Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night

Immediately after the vehicle pulled up at the gas station, Zane heard a voice barking orders at several other men.

"Smith, Rodgriguez, Malone, you three go clear that gas station while the rest of us secure the perimeter. I want as many jerry cans filled up as possible within the next fifteen minutes. You understand me?"

The next words that followed this were the response of those soldiers beneath the NCO's command.

"Yes, sir!"

After saying this, three men entered the gas station with rifles in hand while their flashlights were on. Knowing that he didn't stand a chance against three fully kitted out soldiers, Zane sighed heavily as he placed his handgun back in its holster and revealed himself with his hands up.

The three soldiers immediately spotted Zane and shouted commands at him.

"You there, get down on your knees with your hands up right now!"

Zane didn't bother chastising the grunts by telling them his hands were already up and instead got on his knees as he was told. All the while averting his gaze from the blinding lights that were flashing on his face. It was only after the three men got closer and secured Zane's weapons that they realized he was just a kid.

"Holy shit… Johnny, this civvie is just a kid… What the hell is he doing out here?"

Zane remained silent, knowing that saying something snarky to these men, who were proudly displaying the patch of his state's national guard on their shoulders, was a bad idea. And it wasn't until a man sporting the insignia of a corporal interrogated him did Zane finally spoke.

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"Hey kid, what's your name?"

Zane did not immediately give his real name. After all, he did not trust the government any more than he trusted any other stranger he encountered. Instead, he used the first name he could think of off the top of his head, which just so happened to be that of someone he held particular disdain for.

"Ryan… Ryan Parker…"

Considering they had already secured Zane's weapons, the Corporal waved towards his men to lower their own, so that they were not intimidating what was clearly a teenager. Still, Zane had some gear that someone his age should not possess, and was quick to ask where he had gotten them.

"Well, Ryan… Do you mind telling me where you got this handgun, as well as the belt?"

Zane sighed heavily. Considering he hadn't murdered anyone for it, he decided to tell the truth, after all, when lying, it was best to mix in some minor truths in order to make it seem believable.

"I looted it off of my school's police officer after he was killed by those things…"

One of the other soldiers inspected Zane's handgun and determined that it was unfired, due to the fact that all the magazines he had on them were still completely full. And he was quick to report this to the Corporal.

"Yo, this thing's unused. Rounds are fully loaded in the magazine. His story checks out."

The corporal narrowed his eyes at Zane, who stared back at him, not wavering in the slightest, before sighing heavily. Once he had done this, he proposed an offer to Zane.

"Alright kid, it looks like you have been through an ordeal. How about you come with us back to the safe zone and tell us all about your school? If there are any survivors there, we might be able to send a team to clear it out and save them."

Zane was curious by the information he had just heard, and was quick to inquire more about it, while coming off as an ignorant teenager who had been traumatized by what he had seen.

This way, the soldiers would be more willing to give him information about the current state of the city. Something he was desperately in need of.

"Wait, hold on… Safe zone? What are you talking about?"

It was not surprising that Zane was lacking in knowledge about the safe zone which had been established deeper in the city and was currently being protected by what remained of the city's law enforcement, and the remnants of the local national guard unit.

"About ten clicks west of here, near city hall, there's a safe zone that has been established. We are just a scouting force. Our goal is to look for survivors like yourself, and bring them back to safety. You're not the only one we have found on our patrol. We have several others with us in the MTV out back.

We were supposed to patrol a five-mile radius, but we went a little farther than we should have. I'm glad we did, though. It means we can bring you back to safety. So how about it kid, will you come with us?"

Zane obviously had no intentions of returning with the soldiers. For starters, he had a strong disdain for the government in general. He didn't trust them even during civilized times, let alone during an apocalyptic situation.

Not to mention he had seen what the Undead could evolve into, and doubted that the local peacekeeping forces had the means to take out the higher tier undead. If there were two of such monsters lurking on school grounds, then the city had to be full of them.

If that was the case, it was only a matter of time before the safe zone fell, and Zane did not want to be caught up in that chaos. Thus, he shook his head and declined the soldier's offer directly to his face. Shocking not only him, but his fellow comrades as they questioned whether or not Zane was sane.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass… I think I have a better chance of surviving on my own… So if you would kindly return my weapons, I will be on my way…"

Zane was determined to get his handgun and gun belt back. He could always make another war club, but that handgun was a high end pistol full of aftermarket accessories that enhanced its capabilities, and would be difficult to come across again in the future.

However, Zane did not expect the Corporal to insist on Zane coming with him, which is exactly what he did.

"I'm afraid that isn't an option, kid. I have my orders, and that is to safely escort any civilians we may come across back to the safe zone. Like it or not… You're coming with us!"