***


    After the funeral that has taken place for their colleague who perished in the mission, the entire population from the safe zone in Dicang village, have moved the trailers and the containers with their available heavy vehicles in ways that zombies couldn''t climb it, on parts where the fences are destroyed and missing. This operation took a while, and when they were all finished, they all went to a big house, where they''ll take their dinner since the night has come. All the fighters have gone to eat some good bean soup with tea.


    More than thirty people have gathered in a big room where three tables have been combined to form one. The group gathered chairs from the house and the nearby houses for everybody to have where to sit. This whole preparation took a while, and when it did finish, everyone sat at the table, did their prayers because of El Tigro who is religious. After the prayers, everyone started to eat their bean soup and drink their tea.


    "Today was hard." says a fighter at the table.


    "Indeed." says Li Kay, who sits next to that fighter. "But at least we''ve made it."


    "So," says El Tigro to Xin Yan. "What did you guys find in the warehouse? You did not fill me in with the details."


    "A lot of the dead and untouched supplies for some reason. And a journal that may have every bit of data needed to know what has happened in there."


    "Besides the journal." responds Li Kay. "We have found weapons. Most of them were fire weapons jammed."


    "I see." says El Tigro. "As long as the supplies are there, we are good."


    "We''ll go tomorrow and check it out." says Turbo squad leader. "We take a vehicle and take everything we need."


    "Sounds good." says Shi Huang, squad leader. "We''ll send only three people. And then we''ll send seven people to Xiahe Sangke Jisuzhi Elementary School. Our radio got a signal of a group of people that are living there."


    "Doesn''t it seem strange?" asks a fighter to the Shi Huang squad leader.


    "It does seem strange," says Shi Huang. "How come they''ve not heard the helicopters, shootings, fighting and all the zombies coming here. This elementary school is not even that far from what I''ve seen on the map. It''s like 2 to 4 kilometers away from us."


    "What?" asks El Tigro.


    "1 mile away." says a fighter to El Tigro while eating his bean soup.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Aha. That sounds strange." says El Tigro to the fighter, and he looks at Shi Huang leader. "Do you have anyone in mind?"


    "My people and two more fighters from your squad." says Shi Huang.


    "Okay," says El Tigro looking at his people, then he says. "Gordon and Eduard. You two are going."


    "Eh?" asks a bald guy, pointing at himself, with a military uniform that has the name tag Eduard on the right side of the chest.


    "Yes." says El Tigro to Eduard. "You and Gordon are going. Am I clear?"


    "Yes, sir." says Eduard to El Tigro, looking nervous.


    "Good." says El Tigro, taking a sip from the tea he had, then he looks at the tea. "This tea ain''t so bad. But I still prefer my energy drink."


    "Me too." says Ri Ku to El Tigro.


    The dinner continues with small talks about their day, eating the bean soup served and drinking tea for more than five minutes. Afterward, all of them left the table, and Ri Ku, Xin Yan and Yu Tong have been ordered to wash off the dishes at the sink of this house. The three while washing the dishes decide to start a casual conversation.


    "Have you read the book I recommend to you?" asks Ri Ku.


    "It was amazing," says Yu Tong.


    "Oh. You finished it?" asks Ri Ku to Yu.


    "Yes. Before I went to the warehouse. I liked the ending where Martin comes back home from the war and finds his family fine."


    "Yeah…" says Ri Ku feeling deeply sad, then he sighs. "We may be different. But a thing that makes us unite is that we kinda went through the same hardships. We all witnessed all of our family members dying one by one."


    "Mine died in an airplane crash," says Xin Yan washing the dishes. "A plane crashed into the tower and killed everyone in there… The only day I felt lucky to go to work."


    "We all lost our families. But we''ve gained a new one in return."


    "Right." says Ri Ku washing a plate with a sponge. "Let''s change the subject. Do you think we''ll stay here forever?"


    "Hopefully." respond Xin. "But knowing The Organization crisis, sooner or later they''ll call us and in order to help clear another safe zone that has been overrun."


    "At least give us a small vacation here." jokes Yu Tong. "We deserve it."


    "Yeah, hah." play along Ri Ku. "But, you know the saying of The Organization: "This is our fight."."


    "Yeap…" says Yu.


    The three finish washing the dishes after a few minutes, then they all put the dishes in the cabinets, they head outside, before Ri Ku was about to leave, he turns off the light and leaves the room. This house, like many others, has been connected to a solar power station that''s installed on one of the rooftops of their neighbor. This is not classified as stealing since the owner of the house has been found with his insides out in the bedroom.


    Outside, the whole village is illuminated by torches that have been placed earlier this day by three people from Turbo squad. These are improvised torches made by using broomsticks with clothes that were put on fire. They possess generators, but they cannot waste all the fuel for lighting. The whole village needs to conserve electricity for more important matters.


    The three fighters are going to their house that has been designed by their commanders to sleep in. The house they are sleeping in is one that has only a first floor. Upon entering the house, which has only a room and a bathroom, they see their two colleagues sleeping on the floor, on their sleeping bags. This house had a bed, but it was infected with blood, vomit and a lot of mushrooms, which made them take the bed outside earlier this day before taking the house, and burning the whole bed, just in case. The three take their sleeping bags that were placed on the floor, make way on the floor for them to sleep and all went to sleep immediately, not saying a word and only snoring of Ahmed could be heard.