After finally infiltrating their assigned residential building, all that's left is to find Killian's room.
While also not attracting any attention.
I tiptoed into the hallways. Shining hardwood floors with maroon carpets.
The doors are made of alloy and protected by keycards and passcodes.
Normally their hallways are filled with people.
But right now it's odd that it is practically empty.
Not a single Militia unit around.
The silence is so awkward that even if I tiptoe, I can still hear the floorboards creak.
I softly hum the Mission Impossible theme as I tiptoe from door to door.
Pressed against the wall, peeking a bit for incoming units.
The pathway is still empty. I crouch and move to the next doorframe.
I hide. I peek. Then I move to another door.
It's so odd that I've reached 3rd floor now but still no one around.
I look up at the surveillance cameras. They are active.
But they don't seem to follow me.
Killian told me that their cameras follow suspicious movement.
Or suspicious people. Like me.
That is so odd.
I shrug it off and walked normally across the hallway.
No need to walk like a weirdo in an empty corridor at this point.
If my passcode is outdated, I bet I won't be able to enter Killian's room either.
I shake my head. Think positive thoughts.
Must think positive thoughts.
_______________________
Killian sat uncomfortably in his seat.
He and the rest of the Militia units taking residence in Sub-Zone 88 of Z4 are gathered together in the Auditorium.
The Auditorium is the largest building in Zone 4.
It's where units gather together for special events, urgent meetings or quick crash courses.
"How long is this going to take?" Killian mumbled.
He posed like a bored businessman forced to participate in a seminar he already attended.
Ankle on knee, arms crossed and a sour face.
"Yeah they've had us sit here for a while now." another Militia unit agreed.
All of them are just in their PJs. Everyone is irritated because of their interrupted sleep.
"'A while' is an understatement." another unit barks.
"We've been here since 4 or 5 in the morning." another male says, checking his watch.
"You sleep with your watch on?" Killian couldn't help but notice.
"I sleep with my smart watch to monitor my heart rate."
"He has heart problems." a female unit explains.
The sun is already up and they are all wide-awake, hungry and tired.
Nothing was explained to them.
They were just awakened by the urgent alarm; Code Blue! for emergency meetings.
A meeting about what? They have no clue.
The units waited blindly and now getting impatient.
They are compressed together like sardines. The air-condition no longer enough to keep them cool and comfortable.
"Did you see any high-ranked Militia?" they begin to murmur to each other.
"No, just us recruits and support."
"Does any have their phones with them?"
"We're all in our PJs man, we don't even have a gun."
The waiting crowd are growing more and more peevish by the minute.
Killian, being one of the most impatient man I've known, is starting to get really riled up.
Like a screaming kettle just waiting to blow.
"I'm hungry. Did they even thought of us being starved?"
"Maybe they're still preparing what the meeting is about."
"THIS long?"
The thicker the murmurs come, the louder it rings in Killian's ears.
Overlapping complaints from whiners and barking of the patriotic defenders.
"That's it." he finally snapped.
Killian stood up and walked towards the exit.
Something that no one dared to do until now.
"Whoa Killian, where are you going?"
"I'm going to bed."
"But there's a penalty for walking out on urgent meetings." they try to convince him to stay.
"If it's so urgent, we wouldn't wait this long."
However Killian had made up his mind.
As he got closer to the door. They heard a clicking sound on the platform.
Ana's boots tapped on the floorboards as she walked close to the podium.
There was a little bit of feedback coming from the wireless lapel hanging by her ear.
"Units of the Militia, we apologize for the long wait. Emergency upon emergency has befallen us." Ana begins.
The crowd right now is not even half of their actual number. Just the residents of Sub-Zone 88.
But they were many enough to fill the entire auditorium.
Killian stared at Ana in her uniform. She normally does not wear it, so it was a new sight for him.
And everyone else.
They all stared in awe. They knew her as the number one law-breaker but is capable of getting away with it because of her rank.
Now she stood in dark brown slacks matching with her coat. Medals lined up and pinned on her left.
The garrison cap over her head carries the Militia's insignia. Her left sleeve just below her shoulder has a patch carrying her Captain emblem.
Her hair is not tied to a bun thank goodness or the entire crowd would almost not recognize her new clean, womanly get-up.
"Killian Rivers, please take your seat before I begin our discussion."
Killian's mind buffered.
'Who is this girl?' he asked himself.
Their role model of law-breaking has changed.
"Ana–"
"That's 'Captain' for you." she corrected.
She never corrects people before. She didn't mind spending time with ranks lower than hers.
"Now go back to your seat." she didn't raise her voice but it was a firm tone.
Killian didn't attempt to anger her so he walked back to his seat.
This time everyone sat properly. Eyes on Ana.
The entire auditorium fell silent.
"Good. Now let's cut to the chase." she begins.
Flashing behind her is a compilation of photos of all incidents of mindless zombies appearing in highly secured areas.
"The Militia has been tasked to choose a small elite team to handle the case of the Lapsing Zombie Evolution. Among them is myself. Reese Kaddius' team..."
As she cited the names of those involved, Killian tensed because he is one of them.
Almost like it is a big slap in the face of their failure.
"Because of us we have failed the to protect the lives of those who had trusted us."
Then flashing of the identities of those who were killed by the zombies.
"For that we apologize and for that we must act fast to prevent further deaths."
Casualties.
"We are inviting each unit of the Militia to join our case to find the one behind this assault and bring peace to our land once more."
As Ana spoke, Killian spaced out.
He knew at that point that the Human Region is under attack.
A warning of war hanging in the air. Thin ropes keeping the peace together is breaking.