The journey through the rest of the day was uneventful, a monotonous grind of tires on broken asphalt punctuated by brief, efficient skirmishes with the occasional mutated beast that wandered too close. They were dispatched with practiced ease, barely causing a delay.
By midday, the jagged silhouette of the New Order's main compound appeared on the horizon—a formidable complex built into and around a pre-collapse industrial facility, surrounded by high walls and patrolled by sentries.
Julian brought the vehicle to a halt in a secluded copse of trees a few kilometers out. "We stop here," he announced. "We'll make camp and wait for nightfall. A daylight approach is too risky."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of violet and deep blue, the final preparations began. The air was thick with a mixture of tension and determination.
"Please be careful," Clarissa said, her voice full of quiet concern.
