Refuge

Chapter 18 // Friend or Foe

Samariya's PoV

Nakabalik kami sa Safe Zone nang masaya ngunit halata namang hindi matanggap ni Olivia na ligtas kaming nakalabas ni Gabriella sa Hollow Building. She must be really disappointed because we survived despite the low surviving rate according to Maxine. However, if she's really just testing our capability because we were asking to have an alliance with them, then I think she should be proud and satisfied knowing that we're skilled enough to come out alive.

"Paano ka pala nakalabas?" tanong ni Gabriella habang nililinis namin pareho ang mga galos sa mukha namin dahil sa basag ng salamin.

Ikinuwento ko naman sa kanila kung ano bang nangyari sa akin sa loob hanggang sa pagtalon ko mula sa ika-apat na palapag at pagkahulog sa swimming pool. Bilib nga sila dahil nagawa kong tumalon sa ganoong kataas na gusali na walang ideyang sa tubig babagsak. Nalaman tuloy nila na desidido na akong mamatay noong mga oras na 'yon.

"Kaya pala may narinig kaming putok ng baril at may sumunod na pagkabasag," komento ni Maxine. "Ikaw pala 'yon."

Tumango ako. "Paano nga pala nagkaroon nang ganoon karaming zombies sa Hollow Building? Para silang hindi nauubos."

"I don't know either. All I know is that my team discovered it while we were searching for survivors and since then we marked it as a danger zone."

"I see," tumango-tango ako at saka pinagpatuloy ang ginagawa pero may isang bagay talaga ang bumabagabag sa isip ko.

Bakit walang zombies na pumasok sa Hollow Building? Imposible namang walang nakaramdam na zombies mula sa labas. Wala bang malapit sa paligid kaya walang dumating? Oo, naisip kong swerte 'yon dahil sa sitwasyon ko kanina pero nakapagtataka.

"Maxine," I called her. "Sino ang may hawak sa Hollow Building?"

"It's under Harlow Cruz, Team Charlie's leader. Madalas siyang wala kaya hindi niyo pa siya nakikilala," she replied.

"Pero ang sabi mo grupo mo ang nakadiskubre sa Hollow Building, 'di ba?" tanong ko ulit.

"Oh that, we have area rotation every two weeks. Sa akin ang Hollow Building noong una, sinundan ni Friedrich, at ngayon si Harlow. Next week would be Allison Reyes's team, the Delta, I'll introduce her to you later," sagot niya pero hindi ako agad sumagot. Is it possible that they know nothing about the zombies like what we know?

I looked at her, a bit concerned. "Maxine... You don't know anything about those creatures, don't you?"

***

We barged in the same room where we talked yesterday and we saw Olivia together with two men, it was Sandro and... Efren. Napatingin ako kay Alexander at nakita kong nakatitig sila sa isa't isa. They're probably both surprised to see each other right now.

"Ms. Olivia," Maxine began with a hint of fear and nervousness. Maybe because we interrupted their conversation or because of the information that she's about to say. "They know something," she continued.

The phrase piqued Olivia's interest as she motioned her hand to stop Sandro from speaking. She looked at me, waiting for me to tell what Maxine was talking about. I then narrated some of the things that we know because spilling everything would put us in a disadvantage. Silence filled the room for a few minutes after and Olivia doesn't look surprised, but I know, I am confident that the outcome of this conversation will favor us.

"You knew more than that, am I right?" she uttered.

A subtle smile escaped my lips. "You know that's the rule. You can't give everything that you have, unless they're on your side."

She suddenly threw a card at me, good thing I was able to catch it. When I looked at it, I saw a KA sign, it's them, the Keepers's Association. "Tell us everything."