Chapter 10 - 10 - The World Was a Powder Keg
City B,
Winter slipped into the city's shadows as dusk fell, the distant glow of fires flickering between broken windows and over ruined buildings. He crouched in the shadows of an old storefront, pressing his back against the cool, crumbling concrete.
'Strange,' he thought, looking at the smoke from the fires. Were the people here not afraid of being noticed by the zombies or other survivors? Or were they just confident in their own strengths that they didn't care?
Winter could feel it: City B was tense, swollen with anticipation and desperation like it might burst under its own pressure.
He rubbed his thumb over the rifle slung across his back, its worn grip comforting. He was running low on bullets—no, scratch that, he had no bullets left. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to focus on his surroundings rather than the gnawing worry clawing at him.
A faint clinking sound made him tense. He crouched, silently sidestepping toward the building's corner and peeking around. Through the murky darkness, he spotted a small group—five figures in military-style jackets with matching armbands, each bearing a symbol of a gear overlaying a flame. They moved in formation, their steps precise.
He recognised those people. They called themselves The Militia. He'd heard of them, a faction that prided itself on order and hierarchy. Their rigid discipline and firepower marked them as former law enforcement, perhaps even soldiers who'd adapted to this broken world.
They stopped near a rusted car shell, their voices low but sharp in the quiet night. Winter eased closer, creeping along the shadows, his movements silent. His patience was rewarded as a snatch of conversation floated over.
"...warehouse district. More clashes there. Node Raiders are coming in from the south, so we must reinforce..."
'Node Raiders are here too?' Winter's brows furrowed in surprise. Soon after the apocalypse, many people formed groups to protect their interests while most hid away or rode solo. The Militia and the Node Raiders were among the few groups that made a name for themselves.
"Orders are clear. Keep them back. The cache might be closed."