For the first hour, they passed only dark, abandoned towns.

Tommy kept the speed slow, wary of crashed cars or other hazards lurking on the road. His head throbbed, but he tried to ignore it, focused only on getting them as far away from Lake Tahoe as possible.

Around the two-hour mark, the pain was becoming hard to disregard.

Beads of sweat dotted his forehead despite the chill air blowing through the open windows.

Laila stirred and eyed him. "You need a break?"

"No, I'm good."

"Bullcrap. You look like you're about to pass out. Let me drive for a while."

With a resigned sigh, he eased the van to the roadside and swapped seats with Laila.

As Laila pulled the van back onto the road, Tommy struggled to keep his eyes open.

Despite his best efforts, he soon slipped into restless sleep, punctuated by vivid nightmares of reaching zombie hands and milky eyes peering from the darkness.

A few hours later, Tommy jolted awake with a gasp, momentarily disoriented.

The van was no longer moving.

He peered from the window. They were parked at an abandoned gas station.

The others stood by the pumps, keeping watch with weapons ready as Dee attempted to get the fuel flowing.

Tommy opened the van door, feeling somewhat recovered after his rest. He walked over to where Laila stood watching the tree line.

"Any signs of trouble?"

She shook her head. "All quiet. Ran into a bit of luck—these pumps still work. Once we fuel up, we should be good to keep moving."

While the others filled gas cans to take with them, Tommy stepped into the small station shop in search of supplies.

The place had been looted, shelves picked clean.

But after rummaging around behind the counter, he unearthed a forgotten box of protein bars. It wasn't much, but every little bit helped.

Back on the road, Laila once again took the driver's seat. "Get some more rest.”

Tommy didn't argue.

As they continued their eastward journey, he alternated between fitful dozing and staring out the window at the empty, unlit towns they passed.

The first faint glow of dawn broke across the horizon when Tommy awoke again.

Laila looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes as she drove on through the grey morning light.

"Hey, let me take over for a while," Tommy said. "You need a break."

Laila pulled over and they changed places.

The sun continued to rise as they drove, revealing a landscape still devoid of any signs of life.

After a while, a supermarket loomed ahead of them. Tommy signalled for the others to stop.

Laila stirred. “What’s going on?”

"Supermarket.” He pulled into the parking lot. “Let’s get stocked up.”

Killing the engine, Tommy turned to Micky and Jimbo in the back. "Grab anything you can use as a weapon. We do this quick and quiet, get what we need, and get gone. No unnecessary risks."

They nodded.

Tommy picked up his baseball bat, feeling the comforting solidity of it.

His eyes met Micky's, who was slouched on the backseat. "You gonna be okay staying here?"

Micky bit down on his bottom lip. “If it’s all the same, I’m coming with you."

Tommy nodded. “Alright. Just…just take care, yeah?” Taking a deep breath, he turned to Laila. "Time to go."

The door creaked open and Laila stepped out. Tommy followed, stretching his back. Micky stumbled out from the backseat, Jimbo following close behind.

From the other vans, more of them emerged.

Roxy climbed out and gazed at the supermarket’s entrance.

Zero, his rifle slung across his back, scanned the deserted parking lot, his jaw set tight.

Dee popped out next, followed by Nix wielding a fire axe.

Spike staggered out from the back of the Minks’ van, his features drawn.

The group converged, casting wary glances at the supermarket.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Tommy broke the silence. "Seems quiet. But I’m not sure what we'll find in there, could be trouble. Stay sharp."

Nods and quiet murmurs of agreement rippled through the group.

Tommy pointed his bat towards the dark maw of the supermarket's entrance. "Let's go in quiet, stay together. Grab essentials only—food, meds, batteries. No unnecessary noise."

He approached the front doors ahead of the others, alert for any sound or sudden movement. “Damn it. It’s locked.”

With a deep breath, Zero shot off the lock and kicked open the door.

Tommy tensed, expecting an ambush. But the place was still and silent.

Zero swept inside, his rifle aimed and ready. "Clear!"

Tommy stepped inside, sweeping his flashlight beam over chaotic aisles. Shelves lay tipped and ransacked, contents strewn across the tiled floor. The beam glinted off shattered glass and debris as he moved deeper into the cavernous interior.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

He motioned for the others to follow. Laila and Roxy broke right, while Dee and Spike went left. Nix and Micky followed Tommy down the centre aisles while Zero remained on guard near the door.

Only their muted footsteps and the buzzing of freezers filled the air.

They gathered what intact supplies remained, stuffing them into backpacks and duffel bags.

Tommy remained on high alert, his bat clenched tight.

Each small noise made him flinch—a pill bottle rattling across the floor, glass crunching underfoot.

As Nix rifled through the health section, Tommy kept watch at the end of the aisle.

A hint of movement caught his eye.

He jerked the light towards it.

Only a dangling strip of plastic.

He signalled for Micky and Nix to hurry up.

Regrouping in the central aisle, they compared hauls in hushed tones.

It was more than they could have hoped for—enough to sustain them for several days if rationed.

"Let's round up the others and get the hell out of here."

They jogged towards the rear of the store.

Tommy's shoe skidded on something, almost sending him flying.

A dark puddle shimmered under his flashlight.

Blood.

Tommy's throat went dry. He swept his beam to the left, revealing more thick pools of it trailing off into the shadows. "Guys…we need to go."

"What's up?" Dee asked.

Tommy shone his torch at the blood.

“Oh.” Dee inclined his head. “That looks pretty fresh. Could be from the meat section.”

A crash reverberated through the store.

Tommy spun around and aimed his flashlight towards the noise.

"Dudes,” Jimbo called. “Dead-heads!"

Moaning and dragging footsteps echoed around them.

From the depths of the stockroom, a shuffling horde of zombies emerged.

Grabbing a can of peas, Tommy hurled it at the nearest one. "Looks like dinner's served, you ugly mothers."

The can struck the leading zombie squarely between its milky eyes, causing it to stagger back, its arms flailing.

Jimbo laughed and seized a can of beans, lobbing it into the horde.

It bounced off a zombie's forehead with a hollow thunk.

As more zombies shuffled forward, Laila took up her tyre-iron, cracking skulls with precision.

Tommy grabbed a nearby shopping cart, rushing forward, and ploughing into the crowd of undead, sending bodies flying.

Roxy leapt forward wielding a broken wine bottle, stabbing, slashing.

From the hardware section, Zero revved up a chainsaw. The machine's roar drowned out the moans of the advancing zombies. "This solo's going to bring the house down!" Zero charged forward.

The whirring blades made quick work of necks and limbs.

Severed body parts flew through the air, trailing arcs of blood.

Without a word, Micky charged forward, brandishing a frozen turkey.

One tried to grab his arm, but Micky shook it off and swung the turkey, sending the zombie sprawling as Laila finished it off with her tyre-iron.

"Having fun over there?" Tommy asked.

Micky grinned. "Just keeping the beat, bro."

“Behind you!”

Starting at Tommy’s warning, Micky swung the turkey into the zombie's torso with all his might, sending it crashing into two others.

Zero jumped in to finish the job with his chainsaw.

In the distance, Dee's laughter echoed from the freezer aisle.

Tommy jogged over as Dee slammed a freezer door shut, muffled groans emanating from within as zombies pounded against the metal.

"Chill out in there, ya rotting freaks!"

Tommy shook his head. "What the hell are you doing, Dee?"

"Just having a bit of fun, Tommy boy. Lured 'em in here with a trail of steaks, Hansel and Gretel style. Worked like a charm."

Through the small windows, Tommy saw at least six undead faces leering back at him, snapping jaws biting at empty air.

"There’s more!" Spike yelled.

Laila and Micky took positions on either side of the entrance, their weapons at the ready.

Tommy glanced at the baby products, a pang of sadness hitting him.

Bottles, nappies, tiny clothes—all reminders of the normal life he used to have.

Of his son Sean and girlfriend Niamh, waiting back home in Philadelphia.

Were they even still alive?

He closed his eyes, picturing Sean's chubby face, his giggle as he bounced him on his knee, the smell of baby shampoo in his soft hair.

No, he couldn't think about them now. He had to stay focused.

Tommy turned to the others. "Spike, Roxy—take either side of that aisle. Get ready to flank whatever's back there."

They moved into position without argument.

"Zero, you're with me. We'll go straight down the centre. Move fast and quiet.”

Zero revved his chainsaw and grinned. "Let's rock."

The groans grew louder.

Another moan, this one closer.

Tommy clicked on his flashlight.The beam illuminated a pack of zombies feasting on one of their own.

One looked up, its mouth dripping with blood, and snarled, alerting the others to their presence.

Before the zombies had time to stand, Zero charged forward, his chainsaw roaring as it carved up a zombie's skull, spraying blood and flesh.

Tommy swung his bat wildly, splitting a zombie’s skull open, spewing rotten brain matter across the freezer cabinets.

Jimbo struck out with a frying pan, each hit striking a hollow clang.

Spike and Roxy appeared, stabbing, and slashing with frenzied intensity.

But more zombies came.

"Fall back!" Tommy shouted.

The zombies pursued them mindlessly.

Laila wielded her tyre-iron with lethal grace, felling zombie after zombie.

Dee spilled a bottle of olive oil across the floor, causing zombies to slip and stumble.

Zero shoved past, cutting the fallen zombies with his chainsaw..

More zombies staggered towards them.

Tommy ripped a metal bar off a shelf and swung it at the nearest zombie, its skull caving in with a thick crunch.

Laila grabbed a jar of salsa and smashed it over another zombie's head. Red chunks of tomato splattered everywhere.

Micky ran by wielding his frozen turkey, yelling incoherently.

Tommy bashed and crunched his way through the mob, splintering bone and pulping rotted flesh.

Swinging his bat in a wide arc, he cracked three zombie skulls in quick succession, their bodies crumpling to the floor.

Laila grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall. As a zombie lunged at her, she pressed the lever, blasting it point-blank with freezing vapour.

The zombie recoiled, its face coated in frost.

She slammed the canister down on the zombie's head, driving it to the ground.

Tommy sprinted towards a row of propane tanks, banging on the metal shelves to lure the remaining zombies.

They shuffled after him in a mindless herd.

He grabbed a cloth from a nearby shelf and stuffed it into a tank’s nozzle.

Micky tossed him a lighter.

With shaking hands, Tommy flicked it on and held the flame to the cloth. "Get to the front door, now!"

He waited for the zombies to get closer before turning to run.

The tank exploded just as he dove through the entrance, the concussive force knocking him off his feet.

He hit the ground hard as flames erupted behind him, swallowing the store and the zombies within it.

His ears rang from the deafening blast.

As the smoke cleared, silence fell over the parking lot.

Micky helped him up, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Nice work, boss."

Tommy nodded, adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

Laila gestured to the doors. "Did anyone actually grab any food before blowing up the damn supermarket?"

"I did," Dee said. "But uh…I used it as zombie bait."

"Man, that was intense!" Jimbo tossed his dented frying pan aside. "But we kicked their rotten asses!"

"Hell yeah, we did," Dee said, giving Jimbo a high five.

Tommy did a quick head count—they'd all made it, somehow.

Spike gave a thumbs up from the entrance. "All good. No stragglers."

"Then let's get the hell out of here," Laila said. "Before more show up."

They trudged away from the burning supermarket, the acrid smoke stinging their eyes. Tommy's ears still rang from the explosion, muffling the distant crackle of flames.

Laila coughed and waved her hand in front of her face. "So much for picking up supplies. Now what?"

Tommy shook his head, trying to clear the haze clouding his thoughts. "We keep moving. Find a safe place to hunker down before nightfall."

Beside him, Micky shuffled. "Man, that blast fried my last nerve. I need a fix, bad."

Tommy gripped Micky's shoulder, locking eyes with him. "Not now, Micky. You've got to stay sharp."

Micky yanked his shoulder away. "You don't get it, man. I can't just turn this off."

"Hey, cool it, you two." Laila eyed them both, her lip curled. "We've got bigger problems, you know?"

Micky sniffed and marched back towards the van.

Laila lit a cigarette with shaking hands. "That was too close."

Tommy nodded, rubbing his eyes. The grisly scenes from the supermarket kept flashing through his mind, refusing to fade away.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to help as Spike and the others began unloading their haul. They'd scraped together a better stash than he'd initially thought—bags stuffed with canned foods and medical supplies. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

Laila joined them and started sorting through it all, dividing the rations between the three groups.

"You should eat something." She handed Tommy a can of peaches. "You haven't had anything since yesterday."

Tommy shook his head. "I'm fine. Save it for the others."

But Laila set the can down and narrowed her eyes. "Tommy, you need to keep your strength up. We need you at your best right now."

Managing a tired smile, he accepted the offered can. "Alright. But just half, okay? Micky likes these too."

A shout rang out across the parking lot.

Roxy ran towards them, almost breathless. "Has anyone seen Kim?"