"Hey, son…" said a familiar voice that I heard before I opened my eyes.
"Looks like we are going to discuss what else to do next…" said Captain Quentin in his unique hoarse voice, before he headed to the train cars.
I finally regained my clear vision to see that my surroundings had become bright again, and still surrounded in dense fog. Spontaneously, I looked at my watch, and saw that the time showed 07.20 a.m. I realized that I had been asleep for the rest of the night after Captain Quentin shared his past with me.
I stood up straight and headed towards the train car. As I passed the stairs leading to the second floor, I also saw Jonathan was walking to the direction of the train cars, making me aware that we were going to determine the next steps inside the train car. He then also started to talk to me.
"Right on time…" Jonathan said as his foot stepped at the third floor.
"Sorry, I should have not slept like that when I had to guard this place…" I said to him, still feeling rather tired.
"Well, no one could blame either of us after what had happened yesterday, especially at the museum…" he responded.
I hate to admit it, but what Jonathan said was right. Even with the sleep that I had last night, and the fact that I had just woke up again did not really seem to refill my energy completely. When I thought about it again, everyone besides me might probably felt the exact same way, including Jonathan himself. I just could not stop wondering how he could stay fresh, despite the high probability that he might also did not get enough rest.
"I just hope it is not because of this fog that affects us somehow in gaining our energy back." I said again as we were approaching the first train car door.
"I cannot argue." Jonathan responded as we went inside the first train car, "Then again, there are still so many things yet to be understood either."
When he finished speaking, we had been inside the second train car. Everyone else except us was already there, with their faces looked like they had barely enough rest at the previous night. They appeared to be thinking of something, perhaps the next steps that we had to take in order for us to survive, if not defeat the aliens.
"Ah, good you kids are finally here." Captain Quentin said as we stepped inside the second train car.
He explained to Jonathan and I that just before we went inside the second train car, they had been trying to determine on whatever possible steps that we could take, in order for us to be safer from the aliens. In fact, some of them had already given several suggestions regarding the next possible moves that we could take.
The first one to speak was Kyle. She suggested that we should go to a sports store that might provide archery equipment located somewhere at the south direction of the station. She stated that even though the handgun that we obtained from the museum was very easy to use, maintain, and considerably light in terms of weight, it would still let out a gunshot noise since there was no some sort of suppressor.
Therefore, despite the sufficient firepower we had, we still did not have any means of silent weapons that would definitely not draw the aliens' attention. Despite her urge for obtaining bows and arrows, she admitted that she could not predict or at least assumed how bad the condition was at the south.
Ryan spoke next, shortly after Kyle finished. He was more or less in agreement with Kyle, except for the fact that he mentioned that back at the museum despite the three of us definitely let out many gunshot noises, we were not surrounded by the monsters at all when we got out from there.
He also mentioned that we even had an unexpectedly smooth journey back. He concluded that it would be better if we split up into two groups, with one going for the sports store, and the other going for few of the nearest gun stores.
The third one to speak was Virgil. To be honest, he was more like pointing out the consequences of going to each of the mentioned places, rather than actually mentioning to do something different himself. He stated that if we were going to the sports store at the south direction, it would take the longer time to return since we had to pass a trading center zone and a memorial park first, before finally arriving at Chinatown area in which a sports store would be definitely there.
On the other hand, he also said that even though we ended up decided to go to few gun stores, the probability for us to obtain some additional ammunitions were quite slim, since many people would have also stormed gun stores on the night of the sudden invasion. However, he did suggest that if we were planning to split up, the larger number of group would be best going to the direction of the Chinatown.
After the three of them have spoken their minds, Della and Captain Quentin decided not to say anything. It might be because since there was no more possible moves to suggest at that time being. Thankfully, the three of them did not end up arguing each other's suggestion, even though they were still discussing about it. It was not too long before Jonathan also started to share his point of view.
"If that is the case," he said before asking, "assuming that we have all agreed to split up, do you have any suggestions who should go with whom and where?"
None of us could suggest him anything, including Captain Quentin, although I could also suppose that he was also observing the situation. Jonathan then continued with his own suggestions, after addressing his concern that the stations must also be guarded by at least two people.
"I suggest that Ryan should go with Kyle to the Chinatown," he said, before turning to Captain Quentin, "and sir, if I may, I suggest you to go with them as well."
To the least of my expectation, Captain Quentin did not raise any objections or argued with Jonathan, and only nodded in full agreement instead. Jonathan also continued again, turning to me and Della.
"Travis, you go with Della to the gun stores." he proceeded. "I will guard this station with Virgil."
Once the team was finally formed, everyone immediately gathered around their new groups, including me who spontaneously approached Della, who for the first time, directly asked me something in person.
"Travis," she said, like greeting me as she smiled, "I hope you had a good rest last night."
I only nodded and smiled back in response. She then continued to say something again, before she started to pack her bag with several 9mm bullets.
"I hope we will have a smooth journey, in our departure and return here, even though we know it is less expected." she said, somehow with a more nervous tone in her.
"Well, I suppose we must not let down our guards the entire time then." I said, as she was packing her bag.
When I finished talking with her, I saw to the direction of Ryan, Captain Quentin, and Kyle. They seemed to be still discussing about the roads they had to take there, including several alternative routes that they could take should anything unexpected happened. Just then, Jonathan approached me.
"Do not worry about him." he said.
"Sorry?" I responded, confused of who he was referring to.
"If I was Ryan, and I had to pick someone else for the group with the choice of either me or Gabe, then hands down I would pick him over me." he continued, before going outside to the platform, following Virgil.
At first I was confused when he mentioned the name Gabe. But then, I realized and remembered that it was Captain Quentin's first name. Since he had not address Captain Quentin's first name earlier, I assumed that he also had a high respect towards Captain Quentin.
As I have realized it, I immediately began to prepare myself for the journey to few gun stores. I took my submachine gun which was rested to the wall at the other platform, opened its safety ejector port and cocked it. After I finished, I took my backpack and filled it with around 30 .45 ACP rounds for my submachine gun, before reaching for a couple of beverages and a pack of snacks.
When everyone was already prepared for their own tasks, we walked down the stairs, leaving Jonathan and Virgil to guard the station. Arriving at the first floor and finally to the street outside once more, I looked at my watch again, and see the time was then already at 08.30 a.m. before parting our separate ways to our new destinations.