Chapter 42: What was that again?

We carried the supplies we had gathered from the village to the first floor of the chief's house. We had found a lot of food, weapons, and vehicles in the village. We had also captured some survivors, who were hiding in the chief's house. They were civilians and hunters from their vilage.

We decided to let the captives eat some food, while we guarded them. I told the twins and Shana to watch over them, while the rest of us continued looting the village. We hoped to find more useful items, or at least something interesting.

We split into three groups, each taking a different direction. We searched the houses, shops, and cars, looking for anything valuable. We found a bow and several pistols, which we added to our growing collection. We also managed to steal a few cars, which we added to our convoy. We loaded the cars with the supplies, and we returned to the chief's house.

The captives had finished eating, and they looked more calm and cooperative. I regrouped with my team, and we prepared to head back to the farm. I instructed Roger to inform the captives about their situation and the offer I had made them. I wanted them to work for me, in exchange for food, shelter, and weapons. I hoped they would accept, as they could be valuable allies.

The journey back to the farm was uneventful, and we arrived safely as night began to fall. We unloaded the cars and stored the supplies in the warehouse. We also introduced the captives to the men who were staying at the farm. They seemed to recognize some of them, and they greeted them warmly.

We then settled back into the mansion for the night. We ate some dinner, and we relaxed in the living room. We talked about our day, and we shared our stories. We felt happy and satisfied with our achievements. We had increased our resources and our manpower. We had also made some new friends.

The next morning, we returned to the farm to retrieve the kids and the women we had rescued from the village. We had offered them the same deal as the others: to work for us in exchange for food, shelter, and weapons. Most of them had accepted, while a few had refused but they have no choice but to follow.

I distributed some of the weapons we had found in the village, including pistols, air guns, bows, shotguns, and daggers. I also gave them some basic instructions on how to use them. I told them they would receive more training and better weapons as they showed improvement and loyalty.

We also discovered that two of the women had some medical knowledge. They were nurses, who had worked in a hospital before the zombie outbreak. They had some medical supplies and books, which they had brought with them. They offered to teach the others basic first aid, which I agreed.

With the presence of two, a soldiers and a mercenary who had military experience, we incorporated combat training into our daily routine. The training was intense, and it involved physical exercises, shooting drills, and survival skills.

In the stillness of the night, I stirred from sleep, only to find Amy and Steff lying unclothed beside me. As I stared at the ceiling, an unsettling feeling crept over me—a nagging thought I couldn't quite grasp.

Then it hit me like a jolt of electricity. Christopher's words echoed in my mind, recounting the horde that had torn him and Denver apart. Denver, too, had painted a vivid picture of the relentless zombie onslaught. Both had sought refuge here, and now, that same horde was heading our way. "Shit!" I exclaimed, the gravity of the situation hitting me.

While the mansion offered safety, the farm lay vulnerable without protective walls. Urgency surged through me. "Amy! Steff! Wake up! Emergency!" I declared, a sense of impending danger propelling me forward.

Amy, still half-asleep, murmured about the late hour. "Souta, can't it wait until morning? I'm tired."

"Souta..." Steff questioned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What's the emergency?"

"Remember Christopher and Denver talking about the horde? It's heading here." Panic flickered in Steff's eyes as she dressed swiftly. "I'll wake the others," she declared, rushing to alert those in the mansion.

"Amy, wake up! Zombies are coming! This is serious!" I urged, shaking her into awareness. The mention of zombies snapped her to attention.

I swiftly reached out to Roger and Rex via the walkie-talkie, relaying the imminent threat and instructing them to prepare. In a matter of minutes, our preparations were complete. I assigned the twins and Christopher to guard the mansion while Shana, Amy, Steff, and I set out for the farm. The impending confrontation with the oncoming horde loomed heavily in the night air.