I Have a Modern Weapon Gacha System in the Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 52: Back to the Talking

A day later, in the morning, Adrian was having his breakfast in his office with a cup noodles scavenge from the supermarket. It had a seafood flavor and the soup was delicious to his taste.

Today was the day they’ll ask the pilot once more and Ryan was already waiting outside his office.

A knock came on the door.

Two short taps.

"Sir."

Adrian set the cup down, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then stood.

"Come in."

Ryan stepped inside, already geared up. Rifle slung, vest secured, posture straight like he hadn’t rested at all.

"Morning," he said.

Adrian gave a small nod. "You eat?"

"Yeah."

Adrian grabbed his jacket from the chair and put it on as he walked past him.

"Good. Let’s not waste time."

They stepped out into the hallway together. The base was already moving. Personnel crossing paths, some carrying crates, others heading toward the motor pool. Radios crackled in the background, low but constant.

"Status?" Adrian asked as they walked.

Ryan kept pace beside him. "Supermarket team reported in an hour ago. No issues overnight. Perimeter held. First truck already back."

"Good."

They turned a corner toward the medbay.

"Pilot?" Adrian asked.

"Awake," Ryan replied and added. "But didn’t have breakfast so perhaps we shall give him one before the interrogation to get him talking."

Adrian glanced at him.

"Yeah," he said. "Hungry men tend to cooperate faster."

They reached the medbay.

Ryan pushed the door open first this time.

Inside, Herrera was already sitting up against the bedrest, same position as before. His eyes shifted the moment they entered, tracking both of them without turning his head too much. There’s also the same doctor who had been treating him for his gunshot wounds.

"Doctor, can you please give him breakfast. I think he is hungry," Adrian ordered.

The doctor looked up from the chart in his hand and gave a short nod.

"Yes, sir."

He didn’t ask anything else. He just set the chart down on the small table and moved out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Silence settled again.

Herrera shifted slightly on the bed, adjusting his position without moving his injured leg too much. His eyes moved between Adrian and Ryan, observing the two.

"You feed all your detainees like this?" he asked.

Ryan didn’t answer.

Adrian stayed where he was.

"Only the ones we need talking," he said.

Herrera gave a faint breath through his nose, not quite a laugh.

"Fair enough."

No one spoke after that.

Ryan shifted his weight slightly, leaning against the wall, arms loose but ready.

Adrian stayed seated.

Herrera leaned back against the bedrest, watching them both, saying nothing this time.

Minutes passed.

Then the door opened again.

The doctor stepped back in, carrying a metal tray.

Steam rose from it.

He walked over and set it down on the side table beside Herrera.

"Breakfast," he said.

On the tray was a simple meal—fried rice, a piece of cured beef, and a fried egg placed on top. The smell filled the room immediately, heavier than the cup noodles from earlier.

Herrera looked at it.

Real food this time.

He didn’t reach for it yet.

The doctor stepped back, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"Eat while it’s hot," he said. "You’ll need the energy."

Adrian gave a small nod.

"Thank you."

The doctor acknowledged it and moved to the side, staying in the room but out of the way.

Herrera looked at the tray again.

Then at Adrian.

"You’re putting in a lot of effort," he said.

Adrian just gestured slightly toward the food.

"Eat, you’ll need it."

Herrera reached for his utensils but Herrera didn’t take a bite.

He just held the spoon for a second, then set it back down on the tray.

"I’m not doing this again," he said. "Food for answers. That’s not how this works."

Ryan straightened slightly off the wall.

"Suit yourself," he said. "Doesn’t change anything for us."

Adrian didn’t react right away.

He watched Herrera for a second, then reached out and pulled the tray a few inches closer to him.

"Eat or don’t," Adrian said. "Your call. We’re still talking." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Herrera held his gaze.

A pause.

Then he picked the spoon up again.

This time, he ate.

Adrian and Ryan didn’t interrupt him.

They stood and watched.

The only sound in the room was the clink of the spoon against the metal tray.

Five minutes later.

He set the utensils down and leaned back slightly against the bedrest, breathing even.

"Alright," he said. "You’ve got your window."

Adrian pulled the chair forward again and sat.

Ryan stayed where he was, off to the side.

Adrian didn’t ease into it this time.

"We’re not going back to yesterday," he said. "I’m not asking for your base location."

Herrera didn’t respond, but he was listening.

"I want to prevent another engagement like what happened in the air," Adrian continued. "You fired because you didn’t know what we were. That’s the problem."

"Why?"

"Because you could have endangered civilians," Adrian said. "Isn’t the mandate of the armed forces to protect the country and the people living in it?"

Herrera scoffed. "A private militia with civilians huh? You mean non-combat personnel."

"Why don’t you come with us and see for yourself?" Adrian said.

Herrera’s eyes stayed on Adrian, trying to read past the tone, past the words.

Ryan pushed off the wall.

"You’ll be escorted," he said. "You’re not walking out of here on your own."

Herrera glanced at him, then back to Adrian.

"And if I refuse?"

Adrian stood.

"Then we’re back to talking in circles," he said. "Your call."

A pause.

Then Herrera exhaled once.

"Fine," he said.

Outside, Herrera was in the wheelchair, scanning the base around him. It did look like Basa Air Base, but everything was different in terms of the hardware. Like the F-35s and the Oshkosh vehicles, to the Abrams tanks. Like, it looked like a United States outpost but it wasn’t.

Then, they arrived at where the civilians were and Herrera’s eyes widened again as he saw civilians. Men, women, and children.

"So, you still think we are a hostile force? We are at war sir, against the zombies. And we don’t have time for a misunderstanding where the Philippine Air Force will attack this base. We are really fortunate to have intercepted your missile."

"I can’t believe it..." Herrera muttered. "I didn’t know."

"It won’t happen again I swear, but help us not to repeat it," Adrian said.

Herrera pondered about it for a moment and then answered.

"Okay, I’ll cooperate."