Stronghold In The Apocalypse

Chapter 26: Survivor Camp and Determination

"Good evening Ladies and Gents! I hope you guys are still alive and survived today's chaotic ordeal!"

The others went still when they suddenly heard that voice in between the sound of static.

The voice came from the radio that run in batteries that Josh has been tweaking since the time he got it from the warehouse and he has been trying his luck to connect to available signals since.

"Boss, I did it!" Josh shouted in glee and he turned the volume higher and adjusted the signal so that they will be able to hear it more clearly.

"I'm not a radio host guys and I just made a radio transmitter just for you guys so I can some good news to some of you! I am Dan and tonight I have an important good news for everyone who's able to survive till now! And sadly there's also a bad news for everyone. O~kay... let's start with the good news first"

Then the radio remained silent but the people can certain hear some shuffling sound from the other side. Henry, Rachel and the others slowly surrounded the radio and some of them even brought their plates with them.

The people stood in anticipation, waiting for what good news it was. Everyone of them are not idiots, they already know how devastating the epidemic was. Even within the Stronghold, they can already see smokes blanketing almost the entire sky, booming sound, burst of gun fires that can still be heard from far away and there would be even military choppers that would fly just near them earlier today.

A lot of countries was caught off guard by this while some manage to prepare a bit when they discovered some earlier anomalies regarding it.

"Dan is back, Okay~the good news is you survive, right? But that's not the only good news, if you're survivor near St. Asaph, then make sure to head towards here at St. Asaph. The city mayor and some surviving police officers along with some local survivors including me had erected a survivor camp here, there's only over three hundred people left from a population of over three thousand of us. I don't know, there might be still others out there that we haven't rescued yet, hopefully"

"Once here, just head towards the city hall where you would see a makeshift wall of galvanized roof and we will accept you guys and for the bad news? Mankind is practically on the verge of extinction. Our city is only small but the sudden zombie epidemic had already turned over three thousands of residents here into a walking Undead, almost turning this place into a city of dead. Just imagine those bigger cities with at least hundreds of thousands of population. Haist, to the survivors who are lucky to be alive and hearing me tonight on a radio.Good luck and may the god bless us all! This is Dan, I'm out."

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The radio turned into a deafening static and the others had darkened looks on their faces probably with only exemption of Leo, who probably expected that there would still people who are courageous enough to build a survivor camp and try to survive.

Leo shook his head and thought "Creating a survivor camp is basically reckless for the time being, after all where would they get food and water with how many they are there." he didn't continue and smiled helplessly and said to the others "Alright, don't think too much about it, the most important thing is we are still alive and with our love ones too. Finish your meal, we'll conclude the night here".

The others ate their food in silence probably only the two little girls can't read the atmosphere as both of happily talked to each other.

Everyone immediately finished their meals with the women cleaning up the table. Leo then talked to the rest of the guys and they divided themselves into two groups with the first group being Leo, Josh and Tom and the second group are Henry, Joe, Austin and Michael with the first watch being the first group.

After the women cleaned the dishes, all of them decided to sleep together in one of the houses, after all no one wants to sleep all alone in a room so all of them including the kids planned to sleep in the living room as they prepared their beds with the futon mattresses.

"Alright, you guys don't need to worry and just go to sleep and let us men do the night watch" Leo told them and exited the house with Rachel following behind, in the back the women didn't immediately go to bed and started talking among themselves with the topic mostly about the survivor camp earlier and sometimes Leo with his weird futuristic looking Armor and his already superhuman abilities. Leo smiled and didn't mind as he already had a reasonable excuse prepared, if one day one of them can't hold themselves back and asked him about it.

Outside the house, both mother and son had a small talk for a bit before she went back inside. Leo told Rachel that the rest of the men will split into two groups with the first group taking the first watch and told her to tell the rest inside that they shouldn't worry about them also taking a night watch duty and they should just take care of the house work in the day while the men would do patrols and other dangerous things.

Leo then went towards the gate where the rest of the guys are and there Leo told the second that they should also get some rest at the Guard Quarters just a few meters beside the gate.

Austin and the rest nodded and went into the Guards Quarters and prepared their beds, of course they didn't immediately went to sleep as their dinner hasn't been digested yet and only an hour later would they go to bed.

Leo seeing things are seemingly going fine smiled and look at his group, Josh who looks eager to do the night watch as he keep fidgeting standing there while holding a spiked bat he made earlier and a fire torch on the other hand while Tom in the other hand look bored and would yawn from time to time while looking around, holding a long wooden spear he made and a torch in the other.

"Alright, you guys should patrol along the walls and you already saw that there's pathway built on the wall, use it to patrol around the camp and kill any zombies if some of them managed to climb up but beware of mutated beast as we are in the middle of the forest, most of them probably wouldn't be able to ascend the walls but that doesn't mean others can't so blow the whistle I gave you if there's danger" Leo instructed from which they solemnly nodded.

"Alright, wait here and I'll give you guys something" Leo said and immediately ran at the back of the Guards Quarters and opened the System Interface and bought two 9mm CZ 75B pistol with +7 bullets for a thousand pound each. Leo then closed the system and went back to the two while holding both guns.

"Here, use it only in emergency and don't fire it unless necessary or the sound from it would get us in trouble. I will hand down punishment if anyone use it without reason especially you Josh" Leo said and berated Josh who looks eager to use it.

"Yes Boss" Josh said as he even saluted to show how serious he is.

Tom and John laughed and Tom added "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him"

John nodded and didn't forget to told them both "Don't forget to patrol the house where the women are sleeping just to reassure that they are safe within this walls. They are after all women and would be a bit longer to adapt in this apocalypse, some of them might be like Mom but I'm sure the others aren't" Leo said, he already knows that some of the women are having paranoia when he would monitor the camp from the System especially Laura, Amanda and Michelle probably because they saw how cruel the outside world is now, from seeing a living person just a few seconds ago then witnessing them being devoured and turning into a man eating undead, would at least leave a deep impression of fear into them. That's also the reason why all of them are sleeping together so that they will be able to sleep peacefully at night.

"Wait, are you not coming with us?" Josh suddenly asked as he noticed Leo's instruction are only for the two of them and him not included.

"I'm going back to the city and take care of something. That's the reason why I handed you those guns so that you will feel safe even without me" Leo waved as he jumped onto the wall and then remembered something "Right, wake the 2nd group at 12 midnight and get some rest after that, don't forget to hand them the guns for them to use too, alright? Tell the rest that I'll probably back after sunrise tomorrow" after that he jumped down from the wall producing a dull sound as he landed on the ground with his Armor on and then he made a quick sweep around the walls killing the few zombies that made their way here before he dashed away towards the thickets.

On top of the walls and thanks to the moonlight that's able to still shine upon the world with how dense the smoke from earlier today, Tom and Josh was able see Leo killing the Zombies before he dashed away.

"Well, there he goes again" Josh said in a dejected tone.

"Why? Do you want to go with him?" Tom laughed a bit as he patted his back.

"Yeah, I want to be of help to him and not staying within the protection of these walls. Just thinking myself as a burden is making me uncomfortable. I really wish I was like Austin before who was a soldier who's far more useful with his set of skills" Josh clenched his fist while looking at where Leo disappeared to.

"Come on, don't think like that. We are doing the night duty here to keep this place and our family safe so we are at least not being a burden here and don't compare yourself to Austin, you two are different kinds of people" Tom smiled patting his shoulders but inside him, he also felt a pang of bitterness. After all, people around his age should be one holding the skies for the young people and not the other way around.

"Alright! First thing in the morning, I'll workout my body and train how to properly wield a weapon" Josh clenched his fist and his determination lit up.

"That's the spirit kid! Come on! Let's patrol around" Tom laughed heartily as he slapped his back and walked along the pathway on the wall while Josh hurriedly followed behind him.