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