Unseen Consequences

The night air was thick with the scent of sweat and gunpowder as they retreated to their temporary hideout a dilapidated, abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. The adrenaline from their raid still thrummed in their veins, but none of them spoke as they entered the darkened space, their breaths harsh in the silence.

Xu Lian was the first to break it. "We were lucky."

Guo Chen exhaled, setting his duffel bag down. "We were prepared."

Jiao let out a low whistle as he slumped against a crate. "Prepared or not, that got way too close for comfort." He winced as he shifted his injured arm. "Next time, let's pick an easier target, yeah?"

Yu Xian checked his rifle before placing it beside him. "There won't be a next time. Not like that."

Lian nodded. The warehouse job had been a success, but the risks had been too high. They needed those supplies, but the gang they had stolen from wouldn't just let this go.

They would come looking.

And soon.

---

Dividing the Supplies

Lian opened her space, pulling out crate after crate of stolen goods. The sheer amount they had managed to grab was staggering boxes of ammunition, guns, food, and medicine. Everything they needed to survive the first few months of the apocalypse.

Chen sorted through the pile. "This should last us a while."

Yu Xian was more cautious. "Not just us. We need to start thinking about allies."

Lian frowned. "We've barely secured enough for ourselves."

He met her gaze. "We won't survive alone."

She sighed. He was right. They had learned that the hard way in their past life.

Jiao lifted a box of rifle magazines. "So, who do we trust?"

Lian's fingers tapped against her knee. There were only a few people who could be useful. People who could pull their own weight.

"We start with your old military contacts," she said, looking at Yu Xian.

He nodded. "There's one person I can reach out to."

Lian turned to Chen. "What about the black-market dealers? Anyone you trust?"

Chen's expression was unreadable. "There's one. But it's a gamble."

Jiao stretched, wincing. "Aren't they all?"

Lian exhaled. They needed to move quickly.

---

The Fallout Begins

The gang they had stolen from didn't waste time.

By morning, news of the heist had spread. The city's criminal underworld was buzzing with rumors about a group that had hit one of the biggest supply caches in town.

Lian and the others kept their heads down, but it was clear that the gang wasn't just talking.

They were searching.

Jiao was the first to notice it. He returned from a supply run, eyes sharp with warning. "They're shaking down every back-alley contact in the city."

Yu Xian's jaw clenched. "They know it wasn't just some random hit."

Chen smirked, though there was no humor in it. "Good. Let them chase shadows."

Lian wasn't as optimistic. It was only a matter of time before they found a lead.

They needed to stay ahead.

Which meant leaving the city.

---

A Risky Escape

"We move at dawn," Lian announced.

The others didn't argue. They knew the city wouldn't be safe for much longer.

Their destination was an abandoned military depot outside the city limits. If it was still intact, it could serve as a secure base.

But getting there wouldn't be easy.

By midnight, the streets were crawling with gang patrols. Their influence ran deep, and every checkpoint felt like a trap waiting to spring.

Chen scouted ahead, his movements silent as a shadow. He returned with a grim report. "They've got lookouts on every major road. We'll have to go through the back alleys."

Yu Xian checked his weapon. "Then we go now."

They slipped into the darkness.

---

The Chase

At first, everything went smoothly. The backstreets were quiet, and they moved like ghosts through the city.

But then—

"Hey! Stop!"

A patrolling gang member spotted them.

Lian's heart lurched. They had to run.

Gunfire exploded behind them as they sprinted through the alleys, dodging past dumpsters and abandoned cars. Bullets ricocheted off brick walls.

Jiao cursed. "They just don't give up, do they?!"

Lian yanked him forward. "Move!"

They barreled through a chain-link fence, feet pounding against concrete as more shouts echoed behind them.

Chen grabbed a flash grenade from his belt. "Cover your eyes."

He threw it.

Bang!

A blinding flash illuminated the alley, disorienting their pursuers.

They didn't waste the opportunity.

Yu Xian led them to a side street, kicking open a maintenance door. They darted inside, sealing it behind them.

Silence.

Lian pressed against the wall, heart hammering. "That was too close."

Chen wiped sweat from his brow. "We need to disappear. Now."

---

The Safe House

They laid low in an abandoned train station, hidden beneath the city.

Jiao wrapped his arm with fresh bandages. "So, what now?"

Yu Xian looked at Lian. "We move at first light. No more delays."

Lian nodded. This was only the beginning.

The apocalypse hadn't even started yet.

And already, they were fighting to survive.