Alice didn't want to bring the others along. She was skilled at stealth and parkour, and this time, it was crucial not to alert the kidnappers. Going alone would be more convenient.
"Uncle, don't worry. I'll take care of Alice," Hurley promised.
Atticus: "..."
However, there was no time to dwell on the awkwardness of the situation. Since Alice agreed, they had to go along with the plan.
"All right, be careful. If you can't handle it, notify us for rescue," Atticus said with concern.
Alice nodded and left with Hurley, one after the other."It's been a while since I saw you. Are you doing okay?" Alice casually brought up a topic.
Hurley smiled, "I've been busy lately. After a while, there was no supply distribution in the base, and the research institute fell apart."
The food was consumed by mutated rats, and the remaining thousand kilograms were divided among the base leaders and managers. He received word that the base leader was planning to run away.
Alice wasn't surprised at all when she heard this news. A base without food as its foundation was like loose sand. Even the guards had fled. Could they still expect the base leader to take care of them?
With the extreme cold, the available resources were already scarce. Now, even the higher-ups in the base were in a panic. Those who could accumulate wealth naturally wouldn't prioritize morality.
"What are your plans?" Hurley asked casually.
Alice furrowed her brows, "I don't know. Maybe leave this place for another base."
Base M was no longer safe. Continuing to treat it as a refuge made no sense. She had enough supplies, and transportation was available, unrestricted by any limitations.
Hurley, with his dark eyes, looked at her seriously, "If you decide to leave, let me know in advance, okay?"
Alice pursed her lips. She didn't like having too much interaction with others. After a moment of silence, she gently nodded.
The man then smiled as if it was something worth celebrating.Ten minutes later, they arrived at the first gang's hideout. It was a small villa with a large mountain behind it. "There are quite a few people in this gang. I've gathered information; only a few of them have guns."
In the apocalypse, having guns was paramount. Alice quietly took out her gun as well. The two approached the window on the ground floor.Alice peeked inside, observing a few men in the hall while three women poured drinks for them.
"Brother, what do you plan to do with that woman?" one man inside asked.
Hearing this, Alice's expression turned cold. Was Blanche really captured by them?
The other men smirked maliciously. "Of course, it's up to the boss. When the boss gets bored, then it's our turn."
"That woman is a bit older, but she looks pretty good."
"Occasionally, we need to change tastes. Go and bring that woman up."
Hearing those unpleasant conversations, frost covered Alice's delicate face, and the bullets in her gun were ready to be unleashed.
"Step back," Alice said to Hurley as he approached, lowering her voice.
In case she couldn't control herself and directly took out the Gatling gun, the firepower was not to be underestimated.
Hurley didn't move, his gaze on her, his magnetic voice soothing, "I'll assist you."
Alice nodded slightly, not paying him any more attention, and continued to stare inside.
Two men escorted a woman over; they had their backs to Alice, making it hard for her to see the woman's face.
"Boss, we've brought her."
The two men pushed the woman into the arms of a man with a bearded face.
Alice dangerously narrowed her eyes, aiming the dark barrel of her gun at the people inside."Let go of me!" The woman struggled and turned around.
It wasn't Blanche!Alice sighed in relief and holstered her gun. "I'll go inside for a search."She walked to the front door, raised her foot, and kicked it open. The men inside were in the midst of something, and suddenly someone barged in, startling them.
People from other rooms rushed out upon hearing the commotion, staring at Alice's cold and stunning face.
"Who are you?" The leader frowned, signaling his men to bring their guns.
The group eyed them warily, slowly surrounding them.
Upon hearing the question, Alice could deduce that Blanche was not kidnapped by these people. Otherwise, they would have recognized her.
Hurley: "Auntie probably isn't here. Let's not waste time and go."
Alice nodded, and the two of them aimed their guns at the people inside, gradually stepping back.
"Stop! You come and go as you please. What do you take our place for?" The leader glared at them with a vicious look.
Alice looked at the man beside her, raised an eyebrow, "Looks like they won't let us leave without a fight."
Hurley's mouth curled into a cold smile, and he fired his gun before the leader could react.
Almost simultaneously, Alice turned and started shooting at the people surrounding them.Gunshots echoed, sparks flew, and things inside the room shattered all over the floor.The two didn't linger in the fight, as soon as it was over, they ran.
Hurley led Alice to the area with makeshift houses, eerily quiet, with not a soul in sight."Here, there's another gang specifically for robbery. These people secretly divide the base into territories. Normally, they don't interfere with each other," Hurley explained.
With the weakening influence of the official base authorities, don't underestimate these gangs. If they have guns and supplies, one day they might dominate the base.
The two quietly made their way from behind the makeshift houses and found one room with tightly closed windows and someone guarding outside.
"I'll go take care of them," Hurley said first.
Alice nodded slightly, and while Hurley left, she quietly switched to a silenced gun from her space.
As she finished changing her weapon, Hurley had already dealt with the guard outside the door. She quickly walked towards him.
Hurley violently broke the lock at the entrance and casually tossed it aside.
...
Inside the makeshift house, they found a stockpile of looted goods: twenty bags of rice, over a dozen boxes of flour and noodles, ten cases of soda, five boxes of canned goods, eight boxes of self-heating pots, and two shelves full of instant noodles and ham. There were even two cases of liquor.
Leaving so much behind made Alice reluctant, but if she stored them in her space, how could she distract Hurley?
While she was pondering, she noticed the man looking at her, his expression unclear.
"Let's take these things with us," Hurley suggested, a sly smile forming. "We can split them evenly later."
Alice raised an eyebrow, "Do you have a way to take them away unnoticed?"
"Have you heard of a storage space?" Hurley's deep black eyes fixed on her.
Alice looked at him in shock and blurted out, "You have a space too?"
"A space?" Hurley pondered the word for a moment, slowly understanding, and chuckled, "Isn't it a coincidence? No wonder you never run out of food."