Beneath The Surface

The compound they were in was an estate, Haven Ridge, stood as a peculiar relic of the old world. Twenty identical two-story houses formed a neat circle, enclosed by a 15-foot concrete wall crowned with razor wire. While chaos reigned outside, the estate remained untouched by the undead, a haven of calm and order.

Years before the apocalypse, the residents had invested in self-sustaining systems. Beneath the estate ran geothermal tunnels powering each house, complemented by solar panels on every roof. Water came from an underground aquifer, filtered and abundant, while vertical gardens in every yard grew vegetables, ensuring food security. A central greenhouse in the communal square supplemented their needs.

Inside the walls, life defied the world's collapse. Children played in the square, their laughter breaking the eerie silence of survival. Adults repaired tools, tended gardens, and traded goods in a makeshift market. Lights glowed in windows at night, powered by renewable energy, while fresh water flowed without interruption.

They were surviving. Such is the human nature.

Marcus was standing just outside the office where Lachlan and Adam were being interviewed–Marcus seemed to be lost in thought but was soon brought back from his daydream by Lachlan's incessant calling.

"Oi, Marcus, you havin' a bit of a daydream or what? C'mon, mate, show us 'round this place!"

"Yeah yeah I'm coming." Marcus said as he turned around.

Adam was also with Lachlan as he waited for him to finish his interview before leaving seeing as they got there together.

' I dunno about this place. Something feels off. My gut's not likin' it one bit. I've gotta figure this out.'

Lachlan didn't like the way he felt during the interview with Evelyn and everything seems off to him.

*****

"Welcome mister Lachlan... could you please tell me your full name for the sake of the interview."

The Aussie wasn't on the seat he was still on the floor where they left him lounging like nobody's business.

"Well the name's Lachlan Cole." He replied still as lackadaisical as ever.

" Well mister Cole welcome to Haven. This place can be your home if you help us."

"Oh, yeah? Help you do what? Look, love, I only help those who feed me, save my arse, or who I reckon are decent people. So tell me, why the hell would I help you with anything? 'Cause as far as I'm concerned, we both know you're not exactly a good person, right?"

Upon finishing his words Lachlan's whole demeanor changed like he was preparing for battle.

Evelyn's entire face contorted to one of pure anger and hatred for a few seconds but she calmed herself.

"Mr Cole please I wouldn't want anything to happen to you as there are a lot of new ways for someone to die nowadays so I would suggest you cooperate with us." She said with a smile – a smile full of deception.

"Alright love but just so we are clear if anything happens to Adam and the others , I'll kill you myself and take over this place which is just as dodgy as you are." He replied still on the ground but his eyes were set dead on Evelyn watching her every move.

"Mr Cole it seems you'll be a threat to this compound therefore you will have to be eliminated. If not by me by the many assassin's we have in Haven." She replied in her usual calm manner but her words betrayed her.

"Well, it's only a matter of time before this place gets swarmed by the bloody undead—and if it's not them, it'll be other people, guaranteed. You know it's true, so like it or not, you're gonna need me, love."

" I don't see how we'll need you but in the meantime I have a job for you. You'll be one of our runners that go out on supply runs for food and other stuff"

"Yeah, fine, whatever."

*****

Marcus, Adam and Lachlan were walking round the estate as Marcus was showing them round the place.

" As you can see we have just 20 houses here but just 12 are occupied now so we use 5 of them for other things."

" Things like what."

" Well follow me and I'll show you."

As they walked up to a house there was a red cross on the door.

Knock Knock

Marcus knocked on the door , the sound sharp and clear against the quiet. The door creaked open revealing a man whose skin color was rich with melanin and had a bald head. He was wearing a doctor's coat and had a beard--he seemed as tall as Marcus but about 5 inches shorter.

"Ahh Mr Marcus please welcome in are these your friends let them come a friend of yours is a friend of mine." The man chuckled.

As they stepped foot into the house an overwhelming stench of drugs a chemicals assaulted thier nose.

"Oi, doc, what's with this stench? It's bloody strong!" Said Lachlan who was covering his nose with his hand.

"Ha please don't worry ehh it's just some things that I'm working on. Come let me show you."

" Woah doc chill, at least tell them ur name." Marcus stopped him before he took a step further.

" Pardon my manners my name is Mr Adeyemi Michael." He said with a smile on his face.

"Oi, doc, I knew it with that accent, but the name gave it away—you're African, yeah?" Questioned Lachlan.

"Yeah I kinda noticed too." Adam backed up his suspicion.

"Haha...yes I am. From Nigeria to be precise." Michael answered still with a smile on his face-- he had been smiling the whole time.

"Nigeria!?" Adam and Lachlan said out of surprise.

"Yeah he got stuck here when it all happened he was here for something about business and what not and was caught in this." Marcus explained.

"Yes Mr Marcus is right but it's not too bad."

" Yeah yeah as you see here's the make shift hospital. The living was repurposed as a ward with 4 beds in it and 2 of the rooms upstairs where made as an ICU, the attic is an office and the basement is for the doc's crazy experiments." Marcus explained.

"Wow you guys seem to have everything in order. But only one though?" Adam questioned.

" No we have another one."

"Right that's good. So where to next."

" I'll take you guys to the pantry."

"Uhh I'm not going I'm gonna go look for Tabitha." Said Adam.

" Alright then you damn Aussie let's get going."

*****

In Evelyn's room she could be seen sitting in her chair tapping ferociously on the ground with her foot.

'That damned Australian who does he think he is. I'll have his head for it... No he'll be my slave, dead or alive, preferably dead.'

" You'll see you damned Aussie."