Harem in a zombie apocalypse

[43] Rendezvous

Suddenly, without a moment's warning, I whirled around, my hand expertly pulling out the pistol from its holster. The world around me seemed to slow down as my finger tightened around the trigger, and in a flash, I fired off a series of shots.

The echo of the gunshots rang out in the quiet supermarket, startlingly loud and uncomfortably disruptive. The man barely had a second to react. Surprise flashed across his face as he took a step back, his shotgun falling from his grasp, clattering onto the floor.

A cloud of dust and debris flew up around him as my bullets hit the shelves behind him, showering him with a rain of canned goods and cereal boxes. I aimed to incapacitate, not to kill. I needed him unconscious, not dead.

In the dim light of the supermarket, the man on the ground groaned, his hands clutching at the wounds on his legs. The sight was gruesome, the harsh reality of our actions sinking in. But there was no time for guilt, no time for regret. We were in survival mode, every choice dictated by the desperate need to stay alive.

I reached down and grabbed the box of arthritis medication that had fallen to the floor in the commotion, feeling its weight in my palm. A wave of relief washed over me. This small box, insignificant to most, was a lifeline for Andy's grandmother. This was our victory.

With the medication secure in one hand, I reached out for Hazuki with the other. My fingers wrapped around her slender wrist, the rapid pulse beneath her skin echoing my own heightened heart rate. Her skin was cold, her body trembling slightly, but her eyes shone with a fierce determination. She was ready.

"Let's go," I commanded, my voice barely above a whisper. With a firm tug, I pulled her along with me, and we began to run. Our footsteps echoed around the vast, deserted supermarket, a constant reminder of the danger that lurked around every corner.

The aisles were a blur of colors as we sprinted through them, the glaring fluorescent lights overhead casting long, eerie shadows. The scent of stale air and rotting food was heavy in the air, a grim reminder of the world we now lived in.

Every sound seemed amplified in the stillness, our harsh breaths, the pounding of our shoes against the tiled floor, the distant groans of the man I had shot. Fear propelled us forward, but so did hope. The hope of escape, of survival, of a future beyond the decay and desolation.

We rounded a corner, narrowly avoiding a toppled display of canned goods. Hazuki stumbled slightly, but I tightened my grip on her wrist, pulling her back up. We couldn't afford to slow down, not when every second counted.

Ahead, the exit loomed, a beacon of hope amidst the chaos. The glass doors were smeared with dirt and grime, but to us, they represented freedom, safety, life.

We were almost there. Just a few more steps and we would be outside, away from the danger. But as we neared the doors, the sound of scuffling feet and angry shouts echoed from behind us. The raiders were coming.

With a final surge of adrenaline, I pushed us forward, dragging Hazuki along with me. We burst through the doors, the cold air hitting us like a physical force. But we didn't stop. We couldn't stop. Not yet.

The jeep was waiting for us in the parking lot, the engine rumbling in anticipation. Cassidy was at the wheel, her face a mask of concentration as she watched for our return.

With a final sprint, we reached the jeep, flinging ourselves into the back seat. Cassidy didn't need to be told twice. As soon as we were in, she slammed her foot on the accelerator, and we shot forward, leaving the supermarket and its dangers behind us.

We had done it. We had survived. But as I glanced back at the receding supermarket, my heart pounding in my chest, I knew that this was only the beginning. Our journey was far from over. Our survival was far from assured. But for now, we were alive. And in this new world, that was a victory in itself.

Q: Would you shoot someone in this situation?