CHAPTER 36: THE SUPPLY RUN

Riku and Miko went downstairs and into the apartment’s grounds, and there the Land Rover SUV was parked and intact.

Riku got into the driver’s seat while Miko slid into the passenger side. They closed the doors, and Riku pressed the brake pedal and then reached for the ignition. The familiar hum of the starter turned over, and the diesel engine rumbled awake. Relief washed over him.

"At least this thing still runs," he muttered.

He shifted the gear, released the handbrake, and the SUV rolled forward out of the covered parking area.

The streets outside were a different world. The silence was heavier than anything they had experienced inside the apartment building. Abandoned vehicles lined the road, some with doors still open. Grocery bags and scattered belongings lay across the pavement. Windows of nearby shops were broken, their shutters half pulled down.

"Good thing the roads are still drivable. But when we get to the city, we might have to ditch the car and walk to our destination," Riku said.

"Where are we going?" Miko asked.

"A convenience store would suffice," Riku replied and continued. "So if you see one, tell me right away. Preferably something close by, not one of the big groceries—that’s where everyone probably rushed when it started."

Miko nodded, her eyes scanning the streets outside. The SUV rolled past a row of apartments with their balconies cluttered with laundry that would never be brought back inside. A bicycle lay abandoned in the middle of the road, its chain snapped and rear wheel bent.

They drove cautiously, Riku’s hands tight on the steering wheel. He kept the speed low, not wanting to hit something—or someone—that might lurch into view.

They passed a small bakery, its glass display shattered. The scent of stale bread and flour still clung to the air. Further down the street, a pharmacy’s doors were hanging loose on broken hinges. Inside, shelves were ransacked—medicine scattered across the floor like confetti after a party that had turned into a massacre.

Riku exhaled sharply through his nose. "Yeah. People already looted the essentials. We’ll have to get lucky."

"Or we might find people still in there," Miko said softly.

He didn’t reply.

After a few more turns, Miko’s hand shot up, pointing to a glowing signboard hanging over a corner shop. Half the neon letters were dead, but the word "MART" still buzzed faintly in red.

"There!" she said.

Riku slowed the SUV and pulled to a stop a few meters away. He scanned the area. No movement. No noise beyond the idling engine. The store’s sliding doors were half-open, one pane of glass cracked.

"Looks untouched from here," he said, though suspicion edged his voice. "But don’t trust appearances. We go in fast, grab what we need, and get out."

"What do we need exactly?" Miko asked.

"Water, canned food, first aid kits, anything we can carry," he answered. "And batteries. Flashlights if we’re lucky. Don’t grab useless junk."

Miko nodded, her face tense but determined.

Riku killed the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt, and drew the Glock 17 from his holster.

"Stay close. Don’t wander," he told her.

"Got it."

They stepped out of the SUV, the sudden silence pressing in like a weight. The faint buzz of the broken signboard was the only sound. Riku led the way, eyes darting from shadow to shadow as they approached the convenience store.

The half-open doors creaked as he pushed them aside. Inside, the air smelled stale, faintly metallic, and sour. Rows of shelves stood crooked, some already toppled. A few packaged goods remained, scattered like afterthoughts by panicked looters.

But more importantly—the store was quiet.

Too quiet.

Riku raised a hand to signal Miko to stay behind him as he moved down the first aisle. His shoes crunched lightly on broken glass. He scanned left, then right.

Nothing moved.

He exhaled slowly. "We’re clear. Start picking up water bottles and canned food. Fill the plastic bag...it’s on the counter."

Miko hurried toward the counter, stepping carefully over the scattered debris. She found the crumpled plastic bags behind the register and yanked one free, her hands shaking slightly. She crouched, filling it quickly with the bottles lined up on the lowest shelf. Most of them were half-toppled, but still sealed.

Riku moved down another aisle, his Glock raised, checking every corner before lowering it again. He also got himself a plastic bag and stuffed packets of canned tuna, beans, and instant noodles into it.

Then—something shifted.

A faint scrape, like claws dragging on linoleum, echoed from the back of the store.

Riku froze, his head snapping toward the sound. His grip on the Glock tightened. He raised a fist to Miko, signaling her to stop. She did, clutching the half-filled bag to her chest, her breathing shallow.

The noise came again. A dragging step. And then another.

Riku’s heart hammered steadily, not in panic, but in grim preparation. He angled the Glock low and advanced slowly toward the noise, his eyes sharp. The aisle ahead was darker, the lightbulb above flickering faintly.

From behind the fallen shelf, a shape emerged.

A man—no, what used to be a man—lurched forward. His shirt was torn, his chest smeared with blood, and his jaw hung slack, teeth bared. The zombie staggered into the light, eyes glazed over, a guttural snarl rattling from its throat.

Miko gasped softly, stumbling back, but Riku lifted his hand quickly. "Quiet," he whispered sharply.

The zombie’s head turned toward the sound of her gasp, its body jerking as it fixed on her. It hissed, saliva dripping from its mouth.

"Stay behind me," Riku ordered firmly.

He raised the Glock, sighting down carefully, and fired.

Pop.

The suppressed shot cracked through the silence, the bullet piercing straight through the zombie’s forehead. It collapsed instantly, body smacking against the tiles with a thud.

And that thud was loud enough to cause a shrieking sound from outside.

"What the hell..." Riku went to the door and looked. His eyes widened, a horde of zombies squirting out from the buildings and alleys are heading towards the store.

"Shit..."