Relocate to a safer place

You follow the two women down the center hall of the dark mall. You watch the women walk in front of you the thin Tomi contrasted with the shapely behind of the newcomer. You wonder idly what her name is, and what her story might be. You wonder where she came from, and then you realize it doesn't really matter where anyone came from anymore. All that matters is staying alive, and that will require food, equipment and a safe place to stay.

The three of you arrive back at the basement base you and Tomi have been staying in. "Grab the sleeping bags, lantern, and food," you tell the girls. You begin to load the packs that you found the other day and as the blonde, "So what's your name?"

She looks at you a little fearfully, "Grace," she answers.

"So where you from Grace, around here?"

"Yeah, I grew up in the city. My family," you see tears well up in her eyes, "Lived just a few miles from here."

You change the subject before she becomes more emotional, "Well if you are from around here how about thinking about a place where we could hole up, make a safe base to operate from, and get our feet on the ground. Apparently those men who captured you are building a group lead by some guy named the colonel. It sounds like a round group and obviously they have no respect for women, or anyone who cannot defend themselves. We need to find a place where they can't find us."

"There is no such place," Grace says to you with a sense of despair in her voice, "But thank you for saving me."

You answer her quickly, "We are not going to fall to the level they have. We are going to survive, find other people who want to live like humans still, and try to rebuild what we can." You realize that as you were speaking you came to a decision about the future. There was the plan beyond just surviving. You finish creating three heavy packs with all of the food and supplies the three of you will be able to carry. You look around your basement fort/prison and are glad to be leaving it.

You say to the two women, "Come on let's get going. I want to be settled before the day gets too far along, and before the Colonel has any time to come looking for us."

You load the packs on the women and have them head out in front of you. You want to keep them in sight at all times, and be able to scan for danger. The three of you head out of the mall and into the ruined city. You realize how quiet the world is now that almost all of the people are dead. The city is silent, almost ghostly, and the broken windows and dark buildings are like the skeletons of dead dinosaurs, things from a past that seems years and years ago.

You pick a direction and head off, north for some reason. You are in a suburban area of the city so none of the buildings are over two or three stories tall. You walk for about a mile and are heading into a fairly industrial section of the city. You want a building that is made of inflammable brick or cinder blocks, having the Colonel's men burn you alive is on your mind as a scenario to avoid. You and the two women have covered a couple of miles. You have passed several warehouses and other buildings that are not too damaged that you want to come back later and check out, but the packs are heavy and it is time to find a place at least for the night. The day is warm and you are sweating heavily and you realize you must stink to high heaven. Warm showers are another luxury of civilization that you are going to miss.