Chapter 10: Shana
Morning arrived, and as the group gathered for breakfast, Andy expressed his desire to join the looting expedition.
"I also want to go and loot!" Andy exclaimed eagerly.
Souta considered it and responded, "Sure, why not? Your sister already knows how to handle guns, so if there's ever a problem, she can handle it."
"But you should ask your sisters first," Souta added, reminding Andy of the need to seek permission.
After lunch, Andy approached his sister, who agreed to let him join the expedition.
The plan for the day was to loot a nearby village that was likely to have at least one hunter, potentially providing them with a bow, similar to Nana and Lily's dad. They decided to set off the following morning.
Early in the morning, after breakfast, the group gathered their supplies and headed towards the village using two pickup trucks and one motorbike. Souta and Steff took charge of driving the trucks, while Shana rode the motorbike to scout the area ahead.
Arriving at the village, they realized it was situated near several other villages, and it appeared that the military hadn't reached this area yet.
The village is near the mountains, having thick forest covering the area.
"This should be easy," Amy remarked confidently.
"Don't let your guard down," Steff warned, reminding them to remain cautious.
"With two inexperienced zombie killers in our group, we need to be extra careful," Souta cautioned, highlighting the need for caution.
Some zombies noticed the group's presence and started heading towards them.
"Remember your practice. If possible, don't use guns and aim for their heads," Souta reminded everyone.
The zombies approached, and Andy and Shana started fighting them. Armed with axes, they sliced off the zombies' heads with precise strikes.
While Andy was occupied with a zombie in front of him, another zombie sneaked up from behind, grabbing his shoulders. However, Amy swiftly shot the approaching zombie with her bow.
Amy, who was on top of the pick-up truck, said, "Be careful," Amy warned, emphasizing the importance of staying focused.
"Never let your guard down. Once you've been bitten, it's all over," Souta emphasized, stressing the gravity of the situation.
After defeating the zombies, the group took a break to recover.
"Okay, that should be enough. Let's start looting," Souta declared, leading the way.
They are divided into three groups:
Souta and Andy,
Shana and Lily,
Nana and Steff.
Amy took the lookout position, keeping an eye out for any approaching danger.
After an hour of looting and killing zombies that get in their way, they had gathered a substantial amount of supplies from the houses, but they had found only one weapon—a well-made Burnett crossbow.
As they continued their expedition, they came across a small school located between the two villages. They decided to make it their final target for looting after exploring the other nearby houses.
Unfortunately, the other houses provided no significant findings in terms of resources or food. They did, however, stumble upon a few dead zombies, which raised suspicions that there might be surviving humans in the village.
Drawing from their training, which included how to deal with human enemies, the group moved more quietly and swiftly as they approached a town hall.
Amy positioned herself on higher ground, ready to snipe if necessary, while the rest of the group scattered and readied their guns.
Souta took on the role of bait and approached the door of the town hall.
As he walked closer, guns appeared in the windows, aimed at him.
"Hands up!" a random voice commanded.
"Now, now, I'm not your enemy. I want to make a deal with you guys," Souta replied calmly.
"What deal? We don't even know who you are!" the voice responded skeptically.
"We have food," Souta revealed, pulling out the plastic bag of canned food they had looted from the houses.
"Okay, what do you want?" the voice inquired, showing interest.
"I want all of you to join me. I have plenty of food," Souta proposed.
"..." He thinks for a moment, "Alright, I guess we'll have to trust you," the voice agreed, indicating a willingness to negotiate.
With cautious steps, the door opened, revealing a thin man who aimed his gun at Souta. Souta raised his hands in surrender.
The man slowly approached Souta, eyeing the plastic bag filled with food. As he took the bag, his face lit up.
"Guys! There's food!" he exclaimed, calling out to the others inside the town hall.
Twenty more people emerged, looking thin and malnourished. Among them were twenty adults and five children.
"That's not enough. How about I bring more from the truck?" Souta suggested, eager to gain their trust.
"Sure, sure," the man agreed, his skepticism turning into gratitude.
Souta walked back to the vehicles and retrieved more food. The group eagerly devoured the nourishment, expressing their gratitude and joy.
"Thank you," they expressed their appreciation.
"Thank you very much," they repeated, tears of relief and happiness flowing freely.
They spoke to Souta with fondness, treating him like a hero. Minutes later, exhaustion caught up with them, and they gradually fell asleep, finding solace and safety in their newfound refuge.
As the villagers awoke, they found themselves tightly bound inside the town hall, uncertainty and fear permeating the air.
"What is the meaning of this!? Why have you restrained us like animals?" one villager demanded.
"Mama, I'm scared," a young voice quivered in distress.
"We thought we were on the same side!" another villager protested.
Souta let out a sigh, disappointment etched across his face, giving away none of his emotions.
The man who had spoken to Souta earlier couldn't help but chuckle darkly. "HAHAHAHA, just as I suspected! What a pitiful sight to be with," he said.
Locking eyes with Souta, he sneered, "Human kindness sure is dangerous!"
"Enough games!" Souta replied, his tone cold and composed. "I'm not here for amusement. You'll know what you are into, trusting me in the very first time we met? That's ridiculous!"
The man's expression changed as he began to grasp the gravity of their predicament. "Alright, kid! I surrender. Spare the villagers, and you can do whatever you want with me," he pleaded.
"Oh, how magnanimous of you to offer yourself in exchange for them. But can one man truly be worth more than an entire village?" Souta retorted, his gaze unyielding.
The man tried to play his trump card. "That's more like it! Of course, I wouldn't say that if I wasn't worth the whole village. I'm an old leader of mercenaries. I can turn an ordinary person into a soldier in a month," the mercenary boasted confidently.
Souta remained skeptical, not easily swayed by empty boasts. "A thin man claiming to be a mercenary? Then can I also say that I'm an old mercenary?"
The man's smile widened, revealing his hands freed from the ropes. "You're quite sharp, kid. I anticipated your precautions. I know the danger of trusting humans too much, which is why I took steps to protect myself"
Souta's comrades immediately aimed their guns at the man, but he raised his hands to signal them to stand down.
"I know that trusting someone just after they met is dangerous, but I couldn't help it, my people are hungry, I couldn't do anything in my power that's why I risk and trust you, Am I wrong with my guts trusting you?" He said
Souta smiled and look at him, "Very well, But know this: I'm not here to play hero. With your confidence, there might be a risk of betrayal I can't risk our lives for this. How about this? We'll make a deal: You'll work for me, and in return, I'll provide anything you need—food, weapons, and a safe base," Souta proposed.
"In exchange, I will demand your loyalty and bravery. When I say loyalty, if I tell you to kill your friend, you'll do it. When I say bravery, if I tell you to sacrifice yourself, you'll do it," Souta laid out the terms.
"Heh, to think that a kid can become like this. But those demands are so good to true, and those are all in my favor what are you planning?"
"You sure know your stuff, don't expect this deal to be equal, you care about these people too much, so to avoid betrayals women and kids will be separated from the men"
"Deal" the man agreed, recognizing Souta's strength and determination.
And so, the deal was made. With the man's experience as an old mercenary, they were able to steal cars without keys and quickly gathered five more vehicles. They set off, leaving the village behind, heading back to their base.
Upon arriving at their destination, which was not the mansion but the farm, Souta informed them, "You'll be staying here for tonight."
He untie them all and separate them by gender and keeping them apart from the rest of the group, women and kids are taken to the mansion while the men are left on the farm.
Souta waved them off, saying, "Show them to their rooms," before heading to his own room, looking a bit lost in thought.
Amy led the way, with Steff and Jenny following closely. "C'mon, this way!" Amy called cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.
"Twins and Andy, Why don't you go first? We've got this," Jenny suggested, giving them an encouraging smile.
"We'll do that" Lily said and decided for her sister
Andy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but be careful, okay?" he said, concern evident in his voice.
"Don't worry, We got it covered," Jenny said as she smiled
Once they had settled everyone into their rooms, they make it clear as a day that scaping isn't an option as the mansion is locked and no one can leave nor enter. the four girls then made their way to the bathroom. After the long day, a nice hot bath was just what they needed.
With everyone settled into their rooms, the four girls gathered in the bathroom, looking forward to a relaxing bath. Amy couldn't help but recall Souta's earlier act, and she chuckled, "Oh, man, Souta really went full-on villain mode earlier!"
Jenny, always the practical one, adjusted the water temperature and nodded, "Yeah, but you know, he was just trying to protect us. It actually made sense when he explained it."
Steff, already immersed in the warm water, grinned and nodded in agreement, "He might act tough, but it's all because he cares about us."
Shana, still feeling a bit unsure as the newest member of the group, observed silently, trying to find the right words to join the conversation.
As they all relaxed in the warm water, Jenny leaned back with a contented sigh. "I just hope we can get along well here and find some happiness together," she said, her voice soft and hopeful.
Amy rested her head against the edge of the tub, chiming in, "Me too. It's been a rough ride, but maybe this is a chance for a fresh start."
Amy glanced at Jenny and Steff with a sense of determination in her eyes, "We've got each other's backs, and that includes Souta. I believe we can make it work."
Feeling encouraged by the others, Shana finally spoke up, though her voice still carried a hint of shyness. "I... I hope so too. It's just that I'm not used to this kind of situation."
Jenny turned towards Shana, giving her an understanding smile, "Don't worry, Shana. We're all figuring this out in our own ways. We'll learn and grow together, like a new family."
"She's right" Steff butt in, "Though we only met the other day, we'll be sure to protect each other from now on"
Amy, always ready to lighten the mood, added playfully, "Yeah, and you know what they say about families - we stick together through thick and thin. We've got your back too, Shana."
Feeling the support from the girls, Shana managed a small but courageous smile, "Thank you. I'm really glad to be here with all of you."
Amy playfully splashed some water, bringing a touch of fun to the conversation, "Great! So, let's make this bath time full of laughs and worries-free!"
Morning came, and Souta and his group and with the help of the kids and women who was taken prepared food for everyone. However, a sense of gloom hung in the air as they wondered if there might be poison or sleeping pills in the food.
"If you don't want to eat, then don't," Souta declared, leaving the choice up to them.
The mercenary man, unfazed, started eating. Finishing one bowl, he reached for another, and the sight of him eating reassured the others, prompting them to consume their meals as well.