Stronghold In The Apocalypse

Chapter 35: Why Do You Sound Afraid Too?

3 AM.

A convoy of three vehicles are moving along a rough forest road deep inside the forest.

Leo was busy looking at his map, checking for any nearby hostiles, like a mutated beast who can threaten the group, of course if he was alone, he wouldn't be even this focused on keeping a lookout but he does not want to be careless and endanger the others following him, especially that they are in the middle of a dark woodland with the only source of light are the vehicles headlight.

The others are instead feeling uncomfortable and scared, with different thoughts swimming through their minds.

'Why are we going along this dark forest? I'm scared'

'We are already a little deep inside, is there a based or something like a camp here stationed here?'

'This place is super creepy and scary, I think I'm getting paranoid as I keep seeing silhouettes of people along the road, ha-ha. They couldn't be zombies, right?'

Everyone was feeling fidgety and scared as they didn't know where they are currently headed especially being surrounded by an almost total darkness.

A few minutes later

"Halt!" Leo shouted as he raised his hand upwards.

All vehicles came to a screeching halt, Leo jumped down from the tank followed by Alex.

Just as Leo landed on the ground, he remembered something terrible "Crap! I forgot to bring my car. Argh, that was my first car here! Geez, nevermind" he thought and didn't know if he should instead laugh or cry.

Getting down from the car, Isaac ordered James and Edward to keep a look out around the surroundings using their torch lights. Isaac told the others to just stay where they are and not come down and just wander around. All of them listened to him as no one really wants to get out as they felt safer being inside the vehicles.

After Isaac told them what to do, he immediately made his way towards Leo and asked respectfully "B-boss, what are we doing here in the middle of nowhere"

"We're here to go camping like boys scouts.. Of course, I'm bringing you guys to the basecamp" Leo said with an eyeroll.

Isaac just smiled and didn't say anything as noticed that he looks angry at something.

"Now then..Pick up all of the supplies you can pick and follow me!" Leo walked towards where the newcomers are and shouted.

All of them hurriedly listened to him as they buzzed around, some got down from the vehicles and some the guys went to the truck and picked up supplies on passed it on to those below and this happened multiple times until almost everyone is packed with holding supplies and they waited around Leo.

"Dylan, come here" Leo called out to him.

"Sir, i mean boss" Dylan came over quickly.

"Wait there" Leo said as he went over to blindspot where they can't see him and took out something, it was the axe he used before back in LA.

"Here" Leo walked over to him and handed the axe to Dylan.

"Thanks Boss" Dylan said, grateful and a little bit excited, after all he was really worried about his safety by not having a weapon, after all he doesn't have anyone left to depend on anymore with his parents missing making him worried sick and just getting a weapon for protection lifted his mood a bit.

"It's going to fine, I'm sure they are doing fine.somewhere?" Leo patted his shoulder but with an unsure tone with his last word.

Dylan gave sad and bitter small "I hope so" he thought.

Leo didn't know if he should laugh or cry, as he knows he sucked at consoling people like Dylan, he coughed to disperse the awkwardness and he said "Isaac, Dylan, James, Edward, you four are responsible for protecting the sides of the group. Children and women are to stay in the middle of the group while the guys will move surround them to protect the women and children, alright? Lastly, don't separate from the group. Let's move" Leo said as he took the lead and led the way as the group tailed behind him with a few torch lights in their hands.

"Alex, go and make sure that no threats comes near us" Leo commanded.

Alex gave a nod before he disappeared within the darkness. Alex circled around the group with a distance of two hundred meters apart.

"Mark! Go and carry Olivia" Leo called out as he noticed that the mother with her children had a hard time following the rest as they are already slowly getting left behind.

When Mark heard him, he beamed with joy because he felt like he was being a burden even though he's also at the same age as Dylan, who was given the small responsibility of protecting the group and even possessing a small weapon like an axe already made him envious. So when he heard Leo giving him a task, he immediately followed to it as he went and looked for the family of three using the torch light on his hand.

Discovering that they are already at the very back of the group, he hastily made his way towards them as he politely took Olivia from her mother onto his hand and handed her the torch light instead.

"Thank you young man" the woman said grateful as the weight she was carrying lightened as she was also carrying some supplies on her other hand while breathing hard for a bit and at her side, Jacob has a grateful look on his face as he clearly heard Leo's voice earlier.

"You shouldn't be thanking me ma'am. It was boss who told me to, he probably noticed that you guys are lagging behind and had a high chance from getting separated from the rest" Mark said while he walked along with them and he thought "Good thing I still had my backpack where I put the supplies I'm carrying right now

"Uhmm, I'll make sure to give my thanks to him later" the woman smiled.

What they didn't noticed was the pair of green eyes staring at them from a distance, the person then muttered in a small voice and said "Targets are safe, sir"

"Targets are safe, sir" Alex voice sounded from the intercom on his ear.

"Alright, go and continue scouting around us" Leo replied.

The moment he noticed that someone getting left behind on the map, he immediately ordered Alex to keep an eye on the group that was slowly getting behind and knowing that it was the two siblings and their mother. Leo immediately gave the order to Mark that he should take over carrying Olivia instead.

Leo gave a sigh of relief as he does not want someone dying or getting lost in these woods under his watch, specially that he needs a lot of manpower back at the camp so that the responsibilities within would be distributed among the new arrivals.

"Alright, we're near! There's only a five minutes distance left so the faster you guys move the faster we'll reach our destination" Leo bellowed as he faced the group who are already breathing hard, them being in this state is understandable as they are also carrying multiple supplies on their hands.

A few minutes later, they finally arrived.

"We've arrived" Leo looked back at the group who are panting and said.

The group, hearing that they have finally arrived, they gave a sigh of relief and they excitedly looked towards them and some pointing their lights towards the front but what they saw instead confused them as they only saw a row of logs clumped together in a standing up position but when they pointed their lights upwards, they saw a structure that looks like a tower, a few already realized what was in front of them leaving them stunned while the rest still had curious and confused looks.

"It's a freaking wall!" someone suddenly yelled in surprised.

All of them wore stunned looks with mouths agape, after all something like this probably don't even exist anymore in modern times but was pretty common back in the day, the Medieval Age.

Suddenly they heard rapid footsteps on top of the wall and along with a flickering light rapidly heading towards them.

Then they noticed that it was a flame torch being carried by someone and the next thing that happened made their bloods run cold, guns were suddenly pointed at them and the people below like Isaac, James and Edward also pointed their rifles back at the people above with stern looks.

"Halt! Who are you people!?" Henry's loud yell rang along with a piercing whistle.

"It's me, dad" Leo voice sounded below.

"Damn, you're finally back" Henry said with a bit of annoyance.

"Don't tell me you guys didn't even see me and my familiar Armor? I was just standing in front of you" Leo replied.

"No, the lights blinded my eyes"

"Asshole, you already saw me earlier but you just pretended you did not!"

Leo snorted as he waved his hands and the gate leading inside opened.

'What!? That was the gate?' the people below was a bit surprised that the entrance was just in front of them as they didn't realized it because it really merge itself along with the wall.

"Move along" Leo said to them and his father and the rest came down from the wall and welcomed them.

"Boss, you're finally back! My god, you're mother was really angry earlier when she found out that you went out again" Michael's voice sounded as he came over at him with a pale face.

Leo looked at him surprised and he laugh in thought "Why does he sound like he's so afraid of mom?"