CHAPTER 26 - Assessing The Danger Level

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It is now the next day later than the previous one on the first week of the new month in Z-city, and Eden is getting ready and preparing herself to go out on the city-run, to check out the possible survivors that she had heard from the monitor alarms the day before.

Even though she had told the children that she'll be leaving soon to check it out, Michael and Annie stuck by her side since the day before when they were told the news, and both kids were torn between feeling anxious worry for their guardian or eager excitement over the possibility of meeting more new people and getting new friends.

Fortunately, they were relieved when Eden decided and told them that she'll be bringing Luna along, and despite that, they have Archer with them, their guardian couldn't trust the growing puppy to look after the kids well enough since Archer's dog training is not complete yet.

So Eden reminded the two children about staying in radio contact with her with the walkie-talkie comm they have, gifted from her, and she also reassured them that she'll also be in contact with the kids so that they won't worry while she's gone.

It took about a minute for the kids to be reassured and when they were finally convinced, Michael and Annie just watched as Eden put a carrying harness and rope on Luna so that the wolf-dog will be carefully lifted down first before she goes next. Once that's done, Eden kissed and rubbed their little heads affectionately and comforted them once more that she'll be back safely before she climbed down the ladder and then used the motorcycle again to ride through the streets of Z-city, securing her dog Luna firmly on her back so that it wouldn't fall off.

It didn't take long for Eden to find out exactly where the possible survivors are holding up and staying in after driving around the city streets for a few minutes, then searching for the highest spot that's facing right over the area they're in, and she made sure that she brought along double-scopes that can be looked into different faraway distances in case the one or the other doesn't pinpoint what she needs to watch out and look for.

Once Eden got into position as she and her dog Luna got inside one of the abandoned high-rise apartment buildings and went to a room that's high enough to look over the spot where the survivors at, she swiftly set up her position and then readied her binoculars and sniper rifle-gun beside her, triangulating the place she had seen the people living at and pinpointing their slight exact location.

It was very quiet. A bit eerily so.

Right there on that very spot in Eden's end on her watch post.

And Luna managed to follow her master's mood as the female dog also kept its silence very well so that the only sounds they can or will hear, are the noises coming from the survivors, which Eden is glad upon checking on the monitor alarms that she placed, she can hear them by another discovery she found out that the people are right near within the hearing range where she placed the security-alarm measures of the monitoring devices she had placed long ago.

Just as Eden got into the highest spot and decided to make it into a watch post or lookout, she sat there in one of the rooms up on the higher floors of the high-rise apartment they are in, and she and her dog waited silently and very patiently in there until Eden hears more sounds or any other noises that are going to be heard through her linked monitor by her side.

When there was still silence for about five more minutes or so, Eden was about to make up her mind on a new decision to move into another room on a much higher floor, but then she froze still like a statue when she saw movement right across her line of sight and instantly brought out the binoculars to see the source coming from it.

She alternatively switched from binoculars to the attached telescope on the sniper rifle-gun she had brought along to look through and try to see what she could make of the group of people she saw in the other building across her and try to spot more than what she has already seen so that she won't miss anything and be unprepared or get caught off-guard in case the living survivors on the other side might find out that they have a peeking stalker in their midst or something.

So far, Eden stayed there on her lookout hiding spot for about an hour or two, watching quietly at her front 'neighbors' or something like she's waiting for something to happen or something that will reveal right on her sights and show and tell her more about the new survivors that came into Z-city.

When nothing was happening yet as the third hour passed, Eden decided to write another entry in her journal, which surprisingly, she brought along with her on this city run so that she'll put in the updates about the living survivors she had heard and are now watching intently as she looked right across from them in the secluded post where she and her dog Luna are in. Eden took out her journal, made a little gesture to Luna to keep quiet and still, and then went on writing the new entry into the journal.

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JOURNAL ENTRY: DAY UNKNOWN, 10TH MONTH OCTOBER, YEAR 2XXX

Hey, it's Eden again.

This is a different kind of a new entry written here in this journal this time.

And you're wondering what I'm talking about, well that's because--I brought this journal with me on the run into Z-city itself.

I'm not kidding.

I brought the journal with me because I needed to get a close look at those survivors and observe them to truly assess the living people and the situation if they're a danger or not.

Luckily, the motorcycle--which is a completely black-colored Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle kind to be exact--is as quiet and silent similar to a lethal predator on two wheels just so, and I am proud to have this kind of vehicle as mine and use it mostly here in Z-city.

I almost felt like naming the motorbike but then I quickly stopped myself from doing so, as I slightly felt like a silly idiot or something for thinking up a name--into a two-wheeled motor vehicle, of all things.

Somehow, I think I'm starting to lose it or something, even as it's only been me, my kids, and my dogs living in Z-city during the zombie apocalypse and so forth.

Anyway, I'm rambling on.

I managed to find out exactly where the living survivors I heard from the day before from my security radio monitors and I also found a good spot right across from the abandoned building they are in, set up my high look-out sniper-like post, and then silently watched them and find out more and assess whether these people are truly friendly or dangerous enemies, that might bring serious threat to my group if they are.

It's been very quiet so far, as I looked through my two scopes, both my binoculars and my sniper rifle's scope, and nothing else has been shown on my sights or more has been revealed about them. The only things that I have seen and discovered about this slightly small group of survivors--from about 10 to 12 people that I can spot--are that they seem to be passing through, to search and forage for more supplies, with the most important ones such as food and water.

It looks like they are staying in the building across from me for only about a short while or so, and use it as shelter if they can't find or get any more supplies in Z-city and decide to stay there for a few days or something like that maybe.

Hey! Luna, ssh! Stop that--hush now!

I'm sorry, I suddenly added these words in because Luna seemed a little bored even though she's been behaving well and keeping quiet, and was starting to play footsie at my feet with her big nuzzling snout.

I threw some dog treats right over to her that I brought along with me, and gave the stern ordering look right at my dog to behave and stay quiet more, and it worked as Luna continued to keep silent and stay in her place, lying near beside me.

Right, where was I?

Of course, the survivors that I can see over there from the building they've taken over as temporary shelter, looked desperate to get more supplies for themselves, and from what I can see clearly from their appearances, it's like they went through Hell, almost literally, and it's like they all look like they're still going through the zombie outbreak or first stage of the zombie apocalypse or something physically harrowing and emotionally tiring or something like that.

I almost felt pity overseeing such a sight from them, but I instantly knew better than to let my guard down and not let appearances fool me just by a first glance or so.

Just as the survival rules go on my list, RULE #15: Be prepared for anything, RULE #20: Know your enemy, and RULE #23: Always be cautious of anything, even yourself.

I'm going to end this entry right here since it's been silently still and quiet, and it will keep being that way for a few more hours or so, but I will be writing more new entries the next time as I plan to go back and return home to Safe Haven by sundown if nothing else happens or something might and force me to make the hard decision on staying the night over in the lookout post I'm sitting right there and contact back to my kids that I won't be coming home.

Hopefully, that won't happen before nighttime comes, as I don't want to worry the children even more, despite that I reassured them that I'll be back safe and sound.

I hope the updates about these people might be good and something potentially positive by the time I watch more or come back on the next day or something.

Until then, this is Eden signing off.

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After Eden finished writing the entry, she put the journal away and hid it in the small handbag that she packed the light essentials and continued her watch on the potential survivors right on the sights through her telescopes and keep on staring at them without making the slightest sound or any kind of noise that would garner their notice or attention towards her spot.

Luna whined a little but not too loud or too soft and Eden reached over to comfort and pat her dog's head in the reassurance that they'll be fine as they stayed there in that watch post for the whole time before the sun goes down or so, and Eden might make up her mind on deciding to leave there and go back to Safe Haven.

But it looks like Eden is going to stick around until that very time when it does come, and she won't leave until she might be able to get anything she needs to watch and see and assess whether this group of living survivors are the friendly kinds or not.

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