CHAPTER 547: OFFERING

Clyde sat with his back to the dusty wall of the abandoned store and methodically chewed on a strip of dried ration.

Across from him, Mina was also eating in quick sharp bites. Her gaze fixed on nothing in particular but her eyes still burning with that same deep unsettled hatred.

She didn’t notice the faint rustle of movement outside, the almost inaudible scrape of boots against concrete.

However, Clyde did notice that. His perception caught the subtle shifts in shadow and sound. He notices seven figures creeping through the rubble moving low and slow.

They were not approaching like traders or fellow survivors looking to barter or cooperate. Their bodies stayed close to the ground, weaving between cover with deliberate silence.

This wasn’t the gait of men seeking cooperation. This was like the crawl of predators closing in on their prey.

He glanced at Mina. Her jaw was already so tight, her focus still locked inward on the storm of her grief.

He could see it in the way her hands moved. They were sharp, quick, and impatient.

She was still drowning in the weight of her parents’ deaths.

Clyde didn’t know that feeling. He had never known his parents at all so there was no warm memory to lose and no bond to break.

But he imagined the pain was like a wound that never closed, the kind of pain that bled into everything you thought and did.

The kind that could either kill you or turn you into something dangerous.

In a way, he respected her for not collapsing under it. But he also saw the risk that it could make her reckless, blind to the larger game.

He set his ration down.

"We’ve got company," he said quietly.

Her head turned slightly, but there was no fear in her expression. If anything, her eyes sharpened.

"How many?" she asked.

"Seven people," Clyde replied. "They’re hiding and crawling slowly toward us. It doesn’t look like they want to talk."

Clyde saw a slow nod from her. Her hand slid to her dagger, fingers curling tight around the hilt.

She looked like she was hoping they’d come faster.

Clyde’s gaze flicked to the street outside. The store they’d taken shelter in had wide openings where the glass had long since shattered and the space beyond gave them room to escape if needed.

But Clyde didn’t think they’d need to run even for seven scavengers with bad intentions. In fact, this might be good for Mina.

She needed something to pour her anger into before it ate her alive. So Clyde intended to give it to her..

He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. "Act clueless for now and let them think they’ve got the drop on us. When they’re close enough, we kill them."

Mina nodded once, her eyes never leaving the doorway.

They waited.

The first to appear was the leader. A gaunt face, pale eyes that didn’t smile. He was flanked by two subordinates.

He stepped into the open, hands spread in mock peace.

"Hello, fellow survivors," he called, his voice a shade too smooth. "We’ve got shelter nearby. You can join our group, if you like."

Clyde looked at them with a calm expression.

He watched and waited for the rest of the pack to show themselves. But it seems like they won’t and were ready for an ambush.

Mina’s gaze stayed locked on the gaunt-faced man, her eyes already narrowed into the kind of stare that promised violence.

Her fingers twitched around the dagger’s hilt, ready to leap at the first hint of aggression.

But then she caught Clyde’s eyes that looked calm and unblinking, the faintest tilt of his head telling her to hold.

She forced the tension down, letting her shoulders slack just enough to look less threatening.

Clyde rose to his feet, brushing dust from his pants with deliberate slowness.

"Where’s this shelter of yours?" he asked.

The leader’s grin widened, thin lips curling over uneven teeth.

"Just a house down the street. It was a safe and good spot for people like you and us. We just need to defend it together."

"And what’ve you got there?" Clyde’s tone stayed neutral, almost bored.

"Oh, you’ll be surprised," the man said with a smug glint in his pale eyes. "We’ve got guns. A lot of supplies. Plenty of food, even though all this started yesterday. You won’t find a better place."

Clyde nodded once, as if weighing the offer.

In truth, he was already thinking three steps ahead. If they were telling the truth, it could be a decent place to hole up at least for a while.

If they were lying, well... that problem would solve itself in blood.

"Alright," Clyde said simply. "We’ll come."

Mina stood, her blade still in hand though angled casually at her side.

The leader’s gaze shifted, lingering on her like he was already deciding what to do with her.

Then he gave a small, almost invisible gesture to his two subordinates and the two men at his flanks moved.

"Let’s take the gentleman first," one of them said, stepping toward Clyde. The other mirrored him, hemming him in.

Clyde glanced at Mina, giving the slightest nod. It was the signal that he can kill.

Her grip tightened. Her breathing slowed.

The two men flanked Clyde, motioning for him to follow.

He let them guide him toward the street, his steps unhurried.

Mina’s eyes never left his back until he was almost out of the store.

The leader stepped closer to Mina, his grin twisting into ugly smile. .

"You’re pretty," he murmured, reaching out as if to claim her. "I want yo-"

The blade flashed.

In less than a heartbeat, Mina’s dagger swept out, severing his hand clean at the wrist.

Blood sprayed across the dusty floor, the severed hand dropping with a dull thud.

"AAAAAARRGHH!"

The man’s scream tore through the silence, echoing off the ruined walls.

Outside, Clyde heard it instantly. The sharp, unmistakable sound of pain and panic.

The two men escorting him froze, turning in shock toward the store.

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