Just then, Calista's phone rang abruptly. She glanced at the name on the screen and immediately switched it to speaker.
A panicked woman's voice burst from the phone.
Emily, Margaret's assistant—a steady, meticulous woman in her forties—now sounded completely flustered. Behind her voice came the chaotic screams of people nearby.
"Miss Norton! The truck you asked for is parked in the courtyard of the Sequoyah Hills mansion. I packed up your daily necessities and loaded them all into the truck.
"But the driver I arranged said his wife was bitten at a downtown supermarket. He went to find her and hasn't answered his phone since! What should I do? It's chaos outside…"
Calista's nails dug into her palm without her even noticing.
"Emily, listen to me!" she said urgently. "Wherever you are, go home immediately and stay there. Especially stay away from crowded places! I'll find someone to drive the truck back. Don't worry about it!"
Hearing the quiet sobbing on the other end, she swallowed the weak words of comfort that rose to her throat and hung up.
Calista turned to the group with a troubled expression.
"You all heard that. The city's already getting chaotic. We really need to stay here."
She didn't say anything foolish about going out to rescue Emily.
After all, she was just a seventeen-year-old girl with barely any strength.
Even after days of intense training, she had only improved her basic physical condition. If someone really needed rescuing, it would still be Leah and the others doing the work.
She wasn't the kind of saint who volunteered other people's lives.
As for that truckload of sanitary pads?
Forget it. Stuff some tissues in there—it's not like it'll kill anyone.
"Do we have enough food?" one of the mercenaries asked.
Calista tilted her head and did a quick calculation.
The supplies she had stocked up in advance could last three years. If they were careful, maybe four or five. That was more than enough for now. After the first few years, they would probably have to go out searching for supplies.
But she didn't dare say that out loud.
After all, no one but her knew this was only the beginning.
Everyone else believed this was just some severe new virus. Maybe it would clear up in a month.
Who would have thought that in only two or three months, modern civilization would collapse?
"Enough," Calista said.
Everyone relaxed.
Only Leah tilted her head slightly and glanced at Calista.
She had noticed the brief pause while Calista was calculating.
Leah assumed their supplies weren't very abundant.
Thinking about the truckload of sanitary products Calista mentioned earlier, Leah rubbed her forehead. After a moment of thought, she made a decisive call and calmly gave her orders.
"Listen up. Whatever this thing is, it's only just started. Stockpiling more supplies can't hurt. The city might already be in a panic."
She pointed at several teammates who worked well together.
"Carver, Mike, Turner, Bossie, Jenson, Wells, Danny, Ethan. Get ready. This afternoon we head to Knoxville to collect supplies, then bring the truck back."
Calista raised her hand.
"I'm going too!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Leah said with a frown. "It's dangerous out there for you."
"Leah, I promise I'll listen to everything you say! And besides, I'm the only one who knows where my house is!" Calista said with an innocent, obedient expression.
Well… that was true.
These outsiders really weren't familiar with Knoxville.
After thinking it over, Leah agreed—but warned Calista to stay close to them at all times.
Finally, Leah clapped her hands and gave her orders.
"The rest of you take inventory of the supplies in the estate. Make a list of what we need and give it to me. Alright everyone, move!"
Calista added,
"We still don't know exactly what's happening outside. I suggest checking around the estate too. Don't let any criminals or virus carriers slip in!"
Professionals should handle professional work. She trusted the Reapers' abilities.
When a fully armed Leah opened the bedroom door, Calista was quickly pulling on her combat boots.
She zipped up her black assault jacket and flashed a bright smile, her pale face glowing.
"Leah, you look so cool today~"
"Put this on."
Leah tossed a tactical belt onto the bed. After Calista strapped it on, Leah pulled out a handgun and tucked it into the back of her waistband.
"When you need to use it, remember to switch off the safety."
When the two of them stepped outside, Carver and the others were already checking the vehicles.
They were taking two modified Humvees this time.
Calista and Leah would ride in one.
To protect Calista, Leah placed Carver and Mike—two of the strongest fighters on the team—in their vehicle, along with Turner. The rest would take the other one.
Before setting off, Calista and Leah went over the route together. Calista knocked on the roof of the Humvee.
"Guys! We're taking Highway 129 to avoid downtown."
According to the navigation map, the distance from Twilight Manor to Calista's mansion was about 53 miles.
Hopefully the roads weren't jammed yet.
Curled up in the back seat, Calista watched as Carver scrolled through a checklist on his tablet.
"Hospital beds will definitely be tight. We need five crates of antibiotics so we can treat infections immediately. Ancheta listed ten sets of radio components. And add some canned bread and meat…"
Turner suddenly grabbed the stylus.
"Add thirty boxes of cigars—spiritual nourishment!"
Leah turned from the passenger seat and elbowed Turner, frowning.
"Fuck! Turner, you think this is a spring outing?"
Mike, who was driving, offered a suggestion.
"I think we should get a map. Aside from Calista, none of us really know this place."
Carver nodded and added it to the list before turning toward Calista.
"Calista, anything you want to buy?"
The next moment, the finger scrolling down the list suddenly froze.
The words "Menstrual Cup," "Pain Relief Gel," and "Tampons" stood out awkwardly among the items.
"Just essentials for girls," Calista said with an innocent smile. She pressed a heating patch against her stomach and tapped the tablet with her finger.
"If it's convenient, could you also grab some yeast and flour for Mrs. Howard? She complained this morning that the estate's almost out."
Mrs. Howard's exact words had been:
My goodness! These young men can really eat! I'm worried we won't have enough food!
Running out of food was impossible.
With their current numbers, no one would starve for at least five years.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard and Evans already knew about the emergency supplies Calista had hidden in the cellars beneath several barns.
After all, when the supply trucks arrived, the commotion had been impossible to hide from the people living on the estate.
Carver suddenly tapped the last line of the list and ran a hand through his hair with a half-smile.
"Is this also an essential for girls?"
Calista leaned closer to look—and her face instantly flushed red.
The last line read: condoms.
She let out an awkward laugh, her toes practically digging a three-bedroom apartment into the Humvee's floor.
"That… that was also something Mrs. Howard asked for…"
Mrs. Howard, you're taking the blame for this one.
In truth, when she was making the list, she had suddenly thought of Lori from the original storyline—the one who died during childbirth.
Just because they didn't need them now didn't mean they wouldn't later.
Medical care in the apocalypse was terrible. With condoms, a lot of future trouble could be avoided.
Carver let out a short "Hah," rubbing his chin, though it was impossible to tell whether he believed her.
Turner suddenly muttered,
"I thought she was already past menopause…"
Leah cleared her throat twice.
Turner immediately shut up.
Calista forced herself to keep her wandering eyes steady, doing her best to ignore the increasingly strange atmosphere inside the vehicle.