"That sounds better." The initial plan had been changed to a more optimal one, which could give them a better chance of survival.
Of course, Alan, who had proposed the plan, would have one of the most difficult tasks. He would rather die fighting than wait for someone to save him from death, and that's why he would do whatever it took to make the plan work.
"It must be a very large truck," said Raj, convinced that they would run into a deadlock if they couldn't move some vehicles out of the way.
Alan looked at Raj and chose him mainly because of his good mobility. Also, as long as Edward was with the main group, there was a chance that those in the pickup truck wouldn't be left behind when they drew the attention of the infected lurking in every corner around them.
If the others refused to help once they had the truck, Alan was confident that could be easily avoided with Edward's help. He was even considering giving him his weapon, which would greatly increase everyone's trust.
Carlos looked at Alan and said, "I could go with you. If there are four of us, we'll have a better chance of distracting the infected and giving the others a chance to get the truck."
"That's not optimal," Edward replied, reaching a conclusion. "You're the one who knows how to drive the truck—we need you if we want to get out of here. It makes more sense for Alan, Claire, and my brother to go to the designated point. They have the most combat experience. Once they do their part, the rest of us will follow the plan and we'll all leave together."
Besides, Carlos had taken the greatest risks during the fights where they eliminated a considerable number of infected.
"Does Claire really have skills?" Carlos asked after thinking it over.
Alan smiled, as if he had been expecting that question.
"If any of us gets infected, the one who's still okay can make it to the pickup, and the one who's infected will do whatever it takes to make the plan work. A sacrifice. Whoever is bitten must know they're already dead. Those going out there need to keep that in mind."
When people hear talk of sacrifice, they tend to resist, but when that sacrifice could save your brother's life, everything changes.
Claire and Alan had a close relationship. They might just be friends, but even if they had only recently met, both of them knew they could do that and more.
Raj didn't want to argue and said, "The plan makes sense. So, how exactly should we run?"
"In a line, one behind the other," Alan answered. He thought for a moment and then added, "If the person in front gets bitten, they can do what's necessary to clear the path for the one behind."
Alan had never run from the infected—until now—so he didn't really know the best way to flee from them.
"Then let's have a vote so the plan is approved by everyone," Claire suggested, completely changing the tone of the conversation.
After Claire asked those who agreed to raise their hands, she lifted hers, and six others joined in, including Alan. That left the manager and three more employees, and after thinking over their odds, they raised their hands as well. Why object if none of them would be taking the greatest risk?
The manager looked at Alan and asked, "Now that we have the plan, where are we going? If all the streets are filled with abandoned cars and our only way out is to leave the city to be safe, how do we even know where to go?"
Everyone fell silent at those words. Now that they thought about it, they didn't have a clear plan about where they wanted to go. If they ran into the military, maybe they'd be taken to a shelter—or maybe they'd be shot on sight. Everything had to be clear. No one knew what the situation outside was like. Besides reuniting with their families, they all agreed on finding a safe place and moving forward from there.
"I know a place where I'm going to take shelter with a couple of companions… If we make it there, you can take refuge—it's stocked with supplies and weapons. If you follow my instructions, we'll survive together."
Alan wasn't a demon. Everyone had done crazy things during this crisis, but Alan understood it was never personal.
Besides, he wanted to observe the outside before deciding to help more people. If the situation in the city was lost, all he wanted was to establish a shelter for whoever was still alive.
In this situation, there's no doubt things will only get worse with time, so if they didn't get help from the military in this city, they could consider the battle lost and start working on their own to build a future.
"Who are these others?" asked the manager, clearly intrigued.
"A friend and his brother. We were in a situation very similar to this one, and we've been together ever since. Any other questions?"
Edward had no patience for stupid questions and said, "I'll need to leave to check on my family. We can meet up at that point and from there work together to survive."
"That would be best," Raj agreed with his brother and added, "If we're alone, we'll probably be devoured by the infected outside this building. By now the whole country must be infested with those things, so surviving in large groups doesn't sound like a bad idea."
Alan sensed a shift in the atmosphere and nodded. Besides the brothers and Carlos, who were the easiest to deal with, the others had their own thoughts, so he wouldn't have to worry too much about them.
Claire also felt more at ease now that everyone was on the same page. She had felt in crisis no matter where she was inside the building, so this situation felt more comfortable since her safety had improved.
In the end, everyone accepted the proposal because it made sense. When it came time to flesh out the plan, everyone suggested many adjustments, since they knew the area better than Alan did.
"I have a motorcycle outside," said a man who worked in the building. He then explained, "If someone uses it to distract the infected outside, we could buy some time to reach the pickup."
He then pointed at a map on the table and marked a specific building. "By taking this shortcut, you can go up the stairs in the building and jump from rooftop to rooftop. We could use loudspeakers to attract the nearby infected, and at that point, meet up with the group heading to the pickup at this part of the street."
Alan thought for a moment. If there were three of them, Claire should take Raj to the pickup while he used the motorcycle and the loudspeakers to lure the infected away from the main street. That way, Claire and Raj would have a chance to reach the pickup safely, and afterward, Alan would have time to regroup with the others.
Once they reached the pickup, they would draw the attention of the infected behind them so the second group could get the truck. When Alan and his group were inside the pickup, it would be Edward's group's turn to extract them by attracting the infected from the rear.
After analyzing the timing, the groups, and the tasks, Alan believed it was a solid plan. First, he would take the motorcycle, find the right spot to escape from the infected, and turn on the loudspeakers. Once they started blaring, Claire would take Raj to the pickup, which should be clear of infected.
This whole first phase would happen in the front part of the building—not just to reach the pickup, but also to later take the trucks from behind.
Once in the pickup, Alan and the others would reverse down the street they came from and draw the infected's attention so Edward's group could get out safely.
What the others didn't know was that Alan had weapons in the vehicle, so being in the pickup was much safer. That way, he'd have the chance to go to Claire's house and find her mother.
"Since the infected are sensitive to sound, this plan could work," said Edward, waiting to see what decision Alan would make.
"Can the infected climb stairs?" Claire asked, thinking this might be a terrible idea.