One thing Caden and Renee shared was their love for riding. Whether it was a bicycle or a motorbike, the adrenaline rush, the wind blowing up in their face and most importantly the sense of freedom it gave them.

This time, however, they couldn't enjoy any of that for their minds were elsewhere. While Caden's eyes were on the road, Renee's were at the back making sure none of the creatures got to them. 

They weren't definite about where they were going, and Renee didn't bother asking as long as they were away from harm's way.

"Caden?" Renee screamed so her voice would be detectable over the noise. 

"Yeah?" Caden replied with an equal volume. 

"Pull over there," She said pointing towards a narrow alleyway. Caden didn't reply but did as she asked.

"What's up?" He asked.

"I live near a campsite, its not very populated," She said "We should be safe there"

"Where is it?" He asked.

"The Bagdell woods" She responded

"Never heard of it," He said blankly "How far is it?"

"Maybe around 40 miles," She said. Caden glanced at his fuel metre and answered.

"Ok, we can do that," He said.

They both got back on the bike and continued their journey. 

»»————-　☠　————-««

Gabriella rechecked the van to make sure it was equipped with all the necessities.

"We're good to go," She said to her team before they all got in, one by one. Tension filled the van as it took off, but no one said anything.

That morning, they had gotten reports of the undead increasing in number. And now, another major cause of civilian death was rising, lack of food or water which only made Gabriella's fear worsen. 

"We're here team," Arthur said breaking the silence. "Stay focused, civilians are counting on us"

His words were supposed to be encouraging but had no impact. The soldiers put on their protective gear, held their weapons in position and got out.

They were immediately swarmed by the undead, Gabriella tried to hold off shooting for a bit as that only seemed to attract more of them, rather she used her combat knives. 

Seeing her influenced others to do the same. Gabriella struggled to keep up with her knife, as this meant having to go very close to the undead to be able to attack. 

But it did seem to improve the situation as from the corner of her eye, she could see many civilians being evacuated. 

But could she keep pretending she was doing this for the common people and not for her selfish reasons?

»»————-　☠　————-««

Renee's body began to ache with cramps. While she did love riding, she wasn't used to doing it for such a long duration.

Caden noticed her trying to switch to a comfortable position without causing a crash and spoke up. 

"We're almost there"

"I know," She said impatiently. Renee anxiously looked at the opening of the campsite, waiting to stretch her legs. Meanwhile, Caden was avoiding every cannibal and making impetuous turns as to not hit them. 

When they finally reached the campsite, Caden decided to drive up the steep road to avoid them the effort. They were tired from the journey as it was. 

They finally reached the view point, where all the tents were placed.

"Don't tell me you live in a tent" Caden said, taken aback. Renee chuckled.

"No, I don't" She said "I live in a cabin nearby" 

Caden heaved a sigh of relief. Not because he disliked the idea of staying on a tent, he just couldn't imagine someone doing that for their entire life. He parked his bike by a tree and Renee led him to her cabin. 

He expected to see a small hut made of wooden logs, which it was, but the architecture and the immaculate lighting inside left him stunned.

"Cool place, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's beautiful" He replied while sitting down on the couch. Renee smiled and sat down next to him. 

"Are you sure we're safe here?" He asked, feeling doubtful.

"Well, I'm not sure about that" She said "I just know it'll be lesser than in the city" 

That was weirdly comforting to hear, given all they'd been through. 

"So, do you live alone" He asked trying to make conversation. He wasn't initially fond of her, and maybe still wasn't but had to keep the peace if they were in on this together. She nodded.

"I've been alone since my parents passed away and don't have any siblings" She said as though she already knew what his next questions would be. 

"Ah, ok" He said awkwardly and wondered if that was why she wasn't grieving during this whole mess, and wasn't able to sympathize with others who were.

He struggled to keep up with small talk, and decided to just switch to something they could talk about without awkward silence.

"Do you have any groceries here?" He asked.

"Yeah, they might last us both a week or so" She said. 

"Maybe after that we should move somewhere else" Caden suggested.

"Why?" She asked in horror. Renee felt safer in her house and the idea of leaving it, didn't sit right with her. 

"I don't think it's very wise to stay in one place for too long" He said "Houses are hard to defend" 

"I dunno" She replied hesitantly. "We'll just have to wait and see" 

"I suppose" He said, not willing to argue. 

Renee cleared her throat. "I'm gonna make dinner" 

"That wasn't awkward" He thought to himself. 

That night, they ate like animals. They hadn't eaten much the whole day and were exhausted from the journey. They didn't speak much, except for the occasional 'Can you pass me the water'.

They went to sleep that night, feeling hopeful about surviving for the first time since the apocalypse began. 

»»————-　☠　————-««

Gabriella got into the van, her clothes covered in blood. A small headcount was done before taking off. 

They were given a bottle of water each, which they gulped down immediately. Being in the scorching sun for such a long time was enough on its own, but being physically active for that long made it worse. 

They were dreading the next neighbourhood they would have to clear, but for once Arthur's words gave them a sense of relief. 

"That's all for today," He said. "We'll be staying at SH-0948" 

"What about tomorrow?" Gabriella asked. 

"Tomorrow, we're going to Badgell woods" 

Author's note: Heyy, that's the end of chapter 6! I know, it's shorter than the others, but dw it'll be longer next time ;)