He noticed the back door had been partially opened from inside, and a table and some chairs, previously blocking the way, were moved. Peering through the gap, he spotted a young woman lying on the floor, unconscious. Her neat appearance told him she wasn't a gas station worker. From her position, it looked like she'd been trying to push the furniture aside to escape.
"Probably passed out from the smoke," Zack thought. He pulled open the door and cleared the remaining furniture. Turning her over gently, he examined her.
"Looks familiar…"
The girl, about eighteen or nineteen, had a striking appearance. Something about her face sparked a sense of recognition, although he was sure he'd never seen her before.
"Ego?"
Ego quickly responded, "Sophia Monroe, female, 19. Daughter of the late Benjamin Monroe. Mother, Lillian Lane, former CEO of Horizon Corporation."
"Oh, Lillian Lane's daughter. That explains it," Zack realized. He hadn't known the girl, but he had certainly heard of her mother, a prominent businesswoman often in the media. Despite her husband's early death, Lillian Lane had built her struggling company into an empire. And this girl, Sophia Monroe, was her only child.
"What a life, huh?" he muttered, looking down at the unconscious girl. "In a world like this, all those billions mean nothing."
He slapped her cheek gently, trying to wake her. "Come on, wake up."
Her eyelashes fluttered, and a weak voice escaped her lips. "Water…"
Zack rummaged through the store, found a bottle of water, and poured a bit on her face before handing it over. "Drink slowly…"
But before he could finish, Sophia Monroe grabbed the bottle and chugged it down, nearly emptying it in one go. "You're really thirsty, huh?" He yanked the bottle back before she finished the rest.
Watching him, her eyes began to clear. She coughed slightly and glanced around, seeming to register his presence fully for the first time. "Did… did you kill Purrfield?" she asked, her voice raspy.
"Purrfield?" Zack looked at her, puzzled, before pointing to the zombie cat's body. "Don't tell me… that thing was your pet?"
She looked down, tears filling her eyes. "Purrfield… he wasn't like this before…" Her words trailed off as another coughing fit wracked her body, a result of the smoke she'd inhaled.
Before Zack could respond, Ego's voice sounded urgently in his head. "Sir, there is a group of zombies approaching from the southeast. Estimated time before arrival: ten minutes."
A countdown appeared before his eyes, ticking down second by second. Glancing between the clock and Sophia, he sighed. Despite her disheveled state, she had a rare beauty that seemed untouched by the harshness of the world around them.
"Sophia, right?" Zack said directly. "It's not safe here. That explosion will bring zombies. I'm leaving now."
"Wait! Can I… can I come with you?" Sophia's voice was desperate. She'd spent days alone, frightened, and now Zack's presence was like a lifeline.
"Sure," Zack replied bluntly, "if you're ready to become my woman. Otherwise, you're on your own."
His frankness left her momentarily speechless. She had expected some sort of negotiation or conditions, but his words were as straightforward as they were surprising.
"Think it over," he added, and without waiting for her answer, he began gathering supplies from the store. He found a trolley, loaded it with whatever canned goods and bottled water had survived the blast, and rolled it out to his vehicle.
As he prepared to leave, a soft, hesitant voice sounded behind him. "I… I'll go with you."
Leaving the gas station, Zack drove on, following the route laid out by Ego. Along the way, the city's catastrophic transformation unfolded before him. Fires raged in once-thriving buildings, while thick plumes of smoke clouded the skyline. The streets, now filled with abandoned, wrecked vehicles, were clogged from the chaos that erupted when the virus first spread. People, trapped in traffic and unable to escape, had eventually succumbed and transformed into the undead. The haunting screams of scattered survivors echoed through the air, a chilling reminder of the apocalypse.
Zombies filled every corner of the city. Ego, who had managed to tap into the city's network, could only do so much to avoid large swarms, planning a route that minimized obstacles. Thankfully, Zack was driving an armored escort vehicle, a multi-ton beast that hardly flinched at the ordinary zombies stumbling into its path. Each press of the accelerator was enough to crush them under its heavy wheels, reducing them to nothing more than a smear on the asphalt.
In the passenger seat, Sophia had initially been tense, clutching her seat in horror at the sight of the zombies. But as the vehicle repeatedly plowed over them, she gradually relaxed, her exhaustion overtaking her. After two sleepless nights, she finally closed her eyes and drifted into a heavy sleep, her head leaning against the window. The bumps as they ran over the undead almost rocked her like a cradle, bringing her a strange, brief peace.
After over an hour of driving, Zack parked near a high-end residential area: a newly-built Mansion complex, surrounded by high walls and filled with luxurious single-family homes. A small artificial lake sparkled in the center, showcasing the excessive comfort the wealthy enjoyed.
"Ego, is this Tribeca?" Zack asked, eyeing the community.
"Yes, sir," Ego confirmed.
Zack looked around, taking in the tall walls and private courtyards around each mansion. "Rich people and their taste… With a bit of reinforcement, this place could become a decent fortress against the zombies."
The community was newly constructed, with a low occupancy rate, meaning most place were empty. That would make it easier to secure the area.
"Ego, mark any Mansions that are occupied."
"Right away, sir."
As Ego projected the Mansion information on the screen, each home's occupancy status appeared, including who was inside. Zack quickly found a suitable option: Mansion No. 9. It was positioned in the heart of the complex, with a high vantage point that offered a clear view of the surrounding area. Its owner was abroad when the virus outbreak hit, so it should be vacant.
"Let's go," he said, while driving the truck.
As he approached the community's main entrance, he saw the gate had been smashed open, likely by a large black Land Rover that was left behind. Near the entrance, a zombie with only its upper body intact clawed at the ground, dragging itself toward them, groaning in a frenzy as it spotted their approach.
Without slowing down, Zack pressed on the accelerator, running over it with a sickening thud. The impact jarred the vehicle, stirring Sophia from her sleep.
"Where are we?" she asked groggily, her eyes taking in the surroundings. Her expression shifted as she recognized the area. "I've been here before."
"You know this place?"
She nodded, explaining, "The developer is my uncle. He gifted me a Mansion here for my 18th birthday, but I thought it was too far out of the way, so I never moved in."
She pointed to a nearby Mansion. "That's it—No. 8."
It was only separated by a small patch of green and a road from Mansion No. 9, the one Zack had chosen. A sense of irony filled him when he checked the records and saw her name listed as the owner of Mansion No. 8.
"Are all birthday gifts for rich kids this extravagant?" he teased.
Before she could respond, they saw two zombies up ahead—a man and a woman—standing near a blood-stained stroller.