Chapter 32: Perez, the Survivor

After making the resolution, the fog in Odin's mind cleared. His spirit brightened, and a soft smile outlined his face as he dismissed the Origin Order's interface. Without dragging his feet, he searched the restaurant, the stores, and then the tavern, hoping to find the remains and belongings of the former resort guards. He even rechecked the cabins in search of usable guns and ammo for Iris and Christian.

But in the end, all his efforts were fruitless. He did not even chance upon a single gun and could only choose to return to his cabin full of disappointment.

However, there was one cause for joy on his way back. After passing by the parking lot and checking on his van, he realized that his supplies were safe and sound. A single glance told him that no one had tampered with them. His mood turned jovial, and he immediately jumped into the driver's seat. He then carefully steered the van through the resort grounds before parking it in front of his cabin.

On opening the door and jumping out of the van, he noticed Christian standing in front of the cabin. He looked imposing and threatening with the long machete in his hand.

"You have been outside all along?" Odin asked.

"Nope," Christian replied, decisively shaking his head. "Of course, I wouldn't risk facing those zombies without a gun. I only came out of the cabin when I heard the rumble of the van's engine. Have you managed to clear all the zombies around the resort?"

Odin nodded. "As I speak, there are no more zombies within the resort. The entire neighborhood is safe for now."

"Are you sure?" Christian asked again, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure," Odin confirmed confidently. "I have cleared all the zombies within a two-mile radius around the resort. Unless more monsters come in from outside, there won't be any more threats within the resort."

"That is a relief." Christian sighed, relaxing his tense body. He then glanced at the van and smiled. "What is with the van? Why did you park it here?"

"Just check inside its back," Odin replied, smiling mysteriously. "You'll understand."

"Is that so?" Christian mumbled thoughtfully, stepping towards the back of the van. He stretched out his arm and pulled the van’s door open before glancing inside.

The older gentleman's eyes widened with surprise the next moment. "Oh my! Bottled water, medical supplies, packaged food, tents... These are all survival supplies?" Christian smiled with friendly derisiveness at Odin and mockingly taunted him, saying, "What are you? Never mind, I can guess… You are one of those nutjobs that go on and on about the apocalypse? Don't tell me you knew the calamity was about to descend beforehand?"

"To a certain extent, yes," Odin replied, laughing good-naturedly. "But on a serious note, when I noticed the increasing mutant animal attacks, I started preparing for the worst. That's why I bought all these supplies. They should be able to sustain us during the next few days as we search for more."

"You're an intelligent and wise lad," Christian said, closing the van's door. "If I possessed half your vision, just maybe..." He trailed off mid-sentence as his countenance turned pale. His eyes turned dull as if he'd just thought about something sad.

"What's wrong?" Odin immediately asked after noticing the shift in mood. He glanced about him trying to see what his companion’s vacant stare was fixed upon.

"I just took a trip down memory lane, and it wasn't a pretty one," the older gentleman replied, shaking his head. "But, don't mind me. I'll be okay after a minute."

"Oh!" Odin nodded his head awkwardly in understanding. He was about to press the older gentleman for details about his musing but stopped the next moment. He'd just noticed that the other guard, Iris, and his sisters had just stepped out of the cabin.

"Odin! You're back!" Bella, the youngest, was the first to yell and run toward him.

"Yes, I'm back," Odin said, smiling at the little girl. "But don't come closer. You'll dirty your pretty dress if I hug you. I am covered in zombie parts."

"Ew!" Bella said, wrinkling her nose. "Odin! You even reek." She stopped a few yards away from Odin before turning back with disappointment.

Odin chuckled and tuned towards Carol, the elder sister. She was in better shape than before, with a rosy face and bright eyes. She'd obviously already learned to cope with the reality of her mom's condition.

"How are you?" Odin asked her, speaking softly.

"I'm okay now that you've returned," she replied with a smile.

"That's good," Odin said, smiling back. "I'm glad that you're feeling okay."

"Odin!" Suddenly, Iris called out. "Have you cleared all the zombies around the resort?"

"Yes," Odin replied, turning towards her. "As I told Christian, there aren't any more zombies within the resort boundaries. But to be on the safer side, you still shouldn't wander off into the distance alone. Stick to the cabins. You never know if you will run into a strong zombie that came in from the outside."

"That's true," Iris said, nodding. "We'll be careful. What about the guns? Did you find the weapons belonging to our colleagues who succumbed to the zombies?"

"No" Odin replied, shaking his head. "I didn't find any firearm within the entire resort. I even rechecked all the cabins, the stores, the restaurant, the kitchen, and the tavern, but there wasn't a single weapon. Maybe, one of your colleagues escaped and took them with him."

"Oh!" Iris said, exchanging a glance with Christian. "Maybe, it's Perez who survived and took them with him. But why didn't he come and find us?"

"Perez has always been a scaredy-cat," Christian remarked. "He's always the first to run away from danger. Maybe, today was the same, and he wanted to avoid facing off against the zombies. He might have taken our truck and departed for one of our bases outside Missoula."

"Wait, guys," Odin hurriedly interjected. "You're totally losing me. Who's this Perez?"

"Sorry," Iris said, smiling apologetically. "Perez is one of our colleagues from the Black Night Security Company. He was also a guard here at the resort before the calamity descended. But we haven't seen him since five this morning."

"I see," Odin said, nodding. "We don't have to mind him if he has already escaped. The chances of him surviving the journey to Missoula are very minimal."

"That's true, especially with the zombies roaming around," Christian concurred. "So, what's our way forward?"

"We should only focus on surviving for the next few days," Odin replied. "Then, when everything settles down, we can head to Missoula to scout the situation and check on your colleagues. We can also acquire some weapons from the city center along the way. But first, we must ensure that we can protect ourselves against zombies."

"That's a good and viable plan," Christian said, nodding. "Using this resort as our base while amassing resources from the nearby places, including Missoula, should guarantee our survival over the next few weeks. But that's if more zombies or monsters don't flood into the resort boundaries from outside."

"If they come, we'll just slay them," Odin said, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. "That should guarantee our safety for weeks."

"True." Both Christian and Iris nodded.

Odin smiled and said, "Since we're on the same page, let's finish all the necessary preparations to secure this place before dusk arrives. I'll work with Christian to clear the zombie corpses from the surroundings. In the meantime, Iris, you can help keep my sisters safe while helping them prepare dinner. The food is in the back of the van. Is that okay, Iris?" He glanced at the lady guard.

"That's okay," Iris responded, nodding her head. "I'm a good cook. So, don't worry. I won't waste the food."

"Excellent!" Odin chuckled. "Then, let's get to work. We don't want the darkness to find us outside during this trying time. Let's hurry up and complete everything before sunset."

**** ****

Twenty miles away from Gin's Hot Spring Resort, where Odin and co had taken refuge, a white Ford pick-up truck traversed the highway. It was obviously moving further and further away from the resort, heading towards Missoula City at breakneck speed.

Inside the truck, in the driver's seat, sat a totally bald skinny middle-aged man with a hawk-like nose and thin lips. Beads of sweat continuously rolled down his forehead and stained his grey shirt as he steered the vehicle forward.

He was Perez Eduardo Silva, the guard who had run away after noticing the abnormalities and dangers at Gin's Hot Spring resort. He'd made the prompt decision any sane person would have made and escaped when he discovered the zombie infestation.

The rays of the setting sun reflected off the truck's white bonnet and lit up his face as he continued on with his journey at an average speed of about 112 miles per hour. He hoped to arrive in Missoula by dusk and seek help from his colleagues and the cops stationed there. But after driving for another mile, when he was in the middle of a lush green forest, his ash-grey eyes narrowed, and he braked abruptly. His heart raced with anxiety as the momentum acted on his body and yanked him forward. Fortunately, his seat belt worked wonders, and he avoided hitting his chest on the steering wheel and getting hurt.

"Damn it! Son of a bitch! Why aren't the forest authorities doing their jobs and removing the tree logs from the road? It was nearly overturning my truck. Damn it!"

Perez let out a few expletives as he opened the door and stepped out of the truck with a pistol in hand. He first looked left and right to ascertain that there wasn't any danger in the vicinity before walking towards the log in the middle of the road.

A second later, he stood over the log and breathed a sigh of relief as he'd just narrowly avoided running over it and losing his precious life. His mood relaxed, and the corners of his thin lips curled into a smile. It seemed like there was an angel looking over him and helping him from above. Maybe, that was why he'd managed to avoid many life-threatening dangers that day.

"Time to work and get this out of the way," he mumbled. "I need to continue on my way to Missoula as soon as possible."

He immediately returned his pistol into its holster on his belt and bent down, intending to begin pulling the log from the middle of the road. But just then, his sharp ears picked up the rustling of bushes on one side of the highway. Then, as if on cue, a group of sinister-looking masked men jumped from the bushes and immediately pointed their guns at him.

"Place your hands on top of your head," one of the men, donning a unique clown mask, ordered. "Do it slowly, and kneel down. Otherwise, we'll shoot you in the head."

Perez was a person who treasured his life. So, he did as instructed without antagonizing the men. To avoid unnecessary conflict, he even ensured that his hand remained far away from the gun placed within the holster on his belt.

"Good choice," the thug with the clown mask said. "Now, let's talk. Tell us why we shouldn't put a couple of bullets in your head right away?"

Perez's every muscle turned taut with fear. "I have a couple of guns and some bills in my truck," he mumbled incoherently. "You can take them."

The thugs laughed in response.

"The truck and whatever is inside is already our property," Mr. Clown Mask said, his tone matter-of-factly. "After killing you, we'll take everything in the truck and on your person. So, you need to give us a better reason to keep you alive."

Perez's mood sank into the abyss of desperation as lightning-fast thoughts rushed through his mind. "I have been working as a guard at a resort," he said. "I know where the owner keeps all his valuables and money. I also know the location of one of the hidden armories of the Black Night Security Company."

"Is that so?" The thug with a clown mask asked in a skeptical tone.

"Yes, I'm telling the truth." Perez hurriedly nodded, fearing that the thugs would have some doubts and shoot him.

The thug with a clown mask chuckled. "If you're telling the truth, then the price of those pieces of information is enough to keep you alive. But if I find out that you lied to us, then you'll face a fate worth than death itself. Mark my words."

"I understand," Perez replied in a meek tone, breathing a sigh of relief. It seemed that he'd survived another ordeal, and he would leave to see another sunrise.

**** ****