Chapter 63 - Scavenging outside

"The building team need to build another fence on the edge of the canal system and the farm next to our compound should be completed now and seeds should be planted on the soil or a few seedlings on small cups. I may need someone to check the fishing area to feed the fish daily and check if some of them are ready for harvest so we could secure a stable source of food. I almost forgot, the fences we have here on the left side, find a way to reinforce them yeah? Or add something before them." I said.

"Sure." my uncle replied.

"I need four people for security detail today since I will be leading a group outside to scout and scavenge the area. We'll bring the truck so we could haul a lot of supplies in some of the areas here. We'll attach the metal frame on the front of the truck now so it's safe to ram the zombies with it." I added.

"Oh! The large thingy on the workshop?" Russel said.

"Yeah, I've been working on that before everything else started. It could push them to the side since constant impacts from them would damage the truck or would slow us down if there are too many. I designed it on a 'V' shape so they get pushed to the side instead of ramming them head on." I explained.

"Isn't it just better to kill them outright?" Russel asked again.

"Well, like I said, we could ram them but we're not sure if we crush their heads now would we? Bits and pieces of them would stain the windshield or clog the machinery below the truck so it's safer to just push them to the side and take of them with our weapons instead of the truck." I added.

He nodded pensively as he helped his dad attach it with a few others on the truck.

"That looks so cool!" Ken exclaimed.

"Hah! Well I made it that's why. I learned welding just to do this kind of stuff." I replied.

"Oh? Make one for me then!" he exclaimed.

"..." I.

"..." Ken.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" we both laughed at the same time.

"Well, I have a few plans for your wheelchair but I won't tell you those yet." I said mysteriously.

"What?! Don't leave me hanging here man! I'll roll over your foot like last time! Heh!" he shouted.

"F.u.c.k! Don't do that like last time, It frickin' hurts when you rolled over my toe." I made some distance.

*whhrr*

"Hah! Just kidding man, peace! I'll head back to the CCTVs, Peanut's been restless, she like to look at monitors it's weird." he said as he drove to their designated house.

I looked at my group and I spoke.

"We'll prioritize food and water and medicine over everything else. Oscar, I might need you to stay here to take command while we're gone. I'll bring Tatiana, Kaley, Zardon, Mark, Dong and Jared with me. I may need some of your vests Oscar is that okay?" I said.

"Wait, what are the vests for?" Kaley said.

"Bullets of course, on this side, we've only encountered zombies but outside, we'll never know what might happen. We need to be vigilant and we need to protect ourselves. Be wary of the people that we met outside, they may not be as lucky as we are and they might do stupid things. Do any of you need a few special things outside? I might grab a few if I saw them." I asked.

The group just said nothing for now so we finished eating and we got ready.

I grabbed a vest for everyone to wear and I found a suitable one for Kaley. It matches the color of the other parts of the riot gear and I let my uncle wear the chest piece.

Our loadout is as follows:

I was carrying two Glock 19s with the attachments which are the extended magazine, suppressor, red dot sight and a tactical flashlight on my torso. I brought my AR-15 with a suppressor and a 2.5-6x45mm scope slung in my back. Never forget the wakizashi on my hip and a few extra magazines for good measure.

Kaley was equipped with the AR-15 with the square suppressor, fore grip handle and the 2-8x40mm scope. She also has the Beretta M9 and my tanto on her h.i.p.s.

Tatiana was equipped with her Kevlar vest and she brought her M4 Benelli and her FN Five Seven with her combat knife.

Jared was still carrying his Glock 19 and the Trench Knife I gave him so I gave him the M70 that Lois was hugging on the first watch before that has a suppressor and a 2-8x45mm scope.

My uncle Zardon has the riot shield and the expanding baton with a Mossberg 500 on his back that has a dozen slugs located on the straps.

Mark was still carrying the fire axe mainly though he has the combat knife and the M9 on his h.i.p.s.

Dong was also still carrying his machete and the M9 pistol that I gave them both.

They all wore protective gear and I gave them extra ammunition for their guns. My uncle drove the truck while Dong and Mark is on the passenger seat and we four are on the back side. I decided on going to Alfa Mart first near the elementary school. On the way, we saw a few zombies but it was enough to just use our melee weapons. My uncle parked the vehicle on the small convenience store where the front of the vehicle is facing the road.

"Get ready. A few are coming towards us." I said.

I immediately drew my wakizashi and rushed to the nearest ones with Tatiana while Dong and Mark went for the other side. A few zombies are far now though I asked the group to keep guard while my uncle and I went inside the store that has been broken in already. He went first with his shield up and we made sure that there are no zombies hidden. I drew my Glock with the flashlight and turned it on.

*click*

I scanned it around the obscured areas and a few corners where the light can't shine through since some of the fluorescent lamps are broken.

"See anything yet?" my uncle asked.

"Not yet, watch out for the corners though." I said.

"This place was already ransacked a bit though, but a lot of items still remain." he said.

"Yeah, I hope they forgot the backroom." I said.

We moved past the aisles and we headed to the door behind the ice machine. I tried for the door on the back and it's locked. I examined the door for any signs of breaking into and it has none.

"Jackpot!" I said to myself.

I picked the lock and it opens. There are several boxes of different items at the back room ranging from different kinds of food though some of them that are perishable are already starting to smell. I called Dong and Mark to start to haul the stuff in the truck and I feel that the truck would be half-full when we're done here. We hauled 14 boxes of instant noodles, 12 boxes of assorted biscuits, 3 boxes of different ch.i.p.s, 4 small boxes of chocolates and 18 boxes of different canned goods. Aside from that, we found 5 gallons of mineral water, 3 boxes of energy drinks and 6 kegs of different kinds of soda. That's all in the backroom.

In the front part of the store, a lot of items are scattered and most of the food was taken from the shelves. Only a few items like toothpastes, mouthwash and other hygiene products were not taken yet along with a few common household supplies though I took most of the cleaning agents like bleach, detergents and soap. There was no medicine though we found a few bottles of vitamin supplements and a few jars of protein powder near the cashier. There were also a few cartons of cigarettes, condoms, lighters, matches and candies.

"You don't smoke right?" my uncle said.

"Yeah, but this is worth more than gold now. We could trade this with other people in the future." I said.

"Always a businessman eh?" he said.

A few gunshots ring out when some of the zombies got too close for comfort. I called the guys at the front with my radio.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

*bzzt*

"You guys okay there?"

*bzzt*

*bzzt*

"Yeah, we're good. There was 7 in a clump so we used our guns to thin them a bit."

*bzzt*

I looked at the freezers on the side and I found a lot of melted ice cream that varies from the 1-liter packs and to the 250ml packs. There are other frozen products like fries and a few sausages in the other freezers.

"Guys, take these too! We could just re-freeze them back at home." I said.

"Take the Cookies and Cream first!" Jared yelled.

"Wait, why are they selling water in plastic bags? Don't they have bottles for this?" Dong said as he lifted a bag from the freezers.

I looked at it and I facepalmed.

"Dong, those are the tubed ice that they sell... they melted that's why." I said.

"Oh... ahahaha... didn't see the label here..." he said as he laid it back embarrassingly.

"..." everyone else.