Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 73: Problems in the Safe Zone

While Zane and the others were embarking on a journey to look for a new, and safer place to call their own, as well as scavenging for supplies on the way. There was indeed an area that was secure deeper within the heart of the city.

Well, at least as secure as things could be in a literal apocalypse. Through much sweat, blood, and tears. The city government had maintained some semblance of a safe zone. One that existed around city hall. At first, things were going well, with the national guard being concentrated around this area, and the remaining law enforcement officials being recalled to aid in its defense.

But as the week went by, and the apocalypse started entering into its second week. Difficulties were starting to present themselves to the safe zone, which housed several thousand of the city's survivors. For starters, food and water were rapidly dwindling. As were medical supplies.

At first, the safe zone was receiving regular air drops to sustain the population, these air drops coming from one of the state's military bases, or some other government facility.

But FEMA had quickly collapsed under the nationwide burden that it was facing, and after only a week, these regular supply drops quickly began to slow down, to the point where the local safe zone had missed yesterday's resupply drop.

It was not just food, water, and medicine that was drying up. But the ammunition which was desperately needed to continue the safe zone's defense. The National Guard, Law Enforcement agents, and of course those citizens who had been conscripted into the Safe Zone's "militia" in a desperate attempt to replenish losses of combat capable personnel, were starting to run out of rounds.

Because of this, the first layer of defense outside the safe zone had collapsed during the previous night. Which was actually the sounds of combat that could be overheard throughout the metropolitan area, sounds that Zane and the others had indeed heard the night before.

With the first layer of defense collapsed, the soldiers were forced to evacuate the survivors residing within its boundaries, creating an overcrowding problem. Space did not allow for the number of tents and structures necessary to house the current population of the safe zone. Meaning that many people were out on the streets, left to the mercy of the local weather.

As things progressively worsened, there were just more and more incidents piling up. For example, the local Mayor had essentially declared himself dictator, after the state and federal government, who he previously answered to go completely radio silent. Even the emergency broadcasts from the presidential bunker had become less and less frequent.

Just as Zane had feared, the Mayor had begun using the survivors within his territory as a means of slave labor. To help reinforce the fortifications of their settlement, as well as to build new structures like latrines for disposal of waste, set up tents, distribute rations, et cetera.

Basically, if there was something that needed to be done, it was the citizens, and not the government personnel who promised relief who were forced to endure the grunt work. Not only that, but as previously mentioned, abled bodied young men who were capable of wielding a rifle were being sent into the meat grinder against the ever increasing threat of the undead.

If Zane thought a single stalker and abomination were a serious threat, he had not even begun to witness the horrors of the undead horde, which were concentrated around the safe zone, due to it being the largest group of survivors in the area.

Like moths to a flame, the undead willingly threw themselves into the fire simply for a chance to taste the flesh of the living. Stalkers were not leaders of groups of undead in this battleground, but were disposable NCOs, or at best officers, being wielded by some unknown commander in an army of the dead.

At the moment, the Mayor was sitting with his advisors, all of which came from a variety of backgrounds. Some military, some law enforcement, others within the city government. Regardless of the background, these individuals received the lion's share of resources, abusing the limited rations to satisfy their gluttonous appetites.

An abuse of resources that was on full display at this meeting, as the Mayor and his advisors feasted on supplies that could be better used to feed the population they had to sustain in order to keep the safe zone afloat.

The Mayor picked a piece of meat from his flame broiled steak out of his teeth with his fingernails as he commented on the ongoing situation. Despite the urgency of the defense and its imminent total collapse, he did not seem the least bit worried, as he talked about the situation as if it were some minor thing.

"General… I trust that your next wave of recruits will prove useful in your counter offensive against these damned fiends. I expect by next light for the first line of defense to be retaken and re-established. Or else I will have you removed from your position and replaced with someone more suitable."

Unlike the other advisors on this board, the so called "General" had a far more realistic understanding of the current situation. After all, he was really just an up jumped captain of the national guard, one who had somehow managed to survive the collapse of the United States and its military structure while his superiors had not.

The situation in the United States had deteriorated far more quickly than anyone had imagined. Only a week had gone by, and yet federal support to local areas was quickly disappearing. The power had not even gone out yet, and yet local governments were forced to fend for themselves.

In fact, the infrastructure problem was the biggest fear of the so-called General, as without electricity, his soldiers could no longer operate many of the weapons that had proven critical in the destruction of the higher level undead monstrosities.

Because of this, the General urged the Mayor to rethink his decision. Even though he knew such a thing was a helpless cause.

"As I previously stated, sir… More men are not going to solve our supply problems. At most, I will simply be throwing these civilians, many of which have never held a rifle before, to their deaths. I'm afraid you don't understand the severity of our situation!

What we need to do is focus our remaining forces, and munitions, on an area of defense that can be reasonably maintained with as little expenditure of resources as possible. I honestly think we should retreat from the second line, and evacuate the citizens within it while we can.

A counteroffensive will only be a waste of lives and ammunition, and will most certainly result in a collapse of the second and possible third lines of defense!"

Despite the urgency in the "General's" tone, the mayor refused to listen, and simply rolled his eyes before reaffirming the man's orders.

"You have your orders General, retake the first line of defense by dawn's light, or it will be your head!"

The "general" remained silent as he seethed internally. Knowing that these orders would result in far more casualties than they could reasonably sustain. But he couldn't convince this stubborn old man even if he wanted to.

The mayor then addressed the Head of Law Enforcement as he spoke about another serious issue which the safe zone was facing.

"Commissioner, tell me about this ongoing slave trade I have heard rumors about. Is it true? Are these criminals that have been empowered by this situation really rounding up survivors and selling them within the safe zone for an uneven share of supplies?"

The Police Commissioner looked unusually nervous as he heard this question. Almost as if there was a hint of guilt in his eyes before avoiding the subject entirely.

"We are investigating the matter as we speak… Soon enough we will determine if human trafficking is really happening within our borders… But if it is, I assure you, we will stamp it out as quickly and efficiently as possible!"

The Mayor simply smiled in response to this statement and nodded his head before addressing another serious issue that the settlement was currently having.

"And what of these whispers of rebellion I keep hearing about? I have heard from a little birdy, that some of our more ungrateful citizens are planning to overthrow me? Do you know anything about that?"

While the Mayor spoke to the Police Commissioner about this issue, his gaze was cast upon the so called "General" almost as if he knew that the man's involvement with the rebels. But no, that couldn't be right? The "General" had, after all, been very covert with his actions.

While the "General's" heart began to palpitate from anxiety, the Police Commissioner confirmed that he was either willfully complicit, or wholly incompetent at his job.

"That is another matter we are investigating. But I am certain these are just merely the grumblings of the tired and hungry. You have to understand, most of the survivors have not come to accept that things are likely going to get worse before they get better. They are still expecting a handout from the government without working for it.

I am sure, given enough time, they will come to understand the severity of our situation, and will be far more willing to work in exchange for supplies like they currently have to."

Ultimately, the Mayor was more than willing to believe these words, than recognize that his reign as a local dictator was not long for this world. Thus, he bit into a slice of steak with an ignorant smile on his face, all while nodding his head in an approving gesture.