Ryan straightened himself in the seat. He rolled down the window and poked his head out to check the horizon. Sure enough, they were passing by a broken-down gate, and a large white building slowly came into view. Smoke didn’t come out from the tall tubes. Grime and rust spotted all over the walls. Dust and fog covered the windows, giving out no sunlight or reflection on what was on the other side.

  Structurally, it still stood; they wouldn’t have to worry about it collapsing in on itself. However, it didn’t look to be in good condition either. The place gave off the impression of being run down and abandoned. That didn’t give out hope for any survivors inside. But just the other day, he could've said the same about the restaurant, and that expedition ended up being successful in the long run.

  Ryan hadn’t noticed the time passing by while being lost in his thoughts. It didn’t seem that long, but there they were, already at their destination. He pulled his head back and rolled the windows up.

  Everyone got out of the car. Sunlight glared down at them from above, prompting them to shield their eyes from the sudden impact. Clouds filled the sky, but none blocked out the sun. A few zombies roamed in the vast parking lot, limping and groaning.

  Fortunately, there weren’t many, and none happened to be near the group or factory, so there was no need to worry about fighting any of them.

  Yuna grabbed her white sunhat from the truck, while Taylor took out a water canteen and drank from it. Karin and Mike grabbed their weapons in tow and went over to the front entrance. Ryan watched them try to peek through the windows, then cautiously inspect inside with the door creaking open. Karin gave out a thumbs-up, indicating the coast was clear, prompting the others to sigh in relief.

  Now, the question that was on everyone's minds was: Who would stay and guard the truck, and who would go in to search for water and potential survivors?

  Mike offered to go right away, being the leader. Karin knew how to fight and scavenge in any given situation, so she was also a prime candidate for the mission. Yuna and Taylor weren't confident in their skills, especially compared to the other two, and were content with staying put for the time being. That just left Ryan. All eyes were on him as he scratched his head and stared at the ground, unsure what to do.

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  “Hey, Ryan, how’s your body holding up?” Karin asked. “Are you able to walk now?”

  “Um...” Ryan hadn’t thought about it until now.

  Granted, he got to walk around and move his limbs last night with no trouble, but he also made sure to never push himself beyond what he was capable of. After all, he had only just gotten his energy and stamina back recently. Still, would he be able to keep up, especially in a big place like the factory?

  “I think Ryan should stay here.” Mike replied, speaking on his behalf. “Between the two of us, we should be able to cover everything just fine. We wouldn’t want any dead weight slowing us down.”

  What? Ryan clenched his fists.

  His patience with the guy was waning thin. Mike may have been the leader, but he wouldn’t take that lying down. If he didn’t like him, that was fine. But treating him like a useless load, when it was unwarranted, was another matter. Sure, he didn’t like being bossed around at work either and would slack off. But he had done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment. All he did was rest and be complacent, even minding his own business. It was about time to speak up.

  “Hold up!” Ryan exclaimed, catching everyone off guard. “I want to go! No, I am going with you, and you can’t stop me.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Yuna asked.

  “Yeah, I can hold my own now. Besides, I need to stretch my legs, anyway.”

  Mike scoffed in response. “Alright then, do what you want. Do try to keep up, though.”

  “Mike, don’t be so hard on him.” Yuna scolded him, putting her foot down. “He’s still in the middle of healing, after all.”

  Mike said nothing in response. He averted his gaze, staring at the ground for a second before turning and walking away. Taylor waited until his leader was out of range before speaking to Ryan.

  “Don’t let him get to you. He may be stubborn, but he means well.”

  Yeah, sure he is.

  Ryan made sure to hurry and follow Mike and Karin from behind as they went inside.