A Deal with the Living

Jason stepped through the gates with Ryan close behind, scanning the settlement as they entered.

It is bigger than he expected.

Inside the barricades, there are rows of makeshift shelters.. some built from scavenged wood, others from old shipping containers. A few small fires burned in metal drums, groups of survivors gathered around them. People moved with purpose, carrying supplies, sharpening weapons, whispering in hushed tones.

A real community.

But Jason knew better than to trust appearances.

Lexi led them toward a large structure in the center of the settlement. It looked like an old warehouse, reinforced with metal plating and barbed wire. A command center.

Cole walked beside her, hands in his pockets. “Didn’t think you’d still be standing,” he said casually. “Figured the lizards would’ve torn this place down by now.”

Lexi shot him a glare. “We don’t take chances. That’s why we’re still here.”

Jason exchanged a look with Ryan. This place is disciplined.. a stark contrast to some of the chaotic, doomed groups they had seen before.

As they approached the entrance, two guards stepped forward, rifles in hand. Lexi nodded at them, and they stepped aside.

Inside, the warehouse is set up like a war room. Tables are covered in maps, weapons, and scattered papers. A few people are gathered around, murmuring about supply routes and watch rotations.

At the far end of the room, a man sat in a chair, watching them.

Older. Gray in his beard. Scars on his arms. He radiated authority without saying a word.

Lexi stopped in front of him. “Boss, we have guests.”

The man leaned forward, eyes locking onto Jason and Ryan.

“You look like trouble.”

Jason held his gaze. “We look like survivors.”

The man studied them for a long moment. Then he nodded. “That remains to be seen. But we don’t have room for dead weight. If you want to stay, you’ll work. You’ll contribute.”

Jason expected that. “What do you need?”

The man smirked. “Scouting. Supplies. Guard duty. Maybe even dealing with lizards, if you’re feeling brave.”

Jason nodded. “Fine. We’ll do what we can.”

The man glanced at Ryan. “And the kid?”

Jason stiffened, but Ryan spoke up first. “I can help.”

The man studied him, then shrugged. “We’ll see.”

He leaned back in his chair. “For now, find an empty shelter. Lexi will show you where.”

Lexi nodded toward the door. “Come on.”

Jason hesitated, then turned to follow.

They had a place.. for now.

But he had a feeling this settlement came with its own dangers.

Lexi led Jason and Ryan through the settlement, weaving between makeshift shelters and groups of survivors. The air smelled of smoke and unwashed bodies, but compared to the death and rot outside the walls, it is almost welcoming.

Jason kept his guard up. This isn’t the first settlement they’d come across, and he’d learned that places like this always had rules.. some spoken, some not.

Ryan walked close to him, eyes darting around. “It’s… different from the others,” he muttered.

Jason glanced around. People aren’t just surviving here. They are living.

A group of children played with a worn-out soccer ball near a stack of crates. A woman sat by a fire, sewing patches into an old jacket. Two men worked on dismantling a broken generator.

It isn’t normal, but it is the closest thing Jason had seen to it in a long time.

Lexi stopped in front of a small shelter.. four walls, a thin roof, barely enough space to lie down.

“You can stay here for now,” she said. “It’s not much, but it’s better than sleeping outside.”

Jason gave her a nod. “We appreciate it.”

She folded her arms. “Don’t thank me yet. Boss is giving you a chance, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe. Step out of line, and you’re gone.”

Jason met her gaze. “We’re not looking for trouble.”

She smirked. “Good. Because trouble doesn’t last long here.”

With that, she turned and walked off, leaving them alone.

Jason pushed the door open and stepped inside. It is cramped, barely more than a storage shed. But it had walls, and that is enough.

Ryan sat down on the floor, stretching his legs. “So what now?”

Jason sighed, setting his rifle aside. “Now we see if this place is worth staying in.”

Ryan gave a small, tired smile. “At least we have a roof.”

Jason sat beside him. “For now.”

But in the back of his mind, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right.

The next morning, Jason is up before the sun.

The settlement had a strict schedule.. work began at dawn. It didn’t matter if you are tired, hungry, or sore. If you wanted to stay, you pulled your weight.

Jason and Ryan are assigned to different tasks. Jason is put on scouting duty, sent beyond the walls to check for lizard activity. Ryan, being younger, is given supply work, moving crates and helping distribute food.

Jason isn’t happy about the separation, but he didn’t argue. They needed to blend in.

Cole, the one who had brought them here, is already waiting at the gates when Jason arrived.

“Ready for a walk?” he asked, slinging a rifle over his shoulder.

Jason nodded. “Let’s just get it over with.”

The gates opened, and they stepped out into the ruined world.

⸻

Outside the Walls

They moved carefully, keeping to cover. The city beyond the settlement is a graveyard, filled with collapsed buildings and rusting cars. It had been quiet lately.. but that never lasted.

Cole led the way, occasionally stopping to scan the area. Jason followed, rifle ready.

“You’ve done this before?” Jason asked.

Cole smirked. “More times than I can count. We need to know if anything big is moving nearby. If the lizards are getting close, we need to be ready.”

Jason glanced at a burned-out truck, claw marks shredded through its metal frame.

“And if we’re not?”

Cole didn’t answer.

Instead, he pointed ahead. “There. Look.”

Jason followed his gaze.. a fresh corpse lay in the street. Not a lizard’s kill. This is human-made. Bullet wounds in the chest. Supplies missing.

Jason frowned. “Raiders?”

Cole’s expression darkened. “Yeah. We’ve been seeing more of them.”

Jason had expected as much. Lizards aren’t the only danger anymore. The world is falling apart, and people are getting desperate.

Jason knelt beside the body. Whoever this had been, they didn’t stand a chance.

This world is eating people alive.

Cole sighed. “Come on. We should keep moving.”

Jason stood. He took one last look at the body, then followed.

⸻

Inside the Walls

While Jason is out scouting, Ryan spent the day hauling supplies.

It is exhausting work.. lifting crates, stacking cans, making sure the food is distributed fairly. Except… it isn’t.

Ryan noticed something off. Certain people got more than others. The stronger, tougher-looking ones always got first pick. The weaker, quieter ones got what is left.

Ryan didn’t say anything at first. He didn’t want to cause trouble.

But when he saw a young girl turned away with nothing, his stomach twisted.

He took a deep breath and walked up to the man handing out rations.

“She didn’t get anything,” Ryan said.

The man, a burly guy with scars on his arms, barely looked at him. “Not my problem.”

Ryan clenched his fists. “She needs to eat too.”

The man frowned. He didn’t like being questioned.

Ryan could feel the weight of eyes on him. People are watching.

Then, a voice cut through the tension.

“Give the kid a ration.”

Lexi.

She stepped forward, arms crossed. The man hesitated, then grudgingly handed the girl a small can of food.

Ryan let out a breath.

Lexi shot him a look. “Be careful who you stand up to.”

Ryan nodded. But deep down, he knew he had just seen the first crack in this settlement’s foundation.