The drone operator obeyed, the drone climbing to a safer height and tilting its camera downward. The surrounding buildings loomed in the feed, casting long shadows in the early morning light. After a few minutes, the Reliance Smart Supermarket came into view. The building was massive, with a large parking lot in front that showed signs of decay—overgrown weeds and shattered glass from looted cars.
"Switch to thermal imaging," Advik Bhardwaj ordered.
The screen shifted to a heat-based display, revealing glowing signatures within the supermarket. Several scattered humanoid shapes moved slowly through the aisles inside. However, there were no signs of a concentrated horde, which was a relief.
"Looks like there are still some hostiles inside," Sandeep muttered. "But nothing unmanageable. Could be zombies, or maybe stragglers from other survivor groups."
Advik Bhardwaj nodded, analyzing the thermal data. "It's too quiet, though. We need to proceed cautiously. They might be dormant, but any sudden noise could wake them up and trigger a swarm."
The drone continued its survey, circling the perimeter of the supermarket. They identified key entry points, including a front entrance, two side loading docks, and a rear emergency exit. Nearby, a few alleyways and side streets could potentially be used for tactical positioning.
"We'll need a strike team to secure these entry points," Advik Bhardwaj said. "One squad at the front entrance, another covering the loading docks, and a third holding the emergency exit. If things go south, we'll need a clear path for retreat and extraction."
Sandeep tapped a few notes on his tablet. "Agreed. We'll need at least three fireteams, fully equipped. One team can handle initial breach and recon inside while the others secure the perimeter."
Advik Bhardwaj continued observing the feed as the drone completed its surveillance sweep. "No signs of rival survivor groups nearby?"
"None so far," one of the technicians replied. "If anyone was camped near the supermarket, they're either gone or staying hidden."
"Good. We might have the element of surprise on our side." Advik Bhardwaj leaned back slightly, his mind already planning the operation in detail. "Now, to increase our chance of success, we'll have to lure the zombies out from the supermarket using a loud noise. We'll drop bombs on random areas and the loud noise it produces should be enough for the zombies to bedrawn out."
"And what hardware are we using here in this mission?" Sandeep asked.
"We'll go in by air as it is difficult to get there by foot or vehicle due to the road being blocked."
"Copy that sir—let's get to preparation."
The lights dimmed in the Leela Palace Hotel's tactical operations room as Advik Bhardwaj and Sandeep stood before a television. Around the room, soldiers filed into their seats, their eyes sharp and alert. Most were veterans of previous operations, hardened by months of survival in the apocalypse. Others were fresh recruits from recent survivor groups who had shown promise in security roles. Despite their varied backgrounds, every man and woman in the room shared one goal: survival.
Advik Bhardwaj stepped forward, clearing his throat as the chatter died down. The display switched to a 3D holographic map of the area surrounding Reliance Smart Supermarket. Key points of interest—entryways, high-risk zones, and fallback routes—highlighted in red, blue, and green.
"Listen up," Advik Bhardwaj began with a tone of authority. "We've got a new mission. This isn't just another supply run; this is a long-term investment in our survival. We're calling it Operation Harvest. Our objective is simple—secure the Reliance Smart Supermarket and take control of its supplies. If we succeed, we'll secure enough food and non-perishables to keep our entire operation running for at least six months. Failure is not an option."
He paused, letting the gravity of the mission sink in. "Now, here's the situation. The supermarket is five klicks northeast of our current position. The surrounding roads are heavily obstructed—burnt-out vehicles, barricades, and debris make it nearly impossible to reach by ground. We'll be deploying by air, using Hawks 1 and 2 to insert fireteams directly into the target zone."
The display zoomed in on the supermarket's layout. Advik Bhardwaj pointed to the large front entrance. "This is the primary entry point. Team Alpha will be responsible for breaching and clearing this area. We've detected multiple thermal signatures inside the building—likely a mix of dormant zombies and potentially hostile survivors. Your job is to neutralize any immediate threats and secure the front lobby."
He shifted his attention to another section of the map. "Team Bravo, you'll cover the side loading docks here. These docks provide the largest access points to the warehouse floor. If anything goes wrong inside, this is where the bulk of the enemy reinforcements are likely to push through. Your mission is to lock down these entrances and prevent any breach."
Finally, he gestured toward the rear emergency exit. "Team Charlie, you've got rear security. The emergency exits lead to a narrow alleyway that can serve as a secondary extraction point. Hold this position at all costs—this alley is our escape route if things go south. We can't afford to be trapped inside with no way out."
Sandeep stood up, taking over the next phase of the briefing. "We'll be using the Abhiyaan ENU800 for continuous overwatch. This drone will provide real-time intel on zombie movements and any incoming threats. If at any point we detect a large horde converging on the building, we'll sound the evacuation signal, and all teams will regroup for extraction."
The display shifted to a tactical breakdown of the initial assault plan. A small animation showed simulated bombs being dropped on nearby abandoned structures, creating loud shockwaves.
"We'll start by drawing the zombies out of the supermarket," Sandeep explained. "Viper 1 will deploy high-decibel incendiary munitions to designated decoy points. These explosions should create enough noise to lure the majority of the hostiles out of the area. With any luck, that'll give us a clean entry window."
Asoldier from Team Alpha raised his hand. "What if we secured the supermarket? Are we going to stay there?"