Post Twilight

Post Twilight, Part Three

The girls spent the night on watch, rotating the shift so they could get rest before the morning. Seeing how exhausted Allan was, Fumiko decided to let him sleep the whole night. Cindy was also allowed to rest, staying to low power mode to conserve her batteries. Fumiko was alone on the last watch, sitting by the door, listening for signs of vampires and watching the others. She looked from girl to girl. Nanami, the quiet, average looking girl, who carried their Squad Automatic Weapon, better known as a SAW. Airi, with her hair cut almost as short as a boy's, the rings on her fingers clanking together when she moved in her sleep. Michiko, the shortest of them, with the longest hair, who had become an expert markswoman and seemed to be withdrawing into herself. Fumiko was starting to worry about her, but she didn't have time to deal with it. Mamasi and Mio, the girls who looked like sisters and had often been mistaken for twins, before... They carried the last of the assault rifles and knew how to use them.

Fumiko checked her watch. Another ten minutes and she would wake everyone else up. Then, they would start their day. It would be a good day, she hoped. They had been trapped here, in this city, for weeks. Not many, but enough. They had gathered supplies, had looked for a way out, but hope had started to wane. And then they had run across these two new people. Well, one man and one AP. Fumiko was glad for Cindy. She hadn't realized it when they had seen her, but she was a critical piece of the puzzle for reaching The Goal. Allan, she was less sure about. He didn't seem interested in any of the girls, but that might have been the shock of the events of the previous day. When they had been with the Marines, they had been gentlemen. Well, most of them. And some of the girls had been drawn to their masculine protectors. As things had degraded, there had been a few incidents, but order had asserted itself quickly. This was different, as they had never had just one man with them. Would this one be a problem? She didn't know, not yet. She had seen the way he acted and moved, she recognized that he was former military, but he hadn't said anything about it. Even when they had shared stories about their lives Before, and things they missed, he had been mostly quiet. That worried her. He seemed to be keeping things in, not hiding them, but avoiding his past. And that could be bad. He could be a ticking time bomb. Or he could simply be dealing with the loss, like the rest of them, of the world they had known. It was hard to tell.

Fumiko checked her watch again and saw it was time to get moving. She turned on the lantern and went from girl to girl, gently waking them. She had Cindy wake Allan, as she didn't want to startle him. The girls began their day with stretches and then their morning exercises. Allan didn't move much. He helped make some coffee then lit a cigarette. He didn't stare at the girls, but did glance at them from time to time while they moved around. Water was heated and tea was made, followed by instant Ramen. Once everyone was dressed and fed, Fumiko sat down with Cindy and Allan.

"We need a plan for today." She told the others, her English improving with use.

"Hang on." Allan said, his voice gruff. "We need more than a plan for today, we need a whole plan for this wild goose chase."

"I agree." Cindy said, leaning against the wall. "We need a plan for how to get to Las Vegas, what we need to get there, and what we need to get the rocket moving."

"Very well." Fumiko said, not happy with this change. She was used to being in charge and not having her plans questioned. But, she wagered that they were probably right.

"First thing," Allan said, taking out a pencil and paper. "We need a map for the region. Thankfully, there's only one state border between us and Vegas, but we won't be able to use any major roads. We need something that will show us all those tiny towns, too."

"And Google Maps is down." Cindy joked, breaking the tension.

Allan chuckled and Fumiko gave a polite smile. The conversation switched to the details of finding maps and supplies. Fumiko didn't know the area well, but the other two did. They were able to list several places where they could get food and water.

"There's only one issue: transportation." Allan pointed out. "We'll need a truck, at least something that big, but I can't think of where we can find out that's in good shape."

"Can we fix one? One of the ones that have been abandoned, perhaps?" Fumiko asked.

"Maybe." Allan said, stroking the stubble on his chin.

"It won't be easy to fix one, if we can find one that's in good shape." Cindy pointed out. "We would need space and time. Neither of which we really have."

"Then what do we do?" Fumiko asked, getting frustrated.

"I think I can find one... One that I know would be in good working order." Allan said, turning back to face them. "The police impound lot has all kinds of vehicles there. And it's safe. It's on the edge of town. If we can find one that runs, we can get gas there, too."

"I sense a 'but' coming..." Cindy commented.

"Yeah. A big one. If we can get to the lot, we won't be able to get back through town. And we'll have to cross the freeway. And take a bridge."

"So much for that idea!" Cindy threw her arms up and the others looked at her.

"I don't understand, what is the problem?" Fumiko asked.

"The freeway is jammed with cars and zombies. There's no room to move. And the bridges are even worse. The other issue is that we wouldn't be able to run away on the bridge. It's either fight or jump, which is a bad way to die."

"No, I don't understand why we have to go that way." Fumiko said, looking between the two of them.

"And now I don't understand you." Allan said, crossing his arms.

"All we need to do is get across the river, correct?" Fumiko asked and Allan nodded. "So, we can just cross the river."

"I don't-" Allan began, his voice raising.

"I do." Cindy cut him off. "All we need is a boat. That's what you're talking about, right, Fumiko?"

When the girl nodded, Allan slapped his forehead. "I'm an idiot! Yes, we just need to get across the river. If we can find something with a motor, we can cut off even more time! Fumiko, you're a genius!"

"Now," Cindy said. "The next problem, how do we find a boat?"

"There's a small dock not far from here," Fumiko pointed out. "It's part of a large apartment complex. We saw it on our way in. I remember seeing some boats there."

Allan nodded. "I know where you're talking about. It's probably the safest place to get a boat in the area. We just might be able to pull this off. But, first thing first, we have to get those maps and supplies. How do we want to do this?"

"My team and I have been working together for a long time, having you with us would be a... Complication." Fumiko told them. "Perhaps we can split up and each work on a task?"

"That sounds like the best plan." Cindy agreed. "Since Allan and I know where we can find the maps, we should do that. We can't carry nearly as much as the six of you could."

"I agree." Allan put in.