Noah and Leonard left the mall through the main entrance, stepping back out into the quiet of the ruined street.
"Let's leave the collecting to them," Leonard said, stretching his arms above his head as they walked. "The rest of the recon unit will show up soon anyway."
"Yeah," Noah agreed. "Not our job."
They moved at an easy pace, heading back down the avenue in the direction of their base. The same broken road, the same hollow buildings on either side, the same heavy silence sitting over everything.
Leonard had his hands behind his head, walking without much care. Noah had his phone slipped into his pocket, feeling for any vibration from Travis.
They were about halfway back when Leonard suddenly stopped.
Noah noticed and stopped beside him.
Leonard's eyes had shifted toward a building on their left. His relaxed posture was gone. He stood completely still, head tilted slightly.
"You hear that?" he said in a low voice.
Noah listened.
