Chapter 11: Breaking Point

The apartment felt colder the next morning. Not because of the weather, but because of the tension. The air was heavy, like everyone could feel something coming.

Aiden stood near the window, watching the street below. He hadn't slept. His mind kept replaying Jake's words from the night before—about the scavenger. Aiden had seen this kind of situation before. One man today. A group tomorrow.

Jake joined him, rubbing his eyes. "You think he's coming back?"

Aiden nodded slowly. "If he's desperate, yes. And he won't come alone."

"So what do we do?"

Aiden turned away from the window. "We prepare. Today, we will build defenses. Block the stairwell, reinforce the windows, make sure every weapon is sharp and ready."

Jake nodded and left to wake the others.

By midmorning, the apartment was filled with the sound of movement. The group was finally working as a unit. Tim and Emily nailed extra boards over the windows. Nate stacked furniture by the front door. Sarah boiled water to pour over any intruders if needed.

Aiden stood with Jake on the roof, placing empty bottles and cans tied to string. If anyone came up the fire escape, they'd know.

"Never thought I'd be setting traps like this," Jake said.

"That's what survival is," Aiden replied. "Doing what you never thought you could."

After hours of work, the group sat in a circle for lunch. The food was plain—just crackers and canned meat, but no one complained. Everyone knew how important it was to be ready.

During the quiet, Emily looked over at Aiden. "Do you think they'll attack today?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," he answered. "But we won't wait to find out."

Aiden stood. "After we eat, we take shifts watching the street. Jake, you and I will scout the surrounding blocks. We need to know if they're setting up nearby."

Aiden and Jake moved through the streets like shadows. They avoided open spaces and stayed low. Aiden had done this a hundred times before, but it was new for Jake.

"How do you stay so calm?" Jake whispered.

"Because panic is a choice," Aiden said. "You can feel fear, but don't let it control you."

They circled the area for nearly an hour. Just as they were about to return, Aiden spotted movement in an abandoned building. He crouched and motioned for Jake to stay down.

Through a broken window, they saw three people—two men and one woman. They were armed with knives and pipes, dressed in ragged clothes. One of them was the man Jake had encountered at the store.

"That's him," Jake whispered. "The one I told you."

Aiden watched them carefully. They weren't just passing through. They were setting up a camp.

"They're planning something," Aiden said. "We need to move."

Back at the apartment, Aiden gathered the group.

"We have a problem. Three people are camped two blocks away. One of them saw Jake during the store run. They'll come. Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow, but soon."

Fear spread through the group, but Aiden raised his voice.

"We're not running. We stand our ground. We've prepared for this. If we stay smart, we can handle it."

The rest of the day was spent sharpening weapons, checking escape routes, and reviewing what to do if the apartment was breached.

That night, Aiden and Jake took first watch again. The others slept, packed close together in the safest room.

"You think we'll make it?" Jake asked quietly.

Aiden didn't answer right away. He stared at the dark rooftops in the distance.

"I think we'll fight like hell. And that's enough."

Sometime past midnight, one of the traps rattled.

Aiden's eyes snapped open. He grabbed his sword and rushed to the window. Jake followed.

A shadow was climbing the fire escape. Then another.

"They're here," Aiden said calmly.

Jake nodded, his jaw tight. "Then let's show them they picked the wrong place."

They woke the others. No panic. No screams. Just movement.

The group took their positions. Aiden is near the front. Jake was beside the back stairwell. Emily and Tim stood near the kitchen, ready with boiling water.

The first intruder kicked open the window and climbed inside. Aiden was waiting.

His blade flashed.

One down.

Jake fought off the second man, dodging a swing and knocking him to the floor with the crowbar. Sarah poured hot water over a third as he tried to crawl through the bathroom window.

It was fast and brutal.

When it was over, three bodies lay still. No one from Aiden's group was seriously hurt.

They had survived the first real attack.

Aiden wiped blood from his arm. He looked around at the group. They were shaken, but not broken.

"This was just the beginning," he said. "But you did well. You listened. You fought so you lived."

Jake sat against the wall, breathing hard. "So what now?"

Aiden stared out into the dark city. "Now we rebuild. Stronger. Smarter. Because this world isn't going to stop. And neither will we."

The group stood in silence. Tired. Bloody. But alive.

And in this new world, that meant everything.