Chapter 67: The Night in the Hideout
After a few hours of rest and recuperation in the safety of the Fang Trader Enclave, the APC continued on its journey. The trip’s second leg was slower, as they had to cautiously avoid mutant checkpoints and the paths of various mutated beasts.
There was also the added danger of hostile plant life. For example, some plants were known to explode with highly concentrated acid capable of melting steel armor the moment any sign of life approached.
Some of these plants had even been deliberately planted around Manhattan by mutants as a deterrent against intruders trying to sneak into their territory.
Of course, these plants could be destroyed from a distance, but once they exploded, nearby mutant outposts would be alerted and swarm the area.
This made going through such areas impossible. Currently, the APC was traveling along a narrow road, mostly reclaimed by nature. On the bright side, this path attracted less attention from mutants since it was commonly used by mutated beasts.
"A pack of red wolves, 2 kilometers, on your six. Find a place to hide," Honiahaka’s voice came through the communication device inside the APC.
Doc quickly drove the APC to the marked safe zone. Honiahaka, acting as a scout outside the APC, had done a good job identifying secure travel paths.
The APC was parked in an overgrown, abandoned parking lot, and the engine shut down, leaving only essential systems powered by the battery. The monitors still displayed the outside environment, one of them linked to the drone Switch had deployed earlier.
On-screen, a pack of red-furred wolves, each around three meters tall—was seen moving along the beast path, the same one the APC was using.
The pack drew closer and closer until only a single building separated them from the APC. Fortunately, the vehicle was sealed tight, and no scent of human flesh escaped to their noses—only the smell of fuel, oil, and metal, which they disliked.
Eventually, the pack moved on and vanished into the dense forest.