Chapter 33 - Meeting of Leaders

Three days later, in a place not that far from the base, Ethan, Mike, Johnny, and the rest of the Rangers could be found facing a group of twelve armed with knives with some of them holding guns. The tension was very evident as both parties were armed as Ethan and the rest had just finished their military exercises. 

It's already 3 P.M. and despite the sandstorm happening, everything seems fine with the help of the sun. Both parties looked at each other but it was clear who was at the disadvantage since Ethan's group totaled to fifty added by the fact that they were all armed with guns and were trained. 

Meanwhile, the other party was looking very serious as they didn't expect to meet such a group. They were actually just on their way looking for a place to loot as they were now completely on the brink of depleting their little resources. In fact, they were happy to see people since their presence would mean that there was something to look for in the place however, upon seeing them all being armed, they couldn't help but become dumbfounded instead. 

"Brother, my name is Luke. Sorry for this sudden meeting. In fact, we were already on our way back to our place after looking for food. So, if you'll excuse us, we still have a long way to go." A middle-aged man took the initiative to strike the first conversation to ease the tension between parties. He doesn't know where this group came from but seeing them all holding guns makes him believe that they lucked out this time. 

"Where did you come from?" However, Ethan wouldn't be swayed that easily since he have his fair share of what the world really looks like right now and so he wanted to gauge all the information he could have knowing too well that they had the upper hand. 

Luke looked at Ethan before looking at his companions who were shaking nervously. He could only sigh in defeat as they really couldn't do anything in their situation right now. He knew all too well that there were people out there who would do anything just to survive as he and his group have met such people. Staring back at Ethan, he then just hoped that they were not like those or else it would be their end. 

"We have a small camp of maybe around seventy people. But first, I just want to say that we didn't come with ill intentions and just happened to pass around the area." Luke then answered truthfully while looking at Ethan thinking that he must be the leader of the group. 

"That's a lot but that's not the answer to my question. Where did you come from?" Ethan was quite surprised upon hearing how big their group was. Thinking about it, it must be an organized group knowing how they managed to be together and still alive from all the calamities that happened so far. 

"Truth be told. We are a wandering group now. At first, we had a camp but it was later destroyed when the water level started rising and now, we started moving together looking for a suitable place to live in while looking for anything we can eat." Luke replied nervously while also trying to reason. 

"Like I said. That's not the answer to my question." Ethan held his gun tightly as he looked at Luke who was trying to avoid answering his simple question. On the other hand, Mike, Johnny, and the rest then were also ready as this started to become suspicious. 

"W-Wa-Wait!! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" Luke felt scared immediately as he looked at Ethan and his group ready to shoot them. In fact, what he was doing was also gauging some information wanting to know if they were those kinds of people since giving them their camp location would mean they had sell out their companions and send them to their demise. 

"Relax. Everyone. There's no need to be so tense." Suddenly, a voice interrupted the tension. Hearing this, Ethan and the rest knew who it was and they immediately gave way seeing Zach had finally arrived since they had already reported such a thing not long after meeting Luke and his group. 

"This brother. I know what was running through your mind right now but I promised that were not such kind of people otherwise, we would not have had this conversation but instead already firing our guns and killing each other. So, if you trust me, kindly put down your weapon and let us have a talk back to the base. Is that alright for all of you?" Zach put an end to the tension as he looked at Luke with a smile on his face. 

In fact, after hearing such news from Ethan, he was also surprised because aside from wanting to know who they were, he also wanted to hear their story since he had heard after arriving that they were a group of seventy people which is quite a lot during this time of dangerous calamities. 

Meanwhile, Luke was very confused right now as he kept on looking at Zach and Ethan thinking just who really the leader of this group but after seeing how Ethan and the rest treated Zach with respect, he immediately felt like he had met the true leader even though he was doubting if he is as he could tell Zach was quite young to lead these men. 

Looking at Zach's appearance, Luke felt like these people might not be those kinds of people and so his vigilance started to subside. He then looked at his group and nodded at them as they started to slowly drop their weapons. 

"That's great. You must be hungry and thirsty traveling in these heat and sandstorms. Follow us to the base. We can give you food until you are full." Zach said before telling some of the Rangers to gather their weapons before they started heading back to the base since they were not in a good place to have a long conversation. 

Luke and his group could only follow them as they were pretty much already vulnerable now that their weapons had been confiscated. They, however, were hopeful as they kept on hearing Zach mentioning 'base' which means there is also a community of survivors in the area. 

Not before long, Luke and his group were completely dumbfounded after seeing so many people especially children living at the base. They couldn't believe their eyes upon seeing how the people looked completely neat, not malnourished, and full of smiles as they greeted Zach. 

"Welcome. Before anything else, let us treat you to a meal first. Rose, I leave them to you." Zach then ordered before telling Luke and his group to patch up first before he talked to Ethan and the rest as he wanted to hear everything from the start.

With that, Luke and his group were guided to a building first while Rose went out to talk to Zoey about Zach's arrangement. They were still in a trance by what was happening as they kept on looking at the building they were in as they all thought that they had built it with their own hands since no one in the past would build a house using whole logs as the wall unless in some certain areas. 

Not before long, Rose came back together with Zoey carrying bags of biscuits and bread. Since they arrived without prior notice, they didn't prepare cooked meals and only gave them rations to fill their stomach. Of course, they didn't forget about bottled water. Following that, they then left the place while telling Luke and his group that they could tell the person outside when they were finished. 

"Am I dreaming right now?" Suddenly, one of the men inside couldn't help himself but blurted out such words. Looking at the food on the table, they couldn't process just how they still had such things knowing full too well how precious they were. They had even long forgotten how they tasted as all they had been consuming for the past months was moss and other things. 

"Stupid. We must be already dead and in heaven right now." Another man said thinking that it was only a logical reason as to why they were seeing precious food of the past right now thinking that they might have died confronting the armed men that they have met. 

"Wake up everyone. We are not dreaming right now." Luke interrupted. Just like everyone else, he also felt like he was dreaming but he knew that was not the case as he then just reached out to one of the breads on the table. Curiously sniffing it out before putting it in his mouth and taking a small bite. 

Everyone looked at Luke curious if the bread was real however, after seeing him suddenly taking large bites on them, everyone then immediately moved as they all reached out to take one and started eating. They were all men but they could now be found crying from happiness as they kept eating the food on the table. 

After that, Luke and his people then started telling their stories to Zach. First, was the fact that their group was actually quite big numbered up to three hundred people or more. All of them came from another city's hospital that has become an evacuation site run by police, doctors, nurses, and other professionals. 

Their number, however, plummeted after an unknown sickness started spreading throughout the place which forced almost everyone to flee not wanting to catch it but, not everyone had fled especially the doctors and the police as they stabilized and continued to run the camp until the place could no longer hold the calamities and was destroyed.

From then on, they could only move from one place to another while at the same time trying their best to survive not just from calamities but also from dangers coming from other people. 

Luke also told them that they were only scouts to see ahead of the place while the rest would start camping in the area to stay for the night. They were also tasked to look for food to see if they could find anything that was not bad for the body while the police took the task to protect the rest of the people from danger. 

Zach and Luke talked for about an hour before ending it while also forming an agreement. Zach told Luke that they could call their companions and move to the base if they wanted granted that they would all obey the base rules and surrender all their weapons. Such agreement was like a godsend to Luke and his group as they immediately set off to call the rest of their group while carrying some chocolates for the rest of them. 

Time passed by and night came in, Zach could now be found inside his house looking at a middle-aged man in front of him whose name was Kevin, a chief police and the leader of Luke and the rest of the seventy survivors. They were quite lucky to have arrived sooner since it was already pretty dark outside which only shows that they were desperate to move and probably were convinced to come. 

"Forgive me but you really are young just like Luke has said. Anyways, thank you very much for giving us food and shelter. I was already been told about the rules of this place so you don't have to worry about anything. We don't care about what kind of work would you give us as long as we can stay as we are already tired of moving." Kevin said as he looked at Zach with great gratitude after not hesitating to open his hands to them knowing too well that they would only reduce their resources if they stayed. He also didn't complain anything as he knew how powerful this base was after fully gauging how many capable armed men were living and respecting Zach. 

"The pleasure is mine. In fact, the moment I heard that your group has doctors and nurses, I have already decided to take you in more especially since my wife was pregnant. Also, the fact that your here would also be good for the base when times of danger." Zach replied with a smile as it was really the truth. Doctors and nurses were professionals that he was lacking at the base. Having them would make the place more secure for possible sickness if there's an outbreak just like what happened to their group.

"Your wife is pregnant? T-That is good news. Congratulations." Kevin was quite surprised upon hearing Zach's words as it was really a blessing but at the same time unlucky that he or she would be born in these times when calamities would come every other three weeks. 

Following that, Zach then continued to talk to Kevin for the next hour wanting to know more about their story all the while explaining the situation of the base and how it works especially since they still didn't have spare houses for their group to stay in the long run.