If Kisha hadn't intervened, Aston might have been bitten on his face or neck, sealing his fate. The gravity of this realization made Aston's body tense with fear. Looking down at the man now sitting on the ground, his face contorted in pain, Kisha remembered him as the one who used to laugh at even the silliest jokes Aston made, and the most recent addition to their group.
After giving the man a brief glance, Kisha returned to her original position beside Duke. But before moving away, she placed a reassuring tap on Aston's shoulder and uttered a stern reminder, "Be more vigilant of your surroundings from now on."
Without waiting for Aston's response, Kisha swiftly departed and rejoined Duke to resume their killing spree. After approximately two hours of relentless killing, Kisha and her team successfully cleared the entire area. Meanwhile, Aston and his team took a brief rest before commencing their investigation of the surroundings.
Kisha assigned Sparrow to inspect the building for any remaining intact resources, while Vulture returned to the truck to begin preparing lunch. Their team understood the importance of maintaining their energy levels and always ensured they were well-fed and rested, akin to a well-fueled car. They recognized that in order to fight effectively, they needed to be both physically and mentally prepared.
In a short time, Sparrow returned with a small grin on his face, satisfied that he hadn't accidentally destroyed the camp's storage during his bombing. He had successfully located the supplies, buried under the rubble but salvageable nonetheless. He promptly informed Kisha and Duke of his findings.
Kisha nodded in satisfaction, while Duke remained silent, waiting for Kisha to make the decision on how to proceed.
Shortly thereafter, Kisha nodded decisively and issued her command. "After lunch, let's gather the supplies, and Aston's team can assist us with the task."
Sparrow joined Vulture at the back of the truck to assist with meal preparation, while Kisha and Duke conducted brief reconnaissance of the surrounding area, subtly showcasing their scouting skills to Aston and his team to avoid appearing suspicious. After an hour, Aston and his men returned from their investigation of the rubble.
Some members of Aston's group wore grim expressions, while Aston himself appeared indifferent, suggesting they had encountered the underground parking area where the Coltons' men were trapped before being cornered by the zombies and gnawed at while alive or worse, buried beneath the debris, alive.
Some of Aston's men found the scene so horrifying it could potentially trigger PTSD among them. Witnessing the ruthlessness of the Coltons' enemies, they realized the extent of the danger they faced. The enemies ensured there was no escape for the Coltons' men, cornering each one and subjecting them to a horrific fate.
As soldiers, they were unfortunately all too familiar with this grim reality, though typically it was the work of terrorists seeking to instill fear among their adversaries. Such brutal killings were often executed in the most gruesome manner possible, with the bodies left behind as a chilling message for their enemies to discover.
Kisha was already aware of what Aston and his team had uncovered, as she had instructed the scarlet bees to monitor their every move. Duke, on the other hand, remained indifferent, showing little concern for the fate of the Coltons' men. For him, as long as they met a gruesome end and harbored false hope of survival before facing the harsh reality, it suited their purposes.
Duke's primary concern was avenging his people, a task Sparrow had accomplished, albeit with less ruthlessness than Duke would have preferred. However, Duke chose not to dwell on this, as he remained focused on locating the remaining members of the Coltons family who were still in hiding.
A sinister smile crept onto Duke's lips as he pondered the prospect, a chilling display of his dark intentions that did not escape Kisha's notice. 'Unlucky souls!' she thought, mocking those who had dared to provoke Duke and his people.
'You've stirred up a hornet's nest, and your fate is sealed.' Before she shook her head but she did not feel any sympathy for the Coltons because their fate was of their own making, a consequence of their greed and selfishness.
As the landscape remained strewn with the remnants of zombie carcasses, Aston's men, haunted by the memories of what they had witnessed in the garage, retreated to the truck to rest. Meanwhile, Kisha and Duke remained outside, standing guard while the others rested. Sparrow and Vulture began preparing a meal of rice for the eleven of them.
Sparrow assisted Vulture in washing the rice, while Vulture sliced the spam and canned sausages. With Aston and his people present, they couldn't rely on Kisha's ability to conjure fresh meat and vegetables from her inventory, so they made do with the canned goods they had on hand.
Vulture ended up making fried rice with small chunks of sausage and spam, accompanied by a few slices of spam and sausage with soy sauce. The meal was somewhat redundant due to the repeated use of spam and sausage, but with limited ingredients, this was the best he could manage. Despite the simplicity, Aston's men saw this as a luxury.
Having gone without hot meals for over a week since the apocalypse began, even spam was a welcome substitute for fresh meat.
Additionally, Vulture prepared a mushroom soup using canned mushrooms and sterilized milk. He always kept seasonings in his belt bag, anticipating the need to prepare meals under any circumstances. His foresight and resourcefulness ensured that they had a warm and somewhat satisfying meal, even in such dire conditions.
The aroma of the hot meal prepared by Vulture quickly dispelled any lingering apprehensions among Aston's men. The tantalizing scent whetted their appetites and provided a much-needed distraction from their earlier grim discoveries. Once the cooking was complete, Sparrow called Kisha and Duke back to the truck so they could all eat together.
Kisha and Duke returned, acting as if they had just finished scouting the area and ensuring it was clear, adding to the sense of security and readiness.
After witnessing Kisha and her team's capabilities, no one questioned their actions. The men were too focused on the food in front of them to even consider it. Even in the shelter, the best they could hope for was mashed potatoes or oatmeal mixed with hot water and devoid of any seasoning, such as sugar. What Vulture had prepared was far beyond their expectations, a true feast in their eyes.
Vulture served equal portions of fried rice for everyone in large bowls and filled smaller bowls with mushroom soup, almost brimming to the rim. While this meal was the best Aston's team had in a long time, for Kisha and her team, it was the most humble meal they had since the apocalypse began.
Kisha and her people were all big eaters because their bodies needed a lot of energy to burn, which came from both the food they consumed and their body fat reserves.
Kisha always ensured there were vegetables and meat on the table, while Vulture transformed these ingredients into delicious meals. As superhumans, their appetites had increased significantly after they awakened, likely because their bodies continuously burned energy, even when they weren't working, to keep their energy cores running like a coal-fired train.