They gathered around the kitchen table—what was left of it, anyway. Someone had pushed it against the door during the initial panic. They moved it back, sat down, and spread out a map of Niraya that Vikram had found in a drawer.
"Here." Samir pointed to a spot near Vaishali District. "My sister's apartment, about nine kilometres from here."
"Nine kilometres through hell," Taj muttered. "Fantastic."
"We don't walk it," Reyan said, tapping the map. "This building has basement parking. My car's down there. If we can reach it, we drive to your sister."
"If your car still works," Vikram pointed out. "If the basement isn't flooded with infected. If—"
"If, if, if," Reyan cut him off. "We deal with problems as they come. Right now, the plan is simple: Get to the basement. Get the car. Drive to Samir's sister. Then we get out of the city before the military quarantine closes in."
"Assuming there even is a military," Taj said quietly.
No one had an answer for that.
"The basement's only two floors down," Reyan continued, studying the building's layout in his mind. "We take the stairs, not the elevator. Clear each floor as we go. Once we're in the parking garage, we move fast. Get to the car, start it up, and drive out through the main exit."
"And if the main exit's blocked?" Samir asked.
"Then we ram through it," Reyan said flatly. "Or we find another way. But standing around here debating won't save your sister."
"We leave in an hour," Reyan decided. "Gather supplies. Weapons. Everything we can carry. Vikram, you're with us?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
"And my daughter stays here. With the door locked. We barricade it from the outside and—"
"No." His daughter's voice was small but firm. "I'm coming with you."
"Baby, it's too dangerous—"
"If you leave me here and you don't come back, I'll be alone. I don't want to be alone anymore, Papa. Please."
Reyan looked at the others. Samir shrugged. Taj nodded slowly. Vikram said nothing.
"Okay," Reyan said finally. "Okay. But you stay close to me. Always. And if I tell you to run, you run. Understand?"
She nodded solemnly.
"Alright then." Reyan stood, feeling the weight of too many promises settling on his shoulders. "Let's get ready. We have a long day ahead."
As they prepared—gathering knives, improvised weapons, bottles of water, what little food remained—Reyan caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
He barely recognized himself. Gaunt face. Hollow eyes. Blood still crusted in his hair from yesterday's fight.
This is what you are now, his reflection seemed to say. This is what survival looks like.
He splashed water on his face, grabbed his knife, and went to join the others.
They were going to find Samir's sister.
They were going to get that car.
They were going to survive.
Even if it meant becoming monsters themselves.