The roar of the engines echoed when we finally stopped on the outskirts of the city, driving from here would be suicide.
"Everyone out, now." I ordered as I opened the van door, slinging the shotgun over my shoulder, "From now on, we move on foot."
Andrea looked toward the horizon where the buildings rose like mutilated giants, "There doesn't seem to be any movement around here."
"Don't let your guard down." I answered without looking at her, "Glenn, you know the area, tell me what's nearby."
"Three blocks away there's a medium supermarket, though it's probably been looted, but behind it there's a small pharmacy, that one might have medicines." Glenn replied, touching his chin.
"Also, just two blocks from there there's a fire station that.." Glenn continued but was interrupted by Andrea before he finished.
"What are we supposed to find there, hoses?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, Andrea, fire extinguishers, heavy tools, firefighter axes, breathing equipment, high-performance flashlights, trauma kits, firefighters don't work with toys." I said, recalling the times I collaborated with them like old Shane.
"The most important thing is that stations usually have reserves of drinking water and rations for the crew on duty, nothing luxurious, but enough for a group to survive for weeks." I finished the analysis.
T-Dog let out a low whistle, "Damn… that doesn't sound bad, and surely nobody thought of that, everyone ran straight to the food stores."
Morales frowned, "It does sound tempting, but if others had the same idea, maybe the firefighters themselves, it could be crowded or turned into a nest."
"Everything here can be a nest." I replied plainly as I checked the safety on my shotgun, "But if what Glenn says is true, the loot is worth the risk, an empty supermarket won't do us any good."
Jacqui, who had been silent until then, spoke quietly, "They could also have short-range radios, even a generator, if there's still fuel left of course."
"Good… food, water, medicine and improvised weapons in one place, you seem smarter than you look." Andrea said thoughtfully, looking toward Glenn.
"And what does that mean?" Glenn asked a little annoyed.
"Ahem, putting that aside, you seem familiar with the area, what did you do before?" I asked, pretending not to know.
"I delivered pizza!" Glenn answered, shrugging, which caused odd looks from the others.
"Then the decision is made, first we'll check the pharmacy, then we'll go to the fire station, Glenn will lead, Andrea cover the rear, the rest stay alert."
"Also, if you find these things, use knives, don't waste bullets, save them for other kinds of threats!" I said, planting my combat knife in the skull of a walker.
[ Points + 1 ]
"Excellent." I murmured to myself as I heard the sweet sound of the system for the first time.
"Understood!"
They all answered as they grasped the subtext of my words, but something tells me they're not ready for that yet.
Glenn swallowed and raised his hand pointing to the street on the right, "This way, three blocks, the pharmacy is behind that parking lot."
We advanced in close formation, the asphalt covered with broken glass, torn trash bags and a thick silence, broken only by the crunch of our boots.
Andrea turned occasionally to watch the rear, while T-Dog kept the knife ready, his knuckles white from how hard he gripped it.
Passing in front of a looted shop, Morales muttered under his breath, "Looks like a mob swept everything…" but fell silent when he saw the look I gave him, speaking aloud was invitation to trouble.
Glenn signaled for us to stop dead, in front of us, half a block away, two staggered figures were gnawing on a fresh corpse, Jacqui covered her mouth with her hand to keep from crying out.
"We can circle them through the left alley." Glenn whispered, leaning toward me to which I shook my head.
"No, if we leave these things behind they will end up following us and trap us when we least expect it." I said, shaking my head.
I approached slowly, aimed at the closest one and with a clean motion I plunged the knife under its jaw, pushing it all the way in, it fell without more than a muffled moan, I quickly moved to the other and dispatched it just as easily.
[ Points + 1 ]
The others looked silently at the motionless bodies on the pavement, their faces reflected fear but also a glint of understanding, there was no room for mercy here.
Glenn breathed deeply when he saw the street clear again, "Alright… now, to the right, two more blocks."
Andrea lowered the rifle and murmured barely audible, "Too quiet, I don't like it."
"That's because we're still on the outskirts." I replied while I cleaned the blade of my knife on one of the body's clothes, "Deeper in it will be different."
Morales adjusted his backpack strap and threw a nervous glance at the buildings' windows, "I feel like they're watching us."
Jacqui wouldn't take her eyes off the half-eaten corpse, "They were fresh… that means someone died recently."
"Silence." I cut in immediately, "Focus your mind on surviving, not on ghosts."
We moved another block in silence until we came across an improvised barricade of trash containers crossed in the street, Glenn raised his fist to stop us.
"This wasn't here before." he said in a low murmur.
T-Dog stepped forward a couple of paces, knife in hand and said nervously, "Looks like it's made to hold something back or to keep something inside."
Andrea adjusted the strap of her rifle, "Or to trap idiots like us in the middle."
I crouched and looking at the containers, there were blood stains on the edges, but already dry, "Not recent." I stood up, "We go through here, quickly, one by one, and listen for noise."
Glenn slipped through first through a narrow gap between two containers, I followed closely, on the other side, the street was silent, but in the distance a metallic sound thudded like a dragged chain, everyone tensed.
"What the hell was that?" Morales murmured, raising his hand for silence.
Andrea spun around, the rifle's barrel searching shadows, "It wasn't an echo… something moved."
Glenn pressed his lips together, "The pharmacy is just behind that parking lot, but if we make noise they will surround us."
"Then no bullets." I replied, signaling with my hand, "Andrea, get on top of the container, watch from above, T-Dog and Morales, with me, knives, Jacqui, cover the entrance, no one passes behind."
Andrea snorted but obeyed, climbing the rusted metal with surprising agility, we advanced toward the parking lot, the cars were cramped, some with doors open, others with dark stains on the seats.
Glenn raised his hand again, in front of us a walker skewered diagonally blocked half the entrance to the pharmacy.
Behind it… three staggering bodies that, upon hearing us, slammed against a hood, growling like hungry animals.
Glenn leaned toward me, "We can lure them one by one, the sound of the knife against the car already has them excited."
"Do it." I ordered.
He struck a stone against the fender and one of them broke off, staggering toward us, I advanced without hesitation and met it with the knife straight to the eye, driving it to the hilt, the body dropped like a sack.
[ Points +1 ]
T-Dog nodded with a grimace, then stepped forward to deal with the second, the knife stuck for a moment in the skull, he almost lost it, but Andrea from above shouted a warning, "Careful, to your left!"
Morales covered him at once, burying his own blade in the third's temple, silence fell again.
[ Points + 0.5 ]
[ Points + 0.5 ]
Andrea climbed down from the container, breathing hard, "That was clean… but it won't always be like that."
"That's why we practice here." I replied as I cleaned the blade again.
Glenn pointed to the pharmacy door, "It's boarded up, but not fully closed, we can get in, though it'll make noise."
Jacqui approached, nervous, "If we go in, whatever heard us back there will come straight through."
"That's why we'll be quick." I said, pulling the shotgun and the flashlight from my vest, "Glenn open, Andrea cover, the rest with me inside."
As Glenn leaned over the door, the sound of chains rumbled again, closer this time, like something dragging metal across the asphalt, everyone tensed.
"Shh…" Andrea whispered, eyes fixed on the corner of the street, "Whatever it is… it's coming this way."