"Battery aisle," Riku said, and led them to the counter where security glass had blown inward. He slid his arm through the hole, undid the latch, lifted the panel. "We're not looting. We're requisitioning." He counted out boxes with the calm of a man shopping. "One per pair. Murata—grab the AA bulk. We'll power radios and lanterns. Takuya—take headlamps if you see them. Kenji—zip ties, tape, those portable radios there."
Kenji gathered, hands surer now. "You're… stocking a store," he said, almost amazed.
"I'm building a spine," Riku said. "We can hang muscle on it later."
They found the CCTV endcap, and Riku's Maintenance skill sang. Four bullet cameras with mounts. Two runs of coax. A DVR unit with a cracked casing but intact ports. He set it aside like a priest laying down relics.
"This will let us see our doors before we hear them," he said. "We'll rig two on the loading yard. Two on the front. The DVR will live in the office. No more guessing when the dead decide to love us."
