two days unti
camping cot in the middle of the warehou
opened one eye, checked the timer in the corne
ooldown: 00:0
o
fast while standing up. It
ter than
ruck was backing in
-
. Leo hated wasting time, so
ks the seals, and sends the drivers on their way befo
ch shipment, triggeri
er fires. The Stas
e warehouse floor and goes to sleep
ured out onto the concrete like a rattling steel river, rolling and clinking until t
until the warehouse smelled like a grain silo. He stacked them in rows
milk and protein bars. Leo walked among
of cans. In the new world, this is what people wi
-
re was t
table, his laptop open with three differ
: enough for abo
ned a retirement fund he knew he'd never actually need. He'd signed forms in four differ
rom now, none of
r a phone call from a suspicious compliance officer. He needed to spend fast,
hone
lla deposit yet? Mia's already told he
s to the shared
lf by Leo and half by a "mysterious see
e ledger in his previous
minutes to fi
$28,000. Memo
$41,500. Memo
$19,000. Me
nsferred to a personal account. That
, a small muscle t
ighty thousand. Two
very transaction and save
ead, he felt the quiet satisfaction of a man who has
eep spending. Let
thread, I want everythin
-
eight days unt
filled up faster
looking down at the floor, trying to see
d in perfect blocks. In one corner, steel beams from a salvage yard lay in a gleaming pile, and next to them
stem c
reached: Calorie rese
on among survi
re not yet available. First
hat last l
s don't exist unti
t mutants rise from the dark, their shells glowing. But it was strange to see it c
em chime
rvive the first month. Recommended: amphibio
planned for that; it was t
top and searched
ious v
ew military surplus landing craft rusting in marinas. A t
the page, a listing wit
m hull, marine diesel, retractable wheels. Ne
cked th
gh cabin. It looked like someone had welded a camper
rf
mor plating, which the seller described as "reinforced against min
No
e name came to him, o
s phone and dia
g four
voice, tired and slight
ut the amphibiou
of desperate. I put everything into it, and then my girlfr
house floor, at the towers
ing price," he sai
ned si
re jo
e the a
for another minute, watching the light fall through the b
-eight
to survive is he
e system chime
Ark. Acquire a vessel capab
ed, thin
in," he sa
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