Mere Immortal

Chapter Twenty-One

Zella nudged Khloe to follow her to the armory, where she stocked up on ammo and grenades. She holstered her pistol and took a shotgun. "Do me a favor and carry that grenade launcher," she told Khloe. "It could be useful."

Khloe picked it up without hesitation. Zella helped her strap it diagonally over her back so it wouldn't become too restrictive on her movement. They loaded themselves and then went on their way. Heading for the right side of the Costaluna border.

*

Navigating the charred arteries of Costaluna revealed an undeniable truth. This wasn't merely a strike. It was a methodical siege, a whisper of the Estreans' intent to brand their ownership upon the city's smoldering remnants. If not that, it seemed a chilling experiment, gauging the morbid efficacy of their drones, foreshadowing a cataclysm yet to unfurl its sinister wings.

As twilight enveloped the horizon, an ominous pall shrouded the ravaged cityscape of Costaluna. The drones, with surgical precision, had extinguished street lights and neutralized cameras, plunging the once-vibrant streets into an abyss of darkness. Erratic flickers from fading neon signs punctured the darkness, casting an eerie glow upon the devastation below. Zella and Khloe treaded gingerly past a haunting procession of lifeless bodies, now mere relics of existence, their still forms twisted amidst debris. A testament to the vicious nature of the drones above. "The Estreans, the immortals, and COG; they must all pay a heavy price for this," Khloe said, as they made their way forth to a large collapsed red cross sign.

"It's just one more tragedy that they're on the hook for," Zella replied. "I hope Chi can help us clap back at them."

"Look, Z," Khloe said, "I don't think we can trust them."

"They're shitty for pulling guns on us, but our interests seem to align, don't you think?"

"Hackers always have an agenda, Z. We can't trust that girl. And if Tay is on her side, we can't trust him either."

"Is that Khloe the activist speaking, or the former intelligence officer?"

"A bit of both."

They hunkered down instinctively at the mechanical churning of a nearby drone patrolling the area. Zella waved Khloe to her as she crouched further towards the pharmacy. She couldn't see exactly where the drone was, but her ears told her it wasn't yet close enough to spot them. If they kept quiet, they could make it to the care home without being caught.

Zella glanced through the shattered pharmacy windows as they crept past. There were no signs of life inside. Aisles were left in violent disarray. Looters had ransacked the aisles. The pharmacy had most likely been one of the first places to scavenge during the strike. Stray medicine boxes and first aid kits lay scattered across the floor. If they ended up in an emergency, they could come back for them. The weight they were carrying already burdened them. If it came down to a game of survival, Zella would choose her guns over first aid every time. Bullets over bandages was her motto. In her mind, prevention was better than the cure.

They cautiously navigated around the toppled neon cross, its glow now reduced to a feeble, erratic flicker.

"Here it is," said Zella, finding the entrance to the care home next door.

A stench hit them that told them to expect unpleasant sights. Paperwork, abandoned wheelchairs, medicine cups, trays, and empty sandwich boxes littered the floor. Patches of blood stained the walls, morbidly adorning the plaid wallpaper. They checked each room, looking for signs of life.

Zella encountered a jammed entrance into one room, but she pushed her way in carefully and got them inside, where they were met by the unpleasant sight of an old man shot up by the door, his body awash in his own blood. A quick assessment of the shattered window told of his desperate attempt to escape, before being fiercely terminated by the drone.