Chapter 213: The Parking Garage
"We’re here," Thomas said as the military truck finally came to a stop.
He immediately tightened his grip on the M249 and peered into the darkness beyond the headlights.
Jaxon opened his Storage Space and pulled out several flashlights, handing them around to the others. He also brought out tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, and other supplies they would need if they had to stay here for a while.
"Set everything up here for now," he said. "Keep the lanterns close, but don’t spread them too far. We don’t need to light up the entire parking level."
Everyone nodded and began unloading the supplies.
Jaxon jumped down from the truck and looked around the parking level. Rows of abandoned vehicles stretched into the darkness.
With his enhanced vision, however, the darkness wasn’t much of a problem. Jaxon slowly scanned between the vehicles, checked beneath larger trucks, and looked around every nearby pillar.
’’There doesn’t seem to be infected here.’
Even so, he wasn’t willing to take any chances. He walked toward an abandoned SUV, placed both hands against its side, and began pushing.
"What are you doing?" Bong-gu called from behind him.
"We need to secure this place before we rest."
Bong-gu immediately tried to get up, but Thomas grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down.
"Sit. You’re still injured. I’ll help him."
Thomas walked over, and the two of them began moving the abandoned vehicles around the military truck. They pushed one across the entrance from the side, then moved another beside it, gradually creating a makeshift barrier.
The back of the truck was already against a concrete wall, while the vehicles blocked both sides. They left only the front open, giving them a narrow view of the parking level while making it difficult for anything to approach from the sides.
After several minutes, Jaxon and Thomas finally stepped back and looked over the barricade.
"This should be enough for now," Jaxon said. "We’ll stay here for the night. If necessary, we can remain here for a few days until everyone recovers."
Elena nodded and went back to check on the injured.
A few moments later, she suddenly looked up. "Haris is waking up."
Hannah immediately rushed to his side. "Haris?"
His eyelids slowly opened. His face was pale, and for a moment, he seemed confused as he stared at the unfamiliar concrete ceiling.
"Where... are we?"
"You’re safe," Elena said, kneeling beside him. She checked his condition again before continuing, "We’re in an underground parking garage. Don’t try to move too much yet."
Haris blinked a few times before his eyes finally found Hannah. "Hannah..."
"I’m here."
Hannah grabbed his hand, tears welling up in her eyes again. "You scared me so much."
Haris gave her a weak smile. "Sorry..."
"Don’t worry about talking right now," Elena said. "Just rest. Your body’s been through a lot."
She carefully checked his bandages while Cindy helped organize the medical supplies nearby.
Around them, the others continued preparing the shelter. Claire and Hae-in finished setting up the sleeping area, while Jannah and Hiromi arranged the lanterns around the truck.
"You should rest, Jaxon. I’ll take watch," Thomas said.
"All right. Wake me if you notice anything unusual."
Thomas gave him a nod and moved toward the edge of the barricade, M249 in hand.
Jaxon then walked over and sat beside Na-rin, who was leaning against the wall. Most of her injuries had been bandaged, but the bruises and scratches were still clearly visible.
"How are you feeling?" Jaxon asked.
"Terrible."
Jaxon glanced at her bandages and sighed. Seeing them injured like this made him uneasy. If only he could somehow share his Vitality with them. His own body was already recovering, but there was nothing he could do to speed up their recovery.
Na-rin noticed his expression and gave him a faint smile. "Worried?"
"Of course I am. I’ll have you use Bong-gu’s shotgun the next time we encounter infected. It will increase your Vitality."
Na-rin glanced toward Natasha, who was sitting a short distance away with her eyes closed as she rested. "Natasha might get jealous if you keep worrying about me like this."
Natasha opened her eyes and calmly looked over. "I’m not that petty."
She quickly looked away as she muttered, "Just get well soon."
Na-rin smiled faintly. "You too."
Around them, the others were settling down to rest.
"Brother, the drones are running low on battery," Cindy called from nearby.
Jaxon looked over. "Have them land near the parking garage entrance. I’ll recover them later."
"Okay."
Far above them, the two Recon Drones slowly descended from the sky. Their propellers grew quieter as they approached the ground, with one settling near the entrance of the parking garage shortly before the other landed beside it.
From a nearby building, a pair of dark eyes watched them in silence, following the drones until both machines had landed.
Only then did the figure disappear back into the darkness.
...
Back underground, the night passed quietly.
Most of the group managed to get some rest while Thomas and Elena took turns keeping watch. Eventually, morning arrived, though there was no sunlight to mark it inside the underground parking garage. Only the soft glow of their lanterns illuminated the darkness around them.
Jaxon woke up and looked around, seeing Na-rin and Natasha sleeping nearby. After making sure they were still resting comfortably, he opened his Storage Space and began taking out supplies.
Canned food, bottled water, medical supplies, clothes, toiletries, and other necessities soon filled part of the area around the military truck. They had enough supplies to survive here for months.
Jaxon looked toward the entrance before turning to Thomas, who was checking over his M249.
"Thomas, help me scout the surrounding area. Let’s see if there are any working vehicles we can use."
Thomas immediately stood up and grabbed his weapon. "Sure."
After confirming B3 was clear, Jaxon and Thomas spent the morning scouting the parking garage and the streets around it. They carefully checked B1 and B2 first, making sure there were no infected hiding among the abandoned vehicles before venturing farther outside.
Most of the vehicles they found were useless. Some had been wrecked, while others were missing their batteries or were simply too damaged to drive. After nearly an hour of searching, however, they finally found three vehicles that still looked usable with their keys still inside.
A Toyota Land Cruiser, a Mitsubishi Delica, and a Ford Ranger.