The Vulture's Claw Marks

The ripples caused by the Ash squad's arrival had yet to fade.

Those fifty vials of ceftriaxone sodium made Dr. Min-seon's eyes light up.

She immediately went over the medical supplies with Stitch.

The surgical instruments were sterilized and set aside, while the precious antibiotics were locked in a reinforced iron cabinet. Min-seon kept the key.

In the warehouse, Old Joey led the inventory count:

Crates of ammunition made up the defense team's shortfall;

The packaged precision electronics amounted to only sixty percent of the list, but they were rare in the apocalypse;

The diesel filters and parts made Wrench's eyes shine, and he immediately threw himself into repairing the battered off-road vehicle.

But that brief stability was soon shattered by the bloodstained map in Lynn's hand.

The emergency lights cast a dim yellow glow over the command center.

Lynn, Davis, Zhao Jinghong, and Old Joey gathered around the table.

Anvil had been summoned after having his scrapes briefly treated.

He had changed into clean clothes, but his toughness remained unchanged.

Wraith stood like a shadow in a dark corner.

The bloodstained map lay spread across the table.

Lynn jabbed a finger at the spot to the southwest marked with a red circle and "Zoo Weak??"

"Right here," Lynn said coldly. "The abandoned logistics warehouse district.

"There was a fire ten days ago. Three days ago, Davis found fresh tire tracks and shell casings. Yesterday, someone came snooping.

"This map confirms it. A group calling themselves Vulture's Claw-the spray-painted symbol Wraith found-is watching us, looking for a 'weak point.'"

Anvil bent down, his thick finger tracing the routes and observation notes marked on the map. He frowned. "Boss, on our way back, we also ran into signs of them about five kilometers southwest.

"Two modified pickups, with specially treated engines. Very professional.

"Their movements followed a system. They weren't ordinary thugs.

"They seemed to be... drawing maps and taking notes.

"We were in a hurry to get back, so we avoided them."

"Drawing maps? Taking notes?" Davis's expression darkened. "Fuck, those bastards have us in their sights! They're looking for a way in!"

Zhao Jinghong studied the map, her voice steady. "Their objective is clear. 'Supply station' could mean our supplies. 'Watchdogs' might mean our defenses or patrols. The 'zoo' is the target, and 'weak point'..."

She paused and looked at Lynn. "Is the breach they're trying to find.

"The question marks on the map mean they haven't confirmed it yet, but they've settled on a direction."

Old Joey looked grim. "Those fresh digging marks at the base of the southeast wall... could they be..."

"Very likely."

Lynn picked up the thread, his gaze sharp. "They could be probing the underground structures, looking for old pipes, gaps in the foundations, or... trying to bring it down. Wraith."

He turned toward the corner. "You have the trap diagrams.

"The perimeter, especially the southwest and southeast corners. I want something in place before dawn.

"Silent, lethal, and no traces."

Wraith shifted slightly in the darkness without a sound.

Lynn knew he understood.

"Anvil." Lynn looked back at the squad leader. "Ash gets six hours of rest.

"After six hours, take Wraith and Peregrine out to reconnoiter.

"Objective: get a clear picture of Vulture's Claw's nest in the abandoned warehouses. How many people, what weapons, how they operate.

"I want to know how many vehicles, how many guns, who leads them, and whether they have heavy firepower.

"Don't fight without cause. If you encounter a threat and can eliminate it, do so, but staying alive and bringing back intelligence come first."

"Understood, Boss!"

Anvil answered in a deep voice, his eyes focused solely on the mission.

"Davis."

Lynn continued issuing orders. "Put the base on maximum defensive alert.

"Double sentries on the walls around the clock. The watchtower-The Jackal-is to keep the southwest and north under constant watch.

"Everyone who can fight-Shane, Daryl, Merle, Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, Jonathan, Richard-starts emergency defense drills.

"Focus on firing from the walls, close combat-consult the manual-and emergency withdrawal.

"You and Zhao Jinghong are in charge of training."

Davis nodded. "Yes!"

"Worker Ant." Lynn looked at Old Joey. "Get everyone who can't fight-Maggie, Beth, Carol, Lori, Dale, the newcomers-to put everything into reinforcing the inside of the walls.

"Especially the area that was dug up at the southeast corner. Add another wall using the toughest materials we have-rebar, concrete blocks, scrap vehicle frames.

"Also, inventory everything flammable-gasoline, alcohol, old tires-and lay it out at key points outside the walls, ready to ignite when needed.

"Even if they find an opening, I want them to have to pave their way in with blood."

"Yes, Boss!" Old Joey answered hoarsely.

"Dr. Min-seon."

Lynn pressed his radio button. "Prepare the medical station to receive casualties. Give the fighters priority for food, high-calorie food."

As the orders went out, the base, which had only just caught its breath, tensed again.

Fear was suppressed, leaving only numb activity.

Southwest of the base, deep in the abandoned logistics warehouse district.

A fire burned inside a warehouse that had not been completely wrecked.

Several haphazardly modified pickups and SUVs sat in the shadows, their bodies spray-painted with bloody vulture claws.

A dozen or so vicious-looking men sat around the fire, gnawing half-cooked meat and drinking cheap liquor.

By the firelight, a tall, thin man with a long facial scar, nicknamed Scar, studied a hand-drawn sketch of the zoo. A question mark marked its southeast corner.

"Boss, that Ash bunch that just went in looks tough to handle. Good gear. Look trained," a freckle-faced man said as he gnawed a bone.

Scar kept his head down, whittling a stick. "Ash... a card Lynn kept hidden? No surprise. It'd be stranger if that guy didn't have something up his sleeve. Anyone who could build a base that size so soon after the zombie outbreak definitely isn't ordinary."

He stabbed his dagger into the question mark at the sketch's southeast corner. "Their return was well timed. All that noise they made along the way cleared the walkers around the perimeter for us. It also shows there's plenty of fat meat in that zoo, enough to make them risk their lives."

He looked up, his scar flickering in the firelight. "'Weak point'... the soil at the foot of the southeast wall is loose. There might be an old pipe or a crack underneath. Probe."

"Here, Boss!"

A short man with shifty eyes stood up.

"Take the gear and head back to the zoo's southeast corner tonight! Find out for me whether it's hollow underneath.

"Whether we can dig through or blast it open. Watch out for Ash's concealed sentries and that woman with the long gun."

"Don't worry, Boss! Digging holes is my specialty!" Probe thumped his chest.

"The rest of you." Scar swept his gaze around the group, his eyes vicious. "You've rested enough! Wait for word from Probe! Once we find an opening... in the next day or two, Vulture's Claw feasts. The medicine, food, women in that zoo... all ours. We'll turn Ash and Lynn to ash together."

The bandits let out wild whoops and whistles.

Deep inside the base, at Ash's rest area.

Several tents had been pitched.

Anvil stood outside after resting for less than four hours. Wraith seemed to blend into the darkness, while Peregrine quietly cleaned his designated marksman rifle (DMR).

Anvil's voice was low and hard. "Target: the abandoned warehouses southwest, Vulture's Claw's nest.

"Mission: slip in and get a clear look at how many people, what guns, who's in charge, and their routines.

"Staying alive and bringing back intelligence come first.

"Wraith scouts ahead and avoids traps. Peregrine observes and provides support from a distance. I'll handle backup and command.

"No talking. Hand signals. Understood?"

Wraith nodded.

Peregrine looked up. "Understood."

"Move."

Three dark figures slipped silently through a concealed exit in the base's perimeter wall and vanished into the southwestern night.

Lynn stood at the command center's observation opening, gazing into the darkness outside.

To the southwest, a reconnaissance team was infiltrating; at the southeast corner, hostile intentions lurked.

The edges of the bloodstained Vulture's Claw map in his hand had been crumpled by his grip.