bodies of the three as it tripped, so I circled around him and called the guys over.

"Come out if you're ready, this is like a modified game of tag. You watch out for the hands and also the mouth if you are trying to run from it. But know that if you are trying to kill it like the person 'it' trying to tag the other guy, remember that it won't run away but will also charge at you. Try to accurately judge the distance between you two and strike when you found an opening from a quick dodge to the side or bringing it to its knees first. Weapon type and length is important too. If you have a weapon long enough, it would be better to thrust it forward if it's pointed. Just keep in mind if the weapon you're holding is blunt or bladed. Using melee weapons is great since we could save our bullets and its quiet, but it increases the risk since we'll be in close quarters." I explained quickly.

"Too much information kid! Explain it in simple words!" Oscar shouted.

"Oh, right… uh, hit it in the head and be careful…" I said.

"…" The three.

As the old zombie from the distance slowly stood up, it turned its head towards us and it started to run to our position.

Dong and Mark readied their weapons but I saw Arnel frozen on the spot. Mark stepped forward then he sidestepped to swing his sledgehammer to its knee. The zombie immediately fell and Dong chopped it's head off. The head rolled off and it is facing up, moving it's jaw up and down.

"It's still alive?" Mark asked.

"You guys must destroy the brain." Oscar said as he walked outside.

Mark then swung the hammer down then blood and brain matter splattered on the ground and on everybody close.

"F.u.c.k!" Mark exclaimed.

"You should've used the machete, hah!" Jared said.

A few bits flew to Arnel's feet and he suddenly threw up as he drops the shovel. Her wife, Vangie came outside the gate and she rubbed his back.

Oscar looked at me and he shakes his head.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"You know the guy?" Oscar asked.

"No, I…I can't stand the sight of blood." Arnel replied.

Oscar gives a solemn look.

"That's fine, But I need you to get used to it as soon as you can. I know it's hard to overcome something that you suffer from but you have to tell me these things, you could have died if you were alone. For the meantime, I'll task you with helping Zeidrick with construction." I said to him. He nods as he wipes the vomit off his lips.

"We need to build a catwalk around the walls. So we could have a better view on them unlike the one that we have on top of the barn. We could also hit them in that angle if we are closer to the wall." I said.

"Oscar, do we have enough materials for that?" I asked him.

"Asking a prepper if he has enough of something is insulting hah! Of course we do! We did get a lot from Wilcon's. Good call, we haven't thought of that kid." He said as everyone gave me an approving look.

As everyone was about to head inside, I spoke, "Hey we need to take care of the bodies here. We can't let them rot here, that will be another problem because we might contact other health problems when they start to decompose. Check their pockets and bags if they have anything, we'll burn them after. A few of you stay back and help me."

Oscar, Jared, Dong and Mark stayed behind as we start to search the bodies. We found two lighters, a pack of cigarettes, a few paper bills, a backpack, two belts, a purse, a stick of lip balm, face powder, three watches, a ring, a butterfly knife and five mobile phones.

I saw Ken's drone doing a few laps around the compound. I glanced once more at the bodies and saw one of them wearing steel-toed boots. I started to untie it as everyone started to look at me with mixed expressions.

"Do you really need to do that? Don't you have shoes?" Jared said.

"Yeah, these boots might save someone's life you know. It's steel-toed and offers a degree of protection. This guy might be working in the construction business. Too bad he got bitten in the neck, not in the feet." I said.

Oscar examined the bodies before we move them to another area to burn.

"Looking at the bodies, it hasn't been long since they were infected. No sign of decomposition yet, though what's apparent is the black veins protruding from the bites and the bloodshot eyes. Everyone has either bites or scratches… except for this guy. Look, aside from the head shot from Jared, this guy has nothing." Oscar explained.

"Wait, so was the guy alive when he was shot?!" Dong exclaimed.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 18: 18

Jared's head looked at Oscar with a worried expression.

"No, look at his arm near the elbow. It has a hole in it. He must've been using psychedelics, he probably overdosed and turned after. I've seen a lot of those holes to know what would happen next." He explained. Jared gave a sigh of relief as Oscar confirmed that it was a dead person.

"It could be the same case with the guy in the airport, the one you killed has a white substance on his clothes." I said.

"But how did the zombies reach here? I stayed on guard duty too, why did a few come from the left side?" Mark inquired.

"Some could've slipped by when we were eating breakfast since no one was at the barn earlier, we need to check the cameras for that. Also, we need to start on your plan as soon as possible." Oscar said, while everyone nodded.

We then hauled the bodies to a pedicab and drove carefully to the left side of the road and burned the bodies on a street corner. The streets are empty besides us, I saw a few heads in the windows of some houses but no one seems interested to strike up a conversation.

We went back to the gate while some of us rode the pedicab. We closed the gate and saw everyone at the poolside huddled up and talking, but there seems to be an argument happening.

"You need to calm down, everything is gonna be fine." Jo said.

"How?! Tell me! Don't you even care about our girl?! She's 5!" Manilyn bellowed.

"I'm her father! Do you think I don't?! I'm doing my best here aren't I?!" he replied.

"Do you know what she told me this morning? She told me, 'Momma, are we gonna die?' I can't even answer her!" she said as she continued to sob.

Everyone fell silent. Manilyn left and headed to their room while Jo followed her. I was about to follow them but my aunt held my shoulder. "Give them space for now, I'll talk to them later." she said. A few of the people in the group have somber expressions especially the parents in the group. I decided to let my aunt handle it because she understands the challenge of being a parent more than I do.

"We're going to get through this you know…" everyone heard a small voice. As we looked for the source it was actually Aya. "We got everyone here, right?" she said.

A few gloomy expressions turned to lighter ones. Her mom hugged her then Aya walked towards me hands raised. I raised a questioning look and I said, "What?"

"Where's my peanut nips?" she said as she adjusts her glasses.

"I remember telling you that they were called 'Trailmix', right?" I said.

"Oh, right. I'll remember what you say from now on." she said innocently.

I made a loud snort and I laughed; Kaley also remembered the bag of Trailmix that I bought with her so a smile formed on her face when she looked in my direction. Aya followed me to my room while I asked my uncle to start building a catwalk at the side of the gate first.

I opened the door to my room where Zeus was the first to enter it while Aya followed. I looked for the bag and gave her one of them. "Don't eat them all in one sitting okay?" I said. Zeus is looking at the bag while I saw Aya looking at the rack near my bed.

"What's that? You call those samurais, right?" she said as she pointed.

"No, samurais are those who uses them. This here is a katana, this shorter one is a wakizashi and this last one that looks like a small knife is called a tanto." I said as I point to her each one of the blades placed horizontally on the rack.

"Oh~ but where is the other one?" she replied as she pointed to the top most part. It has a groove where one more blade, which is also much longer, could be placed down.

"Yeah, that's where you put a tachi, it's much longer than this katana here." I motioned with my hands going apart as I give her a light push on the forehead. She laughed for a bit though I never answered her for where was the tachi located.

She carried the bag with both of her hands as we walked down with Zeus. I grabbed the wakizashi from the rack and tied it to the back of my h.i.p.s horizontally where the handle is at my left side. Lois saw us come down and he looked at the weapon on my hip.

"Hey~ you finally brought the katana." he said.

"Wakizashi." Aya said.

My eyebrow shot up as I smiled at Aya. I ruffled her hair while Lois gave a confused look.

I asked Rin for a clipboard with the names of everybody. I take a look and I started to assign tasks for everyone. Before I started, Arnel came up to me with his two kids though his little daughter is with his wife.

"Anything these two boys could help? I can also make them help carry a bit of stuff for the catwalk, you know hold things and stuff. Stanley my eldest is good with his hands and Ian here is very athletic." He said.

"That's good thanks. Stan, help Zeidrick to draw up the plans for the catwalk and Ian, talk to Oscar for the materials to carry later with the other guys. I'm still figuring out the task for everyone today so, I'll call for you when I finish." I said.

I called Rin to help me with the task, turns out she's still behind me eyeing the blade on my hip. He saw me looking at her and she adjusts her glasses as she looks away.

"Like this? You can hold it for the moment." I said as I unsheathe it.

shing~*

The blade made a small ring as I pull it out. She looks at it with at excitement as I hand it to her.

"It's a bit short, is this a wakizashi?" she said as she inspects it for a bit and handed it back. I was surprised that she knows the correct term, most people I know would say 'samurai' or just simply 'sword' or 'katana'.

"You're correct. I never asked but do you have a Japanese lineage too?" I asked her.

She nodded and she said that her late grandfather was a quarter and I told her I'm half. We chatted for a bit then we get back to the task at hand.

A few minutes passed and this is what we came up.

.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 19: 19

Scouting.

It would be me, Jared, Kaley, Dong and Mark. I was supposed to bring Russel but his dad needs more people to help with lifting and stuff and I was bringing two of my workers and Lois is a wildcard.

Building the catwalk.

It would be led by Zeidrick, my uncle. With the help of Arnel, Jo, Russel, Ian and Stanley. Zeidrick will be drawing up the plans with Stanley while the others would help with manual labor.

Maintenance work.

Oscar, Conrad, Rin and Zardon is assigned to it. This involves checking of the vehicles, CCTVs, lights, generators, water filters and pumps to make sure everything is in working condition. Oscar even mentioned of fixing the electronic wheelchair that his late wife used. He's going to replace the batteries with new ones and see if he could modify it to go a bit faster. Zardon would check the vehicles first since he was a truck driver before and he learned mechanic work while he was on the job. Conrad used to work on a factory so he was assigned to check some of the machinery. Rin will still be in charge of all the supplies that comes in and out and she will make a logbook of everything.

Household work.

My Aunt Sharon leads this group. Charlene, Vangie, Manilyn, Alice, Kristine, Olivia, Ellen and Nora are also assigned. It involves babysitting, gardening, cooking, cleaning, laundry and feeding the animals. It involves a lot of different work so I assigned them accordingly.

Free time.

Aya, Izzy, Kimmy and Cleo; daughters of aunt Sharon, Charlene, Vangie and Manilyn. Though it said free time on the clipboard, they will be accompanied by their mothers and would help a bit, reducing the workload for them.

Watch Duty.

Lois, Nicole, Alicia, Ken, Zeus and Peanut. Lois, Nicole, Alicia and Zeus will be on the barn as I handed Lois a gun while Ken and Peanut will be checking the CCTVs and will fly the drone occasionally.

I nodded at the list and told everybody the plan. The scouting team followed me while the others started to assemble themselves. "Come with me, let's gear up first." I said.

Dong and Mark were still wearing tank tops, shorts and slippers when they came with me. Though Kaley and Jared have some clothing to cover themselves, it's still not enough to offer a degree of protection.

I grabbed the steel-toed boots I took from the guy earlier. However, Jared voiced his opinion on wearing it although Mark fits it well and decided to use it for himself. I pulled a few regular boots for the others that offers a bit of protection from broken glass and other stuff that could pierce our foot.

After giving them the footwear, I gave them a short course on clothes that we should wear when going outside.

"Okay then, have an equal ratio of defense and maneuverability. Prepare something that could at least cover most of your skin and if you're going to wear head gear, try to avoid wearing things that could impede your vision."

I then asked them to wear the gloves, knee pads, elbow pads, shoulder pads and the vest for motorcycle riders that I bought yesterday. Russel and Lois looked in envy as the team walked out after changing.

Dong and Mark are still equipped with the Machete and the Sledgehammer while Jared is equipped with a Glock 19 and Kaley her M70 and Beretta M9. I threw a trench knife in Jared's hand while I continue with my usual loadout. However, I've brought a bag that has a few items.

"Carry your firearms in your holsters and sheathe your weapons but be ready to draw them at a moment's notice. I'll take the lead." I said as I opened the gate.

We walked at the right side of the road and just a few meters I pointed to a small red gate to our left side. This place was where Nathan and his family resides with the other residents. There are three other families there living in segmented apartments. Walking inside the small gate you could see a long strip of wall on the right side and on the left is where the apartment doors are located. A cage for an animal sits at end of the apartment and a wire hangs in the middle of the way where clothes are hung to dry.

I had Jared and Dong guard the gate where we three proceeded. I knocked a few times on the first door and waited. A minute passes and I knocked again.

"Hello? Is there anyone here?" I said. The two beside me is tensed as another minute passes. I grabbed a small leather pouch that looks like a small wallet. The two looked at me in surprise.

I took two items from it and after a moment I spun it completely and a sound is made. Jared shook his head with a smile, seemingly impressed as I place the tools in my pack.

click*

I draw my melee weapon and the two behind me did as well. I opened the door and no one was there. Although the front door was locked, the rest of the rooms are not. We carefully opened each one and we confirmed that the family living here moved recently. I grabbed a marker and drew a symbol on the top of the front door. I drew a circle with a box inside with three lines horizontally placed in the box. We locked the door and proceeded to the next one.

"What does that mean?" Kaley pointed at the symbol.

"Oh, it's a marking system I copied from a game that I used to play a lot." I said.

"Of course, why did I even ask…" Kaley said sarcastically as she chuckled.

We did the same procedure to the other rooms and the work is uneventful. I locked the gate with my own padlock and we proceeded to the next location.

"You need to teach me that next time. I mean the lockpicking stuff." Jared said.

"Don't they teach you at ROTC to never break into people's houses?" I said sarcastically. A few chuckled at the remark as Jared choked while laughing.

Before we reach the first basketball court, on the left side, we would be reaching 3 more gated places and one gravel road that leads to four houses that is above a body water held up by wooden poles. One of the gated places is housed by a single family with a single 2 story house while the other two is connected to each other by a small gate that is placed on the intersecting wall where it meets. It could be even said to be a smaller compound compared to ours but it has several families that used to reside inside and there are twelve houses in total, but they are not in a line like the first one we went through. Also, this is one of the places where Ken saw lights yesterday when he drove the drone around.

On the right side of the way, next to the wall of our place, is a swamp-like area with a small wooden house at the middle of it. It has a little wooden bridge that brings you to the house. What's next to it is a small scrapyard about a quarter the size of our compound, the place used to collect scrap metal and probably sells them somewhere. There's only the working area there and a small wooden shack.

We went to the first gate, aside from knowing that the house is abandoned, their two vehicles are nowhere to be found. We saw a little cat in a cage inside that was probably left there and Kaley took it and some of its food to make a quick run back to the compound. We waited for her for a bit as I marked the placed and went next for the wooden house.

bzzt*

The radio in my hip buzzed. "Hey, this is Ken. Testing. Testing."

bzzt*

bzzt*

"Copy. This is Sky, what's the situation there?"

bzzt*

bzzt*

"This radio is so cool man, it's like we're Special Forces or something. Oscar managed to fix his wife's wheelchair but I suggested if we could place the electronic parts to mine. The frame of that old one scares me a bit."

bzzt*

bzzt*

"That's good. But let's keep this line open for emergencies yeah?"

bzzt*

bzzt*

"Oh right, sorry man, peace!"

bzzt*

We made the necessary precautions as we approach the wooden house but inside it is barren. I made the same mark on the house without the three horizontal lines on the square. "This means that the place is empty, if it has three lines it means it contains something that we could use." I said to the group as they nodded.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 20: 20

We approached the two-gated compound now as I stopped before it to scan around. The nearest gate to us is much wider than the one next to it. If you walk inside that gate, there will be a house in front of you with two windows and you'll see the small gate that connects the two on the right side. On the left side, you will see a walkway but you can't see where it leads from where we stand, but the door to the house in front of us is located at that walkway.

Surprisingly, the gate in front of us is not locked by anything. I carefully opened it and slowly crept to the small gate to lock it with the bolt attached to it. This time I made Jared and Kaley stand guard on the gate while we three proceed to the walkway. I peeked while hugging the wall and I saw the door to this place a few feet away from the walkway and at the end of it, another door can be seen though it has another passage leading to the right. Before we even took a step, a man's voice rang out.

"Who's there?! Are you Ivan?!" the man said.

The group looked at me and I replied to the voice.

"No, this is Sky, a few gates back." I said.

"Sky? What are you doing here? I thought everyone was at the camps. Have you seen Ivan?" he said.

"Is this Derek? We stayed at our compound. We're patrolling here to check on other people. We haven't seen Ivan though, sorry. Can you let us in?" I replied.

"Yeah, this is Derek, wait a few, I'll come down." Derek said.

A few moments we heard a few locks clicking and the door opened for us. Derek has a surprised look when he laid his eyes on us. "Come in, my family and Ivan's family are in here." he said. I come in and saw a few more people though one woman is carrying a baby.

"Where did Ivan go?" I said to them.

"He went out yesterday afternoon after the broadcast to grab their baby some fever medicine, he told us to not leave this house but he never came back since." Derek said. The woman carrying the baby is visibly upset as he told the story.

"Since yesterday? Could he have come to the DDR camps?" I said.

"No, he wouldn't, his wife Clara is still here with his child." Derek said.

"What I mean is he could've come to that place to get some? Mark, can you switch with Kaley for a minute? She could check the baby" I said.

"You got a doctor with you? Please check him! We're pretty low on medicine, the one the doctor prescribed us won't work and he's been restless since yesterday!" Clara said.

As Mark was switching with Kaley, I glanced at Derek's family, he has an older daughter who's probably 18-ish and a son who's probably 10-ish. Derek and his wife seem to be the same age as I looked at them. I then looked at Clara while she's still lulling the baby while she's swaying back and forth, I noticed the baby covered from head to toe. I was about to say that doing that would only make the fever worse but I saw the baby's foot leave the covers.

From this distance, I could only see the foot up to the thigh.

"F.U.C.K!" I shouted in my mind.

As Kaley arrived, I placed a hand in front of her to stop her.

"Wait." I said sternly as I look at her.

"Why? That baby is having a fever since yesterday Sky!" Kaley looked at me.

"Please! Check on him! We don't know what's wrong!" Clara bellowed.

"What are you doing Sky! Do you want payment?! It's a baby for christ sake!" Derek shouted.

I looked at them dead in the eye and I held Kaley's wrist tightly and said, "Remove the covers first."

A wave of cold air hits the room as I said the words.

"Wait, What?!" Julie, Derek's wife said.

"What's going on Sky?" Kaley said.

Clara just started sobbing uncontrollably as her knees touched the ground. Kaley gave me a look of confusion then it slowly turns to realization as the covers slowly fell to the ground.

The baby is very discolored, black lines are all over its body, its body is twitching on different directions as it moves it's jaws up and down. Clara just sat there holding the baby while giving a pleading look.

"Please! Help him!" Clara shouted.

I noticed a dark-red mark on her chest as she lifts the baby towards us. Derek also came to the realization and he moved her family away from Clara. Tears now starts to fall on Clara's and Julia's eyes.

"How long! Clara, How long?!" Derek bellowed. "We could've been infected! Is that why you've locked yourself up in the room?! You should've told us!" Derek's wife moved his kids outside of the house towards Jared and Mark.

"F.u.c.k! Is there anything we can do?" Derek turned to me.

I shook my head and drew my weapon.

"Oh my god! Sky! You aren't!" Kaley shouted as she looked at me.

Derek hung his head low and seemed unable to do anything, Dong was silent the whole time but his hands are trembling. Kaley didn't stop me but tears are now flowing on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, this is the only way to do it. Finding a cure now is just impossible, it could take a few years. What can we do now is… contain it." I said.

"No! Please! He's just a baby!" Clara pleaded.

I gave a bitter smile and I said to myself, "If only that was the case…"

"I'm talking about… the both of you… it's only a matter of time." I said.

"Hold on wait! What do you mean?!" Derek stared at me with a look of confusion the same as everyone else present.

Kaley looked at Clara's clothes near the chest area and she understood. "She's i-infected too, She must've been b.r.e.a.s.tfeeding, the baby must've bitten her while she's nursing him." Kaley said bitterly.

Julia seems to have heard the conversation as she almost fell on the ground, Derek saw her wife and went after her.

"What do we do now?" Dong mentioned as she looked at me and Kaley.

"I'll handle it. It's the right thing to do. Kaley, go to them first." I said.

I went inside the house as I close the door behind me. I just see Clara in a fetal position while holding the baby in her arms crying. I just whispered to them, "I'm sorry."

shhck*

Then I stabbed the blade at Clara's head. She slowly fell to the side as her baby was still clutched in her arms. Tears were flowing on the side of her face and her expression is of bitterness and anger.

I saw her baby struggling to get out of the embrace but I raised the blade once again to stab down.

shhck*

The slow flail immediately stopped as I pull the blade from the baby's head. I felt a familiar sensation, like something leaving your body but it feels heavier.

I grabbed a blanket to cover the two and I also used it to wipe the blood on the blade. I saw Derek's family crying outside the gates while Kaley comforted them. I motioned for Derek and his wife to gather their things and come to our place where it's safer. They agreed immediately as he asks her wife to help him pack. Julia saw the covers and she started crying again. I asked for Dong and Mark to wait for them while Kaley and Jared came with me to the door at the end of the walkway.

"Are you ok?" Kaley stopped me before we started walking. She grabbed my shoulder as she looked at me in the eye.

"That's… different, I'm still okay though. Thanks for asking." I said as I walked forward.

I looked at the right side of the passage first and it turns out to be a place where the family who lived here places their shoes and umbrellas. The search went smoothly and I marked the doors appropriately and I said to everyone to stop for now. It's been a few hours and It's past 11:00. Everyone agreed as we all walked back towards the compound. We also moved the bodies from that house to the place we burn them and took care of it afterwards.

We got back to the compound after transporting the bodies and I looked at the catwalk being built. The frames are mostly done as they drilled through the wall to mount the metal bars for it. It's a combination of metal, wood and cement. The wall would be a little over my waist if I stand on it. I also told them to drill holes at the side so we could place some carabiners, belaying devices and some climbing rope. We could drop the rope to someone on the other side so the person could either climb or be pulled up if by some chance we can't open the gate.

whrrr*

"Hey man, look at this!" I heard a shout from below.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 21: 21

I looked back to see who's calling for me and it was Ken speeding up towards the catwalk.

Ken's wheelchair now has been modified by Oscar and Zardon. They successfully managed to place the electrical parts to Ken's wheelchair. Although a few wires are sticking out, it could be said to be a job well done. The controls are on his right-hand side because he's left-handed and he asked it to be placed there since he wants to hold a gun with his dominant arm.

Rin told me Derek's family are resting in their rooms for the moment and she also told me my aunt is preparing lunch. The supplies we got from their house is also placed in the storage area and the perishables are to be used as much as possible or stored in a cool area. I talked to the four I was with today and Kaley is the one visibly shaken on the encounter. Her eyes are still red when Olivia came to her and the sisters are up on their room.

I went up and saw Olivia trying to comfort her while Zeus is sitting next to her leg.

"Hey." I said after I made a few knocks on the open door.

"Olivia, can you let us talk for a minute?" I said. Olivia nodded as she took Zeus with her.

I entered their room and I closed the door. She lets out a few tears as she sniffles. She wipes her eyes and her nose with a towel as I sit in front of her. We both looked down on the mattress and we shared a moment of silence.

"Hey, umm, I came here thinking of cheering you up by saying something but this time I really don't know what to say. All I can do for you now is share this moment with you by being here and listening to what you might want to say." I say as I look at her.

She looks at me and she pats the place next to her with her hands, motioning me to sit next to her. I obliged then we laid our backs to the wall behind us. I sat a few inches away from her but she leaned over to me. She rested her head on my shoulder and I did the same thing and I rested my head on her as well. We just sat there in silence next to each other as we hear Olivia knocking softly on the door.

"Hey guys, Aya came and said that aunt Sharon is calling us, they said we need to eat. Everybody is below at the pool area." she said.

"Woof!" Zeus also called.

I raised my head to look at her and we went down the stairs as Kaley left her rifle on their bed. Kaley seems to have cheered up a bit despite what happened earlier. Derek's Family also went down from their room and was welcomed by everybody. They still have this look on their face but they seem to be coping well. Jo's family was also there and my aunt said that they'll be fine, Manilyn seems to be smiling and talking to others.

We had lunch and what they cooked today was called 'Pansit' it's a combination of different noodles mixed together with vegetables and meat where it was stir fried in soy sauce and other ingredients. While we eat, I also saw Kaley look for the cat that she brought in earlier to be fed, he was named 'Rio' by the group because we never saw a tag anywhere. Derek also introduced his kids Demi and Jun as they were approached by Aya and the other kids.

We talked a lot while were eating though we agreed to not mention the incident earlier in the meeting later.

Derek mentioned that he used to work with animals and has experience tending to them so I showed him inside the barn where you could see a lot of chickens and a few goats roaming around. He pulled his sleeves up and tended to them after we ate while her wife helped with the household work. They let their kids do other chores to be done around the compound.

"Don't they need to rest after what happened?" Mark said.

"I told them to rest earlier but they insisted so they would have something to occupy their mind." I replied.

Mark nodded as I gathered the team again. We went for the other gate this time with the most houses. Aside from finding out that no one was there and everything is accounted for, we found a small cage of rabbits hopping around from one of the houses. Kaley's eyes lit up when she saw them. She looked at me with pleading eyes as the group laughed at me at being in such a precarious situation.

"Can we take them? We'll take them, right?" she asked.

"Of course, we will." I said.

"Are you asking or saying?" I said to myself.

"Really? Can we take them all?" she asked again.

"Yes, we'll put them in the 2nd floor of the barn." I said.

"Yes! Wait, why the barn though?" she asked again.

"We'll eat them." I said with a straight look in my face.

The look of shock, anger and despair she gave me when I said that was definitely memorable.

"Rabbits are a good source of protein; they can be easily cared for and they reproduce fast and-" I was cut off by Kaley with a pleading look.

"B-but! They look so cute! How can you eat that?" she protested.

"Is that a rhetorical question or are you looking for a recipe? I know tons." I said again with a straight look in my face.

"No~!" she exclaimed.

A few laughs from the guys and after a few rounds of debating, we agreed that she could keep one that she named 'Bugs' and I told her not to name the other ones because it will be harder to let go when we start to eat them.

I marked each door appropriately then we headed to the four houses at the end of the gravel road. The houses are atop wooden poles stuck on the ground where the fishing area starts. There are a few wooden boats that could be driven by oars and there are also a few cages on the ground that is meant for roosters.

"The houses are built fine but I'm worried about these wooden poles submerged in the water. Give this time and it would start to rot and eventually collapse." I said to myself.

I let them scout the houses as I stand guard outside. They quickly learned the procedures and though there is some corrections for the markings, everything was running smoothly. The trip to the small scrapyard was even more easy, after unlocking the gate, aside from all the different metal parts lying around, nothing seems to be out of place. The shack inside has a few scales for weighing the materials and a few logbooks for each shipment. We marked the gates as we lock them with our own locks and we went back to the compound to grab a few pushcarts that we also got from Puregold.

We first went back to the furthest house as we started to scavenge the place, Zardon followed us with the truck so we can grab more things for the compound. Jared stood guard with my uncle outside as we four started to rummage around.

"This is kinda exciting." Kaley said.

Dong and Mark also smiled as they took item from item.

"Grab the essentials first, okay?" I reminded them. I first took the food and water available from each house. After that I checked the cupboards and the cabinets for any type of medicine. I also unhooked the gas tanks from their stoves and I took a few clothes and household supplies. We also took the roosters and some feed that is left outside their houses. We packed everything on the truck as I take a look at everything.

We managed to collect 37 cans of assorted food products ranging from sardines, corned beef, tuna, peas and corn. We haven't found much water because only one of the houses drink mineral water, we only got two gallons. That's understandable since most folks here get their waters from the tap which came from the dams. We didn't find any medicine. On the gas tanks we found 8 in total since most families would always keep a backup and four of those are actually full. I took a few articles of clothing mainly socks and shirts and Kaley found a few that could fit her and her sister since they've only brought a few weeks' worth of clothes. The roosters are five in total so we could bring them back for the other chickens to breed. There was a total of 10 sacks of feed for the chickens so that's a plus. We folded their cages and we placed them on those cartons with holes so we could transport them easily.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 22: 22

We skipped the big gate where the houses were since the truck is almost full. We decided to stop to the small gate with four doors first since there are fewer items to take.

Same as the earlier scavenging trip, we took the essentials and left the ones we don't have the immediate use for. We loaded the truck and drove inside the compound.

"Why are you guys getting so many?" Lois remarked as he saw the truck.

"It only has been two days since it started here as far as we know and almost everyone still has their belongings in their houses. Most of them just rushed to the camps." I said.

We then returned to the gated house where the family has left their cat.

We found less food and water than usual although we found a few bottles of antibiotics on one of the cupboards. We also found a few tanks of gasoline in the kitchen along with a few bottles of alcohol. I also found a dartboard, a basketball hoop and a ball. I decided to load it up to pass the time to who are resting or for the kids. When we are about to leave, we found more kibble for the cat that we found inside earlier.

I looked at the truck and only a quarter of it was full since we only took the essentials. It could also be attributed that the family packed most of their items before leaving.

"It would be nice if we could find weapons at some of the houses." Jared said. The other guys nodded.

"It would be a very lucky find to even get a revolver from this neighborhood. Gun laws are strict at this country. Though I really wish we could find some." I said.

"So how did you get those then?" they pointed at my guns and Kaley's rifle.

"This? Well I did hard work on it, I used to know someone from the government and after easily acquiring a license for everything and a few under the table payments, I managed to haul a few guns. Some ways that I wouldn't tell you, well, what's the point now, I have acquired a lot more in illegal channels. Turns out, if you have lots of money, people would actually look the other way around. Good thing I started on investing guns early on or else we would be using blades and stuff." I said.

"How about Oscar then? He surely has stocked on guns too." Jared replied.

"Hah! Oscar? Let's just say that when he sold everything he owned there to go here, guns among other things weren't the ones he let go. In fact, he bought a few more. One of the reasons that he took a lot of trips abroad is that he is stocking up on a lot of them. Guy has to have a hobby, I suppose" I replied.

Jared's eye lit up as he heard the story, he seems to want to ask more questions but we arrived at the gate where Derek's family used to live.

We made a thorough search and found a lot of food items both preserved and perishable. Kaley immediately took the rabbits and she tied a small ribbon to a rabbit 'Bugs' which she named. There was a total of 7 rabbits in the cage.

"Kaley, place them near the cans of food to be categorized easily later." I teased.

She looked at me with a glare and a pout as she placed them away from where the food items are placed.

We also found different amounts of rice on sacks or on their own dispensers. Though some of them have no labels, I could easily identify what kind are they because I was selling them in my stores. Among the items, we found two water containers that has a plastic spigot attached to it, we took it because I also planned to have that same container for each room.

We loaded the truck and it was full again, even up to the seats. After locking the gates, we started walking back to the compound. They waited for us to come in before they fully closed the gate but Oscar walked outside.

"Kid, how about building a 2-layered fence instead of a single barricade?" Oscar said.

"That sounds good, we could drill a hole to our wall and the other side so we could weld the rolled-up fence in it." I nodded.

"We could put it in the plans." He said.

"How about the catwalk? Are you done?" I said.

He waved us inside to take a look.

"The catwalk on the left side is done though the one on the right still has a few beams that could be placed to prevent it from wobbling. The things that could hold the climbing rope is also installed. We could finish the one on the right side if we work on it till midnight." Oscar said.

"No, take some rest, you could finish it in the morning. We need people to have energy for watch duty." I said.

The guys stopped working though they helped with unloading the items on the truck. Rin also helped with listing everything properly and she was in charge of where each item could be placed in the bas.e.m.e.nt.

I looked at my watch and it reads 4:00 PM, a few moments pass and Olivia and Aya ran outside the doors. "Guys! The President is having another broadcast!"

We rushed to the living room and took our seats immediately. We saw the man again with the same getup though vigor has appeared on his face unlike the hint of stress from yesterday.

"Philippines, this is your President speaking. We had a f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell of a day, didn't we? We stopped the emergency sirens this morning because we learned noise attracts these sons of bitches! We're slowly learning about them so we could fight back more effectively. Our situation here is much more advantageous than the other countries since we are a smaller country than the others unlike the USA, China, Canada, Russia and other countries that are close to each other."

"We have lost a lot of people in just these two days; a few DDR camps are now unresponsive. They are either overrun or have been taken control by my military personnel that has gone AWOL. Do me a favor and kill those sons of bitches for me! They are the sc.u.m of the society that we need to root out! They are a shame to their uniform and should be put down!"

"We have set up a fortress in Davao City my hometown and we are slowly taking over it. The worst of the three Island groups is Luzon, followed by where I am Mindanao, and lastly Visayas. The Luzon island group is where most of the populace are located and some cities are reported to be overrun, take refuge in the DDR camps if they are close to you and do what you must to survive if you are very far."

"Our dams for our waters are the most guarded of all our resources, we will continue to supply your homes as long as possible. Our power supply will be only available in a few selected places, we will start on conserving our energy for communications and these broadcasts will still be aired for as long as we can, every day at 4:00 PM. News reports will still be continued and survival basics will still be aired but only after these broadcasts until midnight, we encourage you to do your work while there is still light. To those of you who have Satellite Phones in this country our numbers are 0063 333 232 6900 to 0063 333 232 6909. We need information from all parts of the country. The military is doing its best to overcome this disaster, but we would also need your help so we could overcome this ordeal and those that have sacrificed themselves for the cause will be honored by those who are left. This will be a hellish climb but we will need each other if we are to survive. That will be all for now, stay strong."

The broadcast ended. We looked at each other and gave each other solemn looks, far from the fear and helplessness from the first broadcast. Each one of them are slowly adapting to the situation and having the mindset necessary for this scenario.

"It sounds like despite what's happening, the government is still doing its best."

"I agree, I first thought that the president would be holed up in a bunker waiting for everything to pass."

"Hey, even if you say that, we're very far from where he is. And he said that Luzon is the most dangerous island zone and we are in it."

"He said that some of the soldiers have gone AWOL. Do you think the camp next to us is?"

"We're not sure yet, but if they did, most of those living there would die. They would either form their own utopia there or take everything from that place and leave everyone behind. So far, that's not the issue."

"Good thing we have this place here."

"Yeah."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 23: 23

Everyone discussed with each other as the broadcast started to repeat a few times before it was replaced by the news.

"Everyone is on free time now, good work today. We'll have our meeting after dinner." I said.

Everyone headed outside the house to do other things, some of them set up the dartboard and the ring.

I walked to Derek's family and started to talk to them.

"How are you guys holding up? Do you need anything else?" I said.

"We're good, we're still processing what happened earlier. The work really helped us take our mind off it. It's really weird leaving our home like it was nothing, but we feel safer here with more people." Derek said.

"That's good to hear. We'll talk more later at the meeting." I said.

"Hey Sky, Thanks." He said as he motions for a handshake. I gave a firm grip and we went our own way.

I went to my room and checked my email. Some of my friends still managed to reply though most of them haven't changed their minds at staying at their own place or the DDR camps. Some people who said to move to the mountains have never replied, they could probably be off the grid.

I was about to close the laptop but I clicked on my Spam folder to check on other filtered messages. I found out that I have a message from a social media app yesterday. I immediately opened my account on that site and I saw a message from one of my friends in college, Allan.

"Hey Sky, remember me? You have a place at the Valenzuela area, right? I received your emails and I was on my way to your place. But I got held up near the People's Park, a mob is starting a riot outside and they are breaking everything. I ran inside a Deli with a few others but one of them is bitten…"

Before I finished reading the message, I tried to call him through the app.

ring* *ring* *click*

"Hey Sky! Holy Shit! I thought you Didn't receive my message! F.u.c.k! You were right! Holy shit!" Allan exclaimed.

"Shut up and start telling me where you are exactly! Keep your voice down." I said.

"Umm ah- were at the South Supermarket-"

"We?" I said.

"Other people who came inside." He whispered.

"You said that one them is bitten?" I said.

"Yeah, the rest of us tried to ki-"

The call disconnected.

I thought it was just loading at first then I was shown a little T-Rex that said that I have no Internet. I pondered for a while and I gave a long sigh. A few moments and I heard a knock on the door. It was Olivia holding her phone.

"Sky, umm, is the Internet out?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm surprised that it lasted this long, I'm sorry. Excuse me, I have to do something." I said.

I grabbed my AR-15 from the safe and placed four extra magazines loaded with 5.56 ammunition to the vest I put on. I grabbed the keys for my bike and a helmet, then I rushed downstairs.

Some of the guys asked me what is going and I said I was picking someone stranded. Oscar saw me and waved me down.

"Woah kid, easy there, what's the rush? You even brought the AR, what's going on?" Oscar said.

"Allan, he's at the South Supermarket, I gotta go now." I said as I put on the helmet.

"Hey! That's a populated area and it's nearing sundown! That's suicide kid! We don't even know the situation there!" Oscar bellowed.

The rest of the group has worried faces and some of them also voiced their opinion of me heading out.

"I'm not letting one of us hanging there! I'd do the same for all of you in a heartbeat! Trust me, okay?" I said as I fastened the AR at my back.

"I'll come with you!" Kaley said. Jared and a few other stepped up.

"No, I need to be fast. I'll bring the bike and go to the back roads, I'll come up in the highway when I'm near the place. I'll be back in half an hour if everything goes smoothly." I said.

Oscar still gives a disgruntled expression but he handed me a crowbar from the shop. "Take this, you might need to pry open some of the doors. Picking them would take too long. You know what to do." He said.

I uncovered the cover on my motorcycle and it revealed a black Hayabusa. They opened the gate as I quickly launched myself with the bike. I made a right turn as I reached the elementary school and I saw a few stragglers walking about but I soon left them quickly.

I also passed by the DDR camp a couple blocks driving, it's still standing though a few people are still trying to get inside while a few soldiers are outside containing the situation.

I passed by a few houses and shops then I made a left turn towards the old church at the distance. I kept on burning on my mind the state of the surroundings as I drive. This is still far from the destination so I twisted my right hand on the handle so the bike would go even faster.

BRMMM*

The noise of the motor attracted a few of them as I drive but there is still a lot of noise outside from people looting other places and fighting each other. A few gunshots from the surroundings also rang out as I continue to weave between cars and zombies.

I stopped near a hospital then I saw a mob of people with handheld weapons wrecking everything in their way. They are throwing rocks everywhere and they would smash car doors that they are passing through. Any zombie they encounter will be mobbed and immediately killed. They kept on shouting and making a ruckus whenever they go. People they pass through would either join them or get lynched.

A few of them holding spray paint are spraying the walls as they pass. I can't see what they are writing but I won't stay there to find out. A few in the front noticed me and they started to run towards me.

"F.u.c.k!" I exclaimed then I turned towards the highway. I quickly maneuvered back and I took the exit where Wilcon's Depot was. I looked to the right and I saw a few cars toppled over and zombies are swarming the car while I heard a scream coming from it.

I looked to the left and saw the bakery and another back road towards the supermarket but it would take longer.

I pulled my pistol and I shot a few zombies coming towards me as I make a path for my bike to drive through. I didn't unsheathe the blade in case the bodies I slice would fall towards the bike as I pass through.

Seven zombies fell then I started to move my bike through the bodies. I went for the road near the bakery and I started to speed up. I passed a few stores and long walls from factories as I drove through. A few minutes of driving forward, I saw the exit that would lead to the supermarket but I parked the bike at the shoe store a block away from the supermarket. I then drew my Wakizashi as I killed 5 more zombies near me, quick slashes and thrusts did the job pretty easily.

I dispatched thirteen more on the sidewalk as I made my way on a steady pace. I reached the fast food store at the corner and I saw the People's Park on the other side of the street swarming with zombies. I then turned to the left towards the supermarket.

"Why are some of them moving slower?" I said to myself. "Could this just be the adrenaline or are some of them are starting to have Rigor Mortis?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 24: 24

I placed the thought on a corner of my mind then I continued on to the supermarket. The supermarket is a medium-sized establishment that sells a variety of goods. It looks big because of the few fast food restaurants around it with a few other stalls. It has a parking area in front of it which directly leads to the highway.

I saw the store, but the roll-ups are down and zombies are banging against it. A few zombies running around noticed my presence and started running towards me. I pulled the AR-15 from my back and started aiming at them. Each shot goes straight to the head and the suppressor helps to reduce the noise I'm making. 17 zombies are now down on the ground and I pulled my blade for the few remaining in the parking area. I killed 3 more and then I also took care of the five in the roll-up.

"50… 56 if I include everything. There's a lot here than my place." I said in my head.

I walked near the roll-up and I shouted with a hush tone, "Allan! You there?!" I started to raise my voice to call him but I heard a voice from the roof.

"Holy Shit! Did you do that?" a man in a store uniform said.

"Can you let me in? I'm looking for someone, his name is Allan, a short guy, skinny, brown skin and short hair." I said.

"I think I saw him below, go to the back, there's a white door there. Wait for me." He said.

"Why can't you just-" I was about to tell him to open the roll-up here but he's already gone.

I took a glance at the side of the store but there is still more roaming around. I once again pulled the AR-15 and started clearing the area. Luckily, most of the zombies are gathered in the People's Park across the street.

I heard the magazine empty so I quickly reloaded as I waited at the door at the back of me open. I killed 16 more before I heard the click on the door.

"Quick!" I heard the same voice.

I ran inside the place and I heard the door being locked behind me.

click*

I saw a few people still in their uniforms and two security guards along with a few other civilians are in the vicinity.

"Are you military?" one of the guards asked me.

"No, something different, do you guys know a guy named Allan here?" I said immediately.

"Sky?! Holy F.u.c.k! You came!" Allan said as he sprinted towards me. He's carrying a metal bat and a duffel bag is slung in his shoulder. He gave me a strong handshake where it locks at the thumbs and we gave each other a quick hug.

"What happened here?" I said as I looked around. The supermarket is still full of supplies while a few lights are flickering on and off. All of them are seated in the food court where a variety of food items are sold by the stalls while some brought out mattresses from the store so they could lay down comfortably.

The guy with the uniform that I spoke to earlier walks up to me as he lights a cigarette.

"It started yesterday when the sirens rang. Most of those things came from the expressway and some came from the streets near the park. An ambulance crashed in the municipal hall next to the People's Park and people gathered near the crash site. I was cleaning the roof when I saw everything go down." He said as he puffs a smoke.

"I just saw the crowd immediately scattering when I spot a few guys wearing those EMT suits charging towards one of the crowds. I ran down and immediately closed the roll-ups in the supermarket, a few people managed to come inside before it fully closed and a few came from the back like you did." He continued.

"So, is this all of you?" I said as I looked at 30-ish people inside.

"No, we're actually a lot more yesterday…" Allan said.

"One of the guys that was bitten entered the backdoor where you came from. We focused on closing the other doors at the front but we forgot the one that is accessible for the delivery guys…" the man said.

"The bastard actually hid in one of the stalls and we found him too late, he killed and infected more than half of the people here before we managed to shoot him." One of the female guards said.

"So where are the bodies?" I asked.

"We placed the guy and the other ones he killed in the freezer, what we didn't know is that those who are also bitten could turn in an indeterminate amount of time. A few more people died and some of those bitten ran outside the door. We barricaded the door and stayed here ever since." The man said.

"Sky, are we leaving? How about these people?" Allan said.

The group showed dissatisfaction when they heard I'll be taking Allan with me so I fell into deep contemplation.

"Yeah, I'm thinking about that…" I said as I look at everyone.

Everyone's focus is on me as I looked around.

"Here's the truth, I only came here on a motorcycle. I parked it a block away from here and only me and Allan could obviously fit in it. I saw a few delivery trucks out the back and some other vehicles parked at the front. I could only do a few things for you so decide among yourselves." I said.

"What are deciding on?" The man said.

"Staying here or going outside. If you stay here, you have a lot of supplies, you could barricade the door and wait it out. If you preserve your food and water, by the looks of this place, you could last maybe a few months depending on how many of you stays. But if you go out, I could help you get in the trucks to drive to a different location. You probably have the keys for it right?" I said as I looked at the man.

"Yes, I do have the keys, My name's Juan by the way." The man said.

"I'm Jenny, nice to meet you." The female guard said.

I looked at the two and I nodded, "My name's Sky, I cleared most of the zombies at the back and I have a few more mags for my gun. What's your situation on weapons?" I looked at the guards.

"I have four more bullets for my revolver and…hey Bert! How about that shotgun?" Jenny looked at the other guard.

"None of your business, I'm f.u.c.k.i.n.g staying here and all of you should too. It's a f.u.c.k.i.n.g mess outside and you want to go out? Heh! Better to just shoot yourself in the head." Bert exclaimed.

"And who the f.u.c.k is this guy even anyway? He just came here and he acts like the freakin' CO of this place! We've been doing good here since yesterday and we could do more for the days to come!" He continued as he stared at me dead in the eye.

The group is now just focused on us as the room started to fill with silence.

"Great, another idiot." I said in my head.

"Bert! This guy is clearly here to help us and you're acting unlike yourself." Juan said.

"What is even out there? Those f.u.c.k.i.n.g DDR camps? F.u.c.k me! Give those a week at most and they'll all turn to those meatbags soon!" he bellowed.

"But!" Jenny tried to interject.

"But f.u.c.k.i.n.g what! Look around! It's the end of the f.u.c.k.i.n.g world! Know my f.u.c.k.i.n.g solution? This!"

BOOM*

Before I could even react, he placed his gun to his mouth and he pulled the trigger. A loud noise assaulted our ears as his head blew to a million pieces.

His body flopped to the ground and the blood started to make a pool beneath his body.

"Damn." I said to myself.

Everyone was stunned. Screams from some of the kids and Allan even vomited at the sight. Juan was clutching his ears and Jenny was sobbing in the ground next to Bert.

Allan helped Jenny in moving the body in the freezer.

I looked at my watch and it's almost been an hour since I left the compound. I grabbed the radio from my belt and I tried to contact Oscar.

bzzt*

"Oscar, copy?"

bzzt*

bbzt*

"Oscar, this is Sky, copy?"

bzzt*

No response. "I should've brought the Satellite Phone." I said to myself.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 25: 25

"Do you have Satellite Phones here?" I said, hoping.

"What's that?" Juan said.

I explained to him that those are phones that doesn't use the cell sites to connect to other phones. It gets its signal from the orbiting satellites across the world.

"Oh, sorry no." he replied.

"Well, at least I tried. That would be too easy if they do." I said to myself.

I looked at the crowd once again, "As I was saying, you could stay here and hole up. But if you go outside with me, there are three options. First, there is a DDR camp at Malanday at the highschool, there's good military presence there and it is next to a hospital, I could drop you off there. Second, I figured that some of you probably used your own vehicle to come here, I suggest you take some supplies here and head to everywhere you want to go. I suggest to your other family members or to the provinces. Most of these things are in the city and it's safer there. And Lastly…" I paused as I looked at everyone once again.

"I have a place, It's a small compound. We have food, water and secure walls. I can give you a place to stay but you must contribute and do as I say. I'm not gonna say much on it but we're a group of people that wouldn't wait for anyone to do something about this thing. We do what we can and what we should." I continued.

"Decide for yourselves now because I'll leave tomorrow at first light. Juan, can you guide me upstairs to the roof?" I said.

"Uhh, sure, follow me." He said as he guided me to a set of stairs.

Allan also followed me upstairs while Jenny was is sitting on one of the benches. A few minutes of walking then we reached the rooftop. Like clockwork, my radio buzzed.

bzzt*

"Sky, do you f.u.c.k.i.n.g copy! Answer dammit!"

bzzt*

bzzt*

"You said freaking 30 minutes! F.u.c.k.i.n.g answer already!"

bzzt*

I was about to answer them but I had a little thought. I picked up the radio and I composed myself before I started to speak.

bzzt*

snarl* *growl*

bzzt*

I waited a few moments then I heard the radio buzz again.

bzzt*

"Sky?! F.u.c.k! SKY!"

bzzt*

I tried to hold back my laughter while the two beside me is giving me weird looks. I did the zombie voice again then it clicked. Someone must've left the radio on and I heard shouting while I heard someone start to cry. I hear someone grabbing the radio and I think it was Oscar.

bzzt*

"You f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot! Stop doing that, everyone is devastated. Zombies can't use the walkie you dumb f.u.c.k. Kid! F.u.c.k.i.n.g talk normally Kaley almost fainted, you stupid f.u.c.k!"

bzzt*

"That's totally not cool man, you can't joke at a time like this." Allan shakes his head but I saw in the corner of my eye that Juan has covered his face and his shoulders are going up and down holding back his laughter.

I finally relented and I talked to the radio. After an hour of scolding from my aunt and Oscar, I finally told them the situation.

bzzt*

"It's a mall here, do you need anything besides the essentials?" I said.

bzzt*

bzzt*

"None, just get your ass here tomorrow morning kid so I could slap some sense into you." He said.

bzzt*

We said our goodbyes and I surveyed the situation below. Something caught the corner of my eye. A few steps away from the 2nd fast food store on the left I saw an armored van parked some ways in the parking area.

"Juan, does the bank below have a door connecting to the supermarket?" I said.

"Yeah, down below. It has a glass door connecting to it next to the fastfood area." Juan said.

I planned the steps in my head then we headed down.

"What's the plan now?" Allan asked me.

"Grab another bag and fill it up. Take the essentials because we're gonna have a sweet ride tomorrow. You know how to drive right?" I said.

"Yeah, I know how to drive. What do you mean by essentials? Like food and water?" he said.

"Yes, food, water, medicine, clothes etc. Also change those slippers, grab some boots your size." I said.

He started gliding through the aisles to get what he needs and I saw Juan talking with the other people with Jenny. He also told me that they also placed Bert in the freezer while they packed their own things.

"You guys decided on what to do?" I asked them.

"I think my family would go to the DDR camps."

"I'll grab my motorcycle at the front and go to my family."

"Can we really come with you?"

"I'll also get my car at the front and drive towards the provinces."

"I'll also go to the camps."

"Me too."

Everyone made their choice to leave this place. That's the most logical decision here because if all the food here ran out, what can they do?

"How about you two?" I looked at Jenny and Juan.

"My family is probably at a DDR camp in the Bulacan area not the one close to you, I'll check one of them first before going straight to our house. Can I still go to your place if…they are not there?" Juan said.

"Yeah, the place is still open for you if you change your mind. It's located at…" I whispered to him.

"I…I'm not sure where to go, I-" Jenny stammered.

"Come with us then, well, uh, if it's okay with Sky." Allan said.

"We'd need more people there actually, especially someone who could use a gun." I said.

She stayed silent but she still nodded in the end. I told everyone to grab everything that they could and to ready the bags for tomorrow at first light.

I called Juan over after all of them finished packing their bags. He's now holding a fire axe along with a few others.

"Do you have alarm clocks here? And can I borrow your keys? I said.

"What? What would you use them for?" he said.

"Those things are attracted to noise and I'll use the clocks to lure some of them away from the armored van. I can't keep on using my gun though it's easier. I'll run out of bullets before I know it." I said.

"Hmm, I have those little timers that people use when cooking, or do you need larger ones?" Juan said.

"No, that's good. I'll take them all. Let's prepare everything for tomorrow, it's gonna be a big day." I said.

We found several bags at the shop to place our items and some that we need are already in boxes ready to be moved. We have plenty of food in the store so we each had several bags of it divided among us and only the medicine are the ones distributed equally. There are two delivery trucks at the back of the store and most of the vehicles of some of the civilians are at the front where the armored van is also located. Don't forget my bike also at the shoe store a block away from the supermarket. I also spotted something special in a corner of my eye and placed that box carefully in our pushcart.

I made Juan check the rooftop from time to time on the location of the zombies, they mostly gather to the park for some reason unknown, though there are a few stragglers all around. I borrowed his keys and I went to check on the bank while Jenny and Allan accompanied me.

Each glass door is securely locked but I still tapped on the glass a few times to check for any surprises. Sure enough, a figure emerged from one of the cubicles in the bank area. It was a guy wearing blue overalls with a vest that is possibly bulletproof with a few things hanging from his body and one of them is possibly what I really need, the keys to the armored van.

The two tensed from seeing the guy but I just redirected the guy to the gaps of the glass door and I slipped my blade through his head.

Shhck*

He slowly slid through the door in which I start to search for the keys that is labeled for the side door to the bank. I opened the door and pulled the guy through the hallway. I pulled from him a Glock 21 with an extra magazine, a canister of pepper spray and the keys to the armored van. I also pulled the vest and the guy's boots off. Although the vest has some bits of blood smeared on it, like someone wiped it with their hands, it's still a standard issue bulletproof vest. Allan is eyeing it almost uncomfortably so I gave it to him.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 26: 26

I placed my M9 which has the empty clip to my bag and replaced it with the Glock 21.

"Clean that first before you wear it okay? If some of that blood gets into you, you're done." I said.

I turned the lights on at the bank and found another body inside. Its head has a bullet sized hole and his legs are chewed off. I can now see the floor of the bank where it has a trail of blood that shows that the first guy dragged this guy here to hole up. He killed this guy here but he was also bitten by those things. I took the same items from this guy although this guy's pistol is not here, it only has the extra magazine.

Allan took both of the vests and he started to wash it in one of the bathrooms, I told him the proper way to do it and he complied. I gave them the boots from the guards but it could only fit Juan, I then packed the extra to my bag. The two vests were now worn by Allan and Jenny and it fits them perfectly. I took a look below them then I facepalmed. Allan is still wearing shorts!

"Allan, you have the vest and boots from the store but you still want to wear shorts?" I said.

"Come on man! Pants are the bane of my existence! You know I don't like being restricted!" he said with confidence.

"How about jogging pants at least? They're super comfortable, I think you don't want to end up like that other guy." I said as I pointed to the guard with a mangled leg.

He gulped and he once again headed to the aisles to search for jogging pants. I take a look at the store and I see the pushcarts with the bags on them so we could quickly head for our vehicles, the store has still a lot more items to be taken but I'm afraid it would take too long to haul everything here so we just took a reasonable amount. I checked the clock, it was already 9:00 PM and I forgot that I haven't eaten yet. I saw some of the people have opened a few packs of food or have already cooked their own, us four were the only ones that hasn't taken a bite yet so I decided to cook for us.

I found a small stall that reads Rices on Boxes. It's a takeout stall that sells fried rice topped with various ingredients. I washed their rice cooker and I started to cook some fragrant rice. I went back to do a little shopping so I came back with a whole chicken, a whole green onion, 2 whole garlics, 250 grams of togue, a can of mushrooms, honey, soy sauce and a few eggs.

I first chopped the onion and the garlic to small pieces and I deboned the chicken and chopped it to small pieces as well. I then put oil on the pan and I added the onion and the garlic to be fried until golden brown. The smell now started to waft inside the store as I cook it, a few heads looked at my direction as I cook. I then placed the chicken next and I added the soy sauce and the honey when the chicken was fully cooked, I added a bit of seasoning to taste and I set it aside.

Next, I placed the mushrooms and the togue to the pan where the chicken was cooked then I added the egg afterwards. I kept on mixing them then I finally added the rice and mixed the whole thing. Allan grabbed the utensils then we ate.

We ate very merrily and although no one was speaking, we enjoyed the meal.

"Hey Sky, could you… you know… give me one of your guns? You know, Jenny has the shotgun now and Juan has her revolver, you're fully decked out and I'm still holding this bat, please? You have that extra one in your bag, right?" Allan said.

"It has no bullets though." I said.

"We got two extra magazines from those guards at the bank, right?" he said.

"Those are different bullets, the M9 uses 9mm bullets and the Glock uses .45 ACP bullets." I said.

"Really? Looks the same to me, never mind the bullets then, can I have one?" he asked again.

"Fine, I'll split the bullets in the M9. Take care though, only shoot them when necessary, I only have the suppressor in the AR, one shot from those and it will be harder for us tomorrow." I said to him as I hand him the pistol.

"So, Sky…" he smiled awkwardly.

"Tell me how to use this again? I forgot…" he said while looking away.

"Pfft" Juan almost spat the rice out of his mouth when Allan spoke while Jenny was smiling at him.

I gave him a quick course and he nodded to every word I speak. I see him trying all the things I've told him as he focuses on it. Several clicks and clacks, he gave a smile and he looked at me. I nodded at him so I gave him the full clip of the M9. I have 2 extra clips for the Glock and 2 for the AR so I think that's a fair choice.

I then gathered everyone and told the plan for tomorrow.

"Okay, everyone, here's the plan for tomorrow. I'm gonna need you to cooperate with me so that you could leave here safely. Here me out first before you ask any questions. We're first going to leave from the back entrance towards the two delivery trucks on the corner, Juan and Jenny will drive the trucks near the back entrance so we could load the first round of supplies that the people that would go on the camps would take and the other truck the supplies I'm going to take on my place. I along with the few others will ensure that no zombies could come near them when they approach the vehicles and while we're loading them." I said.

"We'll then move to a 'C' pattern towards the parking area towards the other vehicles while bringing the pushcarts for your bags to those of you that would split off with us. We'll kill everything that comes near us but we need to keep everything quiet, so we need to use our melee weapons. Stay in front of me but watch the back as we move. After you load your things, you're free to go whenever. I'll have the AR ready but make sure to be quiet and move fast. Allan will be driving the armored van outside as we take a turn at the fast food shop towards the shoe store where I parked my bike. To those of you coming with me should follow where Allan would be driving into because we'll be taking the shortest way possible. Ready yourselves tomorrow and get some sleep. I'll take watch at the roof." I continued.

A few of them have solemn expressions while some have excited ones since they will be able to leave this place. A few raised their hands to ask some questions so I pointed to them like what people do in interviews.

"Yes?" I pointed to a guy wearing a hat with his family.

"I'm Carl, we live at the Bulacan area, we would like to know the nearest DDR camp there." he said.

"I believe the closest one is the Meycauayan Doctors Hospital, I saw it on the list of the camps in the news. Most camps will be next to a hospital or a school." I said.

He nodded and he lifted his hat for me.

An elderly woman raised her hand while clutching her grandson, "Excuse me sir, are you still taking people in? My daughter turned to those things yesterday and we lost her, we had nowhere else to go, I could help with anything you want at your place if you take us in." the elderly woman said.

"Of course, madam, we'll take you and your grandson, I suggest you ride with Jenny on the truck." I said.

She started to tear up when I said yes, she then introduced herself to be Susan and her grandson's name is James. She was already 77 and her grandson was only 3, they were just strolling in the park when everything happened.

I looked at the crowd and saw two high school students, a male and a female having an argument with each other at the back. They saw me look at them then the male student spoke up.

"Sir? Can we also go with you? We lost contact with her family before the Internet went out. I'm living with my mom but she is… umm, gone now. Her fa-" he said before she was interrupted by the girl.

"You want us to live with a stranger? We don't even know if what he's saying is true. I'd rather die than go to those DDR camps, one of my friends posted a picture inside and it's so cramped. That's disgusting." the female highschooler said.

"Oh, boy." I said to myself.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 27: 27

I looked at the female highschooler and it tells me that she got this kind of princess complex going on. The short skirt, heavy make-up, painted nails and that fake extensions say it all. I don't even need to see her appearance, just that short sentence she blurted earlier reveals it.

However, I know that some of them only have that outer shell you need to break to see who they really are. I'm having a sense that it's just a strong front looking at the black marks on the back of her hands and the traces of eyeliner fading out in her face sideways.

"She must be crying a lot, without notice from him. It's still troublesome to deal with this type though." I said to myself.

Looking at the guy, he looks like a very simple dude, aside from that machete on his hand.

He gave a long sigh but he continued, "Sir, her family is away and we don't have a place to go to, we'd also contribute at your place since she doesn't want to go to the DDR camps. I'd do her part too, as long as you take us in."

"Just lost her mom but he's still thinking about her?" I said to myself.

"No! We're staying at this place!" she exclaimed.

A few of the crowd is showing disdain towards the girl as she keeps on running her mouth. I looked at the guy but he just shows concern towards her.

"You guys dating?" I said flatly.

The girl glared at me while the boy scratches his head.

"No sir, we're just childhood friends." he said.

I was about to take the two as well since I think could manage somehow but I pondered for a bit and I tried to test the waters.

"I'll only take one of you. Choose." I said.

The group inside stared in shock. The two highschoolers were visibly shaken from my statement.

"Take her please! I'll go to the camps by myself!" he immediately answered.

His voice trembled and his knees are shaking but he still stood upright. The girl was also trembling but her face showed a hint of worry.

"Good answer, there was nary a pondering moment." I said to myself.

"I changed my mind, how about you leave her here? Well, she did say that she wants to stay here and there's a lot of supplies here, right? I'll give you a gun too, how about it?" I said with a cold look. I even pulled the Glock out and placed it on the table.

"Sky, I think that this is too much." Allan said.

I turned my head around Allan and then I signaled with a wink. He gave me a look of understanding and he immediately stopped talking. He even placed his hands in a position that says 'alright, I won't interfere.'

"I, ah- please take her instead!" he said again as he took a huge bow towards me then he started to kneel down, he's now shaking all over. The girl is now trembling and she's biting her lips and I'm seeing tears flowing in her cheeks but the guy is oblivious to that happening since he's in front of her.

"Is she a bitch deep down? Does she need one more push?" I asked myself.

"T-take him please! Just leave me here!" she blurted out. She then began to start bawling in front of everyone. The guy then looked behind and saw her crying her heart out. He stood up and started he started hugging her tight. It's like a cheesy movie that is so over the top, I almost cringed though I was relieved.

"As I expected the first time, kids these days." I said to myself.

"I'm sorry Chris, I'm still being this bitch that everyone hates, I'm sorry… I-I'm-" she said.

"It's gonna be fine, we'll stay here if you want." He said.

"You know that's the only truth that came out of your mouth today." I said to the girl.

"What?" the girl stared at me as she said.

The crowd also has this mixed look of confusion in their faces. Though a few gives a nod of understanding.

I approach the two as I crouched down.

"The world has gone to shit and you still maintain this tough exterior. Though there's nothing wrong with that, I'm your best shot out of here. If you don't trust me, fine, I get it, but I just stayed here for all of you. I could've just taken my friend here and took off earlier and leave you all behind but I didn't. In my book, I think that means something." I said as I look at her.

Her head droops down and I continued, "Your friend here still sticks to you despite what you're saying to him, I think he knows your true self and that's rare. I would've slapped you 10 times so you stop what you're doing. I have more problems to think of than putting up with that and that's why I tried testing you two. Clean yourselves up and pack up like Allan here, not just that on your small backpacks. Are you okay with bunking up with a few people or do you need a room together at my place?"

Chris smiled as he looked at me and he bowed once more while the girl stared at me with confusion. She wiped her tears and the remaining pattern on her eyes and on her hands confirmed my hunch.

Allan then guided them through the aisles and told them what to bring. As they walked away, I saw her turning back towards me and she gave me a small bow. I made a small salute as they continued on.

I grabbed a few cans of coffee with a few snacks then I headed on the roof while Juan and Jenny stayed near the door below.

Day 3

I stayed guarding the whole night and when my clock reads 2:00 AM, I saw something very different.

I saw a figure sprinting straight in the highway. It's still very dark so I can't quite make out its features. I tried looking at my scope but it easily covered the distance and was already out of my sights. Good thing I pointed my helmet at it to at least capture a bit of footage.

"What the f.u.c.k was that? Is that a person or a zombie?" Allan said.

"A mutation? F.u.c.k! Is it perhaps evolving much faster or is that a special one?" I said to myself.

I kept watch till the morning while Allan dozed off from time to time. We talked about a few things like what the compound was like and that Ken is also there. I looked below a few times and it's significantly fewer than yesterday, which would make the job later much easier.

I left Allan after waking him up and I started to cook for everyone below when it was almost morning. I still cooked the same thing as yesterday but I made a lot more. I also added pancakes for the kids. A few of them woke up to the smell and was already drooling from it. I woke all of them up and I told them that it was time to eat breakfast.

All of them were thankful for the gesture and we all for once started eating together.

A few moments before we ate, a girl approached me. She has short black hair and she looks very unfamiliar.

"Hmm? What is it?" I asked.

"It's me." The girl said.

"Huh?" I said.

I saw Chris behind her and he's scratching his head. "Umm sir, it's Charlotte from yesterday. Surprising huh?" he said as he smiled.

"What?" I said, then realization struck.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" I laughed so hard while the others also revealed looks of surprise.

She droops her head again but she has this embarrassed look on her face. I definitely prefer this look than the one yesterday. She actually removed the dye on her hair and everything else. She's at her natural look now.

"So, Charlotte is your name huh? I'm Sky. I really like this look. Grab a plate, I cooked for everyone." I said as I grabbed both of them a spoon.

"Thanks! This look amazing sir!" Chris said.

"Thanks too…" Charlotte said.

"Pfft! Please stop! I really can't handle the 180 turn!" I said as I eat.

She harrumphed but she still remained docile while eating heartily.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 28: 28

We ate happily in the early morning and the morale is really high. I gave them one more run through of the plan and everyone listened intently. A few minutes of resting, we proceeded with the plan.

"Get ready guys! We'll head out for the truck first. Wait for us to back up here and ready the bags. Follow the plan, yeah?" I said.

I with Juan, Jenny, Allan, Chris and a few others went out the door with weapons drawn. I went first and dispatched the two closest and I went with Juan and Jenny towards the trucks while the others tried to kill the others approaching.

slash* *slash* *shhck*

I managed to kill 3 more as we're running towards the trucks and they now managed to start them. They are now backing it up close to the door while I helped the others clear the way.

Most of them are already carrying bags at the ready and they started to fill the trucks. A few minutes passed then they closed the truck while a few rode inside. Those were the ones that would also go to the DDR camp closest to us.

We made our way to the curve now while I lead the group with the pushcarts, they rattle as they were being pushed so I moved ahead and thanked the fact that they are moving slower compared to when they started to turn.

"They really are moving much slower after a time, freshly turned ones are much more agile than these here. However, we still need to keep our guard up since we're not really sure if everything here has their bodies stiffen." I analyzed in my head.

A few people in the group started to break off into their vehicles while I wait for them to pack it. The tension on the other groups are increasing while the other guys pack their stuff quickly.

BRRRMMM*

Three cars and a few motorcycles now left the place before giving me a firm handshake or a nod and they rammed their vehicles to some of the zombies on the road.

I now pulled my AR as I threw the keys to the van towards Allan. He reacted late so it fell to the ground before he picks it up eventually. I picked a few more zombies for the others as they were on a blind spot and a few exclaims escaped their mouths.

"F.u.c.k!"

"Move! Move! Move!"

"Sorry, Excuse me!"

"Thanks!"

"Hurry!"

As we are in the front of the parking area, everyone is packing their cars at the same time. The truck is waiting at the side and Allan managed to start the armored van.

"Drive straight ahead and ram everything that obstructs your path, that thing could take it no problem. I'll make a quick stop for my bike and follow you. Turn at the gas station when you see the one with the 'Total' sign." I said.

"Got it, you sure you're gonna get to your bike fine? Don't you want to drive this there?" he said.

"Yeah, I'm sure. The trucks are waiting, go now!" I shouted.

We gave each other a nod and I sprinted towards the corner where I left my bike hoping that it's still there. I made my way quickly as I let round after round from my AR. I made sure to hit precisely to not waste the shots. Luckily, the path is very clear and I only fired less than a dozen rounds before I get to my bike.

"79…" I muttered before I placed the keys to the ignition.

brrmm*

It started immediately then I raised the stand and quickly caught up to the group. I readied my pistol in case we encounter the mob from before. Besides the two trucks following the van, another car follows them and two motorcycles. I looked at my speedometer and it reads 90km/hr. on the dot. You could faintly hear a few thuds and crashes as the armored van starts to mow down everything.

I saw it began to slow down as we start to near the depot, I pulled my radio and shouted.

bzzt*

"Ram the car! It could take it!"

bzzt*

I referred to the toppled cars that I passed yesterday.

CRASH*

The cars flew a few feet on the side as they both collided. The armored van loses speed for a while but it continues on.

bzzt*

"Woohoo! F.u.c.k this van is too awesome! I'll name it Tiny, Hahaha!"

bzzt*

bzzt*

"Hah! Just keep on driving man, we're getting close."

bzzt*

I shook my head and we continued driving forward. We passed by another block and I caught a glimpse of one graffiti on the walls, it said 'Chosen Ones' written on the top of a drawn fist.

I made a mental note of it and continued to move forward. When we reached the hospital where the DDR camp was next to, I called them to stop and they parked in front of it while the car following us moved ahead. I saw Carl giving me a nod as he drove forward.

"Hold!" one of the soldiers guarding the place stopped us.

I stood in front as I removed my helmet.

"Greetings soldier, we have a few people needing sanctuary. They brought food, water and medicine. I request you process them immediately so the rest of my group could go our way." I said as I made a salute and adjust my posture.

The soldier made a salute and signaled to his men to open the gates to let the truck and the two other motorcycles to enter.

They opened the back of the truck and a few people came out with bags of supplies. A few of them glanced at me thankfully.

"Are you military?" the soldier said.

"Special Unit US-Philippine-Japan Collaboration. Sorry, can't discuss more. It's classified." I let my silver tongue out.

He just stared at me and he nodded.

"Holy F.u.c.k! That worked! I just lied to the Philippine Army!" I said to myself.

I had a thought in my head and I asked the soldier, "Is there a civilian there named Ivan Maning?"

"Let me check for a minute sir." He called another soldier for a list. The soldier went back and retrieved a huge notebook and he rifles through the list. His hand traces each page and then he stopped.

"Sir, we have a match and he's staying at the 2nd floor at the west side of the hospital, do you need us to retrieve him?" he asks respectfully.

"Can you give me more information on him?" I said. The area is clear here so we had the time to talk for a while.

A few minutes, a file with his name is once again given to him by his soldier. I appreciated the degree of organization that they have.

He handed me the file outside the gate and I started to skim through it. I found words like: Type B, Male, Normal etc. But what made me frown is the marital status. It clearly says 'single'.

"Did he just abandon them?" I said to myself. They could just be living together and never got married but this is too cruel.

"Anything wrong sir?" the soldier saw my face and he asked.

"Yeah, better put 'widowed' on his marital status here. We found his wife and baby yesterday. His baby is already turned while her mother is still b.r.e.a.s.tfeeding him, his baby probably died due to its high fever and her wife is waiting for him to come back for medicine…and he didn't. Watch out for that guy yeah?" I explained

The soldier keeps a stoic face but I still saw a twitch in his eyebrow.

"Do you guys have a Sat. Phone? Call me for anything, let's keep the communications open. My number is 0063 316 619 2316." I said.

I said my goodbye as we continued on the road, it's only a few minutes before we reach my place. The armored van now slowly pushes stray cars and pedicabs along the way and we finally made the turn towards the elementary school. I saw them starting to work on the fence at the end of the wall then they saw my motorcycle.

"Hey guys! Sky's here!" my uncle Zeidrick called out while a few people came outside. I saw a few more bodies in the area where we used to place them. The guys stopped working and they welcomed us inside.

"Holy shit! Is that an armored van?!" Russel rushed to pat it all over. Allan stepped out of the vehicle while Jenny and the others did the same.

"Woah!" James, Susan's grandchild gasped when he saw the place.

"Guys this is everyone, everyone this is guys… Hah… I'm tired… I need to sleep." I said as I removed my helmet.

"Here he is! Get him!" someone shouted.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 29: 29

smack* *punch* *flaming fist* *slap* *kick* *smack* *hadouken* *elbow*

A rain of punches and kicks suddenly assaulted my body.

"You f.u.c.k.i.n.g son of a bitch! How sick are you in the head kid? Doing a joke like that?! Have another kick!" Oscar exclaimed.

The group continued to lynch me and they now lifted me up and threw me to the pool.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" I shouted.

whoosh*

SPLASH*

"Ack- blrggrrh" I went back first and immediately sunk at the bottom. The pool sloshed around as I swam to the other side. I lifted my body upwards the poolside and the water drips from my clothes. I'm soaking wet as they made a hearty laugh.

"What did he do?" Jenny asked.

Most of my people shook their heads but Allan answered, "They called him yesterday and he pretended to be dead, he snarled and growled in the radio."

"That's messed up." Jenny said.

"I agree." Allan replied.

"Hey Sky, better apologize to Kaley. She's pretty shaken from what you did, she stood watch all night yesterday. She's sleeping at her room now." Oscar said.

"All night? I did too at the store yesterday. I'll let her sleep some more first, I need to sleep too." I said. My body feels heavy now and I really need to have some rest. My shoulders are aching and my eyelids are starting to fall.

I bid my goodbye to the group and I headed to my room. I also brought the box I took from the store, I let Rin handle where Allan and the rest could stay in.

I opened the door to my room and I was greeted by its darkness. I removed my shoe, vest and the rest of my clothes since it's soaking wet then I let them occupy a small corner at the floor for now while the box I brought is placed inside my dresser. Sleep is all in my mind right now. I slowly crawled to my bed and hugged the huge pillow beside me though I never remembered having it placed there. It's warm, soft, and it smells really good. I hugged it even tighter as I buried my face in it.

I can't even tell how quick I fell asleep as soon as my body felt the touch of my own bed. I can't even tell how long I slept for.

I woke up feeling refreshed while I made a few stretches and I made a few of my bones crack when I pushed against the folds of my knuckles and feet. I twisted my neck for it to crack then I looked for my watch on the floor and it says 2:36 PM. I tidied up my bed but I just found the three pillows I stacked together for my head. I can't seem to find the other one that felt supple.

"Maybe it was this one?" I examined one of my pillows on the stack but I shook my head.

"Maybe I'm just really tired." I said to myself. I nodded at the thought then I walked downstairs after equipping my weapons and knocking at Kaley's room.

knock* *knock* *knock*

"Kaley?" I called.

knock* *knock* *knock*

"Kaley?" I called again.

knock* *knock* *knock*

"Kaley?" I tried calling for her again.

No answer.

"She must be outside or something." I said to myself.

I went outside and Zeus greeted me, he walks beside me as I head to the back in the pool area. I saw a few of them just chilling and I saw Allan talking with Ken. They were trading stories and I approached them.

"Hey Sky! Got some sleep? The others are still building the fence outside and Oscar led the scouting party though he brought more people." Ken said.

I nodded then I gave a yawn.

"Your aunt told us to rest for a bit more first and the others are still sleeping." Allan said.

"F.u.c.k! Sky! I forgot to tell you, we opened the back of Tiny and it's loaded with two shotguns and a couple rounds of ammunition." Allan exclaimed.

My eyebrows shot up.

"Oscar was so happy and he said you wouldn't want those so he stored them in his armory. He called them SPAS-12s or something. The extra slugs are placed on the straps, it looked really cool." Ken said.

We started talking about other stuff and I saw Rin and Olivia walk by. They saw me see them but they almost moonwalked away from the vicinity. They quickly back-pedaled and avoided my line of sight.

"What's with those two?" I said.

The two looked at each other then they both shrugged.

"We saw Kaley earlier looking for those two and we saw her pull their ears as she dragged them upstairs." Ken said.

"Why though?" I asked.

"We're not really sure…they both have been silent the whole time and they won't speak of it. Women stuff maybe?" Allan said.

"Is that so? Better not to talk about it then." I said.

"Oh, right. Allan, I'm gonna need my gun back." I said as I held my hand out.

"B-but, I already named it!" he started to protest.

"It already has a name. It's called 'My Gun'" I said.

"Can I have the black one at least?" he negotiated.

"Nope that's 'My Gun 2'. I'll lend you one if you're outside with the scouting party or if you are on guard duty." I said.

"Did you just?" Ken muttered.

"Great! I'm gonna go outside now!" he said as he starts to slip past me.

"You're supposed to rest right? Give it to me for now." I said.

He droops his head low as he reluctantly gave it back.

I holstered it on my right torso and looking at the symmetry eases my mind.

"I'll lend you a rifle later if you stay for watch duty at night." I said.

His face lightens up then we continued on trading stories.

I left them after a few minutes and I stood at the catwalk. I jumped a few times and checked its durability. It holds perfectly.

I saw them now working on the second layer of the fence and they waved at me when they saw me up. I lifted myself up then I sat on the edge of the wall as I watch them work. I then looked at the ropes under me and I said to them, "Have you tested the ropes yet?"

"We only pulled on it for a bit but we never climbed on it." Zeidrick said.

"I'll test it while you guys work on the fence then." I said.

I called Ken and Allan over as I checked each rope for damages then I threw all of them down on the other side. Since there are three ropes in each wall, we three checked it at the same time.

"Hey man, before we start, arms only okay? Wanna bet?" Ken said.

"A pistol maybe?" Allan said.

"What happens if both of you lose then? What are you gonna give me then?" I said.

"We're gonna-" Allan was about to speak but I interrupted.

"Hold on, why is this a 2-on-1 now? It's supposed to be a three-way, right?" I said.

"One wish then? Free gun or anything the other guy says." Ken said.

"Bet." Me and Allan said at the same time.

"A level 9 spell eh?" I said to myself.

The guys working at the fence got riled up now and then they started to rest and watch for a while, cheers are starting to erupt and some of the people inside are watching us from above the catwalk. We positioned ourselves with one hand on the rope then Ken removed his jacket, his muscles bulged and he started to flex it. Allan's jaw dropped and I removed my weapons first so there should be no obstructions in my movement. The crowd then began the countdown for us, "3…2…1…Go!"

We started climbing as fast as we could and as I was about to reach the top, they already cheered for Ken since he reached the top a fraction of a second faster than me while Allan was a few seconds behind.

"Holy f.u.c.k dude!" I said to Ken.

He just smiled and gave the both of us a flex then he brought himself down. We just tested the other side normally while Ken thought of his wish.

"I'd like a gun Sky and Allan, shave your head man!" he announced very quickly. Allan was devastated to lose his hair but he accepted it and I searched the safe to look for a gun to give to Ken.

I opened the armory inside my room that is full of guns and I scanned around. I saw on a corner a sawed-off shotgun that could fit perfectly on his bag at the side of his wheelchair. I also grabbed a dozen slugs and a few blanks for it and headed back. His eyes lit up as he saw it and I handed it to him.

"Is that good?" I said.

"This is cool man!" he said.

I also handed him the ammo and taught him how to use it. I loaded it with blanks first so he could practice with it. We headed outside the fence and he loaded it himself with the blanks first and he squeezed the trigger.

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Chapter 30: 30

BOOM*

He squeezed the trigger from the other side.

BOOM*

"Why is it still loud?" Ken said.

"They still have gunpowder you know; it even has a bit of a kick too but very different from a real slug. Don't point it at your head or at someone very close though, blanks could still do damage to you. Try loading one slug to see the difference." I said.

He placed the two blanks left in his other pocket and he loaded one slug in the barrel. He pushes the hammer on the right-side down and he places his hand on the trigger and the other hand on the barrel and he made a small exhale and he squeezed the trigger.

BOOOOM*

His body felt the impact but he held it very steady. He opened the barrel to remove the slug and he handed the used slug to me.

"Holy shit! This is powerful man!" Ken exclaimed.

"Perfect." I said as I gave him the other slugs. "Keep safe and don't casually pull that out, I'll teach you how to clean it later. I have a few other ammo types to give you like the birdshot or the buckshot but just use those for now." I said.

"Sure thing man, peace!" he said as we went inside the compound. Allan reminded me that he would be doing watch duty as he eyed Ken's shotgun. I just nodded and I went on top of the wall again. They are almost finished with the 2nd layer of the fence as I looked at it. The two layers are chain-linked fences and it can be opened like a gate would. The first layer can be slid on the side so it hugs the other side of the wall and the second is attached to hinges so you could open it like a door. It's not as sturdy as a concrete wall but It could definitely hold a few zombies at a time and we could have a larger safe space.

I looked at my watch and it's almost time for the 3rd broadcast. A few moments pass and I saw Oscar and the group returning with the scouting group. I waved at them and I saw Kaley at the back wearing a visor, I tried to get her attention but she seems to ignore me.

"I guess she's really upset." I said to myself.

The truck that they brought was full of supplies. Oscar walked up to me and said, "Hey kid, slept well?" I saw the SPAS-12 at his hands and a few bloodstains on their clothes.

"Yeah, I woke up past lunch, I still haven't eaten though. Did something happen there?" I said.

"Yeah, a lot of zombies inside the shack with the pool table and the internet shop. We disposed of 14 of them. I killed 8 all in all including the one at the airport, pretty good huh? We burned them near the court." he started to brag in front of me.

I just gave a smug smile as I looked at him. He gave me a puzzled look and he said, "Well how many is your total then?"

"79." I said with a smile.

The group stared in shock and their eyes almost popped out of their sockets and even Kaley took a look in my direction before looking away.

"Stop lying kid! You'd die before you do that." Oscar said while the others nodded. I could feel this old man slightly jealous.

"Wanna see proof? I'll show you at the meeting later. The broadcast is about to start." I said.

I walked down the catwalk and I opened the gate for them. Kaley walked past me without sparing me a glance and I looked at Oscar.

"You took it too far yesterday kid, better prepare the best apology you have. She's still pissed." Oscar said to me as I scratched my head.

The group on the other hand became intrigued for my proof but we now gathered at the huge TV as we wait for the broadcast to start. The TV just shows some footage for preserving food like how to preserve them in mason jars and how to smoke some of the food for it to last longer. It was then cut off and we saw the face of the president who runs this country.

We all saw him in his usual attire but you could see the tiredness in his eyes. He revealed reports of their progress in reclaiming Davao City. A few people from different parts of the country and even Oscar called the guy yesterday, he was included in the list though it just mentions the city that were in. The only thing that stands out is they showed a video of 3 zombies just standing completely still. The soldiers even tried to get close and poke them with their rifles ready but there was nary a response.

"A new type?" I said to myself.

They placed those things in a cage to be studied as they received aid from Japan and three private planes landed on a reclaimed airport in the country so they could conduct research on the virus. Japan thinks that each country might have received a different strand since the special zombies they have there are more active in the day but made noises in the night. They also told the president that the special ones in the US are extremely active in the night but very slow in the day, their team are now being helped by some of this country's scientist and they have started a new project here. So far, they are all collecting as much data as possible to learn more about it.

The broadcast ended on a high note and we continued on doing our own things while my uncle finishes the fence and the others helped unload the truck.

I saw Kaley walk upstairs and I followed her. I was about to say something but the door was shut in front of me. I looked at the back and I saw Olivia and Rin looking at me with a tinge of worry in their faces. They were about to run but I managed to chase after them and grabbed them both by the collar as I pulled them upstairs.

"Is there something you guys are not telling me? Did you three fight?" I said.

They won't look at me in the eye and I figured that something was wrong.

"S-sorry Sky, if we tell you, Kaley is gonna kill us. P-please understand." Olivia said.

"R-right, B-boss Sky, what Olivia said." Rin added.

I was so confused I didn't know what to do so I had a gleam in my eye then I give both of them a look. They both gulped as they feel dread. I just chuckled and pulled the both of them towards the gym and I locked them both inside. I went down, grabbed something from the kitchen and went back.

"W-what are you gonna do to us Sky?! Help~!" Olivia panicked.

"P-please b-boss spare us!" Rin begged.

I ignored their remarks, "What is these guys thinking? I'm not gonna torture them, well…" I said to myself.

The gym is soundproof and it is covered in glass so it's perfect for blasting music without anyone hearing you from outside. They saw me place a plate on one of the tables with a fork and a knife. They stared at me with confusion as I put earplugs in. I grabbed the knife and the fork and I scratched the plate like a maniac.

sskksjsfbkbfslgsnladlafavsnldvs*

"NOOOOOO~!" The two immediately cried out. I kept on doing it until I read their lips mouthing 'Okay! We'll talk! Please stop!'

"You really had no idea?" Olivia asked.

"What? The joke that I made?" I asked.

Olivia facepalmed as she looked at Rin.

"He really doesn't have any clue. We should tell her first." Rin said.

"How? We're trapped here!" Olivia said.

"What? Tell me!" I said.

"Well, fudge it! We'll let the two handle it themselves." Olivia said as Rin nodded.

"Yesterday when you did the… in my opinion, was dark… but a very funny joke…" Olivia started.

"Yeah, go on." I said.

"Everyone was shocked but a few were adamant if it's real. Like Oscar and your family, they said they know you too well…" Rin continued.

"My sister among others didn't really take it that well…" Olivia said.

"And then?" I said.

"Kaley stayed all night to wait for you to come back and she did, but after we ate breakfast, she was sleeping on the chair soundly…" Rin said.

"Rin and I brought her upstairs but we left our keys below in the pool area…" Olivia said.

"I don't like where this is going…" I said.

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Chapter 31: 31

"So, we both decided to let her sleep in your room since it was open and you're not home yet." Rin finally dropped the bomb.

I think all the hairs on my body dropped on the floor as I heard it. I'm also fearing for my life as they were.

"We were about to tell you that she's there in you room but you can't even hear us speaking, you're dragging your feet as you walked inside. We thought you would wake her up and she would come out eventually so we went down to do our usual stuff." Olivia said as she looked at the ground.

"But I slept as soon as my body hit the bed!" I told the two.

"You didn't feel her next to you?" Rin asked.

I remembered the pillow I was hugging earlier and I'm losing feeling in my knees.

"I thought I was hugging a pillow but I immediately fell asleep!" I exclaimed.

The two blushed as they heard me. They just stared at me as their cheeks started to redden.

"You did nothing else then?" Rin asked.

"What are you thinking about?" I said.

"You know… that." Rin said as she can't look me in the eye.

"I'm telling you! I was immediately asleep since I was up all night guarding the store yesterday!" I said.

"I think my sister woke up before lunch because we saw her super red as she went to get us and then she interrogated me and Rin. You guys are actually hugging for hours! And you didn't even know until now! Hahahaha!" Olivia started to die laughing while Rin was also red from holding her laughter.

What I didn't say to them is that I was butt-n.a.k.e.d that whole time! As I was thinking of what to do, I heard a knock on the door behind me and I felt a dread the same as them as they stopped laughing.

"Your. Room. Now." I heard behind and I hear footsteps slowly fading away. I waited for a while then I steeled myself and I walked slowly inside my room and closed it. I saw a silhouette of a familiar figure inside; it was still dark because the lights were off and because of my curtains. I closed the door behind me and I walked closer but I just felt a sharp pain hit my cheek.

SLAP*

The sound resounded in the room and it almost echoed. I felt the stinging pain but I held it in. I was about to say something then I heard sobbing noises. I froze on the spot as I hear the figure continue on crying.

"I'm sorry…" that's all that came out of me.

I saw the figure drew closer and I felt closed fists hammering towards my body. The pain is secondary and I really felt bad for what I did.

"I really need to tone it down sometimes…" I said to myself.

By this time, I must be an idiot if I can't figure out what I did wrong. I held her tight as the same sensation before I fell asleep assaulted my senses.

"It was definitely her." I said to myself.

We just stood there for a moment and I can faintly see her face due to the small lights that the slit on the side of the curtain let out. I sat her down and we talked while barely seeing each other. I tried to wipe the tears on her face with a towel but she slapped my hand off.

"Kaley, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I really thought it would be funny…" I said.

"Funny my ass, I-we almost rushed to the supermarket you know?" she replied.

"I won't do it again, maybe tomorrow…" I joked.

punch*

"Ouch! Kidding! I'm kidding ahaha…" I helplessly said while rubbing my shoulder.

"Do that again and I'll shoot you with my rifle." she said sternly.

gulp*

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"I'm dead-ass serious." she replied again.

"…" I was silent.

"You found your friend? They said you brought others too." she said with a calmer tone.

"Yeah, his name's Allan, I also invited Jenny, Susan, James, Chris and Charlotte. I met them at the supermarket, good folks. I also invited a guy named Juan but he went to find his family first." I said.

"That's definitely a good guy. Hope the others are too. Are you okay?" she replied.

"Yeah, I found something good too!" I exclaimed.

"What?" she said.

"Let me open the lights first." I got up and turned around.

"What is it?" she asked again.

"Just wait!" I placed my hand on where I remember the switch is.

I opened the lights and I opened my dresser. I took out the box I took from the supermarket. It was a whole cake with white icing and it has strawberries on top of it. I removed the red ribbon from it and I laid it in front of her. Kaley was surprised and she gave a smile though there's still a tinge of red in her eyes from crying.

"Tada! It's already been sliced! You could see the plastic in the middle where it has been sliced, just lift here and we could it eat now! I brought a plate with a knife and a fork at the gym. Let me get it for a sec." I said as I was about to open the door.

"Why did you have those at the gym?" she asked.

"Long story ahaha…" I said embarrassingly.

"Don't get them, let's just eat it with our hands." she waved me over.

"You sure?" I confirmed.

"Yeah." she replied.

"Here, sorry it's a bit deformed. Must be from the pushcart." I handed her the most perfect piece though it really is still deformed.

"No, it's perfect." she said as I took a bite of it.

"…" I just smiled and I closed the box.

She began eating the cake as I look at her. There's still a tinge of red in her eyes and I see black circles under it.

"I'm sorry for the other thing too…" I said.

"…" she was silently eating the cake.

"I was really tired because I was up all night, I thought you were a pillow…" I explained.

"…" she was still silently eating the cake.

"Did I hug you too tight? I'm sorry I'm n.a.k.e.d when you woke up, they threw me at the pool when I arrived, I just removed all my clothes when I came in…" I added.

"…" still nothing from her.

"I promise I didn't do anything… Kaley?" I tried to get her attention.

"…" she stopped eating.

I saw her place the half-eaten cake down and she stood up. She walked toward the door and as I thought she would come outside, she turned off the lights.

click*

I heard the door being locked and I just heard, "Stop talking."

She planted a huge kiss in my mouth as she pushed me down on the bed. I feel her body wrapping towards mine as she continued to kiss me. I tasted her sweet lips while our tongues interlocked. I wrapped my hands at her back as we continue, her chest is pushing against mine and our breaths are getting heavier.

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Chapter 32: 32

We're kissing for a while and I rolled her over. Now I'm the one on top while our eyes are slowly adjusting in the dark. I broke free from her lips and I started kissing her neck, my hands glided to her ample b.r.e.a.s.t as she bites her lower lip. She lifts up her shirt as I saw the full view, those huge mounds that cannot even fit my hand. I lowered my kiss again to one of those peaks while I softly caress the other one. Her hands are above her head as I place my other hand close to her underarm, she starts to let out a soft m.o.a.n that increased the warmth I'm feeling inside.

I then switched to the other side as she continued to enjoy herself, her lower back is slowly rising and falling with each playful bite and squeeze I did with the pink tips. My hand decided to go lower to her left thigh as I caress gently, she started to unbutton her jeans and I pulled it off after. I looked at her and she's just looking at me intensely while breathing heavily. I placed my hands on her inner thighs and on her calves as I glide my hands through them, she's slowly moving her h.i.p.s and one of her hands begun to touch her b.r.e.a.s.ts and the other one much, much lower. Her hands went under the small clothing at her h.i.p.s as she began touching herself in front of me.

I slowly removed my shirt as I look at her, she looked at my body as her hands moved faster and her breathing more ragged. I removed the last article of clothing in her h.i.p.s where her hands were under and then she removes her hand from it and she spread her legs in front of my face. I felt it with my hands first and she pushed my head towards it. Her back arched once I bury my face deep in her and my tongue started to explore. She let out a m.o.a.n as I grunted while she squeezed my head with her thighs. I'm doing it rigorously as my hands are on her thighs and her hands are on her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Her h.i.p.s are moving up and down, seemingly pushing it more against me. A few moments passed and she starts to shake and twitch for a while. However, I decided to continue what I'm doing and I let my hands explore her too even though she's squeezing my head real tight while her hands are pulling my hair. Her m.o.a.ns became louder and louder and then I finally stopped when she laid on the bed panting.

I kissed her again on the lips but she starts to bite my lip as she started smiling. She turned me over as she stood in the opposite direction. She unzipped my pants and she pulled it off while I also show her everything. She grabbed it with both hands and it disappeared from view when her face got close to it. I feel her tongue gliding across it and her hands tugging it as I grunted a few times, I was facing her lower body so I decided to do more. I grabbed what's in front of me and I once again buried my face in her. Her body reacted and I feel her pushing it in my face even more. My tongue reached places while my hands is spreading it further. She felt it immediately and now she's doing it much faster.

She is soaking wet and she decided to place my thumb in the other opening. It slides in a bit more raggedly but it immediately tightened when I started to move it around. I tried to grab her b.r.e.a.s.t from this position but I feel that I'm reaching my limit. She also felt it so she continued on doing it hard. I let it all out and I lost all the strength in my body. However, she never stopped and did the same thing I did to her. She continued on doing the same thing while I struggle on with the sensitivity. I steeled my mind and continued on to what I'm doing. A few minutes later, I'm already feeling it growing back, she stopped what she's doing and she stood up in front of it while facing me. She slowly squatted down and I feel myself entering her, she let out a small gasp when she reached the base and we are face to face when she started to move her h.i.p.s.

Pleasurable sounds are what is left to be heard in the dark room that we are in, there was little to no sense of sight at the moment, only hearing and touch could be sensed. She's moving her h.i.p.s while her huge chest is pressed against me while my hands are on her back. She tightened a few times while I continue to enjoy myself to what was happening between us. She finally lost strength while she twitches once more so I held her tight and I'm the one who moved my h.i.p.s under her.

"W-wait…" she said softly but I continued on. She's turns to a mess for each thrust I did and I finally finished after a few more. I laid on the bed panting then she also laid next to me. We're just looking at each other while we're both out of breath from what we did. I was laying straight down while she's leaning her body at me to the side, she's using my right arm as a pillow and her face is next to my chest.

"Did we just…?" I said.

"Yeah…" she replied.

"…"

"…"

"Hey…"

"…Yeah?"

"I think the cake fell…"

"Pfft! Hahahaha!"

We talked for a few more minutes and we took a shower together. Nothing happened there and we're just looking at each other while we wash ourselves while chatting.

We then went into each other's room and we get dressed separately. I wore my usual clothes and equipped my two M9s to my holsters at my torso after reloading the magazines. I went to the rack and placed my wakizashi at my left hip. I looked at the rack where my katana and tanto is placed and I took the tanto from it. I waited for her outside the door and she came out dressed with the M9 I gave her on her hip.

"Catch." I said.

I threw the tanto at her softly. She catches it by the handle then she looked at it.

"What's this? Isn't this your tanto?" she said.

I smiled and said, "It's yours now. I want you to have it, you're really good with a gun but I think you'll be safer if you have this." I replied.

She nodded and then I helped her fasten it in her belt.

"Oh right! Good news!" I said.

"Hmm?" her eyebrows raised.

"The cake is fine, it landed on the floor safely, the slice you half-eaten isn't. I stepped on it after the shower so I had to go back. Don't waste food yeah?" I said with a smile.

She laughed again while she punches me in the arm. She inspected the blade at my hip.

"Aya talked to me earlier and she said that you also have a katana, why aren't you wearing the katana too? Is there a reason?" she said.

"Did you know that even if the katana is the most well-known blade in the Japanese culture, there are actually more wakizashis being used than katanas?" I explained.

"Oh really? Why though?" she asked.

"Only real samurais can wear them in the olden times, most people like merchants, civilians and the like can only wield wakizashis. That's why there are more of them available." I said.

"But why are you not wearing your katana? It's yours, right? Is this some mental thing where you still think yourself unworthy or something?" she said.

"It's a mental thing, but a different reason. I could wield them both, but I would like it if I could have either two wakizashis or two katanas in each hand, the asymmetry is making my head itch…" I explained.

She facepalmed as she chuckled. "But why did you choose that over the katana?" she said.

"Logically, the katana is more deadly because it is heavier and has longer reach than the wakizashi, but I prefer speed and maneuverability over reach and power." I explained.

She nodded with a pensive expression and she asked me the time.

"It's 5:47 PM, Let's head down yeah?" I said as we went down the stairs. I saw the plate with the fork and knife on the sink and Zeus is sleeping on a corner. His head perks up as he saw me walk down but he yawned and continued sleeping after he tucks his tail in front of his nose.

The group saw us and my aunt asked me to eat since I still haven't eaten lunch. I declined the offer and said that I'll just eat more on dinner. She nodded as she prepares the food and they included the extra people that I came with earlier. The group I came with earlier is at the poolside chatting with the others and they seem to get along well, though Charlotte is still struggling on switching between her personas.

I then found out that Charlotte has a green thumb. Chris told me about her garden back at home and I immediately showed her the greenhouse. Her eyes lit up and she disappeared inside, Chris accompanied her as always and I left the two there. Susan is helping with my aunt cooking while James is playing with Aya and the rest of the kids inside. Jenny was with Allan, whose head is now shaved from the bet earlier, he's playing with her gun and inspecting it throughout. I walked up to them and I called Ken to show them how to clean and maintain their weapons after each use.

"Sky, why do we always need to clean and inspect them?" Ken asked.

"Well, I'd rather spend time checking it every day than not checking it and it suddenly misfiring. Worst case is if it breaks after a shot and it either blow up your hand with it or a few shards flying straight in your eye." I explained with a grim look.

"Oh, ahaha…let me check it again for good measure." Ken said as he looks at his gun again.

We spent the time idling about, minding our own business until it's finally time for dinner.

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