Harem in a zombie apocalypse

[65] Checkpoint

We approached the checkpoint at Coutts on Endeavor.

As we surveyed the scene from a safe distance, the stark contrast to the desolation and decay we had gotten used to was stark. The lights from the checkpoint spilled into the night, casting long, dancing shadows over the deserted road. Uniformed soldiers milled around, their disciplined movements a stark reminder of the world we once knew.

We were huddled inside the Endeavor, trying to make sense of what we were seeing. The car's radio quietly crackled with an old country song, its tone now eerie against the backdrop of our predicament.

"U.S. soldiers," Hazuki murmured, her voice barely audible over the hum of the engine and the sound of the radio. "Didn't expect to see them here. In Canada."

"Well, they're definitely not here for a picnic," Cassidy chimed in, her tone sober. "We should proceed with caution."

"Yeah, but we can't exactly turn back either," I pointed out, frowning at the soldiers in the distance. "And we can't stay here all night."

"But what if they're hostile?" Kaya's eyes flicked over to me, worry evident in her gaze. "What if they attack us?"

"Or worse," Yan-Hua added quietly, her fingers drumming anxiously on the armrest. "What if they're infected?"

We fell silent, each of us processing the potential danger we were in. The prospect of facing a group of infected soldiers was terrifying. But we also had no choice but to proceed.

"Look," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "We can't make assumptions. They could be friendly. Maybe they're here to help. We won't know unless we try."

"You're suggesting we just drive up there and say hello?" Cassidy asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged. "Maybe not hello, but we could try to communicate, see if they're friend or foe."

After a moment of silence, Hazuki nodded. "It's the best plan we have," she conceded.

***

It was dawn, I approached the military camp on foot.

Beneath the cloak of the early morning light, the scene unfolded with an air of dread, as if it were a suspenseful scene from an old war movie. Two soldiers, armed to the teeth and clad in full military gear, loomed over me like steel giants. One of them, a burly man with a stern face, ordered me to drop my weapons.

I complied, gently laying my handgun on the dirt road and stepped back. My heart pounded in my chest, as I watched the second soldier, a woman with her hair tightly wound into a bun and a face as expressionless as a stone, gave me a thorough pat down.

"Is there a problem?" I finally found my voice, trying to sound as neutral and non-threatening as possible.

"No," the male soldier grumbled, his voice echoing inside his helmet. "Standard protocol."

I nodded, shifting uncomfortably under their scrutinizing gazes. "Can I pass through?" I asked, gesturing towards the checkpoint.

The soldiers exchanged glances before the woman responded. Her voice was cold and clipped, a direct contrast to the warmth of the rising sun. "No, only personnel carrying the express pass may go through," she stated flatly.

My heart sank. "And if I don't have an express pass?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

"If any unauthorized personnel attempts to forcefully enter, that person would be neutralized at once," she answered, her icy gaze never leaving my face.

The finality of her words hung in the air. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. I gave them a curt nod, thanking them for their time, and turned to head back to the Endeavor. As I trudged back to the vehicle, I mulled over the implications of what had just happened.

FKKKKKK!!!

Q: Have you ever had moments where you were so close to succeeding but fails?