Weapon System in Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 28: Questions in his Mind

Thomas stood outside Samantha's room at the Conrad Hotel, his mind racing with thoughts of everything that had transpired. He took a deep breath and knocked gently on the door. After a few moments, he heard footsteps approach, and the door opened to reveal Samantha. She was dressed in clean clothes—simple but comfortable—a far cry from the ragged and torn attire she had worn at the university.

"Thomas?" Samantha's voice was soft, a hint of surprise in her tone. "Hey."

"Hey," Thomas greeted, offering a small smile. "Mind if I come in? Just wanted to check on you."

"Of course, come in," Samantha said, stepping aside and motioning for him to enter.

Thomas walked inside and took a brief glance around the room. It was spacious and well-furnished, with modern decor. The air conditioning hummed softly, keeping the room cool and refreshing. A tray with remnants of a meal—steak, mashed potatoes, and vegetables—sat on a small table near the bed.

"Comfortable?" Thomas asked, turning back to her.

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Samantha nodded as she closed the door. "Yeah. It's... really nice. Honestly, it feels surreal after everything. The bed's soft, the hot showers work, and the air conditioning is a blessing. I did open the windows at first, but the smell outside..." She shuddered slightly. "It's awful. The air is thick, like death is clinging to it."

"I can imagine," Thomas said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. "You've been through a lot. No one's expecting you to get used to things right away."

Samantha walked over to the table and sat down, her eyes flicking toward the meal tray. "Even the food here is incredible. It tastes like something out of a five-star restaurant. I'm not used to eating like this."

Thomas chuckled lightly. "It should taste good. That's Texas Roadhouse. We've got access to their kitchen and chefs. Figured we should eat well when we can."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Seriously? I thought it was just some fancy catering. No wonder it was so good."

He smiled but quickly grew serious. "I'm glad you're comfortable here, Samantha. But I need to talk to you about what happened at the university. I need to know why you left that room. I told you all to stay put until I came back."

Samantha's expression darkened, and she sighed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. "We... thought you were dead, Thomas. You were gone for two days. There were more and more zombies outside, and we started losing hope. The fear got to us. We thought if we stayed there, we'd just starve to death or get overwhelmed eventually. Some of us believed our only chance was to leave and look for other survivors."

Thomas's gaze softened as he listened. He had expected some form of this answer, but hearing it still hit him hard. "I get it. Fear does things to people. So you left... and then what happened?"

"We found a group," Samantha said, her voice trembling slightly. "At first, we thought they were good people. They had weapons, supplies, and seemed organized. They promised us protection, said we'd be safe with them. But it wasn't long before we realized how wrong we were."

She paused, her hands tightening into fists on her lap. Thomas remained silent, giving her the space to continue.

"They were monsters," she said quietly. "They weren't like you or your team. They were just... boys who thought they could control everything through fear and violence. They had rules. If you wanted protection, you had to obey. And for the women... it meant something worse."

Thomas clenched his jaw. He didn't need her to elaborate. He had seen it with his own eyes during the rescue. The rage he had felt then began to resurface, but he kept his composure for Samantha's sake.

"They... they told us that if we didn't comply, they'd throw us out," she continued, her voice cracking. "Anna... she refused. She fought back when they tried to force her. They didn't care. They dragged her outside and locked the doors. We heard her screaming... and then it stopped."

Samantha wiped at her eyes, her breath shuddering. "She didn't deserve that. None of us did."

Thomas took a step forward and knelt beside her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Samantha. I'm sorry you had to go through that. If I'd gotten there sooner—"

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "You did get there. You saved us. You saved me. If you hadn't come when you did..." She swallowed hard, her voice dropping to a whisper. "They would have done the same to me. I told them I'd rather be thrown outside like Anna, but they didn't care. They were going to..."

Her words faltered, and she squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaming down her face. Thomas's grip on her shoulder tightened slightly, grounding her.

"You're safe now," he said firmly. "No one's going to hurt you here. Not on my watch."

Samantha sniffled and nodded slowly. "Thank you. For everything. I thought I was going to die... or worse."

"You don't need to thank me," Thomas replied gently. "Just focus on healing. You've been through hell, but you're not alone anymore."

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of her story hanging in the air. Finally, Samantha spoke again, her voice steadier this time.

"Do you think... there's a chance we could build something here? Something better than just running and surviving?"

Thomas stood, his gaze thoughtful as he crossed his arms. "That's the plan. We're going to gather resources, make this place self-sufficient. We're not just surviving anymore, Samantha. We're going to live. And we're going to fight for it."

She nodded, a spark of hope returning to her eyes. "I'd like to help, if I can."

"You will," Thomas promised. "Rest tonight. We'll talk more tomorrow about how you can get involved."

As he turned to leave, Samantha called out softly, "Thomas?"

"Yeah?" He paused at the door, glancing back at her.

"Thank you... for not giving up on us."

He gave her a small but reassuring smile. "Always."

With that, he stepped out into the hallway, the door clicking softly shut behind him. He exhaled deeply, the tension slowly leaving his body. There was still much to do, but for the first time in a while, he felt a sense of hope.