Encounter at the Gathering Point

38

Days passed, and the weather grew warmer.

Two weeks after cleaning the terrace, the zombie horde began to disperse, and the snow started to show signs of melting.

March 9th, the third day of the thaw.

At exactly 5 a.m., we set off for the supermarket.

The night was quiet. Shadows flickered in the spaces between the buildings.

We moved quickly and silently through the neighborhood.

We were nearly at the exit when Chris suddenly changed direction, heading towards a car parked on the side of the road.

The car's taillights flashed twice as he approached.

"How did you do that?" Anne asked, eyes wide. "That wasn't in the plan."

"The car was found," Chris said, already seated in the driver's seat. "I found the keys some time ago, but it took a while to locate the car."

His words brought back memories of the day we found KK; he had indeed been examining this car.

He really thought ahead.

The car quickly left the neighborhood.

The streets were empty, indicating no night-active zombies outside.

I rolled down the rear window.

The night wind brushed my face with the chill of early spring.

Although I had a driver's license, years had passed, and my skills were rusty.

5:23 a.m.

The car came to a steady stop on the road opposite the supermarket.

As dawn broke, I could finally see the building clearly.

The supermarket was five stories high.

Its exterior appeared unchanged, as if time had stopped since my last shopping trip.

"It looks like there's writing on it," Anne said, pointing to the entrance.

"Survivor Gathering Point," she read aloud, word by word.

Could it be... the base humans?

Anne and I exchanged looks of confusion.

Chris, however, remained calm and expressionless. He turned the key, restarting the car. Through the front windshield, I saw zombies pouring out of the supermarket entrance.

6:11 a.m., sunrise.

The horde was massive.

At this rate, it would soon spread to our side of the street.

Chris began to reverse slowly.

As I watched from a distance, my mood grew heavier.

Amidst a group of white protective suits stood a dozen soldiers-turned-zombies.

So...

The military had come...

They not only failed to eradicate the zombies but also became part of them.

The car continued to back up.

At that moment, a sharp whistle pierced the air.

"Whistle—"

I noticed a person standing on the supermarket rooftop, looking down at us.

"What should we do? Should we leave?"

I hadn't expected the situation to become this complicated.

"Let's wait and see." After retreating to a safe distance, Chris stopped the car.

Anne frowned. "Could this be a trap?"

I felt the same apprehension.

After all, it's been less than four months since the zombie outbreak. The base faction shouldn't have appeared this early.

"It shouldn't be a trap," Chris shook his head slightly. "If their goal was to hunt survivors, there'd be no need to put up that sign or blow the whistle."

Indeed.

The best time to strike is when the target is unprepared.

If their goal was to kill, why expose themselves?

After waiting a bit longer, three people came down from the building.

They gestured for us to enter through the back door.

"You two wait here," Chris said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"What a joke," Anne stopped him. "If you think it's safe to make contact, we go together; if it's dangerous, we leave together. Don't play the hero."

I nodded. "That's right."

"Alright," he thought for a moment, then agreed. "Bring your weapons."

The whistle had stirred the horde, but as the sound faded, they quieted down.

We followed the directions and bypassed the main entrance of the supermarket.

Something had happened here; the street-facing glass was completely shattered.

The back door was the exit of a fire escape.

"Hello," said a cheerful young man in his twenties at the front. "I'm Simon Harper, the deputy leader of this gathering point."

"Hello," Chris extended his hand.

"Don't worry, we mean no harm." After shaking hands, Simon Harper stepped aside, "Everyone here mostly escaped from nearby neighborhoods."

"Interested in joining?" another short-haired youth chimed in. "We have everything here, just need more people."

"I hope this doesn't offend, but we desperately need labor," Simon Harper scratched his head. "If you join us, the leader will be thrilled."

Chris didn't reject them outright. "We'll consider it."

The group laughed heartily.

"No worries, being cautious is good. I was the same when I first came."

Simon Harper didn't press further. "You can take some supplies from the first three floors. The leader will be back soon; I hope you'll meet him before leaving."

As he finished speaking, the back door opened.

A tall man in a military uniform walked in from the dawn light.

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