Noah knew they couldn't stay in the same place once a guy like Victor Kane had their scent. He spent the entire night hunched over a table, using highlighters on paper maps. He was burning the city's layout into his brain because he knew the internet and GPS wouldn't last forever.
"Pack only the stuff you need," Noah said. His voice was flat and tired. "If it doesn't help you fight or help you eat, leave it behind. We're moving in an hour."
Mason looked like he wanted to argue, but the look in Noah's eyes stopped him. He just grabbed a duffel bag and started throwing his clothes in. Lena was already finished; she was checking the caps on the water jugs they had filled.
"Where are we going, Noah?" Claire asked. She was carefully packing her medical tools into a padded crate. "If Victor's men are looking for the truck, won't they just follow us?"
"They'll follow the truck," Noah said. "That's why we aren't taking it. We're leaving it in a mall parking lot miles away. We're moving through the old subway tunnels."
He spread a map out on the table. It was covered in red, yellow, and green circles.
"Look at this," Noah told the group, waving them over. "This is the city as it is now. But this is how it will look in four years."
He pointed to the red areas. "These are the Kill Zones. They're near the river and the factory parks. When the first big wave of monsters hits, these places will be flooded with them in minutes. There's nowhere to hide and too many ways for them to get in."
He moved his finger to the yellow spots. "These are War Zones. This is where the big gangs and people like Victor will set up. They're good spots to hide, but everyone will be fighting over them. If we go there, we'll spend all our time fighting other people instead of surviving."
Finally, he tapped a few small green dots in boring suburbs and quiet office parks. "These are Safe Zones. Places nobody thinks are important. They have their own water wells, thick walls, and you can see enemies coming from a mile away."
"So we're moving to a green dot?" Mason asked.
"Not yet," Noah replied. "We're moving to a Backup Spot. It's a basement under an old library. It has three exits and connects to the tunnels. If Victor finds us, we can disappear into the dark before his men even get through the front door."
Lena looked at the map. She followed the lines Noah had drawn. "You've mapped the whole city, Noah. Every alley and basement. When did you do all this?"
"In a life you don't remember," Noah muttered, folding the map up. "Now move. The sun is coming up, and I want to be underground before people start waking up and seeing us."
They moved like ghosts. Noah led the way, his eyes constantly checking the rooftops. He wasn't looking for monsters today—he was looking for black SUVs and guys in grey jackets.
As they slipped into a rusted hatch behind a dumpster, Noah took one last look at the city. It looked so peaceful. People were starting their cars for work, and the world felt normal.
But Noah saw the truth. He saw the red circles on his map. He saw the fire that was coming.
"Noah! Come on!" Mason whispered from the dark hole in the ground.
Noah stepped into the tunnel and pulled the heavy iron lid shut. The sound was loud in the quiet morning—a final, heavy thud.
They were off the grid. For the first time, Noah felt like he was one step ahead of Victor Kane. But he knew it wouldn't last. In this world, the only way to stay safe was to keep moving and never trust the silence.
The team is officially in hiding. Noah's "Survival Map" is their new guide.