“We’re here,” Mike said, glancing at the backseat.

  Yuna rubbed her eyes and stretched while Karin let out a yawn. The two separated and leaned up as the truck pulled in closer to their destination. Ryan straightened himself up as the truck slowed down in front of a gate, guarding a building from the back. Mike got out of the vehicle and checked the perimeters. He walked over to the main gates and opened them up. Once he finished, he turned and gave Taylor the signal, prompting the vehicle to inch its way forward.

  Ryan looked up; the building grew in size the closer they got. He saw a tall brown statue with white paint peeling on all sides and filled with broken windows. The lower two floors had windows boarded with wood planks, but the rest weren’t so lucky. The place had seen better days, but still seemed functional. With a fresh coat of paint, it could pass off as the same as before things went down.

  Yuna undid her seatbelt, practically jumping from her seat in excitement. She explained to Ryan how they made a base of operations out of the high school they used to attend.

  Mike appointed himself the leader since he was the oldest of the group and had the most extensive knowledge of survival tactics. Karin was also flexible and knew her way around, but she wasn’t confident in her leadership skills. She had a knack for charging into the problem head-on.

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  “Granted, Mike’s knowledge of zombies extends to movies and TV shows he’d watch at home,” Yuna added, tapping her chin. “He wanted to live in a world like this as a teenager. I wasn’t on the same page, but I thought it was pretty cute, actually.” She giggled at the thought. When all eyes were on her, she went red and stuttered. “Wait, don’t tell him I said any of that.”

  “He’s just lucky he’s stuck with us.” Karin made a playful jab at him, resting her hands behind her head. “I don’t think anyone else would’ve tolerated his attitude and ‘leadership’ for long, even in a place like this.”

  She leaned over to Ryan and whispered. “Don’t tell him I said that either.”

  Ryan couldn’t help but chuckle, not noticing his throat and voice improving until after the fact.

  Before he could speak, Taylor made a sidebar without looking back.

  “Hey, Karin, does that include me too?”

  “That goes double for you.”

  The group continued to exchange pleasantries for a short while.

  Once Taylor found a spot to park and came to a stop, everyone gathered their things before exiting the truck. Mike locked up the front gates before catching up to the rest of the group as they opened the back of the truck. Ryan volunteered to help bring the supplies in, but Taylor and Karin insisted that he take it easy and relax inside. Ryan didn’t have a reason to object, so he went into the building and waited for them to finish up outside.