Chapter 144: Lockdown.

Zyra rubbed her temples, feeling a minor headache coming on. She turned to the control panel and called out, "Beauty, pull up the footage of the people who left the valley. I want to see who thinks they’re above the rules." They were supposed to notify her or Hunter before leaving.

If not them, at least they had to talk to Malia in case they encountered danger. This was the wild lands; danger could come in a second.

Beauty hummed mechanically. [I can locate all residents through their beast link bands. The individuals who exited the perimeter are Vince Charpon and Daniel Bin.]

Hunter raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching his men sneak out like thieves. "That’s strange. My men know better than to go out hunting in the wild lands at night. They aren’t stupid."

"Maybe they are, I mean if you think with your heart instead of your head then such things are bound to happen." Zyra answered.

The big screen flickered to life, highlighting the heavy sacks of supplies they were hauling out on their shoulders. No matter which angle you looked from, they looked like thieves.

Zyra’s jaw clenched. She took a deep breath, forcing her anger down before it blew off the roof. "So, they took my supplies without permission and just sneaked out? What is the use of that damn robot in the supermarket."

[Easy host, there are no missing supplies, I am guessing those two bought the food with their own money.]

Hunter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It must be for those starving kids in the village. Big Vince has been talking about them for days."

"I told Vince I would handle it!" Zyra snapped, her eyes flashing. "And we did."

"Maybe we should have just told everyone," Hunter suggested gently. "If they knew we sent Xavier and Nathan to deliver food, clothes and medicine anonymously, Vince wouldn’t have done this."

"No," Zyra said firmly, shaking her head. "Big Vince and Daniel need to trust my leadership. I can’t run a shelter with people who don’t respect my decisions. If I say I’m handling something, it gets handled. Period. I don’t need to come back and explain myself after."

Hunter nodded silently. He understood her point, but he also knew his men. Big Vince wasn’t trying to start a rebellion, he was just soft-hearted fool who couldn’t sleep knowing people were starving. In every town where they had a branch, he spent most of his energy stones buying food for orphanages. The big man was scary to look at, but he was the kindest person Hunter had ever met.

"So_ what now?" Hunter asked. His eyes drifted back to a side monitor displaying the outer ridge. "Bianca’s still out there too."

Zyra saw where he was looking and felt a sudden sting of annoyance. She turned to the control console. "Beauty, put the entire valley on lockdown. Nobody gets in, nobody gets out."

She turned to leave, stopping at the door when she realized Hunter hadn’t moved. "Are you coming or what?"

Hunter pulled up a metal chair, sat down, and crossed his legs. "I’ll stay here for a bit."

Zyra snickered, a bitter edge to her voice. He just wanted to sit there and stare at Bianca. "Fine." She spun on her heel and marched out, the doors slamming shut behind her.

********

Meanwhile, miles away in the dark, dusty stretches of the wild lands, two human figures finally stopped the electric bike they had smuggled out of the shelter. The distance which would have taken them 4 hours on foot had been covered in just forty minutes. They had arrived at the village.

"’Rose Water,’" Daniel read aloud, pointing his flashlight at a battered, crooked signpost. He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Huh. You know, we didn’t even get the name of this village last time. Probably because those giant Meerkat beasts were trying to eat our legs."

Big Vince wasn’t listening. He was staring at the settlement in front of them, his brow furrowed. "Daniel_ do you see that, or am I losing my mind? Is it just because it’s night time?"

Daniel’s mouth dropped open. "Whoa."

The quiet, half-destroyed village they remembered had been transformed. Bright yellow oil lamps hung from tall wooden poles, casting a warm glow over the settlement. The villagers had even built a tall, makeshift fence out of thick tree trunks lashed together with thick vines.

They were welcomed by two men acting as guards who recognized them. And straight away, they were led to the chief’s house.

Mr. Krugger was standing outside, talking to a middle-aged man in dusty clothes. The moment Krugger identified the two visitors, his face lit up. He waved eagerly and hurried over.

"Welcome, welcome!" He chuckled, giving them both a warm hug. "It is so good to see you men alive and well!"

"Chief," Vince said, dumping his heavy bag on the ground with a soft thud. "What happened here? Why does this place look different from when last we visited?"

"Ah! People are coming from everywhere!" Mr. Krugger explained happily. He gestured to the man standing nearby, who approached with a curious, nervous look. "This is Mr. Fisher Scone. He just arrived recently."

Mr. Fisher, a wiry man with hard eyes nodded to Vince and Daniel. "Greetings. My group and I fled from the Aurora Dominion. We have been stumbling for two months in the wild lands until we came upon this place."

Vince wiped his sweaty forehead. "Fled? Is this about that lotto thing the nations are pushing?"

Mr. Fisher shuddered violently, his face turning pale. "Lotto? No, we fled long before then. Life there is harder than it is here. The Iron Regent Gregory Goch is insane! His soldiers are constantly raiding towns and villages! They snatch young men, women and low-born citizens right out of their homes to force them into the United World Troops that go beyond the veil. Once your child is taken, you never see them again. There is no fairness left. So, we ran."

Vince and Daniel exchanged a heavy look, letting out a synchronized sigh. The post-apocalyptic world was a chaotic as it was in the apocalypse.

"We can’t stay long," Daniel said softly, pointing to the large bags on the floor. "But we brought you some food and basic supplies."

Vince scratched his beard, looking at the crowded dirt streets outside from the doorway. "Honestly though_ with this many people, what we brought will only last you a few days at best. It should be used for the children and the weak."

Mr. Krugger smiled warmly and patted Vince’s arm. "Oh, do not worry, my boy! A few days ago, someone anonymously dropped off a huge supply of grain, fresh meat, and precious medicine! There was even a little note that just said, ’Thank you.’ To be honest_ we thought it was you and your men returning a favor for the help we gave you." He frowned. "Wasn’t it your people?"