------Fidex released the two Zombies and stepped back, its four‑armed form filling the hallway like a wall of fused metal and flesh. Its head brushed against the ceiling, casting a long shadow over Nathan's group.
The released Summons returned to their respective hosts. Behind Josh, one of his men—Greg—stared at Fidex, his expression grim.
"That was a loss," Greg muttered. "My Summon might not recover quickly."
"Quiet," Josh snapped, cutting him off. "It was a misunderstanding. He didn't do it on purpose."
He forced a smile toward Jin. "I'm Josh. We were too quick to attack. My apologies."
Greg stepped forward, his expression apologetic. "We acted rashly. I'm sorry."
Jin acknowledged the words with a slight nod, but he didn't miss the flicker of resentment behind Josh's eyes. An apology offered under pressure wasn't worth much.
"How many people in your lobby group?" Jin asked Nathan.
"Twenty‑seven," Nathan said. "Mostly residents who made it to the first floor when the fog hit. There would have been more, but when the eye appeared…" He paused. "Some turned. We lost a lot that first hour."
He explained how the security team had been on patrol that day, how they'd managed to kill a Zombie and accidentally formed their first Contracts. Without that, the death toll on the first floor would have been much higher.
Jin absorbed the information. Twenty‑seven people meant twenty‑seven mouths to feed, but also twenty‑seven pairs of hands. A resource, if managed correctly.
"You should move down to the first floor," Nathan said. "We could support each other. With a Summon as strong as yours, we could clear the whole building faster. It would be safer for everyone."
He said it with the easy authority of a man used to leading, but Jin caught the way Josh's jaw tightened at the suggestion. The blonde man's group shifted behind him, uncomfortable.
Before Jin could respond, Simon stepped forward, a crooked smile on his face.
"Let's talk logistics first," Simon said. "How do you handle supplies? New arrivals bring their own—do they share? Who decides?" He spread his hands. "No point joining if everyone's unhappy a week from now."
Nathan nodded, taking the question in stride. "Fair enough. We don't have many rules. Everyone keeps what they find. We cooperate on clearing and defense, and when we scavenge together, we split based on contribution. Anyone who endangers the group, we deal with together."
Simple. Loose. The kind of system that worked until it didn't.
Jin met Nathan's eyes. "We want three rooms on the first floor. We'll cooperate on operations, but we don't take orders. Everything's negotiated."
His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was clear.
Nathan considered for a moment, then nodded. "That's fair. I'll make sure the rooms are cleared."
"We've cleared the fifth through seventh floors," Jin added. "There are a few locked rooms, but the rest are open. Your people can use them if they need space."
Nathan's eyes widened slightly. Four people had cleared three floors in three days. That wasn't luck.
"Let me show you the first floor," Nathan said. "You can decide for yourselves."
---
They descended the stairwell together. The third floor was clean—no bodies, only old bloodstains. Nathan's group had been working, dragging corpses out, trying to make the building livable again.
The first floor was worse. Dried blood painted the walls near the elevator bank, dark and thick. The lobby furniture had been pushed against the main entrance—sofas, desks, anything heavy enough to slow down whatever might try to break in.
A security guard stood near the barricade, his posture tired. When he saw Fidex, he went rigid, his hand instinctively moving toward the crowbar at his belt.
"Easy," Nathan said. "They're with us."
The guard relaxed, but his eyes kept drifting back to Fidex.
"We've got three rooms ready," Nathan said, turning to a middle‑aged security guard named Frank. "7101, 7102, 7103. Clear them out."
Frank nodded and headed off to make the arrangements.
Jin studied the barricade. The metal gates were closed, reinforced with heavy furniture. It looked solid, but he'd seen what Zombies could do to doors.
"You've been here since day one," Jin said. "What's the situation outside?"
Nathan's expression darkened. "Monsters. Two nights ago, something hit the barricade. Stronger than the usual Zombies. Frank said it didn't look human." He paused. "There's something else. The fog."
"What about it?"
"The first night, some people got lost in it. Only ten meters from the building. They started screaming within minutes. When they found their way back, they were pale, shaking." Nathan's voice dropped. "They said it wasn't monsters. It was the fog itself. Something about it presses on your mind. Makes you feel like you're being watched. Like something's waiting."
Jin thought of the red eye, the way it had watched the city before vanishing. The fog had come with it. The two were connected.
"We need to talk," Jin said. "Privately."
---
Frank returned to report the rooms were ready. Nathan nodded and excused himself, taking his people back toward the lobby.
Jin led Mark, Lisa, and Simon into 7101. The apartment was a mess—clothes and furniture scattered, the lock broken. Standard for a building where no one had keys anymore.
Simon sent his Summon to guard the door. Mark did the same without being asked. They'd learned.
"The blonde," Simon said, settling onto a couch. "Josh. He and Nathan aren't on the same side."
"I noticed," Jin said.
"Power split," Simon continued. "Nathan's got the security team. Josh has the muscle—his own Summons, a few fighters. They're circling each other. Ration disputes, territory, that kind of thing."
"Not our problem," Lisa said, but she didn't sound convinced.
"It will be," Jin said. "We're here now. We need the first floor access, but we can't get pulled into their fights."
He looked at each of them. "We go back upstairs, bring down our supplies. Stock them in the three rooms. We keep our own space, our own food, our own water. We cooperate with Nathan on clearing, but we don't share our resources unless it benefits us."
Mark nodded slowly. "And Josh?"
"Josh is an opportunist," Jin said. "He'll test us. We show him we're not worth the cost."
Simon smiled. It wasn't a pleasant expression. "I can help with that."
"You'll focus on Marcus," Jin said quietly.
The smile faded. Simon's face went still.
"We check on him tonight," Jin continued. "Make sure the chains are holding. We figure out what comes next. But for now, he's contained. That's enough."
Simon didn't answer. He stood and walked to the window, looking out at the gray press of fog.
Lisa exchanged a glance with Jin, then busied herself checking the apartment's cabinets. "No food left. They already stripped it."
"We'll bring ours down," Jin said. "Tonight. Then tomorrow, we clear the second and first floors with Nathan's people. After that, we go outside."
"Outside," Mark repeated. "Into the fog."
"We need water. Food. Simon's trucks are in the garage. We need to know if the supply routes are viable."
The word viable felt strange coming out of his mouth—contract language, the kind of word he'd used to argue clauses in another life. But the principle was the same. Assess assets, identify risks, move forward.
"We should go now," Jin said, standing. "Get the supplies before dark."
---
They made two trips.
The stairwell was quiet. Fidex led the way up, its bulk filling the narrow space, and behind it the group carried bags of rice, flour, canned goods. Simon took the lead on the second trip, his Summon hovering at his side, a crowbar in his free hand.
They passed the fifth floor on the way down. Simon's pace slowed for just a moment, his eyes drifting toward the hallway that led to 7504. Then he kept moving.
The three rooms on the first floor were adjacent, as promised. Jin took 7101 as his base. Mark and Lisa settled into 7102, Simon into 7103. It was cramped, but it was theirs.
When the last bag was stacked, Jin stood in the doorway of 7101, looking out at the hallway. Fidex stood behind him, motionless.
The fog pressed against the lobby windows, gray and patient.
Tomorrow, they would go deeper into it.
---
End of Chapter 13