Chapter 266

"Come with me." Aria Bennett's lips curved into a reassuring smile.

She gave the machete in her hand a light shake. "I have a few teammates. If you're scared of staying here, you can lead us to Meridian Square."

"If we run into the military along the way, you'll be safe."

She had scrolled through several phones earlier, but there was no signal—navigation was useless.

In this situation, having a local guide was undoubtedly the fastest solution.

The man hesitated before finally nodding.

"O-okay." He swallowed hard. "I don’t want to stay in this hellhole a second longer."

Honestly, this scrawny guy didn’t look like he could fight. If they encountered zombies again, he’d be dead meat.

"First, help me find a car," Aria said.

"No need!" The man suddenly perked up. "I have a modified SUV—top-tier performance!"

Aria’s eyes lit up. "Where?"

"Underground parking." He shrank back slightly. "But I don’t know if it’s safe now..."

"Lead the way." Aria was decisive.

[Damn, Aria just went with a stranger like that?]

[Is this guy a trap?]

[Look at how she’s positioned—always keeping a safe distance.]

[She hasn’t let go of her machete. Clearly, she’s on guard.]

The underground parking was dim and eerie.

A few zombies staggered toward them, but Aria dispatched them cleanly.

The man trembled the whole time, hiding behind her.

[This looks like a damsel following a badass hero.]

[Aria’s got max protector energy.]

A rugged seven-seater SUV came into view.

"Get in." Aria pulled open the passenger door.

With the roar of the engine, the SUV sped toward the rendezvous point.

"Holy shit!" Miles Sutton’s eyes widened. "This ride is sick!"

Ronan Caldwell whistled. "Only Aria could pull this off."

The four quickly piled in.

"This is Kieran Sterling, our human GPS," Aria introduced.

Miles gave Kieran a hearty pat on the shoulder. "Thanks, man!"

"Don’t mention it." Kieran smiled shyly. "Miss Bennett saved me."

As they drove, Aria and Ronan grilled Kieran for intel on the city.

[Other teams are still clueless.]

[Good karma pays off.]

[This feels so real—zero fakeness.]

"Stop!" Aria suddenly shouted.

She dashed toward a roadside newsstand and returned with a thick stack of maps.

"Take these." She handed one to each of them. "We’re relying on these from now on."

Ronan unfolded his eagerly. "Exactly what we needed!"

Miles looked baffled. "Newsstands sell maps?"

"Common sense, kid." Aria facepalmed.

The four: "..."

Another burn.

"Whatever," Miles said cheerfully, leaning in. "With Aria here, we’ll just cheer from the sidelines."

The SUV rolled forward, kicking up dust in its wake.